As the day continues, Elisa begins to feel better and calmer. She had time in between classes to call her mother to get some advice, which was helpful. Her mother, despite being busy helping taking care of the Enchanted Forrest, took time to help her daughter out and reassure her. She reminded Elisa that it's okay to feel overwhelmed and scared sometimes, and that she doesn't have to have all the answers right away. She encouraged Elisa to take things one step at a time, to not put too much pressure on herself, and to reach out for help when she needs it.

By the time Elisa got off the phone with her mother, she was feeling much better. She still had a lot to think about and figure out, but she knew that she could handle it. And, most importantly, she wasn't alone. She had her friends, she had Ben, and she had her family. And that was enough. She was currently at her locker after class, switching her books and supplies out. She jumped, startled when she suddenly saw Ben leaning against the locker by hers once she closed her locker.

"Ben, you scared me!" She exclaimed, placing a hand over her fast beating heart. She had been lost in her thoughts and didn't notice him there.

Ben chuckles, smiling softly. "Sorry, my love. I didn't mean to startle you." He apologizes. "I just wanted to check on you, make sure you're okay." He was concerned about her, and had been thinking about her ever since he found her in the gardens earlier that morning.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Elisa smiles softly, her heart fluttering at the nickname. "I talked to my mom, and she helped me feel a little better. I mean, I'm still overwhelmed and kind of scared, but I think I'll be okay."

"I know you'll be okay, Elisa. You're the strongest person I know." Ben says, his voice filled with admiration and love. He truly believed that, and he wanted her to believe it, too. He gently brushes a lock of her hair behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek. "You're amazing, Ellie. Don't ever forget that."

Elisa blushes at his words, her heart skipping a beat. "You're amazing, too, Benny." She says softly. "And thank you, for being there for me earlier. I really appreciate it."

"Of course, Ellie. I'll always be here for you." Ben assures her, his voice filled with sincerity. "We're in this together, remember?"

Elisa nods, leaning into his touch as he cups her cheek. "I remember." She says softly, a smile tugging at her lips. "And I'm glad, because I don't know what I'd do without you, babe. I love you."

"I love you too, my love. More than anything." Ben's voice was soft, filled with adoration and love. He leans down, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss, a promise to be by her side, no matter what. When they pull away to breathe, he grins at her and intertwines his hand with hers. "Come here, there's something I wanna show you. I got you something."

Elisa's eyes widen with surprise and her heart flutters. "Something else? Sweetheart, I feel like you've been giving me gifts every day."

"Only the even days." Ben argues, earning an eye roll and a chuckle from Elisa. "Because you're even more perfect than I thought." He added as he squeezed her hand.

Elisa scoffs at that, but she had an amused glint in her eyes. "Ben, you don't have to keep getting me gifts. I mean, it's sweet, but I don't want you to go overboard."

"It's not going overboard, not for you." Ben shakes his head, and Elisa can tell he means it. He was always so sincere, and that's what she loved about him. "Let me spoil you, please." He added with a grin.

"You're lucky you're so cute." Elisa sighs, shaking her head. "Okay, Casanova, what is it this time?" She asked, a teasing tone in her voice.

Ben only smirks at her and tugs her along with him as they made their way down the hallway. They stop at the end of the lockers that were outside where a blue moped was parked. Elisa gasped, staring at the ride with shock and excitement. "A moped?" She exclaims, turning to look at him. "No freaking way! Really?" She was beaming now, her eyes lighting up. She had always wanted one of these ever since she was a kid. "You remembered I always wanted one of these." She added, her heart bursting with love for him.

"Of course, I did. How could I forget?" Ben says, and Elisa could tell he was genuinely happy that she was happy. "This is your own moped, Elisa. I had it made just for you. I remember how you loved going on rides on mine and I wanted you to have one of your own. It's blue because, well, I know it's your favorite color." He adds, smiling sheepishly as he fidgets with his hands nervously. "But really, you like it?" He asked, his eyes filled with hope and anticipation.

Elisa's heart melts at Ben's thoughtful gesture. She couldn't believe he remembered something so small yet significant to her. She threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. "I love it, Ben! Thank you so much!" She exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine gratitude and joy. She felt overwhelmed with emotion, knowing that Ben had gone out of his way to make her happy.

Ben stumbles back with surprise, not expecting the force of her hug, but quickly wraps his arms around her and returns the embrace. He couldn't help but smile as he felt her warmth, her scent invading his senses and making him feel relaxed and content. "You're welcome, Elisa." He says softly, his voice filled with love and affection. "I'm glad you like it. Now we can go on moped rides together."

"Yeah, we can." Elisa grins, looking up at him, her eyes twinkling with excitement and joy. "I can't wait!" But then she cringes as she pulls back from the hug. "But I didn't get you anything."

