AN: I apologize to all of you. I know I haven't been writing as much as I should have, but I'm always glad to know that people still read this. I'll try and do better about writing these chapters, but for now here's another chapter of No Fear.

Chapter 17: A Princess in Distress

December 3rd, 2012
10:00 A.M.
Art

Lately, things had been good for the past couple days. Joe and I had been doing well, all my friends seemed happy, and I could finally go a few days without someone questioning how I felt about the move that would be happening at the end of the school year. Well, up until Monday that's how I felt.

I was in Art along with Gwen, and I happened to notice that Ella wasn't here. It was strange because I had seen her in 1st period.

"Gwen, may I ask, have you seen Ella by any chance?" I asked her.

"No, I don't think so, why?" asked Gwen.

"I don't know, I saw her earlier today in my environmental class, and I find it rather odd that she has not shown up."

"Well, maybe you should go find her then? I mean, you sound concerned about her. Don't worry, I'll vouch for you here." I smiled and thanked Gwen and started to make my way out of Art.

I began to walk through the halls searching for Ella. I know that I shouldn't have been out here, but it worried me that she was always in school, and now for some reason, she was nowhere to be seen. As I passed the auditorium, I could hear some singing coming from inside. I decided to walk into the auditorium to see that there were several people in there.

"Who are you?" asked one of the adults in the auditorium.

"Oh… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to break into here. I was just looking for someone, I was hoping that she would be in here." I said to him. As soon as I said this, however, Ella started to run up to me.

"Dawn! It's alright Mr. Plourde, Dawn is a friend of mine. She was not aware that I wasn't going to be in Art, so she must've come and tried to look for me." said Ella. He nodded in approval and started to walk back to the stage. Ella then grabbed my arm and started to take me back outside.

"Dawn, please listen to me, I need you to go back to Art." she told me with a hint of seriousness. This was new for me because I had always been so used to her being so outgoing about mostly everything. To see her as serious as she was, was certainly something that I was not prepared for.

"Ella, might I ask what is on your mind? I'm reading your aura and you seemed very concerned about something.

"Dawn, I'll tell you later. Please, just go back now. I have a lot to prepare for, and not much time to do so." I obliged and started to make my way back to Art.

As I entered, Gwen walked up and approached me about Ella.

"Hey, where is Ella?" she asked me.

"She is in the auditorium, she seemed rather concerned about something, but all she told me was that she wanted me to leave and come back." I said.

"Oh, I should've guessed she was going to be there. I remember seeing something about what was going on. I think we even have a flyer for it in the Art room." As Gwen finished saying this, she started to make her way around the room to find the flyer that she was talking about. Shortly after looking, she found it, ripped it off the wall, and brought it back to me.

"This is what Ella went to the auditorium for." She handed me the flyer and I began to read that:

"Our Wawanakwa Theater Kids present, "Beauty and the Beast
Starring Topher McNeil, and Ella Michaud with support from…"

That was all that I had bothered to read because I had noticed that Ella's name was on there and I stopped after that. I had my question answered as to why she had told me to leave the auditorium.

"I see now. She must be very serious about this production that she is in." I said

"Yeah, she is very serious about these kinds of things. Do you know her mother, Elsa Michaud?" asked Gwen.

"I do remember her being there yes. Why?"

"Well, Ella has a lot to live up to. Elsa Michaud is quite possibly one of the most famous Canadian actresses of this day and age. I'm surprised you haven't heard of her. But then again, you never striked me as someone who watches much television."

"I see." After hearing that, things seemed to make much more sense than originally. I knew what I had to do after that.

At Lunch

I was sitting at out table along with Zoey, Mike, Cameron, B, and Gwen, when Zoey asked me a question.

"Hey, have you seen Ella around? I haven't seen her much at all today." asked Zoey.

"I saw her once today, but other than that, no I can't say I have seen her. But from the looks of it, she looks like she's coming to us right now." I said to her. As I finished saying this, everyone turned to the door to see that Ella was walking through them and coming to us. She seemed rather happy, but her aura said otherwise.

"Ella! Where have you been? Some of us were worried that something had happened to you." said Cameron.

"Oh, I was in the auditorium. Just doing some rehearsing for the play that we're putting on." said Ella. After she said this, everyone at the table went back to talking amongst each other. I decided that now was my time to talk to her.

