Chapter 8 - Week Four: Thursday – Problematic

Much to the surprise of her classmates, Pocahontas returned immediately to the group sessions. She held herself upright and otherwise seemed back to her normal self when not taking into account her puffy, red-rimmed eyes. Even still, she was smiling and it was obvious she was relieved to return to some sense of normalcy. While she appreciated the support of her friends who have more than proven themselves to be dependable and trustworthy, she still was not at all at ease by the attention she received. In her own mind, she was capable of handling her grief on her own, but to the public, she was barely holding herself together as evidenced by Tiana's constant presence.

In fact, for the past few days, the only place Pocahontas could go without Tiana following her trail was the restroom. "I just want to make sure you're OK!" Tiana would reason, forcing Pocahontas to take longer showers than normal just for a few moments of quiet with her own thoughts. On this particular morning, the two young women walked in together and sat side by side as usual. Tiana quickly engaged in conversation with Belle who was still reading her Mark Twain book. Pocahontas gazed about the room in search of an outlet to have her first quiet moment of the day. At once she noticed Ariel sitting on the floor in the corner of the room, trying to sort papers before the rest of the students arrived. Pocahontas took note that the session wouldn't begin for another ten minutes, and gracefully shuffled over to Ariel. Even though she knew Ariel would be likely to chat, she figured that organizing papers would be a mundane activity enough to drown her thoughts into.

"Hi Ariel, can I help you with any of this?" She asked as she knelt beside the young redhead who was obviously frazzled by her current project. To Pocahontas' surprise, Ariel hardly looked up at her, and only continued glancing between various papers.

"Oh, hi Pocahontas. It's good to see you back so soon" She murmured.

"I needed to get out of my room and return to real life." Pocahontas responded, biting down slightly on her bottom lip.

"Ahh yes, yes. That makes a lot of sense..." Ariel trailed off, hardly concentrating at all on the conversation. "Oh my goodness, how am I ever going to finish this? The printer in the lounge stopped working and I need to turn this in today" She dropped her papers back onto the floor and vigorously began tugging on her hair in frustration.

Pocahontas picked up the fallen papers and examined them closely. Indeed, the pages were completely out of order, with the top sheet indicating it was from page five of the document. It caught her a bit off guard to see some charts and diagrams relating to marine geology. So she quietly began sorting, picking up various combinations of papers and placing each subsequent sheet into a new pile. Ariel looked up from her hands and marveled at how quickly the other girl was working.

"This really does calm you down doesn't it?" Ariel asked, mimicking the other girl's motions.

Pocahontas looked up at Ariel and nodded. "It does. Usually I can't stand mundane and routine activities, but right now it's the only way I can keep my head in order. The act of sorting these papers seems to help me sort my own thoughts."

"I see. Yes, I can understand that. I hate orderly things. There are so many other things I'd rather be doing. I really didn't expect this much work before I came here and I'm so overwhelmed by everything that I can't even organize my own life." Ariel trailed off again before catching herself. "Not to undermine what you are going through of course! I cannot possible imagine how that must feel..." With genuine sincerity she added, "I am truly sorry about your friend. I want you to know that I am here if you ever need or want anyone to talk to."

Pocahontas couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you. That really does mean a lot to me and I am sure in the near future I will want to take you up on that offer. Right now, the last thing I want to do is talk about it though." She paused. "Right now, between you and me, I think you need the talk more than I do."

Ariel groaned and closed her eyes. "You're right about that one...I just have no time! Not that many friends either." She reluctantly admitted.

"Well then make time. I'm sure you can spare an hour or so. Why don't you join me for tea this afternoon?" Pocahontas offered. "You'll have to tell Tiana though – she won't believe me if I tell her that I'm hanging out with someone. Neither she nor my friend John will leave me be alone for any length of time."

