"So you're definitely coming tonight, right?" Anna asked Aurora over the phone. It was New Years' Eve, and after two weeks of begging, Elsa had caved and allowed Anna to throw a party with her friends.
"Of course! Me and the girls will all be there. We wouldn't miss this for the world!" Aurora assured her. "Will your sister be there?"
"She's gonna keep herself locked up in her office. She doesn't want to intrude..."
"Intrude? It's her house!"
"Yeah, well... She's kind of weird like that. I guess she's worried about embarrassing me? I mean, she never has. I actually think I'm the embarrassing one." Anna grimaced. Way to ramble...
"Well... Is Hans going to be there?" Aurora asked with a suggestive tone.
Anna giggled. "Yeah. Hopefully Elsa will finally get to meet him. She's been really skeptical about him since I first told her we might start dating..."
"I'm sure she'll like him just fine. His family's got a pretty good rep around here. Plus, they're ridiculously rich." Aurora was surprised that Lottie had never paid him much attention; Then again, Lottie didn't really like sideburns. Which was fine, since Hans and Anna were way cuter together anyway.
Anna giggled in response. "I don't think Elsa really cares about that... But, any way, I hope your right. About her liking him."
"I'm sure I am. Hey, do you want me and the girls to come over early and help set up?"
"Nah, the servants have it covered."
"Ooh, fancy." Aurora laughed. "Alright, then. See you at six."
"See you then!" Anna hung up with a grin, then put her phone down on her bed and started to pace around her room. She hugged herself, and sighed, then giggled. She was feeling so many things at once; Nervousness, happiness, nausea, excitement, anxiousness, giddiness... And so much more!
But she was also kind of sad, because of her sister. Anna remembered when they were younger, much younger, and nearly inseparable. Then one day, everything drastically changed. Elsa suddenly had her own room, and never left it. What few words the sisters shared were muffled by a door. Anna didn't even really know what her sister looked like until their parents' funeral. And, maybe you would think that having to raise her little sister would bring Elsa closer to her. Apparently, not so much. Sure, Anna saw her a bit more often now. And sometimes they shared meals together and even made small talk. But they were still basically strangers. Sometimes Anna believed that Elsa wasn't really her sister, but a ghost that sometimes drifted through the same space as Anna.
Anna paused in front of her mirror and gazed blankly at herself, letting scattered childhood memories run rampant through her busy mind. There were a lot of times when Anna felt like she was missing parts of her childhood from her memory; Like she only had a few quick glances at a large mural full of deeper, important things. Having that feeling about her own life was a bit unsettling, especially since she had been suspicious on more than one occasion that it had something to do with her enigmatic sister. She frowned and strained to make some of the more glaring puzzle pieces fit together.
ANNA
Dancing bears,
painted wings...
Things I almost
remember...
And a song
someone sings
once upon a December...
Someone holds me
safe and warm,
horses prance through
a silver storm;
Figures dancing gracefully
across my memory!
Elsa was down the hall in her own room, looking into her own mirror at someone she was trying desperately to recognize, but just couldn't. Her constant isolation, strained relationship with her beloved little sister, and the recent death of her parents, the only two people she'd had contact with for most of her life, was really starting to take its toll. As well as various other little stresses and annoyances regarding work, and...other things. And, like Anna, her mind struggled with bits and pieces of memory that never quite fit together. The never-ending pit of fear that sat in her stomach made frustration and despair well up inside of her and fill her lungs. She angrily pushed her pale hands into her platinum blond hair, messing up her carefully made braid. She stared at herself in her mirror, continuously failing to grasp at the scenes from her young life that eluded her. But, a few striking images and sensations jumped at her and screamed of importance.
ELSA
Someone holds me
safe and warm!
Horses prance through
a silver storm...
Figures dancing gracefully,
across my memory!
Far away,
long ago!
Glowing,
dim as an
ember!
ELSA/ANNA
Things my heart
used to know!
Things it yearns
to remember!
Anna slumped down on her bed, keeping her arms wrapped firmly around herself and pretending they were someone else's. Maybe Hans', or one of her dear parents, or even Elsa... Anyone, really...
ANNA
And a song
someone sings...
Once upon a December...
Aurora bounced on her bed in excitement. Her friends were helping her pack for her stay at her aunts' cottage, since she was leaving tomorrow morning.
Ariel smiled at her as she folded some shirts. "Are you pumped, Rorie?"
"You know it!" Aurora couldn't wait to be with her aunts. They all worked from their own home, so she would always have three different people to talk to if she needed it. Usually she just had her mom, but she didn't want to talk to her about anything. And her dad was always working or hanging out with Phillip's dad. But Flora, Fauna and Merriweather had always been involved in her life, and treated her more like their daughter than either of her parents did. And they spoiled her in their own special way; All of their gifts were home-made. Aurora had always appreciated their simpler way of living.
"I hope they're okay with visitors!" Jasmine called out from the closet.
"Oh, yes! I just adore their little cottage." Snow cooed.
Aurora giggled. "Of course you guys can come whenever you want."
"Ooh, you might not see too much of me, hon." Lottie frowned. "Me and the outdoors do not get along. You understand."
