Chapter 4. Part of Your World
Flynn Rider
Flynn slammed his locker, leaving all this books inside. "Dude, don't you need those for class?" Al asked.
"Um, so you're assuming I'm going to class." Flynn smirked.
"You can't skip every class. They'll flunk you." Al's brown eyes betrayed some worry.
"I think you're making the mistake of assuming that Principle Hades actually gives a hell. He will pass me just so he doesn't have to deal with me. To hell with educational standards." Flynn shouted that last sentence like a manifesto in the hallway, several other students clapped or shouted "Amen" in response.
"I think you just inspired half the student body, Flynn. You should be a preacher or politician or something." Eric laughed.
"That sounds like a lot of work." Flynn sighed. "Your mom was a lot of work last night." Peter laughed, popping up out of nowhere.
"Wait, so you can't keep up with my mom?" Flynn laughed while tussling Peter's head.
"You have much to learn, young one." Al slapped Peter's back.
"Hey boys." Vanessa strutted up to them with her posey, "Hey hun." She planted a big sloppy kiss on Eric. Flynn saw a certain redhead looking on down the hall. That weird girl with the super long blonde hair and green eyes, appeared right behind her.
"Hey Ariel, are you excited for auditions tomorrow?" Blondie asked as she gently guided the redhead into the crowd.
"Are you guys trying out for the musical this year?" Jasmine asked as she fiddled with her revealing top.
"Ummmmm" Aladdin stammered like a deer staring at an oncoming semi-truck.
"Hell, no. Guys like us don't to pansy-ass plays or whatever their called." Flynn scoffed, slapping Al's back to try and snap him out of his love-stupor. "I hope you'll at least come see me in it. I'm going to get the lead part this year." She smirked.
"You think you'll get the lead as a sophomore?" Angelina eyed her incredulously. "Um, yeah, I will. I've got the pipes and I've got the bod. I'm totally nailing this audition."
Jasmine was hot. Flynn couldn't deny it but he had a feeling that if she kept walking around like she owned the whole fucking universe, karma would come back and bit her in the ass. Not everyone was like him, smooth enough to outwit karma.
Later that Friday afternoon as Flynn was stuffing some freshman into a locker, one of the Stabbington brothers came up from behind. "Rider, Cider Mill at 4."He growled.
"See you there," Flynn nodded.
"Why are you meeting him at four?" The dark skinned freshman asked. "Keep asking nosey questions and your red undies will be flying the flag pole, Mowgli." Flynn threatened as he walked away from now confused freshman, who was now relieved that Flynn suddenly found something more pressing than freshman Friday. Nothing noteworthy happened for the rest of the day, at least according to Flynn.
It was a particularly wet Friday afternoon that September, yet the Cider mill was filled with people rushing into the fall season. Flynn sat on a wet picnic table. Track runner Pocahontas and football player John Smith, were both shooting him awkward glances from the table next to him. It looked like they were on a date or something. John had gone all out and bought everything at the cider mill. Fudge, apples, cider, doughnuts, pies, bread, the works. He bought them all. He apparently was trying to impress her with his wallet.
"Rider, you mind?" John raised his voice at Flynn, who had been staring at them. "What, I can't stare at the duck pond?"
"You can stare at the birds all you want, just stop staring at us." John hissed.
"John, calm down." Pocahontas, who had been awkwardly sipping her hot cider, gave John a 'pipe down or else' look. "Could you please stop staring at us, you're just making us a little uncomfortable, we don't own this autumn day, but we would appreciate it you enjoyed it from another direction."
"Fine, I'll just grab myself some of those cider and doughnuts, you guys make them look delicious." Flynn slumped his shoulders and drudged his way through the mud to the cider mill shop.
"Can I have a doughnut and a mug of cider?" Flynn asked, tired, wet and irritated after waiting in a huge line.
"Sure, here you go," The girl at the counter took his cash and gave him the food. "Have a wonderful day."
"You too, blondie." As he walked away Flynn realized she was that weird girl from his school. The one with the long hair and the long skirts. What was her name? Oh, well, funny he would run into her of all people. As he walked away his saw a shock of red hair in the back of the shop. The Stabbington brothers.
