Janessa's view

After Cotillion is over, we all head our separate ways. Originally, we had wanted to have another sleepover, but we decided ahead of time that we'd probably be sick of each other by then. And while I'm not saying I would hate a sleepover, I do think I've seen enough of Max and Brietta, Lucy and Finn, and Hayder and my little sister.

(Though that last one is sooooo freaking adorable. I don't even mind that I didn't have a date and my little sister did.)

As for Blake... He is infuriating. My sister is totally fine with him being in our friend group, and while the rest of us are a little iffy, we're not arguing it. I even danced with him tonight against my better judgement. And I liked it, for some reason! This is the guy who helped turn my sister into a Sith, but he seems okay!

Is this how Ben felt about Dad, Mal, Evie, and Jay? That they were nicer than they originally seemed?

I mean... Ben forgave everyone after they stopped an invasion. So I suppose I should give Blake a chance as well. Even though he didn't stop an invasion.

Plus, he's pretty cute, though I'll never say that out loud. In a kind of... Ryan-McCartan-as-JD-way. Though I'm probably only saying that because of his trench coat.

So anyway, Brietta takes everyone else home one-by-one, while Reenee and I head home together. I have to say, I do prefer her silver-y transport more than her shadow-y one. They're gentler. I'm still not a hundred percent sure I understand what exactly happened, but I get the gist---Her powers were there before, like she could draw from them and stuff, but the actual sides were buried. When she broke her bad side out, she also broke her good side out. But her emotions controlled them, so when she was happy with us, the good side was dominant, but when our parents confronted her, her bad side dominated because she was so mad. So when we get rid of the bad side with Lucy's bracelet, good side dominates. And once Reenee is able to balance the two, she'll dominate!

At least, I'm pretty sure that's what happened. Honestly, I've been paying more attention to my little sister herself than her powers at this point.

Anyway we arrive at home, and instantly hear the snap of a camera. Reenee rolls her eyes at Dad, who grins at us, waving his phone. "Sorry. Since you guys dressed up at Lucy's, we didn't get any photos."

"Carlos." Mom scolds. "You---"

"Ah! Look at the picture, before you say anything." Dad says smugly, holding his phone out. Mom, Reenee and I all gather around. I laugh out loud when I see it, because Reenee and I are both still smiling like we were waving goodbye to our friends, big goofy grins, our hands still together, with just a few fading wisps of silver stuff around Reenee and I.

"Awww..." I coo. "That's a good one. Send it to me!"

Reenee rolls her eyes again. "While I don't like you guys springing pictures out of nowhere... I do like that picture."

Mom laughs. "High praise. How was your girl's night?"

"Great!" I say. "Reenee had a daaaaaate!"

Reeenee's eyes go wide and she glares at me as Dad raises an eyebrow. "A date, huh? Who was it? It was someone we know, right?"

"Carlos." Mom hisses. "Don't you dare turn into my father."

Dad flinches. "Oh good God no. No no no. Kiddo, go date whoever you want! Within reason. GAH! ELLIE, DON'T LET ME TURN INTO MY FATHER-IN-LAW!" He hugs us both quickly then turns and runs. "LA LA LA LA LA I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT DATING EVER AGAIN! ONLY COME BACK TO ME WHEN YOU'RE ENGAGED!!! MAYBE NOT EVEN THEN!"

Mom, Serene and I all snort with laughter. "Was Grandpa really all that bad?" I ask.

Mom rolls her eyes. "You have no idea. The first time your father and I kissed, your grandfather was watching with a pair of binoculars and popped over to interrupt us."

I make such a pig-like noise that I have to cover my mouth, shaking with laughter.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa did what?" Serene asks, giggling.

Mom rolls her eyes. "That wasn't even the worst. Dad refused to call your father by his name until about a year after we'd been married. He only referred to him as "That Boy"."

I grin wickedly. "So he's Grady? Does that make Dad Keefe?"

Mom laughs. "Oh, stop. How was your night, anyway?"

"Fun!" Serene says. "The masks worked---nobody cared who we were. I think the press was looking for Brietta, though. People seem pretty impressed with her."

Mom smiles. "I'm glad. Maybe now people can stop looking back at Audrey's past."

"If the press forgets about that and doesn't bring it up again, I'll eat my shoes." I declare, slipping my arm through Reenee's.

Mom rolls her eyes. "I suppose you're right. The press doesn't exactly have the best record of... Well..."

"Being decent human beings?" Serene finishes. "Having souls?"

"Exactly." I agree before Mom can scold her. I give a big, fake yawn and grin at my mother. "Welp! We had an amazing night, but my feet hurt, and I'm tired, so byeeeee!" I drag Reenee down the hall to my room, where Dude is waiting.

Mom laughs. "Goodnight, strange children of mine."

"Goodnight, stranger mother of ours!" I holler back. She laughs again, and I close my door and turn to Serene, rubbing my hands together. "SO! Wanna watch something?"

She smiles, sitting on my bed. Dude crawls into her lap, curling up on her fluffy dress. "Sure. What have we not seen?"

I tap my chin. "Did we watch Hamilton?"

"Yes, because you knew all the words to every stupid song, even the fast ones."

I fluff my hair proudly. "Okay, then... Oooooh, what about that YouTube thing--- The Harry Potter one? Oooooh, or The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals?"

"Did you mean A Very Potter Musical? We've seen that like three times now, Jenna! And we've seen Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals at least four."

"Okay, okay... Mean Girls?"

"We've watched "World Burn". Not the whole thing." Serene says.

"Great! I'ma pull that up then." I reach for my laptop, but Serene puts her hand on my wrist, holding me back.

"Wait. Before we start numbing our brains again, Jenna, I want to say... thanks. For everything these past couple weeks. It's meant a lot. And I know I didn't totally deserve it after everything. I know it wasn't fully me." She says, holding a hand up to stop me as I open my mouth to argue. "But it was still me when I broke my mental block, and it was still me when I chose to go to the Isle with Blake. Everything I did, including taking over Auradon, and hurting everybody... that was still part of me, at least. And you, and everyone else, had every excuse to never forgive me. But you didn't do that. So thank you."

She smiles and lets go of my hand, rubbing behind Dude's ear. "Okay. I'm done."

"About time." Dude says. "Too mushy for me."

I grin at him. "I disagree, but that's not important. Brain numb time?"

Serene nods. "Brain numb time."

I settle in bed with her, both of us still in our fancy schmancy dresses, and pull up the video of "Mean Girls". Dude is spread out between our laps, with Serene's head resting on my shoulder. She's dead asleep by "Apex Predator", so I just turn the video off, pulling a blanket up over us as sneakily as I can. I switch my nightlight on, kind of surprised but pleased when my normal forest is replaced by a calm, nighttime lake surrounded by trees. The lake has the glittery reflection of the moon, and a million stars in the sky. I can make out a couple constellations, like Canis Major, and Orion.

I suppose this is Reenee and my nightlight's combined.

I settle in next to my sister, careful not to move her head. I rest mine against hers for a second. "Goodnight, Reenee."

Then I close my eyes, falling asleep next to the person I never used to see, but can now say I love more than anything else in this fairytale world. 

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Anyway that's it. Bye.