"Little Shop! Little Shop of Horrors! Little Shop! Little Shop of terror!" Ariel sang excitedly as she and the girls skipped out to Aurora' s car after school.
"This is gonna be so great!" Lottie squealed, daintily clapping her hands. She turned to Tiana with a gleeful smile. "You have to do it this year, Tia!"
"I dunno..."
"Hey, I let you slide on the last three musicals! This is your senior year, you need some fun! And your boss loves you so much, he'll totally let you out of work for rehearsals."
"Well-"
"Tia. You know you need to relax when your boss calls your best friend to come drag you off early."
Tiana looked shocked. "My boss calls you?!"
"You know he and daddy are friends! Anyway, he always pays you the full shift. Please?"
Tiana rolled her eyes. "Fine."
Lottie shrieked. "This'll be so much fun!"
"You're gonna do it, right, Rorie?" Snow chirped.
Aurora smiled. "Yeah. But I just wanna be in chorus this time around."
"Same here." Snow agreed while Cindy nodded.
"I think I'm gonna go for the lead this time!" Ariel cheered, beaming.
Aurora smiled at her. "Well, with your voice, you can definitely get it."
"What song do we have to prepare?" Lottie asked.
"For girls, it said Suddenly, Seymour and Somewhere That's Green." Snow replied.
"Oh, jeez. Imagine the guys who are gonna try out for Seymour..." Cindy smirked.
"What part are you gonna go for, Giselle?" Jasmine asked the redhead.
Giselle smirked mischievously toward Ariel. "Actually..."
Ariel grinned and said playfully, "Oh, am I gonna have some competition here?"
"Well, you could just back out now if you want. Spare yourself the heartbreak." Giselle joked, shrugging.
"Uh-uh. The game is on!" Ariel declared.
The group laughed as they neared Aurora's car.
"Okay. Who's coming back to my place?" Aurora asked.
"I can't. I got work." Tiana said plainly, continuing to walk toward where her car was parked. "See you guys."
"See you!" They all called after her.
Lottie shook her head. "What am I going to do with that girl?"
"Okay. Anyone else?" Aurora asked.
"I'm stuck with the twins today. I should get going." Cindy waved goodbye and took off toward her own car nearby. She'd be waiting there until her stepsisters came.
"Alright. Everyone else pile in, I guess." Aurora said.
"I could take some people in my car." Lottie volunteered. They all turned to her in mild shock.
Jasmine frowned. "Since when do you drive?"
"Daddy pulled some strings." Lottie smiled proudly, digging her sparkly pink wallet out of her fluffy pink purse. "Check out my shiny new license!" She giggled as she slipped the little plastic card out of her wallet and held it up for them. Her wide grin matched the one she wore in the picture.
The group shared a look. After a moment, Giselle sighed. "I'll go with Lottie. I've lived a good life."
"I'll go with them, I guess." Ariel added.
"Okay. See you guys at my place." Aurora said, unlocking her car.
"Right behind you!" Lottie cheered as she, Giselle and Ariel walked away.
Phillip was walking toward his car when he saw Aurora driving away, followed by an obnoxiously pink Porsche. He avoided looking her way and accidentally made eye contact with Tiana, who was walking to her own car. She paused to wave at him, in a shy way that wasn't usual for her, before averting her eyes and hurrying away. Phillip frowned to himself for a moment before going on his way.
Esmeralda skipped up to where Meg and Hercules were lounging in the school courtyard. Meg raised an eyebrow as her ecstatic friend approached.
"Someone's feeling bouncy." Meg drawled as Esmeralda jumped to a stop in front of them, grinning from ear to ear. Meg smirked before asking what Esme was so happy about.
"The musical's been announced!" Esme cried.
"Oh. That thing." Meg said flatly, making Hercules laugh.
"Guess what it is!"
"I really don't care."
"Meg, it's Little Shop!"
Meg froze and stared at her friend for a moment. Then she relaxed a little, playing it cool. But Esme knew that now Meg was intrigued. Little Shop of Horrors was just about the only musical Meg could stand; They'd discovered it together in middle school, and had many a time found themselves singing along to Ellen Greene rather than doing homework.
"Meg. You have to try out."
Meg narrowed her eyes. "No, I don't."
"Meg! You always said that if you had an opportunity to do this show, you would! And I've heard you sing Audrey's parts. It would be a crime if you didn't at least try out!"
"I'll look ridiculous!"
"I thought you didn't care what people thought of you." Esme smirked challengingly.
Meg shook her head. "Ugh! That's not what I-" She sighed. "I'll just be wasting my time and theirs."
"But the directors are super cool! It's Mrs. Rabbit, her husband, and my cousin for God's sake!"
Meg raised a brow. "Clopin's helping direct?"
"Yeah."
"Then I definitely don't want to do it."
"What? Why?!"
"I can hardly stand Clopin when he directs our drama productions, and I'm always just an extra in those."
"Okay, sure, he's crazy, but he does like you. He just never sees you applying yourself."
When Meg just shook her head in reply, Esme turned serious. "Meg, I really think this could be good for you. Please? At least just go for chorus."
"It sounds like it would be really fun." Hercules spoke up. "I mean, what exactly do you have to lose?"
"And it's probably your only chance to be in the one musical you love." Esme added.
Meg glared at them for a moment, then sighed in defeat. "I'll sign up for chorus. But that's it."
Esmeralda cheered and hugged her friend. Meg awkwardly patted her back in return. When Esme pulled away, she turned on Hercules.
"You should try out too, Herc. I hear from some of the guys that you've got a great voice."
Meg turned to him, amused. "You sing?"
"See you guys!" Esme called as she skipped away.
When he was left alone with the smirking Meg, Hercules laughed nervously.
"I sing in the shower sometimes."
"Even in the locker room?" She raised an eyebrow.
"It's kind of a habit..."
"Huh." She couldn't hide her grin.
"You know...if you go for the lead, I could go for the male lead, and we could be, like, a stage couple..." She turned a surprised frown on him and he shrugged, nervously laughing again. "I mean...that could be cute...right?"
"Seymour is a scrawny nerd who collects strange plants, happens upon an alien species, and feeds people to it." She said flatly.
"Oh... Well, I used to be a scrawny nerd. I could play it, I think... And the rest is just acting right?"
"That's a nice gesture, Wonder Boy. But I dunno."
He shrugged, smiling a little. "Just something to think about."
"She's still not talking to you?" Aladdin asked Phoebus. They were sitting with Flynn on the field, where they had a track meeting and were currently waiting for the coach. Flynn was just there for moral support.
Phoebus glumly shook his head. "No. She hates me."
"She does not hate you. This is Esme we're talking about." Aladdin said, running a hand through his hair. "I mean, you guys have been best friends for forever!"
"I don't want to just be friends! If she and I weren't just friends, then this never would've happened!" Phoebus cried in frustration.
"No, if you weren't such a sloppy drunk this wouldn't have happened. I mean, really dude, we're gonna have to keep an eye on you around booze." Flynn chastised.
Phoebus shook his head. "I know, I know." He sighed. "I just don't know what the hell to do."
And Flynn and Aladdin had no idea what to tell him to do. Phoebus was usually the mature one, looking out for them, giving them advice. Now, they were all at a loss.
Two days later, Lottie came running excitedly up to Aurora at cheer practice.
"Auditions in two days!" Lottie squealed.
Aurora smiled. "I know. Friday cannot come fast enough!"
"You sure you don't wanna go for a lead, girl? Seems kinda like a shame to me..." Lottie pouted.
Aurora shrugged. "Maybe for the spring show."
Lottie gasped. "Oh! Do we have any idea what that might be?"
Aurora shook her head. "We're waiting to see scenery and costumes before we make any guesses. You know, since the clue is a color."
Every year, there was a secret link between the two musicals the school put on. Choir kids usually had the inside scoop on what the big clue was that would hint at that link. This year, all Mrs. Rabbit would give them was "a color".
Lottie nodded. "Right. Oh, Mrs. Rabbit is so smart."
It was then that Eilonwy and Wendy came in, already changed. Lottie pointedly ignored them while Aurora smiled and waved hello to them. Eilonwy grinned and waved back. Wendy just stared down at her feet and followed Eilonwy to sit in the bleachers.
