Return to the Isle of the Lost Read Free

the smile on his face as cloying as the pastel sweaters he usually wore. “Come on, there’s nothing to see here but garbage. Isn’t that what you guys used to eat on that island? Our leftovers?”
    Audrey gasped. “The poor things, did they really? That’s disgusting.”
    “On Charming’s honor,” said Chad, leading her away. “Let’s go, Princess, nothing to see here.”
    Chad used to be one of the best players on the team, but not since Jay arrived. The prince wasn’t taking his displacement from the starting lineup very well.
    Jay sighed, looking up at the blue sky. He had traded a life of skulking and thievery to play good guy at hero prep. Back on the Isle, Chad wouldn’t be laughing quite so smugly if he knew how easily Jay could have swiped his watch, wallet, and keys during that handshake. But Jay was in Auradon now, and they frowned on those things, so he’d left them alone, even though the temptation had been great. It would only get him and his fellow villain kids in trouble, which is what Chad really wanted.
    “Are you planning on lying there forever? The dinner bell’s rung,” said a voice. He looked up to see Jordan standing above him, holding out a hand.
    “You came out of nowhere.”
    “Genie trick.” She winked, looking down at him with a hint of a smile. She wore her dark hair up in a swoop, and her blue pantaloons were striking with her yellow leather jacket. She was soon joined by two other girls, the three of them looking concerned over his fall.
    Jay took Jordan’s hand and used it to help himself up. “Thanks.”
    “Don’t worry about Chad, he’s like that to everyone. Isn’t that right, Allie?” Jordan said to the blond girl standing next to her.
    The girl nodded. She wore a blue pinafore over a white blouse and had delicate features and a genteel manner. “He’s almost worse than Tweedledum and Tweedledee.”
    “Definitely worse. My dad would have things to say about him, that’s for sure,” said Jordan, whose father, Genie, was a famously talkative fellow. “Are you sure you’re all right, dude?”
    “Nothing bruised but my pride,” Jay told them, feeling better already.
    “Then he did us a favor.” The third girl laughed, fixing the tiny hat she wore sideways on her head. Freddie Facilier was one of the newer Isle kids, who had transferred over as part of the ongoing program to assimilate the villains’ kids into the Auradon mainstream.
    “Thanks a lot, Freddie,” grumbled Jay.
    “You’re welcome,” said Freddie.
    “We’re not all like Chad,” said Jordan. “Some of us know that without you guys, all of Auradon would be Maleficent’s minions right now.”
    “Goblins,” said Jay. “Maleficent’s minions are goblins.”
    “That would be awful,” said Allie. “Green is quite a horrendous color on me.”
    The four of them walked companionably over to the dining hall, bumping into Ben, who was headed the other way. The girls swooned and curtsied at the sight of the young king.
    “You missed practice,” said Jay, bumping fists with his teammate. He and Ben worked well together, Jay usually setting up the shots that Ben would send flying into the goal.
    “I know, I know, next time, I promise,” said Ben, looking harried. “Coach is on my case.”
    “Our defense is really hurting. Offense too.”
    “Yeah.” Ben sighed, craning his neck at the tourney fields longingly.
    “Well, you better be back on deck when we play the Lost Boys,” Jay said. They were up against a strong Neverland team that weekend.
    “I’ll do my best.”
    Jay nodded. It occurred to him while talking to Ben that if his father, Jafar, was in Auradon, he would probably figure out a way to smooth-talk Ben into handing over not just the crown, but the entire kingdom. Whereas Jay only wanted to play tourney and hang out. Just went to show that sometimes the apple can fall far from the tree—or maybe in his case, that the baby cobra can slink away from the nest?
    He wasn’t