Chapter 7 - Week Four: Monday – Unity

It was a long discussion before Belle and Esmeralda worked out their issues with one another. The bulk of the meeting time was spent supporting the two French women in communicating their feelings to each other. There were many tears of exasperation from both ends. Belle would attempt to keep calm while she apologized endlessly, yet all Esmeralda could hear were the cold words that stung just four days ago.

"Esmeralda, please come back and be my roommate again. I truly never meant anything that I said, I just..." Belle sputtered as she allowed a few tears to spill down her face.

"You just what?" Esmeralda's cold eyes, also fighting back tears as she spat her question. "How could you even retract such a statement? 'You're just a gypsy' Who would say something so cruel and then all of a sudden not even mean it?"

"Really, I didn't. I never could have dreamed that I would have any discriminatory bone in my body. I was joking and then I was in the spotlight." Belle tried to explain but it was no use. "I just...let myself be on the defensive and those words fell out."

"Fell out? Those words, fell out? Words do not fall out of anywhere Belle! If you did not intend to say these things, you would not have said them." She roared, her voice rising. Tiana who was just a few seats away lightly grabbed onto Esmeralda's arm to steady her.

"Esmeralda please, let's try to keep this civil alright? Trust me, I know all about discrimination and I know how hard it is to hold your anger back but you must try – we 're family here." The young New Orlean stated, earnestly looking around the room at the familiar faces. "We can't be making enemies out of each other."

There was something soothing about Tiana's voice that immediately made everyone relax. Esmeralda's face softened and she looked Belle in the eye. As much was she wanted to believe that her friend was sincere in her apology, those words still haunted her and she couldn't erase the pain. Looking at Belle's mouth agape in horror with tears streaming down her face, Esmeralda couldn't help but feel bad for the girl. As if on cue, Belle spoke up.

"I grew up in a small village where appearances mean everything. Beauty has always been held above any other human quality, most notably intelligence." She paused to collect her thoughts, recollecting on the many weird stares she received for choosing to read books instead of chase boys like her peers. "As much as I hate to admit it, these values start to seep in the longer you're exposed to them."

Esmeralda gave her roommate a tilted smile. "I understand what you mean. As someone often on the receiving end of this judgment, I know full well how impossible it is to escape. I grew up looking at myself in the mirror the same way everyone else saw me."

"That's still no excuse for m-" Belle interjected.

"No it isn't." The other woman interrupted. "And it will take a while for me to fully be able to forgive you. Tiana's right though: we are family and oftentimes families have different values and different ways of experiencing the world. I truly believe that you meant no harm, but you must then understand the damage those words had."

Belle nodded sadly. "Of course I understand. I hardly can forgive myself...does this mean that you will permanently be moving in with Anastasia and Rapunzel?"

Although she tried not to, Esmeralda gave out a hearty laugh. "Not at all! If we're going to resolve this we're going to do it the right way. Plus, I doubt those two want me sleeping on their floor much longer – it's crowded enough with Rapunzel's hair as it is."

Rapunzel looked up in defense as Esmeralda extended her hand to Belle. "Friends?"

Belle enclosed Esmeralda's hand in both of her own. "Friends." She replied quietly.

As the conflict began to settle and the room became less of a war zone, the group found very little to say. Amidst the silence, Mulan decided to speak up. "Hey Tiana? Where's your roommate?"

Suddenly everyone was aware that Pocahontas was missing. There was so much focus on the tension between Belle and Esmeralda that Jane had completely overlooked that one of the group members had not shown up. Her eyes lit up in alarm. "Is she alright?"

Tiana casually waved her hand at the group. "Of course she's fine, she just stayed up late last night studying and wanted to sleep a little late. Though she was supposed to have been her by now, I'm sure she's still in the room resting."

Meanwhile, Pocahontas lay in her bed quietly staring at her laptop monitor on the desk beside her. She hadn't slept at all and her eyes were puffy and red with exhaustion. Though she told Tiana that she was merely overtired from classwork, she couldn't hide the truth from herself as much as she wanted to. She pulled the covers over her shoulders and wrapped her arms around her knees. All she wanted was to be home where her family could comfort and protect her, where her friends could convince her that she was just having a nightmare and that everything would go back to normal, where Nakoma's bright smile would reassure her that everything was still alright.

She knew this was impossible. Not because she signed a contract with the university or that she couldn't afford a plane ticket. She knew that what she wanted was unattainable and unrealistic. Still, she couldn't get out of bed all day or even force herself to brush the morning breath out of her mouth. All she wanted was to sleep and forget that anything had happened at all. Right as she clamped her eyelids down in an effort to force sleep, she heard the cheery 'ding!' from her computer alerting her to a new and unread email.