Ariel had to ponder for a few moments to decide if she wanted to give up her free hour. While she wanted nothing more than to vent with someone, she was unsure if she even wanted to share her problems with anyone, let alone someone who had just experienced a major tragedy. Still, the offer was tempting and she knew she needed to take a break from her work once in a while. Meanwhile, Pocahontas continued sorting the papers, rapidly forming an orderly organization out of the former jumble of loose sheets.

Finally the young girl spoke up. "Yeah, I would like that very much. Do you want to go to the lake as well before it closes for the season?"

Pocahontas had just finished sorting the papers and gently shook them into place. "Absolutely! I could really use a swim." She answered. "On one condition though."

"What?"

"You have to tell me about the water and the lifeforms it supports." The older girl grinned.

Ariel gaped at her. "You're joking. There's no way I can do that!"

"Yes you can. As earth science students, we have to relate our studies to the real world. The entire earth is our laboratory and it is so easily accessible, it makes the most amount of sense to utilize that."

"I don't know about that..."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to quiz you or anything. I just want to help you learn so that it won't feel so overwhelming. I took a similar course last year and I too could use a brush up on some concepts."

"Will you help me?" Ariel pleaded, her blue eyes growing wide with anxiety at having to be put on the spot.

Pocahontas gaped in mock surprise. "Of course I will! I'll help you with anything. Science is best conducted with a partner or a team."

Finally Ariel relaxed. "I am so glad you are saying this, because I have been wanting to ask for your help with some assignments and labs but I felt too shy to say anything. I mean, you're an environmental student right? You already know some of these things."

"Well, I am very glad to help. It will be good for me as well to keep my mind off of Nakoma."

Ariel gritted her teeth, unsure of what to say. She had never lost anyone before so it was difficult to find the right words of consolation. Pocahontas sensed her discomfort.

"It's OK. You don't need to choose your words carefully or anything. I'm not easily offended." She offered. "Actually, in many ways you remind me of her. You're cautious but you have an adventurous spirit, and you have a will to learn and explore new territory."

The redhead sharply exhaled. "I just don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything then. Or you can say whatever is on your mind. Either way, I won't be bothered."

Before Ariel could respond, Jane announced her presence in the room.

"Good morning ladies! I'm so sorry I'm late and completely disorganized. That confounding device in the student lounge refused to print the way I wanted it to and instead decided to absolutely ruin my handouts for you all."

Pocahontas and Ariel started giggling from the corner they were sitting in. Then Ariel stood up and collected her papers, and smiled at her new friend. "I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Most definitely. I'll meet you at the Coffee Corner at noon!" Pocahontas replied. As she started walking back to her seat next to Tiana, she overheard Ariel offering her assistance to Jane with her paper sorting.

Ariel was completely lost during her marine geology lecture. She couldn't seem to understand anything about rocks or tectonic processes that shape the ocean floor. Re-reading her now well-sorted lab report, she began fidgeting with anxiety all over again, realizing that she had no idea what she had even written about. In an effort to distract herself from her nerves, she glanced about the lecture hall for any familiar faces. To her surprise, she saw Mulan a few rows down below.

After her earlier conversation with Pocahontas, she began to feel less shy about talking to people, especially if she had spent a significant amount of time with them. So she packed up her belongings and shuffled her way down the steps toward where Mulan was sitting. As she scooted her way through the row, passed the legs of other classmates, she noted that someone was already sitting next to Mulan – a young man with dark hair.

Mulan looked up and smiled at Ariel making her way over. She reached her arm out to gesture that there was an unoccupied seat on her other side. The redhead then crouched her way to Mulan's other side, climbing over the young man who Ariel thought to be her boyfriend.

"Hey! I didn't know you were in this class?" Ariel asked in a hushed whisper.

"I didn't know you were either! I'm so glad to finally have a friend in this class...I'm so lost."

Ariel was perplexed. Finally have friend in this class? She glanced to the dark-haired young man and Mulan eyes followed. "Oh, him. Ariel, this is my new friend Eric – he's lost too."

Eric reached out his hand for Ariel to shake, but she was too distracted by his blue eyes. "Your eyes remind me of the ocean...I love the ocean..." She breathed, nearly mesmerized.

