CHAPTER NINE!
Evie gasped excitedly when the trio enters the hair salon Dizzy worked at for her grandmother. Dizzy sat at a desk, working on designing something. Elisa's face softens at seeing how excited Evie was to see Dizzy. Evie and Dizzy always had been close like sisters. She always found their bond so cute. Evie brought a hand up to her lips, signaling to her friends to stay quiet. The girls quietly made their way into the shop, trying to remain unnoticed.
Then they walk up behind Dizzy and Evie kneels down by her, grinning at her when the red head finally looks over at her. "Evie?" She asks with surprise, looking confused as well. But excitement takes over when Evie nodded and grinned back at her. "Evie, you came back!" She squealed, setting down the headband she was working on and hugging the older girl.
"Hi." Evie smiled widely while she hugged her back tightly.
"Hey, so great to see you to." Mal mumbled and Elisa snickered as the two of them went unnoticed. She nudged Mal playfully, and they both smiled.
"Is it all just like we imagined? Do they really have closets you can walk into? Have you been to a real swimming pool? What does the ice cream taste like?" Dizzy bombarded Evie with questions, practically bouncing on her heels out of excitement when they pulled back from the hug.
"It's cold and it's sweet. And if you eat it too fast, it gives you a headache." Evie replied, smiling fondly at her.
"Really?" Dizzy asked excitedly.
"Yeah." Evie nodded, her smile never leaving her face.
"I saved your sketchbooks for you." Dizzy admitted, surprising Evie as the red head turned to go grab the sketchbook.
"You did?" Evie questions, looking at the young girl with surprise. She glances at Elisa and Mal with surprise, but a smile was still on her face. "Dizzy..." She smiled widely, looking over Dizzy's shoulder when the young girl sat the sketchbook down on the table for her. She opened the sketchbook, staring at the familiar book in awe. The first page she opened to was a dress she made of an old curtain and safety pins. Part of the old curtain was pinned to the paper by a safety pin.
Elisa smiled fondly while Dizzy and Evie reconnected. She stepped to the side and began making smoke bombs with Mal, the two of them giving the best friends space to reconnect. It was a touching reunion. Dizzy and Evie were like sisters, and it was obvious how much the young girl had missed her. Elisa remembered Evie telling her how hard it was to leave her behind. She had been so excited to go to Auradon, but leaving Dizzy was one of the hardest things she's ever had to do. It was nice to see them reconnect.
When they were done making smoke bombs, Dizzy had offered for Evie to take whatever different pieces to make headbands or outfits she wanted and that she would be honored for Evie to wear it. While this happened, Elisa looked outside and she wore she noticed a familiar face watching them. She glances back at her friends before quietly slipping outside to meet with him. The closer she got to him, she knew she recognized him for sure. "Henry?" She asked, a smile forming on her face.
Henry looks at her, his face lighting up when he realized who it was. "Elisa!" He smiles back, hugging her. "When I heard the news you were back, I almost didn't believe it, but you're actually here." He hugged her tightly, and she happily hugged him back.
Henry was the son of Hans, the guy who tried to kill her mom and aunt and take over the thrown in Arendelle. While it does seem weird and unbelievable that she's close with Hans' son, Henry is nothing like his dad. Henry is genuinely kind and has always treated Elisa with respect and warmth. Their bond formed from mutual understanding and their shared experiences with their complicated family histories.
As they pulled away from their hug, Elisa looks at him with a grateful smile. "I'm so glad to see you, Henry. You have no idea how much I missed you." She felt a surge of relief and happiness seeing him again.
Henry grins, clearly pleased to see her as well. "I missed you too, Elisa. I've been keeping up with everything that's been going on, and I just had to see you when I heard you were back. Are you okay? You look a bit...Conflicted." He noted, noticing the conflicted look on her face.
Elisa sighs, nodding her head. "Yeah, I've just got a lot on my mind. There's a lot happening, and I'm worried about Ben. Uma has him and is demanding we give her Fairy Godmother's wand. If we don't give her the wand, we lose Ben. So the boys are getting a fake wand and we're making some smoke bombs for a distraction."
"How can I help? I wanna help." Henry eagerly offers, wanting to do whatever he can. Elisa had always been like an older sister figure to him. He would do anything for her. "I kinda am apart of Uma's crew. I end up doing errands and stuff, but maybe I can try to get close and help in any way."
"Wait, really?" Elisa asked with surprise, but she didn't feel angry or betrayed. She had always known Henry wasn't evil or bad, despite his father. It didn't surprise her he joined Uma's crew. She understood how it is to be stuck on the Isle.
"Yeah, I guess." Henry said sheepishly, his expression a bit guilty. "I didn't join because I wanted to, I joined because I had no choice. You know how hard it is to survive here on your own. Plus my dad didn't really care about me so I basically raised myself. When I met you, you were the first person who showed me kindness. You were the only person who treated me like a person and didn't see me as a villain's kid." He tells her, and she smiles softly at him. "You inspired me, Elisa. I wanted to be like you, to be as brave and as kind. When you were chosen to go to Auradon, it did hurt a lot but I understood you had no choice. And you didn't belong here either, you were banished here like all the other villains for something that wasn't your fault."
