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“I'm sure you know why you're here.”
Red looks up at her Principal, right hand still tightly holding a bundle of tissue paper against the leaking cut on her left arm, right below her shoulder. Uma has her legs tossed over the paperwork on her desk, waiting for an answer as she leans back on the chair.
Pursing her lips and pretending to think, she shakes her head. “Not really,” Uma crosses her arms challengingly, arching an eyebrow. Red sighs and shrugs. “To give a statement? I’m clearly the victim. I was just minding my business when someone decided to attack me with that fishhook—”
“It’s not a fishhook! It’s just a—”
“Hook!” Uma slams her hand on the desk and glares at Hazel. “Shut up. I wasn’t asking you. You talk when I do so, aye?”
Hazel swallows, looking down at her lap and nodding. “Aye, aye, Captain Uma.”
Red watches the interaction curiously, almost shocked to see Hazel Hook without her trademark bite. Then again, she has also never heard Principal Uma talk to a student that way, and maybe that’s because Hazel isn’t just a student.
From the corner of her eye, she catches a glimpse of a framed picture of Hazel’s older brother, Harry. Uma removes her legs from the desk and snaps her fingers in front of Red’s face to regain her attention.
“Talk, Hearts. I want your version first.”
Red tries to move her arm and instantly regrets it with a wince, taking a deep breath before choosing her words. “Hazel was bothering my roommate, and anyone who messes with Chloe messes with me. All I did was tell her to back off and she tried to sever my arm!”
Hazel looks like she wants to argue but ultimately decides against it, and Uma looks back at her, clearly not buying Red’s story. “And just how was Hazel bothering Charming?”
Shrugging defensively, Red tries to come up with something. “I— She was… hm—”
“If I were to call Charming in here would she confirm this?”
“Maybe…”
Rolling her eyes, Uma turns to Hazel and nods. “Go on.”
“I was only asking about Swords & Shields,” The girl huffs and Red scoffs. “Really. I’ve been… thinking of joining, but I would have to catch up with the rest of the team so Coach suggested I talk to the Captain — Chloe — about maybe doing some private extra training during our free time.”
“Likely story…"
“Jealous much, Hearts?"
"Just say you wanted to ask her out!” Red retorts and Uma bites her lip to hide her amusement.
“So what if I did?! It would still be none of your business.”
“So you admit it—”
“I admit nothing!” Hazel counters. “You can ask Chloe and Coach if you want, Captain Uma. They’ll back me up.”
“Y’know,” Uma leans back, fingers twisting around one of her teal braids as her eyes meet Red’s. “I’m more inclined to believe her version.”
Not knowing what else to say, Red tries to point at her arm. “I’m still the one who’s actively bleeding out in your office, so…”
“Right. Hazel,” The Principal’s face turns cold once more as the girl straightens up in her seat. “What did I tell you about keeping that hook?”
“You said I could!”
“If…” Uma prompts and Hazel sighs.
“If I never used it to harm anyone, I know. But it was an accident! Nothing would’ve happened if Red wasn’t pushing me around, trying to get in my face!”
“Before you say anything,” The Principal interjects right as soon as Red opens her mouth. “A little colorful bird told one of my pirates that you did push her first and that Chloe Charming was yelling at you to stop.”
Squinting, Red clenches her jaw and hisses. “I’m gonna kill Dizzy.”
“Here’s what’s happening," Uma clasps her hands together. “You have detention. I want both of you to handwrite ten-page essays about Arendelle’s old runic alphabet. No internet.” The girls groan in unison.
“Shouldn’t the essay be related to our fight or something? To show we’ve learned our lesson?” Red asks and Uma smirks.
“Now that wouldn’t be nearly as boring, would it? They’re due for your next History class, I’ll talk to your teacher and let them know. And Hazel,” The girl looks up at the mention of her name. “Your private lessons with Charming are gonna have to wait. I also want you to help the staff clean the Cafeteria every day for the next three weeks, including weekends. Consider this extra punishment for continuing to call the Smee twins by those distasteful nicknames.”