He and Mulan were at first stunned and very perplexed, but then they began laughing loudly, causing the professor at the front podium to pause in her lecture and glance in their direction. The three students ducked behind the seats in front of them to try and hide their faces and thus their shame. Ariel's face was as red as a tomato, partially from the humiliation of disrupting the 300-person class, but mostly from completely making a fool out of herself in front of this handsome fellow she had just met.

"Of course you love the ocean, you're an oceanography major." Mulan whispered, still hiding behind the seat in front.

"Marine biology." Ariel corrected. "I want to study creatures, not rocks or currents."

Mulan giggled. "Now do you mean sea creatures, or do you mean male, blue eyed students studying sea creatures?"

Ariel blushed again and lightly shoved her friend in jest. "I'm not even going to answer that."

"What am I missing?" Eric asked, while simultaneously trying to take notes. "I mean, I'd love to really absorb this information so that I can actually do well on the next exam, but it seems you two ladies are involved in something a lot more interesting." He grinned directly at Ariel.

"We'll check blackboard later. Let's get out of here before we are exiled permanently." Mulan suggested, already rising from her position on the floor.

Ariel and Erick soon followed suit, hastily packing up their belongings and stealthy trying to exit without causing a scene. The professor still took note, and paused from her lecture again to watch them leave.

Once out of the lecture hall, the three students stood together in the bright, full-windowed hallway and exhaled sharply. Immediately they burst into laughter once again. "Did that seriously happen?" Mulan asked once she caught her breath.

"I guess so." Ariel answered. She brushed back a small lock of red hair behind her ear and bit her lip. "I'm not really used to cutting class or anything..." She admitted.

"I'm not either. This guy's a bad influence." Mulan said and pointed her thumb toward Eric. In response, he put his hands up in surrender.

"You caught me! I just wanted to get you guys in trouble."

"Well, we can at least go get something to eat."

The redhead was famished. She had missed breakfast due to her printer fiasco and needed to eat something soon. "I just have to meet Pocahontas at noon. She's going to help me with oceanography stuff."

"Do you think I can join you two? I'm struggling with the course work as well." Mulan asked.

"I'm sure she'd be fine with it! I'll text her in a bit to make sure though." Ariel pulled out her phone and began punching in numbers on the dial pad. Suddenly, in an ounce of bravery an idea occurred to her. "Hey Eric, do you think you might want to join as well? I know you don't know any of us or anything but our friend Pocahontas is really good in the earth sciences and you mentioned before that you are having a hard time with the material."

He genuinely looked disappointed and a half smile came turned up on his face. "I'd love to, it sounds like a good plan and everything but I have to meet my girlfriend for lunch."

Ariel could not hide her displeasure. Her face sunk and her brow furrowed in utter disappointment. She felt so mortified that she had even tried flirting with a man who had a girlfriend. Mulan was equally as shocked. "You have a girlfriend?"

Eric shrugged. "Yeah, we've been together for a couple years now. We went to secondary school together and decided we wanted to go to the same university as well. Her name is Vanessa."

"Well, don't you think you could have mentioned that sooner?" Mulan nudged his shoulder playfully. "I mean, we're best friends now right?"

He laughed slightly, feeling a bit relieved that the situation had not become too awkward. "Yeah, definitely best friends!" He turned his attention back to the other girl who was staring at her shoes. "And Ariel can be our third best friend!"

She looked up at him and tried to smile, but mostly failed. "And we're all going to have a ton of fun."

Mulan sensed her friend's discomfort. "Well Eric, I guess we will be seeing you same time next week? I need to get Ariel some food or I'm sure she's going to faint."

Eric nodded and grinned. "Alright, I'll see you later Mulan. Go on Skype later if you can and fill me in on the tutoring details." Then he turned to Ariel. "It was nice meeting you too."

"Likewise." She answered as she watched him turn and walk down the hall.

Mulan linked arms with Ariel and guided her in the opposite direction. "The Coffee Corner is a few minutes this way once we exit the building."