Curiosity was enough of a drive for Pocahontas so she reopened her eyes and leaned over to the desk. Her thoughts were running about wildly and her heart was racing. "Please tell me this was all a joke..." she pleaded as she hesitantly moved the mouse to the 'New Mail' icon on her browser and clicked it open. Disappointment cascaded over her as she opened the email from John Smith, her long term pen-pal. "Not exactly what I was hoping for..." She sighed, yet still resigned herself to reading it anyway.

Dear Pocahontas,

How have you been adjusting to life in London? I wanted to let you know that I'm back in town again. Norway was fantastic! I can't wait until I upload the photos to my computer and send them to you – I'm sure you will love them. Since we are finally in the same city at the same time (sorry again for the confusion when I came to America – I thought California was nearer to Virginia.) I was wondering if you wanted to meet for lunch soon? It would be great to finally meet you after all these years!

Let me know what you think.

Best,

John Smith

That's right! John lives in London! Suddenly Pocahontas began to type out an email in response.

John,

I would love to meet. Are you free today? Would you like to stop by the University for a while? I'm feeling a bit under the weather so I would rather not go out for very long today. Please call the International Student Housing and ask to be connected to my room – there is only one Pocahontas here so there shouldn't be any confusion.

-Pocahontas.

She didn't have to wait long until her bedside phone started ringing. "John?" She asked as she picked up the phone. Relieved that it was him on the other line, she quickly gave him directions to her flat as well as the fasted Tube route to get there. "See you in 30 minutes then!"

The young American contemplated going back to bed to at least try and get some sleep but the moment she thought of her bed, she was reminded yet again of her depression. It seemed as though it were no use trying to feel better, it had only been about six hours since she discovered the bad news and she couldn't be asked to suddenly feel radiant again. Still, she remembered that she had company coming over and she didn't want to make a bad (in face) impression of herself so she tried to make herself more presentable by brushing the knots out of her hair and styling her hair into a single, long thick braid.

Once she finished braiding, she looked in the mirror and shook her head. "No no, too cliche." So she took the braid out and let her fair fall over her shoulders instead. Still, something seemed wrong so she walked over to her accessories bag and pulled out her most treasured possession: her mother's necklace. It had always comforted the young woman in times of crisis making it a very appropriate accompaniment. Before she placed it around her neck, she knelt on the floor for a few minutes and simply held the necklace tightly, thinking once again to how much she missed her mother and Nakoma.

As she was nearly falling back into her slump, she heard a sharp knock on the door. Pocahontas shuffled off the floor and walked over to the door to peer through the peep hole. The man standing on the other side of the door was very handsome by her standards, even more so than when they recently video chatted. The John Smith standing at the door had taken on a more rugged appearance since their last conversation. She opened the door at once and greeted the young man with a smile. His white teeth glistened back at her as he extended a hand in introduction. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Pocahontas."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too John. Please, come inside and make yourself at home. Would you like me to make you some tea?" She asked, already walking over to the microwave at the kitchenette.

"No thank you." He replied and took a seat on the couch while Pocahontas made herself a cup of green tea.

"So, tell me about Norway!" She exclaimed as she placed the mug of water in the microwave.

"It was phenomenal! There was adventure looming at every mountain edge." He gleamed. "I would like to go back again sometime soon and take a cruise down a fjord – you might like that too from what I gather."

When the water had finished heating, Pocahontas placed a bag of tea into the mug and walked over to the couch to sit next to John. "I would love to see the fjords. I doubt they could be anything short of magnificent. You're such an admirable person, John. I wish I could be like you."

"Why do you say that?" He furrowed his brows together.

"Just how you're able to take off and see the world whenever you can. I wish there was some way I could do the same." She admitted while glancing at her steaming teacup, still too hot to drink.

"Hmm...I think I know what you mean. Though I can tell you one thing, your field of study will grant you that wish one day. You'll be working while you travel, but hey, you'll be traveling while you work."

"I guess so..." the young woman muttered.

"Plus, you're already jet-setting across the world. Look, you're already in London!" He added.

"True..." She mumbled.

John's tone of voice shifted to a note of concern. "Pocahontas, I know we just now met in person, but I've known you for some time now and I think I can tell when you're feeling a little off. Something tells me that you're not just 'under the weather."