Hazel’s face pales. “I didn’t mean—”
“Yes, you did mean to, and that's not the first time we have this conversation. They may be your friends, but that does not give you the right to call them Squeaky and Squirmy. What are their names?”
“Spencer and Sterling,” The girl relents and Uma hums.
“Right. You know me very well, Hazel. I do not condone this kind of namecalling, even if the boys say they don’t care. Names carry weight. If I hear of you doing this again, I’m calling Harriet, is that what you want?”
Hazel shakes her head vigorously. “No! No, Captain Uma. I won’t do it anymore.”
“Good. Apologize as soon as you see them. Now, please wait for us by the door.” The girl complies and Uma opens one of her drawers, pulling out a first-aid kit, moving to take a seat next to Red. “Let me take a look at that.”
Removing the bloody tissue paper, she bites back a wince as Uma holds her arm out in order to inspect it. “Should I go to the Nurse?”
“Fine by me,” The Principal says. “But just so you know, she’ll notify your mother. I thought we could keep this between us until it heals, then you can say it was just a bump somewhere else—”
“Saving your own ass?” Red asks with a grin that vanishes as quickly as it had appeared when Uma cleans it, causing it to sting.
“You could say so,” Uma shrugs, picking up a tube and showing it to her. “Numbing cream, you’re gonna need stitches.”
“Well, that sucks.” She croaks out bitterly.
“Sure, this happening under my watch wouldn’t look good, but it could also really screw Hazel over.” Uma points out, removing the gloves as she waits for the cream to work and putting on a new clean pair. “When I first came to Auradon, they wanted to take some of our belongings and put them in the museum. My necklace and Harry’s hook were the main ones.”
Looking at the piece adorning her Principal’s neck, Red tilts her head. “But you still have it.”
“I had a little talk with the King. Ben is too nice for his own good,” She chuckles, shaking her head. “We were able to keep them as long as we never used them for malicious reasons. Harry and his sisters all have something that belonged to their father. Harriet has his hat, CJ has one of his coats, he and Hazel have hooks. No one needs to know how they got them, just that it’s theirs, and the museum isn’t entitled to anything just because it could be considered historical.”
Red blinks. “… How did they get them?”
“What did I just say?!”
“Okay, fine, don’t tell me.”
“Wasn’t gonna.” Uma deadpans.
“Whatever!” She huffs. “Your point?”
“My point is that I don’t wanna take the hook away from her, but I’ll have to if parents hear about this incident, especially if that parent is the Queen of Wonderland.” Taking a deep breath, Uma looks into her eyes, face softening. “I know what I’m asking of you is unfair. This wasn’t just a bump and I bet it hurts like a bitch, you’re holding up really well. But I’ve known Hazel ever since she was born, and I know she isn’t the type to go around purposefully hurting people. Well, not physically.”
Red can’t help but snort, stealing a glance at the girl who’s sitting on a bench near the door with her arms crossed, fingers lightly tapping against the leather of her jacket. Her hook is still sitting on Uma’s desk — still stained with Red’s blood.
“My mom could have her expelled, couldn’t she?”
“Is that something she would do for you?” Her Principal asks and she purses her lips.
“I… I don’t know. Maybe. She’s—” Shaking her head to prevent herself from spiraling, Red clears her throat. “We don’t have to find out. It’s okay, Principal Uma. I pushed her first, anyway, Hazel’s right. It was an accident. Could you… finish it?”
Looking down at the gash that has finally stopped bleeding, Uma nods. Taking an actual suture, she gets to work. Even with the numbing cream, Red is still able to feel the process. Her lips quiver and her eyes burn as she tries hard not to squirm on the chair, inhaling sharply and letting out a shaky breath.
“H-How did you even… g-get that?”
“Everyone has their job in a pirate crew, Bonny has always been my surgeon. We didn’t have doctors on the Isle so she had no proper training,” Uma explains, eyes still focused on what she’s doing. “Still, Bonny saved us from dying of infection way too many times… I trust her with my life. When we came to Auradon, she helped VKs feel more at ease around actual medical professionals, and after that, she began assisting Nurse Flora occasionally. This was a little gift from her, Bonny’s going to med school next year.”
