"You ready, Quasi?" Esme asked. It was Monday; school had just ended and they were standing outside the auditorium.
"I guess so..."
"You're gonna do great." She said as she led him inside. They sat with Jasmine, Aladdin, Meg and Hercules in the first row. They were soon joined by Rapunzel, Cindy, Giselle, Tiana and Ariel. Mulan, Pocahontas, and Lilo came next, followed by Edward, Naveen, Phillip, Charming and Ferdinand. Once Mrs. Rabbit and Clopin were finished making sure everyone was there, she spoke up.
"You guys ready?"
Everyone cheered in answer, making her laugh.
"Great. Let's start with the Audreys, since there are so few of you. Then we'll do Greek Chorus, and then...figure out what to do with all you boys. Okay?"
Meg, Ariel, Rapunzel and Giselle went up to the stage and re-sang Somewhere That's Green, but now they had to include the little monologue as well. Meg did it pretty much perfectly, including the sweet little New-Jersey-type accent, surprising everyone yet again. Ariel also did great, but her accent sounded completely goofy...which, actually, was fine in this case. Giselle was good, but she slipped up on some words in the monologue and psyched herself out. And Rapunzel was just way too happy, her animated delivery was really over the top.
"Okay, girls. Take your seats. Greek Chorus?"
Tiana, Esme, Cindy, Mulan, Jasmine, Pocahontas and Lilo came up to stand with Giselle.
"Alright, same song. And a short dialogue with Clopin, who'll be acting temporarily as our Mr. Mushnik. Then I'm gonna group and cycle you guys again. Ready?"
The process was long and tedious, but all the girls were great sports about it. Though it was obvious at the end that they were happy to get to sit back down, especially Giselle.
"Okay. Boys?"
All the guys rushed up to the stage, with Quasi in between Aladdin and Hercules, who was last.
"Okay. First, I'm going to ask you what part you prefer. Phillip?"
"Seymour."
"Charles?"
"The evil...dentist...guy."
Cindy giggled from her seat.
"Okay... Ferdinand?"
"Seymour or the dentist."
"Edward?"
"Seymour."
"Naveen?"
"Mushnik."
She looked up at him in surprise. "Really?"
He shrugged coolly. "Yeah."
"Okay, then... Aladdin?"
"Seymour."
"Quasi?"
"Um..."
She smiled warmly at him, and was about to say something encouraging when Clopin suddenly cried, "Oh, for God's sake, just go for the lead, boy!"
Mrs. Rabbit rolled her eyes at her colleague.
Quasi laughed nervously. "Okay...um... Seymour."
"Good. And Herc?"
"Seymour."
"Okay. And will any of you be absolutely heartbroken if you get a different part or are made an understudy?"
They all looked at each other before shrugging and saying, "Nah."
"Okay. On to Seymour's solo in The Meek Shall Inherit, then a quick snippet from Dentist!, and then we'll see Mushnik's monologue. Ready?"
This process was also pretty long and tiring, and afterward they had to take a five minute break.
"In a few minutes, we'll get the Seymours and Audreys up for Suddenly, Seymour. Then we'll look at dialogues involving all our leads. Greek Chorus is free to go, except Giselle, of course. The final cast list will be posted on Wednesday." Mrs. Rabbit informed the group.
"Do you want me to stay, Quasi?" Esme asked him.
"Herc and I can keep him company, Esme." Meg said.
"Me too." Aladdin added.
"Besides, you need to get to work." Meg pointed out.
Esme just looked at Quasi. "Will you be okay?"
He nodded. "Sure. You go ahead. I'll see you tomorrow."
She smiled. "Okay." She waved at the group as she headed out. "See you guys."
"See you!" They called back.
Meg frowned a little at her friend's retreating form. Ever since their conversation on Friday night, she'd noticed how fiercely protective Esme had become of Quasi, and how she always worried about him. Of course, after hearing how Esme found him, she understood it a little...
"He looked so overwhelmed at the audition… I should have known it would be too much, too fast!"
"Okay, but by the end of it he seemed to be having fun, too, all things considered."
"All things considered?"
"Well, you completely changed his life in less than 24 hours, Esme. He's kinda processing a lot right now."
