Hi everyone, a pretty short chapter this time but still eventful :D Enjoy
This might be the last chapter for the next few weeks because I am drowning in A Levels but hopefully I'll start writing at this again maybe late December possibly in the new year, but enjoy this chapter or take the oppurtunity of no updates to reread haha.
The Christmas holidays went quickly, and everyone enjoyed spending time with their families and even to the pessimists delight, it snowed from Christmas eve all up until New Years. First day back was cold, fresh and again full of fake positivity and seniors swearing off procrastination this semester.
Tiana and her mother had a good Christmas that year, the tenth one without her father, the two found it particularly special to have one another. She headed to cooking class ready for notes, she sorted out her folder, colour coordinated and all new plastic wallets. Mr Remmy gave them a pop quiz to refresh their memeory and Tiana felt pretty good. That was until 9:10.
"Hey, Tiana?" Naveen whispered loudly, "can I borrow a pen?"
Tiana sighed and handed him one,
"Hey, Tiana?"
Tiana looked at him,
"What's this answer?"
Tiana pointed at the correct one,
"Tiana was does this mean?"
"You don't know what a carbohydrate is?" she half snapped
she expected him to shrug and smirk, to glance at her paper. Instead he slumped slightly in his chair and went pink,
"English is not my first language" he shrugged
Tiana winced at her ignorance, she suddenly felt a huge surge of guilt. After all, her grandparents didn't speak full English well and suddenly she felt quite bad for Naveen,
"I'm sorry" she sighed, "I completely forgot"
"It's OK, it is not your fault" he slightly chuckled, "I will use google translate"
Tiana smiled guiltily, and watched as he googled away.
When class headed to an end, everyone began packing away and Tiana tried to find the moment to apologise again but Kronk got there first,
"Hey Naveen," he said in his deep voice "I heard about Harvard, congratulations"
"Harvard?" Tiana asked, her head jolting
"Everyone's talking about it" Kronk shrugged, "Naveen got into Harvard"
"Already?" Tiana cried, "but... but I've only just sent off my application for scholarship!"
Naveen chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, "My parents pulled some strings... it wasn't my idea"
Tiana turned away and grimaced, she forgot about all the rich kids and their parents, the 'string pulling' the money, the ease of it all. She made a mental note to do an extra shift that week.
"Thanks Kronk" Naveen smiled, watching Tiana head out of the classroom, "but next time don't mention it around Tiana"
"Why not?" Kronk asked aimlessly,
"Tiana... she has her heart set on Harvard and-"
Kronk waited and Naveen paused,
"I don't want to ever upset her"
Kronk laughed his infamous laugh "Right, gotcha!" he said, "but why?"
"Because... because Tiana... is my Evangeline"
Kronk pulled a very confused face but shrugged as if not bothered by what Naveen had said.
Jasmine told Mulan, Ariel and Rapunzel all about the date as soon as she got home- and Rapunzel as soon as she saw her. They all gushed and agreed Aladdin seemed great. Admittedly, Tiana knew he was a bit awkward, less so than she was but he was sweet, and genuine- at least Jasmine thought so.
That afternoon, she passed him in the corridor and instead of watching him stare and attempt to be subtle, or his friends laugh and jeer he smiled, and she smiled, and then he did something she really didn't expect. He stopped,
"Hey" he said with an uneasy chuckle,
Mulan, Ariel and Rapunzel shrunk into the background and watched on
"I was wondering if you wanted to go on another date soon?" he asked,
Jasmine couldn't help but grin and then immediately tried to compose herself, "Sure" she said, "We- we can do that"
She mentally slapped herself, usually she was the calm one now she was stammering like a twelve year old.
"Cool" he said, with a quick and cute wink leaving the four girls squealing in the corridor.
Phoebus' tutoring paid off and Esmeralda had all good grades at the end of the Christmas term. In fact, she had done better than Phoebus. The two sat in the common room that lunch time away from their friends focusing on a new set essay... well it wasn't exactly new. It had been set to do over the break but neither of them had actually done it.
"Phoebus I can't do it" she stated
He rolled his eyes, "You did just fine last semester- in fact you did great. You can do it"
"But-" she started
"Stop being lazy" he stuck his tongue out
"I'm getting fries" she shrugged, throwing her pen down and stalking out
As soon as she left the room Phoebus deep sighed and stretched out his legs, completely confuzzled by how the hell that girl was the best and worst thing in his life.
In freshmen year Phoebus and Flynn showed up in their favourite jeans and t-shirts, thinking they looked pretty cool actually. They were 15, the mid teens, the prime of teens and they felt pretty invincible. The two had been friends since elementary and now they were about to take on High School, the girls, the parties, the pranks!
Their first lesson was religious education, with Frollo. Not that Phoebus or Flynn knew what to expect.