Red couldn’t help but smile at the pride seeping through Uma’s voice as she talked about her crewmate. Hearing about what life on the Isle of the Lost was like still leaves her… stunned — for lack of a better word. Red and Chloe barely know what to say when Dizzy and Celia make comments about how they actually get to eat fresh food now or how they always seem to know the fastest way to escape a place in case something bad happens. It’s like their brains are permanently wired differently, even though it’s been a few years since they got out.
It also makes Red feel incredibly guilty for ever complaining about her mom — well, the old version of her mom. Logically, she knows the Queen of Hearts was an abusive parent, but Red still got to grow up privileged in a castle, in the comfort of her own room, without ever depending on another place’s garbage to survive. She’s trying to get better at not comparing her own trauma to other people’s, but it’s not always easy.
Now, she can’t help but wonder what Hazel’s life was like back on the Isle. She grew up there, just like Dizzy and Celia, and probably also has scars to show for it.
“You don’t have to talk,” Uma interrupts her train of thought. “In order to prove that this isn’t so bad, I mean. It’s okay if you cry.”
Almost like she’s heard magic words, Red takes notice of the way her right hand is gripping the desk, nails scratching against the wood, knuckles turning white, and a few tears roll down her cheeks.
There’s a tiny part of her — a childlike part — that wishes Bridget could be there to hold her and make her feel better. Red thinks back to being a kid and falling on a rosebush, thorns poking and scratching her skin, and how she cried, cried, cried, only to get yelled at for ruining her mother’s favorite flowers.
Perhaps in the new version of her childhood, Bridget picked her up, kissed her tears away, and tried to cheer her up by baking flamingo feather cupcakes. Sniffling, she tries to focus on the image her mind created — it’s a fake memory, but still strangely comforting.
“A good Captain knows how to take care of their crew,” Uma gives her a wink. “And a good Principal knows how to take care of their students. Bonny taught me a thing or two, so this may not be perfect, but I did my best. Stitches are done, I’m just gonna dress the wound, alright?”
Nodding and wiping her face, Red can’t help but ask. “How many did I get?”
“Twenty. You’ll live.”
“Thanks, Principal Uma.” She says earnestly. “For doing this and looking out for us. Both of us.”
Uma looks over at Hazel and smiles a bit sadly. “Not everyone gets us, y’know. Years pass and we learn to adjust, but the Isle never leaves and neither does the stigma that comes with having been born there.”
“A lot of people say that everyone from Wonderland is mad,” Red purses her lips. “That just because Wonderland works differently and that might come off as strange, it means its people are not to be trusted or taken seriously. It’s not the same as being from the Isle, obviously, but I know what it’s like to feel like an outsider in a negative way. Sometimes I wish things were different, but I am who I am because I lived there, and that makes me feel a little better.”
Grinning, Uma stands up and moves to clean the blood from Hazel’s hook. “You have a good head on your shoulders, Red. I knew I liked you for a reason.”
The praise leaves her feeling slightly giddy, almost able to ignore the dull ache under the bandage. Uma guides her to the door and offers the hook back to its owner.
“Be more careful with that, you hear me?”
“Aye, aye.” Hazel returns the object to her hair, where it almost passes for something harmless.
“I’m glad to hear you’ll be joining Swords & Shields, Haz.” Uma nods in approval. “If you need some tips, we can practice on the ship. I'll show you a real challenge.”
Hazel grins widely. “Can we use real swords?!”
“Harry wouldn’t want anything less.”
“Sweet! Thanks, Uma.” The Principal quietly points at Red and Hazel sighs, turning towards her. “Sorry about your arm, Red. You get on my nerves but I really didn’t mean to do that.”
Chuckling and rolling her eyes, Red waves her off. “I started, it’s whatever. You get on my nerves too.”
“And they say I’m not good at this job,” Uma scoffs. “Alright. Straight to the library, both of you.”
When she opens the door, the three of them are met with the sight of Chloe Charming desperately trying — and failing — to look like she hadn’t been attempting to eavesdrop. She smiles awkwardly when Uma arches an eyebrow, somehow looking both unfazed and intimidating.