Aurora repressed a sigh. She'd fought with Lottie and Giselle, trying to stop them from putting Wendy down as an alternate. But they'd insisted, saying that this was the best way to spare Wendy's feelings, and that she would be a last resort.
Giselle came in next, followed by Tink's group. Then came the Bimbettes. Aurora noticed them sharing a quick goodbye with a smug Vanessa outside the gym doors. Rapunzel had told Aurora earlier that she would be late.
Esmeralda, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Kida, Lilo, and Alice walked in now, giggling and joking around like instant friends. Dance team always seemed so familial and casual, whereas cheer definitely wasn't. Giselle grinned and went to greet them.
"Are Lilo and Alice our only new members?" Giselle asked.
"Yup." Jasmine said.
"The only other people who tried out were the Tremaine sisters..." Pocahontas said while Kida rolled her eyes.
"Seriously?" Giselle asked. She shared a look with Esme and shook her head. "Well. We don't have to put up with them anymore. Come on over to the bleachers and we'll get started."
Ariel and Eric walked in now, followed by Aladdin, Meg, Hercules, Milo, Merida and Jim. Ariel grinned as she approached Aurora.
"Hey, Ariel. You sticking around today?" Aurora asked with a smile.
"Actually, I'm hanging with Eric today. I just wanted to let you know that I'm not coming over later."
"Oh, okay. What are you guys gonna do?"
"Just, um...go to the, uh...movies..." But Ariel's guilty blush said it all.
Aurora chuckled. "Yeah, sure. Have fun. But be safe, 'kay?"
"'Kay! See you tomorrow!" Ariel cheered before skipping away. As Ariel and Eric disappeared, Aurora shook her head. Lottie suddenly appeared next to her.
"They are using protection, right?" Lottie asked.
"Lottie! Jesus…"
"It's a legitimate question! You know how spacey she can be."
"Ariel's on the pill." Aurora replied.
"Okay, and?"
"And…what?"
Charlotte giggled and affectionately patted Aurora's shoulder. "Oh, you younger girls are so adorable."
It was then that Rapunzel came crashing through the doors. Aurora grinned at her before being caught in a hug by the shorter girl, who was glowing with excitement.
"Sorry I'm late!" Rapunzel cried as she pulled back.
"No problem. Take a seat." Aurora smiled and gestured toward the bleachers. Rapunzel grinned and rushed to sit near the others, waving at Merida and Jim on the way.
Once everyone was seated, Aurora, Lottie and Esmeralda stood in front of them and called for full attention. Lottie sent Aurora an excited look, while Aurora repressed a sigh and hoped she didn't look as tired as she felt. She turned a smile on the group and said, "Welcome to the first cheer and dance practice, everyone!"
She was met by cheers and squeals all around. She nodded a little to herself, forcing her smile to widen.
Flynn was sitting in the school parking lot when he felt his phone buzz. He glanced at the screen to see that Aladdin had just texted him.
Dude Rapunzel's here if you wanna come see her
Flynn didn't think twice before running to the gym. He arrived just in time to see Rapunzel perform the most perfect cartwheel ever. Unfortunately, his presence garnered some nasty looks from Aurora and Lottie. But when he saw his friends waving from the bleachers, he didn't hesitate to join them.
"Glad you could make it, man." Aladdin said with a smirk.
Flynn glanced around. "Still no Phoebus, huh?"
Aladdin looked cautiously toward Esme before shaking his head. "Nope."
Flynn frowned before turning his attention to Rapunzel. She was staring at him, and when their eyes met, she grinned and waved excitedly. He smirked and waved back. When Rapunzel found herself on the receiving end of Aurora's glare, the exchange was forced to an end. Aurora sent Flynn the same look before resuming practice.
Aladdin caught the sheepish look on Flynn's face, but it was gone so quickly that Aladdin saw no reason to comment. Flynn would have just denied it anyway.
"Great practice, girls!" Aurora cheered, grinning at everyone.
"Aw, is it over?" Rapunzel asked with round eyes. It had only been two hours!
While Aurora laughed, Lottie grinned sweetly and said, "Don't worry. We'll be working you hard soon enough."
Rapunzel smiled and nodded before going to change.
Lottie smirked at Aurora. "I like that girl…" She trailed off and landed a steady glare on something behind Aurora. "But I don't care much for the company she keeps.
Aurora turned to follow Lottie's gaze and saw Flynn awkwardly ducking his head, his friends rough-housing around him. She nodded in understanding as she turned back to Lottie, then shrugged.
"She's a smart girl, and too nice for them. She'll wise up."
Lottie narrowed her eyes in doubt, then gave a small nod. "Yeah. Probably." When she spotted most of the dance team headed toward the door to get some fresh air, she went after them, leaving Aurora in the middle of the gym. " Wait up, girls! I just love the new routine..."
Aurora bit her lip, turning slightly to peek at Flynn again. He looked so uncomfortable, just kind of hovering outside his group while they clamored to compliment Esme & Jasmine. His gaze kept distractedly flickering toward the locker room door. Aurora furrowed her brow, feeling a little pang in her chest. She wasn't sure what she wanted… Well, not beyond thanking him for saving her from Gaston at that party. She'd never gotten the chance to…
She heaved a sigh, her stomach twisting up in a knot as she turned on her heel and speed-walked to the locker room to get changed.
Rapunzel was about to leave the gym when she heard Merida call to her from the bleachers. She'd thought the group had cleared out after practice. She grinned as she approached them with a bounce in her step.
"Hey, guys!" She greeted cheerfully.
"Ellie! You were so good!" Merida cheered and hugged the blonde.
Rapunzel giggled. "Thank you!"
"Wasn't she great, Jim?" Merida asked him. Jim shrugged and nodded a little. Merida rolled her eyes at him before turning back to Rapunzel. "We should go celebrate!"
"I know just the place!" Flynn cried, sharing a look with Aladdin.
Aladdin raised an eyebrow at his friend and asked, "Seriously? Right now?"
"It's as good a time as any." Flynn smirked.
After a moment, Aladdin nodded. "Let's just wait for Esme and Jazz."
Half an hour later, the group (Flynn, Aladdin, Esme, Jasmine, Kida, Pocahontas, Merida, Jim, Milo, Meg, Hercules, and now Rapunzel) was parking in an open field in the only unpopulated part of town. This expanse of land was basically a field, a forest, and a beach, with the natural life left to fend for itself, untouched by civilization. Meg, Flynn, Pocahontas and Hercules had their cars parked on the edge of the trees, and now the group was making its hike toward the hang-out spot. It wasn't a hard trek; it had been traveled so many times that a path had nearly been worn into the forest floor.
Rapunzel looked around her in awe; Going outside was one thing, actually experiencing nature was another. And to think, a month ago, she was just sitting alone in her room and wondering when her life would begin. She'd begun to get scared that her mother would never let her leave. But now, here she was, going to a real school, with real people, and now she had all these great friends who really liked her. She'd never expected the world to be so welcoming.
While the walk was simple, it was also long. It took another twenty minutes before they finally reached the spot. Rapunzel couldn't help but gasp.
They'd found a clearing, and at the opposite end was the biggest tree Rapunzel had ever seen. And that tree's massive limbs cradled the cutest little house, (also very old and weathered), with a rope ladder. There was a picnic table at the left side of the clearing, and from some of the taller trees they'd set up simple rope swings. But Rapunzel's favorite thing had to be the ornate lanterns that adorned all the surrounding tree limbs. She could only imagine coming here at night to lounge under those lanterns...
Everyone cheered and whooped, racing to find a comfortable spot. Meg, Esme, Milo and Hercules sat at the picnic table. Merida and Jim each took a rope swing. Aladdin and Flynn proudly took over the tree house, which creaked loudly enough to make Jasmine laugh nervously while Aladdin helped her climb up. Kida and Pocahontas started climbing expertly up a tree next to the house. Rapunzel just stood in the middle of the clearing, turning around over and over, taking it all in. This little hide-out had been worked on over a few years, obviously. But it had been finished for a while, and basically untouched since. Leaving it the way they'd built it, at whatever age they did, without any up-keep, made it all a part of the forest. Wild, rustic, natural...dangerous...exciting.