When she finally looked back up at him after several long moments of silence, she had tears forming in her eyes. "Nakoma's dead, John."

This took him by surprise. "Wait, what? What do you mean?" He stammered.

Pocahontas couldn't keep the tears locked up any more and finally allowed the hours of pain to flow out. Her sobs were loud and filled with grief. John instinctively took her into his arms and stroked her hair as she cried into his chest. "I just feel so alone now...she was my best friend." she gasped in between sobs.

He held her tighter as she began to convulse. "My dear, I'm so sorry to see you like this...Please, keep talking to me, tell me what happened and don't keep this bottled up anymore. When did you find out?"

"This morning. Kokoum sent me an email last night saying that she had drowned. I only saw it in the morning as I always check my email when I wake up." she responded, trying to keep her words steady.

"How on earth did she drown?" John asked.

"She didn't know how to swim! She was so stupid when we were in high school and she cheated out of taking the mandatory swim test by giving the counselor a doctor's note." She spat angrily, remembering her friend's defiance over learning how to swim. "All because she was too shy to be seen in a bathing suit!"

"Th-that is unfortunate. Was she in a situation where it could have been prevented?"

"Of course – she went to the lake with Kokoum and he decided to go for a swim around the lake while she waited on the shore. When he got back, she was face down in the water, dead." Saying the word caused another wave of grief to wash over her yet she didn't have the energy to cry anymore so she just leaned against John for support. "Please tell me that this is all a dream..."

"I wish I could...I'm so sorry you have to go through this. You don't have to go through it alone though – I'll be here as long as you want me to be."

She tilted her head up to him. "I know this is a lot to ask, but would you mind staying until Tiana gets back from classes? I really don't want to be alone right now."

"Of course, I wouldn't mind that at all." He said soothingly, assuring her that he would stay as long as she wanted him to.

"Thank you John. You're a good friend." She mumbled softly as she allowed her body to relax. John continued to stroke her hair and she slowly fell to sleep against him. He figured that she would wake up uncomfortably if she stayed on the couch, so he took the tea cup out of her hand (still full and untouched) and placed it on the coffee table in front of the TV. Then he picked her up and carried her to her bed.

0-0-0

For nearly six hours Pocahontas slept and John stayed by her side. Though it wasn't his idea of how their first meeting would pan out, he was glad to have been there during her time of need. It was obvious to him that she needed some rest which she wouldn't allow herself to do alone. Since they became pen pals ten years prior, he had always known her to be independent and stubborn. He wasn't used to her showing sadness or pain. Though she would express anger, it would only stem from injustices done to others, never about anything that affected her only.

He never knew Nakoma, but he knew how close the two girls had been. Once she was there while he and Pocahontas were video chatting, but their conversation was no more than simple greetings. Still, thinking about the death of a young person was enough to make him uneasy, especially since she was so close to one of his dearest friends. John knew that it would take a long time for Pocahontas to fully heal and allow herself to build up trust with new people.

John paced around the room looking for ways to keep busy. He avoided the computer in fear of discovering the dreaded email detailing Nakoma's tragic death and he avoided the TV in fear of hearing about a global disaster. So, he decided to flip through a few of Pocahontas's school books: mostly environmentally related, some sociology and anthropology – his specialties. He also found a book in beginning Arabic dedicated entirely to learning the alphabet. "When did she decide to learn Arabic?" he muttered to himself while he opened what he thought was the first page. When he found the glossary he rolled his eyes "Oh right, Arabic is read from right to left..."

Before John could really begin to study the language, he heard a key unlocking the door. A young woman opened the door and stepped inside. "Pocahontas, are you feeling alright?" She called out when she saw her friend lying in bed. She hadn't even noticed John until he shushed her to keep her voice down. At first she was startled and figured he was some sort of intruder – after all, Pocahontas had never told her she was inviting any guests over. "And who might you be?" She demanded.

"My name is John Smith. I'm a long standing friend of Pocahontas. I am guessing you are her roommate Tiana?"

"Yeah okay, well how does that explain you being here and her being asleep?" Tiana was still unconvinced that he should be trusted.

"She had a really rough day...she found out this morning that her childhood best friend has passed away and she asked me to keep her company." John explained, sadness seeping through his voice.

At this news, Tiana nodded and accepted John's presence in the room. "I see...She didn't tell me that. She just told me she wasn't feeling well so I left her alone for the day to rest. If I'd known, I would've stayed. Gosh, I feel terrible now." She shook her head and dropped her bag on the ground by the door.