Katrina giggled, looking away from the various trinkets that adorned Aurora's shelves. "I've yet to see this infamous cottage, Rorie. You simply must invite me for tea sometime."
Aurora grinned and nodded. "Definitely."
Giselle giggled, jumping on Aurora's bed with glee. "Oh, it's gonna be so great! I bet it's just gorgeous in the winter months with all the snow!" She squealed.
Aurora looked over at Tiana, Belle and Repunzel. "You guys know you're always welcome too, right?"
They all nodded; Tiana was busy packing up Aurora's TV, Belle was handling the DVDs, but managed to send Aurora a quick smile, and Repunzel grinned with her usual energy and enthusiasm, clapping her hands.
"I've never been to a cottage before!" Repunzel cried.
"It's pretty adorable." Cindy mused as she walked into the room.
"Cindy!" Everyone cheered.
"Tell us everything!" Lottie demanded, making everyone gather on the bed. They all stared at Cindy expectantly.
No one had seen or heard from her since Lottie's party, because she'd been so busy running around and dealing with legal stuff and paperwork. General knowledge was that on Christmas day, Cindy broke the news to her stepfamily, with Charming and his dad present as well to keep her safe. Then, she packed up the few belongings she had, (a box of clothes and shoes, a picture frame containing an old picture of her parents, a trunk full of sewing supplies that had once belonged to her mother, and her cell phone and charger), and left with Charming and his dad, leaving her very pissed stepmother and stepsisters behind for good. Or, until she turned 18 and would return to kick them out and take back her home.
Cindy hadn't really spoken to anyone about it; The whole thing had her so tired and frankly, uneasy. She hadn't really felt like explaining it to any one... Plus, she was busy trying to keep Charming and his dad from showering her with unnecessary gifts, simply because her room was so "barren". (She'd moved into one of their tens of guest rooms- the manor was huge, almost like a castle- which had only had one thing in it before she showed up: An unrealistically comfortable king-sized bed and a giant walk-in closet. And obviously, even after moving in her tiny amount of stuff, there wasn't much to look at.)
Now she just laughed and sat in Aurora's desk chair.
"The whole thing's so surreal... Like some kind of dream." Cindy smiled sleepily.
"My Lord, hon! You look so dead!" Lottie started ushering everyone off of the bed. "Come here and rest!"
Cindy waved absentmindedly. "Oh, no... I came here to help, not sleep." She laughed.
"Don't be ridiculous." Aurora smiled. "You look about ready to drop, so you should do just that. I insist." She made Cindy move over to the bed.
Cindy sighed. "Alright, okay... But you guys let me know if you need any help. Seriously."
Everyone laughed and agreed. Within minutes, Cindy was totally passed out.
"Aw, she's so cute..." Giselle whispered. Everyone giggled in response.
"Speaking of cute, are you gonna kiss Lir tonight at midnight, Rorie?" Lottie prodded.
Aurora nodded. "Of course. It's tradition! Are you gonna kiss Naveen?"
Lottie sighed dreamily. "There's no one else I could want to kiss."
Everyone knew this was a lie, but no one said anything in response. A few of the girls laughed quietly.
Aurora glanced over toward Giselle. "What about you? Are you gonna kiss Edward?"
Giselle nodded, shrugging. "It's better than being some lonely wallflower on New Years' Eve."
"Are you sure this is the end for you two?" Jasmine frowned.
"You guys are so cute together!" Ariel pouted.
Giselle shrugged again. "I could try to wait it out, but that doesn't feel right..." Then again, she really didn't want to handle the unpleasantness of dumping Edward.
"Do you want one of us to talk to him for you?" Aurora asked.
Lottie squealed and raised her hand. "Me! I wanna help! Me!"
Katrina giggled at her cousin. "I think this might require someone a little more gentle, cous."
Lottie pouted and crossed her arms.
Giselle shook her head. "No. That's sweet guys, but I should really be the one to handle this. Just not yet..."
Now everyone (aside from the sleeping Cindy) turned toward Belle and Snow.
"What about you two, huh?" Ariel grinned. "Is tonight gonna be the night that you have your first kisses?"
Snow blushed bright red and looked down at her fidgeting hands while Belle smiled demurely.
"I dunno..." Belle mumbled.
Snow giggled nervously.
"You kinda have to..." Giselle said with a smirk.
"The midnight kiss is a long-standing tradition." Jasmine added.
"You have to kiss your boys if you want your relationships to last through the New Year!" Lottie cried.
Snow continued to giggle, becoming a bit more shrill. Belle blushed a little and shrugged.
"Don't worry about it, guys." Aurora said. "It'll happen when it happens. And I'm sure it'll be absolutely magical." She smiled.
Everyone started working on packing Aurora's stuff in a short silence. Then, Lottie turned a scrutinous gaze toward Repunzel.
"And how about you, hon? Who's gonna be your special kiss tonight?" Lottie asked.
Everyone paused and waited to hear Repunzel's response. Aurora kept her face blank and looked toward Repunzel, who was blushing and smiling a little.
"Oh, well... I was hoping that maybe it would be Flynn. But, I dunno..."
"Uh-huh... Now, tell me sweetie, what is it exactly that you see in him?" Lottie asked, her tone not sounding nearly as innocent as she'd intended.