Flynn realized when he saw the hair. When blondie wasn't looking, Flynn slipped through the door to the back room. He followed the stench of rancid armpit to a storage room full of jams and jellies. The brothers were stuffing their faces with stolen doughnuts.
"So this is where you boys are," Flynn sighed.
"Bout time you showed up Rider." One of them growled.
"Here take this satchel." The other one tossed him a brown leather satchel. "We need this delivered to Gaston's house by tomorrow. Can we count on you?"
"When do I get paid?"
"Monday you'll get $70 from us. The numbers will only go up as we get more customers so hold tight." The first brother explained.
"Now get out of here before someone notices you." The second one hissed.
"Okay, okay, I'm going." Flynn slipped out of the room and snuck down the hallway. He turned the corner by the apple turnovers and as he reached to grab one-bam! Someone hit him in the head with a frying pan.
"Christ! What did you do that for?!" Flynn shouted as he collapsed to the floor.
"Jesus didn't do it, I did." Blondie stood above him in false confidence, brandishing her iron weapon. "Because you were stealing. I mean how much did you shove in this satchel?" She picked up the satchel which he had let go of after she attacked him.
"That's just homework, not anything from here, please give it back, please." Flynn jumped to his feet, realizing his ripped jeans and dark hoodie weren't doing anything to convince blondie that he wasn't a delinquent, which he was.
"Well then you won't mind if I check." She began to open it.
"No, please, it's really secret, no one can look." He begged on his knees.
"Woah what's the big deal?" She gave him a funny look.
Flynn thought of something.
"Behold the smolder!" Flynn gave her his most sexy, dreamy face, "how you doing today, hun? It seems like you've been having a long day, why don't you just relax and give your old pal Flynn the satchel."
She just stared at him with her big green eyes.
"This is kind of an off day for me. This usually works." He sighed, letting his face fall back to normal.
"What's in this satchel that you want it back so bad and I can't check to see if you have stolen goods from the cider mill in here? I won't call the police, even if you did steal."
"I can't tell you, it's a secret but I'd do anything to have it back"
"Anything?"
"Anything, please blondie."
"My name's Rapunzel."
"I'm Flynn Rider."
"I know that, you have a rep." She smiled and pushed her golden hair out of her face.
"What do I have to do to get it back, because I'm no good at homework but I'll show you the best French-kissing in this whole town."
"Um, no, not interested in that. We need guys for the musical."
"And?"
"I'll give you the satchel after you try out for Les mis."
"What, but that's a whole commitment for one small favor."
"It's my final offer."
"Hold up," Flynn thought, scratching his beard. She was innocent, so innocent that she would be the person the authorities least suspected to be peddling drugs. "You help me do some deliveries for my job and I'll audition and be in the musical. Fair trade."
Rapunzel thought about it for a moment. "Sounds great!" She smiled and shook his hand. "If you back out of the deal, I'll show the police the footage of you stealing." She pointed to a video camera. "And you'll get the satchel back tomorrow night, after auditions."
"Okay, okay. I won't back out. Just don't peak into the satchel" Flynn sighed and put his hands in his hoodie.
She nodded. "Alright, see you at auditions tomorrow night at 7."
"Sure." He sighed and trudged off into the rainy fall day.
"What the hell have I got myself into?" He groaned to himself as the rain began to hit his face.
Cinderella Tremaine
Ella sat in the back of the school auditorium with Snow and Belle. She kept tying her strawberry hair with a bow, then letting it loose nervously. Theater and music teacher Sebastian kept babbling on about rules and practice policy, all of which he had detailed at the previous info session.
"Do you think this dress is good enough?" Ella glanced at her dark blue dress she got from the sale rack at Kohle's aka the nicest dress she owned.
"Half of everyone here is in yoga pants, you'll be fine." Belle whispered.
"You look totes cute, Cindy, don't worry about it." Snow gushed.
"Now everyone," Sebastian announced, "It is time for solo auditions to begin. So just make a line by number and then sing your piece, be sure to hand the piano music to our piano player Mr. Radcliffe, so he can play the music, no Sondheim please."
