AH guys so Christmas is around the corner! love it I'm excited for this chapter! Imagine this chapter is the last week of Christmas before school and the next chapter will be Christmas holidays.
With Christmas just weeks away, the students of Disney High fell into a cosy and cinnamon scented haze of Christmas Carols and woollen scarves. It was true, the town of Disney took Christmas very seriously. The mall was decorated months in advance, glistening in tinsel and holly sprigs. Every shop blared Christmas Carols and Mariah Carey and everywhere you went a fake Christmas tree branch poked at you. And as if hanging out at the mall on the weekend surrounded by fake Santa's and ball-balls wasn't enough, school was just as bad. The younger years, and even a few seniors too, would make a point to wear Santa hats while the lockers were framed with red and gold tinsel and the teachers classrooms were all given a mini Christmas tree by order or Principal Walt himself whom loved Christmas and reminded the students of it every year. And the worst part of it all, no one could deny the happiness in the atmosphere.
"I hate Christmas assembly" Flynn would groan "Walt always does the boring speech and tells that story about how he got his wife a puppy and-"
"Oh!" Esmeralda cried, "-and how he put it in a hat box and they called her Lady, I love that story"
"Well you're the only one" Flynn would snap, and Phoebus would remind him that "Walt's a decent principal, even if he does tell that story every year".
This year, however, Flynn reacted surprisingly differently. As predicted, the principal told his students the famous puppy story come December 1st and as they took their seats in the Auditorium Pocahontas and Esmeralda sighed, awaiting Flynn's ramblings.
"You know what" he said as they filed out of the assembly,
"You fell asleep?" Esmeralda asked,
Flynn shot her a look, "no, I don't always fall asleep you know!"
"Fine,fine, what?"
"That's actually a cute story- I mean Rapunzel would love a puppy and - hey hey!" he cried as his friends all grinned broadly, "don't get it twisted I'm not going to get her a puppy or anything and I don't-"
"You love her!" Pocahontas cried,
"What!" Flynn squawked, stopping dead in his tracks, "I just said I don't!"
"You totally love her!" Esmeralda joined in, "the puppy story sparked you all up!"
"sparked what up?" a sweet voice was heard and the gang turned to face a wide eyed Rapunzel,
"Oh-er" Flynn started,
"It annoys Flynn" Aladdin said, "Walt tells it every year"
"Oh, well I loved it!" Rapunzel sighed, "it was so sweet and oh how I'd love a little puppy!"
"Funny that" Esmeralda muttered and Flynn narrowed his eyes. At that moment Ariel appeared from the assembly hall and tugged on Rapunzel's upper arm,
"Come on Rapunzel we gotta go, Jafar will get all angry and he can be scary"
"See you later guys" Rapunzel said quickly and she hurried away with Ariel,
"She's like a big puppy herself if you ask me" Phoebus said,
"Now now," Esmeralda grinned, "don't go making eyes at Flynn's girl!"
Flynn groaned, "she's not my girl, she's whoever wants her girl and I'm not getting her a puppy and-"
Flynn started down the corridor rambling on and on about how he didn't care in many phrases and statements while the rest of the group followed, scoffing and raising their eyebrows at his blatant denial.
Belle wrapped her old black coat around her as she headed across the courtyard to the art block for her first lesson. The assembly hall was cold and she had shivered the whole way through Mr Walt's speech, not that it mattered. She had heard it before, but she had to admit it always warmed her heart a little. She's always wanted a puppy and she rather liked the sound of 'Lady', the principals little dog, her father had not allowed pets aside the scrappy dog they had for a few years, Phillipe, died, not long after her mother had.
She enjoyed art, she wasn't all that good, but she did enjoy it. She headed over and saw a handful of classmates already by the door, waiting for the teacher to show up and let them in, among them a huge figure in a black trench coat looking oddly quite smart.
"Adam?" Belle asked, pulling at his shoulder
he turned to face her and his eyes widened, "Hey, Belle"
"I didn't know you took art" she raised an eyebrow,
Adam just shrugged, ignoring her question "Did you make sure that dress has stayed in its cover?"
