Well, hi everyone! :D
Ok, this is my first ever attempt to write a fanfiction.
I'm an avid reader of fanfictions, and I want to contribute today with my story.
Some necessary conditions: a) English is not my native language, so be patient if you find various kinds of errors and feel free to point them out so that I'll be able to fix them; b) This is my first story published...so...be lenient! :D
All healthy criticism is welcome, I'm open to suggestions and advice :D
Well, thanks to all those who'll read it and I hope you'll like it :)
"Remember the days of the old schoolyard When we had imaginings and we had All kinds of things and we laughed And needed love... yes, I do Oh and I remember you"
- Cat Stevens
Belle was sitting with some of her friends in a corner of the 'Hot Bird', one of the few pubs with a good reputation in Storybrooke. They had been there most of the evening, drinking and talking of all and nothing, simply enjoying their night out.
Ruby had almost been forced to drag Belle out that night because of her general opposition to places like that, and because she'd always opt for a good book before going to bed than sharing a few drinks in a loud and trendy pub in town.
Ruby tried everything to make her be there with her that night, from begging to threatening. And after 22 phone calls, 34 messages and one call at the home phone, which had made his father an unaware accomplice, she was able to wring a slim but glorious "yes" out of her. Her ace in the hole had been to tell her that Mary Margaret would have been there too (sometimes, she thought the two girls had to be heterozygous twins separated at birth or at least made with the mold, because they were so similar in their behaviours and way of thinking: bookish and too polite for their own good) and they'd not have been out too late.
Belle put her foot down, however, about not going out dressed with a very short dress lovingly borrowed from Ruby. A thing, quoting her "that would make blush even Dita Von Teese during one of her show!". So, they had negotiated for a simple floral dress, knee length, not too good for a pub but better than nothing...or better than a sort of school uniform that Belle dared to call a cocktail dress. Beyond all that initial drama, Ruby knew that Belle loved her like a sister and enjoyed their time out together, and sometimes she felt like she just needed her best friend with her and not thinking of her closed at home, alone, missing all the fun of their young age. So, desperate times call for desperate measures, sometimes.
At their table, there were other friends with them, the core of the group from school. There were Anna and Elsa, sisters and inseparable; there was Ariel, pretty and maybe too much joyful; there was David, a very good guy and totally smitten with Mary Margaret, which was the reason of the presence of the latter; Eric, Ariel's beau; and then there was Will, a shy and good mannered guy to whom Belle was not indifferent, Ruby mused.
They were having a good time, all in all. They were trying to relax before the stress that was looming over them in the form of the winter finals and so they agreed to meet once a week to blow off some steam and catch up on their lives.
While they were in the middle of one of Ariel's story about a trip to the new water park that she made with the kids she looked after in her free afternoons, another group of people from their school entered the pub, directed to occupy one last free table of the place.
Elsa scoffed and said "Look, now there is really anyone here, tonight" and turned back to her friends.
Everyone at the table turned towards the loud and noisy group, watching them shoving and making fun of each other and laughing loudly.
"It's a public place, Elsa" said David, turning back again "They can go wherever they want to".
"And what If they'll star picking on us?" Anna asked, already afraid that something bad could happen and already in sync with her sister's thoughts.
"They won't, we're pretty much at the other side of the pub. And, If you'll stop staring at them, perhaps it will be a good night for everyone tonight" David pointed out.
Almost at the same time, they all turned back again and soon after everyone began talking and drinking again.
Everyone but Belle.
She kept staring at the group at the back. In particular, she was staring at one of the so called "bad boys" of school, Nick. He was like one of those guys that you watch in movies and that gets in trouble every time, lives life day by day without touching a book, bullies other people with his group and more or less goes to school because there's nothing better to do elsewhere. Belle had always been drawn to him, at least since she surprised him on the fire escapes at the back of the school, an unused area at the time because of maintenance work, a few weeks ago. She was there because she was looking for a quiet place where to study and repeat aloud before a crucial oral test of History, and instead she found him there alone, for once, unexpectedly reading a book.