Everyone tried to keep from getting tense. Most of them just continued working and ignored the conversation. But Katrina watched with intense curiosity and a soft smile. Ariel and Snow's eyes flickered between Lottie and Repunzel in worry. Aurora's distant eyes were trained blankly on Repunzel. Tiana was glaring at Lottie.
"Well... He's not really like how he acts sometimes... You know, the things that people think and say about him aren't really true. You know?" Repunzel laughed nervously.
Lottie's eyes narrowed. "Right... And what exactly do people say about him?"
"Well... That maybe he's not the nicest or most trustworthy guy? I guess... But he really is. Nice I mean. And trustworthy."
Lottie laughed. "How do you know? Have you told him any of your deepest, darkest secrets?"
"Well, no..."
"So how do you know you can trust him?"
"I think Flynn's trustworthy."
Everyone turned to Aurora in surprise. After a moment, Aurora realized that those words had definitely come from her own mouth. She kept her face blank and met Lottie's icy gaze with ease. But inside, her stomach was doing flip-flops.
"What?" Lottie asked.
Aurora shrugged. "I think that Flynn can be trusted with a secret. When it really counts..."
Lottie scoffed. "And what makes you think that?"
"Uh... Pheobus tells me so."
"You talk to Pheobus? Like, regularly?" Ariel looked confused.
"Well, sure. We've always kept in touch." Aurora said casually. It was kind of true; They'd been pretty close friends through grade school and junior high, and still texted sometimes, despite drifting apart.
Lottie rolled her eyes back over to Repunzel. "Besides that... What about all the talk about how he's a thieving, womanizing con-artist?"
Repunzel shook her head. "He's not really like that. Honestly."
Lottie huffed. "I don't trust him, and I don't like you two dating. He's gonna hurt you, hon."
"No, he won't. Honestly, Lottie, he's a good guy." Repunzel smiled.
Lottie shook her head. "Whatever."
"Sorry to cut out early, Aurora. But I've got to meet Phil back at my place. He's helping me make a ton of cookies for the party." Tiana said, heading toward where her jacket lay next to Cindy on the bed.
Aurora laughed. "No problem, Tia. You've already packed half of the place up yourself."
Tiana shrugged as she pulled on her jacket. "I work fast." She grinned and headed out the door. "See you guys tonight!"
"See you, Tia!" Lottie called after her while the others waved.
Aurora put her hands on her hips and huffed. "Shoot. Looks like we need more packing tape. Hopefully we have some downstairs..."
"I'll come with you, Rorie." Lottie said, following Aurora out of the room.
Ariel waited till she could no longer hear their retreating feet before saying, "Is anyone else relieved?"
"About what?" Giselle frowned.
"That things with Phillip and Rorie turned out so well. That things aren't all awkward and terrible now." Ariel explained.
Jasmine nodded. "Oh, yeah. I'm glad. They really had me worried for awhile..."
"It's weird, though..." Snow said softly.
"How, Snow?" Ariel asked.
"That they're not together. You know?"
"It's true. We were all seriously rooting for them to get together. I mean, they've known each other for so long, and they've always gotten along so well." Giselle said.
Jasmine chuckled. "Sometimes it even seemed like they shared a brain."
Cindy sat up, sighing. "It is weird how things change like this..."
"Well, that's high school for you." Belle joked, making everyone laugh.
"Besides, they're both happy. Right?" Repunzel grinned.
"Yeah." Ariel nodded. "And that's the most important part..."
Jasmine looked over at Katrina, who was working quietly. "You won't repeat any of this, will you? At least, not to Lottie."
Katrina smiled. "Don't ya'll worry. My lips are sealed."
"Hey, Jazz?" Ariel spoke up suddenly. "Where'd you get your belly button peirced?"
Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "A swanky parlor that opened in the mall over the summer. Why?"
Ariel smirked. "I was thinking of getting one, is all..."
Belle laughed, surprising everyone in the room.
"Sorry, Ariel. It's just that... You don't even have your ears pierced!" Belle giggled.
Now everyone was laughing. Ariel blushed. "That doesn't matter!" She cried.
"It totally does!" Jasmine cackled.
"What are you guys laughing about?" Aurora asked as she and Lottie came back in.
Giselle pointed at Ariel. "Our Little Mermaid just told us that she wants a belly button peircing!"
Everyone laughed again, with Lottie joining in. Aurora just smiled knowingly at Ariel, and started to teasingly poke her in the ribs.
"This wouldn't have anything to do with Eric... Would it?" Aurora grinned cheesily.
"Oooooh!" Everyone else chorused.
Ariel laughed and shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous. This is for me. I just thought it would be cute..."
"How are things with you two, though?" Cindy asked.
Ariel grinned. "Oh, we're much better! We finally got out of our slump." She giggled.
"That's great, Ariel." Aurora grinned.
"Um... Rorie?" Repunzel pointed toward what Aurora was holding. "Packing tape?"
Naveen stared at Eric with a dumbfounded expression. "Seriously?"
Eric nodded solemnly. The two were sitting in Eric's living room, smoking. Eric's parents were once again gone on business, and Grimsby had the day off. So they were free to relax until the party tonight at the new girl's place.
