Everyone's lives had returned to normal. The gossips about the incidents died, no more pranks were held, and our heroes focused on their own lives. They would send each other faint glances from time to time but that was it.
Sometimes Adam or Angel would keep an eye on Belle or Esmé just in case but never did anything more. And thus, the days passed, and next week came faster than anyone expected.
Esmé was in her third class which was chemistry and was face to face with different flasks, chemicals and burets. Next to her, her partner Michael stood awkwardly. He wasn't a fan of chemistry and had a small fear for the chemicals.
"Careful," he said as his hands gripped on his polka vest.
"I am," the girl said and took a deep breath before mixing two liquids.
She didn't like the subject either as her short posture and clumsiness weren't helping her at all. However, she had to keep going and keeping her grades up. Some days like that one, she wished that the subjects had no practical. She preferred theory, tests and studying from a book than risking your live playing with certain items. She shook her head to get rid of the common thoughts and looked at the printed paper with the instructions.
She read them a few times before she looked around her, seeing that they were the only table left to do the reaction. She eyed the burette carefully and grabbed the chemical she needed before slowly pouring it.
The liquid changed colour and she smiled in triumph, but it was quickly wiped away when the liquid started to boil and foam. She was pushed back by Michael just in time as the liquid escaped the glass structure and felt on the flame. The orange and yellow flames rose to life and immediately started to burn anything around them, including their papers and notebooks.
"Everyone out of the class!" their professor shouted as he opened the door and pulled the fire alarm.
The kids obeyed without a second thought as they pushed and struggled to escape the class while the flames expanded and started to burn anything they could.
The fire escaped from the door and travelled the halls as all the kids were pushed out of the building. The Populaire was too old and no sparkling system had been installed, which only meant that they had to wait for the Firefighters to come and stop the destruction.
Kids coughed as they ducked and made their way to one of the multiple exits. Belle was one of them but came to a halt when she spotted a figure. She narrowed her blue eyes and the figure retreated. Without thinking twice, she ran towards it. Took a few sharp turns and almost slipped in one but kept going. She extended her hand and grabbed the end of the material, ripping a small part of it.
She cursed and tried to follow the now gone mysterious figure only to end up walking into the burning chemistry class. The flames rose and she coughed while taking steps back, only to find herself trapped by more flames. She panicked and the tears at the end of her eyes quickly evaporated from the intense heat. Her consciousness started to slip away but before she could collapse fully, strong arms caught her and held her bride style.
Outside of the building, firefighters were killing the flames and everyone looked worried. Their mouths dropped when Joshua came out of the school with a barely conscious Belle in his arms. Some clapped while paramedics rushed to both of them.
Angel walked to Joshua whose hand was treated for 1st-degree burns.
"You okay?" she asked as she sat next to him on the bench.
"Yes. It is nothing serious. I will heal. I hope Belle is okay though" he said and looked at her as she was breathing through an Oxygen mask.
"She will be. She is a strong woman"
"Yeah…"
"Thank you for that"
"For what?"
"Saving her"
"Why thank me? I did what was right? You two are not exactly friends"
"Yes…. You are right I guess *looks straight* but what you did was very brave and foolish, but brave"
"Thank you"
The two of them sat in silence and waited for their parents to come and take them, the rest of the day was cancelled due to the incident.
The very next day, Belle received a text by someone to come to the Library and so she did; only to come face to face with the rest of our heroes.
"Guys….?"
Esmé immediately embraced her into a tight hug, tears threatening to escape her brown eyes.
"Do not ever scare us like that again Belle"
"She is right. What you did there was foolish, and you could have been killed" Gustave said, his hands into his jean pockets.
"Yeah, why did you break the formation anyway?" Adam asked.
"Because I saw someone"
"What?" Gustave and Angel exclaimed together.
"Yes. I think… I think they put the fire and they are the trickster"
"Belle. I think you inhaled too much smoke"
"I do not think so Gustave" Angel said right after. "My guts tell me something is fishy here"
"Your guts? Are you serious?"
"Yes I am"
The duo locked eyes and a starring contest started between them. Both refused to back down until Adam walked between them.
"Anyways… Belle, did you manage to see a face or perhaps…?"
"No *looks down* Only managed to grab the edge of the jacket or whatever they were wearing and get this," the blond said and held up the piece of black fabric.