"It was so sad, Meg. I mean, all he's had for company his entire life is Frollo, of all people, and some stone gargoyles..." Esme had said.
Meg raised an eyebrow. "Statues?"
"He was having conversations with them, Meg. As if they were talking back to him. And he introduced me to them, like they were alive!"
"Weird."
"Not really... What really weirds me out is the whole Frollo thing. Let me tell you, whatever God that man worships is not the same God I know."
Meg sighed. Now wasn't really the time to discuss their differences in theological opinion, she figured. "Well, you did good by getting poor Quasi away from the psycho. But how are you gonna keep him away? I mean, how does the school handle something like that?" Meg figured Frollo was bound to come after Quasi… And Esme too.
Esme shook her head. "I don't know... They mentioned something about suspending him…"
"Kinda like how they suspended Gaston?" Meg droned and rolled her eyes.
"Hopefully longer than that. And he wouldn't be allowed at the school. It buys us time but… It also just gives him time to plan how he'll retaliate, too. And I don't like that."
Now Meg cast a cautious, guarded look toward Quasi. Something heavy was weighing on his mind; It was obvious.
"So... How did things go with Frollo, Quasi?" She asked casually.
He stared down at his feet. "Not very well... He yelled at me and said I was going to Hell for being a liar."
She narrowed her eyes a little. "Do you believe that?"
He shrugged.
She sighed. "Quasi, I'm telling you right now. If there is a Hell, you definitely aren't going there. Just forget all that crap Frollo's been trying to brain-wash you with. Alright?"
He nodded anxiously.
"You don't have a master anymore. You're a free man." She paused, realizing something. "Is the school gonna make you find a new home?"
"Oh, no. They actually told me I could stay as long as I want. They even made my bell-ringing position official, so now I get paid. And they gave me keys so I could come and go as I please!"
"Wow." Meg honestly wasn't expecting that. Esme had told her that Quasi's schedule would be quite different from a typical senior's, since he basically had to start from square one. Seemed like that meant he would have the time to work, as well.
"Okay! Let's get our Seymours and Audreys up here!" Clopin called when Mrs. Rabbit gave him the signal.
Quasi followed Meg up to the stage, accompanied by Hercules, Aladdin, Giselle, Ariel, Rapunzel, Phillip, Edward and Ferdinand.
"Alright. What we're gonna do is pair you guys up and cycle you, see how each of you interact with each other." Mrs. Rabbit explained. "Ready?"
The process was kind of long, but also fun. Each pair had something different; Some were friendly and easy, some were awkward and comical. Afterward, Mrs. Rabbit called for those going for the dentist. It was just Ferdinand and Charming.
"Um... Edward, Phillip, Naveen? Can I see you guys for this part, too?"
The three boys all answered in the affirmative and hopped back onto the stage.
"Okay, boys. This is one of the most memorable songs in the whole show. You're basically a sadistic, not-too-great Elvis impersonator." Mrs. Rabbit said.
"It's much more than that! This man is evil, pure evil! He's a motorcycle-riding girlfriend-beater who's addicted to giggle gas! And this whole song is about how he really enjoys being so evil! Make us hope that you'll be brutally murdered and fed to an alien plant! Make us really want to see your demise! Sell it!" Clopin went on.
All the boys shared a look.
Mrs. Rabbit rolled her eyes. "Just have fun with it, guys. Starting with Charles."
These auditions were probably the most interesting to watch. Meg was almost sad to see them end. As everyone but Naveen took their seat, Mrs. Rabbit seemed deep in thought.
After a minute, she said, "Actually... Let me see Charles and Ferdinand for Mushnik, as well."
The Mushnik monologues took no more than five minutes, and now everyone was on the stage to do the group dialogue. This took about twenty minutes, but once Clopin and Mrs. Rabbit were confident that they'd seen all the possible combinations, Mrs. Rabbit announced, "Okay! Great job, guys! The list will be up during lunch on Wednesday. First cast read-through is Friday. See you!"
"So, who do you think will be Audrey?" Lottie asked Cindy, Snow, Aurora and Jasmine before Ariel or Giselle got to the lunch table on Wednesday.
Jasmine shrugged. "They're all pretty good... I'm actually surprised Belle didn't get the callback."
