𝕱amily Day was finally here, a day spent with music and food. As a special treat for their parents, a group of students participated in a small choreographic music number in celebration. Rilynn was one of the participating singers, having practiced since the beginning of the year with the selected students, but after everything that's happened, the princess pulled out of the show.

Ben wasn't upset that his friend had decided to abandon the performance at the last minute, but he was worried that something was bothering her. With everything going on, Ben has prioritized checking on Rilynn whenever he can; feeling like he's never around enough to keep up with Rilynn's life, the prince is starting to feel like a horrible friend.

"Wished you performed, Riley," Ben said once he found Rilynn amongst the crowd shortly after his performance. "It wasn't the same without you."

Rilynn smiled knowingly but kept to herself. "I appreciate that, Benny," the princess shook her head adoringly. "I was actually kind of hoping for a favor."

"Sure, anything."

"Come with me to see my parents?" Rilynn asked with a hopeful smile.

Truthfully, the princess was a little afraid to face her parents, especially after the breakup--which they weren't aware of. Rilynn worried Razelle might've told everyone back at home, even though she begged her sister to keep it between them.

Seemingly confused by the request, Ben gently furrowed his brows. "Um, sure?" He agreed, regardless. He and Rilynn began walking toward the princess's family somewhere in the crowd. "How've you been holding up since the whole thing?"

Rilynn sighed tiredly but offered a gentle smile. "It's been a little tense, but nothing I can't handle. I guess I'm used to the looks, but it's still a little weird."

"I'm sorry about Audrey, Riley," Ben apologizes with a guilty conscience. He'd been dragging himself after what had happened to his best friend, and having not been there, Ben felt like a bad friend.

The princess nearly paused mid-walk, and the smile almost vanished at the mention of Audrey. A brief memory scorned through Rilynn's memory, recalling how Audrey approached her, calling her a traitor. Was she? Just because she likes hanging out with the Villain kids doesn't make her a bad guy, but why does she feel a little guilty? It was a stupid feeling, but Rilynn wouldn't let anyone dictate her life.

A little uncomfortable with the mention of Audrey, Rilynn fiddled with her hair to distract herself. "Yeah . . ." She trails awkwardly. The anxious princess began searching for her parents.

"I should've been there for you," Ben declared. "I confronted Audrey about it last night."

Rilynn craned her head toward her best friend, furrowed brows. "You what?"

"As long as I've known Audrey, I never thought she would be capable of being that hateful to someone," Ben frowns.

"Benny, you didn't have to do that. It's not that big of a deal."

"Of course it is, Riley. You're like a sister to me. I can't just stand there and pretend I didn't know what she said to you. It wasn't right, and you didn't deserve that."

Rilynn let the conversation get buried in the sand when her family appeared behind a small group that passed by, relieving her from that topic. The princess smiled when her mom caught her amongst the crowd, even stretching tall while waving happily; Rapunzel looked ecstatic to see her youngest baby finally approaching them, the first time since school had started since she'd seen her daughter. Rilynn missed her parents more now than ever, especially with how things took a sudden turn.

"Riley!" Ruby exclaims once she notices her baby sister. "We didn't see you perform." She meets Rilynn in the middle, pulling her little sister into her arms.

"Yeah, I wasn't feeling good, so I stepped out this one," Rilynn let their hug linger for a second longer before she let her sister go. Rilynn didn't want to worry her family about what happened, but then her eyes shifted to Razelle. "It's okay, though." Rilynn turned to a teary-eyed Rapunzel. "Hi, Mom."

"My little girl," Rapunzel cooed as she smooshed Rilynn's face between her hands. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too, Mom," Rilynn responded to the best of her ability.

Rapunzel kissed the top of her daughter's head. "You got so much taller since the last time we saw you. Look at you. And your hair is getting longer, too," she pulls away, analyzing Rilynn's golden hair. "Thank goodness for Fairy Godmother's magic."

"Alright, move over, Blondie," Eugene gently moves Rapunzel to pull Rilynn in his arms. "I wanna see my daughter, too."

"I missed you, too, Dad," Rilynn giggles.

"You guys did amazing, Ben," Rapunzel smiles at the prince.

"Thank you, Queen Rapunzel."

"Where's Chad?" Rapunzel wondered, frowning when she realized Rilynn's boyfriend wasn't present.