John got up off the couch and approached Tiana. "It's alright, she didn't tell me right away either. She told me the same thing, that she was under the weather. There's no need to feel bad about giving her space. Trust me, I know how cryptic she can be, I've known her for ten years!"

"Ten years huh? That is a long time. How do you guys know each other anyway? Pen pals right? I do vaguely remember her telling me that she wanted to meet up with you at some point while she's here. Were you the one who was just in Norway?"

He nodded. "Yes, I just got back yesterday. Maybe when Pocahontas wakes up I can show you both my photo slide slow. How does that sound?"

Tiana grinned. "I like that idea. It'll be good to keep her mind on positive things right now." She paused and bit her lip. "Thank you for being here by the way. I was suspecting that something was wrong but I didn't want to push it."

"Well it's no problem of mine. I was glad to help, really."

Suddenly, Tiana thought of an idea. "Hey John? Would you mind hanging out here for a couple more hours? I need to take care of a few things. I'll be back before it gets too late though."

John shrugged in response. "Of course, take all the time you need. I don't want to leave before she wakes up and I doubt she'll be awake any time soon."

"Great! Thank you again for doing this. You'll understand when I get back,"

0-0-0

Two hours later, John had taught himself the Arabic alphabet and a few basic words. Pocahontas began to stir in her sleep and John was beginning to wonder where Tiana had gone. Right as he closed the book to check the time, Tiana came in and slammed the door behind her, abruptly waking Pocahontas from her slumber. "I'm sorry sweetie! I didn't mean to wake you! I have something to show you though."

"What's going on?" John asked.

Tiana smiled. "You'll see when you step outside. Go ahead now, I'll help Pocahontas out."

While John stepped outside of the apartment, Tiana rushed over to Pocahontas's side and took her hand. "Sweetie, I know you're tired right now and I know you want to rest some more." The sleepy young woman tried to protest that she was awake but she couldn't find the words. "John told me about Nakoma...I'm so sorry dear...I have something for you though, but you have to come outside to see it." Tiana prompted, tugging on Pocahontas's arm.

"But I'm in my sleeping clothes..." She mumbled quietly, looking down at her shorts and tank top.

"Don't you worry about that. I'm not taking you to a beauty contest. Just come outside with me."

So Tiana led Pocahontas out of the apartment, down the flight of stairs and out into the courtyard. There they found John standing in front of an unbelievable sight.

Right in front of the apartment complex stood all of the International Students in the group as well as a couple of unfamiliar faces, all holding candles. Pocahontas looked over at his friends: Jasmine, Meg, Belle, Esmeralda, Rapunzel, Mulan...everyone was there. She was so touched that she couldn't even find the words to describe how she was feeling. She turned to Tiana and asked her "So...you put this all together tonight? For me?"

Tiana nodded as she handed Pocahontas a candle to hold. "For you. I made sure I gathered everyone to support you in this. There's no reason for you to be alone."

Pocahontas had tears in her eyes once more, but this time not out of sadness, but in gratitude. She couldn't find the right words but she squeezed Tiana's hand in acknowledgment. John then walked up to the other side of Pocahontas and placed his arm around her shoulders. Having all of her friends, new and old, light a candle for Nakoma was more than she could ever have asked for. One by one they all hugged her and and said a word of condolences. Perhaps the year was not going to be impossible and perhaps things will start to work themselves out. Pocahontas only wished for Nakoma to be with her, by her side. In her heart she knew that her best friend was keeping her close and that her spirit would live on.

"Rest peacefully Nakoma..."

Author's Note:
Dedicated To C.H. (1991-2012) – I am missing you every day.

This chapter was based on real events in my life. I actually did just lose a close friend last week, and we really did hold a candlelight vigil for her as well. Like Pocahontas and Nakoma, I had known my friend since we were in kindergarten and we grew up together so the loss has been quite unbearable. Writing this chapter has been very helpful in the grieving process actually, though I'm a little nervous to share it with everyone – I hope it is well received. I know the chapter is longer than usual, and not much focus had been placed on Pocahontas's thoughts or actions, but it was a chapter I felt needed to happen anyway. By the seventh chapter I really wanted to depict the unity the characters have experienced over the past few weeks, and how even in crisis, that unity is strong enough to keep them together.

Thank you again for your wonderful reviews! I hope I continue to live up to your expectations =]

Also, although I don't like the use of bold in the story, I tried formatting the emails so that they would be distinct from the other text but that didn't work out so well. So sadly, I had to use the bold. Hope that doesn't make everything too distracting! Let me know.

-Suzerenma