Belle
My summer break was interesting. Since I was home most of the summer I was around my mother a lot when she was off during the daytime. I grew to dislike my mother more and more. I felt as though she knew how much I loved Rumple and she chose to rub it in my face that he was hers. Maybe not, but that's what it felt like when I seen them kissing or talking. When my behavior toward her became increasingly unruly towards her, she wanted to send me to a sleep away summer book camp. My father refused it and that was the end of me going to a camp.
Another interesting thing that happen was another girl at my school gave birth to a child. She was able to hide her growing belly from her parents well, but Aurora Gillespie couldn't hide the labor pains. Her parents teamed up with Ashley Boyd's and they sued the school using my father as their lawyer. Because he was opposing the school, my father took me out of Storybrooke Preparatory and I was transferred into the public school district and my first day of high school would be at Storybrooke High. The same school my siblings all went to. I was so excited at the news, but also sort of discourage about meeting a whole new group of people.
It was my first day of high school. I was thrilled that I didn't have to wear my school uniform, although I became self-conscious at the fact I didn't know what to wear anymore. I was putting my things in my backpack when my sister, Regina strolled into my room.
"Ready for your first day of high school little sister?" Regina asked me flopping down on my bed.
"I guess so, it's not like I have a choice."
She chuckled. "Belle can I ask you a question, sister to sister?"
"Yeah." I said suspiciously with an upward inflection. We've never had a sister to sister talk before. Since Regina was seven years older than me, she had a closer sister bond to Zelena than me.
"Are you a lesbian?" Regina asked.
"A lesbian?" I asked giggling.
"Well yeah. You're 14 and you've never had a boyfriend. There's like no pictures of guys in your room, only this stupid chip tea cup wallpaper." I watch Regina cringe while looking around my room, like it sicken her how girly it was.
"Regina I'm not a lesbian." I said flatly.
"It's okay if you are. I just want to know in case you bring some butch home. I wanna be around when you tell mom." Regina disliked our mother just as much as I did. She was sometime so cruel to Regina because she became a parent at a very young age.
I chuckled. "If it ever happens, I'll make sure you're around."
"But seriously sis, High school is gonna be different. The kids are meaner and the girls are unfeeling. Make friends, get a boyfriend. Don't be in the fucking library all day either like some goddamn bookworm." She said standing from my bed.
"Okay okay, I hear you." I said nodding my head.
"Don't worry about it Belle you'll do fine. Besides, you're a Gold. I doubt anyone will try to mess with you." Regina said before leaving my room.
I watched my dad drive away from the school after dropping me off before turning to face the new and unfamiliar building. The kids were bigger and I still felt like a middle school student while walking in to my new learning environment. Inside, the whole building was in a roar with the mixture of different conversations all conversing at once. The large foyer area where the lockers were kept, reeked. It smelt of sweat, desperation, and hormones. The kids in public school were different from the ones in private school. They were a rowdy bunch. The girls strut around in high heels and short skirts. The muscular boys wore letterman jackets with tight jeans. During changing periods they lined the lockers giggling and talking loudly. Unjustly judging and picking on the young freshmen as they just so happen to pass them. When the lunch bell rang, I was so thankful that my first day was almost over.
The cafeteria was even worst. They were all in a room together. The large room was filled with more unintelligible talking while loud and obnoxious rock music was being played through a Bluetooth speaker from someone's phone. The students seem to not mind, some were even dancing and bobbing their head to the music. When I got into the lunch line I noticed a pretty red-hair girl staring at me with a smile across her face. I pretended not to notice. I just wanted to be invisible for the rest of the day.
"Hi, what's your name?" The strange red-hair girl asked me out of nowhere.
"Belle." I said while paying the lunch lady for my food.
The mysterious girl looks me up and down before scoffing. "No underclassmen, its freshmen." Why was that all the upperclassmen cared about?
"Well, fresh-woman." I quipped back adding a theatrical wave of my hand.
The bubbly red head girl laughed. "That was kind of cute." She held out her hand to me and I questionably looked at it before shaking it. "My name's Ariel. Wanna come sit with us?"
"Who's us?" I said before looking around the cafeteria.
"My friends, over there." She pointed to a table that was surrounded by a gaggle of boys. I barely could make out the friends she was pointing at.