Rilynn felt her heart in her throat and the words glued to her tongue. "Uh . . ."

A moment of fear struck Rilynn at that second, wishing her mom hadn't noticed Chad's absence. Chad wasn't their favorite person to date their daughter, but they tolerated him for Rilynn's sake. After defending Chad against her dad's disapproval many times, Rilynn was embarrassed to admit they'd broken up. A messy breakup didn't sound that appealing to admit aloud, and Rilynn didn't have the guts to confess.

Telling her parents and sister about their breakup means mentioning how messy it was. Rilynn didn't have the guts to say why they broke up, nor how they broke up. If she did, Rilynn is almost certain her family would go berserk. Being the baby of the family, Rilynn has seen how protective her entire family is; they get that wild personality from Rapunzel.

"I'm sure he's around here somewhere," Ben stepped beside Rilynn, throwing an arm around her shoulders. Ben smiled as he lied with ease. "We should probably get back to the party. We've got some guests that are expecting us."

Eugene cocks a brow. "So, it's true," he mentions. Eugene shifts his gaze to his daughter, who shyly avoids his eyes. Rilynn might've forgotten to mention it to her parents. "I heard about your proclamation--the one about the Villain's kids. I didn't know Rilynn was part of it as well."

Ben smiles with a soft chuckle to ease the tension. "Oh, uh, yeah. I know how it sounds, but I believe this is a perfect time for a change, wouldn't you agree?"

"I do, but how can you be sure they wouldn't stab you in the back?" Eugene retorted.

Embarrassed, Rilynn grumbled. "Daaad," she whines. Rilynn looks at Rapunzel for help. "Mom."

Rapunzel wrapped her arms around Eugene's with adoration, snuggling close to his side. "Eugune," Rapunzel called with that loving tone he oh-so adores. "Last time I remembered, you weren't that far off."

"I was not!" Eugene shot back with slight offense. He throws Rapunzel a pouty frown, earning a soft smile from his wife. "I wasn't a Villain; I was a thief. Those are two different things." Eugene grumbles as he lets Rapunzel press sweet kisses to his cheek. "Besides, I'm a changed man."

"Ri, are you sure about this?" Ruby added with a slight frown, worry-struck. "Their parents aren't exactly good people. What makes you think their kids aren't just like them?"

"Because I hang out with them every day, and I've seen how they interact," Rilynn felt the need to defend the group, even from her family.

"Ready, Riley?" Ben hints at their departure.

Grateful for her best friend, Rilynn nods. "I'll meet up with you guys later, okay? Enjoy the party."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Ruby called to her sister as she and Ben walked away.

"So . . . that went well," Ben looks down at Rilynn. "I'm assuming you haven't told them what happened."

Rilynn sighed. She was caught red-handed. "No, I haven't," Rilynn looked at Ben quickly for a reaction, but now she wished she hadn't; Ben was frowning empathetically, making Rilynn's heart race skip a beat. "I'll tell them eventually, but . . . it just feels too soon. With everything going on and stressing with school, I'm not ready to tell them yet."

"But they think you two are still together," Ben says.

"And you know how my parents are. If they find out what happened, why we broke up, how . . . I--I can't deal with that," Rilynn shook her head. She wasn't going to go through that pain again. "I'll tell them when I'm ready."

Ben doesn't respond, but he frowns at Rilynn. It was his fault Rilynn was going through this heartache, being the one to have introduced the two, and for his ex-girlfriend causing a rift in this relationship. Although Ben had never been a fan of their relationship, he still feels responsible for the outcome. No doubt, Audrey did it to spite Ben; Audrey was never particularly fond of Rilynn, constantly feeling like the second-picked apple of the two. Ben was ridden with guilt.

Rilynn appreciated Ben for ending the discussion because she wasn't sure what she was doing. Eventually, Rilynn will come clean to her family, but not right now. It's not like it was their business, but the princess knows her family cares about her and would be there to comfort her. It was a messy situation, and Rilynn didn't want to involve the Villain's kids in her mess, creating something that was never the issue.

Ben glances to the side when a voice shouts his name. "I'll be a second," then he departs.

