All-American Bitch by Olivia Rodrigo
As they walked deeper into the grounds of Auradon Prep, Estella couldn't help but feel a weight pressing on her chest. The air felt thicker here, memories of a life she'd left behind resurfacing at every turn. She had spent years dreaming of this placeâof escaping the Isle, and now she was here, standing in the midst of it. But everything was different. The gleaming white walls, the towering columns, the abundance of food and luxuryâit all felt foreign, like she didn't belong.
Harry and Gil flanked her, their presence a small comfort in this strange new world. Harry's hand was firmly clasped in hers, his fingers warm against her skin. She could feel the pulse of tension in his body, too, his brows furrowed in a mix of disbelief and curiosity as he took in the surroundings. Gil, on the other hand, was practically bouncing with excitement, clearly in awe of everything.
"This place is insane," Gil remarked, looking up at the trees that dotted the gardens, their leaves in vibrant shades of green. "I didn't even know trees could be soâuhâgreen!"
Estella forced a small smile, nodding absentmindedly. "Yeah, sure." She didn't really care about the trees. Or the gardens. Or any of this. Her mind was elsewhereâback on the Isle, where everything was more real.
She caught sight of the tables laden with food in the outside area, but the place seemed eerily empty. No voices, no laughter.
"That's... weird," Estella muttered, pausing to take in the odd stillness of the place.
Mal, walking ahead, looked over her shoulder. "They're all asleep," she said, a mix of annoyance and concern in her voice. "I can't get a hold of Ben or Gwen, and no one else seems to be awake."
At the mention of Ben and Gwen, Estella stiffened. The names still carried a weight, and hearing them made her frown. Her jaw tightened, but she kept her mouth shut.
Harry seemed to notice the shift in her mood. His hand gently brushed her arm, his voice low. "Hey, it's alright," he murmured, looking down at her with soft eyes. "You've got me."
She didn't respond right away. Her mind was still swimming with memories, with thoughts of everything she had lost. Auradon had been her dreamâtheir dreamâbut now that she was here, all she could think about was how empty it felt.
Suddenly, Gil's voice broke through her thoughts. "Look at that!" He pointed excitedly at something in the distance.
"What?" Estella asked, snapping back to the present.
"A leaf," he said in awe, like he'd never seen anything so amazing in his life. "It's soâso green!"
Estella's lips twitched into a smile, despite herself. "Yeah. Definitely green."
Meanwhile, Harry's attention shifted elsewhere. He casually pocketed a shiny watch and a wallet from a nearby table, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. Estella raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. She wasn't in the mood to scold him.
Gil, seeing Harry's actions, glanced around nervously. "Uh... dude, you don't think we're gonna get caught, right?"
Before Harry could answer, Jay appeared out of nowhere, his usual scowl on his face. "What the hell, man?" he growled, snatching the wallet out of Harry's hand. "You steal from their stuff?"
Harry's grin widened. "It's just a little something to make this place more interesting," he said nonchalantly.
Estella shot Jay a glare. "What's it to you, Jay? I'm sure you have enough of your own things to worry about."
Jay sneered, eyeing her up and down before muttering something under his breath. "You've changed."
Estella's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I have."
And with that, she turned on her heel, walking away from the group with Harry and Gil trailing behind her. As she walked, she caught sight of something in the distance. Something that stopped her dead in her tracks.
It was a statue. A stone figure that seemed too familiar.
She stepped closer, her breath hitching in her throat.
It was Gwen.
Frozen.
A look of fear and uncertainty etched onto her face, hands raised as if she had tried to defend herself.
"No," Estella whispered, reaching out toward the stone figure. Her fingers brushed the cold surface, but it didn't feel like her friend.
Her heart ached. Her stomach twisted in knots.
Evie gasped from behind her. "Gwen..."
Estella swallowed hard, trying to keep her composure. "Why is sheâwhy is she like this?" she muttered under her breath, unable to tear her eyes away from Gwen's stone figure.
Jay and Carlos exchanged a glance, clearly uncomfortable with the scene in front of them. But it was Mal who spoke next, her voice shaking. "Audrey must have done this. Put everyone to sleep and turned some to stone."
Estella felt like the ground beneath her was falling away. Everything she had once known, everything she had left behind, was now hereâfrozen in time. And Gwen was a part of that.
With a shaking hand, Estella stepped back, looking up at Harry. He stood next to her, his presence a small comfort in the chaos that was unraveling around them.
"You're okay," Harry said softly, but there was no comfort in his words.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to fix it. But she didn't know how. Not anymore.
Uma crossed her arms, her expression shifting from playful to serious. "We should check the school for Audrey while we're here," she suggested, a glint of mischief in her eyes.
Mal's eyes narrowed in response, her posture tense. "No. Audrey wouldn't be there," she said, voice firm. "She'll go after the castle. And Ben." Her eyes flicked to the others, as if daring anyone to disagree.
Uma didn't flinch. "Says who?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and giving a smirk that matched her rebellious energy. "You're not the boss of everyone, Mal."
A tense silence followed, the air thick with unspoken words. Estella couldn't help but glance between the two, the hostility between them palpable. She wasn't sure if she agreed with Uma or Mal, but she didn't want to get involved in their argument. Still, she was curious about where Audrey might have gone and who would be right in the end.
Evie stepped forward, a calming force as always. "Alright, alright, let's not fight." She glanced at Mal, who was still fuming, and then at Uma, who was clearly enjoying the conflict.
Mal smirked smugly, clearly feeling victorious as the tension dissolved. She turned her back to Uma, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "To the castle, then," she said, her tone leaving no room for further debate.
Harry huffed in disappointment at the decision but said nothing, his arms crossed tightly as he followed the group. Estella glanced up at him, sensing his frustration, but she didn't comment.
The group moved towards Beast's castle, the looming structure growing closer as they walked, and Estella couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation hanging over her. There was still a lot to figure out, but at least they were moving.
With a heavy heart, Estella followed the others, Harry's hand resting firmly on her lower back as they walked together. Something told her things were about to get even more complicated.