"Wow..." Rapunzel sighed dreamily.
"I know, right?" Flynn said from his look-out above her.
"Do you guys come here a lot?"
"Just to unwind." Pocahontas answered.
"Which is more often for some of us..." Meg muttered. She hadn't quite warmed up to the idea of Rapunzel or Jasmine being part of the group yet, and obviously didn't like that they'd been brought to the hideout.
"We kinda just come whenever we want." Kida added.
"Even...at night?"
"Oh, yeah." Flynn nodded.
"Of course." Aladdin added.
"Definitely." Esme chorused.
"Especially at night." Meg muttered again.
"Wow... You don't get scared?"
"Nah." Aladdin pointed upward, toward the lanterns. "That's what those are for."
"And you don't worry that someone might find you guys out here?"
Jim scoffed. "No one ever comes out here. Not even on the beach."
"Besides, this is a worry-free zone. As we say, Hakuna Matata." Flynn grinned.
Rapunzel stared at him blankly. "What?"
"Hakuna Matata... What a wonderful phrase!" Flynn cried, smirking at Aladdin.
Aladdin playfully rolled his eyes and explained, "It means 'no worries'…we think."
"I kinda assumed you and Flynn made that up a long time ago." Esme commented.
"Huh." Rapunzel nodded. "No worries? Like, at all?"
"None." Flynn said as he dropped himself down the rope swing and joined her in the clearing.
"Can people really live like that?" She asked.
"Of course! You just have to relax! It's the key to staying sane, you know."
"But..."
"I come here when I need to unwind after a stressful day at work." Esme piped in.
"I come here when I need to get away from my mom." Meg said plainly.
"I come here just because it's better to be alone in nature than to be alone in my apartment." Aladdin shrugged while Jasmine wrapped her arms around him.
"Pocahontas and I come here to practice dancing a lot. And to climb around." Kida spoke up from her hiding place in the tree limbs.
"I also come here to read or draw in my spare time." Pocahontas added from just below Kida. "Or just when I need some quiet."
"Wow... And you?" Rapunzel asked Flynn.
"I live out here." He responded in a way that made it hard to tell if he was joking or not.
"Oh."
"You can too, if you like!" Aladdin called with a grin.
"Really?" Rapunzel couldn't conceal her excitement.
"Sure!" Kida cheered.
"You, Merida, Milo, Hercules and Jasmine are all one of us now." Esme added with a soft smile.
Merida jumped down from the rope swing with a whoop, while Jim swung all the way to a nearby tree and leapt deftly onto the longest limb.
"Pass me the rope, Jim!" Aladdin called.
Jim grinned and obliged. Aladdin easily caught the rope and clung to it before swinging out into the open air, making Jasmine giggle as she watched him. Flynn smirked and climbed onto the other rope swing. He started to swing and try to knock into Aladdin, but Aladdin was too quick for him.
Aladdin laughed and called down to the newcomers, "But if you wanna stay, you have to live by our motto!"
"Whattaya say, Milo?" Kida cried as she dropped out of her tree and came to stand in front of him, her hands in her hips.
Milo shrugged and grinned. "Hakuna Matata."
She laughed and leaned down to kiss him. When everyone around them cheered, he turned bright red.
"And what about you, Blondie?" Flynn asked Rapunzel cockily as he dropped down from his rope swing and stood in front of her.
She gazed up at him like a lost puppy, wondering if he would kiss her the way Kida kissed Milo if she agreed to this motto. But she decided to answer honestly instead.
"I dunno... My mother would flip out..."
"Your mom can't rule your life forever, Ellie." Merida said.
"Yeah. And besides, we won't ever let you get hurt." Esme added in a soothing tone.
"You're one of us." Pocahontas assured her as she climbed out of the tree. "That means we'll always protect you."
"So. What'll it be, Blondie?" Flynn's face spoke of challenge, but something in his eyes made her believe that he was hoping she would stay. Looking around, Rapunzel recognized that in a lot of their eyes.
Except Meg's.
After a long, doubtful moment of thought, Rapunzel grinned. "Hakuna Matata!"
Everyone cheered and ran in for a group hug.
Two hours later,Flynn offered to give Rapunzel, Merida and Jim a ride home. As everyone was heading back to the cars, Rapunzel hung back and stared fondly around the clearing. She really didn't want to go home.
If mother ever finds out, I'll never get to be here again... Rapunzel thought sadly.
So, her mother would never find out.
Now that she'd really actually been outside, Rapunzel couldn't imagine a world without the sun and the smell of the earth. How could she have been missing this for so long? And how could she allow herself to miss it ever again? And what about it was so dangerous?
With an excited giggle, Rapunzel raced after her new friends.
When they pulled up behind Rapunzel's house, her mom wasn't home. Rapunzel grinned and turned to the others in Flynn's car.
"Thanks, guys. This has been the best day ever."
"Don't worry. We'll make sure you see even better." Flynn said with a wink.
Rapunzel's eyes lingered on him a little before she said, "See you all tomorrow", and slipped out of the car. Jim smirked when he saw Flynn's longing gaze at Rapunzel's retreating form.
They watched, (at Merida's insistence), as Rapunzel worked this complicated pulley system that lifted her tiny form up to her isolated bedroom window in a bucket. Flynn and Jim waited in awe while Rapunzel slipped in through the window and lowered the bucket back down. Once Rapunzel was inside with the window locked shut, both boys stared at Merida in shock.
"Does... Does she do that a lot?" Flynn asked.
Merida shrugged. "We made the system a while back, when Ellie was getting adventurous. Let's just say her mom keeps security pretty tight. The window is the only way in or out...in secret, that is."
"Wow." Jim nodded, impressed.
"Yeah... Wow." Flynn mused.
While Jim and Merida smirked, Flynn started driving away discretely.
An hour later, there was firm knock on Rapunzel's bedroom door.
"Come in!" Rapunzel cried cheerfully.
The door swung open and Rapunzel's mother, Gothel, stepped into the room on gracefully brazen feet. She spread out her arms for a hug. Rapunzel giggled as she obliged, being enveloped in her mother's welcoming and protective embrace.
"Hello, dear. How was your first cheer practice? Was it dreadful?" Gothel asked.
Rapunzel laughed. "Not at all. It was great!"
"Oh." Her mother almost sounded disappointed. (This happened often. Rapunzel just figured it was part of her humor.) She stepped back to look down at Rapunzel. "I suppose this means you'll be out a bit more, hmm?"
"Yeah..."
Gothel sighed. "Well. I don't like that very much, but... I'll allow it. You seem smart enough to handle the world yourself... But if you slip up, no more cheer. And if you slip up again, back to home-schooling. Understand?"
"Yes, mother."
"Good girl... I actually think cheer will be good for you. Keep you from getting too chubby, maybe." She chuckled and pulled the wounded Rapunzel in for another hug, stroking the girl's golden hair with tender fingers. "Only kidding… I love you, pumpkin."
"I love you more." Rapunzel replied with a soft smile.
"I love you most." With that, she quickly patted the top of Rapunzel's head and strutted out of the room. "After dinner, that hair of yours needs another brushing, I think…" She shut the door after her.
Just as Rapunzel was about to sigh, there was another quick knock before Gothel stuck her head back into the room.
"And remember, Rapunzel. No boys."
Rapunzel laughed nervously. "Right. Of course not."
"Mother knows best, my dear. You'll learn soon enough." Then she disappeared without another word.
The door shut and Rapunzel allowed herself a deep breath.
After dropping off Jim & Merida, Flynn responded to an urgent call from Esme. Now theywere sitting in the car outside Phoebus' house while she came dangerously close to gnawing off her lower lip.
"So… Meg wouldn't drive you, huh?" Flynn asked quietly after a few moments.
"No… She thought it was a bad idea."
"Huh… Can't imagine why." He quipped.
"Flynn."
"Sorry."
He's right… What are we even doing here? She warily watched the front of the upper-class, lovely and wonderfully plain home. (Perfect for Phoebus' upper-class, lovely and wonderfully plain family.) It was nice but simple, sticking out in the midst of garish Victorian-style homes, (more like manors). Stylish and large enough to indicate that they were pretty wealthy, but muted enough to say, "Hey, we're still just regular people".