"I know. Such a shame." Lottie said, shaking her head. "Where is she, by the way?"
"Library."
"I think Meg was really good." Snow smiled sweetly.
Cindy nodded in agreement. "Yeah... I actually think she was the best... But don't tell anyone else I said that!"
"Should we go look?" Lottie asked. "Is the paper up yet?"
Aurora shook her head. "Doubt it. Besides, they wanna go see after they've eaten."
Half an hour later, when the whole group was assembled and fed, they all walked over to the auditorium; The list was posted on the outside of the door. They weren't too pleased to see that a huge crowd had swarmed to see the paper ahead of them.
"Ugh. For the love of... Move!" Lottie led the group to the front of the crowd, shoving and shouting as she went. They made it to the paper, which read:
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS CAST LIST
CAST ONE!
SEYMOUR- Aladdin
AUDREY- Ariel
ORIN SCRIVELLO, D.D.S- Phillip
MR. MUSHNIK- Ferdinand
AUDREY II- Naveen (BOTH CASTS)
CRYSTAL- Jasmine
RONNETTE- Tiana
CHIFFON- Lilo
CHORUS
Sopranos
Giselle
Snow White
Aurora
Adella
Rosetta
Silvermist
Fawn
Altos (BOTH CASTS)
Charlotte
Anastasia
Drizella
Tinkerbell
Iridessa
Vidia
Tenors/Baritones
Ling
Lao
Kuzco
Christopher Robin
CAST TWO!
SEYMOUR- Quasimodo
AUDREY- Megara
ORIN SCRIVELLO, D.D.S.- Edward
MR. MUSHNIK- Charles
CRYSTAL- Esmeralda
RONNETTE- Pocahontas
CHIFFON- Mulan
CHORUS
Sopranos
Rapunzel
Cindy
Andrina
Claudette
Laurette
Paulette
Alice
Tenors/Baritones
Hercules
Shang
Chien Po
Mowgli
Pinocchio
Kronk
FIRST CAST READ-THROUGH ON FRIDAY!
"NO-SHOWS" WHO DO NOT SPEAK TO ANY OF THE DIRECTORS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED IF THEY TRY OUT FOR THE NEXT SHOW! IF YOU NO LONGER WISH TO BE IN THE PRODUCTION, PLEASE COME SPEAK TO A DIRECTOR!
- Mrs. Jessica Rabbit, Mr. Roger Rabbit, and Director Clopin.
Lottie squealed and hugged Ariel, while everyone jumped around and cheered in excitement. The whole group huddled together for a group hug.
"Good job, babe." Eric grinned and kissed Ariel. "I can't wait to come see you!"
"This is gonna be so great! And my baby's the star!" Lottie cheered, hugging Naveen from the side.
Naveen looked confused. "Wait... I don't get it. Who's Audrey II?"
They all stared at him.
"Dude." Phillip said. "It's the plant."
"Oh!" Naveen nodded, then smiled. "Cool."
Everyone laughed before fighting their way back through the crowd.
"You two are gonna be so cute onstage!" Esme grinned at Meg and Quasi.
Meg smirked. "It'll definitely be interesting."
Hercules laughed and kissed her on the cheek. "You excited?"
She nodded. "I actually am. What about you, Quasi?"
"Oh, yeah! I think it'll be fun."
Flynn grinned. "Well, now I have to come see this thing."
"You know, Rapunzel's in our cast, too." Esme smirked.
"Really? Oh, I had no idea..." Flynn said a little too casually.
Esme laughed as Phoebus tossed a fry at Flynn.
Meg was listening to the original cast recording of Little Shop when she heard the door to the apartment open downstairs.
Must be mom... Meg thought, and decided to go tell her mom the news. She snuck down the steps and walked into the kitchen to find Mallory pouring herself a glass of wine.
"Hey, mom." Meg greeted, leaning in the doorway.
"Hello, dear." She replied, not the least bit interested.
"Guess what?"
"Hmm?"
"I got the lead in the school musical."
"Oh, that's nice."
"Yeah..."
"Is your homework done?"
"Yes." Meg lied.
Her mother's gaze flickered toward her for moment as she took a long sip from her glass. She knew Meg was lying, but all she said was, "Good girl." And she headed up the stairs.