They sat in the fifth row at the very back. They hung about as students piled in and waited around for a teacher, cracking jokes and throwing balls of paper ripped from last years display boards, but as they swung on their chairs in walked two dark haired, skinny girls. The first with dark skin and sleek hair, she was taller and somewhat lankier than her friend who's frizzy hair was seemingly untamed and who's figure was slightly fuller than most girls their age. Phoebus got up, heading for the bin at the front where he was about to throw away the papers he and Flynn had been throwing but as he did, he half tripped, jolting and bumped past the girl who was squeezing past the desks.
"What do you think you're doing?!" she cried, "NEVER touch me there again!"
Flynn immediately began giggling and Phoebus blushed pink as the whole class turned to stare at their new classmates and the first awkward encounter,
"Wait- I didn't mean it" he began, "I don't want to touch your bum- not that it isn't nice... WAIT-"
She stared
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I really am!" he said, helplessly
Esmeralda just blinked, shocked, "You son of a -"
"Watch it, we're in a classroom" he half joked, and she scowled
"Chill Es, I don't think he meant it" Pocahontas stepped in, watching how Phoebus shifted uncomfortably and how Flynn was scoffing laughter
Esmeralda just stared, arms crossed
"OK guys make up" Pocahontas prompted
"Make up with a creepy, fondling-"
"Hey I'm no creep!" Phoebus began, this time with no stumbling apology, standing straighter "take a look around, no ones interested in your or your ass"
Flynn laughed even more
"God, stop flattering yourself" Phoebus shook his head and fell back into his chair while Esmeralda looked down, actually surprised at his defensiveness
A few seconds of silence passed before her mouth upturned into a smirk, "Esmeralda" she said,
Phoebus pulled a puzzled look at Flynn who shrugged,
"Phoebus" he said with a tilt of the head like a confused puppy,
Esmeralda pulled a face
"It- It means 'Sun God'"
She rolled her eyes, "Whatever Mr Sun, just be quicker to stand your ground next time eh? I like that in a man"
"Tiana!" Pocahontas called, "Hey Tiana!"
Tiana turned in the common room, Pocahontas was headed towards her looking pretty stressed
"Hey, What's up? Prom plans?"
"Er-no no" Pocahontas stammered, sitting down beside her "you were in the school play last year right?"
"Right" Tiana confirmed, "we were in it together"
"Listen, I really can't do it this year- i thought I could but what with school and..."
she stopped,
"Personal stuff" she said slowly, "- I can't take it on and you're the only person I know who could manage it, slay it and learn it in time"
Tiana opened her mouth to argue
"Oh please Tia!" Pocahontas said, "It's only a small role and I know you could do it, Clopin knows you can too"
Tiana really couldn't, she knew she couldn't. She knew Pocahontas had similar stresses, school, committees, prom, college and whatever other personal matters but so did she! Was she going to risk Harvard to play a tiny role in a play?
"Pocahontas, just the girl I needed" Naveen strolled over, interrupting
"Me?" she shook her head, "What's up?"
"Remember John Rolfe?" he asked, falling into a green beanbag beside the two girls
Pocahontas shook her head,
"From the party? James Bond?"
"Oh!" she cried, "Of course! He was so sweet!"
"He's heading here to Disney, thinking of attending Pixar College- he's a year older you know- and wanted to see if I could get him your number"
Pocahontas blushed but held back a small smile of flattery, "Oh wow"
"He was very keen on you" Naveen insisted
"Er- sure why not Naveen" Pocahontas smiled, but turned back to Tiana "So will you do it?"
Tiana swayed slightly,
"Do what?" Naveen piped up,
"Replace me in the play" Pocahontas told him,
"In the play?" he chuckled, "Tiana can't act surely, she's good at cooking sure but acting?"
Pocahontas winced at his words and Tiana scowled,
"Sure, I'll do it. When are rehearsals?" she agreed with a smug smile and Naveen grinned a tad too.
Belle and Adam hadn't spoken since the ball, not that either of them were avid Facebook users or texters, but Belle had been quite excited to see him finally... not that she would admit it.
Coincidentally, however, Belle didn't see Adam all day. Not until 3:00pm when she headed out of the school doors for home after a long day.
"Belle!" he called, leaping from a brick wall and heading towards her oddly more bouncing than dragging
"Adam!" she smiled, "How are you?"
"Good, happy new year by the way" he said, walking alongside her
Belle took note on how his hair was now up in a bun as opposed to hanging limply on his cheeks and his trousers were fitted and not dragging along the sidewalk.
"How was your Christmas?"
Adam shrugged, "OK, you?"