The princess reached the Villains with a small smile when she spotted Carlos and Jay stretching over the table, stealing the chocolate with their tongues. A bubble of giggles spills from Carlos as he chugs a gulp of chocolate, pulling away to share this excitement with Jay. Rilynn shook her head, chuckling softly to herself; she looked over toward where Evie was standing with Dude in her arms, talking excitedly with Mal, who seemed as bored as ever.

"I see you guys are enjoying the party," Rilynn greets, gaining their attention. "Is the chocolate fountain your favorite?"

With chocolate staining the skin around their mouth and dripping down their chins without the effort of cleaning it.

However, the Villains stared at Rilynn with different expressions, finding her attitude rather strange. She was pretty cheery for someone who was broken up in the worst way. Though, no one mentions it, nor do they bother to question her. Instead, they brush it off.

"This is chocolate and a fountain?" Carlos broke the silence with his confusion. His eyes widen with excitement before he and Jay erupt into laughter. "Whoa!"

Rilynn laughs with a shake of her head. "You two look amazing, by the way," the princess compliments the girls with a pretty smile. Rilynn gestures to Mal. "Ben's gonna be weak in the knees."

Mal's face twisted weirdly, almost as if she was disturbed by the swelling forming in her chest or what Rilynn was suggesting; Mal chuckled uncomfortably underneath Rilynn's cheerful stare, grimacing inside. The dark fairy recognized the weird feeling she'd been silently ignoring since the beginning of her plans, the ones that seemed to revolve around Ben. Thinking too hard about that made Mal feel gross and weak.

"Mal!" Ben suddenly called.

The three girls looked toward Ben, who was waving the purple-haired fairy over.

"Duty calls," Mal grimaced before spinning fast and rushing away.

Then, it was just Evie and Rilynn, except for Carlos and Jay, who continued to enjoy the party with their bellies.

"Your dress is to die for!" Evie exclaimed with a gasp. Her glittery eyes widen with excitement. "Although, it's a bit . . . boring for my taste, but it looks cute on you."

Rilynn stares at her lavender dress, patting down the skirt. "Oh, thank you. I like your dress, too. It's different."

Evie curtsies with excitement. "I know. Amazing, huh? I could make you one someday. It's different from your usual outfits--sweet," the purple-haired princess sways. "It very much suits you."

"I 'ike it," Carlos voices his thoughts with a mouth full of chocolate. "Yew 'ook 'ike a princess."

Rilynn hides her giggles behind her hand.

Evie cuts Carlos a stern look. "Ew, don't talk with your mouth full," she grimaces in disgust.

"Well, thank you, Carlos," Rilynn decides to curtsy playfully, plucking the sides of her dress like a cupcake.

Carlos grins as he mimics Rilynn cluelessly, curtsying with his nonexistent dress pinched between his fingers. He tried to cross his feet just as Rilynn had, but his balance was horrible, and he nearly toppled over. Carlos had no idea what he was doing, but if Rilynn and Evie were doing it, that must mean he should, too.

Rilynn giggled again, but it was Jay's boastful laugh that cut their soft conversation abruptly. Jay clutched his stomach and threw his head back, a laugh cracking from his chest.

"You're doing it wrong, you doofus. It's like this," Jay spins his arm dramatically before bowing like a prince.

Carlos hums. "Oh, that makes sense," he mimes Jay's movement.

Rilynn giggles to herself. "You're close," she intervenes. "Try it like this." Rilynn demonstrates a similar bow but without the ridiculous wave of their arm. "You don't have to wind your arm."

Jay smirks. "I think I like my version better," his gaze captured Rilynn's.

Rilynn hated that her breath got stuck in her throat and her heart thumped hard against her chest. She couldn't get rid of this weird feeling whenever she talked to Jay, no matter how many times she tried to act as if there was nothing. Rilynn thought she could ignore them and pretend she wasn't feeling this way; it became more potent the longer she stared at Jay.

It was wrong, wasn't it? Rilynn shouldn't feel this way about another boy when she'd just broken up with one not too long ago. Not to mention, this boy so happens to be a Villain. While Jay might be attending their school, it didn't change the fact that he would never belong here. As much as Rilynn refused to believe that, she was starting to receive the backlash of what happens when you befriend a Villain.

"You guys ready to play some croquet?" Ben's voice pulled Rilynn away from her frustrating thoughts.

Carlos raised his hand. "Uh, yeah, what's a croquet?"