"You should go in. Talk to him." Flynn said. They'd been sitting there for a good five minutes while Esme stared at the house, obviously hoping to at least catch a glimpse of Phoebus.
She shook her head, not taking her eyes off the house. "No..."
Flynn scoffed. "Why don't you guys just get together? You know how long he's loved you. And you know you feel the same way, but you're too afraid to commit."
"Now, that's—"
"And don't even get me started on your trust issues, my God…"
Esme glared at him. "And how would you know anything about-?!"
"I know that people accept the love they think they deserve, and I know that you deserve a lot more than you think, and it's sitting inside that house!" Flynn shouted over her.
She was obviously pissed, and after a long, angry staring contest, he wondered if she was tempted to get out of the car and hitch-hike home. But she just sighed and shook her head, turning to look out the windshield.
"This is no way to start a relationship. After a week of ignoring each other, after a drunken fight and public humiliation... And under the eye of all our friends?"
"We just want you guys to act as smart as you are and just be together. You're the ones who made it hard..."
She rolled her emerald eyes. "What I mean is..." She sighed. "This is private. Between me and Phoebus alone. So, I'll go talk to him, soon, and get us back to being friends. And then we'll figure the rest out as we go..."
"No bullshit?"
She scoffed, smirking at him. "No bullshit."
"Okay. Come here and hug me, damn it."
She laughed and leaned over to oblige. "Don't mention this, okay? In fact, try to get the others to back off. This really does need to be just between me and Phoebus."
"I get it. Don't worry, I've got you guys covered."
She pulled back to smile up at him. "Thank you, Flynn."
He winked. "No problem. Let's get out of here." He playfully pushed her away and dramatically groaned as he re-started the car. "Can't believe you made me drive out here for nothin'…"
She couldn't help giggling. As much as she loved Meg, Flynn had turned out to be better company, after all.
The next day, Esme stuck around after school to hang out in the auditorium. Mrs. Rabbit trusted Esme to be in here by herself, and even left her the keys to lock up. (Esme was one of her favorite choir students.) And Esme liked being in here because it was a good place to think, and she didn't feel like driving out to the group's treehouse spot in the "Outlands".
Esme stood by the piano and fondly stroked a few keys. Then she took a seat and began to play a song she wrote a few years back, at a time when she attended church regularly.
Esme continued to play automatically while her mind wondered. Religion had lost its grandeur a while ago to her. After everything she'd been through, and everything she'd seen her mother endure, added on to by half the news she heard from all around the world... Well, how could any God allow all that?
Maybe to teach us all about the importance of community, or self-reliance, she told herself. But that seems pretty lazy. With a soft smile, she finished her song. As the final note rang out and resounded around her, Esme couldn't help grinning. She'd never finished that song before. She decided to write down the new verse before she could forget.
As she scribbled out the new words on an old, crumpled sheet of math notes, she heard a shuffling noise from the stage. She glanced up warily to see the curtains, which were closed, swaying a bit, as if they'd been disturbed. When she heard footsteps scurrying toward the backstage area, she rose from her seat.
"Who's there?"
Silence. Esme stared at the curtain warily, waiting for the silence to be disrupted. A long moment passed, and Esme started to get anxious.
When the curtains were still once again, she sighed, figuring that she'd imagined it. But she was corrected when the footsteps started up again, more rushed this time, and were halted by a crashing sound.
Esme winced. That must have been a prop.
It was the wordless, human cry of alarm that sent her running to the stage and through the curtain, following the fading footsteps into the darkened backstage area.
"Wait! Come back!" Whoever this person was, they were fast and obviously panicking. "No one's supposed to be back here!"
She raced blindly through the dark, glad that she knew the area so well. When she reached the furthest room, she sighed. No sign of anyone, just props. Esme ran a hand through her hair, scolding herself. She must have imagined it. But it was so real...
Not one quick to give up, Esme called out into the open air, "If you come with me now, you won't get in trouble. We can forget this whole thing." Probably just some stupid freshman sneaking around…
Nothing. She sighed again, glancing around for any clues, any signs of life. It was just her and the wardrobe dummies, dressed up in old costumes and positioned all around the room. She shivered a little. Dummies always creeped her out. After all the puppet-related pranks Clopin had pulled on her growing up, any human-looking object made of plastic or wood just didn't sit well with her.
She shook her head. You must be going nuts...
But as she was turning to leave, her sandal caught on something and she fell flat on her chest onto the old rug. She groaned as she sat up, turning to see how she'd tripped. The carpet hadn't been laid flat; the corner closer to the wall had been curled up.
Esme frowned. No one's been back here since the last show... Not even Mrs. Rabbit or Clopin. She sat up on her knees and reached to fix the raggedy rug, when an abnormality in the hardwood below caught her eye. She narrowed her eyes in the dark and inspected it until she was sure she wasn't seeing things.
There was definitely a perfectly straight, horizontal line running across the vertically-laid floorboards. It made a large square that ended where the floor met the wooden walls. Esme glanced up to see that the floorboards actually ran perfectly with the boards in the walls, creating a tall rectangle. Esme frowned again, then pulled the carpet away more. She stood up and stared at the weird pattern for a moment, then slowly reached out and pressed experimentally on the spot.
Esme jumped back a good foot when the panels shifted backward and sank into the ground. Esme peeked inside the dimly lit hidden chamber to investigate. There were stone walls lined with old lanterns, and a wide, winding staircase that continued both up and down.
This must be part of the old school... The bell tower. She realized in awe.
Disney Academy used to be a large mission, but during World War II, a huge attack destroyed the majority of the place, leaving only the bell tower standing. (No one could really explain why it had happened.) In the 60's, the city council decided to start renovating the grounds to turn it into a school. Then, in the 80's, some kind of accident caused a fire, and much of the work on the school to be redone, creating the modern campus. As nice as the grounds were to this day, Esme thought a lot about what the original mission must have been like. She'd only ever seen pictures of the old structure, from the outside, and the photos were grainy and weathered by time.
And now that she was actually looking at part of it, she couldn't really believe it. It's age showed pretty clearly; it probably hadn't been cleaned since the last remodel. The dust was settled heavily on the stone and the old lanterns, and cobwebs hung down from every direction.
Why keep this one fragment of the old place, just to forget about it...? She thought. But it wasn't forgotten, obviously. The lanterns were still lit.
So, not forgotten. Ignored.
Esme gawked at the corridor for a few more seconds before glancing down at the ground and feeling her heart stop.
Footprints. Clumsy, heavy footprints that had disturbed the thick blanket of dust on the rugged stone floor. Different sets, different directions... But, recently, a pair of rushed feet heading...
She turned to her left, where the stairs stretched upward above her.
Up.
As Esme stepped into the silent corridor, she was surprised by how warm it was. The temperature didn't make it any less ghostly, though. Esme felt something in the air, something that told her that she definitely didn't belong here. But she couldn't bring herself to turn back.
She placed her foot on the first step up, and heard a creaking sound behind her. She whirled around to see the secret door shutting on its own. She stared at where the entrance had been, then shrugged to herself.
Too late now.
She heard something from above her, and turned back to the stairs. It was definitely a voice, a male's voice. Esme kept still and listened carefully, but couldn't understand anything the guy was saying. It sounded like he was talking to someone...but no one was talking back.
Esme took a deep breath and began her ascent.
He sighed as he climbed up the creaky wooden ladder to his spacious loft home at the top of the tower. That was a close one; He'd have to be more careful from now on.
If Master knew, he would be furious... He'd beat me for sure.
But all he'd wanted was to hear that girl's beautiful singing from a little closer. What was the harm in that? And he'd gotten away... But, he did regret not getting a glimpse of her.
She's probably as beautiful as her voice is... He'd heard her a few times now, but he'd never seen her.
But she'd hate you. Just like everyone else. Because you're a monster.
He shook his head sadly and walked over to his little craft table, where a model of the school was set up. He'd built it over the years, little by little. He even had a few of the students and staff members, made from wood, set up in the little courtyard or at the windows. And his own little figure sat at the window in his old bell tower, looking down at all of them. Alone.
He sighed, before hearing the sound of stone grinding against hard wood. He turned to smile at Victor, Hugo, and Lorraine, his gargoyle friends.