"O Crap," Ella moaned.
"Cindy, you picked Sondheim! Why?" Belle rage-whispered, "Who do you think you are, Bernadette Peters?"
"I don't know, I just really relate to No One Is Alone."
"Everyone knows you can't sing Sondheim at auditions." Snow panicked.
"It will be ok," Belle comforted as they shuffled into line based on the small white word cards they got at registration.
"After your song you will all do some short line readings, so be ready to act." Sebastian continued.
"We have to do line readings too! I can't even figure out what I'm going to sing." Ella face palmed.
"We'll think of something." Snow smiled, "Wait, what are Flynn and his posey doing here, talking with Rapunzel of all people? They're not theater people. Also, I wonder what song Ferdinand is going to sing. Cindy, has Rose texted you about him lately?"
"Snow, focus!" Belle shouted.
"Who was I supposed to text?" Rose asked as she fell into place in line in front of them.
"Cindy! You need to text her about Ferdinand!" Snow suddenly realized how loud she was being, so she shut her mouth and blushed.
"Please be quiet so students can focus their auditions, please." Sebastian cleared his throat, terrifying the timid Snow.
"Don't worry, Snow" Rose smiled at her, "Artsy Prince has you in his sights." Rose giggled into Snow's ear, causing her to blush.
Ella was panicking in her mind, she had no idea what she was going to do. Each audition brought her a few minutes closer to her own painful performance. She was going to die. Everyone was going to be starring at her, judging her, analyzing. Why did she agree to do this? She couldn't stand to have all this attention, she wasn't used to it. If her stepmother was ignoring her that was a good thing.
She was just Cinderella, awkward, clumsy, day-dreamy, shy. Not some leading lady. The closer she got to the audition the more apparent her impending doom was. The girls were going first, great time to finally stop being sexist, universe. Pocahontas just killed her rendition of "There Can Be Miracles." Jasmine sang "I Feel Pretty" as clear as a bell. Esmeralda sang Beyonce's "Ave Maria" with the voice of an angel. Ariel sang "Think of Me" even better than most Christines and definitely better than Vanessa's performance of the same song. Rapunzel rocked a Taylor Swift song and Anna gave a hilarious rendition of Wicked's "Popular". Rose made Sebastian's jaw drop with her version of "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady. Her line readings were all spot on, they each seemed like an independent character rather than a teenager reading some lines. All the dialogue pieces were lyrics from the songs simply read, after all Les Mis is all singing.
Snow was called up next.
"Poor thing." Ella thought. She had to follow up the best singer and actress in the school.
"Wish me luck." Snow blushed and walked up to the stage. She gave a sweet but weak rendition of "Singing in the Rain" but her line readings were rough.
Ella clapped for her friend and felt her mind slowly melt into terrified mush as she realized Belle was the only person between her and her audition.
"You've got this. Just sing from the heart." Belle patted Ella's back, smiled and ran onto the stage.
Belle sang a ballad from some obscure musical version of a Dickens' novel. She did pretty well. Her line readings were awkward but okay.
After Belle was dismissed, Sebastian spoke the dreaded words. "Miss Ella Tremaine."
"Present." Ella raised her hand.
"Yes, we know you are present. Are you ready for your audition?"
"Yes, yes I am." She stammered awkwardly.
"Then get on with it girl!" Sebastian shouted. He caught himself and regained his composure. "Please, child, go ahead. Do you have music for Mr. Radcliffe?"
"Um, I do, but it's complicated."
"What's so complicated?" Sebastian panicked. "Just give him the music!"
"Well, um, I didn't know about the whole rule thing, um" she could hear people chuckling in the auditorium. Her stepsisters were the most ridiculous and hurtful, they laughed and cackled louder than everyone else as they posted her audition all over their vine and snap chat accounts. "See, I have just one problem" she continued to explain, "I picked a song that really resonated with me but it just so happens to be by Stephen Sondheim."
"What! Didn't you read the audition information?" Sebastian exploded.
"I did, I just forgot. I'm so sorry."
"How do you expect me to cast you when you're proving so incompetent-"
Roger Radcliffe interrupted Sebastian. "What song were you planning on singing?"