Once outside, the two young women walked together across campus. It was a beautiful day, though crisp and chilly. The sky was blue with only a few clouds making their way over head. Both girls had dressed warmly, with long black, buttoned coats, boots and scarves. Ariel's wool blue scarf was far better suited to Mulan's silk green one and she was far warmer than her companion. Mulan tried to hide her shivering but Ariel could even hear her teeth chattering through the breeze. Otherwise, the walk was fairly silent.

Ariel twice tried offering her scarf to her friend, but Mulan declined it both times. "I need to build up my tolerance to cold weather." She reasoned.

"Suit yourself." Ariel replied both times. After about five minutes of silence amongst the sound of Mulan's chattering teeth, Ariel decided to make conversation. "So...how long have you known Eric?"

At first, Mulan gave no response, then she took in a breath and slowly answered."Since the start of the term. We sat near each other and just started talking. Since then we've been chatting fairly regularly by text, Skype and Facebook." She paused, a touch of sadness in her voice. "I guess we just kind of hit it off."

"And you didn't know he had a girlfriend?"

"Nope. He didn't mention it once."

"Oh..." Ariel looked down at the ground, taking note that Mulan was making sure to step on every crunchy looking leaf that she passed, each time releasing a satisfying crunch. Ariel tried it doing the same, sometimes going out of her way for the right leaf. A smile started forming on her lips as she relaxed into her new found game.

"I know this is a personal question and we're not super close friends or anything." Ariel began, still watching the ground for leaves. "But before you found out Eric had a girlfriend, you liked him didn't you?"

Mulan was silent, focusing on her own leaf crunching while digesting the question. "I guess so." She finally responded.

"Oh." Ariel paused. "I could kind of tell."

"Even if he didn't have a girlfriend though, I never expected to start dating him or anything." Mulan added.

Ariel was confused. "How come? I thought when people liked each other they went out on dates and tried to form a relationship." She emphasized as she skipped upon a particularly large leaf.

Mulan laughed lightly. "For normal circumstances yes, that is true. I'm just not allowed to date white guys."

Ariel stopped in her tracks and looked directly at Mulan. "You mean to tell me that even if you fell in love with someone, your parents would forbid the relationship because of his race?"

Mulan shrugged. "It's a bit more complicated actually. It's not just that I can't date certain people. It's more along the lines that I only can date certain people."

"Not to sound stereotypical or anything, but would a certain acceptable person have to be smart, Chinese and successful?"

Mulan nodded.

"I see." Ariel continued. "To be completely honest, minus the Chinese specification, my family is the same way. He has to be a fisherman."

Mulan scrunched her nose in confusion. "Why a fisherman?"

"Remember? I grew up on the sea. So naturally, my family wants me to continue living at sea."

"Right, right. I'm sorry, I completely forgot."

The two then continued to walk in silence, still crunching leaves until they reached the Coffee Corner. Neither expected to see Pocahontas already inside, pouring over old marine geology textbooks, no doubt refreshing her mind on the subject. She looked up once she heard the bell on the door jingle and smiled at the two familiar faces.

"I didn't expect you here for at least another half hour. I haven't finished brushing up on my concepts just yet." Pocahontas guiltily admitted. "Hi Mulan, are you going to study with us as well?"

The other girl nodded and bit her bottom lip. "I hope you don't mind. Ariel and I just connected in class today and she invited me along."

"I texted you about it earlier, I hope you don't mind" Ariel piped up.

Pocahontas furrowed her brow and began to rummage through her bag. "Hmm...I didn't feel anything..." She muttered as she continued to search through her cluttered purse with no such luck at finding her cell phone. "Well, in any case, of course I don't mind! Is it alright if we just relax a bit beforehand though? I only started drinking my tea a few minutes ago and I like to keep tea time separate from work time." She giggled before taking a sip of her tea.

"Not at all!" The other two young women exclaimed at once.

"I'd prefer not to rush it anyway." Ariel said with a smile. "I'm going to freshen up now, so I'll be back in a few minutes." She added, already striding toward the restroom.