"Elisa, you didn't have to." Ben chuckles, shaking his head. "Honestly, seeing you happy is more than enough. Plus we're having a double date later with Mal and Parker, remember?"  

Elisa blinks with surprise, furrowing her eyebrows with confusion. "We are?" With everything going on, she had completely forgotten about it.

"Yeah and you even promised there would be some of my favorite foods there." He adds. "But if things are too busy for you, we can also take a rain check and plan for a different night." He suggested, his expression gentle and understanding. He didn't want to pressure her. He would give her the space she needed, even if it meant postponing the date.

Elisa was quiet, pondering his words. She knew Ben was being understanding, but she felt guilty for making him reschedule. He was always so considerate, putting her needs before his. "No, we can still do it tonight. It's been a while since we had a double date. And I'm definitely in need for a break after today." She said softly, smiling reassuringly at him.

"Are you sure?" Ben asks, his voice filled with concern. He didn't want her to feel pressured or stressed, especially after everything that had happened. He was willing to reschedule if she needed to, no matter how much he wanted to see her and be with her. He was sure Mal and Parker would understand too. "It's really no big deal, we can always reschedule."

"No, Ben, I'm sure." Elisa assures him, smiling brightly. "I want to have a night with some of my favorite people, and I don't want to postpone it. It'll be fun, and it'll be a good distraction."

Ben grins, relieved. He knew how hard the day had been on her, and he was glad she was willing to take a break from it all. He hoped that their double date would help cheer her up and help her relax. "Alright, if you're sure. But let me know if you change your mind."

"I will, I promise." Elisa reassures him and kisses his cheek. "Come on, we got class." The two of them walk off, hand in hand. The rest of the day goes by pretty quickly. As Ben had mentioned, the four of them have their double date and it is indeed a great distraction. They were set up at a gazebo in a gorgeous location. There was a lake, trees and a bridge nearby.

There were lanterns hanging from the gazebo, illuminating the space with a warm, soft glow. A table had been set up, covered with a white tablecloth and decorated with elegant silverware and glasses. As the night wears on, the couples are laughing and having a great time. The stress of the day is melting away, and they're all enjoying each other's company.

"I'm glad we were able to do this, guys." Parker speaks up with a smile. "It seems like ages since we've had a double date."

"Yeah, we've been so busy with everything that's been going on." Elisa adds. "It's nice to just take a moment and breathe." She smiled, feeling relaxed and at ease.

"Agreed, this is a much needed break." Ben agreed as he placed his arm over the back of her chair, smiling softly. He was happy to see her relaxing and enjoying herself.

As they continue eating and talking, Elisa notices some food left on Ben's mouth. She chuckles and leans over to wipe the bit of food from his lips. Ben's heart melts as she does this. He couldn't help but feel butterflies in his stomach at her simple act of affection. "Can't take me anywhere." He jokes. He sits up straighter, looking for a napkin. "Where are the napkins?"

"Oh, don't worry about it, I'll get you one." Mal quickly said as she reached into the basket after sharing a nervous look with Elisa. Parker caught this which caused him to furrow his eyebrows and look at the girls with confusion. Before Mal could grab a napkin, Ben had reached into the basket to grab one but instead pulled out Mal's spell book.

"Mal." Parker gasps, his eyes widening. He turns to look at his girlfriend with surprise. "I thought you were going to put that in the museum."

"I-I must've slipped it in there at the last minute." Mal lies. "You know, just in case it rains..." She added, fidgeting with her fingers nervously.

Parker didn't seem convinced. He knew she was lying. There was something going on, and he was determined to find out what it was. "Why are you lying?" He looks between the girls with narrowed eyes. "You two are clearly hiding something. What's going on?"

Mal sighs, shaking her head. "Parker, it's not important. Let's just enjoy the evening." She tried to change the subject, but Parker was persistent.

"No, Mal, tell me the truth. Something is going on." Parker says, his voice filled with concern and confusion. "I'm not stupid, I can tell. Mal, I thought we can tell each other everything. Whatever it is, you can trust me."

Mal bites her lip, hesitating. She didn't know if she should tell him the truth. After a moment, she takes a deep breath and decides to come clean. "This is all fake."

"Mal!" Elisa gasped, surprised that she told the truth. She sent her a small glare, and Mal winced a little bit. She knew Elisa wanted to keep this secret, but she also knew they needed to be truthful with this.

"What's with all the pages tagged with marks?" Ben speaks up after noticing that in the book. He starts to flip through the tagged pages out of curiosity, his eyes widen. "Speed reading spell, blonde hair spell, cooking spell." He read off in disbelief.