"Ella, would you mind if we spoke privately. Maybe outside the lunchroom or somewhere?" I whispered to her.

"Of course, Dawn." she said to me. We got up and left the table after she said this.

She decided to take me outside the auditorium so that she can go back and rehearse after we were done talking. After we arrived, I said to her,

"Ella, does your worries that you are experiencing right now, have to deal with your mother?" I asked her. She sighed a little bit after take and took a seat right along the wall outside of the auditorium.

"What gave you that idea?" she asked me curiously.

"Well, not only is your aura telling me that something is up, Gwen informed me earlier today that your mother is quite well known in Canada."

"I think quite well known is an understatement." Ella looked rather upset, so I took a seat right next to her.

"My mother, she raised me on her own basically. Or at least that's what she likes to tell people. I never knew my dad, and she believes that she did raise me. I had many nannies watch over me when I was a child because all that she would do would be starring in films and on television all the time. She rarely ever had time for me, and when she did, it wasn't very eventful. A lot of the things that I grew up doing, she never had much interest in paying attention to them, until I started getting into acting. She just adored the idea of her daughter following in her mother's footsteps, but she never realized that I was doing it so that she would notice me. I must say that I have grown fond of acting, but that reason will always linger so long as she continues to pay no attention to me." Ella started to cry a little after she finished. I leaned forward and gave her a hug.

"Ella, if I had known of the struggle that you were going through with your mother, I would have tried to help you."

"Don't be silly, Dawn. There's nothing really anyone can do. Believe it or not, she's actually leaving in a few days to begin shooting another movie. This will be the 6th film she's shot this year, and it's really starting to upset me. She tells me it won't be long, but every time she says this, it always seems like she's gone forever and not coming back. The last film she shot, she was gone for a good 3 months. She leaves to shoot this next film in a few days, thankfully long enough to see my performance before she has to go."

"Well, Ella, would you consider maybe talking to your mother after your performance?" She started to raise her head after hearing my offer.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, does she notice you when you're acting?"

"Well of course, it's the only time she ever really notices me."

"Well, would you consider taking her aside after your performance and telling her what you would like to talk to her about?"

"I don't know, Dawn, do you think she'd even listen to what I have to say? All I've learned from her is that she cares more about her career than she does her own daughter."

"She's your mother, I know she'll listen to you. Even if you don't think she will. I believe that lunch is almost over, and I assume that you need to go and practice some more for the musical that you are putting on."

"I do. Thank you for reminding me. And…thank you for talking to me about this. If it wouldn't be trouble for you…would you come see us in the next few days? It would really help me out knowing my friends were there to see me."

"Of course Ella, I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'll be sure to inform the others once I see them." Ella then gave me a hug and ran off into the auditorium. I preceded to make my way back to the lunchroom.

"Dawn." said Zoey as she saw me coming into the lunchroom.

"Yes?" I asked her.

"If it isn't me just being nosy, what were you and Ella talking about?"

"Yeah, you two seemed pretty serious when you guys left the lunchroom." said Mike.

"It's of no concern really. She just needed to talk and so I responded. Which brings me up to something. You all know that there's a musical going on in a few days?"

"Of course, what about it?" questioned Cameron.

"Well, Ella was talking to me about it and was wondering if you all would be interested in coming to it?" I asked them.

"Well…you see, I'm not one for musicals." said Mike.

"I was never interested in them much either." said Gwen.

"I know that some of you aren't, or at least I assumed some of you aren't, but it would really mean the world for Ella if you could all show up. I assume that Joe wouldn't be much interested in it, but I'm going to force him to go. She really could use the support from us in this moment." B nodded his head in approval after hearing that.

"I can see your point. Alright, if she wants our support, she'll get it from us!" said Zoey.

"Yeah, we'll be right in the front row cheering her on!" said Mike. I smiled a little after hearing them say that. If only Ella could see this now, she would be smiling as well.

December 6th, 2012
Wawanakwa High School Auditorium
6:30 P.M.

"Remind me again why we came here?" asked Joe as he was walking with me to our seats.

"Because, we're doing this for Ella. She would want our support. I thought you'd understand." I said to him.

"I do understand! Don't be angry with me." he said in reluctance. I laughed a little after I heard him say that.

