Chapter 5: Gaston's Failed Proposal

The next day, Gaston and Lefou were hiding in some bushing while spying at Belle and Odette's cottage. "Heh! Belle's gonna get the surprise of her life, huh Gaston?"

"Yep! This is her lucky day!" Gaston agreed with a grin. "I hope that Odette will feel honored to be a bridesmaid."

Gaston was dressed up in a formal suit: consisting of a white blouse, a brown vest, a black bow tie around his neck, a red coat with gold trimming, tan pants, and black boots. He released a branch and it slammed into Lefou's face, filling up his mouth with leaves.

The man entered a field where a wedding was being set up with decorations, flowers, food, and music. The villagers have gathered around to celebrate the union between Gaston and Belle. Gaston cleared his throat, getting their attention and said, "I'd like to you thank you all for coming to my wedding. But first, I better go in there and propose to the girl!"

The men all laughed, while the Bimbettes cried their eyes out! They were disappointed that their crush was going to marry someone else instead of them.

"And you Lefou," the man said, pointing to the stooge on the nose. "When Belle, Odette, and I come out that door…"

"Oh, I know, I know!" Lefou interrupted, smiling. "I strike up the band!" He started to conduct a band playing Here Comes the Bride at a fast pace! Not wanting to ruin the surprise, Gaston took a tuba and slammed it on Lefou's head!

"Not yet!" he hissed angrily.

"Sorry!" Lefou replied with his lips coming out of the mouthpiece.

Inside the cottage, Belle and Odette were in the living room doing what they would usually do at home. The brunette was sitting in her chair, near a table and reading her new book and the strawberry blonde was sitting in the rocking chair and knitting a scarf.

Then there was a knock at the front door. The brunette placed down her book on the table and headed towards the door. Expecting it to be her father, Belle looked through the peephole, and grew dismayed to see that it was Gaston who was at the door. She gave a light groan and rolled her hazel eyes.

"Who's there, Belle?"

"It's you-know-who."

This made the strawberry blonde gasp and drop her knitting. She jumped off from her rocking chair and hurried towards her adopted sister, her face was plastered with fear.

"Oh no, don't answer the door! Maybe he'll take the hint and go away!"

"Look Odette, I know he probably deserves it," the brunette said firmly. "But it's also rude to ignore him. I'll deal with him and get this done. Do me a favor and follow my lead."

"Well all right, but if he tries anything…" Odette said, going back to a basket, containing her wools and knitting needles. She grabbed one of her needles and hid it behind her back. "I'll make sure he gets a jab from one of my knitting needles!"

Then the door opened and Gaston appeared, letting himself into the cottage.

"Gaston, what a pleasant surprise," Belle said, with a fake smile.

"Isn't it though?" Gaston asked. "I'm just full of surprises. You know, Belle and Odette. There's not a girl in town who wouldn't love to be in your shoes. This is the day…" he looked over at a nearby mirror to check at his reflection, ran his tongue over his teeth to make sure that they were clean and shiny.

"What day?" the strawberry blonde asked with a guarded expression, clutching her knitting needle tightly.

"This is the day your sister's dreams come true," he answered.

"What do you know of my dreams, Gaston?" asked the skeptical brunette as she backed away, guiding Odette.

"Plenty!" Gaston said, taking a seat in one of the chairs. "Here, picture this!" Gaston sat down and placed his dirty boots on the table, covering Belle's book with mud! He continued as he took off his boots and exposed his socks. "A rustic hunting lodge, my latest kill roasting on the fire, and my little wife massaging my feet, and our obedient maid bringing in our drinks."

The scent of Gaston's smelly socks reached the nostrils of Belle and Odette. They expressed disgusted faces and held their noses as the man stood back up.

"While the little ones play with the dogs," he continued. "We'll have six or seven."

"Dogs?" asked the brunette.

"No, Belle! Strapping boys like me!"

"Imagine that," she responded as she began to clean her book with a rag.

"Just incredible," Odette mumbled.

Gaston followed the girls as Belle was placing her book on a shelf.

"And do you know who that little wife and maid will be?" Gaston asked, coming up to the girls.

"Let me think," the brunette said.

"No one?" the strawberry blonde asked, with hope in her voice.

"You, Belle!" Gaston said, cornering Belle.

"What?" the strawberry blonde gasped, she revealed her knitting needle and lifted it up to attack him. There was no way she was going to let this bozo marry her sister and make her his property! Before she could do so, he turned around and managed to grip her wrist.

Is he serious right now?

"And you Odette," he said, leaning towards her. "You will be a bridesmaid. Once Belle and I have tied the knot, you will be our maid and keep our lodge in order."

"Unbelievable," the strawberry blonde said sarcastically.

"Gaston, I'm… speechless," Belle said, leaning against the door pretending to be flattered. "I really don't know what to say."