Meg resisted the urge to scoff or roll her eyes. She waited until she heard her mom's bedroom door shut.
"Love you, too, mom." Meg muttered before going back up to her own room.
Everyone was meeting at Giselle's lovely little cottage home to try on their costumes. She'd nearly finished all of them, thanks to the help of Snow White and Cindy, but each needed one more finishing touch. She smiled proudly as the group modeled for her in her living room. She was particularly proud of the Batman-themed ensembles and Edward's Captain America costume. She was currently stitching contentedly at Aurora's Wonder Woman bodice. Her Black Widow costume sat on the couch next to her.
Lottie squealed excitedly while she and Naveen looked at each other in their costumes. Ferdinand and Snow were nearby, striking heroic poses. Cindy looked somewhat self-conscious in her Batgirl costume, and when her Robin (Charming) grinned at her, she blushed. It was pretty adorable. Phillip and Tiana chatted while she adjusted her hair, having just pulled the cowl back from her face.
"So, what did you decide to be, Phil?" She asked him. No one had seen him in his costume yet.
"Batman."
"Oh?" Her heart skipped in her chest. No. Stop it. Don't.
"Yeah, I thought about doing something more obscure at first, but Giselle was so excited by the idea of making the costume, I couldn't turn her down."
"Oh. Well, that was nice of you…"
"Yeah, I guess. I think it'll be cool." He laughed a little, looking down at his shoes. "You know, Batman and Catwoman have always been kind of a thing."
Tiana tried to play it cool. "Oh, really? I had no idea."
He looked up at her, but she was turned away from him. "Tia, uh… I've actually been meaning to talk to you…"
"Oh! I think Lottie needs me. Gotta go see what's up." Tiana said quickly, slipping away. Phillip stood there alone, slightly stunned.
Aurora sat by Giselle and grinned. "Everyone looks great, Giselle."
Giselle beamed. Just picturing everyone's completed looks, makeup and all, had her very excited. "Here, go try this on." She handed Aurora the surprisingly heavy leotard.
As Aurora headed toward Giselle's room, Eric walked in in his Riddler costume, twirling around his prop cane in a devilish fashion and grinning. Everyone clapped.
"Where's Ariel?" He asked.
"I think she's still up in Giselle's room, helping Belle..." Snow chirped.
"Yeah... She's kinda nervous about her costume." Cindy added.
"Oh, nonsense! She'll look great!" Lottie cried.
"Guys, guys! Look at Belle!" Ariel cheered as she ran in from the hall in pure glee, looking stunning in her own costume.
There was a poignant silence as Belle entered hesitantly, looking down at her feet, which were clad with yellow boots. Despite the tame state of her hair, she looked like the living form of the cartoon that a lot of them had grown up watching. She glanced around shyly, her hazel eyes guarded.
After a long, stunned moment, everyone started clapping and cheering. Belle blushed and bowed jokingly, grinning at everyone.
Ariel squealed. "I told you it looks great!"
There was a knock at the door and Giselle walked over to answer it. She welcomed Kida and Milo inside with a grin and led them into the living room. Everyone greeted them cheerfully while Giselle gave them their costumes to try on. Edward showed Milo to the guest room, where all the guys had been changing, while Giselle led Kida to her room. When Giselle came back, she turned to Belle.
"Is Adam dressing up?"
"Oh... I dunno." Belle frowned.
Giselle seemed thoughtful. "I just figured that, with all that hair and his build and all, he'd make a great Thor."
Lottie and Ariel both gasped simultaneously before shrieking in unison, "Yes!"
"I could call him and ask..." Belle shrugged.
"Oh, if he says yes just go ahead and invite him over. I'll take his measurements today." Giselle said casually as she strolled into the kitchen.
"Really?" Belle asked.
"Halloween's in a week, Belle. We have no time to waste!" Giselle called back in reply.
When Aurora came back, there was a collective gasp. Her costume was spectacular. Giselle clapped daintily and skipped over to Aurora, clapping silver bracelets on each of Aurora's wrists.
"I just need to finish the headband and you'll be all set! Yay!" Giselle cheered.
