Goodness doesn't get any better

Harry sat on the other side of the blanket and picked up his own sandwich. “I’m glad ye like it.” He had to admit it was pretty good meal, even if it wasn’t the fanciest or the most flavorful thing. It also felt pretty good to eat something he’d made himself; maybe he’d do it more often and learn how to make more. 

He frowned a bit when she mentioned not eating properly but recovered quickly. “Ye should take better care of yerself. Ye can’ do everythin’ on an empty stomach.” He knew that all too well. When you had to fight for food most days, you learned to appreciate it. “Surely yer mum makes lunch for ya or somethin’. Or is she too busy for that too?”

Despite the rather plain aspect of the meal, Jane truly did enjoy it. It was simple yet effective and the fact that it was made for her, by Harry no less made it all the better. She didn’t require a three course meal to be happy after all. Somethings were just better this way. At his beratement of her eating habits however, the fae girl blushed and looked down at her sandwich in something akin to shame. She never meant to mistreat herself in that way, she was simply too busy sometimes. There was always something to do around here after all. 

Harry looked up when he hears her heels on the stone and gave her a slightly more genuine smile than usual. “Why, thank ye. I don’ do anythin’ halfway; one of the best lessons I ever learned from Da.” One of the only lessons, but definitely more useful than the others now. “I even made the sandwiches meself to with the whole ‘trying to be good’ thing. I hope ya like peanut butter an’ jelly.”

He had to admit, part of him was nervous about this. The last time he did something nice for someone was put together a small birthday party for Gil a few years ago and that almost ended badly when Hook found out he stole from the rum stash. Great party overall but the screaming match had soured it a bit. But the chances of that happening this time were zero to none, right? Or maybe Fairy Godmother would randomly drop by and yell at them for skipping a lesson. Either one.

With a returning smile, Jane lowered herself onto the blanket he had placed beneath the food and smoothed the skirt of her dress out as she did so. She sat so properly with her legs tucked beneath her, sticking out to one side, and her bag was placed somewhere behind her. If they were to do a little bit of their lessons while they were out here, they could wait until after they ate. He surely wouldn’t run off as soon as he was done after all, right? At least Jane hoped not. “You did really good honestly. It looks delicious.” 

    HE’S NOT SURPRISED, not really. A chuckle leaves the pirate’s lips just how confused she looked. “Then I can have ya, duckling.” Her innocence was almost cute. 

Harry grinned and bowed playfully. “I’m sure. See ya tomorrow, duckling, and prepare for a delicious lunch.” He wasn’t much of a cook but he could probably figure something out.

The next day, he sat on the stone platform of the old gazebo, laying out a small picnic. It was only some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but making anything else would’ve required some slight of hand and he was trying not to do that. He had promised to try after all. He had stolen some brownies from the cafeteria but he figured that stuff was free anyhow so it didn’t really count.

To say that Jane wasn’t nervous would have been a lie. Perhaps there was no reason to be, but still the fae girl couldn’t help it. Harry made her that way whether he meant it or not, there was just something about the way he looked at her. Though she convinced herself that’s just who he was and that it meant nothing and after only a mild panic attack, she found herself at the lake. 

Harry chuckled and grabbed his hook. “Well, it may not be necessary but I’d like ta do it. A snack won’ make up fer a full meal and I don’ think you Auradonians are used ta skippin’ those. Look, I made ya miss lunch so I’ll make ya a new one. It’s only right.” Like he said, he knew how to be good, he just chose not to be most of the time.

“Leave the details ta me, duckling. I’ll get everythin’ tagether an’ meet ya at the Lake. Usual time?”

Should she agree to his suggestion? Part of her wanted to, just to see what he was like outside of the classroom setting but why? To be friends with him? Surely she could always use more friends. But even Jane had to admit that wouldn’t be the entire reasoning behind saying yes. Especially not after he called her ‘duckling’ again. The single word got the same reaction out of her that it had the first time, and she melted slightly with a giggle and a smile. It was still shy of course, but before she could really think about it, the fairy’s daughter was nodding. 

Of course. If he wasn’t going to do the lesson, he still had to prove he was learning something. “Don’ wan’ me ta get kicked out, eh? ‘Ow sweet o’ ya. If only tha rest o’ the school cared tha’ much, then we might no’ even be 'ere.” Harry’d kept his promise to Uma to not pick any fights but it seemed some people were looking for trouble. “I suppose since yer doin’ me the favor of lyin’, I could try. Not sure how much I’ll be able ta ignore Chad though; he’s determined ta get his arse kicked.”

He stood from his chair and winked at the fae. “Of course; I’ll take ye out ta lunch one day, my treat.” He did feel a little guilty about keeping her so late but he still hadn’t figured out how to process that feeling. “What say tomorrow you 'n me go out an’ have a little picnic?”

“Thank you. All you’ve gotta do is try, I’ll talk to Chad too.” She wasn’t sure what that would accomplish, but Jane could at least try. After all, she had been truthful. She didn’t want Harry to fail. Or any of the other VK’s for that matter, but somehow, more so with Harry. She could blame it on the fact that she was invested now, and it would look bad on her if he didn’t succeed. But she knew that wouldn’t be entirely truthful. Jane liked Harry, even though he was rough around the edges and never wanted to put forth the right amount of effort. And to see him go would make her sad. 

