Belle won the competition by one point. I had to admit I was a little rusty. It had been a year since I reviewed any math.

I looked out the window and noticed that the sun was coming up.

"I should probably get to bed," said Belle. She smiled and stood up. Her dress and leggings were torn due to the tree branches grabbing at her in the forest. Her brown hair was tangled but still looked soft and pretty.

I didn't know what to say because I didn't want her to leave. So I just nodded.

"Thanks again, for saving me," she said and then turned and walked towards the stairs.

I watched as Belle went up to bed. I smiled to myself and looked down at my bandaged arm. I touched the gauze and looked up to find Chandler Clogs and Mrs. Kettle all smiling at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Nicely done Adam. You managed to get her to not hate you," said Chandler.

"Why do I have to go by a fake name?" I asked.

"Because she knows who Adam is," said Clogs. "I think it would be wise to keep the curse from her. Less questions will be raised and more focus on the new mission."

"New mission?" I asked.

"Yeah, you and she fall in love then poof curse is broken," said Chandler.

I felt the small glow of hope that I had brighten as I thought about her helping me to break the spell.

"I want to do something for her. I want to do something that will be meaningful, not some casual flowers and chocolates."

Chandler and Clogs looked at each other. "I have just the idea."

"What?" I asked.

"She's interested in books right? Show her the library," said Clogs.

"But the library is old and dusty. Do you really think she'll like it in there?" I asked.

"As long as there are books in there, she will love it," said Chandler.

I nodded in agreement. "Then it's settled. Tomorrow I will show her the library."


Later that day I had Mrs. Kettle prepare the perfect brunch for Belle. She slept until eleven then she came down wearing a pretty pink dress that was similar to the blue one. Her hair was braided and looked clean.

"Good morning," said Belle.

"Morning," I said.

"It smells amazing Mrs. Kettle," she said and sat down at the chair across from mine at the table.

"Do you like pancakes?" asked Mrs. Kettle.

"I love them," she replied and smiled.

I felt my heart pound. She was so beautiful. When she smiled it seemed to light up the entire house.

Mrs. Kettle put down a plate of pancakes in front of Belle then in front of me.

Belle immediately went to work. She cut them then dipped them in syrup.

I did the same.

"Did you sleep well?" I asked her.

"Yeah, surprisingly I did. I don't usually sleep well in strange places. But I slept like a baby," said Belle and she took another bite of her pancake. "These are amazing Mrs. Kettle."

Mrs. Kettle smiled, "Thank you dear."

"I have a surprise for you," I said to her.

She looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"It can wait until after brunch though," I said and smiled a little.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her head. "Well now I'm curious," she said and ate another piece of pancake.

Mrs. Kettle gave Belle and me some orange juice.

"Freshly squeezed, drink up. You both need your vitamin C," said Mrs. Kettle.

"This is different for me. I'm usually the one making breakfast for my dad and me," said Belle and she drank some orange juice.

"What about your mom?" I asked her.

"She died when I was five. She had cancer," said Belle sadly.

"I understand. I lost my mother before I even turned one," I said.

"I'm so sorry. So you probably don't remember her at all," said Belle.

I shook my head.

"What about your dad?" she asked.

"Became a drunk after my mom died. Then he died last year due to alcohol poisoning," I said. I felt like I could tell her anything.

Belle nodded and looked down. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. He was dead to me ever since I was three," I said. "Mrs. Kettle is really the only parent I know."

Mrs. Kettle looked up and looked over at me. She gave me a small smile. I smiled back at her.

"That's so sweet. And you're lucky. I don't know what I would do without my dad. It's nice that you have someone to help you," said Belle.

"Yeah it is," I smiled.

After brunch I led Belle towards the library. I really hoped with every fiber in my being that she would like it.

"Okay, close your eyes," I said once we were outside of its doors.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Come on it will be more fun for the surprise," I said.

She rolled her eyes jokingly then closed them.

I opened the door then I reached down and took her hands. She didn't even flinch. It was as if she were taking normal feeling hands.

I was gentle and careful. I led her through the doors then I positioned her in the middle of the library.

"Can I open them now?" she asked.

"Not yet," I said. "Wait here."

I rushed over to the curtains and pulled them open. The light was blinding but beautiful. It also lit the library up.

"Can I open them now?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"Okay, now," I said.

She opened her eyes and the smile on her face couldn't get any bigger. She immediately ran over to the bookshelves and looked at all of the books.

"This is amazing!" she exclaimed.

"You like it then?" I asked.

"I love it," she said.

"Then it's all yours. You can have all of it," I said.

She turned and looked at me. "Really?"

I nodded.

"Thank you," she said and took my hands. It was as if I looked normal, I felt normal.

She walked over to a table and picked up one of the books. She blew the dust off of it and smiled. "It's To Kill a Mockingbird. Have you ever read it?" she asked.

"Remember when I told you my best subject was Math? Well, my worst was English. I'm not the best at reading," I said shyly. "I have dyslexia. It's easier for me to read numbers than letters."

"I can teach you," she said and smiled. She pulled out a chair and sat on it. She patted the seat next to her. I cautiously walked over and sat next to her.

Normally I would never sit and learn about a book that I wasn't even remotely interested in. But she enchanted me. Because she liked the book I suddenly found myself liking the book.

She flipped to the first page and began to read. "When he was thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm broken badly at the elbow."