Chapter Seven: You Have My Word

Anna practically danced through the doors to Disney High. After Jasmine agreed to Aladdin's date yesterday, she couldn't help but giddily wonder if Hans was next. Sure, she knew he hadn't exactly asked her out at the vending machine but she had thought of nothing else since. Now, every time she spotted a group of boys in the hallway she flicked her hair and fixed her skirt in case he was there. She knew her friends had noticed the changes in behaviour, posting more on Instagram, wearing more makeup and running late to classes but she didn't care, she liked a guy and she figured now that Jasmine was going to date, it was her turn.

Anna approached her locker and pulled out Hamlet before checking her new winterberry lipstick in the small mirror, using her nail to drag an uneven edge away and then slammed the door shut.

"Anna" Anna jumped, Hans was stood grinning at her from behind her locker door, smoothly leant against the wall.

"Hey, Hans!" she cried, feeling herself ache with jitters, excitement, awkwardness- he was gorgeous!

"How are you? You look cute today"

"Thank you!" she giggled, smoothing her skirt over.

"Hey, Anna" Elsa's husky voice joined them and Anna turned again to see Elsa glancing between the two.

"Hi! Elsa-er- Hans this is my sister Elsa"

Hans eyes twinkled, "nice to meet you, Elsa" he drooled. Elsa forced a smile and then turned to her sister once more.

"Dad wants to meet at the mall after school to buy mum some birthday presents and have dinner"

Anna grinned and nodded, "That sounds great! I'll meet you outside after last period!"

"OK, and try not to dawdle" Elsa half laughed, taking her leave with a side glance at Hans.

"Bye Elsa!" Anna waved, Elsa waved back and then hurried off.

"The ever, lovely, Winter sisters!" Hans flattered,

Anna giggled in response, "Elsa's a little quiet but she's nice one you know her. You'll probably really like her!"

"I'm sure I will" Hans said, a slight smirk forming on his pale face.

The bell for lunch rang and Cinderella rushed out of the building and half ran towards Duke's Cafe to grab herself a strong coffee before her last class. She had been up late last night doing homework, going over studies and then she had to go grocery shopping, make three separate dinners for each fussy step-family member. By the time laundry was done, dinner was cooked, the house was clean it was nearly midnight by the time Cindy had showered and got to her bedroom where homework awaited her. As if it wasn't bad enough, as soon as he had fallen asleep there was a loud thudding at her bedroom door as her stepmother yelled that she had to turn the air conditioning on because she was far too hot. Cinderella got up, adjusted the temperature of the house but as soon as she settled back down to sleep the birds were chirping, the sun was rising and she was not getting back to sleep anytime soon. Cinderella drank two strong coffees before school alone and she felt herself falling asleep since, she rushed through the door to Duke's and grabbed herself an extra strong, extra large latte.

"Cinderella?" Cindy turned and saw Aurora in a fancy little blue ensemble, tailored skirt and jacket "You look super tired!"

Philip and Charles emerged from a booth, "Hey Cindy, grabbing some lunch too?"

"Just a coffee" she explained "I better get back to school or I'll be late for fifth"

"Oh don't be silly! Get a lift with us, right Charles?" Aurora smiled

Charles grinned "Sure thing, no rush" Cinderella grinned and gushed several thanks before sitting with them in the booth. They offered her half of their baguette and they all sat around discussing when cheer practice would start and just how terrible of a teacher Yzma was. Cindy smiled dreamily, perhaps this was the friendship she had been blind too. The friendship like in movies, Aurora really was like Cher Horowitz. Maybe Cindy was Ty.

Megara sat in the corner of the common room, her headphones in and an unpleasant expression on her face. It was only a second week back and she was already feeling like crap. Gaston had harassed her all of yesterday and Hades had been on her case all week, annoyed she hadn't stayed the night but she was surprisingly far too busy with stacks of senior year assignments. Not that he cared. Being friends with benefits with him had some serious pros and cons. The sex was good, carefree, and it was nice to have someone to have a beer with on the weekend, but he wasn't a proper companion. He wasn't even the best company. He was snarky, controlling and incredibly moody; he dismissed most of what she said and did and wasn't sweet. Not like-

"Hello, Meg" Hercules smiled down at her, "can I sit with you?"

