Good Enough, Right? - Chapter VI
Technical Genius
Carlos was still giggling to himself as Ben sneaked him in through the kitchen. Ben huffed, offended.
"It's not funny! I could've broken something, man!"
"I still think you need glasses. That was a whole entire tree trunk you didn't see, y'know?"
Ben shook his head, flustered. He wasn't about to admit that he had walked straight into the trunk because he had noticed a butterfly landing on Carlos's head, but he had to admit, seeing Carlos light up at his misfortune was a welcome change from the subdued expression he had before.
Just then, Mrs Potts's voice rang out from the kitchen.
"Your Highness! Another secret pastry date with Lady Mal?"
Carlos saw Ben's whole body cringe at her words, and his eyes widened as Ben let go of his hand and cleared his throat.
"No. Actually... I'm helping a friend with... With a breakup."
"Oh, dear!" Mrs Potts poked her head out from the kitchen, looking worried. "Oh, Carlos! You and Jane-- Triple chocolate chip it is!"
Carlos smiled softly and went to sit at one of the cafeteria tables.
"Uh... Carlos? Where are you going?"
"Uh... Cafeteria?"
"Are you joking? We're going to my room!"
And that's how Carlos found himself curled up under several blankets, face full of the best chocolate ice cream he had ever eaten, playing video games and screaming like a madman with Ben, on his bed.
"Ahh..." he sighed as he leaned back against the large fluffy pillow. "This is nice... Y'know, back at the isle, we'd probably stay up all night thinking of death threats to send to Jane."
"Lovely," said Ben with a sardonic smile. He then looked out of the window, which Carlos took as a sign that he was thinking of something deep.
"Ben?"
"Mhmm?"
Ben hadn't even turned around. Carlos huffed and rolled his eyes, but didn't push. Instead, he started fidgeting with the game controller, dissasembling it.
"What're you doing?" asked Ben after a while.
"Oh, just... Playing around a little. Sorry," answered Carlos sheepishly, reassembling the controller, much to Ben's surprise.
"Holy shit... You can just do that?"
"Do what?"
"Rebuild the entire controller?!"
Carlos rubbed his neck, flustered under the look of awe that Ben gave him.
"Well, I've always been good with gadgets... I once made a small hole through the barrier so I could watch television. It didn't work that long, though."
Ben laughed.
"Wait. Wait, you're telling me you broke the barrier before?! And said nothing about it until now?!"
"Mhmm..."
Carlos nodded, still fiddling with the controller. He suddenly felt very self-conscious. Mal had told him long ago that no one was interested in his silly gadgets, so he had gradually stopped talking about them with others, but now, with Ben looking at him with curiosity, he suddenly felt safer.
"I... I used several wire transmitters, an old bent antenna and a homemade battery, and tried it with Evie. And it made a small hole through the barrier for a little while."
"Carlos, I am so glad you turned to the good side. Do you have any idea how panicked we would be here in Auradon if we knew what you had done?"
The words sounded alarming, but Ben's face had split into a huge grin, almost proud.
"You have got to teach me a few tricks like that, okay?"
Carlos nodded with a grin, then yawned.