Kida came in now, earning a few catcalls. She was the perfect Storm. Milo followed her, making everyone cheer; his Cyclops costume was pretty great.
"You guys look awesome!" Edward grinned.
"Adam's on his way." Belle told Giselle.
Giselle smiled. "Great."
Everyone else looked surprised, uneasy, or just acted casual, as if they hadn't heard. Giselle had everyone change out of their costumes and she hung them up one by one in her closet.
"Aren't you gonna model yours for us, Giselle?" Ariel asked.
"Of course! Wait here." Giselle skipped over to the hall bathroom with her costume in hand. She came back out shortly, grinning proudly. "Whattaya think?"
"You look pretty kick-ass, babe." Edward praised as he wrapped an arm around her and planted a kiss on the top of her head.
It was then that the doorbell rang. While Belle went to answer it, an expectant silence enveloped the room. Giselle smiled at everyone in assurance, then turned a friendly face toward Adam as Belle led him into the living room.
Adam was obviously uncomfortable; He mostly stared down at his feet or at Belle. His arms seemed to be permanently crossed over his toned chest, and his expression was guarded and wary, but calm. His eyes, however, shone with suspicion.
He would glance over at Belle and she would smile at him, her excitement barely concealed. And when he looked toward Giselle, she smiled warmly in welcome. But as he glanced around the rest of the room, he could tell that he had them on their toes. They were trying to look pleasant, sure; But they also seemed to be watching him. If he wasn't the tallest person in the room, their constant scrutiny would have bothered him.
"So... Does Thor sound like a good costume, Adam?" Giselle asked hopefully.
Adam nodded mutely, smirking.
"Cool! Come with me to my room and I'll take your measurements." Giselle grinned.
Edward shifted uncomfortably, and Giselle sent him a sharp look without letting her smile waver. Then she turned back to Adam with softened eyes. He was looking at Belle doubtfully, and she was smiling and nodding in encouragement. After a few seconds, he shrugged and nodded at Giselle.
"Great! Follow me." Giselle led him toward her room.
Once there, she left the door open halfway and gestured toward her work table. "Just stand next to that."
He silently obeyed, keeping his arms locked around his chest.
She smiled easily at him. "Okay. I'll be quick."
"Do I have to...like...take off my clothes?" He mumbled.
She laughed. "No, no. Nothing like that. I will need you to take your sweatshirt off though."
She saw him tense up suddenly, and his fingers dug into the sleeves of the sweatshirt. She looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled softly.
"Or I can work around it. Okay?"
He nodded, seeming relieved, and relaxed.
She grinned and nodded. "Okay."
No more than five minutes later, they came back to the living room. Everyone had been idly chatting, but when Adam came back in, it got quiet. Giselle giggled at everyone in excitement.
"Adam's costume is gonna be so great, guys! He's just perfect for Thor!" She squealed.
"And you're sure you can get it done in time?" Belle asked as Adam went to stand next to her.
"Oh, yeah. For sure." Giselle gave her a confident double thumbs-up.
Belle grinned. "Great. Thanks, Giselle." She turned to Adam. "We were all thinking of grabbing lunch. You wanna come?"
Adam cast a guarded look around the room, as if to make sure he was actually welcome. When he received enough encouraging- even hopeful- looks from the others, he looked down at Belle and nodded slightly, a faint smirk on his lips.
"Great!" Giselle cheered. "Let's go!"
Adam gave her a soft, grateful smile before leading Belle out to his car. Aurora skipped up to them just as he was unlocking the vehicle.
"Is it okay if I ride with you guys?" The blonde asked hopefully, giving Adam a shy look.
Belle smiled at Adam and he nodded at Aurora.
"Thanks!" Aurora climbed into the back seat.
Belle gave Adam an apologetic look. "I should sit with her in the back. You know, so she doesn't feel like a third wheel or anything..."
Adam shrugged in indifference as they got in. As he started following Tiana's car toward the diner, the girls started chatting. Though Adam would have preferred to be alone with Belle on the way, Aurora's presence wasn't irritating at all, and he could tell Belle felt comforted to have her friend with her. The blonde girl wasn't the airheaded snob he'd expected her to be, nor the slightly annoying freshman she'd been last year. Adam just tuned into what was playing on the radio while the girls talked, occasionally glancing at Belle's genuinely interested expression in the rearview mirror.