Meg yanked away an earphone and blinked up at him, "ah, if it isn't Wonder Boy". Hercules chuckled, waiting for a reply to her question. Meg glanced at the spare seat beside her and considered for a second, "No, sorry Herc"

"Oh" his shoulders dropped disheartened, "well you could come and sit with us" he gestured to his friends on the other side of the room.

"I don't think so" she tried, but Hercules was already keen on the idea softly pulling her from her seat "it's OK, they won't even notice you"

"Hercules- err- I don't think they'd really want me to sit with them" she hissed but Hercules was intent, he wanted to get to know her and make the effort. Hercules sat down and beckoned Meg to join in, he was ready to introduce her but the group were already in deep conversation.

"You did, what?" Aladdin cried

"If we didn't, who would have?" Esmeralda asked

"This is awful!" Aladdin shook his head, "I can't! I can't take her on a date!"

"Well, why not?" Phoebus asked, shoving a handful of M&M'S into his mouth.

"For starters, I've never even spoke to her"

"Now you can" Flynn said

"I haven't got the money for a date, especially not a date she'd expect" Aladdin continued,

"I'll lend you some" Phoebus said

"You're going to have too! You told her I was rich!" Aladdin snapped

Phoebus sighed, "so I exaggerated a bit"

"A little!" Aladdin fell deeper into the red bean bag he was sat in.

Pocahontas frowned, "you guys... I must agree with Al. You shouldn't have got involved"

"Hey! I didn't condone the lying!" Esmeralda said

"You need to tell the truth" Pocahontas said, usually the voice of reason

"Well he can't now" Flynn said, "he'll look like an even bigger liar"

Aladdin groaned, "I was perfectly happy stalking her Instagram daily!"

"Oh... hey... Meg" Esmeralda noticed, sitting up straighter and eyeing the newcomer sceptically.

"I said Meg could sit with us today, is that cool?" Hercules asked innocently. Pocahontas and Esmeralda exchanged a quick, age-old look and Phoebus cleared his throat awkwardly, "Sure!" he forced a casual smile.

"So... Meg... how are you enjoying history?" Esmeralda said suggestively, still adamant Meg fancied their teacher. Pocahontas coughed forcefully to shut her friend up and then the group sat in an uncomfortable silence until Flynn finally spoke.

"Hey guys, you know that girl yesterday? The one with brown hair, she was sat with Jasmine yesterday"

Esmeralda grinned and Pocahontas raised her giddy eyebrows, "Yeah?"

"Who was she?"

Belle sat in the back of math class, despising every single moment as Mr Jafar paced the front talking nonsense about Pi, Belle cared less and less every second.

"Now turn to pages 21, complete the first few questions have a peer mark them and then we will confer"

Belle sighed and raised her hand, "may I be excused to the bathroom?"

Jafar sighed, an infamous teacher sigh, before warning her to be quick. She jumped out of her seat and hastened out of the room but soon slowed as she arrived in the empty corridor, keen to waste time. She heard the classroom door behind her and grimaced, thinking Jafar had come to tell her he'd changed his mind- he was after all quite mercurial- instead, it was Gaston.

"Hello, Belle. I sure do hate math, don't you?"

"I don't know many people who like it" she said bluntly, quickening speed.

"Well then, we should waste as much time as possible. Let's take a stroll" he caught her pace alongside her.

"I'm headed to the bathroom so-"

Gaston grabbed her forearm and tugged her along the narrow, left corridor "It'll be short" he insisted, but his tone was less playful and Belle began to feel a little intimidated. They walked along and Gaston began boasting about football last year, the successes and how Hans and Kronk weren't nearly so good but Belle wasn't really listening. She was more worried about how tight his grip was becoming.

"Hey seriously, we should get back" she tried "Jafar won't be happy"

"We're only hanging out. It's only math" he shrugged, moving her to learn against a wall where he closed in on her with a smirk.

Belle scoffed, "No thanks" she said, ducking out of his enclosure and backing away.

"Don't be frigid, no one's about" he half laughed, grabbing her arm again but Belle grimaced, walking away. Gaston's face soured as he grabbed her, trying to press his lips to hers. Belle resisted, raising an arm to slap his face away but he grabbed her hand aggressively and laughed. Belle could feel his weight on her, pushing against her hips and her eyes closed, blinking away tears when suddenly his heaviness disappeared from her, he was removed and her chest loosened.