"Did you see her?" Lorraine asked expectantly.
"Was she a fox?" Hugo asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. This won him a bop on the head from Victor.
He just laughed and said, "No, I didn't see her... I almost got caught, though. Maybe I shouldn't explore any more..."
"What?!" Hugo cried. "You can't just stop! It's the only thing that makes you happy!"
"Yeah, but, it's dangerous. If anyone saw me, they'd try to hurt me! You've heard Master's stories..."
"That old kook knows nothing about life. Or people for that matter." Lorraine huffed.
"Now, now. We can't push him into doing something he's uncomfortable with, you know." Victor told the other two gargoyles.
"You know... You could just go outside." Hugo said with a devious grin, ignoring Victor.
"What? No, no, no. It's too dangerous. And, if Frollo found out..." He said, wringing his hands anxiously.
"He can't control you! You're a human being, you know." Lorraine said.
"No... I'm a monster."
"That's not true, son." Victor assured him.
"Then how come Master Frollo keeps saying I am?"
"He just wants to scare you away from the outside world. He's a liar." Hugo said.
"But he raised me..."
"Doesn't matter! Look, we know you wanna go outside, you know you wanna go outside. You watch the people in the courtyard from your window up here, you climb out on the roof every chance you get to feel the sun and sneak around by the stage in hopes of getting to see the performers. So, what would be so wrong with sneaking out tonight and exploring the grounds a little?" Hugo said.
He shook his head. "No... Besides, I wouldn't want to go at night..."
"You have to see what's out there someday, Quasi. You've always dreamed of it." Lorraine pointed out.
Quasimodo sighed.
Esmeralda carefully ascended the stone steps, still listening to the voice. It was a young man, speaking softly and earnestly, stuttering often. She still couldn't make out what he was saying. As she got closer to the top of the stairs, she was slightly stunned to hear the speaking turn into absent-minded singing. Whoever this was had an impressive tenor, and sang with so much heart it stirred a kind of passionate sympathy within her. She crept around the corner of the doorway, leading into a naturally well-lit loft, modestly decorated. A hunched figure stood nearby, looking out the window, still singing of a longing to be outside, to be able to walk freely among ordinary men…
The man interrupted himself, mumbling, "Damn, I mixed up that lyric…"
"Wow."
Quasi whirled around in terror, facing the tall girl with richly tanned skin and long, thick curls of black hair, emerald-colored eyes framed by dark eyelashes. She was gazing around in awe, admiring all his little artworks from years past. Her eyes rested on the stingy mattress that sat in the nearby corner, concealed by an old, rustic wooden table with one tiny stool. She turned to him with a gleam of realization in her eyes.
"Do you...live here?"
He gawked at her for a moment, twiddling his fingers anxiously. Why wasn't she screaming, or running away, or attacking him? After a moment, she took a few steps closer to him.
"You do, don't you?" She asked, looking sad.
He nodded, not taking his eyes off hers. He was scared, and terribly confused. She turned and looked around again.
"For how long?" She asked, turning back to him.
He shrugged, feeling dumb.
"Well...how old are you?" She asked.
He stared down feebly at his feet.
"You don't know?"
He shook his head.
"Hmm..." He looked like he was about her age.
"You shouldn't be here." He said so quietly she almost didn't hear.
"Why? Are you dangerous?" She asked, smiling a little.
He frowned. "Well, no... It's just...no one really comes up here. Ever. Except my Master... And he says I'm not allowed to have visitors. So..."
"Master? Who's your Master?"
"He's a teacher here..."
"Who?"
"Professor Frollo..."
Esmeralda had to swallow the sickness those words caused for her. That awful man, who held too much power in the school, who consistently subjugated the "problem" students… It made sense that he would have a kid hidden away, calling him "Master"…
"And he'll be here soon, and he would hate to see you here..." He continued.
"I see... But how is he your Master?"
"Well, he raised me. Fed me, schooled me, let me live up here... Gave me a job as the bell-ringer..."
"You're the one who rings the school bell?"
"Yup. Every hour on the hour..."
Esmeralda had to wonder if any other staff members were aware of this.
"Wow. And you made all this stuff?"
"Yeah..."
She approached the craft table, smiling. "This is so cool... You've got quite an eye for detail." She turned to him and grinned. "You must be very smart."
"Oh, no..." He laughed nervously.
"Honestly... It's a crime to keep someone so smart and talented locked away up here..."
"Talented?"
"Well, look at all this stuff you've made! And I heard you singing. You've got a great voice."
"Oh, no... I think your voice is beautiful, though..."
She smirked. "Oh, so that was you listening in, huh?"
He looked down at his feet as if he were ashamed. "Yeah..."
She grinned. "It's fine. Seems like getting out of here is what you need, anyway..." A look of realization crossed her features. "Have you ever gone out further than the stage?"
"I clean up the theater at night... And I climb up on the roof sometimes."
She pointed toward the window. "Through there?"
"Yup."
"Wow..." She looked him up and down. "Do you climb around a lot?"
"Yeah, kinda..."
"You look like you do... I mean, you look strong."
He blushed a little. "Thanks..." Why was she being so nice?
"You know what?" She asked after a moment of looking around.
"W-what?"
"You should join the school. Enroll, I mean. How much has Frollo really taught you?"
"Oh, oh, I know, uh... The alphabet! And, um... I can count to 100. And I know all about the Bible and how I should live to be accepted into Heaven."
Esmeralda wasn't shocked by that last bit. Frollo was quite a religious zealot, it often colored his history teachings. "You believe that, huh?"
"Of course, I do. Master saved me when I was baby, when my own mother tried to drown me. Because she was afraid. He's protected me ever since." Quasi looked confused. "And he's always told me that everyone I met would be afraid of me, and hate me. But..." He took a step toward her, hesitant but curious. "You don't seem to."
Esme chuckled. "How could I hate a person I just met?"
He smiled shyly. A person…
"What's your name?" She asked.
"Quasimodo."
Half-formed. Esme felt a pang in her chest. "I'm guessing Frollo gave you that name, huh?"
He shrugged, then asked, "What's your name?"
"Esmeralda. But everyone usually calls me Esme."
"You should go by the full name. It's pretty." He said, looking down at his feet.
She grinned. "Thanks, Quasi."
He smiled up at her. "Do... Do you want to see the bell?"
"I'd love to."
He showed her around the loft afterward, and introduced her to the gargoyles, and guiltily explained his collection of stage props that he'd snuck up here over the years. Just little things, for decoration. She smiled and said, "Quite the impressive stash."
Then they sat by the open bay window and looked down at the courtyard.
"You've got a pretty great view up here, Quasi... What stopped you from climbing down from here and saying hello?"
"Master always told me that if people saw me, they'd know I was a monster and try to kill me."
She rolled her eyes. "Things are different nowadays. People are a lot more...tolerant."
"Really?"
"Yeah... You know, I really think you should enroll in the academy, Quasi. Get a real education... I'm guessing that you're old enough to live on your own, too. Away from Frollo. And you could get a real job, too. Probably selling your art."
"Oh, no. No, no, no. I'm really fine up here. And I can't just leave Frollo. I owe him everything."
She shook her head. "No, you don't."
"What do you mean?"
She sighed. "I can't take the time to explain it to you now. I have to get to work... But I'll come back tomorrow, if you'd like that."
"Oh, I would!"
"In fact... Musical auditions are tomorrow, in the auditorium. You should come watch... Actually, I think you should try out."
"What?"
"You have a great voice. I think you even have a shot at the lead."
"But I'm not even a student!"
"You could enroll during school tomorrow. I can go with you."
"You'd skip class for me?"
"I'm an office favorite. They'll excuse me." She said with a wink.
"Oh, I dunno..."
"Quasi, please. It's what's best for you. Now, I can't make you do it, but I can encourage you for the rest of your life. Also, if we go to the same school, we can see each other all the time. Me and my friends will protect you if you need it."
"It does sound nice..."
"So, will you meet me in the office during first period? You know where it is, right?"
"Yeah... Okay. I'll do it."
"Great! Now, they'll want to know your name and age; I can handle the rest. So maybe tonight- Is Frollo visiting you tonight?"
"Yes. He comes every morning and evening."