At lunch on Monday, Gaston approached their table. Everyone stared at him; Discomfort and practical hatred emanated from the group. And in some cases, fear. Even Adam was glaring at him, but Adam kind of glared at anyone who wasn't Belle. And when Gaston's eyes briefly met those of the uneasy Belle, Adam felt ready to pounce. It was only when Gaston turned to Aurora that Adam relaxed.
"Aurora. Could I talk to you?"
She stared at him, seeming confused and unsettled. She looked around the table; Everyone seemed to be trying to silently tell her don't go. Phillip seemed ready to spring into action if she gave him the signal.
She sighed, realizing more than anything she just wanted to be done with this. She had to see him all the time at school any way, and each time it made her sick to her stomach, made it hard to breathe… Though her heart was hammering in her chest, she felt for some reason she had to face him. Finally.So she said "okay" and stood to follow Gaston only a few feet away, where everyone could see them.
"He better not try anything stupid." Lottie snarled.
"I know I've taken too long to do this, and it might not even matter now, but I want to apologize." Gaston said, looking grim.
Aurora raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "Tired of being a social pariah?" She asked. "Trying to get back on the football team?"
He shook his head, his expression hurt. "No, no. It's not like that. I'm truly sorry! What I did was terrible. Unforgivable! I just want us all to be friends again..."
She resisted the instinct to laugh at those words. Friends? "That might be kind of hard."
"I know. I fucked up. It's just..." He stopped, looking very distressed, like the words just didn't want to come.
"What? What is it?"
"I've just been having a really hard time lately... My parents are getting a divorce. And my dad blames me for it. My mom doesn't care... I don't think she ever did. But dad's been, uh…taking it out on me a lot."
"Oh."
"Yeah... Ya' know, he was more pissed that I got kicked off the team than...the other stuff. Like none of the really terrible stuff I did mattered."
"Well, it did. And, whatever the case with your dad, there's no excusing it." She almost felt guilty for saying so, though she knew she wasn't wrong. No matter how bad things were with his dad, he still didn't have to assault her that night. Everything she'd been carrying with her since then couldn't be explained away.
"I know." He shook his head. "I'm not trying to become my dad, though. I don't want that. But... It might help to have some friends in my corner. To keep me in check, ya' know?"
Aurora looked doubtful. "I don't know if-"
"Aurora. Please." He seemed genuinely desperate.
Aurora was quiet for a moment, staring up at him. She could still feel his hot breath, his lips all over her… Heavy, clumsy hands immobilizing her, dragging themselves over her body…
She fought off the urge to shudder and sighed. "I'll talk to the others."
"Thank you."
She turned and left without another word. As Gaston went to find Le Fou, he smirked with pride. Le Fou saw this as Gaston approached him and laughed in a goofy manner.
"How's the scheme coming along?"
"Perfectly."
"What makes you so sure they'll forgive you?"
"Because they're all too nice for their own good. They don't hold grudges." Gaston chuckled.
"And once you worm your way back into the crowd...?"
"Well, I'm gonna make Belle mine."
"But what about that scary ex-football player who's been hanging around her?"
"Who, Adam? He's nothing."
"You sure?"
"Le Fou, you know how many of those idiots it took to take me down when I was drunk? I think I can hold my own against one guy that no one cares about." Gaston grinned arrogantly.
Le Fou shrugged.
On Wednesday, after cheer, Aurora rushed to the football field with Giselle and Lottie to meet with the student council and numerous volunteers. They had to start setting up the Haunted House if they wanted it ready for Friday night. Friday was the night before Halloween; Perfect for the fundraiser. Naveen, Edward and Eric were building and putting up the plywood structure, with Rapunzel following them with the paint. It was an impressive project; Six reasonably-to-expansively sized rooms to hold all the ghoulish delights. Aurora grinned while the guys were finishing stabilizing the Haunted House. She turned to where Rapunzel, Giselle and Jasmine were painting the tombstones for the Zombie Graveyard.
"How're those coming along?" Aurora called.
"Great! They'll be done soon!" Rapunzel called back.
"We'll be able to set them up today!" Giselle added.