"Yes" she rolled her eyes, "I haven't even glanced at it, it's safe"
"Good" he nodded, "Remember Saturday December 19th-"
"8:00pm" she finished for him, "I know, I know... do you ever talk about anything else?"
Adam blinked at her and there was a long pause,
"Dinner" he said simply
"Pardon?" Belle asked, bewildered
"What's your favourite food?"
Belle looked on, confused "I guess I like... biscuits"
"Biscuits?" he half chuckled, "a whole world of meats and breads and international foods and... and you go for biscuits?"
"Well what do you like?"
Adam looked taken aback as though he'd never expected her to ask him in return, "Oatmeal is nice"
Belle laughed, "a whole world of meats and breads and international foods and you go for oatmeal?"
Adam stifled a laugh, and pulled an unconvincing scowl, "oh whatever"
Tiana scrolled through the collection of yearbook photos her and Lottie had picked up, her folders were separated into printed, not printed and then numbered by page. She finished uploading photos from the party and then began clicking through them. There were some great shots and Tiana had made sure that alcohol was scarce from the images particularly in their hands. The first few were of Lottie and the cheer squad, grinning at the camera on the porch from different angles. There were a few blurred photos, a few random shots of the dance floor and of the kitchen surfaces. One of Gaston and Hercules, Gaston grinning at the camera and Hercules smiling politely, Meg's big ponytail visible behind him. A few photos were of the junior girls that Tiana didn't know very well, Ariel and Jasmine and Rapunzel all looking very cute and grinning, hands around each others waists and shoulders. Jasmine truly glowed and Tiana felt a hint of jealousy, a realisation that she hadn't even had any photos of herself. She continued scrolling through photos of Esmeralda and Pocahontas and their selfies, smiley and pouty. There were a few shots taken by Lottie of Kronk and plenty of Naveen- some centred and others off guard. Then Tiana saw a photo, one that made her look closely at the screen. It was of her, she was in the pretty arctic blue dress, shimmering in the camera's flash. She was off guard, leaning against the kitchen counter, she had a pen in her hand and a focused expression concentrating on something on the counter by her but you couldn't see it in the photo. Tiana knew it was a crossword she had found in a pile that she was completing in boredom even though a few had already been filled in. She smiled, amused at seeing how concentrated she looked. She went to click next before spotting the left side of the image. Within the crowd of heads turned to the mini bar or the fridge, or even the clear side profile of Tinker Bell pouring a some glasses of 'green fairy' shots; was Naveen. He had the Jack Sparrow wig and facial hair sprawled over his shoulder, a can of cola in his hand and a dazed look, smiling over at... it couldn't be? Her? Tiana squinted. It was apparent, he was staring at her... he looked a lot younger suddenly, puppy love-looking young boy and he had the smallest grin.
Tiana grinned. She grinned very broadly, and immediately cursed herself for it. She knew, really, he was probably off right now flirting with Aurora or some other rich, pretty girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She knew he wouldn't want to be with her, she knew the kiss he gave her that night meant nothing especially since he'd found out she wasn't rich or even remotely wealthy. Still, though Tiana smiled and continued to stare at the image.
"Hey Tia!" Lottie headed in in her cheer outfit, Red, black and gold complete with the 'Mickey Mouse' mascot on the back of the top.
"Charlotte, aren't you freezing?"
"I'm frozen stiff" she joked, "How's the yearbook photos going?"
Tiana rushed to click off the photo and instead opened a photo of Charlotte posing as Marilyn Monroe in her costume,
"Oh these photos look great!" Charlotte beamed, "I've managed to prepare pages for the party so we just have to choose the best ones"
"Sounds great" Tiana agreed, glancing at the thumbnail of the photo, her photo. The one of her and Naveen.
"Right let's go get some lunch" Charlotte announced, pulling her little pink coat on over her uniform
"Sure" Tiana said, pulling her coat and scarf on too and then they headed off to the cafeteria.
