Chapter Text
As much as Carlos tried to avoid Evie, it was inevitable that they would someday cross paths again.
His luck lasted only one week. He spent all his free time outside playing with Dude, walking, or in his room tinkering with his various projects.
During classes, he sat as far from Evie as possible without sitting outside the classroom, and when she addressed him, he pretended not to hear her.
Jay and Mal asked him if something had happened between them, but he always changed the subject and said that he had homework to do or ignored the question entirely.
He knew sooner or later he would have to face the truth, but he enjoyed the limited time he had, where he did not have to be preoccupied with it.
His nightmares were less common, and he even managed to sleep one night without waking himself up with his screams.
The day that his plan fell apart started relatively innocently. After he had done all his classes, which wasn’t much, he went for a walk around the campus.
He started to really enjoy just walking without a particular goal in mind, and he found out that Auradon Prep had a lot of secrets.
From secret passages around the school that shortened the walk between classes to a hidden abandoned classroom near the kitchen, where Auradon students could do whatever they wanted, which in their case was certainly not fully exploited.
Carlos doubted that Auradon students would ever do anything forbidden.
Because Auradon students did not miss classes, they used it as a place to sit around between classes, do homework, or listen to music without headphones.
That or Carlos always missed the few students that indeed did something forbidden.
Carlos went there when he wanted to be alone, so always at the time most of the students who knew about it had classes.
He even hacked the system with everyone’s timetables and made a list of students who knew about the classroom to ensure no one would bother him.
So, when he went there that day, he expected the classroom to be empty.
Imagine his surprise when he heard voices coming from inside. Carlos stopped dead in his tracks.
How is that possible?
Carlos quickly stepped closer to the door and leaned in to hear better.
“...doing here?”
Evie.
“Me? What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in class?”
And Chad?
What are these two doing here?
Carlos wanted to peek inside, but he was scared that the door would squeak and reveal him if he tried to open it.
“I could ask the same question.”
Carlos heard a scoff. “That’s none of your business.”
“What are you holding in your hand, then?”
A nervous laugh. “Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me, Chad.”
“I’m not-”
Carlos heard quick footsteps followed by a cry of pain. “Ouch! Let go of me!”
“How long have you been doing this?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Really? Then why are you holding it?”
Carlos didn’t know what Evie meant by ‘it’, but it sounded serious.
He leaned even closer and put one hand on the door. But he didn’t notice that the door was slightly open.
So, as he put his hand on it, the door moved forward, and suddenly he was exposed. Carlos stumbled inside, embarrassed.
Before he could recover from the shock, someone ran past him and closed the door, trapping him inside. He guessed it was Chad by the glimpse of blond hair.
Carlos blinked and focused on Evie, who stood in the middle of the classroom, looking at him with wide eyes, her clenched jaw revealing her anger.
“Carlos?! What are you doing here? Were you eavesdropping?”
Her tone was accusing.
Carlos stepped closer to her, ready to explain himself, but then Evie looked at her hand before looking in his direction, brows furrowed and eyes flashing with anger.
He didn’t understand what was wrong. He looked at her fingers. And he had to suppress an urge to scream.
A cigarette.
In her hand.
And she’s mad.
Carlos froze in the middle of a step, his eyes glued to Evie’s hand.
His thoughts started to run wild.
He destroyed her sewing machine and the dress for Audrey, and then he ignored her for a whole week, and he knew she wants to punish him, he knew her kind words were just a façade, and she will burn him, she will burn his disloyalty into his skin, to be sure he will never do it again, and oh no, he didn’t want that, no, not again, please, no, please-
“Please, no, please,” he found himself saying those last words aloud, and his hands began to tremble.
But he knew there was no excuse, and nothing will save him. Why couldn’t he just ignore it and go away, go to sleep, and forget he ever heard anything?
He heard the clicking of high heels coming closer to him and unconsciously made a couple of steps back, hitting the door with his back, his eyes fixed on the floor.
