Janessa's view

The next few weeks pass in a blur. School starts to speed up, with more and more homework piling on to all of the Juniors. Even Isla can't ignore homework when it affects our grades this much. Not to mention that her eighteenth birthday is drawing ever-closer, so Uncle Ben and Aunt Mal are doing all they can to make sure she's prepared for her coronation, and then Cotillion a few weeks after. It'll be her first official appearance as Queen after her coronation, as we get a break off school for Christmas Break a couple days after. So she needs to look good at Cotillion.

Every day slips through our fingers like they've been Thanos-snapped. Juniors everywhere are stressed, and grumpy. I rarely get time to hang out with Isla and Max anymore, (or Eleanor and gang for that matter, since Danielle and I are both Juniors and therefore too busy) much less beg Max to drop out of sports. He, of course, made the tourney team and now has three-hour practices Monday through Thursday to add to everything.

Both my friends are wrecks. Max is more snappy than usual, with bruises on his arms and legs because he hesitates during games a lot. Isla has huge bags under her eyes, and often doesn't pay attention when I'm talking to her, muttering something under her breath. Her hair is a rat's nest now, the vibrant colors starting to fade a little bit even though Isla normally goes to Dizzy's hair salon every few weeks to touch up colors. (Since she gets so much dye, Isla charms her hair so it doesn't take any damage, but that also means she has to get the color back often.)

The one thing we have to look forward to is Eleanor's birthday. She's throwing a party, and invited literally everyone at school to come to her castle next week. Even Serene, Lucy, and Brietta said they were going to go.

Eleanor hasn't thrown a party here since she was six, so I'm curious as to how it will have changed. At that one, she gave everyone fake wands, and fake wings, and we played fairies for three hours. It was really fun, but I doubt that'd fly with high schoolers.

Anyway, the day before the party, Isla seemed different at school. If she had been unattentive the past few weeks, she was downright zoned out today. Finally, in fifth hour, the Thursday before Eleanor's party, I couldn't stand it anymore and harshly tapped her on the shoulder.

She jumps wildly, her pencil flying out of her hand and bonking off of the desk next to her. Flushing deep red and looking close to tears, she retrieves her pencil and turns to glare at me. "What was that for?"

"Do you want to come over to my house after school?" I ask quietly. If I'm going to get Isla to pay attention to me, I need her in a place where I can make a scene without backlash. Plus, Isla looks ready to scream. I doubt that's a good thing to happen at a school.

Isla's whole expression changes in an instant to relief. Her bottom lip trembles so slightly that I would never notice it if I hadn't spent the last 17 years growing up with her. Then she nods, and turns away from me.

After school, she joins my mom, Serene and I at the edge of the courtyard. She's putting her phone back into her bag when she takes my hand. "I have to be home by eight. Is that okay?" she asks my Mom.

Mom smiles. "Of course, Isla. You want dinner before you leave?"

Again, Isla's lip trembles. "That'd be nice." She says in a tiny voice. Serene and I both give Isla a concerned look, and for a split second Serene and I look at each other, like we used to, with those silent conversations siblings can sometimes have. Then Serene seems to remember something, and looks away just as Mom's powers poof us out inside our castle.

Isla lets go of me in a second, grabbing my wrist instead and sprinting away from the kitchen without saying a word. She stops at my room, shoves me inside, and closes the door hard. The moment it's locked behind her, she bursts into tears like she's been holding them in all day.

"Whoa!" I cry, putting an arm around her. "What happened? Are you okay? Did you stub your toe? Papercut? Isla, what's wrong?"

She hiccups, shaking her head. "I'm s-sorry. I didn't mean to drag you into this. But you offered, and I just had to get away. I've been t-trying so hard, Jen. You don't understand. My parents..."

I nod, my heart sinking. I never thought pressure would be something that could get to Isla, but evidently I was wrong. I lead my distraught friend to my bed, where Dude crawls into her lap without hesitation, not saying a word as she scratches his side.

"Queen training?" I ask quietly.

She nods, calming down a little bit but still trembling. "I don't know why now is so different. I've been training my whole life for this! But the closer I get to my coronation..."

"...the more your parents bear down on you?" I ask.