Naveen knocked at the door to the yearbook editing office,
"Charlotte, Tiana?" he knocked again, harder and the door gave way
Naveen peered in and saw the empty office, a box of photos ready for putting in sat and Naveen felt a curious glint his eye. He headed over, closing the door behind him and began sifting slowly through the photos. There were a few from freshmen year, Charlotte with braces, detailed with pink and Tiana with a huge green sweatshirt, Meg was next to them too, her little waist wasn't so little and she looked a lot younger than the other girls. There was also one of Phoebus and Flynn, without facial hair and their slender bodies but with weedy arms and baby faces. Naveen grinned, a twang of unhappiness hit him. He knew that despite having made friends, he'd never have a bond with them that they had with each other. They knew each other for years, he only knew them for a few months.
He spotted Tiana's laptop, a frog sticker by the mouse-pad and a cup of cold coffee rested on the desk beside it. Naveen spotted the party thumbnails and opened the already open tabs, a photo of Lottie was open and Naveen rolled his eyes a bit but laughed. He opened the next one and his eyebrows raised. A photo of him, looking dumbly over at the other side of the room... but he knew it wasn't the kitchen wall he was looking at. Tiana, sat with a scrunched up face and pen rested neatly by her cheek. He smiled there and then too at the image of her and sighed. He glanced at the coffee cup and could smell it strongly in its coldness, it was black coffee and smelt pretty cheap- he scolded himself for being so snobbish-
He remembered a book he read last year on the air plane home from a holiday in Spain. He remembered how his phone had fallen and smashed at the airport and he bought the first book he saw for some inflight entertainment which happened to be a poem book, full of poems of different sorts. He thought then, looking at the photo of Tiana, of the poem 'Ma Belle Evangeline' by Ray Fly,
'Look how she lights up the sky
Ma Belle Evangeline
So far above me yet I
Know her heart belongs to only me,
Je t'adore, je t'aime, Evangeline
You're my queen of the night
So still, so bright
That someone as beautiful as she
Could love someone like me
Love always finds a way, it's true
And I love you, Evangeline.'
After cheer practice, Cindy rushed to change to eat before lunch ended. She headed out of the changing room, quite uncomfortable. She checked her top was on the right way round but as she headed out over to the cafeteria feeling as though something was wrong, maybe her bra was mis-clipped?
"Er-Cindy?" turning quickly to see Charles, Cinderella gasped and grinned idiotically.
"Hey Charles" she cried,
"I think you- your shoes are on the wrong feet"
Cinderella's grin faded and she looked slowly down at her brown boots that were indeed on the wrong foot. She groaned, knowing exactly why she felt so damn uncomfortable.
"Oh... goodness" she sighed, embarrassed
Charles laughed and she reddened even more.
"Here," he softened, and he pulled her to the side of the corridor out of the way,
He knelled down as if ready to propose and patted his thigh.
Cindy grimaced, looking at him quizzically, "what are you doing?"
"Well quickly then" he laughed, "you have to change your shoes"
Cinderella was very hesitant and she sat slowly down on his thigh as if on a bench and began unlacing her shoes very quickly and fiddly and swapped them over. Then when she was finished, she jumped up and Charles did too as if he hadn't just had a 75lb girl on his leg.
"Cool" he said, "now you don't have two left feet"
Cinderella giggled and tucked her hair behind her ears,
"Well I'll see you around" he said casually, and headed the other way. Leaving Cinderella pink and with her shoes on correctly.
"Hey, what happened to you in rehearsals the other day?" Naveen raised his eyebrow as he pushed the auditorium door open,
"Oh right" Pocahontas frowned, "I had to go home quickly"
Naveen's face blanked at the vague answer, but he shrugged it off as they headed down the steps and fell into their seats in front of the teachers.
"Yeah, why did you rush off?" Esmeralda whispered as Pocahontas fell into her seat,
"Es" Pocahontas sighed, "It was John, he said he wanted to see me... that he needed to see me,"
"Well that's good, right!" Esmeralda half chuckled, "he's practically addicted to you"
"He sounded more solemn" Pocahontas shook her head, "I think somethings going to happen, something- I don't know- bad"
Esmeralda pulled a face, sad and obviously quite lost for words.
