―――― * · ☆ · * ――――

The next day went like any other normal day besides having vks in class. While Talia was back in hers and Skylar's room after classes, there was a knock at the door.

She got up from her bed and walked over to the door and opened it. " Oh, hey Ben. Whatcha need?" Talia asked while tilting her head to the side.

Ben smiled. " Well I'm planning to help Carlos with getting better at Toruney and was wondering if you wanted to help considering he seemed more comfortable when you were around. "

Talia smiled shyly whenever he said that but nodded. " Yeah, I would love to help."

" Great, we will be out on the field at 1." Ben told her.

" Okay. I'll be there." Talia said and Ben nodded before off as Talia closed the door.

***

( she wears the outfit above but without the knifes )

Soon it was time for Talia to help Ben with Carlos so she changed into more comfortable clothes than what she was wearing before for her classes and headed over to the field where she saw that Ben was standing in the middle of the field with a stop watch and Carlos was a few feet away from him getting ready to run.

" Talia! So glad you made it!" Ben said with a smile. Talia nodded and walked over to them.

Ben looked back at Carlos. " Okay. Carlos, we're gonna start with some sprints. You ready?"

Talia noticed Dude, the campus mutt, running towards Carlos and her eyes widened. " Oh no." She mumbled. Dude started barking, running after Carlos and Carlos ran like his life depended on it.

" No! Ah!" Carlos yelled, not looking back once as he ran past Talia and Ben, Dude still chasing after him.

" Sweet!" Ben cheers, not realizing what was happening.

" No, wait!" Carlos yelled as he looked behind him seeing Dude was starting to gain on him so he started to run even faster into the forest.

" Carlos? Carlos!" Ben said with wide eyes finally realizing what was happening.

" We gotta go help him! Come on Ben!" Talia yelled and started running in the direction Carlos went.

Running in the forest, she kept her eyes pealed for Dude and Carlos. Hearing the familiar barking of Dude and the yells of Carlos she figured she must be close by. Running in that direction she slowed down, letting out a breath of relief seeing that Carlos was fine but he had climbed up a tree hugging it for dear life as Dude barked at him.

Carlos looked over realizing Talia was standing there. " Talia! Help me! This thing is a killer! He's gonna chase me down and rip out my throat. This is a vicious, rapid pack animal!" He yelled, not letting his grip go from the tree.

" Who told you that?" Ben asked and Talia just realized that Ben had caught up to them.

" My mother!" Carlos told him, watching with wide eyes as Talia walked over to Dude and picked him up in her arms. " Don't pick him up! He's gonna bite you!" Carlos said with worry.

" Cruella?" Ben asked.

" She's a expert. A dog yellerer." Carlos explained. Talia and Ben share a laugh.

" Why are you holding him? He's gonna attack you!" Carlos said, pointing at Talia holding Dude. Talia smiled at him. " Carlos, you've never actually met a dog have you?" Talia asked softly.

" Of course not." Carlos said as if it that was the most obvious thing ever.

" Well then, Dude meet Carlos. Carlos meet Dude. He's the campus mutt." Talia introduced the both of them.

" He doesn't look like a vicious ,rapid pack animal." Carlos slowly said as he started to climb back down from the tree. Talia smiled glad to see him warming up to Dude. " Jeez, you're a good boy aren't you?"

Carlos hesitantly lifts his hand to pet the dog and eventually he starts to calm down and even genuinely smiles. Just seeing Carlos calming down warmed Talia's heart. " You're a good boy."

" I guess you guys have it pretty rough on the Isle." Ben spoke up, as Talia frowned when Carlos' eyes turned gloomy at the mention of it.

" Yeah, you could say that we don't get a lot of belly rubs. " Carlos says and you could clearly hear the hurt in his voice. Talia could feel her heart slowly begin to shatter at hearing this. She didn't realize how bad it was for them on the Isle, and hearing this it sounded like they had a pretty rough life.

" Good boy. I mean - good job. You're a fast runner y'know?" Ben said quickly fixing his mistake.

Carlos smiles. " Oh, yeah, thanks."

" Listen, I'll give you guys some space, yeah? You guys get to know each other and just, come find me when you're done. Okay?"

" Okay." Carlos mutters in response.

" I'll see you later." Ben said.

" See you out there." Carlos said, not speaking again until Ben was out of ear sight and he watched as Talia starts to hand Dude to him. " I should probably go as well and give you some time with him."

Carlos carefully takes Dude in his arms, smiling softly at the dog in his arms and pets him behind the ears. Looking back up at Talia watching as she starts to turn around to walk off, he quickly makes up a decision and says, " Wait! Talia!"

Talia turns around and tilts her head to the side. " Yeah?" She asked and Carlos started to get nervous. " Would you - can you - um are you ok with - " He stutters and Talia giggles.

" Do you want me to stay with you?" Talia asks and Carlos quickly nods.

" Yeah, sorry, I'm not good with asking stuff like that.." He admits and Talia walks back over to Carlos who sits on a log nearby. Talia smiles goes over to him and sits next to him.

Talia stayed with him and they both got to know each other and Dude more. Carlos was really a great boy and just in this moment she felt like she knew him forever.

" I didn't realize how bad you guys had it on the Isle. I feel awful. You guys deserve better than that." Talia said in a soft voice as she looked into Carlos' brown eyes once he looked up at her.

He shrugged. " Yeah it's bad but we managed. " He said quietly as they locked eyes.

" I'm actually really glad you here in Auradon. You guys deserve to be here just like the other kids on the Isle." Talia told him and Carlos smiled.

" I'm actually starting to like it here if I'm being honest." He admits. He also wanted to say he was starting to like her as well, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not when the mission to steal the wand was in the back of his mind bugging him.

Talia smiled back at him." Well I'm glad. I like you guys being here and it seems like Dude does as well." She said, laughing as Dude starts to lick Carlos' face.

Carlos laughs and covers his face, stopping Dude from licking him and smiles hearing her beautiful laugh that almost sounded like bells if you listened closely.

***

" Wait so you're telling me - "

" Us - " Skylar interrupted him.

" Yeah, us whatever, that you actually talked with one of the villain kids? You basically had a one on one with Carlos De Vil? It's like you're asking for a death wish." Freddy said with a wave of his hands in the air.

Talia rolled her eyes. " Carlos is different. "

Iris chuckled but smiled. " She's in loveee." She said, drawing out the last word with a smirk on her face.

Talia's face started to burn. " I am not in love with him!"

" Tell that to your blushing face." Parker informs her and Talia picks a pillow from her bed she was on and throws it at him. Parker laughs and catches the pillow before it hits him in the face and throws it back at her. She moves to the side letting the pillow fall on the floor by her bed.

" Guys really, they aren't that bad." Rosa said to everyone. " Earlier at cheerleading practice while the boys were practicing tourney, Jay was amazing. Even though he almost trampled Carlos and pushed over half of the team he got the ball to the other side and did this cute little victory dance." she said with a content sigh at the end.

Talia nodded. " Yeah I saw that. I still feel bad for Carlos. Jay just jumped over him like he was nothing."

Rosa smiled as she stared off into space. " Yeah, he's great."

" See? This is what I'm telling you guys. We already lost Talia and Rosa to them, who knows who will be next." Freddy said.

" Anyone wish pixi dust shuts people up?" Parker asks out loud and everyone, including him raises their hands.

Freddy glares at them. " How rude!"