Have I told you how much I enjoy sticking pins in this guy?! I'd be such a hypocrite to deny it. So, what is Belle going to do? Turn into Rapunzel and hit him over the head with a frying pan? It's not like that would solve her problem.
Belle walked into the kitchen and peeked into the cupboard. She pulled out her intended ingredients, but one was missing. She was relieved to find it in the pantry. Before she mixed them, Belle told herself, "Oh, I really shouldn't!" She was remembering when she was about five-years-old and her father was out in the garden while she was in the house. She decided to make some tea for herself like a big girl, so she had filled the kettle with water like she'd seen her father do, but being so young, she didn't know which ingredients she was supposed to use. She'd innocently fixed herself a miserable invention of water, black pepper, castor oil, salt that she'd mistaken for sugar, and vinegar that she'd mistaken for honey! Needless to say, she was miserably sick the rest of the day! It had been gruesome and very embarrassing. That is just what she was planning to concoct for her so-called guest! It was a bit cruel she knew, but Gaston was such a jerk and a cad. She'd seen the way he'd treated Agathe from time to time, making fun of her, or worse, plus hurting others where hardly anyone noticed, not to mention the way he always tried to go after Belle herself! Belle knew this was unorthodox, but what else could she do? Gaston obviously didn't shy away from being given a 'no', and he was being extremely obnoxious, in a disdainful way. If he wasn't a malicious person like he was with Agathe and others, Belle may have killed her scheme. But Gaston was slick and devious, plus his behavior this morning made Belle extremely uneasy. So, he hadn't really given Belle much of a choice! She took a deep breath and with a sneaky grin on her face imagining his surprise, she went for it!
Gaston leaned proudly outside against the door of the house with his arms crossed. He wore that familiar twisted smirk that covered his face. He couldn't believe it: Belle had finally come around! This was the moment he'd been waiting for and prowling on for how long? He'd lost count. Now he would have everything his heart desired. Now he would have the trophy wife he'd preyed on, and everyone would look up to and worship him all the more for having such a beautiful wife to look upon. Now Belle would be his, and all his former glory as an army captain among other things would glow and glisten brighter than it ever had before. He puffed out his chest as he imagined all the many, hearty congrats that he would get, Lefou would be beyond thrilled…
"There!" Belle sighed with relief. Her 'special' was ready. She hoped she'd mixed it up enough, yet she also hoped she hadn't put in too much that it would be fatal! After all, she didn't want to actually kill Gaston! Well, maybe in the back of her mind she did, but she had decided not to go that far! She just wanted Gaston to experience a little discomfort and forget about this stupid infatuation that was never going to become anything more. When she remembered how sick she'd been that day when she was a little girl, the more she felt that this should be effective enough to make Gaston think twice before proposing to her again. Gaston couldn't die from this, it wasn't like she'd used lye or arsenic in his drink. Belle gulped for a moment, a little twinge of conscience making her halt, but only a little. Then she cleared her throat, chuckled to herself, took a deep breath, then opened the door!
Totally lost in his daydreams of grandeur, Gaston nearly fell back when Belle opened the door. "Here we are." She smiled. Gaston gloated big time. That was the first 'genuine' smile Belle had ever given him. She set her tray of two drinks onto the railing, hers was actually filled with tea, his was the misery-inducing concoction. "Here you are," She said smoothly, inwardly feeling ridiculous using that tone to this bloke of all people! "It was made special."
"Ohh, Belle," Gaston sighed theatrically. "I will not forget this day! It's the luckiest day of your life. You won't regret it!"
"How is it lucky...for me?" Belle furrowed her brows. I only asked him to be my guest. I didn't say I'd marry him!
"Because you've made me the happiest man in all of Villeneuve!"
Only Gaston could turn a friendly hello into a coronation ceremony! "Drink up!" Belle spoke, trying to nip any mention of marriage right in the bud. "It's my special brand." She said smoothly. "My special token for special people I want to show how I feel about." It should have quite an effect on you. "I made it especially for you, Gaston!"
