I have no excuses. I shouldn't have disappeared on a cliffhanger but I present this chapter in hopes that you'll forgive me.
"You can't be serious!" Belle screeched. Subira blushed as Ariel muttered to herself.
"I had a feeling they wouldn't like this," she mumbled pulling at a strand of her hair.
"You're darned right we don't like this!" Merida yelled, right at Belles side.
"Guys, I understand that..."
"No!" Belle exclaimed. "Subi, you don't understand because you're not the one who has to watch their friend get destroyed every time she extends an olive branch!"
"Ay, she's said some of the worst things imaginable to you and you're just gonna let her back into your life because of a few crocodile tears? Are you mad?!"
"They weren't crocodile tears," Ariel mumbled pulling her hair even more frequently now.
"You hush up, we're not talking to you yet."
"Seriously Subi, why do you keep doing this to yourself?" Belle asked. Subira sighed and cast a sidelong glance at Ariel, her first and oldest friend. "Do you honestly think she's telling the truth or is that what you want to believe?"
"I just...really want my best friend back," Subira sighed. Both Merida and Mulan gasped lightly and cast a glance at Belle. To an outsider, like Ariel, it would appear that her face had not changed in the slightest but to a trained eye the fresh pain was obvious. Her almond eyes had widened and become considerably glossy and though her stance had not changed her shoulders were now hunched. While it was rarely explicitly stated, it was common knowledge among those who knew them that Subira and Belle considered each other best friends. Or so Belle thought.
"Fine," said Belle and pushed between the two and made her way out, slamming the door shut.
"That's not what I-ugh!" Subira exclaimed.
"You always were bad at talking to people," Ariel noted, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Both Merida and Mulan, who had chosen to quietly observe, kept their eye on her as she moved.
"Well, forgive me, I didn't have the chance to learn how until I was 23!" Subira snorted. "Merida?"
"I'm not walking out on you, lass," she replied with a small warm smile before turning the other redhead, "but I'm keeping an eye on you."
"Understood," Ariel replied.
"Mulan?" Subira asked, hope shining in her eyes.
"Do you want me to be honest?" Subira nodded solemnly. "I think you're getting played but this is your life and how you deal with your friends is your business. Just don't expect us to forgive her as quickly as you did." Subira smiled.
"I don't," she responded eyeing her returned best friend. Ariel squirmed under the scrutiny before a light bulb went off in her head.
"So I heard you had a date. How did it go?"
"I'm not a complete idiot. I know they're just trying to protect me," said Subira as she and Amadi made their way to a lunch table. Both Rapunzel and Anna had suggested they eat lunch, alone together.
"Of course. From the few things I've heard around here, she's done some awful things to you," Amadi replied pulling out a seat for Subira and received a lovely smile in return.
"She has but it almost hurts more to not be friends with her. I felt like a part of me was missing."
"Interesting. What split you two up anyway?"
"Sad as it is I think being friends with Belle made her feel really threatened. We used to argue all the time about it and she'd says things like, I was telling Belle exactly how to win against her in the competition or I was sabotaging her by hiding her lipstick or something silly like that."
"Wow," Amadi exclaimed.
"Yeah it got to the point where we spent very little time together because I was scared it would always end in a fight."
"You avoided hanging out with your best friend?"
"Yeah, I guess I did. And when we did hang out she wanted to know every person that I had spoken to that day and everything Belle and I had done or were planning to do later."
"That's a little controlling, don't you think?"
"Perhaps. We just spent and less and less time together to the point where I realized I hadn't spoken to her in over a year and when I approach her, I got the cold shoulder. It didn't feel right for her ignore me. I felt...hollow."
"Do you think it might be guilt?"
"What? Why?"
"It's possible that you blame yourself for the friendship falling apart because you're the one who wanted a new friend. Did you have any other friends Before Belle?"
"No, actually, it was just me and...Oh wow!" Subira exclaimed. "When did you get so smart?" she asked with a grin.
"You weren't the only one using the palace library," he replied proudly.
"It's so big, I always assumed I was alone."
"And I always assumed you were doing work so I didn't disturb you."
"Work? One third of the time I was reading fairy tales!" said Subira with a chuckle. Amadi burst out laughing.
"To think, we could have talking all that time," he exclaimed.
"Yeah but at least we're talking now," said Subira, her eyes twinkling.
"Yeah."
Suddenly, Subira shifted, spotting Belle across the lunchroom picking out her food. She bit her lip. Amadi chuckled knowingly. "Go make up with your friend."
"Thanks!" said Subira as she bolted out her seat and toward her friend.
She took a deep breath and joined Belle in the line as she was examining a ripe apple for spots. "Hi" she greeted with a small wave.
"Hello," Belle responded curtly. Subira groaned.
"I'm sorry! What I said, I didn't mean it tha-"
"I know you didn't mean it that way," Belle interrupted. She placed the apple back in its basket and moved on to the baked sweets.
"Oh. Then why are you mad at me?" Subira asked, following her.
"I'm not," said Belle as she placed a bagel on her tray. "I was angry last night but I'm over it now," she explained curtly.
"You sure about that?" Subira probed. Belle groaned.
"Do you wanna know what your problem is?"
"Enlighten me."
"You forgive everyone," Belle seethed, "even the people who don't deserve it, and when you get hurt who do you think has to pick up the pieces?" she huffed. Her voice was but a whisper but stung harsher than the heat of the desert sun. Subira cowered.
"I'm sor-"
"I know you're sorry. I know that you're sorry and that's why I can't be angry with you. And that's frustrating." Belle fumed.
"You're right, as usual." Subira admitted with a small smile. Belle chuckled. "But you do know why I'm doing this?"
"Yeah I know, hard to let go of people, I get it."
"And trust me, even I have a limit. If she betrays me again, well, she'll find out what I'm capable of."
Subira started as a pair of arms snaked their way around her waist and embraced her from behind. A satin voice purred it's way into her ear.
"Hello, my love." Subira turned to face him, that beautiful face she had trained herself to forget. The warm brown eyes, the olive tanned skin, the pointed nose, the silky brown waves of hair that had grown much longer since the last time she saw them and the sinfully seductive smile. She growled, reared back and punched him right in his perfect nose propelling him three tables away. Belle gasped as Subira lowered her fist.
"Huh. Perhaps I don't have to worry about you," said Belle. Amadi chuckled as he joined the two and surveyed the damage.
"Should I be jealous?" he asked with a playful smirk. "A kiss with a fist seemed to be your own brand of foreplay."
"Jealous of Felipe?" Subira asked. Amadi shrugged. "Please," she snorted before pressing a kiss to his cheek. He would later deny blushing beet red.
Yes, Felipe as in Prince Felipe from Subira's story.