Bad Habits: A Collection of Short Stories

1) Fast Eating

It had been a week since their arrival in Auradon, yet the Villain Kids were still baffled by the sheer amount of food Auradon Prep served for every meal.

Their first meal had been a catastrophe. At the sight of the mountains of food served for dinner, the teenagers unleashed the hunger they had been feeling for years and literally attacked the food. Noodles and chicken wings flew everywhere as they piled a mountain of food onto their plates, the Auradon kids watching in both wonder and confusion.

Needless to say, Ben was rather confused as he watched Carlos mix jam sandwiches with meatballs. However, it all became clear when Jay voiced his confusion at the 'fresh taste in his mouth'.

"The people on the Isle of The Lost must be starving," Ben mused during his and Audrey's nightly walks in the Auradon Prep gardens.

"So? They deserve it," Audrey replied nonchalantly as she rested her cheek on Ben's shoulder.

"No one deserves to go hungry," Ben protested, "Not in this kingdom."

And so, Ben didn't question it when at every meal they ate three times as much as everyone else did. However, he did notice something else, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was a week after their arrival when he realised what it was.

Ben made his way to the table of villains, his own lunch tray holding only an apple and a sandwich. He ignored the way his heart warmed at the sight of Mal, concentrating on the matter ahead.

"Hey guys," Ben greeted, sliding in the empty seat next to Carlos, "You guys okay?"

"Mmph," Carlos nodded, his mouth stuffed with pasta.

"He means to say yes, thank you. I think we've settled in quite nicely," Evie supplied politely, delicately cutting up her burger quickly, "Don't you think so Mal?"

"Huh?" She asked, swallowing a mouthful of chicken, "Oh, yeah. Whatever."

Ben watched as the four scuffled their food down at an incredible speed, Evie taking slightly more care. It was then that Ben decided to address the issue, something that had been bothering him for quite some time now.

"Why do you guys eat so quickly? It's not like someone will steal your food," Ben joked, his smile falling at the sight of the teens expressions.

"They won't?" Carlos asked in surprise, placing the foot back on the plate slowly.

"Of course not, there's plenty to go round," Ben explained lightly, watching in confusion as the others looked at each other.

The table was silent for a few seconds, the Villain Kids looking at each other with a mixture of confusion and sadness. Eventually, Mal cleared her throat, a hard look in her eyes.

"Well," She snapped, "We didn't know that."

She proceeded to stand up from the table, taking her plate with her and swiftly walking out of the dining hall. She was hurriedly followed by Evie, who was then followed by Jay.

"Wait!" Ben called as Carlos stood up.

Carlos turned to look at Ben, an unreadable expression on his face. Ben swallowed down his nerves before continuing.

"I just wanted you guys to know that no one here is going to hurt you," Ben began, "I can't begin to imagine what it was like for you guys on the Isle, but I promise it will be better from now on. Can you tell the others as well, please?"

Carlos paused for a moment, nodding quickly before picking up his food and leaving the dining hall.

Ben just hoped that they could live without fear in his kingdom. They didn't deserve that, and he would make sure they didn't feel like that anymore.

That night, the four Villain Kids lay in bed, contemplating the day.

Carlos knew that they would be leaving sooner than later. However, Ben's words had really affected him. He'd begun to see the dorm room he shared with Jay like a better home than Cruella's mansion had ever been. He was still haunted by the nights he'd have to scavenge for food through Cruella's bear traps, the scars on his ankles and wrists forever on his body.

Meanwhile, Evie was remembering the hungry nights she'd spent locked in her room, never looking quite skinny enough to please her mother. She'd gone countless days without food, having to steal whatever food she could find in the market and eat it as quickly as she could before her mother caught her. It was her own personal hell, but maybe being in Auradon meant that she could stop fearing her mother's impossible standards.

Jay was remembering the days he'd spent stealing whatever food he could find, eating his ration before his dad could change his mind and take it for himself. He was now able to eat loaves of bread in just under a few minutes, something he'd bragged about back on the Isle. Now, however, he wanted to slow down. He wanted to enjoy whatever food was given to him, because he knew it wouldn't last.

Mal didn't know what to think. Carlos had told them all about what Ben had said, but she didn't know if she had enough trust inside her to believe Ben's words. She'd spent her life never being good enough for her mother, never being evil enough. She'd worked hard for every single thing in her life, including food. Her mother refused to feed her unless she'd proven herself, which rarely happened.

But maybe things are different now, they all thought, maybe we can take our time and... slow down.

The next morning, Ben walked into the dining hall with a perfectly planned apology. However, what he saw shocked him.

The Villain Kids were sat at their usual table, but instead of shovelling the food into their mouths, they were eating slowly. Well, maybe not completely to a normal pace, but Ben could tell they were trying. He still spotted Jay's uneasy stares and Carlos' twitching fingers, but the fact that they felt comfortable enough brought a smile to his face.

And so, after getting his own breakfast, Ben walked to their table, knowing that a new dawn was approaching.

A/N: Thought I ought to add a small explanation about this fic.

This fic will be a collection of stories based on some bad habits that I imagine the Villain Kids would carry on into Auradon based off the books, the film and my understanding of the characters. Please feel free to leave any prompts in the reviews and I will happily add them to my list of ideas for the stories to include in this fic.

Although I have some unfinished fics and a few unpublished ones, I will be able to regularly update this work as these are short stories/drabbles, as opposed to a more complex plot. I really hope you enjoy these stories, as I think they definetly divulge deeper into the characters and what their lives may have been like.

As always, if you've enjoyed this chapter, please feel free to leave any suggestions, prompts or opinions in the reviews. Alternatively, feel free to share this story and favourite/follow it for updates. Thank you!