Harry wrinkled his nose at the thought of a specialized workspace. He didn’t want to be singled out, he just needed to work in his own way. His transcript at Serpent Prep was actually pretty good as he was free to do his work how he wanted and his grades sucked here because he couldn’t. But he certainly wasn’t the only one like that so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

He was ready to jump out of his chair and run when she said she’d sign off and he almost did…but then she asked for a promise. “What sorta promise? Does it have anythin’ ta do with this class?”

Jane smiled when he didn’t instantly turn her proposal away. Slowly, the fae girl placed her papers back into her binder and tucked them gently into her bag. She could just tell him right away, but some part of her thought the suspense was more fun. And she hardly ever had any of that, so she’d milk it for just a moment longer. Once everything was put away, she folded her hands neatly atop the table and focused her gaze over at him. “I want you to promise me you’ll try. Even if it’s little things. Even if it’s just ignoring Chad once and a while. We need to show my mom that you’re at least trying okay? I don’t want you to get kicked out.” 

Why doesn’t he want to be good? “Easy; it’s fun.” Well, that’s part of the answer anyway. “Why do we ‘ave to follow rules all the time? Like the rules tha’ don’t make sense, the kind it doesn’ hurt anyone ta break. Take yer mum’s rules fer example. What does it matt’r if I like ta doodle on my tests? No one but yer mum ever notices but she marks me down when I do. Then she gives me detention if I leave the room too much and that’s my only other way to get through the class. An’ she never said I couldn’t doodle on ‘em so it’s not like I knew I was doin’ anything wrong the first time. Seems like a dumb rule ta me.” Of course, there’s a bit of a difference between taking too many water breaks and starting fights.

“Then there’s the double standards of it. Chad starts jus’ about all our fights but I’m the only one who gets in trouble. Why? He’s the one that got a rise out o’ me and pushed me. Shouldn’t he get in trouble to fer instagatin’? Why should I bother with bein’ good if people like ‘im get away with bein’ bad?”

She hated to admit it, but he had a point. Chad hardly ever got in trouble whenever he broke the rules. Perhaps due to his parents status, and how much they had donated to the school, or even simply just his status on the Tourney team. After all, if you got in trouble too many times the coach was forced to take you off the team. And before Jay had come along, Chad was their star player. Either way, it didn’t seem very fair. Harry was right. Her brows knitted together even further as she thought his words over. Had her mother really not told him about the doodle rule? It seemed ingrained into her mind since forever, but if she hadn’t told him, it didn’t seem very fair to mark him off. 

Harry groans and leans back in his chair. “I know, I know. The good option would be ta stay here, do th’ work, and not shove Chad against the lockers next time I see ‘im. I know what good is: the opposite of everythin’ we did on the Isle.” He learned that quick enough during his first few days at the school.

“But why? What’s the point? Whether I do the fuckin’ sheet or not, Chad’s still gonna be an ass. Jay’s still gonna annoy the hell out o’ me. Uma’s still gonna be too busy for me. Audrey’s still gonna act like I don’ exist now tha’ she’s got her good side back. And yer mum’s still gonna watch me like a hawk in case I steal somethin’.” What’s the point of learning to be good when people are still going to treat you like a criminal?

Jane nodded along with the first part of what he said. Everything that she had wanted him to learn was right there. Maybe he had been paying attention. But then he continued on and asked the point. She opened her mouth to answer, assuming one would come naturally - but nothing did come. In fact, the Fae girl was left stunned. Green eyes blinked a few times in thought, and then in confusion, before her mouth eventually just closed and her shoulders slumped down. She really didn’t have an answer for him, but she would try anyway, despite how lame it sounded. Even to her. 

Your muse has found mine crying alone in their room. Send “Hey, what’s wrong?” for my muse’s reaction.

All Jane wanted to do was be alone for a little while. The amount of things upon her plate had been mounting, but she couldn’t focus on any of them. Not after the conversation she had had with Carlos that morning. He was leaving - most likely for good. And where did that leave them? Not in the best of places she gathered, but in all honesty she hadn’t been able to complete the conversation. She had been too instantly heartbroken at the very idea, so instead of playing the part of a grown up and talking things through, she had run off and had been hiding away in her bedroom ever since. 

“Well, maybe if the lesson weren’t so damn boring, I’d be more inclined ta apply meself.” Harry taps his foot rapidly as he looks down at the worksheet for the zillionth time in the last hour. It’s not like he means to be a problem student, not really, he just can’t do the whole ‘sit down and learn for x minutes’. It was easier on the Isle when he could wander out of class when he wanted or doodle or something. But Auradon, and Fairy Godmother in particular, frowned upon such distractions in school.

“Look, why don’ ye jus’ write down that we did the thing and jus’ go get a snack or somethin’? I know ye don’ wanna be here any more than I do and it’s not like I’ll ever understan’ this stuff anyhow.”

“They aren’t boring!” There’s a tiny scoffing sound that escapes Jane, and her eyes widen as she realized she had done it out loud. She straightened her back and shuffled her papers some to seem more professional before sighing. Was there any use? His suggestion was tempting, to just say that they had completed the lessons, but her mother would know better. After all, she was looking for his behavior to improve more than anything else. It wasn’t just about simply completing lessons.