"I don't think I should-"
"Oh don't be silly Belle. You'll fit right in."
Ariel interlocked her arm with mine and led me to a table in the center of the large cafeteria. There were two girl seated there, one had fair skin and jet black hair with streaks of passion red place meticulously throughout her hair. The other had bronze skin and dark brown hair that was brought up into a ponytail.
"Hey bitches, this is Belle." Ariel said before taking her seat next to the girls.
"Belle, huh? Doesn't ring a bell." The girl with red streaks in her hair said looking me up and down. "I'm Ruby and this is Mulan." She said gesturing to the smiling girl with tan skin.
"I don't think we've seen you before." The girl named Mulan said.
"Well I'm a freshman."
"Fresh-woman." Ariel jokes with emphasis. The other two girls gave Ariel an odd look before turning back to me.
"No we mean we haven't seen you before in town either, are you new to Storybrooke?" Ruby asked.
"No, I was born here." Did they really not know who I was? I know I was home a lot but how could people forget about the youngest of Mr. Gold's children.
"Wait a minute. I know who you are." Mulan said hitting the table like a buzzer on a game show. "What's your last name?"
"Gold."
"Ooooooo." The girls all said at once before giggling.
"I knew it! I saw her and Mr. Gold in the paper a couple of months back at some dance." Mulan said to the two other girls who were eyeing me with more enthusiasm then before.
"Gold? I never knew Mr. Gold had another daughter." Ariel said.
"Yeah I guess Regina stole all the attention after she became preggers. She was always such an attention whore." Ruby said making the other girls laugh at her ugly joke. I didn't find it funny. I loved my sister and what happen to her shouldn't be made fun of.
"I heard she use to dress like a drag queen." Ariel said while snickering.
"Don't speak that way of her please." I retorted.
The girls giggled.
"Whoa, calm down Belle." Ruby said playfully holding her hands up as if I was going to strike her.
"Yeah Belle, Geez it was only a joke. Besides, I know your sister. Regina and my cousin, Ursula, were really close when they went to this school."
"Yeah Ursula, Mal, Ella, and Regina use to rule the school a few years back." Mulan said.
"Basically like us." Ruby said using her hand to gesture between the three girls.
"Do you know who we are Belle?" Ariel asked with a raised brow.
"No, I told you this was my first day."
"Well, the peasants call us The Synthetics. But we're way realer then any of these dopes in this stupid fucking school." Ruby said indifferently while shrugging her shoulders.
"Exactly. I don't think it's fake of us just because we appreciate finer things." Ariel added.
"So you guys are the popular girls?" I asked. I had a suspicion.
The girls nodded with big eyes. "Mmhmm."
"What grade are you in?" I asked. They didn't seem or look like seniors.
"We're sophomores." Mulan answered.
"How do sophomores become the most popular girls in school?" I inquired curiously.
"Well for starters, we're very pretty." Ariel said flipping her flowing red hair off her shoulder.
"We have sex appeal." Ruby quickly follows before gently biting one of her utensils seductively with red lips.
"And we're not to be mess with." Mulan the tough girl added before folding her arms across her chest and leaning back into her seat.
"And you would fit in perfectly with us Belle." Ariel said happily.
"How so?" I didn't understand what they saw in me. I was sure I resembled every other freshman in the school. New, scared, and unsure, so why me?
"Well, you have all the qualities, your gorgeous, you don't have much sex appeal but we can work on that. And you're powerful." Ruby explained.
"I'm powerful?" I said almost in shock at the word they use to describe me.
"Well your dad is, so that power trickles down to you too." Mulan clarified.
"Speaking of Mr. Gold. You know about a month ago he was at my granny's bed and breakfast picking up his rent. On his way out he gave me this look that almost made me cream my panties." Ruby said before giggling which only made the rest of the girls laugh.
"Ruby, you freak. What kind of look was it?" Ariel asked.
"It was like he was fucking me with his eyes." Ruby said closing her eyes as if she were imagining my father. "I was wearing my work uniform so I get a lot of stares anyways, but never had I got one that turned me on before."
"So you want Belle's dad to fuck you?" Mulan said before laughing with Ariel.