"What the fuck! Creep!" Gaston spat. Adam glared with dark blue eyes, swimming in anger. He had clearly pulled Gaston away and thrown him to the floor where Gaston was now sulking, stuck on his rear.

"Stop being a fucking bigot" Adam whispered threateningly before he took Belle's wrist, surprisingly gently, and lead her away from the frustrated jock. Belle didn't comment on his heroic deed this time, she knew it wouldn't be worth the argument. Adam headed straight into an empty class room, almost too confidently, and closed the door; he stood staring at her before he strode towards the desk and sat on it casually, coldly, beginning to talk.

"Didn't you learn a lesson the first time? Why are you always hanging around that asshole?"

Belle shuddered at the bitterness in his tone, "I'm not. I don't like him. He's always catching me alone" she said.

Adam was silent.

"If I were so interested in him, he wouldn't have been so forceful, he never leaves me alone"

Adam still said nothing.

Belle felt tears begin to well up at the lack of respect Adam was showing her and at how badly Gaston had just treated her, the situation she had been in and how easily it had happened.

"Don't cry" Adam said blankly, the tiniest hint of sympathy in his expression "listen... he's going to give you trouble till the day you graduate. He's persistent, he's arrogant"

"I know"

"If you want, I can give you a hand. I can't stop him coming near you" he said simply. Belle looked up at him for sign of a sneer or a chuckle but his face was straight, his eyes genuine.

"What... do you mean?" she blinked

"He's scared of me" Adam shrugged "Sure, he's charismatic but he knows I'll take him in a fight"

"Violence shouldn't be the answer" Belle shook her head.

"Right... so the situation you were in a minute ago, you would have gotten out of his grasp with words?"

Belle considered this, hating that he was right. She didn't believe in violence, it wasn't nice to witness or be part of but she couldn't deny that seeing Gaston on the floor like that brought her joy.

"You want to help me?" she raised an eyebrow, "what's in it for you?"

Adam lost her eye, shifting uncomfortably.

Ah. So there is a catch, Belle thought.

"One thing" Adam said "I need... a... -ahem- date"

Belle was taken aback, unsure what to say... what did he even mean?

"Don't judge me alright" he said quickly "I need a date... my parents throw this huge, thing- event- and I need a date-"

"Wait, why do you need a date for that?"

"Let me finish, would you!" he growled, "you should learn to be patient!"

"Well, you should learn to control your temper" she shot back and he looked away sheepishly before continuing.

"There's some jerks there, my dad's friends and his kids... our age. They... well it doesn't matter- are you in?"

Belle pitied him a little, listening to him speak like an actual, angsty, teen not an angry boy.

"Are you in?" he snapped again

"Safe from Gaston in exchange for one date?" she pondered aloud, she'd never been on a date before much less a fake one. The two sat silently for a moment, considering the oddity and absurdity of the situation they had found themselves in.

"I'm in" she sighed, wondering what on earth she was getting herself in too.

Gaston and Hans sat in the changing rooms alone, they had headed down there to grab an ice pack for Gaston who's arm was sore from having been flown to the floor. He held the ice pack to his wrist, it was his first opportunity since math to sit and talk to Hans, and the two were angry.

"-So, then that loner Adam came up out of no where, punched me in the face and Belle stood there saying nothing" Gaston sneered.

"What an asshole" Hans said

"He's tangled with the wrong guy, and so has Belle! No one says no to me"

"We'll get him back, we always do" Hans assured. They sat in silence for a moment, Gaston boiling with anger but Hans with a nagging smugness.

"You know the Winters sisters?" he asked,

"The triplets?"

"What? No. There's one in our year, one the year below"

Gaston thought for a moment, "are they cute?"

"Elsa, white hair. She's new"

"Oh!" Gaston realised, "she's hot! And there's something so attractive about quiet girls! Who's her sister?"

"A redhead with pigtails, Anna"

"A cute-type" Gaston grinned, "which one are you scoring with?"

"The younger one, at least I'm trying"

"Well, we could make it more interesting"

"How so?"

"By the end of the year, score with both"

"Both?" Hans repeated, "you think?"

"Fifty bucks says you can't" Gaston challenged. Hans sat for a minute, going over the proposition, "Both sisters by the end of the year. Fifty bucks says you're on"

Gaston chuckled lowly and the two shook slimy hands.