"Um, No One is Alone from Into the Woods."
"That's a very good song, is there a reason you chose it?"
"Ummm," Ella looked around the room full of disinterested teenagers who just started to pay attention. She heard some scoffing from her stepsisters and Vanessa. Ella mustered her courage. "I can really relate to it, the music and lyrics resonate with me."
"How so?" Roger asked.
"Well," She looked down at her feet then back up at Roger, Sebastian, and the judgmental crowd. "I lost both my parents when I was young. I really miss them and wish I could ask them for advice." She began to tear up, "Sometimes when I feel really lonely this song reminds me that maybe I'm not alone."
Snickers could be heard from the crowd but other people were rendered quiet and speechless.
"Ella, I can't play this difficult song for you but if you want you can sing a cappella." Roger sent her a warm smile.
"Alright, I can do that, it's kind of like singing the shower except the opposite because everyone's judging you." She joked, trying to reduce her nerves.
Both Roger and Sebastian chuckled.
"You may begin." Sebastian waved his hand.
Cinderella took a deep breath. She thought of her father telling her stories before bed and her mother singing to her as she brushed Ella's messy hair. She gathered all her heart and soul and longing from the depths of her being and released it into a song.
"Mother isn't here now, now you're on own, only me beside you, still you're not alone"
Cinderella's voice carried across the auditorium, filling the space with her forgotten dreams and wounded heart. Everyone was entranced. As Ella finished her piece people began to clap. She beamed in surprise and disbelief as she wiped a few tears from her eye.
"That was beautiful." Sebastian crooned.
"Great job, Ella." Roger smiled.
"Thank you." She couldn't believe what had just happened.
"Now can you read these lines?" Sebastian handed her a script.
"All of Les Mis is singing but we want you to read these quotes so we can learn how well you emote."
"Alright." She took the folders into her hands.
She read lines for Eponine and Cossette and Fantine. They didn't ask her to read for Madame Thernardier.
As Ella read the last line, her mind was flooded with memories of her father rushing her mom to the hospital. She was so excited to have a baby brother but a few hours later her godmother drove her to the hospital because her dad had some news. All of little Ella's dreams of playing with her new baby brother and puppy Bruno and teaching her brother to walk and talk shattered the moment she saw her dad weeping over the hospital bed. Complications in childbirth lead to the death of both Ella's mother and her unborn brother. That moment of broken hopes pounded in her brain as she spoke that last line.
"Now life has killed the dream I dreamed."
"Woah, great job." Roger was blown away.
"Magnificent Miss Tremaine." Sebastian beamed.
He handed her a number and was told to sit in a certain seat as she waited for announcements.
Ella found that her seat placed her next to Jasmine. She sat down nervously.
"Hi Jasmine."
"Oh, hey Cindy. Nice dress." Jasmine smirked.
"Oh, thank you." Ella smiled then realized that Jasmine was being sarcastic.
The first guy to audition was Charming. He gave a soulful rendition of "Maria" from Westside story and totally rocked his line readings. He sat down next to Ella and Jasmine after his audition, a smug look of confidence on his face.
Jasmine lit up as he came by. "Hey Charming, isn't it super cute that we both sang songs from West Side Story. It's like destiny."
"Yeah, or I was just trying to remind Roger and Sebastian of the talent that they're working with. I got glowing reviews for my performance as Tony in West Side Story last year."
"Of course the local paper gave you rave reviews, you're the mayor's son." Ella internal monologue raged.
"Hey Cinderella," Charming glanced up at her. "When you said the last line 'now life has killed the dream I dreamed' that was a really beautiful performance, I can't help but ask, did you mean it?"
"Um" Ella twirled with her hair as she thought. "Sometimes it feels like that. I've lost all the people I really cared about. But a dream isn't much of a dream if you let life destroy it."
"You're deep. I never pegged you for a thoughtful girl. I mean you look more like a dumb blonde to me." Charming chuckled as he leaned on the chair in front of Ella.
"I feel you, Charming," Jasmine smacked her gum. "Cinderella always gave me a vapid vibe, like, people with real feelings don't smile so much."
