Chapter Two: Locked in the Bathroom
Belle Jolie entered her English classroom and sat down at her seat, her mind on the event that had just transpired. What was Claudia thinking asking out Phillip Kingson? It was beyond unprofessional! And to be honest, Belle was surprised that the Bimbettes were swooning over someone other than that pea-brained jock, Gaston LeGume. Ugh! He was so vile that just the thought of him made her want to throw up! Belle hadn't meant to laugh at Claudia, but that idiot deserved the humiliation, although she had stopped laughing when Claudia started picking on Snow White. The poor girl was such a sweetheart, and Belle would have stood up for her if it wasn't for the fact she was going to be late for class.
Speaking of which, her English teacher, Ms. Bouvet slid on her reading glasses and held up the book, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. "Please turn to page 162 of your books and follow along as I read." Belle pulled out her copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray from her backpack and silently read along with Ms. Bouvet.
Belle loved her English Literature class. The books they read were so entrancing, and took her to different worlds and times.
All too soon, the class was over, and she reluctantly packed away her book. As she stood up to leave, Ms. Bouvet called her back.
"Belle, a word please?" she said.
The teenager hung back wondering what her teacher wanted to talk about. Once the classroom was empty except for the two females, Ms. Bouvet said, "Belle, since I have a feeling you have already read the books on this year's reading list –" and indeed she had, but Belle didn't want to sound like she was bragging, so she let her teacher to continue talking, "– I thought you might like to get a head start on your senior paper. I will fully allow it, as long as you turn it in before the original due date, April 7."
Belle's face split up into a wide grin as she said, "Oh, yes! Thank you! I swear it'll be the best paper I'll ever write! What's my topic?"
"You choose," said Ms. Bouvet with a smile that matched her student's, "I trust you to choose what you would like to write about. Remember, ten to fifteen pages of literary analysis, as well as information on the author and the book. Good luck."
"Thank you, Ms. Bouvet! Thank you! I won't let you down!" Belle sprinted out of the classroom, dodging everyone in the halls, making her way to the library. She knew which book she wanted to do the paper on! Belle entered the library, and the librarian smiled at her.
"Hello, Belle," he said adjusting the glasses at the end of his nose grinning at her. She had been in there so often that it was like a second home, and the elderly library was like a grandfather, or an uncle to her.
"Good morning!" she said cheerfully, "Ms. Bouvet is allowing me a head start on my senior paper since I've already read everything for her class."
"That's great! Do you know which book you're going to write about?" he inquired.
"Uh-huh!" she said with a nod, setting her bag aside onto a table. She quickly dashed into the shelves, and returned a moment later with a book in hand. "I'll take this one!"
"A Tale of Two Cities?" he said taking the book from her and chuckling, "But you've read it twice!"
"Well, it's my favorite!" she gushed as she followed him to the checkout desk, "Romance! Mystery! The French Revolution!" Once he had finished with the book, he handed it back to her, and she held it close to her chest. "Thank you!" Belle quickly grabbed her backpack and sped-walked out of the library, beginning to reread A Tale of Two Cities as she headed for her next class. With her nose stuck in the book, she expertly swerved around the other students, until she heard someone call out her name. She came to a halt and turned around to see Gaston LeGume heading her way with a sick smile on his face.
Hiding her irritation and disgust, she forced a smile and said, "Hello, Gaston." He suddenly snatched the book from her hands and flipped through it as if he were examining a disgusting corpse.
"How can you read this trash?" he said keeping it well out of her reach.
"Some people use their imagination," she replied hopping up to grab the book, but he wouldn't let her near it, "Now please, give me back my book."
"Stop filling your head with silly ideas, Belle, and start paying attention to more important things, like me," he said tossing her book aside onto the ground, where people rushing to class were trampling on it.
She scowled at him and was vaguely aware of the Bimbette triplets watching with smirks on their faces. Well, at least they left Snow White alone. She quickly ran over to her book and scooped it up, making sure it wasn't damaged – or at least not damaged too badly. "Look," she said, "Gaston, I need to get to class, or I'll be late."
"Forget class, and come ditch with me," he suggested, wrapping an arm around her and trying to steer her down the hall way. They passed right by the Bimbette triplets who were looking annoyed.
"What's so special about her?" Claudia demanded.
"She's a total geek," added Laura.
"He's gorgeous!" gushed Paula dreamily.
Belle rolled her eyes in annoyance and swerved out of Gaston's grasp, "I don't think so," she told Gaston, "Now if you'll excuse me."
As she ran by the Bimbettes, she heard Claudia say, "Come on girls, we've got to catch up with Snow." Belle didn't think much of what she heard, and dashed through the hall, managing to get to class at the very last second before the bell rang.