"Alright everyone, we've only got a few rehearsals before Christmas so I want to have every line remembered" Clopin grinned,
"And then after Christmas is the fun part- the song sequences!"
There was an excited murmur from everyone, "So make sure you've learnt all your lines over Christmas so we can prepare for the songs"
Esmeralda grinned and giggled with Aurora, but Pocahontas sat rather blankly still.
Ariel sat and shadowed Vanessa, learning the exact same lines and scenes feeling like a ghost in the room. Everyone else was enthusiastic about learning the songs and choreography after Christmas but Ariel had tears prick at her eyes, feeling even more useless. Naveen and Esmeralda went over some scenes, discussing Gabriella's love for pi and and the drama club and between giggles and awkward face pulling from Phoebus, acted brilliantly. Then Phoebus practised spinning a basketball on his finger with Hercules who had offered to come and help him learn for a bit, but who rushed off with Meg afterwards, and Aurora discussed costumes with Clopin and Crab,
"My friend Cindy could help" she explained, "she's great at sewing and tailoring- she's just like a fairy godmother"
Clopin agreed and explained costumes wouldn't be worked on until February anyway but that Aurora and Cinderella could be in charge of them, much to Aurora's delight- she did after all love extra curricular. So Aurora spent the rest of her time sketching and noting out ideas for costumes, deciding that some would have to be exact.
Vanessa ran lines with Eric the whole time even though Ariel was pretty sure she had learnt them all by now, Vanessa would giggle falsely and pretend she had forgotten some lines and stand way too closely. While running lines for the scene where Gabriella finds Troy hiding behind the mop cart, Ariel watched intently, as Eric's long eyelashes batted not intently and he would lick his lips every now and then, before reading a line.
"Um... Miss Darbus is a little... harsh" Troy said
"The Wildcat superstar's scared?" Gabriella asked
"-Actually" Ariel interrupted awkwardly, "the line is 'afraid' not 'scared' because-"
"-because then my line is 'not afraid just scared'" Eric finished for her, and the two shared the smallest smile
Vanessa scowled slightly but shook it off, twiddling her hair "Silly me!"
After rehearsals, Ariel grabbed her backpack and headed out as quickly as possible. After school rehearsals were the worst as it meant Ariel had to walk home in the growing darkness and the bitter cold. She was first out of the hall, script shoved in her bag and hair a mess she headed down the corridor.
"Hey!" Ariel turned around and saw Eric, jogging towards her.
Ariel's heart stopped and she pulled her hair casually to the side, anxious and excited all at once.
"Hey" he repeated stopping by her, as they started an awkward, slow walk
Ariel smiled gimply,
"Er-hi?" he laughed
"OH hi!" Ariel squeaked, trying too hard not to stare into his eyes too intensely.
"I've hardly ever heard you speak" he half joked, "I'm not sure Vanessa was happy about that correction"
Ariel blushed, "I didn't mean too-"
"Oh please" he stopped her, "sometimes she can be so stubborn"
There was a moments silence as they reached the school doors and Ariel lingered slightly,
"I saw you at the party" he added, stopping with her, "you looked pretty cool-ah... you didn't say hi"
"I...I- I didn't know you'd want to talk to me" she admitted,
Eric's eyes widened, "What? Of course I-"
"ERIC!" Eric and Ariel turned to see Vanessa strutting towards them in a black midi dress, velvet and intimidating, "I thought you were going to drop me off?"
"Oh sure" Eric smiled,
"I've got to be home in five minutes" Vanessa continued bluntly, "My mum won't be happy!"
"Alright, alright" Eric pressed his lips together before saying an awkward goodbye to Ariel and heading over to a very smug Vanessa.
"Bye, Ariel!" she called with a toothy grin.
Ariel stomped her foot childishly with frustration, watching the couple head out with their arms linked, before she stormed out of the building and headed home.