Angel quickly snatched it from her hands before anyone else could and started to inspect it.
"Do you think… can it be? Our first clue?" Esmé said with a small excitement as she finally released Belle from the tight hug.
"Maybe. We need to do more research about this… all of this in general" Adam said and was passed the fabric.
The next few days were school free for our heroes as the class had to be somehow repaired and the damage to be accounted. It gave them time to do research and form different theories since Esmé pointed something that no one had noticed before.
"I still do not understand why we are the only ones getting pranked here"
It was her way of taking her out her anger, but her words had seemed to awaken something in Adam who immediately focused on extensive research. Angel helped as well while the rest tried to find any clues or hints about the pranks.
Once the school was open again, they met in the Library as per usual to discuss their new findings.
"So, who wants to go first?" Belle asked, and everyone looked at each other, no one wanting to do such a thing. "Okay… then I go?"
"No," Angel said as she leaned back on her chair.
"Huh?" the other two girls exclaimed.
"She is right. It is not wise, at least not now. If we indeed have any material or any clue, it is wiser to discuss it somewhere where we are sure no one will listen to us"
The company was silent for a little bit, thinking and agreeing with a nod of their heads. Since their target had warned them that he or she could listen to everything, it only made sense that they would go somewhere he or she couldn't.
"Like a house?" Esmé suggested.
"Whose house then?" her brother asked.
"Well, definitely not mine," Adam said.
"And why not?"
"Think of it genius. My dad is a cop and working on that case, the last thing we want is for him to find out that we work behind his back"
Gustave muttered a few curses under his breath but stayed silent, as the other boy had a point.
"What about your house Belle?" Angel asked.
"What? Oh no, we cannot. Granma Giry will listen to us and oh the fury we will face if she finds out that we do something so dangerous"
"Angel, your house is a no, right?" Adam asked as he turned to look at her.
"Yep"
"Why?" Belle asked.
"My dad has ears all over the house and if you think that the fury of your grandmother is scary, you should see his. If we appreciate our lives, we will not gather there"
Esmé cracked a big smile which didn't go unnoticed by the others.
"What is it now?"
"Gustave don't you see it. The only choice left is the manor!", she said excitedly.
"*Scoffs* I cannot believe that we are forced to host them… well, guess we have no other choice"
"Then it is decided. We ask our parents for permission and we meet Friday night" Adam said as everyone stood up and headed to the cafeteria before the time was over.
Same night Angel approached her father who was practising on the organ inside his music room. She stood at the door, waiting for him to finish.
"What is it, Mon Cher?" he asked as he turned to face her while motioning with his hand to walk closer.
"I want to ask you for a favour?"
"Which is?" raises an eyebrow.
"Friday night, me and some friends we will have a sleepover in the De Chagny man-"
"Absolutely not!"
"But Père-"
"No buts Angelique!" he slammed his fist on the keys and a haunting sound echoed in the room. "You will not even walk close to that house. Stop hanging with those kids and forget that thought"
"No, I will not! Those kids are more than fine, and I do not see why I shouldn't go? It is not like they will harm me"
"I said no!" Erik shouted and stood up, throwing the lamp on the ground but Angel didn't even flinch.
"And I asked why?!"
"There is no way! A no is a no! End of discussion!"
Angel glared at him, her hands into fists before punching him on the stomach. The man bent forward and one hand went to the place he was just punched while Angel stormed out of the music room, climbed the stairs and banged the door to her room.
She fell on her bed with her stomach and let out a cry of annoyance which was muffled by her pillow. She rolled on her back on top of the black bed sheets and grabbed her phone from her pocket before opening it to the group conversation she had with the others.
(E: Esme, A: Adam, G: Gustave, B: Belle)
Looks like you will have to do the meeting without me
A: Why?
What do you think?
A: Oh come on. This is ridiculous
B: Maybe we can change the place, find somewhere else
G: Or simply do it without her. I do not see the problem
A: No, Angel is part of the group and we all need to be together
E: I have an idea. The problem is that your Dad doesn't allow you right?
Yes
E: Leave it to me
Barely two hours later after the small conversation via their phones, Esmé found her mother into her study room.
"Something wrong my dear?" she asked as she looked from her book to her and offered a warm smile.
"I have a favour to ask you," the teenager said as she closed the door behind her.