"Oh My God, shut the hell up, that's not what I said." Ruby said blushing.
"Ummm, okay can we please get off my dad?" I said trying to shake the image of Rumple eye fucking Ruby.
"Sorry Belle, you just have an interesting family." Ruby said with a coy smile.
"I bet there's a lot of interesting things about you too." Ariel said with a raised eyebrow.
"That's why you should hang with us. You're a Gold, you belong." Mulan said.
"So you guys want me to join you just because my last name is Gold?" I scoffed at them. "That does sound pretty synthetic to me." I said crossing my arms across my chest, glaring at the girls.
The girls nonchalantly cleared their throats and looked away. I seem to have these so called popular girls on the ropes.
"Anyways, what school did you go to before?" Ariel asked, breaking the silence.
"Storybrooke Prep."
"Oh I've heard about that school. Not much of a private school is it? All the girls kept getting knocked up." Mulan said before laughing at her own snide remark.
The girls giggled. I just rolled my eyes. I wonder how they would feel if they were in Ashley, Aurora, or Regina's shoes. They probably wouldn't find it so funny then.
"You know you're very pretty Belle. It's one of the reasons we asked Ariel to bring you over. Do you have a boyfriend?" Ruby asked.
"No."
"Well if you want to join us, you're gonna need one." Ariel said to me.
"Who said anything about joining?" I asked. I knew it was because of my name, but what else could their friendship offer me.
"Belle you're a Gold, you don't need to be cordial with the rest of the peasants." Ruby said taking a sip from her coke cola can, her deep red lipstick never smudging.
"And besides you're a freshman, you're gonna want some allies." Mulan said, it reminded me of what my sister told me this morning before school.
"And no better ones then us sweetie." Ariel said in a sweet voice.
I gave it a thought and I accept their offer. I needed to make friends. It was going to be a long four years without them.
"So about finding you a boyfriend, what type of guys do you like?" Ruby asked.
My father's type. "I haven't really given it much thought, but I suppose I'm sort of into the older, mature type."
"Oooooo." The girls all said at once.
"Belle that's so naughty." Ariel said softly, almost in a whisper.
"Well ladies I think we have a Lolita in the group." Ruby said with a provocative smile.
"No I just – wait, what's a Lolita?"
"It's a girl who likes older men. Haven't you heard of the movie?" Mulan asked curiously.
"No, I can't say that I have."
"Well, I guess not. It is an older movie." Mulan said shrugging her shoulders.
"It's based off a book you should check it out." Ariel suggested. I was going to. Perhaps at my library a copy would be there. This book could probably give me some insights.
"Well anyway my boyfriend Eric plays for the basketball team and the team's captain Gaston is single." She looked around the large lunch room and spotted who she was looking for. "Look, he's right over there."
I turned to where Ariel gesture to. He was a tall guy, with a lot of muscles. He had an agreeing face, but what discouraged me was his brashness, he seemed overly cocky and superficial. Perhaps it was because he was the captain of the basketball team. But he was definitely not my type. While I was turning back to face the girls I noticed out the corner of my eye another boy who was paying close attention to me. He had short brown hair and wore a black leather jacket. He had large ears and green eyes that seem to hold sadness behind them. It reminded me of my father's, his eyes told stories too. The boy smile and winked at me when our eyes made contact. I had the decency to blush before turning back to my new friends.
"Who's that boy over there?" I asked.
"Where?" The girls all said at once.
"There, with the puppy dog eyes and the leather jacket." I said nodding my head to the boy sitting at the table where the loud rock music was playing.
The girls all turn at once very indiscreetly to see who I was talking about. The mysterious boy turned his gaze from me to try to throw the girls off.
"That's Will Scarlet." Ariel said with downcast eyes.
"And he's very unavailable." Ruby whispered while leaning closer to me.
"See that girl." Mulan used her head to gesture to an approaching girl with long blonde hair. The girl was walking to Will and placed a kiss on his lips before sitting in his lap. "That's Anastasia. She's a real bitch too Belle."
"Yeah so don't even think about trying for Will Scarlet." Ruby said wagging her finger.
"Why do you guys keep saying his whole name like that?"