Gaston released his grip on Odette and made her fall to the floor. He knocked over the rocking chair and made his way towards the brunette, hovered and trapped her against the door. The strawberry blonde gasped and was about to attack Gaston again, until Belle motioned her to be quiet and gave a secret wink. When Odette realized what Belle's plan was, and gave a nod. She snuck up behind Gaston and got into a position when the time was right.

"Say you'll marry me," he asked, with a smug smile.

"I'm very sorry, Gaston, but…" Belle said with her hand reaching over to the doorknob and began to twist it. "But I just don't deserve you!"

As Gaston attempted to kiss Belle, she managed to open the door, making him lean forward. Odette found her chance and elbowed him in the back, and made him fly into a wallow of mud!

Lefou and the band began to play the wedding music, unaware that Gaston was lying in the mud with his butt in the air. The girls noticed the wedding, and Belle threw out his boots.

Odette stuck her head out from the doorway and yelled, "Serves you right for being a haughty and sadistic jerk to my sister! If you ever harm her again, so help me, I'll get you with my knitting needles!" And with that, she slammed the door shut!

Lefou turned around and noticed Gaston lying in the mud puddle. He stopped the band and turned around to see a pig's head surfacing. The humiliated groom lifted his head out of the mud, and bucked off the pig as it gave a squeal and slid down his back.

"So, how'd it go?" Lefou asked, using his conducting stick to lift up the man's hair.

Gaston gripped the stooge by the neck and lifted him up to his height and said with a threatening voice, "I'll have Belle for my wife and Odette as my servant! Make no mistake about that!"

Gaston threw Lefou in the mud and stormed away in anger. The stooge sat up, covered in mud and turned to the pig and scoffed, "Hmmph! Touchy!"

The pig answered him with two snorts. Gaston wiped off the mud from his face in disgust, and made his way home in humiliation. Everyone who had seen this had left and went home.

Soon afterwards, Belle and Odette poked their heads out of the door to make sure it was safe.

"Is he gone?" Belle asked.

"Yep, he's gone all right," Odette said, scanning the area very carefully. The girls looked to see the chickens from their stable and picked up their buckets of feed.

"Can you imagine?" the brunette said, as she threw down the feed making her way to the animal pen. "He asked me to marry him! Me! The wife of that boorish, brainless…"

"Bah! What a stubborn mule!" the strawberry blonde agreed as she and her sister entered the pen to where the goats were resting. Then Belle began to sing as she fluttered her eyelashes;

(Belle):

"Madame Gaston,

Can't you just see it?

Madame Gaston,

His little wife!"

The brunette placed her bucket down on the barrel of chicken feed and picked up a cloth. She wrapped it around her head to make it look like a veil and pretended to look like a sweet and loyal little wife. Then she kicked the barrel, startling the animals and swiped the rag off her head.

(Belle):

"No sir! Not me!

I guarantee it!

I want much more than this provincial life!"

Belle hurried out of the stable, spun around, and ran towards a hill, with Odette following her! The girls ran off towards a valley where there was a lovely view of the sun shining on the winding river. The mountains towered above with a light wind blowing in the breeze.

(Belle):

"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere!

I want it more than I can tell!"

The brunette and strawberry blonde both sunk down onto the meadow enjoying the peace and quiet. Belle picked up a dandelion puff and allowed the seeds to fly away with the breeze. Not only did she want to have an adventure, but wished for someone to share it and understand her.

(Belle):

"And for once it might be grand,

To have someone understand,

I want so much more than they've got planned."

Then the sound of a horse's neigh was heard and a familiar horse came running into the meadow. It was Philippe, still pulling the cart with Maurice's invention and was still frightened. Belle and Odette got up in surprise!

"Philippe?!" Belle cried, as she and Odette hurried towards the horse. "What are you doing here? Where's…"

The brunette grabbed the horse's reins to calm down Philippe and noticed that Maurice wasn't with him.

"Where's Papa?" she asked. "Where is he, Philippe? What happened?"

"Something's not right!" Odette said, her stomach filled with dread. "I have a feeling that something terrible must have happened to him!"

"We have to find him," Belle said, as she began to unhitch the wagon from the horse. "You have to take us to him!"

"I'll go grab our cloaks!" Odette said. "I'll stick with you Belle, rather than be home alone and have Gaston coming over again!"

"All right," she said nodding, "Let's hurry."

Belle took off her apron and handed it over to Odette. The strawberry blonde rushed back to the cottage, removed her apron and hung both of them up on the rack. She grabbed her forest green cloak and Belle's dark blue cloak. She also grabbed her bottle of eye drops, in case she needed them for the search.

Then the girls, with their cloaks and hoods on, mounted on Philippe and began to search for Maurice. Little did both of them know that their search would change their lives forever.