They stared at each other for a few seconds and then she stuttered an apology for having interrupted him. He got up immediately from the step on which he had been lying on, trying to hide the book from her. Seeing it behind his back anyway, she tried to peek at the title but without success and, wanting to burst the bubble of awkwardness between them and since that was one of her rare chance to corner him alone, she smiled and asked what he was reading. He stared at her for a second and then tried to tell her to mind her own business and that he wasn t reading anything but she just stayed there, and she didn t know why even after all that time, she just wanted to talk to him for a moment, just him. Finally, he sighed and told her the title, which was one of her favorite, 'Grimms' Fairy Tales'. And well, If there was one thing that could allow her to get out of a predicament, it was talking about books. And so she began to quibble about the plot, the characters, the meanings of the book until she didn't realize that she hadn't allowed him to speak even for a second. He told her not to worry, trying to sound indifferent, but she noticed a slight smirk on his lips, probably amused by her clumsiness. At that moment, the bell rang and he jumped at the opportunity to flee.
From that day onwards, she found herself seeking him out more and more. She looked for him during recess, in the cafeteria, during soccer practice at school. And she wasn't ashamed to admit, at least not to herself, that she had been back to that staircase in the days following their first encounter, hoping to find him there again. But with no luck. She never approached him directly, but she saw him avoiding her gaze purposely or pretending not to see her.
She didn't know why or what was in him that drew her to him, but she knew that he wasn't with no brains, she had listened to him talking and he was actually very smart and sharp, and his eyes weren't as hard as the armor he used to show to anyone. She had created an image of him in her mind of a guy that had to be like that in order to be part of his group. To be the arrogant and rebellious one, the leader of the group. And she wanted to change that idea of hers.
In fact, his group of friends was more or less composed of guys from the same cloth. For example, there was Hans, a cold and haughty boy; Milah, a towering girl with cold eyes; Cora, a girl with mischievous eyes and sharp tongue; Dove, a quiet big guy but gloomy; and then there was Jefferson, the only one Belle had a sort of relationship with. He was the exception of the group, he was strange but friendly, a bit crazy but nice. Jefferson was in Belle's class and she had found herself talking to him a couple of times. He was also Nick's closest friends, or so she guessed from seeing them always together.
Anyway, from that fatal day they shared only glances and nods in the very few best days, in the worst at least she tried to meet his eyes but it seemed as If he always tried to avoid her, not even glancing in her way. She was starting to believe that he just wanted to be left alone, like he told her. And she still didn't know why she cared so much.
He tried to follow along with the dumb story that Hans was telling, he really did, but in reality, his mind was elsewhere. Specifically, it was on the other side of the pub.
He saw her. He saw her as soon as he entered the pub and, as always, he felt attracted by her aura. He didn't know what the hell was going on there, but she was able to caught his attention wherever they were, every time she stepped in a room, big or little that it was, his eyes landed on her immediately. And he knew she watched him, he could always feel her eyes burning on the back of his leather jacket but he always tried to avoid her. He did it because he knew that his friends'd tease him forever, and because he really didn't know what to do with her, with the power she had on him although the two of them exchanged a total of two words. Or rather, she said many more words than him from that first day on the stairs.
That day, he was looking for a quiet place where to relax and enjoy some peace on his own. Someday it was very hard not to yell at his so called friends and beat them out for their stupidity and inconsistency. So, instead, he tried to blow some steam off isolating himself. He had found an old book in one of his aunt's dresser drawers, one of the last that he hadn't yet read in the house, and that day he had been eager to cultivate one of his most beloved, and hidden from the eyes of others, hobby: reading.
Then he remembered of the school's pavilion in disuse for maintenance and went to sit on one of the steps of the fire escape outside since it was a warm day. His idyllic moment of peace was interrupted by her sudden arrival. He found himself taken aback and immediately remembered the book in his hand, trying to hide it without even knowing why. She smiled all the time and asked him what he was reading. Awkwardly, he tried to put on his usual mask of indifference and told her to mind her own business. But she kept smiling and eventually he told her he was reading a stupid book of fairy tales he found by chance, and not to say a word about it to anyone. She smiled again, approaching him and asking If she could have a look at the book. Damned him If he knew why, like an automaton, he stared at her and showed her the book without a word. Her smile widened as she read the title, 'Grimms' Fairy Tales'. And from that moment she started an endless and insightful discussion on the pros and cons of the book, indicating to him her favorite and least favorite characters. He listened in silence, just staring at her, and, occasionally, tormenting the book in his hand just to have something to do.
At one point, she froze, staring at him and apologizing for rambling on and on. He shook his head and told her that it was not a problem and that her rambling was better than the deafening noise of the construction site nearby. She, unexpectedly, giggled and blushed.
Soon after, they heard the bell ring, signaling the end of recess, and he took the opportunity to come back down on earth and almost run away from there, from her. She was unable to say a word, she just looked at him nodding at her and then disappear behind a green curtain.