"Hmmmm, I guess we just do, everyone calls him like that." Ariel said just as the school bell rang for the lunch period to be over. The girls stood up from the table, grabbing their bags. "I'll set up a meeting with you and Gaston tomorrow."
"What – wait I didn't agree to-"
"Don't worry about it Belle, you can thank me later." Ariel said before leaving with Ruby and Mulan.
The girls and I headed to the last of our prospective classes. The day soon ended and I was waiting outside the school with my new friends. They insisted on dropping me off at home, but I declined their offer since my mother was on her way. We bid each other a farewell and they left in a convertible white Volkswagen.
As the commotion of the end of the school day calm down and the students began their journey home, I noticed a man standing on the other side of the street of my school. He was a large man with short curly hair. I barely could make out more due to the passing cars on the busy street between us. I did, however, notice the wave he gave me. I didn't give him one back, he seemed very strange, and I began to feel uncomfortable. Finally my mother pulled up blocking the view of the man.
"Hey sweetie, how was school?" She asked while I was getting into her SUV.
"Fine." I said coldly to her before putting on my seat belt and pulling out my iphone.
She pulled off from the school before sighing. "Belle we use to be so close. I just don't understand why you're growing up to hate me so. I know as a teenager you will always disagree with me, but I hope we can go back to the way things were."
I shrugged my shoulders. Her words were sweet but the fact still remains. She was Rumple's other woman. A road block. The main reason why my father and I couldn't fully be together.
"Anything exciting happen on your first day?" She asked me.
"Yeah, I made some friends." I said looking down at my phone to type a heart emoji to my dad.
"Oh Belle, that's wonderful. I knew you would. You're a regular social butterfly aren't you?"
"I guess so."
"What are your new friend's names?"
"Ruby, Ariel, and Mulan." While waiting for Rumple's reply, my mind began to wander to the peculiar waving man. "Also, something weird happen just before you picked me up."
"What happen?"
"Some guy was just staring at me from across the street."
"What di- what did he look like Belle?" Her voice wavered.
"He was big with curly hair I think. I didn't get a good look at him."
"I see. Well, if he's ever there again tell me alright."
"Okay."
"Oh and Belle?"
"Hmmm." I said looking at my phone. My father replied back the princess emoji that sent my heart fluttering.
"Since you've told me about this man there's no reason to tell your father okay. If it happens again I'll take care of it."
"O-kay." I said shrugging my shoulders.
"So what can I cook you for dinner?" She asked pulling into the driveway of our house.
After my mother left for work, I made the short walk to my library. I looked up Lolita's isbn number behind the circulation desk and located it quickly in my library. It was the 50th anniversary edition. The cover had a picture of a woman's lips and Lolita was written in beautiful calligraphy. I became even more interested when I notice that the book was located in the adult literature section. As soon as I returned home, I kicked off my shoes and collapsed across my bed and began reading.
The story was very interesting, from what I've read so far, it was about a man who desires young girls. He begins to lust after his 12 year old step-daughter, nicknamed, Lolita. Lolita isn't quite innocent either. She wants her step-father too and even initiates them into having sex.
"Belle?" My father calls while knocking on my door's frame.
"Hey." I jumped from my bed to hug him.
"I thought you would have been ready by now. Regina and Henry are asleep."
"I am. I was just reading a new book. Let's go downstairs." Stepping on my tip-toes to place a peck on his soft lips.
He looks behind me to the open book sprawled on my bed. "What book are you reading?"
"Oh, it's called Lolita."
"Lolita?" He said while his face turns to disgust. He exhales uncomfortably before pulling my door close behind him. "Who told you about that book Belle?"
"The new friends I made at school. Have you heard of it?"
"Of course I have. I've seen the film." He folds his arms across his chest and buried his brows. "Why are your friends suggesting it to you?"
"I don't know, they just did."
"Are you telling them about us Belle?" He asked with squinted eyes.
"What, of course not!"
"You barely even know these girls and you're telling them very sensitive information about us!"
"Rumple I didn't say anything!"
"Then why are you reading this damn book!" Rumple said angrily.
"Dad they only told me about Lolita because I happen to mention that I like mature men."
"You shouldn't be telling anyone that! Your love life is nobody's business but your own. Do you understand me Belle?"
I nodded passively.