"Omygosh, Jasmine, your life is so hard because your father who gives you everything you could ever want is a little controlling. Last night my hands became so dry from washing all the dishes that they bled." Cinderella got up and screamed in her head but out loud she didn't say a word.
"I would disagree Jasmine, Cinderella's acting obviously proved that she is at least capable of accessing emotion." Charming shrugged.
Did he just defend me? Ella's mind was thrown off by this.
"So your life hypothesis is that dreams should be stronger than life." Charming raised his eyebrow at Ella.
"You have to believe in your dreams no matter what happens and someday your dream will come true." Ella nodded to herself as she spoke, reaffirming her life motto.
"So dreams can conquer anything." Charming gave her a skeptical smirk.
"I believe so. It's like that Journey song, Don't Stop Believing, you have have to hold on and never stop believing." Ella beamed as she said it. The hope of the mere idea that her dreams could come true filled her with such peace.
Jasmine rolled her eyes. Charles turned around and faced the auditorium. "it's a nice thought" he said "just not realistic."
Ella inwardly groaned at his cynicism, while male auditions finished up.
"Excuse me everyone." Sebastian cleared his throat as he gained the attention of the auditorium. "Due to school budget cuts by Principal Hades we cannot use the auditorium for callbacks tomorrow so we are posting a cast list in fifteen minutes. First, can everyone just walk past the audition table and show us your number."
All the teenagers formed an unruly line and handed Sebastian and Roger their numbers. The whole room was abuzz with anticipation as they brought in the cast list and posted it an the bulletin board. Then entire room rushed towards the list pushing and nudging to catch a glimpse. Cinderella gasped when her blue eyes found her name.
Valjean: Charles Prince
Valjean Understudy: Tarzan Ape
Javier: John Smith
Javier Understudy: Ferdinand Prince
Marius: Philip Prince
Marius Understudy: Aladdin Ata
Enjorlas: Hercules Olympus
Enjorlas Understudy: Kristoff Anderson
Bishop: Quasimodo Frollo
Bishop Understudy: Phoebus Escrime
Mr. Thernadier: Hans Prince
Mr. Thernadier Understudy: Flynn Rider
Mrs. Thernadier: Anna Arendelle
Mrs. Thernadier Understudy: Anastasia Tremaine
Causette: Briar Rose
Causette Understudy: Jasmine Agrabah
Eponine: Ariel Triton
Eponine Understudy: Esmeralda Romani
Fantine: Ella Tremaine
Fantine Understudy: Pocahontas Powhatan.
Wait, what. Cinderella got the same part Anne Hathaway played. She couldn't believe it.
"Omygoodness, I'm so happy for you!" Snow screamed as she tackled Cinderella into a hug.
Snow and Belle both got chorus parts but they were thrilled for their friend.
"I'm so proud of you Ella!" Belle beamed. "You got such an amazing part."
"Congrats, Cinderella." Pocahontas smiled as she approached Cinderella and her friends.
"I'm so sorry, Pocahontas," Ells grabbed the Native American girl's hands, "You really deserve this part. You're a senior and you have way more experience with singing. I don't know why they gave it to me, it must be a mistake."
"Someone finally noticing your talents is not a mistake, Ella." Belle smiled at her friend.
"Belle's right." Pocahontas smiled warmly, "I'm too busy for a lead role right now anyway, I'm really happy for you Cinderella, and I know you'll do awesome. But just in case you get sick, I've got your back." Pocahontas pulled Ella into a tight hug.
"Thanks, Pocahontas, that's so kind of you." Cinderella returned the hug.
"Hey, girls, congrats Cinderella." Briar Rose appeared suddenly.
"Congrats to you too, Rose." Ella smiled at her friend.
"I just wanted to invite you guys to an after auditions party at Oaken's Ice Cream Parlor." Rose smiled. "A bunch of us are all going out to celebrate and get pumped for the show. You girls are all invited."
"Thanks Rose." Pocahontas smiled.
"Yeah, that's really nice of you," Ella beamed "I'll see if I can go, it depends on my stepsisters."
"I understand. I hope to see you all there. it should be a blast." Rose gave the girls a cheery look with her violet eyes before running off to join the other sophomore girls, who were exploding with excitement.