Mulan and Hercules had their first practice earlier that morning, he went 'easy' on her but Mulan was still sore and tired. They ran the field and then learnt basic techniques like using the side of the foot and jogging with your arms closer to your body.
"You've got great form" he encouraged, "and the perfect shape for sport,you just gotta get your head round it"
Mulan nodded and smiled at him, he was really encouraging. When they'd finished, they headed to the changing rooms and he handed her a bacon sandwich from his bag and a bottle of apple juice.
"Hey you don't have to do that" she said, handing it back to him
"Hey hey" he said, "eat it, you'll be hungry"
"Thanks" she smiled, as he pulled out one for himself and they ate them together. Despite her awkwardness, they got on pretty well. He was super friendly and her clumsiness made him laugh. Mulan was quite positive about it actually.
"So we'll train over Christmas in the park" he said, "hopefully then by January you can wow the entire team"
Mulan nodded, "Thanks Hercules"
He waved it off, "it's fine I promise, I wish I had someone to have helped me when I wanted to be on the team"
"You weren't always on the team?" she frowned,
"Not until I got a bit bigger, they always said I was too skinny"
Mulan sighed, "Yeah, my mum says I'm too skinny"
"It's OK" he said with a smile, "you just got to have your own confidence, you know?"
"Hey Wonder boy" Megara Miratio approached and Mulan felt smaller, she always felt a bit awkward around especially since she was spending so much time with her boyfriend,
"Hey Meg" Hercules gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and handed her the rest of his bacon roll,
Meg turned to Mulan and Mulan quickly felt herself go red, waiting to be moaned at by Meg and her ultra, notorious bitchy attitude
"Hows the training going?" she asked casually
Mulan blinked, "Er- good yeah good!" she smiled,
Meg smiled, "I just hope you prove those brutes wrong- especially Gaston"
Mulan grinned, a real grin "do you think I will?"
"Of course" Meg said, "they're totally misogynistic it's so great a girls on the team this year"
"That's what I said!" Hercules agreed,
Then, feeling more confident, Mulan headed into the main school building with Meg and Hercules, and then they parted ways for homeroom.
Pocahontas got home and fell into the sofa with a sigh. Her father was out buying a Christmas tree and Grandmother Willow was putting up some fairy lights around the mirror on the wall above the TV.
"Rough day?" the lady asked, balancing on her tip toes,
"Kind of" Pocahontas shrugged, "I'm going to have some chamomile- want some?"
"Is is this boy of yours?" she asked, ignoring her question
Pocahontas frowned, "You always know what's wrong"
Grandmother Willow smiled, stepping away from the lights and checking her handy work,
"Of course I do- now what's the problem?" she fell into the sofa beside her granddaughter and her long fingers stroked at Pocahontas' sleek hair,
"I think he's going to end things" Pocahontas admitted, and suddenly she burst into tears, tears she had been holding back ever since his text last week.
"Oh now" the woman cooed, pulling the girl in for a hug,
They sat for a few moments as Pocahontas cried for a bit, and then finally she sat up and wiped her tears away.
"You're stronger than this" Her grandmother said,
"I know I am" Pocahontas nodded,
"He's a lovely young man to be sure, and I've never misjudged a person have I?"
"No" Pocahontas chuckled and shook her head,
"You will talk to him, and you love him... and he loves you"
Grandmother Willow continued,
"Now whatever happens, you're a beautiful young lady, you are-"
"Strong and intelligent and just like your grandmother!" Pocahontas continued her Grandmother's favourite speech.
The two giggled and shared a hug, before Powhatan was heard heading through the door,
"I've got a tree!" he called, strained.
That night Pocahontas took on board her Grandmother's advice and gave John Smith a call. He sounded pretty casual on the phone and they agreed to meet, he arranged to pick her up in his car.
At 8:00pm, while her father was filing some paperwork in his study and her grandmother was showering Pocahontas slipped out of the house, sending her father a text to let him know she was popping to Duke's with Esmeralda.