Naveen sighed and shook his head, staying quiet for a moment. Then he straightened up again, frowning.
"I mean... Seriously? Vanessa?"
Eric nodded again. "Yeah."
"Why?"
"She's not like what everyone thinks. She's really kind of...nice. And funny, and...vulnerable."
"But what about Ariel? I thought you two were so in love."
Eric sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just... I don't know any more..."
"But... You're not gonna break up with her?"
"No."
"And Vanessa's not breaking up with Gaston?"
"For now, no."
"So this is just a fling? I never took you for that kind of guy..."
"I'm not really." Eric groaned. "It's hard to explain. It's just... I don't feel like this thing with Vanessa is just a fling. I really care about her. And I hate everything that Gaston does to her. But she won't leave him... So I have to be there as, like...a safety net for her. I guess."
Naveen squinted. "That's weird, dude."
"I don't think it is."
"Okay, well, do you understand how wrong it is?"
"That's just it. It doesn't feel wrong either..." He sighed. "Which is definitely weird. For me."
"Well... How are you and Ariel any way?"
Eric smiled. "Great, like always. Things got a little distant when Vanessa and I started hanging out, but it's all a bit more normal now. I really..."
"Love her?"
"Yeah."
"So what's all this with Vanessa?!"
"I don't know!"
They sat in silence for a moment.
Eric sighed. "I just... I can't stand the thought of a girl being abused... Especially by someone she's supposed to be in love with. It's wrong."
Naveen smirked. "Are you sure you're not just using her terrible relationship as an excuse to take advantage?"
"Take advantage?"
"You know." Naveen raised an eyebrow. "To fuck."
Eric quickly shook his head. "No! I mean... We've barely even kissed, and that was just on the cheek. And we hold hands sometimes... But we haven't... No." He sighed. "Ariel's the only one I've ever... Well, you know."
Naveen stared at him for a moment. Then he leaned back in his seat, sighing. "Alright, well... I don't really approve, but... This whole thing seems pretty harmless. Unless Gaston finds out, which he probably won't..."
"And you won't tell any one? Like you promised?"
Naveen nodded. "Of course."
"Okay."
Naveen chuckled. "You know, it's funny. You've always been the up-right nice guy, and I've always been the heartbreaker. And now..." He raised one hand. "Here we are."
Eric smirked. "Yeah... Here we are."
Naveen squinted down at his watch. "We should go meet the guys at Edward's. You okay to drive?"
"Yeah. Let's go."
As they were walking to Eric's car, Eric looked at Naveen and asked, "When are you getting your car back?"
Naveen rolled his eyes. "Well, my parents said that even though I've shown improvement in the last two months, I'm still not quite off the hook. I have all my privileges back except the car, and I can't have that back until February."
"But you can quit working at the diner, right?" Eric asked as he unlocked the car.
Naveen paused, then sighed. "Yeah. I guess I can."
"Need any more help?" Phillip asked Tiana once they had all the cookies packed up.
She shook her head. "Nope. We're all good."
"Alright. I'm gonna go meet up with the guys." He said, wrapping his scarf around his neck.
"I'll walk you out. I've gotta check the mail anyway."
Moments later, as Phillip was standing beside his car and pulling out his keys, he heard Tiana gasp. When he looked up, she was ripping open an official-looking envelope. He watched curiously as her bright eyes eagerly searched the contents of the paper inside; Probably a letter. He watched as she read the entire thing, then grinned and cheered, throwing her glove-clad hands up in the air.
"Yes! Yes!" She jumped around and giggled, holding the paper close to her chest.
Phillip jogged over to her. "What? What is it?"
"Phillip, look!" She cried, holding up the paper at the level of his eyes.
His eyes quickly scanned the paper, easily catching a few important words.
He grinned down at her. "Really?"
She nodded and hugged him. "I've been accepted to my dream school! I'm going to New Orleans!"
He lifted her up and spun her around. "Babe, that's great! I mean, this is amazing!"
"I know!" She gave him a kiss as he lowered her back to the ground. She pulled away and grinned up at him. "Just a few more months! I'm so close to getting my degree and opening up my own restaurant! I'm almost there!" She giggled and quickly hugged him before running back into her house, waving the letter around wildly. "Mama! MAMA!"
Phillip smiled after her, but felt a sad pang in his heart. He was happy for Tiana, but he didn't want her to go so far away...
"This is an amazing party, Anna!" Lottie gushed. "So fancy!"
"This place is huge! Fit for royalty, even." Giselle grinned.
"Yeah, you guys picked a hell of a place to settle in." Phillip commented, looking around. "Did your servants come with it?"
Anna laughed and shook her head. "No, they came with us from Arendelle."
"Fabulous. Simply fabulous." Katrina giggled.
"Come on, Anna. Let's dance." Hans pulled her over to the make-shift dance floor outside of the dining room, where a sizeable crowd had formed to dance. Anna had to admit, Ferdinand was an excellent DJ. She'd originally wanted to bring in a live orchestra, but everyone told her to save her time and money and that Ferdinand really knew music.