Elisa's heart broke, hearing the raw emotion and honesty in his voice. She could see how much it meant to him, and she felt a surge of affection and warmth. She couldn't help but pull him in for another hug. "You have no idea how happy that makes me, Henry. That means a lot. You're a good person, Henry. I always knew that. And I'm so glad I met you, you have no idea. And you can help, if you want. The more the merrier. We'll need all the help we can get. We're meeting at Pirates Bay at noon. Can you meet us there?"
"Absolutely." Henry nods, looking eager as they pull back from the hug. He grins at her, feeling proud that he can finally be useful and help his friend. He always felt useless and helpless, like he was stuck on the sidelines watching everything happen. But now, he could help and make a difference. "Hey, uh, do you have any time to hang out? I really wanna catch up with you. It's been awhile since we've talked, and there's so much I want to tell you."
Elisa glances back inside, noticing Mal was looking out at them. She must've heard some of their conversation. She locks eyes with the purple-haired girl, who gave her a reassuring nod and a smile. Elisa smiles a little and nods, turning back to Henry. "Yeah, of course. Let's catch up." She threw her arm around his shoulders as they began walking down the streets.
They ended up at their favorite spot on the docks. Elisa sat down, her feet dangling over the edge as she looked down at the murky water below. She sighs, letting the peacefulness and tranquility wash over her. Henry sits next to her, and they share a moment of silence before Elisa breaks the silence. "So, what's new with you?"
"Well, like I said earlier, I joined Uma's crew. Kinda. I'm helping Celia out more with running errands for Hades." Henry starts to explain, leaning back on his hands. Celia was the daughter of Dr. Facilier, and Elisa was pretty close with her. She was one of the kids that ran around the streets of the Isle and Elisa was always nice to her. "My dad is still a jerk and a pain in the butt. But that's nothing new." He continues with a bitter laugh. "Been hanging out with Dizzy a lot, of course." He added, a fond smile forming on his face at mentioning Dizzy.
Elisa smiles knowingly. Dizzy was his best friend, but she knew he felt more for her than just friendship. And she suspected the same went for Dizzy. "Oh yeah, and what's going on with her?" She asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Same old, same old." Henry replies with a shrug, his tone a bit flustered and embarrassed. "She's great, and smart. She's the best friend I could ever ask for."
Elisa's smile widens as she glances at him, noticing the small blush forming on his face. She nudges him teasingly. "And? C'mon, Henry. Tell me what's really on your mind."
"I-" Henry stops himself, hesitating and seeming conflicted. He didn't want to jinx anything. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. I just, I really appreciate her, and care about her." He shrugs, looking embarrassed. "That's all."
Elisa chuckles, her expression amused. "Henry, I can tell you're lying. You know, I always thought the two of you would be a good match. I think you should go for it."
Henry's cheeks flushes a deeper shade of red as he stammered, "Really? I mean, we've been friends for so long... I guess I just never really thought about it that way."
Elisa laughs softly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Well, maybe you should. It sounds like there's more to it than just friendship. And I think Dizzy might feel the same way. You two have a special bond."
Henry shifts uncomfortably, though he didn't seem upset. "I don't know. I don't want to ruin what we have if things don't work out. Plus, there's everything going on right now. It feels like there are bigger problems to deal with."
Elisa nods in understanding. "I get that. There's a lot going on. But once things settle down, maybe you could talk to her about how you feel. Sometimes, taking that risk can be worth it, even if it feels daunting."
Henry smiles, his expression more relaxed. "Yeah, maybe. Thanks, Elisa. I've always valued your advice."
Elisa grins and gave him a friendly nudge. "Anytime. So, do you have any other news? Anything that's been going on with you besides Dizzy and the crew?"
Henry started to rant about the latest gossip around the Isle, and the two of them caught up. They talked about what had happened while they were apart, and how they had been holding up. They had always been a comfort and support for each other. Elisa was glad to see her friend and that he was doing okay. She always cared deeply for him.
Before they knew it, it was time for them to meet up with the others. Henry had gotten there ahead of time, sneaking onto the ship and acting as his part with the crew to not make things suspicious. He found Ben tied up on the post off to the side, and he walked over to him.
Ben lifts his head, squinting his eyes as he stared at him. "Who are you?" He asked, sounding tired and confused.
Henry looks at him apologetically. "Sorry, dude. My name's Henry, son of Hans. I'm Elisa's friend." He explained, and he could tell Ben recognized the name.
"Ah, right. I've heard of you. Elisa talked a lot about you." Ben said softly, smiling a little. "It's great to finally meet you...Just wish it wasn't under these circumstances."
Henry chuckles and nods in agreement. "Yeah, totally. Don't worry, Elisa and the others have a plan to save you. Things will work out, trust me." He pauses before adding. "You know, I really resented you for taking Elisa away from me...She was the only family I had."
Ben looks at him with sympathy, understanding and guilt washing over him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take her away from you. She told me how much she cares about you, and I can tell you guys have a strong bond. It was never my intention to separate the two of you. I-I didn't know until she had told me about you."
"Goodbye, Elisa." Harry said, reluctantly letting her go. He watches as she climbs down the ladder and he waits until she's gone from his sight before climbing down the ladder himself. He was happy for her, he truly was, but a small part of him wished that he was the one she chose.
The streets of the Isle were quiet, the sounds of people going about their daily lives were muted. The air was crisp and cold, the breeze biting through Elisa's clothes. She was walking with purpose, her destination clear. Her mind was made up, her decision clear. She knew what she wanted, and she was going to do everything in her power to make it happen.
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