"I don't want you reading that book." He walks to my bed and picks up the book. "I'm throwing it away."
"Wait, I don't know how the story ends."
My father sighs, letting his anger subside. "They both die." Rumple said rubbing his thumbs across the cover of the book. "I'm afraid it doesn't have a very happy ending."
"Will we?"
"Will we what?"
"Have a happy ending." I didn't mean to upset him. I just thought by now he knew our secret was safe and I wasn't going to tell anyone.
"How would I know that Belle?"
"Don't you want one?" I asked with a buried brow.
"Of course I do, but I'm not sure if it's possible sweetheart. We should just enjoy the climb."
"Don't you mean the journey?" Was he really using the idiom it's about the journey, not the destination to describe our relationship?
"Do you remember Lord Baelish's speech? Chaos is a ladder, the climb is all there is."
"So now you're describing us as chaos?" I scoffed while shaking my head in disbelief.
"Chaos isn't always a bad thing dearie. It can simply mean, unpredictable. Did you foresee us falling in love?
"No, of course not."
"Well that's chaos, and I want to climb its ladder with you sweetheart. We don't have to worry about the end right now, just the climb.
"Do you still want me to come downstairs?" I ask to change the subject. It was bad enough that the word he used to describe us was chaos.
He nodded and we left my room together.
I covered myself with his golden colored sheets and snuggled into his affectionate embrace. I always became cold soon afterwards. When he wasn't between my legs keeping my body warm with his.
"I'm sorry for overreacting in your room." He said staring at the ceiling above, looking off into nothing.
I pulled his face so he would meet my gaze. Brown eyes, full of regret. "Rumple I know how much this scares you, but how many times do I have to tell you, I'm not gonna tell anyone?"
"I know, I just don't want to be taken from you."
"You won't, but there's something I been needing to ask you."
"Ask me anything you wish." He said with sincerity.
"Do you still do this with Cora?"
"Belle she's your mother. I told you I won't discuss her when I'm with you."
"So basically, I'm not allowed to be concern with my lover's other woman." It was my turn to stare off into nothing.
"Other woman? Cora's my wife."
"So I'm the other woman?" I said turning back to him. I hated when he refer to Cora as his wife.
"There is no other woman Belle. There's only me and you. My marriage has become purely for appearances since I've been with you. So to answer your question, no I have not had sex with Cora since I've been with you. Nor do I want to." He said before placing a kiss on my lips.
"That's good to know, maybe I can be a little nicer to her now."
Rumple chuckles.
"Speaking of appearances, I think I need to get a boyfriend." I saw Rumple's expression change as he winced at my question. "And before you get mad, it's not like you think."
"Oh really, please go on. Enlighten me on how it's not like what I think."
"Well he'll just be for appearances at school, like how you and Cora are. You know this morning, Regina asked if I was a lesbian."
Rumple laughs.
"Oh you find that funny, do you?" I asked watching the laughing tears form in his eyes.
"Yeah, I think you'll make a good lesbian." He said between his laughter.
"Oh hush, don't be gross."
"What, I'm just saying I rather that, then you getting a boyfriend."
"Well too bad, I don't want a girlfriend." I said crossing my arms defensibly.
"Yeah and your mother wouldn't approve of it either."
"So what do you think?" I said before climbing on top of him so he couldn't run off on the topic again.
"I don't want to share you Belle." He said placing his hands at my waist. "I don't want to lose your love."
"You won't, and it's not sharing Rumple, it's only for show." I assured him while using my hands to massage his smooth chest. I watched him close his eyes and exhale. "I'll still be all yours. It's just to throw everyone off. You've been so worry that someone will find out. Who would question us if I was dating someone?"
"Perhaps your right, but what if one day he wants to kiss you or… you know."
"I won't let it happen. You're all I want." I said before bending down to kiss him.
Rumple reluctantly agreed that it was wise that I show some enthusiasm into other boys. He made love to me again that night. And I fell asleep sated and secure in his arms. I woke up in the middle of the night hazy and confused. I began to pat the bed where Rumple was. He wasn't there. I raised up my head to look around for him and became disappointed that I was now in my own room. This was not my happy ending. Will I ever have one? What good is the climb if you can never reach the top?