Aurora watched them go, then looked around at her group of friends...or rather, the mass of adorable couples surrounding her. Lir was running very, very late, leaving Aurora to awkwardly drift in the sea of romantic entanglement. Aurora quietly pouted, then spotted a tray of delicious chocolate pastries passing her in the hand of one of the servants. She stopped him and scooped up almost everything on the tray, inhaling the desserts. The servant made a face before going to the kitchen to get some more.
Aurora sighed. All she wanted to do right now was stuff lots of chocolate in her face.
After dancing with Hans (pretty badly), Anna went back into the dining room to get a drink. She walked by a table full of kids she kind of recognized from some of her classes (she'd invited the whole school at Lottie and Aurora's insistance), but one in particular stuck out. Her back was to Anna, putting a long, thick braid of golden hair with flowers woven into it on full display. Anna smiled and lightly tapped the girl's shoulder. The girl turned and looked up at her with friendly, sparkling green eyes. The rest of the table looked at her too.
"Sorry if I'm interrupting anything, it's just..." She smiled at the girl. "Your hair is absolutely beautiful."
She giggled. "Thank you! It took so long to do, but it's worth it. You're our host, right?"
Anna nodded. "Yup. I'm Anna." She held out her hand.
The girl shook it enthusiastically. "I'm Repunzel." She gestured to a boy next to her with shaggy brown hair and a light stubble on his chin. "This is Flynn Rider."
Flynn waved slightly, smirking a little. " 'Sup?"
Repunzel gestured toward everyone else and introduced them in order. "And these guys are Merida, Jim, Pheobus, Esmeralda, Meg, Hercules, Pocahontas, Nakoma, Thomas, Kida, Milo, Mulan and Kenai."
They all waved and cheered "Hey!" in unison.
"Oh, wow. Hi!" Anna grinned and waved back.
"Aren't you in a few of our classes?" Kida asked.
"Yeah... You're always with Lottie, right?" Esme added.
Anna nodded. "Uh-huh."
"Well, jump off that crazy-train while you still can." Meg mumbled, sipping her drink. Hercules smiled awkwardly next to her.
"What Meg means to say is, feel free to hang with us any time." Pocahontas said with a friendly smile.
"I will. Thank you." Anna smiled and nodded, heading toward the punch bowl. "Enjoy the party, guys!"
Once Anna was gone, Flynn mumbled, "What kind of party doesn't have booze?"
"Meanwhile, did you guys see the set up in the living room?" Mulan asked excitedly. "There's a tarp holding up balloons and confetti to drop at midnight!"
Repunzel squealed. "How exciting!"
"Does anyone know if Quasi's coming tonight?" Esme asked the group hopefully.
"Uh... Wouldn't you be the one to know that?" Meg quirked an eyebrow.
Esme slumped, sighing. "I haven't seen or heard from him since Lottie's party. He hasn't answered any of my calls, and all my attempts to get into the school to visit him have completely failed. I'm really worried..."
"We'll probably see him at rehearsals all this week, Es. I'm sure he'll explain then." Pocahontas said soothingly.
Pheobus gripped Esme's hand. "I'm sure everything's fine."
Meanwhile, Quasimodo was entertaining his own guest in his lonely tower.
"I'm glad you could come tonight, Ma- I mean, Professor." Quasi said as he set the dingy table to share a meager meal with Frollo, who was sneering around him in disgust.
Frollo narrowed his eyes and looked down his pointed nose at Quasimodo. "I must admit, I was a bit off-put by your phone call." His tone was bitter. Then, he said a little lighter, "But, the Lord says to forgive. And who would I be to leave you alone in this cold tower on New Years' Eve?" Frollo smirked. "Like your dear friends have." He watched Quasi sheepishly pour them some wine. "Tell me, Quasimodo... What happened?"
Quasi sat at the other end of the table, twiddling his thumbs and staring down at his feet in shame.
"You were right, Frollo. About everything. About how people are. I can't trust any one. They'll never accept me."
Frollo stared at him in stern silence. Then, he sighed. "If only you had listened, dear boy. If only you didn't have to learn the hard way... But, what's done is done. Now you fully understand. And you won't be making this mistake again. Am I correct?"
Quasimodo nodded meekly.
Frollo folded his hands neatly on the table in front of him, looking like some regal judge determining Quasi's fate.
"Good... And since you seem truly penitent, I will listen while you divulge to me the sins you committed whilst straying through the unwashed masses of this pitiful school." Frollo leaned forward. "Please. Confess, Quasimodo."
"Well... Alright. Truthfully, everyone was fairly kind to me. Actually, they made me feel included; They encouraged me. But now I know that it was all out of pity." Quasimodo hung his head in dejection.
"How do you know this, dear boy? Hmm?" Frollo tilted his head to one side.
Quasimodo sighed. "I found out... I'm sorry, Master. I felt a forbidden longing for the girl who got me enrolled in school and encouraged me to join the musical. I allowed her to lead me from the righteous path. But now..."
Frollo was staring at him blankly. After a moment of silence, without Quasimodo continuing, Frollo droned, "Go on..."
"She's with someone else." Quasimodo whispered. "I think she always has been... And I should have known, since I look like me, and he...doesn't... No one as beautiful as her could ever love me over someone...normal. I thought she was an angel..."
