She's the best. You know those people that are just…impossible not to like? Like actual sunshine made into a person? That's Evie. So, of course, I hated her when we met, [ mal says with a laugh. ] I used to torture her back on the Isle. It’s a wonder she ever decided to put up with me.

When we were little, it was just me and Jay.

[ she flips to a different picture: a handsome long-haired boy with muscled arms stares straight into the camera with long-suffering expression while a grinning mal kicks her muddied boots into his lap.

the next photo is of her and carlos, obvious by deduction, who grins at the camera under a shock of white hair and a mess of freckles across his nose. they’re playing a video game, which mal, judging from her expression, was in the process of losing. pressed against carlos’ side is a mutt. ]

Carlos was Evie’s friend first. That’s Dude, [ she points at the dog. ] Carlos found him at Auradon. Everyone loves that stupid dog. He didn’t cower at the other end of the room when I walked in anymore. That was progress.

[ she comes to a photo taken of the four of them on her bed in her dorm. the bed was too narrow to fit all of them comfortably so mal and evie clung to each other in the middle. mal threw one leg over evie’s and evie held onto mal’s arm with both hands. jay teetered on the edge beside mal while carlos flashed the camera an open-mouthed grin on evie’s other side. they look happy. they look close.

an ache spreads comes into mal’s throat. she abruptly locks the screen. ]

Wow, [ she utters with a disbelieving little laugh. ] I’ve just been talking for five minutes straight. Sorry about that.

[ straightening, she pastes on a bright smile. ]

Did you get everything you needed?