It's been a while since I worked on this, but I'm finally back with another chapter of Disney Academy! Thank you so much for following and reviewing my fanfic despite the long hiatus!

Chapter 12: Kiss the Girl

During the week that Snow White had gone missing, Ariel was worried about where she had gone. But more importantly, she wanted to get her voice back and needed a kiss from Eric Prince to do that. After she had given him the note on Wednesday, he said he'd be free Friday night which was the last day that the spell Mrs. Ursula had cast upon her would still be effective. So Ariel agreed through text and they decided to meet at the Mickey Mouse Theatre downtown which was showing Swan Lake, a ballet Ariel had been wanting to see for a long time.

It was ten minutes before the play had begun, and Ariel was standing outside the theatre anxiously tapping her feet. She decided to wear a black dress with a blue blouse underneath and a matching blue ribbon in her hair. Eric had yet to show up and she wished she could call him but remembered that her voice was gone for the moment.

"Hey!"

Ariel's heart pattered as she turned and saw Eric walking toward her. He was wearing a white dress-shirt and black slacks.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting," Eric said.

Ariel shook her head.

"Ready to go in?" Eric asked.

In response, Ariel nodded and they got two tickets at the booth and went inside as the Overture started playing.

###

Towards the end of the second Act of the ballet, Ariel looked over at Eric who seemed to be dozing off. Partially annoyed, she felt tempted to wake him but then thought better as an idea came to her head. Gently, she pushed Eric's head to face her. Then closing her eyes and breathing deeply, Ariel leaned in to kiss Eric.

"What are you doing?"

Ariel stopped immediately and noticed Eric looking at her. Embarrassed, Ariel turned away and watched as the lights dimmed and the curtains fell down. When the lights turned back on for Intermission, Eric seemed dumbfounded.

"Were you trying to kiss me in my sleep?" Eric asked.

Frantically, Ariel shook her head.

"Then what were you doing?"

Quickly, Ariel scribbled something into the notebook she carried which said, 'I have to go to the bathroom.'

"Okay, but don't take too long," Eric said as Ariel immediately left.

In the bathroom, Ariel glared at herself in the bathroom mirror while redoing her makeup and tidying her hair. Idiot! You should tell him how you feel first, and then kiss him. Yeah, I'll do that as soon as I get back into the theatre.

Ariel then rushed out of the bathroom, but was surprised to find Eric not at his seat. Thinking he had gone to the bathroom too, she decided to sit down and wait. But when the third Act of the ballet began, Eric had still not come back. Worried, Ariel got up from her seat and left the theatre again. As she approached the foyer, she noticed it was completely empty. An audible laughter caught her attention, and she turned to see Eric walking up the stairs to the second floor of the building with a dark-haired girl about Ariel's age leading him. Surprised, Ariel followed them but kept enough distance so they wouldn't notice her. At the top of the stairs, the dark-haired girl led Eric into one of the private booths and turned to close the door. Ariel hid behind a nearby pillar and saw the dark-haired girl clearly. She had a similar face to Ariel's, only it looked more sinister, her eyes were dark, her skin was pale, and she wore a long black gown and a gold shell necklace.

That necklace, Ariel thought. It looks just like the whistle Mrs. Ursula wears.

Instead of going back to her seat, Ariel decided to wait behind the pillar and confront Eric about the dark-haired girl.

###

When the ballet was over, everyone left the theatre and made their way into the foyer. This included Eric and the mysterious dark-haired girl. Ariel immediately blocked their path and folded her arms.

Eric's eyes, which seemed strangely shinier than before, blinked for a second before answering, "Do I know you?"

Ariel was stunned.

"What's the matter?" asked the dark-haired girl. "Can't you speak?"

Feeling her chest tighten, Ariel left Eric and the dark-haired girl as tears fell down her eyes.

###

As midnight chimed on the water-clock over Ariel's bed, she felt her throat grow warm and then she heard her own cries. At that moment, she stopped and put a hand on her mouth. Next, she looked at a fishbowl where a bright yellow fish with blue stripes was swimming around.

"I can talk again, Flounder," Ariel said, choking on her tears. "But I don't feel happy about it."

She resumed crying and eventually fell asleep.

End of Chapter 12