Belle's brow furrowed as she pulled out an ornate looking card. On the inside was an invitation to a party hosted by Gaston. "figures" she muttered throwing it next to her bag.

"have any of you met Ferdinand yet?" Rapunzel asked.

The three girls shook their heads. "Why?" Cinderella asked.

"I met him today in Chemistry. he came new to our class. He told me i was the prettiest girl in the class. then he spilt the chemicals from our lab on me, he seemed so nervous around me." Rapunzel replied, dreamily.

The girls relaxed under their tree. Meg looked up at the clouds. "we are still going to see Adonis after school, right?"

"of course," Belle replied, "I don't mean to be a downer, but Meg you have to be willing to accept whatever happens to him."

Meg stared at her. She twisted one of her curls around her finger. "I hope he's ok. I really have never felt this way about anyone before, and to lose him, I can't even think about."

Alice was searching for a lipgloss in her bag. She reached her hand into a pocket and pulled out the note she had found in her locker. She unfolded it, looked at it, and folded it up again. She carefully placed it back in the pocket.

Cinderella helped Rapunzel braid her thick hair. Rapunzel pulled out her sketch book and flipped through the pages, each one containing a sun. She touched up her very latest sketch right before art class. When lunch was over, Rapunzel walked alone to art.

Belle was on her way to English. On her way, she saw Jane. Jane's face lit up as she saw Belle. They walked into Mrs. Radcliffe's room together. They sat down in their usual seats, on opposite sides of the class room. Belle chatted lightly with Jane at Belle's desk. When the tardy bell rang, Mrs. Radcliffe stood up. "Ladies and gentleman take your seats! Hurry, hurry, we have a lot to talk about today! Miss Porter take your seat!"

The class settled in and waited for direction. "Alright Ladies and Gentleman, today we are going to discuss your research project. Your projects will be due when you come back from your winter holiday. Now you will all be working in pairs, and demonstrating skills of cooperation. I will choose your partners. Any questions?" Mrs. Radcliffe instructed.

Belle looked across the room at Jane. Jane returned a hopeful look. Mrs. Radcliffe fingered through some papers. "Now for your partners. Everyone will be working with the person in the row next to them." She explained.

Belle looked at her assigned partner. It was a guy who was very quiet and often kept to himself. She didn't think she had noticed he was in her class. He had long tangled, caramel colored hair that fell over his face when he looked down. Belle scooted close to him. "Hello?" She said quietly.

She heard a faint mutter come from him. "My name is Belle" she said a little louder.

He appeared to mutter something.

She tried to keep her cool. "So, for our research project do you have any ideas? Whatever you want to do, I'm totally fine with."

She looked at him, he had not looked at her the entire time she had been speaking to him. Something about him seemed odd. Belle sat with her note book scratching out ideas by herself.

When the period was over, she packed her things and walked out with Jane. "Who's your partner?" Jane asked.

"I don't know, he never told me his name. He didn't really say anything at all." Belle sighed.

Jane gave her an apologetic look. "Well you could be paired with Lottie, like I am."

Belle looked at her, "at least Lottie talks!"

"Yeah, too much."

Belle sighed as she walked into her science class.

The time seemed to pass quickly, and the final bell rang. Belle walked across the courtyard to meet Meg and Rapunzel. "Are you guys ready to go?" She asked.

They nodded. "So we got assigned a research project today and I got partnered with this guy who doesn't even talk."

"What's his name?" Rapunzel asked.

"He never said." Belle replied.

Rapunzel's brow furrowed. "What did he look like?"

"He had long, tangled, caramel colored hair." Belle said.

"I don't believe I've ever seen him," Rapunzel said in thought.

They continued on the street to the hospital. Meg looked down at the sidewalk as they walked. "I'll probably end up doing all the work, but it's ok." She sighed. "Jane got paired with Lottie, so I guess it could be worse."

They arrived at the hospital and walked through the doors. "Megara! We're so glad to see you!" the woman at the front desk called.

Meg, suddenly concerned, rushed to the counter. "the doctor was hoping you would come today!" she smiled.

She walked to the back as Rapunzel and Belle caught up. Meg stood patiently waiting. The doctor came and escorted the three girls back. They walked to Adonis' room, just like they had everyday after school. The doctor entered the room alone and then came back outside. "Megara." he gestured for her to enter.

She gulped and followed him. She padded softly into the room, and saw Adonis sitting up in bed. Meg jumped, startled. "is this real?" she whispered.

Adonis looked at her and grinned. She approached his bed and hugged him. She felt his muscles flex as he hugged her back. "you're alive!" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes.

"baby don't cry!" Adonis said quickly.

"I'm so happy, you're better!"

They held each other for a long time, when Belle and Rapunzel quietly entered the room.
Meg began sobbing. Belle gently smiled. There was the first beam of happiness in Meg's eyes in weeks. She held onto Adonis, never wanting to let go. Belles smile quickly changed to a look of concern. Rapunzel's curious eyes looked at belle. "the deal." she whispered.

Rapunzel's eyes widened with fear. Had Meg forgotten? A nurse entered the room informing Meg the doctor would like to speak to her. The doctor certainly had not forgotten. Rapunzel and Belle stood awkwardly across the room from Adonis. "what is the date?" he asked.

"October 6." Belle replied.

"but it was..September..."

"you've been out for just over a month." Belle replied rather plainly.

Adonis' eyes widened. "A...month?"

"that is correct."

"I bet Meg has been so worried..."

"She was devastated. She cried nearly everyday you were gone, and she hardly ever spoke."

Adonis' eyes shifted downward. "What exactly happened to me?"

"We'll neither of us were personally at the game, my friend Phoebus came to tell me the day you were sent to the hospital." Belle replied.