"Mal..." Parker said, his voice filled with hurt and disappointment. He understood why she did it, but she should've known she shouldn't have to. She had him and the others to help her with anything she needed. "I was surprised with how well you were fitting in and all that, but I had no idea it was magic."

"Take back this moment that has passed, return it...Reserve it." Mal mumbled as she tried to remember a spell.

Ben's eyes widen with shock. "Are you trying to spell us right now?"

Parker stares at his girlfriend with disbelief and hurt. He couldn't believe she was trying to cast a spell on them. He felt betrayed and hurt that she would resort to magic to manipulate their feelings and experiences. "Mal, why would you do this? Why would you lie to us? Don't you trust us? Me?"

"Of course I do. I trust you, Parker." Mal says, her voice filled with desperation. She didn't want him to think that she didn't trust him, that wasn't true. "But I just, I wanted things to be perfect, and I wanted to help Elisa out. I knew she had been struggling, and I wanted to make her life easier. We never wanted to lie or keep secrets from you guys." She added, glancing between him and Ben.

Parker sighs, running a hand through his hair. He knew that Mal had good intentions, but that didn't make it right. He felt hurt and betrayed that she would resort to lying and using magic. "But you did, Mal." He says, his voice filled with frustration and hurt. "And we would have helped you, Elisa. We're your friends, and we want to support you. You don't have to do everything on your own." He turns to Mal with a frown. "Mal, I thought you were done with the whole spell thing. And that we were being honest with each other."

"I am done with spells, I promise." Mal insists, her eyes filled with sincerity. She hadn't intended on casting any more spells. Well, besides the blonde hair one. She just wanted to help Elisa and make things easier for her. "And I am being honest with you, Parker. I'm sorry for keeping secrets from you, and for trying to use a spell. But I was only doing it because I care about you and Elisa, and I want to help."

Parker shakes his head and sighs as he stands. "Mal, I care about you and Elisa, too, and I would help you, but it doesn't mean you can keep secrets or try to use magic. That's not the right way. I just...I can't do this right now." He said, his voice filled with hurt and disappointment as he walked away.

"Parker!" Mal calls after him while she got up and started to chase after him. "Wait!" She was desperate, not wanting to lose him. She cared about him deeply, he was the first person she had fall in love with, and she didn't want to lose him. She couldn't lose him. "Please, can we talk about this?"

As Mal tried to get his attention as they get to the bridge, Elisa turns to Ben, who was still looking at the book with disbelief. Elisa sighs, guilt bubbling up inside of her. "It's true, we never meant to hurt you. Ben, I'm sorry," Elisa apologizes, looking apologetic and guilty. "Everything has been just so much lately and I asked Mal to help me. We didn't mean any harm, I promise. Some things have been super hard for me lately-"

"Yes, things are hard!" Ben raises his voice, surprising Elisa as he closes the book. "Things are hard for all of us, Elisa, not just you! We're supposed to be partners, but you're shutting me out! You're not letting me help you. Do you think learning to be king has been easy for me? You're not the only one struggling, Elisa. But we're supposed to be there for each other, not lie and keep secrets." He sighs, shaking his head. "I'm just...I'm disappointed in you, Elisa."

Elisa's heart aches at his words. She feels even worse, knowing she had let him down and hurt him. She hated hearing those words from him. She never thought she would ever hear them. She was trying to hold back the tears and her voice shakes as she spoke. "I'm sorry, Ben. But I didn't want you to be worried. You already done so much and I didn't want to add on. I needed some help with some things so I asked Mal for help. I didn't want to lie to you and keep secrets, but I just didn't want to burden you." Elisa said, her voice filled with regret. She knew she shouldn't have kept the truth from him, but she didn't want him to be worried about her.

"Burden me? Elisa, you're my girlfriend. Your problems are mine and mine are yours. We're supposed to help each other, and I can't do that if you keep things from me." Ben says, his voice filled with frustration and hurt. "I love you, and I want to help you. I thought you knew that."

Elisa flinches at his tone and his words. She knows he's right, and she feels even more guilty for keeping the truth from him. "I'm sorry, Ben. I know I should've told you. I know I messed up, and I'm sorry. I should've been honest with you from the beginning. I was just overwhelmed and scared, and I didn't know how to handle it. But that's no excuse for lying to you and keeping secrets. I just felt like I have been leaning on you so much and you've been dealing with a lot too with learning how to be king. I didn't want to add anything else to your plate."

Ben sighs, shaking his head. "You're not adding anything to my plate, Elisa. I want to help you and support you. That's what partners do. We're in this together, right? You promised we'd help each other. You promised we'd be honest and open with each other." He adds, his voice filled with frustration and hurt. "We're supposed to trust each other." He stands, placing the book on the table. "Ellie, I understand that you're dealing with a lot, Elisa, but shutting me out isn't the answer. I want to be there for you, through the good times and the bad. I want to support you and help you however I can. But I can't do that if you don't let me in."