"Good. Okay. Tonight, just casually ask how old you are. He'll know, right?"
"I'd assume so."
"Awesome. Don't be suspicious. Don't let on that you're up to anything. This is not a bad thing, Quasi. You're taking charge of your own life, and you've got a friend to help you out. If Frollo's going to be a problem, I will handle him. Okay?"
"Okay..." Quasi didn't really like the idea of sneaking around behind his Master's back, but if Esmeralda thought it was the right thing, he would do it. She seemed really smart.
"Okay. I have to get to work. Mind showing me the way out?"
"Oh, no problem."
He led her down the stairs to the secret door and pressed one heavy hand on the wooden panel, forcing it to shift out and down.
"Oh. It opens both ways. Neat." Esme remarked.
"So... See you tomorrow?" He asked as if he suspected she'd changed her mind.
She grinned. "Yes. In the main office, front desk, 7:30. Okay? Promise?"
"I promise."
"Great." She bent down and hugged him. For whatever reason, she felt compelled to kiss him on the cheek.
He smiled after a moment of shock. "Thank you, Esmeralda."
"No problem, Quasi."
Later on, Quasimodo sat at hiscrafting table and sighed as he worked on his new figure from a block of wood. The gargoyles watched from nearby, smiling at him encouragingly while he thought aloud.
"There've been so many times when I've seen happy couples walking around out there. They always have this kind of…glow. When I was younger, I could have sworn it was Heaven's light…" He carefully carved the block of wood in his hand. "I was sure I'd never know what that felt like… No one as hideous as me could. Right? That's what Frollo always said…" Now he started painting. "But suddenly… Here comes this perfect girl…this angel… Who smiles at me, and even kisses my cheek, completely unafraid… I wonder how realistic it might be…to think she actually…cares…about me…" He thoughtfully bit his lip as he continued working, silent for awhile. "My cold, dark tower suddenly feels so bright…"
Quasi smiled as he placed the new miniature Esmeralda next to him at his little window. Then he went to ring the bell that signaled the school closing its gates.
Exactly an hour later, Master Frollo came strolling in, imperious and harsh amid the quaint surroundings. Quasi rushed to set up Frollo's place at the dinner table while Frollo unpacked the little picnic basket.
"Master?" Quasi asked as they were eating.
"Hmm?"
"How old am I?"
"Hmm..." Frollo thought for a minute. "Eighteen, I believe... Yes. Eighteen. Why do you ask, boy?"
"Just seemed like a good thing to know... Master?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you think I'm smart?"
"No. But you're trying, and that is what God will judge you on. You've done your best to be a pure soul, Quasimodo. Keep doing just that."
"Of course, Master... But..."
"What?"
"Maybe if I were to get into an actual school... You know, be in a real classroom, like other kids..."
"Do you not live on a campus, Quasimodo?" Frollo asked tiredly.
"Well, yes, I do, but..."
"And am I myself not a certified teacher on this campus?"
"Yes, you are..."
"Then you are getting all the same schooling as my other students. Nothing to worry about. Besides, I need you here. To ring the bells, like you do so well. And so I can keep an eye on you. Keep you from straying from the righteous path. Keep you alive."
"Right."
"Remember, Quasimodo, this world is cruel and wicked. And you are deformed, which is a crime for which the world shows little pity. You simply could not comprehend how horrible it would be for you out there."
"I know, Master. You are my only defender. And I'm forever grateful to you." Inside, Quasimodo felt empty, and longed for true understanding. He didn't even know why he was saying these words. All of his conversations with Frollo felt strangely rehearsed.
Immediately after dinner, Frollo left. Quasi sat at his crafting table glumly, looking sadly at his and Esmeralda's figures standing together in his tower, and wishing she was with him now.
"You know, Quasi... The only way for you and your new friend to be together is to go to school, and stray from Frollo's, uh... old-fashioned ways of thought." Lorraine said comfortingly.
"I know... But Frollo's right. I'm a monster. I won't fit in..."
"Quasi, do you not realize that you actually met a person today, and the two of you got along just fine?" Hugo said.
Quasi perked up a little. "Yeah..."
"Quasimodo, I say you go tomorrow and get enrolled, spend the day outside, get a feel for things, and then you go and audition for that musical!" Lorraine encouraged.
"Really?"
"Truthfully, we believe you can do it. And now, if that girl thinks the same way your life-long friends and guardians do, could she be so wrong?" Victor piped in.
Quasi smiled. "I guess not... Esmeralda is pretty great."
"Yeah, she is." Hugo purred, whistling a little. Lorraine gave him a good smack before Victor had the chance.
"So... Will you do it, Quasimodo?" Victor asked.
"No one wants to be cooped up here forever." Lorraine said.
"But, Frollo... And who will ring the bells?"
"It is better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission, Quasimodo." Victor interjected. Hugo and Lorraine nodded in agreement.
"And we can ring the bells for you from now on." Lorraine added.
"Yeah, how hard could it be?" Hugo shrugged.
Quasi looked at them sadly, his conflictions plainly showing on his marred features.
It was finally Friday, and Aurora's last period could not seem to end fast enough. She tapped her feet impatiently, keeping her eyes on the clock rather than on Dr. Doppler's geometry lesson. Ariel sat next to her, bouncing in her seat and occasionally giggling as she grinned at the clock. Merida and Jim sat at the table in front of them, whispering.
Merida turned around and asked, "Musical auditions are today, right?"
Ariel grinned even wider and nodded.
"Okay, good." Merida turned to Jim. "We have to go cheer Ellie on."
Jim rolled his eyes and turned to face the board, where Doppler was stuttering about angles or...whatever...
"Rapunzel's trying out?" Aurora asked.
Merida nodded. "Yup."
"I didn't know she sang."
Merida shrugged. "She does a lot of things. All of them well, too."
Belle was sitting with Lottie and Tiana in Home Ec. Tiana had just created the most magnificent souffle, and Lottie had made...something. While the teacher, Mrs. Potts, flitted around the room to look in on the other creations, the girls were chatting about the musical.
"You should go for it, Belle. You've got a pretty great voice." Tiana encouraged.
Belle blushed a little as she fixed her ponytail. "I dunno... It's been a while since I sang for an audience..."
"You've performed before?" Lottie asked, wide-eyed.
Tiana nodded with a proud smirk. "Belle used to be quite the theater kid."
"What happened?" Lottie asked Belle.
"My voice cracked onstage during my big solo..." Belle said sheepishly.
Lottie winced sympathetically. "Ouch."
"Yeah. There was a huge audience, too. They all laughed. Then both of my directors yelled at me."
"Jeez..." Lottie shook her head. How could anyone want to shout at sweet little Belle? "It must have been terrible..."
Tiana turned to Belle. "You'd be working with much better people here, Belle."
Belle shrugged. "It is a good show... It would be interesting..."
Lottie grinned. "Come on. You know you want to!"
Belle laughed, nodding. "I do, I really do... Alright, I'm in!"
"Yay!" Lottie cheered. "You should go for the lead!"
"Oh, no. I-"
"I actually agree with Lottie on this one." Tiana nodded.
"I'm fine in chorus, really."
Tiana shrugged. "Whatever you say."
When the bell rang, Ariel cheered and took off toward the auditorium at a rapid speed, with Giselle skipping excitedly after her and Aurora following at a stroll with an amused expression. They waited outside the auditorium, and were eventually met by Lottie, Tiana and Belle. Cindy and Snow showed up then, both grinning. Eventually a sizeable crowd formed. Rapunzel led Merida and Jim toward the door, bouncing ecstatically. Meg and Hercules showed up, hanging back from the rest of the group. They were joined by Aladdin, Jasmine, Flynn, and Phoebus. Eventually Esme joined them. Charming, Phillip and Ferdinand joined the girls at the entrance, and were soon joined by Naveen, Eric and Edward. Vanessa and the Bimbettes hovered nearby, accompanied by the Tremaine sisters. Pocahontas, John, Kida and Milo ran up just as the auditorium doors were opened by Mrs. Rabbit's husband, Roger. Everyone poured in and found a seat, with the auditioners in the front seats and their miniature audience in the back.