“I don’t recall requesting your presence, Charming.”
“You didn’t!” The blue haired girl fingerguns, chuckling weakly. “I was just… passing by! As I… regularly do, yeah.”
“Is she for real?” Uma’s question is directed at Red, who grimaces.
“We need to work on your lying, Chlo. Yikes.”
Chloe blushes and pouts. “I was worried about you, okay? I checked the Infirmary but you weren’t there, so— Are you alright?”
“Oh, please, she’s fine!” Hazel walks past her. “It was just a scratch.”
“I had to get stitches!” Red exclaims.
“Big deal, so did I when I was four, and I didn’t even cry!”
“Your sister would beg to differ,” Uma interjects. “Get out of my face, Hook. Shoo!”
Hazel laughs loudly as she runs off, and Chloe leans in closer to inspect the bandages. “Did it hurt? I got a bad cut on my leg once from riding on the back of Chad’s bike when I was a kid, but they were able to close it with butterfly strips.”
Swallowing at their proximity, Red stutters nervously. “Y-Yeah, uh, it did. Even after numbing the area.”
“She cried.” Uma deadpans and Red’s head snaps to look at her, eyes wide in betrayal. Chloe coos, grabbing her hand, intertwining their fingers and giving it a gentle squeeze.
“It’s okay to cry, Red.”
“So I’ve heard…” She replies, still glaring daggers at their Principal.
“Wanna help her, Charming?”
Her roommate immediately straightens up, looking like a knight ready to receive their orders. Red’s mind seems to really enjoy the visual of Chloe Charming as her knight so she bites her lip and attempts to focus on what they’re saying.
“Keep it dry for two days, change the dressings and watch out for infection,” Chloe repeats the instructions. “I can do that! I won’t leave her side until she’s good as new.”
“I bet.” Uma chuckles. “Make sure your princess doesn’t pop any of those stitches. If that happens, come see me.”
“Will do, Principal Uma! Thanks for taking care of Red… And for not getting her in trouble.”
“Didn’t you hear?” Red asks dryly. “I have to write the most boring essay in the history of essays.”
“Well, you’ll need help reaching all those heavy books, won’t you?” Her roommate points out, looking at Uma with innocent eyes. “Can I assist her?”
“If you do the work in her place, I’ll know.” Uma warns. “That better not happen, Charming.”
“You have my word!” Chloe promises.
“Alright, you’re dismissed.” They only make a couple of steps down the hall before the Principal tiredly calls her name again and Red walks back to where she’s standing.
“Haven’t I been punished enough?” She whines.
“A little request,” From the corner of her eye, Uma catches Chloe patiently waiting and looks back at Red with a smirk. “Do us all a favor and just ask the girl out, yeah?”
Feeling her face furiously heating up and her heart racing, Red turns around without even answering, subconsciously going back to holding Chloe’s hand.
“What did she want?”
“Don’t worry about it, boo.” She responds, trying to sound nonchalant. “You’re not too mad at me, are you?”
After a few seconds, Chloe sighs heavily. “Not anymore. But that’s only because you got hurt. What did Hazel even do to piss you off that much?”
“I just thought she was bothering you, that’s all.”
Stopping her on her tracks, Chloe’s hand cups and chin, forcing their eyes to meet. “Thanks for looking out for me, Red. But she wasn’t doing anything wrong, Coach told her to talk to me.”
“I know that now.” She pouts.
Chloe rolls her eyes. “You’re lucky you’re cute. I was furious with you for starting a fight for no reason.”
“Definitely not my finest moment,” Red’s brain finally processes what she’s heard and her breath hitches. “Y-You think I’m cute?”
“The cutest, but not when you’re bleeding all over the place, so don’t do that again. Please, for me?” Her roommate bats her eyelashes and Red feels herself fall apart.
“Not the puppy dog eyes… Fine. Whatever you want, princess.”
“Thank you," Chloe looks pleased, leaning in and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "But we’re also gonna work on your reflexes. You’re not getting sliced up like cheddar again, not on my watch.”
Red giggles, a soft smile blooming on her face as she echoes. “Whatever you want…”