Ariel Triton
"Eponine! I got Eponine! I can't believe it!" Ariel giggled as she sipped her strawberry milkshake.
"I can certainly believe it. You have like, the best voice ever." Rapunzel smiled as she licked her vanilla soft serve, now missing the weird satchel she came to auditions with.
"Awe, thanks, Punzie." Ariel blushed.
"This show is going to be so fun!" Anna beamed.
"I guess." Phoebus sighed into his milkshake.
"Whats got you so down? I told you that you could sit with the soccer team if you wanted." Rose stroked her boyfriend's back.
"No, it's not that, it's just, I got a really lame part."
"Being in chorus will be fun." Rapunzel beamed at him.
"No but I'm also an understudy for a lame part. Like I couldn't even get the lame part, I got second to the lame part."
"The bishop is an important role. His true kindness and Christian love is what spurs the change in Valjean that motivates him throughout the whole play." Briar protested.
"Well, I didn't even get the part. I'm second to that ugly Quasimodo kid."
"Phoebus!" Rose shook away from him.
"Woah, that's not cool. It's actually super offensive." Ariel glared at him. Phoebus was ticking her off. She felt strongly about rights for those with disabilities and she didn't like people being insensitive to them. Also he was being all moody and ruining the night for Briar Rose, who had just landed an amazing part but couldn't celebrate because Phoebus was busy whining.
"Sorry, sorry, I'm just in a bad mood." Phoebus nursed his milkshake like a rum and coke.
Anna giggled.
Everyone felt awkwardly silent.
Anna giggled again.
"Care to share, Anna?" Ariel broke the silence.
"Oh, it's just a text from Hans."
"Isn't he like one table away?" Rapunzel asked with her massive green eyes.
"Yeah, but he doesn't want everyone on the team to know about us just yet. He mainly doesn't want his brothers getting in his business." Anna suddenly stopped. "You're not going to tell Philip, right Phoebus?"
"About Hans's dating life? O gosh, it will be hard, I care so much."
Anna gave him a pleading look.
"Honey, you know this is really important to Anna and Hans. She is one of my best friends." Rose sat firm and rigid, gazing into her strawberry malt.
"Yeah, don't worry I won't say anything about your stupid little secret." He mumbled.
"Ugh, ur boy is THE WORST." Ariel texted Briar Rose.
Ariel used to like Phoebus but he was acting like a total dick. Like he didn't even have a face. He was just a huge penis that's very presence was automatically offensive to women everywhere.
Rose arched an eyebrow as she read the text and stared straight at Ariel. Her pokerface was on point. "Phoebus, can you be a little less of a jerk to my friends.?"
"Fine. I just don't know how much of this girly crap I can take."
"Seriously, Rose just got an amazing part and Anna just got asked out by a guy she really likes, this should be a fun night for all of us. Stop ruining it with your awful attitude." Ariel rose up, blue eyes flashing and red hair swishing around.
"Geese, sorry. I'll just shut up."
"I'd like that."
"Um, Ariel, you have some ice cream on your jeans." Rapunzel offered her a napkin that was insufficient to get the strawberry ice cream of her light blue jeans. Apparently she had spilled it when she got up to tell Phoebus off.
"Darn, of course this would happen while I'm surrounded by everyone at school." Ariel groaned as she looked about the ice cream parlor.
It was a Saturday night so almost everyone was there. More importantly, Eric was there. Just a few tables a away. With his girlfriend. His evil girlfriend, Vanessa. She was laughing, at Cinderella, whose stepsisters had just spilled melted pistachio ice cream on. Apparently someone else was having a worth time then her.
"Woah, not cool." Aladdin took the ice cream away from the stepsisters.
"You're getting soft." Vanessa teased.
"I'm just human." Al glared at her.
"He also doesn't want to waste good ice cream leftovers." Eric laughed, his clear blue eyes burst with joy. Everyone laughed along including Ariel.
"You okay?" Rose asked.
"Oh, yeah I'm fine." Ariel snapped back into reality.
