CHAPTER IV

Belle was never one for parties. For her, she would always spend her friday nights reading a book and sitting by the campfire drinking some hot cocoa. When her friends came begging for her to come along, recently she said yes. So here she was sitting on the couch of Jasmine's living room and rolling her eyes looking at all the people drinking and talking to each other. Belle looked in front of her and saw that the school flirt was talking to Pocahontas. Or how John Smith had called her recently; "His lovely forest nymph" :

"You are the one that saw in the forrest." said John with a smirk.

Pocahontas just blinked at him. "I am sorry. What?"

"The girl I saw there was you, wasn't it?"

She nodded, "Ah. That is what you meant."

"I thought I would never be able to see you again."

"We go to the same school."

"I thought seeing in the woods was just some miracle!"

"I told you that we go to the same school. Were you not listening?"

"There are so many things that I need to tell you!"

"I have a feeling you were not listening to me after all."

John had stopped his rambling and gave her a warm smile and raised his eyebrow, "I'm sorry did you say something?"

Pocahontas put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You better be joking."

John quickly nodded, "Of course I was. But seeing you a second time just stunned me like it did when I saw you in the woods."

"You are just saying that."

"No I mean that. Honest," John winked and and offered her his hand. "Care to talk about in private?"

She blushed and took his hand. "Sure."

John smirked and started to walk, "Oh my forest nymph. How I'm thrilled I get to see you again!"

She blushed an even deeper shade of red and with her tanned skin the blush was now visible, "You are making me blush."

"That's the plan."

"Is it now?"

John nodded and soon added, "Now are you going to take my offer of talking about this in private?"

Pocahontas nodded and took John's hand. "Lead the way then."

John smiled, "Gladly."

With that the pair was soon off and disappeared to continue this exchange in private.

"Gross." muttered Belle as she slumped back into the couch. "I can't believe that actually worked on her."

She had rolled her eyes on witnessing the whole ordeal and slumped back into the couch. Suddenly she saw a flash of red and now darkness. She felt someone or something pulling at her hand. Moments passed and and she was now able to see that her friends had dragged her to the basement and they all had mischievous grins on their faces. An olive skin girl with her long black tied up whispered in Belle's ear and she widened her eyes at the obscene comment that she heard.

"You want me to do what, Jasmine?"

Jasmine hiccuped and waved around her beer can, "You're always a stick in the mud Belle. You need to loosen up."

"Great. You're drunk."

"Shut up, I'm only buzzed."

"Like there's a difference."

"There is duh," scoffed Jasmine as she rolled her eyes. "Aren't you suppose to be smart Belle?"

Ignored her comment, Belle continued on telling her piece, " There really isn't you know."

"Oh my god Belle. Just shut up."

"You know, you shouldn't make rash decisions while under the influence."

"Under the influence? You say that about drugs."

"Drugs. Alcohol. I mean what's the difference?"

"Next your going to tell me the deal about airline food.

"Well I could. I mean what is the deal with that?"

Jassmine just giggled and poked Belle on the nose. She smirked, "Belle, just I don't know. Shut up, smart ass."

"I'm just saying, you'll end up regretting it."

"Regret this plan? I'll never."

"No this plan is really bad. Like superbad."

"No it isn't."

"Yes. Yes it is."

Jasmine giggled and looked into Belle's eyes. She beamed, "Well maybe if you loosen up for a bit we'll stop bugging you."

"I shouldn't have to change my-"

Jassmine had burped in Belle's face. Belle looked in disgust while Jasmine busted into a fit of giggles.

"Disgusting." muttered Belle as she looked away in disgust.

"Come on Belle, it's a party after all!"

"Doesn't mean you have to burp in my face like that. Gross."

Jasmine giggling even harder. "Consider that step one of you loosening up."

"How is that considered step one?" asked Belle.

"You're always so serious. So listen to me when I say you need to loosen up."

"No thanks."

Jasmine stopped her giggling and stuck her tongue at her, "Well too bad. You don't have a choice in the matter."