"Who is this girl, Quasimodo?"
"A student... Esmeralda."
Frollo scoffed. "Oh, honestly, Quasimodo! Have you seen the way she dresses? Have you heard half of the things people gossip about her and her whoring ways? She is no angel, but a bewitching heathen in angelic skin. How could you be so foolish?"
Quasi shook his head. "I don't know, Master..."
"I should have known she had something to do with your divergence. She's been nothing but trouble for me as long as she's been my student. It's what she does, boy! She lies, steals and cheats for her own gain, luring poor young men like you into doing the Devil's deeds, leaving them stunned with her looks, making them think all kinds of sinful, horrible things that kill their innocence and leave them tainted!" Frollo scowled. "It's a good thing you escaped her before it was too late, Quasimodo."
They sat in silence for a while.
"Master... She did tell me something that might interest you. A story..."
"How might it interest me, boy?" Frollo couldn't seem less interested if he tried.
"Well, Master... She told me that..." Quasi paused, wondering if he should continue.
"Well, spit it out!"
"Um... She told me that she's being watched over by..." Another pause.
Frollo leaned forward. "Watched by...what?"
Quasimodo looked up at him blankly. "An angel, Master. An angel."
Katrina was so bored, she could hardly stand it. She was stuck standing next to Lottie while she unashamedly flirted with some blond football player. Wherever Lottie's no-good boyfriend was, Katrina had no idea, nor did she really care.
She was distracted by the sounds of a large group's laughter in the next room. Katrina quietly snuck away from Lottie's side and toward the laughter. She paused in the doorway and gazed at one of the most handsome men she's ever seen. He was tall, and incredibly muscular, with dark hair. And he was laughing heartily at a story he'd just been telling to the room full of people around him.
"There you are, hon!" Lottie said, suddenly appearing beside her.
"Who is that?" Katrina asked quietly, her eyes never leaving the guy ahead of her.
Lottie followed her gaze and giggled. "Oh, that's Brom. He's Gaston's big brother. I didn't know he was in town for the holidays... Any way, he goes to this fancy college in your home state. No one really talks about him; He's kind of a sore spot for Gaston. It's a sibling rivalry kind of thing; Gaston's always been super jealous of Brom. That's why he and Vanessa are staying clear on the other side of the house..."
"Right, okay. Um... Is he single?"
"Well, I think so... And he's totally looking at you!"
"I know! What do I do?"
"Go talk to him!" She pushed Katrina into the room. "Go!"
Aurora had had way too much chocolate; She was feeling a little nauseous. But it wasn't just the sweets that were making her stomach queasy. It was just a few minutes to midnight, and there was still no sign of Lir. Aurora crossed her arms, completely irritated. Whatever was keeping him, it had better be really important. She doubted that he was in trouble, because that never happened. He was too careful.
"Aurora!"
The sound of his voice made her sigh heavily, both in relief and frustration. She frowned as she turned to see him walking toward her urgently. Something must have been wrong after all... Aurora spotted one of his friends, Molly, waiting near the front entrance and looking all kinds of worried.
When Lir reached her, she asked, "Where the hell have you been?" She really didn't mean to seem so angry, but he'd never done anything like this before, and she was really upset about being without him for the entire party.
"I'm so sorry, but there's something I have to tell you. Aurora, I-"
"Can it wait? It's almost midnight! Come on, everyone's gathering in the living room to watch the ball drop on the TV..." She started to walk away.
"Aurora, no!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her back stubbornly.
She looked up at him in shock. "Lir?"
"I can't see you any more." He said sadly.
She blinked. "What?"
"I can't see you any more." He repeated. "I'm sorry."
Seriously? Does he really have to do this right now? Aurora shook her head. "W... Why?"
He looked down at his feet, not wanting to tell her.
She scoffed. "I mean, seriously... Why?"
He looked at her again, seeming guilty.
"Tell me! I deserve to know!" Aurora cried, feeling the tears starting to flow. She didn't care how childish she seemed right now.
"There's someone else." He whispered.
She gasped. "You've been cheating on me?"
He quickly shook his head. "No! No, no, no... It's not like that. I just... I kind of...have feelings for someone else. I wouldn't feel right being with you and having another girl occupying my thoughts. I just need time to figure out how I feel..."
"And then what? Say it turns out that nothing happens with this other girl, huh? Are you and I just supposed to pick up where we left off, act like tonight never happened? And what if she is the one for you? Am I supposed to wait around until you tell me the inevitable, or just never tell me at all? That's bullshit."
"What else can I do?" He asked hopelessly.
"You can go!" She yelled, pointing toward the door. She vaguely saw Molly flinch, thinking Aurora was pointing at her for some reason. Aurora ignored her and continued, "Have a good time with the other girl! Really! I wish you both the best of luck! Happy freaking New Year!"
Lir looked shocked. "Aurora, I don't want this to end our friendship..."
"Cry to me about it later! Just GO!" She ordered, then turned away and walked into the living room, where people were starting to count down from 60.
Lir walked glumly over to Molly. She looked up at him sympathetically.
"That could have gone better." Molly murmured.
He shook his head. "I really messed up."