Since that day, he found her everywhere, willingly or not. He found her in the cafeteria, in the hallways, during soccer practice (what hell was she doing there, anyway?!). He knew that she tried to catch his eyes every time, but he always tried to ignore her. And he didn't even know why. Or maybe yes. He felt nervous with her, something that had never happened before, and it irritated him.
He tried a glance in her direction and he found her chuckling at something that her friend was telling her; he thought her name was Lucy or something like that.
She stood out among her friends, elegant and beautiful, almost like If she was just out of a fairy tale and was ready to return to her world at the stroke of midnight.
He continued to stare at her for a few more seconds until he felt an elbow against his side. He turned quickly and found a grinning Jefferson next to him.
"Stop staring or you're going to ruin her with your eyes" he said as he rattled off a nut and tossed it into his mouth.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Nick said in defense, glancing discreetly around to see If someone else was listening to them.
"I know you're staring at Belle, do not hide it. And I have to tell you, you are not so subtle" Jefferson winked and chuckled at the harsh look of his friend.
"I repeat, I don't know what you're talking about and it would be better If you just eat your peanuts instead of seeing what I do or I do not" he huffed, taking out a lighter from his pocket and playing with it on the table.
"Why are you so defensive? I didn't say anything, I just pointed out that you were staring at her. It's not a bad thing. She's gorgeous and smart, she's a catch, let me tell you".
"Well, good for her but I, frankly, do not care" he murmured and then got up.
"Hey Nick, where are you running off?" Cora asked, sipping her Grogs. It seemed like she was always watching every move of him.
"Refilling my glass" he said over his shoulder, walking away.
"Be quick, mate, our clock is ticking and there are ladies here that do not want to wait any longer" Hans shouted, laughing loudly along with the redhead in his lap.
Nick sighed and approached the bar, asking for a refill of his Johnnie Walker. He stared at a spot on the wall in front of him, sighing. He was tired, it had been a long day. First school, then training, then at the workshop, then at home to put up with the daily wrath of his father towards everyone and everything.
He preferred to spend every free hour of his day away from home, even If that meant being with his group all night long when he could barely keep his eyes open.
He sighed again, nodding at the bartender who refilled his glass and then he barely turned his head toward the table at the corner of the pub. He tried to catch sight of her but couldn't see her anymore. He turned a bit more to look better but to no avail. She was gone.
In that moment, he felt a presence behind him and spun around quickly. Finding her in front of him.
Belle watched him getting up and approaching the bar with his empty glass. Alone.
She stared at him; within her a struggle between her heart and her mind; the desire to want to go to him versus the fear of being rejected again.
She looked at him ordering a refill of his drink and then leaning against the counter, stubbornly turned away from the crowd, motionless.
"Well, If this is not your chance, I don't know what else you're expecting from tonight .
Belle turned quickly to her right to find Ruby grinning and sipping her Gin and Tonic.
"What?" Belle asked.
"Oh, come on, Belle. How long have you known me? I know you re drooling behind that bighead Gold".
Belle looked at her distraught "I'm not drooling behind anyone! And keep your voice down, I don't want to become the new gossip of the group! And again, he's not a bighead".
"See, you're defending him now".
"I'm not defending him, but I can't understand how you can consider him a fool If you don't even know him".
"I don't need to know him, I know how guys like him are. And If that's not enough, his friends are a good ID card, I'd say" Ruby said, nodding to the group on the other side of the room that was making much more noise than before.
Belle sighed and turned, watching him again. She knew that he wasn't like them, she was sure that he wasn't the jerk that everyone told her he was. She just needed to know him a bit more to prove it.
"So, come one, go refilling your glass and bring me another one. In my drink, all the ice has melted" Ruby said loudly, nodding toward the bar and giving her a good excuse for getting up.
"Why do you want me to go If you dislike him?" Belle whispered curiously.
"Because I know that he has become your fixation. I know you've been trying to corner him alone for weeks. I know you want to show me that he's not a bighead. So, go on. But hurry, however, we'll leave soon" Ruby said and then got up to allow her to pass.
Belle stayed on her chair for a second and then shook her head and got up. Now on a mission.
She was forced to get around a couple of tables and waiters, since the place was full of people, and then she found herself on the other side of his stool. He was giving her his back, his face turned toward the direction of her table.
She smiled and leaned against the counter. Just then, he looked back and saw her.
"Hello" she said, smiling.
He looked at her for a few seconds and then nodded "Hi" he said, almost whispering.
"Is it occupied?" Belle asked, pointing to the stool next to his.
"Not that I know" he replied, taking a sip of his drink.