"So you're holding me prisoner until I agree with you idiots?"

Jasmine nodded, "Yeah."

"Peachy. Just peachy."

Belle facepalmed while Jasmine resumed her laughing and soon fell onto the floor. Belle had scanned the room and saw that all her friends were drunk as well. Or according to Jasmine's words; "Only buzzed." Someone had the ingenious idea of sneaking in liquor to the party. Teenagers and liquor is like moths and a light; they're drawn to it like an instant. Belle's money is on that it was Gaston's doing. The womanizer had a way of making sure liquor ended up at these parties. Especially when he knew that Belle and her friends were coming to them. Belle was shook from her thoughts as the chatter and laughter of friends were louder and louder at every second.

Ariel slurred, "We are you friends-"

Snow finished, "And we care about you."

Tiana laughed, "So we thought of this plan for you."

Belle looked at the laughing group and noticed that three were missing. She asked, "I thought Aurora, Cinderella, and Mulan were invited. Aren't we friends with them?"

"Like Cindy's parents would let her go to a party," snorted Ariel.

"Or Aurora's aunts let her exit the house since the aquarium incident." added in Snow.

Jassmine joined in the laughing and added, "Considering the last time Mulan snuck out, she freed all the lions in the zoo when we dared her too, I think she isn't going to be hanging out with us for a while."

Ariel laughed along with Jasmine, "Lesson learned. Don't dare Mulan to do stupid things like that. She'll actually do it."

"Yeah," nodded Jasmine, "She actually did that dare. Mulan's wild. You need to be more like her Belle."

"Her being wild caused her to be grounded for life Jassmine. Remember that." remarked Belle.

Jassmine scoffed at her response, "Shut up Belle."

"Just be glad Ariel managed to get here." said Tiana as she took another drink from her bottle.

Ariel laughed. "My dad is going to be pissed off. I mean this is my first time sneaking out."

"Just don't get caught and you should be fine," smiled Jassmine, "I sneak out all the time and my dad to this day never knows."

Belle just glared at her laughing friends and glared at Ariel, "And your last time ever going out if you do something stupid or you'll be grounded for life like Mulan is. Example being this stupid plan that Jasmine is suggesting I do."

Jassmine just laughed again at her comment, "Oh come on Belle. It's not a bad plan. Trust me."

Belle shook her head and sighed, "Ah yes your plan. I don't mean to be rude, but it's a really bad plan."

Jassmine only smirked at her. "What's so bad about it? I think it's amazing!"

Belle only shook her again a second time, "You want me to spend a night in the abandoned house on the end of the block. For fun."

Ariel beamed, "Well it sounds like perfect fun."

"Considering how much you say how it isn't haunted." remarked Tiana.

"Even though it clearly is." muttred Ariel.

"Haunted houses don't exist." scoffed Bele.

"Then prove it!" said Ariel and Tiana both in unison.

"Prove what?"

"That it isn't haunted." said Ariel.

"I don't mean to prove that."

"That just means you're scared." teased Tiana.

"I'm not." shouted Belle as she stood up from the chair. "I'll prove to you all that the house down the block isn't haunted."

"How will you prove that?" asked Snow.

"At the end of this party, I'll go and spend the night at the house."

"Oh man, you'll actually do it!" exclaimed Jassmine.

"If I get all of you to stop nagging me, I'll do anything you ask me to do."

Jassmine smirked, "Well fine then Belle, I dare you to spend a night in the house down the block."

"I accept your dare and will laugh in your face when I'm proven right."

"Then I'll laugh in your face when you're proven wrong."

"Deal!" shouted both Belle and Jasmine in unison.

Ariel muttered to herself, "If you survive the night that is."

Jasmine laughed even harder. "Just remember you said it not me."

Belle glared at her laughing friend. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this to prove to you all that there is no such thing as a haunted mansion."

"What if the house is really haunted?" asked Ariel.

Jasmine rolled her eyes, "Well Belle would be dead."