"You did the right thing. And sometimes the right thing is the messed up thing." She patted his arm. "It'll all be fine."
He sighed. "I hope so."
She nodded toward the door. Schmendrick was waiting outside in his car with Amalthia. "Come on. Let's get out of here before you get lynched."
Meanwhile, Aurora was sitting in a dark, isolated corner of the room and silently crying while everyone else, (Even Elsa), crowded in front of the TV and loudly counted down. Ten seconds left...
What a way to end one year and start another... Aurora thought miserably. She sniffled, not worrying about anyone hearing her. The noise that filled the room made sure that she had a little privacy.
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Everyone cheered at last. Aurora looked up to see all the couples in the room, (and there were a lot), sharing their New Years' kisses. Even Gaston and Vanessa seemed in love as they started to make out. Everyone else was shouting and laughing in excitement. People were hugging and blowing noise makers and throwing things up in the air. Confetti and balloons started raining down from the released tarp above their heads. A stray bit of confetti floated toward Aurora and clung to her hair. She stood up abruptly and walked out, feeling really sick.
Cindy spotted her and started to chase her. Snow quickly excused herself from Ferdinand to follow.
"Rorie!" Cindy called.
Aurora stopped and turned toward the other two. They could tell that she was crying, and she looked ill.
"Are you alright?" Snow asked in alarm.
"Where's Lir?" Cindy demanded, clearly confused.
Aurora shook her head slowly. They saw her torso lurch a little, and then she took off down the hall beside them. Cindy and Snow ran after her, meeting her in the bathroom at the end of the hall. Aurora was on her knees and bent over the toilet, violently vomiting and sobbing. Cindy quickly knelt beside her and held her hair back. Snow shut the door and walked around to sit on the side of the bathtub and rub Aurora's back.
"I knew you were eating too much chocolate... You know you can't handle a lot of sweets, Rorie..." Cindy said in a soft, motherly tone.
Aurora shook her head and wailed into the toilet bowl, "Lir dumped me!"
Cindy and Snow exchanged wide-eyes glances, then settled into a sad silence while they coaxed Aurora through her puking, gently massaging her and murmuring words meant to soothe. After all, it was all they could do.
Quasimodo watched in fear as Frollo stormed back and forth across his room. In the last hour or so after hearing Quasi recount Esmeralda's incredible tale from Halloween, Frollo had transitioned from sitting in tense, thoughtful silence for a while to pacing in tense, angry silence for a while. And, on some level, Frollo seemed afraid. Which made Quasi afraid.
Finally, Frollo turned toward him with his usually stony expression, hands folded in front of his abdomin.
"Listen carefully, Quasimodo. You are going to stop seeing this girl completely. That means no more going to classes at this heinous school, no more fraternising with any of her heathen friends, and no more participating in that insulting musical. You understand?"
Quasi nodded sadly. "Yes, Master."
Frollo placed a hand on Quasi's shoulder. "It's for your own good, Quasimodo. I'm saving you from falling once more into her trap. The girl is a witch, boy. I'm absolutely sure."
Quasi looked up at him in terror. "R-Really, Master?"
Frollo feigned sadness. "Regrettably, yes, Quasimodo." Frollo started to walk out. "We'll resume our own schooling together tomorrow." Frollo turned one last time to say, "I'll take care of you, Quasimodo."
January second through January seventh was the last set of rehearsal days for Little Shop of Horrors. The seventh was the day everyone would be back in school, and the opening night of the show. Today was the second, and everyone was busily running around the auditorium and rehearsing, decorating, transitioning, or fidgeting with lights and audio. Mr. Rabbit and Clopin were rushing around and shouting at everyone; (both casts were present for full dress and tech rehearsals); basically being nightmares for the students. Mrs. Rabbit was calmly leading some altos through their notes for the finale. Milo was nervously leading the technical crew through working the lights, microphones and speakers.
It was all a bit overwhelming, and definitely not something that Aurora wanted to put up with. When she wasn't performing, her depression and crabiness was pretty obvious, but she would stay silent and try to be alone as much as possible. Although her closest friends didn't like to very much, they gave her the space she needed.
"The sets are finished, Mrs. Rabbit!" Repunzel called from where she and all the freshmen were standing in aprons and putting away paint supplies.
"Wonderful. Good job, guys!" Mrs. Rabbit smiled. She then addressed everyone. "Alright! Everyone get in full costume and make up! Rehearsal officially starts in half an hour, so move quickly!" She looked over at where some of the crew was figuring out quick transitions between Audrey II puppets. She spotted Flynn and Pheobus, who would be in charge of working the puppets to match Naveen's words while Naveen spoke or sang into a microphone backstage. It would be Pheobus working the first three puppets, but the second one was so big that it needed at least two people to work it, so Flynn would join in during intermission. (There were four puppets altogether; The first two were hand puppets that wouldn't talk or sing, the third one was the one-man puppet to be debuted in the middle of Act 1, and during intermission the last puppet would come in and remain onstage through the entire Second Act.)
"You guys ready?" Mrs. Rabbit asked them.
They each gave her a thumbs-up.
"Alright. We're running through the whole show from the beginning, so Pheobus: Be on standby. Flynn: Help the rest of the crew till Act 2. Remember, transitions need to be quick!" She looked into the pit. "Orchestra ready?"