Belle kept smiling, undeterred before his ever-present indifference, and sat down. Then came the bartender and she ordered a Daiquiri and a Gin and Tonic.
Belle turned and saw him staring at his glass as If it was the most interesting thing in the world. She sighed and told herself to say something. Do the brave thing and bravery will follow, right?
"So, how come you re here?".
He looked at her and shrugged "It's a pub, it's a local place. Why not?".
Belle nodded and turned again. He was so frustrating. Even a blind man would have recognized her attempts to start a conversation but he seemed slow on the uptake. She sighed and tried again "Whisky, is it your favorite drink?".
He took a long sip of his drink and then said "So it seems" and said nothing else.
Belle looked at him for a few seconds and then turned again. Disappointed and irritated that he seemed like an ice sculpture, impenetrable. She decided that she'd not say anything more, that the ball was on his court now, it was up to him. She'd wait for the drinks and then leave If he kept staying in silence.
The bartender came with her Daiquiri and told her that the Gin and Tonic would arrive soon after. Belle nodded and thanked him, immediately taking a sip of her fresh drink, hoping it would calm her nerves.
"Daiquiri was Hemingway's favorite drink along with Mojito".
She almost choked on her drink when she heard his sudden and unexpected words "I didn't know, I'd have bet on a Martini" she smiled weakly.
She wasn't really expecting to hear him speaking. And that was a start.
"Too obvious. He was a supporter of lawlessness. And a bittersweet drink fits perfectly" he said, smirking.
"Fair enough. And what would you say about a guy who drinks whiskey?".
"That he hates the world...and the world hates him" he said, shrugging.
She looked at him for a few seconds and then said "Well, I rather think that his life is like the wave of a jazz song...But he doesn't care. He just wants to be left alone to confide in his glass" she smiled.
He turned his face towards her, looking into her eyes for the first time "Then why are you still here?".
She was taken aback for a second, recovering soon after "Maybe my Daiquiri needs a little healthy Scottish vibe to make it less obvious and boring".
He stared at her for a few seconds and then smirked, taking a sip of his drink and nodding slightly, curious to know If she really knew of his Scottish ancestry or not.
They were silent for a few seconds, both knowing that their time together was limited, and that soon they would have to go back to their respective groups.
Then, Belle braced herself, taking a big sip of her drink and saying "Listen, I know that since we talked that first time, you have been avoiding me like the plague, and I'd really like to know why. I...I understand If you don't want to be bothered or don't like to talk in general or don't like my face and you're ashamed to be seen talking to me. But it would at least be polite If you answered to my greets sometimes" she spoke quickly and almost angrily, feeling a little silly in the end, she talked like a spoiled child looking for attention.
At the end of her speech, she turned back from him and saw the bartender coming back with the glass of Gin and Tonic for Ruby. She took it quickly and put a couple of bills on the counter for the two drinks. She was ready to get up and walk away when he spoke.
"I'm not ashamed to be seen talking to you, but I can't understand why you want to talk to me" he said, looking at her.
She stopped and took a moment to put the glasses on the counter, looking at him "There must be a reason for wanting to talk to a person?".
He scoffed "Well, not every day I find people wanting to talk to me...Or rather, with which I want to talk to".
"If you didn't want to talk to me, you wouldn't have done it. Instead, this time you haven't run away like the last time" she smirked.
He looked at her and nodded "You're right, but this time you're not talking like a machine gun, in fact you're giving me the opportunity to say something".
She looked offended "I didn't talk like a machine gun that day, you're the one who didn't utter a word!".
He shook his head, still grinning "Whatever. Anyway, I wanted to say to you, from that day, that your disquisition on the book was...interesting. Even If we were talking about a storybook...Oh, sorry, you were talking about a storybook".
She stared at him for a moment and then she giggled "Well, you didn't seem so shocked, otherwise I'm sure you would have used your sarcasm to let me know it".
He grinned and said "I agree".
They were silent for a few moments, he sipping his drink and she looking around, away from his face.
"It's that...you're different ".
He looked up abruptly and looked at her in silence, waiting for her to continue.
"I don't think you're a fool like most of your friends" she said, looking at them while they toasted loudly and laughed uproariously "I think you're an interesting guy, quiet, on his own, but you do it because you observe everything, evaluate everything, but you are forced to keep this bad boy facade because...Well, because you have to do it. But then I find you reading a book that I would never have expected to find in the hands of a guy like you. And that's when I realized I was right, and don't ask me why, but I'm curious to know who you really are" she said quietly, looking at him to take note of his reactions.