Once inside the washroom, Ariel locked the door behind her and took a deep breath. It had been a long morning and already an eventful afternoon. Truthfully, she wasn't used to socializing at all, or even people being nice to her for an extended period of time so it was quite a shock. No doubt she felt lonely and it showed in her tired appearance. Her bright red hair only accentuated the dark circles under her eyes, no matter how much makeup she applied.

"The result of too many sleepless nights I suppose." She sighed as she lightly dabbed concealer to the areas she deemed 'problematic.' Her best friend Flounder, as she fondly called him back home would certainly whine about her needless use for makeup no matter how much she tried to convince him that she wasn't the slightest bit satisfied with her appearance. As she peered at her reflection in the mirror, she already could list at least ten problems she would love to fix if given the chance, starting with the raccoon eyes and her predisposition for freckles across the bridge of her nose.

The more Ariel thought about her insecurity, the more she thought about how much she would love to have a boyfriend, and the more she thought about how much she would love to have a boyfriend, the more she thought about the handsome young man she had just met earlier in the day: Eric. Considering her complete lack of experience on land and therefore with non-familial members of the opposite sex, he was her first real 'crush,' and already she found it difficult to stop thinking about him. It bothered her even more knowing that Mulan had a similar attraction to him as well, discouraging her further from even pursing a friendship with him in case Mulan were to become jealous.

Ariel shook her head and frowned. "There's no point in thinking about it anyway..." She told herself allowed. "He has a girlfriend, and it would take more than a few layers of makeup to get him to like me..."

A knock on the restroom door shook Ariel out of her thoughts, causing her to flail her arms and knock her makeup bag and all its contents to the floors. "I'll be out in just a second!" She called out, hastily scooping her vanity material back into their proper places.

"Don't worry, I was just checking to see if you were alright in there." Pocahontas' soothing voice came from the other side of the door, causing Ariel to relax. Once she finished picking up her belongings, she composed herself and unlocked the door, only to be welcomed by a steaming hot cup of Earl Gray in Pocahontas' hands—Ariel's favorite.

"I didn't know what kind of tea you would have wanted so I bought you this popular choice. I prefer green myself, but it looks like you could use a caffeine boost" Her friend offered. The gesture was enough to bring a smile back on to Ariel's face, temporarily forcing away the negative feelings she held for herself – at least at that particular moment, she had people who cared about her, who wanted her to feel safe and comfortable in their presence. So she accepted the cup of tea and walked with Pocahontas back to the table where Mulan was seated, pensive and gazing out the window. At that particular moment, Ariel knew she wasn't alone in her thoughts and that her two companions were equally as disconnected from the world as herself.

"So, shall we begin with Plate Tectonics?" Ariel suggested to her friends with a smile on her face, welcoming anything more that will come her way.

Author's Note:

I very much apologize for the long delay in this update. This was partially due to writers block and partially due to a high workload and a lack of internet. Still, no excuse. So to make up for that, I tried to write a particularly long chapter focusing on a Disney Princess favorite: Ariel!

Truthfully, I hope the wait was worth the while and that you all enjoyed this chapter. I understand that a few of the reviews and PM's I have received have to do with from where Jane is from. She is Jane Porter from Tarzan, though now I can understand the confusion as one of the Banks' children in Mary Poppins is also named Jane, not to mention Wendy's daughter in Peter Pan. I will make a note of this in the first chapter as well to clarify, but I thought I would make a note here as well.

Please let me know if you have any requests for the focus of the next chapter, or any questions! =]

A special thank you to my ever loyal reviewers: GorgyPorgyGregoria , Demi Brackensick , supersmashkingdomhearts1999, Ms. Emily Vega , yeahIwentthere69 and Solaria daughter of Apollo! Also a special thank you to the wonderful guests who have been stopping by the story and giving their love. Please visit their profiles and check up on their stories as well! If you enjoy mine, you certainly will enjoy theirs!

-Suzerenma