They all nodded.
"Great!" She looked around. "Where's Quasi? He should have been here awhile ago..."
"He's probably in the tower. I'll go get him!" Esme said as she ran backstage.
"Quickly, please, Esme! Thank you!" Mrs. Rabbit called after her. She called to everyone else, "We're starting with Cast One!"
Esme quickly wove her way to the darkened costume room and pushed open the secret door. Before it was even open all the way, she jumped inside the stone corridor and ran up the winding steps to Quasi's room.
"Quasi? Did you forget about rehearsals, man? Come on! It's Hell Week! We need you now!" She looked around, but he was nowhere in sight. Hopefully he's putting on his costume... "Quasi?" She stepped further into the room. "Quasimodo?"
"Leave me alone."
She jumped and turned toward the corner near the doorway, where he was crouching and glaring at her. Had he been hiding from her?
She bent over so that her hands rested on her knees and looked at him in concern. "Is everything alright? Are you okay?"
He just looked away from her.
She straightened up and started to walk toward him. "Has Frollo been bugging you again?"
"Don't come near me."
She stopped, confused. "What?"
He glared up at her. "Don't come near me. Leave me alone."
"Quasi, what's-?"
"I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to talk to anyone. Just leave me alone."
"But... What about the show?"
"I'm not doing the show! Get out of here!" He suddenly bellowed, standing up.
His violent shout had scared her enough to make her start running back downstairs. As much as she wanted to stay and help him, she knew that right now probably wasn't the best time. She ran through the secret passage and continued on, hearing it shut behind her. She ran all the way out onto the stage. Everyone looked at her in surprise.
"Where's Quasi, dear?" Mrs. Rabbit asked in concern.
Esme took a deep breath, then shook her head. "He says he's not doing the show."
Everyone started to whisper and murmur and gossip.
Mrs. Rabbit looked shocked. "Why?"
Esme shrugged. "I really don't know. But he's made it very clear that he doesn't want to do it and he wants to be left alone."
Clopin scoffed. "Nonsense! Let me talk to the diva..."
"No!" Esme shouted. Then, she said more calmly, "Now's really not the time."
Mrs. Rabbit sighed. "Good thing we have an understudy... Hercules? Think you can handle it?"
Hercules nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
Meg smirked and muttered, "He knows every line forwards and backwards..."
Hercules smiled sheepishly at her.
"Alright. Go get in costume. Ignore the awkwardness of Quasi's costuming for now; We'll get everything fitted for you before opening night. Besides, Seymour's clothes probably shouldn't fit quite right any way." Mrs. Rabbit winked playfully at Hercules. He nodded in response.
"Well, why is everyone standing around?" Mr. Rabbit demanded.
"Get changed! NOW!" Clopin shouted.
Everyone ran to the dressing rooms.
Once settled in the girls' room, Esme quickly did her make up, then started doing Meg's.
"So, uh... What happened?" Meg asked her quietly.
Esme shook her head. "I don't know... He was looking at me like I was some kind of enemy."
"Like he wanted to hurt you?"
"I'm really not sure."
Meg sighed. "Well, Quasi's kind of weird. He probably just needs time to cool off."
"He's already had a lot of time... I'm worried that Frollo's behind this."
"Well, we'll cross that bitch when we get to it."
"Bridge, Meg."
"I like bitch better."
Meanwhile, across the room, Lottie was seething. "Oh! I just cannot believe he did that to you, Rorie! Oh! The nerve of that little-"
"Lottie..." Cindy warned.
"Why did he do it, though?" Ariel frowned.
Aurora sighed. She hadn't wanted to tell them that part. "Well...apparently...he has feelings for someone else."
"Ugh! The spineless little worm!" Lottie cried, making a few girls nearby stare at her.
"Lottie, hush." Tiana admonished. "I doubt that Aurora wants this advertised to the entire dressing room."
Aurora looked up at Tiana gratefully, and Tiana nodded in response.
"How do you feel, Rorie?" Jasmine asked.
Aurora shrugged. "I'm just kind of wondering, you know... Why, why, why am I suddenly so unloveable?"
"You aren't unloveable!" Repunzel said.
"You're one of the most loveable girls, like, ever!" Giselle cried.
"Then why do guys not like me? Or rather, why does no one want to stick around long enough to really know me?" Aurora crossed her arms.
"Don't worry, Rorie. I'm sure that someday your prince will come." Snow said optimistically.
Aurora shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I'm not gonna go looking for him, but I'm also not just gonna wait around for him to show up. And I'm also not gonna give away my affections so freely. Nope. From this day on, I won't say I'm in love."
AUTHOR'S NOTES!
Aww the Hunchback feels... Why do I do this to myself?
Why is Aurora not allowed to be happy?
...
*shrug*
Also, I know that Once Upon A December isn't a Disney song, but I really liked the idea of Anna and Elsa singing it. And hearing their voices singing it in my brain made me finally do it.
LAST CHAPTER OF SEMESTER ONE! WHOOOOO! It took a lot longer than I initially thought it would, but hey...here it is! And still so much more to come! You guys excited? I am.