He stared at her motionless for a few seconds and then turned back, shaking his head "You think you know too much, little girl. You do not know me, you have no idea who I am or what I did. And If teachers and psychologists didn't succeed in understanding me, I don t think that someone like you'd succeed. No offense, of course" he said quickly, animatedly, finishing his drink.
She smiled sweetly "I believe I've touched a nerve, instead".
"I believe that you should take your glasses and go back to your perfect friends and your perfect life and leave this poor man in disguise in peace. I know who I am, and that's enough people".
"See! I'm right, you consider yourself like a man wearing a mask".
He snorted, annoyed "Hey, I think it's time for you to go home, girls like you shouldn't stay out so late, you know?".
She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head "It's useless to try to insult me and make fun of me, I know what you're trying to do, but it doesn't work with me .
"Uh, I'm scared" he grinned.
She looked at him and then took a deep breath, playing her last card "Then prove it to me".
He turned toward her and raised an eyebrow "What?".
"You show me that you're not the blowhard full of yourself that everyone says you are" she challenged him.
He chuckled "And how should I do that? And then, I don't have to prove anything to you. And I've just told you that I'm a jerk!".
"It's true, but I'm sure you won't stand back before a challenge. And again, I think you're not".
He looked at her, narrowing his eyes "I believe that we have reversed the parties here".
She smiled, amused "Maybe. But now I expect to see this really dark side of which you talk so much to make me change my mind" she finished, taking the glasses again.
"And what If I won't show you anything at all?" he said.
"Well, then you'll owe me one".
"And what would this debt consist in?".
"Oh, I don't know, perhaps I'd ask you to go out with me one evening. But first the tears and then the cakes" she chuckled and walked away from him.
She returned to her friends and left the glasses on the table, sitting down immediately.
"Hey, girl, I was about to come and get you. How did it go?".
Belle sighed, shocked, and said "Ruby, I think I was the most shameless person of the world. I've never been so blunt in my entire life!" she rubbed her forehead "I even told him he could be a jerk".
Ruby laughed "Well, it was time that the prude Belle left the place to the tiger I ve always known lives in you".
"Stop it, Ruby. If he didn't want to speak to me before, he won't even more now" she said and took a long sip of her drink.
"Maybe not. Or maybe he likes a girl like that better. I don t think I have ever seen him with someone romantically, so I don't know what kind of girl'd attract him. But even If he did, I've never noticed. But what did you two talk about?".
"I said to him that I know that he's not really what he shows to anyone. And I want him to prove to me that he's a good guy...or a blowhard as he claims to be".
"Wow, Belle, and he said yes?".
"Well, sort of. I didn't leave much room for him to disagree".
"And how should he prove to you that he's actually a good guy? And then again, why should he? And what If he won't show you anything?".
"I don't know. I don't know. In that case, I said to him that he'll owe me something".
"Something like what?".
"Something like a date" she sighed and put her head down on the table.
Ruby chuckled "What a mess. You couldn't just grab him by his leather jacket and kiss him?".
Belle turned to her friend, eyes wide open "Ruby!?".
Ruby laughed again "Oh no, what a shame I ve just said, Sister Belle!".
Belle looked at her and then started laughing as well, relaxing a little.
Nick stayed at the counter for another minute and then stood up, paid for his drinks and went back to his friends.
What the hell had just happened?
She managed to make him promise to show her that he was a good guy? But why? How?
He shook his head, smiling without realizing it, and he returned to the table, finding the grinning face of Jefferson waiting for him.
"Well, it was a long discussion, I would say...And profitable!" he said.
Nick recovered and glared at him "Shut up, Jeff".
"Hey Nicky, we thought we had lost you" came the voluptuous voice of Milah, who stood up from her chair and rested her chin on his shoulder "Something interesting at the bar?".
He returned completely down on earth when he felt her hugging him from his side "No, there was just too much confusion and I preferred to drink there for a while".
"Ok guys, how about If we go away from here? I'm suffocating" Milah said, still hugging Nick.
"Yeah, well said" Hans said, getting up immediately and taking in his arms the girl on his lap, both laughing loudly.
Nick managed to extricate himself from Milah's grip with the excuse of having to take his lighter and cigarettes from the table.
He stalled enough for his friends to go out before him, lingering a moment more and turning toward Belle's table.
He found her staring at him. Their eyes met and perhaps chained for the first time ever. He then grinned and nodded a few times. He saw her smiling and then he went out.
He had to get ready to lose a challenge.