A little way down the road John Smith was parked, the headlights were on but it was an eery scene. It was dark and foggy and as she slid into the passenger seat he pulled the convertible roof up. Sat dark and silent in the little car, Pocahontas just wanted to fall into him, to hug and kiss him and to have every problem they had and would have disappear.
"Pocahontas" he smiled an instant upon seeing her and kissed her on the cheek,
"How have you been?" he asked,
"John" she said, "please... just say what you need to say"
John Smith's smouldering grin faded and he put a hand to his head, stressed
"John?" she asked after a few moments of silence, "if you want to end things then just do it"
"No" he shook his head, "I don't want to end things, I love you but..."
He stopped,
"I've got to go back to England" he swallowed,
Pocahontas' heart sank and she couldn't meet his eye, suddenly she felt sick, like she could just hurl, she wanted to run home... see Esmeralda and be comforted but she sat, rigid and rather cold in the stuffy car, the windows fogged over and her handsome John Smith staring expectantly at her.
"Please say something" he half laughed, half begged
"I don't know what to say" she said drily, "Are you going to come back?"
"Ratcliffe transferred me to the firm over there apparently I'm one of the best in the business- it's an honour really" he explained
There was silence,
"But if you don't want me to go... I won't" he said slowly, "I can find another job"
"No" she said, "no you can't, you said so yourself, it's an honour"
"But I don't want to be without you" he admitted,
"John please, don't do anything because of me you've got to go, it's a great opportunity"
"Come with me?"
Pocahontas' heart skipped a beat at the idea of London, of England. The palace, the countryside...
"I can't" she said with a heavy lump in her throat,
"I'm leaving this weekend" he said, "You could come, we could live there and-"
"I'm still in school.. I couldn't possibly leave my father and- and what about university?" Pocahontas felt tears fall down her face now
"OK OK" he said quickly, pulling her in for a hug and holding her tightly, tears falling down his own face now too.
"It'll be OK" he assured her, but they both knew that this was it now.
After about forty minutes of sitting in the car, mumbling, tearing and worrying the couple began to discuss, rationally.
"I'll be back" he told her, "that's for definite, I don't know when. I'm just helping the guys down there get on their feet"
"How long will that take?" she asked,
"Could be a few months, possibly a year"
She nodded understandingly, "I just wish we had more time"
"So do I" he said, "I had some great stuff planned,"
"Like what?" she asked with a small smile
"Let's see ah- I thought about going out to Whoville for Christmas they have some great little cafes and it's always snowing"
Pocahontas grinned, hanging on his every word
"Then Pixar have the best theatre shows, there's this one called 'Wall-E' and I thought you'd love it it's about life on Earth and a robot-I'm really not explaining this properly..." he chuckled
"No no it sounds great" she smiled,
"And then the beach we haven't even been there yet" he shrugged, "and... my place, I was going to make us dinner with candles"
The two stared sadly at one another before enveloping in a kiss, the first since they'd seen each other that day.
"Can we do at least one of those things before you go?" she asked,
"I have some salmon at home" he shrugged, "We could do that romantic dinner"
They headed to John Smiths apartment, it was small and humble, the furniture was dark woods, each room was small and decorated in navies and creams and oranges, Pocahontas liked it. She had never been one for harsh reds or anything. He stuck to his word and cooked up a salmon dinner with some red wine and they sat and for once, they didn't talk about their usual topics. No Marxism, no Eco-friendly solutions, no politics and no talk of their friends or work/school. Instead they talked about something many realists don't often do; they spoke about love and dreams and life and about what the hell stars were doing there.
Afterwards they took the sofa where he put the electric fire on, it wasn't like the little furnace they had at home but it was just as warm and just as romantic. They spent the time giggling and sharing childhood stories, the night was intimate and passionate and loving and two days later while Pocahontas slept at 4am, John Smith passed through security and took his seat on his flight. Missing her sorely.
The last bit about Pocahontas and John Smith KILLED me. sorry guys
Enjoy though...:D