"Awesome!" Aurora gave them a thumbs-up.
"Hey, Aurora! What else are we doing today?" Tiana asked after hammering in her last nail.
"Today's just about building and set-up. Actually, I want Ferdinand to look into the sound system over the field to see how the playlist sounds, too." Aurora answered.
"Got it!" Ferdinand called as he held a wall steady for Charming while he hammered at the thing.
"We'll do decorations and costumes tomorrow, then?" Giselle asked.
"Yup!" Aurora responded with a grin.
Lottie squealed. "This is gonna be so great!"
Belle suddenly came rushing over with Adam in tow.
"Sorry we're late! What can we do to help?" The brunette asked.
"Well, Adam can help the guys hammer. Belle, you can help paint the tombstones." Aurora turned toward Ferdinand and called, "Ferdi! Come with me and let's look at that sound system!" She looked at Adam. "Take his place, would you?"
Adam nodded firmly and traded places with Ferdinand as Belle ran over to Rapunzel's painting cluster. Rapunzel took this as permission to get back to painting the house. As Aurora and Ferdinand walked away, Lottie checked a few things off on her clipboard, giggling.
"You excited, Lottie?" Snow chirped with a sweet smile.
"Hell yeah, girl! This is the best Haunted House ever!" Lottie cried ecstatically with a grin.
Snow giggled and skipped away to join the others in painting. Then Kida walked up with Milo.
"You wanted to see him, right?" Kida asked Lottie with a smirk.
"Yes! Now, Milo-" She hooked an arm around Milo's and led him toward the house, while Kida followed in amusement, "-I need to talk to you about a very important role in our little project. Ya' see, we are in desperate need of a mummy..."
Merida, Jim and Flynn also showed up to help, much to Rapunzel's delight. Flynn was taking any opportunity he could to be close to her, even if it meant having to ignore the popular kids watching him suspiciously.
"OH MY GOD! Naveen, be careful for Christ's sake! Are you trying to crack your damn head open?!" Charlotte shrieked when Naveen nearly fell from his ladder for the second time.
"Of course not, dear!" Naveen called back in frustration as he fiddled with some cobwebs. "Though it seems like the surest way to escape your Banshee-like screaming!"
"UGH!" Lottie cried as she stormed out of Vampire Crypt.
"So… You two haven't talked." Charming said flatly to Naveen.
"The timing hasn't been right, okay?!" Naveen snapped.
It was Friday, right after school. Two and a half hours before the fundraiser started up and people would start filing through in a mass disarray. It was probably the most hectic part of any Halloween planning: Last-minute run-throughs and preparations.
Aurora was glad to be helping Giselle and Tiana set up snack booths on the opposite side of the football field.
"Tia! These all look amazing!" Giselle gushed.
"They smell great, too." Aurora added with a smirk.
"You are catering Lottie's party tomorrow night, right?" Giselle asked hopefully.
Tiana chuckled. "Did you hear how much Lottie's paying me for it? Try and dare me to say no." She smirked. "I'm kidding. I'd do it regardless." But every penny counts…
Aurora laughed. "We know, Tia."
Phillip walked up to them now, dressed up in the werewolf costume but holding the fearsome mask under one arm. He grinned at the food and affectionately patted Tiana's shoulder.
"Looks great!" He smiled down at her, and she looked down at her shoes and chuckled.
"Thanks, Phil…"
Giselle saw Aurora duck her head down quickly out of the corner of her eye and cast a quick glance her way. The blonde was pretending to be busy counting napkins and stacking them, even though they'd already been stacked perfectly by Tiana about five minutes ago. Now they were crooked.
"Keep up the good work, girls!" Phillip cheered as he walked away.
Aurora held in a sigh as she walked over to where Jasmine, Lottie and Ariel were having a conversation. Giselle watched her go sadly. When she heard Tiana make a tisk sound, she turned to see Tiana glaring at the ruined napkin stack.
"These people..." Tiana mumbled as she started fixing it.
Giselle smirked in amusement before going to look for Edward.
Lottie and Ariel proudly led Aurora into their big finale room: the Tim Burton room. Aurora gasped as she took in the sight of it. It was an interesting mixture of Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and Sweeney Todd. Aurora also saw a few props that hinted at Batman and it made her grin.