This school has way too much money, Flynn thought as he looked around the incredible auditorium. He sat in the back with John, Milo, Kida, Jim, Merida, Phoebus and Eric. Vanessa sat nearby, throwing a few smug looks toward Eric. He never seemed to notice her.
Jasmine and Aladdin sat up front with the other couples, (Lottie and Naveen, Cindy and Charming, Snow and Ferdinand, Giselle and Edward), Aurora, Phillip, Tiana, Belle and Rapunzel. Esme sat nearby with Pocahontas, Meg and Hercules, and the Tremaine sisters sat with the Bimbettes only a little further away.
Then, inevitably, the freshman wave came in. Mowgli, Alice, Christopher Robin, Tink's group, Lilo, and Pinocchio came and sat in the front. Peter, Wendy, and a girl named Tiger Lily (a cousin of Nakoma's) joined Flynn's group at the back. Taran and Eilonwy sat further away, by themselves. Penny and Arthur sat with Andy next to Merida.
Finally, Ariel's sisters, (Andrina and Adella), rushed in and sat with Ariel's group, followed by Mulan, Ling, Lao, Chien Po, and a very reluctant Shang. They all sat in the front with the others who were auditioning, and the three directors were assembled in front of the stage. Mrs. Rabbit was holding a stack of papers, smiling at the group. Seeing the way she towered over Clopin and her husband was kind of amusing; She was probably the tallest woman in town, and still wore heels with every outfit.
"Welcome, everyone." She greeted, demanding the attention of the entire room and sending the students into a hush.
Aurora had to wonder what it must be like to have a power like that over a crowd.
"We'll pass out these forms, which you will fill out quickly and truthfully, to the best of your ability. Bring it to me when you're done. Once everyone's through, we'll get started." Mrs. Rabbit spoke simply as she passed the papers around.
"Boom, baby!"
The sudden cry made them all turn toward the door. When they saw it was just Kuzco, they rolled their eyes and turned their attention back to the forms. Kuzco and Kronk came and accepted their own forms from Mrs. Rabbit, while Melina rolled her eyes and went to sit at the back, accompanied by Kenai, Denahi, Nakoma and Thomas.
Within five minutes, all the forms were filled out and handed to Mrs. Rabbit. She looked through them quickly, then nodded to herself and looked up to smile at the group. "Okay. We'll start with the chorus. Those of you who aren't going for a lead, come on up to the stage and form a line, shoulder-to-shoulder, please."
Shang, Ling, Lao and Chien Po all jumped up, followed by Kronk, Alice, Mowgli, Koda, Christopher Robin, Pinocchio, Tink's friends, Ariel's two sisters, the Bimbettes, the Tremaines, Lottie, Cindy, Snow, Aurora, Rapunzel and Belle all went up to stage, earning cheers from multiple groups all around.
Pocahontas leaned toward Mulan and whispered, "How'd you get the football players in on this?"
Mulan smirked. "Well, Ling, Lao and Chien Po weren't hard to convince. And Shang needed some kind of activity other than football for his college apps, so..."
Pocahontas grinned. "Nice work. We needed more guys. I couldn't make John this time around."
"Shame. He's got a pretty good voice."
Esmeralda turned to Meg with a frown. "I thought you were going for chorus?"
Meg rolled her eyes at her friend. "You guys wore me down, okay?"
Esmeralda giggled and hugged her friend. "I knew it!"
Meg groaned. "Let's not make a big deal of this, alright?"
"Are you gonna do the accent?"
Meg smirked. "I was thinking about it..."
"Okay. Let's get started. So, we'll go down the line, one by one. You'll state your name. I'll give you your notes on the piano, you'll sing the words on the paper. Once we get through everyone, you guys will all sing at once. Good?" Mrs. Rabbit instructed while Clopin handed music sheets to everyone in line.
Everyone nodded or mumbled something in the affirmative. Mrs. Rabbit took a seat at the piano and waited until everyone had a paper. Once Clopin was finished and off the stage, he stood near the piano while Mr. Rabbit went and stood at the very back of the theater.
"The segment you're holding is from the song Skid Row. It's pretty simple, so we didn't ask you to prepare it." Mrs. Rabbit explained.
"Give us attitude, children! Perform!" Clopin cried dramatically.
"I should hear you from all the way back here!" Mr. Rabbit called from his seat at the back.
Mrs. Rabbit smiled encouragingly at the group before gesturing toward Lottie, who was first in line.
"Okay, Lottie. Here are your notes." Mrs. Rabbit smiled and played it slowly on the piano. Then she played it to actual speed and sang as well as played. "Did my other altos hear that?" A couple of people nodded. "Okay, good. Ready, Lottie?"
Lottie nodded excitedly.
"Okay. In 3, 2, 1..."
Lottie sang as Mrs. Rabbit played. Not too great, but she managed. And she definitely had the stage presence and acting down. After she was done, everyone clapped and the next person was up. They went through the line quickly, and within ten minutes the whole line was singing together. When they were done, the whole room erupted in applause and cheers, including from the directors.
Meg noticed Esme staring anxiously at the door.
"Esme? Is something up?"
"Waiting for a friend."
"Who?"
"He's new... Kind of a special case."
"Of course. Every guy you hang around is a special case... Is he why you were out of sight all day?"
"Yeah. I was showing him around campus."
"He's trying out for the musical?"
Esme grinned. "Yup. You guys are gonna like him."
"Alright. Let's get all our guys up here." Mrs. Rabbit announced.
"All guys going for leads come up to the stage and get in line!" Clopin cried.
"Shit..." Esme hissed, glancing at the door again.
"Oh. Who's this?" She heard Mrs. Rabbit say in surprise.
There were a few gasps around the room and everyone was staring at the stage. Esme felt her stomach clench as she looked up at Quasimodo, who had just emerged from behind the curtain.
He must have been up in his room. She thought. She smiled at him, but he barely glanced at her. He was terrified.
"I... I-I would like t-to try out..." Quasi stuttered.
"Are you a student here?" Clopin asked suspiciously.
Esme stood up. "He just enrolled today!" She called.
Mrs. Rabbit smiled at Quasi. "Just in time, huh? Clopin, give him a form, please."
Clopin jumped onstage and held a paper out to Quasi. "Here, boy. Fill this out quickly."
"Oh... Uh..."
"What? What's wrong?"
"He can't really... Um..." Esme sighed and walked up to Clopin. She whispered in his ear for a moment or two, and his eyes widened. He glanced between her and Quasi, then hopped off the stage and relayed the information to Mrs. Rabbit in a hushed voice. The students tried to listen in, but it was useless.
"Oh, my..." Mrs. Rabbit murmured. By now, Esme and Quasi were standing by the two directors, with Quasi looking scared and ashamed while Esme kept a firmly comforting hand on his boulder-like shoulder.
Mrs. Rabbit leaned close to Esme and whispered, "Maybe you could write for him, dear?"
Esme nodded and smiled. "No problem." And she and Quasi sat nearby.
Mrs. Rabbit looked up at the other boys onstage. "Just a moment, boys. Thank you."
For almost five minutes, Quasi whispered information to Esme and she neatly wrote it out for him on the form.
Flynn leaned over to Phoebus and hissed, "What's up with that guy?"
Phoebus shrugged. "I was just wondering where the hell Esme met him…"
Finally, Esme and Quasi approached the piano and Esme offered Mrs. Rabbit the form. Mrs. Rabbit looked it over quickly, then grinned at Quasi.
"Go join the others onstage, Quasi. And welcome."
"Th-thank you..."
Esme gave him one more pat on his shoulder and a warm, encouraging smile before re-taking her seat. Meg looked at her with one eyebrow upraised, and Esme just gave her a look as if to say, "I'll explain later."
Quasi climbed up onto the stage and trudged on shaky legs to stand at the end of the line, next to Hercules. Hercules grinned down at him, and Quasi smiled back nervously before staring down at his feet.
Esme glanced around and realized that literally everyone was staring at Quasi.
"Okay, guys. Same as we did for the chorus line, but you won't all be singing together at the end. Phillip, you first?" Mrs. Rabbit said.
They moved through the line, with each voice standing out distinctly.
Finally, it was Quasi's turn. He slowly looked up toward the piano, where Mrs. Rabbit and Clopin were both smiling at him.