"Only the greatest sport ever made," Ben boasts. "Right after Tourney Ball, obviously."

Rilynn rolls her eyes. "It's a boring game, but it's some people's favorite pastime," the princess smiles. Then, she starts waving them over. "Come on. I'll show you guys how to play."

"Do we get to hit things?" Jay questioned.

"I still don't get it," Carlos pouted.

Teaching the Villains how to play croquet was much more complicated than Rilynn anticipated. At first, it seemed okay until the Villain's attention span began to spread everywhere. Mal and Ben fell into their flirty conversation, moving away from the group as they played their own game. Evie eventually dispersed, somehow conversing with Queen Belle, giving the woman fashion tips. Dude had taken off, leading Carlos into a chase across the field.

And then, there were two.

Jay somehow was the only one left, still learning croquet from Rilynn, but that wasn't the only reason why he stayed. Jay was leaning against the stick as he shamelessly watched Rilynn practically play alone. He wasn't sure how the game was supposed to be played, nor did Jay care. He liked listening to Rilynn babble on about a game he could care less about, but her voice was as sweet as the candy he enjoyed.

"--just hit them through your little goals, and voilà!" Rilynn swung her stick, smacking one of the balls gently until it rolled between the plastic stakes. She grinned as she turned back to Jay. "You get a point. Simple, right?"

"Yeah," Jay said distractedly.

Rilynn smiled apologetically, feeling like she was probably boring Jay with one of Auradon's basic sports. It wasn't played amongst the teens of Auradon Prep, but many adults kept the practice. Rilynn never cared for sports, not as athletic, but if there's one sport she'd try, it would be sword fighting. Rilynn and Lonnie talked about it a few times, but neither could get on the team. It wasn't exactly meant for girls.

"I know it's not Tourney, but some parents like this game," she says shyly. Rilynn has no idea why she had to over-explain this game.

Great, Jay looked as bored as ever. He was, unfortunately, the last one stuck with Rilynn and probably stayed for the sake of her feelings. While his friends managed to escape the boring game, Jay was left to take one for the team. Rilynn grew awkward as each Villain started to walk away, showing interest in something or someone else. Rilynn tried to shake it off, of course, but she couldn't help but wonder if it had to do with her.

They all seemed to have gotten along well, from what Rilynn could tell, but why couldn't she shake off this feeling? It was like her brain was trying to jab at her heart, making her feel like she was the problem. If Rilynn could, she would tell her brain to stop with these silly doubts, but the princess was too embarrassed.

"Yeah," Jay answered distractedly but frowned immediately as soon as Rilynn's awkward smile fell a little. "Wait, no. No, that's not what I--I mean--"

"It's okay if you just wanna go," Rilynn lowered her stick, still smiling even though she felt slightly hurt. It was ridiculous and foolish of her to feel such a way. Stop it, brain! "I won't take it personally if I'm holding you hostage."

"No, it was . . . it was," Jay stammered for a response but fell short.

Rilynn laughed softly toward the ground, bowing her head until her hair fell around her face. "It's okay if this game's boring, Jay," Rilynn finally reassured, brushing the weird feelings in her mind.

Shush, Heart! Rilynn just played it cool.

Jay studied the princess before letting out an uneasy laugh, silently questioning why he suddenly felt weird. He's never stuttered in his life. Jay was smooth with his words, and he knew how to talk to a girl, charming her with his flirtations; however, this awkward princess managed to get him stumbling on his words, almost like her nervousness was making him guilty for whatever reason, and the urge to want to reassure the princess that she has his full attention.

How brutal.

"Uh, yeah," Jay chuckles a little too hard. He clears his throat in hopes of covering it. "It's a little boring." They share another laugh. "I mean, there's no hitting, which is lame."

Jay won a sudden laugh from Rilynn. This laugh was a little loud and almost off-guard had it not been the princess catching herself; Rilynn punched her lips closed tightly to shut herself up, instantly growing pink as she realized the sound escaping her so suddenly.

"Besides, I had fun."

Rilynn raised her brows teasingly. "You just stood there."

Cocking a brow, Jay approached Rilynn with a flirty smile, taking Rilynn by surprise. The princess had to take a step back. Why? She didn't know. All Rilynn knew was that she saw Jay approaching her, and with all these eyes,