She nods again. "They're on me every time I even breathe the wrong way. I know they mean well, but, Jen, they're practically helicopters! They don't leave me alone! I have to remember this kingdom's appointment, and that kingdom's language, and this queen's nephew's sister's birthday, and this dinner etiquette, and---and---Jen, I just can't. I don't remember anything about the right way to curtsy, or what I'm even supposed to say at meetings. Dad let me open for one a few days ago, and it was a complete disaster! They asked me all these questions I didn't know the answers to, and started arguing over whether we should crack down on magic-users in Auradon. When I objected and said we should loosen them a bit, they all looked so---so---"

"Scandalized?" I suggest.

"YES!" Isla cries, burying her face into Dude's fur. Dude whimpers, nuzzling her gently. She sniffs and raises her head again, looking at me pleadingly. "I don't think I can do this, Janessa, I really don't. So..." she gulps for air, squaring her shoulders. "I've decided I'm going to run away."

I don't answer for a moment, chewing on my bottom lip. "Isla..."

"I know it's stupid." Isla whispers, looking guilty. "But I can't see another way out of this, Jen. I have to get out of here."

"Where would you go?" I ask quietly.

"I don't know." She shrugs helplessly, looking at her feet. "Neverland? I have a few friends there who might hide me."

"Might." Dude repeats, shoving his head under her hand. "Key word might."

"Dude's right." I say. "Isla, I know this is crazy, but listen to me."

She doesn't move.

"Isla." I nudge her. "Isla. Look at me."

Slowly, she raises her watery eyes to meet mine. I've never seen my normally spitfire friend look so defeated.

"Isla, have you ever heard stories about your parent's first few years as rulers?" I ask.

She looks confused, but nods. "Of course. They freed the Isle of the Lost, and---"

"No." I interrupt. "Before that. Within Uncle Ben's first few months, Maleficent accidentally got into Auradon, he got himself kidnapped, and let the Queen's crown and Maleficent's scepter get stolen, and he got turned into a Beast, all before he ever set the Isle free."

Isla's lips twitch.

"And your mom? She used magic to make a meeting shut up about the Islers, and turned half the palace into geese trying to repair a fairy's wing, and insulted an Agrabah representative by accidentally bowing to him like a prince, and accidentally let her daughter set a minotaur on a reporter."

Isla's smile breaks through.

"Every ruler gets stuff wrong." I assure her, taking her hands. "It doesn't matter if you're a stiff, gown-wearing ruler who follows every rule or if you're a crazy-haired, jean-wearing ruler who makes her own. You're going to make an amazing Queen, Isla. And I can't wait to scream 'I told you so' years from now."

Isla sniffs, then quickly grabs me in a tight hug. "You're the best."

"I know." I say happily, returning the embrace.

"For the record, your parents also did a bunch of other silly things, too." Dude adds, hopping off of Isla's lap. "Ellie got kidnapped like fifty times, and Ben trusted your mom enough to give her his ring even though ne knew he'd been spelled, and that so could've backfired."

Isla laughs shakily. "I guess our parents had to learn stuff too, huh?"

"Besides, your parents love you." Dude tells her. "If it really bothers you this much, you need to just tell them."

Isla's face tightens in dread. "I know."

"But you can't." I finish.

Isla hangs her head. "Now I get what Max is so worried about every time we pressure him to tell his parents."

"All I need is something I'm hiding and then it'll be a triangle." I joke, thinking about my nightlight. That's not really something my parents would find weird, though.

Isla smiles, looking a bit more like herself. Still red and puffy, but bright again. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Jen."

"Same." I hug her tight. "So... no running away?"

She laughs. "No. I was never really serious about that, anyway. My running away would've caused much more of an uproar than being a bad ruler would."

"That's my girl." I rub her head, and she bats me away, laughing loudly. After that, she, Dude and I sit on my bed and talk for a while, mostly gossip, and some Truth or Truth (because my mother has banned any dares at her house since the last one Isla, Max, and I did ended in burning down half of the palace).

Finally, about 7:30, I hear a knock on my door. "Come in!" I call.

The door opens and Serene peeks in. "Supper's ready. French toast."

"FOOD!" Dude screeches, catapulting off of my bed faster than his old little body should be able to. Serene giggles, following him down the hall while Isla and I trail behind.

"You're sure you're good?" I check before we enter my kitchen.

Isla nods, smiling sincerely. "I'm better, at least. I just need to not let it get to me so much."

"And not shut your friends out in the future." I tease, nudging her shoulder. She laughs, and we go inside the kitchen, where my mom is pouring thick, golden syrup onto fluffy stacks of French Toast.