"Hey is it okay if Cindy sits here?" Philip escorted Cinderella over to the empty seat at their table. "Snow and Belle left but she as to wait for her stepsisters to leave, so she was stuck sitting by the bad crowd."
"I'm fine." Cindy smiled but Ariel could see that her eyes were a little red and puffy.
"Sit with us, definitely." Rose patted the empty seat next to her and Cinderella smiled a thank you as she gracefully perched herself on the street.
"Kristoff, buddy, can you get us some napkins?" Philip called to Kristoff who was behind the counter.
"Yeah, sure." Kristoff strode over and dropped a stack of napkins on the table.
"Thanks." Cinderella nodded meekly as she grabbed a few napkins to wipe off the sticky ice cream residue.
"Looks like we got some ice cream on the table, ladies." Kristoff sighed and whipped the rag that he had been holding over his shoulder out. "You raised in a barn?" He joked as he spit on the table and started wiping off the ice cream.
Ariel wiped the spit from her eye. "No, I was raised in a minister's house."
"So have you eaten with your true love yet, Anna?" He asked as he wiped down the table.
"No." She glanced at Philip nervously.
"What if you hate the way he eats?"
"I'm sure he eats like a gentleman and I'll know for sure by our date tomorrow."
"Oh, you're sure. What's his best friends name?"
"Probably John."
"What's his shoe size?"
"Shoe size doesn't matter."
"Oh, but it does, it oh so does." Kristoff smirked.
Phoebus and Philip chuckled like twelve year-old boys. Cinderella blushed. Rose rolled her eyes and smiled. Rapunzel and Anna both turned to Ariel looking for an answer to what was so funny. Ariel shrugged. She had no clue.
"So Anna, has a true love?" Philip smiled and raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah, its your baby brother." Kristoff nudged Philip's shoulder.
"Hans!" Philip burst with excitement.
"Well, there goes the secret." Ariel mumbled.
"Hans, come over here, did you ask Anna out?" Philip shouted gaining the attention of the entire ice cream shop.
Hans awkwardly looked around. He was a table with Kenai, Mulan, Ferdinand, and a suddenly not so bored Charming. Everyone was looking at him and several chuckles and giggles could be heard throughout the store. Anna was beet red.
"Why are guys such idiots?" Ariel thought to herself.
"Yes, yes, I did." Hans fiddled with his white zip up jacket.
"Come here bro." Philip practically jumped over to Hans as he simultaneously hugged and noogied Hans. "I can't believe my baby bro is going on dates and getting women. Everyone's pairing up." Philip finally stopped smothering Hans. "Adam, Eric, Hans, Ferdinand." He smirked. "Looks like its you and me Charming, in the single prince club."
"O gosh, doomed to be old maids." Charming sarcastically sighed and sipped his smoothie.
"Oh no, who are you gunna ask out? Everyone's almost taken." Mulan joked along.
"I don't know. What about you Ariel?" He jumped over to her table and knelt down on one knee. "You know Beyonce says, if you like than you should put a ring on it. Well, Ariel" He was struggling hardcore not to burst out laughing, he was on a bit of a sugar high, "I like you, and with everyone pairing off, I need to have someone, so I'm gunna put a ring on it." He pulled a plastic mood ring out of his pocket. "Ariel please take this mood ring as a symbol of my ever changing, inconsistent love." He was chuckling as he slipped the ring on.
Ariel herself was cracking up. "Sure, I'll take your mood ring." She pressed her fingers against the mood ring and it turned black. "What does black mean?"
"I think terrified." Cinderella chuckled.
"Ariel!" A loud voice boomed across the whole ice cream shop, starting everyone and causing them to turn to the door.
"Daddy." Ariel eyes grew even bigger.
Pastor Triton, a giant man with rippling muscles and a long white beard, stormed in. He wore all black and his black shoes clicked on the tile as he walked towards Ariel's table.
"I've been texting you. Why haven't you answered? It's past your curfew."
"It was loud. I couldn't hear."
"What are you wearing?" He rumbled.
Ariel looked down at her acid wash skinny jeans and her navy t-shirt. "I'm sixteen, I'm not a child."
"You know clothes like that are forbidden. Where are your decent clothes?"