Meg entered the room, eyes downcast. She sat on the edge of his bed. Adonis leaned over and kissed the top of her head. She smiled. He wrapped his arms around her. "It's been awhile," he smiled.

She smiled back. Rapunzel and Belle decided to leave Meg with Adonis. They made their way back to the main lobby. They exited the hospital, and were back on the street. They decided to take a detour and make a stop at Clarabelle's. As Belle pulled on the door knob, a bell rang. "Welcome to Clarabelle's!" A voice called from the kitchen.

Clarabelle emerged from the kitchen, "what can I get started for you? Oh! Hey Belle and Rapunzel! So nice of you girls to stop by!"

"We just came from visiting a friend in the hospital," Belle said.

"Oh my!" Clarabelle replied.

"It was Meg's boyfriend. He's better now though." Belle sighed.

The blender whirred as Clarabelle whipped up their usual frappes. She poured them into cups and put extra whipped cream on top and snapped the lid on. She put them on the counter. Rapunzel and Belle thanked her, and put straws in their drinks. They exited the shop and continued their walk home.

They reached Rapunzel's house. She waved goodbye as Rapunzel entered her house. Belle walked up Rapunzel's street alone. She wasn't really in a hurry. She walked on a street she had never been on before. There was a small catwalk. She walked up the path, and found a peaceful patch of grass. She sat down on it and pulled out her book, it was comfy enough.

She sat peacefully reading. She noticed the sky had grown dark, and she put her book back in her back and began walking home. She walked up the opposite side of the street than she usually did. She walked by Phoebus' house, and saw his silhouette in a window on the second floor.

When she came home, she found her father in the garage, like she did everyday. She began to make dinner for them. She called her father in, and they ate. After they finished, Belle washed the dishes, and skipped upstairs. She finished a bit of homework and went to bed.

The next morning, Belle walked alone to school. Meg had left when she got to her house, so she figured Adonis picked her up. She scuffed along in her school shoes, clutching her book against her chest. "I hope you don't mind if I join you."

Belle froze and turned around. It was Phoebus. She smiled at him. "How's Adonis?" he asked.

"Better, I guess he was admitted home last night after they ran some tests on him." She replied.

Phoebus nodded. They walked the rest of the way to school in silence. Belle didn't know what to say to Phoebus, it had been so long.

They entered the front gate of the school. Belle walked with Phoebus and met Rapunzel.

"Meg wasn't home when I went to her house today." Belle said.

"Maybe she got picked up by Adonis" Rapunzel suggested.

"I don't know we'll have to see." She replied.

Phoebus nodded. Rapunzel was still a little taken aback by Phoebus. The Bell rang for class and Phoebus said goodbye to Belle and Rapunzel. Rapunzel hurried off with Jane to history. Belle was left alone to walk to her math class.

Belle tried to keep up with her teachers as best as she could. She couldn't wait until lunch to talk to her friends. When the lunch bell finally rang, Belle walked quickly across the courtyard to their tree. She sat down and stated reading as she waited for the others. Meg came and sat down and Belle looked up.

"Where were you this morning?" Belle asked.

"At Adonis' place. He is resting at home, but his mom made breakfast for me since I came over." She replied twisting a clover in her fingers that she had just picked.

Belle looked at her as Rapunzel and Cinderella sat down.

"well you know he's better." Rapunzel sighed.

"yes, but now I'm stuck working 4-8 on school days and 9-4 on weekends for that stupid doctor!" Meg cried.

Belle shook her head silently. Alice sat down holding a folded piece of paper. Cinderella chewed quietly looking at Belle's glares at Meg. "What?!" Meg demanded.

Belle snapped, "that deal you made with the doctor."

"Is that what this is about? Or is it because you didn't have anyone to walk with to school?" Meg replied.

"I walked to school with Phoebus, thank you very much!" Belle retorted.

"Why? Because now that you two made up you're hoping for a kiss to seal the deal?" Meg replied sharply.

Belle was about to reply, but decided it would be best not to. She shoved her book in her bag and stormed off. As she was now a distance away, Cinderella got up to go offer her.

Belle slumped down the side of the science building in an alley. She stared at the ground. "Belle?" She heard in the distance.

She stayed silent. The calling grew closer. Cinderella walked down the alley and sat down next to her. Belle looked at her. "I was stupid to have said anything at all."

"It's alright, we all get upset. We don't always agree with everything others do." Cinderella replied.

Belle sat in silence. "So what deal did Meg make with the doctor?" Cinderella asked.

"She agreed to make medication for the doctor, who is working on an experimental drug. He offered to use it on Adonis, and in return she would work for him." Belle replied.

Belle looked at Cinderella, "Adonis woke up from his coma yesterday." She said quietly.

Cinderella's eyes widened. "No...way. So Adonis is healed?" Cinderella asked in disbelief.

Belle shrugged," yeah but Meg has to work four hours a day after school. The doctor wanted to ensure that if Meg got to have Adonis, she would pay the price for his handy work."

Cinderella frowned. "She's signed a deal with the devil." She whispered.

Belle nodded. "Rapunzel and I couldn't believe she did it."

The bell rang for lunch to be over. Belle walked alone to English. She found herself, once again, struggling to communicate with her partner. She thought it odd that she remembered him from somewhere. "Will you please tell me your name?" She asked, exasperated as she scratched out more ideas for their research project.

For the first time, he looked up at her, his Carmel hair falling over his eyes. "Adam." He grunted.

The voice and the appearance seemed so familiar, but she simply couldn't place it. Suddenly the striking blue eyes became all too clear to her. He was the boy she ran into in the rally and in the underworld