We found our seats in the front row, and I could see everyone there. Mike and Zoey sat together in the middle of the row, Cameron, B, and Gwen were sitting right next to Mike on the right side of them. Joe and I grabbed our seats on Zoey's left.

"Dawn, do you see Ella yet?" asked Zoey.

"I can't say that I have, but I have seen her mother." I said to her. Zoey and I turned around to see a very fashionably dressed Else Michaud sitting slightly in the back, surrounded by what I assumed were the paparazzi.

"It's like she doesn't even notice that her daughter is going to be performing soon." said Zoey.

"I know that you're frustrated Zoey, but there's only one person who can do something about it, and that's Ella. She knows what she has to do." I said back to her.

After I finished saying that, the auditorium started to dim their lights and everyone grew silent after that. The musical was about to start.

As the musical was going on, I would count all the times that I saw Ella on the stage. When she first noticed us while she was singing, she cracked a smile, but when she noticed her mother paying little to no attention to her, she almost started to cry. I could see that her mother's negligence was getting to her a little bit.

By the end of the musical, Ella looked on the verge of tears, as was most people, but her tears were tears of sorrow, whereas everyone else's was tears of joy. I looked over to see that Zoey was crying a little bit because of how great the performance was and the others looked very impressed with what they had just watched. As it finished, the audience (including myself) began to get out of our seats and clapped.

A few minutes after the musical had finished, I ran to find Ella.

"Dawn, I'm so very glad that you were able to come and see this. It really made it a lot easier for me to be happy while I was performing." she said to me.

"I'm glad to have been able to make you happy, but I think we both know what would make you even happier. Talk to her Ella. It will clear things up for you if you just tell her what's going on." I said to her. She nodded with slight approval and started to make her way to the back of the auditorium.

"Mother?" she asked her.

"Yes Ella? Oh, you want to talk about your performance. I think you did a marvelous job, though you might've been a little flat on some songs there, I think you did a good job nonetheless. Now if you'll excuse me, my producers want to have a word with me about this next movie." said Ms. Michaud.

"No mother, we need to speak now. If I don't tell you what I need to tell you, then there's no hope of me ever being truly happy." Elsa turned around after hearing her daughter say that.

"Mother, all I've ever wanted from you was your love and support in all the things I've done. But it seemed to me very early that the only thing that you were interested that dealt with me was my acting. You would come to all my performances including this one, and not even watch the performances. You would be too busy with talking to your producers for another movie you were doing, or talk with the paparazzi about something that doesn't even involve you. I only took up acting because I wanted your attention. I've longed for a mother for so long, not an actress. I wish I had told you this sooner instead of waiting until now to tell you all this, but now is better than later. Mother, I just want you to be part of my life, not just be a side note." Ella began to cry after saying this. I could see that Zoey was about to make her way to her, but I put my hand on her shoulder and stopped her.

"This is something that she must do alone, she knows what she's doing. Just believe in her." I said to reassure Zoey.

"Ella, is this really what you think of me?" asked Elsa.

"Mother, all I want…is for you to be here for me. Please, don't be any less a part of my life than you have been. I want you here!" Ella yelled loud enough to cause everyone in the auditorium to turn around and look at them.

Ella began to cry even more, and from what I could see, her mother looked on the verge to cry as well.

"…Tell the producers that I won't be doing the movie. Give the role to someone else." she said.

"But you can't be serious Ms. Michaud! They won't accept this!" said one of the paparazzi.

"I am serious. Now tell them I want no part of it, and that I think that it's time to hang up the starlight for a while." The paparazzi quickly left after she said this. Elsa then leaned towards Ella and gave her a hug.

"If only had I known…If only I had paid attention to you…I could've seen how much I had hurt you." said Elsa.

"Mother it's alright….all that matters is that we can fix this. You doing that was the first step towards that. I'm so happy that you did that for me." said Ella. They continued to hug while everyone looked upon it.

"I'm happy to see that they rekindle something that wasn't there. It's always good to see things like that." I said.

"I know! I'm so glad they're back together as mother and daughter." said Zoey.

AN: Again thank you to all who continue to show support for this story and still read it. I do enjoy writing this story and I hope to finish it someday. Thank you again.

-Defan777