About half-way between classes, Snow's path was blacked by Claudia, who sneered at her with hands on her hips. Snow came to a halt, and turned to her right to swerve around her, but found that way blocked off by Laura. To avoid them, she decided to backtrack and find another way to class but ended up face to face with Paula. Oh, no! she thought as the triplets stalked towards her. Claudia pulled a small shiny object from the pocket of her short red skirt, and Snow noticed it was a key.
"It was very fortunate that Dale Champe, the janitor, had lost the key to the bathroom," Claudia said with an evil smile. Laura and Paula suddenly came at her and shoved her back into a room. Snow fell over and watched in horror as they shut the door. There was a distinct click as they locked her inside.
"No!" Snow shouted, jumping to her feet and banging on the door with her fists. "Let me out! Let me out!" But it was no use. The tardy bell rang and all sound on the opposite side of the door ceased.
"Oh!" she groaned in despair, resting her forehead against the cold metal door, and sliding back down to the floor. Snow glanced over her shoulder and to her horror found she was locked inside the boys' restroom. "Oh, no!" Getting out of here is going to be so embarrassing!
The poor girl sat there on the floor for an hour until the bell rang, and the hall was filled with students heading towards their third hour. Jumping back to her feet, Snow began pounding on the door again, screaming.
"Help! Someone please! Help me!"
There was some rustling on the other side of the door, and a click signifying that the door was being unlocked. Thank goodness! She pushed on the door right as someone pulled it open, and she stumbled out, falling flat on her face.
"Well, what have we here?" said a rough grating voice, "You're in a whole heap of trouble, Missy."
Lifting up her head, Snow saw a leather-faced old man with a bit of gray stubble on his chin. It was Dale Champe, the janitor, and he was glaring down at her. Next to him was the last person she wanted to see at the moment. Phillip Kingson gazed at her, an eyebrow cocked up in mild surprise. Wanting to die of embarrassment, Snow turned a bright red.
Phillip knelt down on one knee, and held out a hand towards her, she slowly reached out to grasp it, but before she could touch him, Champe clutched a handful of her shirt and hauled her to her feet.
"It's off to the principal's office for you, Missy," Champe growled, dragging her down the hall. With a backwards glance, she shot Phillip a terrified look before she was swallowed up by the crowd. Students stared as they passed by, and Snow desperately wished that she could disappear. They stepped into the office and Champe threw the teenager into a plastic chair.
The secretary eyed her suspiciously before turning to the janitor. "Yes, Dale, what is it?"
"I found me a trouble-maker, Ms. Gilbert," he said, "I want to talk to Ishgram."
"Go right on in," said Ms. Gilbert, gesturing to the closed door to Principal Ishgram's office. Champe strolled right on in and shut the door behind him.
Ms. Gilbert clucked her tongue in disapproval as she stared at Snow. The poor girl lowered her head to avoid eye contact, and stared at the blue carpet. Several minutes went by, and Champe came back out. Not saying a word, he left the office. Principal Ishgram stood in the door way to his office, and gestured to Snow.
"Please come in, young lady," he said.
Snow slowly stood up and walked inside his office, the door shutting behind her.
"Please, take a seat," he said gesturing to the chair across from his desk. They both sat down. "Janitor Champe said he found you locked inside the boys' restroom. Would you care to explain what had happened?"
"I…. I was pushed inside," she replied quietly, staring up at him.
"By whom?" he inquired.
Snow shook her head and remained silent. She hated lying, but if she told the truth, then the Bimbette triplets really would make her life hell. "I don't know," she said, "I didn't see."
"What's your name?" he said.
"Snow White," Ishgram turned to the computer on his desk and looked up his files on her. "You're a good student and your record is clean," he said, facing her once again, "I won't punish you, but this is a warning, and I'm afraid I'll have to call your parents." He glanced back at the screen. "It says here that your emergency contact is Regina Mills White. Is she your mother?"
Snow paled in fear. Even though she wasn't in trouble at school, at home, she will be punished severely. "Stepmother," she corrected.
Picking up the phone from the receiver, Ishgram dialed Regina's cell number. After waiting in silence for a while, he frowned. "Voice mail," he muttered, then spoke louder, "Mrs. White, this is Principal Ishgram, and I'm calling to say that your daughter was found locked up inside the boys' restroom. She will not be punished, but I suggest it doesn't happen again." He hung up and turned to Snow. "It's too late to go to your third hour, so you'll have to wait here until class is over."
"Yes, sir," she said, standing up, "and thank you for not punishing me."