Chapter 7: The Dance and the Confession
It was 6:00pm later that day, and Bennett was getting ready to go to his dance. Belle was scrubbing him in the bath and Adam was there to give him advice. He walked in the room and told his son, "Tonight is the night!" Then, Belle dumped a big bucket of water on Bennett. He groaned and said, "I'm not sure that I can do this." Adam looked at the rose and told him, "You don't have time to waste. You must be bold and daring." Bennett lifted himself up from the bathtub and said, "Bold. Daring." Then, he shook all the water off, getting water everywhere. He hopped out of the bathtub and his parents shook off the water he got on them. Belle said, "There will be music. Romantic candlelight, provided by everyone here." She grabbed a towel and started drying him off everywhere. Adam said, "And when the moment is right, you profess your love." After Belle dried him, Bennett said, "Yes. I can, I can't, no, I can't." Belle asked as she fixed his hair, "You care for the girl, don't you?" Bennett groaned as she cut his hair and said, "More than anything." Adam said, "So you must tell her!" Then Belle stopped fixing his hair and Bennett said, "I look awesome!" The couple laughed and then Cogsworth walked in and said, "Your lady awaits, young Master." Outside of his room, Lilly came out of her room walking down the first set of stairs looking so beautiful. She stopped when she got to the floor, and then Bennett walked out of his room, very handsome. They met at the end of the stairs and they smiled at each other. They were so impressed with each other. As they walked, holding hands, to the dining room, Belle sang, "Tale as old as time… true as it can be…" When they sat at the dining table, she sang, "Barely even friends… then somebody bends, unexpectedly." As they were happily eating their food, Adam sang, "Just a little change… small, to say the least… both a little scared…" Lilly got up and held Bennett's hand and lead him to the dance floor. As they were preparing to dance, Adam sang, "Neither one prepared… Beauty and the Beast." The couple smiled at each other and started dancing together around the floor. Belle and Adam sang in unison, "Ever just the same… ever a surprise… ever as before… ever just as sure… as the sun will rise…" Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Chip were watching them as they danced. As Bennett and Lilly kept dancing formally, Belle sang, "Tale as old as time… tune as old as song…" Adam sang, "Bittersweet and strange… finding you can change…" The couple sang in unison, "Learning you were wrong…" The servants walked up to them and quieted down the lights for them as they danced. All of the servants and Adam and Belle sang in unison, "Certain as the sun… certain as the sun… rising in the east…" Belle sang, "Tale as old as time…" Adam sang, "Song as old as rhyme…" Lumiere sang, "Beauty and the Beast…" Mrs. Potts sang, "Tale as old as time…" Chip sang, "Song as old as rhyme…" Cogsworth sang, "Beauty and the Beast…" They all put their arms around each other's shoulders and sang in unison, "Beauty and… the Beast." Belle laid her head on Adam's shoulder as Bennett and Lilly walked to the balcony. Outside on the balcony, Lilly and Bennett sat on the edge of the rail. They were holding hands, and Lilly said, "That dance was great. I loved it." Bennett smiled at her happy face and he said, "Yeah. I-I really enjoyed it." They smiled and Bennett said, "Lilly, um, I want to tell you something." She smiled and asked, "Yes?" He said smiling, "I…I l-love you." She smiled and said, "Aww, really?" He nodded and she said, "Everybody in my town thinks I'm weird. They all say I'm beautiful, but they think I don't fit in my town. I kind of agree with them. You're the only person that I think truly likes me." He smiled and said, "Of course I like you. I fell in love with you after yesterday. I hope you-." Then she said, "Hey, um, my mom wants me back by 8:00 and it takes me 15 minutes to get to my house. I think I have to leave now." Bennett's smile faded and he said, "Oh, you do?" She nodded sadly and he said, "Oh. You must go. It is okay. I'll see you some other time." Their hands separated, and she stood up with him. He looked sadly at her and then she hugged him. He hugged her back and she said, "I'll see you later." He nodded and then she left, leaving Bennett upset. After she left, his parents came out to see him. They were smiling and Belle said, "Bennett, I am so glad that you professed your love to her. You did a great job acting calm around her." Adam said, "Before you know it, she'll tell you that she loves you. It was that easy back then." Bennett then started crying, "She had to go." He cried in his hands and his parents asked, "What?!" He said, "Yeah. Her mom wanted her back so early, and I'm so upset. I told her that I loved her, but she couldn't get a chance to tell me that she likes me or not." His parents looked at each other and then Adam said, "It's okay, son. She'll be back." Bennett wiped his tears and stormed inside to his room crying. Adam and Belle looked at his direction and she said, "She'll be back."