Chapter 10

Belle sat in her history class, twirling a strand of her hair around her yellow pencil. She stared out of the window while her teacher yammered on about the American Revolution. Belle was not interested in the loyalists or patriots, she wanted to think about her spot on the newspaper. She even bought a cute little blue notebook from the school store so that she could write down any ideas that popped into her head. She flipped through her notebook, rereading some of the things that she had already written down, smiling at her progress. Just then, there was a sharp knock on the door of the classroom. Her teacher adjusted his glasses and walked over to the door, clearly annoyed that his lecture was interrupted. All of the students perked up, happy for the distraction. In walked Mr. Jafar, the dean of students. He towered over their history teacher, being 6'5. His black beard, sharp eyes, and frown lines were enough to intimidate anyone. The students all stared up in a nervous silence. Seeing Mr. Jafar was never good news. Peter Pan, one of the most mischievous boys at school shrank back, the tips of his pointy ears went pale. His girlfriend Tinker Bell stared at him with wide eyes, silently asking if he did anything that could get him in trouble. He covered his face with his hat and sank lower down into his chair. Tinker gulped and stared back ahead. Mr. Jafar glared at Peter and Tinker.

"I'm not here for you this time Peter," Mr. Jafar drawled in his low, deep voice. Peter and Tinker immediately heaved sighs of relief. Peter ran his hand nervously through his hair and sat back up in his seat.

"Thank goodness, I thought that he figured out that I was the one who-OUCH!" Peter muttered and then was suddenly cut off by Tinker, who elbowed him roughly in the side. She flared her pointy nose at him and shook her head. Belle smiled at the two of them. They were her favorite couple at school. Belle turned her attention back to Mr. Jafar, curious as to why he was there. Mr. Jafar searched the classroom with his piercing eyes, each student gasping when his eyes stopped at them, and then sighing with relief as he looked away. Finally, his eyes stopped on his target. Belle. Belle's breath caught in her throat as she stared back at him with wide eyes, willing him to look away. What did I do? I never do anything wrong! Belle frantically racked her brain, trying to figure out what she could have done. Mr. Jafar nodded at her and motioned for her to follow him. Belle slowly got up from her desk. Her classmates stared at her, some giving her little smiles of sympathy. cleared his throat, indicating for her to move faster. She quickly collected her books off of her desk and scurried out if the door after him.

Once out in the hallway, Belle saw that the rest of her friends were there too. Jasmine was nervously chewing on her lip, Mulan was toying with a loose thread on her sweater, Snow was cracking her knuckles, and Ariel was picking at a paint chip on the wall. Pocahontas was there too, frowning up at Mr. Jafar.

"Follow me. Quickly. I will not have any of you trudging slowly along like mules," Jafar said before leading them briskly down the hallway and to his office. They all filed in and sat down on the wooden bench opposite his desk. Jafar's desk was empty except for the snake statue that sat upon it. His office was bare and bleak, with a black carpet and maroon drapes. Jafar sat behind his desk and finally addressed them.

"It has come to my attention that one of our students has gone missing and you girls are the last ones to have seen her," he finally addressed them. The girls gasped. Aurora is missing?!

"Yes, she was sitting in the library with us during study period and then she ran off after a little argument," Snow White said slowly, in a shaky voice.

"She was being super weird. She even yanked out Belle's bow," Ariel chirped. Belle glared at her. Great. Now he's going to think that I killed her or something because she yanked out my bow.

"Is this true? What did you do exactly to cause her to rip the bow out of your hair?" Jafar asked Belle in his cold monotone.

"Belle didn't do anything wrong! Aurora just went crazy and did it," Mulan spoke up for Belle. Jafar glared at her.

"I didn't ask you. I asked her," he turned his attention back on Belle. "Now, tell me. Why did she rip the bow off of your head?" He growled. Belle gulped. She was horrible under pressure.

"I..uh...She..uhm," Belle stammered. Jafar clenched his teeth. He looked like he wanted to murder her. Belle wiped the pool of sweat that was forming on her upper lip. "I guess I said something that she didn't like, so she got mad. That's all that happened," Belle said quickly. Jafar rolled his eyes.

"Is there anything else that you brats know? Might I remind you that your little friend is missing and you are sadly the only ones that can help," Jafar twirled his goatee with his finger.

"Pocahontas might know something," Jasmine said in her bitchiest tone. Pocahontas flipped her off under the desk, out of Jafar's view.

"Is this true? Why is Jasmine accusing you? Shouldn't you be staying out of trouble? This is your first day back after a year of expulsion," Jafar said. Pocahontas sighed.

"She's lying," Pocahontas said bluntly.

"I doubt that," Jafar countered. Pocahontas sighed once more.

"I saw Aurora, sitting at their table, but she was sleeping. I left before she even woke up," Pocahontas crossed her arms and smiled. Jasmine rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"You left out the part about threatening Aurora and saying that you'd get her back for telling on you and Mr. Smith!" Jasmine raised her voice. Snow White nodded.

"It's true! She probably already got back at Aurora and that's why she's missing!" Snow White pointed accusingly at Pocahontas. Ariel and Belle exchanged worried looks.

"I never said that. Plus you can't prove anything. I was in class the entire time. I couldn't have done anything to her," Pocahontas said smoothly. "She's probably out sleeping in a gutter with a hobo."

"Silence!" Jafar yelled. Ariel let out a terrified sqeak. "You have been of no help, so I have no choice but to inform the police. You all can talk to the police and maybe this time, you can actually tell them everything you know, or else your little missing friend will remain missing!" Jafar got up from his desk and walked outside with his phone to call the police. The door slammed behind him. Pocahontas immediatly addressed Jasmine and Snow White.

"Snitches get stitches," She grumbled at them.

"Are you really threatening us? So are we going to go missing just like Aurora?" Jasmine laughed in disbelief.

"Yeah, what did you do with her?" Snow said to Pocahontas.

"I didn't do anything to that stupid hag. Like I said, I was in class," Pocahontas flipped her hair, hitting Snow in the face with it. Snow growled at her.

"You better not have done anything," Mulan said pointedly.

"You know, Belle was late to class today. She probably did it," Pocahontas pointed at Belle. Belle gasped.

"I was late because I was visiting my mother's portrait! Not because I was kidnapping Aurora!" Belle fumed.

"Hey, who said Aurora was kidnapped?" Ariel said, scooting farther away from Belle.

"What? No one. I was just saying..." Belle's voice trailed off. She couldn't believe that she was being accused for Aurora's disappearance. She was innocent!

"The police will be here in a few minutes. You all have to talk to them," Jafar came back into the room.

"Oh good. I'm sure Belle will have a lot of information for them!" Pocahontas said gleefully. Belle turned red. I'M INNOCENT! I WOULD NEVER HURT ANYONE! ESPECIALLY ONE OF MY FRIENDS!

"Belle, you can tell me if you did it," Ariel whispered quietly to her. Belle rolled her eyes and ignored her. Crap.