He was trapped. There was no escaping.
His breathing got erratic, and he started to tremble.
I was having such a good day, Carlos. Did you really have to ruin it with your stupid curiosity? You useless little bastard! Look at what you made me do! Open your eyes! Open! Your! Eyes!
The voice in his head was getting louder and louder; his mother’s words were poisoning his mind like venom. He flinched, and a loud sob escaped him. He felt hot tears on his cheeks. He covered his mouth with a fist, trying to suppress another sob.
“Open your eyes, Carlos, please. I’m so sorry.”
OPEN THEM, CARLOS!
His eyes flew open wide and full of fear. His gaze was unfocused, like he was trying to see underwater. He blinked a couple of times to get rid of it.
Another sob was threatening to escape him. He tried to take a deep breath, but his chest was still rapidly rising.
Carlos half coughed, half sobbed, and then his legs gave up. He fell to the ground and started to hiccup uncontrollably.
Somewhere on the edge of his mind, he heard someone calling his name.
He lay on the floor and tried to stay still, but he couldn’t stop crying. His whole body was shaking with sobs, and he felt he would vomit if he didn’t inhale properly soon. Carlos tried again, but the air got stuck in his throat.
When he felt saliva and water forming in his mouth, he quickly bent over to the right and vomited on the stone floor next to a desk.
I’m going to have to clean it up.
He choked on a bit of vomit and coughed again.
His throat hurt like hell and his tears mixed up with the mess on the floor.
Once the vomiting stopped, Carlos curled up into a ball next to it and tried to appear as small as possible, while simultaneously hiding his hands underneath his shirt.
Suddenly, someone’s hand gently squeezed his shoulder. Carlos flinched and started to mumble apologies with a shaky breath.
“I’m not mad at you, Carlos, I promise.”
The voice was gentle. And familiar.
Carlos raised his head, and wide brown eyes filled with worry met his gaze.
“E-Evie?”
Evie nodded and smiled warmly, but Carlos noticed her eyes glistening with tears.
“It’s okay, Carlos. You’re in Auradon. I’m not mad at you. And I will never ever hurt you,” Evie said firmly, her voice full of sincerity, and once again squeezed his shoulder.
The squeeze somehow reminded Carlos of the thing that sent him into his episode, and his eyes flickered to Evie’s other hand. The cigarette was nowhere to be found. A breath of relief escaped him, and the anxiety and panic disappeared almost instantly.
Carlos uncurled and slowly got up. Even though his legs were no longer shaking, he still had to use the desk next to him for support.
He stayed still for a few moments, taking deep breaths through his mouth as he tried to ignore the disgusting scent of the vomit on the floor next to him.
Evie stood a few feet away, her gaze locked on him.
“I’m sorry,” she said after a few minutes of silence, “I was angry. Not with you,” she added quickly when Carlos tensed. “I was angry with Chad. I found him here with a cigarette. Only a few weeks prior, he was having a tantrum about the Isle and how these things were the reason our parents were sent there. Where did he even get a cigarette in Auradon? I thought that would be impossible here,” she laughed, but it sounded empty, unlike her usual laugh.
Carlos didn’t laugh, but his lips jerked up.
“I should probably clean this up,” he said sheepishly and pointed at the mess on the floor.
“I’ll help you!” offered Evie almost immediately. “If you want my help, of course,” she added quickly, not wanting to pressure Carlos into something he didn’t like.
Carlos thought about it for a minute. It really seemed like Evie wasn’t mad at him anymore and what happened today was just a misunderstanding. Maybe he should have talked with her instead of ignoring her for a week.
At least he won’t be alone.
Carlos smiled, genuinely smiled, for the first time in the whole week, and quickly hugged Evie. He wasn’t comfortable with physical touch after his episodes, and this quick, almost non-existent hug was all he managed to do as an expression of thanks.
Evie grinned at him as they opened the door, and Carlos felt the rest of the tension leave his body, leaving him more relaxed than any sleep ever could.