"In my backpack."
Rapunzel handed Ariel her aqua backpack.
"Thanks Rapunzel" Ariel mumbled, red with embarrassment, tucking her head down as if to hide her face with her hair.
"We're leaving." Triton stormed out with Ariel ducking behind him.
Vanessa and her posey and snickered as Ariel exited.
"Dad that was so embarrassing." Ariel groaned from the backseat of the car.
"What's embarrassing is that my youngest daughter spends her Saturday nights traipsing about town with boys and pagans. You represent the family and how will people respect the First Church of Our Lord Jesus if the pastor can't keep his own daughter in check."
"Maybe they'll respect you for understanding and that you're not all about reprimanding your daughter. I'm sick of being in the shadows, I'm ready to stand."
"Don't be ridiculous. You're still a little girl and do you think your sisters got good Christian husbands by goofing around with the losers at school?"
"I don't want to be like my sisters!"
"Ariel, I love you, I just want to keep you safe. I can't imagine my youngest daughter knocked up with some Prince boy's bastard son, or addicted to drugs and alcohol like those kids at school."
"Dad, I don't want that. I don't do drugs or alcohol and I'm not having sex."
"But your friends are and soon they'll start to encourage you to do the same."
"My friends are good people."
"I like Rapunzel. She's a good Christian girl."
"You're just saying that because she goes to our church."
"Yes, none of your other friends go to church."
"I think Anna does. I know Rose goes to church and the Prince boys…"
"Rose and the Prince boys are Catholic, those idolaters don't count as Christians."
"Dad, this isn't the 1500s."
"I want you to stay away from those Prince boys."
"Why, what's so wrong about the Princes? Why do you hate them so much?" Ariel was exasperated, her dad hated people for many different reasons, but she really wanted to know why he hated the Princes above all else.
"Their dad is the mayor, and if you knew about all the corruption and hypocrisy that he stood for-" He sighed "He's the reason we're still in that old drafty church instead of a new center downtown, and if you knew about all the funding he cuts from programs for the poor and for school kids to line the pockets of his big business friends, he goes to church but the Lord certainly isn't in his heart."
"Oh," Ariel fell silent after that.
Triton pulled up to the house and Ariel booked it out of her car and into her room. Her sisters were all moved out so she got a lot more attention from her dad. She slammed her door shut. Her room was a pale yellow and consisted of a plain dresser, a bed with a flower comforter and a closet. In her closet was the ladder to the attic, where her father never went. She climbed up to the attic, her secret hiding place. It's where she kept her Twilight poster, her cd's, like Brittany Spears and Ke$ha, her modern clothes, her movies, like Clueless and Captain America.
She sat there amidst all her stuff and wished she could be a part of that world. The world everyone else was a part of, with pop music and blockbuster movies and clothes that showed your ankles. She just wanted to be with everyone else. She wanted to dance and walk around the mall and go to Homecoming like other teens. She wanted to be normal. She wanted to be part of Eric's world, to love and to kiss a boy and go on dates before she got married and started having kids. She sighed and laid down. Her red hair surrounded her head like a halo. She turned to Flounder, the stuffed fish Rose gave to her as Christmas present in third grade. She would talk to him when she was by herself, when she had no one else who would understand.
"Maybe he's right, maybe there is something the matter with me, if only I could make him understand. I just don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things," she played with a glass bracelet in her hands, "could be so bad."
A/N Hey all, sorry it's been forever, not only was my semester crazy busy but my laptop broke, so yeah, sorry. Also this isn't meant to be offensive to Christians I was just trying to find a way to give Triton a position of authority and a reason for him to be so protective. He really means well. When I give Disney characters religion it is based off their setting (Place and time period in history) I'm pretty general with it but just to let you know it's not random. Religion like anything else in people's lives can be both good and bad so I will portray it as such. If you have any questions regarding that just message me. I'm a bit of a history buff so I'm drawing on that knowledge. Don't worry even though next chapter will detail some Sunday church habits (A great way to work Hunchback of Notre Dame into things) this is still a Disney High school story with both serious and silly things. Let me know if it ever goes a bad direction. Love you all and your comments!