"Whenever you're ready, Quasi." Mrs. Rabbit said.
Quasi took a deep breath when Esme caught his eye. He looked at her grinning face as she gave him a double-thumbs-up, and smiled softly. Then he gave Mrs. Rabbit a short nod.
As she played his cue, he took one more deep breath. Then, he unleashed a voice unlike anything any of them had ever heard. It was not only powerful in volume and range, but also in emotion.
When he finished, the room was silent for a good ten seconds. He looked at Esmeralda in fear, but she was grinning at him. Then, the air in the room exploded with uproarious clapping and crazed cheers. Quasi grinned at everyone, a little shocked.
"Wow." Meg said.
"I know." Esme smirked.
Mrs. Rabbit nodded with a soft smile. "Thank you, boys. Go ahead and take your seats."
The boys came down from the stage, and each of them stopped to congratulate or praise Quasi as they passed him. Esmeralda hugged him before inviting him to sit with her and her friends.
"Quasi- meet Meg, Pocahontas, Hercules, Jasmine, Aladdin and Tiana." Esme said, gesturing to everyone. "Guys, this is Quasi."
"That's quite a voice you have there, Quasi." Pocahontas smiled.
"Thank you..." He smiled shyly, twiddling his thumbs.
"No need to be shy around us, man. We're all friends here." Aladdin grinned.
"Yup. Welcome to the club." Meg said flatly.
"Okay. Can we get all our Audreys up here?" Mrs. Rabbit called.
"Whoo! Go Meg!" Esme and Hercules cheered as Meg stood and strolled up to the stage, hiding her nervousness. Everyone at the back started cheering as well, and similar cheers rang out for Ariel, Giselle and Tink.
"Is that all of you?" Mrs. Rabbit asked, surprised. "Hmm..." She looked around the audience. "Belle? Rapunzel? Could you two come up as well?"
The two girls did as they were told, Belle nervously and Rapunzel bubbling with excitement. When the girls were in a line, Mrs. Rabbit nodded to herself.
"Good. That's better... Now, girls, we're going to have each of you do two songs. We'll start with Somewhere That's Green, and then do Suddenly, Seymour. Okay? Tink, you first."
"Pretty brave for a freshman to go for a lead." Flynn muttered.
"I know. Tink thinks she really stands a chance, too." Peter said, holding back his laughter.
"What? Can't she sing?" Phoebus asked. After having to sit through voices like those of Lottie and Alice, he didn't believe it could get any worse.
Peter shook his head with a grin. Phoebus and Flynn shared a long look.
It was true. Tink really could not sing. At all. Thankfully, everyone else could. Very well, in fact. Meg went right before Belle, who was last, and completely blew everyone away. The shock on her opponents' faces was truly comical. Well, actually, Belle didn't look that shocked. Just amused. This process was repeated with the second song, where the girls had to sing even bigger. (After enduring Tink trying to belt out the notes, watching everyone else was quite enjoyable.) When it was over, the girls were met by enthusiastic applause and whistles.
"Great job, girls." Mrs. Rabbit smiled at them as they went to sit down. "Now, let's get our Greek Chorus girls up and we'll be done… All right. Now, this'll be a little different. I'm gonna give you guys the notes for each part of the three-part harmony. You'll all sing it together. Then, we'll go one by one, and then I'm going to put you guys in groups of three and cycle you until we get all the combinations. Got it? Bear with me. Here we go." Mrs. Rabbit played it out for them.
They went through the whole process within fifteen minutes. When the girls were off the stage and taking their seats, the three directors huddled by the piano and murmured for a while, with Mrs. Rabbit writing some names on a paper.
"She's gonna announce the people who get to come back for callbacks." Esme whispered to Quasi.
He frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It's like a second audition, with less people. They're narrowing it down. After the callbacks, the cast list will go up." She explained.
He nodded.
"Okay!" Mrs. Rabbit called. "Callbacks are on Monday. You'll have the weekend to prepare with the material you'll be receiving before you leave today. Listen up for your name, please." She looked down at the paper. "We want all the boys trying for leads to come back. A lot of you didn't specify what roles you wanted, so we need to evaluate where to put you. For Audrey, we want Meg, Ariel, Giselle, and Rapunzel. For Greek Chorus, we want Tiana, Esmeralda, Lilo, Mulan, Pocahontas, Jasmine, Cindy and Giselle. Everyone else, thank you so much for auditioning. You will make a wonderful chorus. Please collect your necessary materials and have a great weekend. Bye, guys." She smiled and waved, waiting at the piano while those whose names had been called came to pick up their new sheet music. She explained the monologues they'd also have to memorize over the weekend while the room emptied.
Esme patted Quasi on the back and grinned. "See you Monday, champ. Great job!" She hugged him before following Meg and Hercules out, waving goodbye.
He waved back dreamily, before the three directors stepped in front of him.
"Hello, Quasi. Can we ask you a few questions?" Mrs. Rabbit asked gently.
"Am... Am I in trouble?"
"No! Of course not, dear boy. We just want to know a little more about you." Clopin explained with a grin.
"Oh... Okay. I guess that's okay."
Mrs. Rabbit laughed. "Come sit with me at the piano, Quasi."
"So... Do I get to know the story there, or what?" Meg asked Esme in the parking lot.
Esme smirked. "Pick me up at work tonight and I'll explain everything."
"Hey, Esme."
They all turned to face Phoebus.
"Hey, Pheebs." Esme said.
"Okay. Herc and I have a date. You two have fun." Meg said, leading Hercules away to his car.
Esme and Phoebus stepped closer to each other.
"You were really great in there..." He told her.
"Thanks..."
"Listen, Esme. I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of those horrible things I said to you."
"I know you didn't. But it was still really shitty of you."
He ran a hand through his hair. "I know… I won't do that to you again. I swear."
Esmeralda hesitated for a moment. "I'll hold you to that… Truth is, I've missed you a lot. So… Can we just be friends again?"
"Actually, about that-"
"I know. Trust me, I know. But you and I can't get into that just yet. Give me... Give me two weeks. Just be my friend for two weeks, okay? And then we really just need to take it slow..."
"Okay. Whatever you want."
She smiled at him. "I really want a hug."
He grinned and scooped her up in his arms, making her giggle.
"I missed you." He whispered.
"I missed you, too."
Meg was busying herself snooping through the surprising assortment of books strewn about Hercules' car. He self-consciously avoided her gaze as he drove to the café where they'd be "studying" together. She stole a few glances at him as she skimmed the table of contents of a leather-bound edition of Grimms' Fairy Tales.
"You know, supposedly, Charles and Ferdinand are distantly related to these guys." Meg commented dryly.
"Really?" Hercules genuinely couldn't tell if she was messing with him or not.
"That's the rumor, anyway." She plucked up another book, a compilation of Greek myths. "You're really into this stuff, huh?"
"Yeah, have been for a long time, I guess."
"It would explain the name."
"Hm?"
She smirked. "Hercules."
"Oh." He laughed. "Right."
"Why drive around with all these?"
"Ah, it kinda started by accident. I had a school project studying local legends and myths. From there, I just kinda spiraled, drawing all kinds of parallels, I guess. It's all really interesting."
Meg nodded along, utterly amused. Hercules had so far turned out to be nothing like what she was expecting, and she couldn't be more grateful.
"Have you ever heard the tale of Bald Mountain?" He asked suddenly.
"What, that the Devil secretly lives up there? Yeah, everyone's heard that one, I think. Popular spot for cult stuff."
Bald Mountain was a tall, foreboding peak in the mountain range that bordered Buena Vista, standing taller than any other mountain in the lineup. It protruded menacingly from the otherwise picturesque horizon, and had been the subject of much speculation and superstitious nonsense since the city had been founded. Apparently, when the settlers were still coming into Buena Vista, it became well known as a place that travelers never made it through. As years went by, there were many who ventured up to Bald Mountain…and never returned. So, it became commonplace for parents to tell their children never to go up on the mountain, or the Devil would take them.
Hercules chuckled. "Yeah, good point… Okay, well, do you know the story of the Horned King?"
Meg set aside the books she'd been piling onto her lap and sat forward in interest. "No."
Hercules grinned. "Well, get ready to hear some messed up stuff."