"Well" she nodded, "my father and I had a quiet one this year with his brother Michel, my mothers side moved to Paris"
Adam listened, "How did your mother die?" he asked casually but in a smaller than usual voice
Belle hesitated for a moment,
"She wasn't very well" she said with a sad smile, "It was about nine years ago now"
"I'm sorry" he said genuinely,
"It's alright, me and Papa get along just fine"
"Well I was wondering if you wanted to get dinner" Adam said with a slight stutter
Belle looked up, her eyes twinkled but her eyebrows were raised
"Not like that!" he cried quickly, "just as another thank you, an extra thank you for being so great at the ball"
Belle considered this, "Not tonight" she said softly, "Papa made his famous German style soup, he's been excited for it"
Adam nodded with a bit of a frown, "I see, not to worry"
Belle felt a twang of guilt, he had obviously taken a lot of courage to ask and she'd had to turn him down- but her father made this soup so rare and took so much pride in it
"Unless... would you like to join us?" Belle suggested
Adam blushed, "No thanks" he said quickly, "I'm sure your father won't want me intruding"
"Oh please" she insisted, "he makes so much- we practically eat it for days"
Adam winced a bit, he knew it would probably be dead awkward
"Oh please Adam" she said, "from one friend to the other?"
Adam suddenly had an image of 'friend zone' memes in his head but shook them away quickly,
"Uh.. OK why not?"
Belle and Adam walked a few blocks down to her house. The little houses roses in the garden had died now, the windows steamed over from the heat inside and a rosy glow was coming from them.
"It looks sweet" Adam commented as they headed through the garden fence and Belle fumbled with her keys at the lock, her hands red with cold
"Why not knock?" Adam suggested
"He'll be through in the kitchen listening to music" Belle chuckled, "He won't hear us"
Adam had the image of a tall, slender older man with green-brown eyes like Belle and an intimidating glare.
Belle pushed the door open and they were met with a small little lounge room with dated floral sofas, warm beige carpet and old tussled green and pink rug. A small rustic table had a little television set on and there was a huge bookshelf rested against the wall that hid the staircase. Belle hooked her bag and coat over an old coat hanger by the door and walked daintily through the lounge into the kitchen. Adam followed, curiously and awkwardly. The kitchen was small too. A round table propped to the left and her father bustled around the rickety oven, the small kitchen, chestnut and wooden made Adam feel more at home then he ever did in his own house. There was a strong smell of peas and of the hot stove, rattling somewhat; but the most attention grabbing thing was Belle's small and stout father with his happy moustache and expression dancing around loudly to old style music, his hips swayed as he stirred at the pot.
"Papa!" Belle smiled, kissing him on the head.
Her father turned the radio down and gave his daughter a hug, "Soups nearly ready now!" he chuckled,
"Finally" she said, "Er... Papa you don't mind if we have a guest for dinner do you?"
"Well of course not, a friend?"
Belle turned her father around to face Adam, tall and startled looking in the doorway.
"This is my friend Adam" she said with a deep breath,
Her fathers eyes worked up to the tall boy and his face stayed on the boys for a moment before he smiled cheerily,
He grabbed the auburn haired boys hand and half bounced half walked toward him,
"Nice to meet you, Adam!" he said, "there's lots of soup, oh do take your coat off make yourself at home!"
Belle giggled at how Adam pulled his coat off and stood shocked at the mans behaviour but as her father pulled off the guests coat and took it away Adam actually laughed a bit, and his shoulders dropped, his face relaxed and he smiled a toothy and genuine smile at Belle.
Flynn and Phoebus left Aladdin and Hercules to head to the gym after school, Esmeralda and Pocahontas were staying behind for some extra studying classes and they were off to get their hands on the first fast food they could find.
They headed down the high street, rather slow from school, heading for the mall.
"Flynn?" Phoebus asked slowly, "what do you think of Esmeralda?"
Flynn just pulled a confused face and shrugged, "What do I think of her?"
"Yeah... you know... as a person?"
"I think she's stubborn and way too liberal- why?"
Phoebus shook his head, "No reason"
"Just admit it" Flynn said casually, "you like her"
"What? That's crazy!" Phoebus cried defensively
"It's not, not if you think about it, you guys get on almost better than we do, you laugh at each others jokes, we can't deny she's hot- Oh yeah and you're always totally obsessively staring at her when you think no ones looking"
Phoebus gawped at how suddenly observant Flynn was.
"Do- Does... I mean- how do you know?"
"Listen dude" Flynn continued casually, "As much as it pains me to admit, you're my best friend and sadly there's nothing I don't pick up"
Phoebus didn't even know what to say, he had no idea Flynn paid so much attention, especially for someone who had no work done ever at school.
"So... too liberal huh?" Phoebus asked
"Huh?- Oh yeah way too liberal I mean sometimes I just want to eat lunch in peace, you know?"
Phoebus nodded, but he didn't know. He wanted to listen to her liberal rants every day.