3rd person pov

Evie’s hands trembled slightly as she fixed Ben’s hat, adjusting it until it sat just right on his head. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she forced a smile, more out of habit than warmth. “There,” she said, stepping back, trying to mask her unease with an air of control. But nothing about this situation felt controlled. In fact, it felt like everything was about to spiral.

Dude jumped into the back seat, his tail wagging as if this was just another fun trip. “Shotgun!” he barked eagerly.

Carlos frowned, his voice laced with concern as he spoke to the dog. “No, Dude, stay. The Isle is way too dangerous for you.”

Jay’s eyebrows shot up, disbelief coloring his tone. “Did he just...?”

Carlos nodded, still somewhat bewildered. “Talk? Yeah, I know. I’ll tell you later.”

Ben was already focused on the task ahead. “Let’s go,” he urged, his voice steady, but Evie could sense the undercurrent of excitement, as if this was just another adventure.

“Yeah,” Evie responded, trying to sound nonchalant, though her heart was pounding. “Okay, once we cross the bridge, park under the pier in the old garage. Got it?”

Ben nodded, determined. “Got it.”

As they moved closer to the border, Carlos called out, “Ben, help me with the tarp. Jay!”

Jay glanced over, catching the urgency in Carlos’s voice. “Yeah, I got it.”

Evie couldn’t help but look around l, her gaze drawn to the familiar, yet unwelcome sight of the Isle. The place she had tried so hard to leave behind. “It’s really weird being back here,” she muttered, more to herself than anyone else, but the tension in her voice was palpable.

Jay, ever the optimist, tried to brush it off. “We’ll get in and get out.”

But Evie knew it wasn’t that simple. It never was with the Isle. Her voice was sharper than she intended when she snapped, “Jay!”

He didn’t respond, already caught up in securing the tarp, and she bit back the rest of her words, frustration bubbling under the surface.

Ben, curious as always, looked at the tunnel that led to pirates bay aka Uma's turf. “Hey, what’s in here?”

Jay pulled him back quickly while  giving Ben a hard look. “You don’t wanna know.”

Carlos, always the peacemaker, tried to keep everyone focused. “Hey guys, keep it chill. All right? Last thing we need is our parents finding out we’re here.”

As they approached the bridge, a group of kids lingered nearby, their eyes hungry and desperate. Evie felt her heart twist. She remembered being one of those kids, but now… now, she was different. She was better.

“Hey! Hey, stop!” Evie’s voice was cold, devoid of the kindness she usually tried to exude. She tossed a few coins towards the kids, more to get rid of them than to help. “Just take it. Go on.”

Ben, ever the idiot walked up to a guy that looked like he was one of Uma's pirates. “Hey,”  he said holding out his hand

Evie grabbed his arm, yanking him back. “Ben, stop. Just stop.” Her tone was harsh, but she didn’t care. He needed to understand.

“Why?” he asked, confusion and hurt mingling in his eyes.

“This isn’t a parade, Ben. It’s the Isle,” Evie snapped, her words coming out sharper than she intended, but she didn’t soften them. She couldn’t afford to. Not here.

Jay chimed in, trying to make light of the situation. “Keep your hands in your pockets. Unless you’re stealing.”

Carlos nodded in agreement, adding, “You either slouch or strut.”

“And never ever smile,” Evie finished, her voice carrying an edge. She could feel Ben’s gaze on her, but she kept her eyes forward, unwilling to meet his questioning look.

“Okay, thanks…” Ben mumbled, trying to process the whirlwind of advice they were throwing at him.

Evie wasn’t done. She turned to him, her gaze hard, almost cruel. “No… No thank you and drop the please too. Just… Chill.”

Evie pov

After we educated Ben on how to act it seemed that Ben finally got it and that we could actually get Mal and go back home without any problems

That is until we ran into dummy number 3 aka gil the son of Gaston and Uma's muscle

This won't end well.