Belle sneered, "I'm not going to die from spending one night at a house."

"Well until then we don't know if it truly is haunted or not."

Belle sighed and rose from the chair. "Talk to me when all of you are sober."

"I told you we aren't drunk, just buzzed."

Belle shook her head and walked out of the basement and ran up the stairs and was now greeted by a loud blaring music. As she entered the kitchen she saw man with black hair wearing red, as soon as he made eye contact with Belle he had stopped his talking to a blond haired girl and made his way towards Belle.

He winked, "Hello there beautiful."

Belle cringed in disgust. "Not even in your dreams, Gaston."

"But Belle, we are made for each other."

Belle cringed even more. "I can think of million things I would be rather be doing then talking to you."

Gatson ignored her and went one with his rambling once more, "Both of us are beautiful and if we have children they would be partially scalped by the gods."
Belle had ignored him and added, "In fact I would rather spend the night in the abandoned house from down the block."

Gaston had stopped his grinning and deadpanned, "You mean the house that is haunted by a beast."

Belle scoffed, "All rumors and I will prove them all false."

Gatson inched closer to Belle and whispered in her ear, "Maybe I should come with you. So when you get scared, you can cuddle with me."

Belle pushed him away and slapped him across the face. "When pigs fly, Gatson."

Gaston rubbed his injured cheek, "Why must you fight me Belle?"

"I would never get tired of fighting a pig like you, Gaston."

"Oh my how feisty of you. Good thing for you I like my girls with a little fire in 'em."

Belle scoffed at his words, "Sorry but this one has no fire for you."

"You say that now Belle, but just you wait. Gaston always gets the girl in the end."

"I don't know what's worse. Dealing with you right now or the fact you actually referred to yourself in the third person."

Gaston moved closer and put a hand on her shoulder, "Just give it some time and maybe you'll learn not to fight it."

Belle threw his shoulder off him and glared, "I'll never fall for a man like you."

"And why is that?"

"Unlike some girls I have a brain."

Gaston laughed and smirked at Belle. "Well I guess that explains you being single."

"What did you say?"

"You heard me. Less of you using the brain of yours mean you'll actually have a boyfriend for once. Then you'll get laid and you can finally stop being an uptight bitch."

Belle raised her voice, "What did you just call me?"

"I need to repeat myself now? Well them. This all ordeal is just getting repetitive now isn't it?"

Belle glared at Gaston harder and formed her hand into a fist and raised it to Gaston's face and punched him. Gaston flew as he hit the ground and Belle just stared him. She cleared her throat and left the room.

Belle turned her back and made her way towards the door. As she exited the door she walked down the sidewalk until she saw a victorian style abandoned house and walked up the porch. As she grabbed the doorbell, she gulped and turned it. As She entered the house she saw that it was only lit by a single light. She was greeted by a single candelabra that was already lit on the bottom of the staircase. Belle had bent down grabbed it and and the door behind her swung close.

"Oh Jeez." she muttered to herself.

"Don't mind her mon cheri, usually Betty likes company."

Belle had shrieked and dropped the candelabra on the floor.

"Ow."

"Who said that?"

The candelabra stood it up self up and jumped towards Belle. Belle eyes widened as she ran towards the door turning the knob and screaming when it failed to open. Her friends were right and all those rumors were true. This house was truly haunted and it was trying to kill her. Suddenly a loud roar could be heard and Belle stood frozen in her tracks. She slumped down her back facing the door as she slid down to the ground on the bottom of the staircase. She heard a roar like some sort of animal was trapped inside. The roar grew louder and she whimpered. The roar grew louder and louder and Belle just sat there at lost of what to do.

"The beast has awoken it would seem."

"Beast?"

"Well. He isn't truly a beast. He is a man. He just needs to remember that he is a man that's all."

Belle hugged her knees and started to cry. "I don't want to die."

"You aren't going to die, just follow me."

Belle had picked her head up and wiped away her tears. She rose from the floor and followed the jumping candelabra hoping that she would be able to survive the night.