"Ohhh, Belle," Gaston said in a giddy voice. "To us!" He exclaimed, chinking their cups. She could not have made his day any brighter...or, so he thought. Belle watched nervously as he wolfed down a mega gulp of the drink, as if he was swigging down a glass of beer at the tavern. She gaped with her jaw dropped. This was going to turn out better than even she'd planned! She knew he'd accept her token, but she hadn't expected him to show it that greedily! Gaston licked his lips and cocked his head smiling. And then it hit! His smile slowly dropped and he began to shift uncomfortably. He tried to smile but found himself gulping. He cleared his throat loudly and tugged at his collar. Belle saw beads of sweat developing on his forehead. Whoa, her invention was heading to full swing, but Gaston certainly hadn't helped himself by swallowing his whole beverage in a single gulp!
"Gaston, are you all right?" Belle asked casually.
"Of...of course I am!" Gaston pried on a smile, but he quickly grimaced. "Oohhff."
"Gaston, you don't look well." Belle pointed out. "Why...why, you look green." Gaston's shoulders slumped and he dropped his cup to the ground. He stared dazedly in front of him and walked away, holding his side, starting to feel rotten. Belle watched him clumsily make his way down the street. She shook her head and covered her mouth so she wouldn't laugh. She bit her lip hard and rushed back into the house.
Gaston staggered dizzily toward his lodgings but he didn't feel so good anymore. He felt very queasy. "Gaston!" Lefou gasped in horror at the sight of his friend when he saw him. Gaston's usually smug and handsome face was a grimacing sickly green, and he looked absolutely pitiful compared to the slick, strutting 'hero' Lefou was used to seeing. Lefou ran to him, while the two fellows he'd been playing Chess with lingered behind. "Gaston, what's wrong, pal? You look terrible."
Gaston gulped hard and he looked like he was going to faint. "Do...don't know..." He grunted. "Must...must have drank...drank something that didn't agree with me. Just help me to my bed!" He groaned loudly.
"I'll say you did! Come on. Let's get you out of the street." Lefou suggested, putting Gaston's arm around him and trying to help him. But Gaston's massive height and weight from his remarkable stature were more than Lefou could deal with all by himself. "Hey! Do you fellows wanna give me a hand?" He gaped at his Chess partners. They were both staring at them. They admired Gaston as much as anybody else, but they were envious of the way he outshined them in looks and skills. That's why they weren't rushing to his aid, yet.
"Who burned his toast?" The younger guy joked. "I've never seen him look so..."
"Helpless?" The other added sarcastically. His friend nodded.
"Well?" Lefou groaned. The older of the two men walked over to assist getting Gaston into the boarding house.
"Should I get the doctor?" The younger one asked.
"Yes!" Lefou nodded. Gaston just croaked in a grueling voice as he was helped up to the bedroom.
"Gosh, Gaston. What happened to you?" Lefou's assistant teased. "Did Gertrude give you cod liver oil instead of a kiss?" He laughed.
"Not now, Frances!" Lefou muttered. Gaston, though dizzy from the grueling turbulence his intestines were wallowing in, his pride had been poked, and he managed an angry whack across Frances' face. It was enough to sting and stun, and Frances didn't appreciate it, so Lefou was left to lug his much bigger friend up the stairs by himself. "Hey!" Lefou called back to him.
"Sorry. I'm leaving." Frances said and stepped toward the door, but not without one last look at the conspicuous pair trudging up the stairs groaning, muttering, and complaining to each other. Frances shook his head, grinning.
I got this idea from the old Andy Griffith Show episode Irresistible Andy, where Ellie Walker did something like this to Andy, only his drama was so much less drastic! When it came to me as a punishment for Gaston, I was hooked. Is this the end? No way! There's more!
Ha, ha, ha. Not sorry, Gaston. You are my prisoner now. Prepare to suffer!