Elisa's heart breaks as she listens to Ben's words. She knows he's right, and she feels terrible for pushing him away when all he wants to do is help her. She reaches out to him, her voice filled with emotion. "Ben, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to shut you out. I was just scared and overwhelmed, and I didn't know what to do." She stands as well, walking closer to him. "Lately, I feel like I can't do anything right. Nothing seems to go my way and it's frustrating and scary. I'm constantly stressed out and tired and I don't know what to do. And on top of all that, we have all these responsibilities and duties, and it feels like everything is just piling up. I feel like my powers are getting harder to keep control and I'm worried I might hurt someone accidentally. I didn't want to burden you with all of that. I thought I could handle it on my own. But I was wrong, and I'm sorry."

Ben's expression softens as he hears her words. He understands where she's coming from, but he wishes she had confided in him instead of keeping everything bottled up. He wraps his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Elisa, you don't have to handle everything on your own. I'm here for you, always. We're partners, remember? We promised to be there for each other, through thick and thin." He rests his forehead against hers, his voice gentle and reassuring. "I know things have been tough lately, but we'll get through this together. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Lean on me, trust me. Let me help you."

Elisa feels her resolve crumbling, but then suddenly she felt her power acting up. Her eyes flash bright blue and she gasped, pulling away from Ben in shock. She didn't know what was happening. This was the second time this happened. She had heard from her mom that sometimes, when emotions are running high, her magic can react unpredictably.

Elisa panics, her fight or flight mode kicked in. She didn't want to hurt Ben. She knew her powers were getting stronger, and she didn't want to lose control and accidently hurt him. "I'm sorry, Benny, I have to go."

"Wait, what?" Ben asks, confused and concerned as he watched her start to leave quickly. "Wait, Ellie-" He tried to reach out to grab her hand, but she was already out of his grasp.

Elisa runs off, not wanting to put Ben in danger. She felt horrible for leaving him like that, but she didn't know what else to do. She didn't know why her powers were acting up. She wore the ring Ben had made for her. That was supposed to help control her powers so why was this happening? As Elisa ran off in a panic, her mind races with questions and fears. She feels the weight of guilt and worry pressing down on her as she struggles to understand why her powers are acting up despite wearing the control ring Ben made for her. With each step she takes, her heart pounds in her chest, and her thoughts spiral out of control.

She gets to her room, relieved to see Krystal wasn't there. She figured she was at cheerleading practice right now. Her eyes fall on her blue leather jacket she wore on the Isle and she turns to look out the window at the Isle of the Lost. She felt the pull again, the call of her old home tugging at her heartstrings. Despite everything, despite the chaos and uncertainty, a part of her longed for the familiarity of the Isle, for the simplicity of her old life. She couldn't shake the feeling that maybe things would be easier there, that she could escape from the overwhelming pressures and expectations of Auradon.

She knew what she had to do. She had to go back to the Isle. She grabbed her jacket and a duffel bag, filling it with clothes and other essentials. She then changed clothes, knowing she needed to change into more street clothes than her usual attire to blend in on the Isle. She had to do this, for her sake. She had to escape the pressures and responsibilities of being a princess and being an up and coming Lady of the Court. She needed to find a way to deal with the chaos and stress, and she couldn't do that in Auradon. The Isle was the only place she could go where she didn't have to worry about her powers, or her reputation, or the expectations placed on her.

She grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. She took a deep breath and looks at herself in the mirror, trying to convince herself that this was the right choice. But the moment she looked at herself, all she could see was her mother's face staring back at her. And that was all the confirmation she needed. As she turned to leave, she noticed Krystal was now in the room. She was startled by her appearance, as she hadn't expected her to be back yet.

"Elisa, what are you doing?" Krystal asks, her eyes wide as she takes in the sight of Elisa wearing her Isle of the Lost jacket and with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going back to the Isle, Krys." Elisa said, her voice wavering slightly. "I need some time away, to clear my head and figure things out."

Krystal's eyes widen in shock and concern. "What? No, no, no, you can't go back there, Elisa! It's not safe!" She grabs her hands, trying to reason with her. "And what about Ben? What are you going to tell him?"

Elisa sighs, feeling conflicted and unsure. "I'm sorry, I hope you can understand. I just have to do this." She pulls away, ignoring Krystal's question and heads for the door. "I'm sorry, Krys. I do love you, and I love Ben too, but I need some time."

"Elisa, wait!" Krystal tried to stop her, but Elisa is already gone. She sighed, her heart breaking as she realized that her best friend is going back to the Isle, the most dangerous place imaginable. How was she going to tell the others?