"Has Belle seen this?" Aurora asked.
"Who do you think is gonna be our Mrs. Lovett? She'll be set up by the furnace over there with a rolling pin and fake roaches." Ariel giggled.
"And...the meat?" Aurora grimaced.
"Relax, girl. It's Play-Dough." Lottie smirked.
Aurora laughed. "Awesome. Who's playing Sweeney?"
Ariel giggled again. "Edward's doing it."
"What about Edward? Scissorhands, I mean..."
"Naveen's getting ready right now." Lottie replied.
"As for Beetlejuice and Lydia?"
"Jim and Meg." Ariel said. When Aurora gave her an incredulous look, she added, "We paid them."
"Okay, then... Let's go see how the Halloween room is coming along..." Aurora led them back to the room just before this one. Hercules was chatting with Kida and Milo about something. When he saw Aurora approaching, he smiled.
"You all ready for tonight, Mr. Meyers?" Aurora smirked.
Hercules looked down at the mask a little nervously. "I guess... I just don't want to scare anyone too bad..."
"Don't worry about that. We were very detailed about what would be in here on all the flyers, and a lot of people have been looking forward to this for a while." Lottie assured him.
"So you just be as scary as possible!" Ariel grinned.
Aurora turned to Kida and Milo. "You two look great, by the way."
Milo looked down doubtfully at his mummy get-up, which was basically a black skin-suit with the face currently unzipped and hanging from his neck, with gauze wrapped around him. Kida grinned down at her own costume; Esmeralda, Jasmine and Kida had volunteered to be witches from various cultures who would interact with/harass the patrons.
"Thanks, Rorie." Kida grinned. "Loving the devil costume, by the way."
Aurora struck a pose and they both laughed. "Thanks."
Giselle came running in then, beaming with excitement. "Guys! Come see Snow in her vampire costume! She looks so perfect!"
On their way to the front room, where the vampires (Snow, Charming and Ferdinand) had joined Phillip in conversation, they passed through the Hitchcock-themed room. This one made Aurora shiver; Eric was chatting with Aladdin and Jasmine like the environment was completely normal. Eric and Aladdin were both dressed up as Norman Bates: Eric was in the traditional sweater-vest and slacks with his normally shaggy hair slicked away from his face. He was going to welcome people all creepy-like at the transition to this room from the Mummy's Tomb. Aladdin was dressed in Norman's creepy "Mother" outfit, holding the grey wig and his fake knife by his side. He was going to jump out at and chase patrons from his maze-like home and through the bird-infested streets till they reached the Halloween room, where Hercules would take over. On their way out, they would pass by Flynn and Merida lying dead, with their eyes pecked out. Fake birds were everywhere, mostly seagulls and crows.
Aurora made a face. She hated crows.
Jasmine saw the group passing by and decided to join them, looking stunning in her costume. She would be introduced in the Mummy's Tomb, muttering incantations from the "Book of the Dead" and smiling wickedly at the patrons just before Milo would "come to life".
They weaved their way through the Tomb and the Crypt and arrived at the Werewolf Forest. There, the vampires (Snow, Charming and Ferdinand) were chatting with Phillip.
When she saw Snow, Aurora smiled. The dainty girl's slim frame was hugged by an Elvira-like dress, (though much more modest in the neckline), and her tiny feet were clad with black leather goth boots that added about three inches to her height. A red, silky cloak draped over her shoulders and fell all the way to the ground, reaching a bit behind her.
The guys were in old-fashioned black tuxes with coattails and bow ties. Ferdinand had a cloak similar to Snow's, but with a tall collar instead of a hood. So, it was really more like a cape.
All three of them had red lips that dripped fake blood and dark eyes framed by deep purple circles. Their faces were white like corpses, and their cheekbones were enhanced by greenish powder to give them a creepy, skeletal look. And they each had a set of perfect fake fangs.
"You guys look great!" Aurora cheered.
Cindy walked in then, in her angel costume. Aurora ran to give her a quick hug.
"Hello, Angel." Aurora laughed.
"Hello, Devil." Cindy smirked.
Cindy would stand at the entrance and hand out candy, while Aurora stood outside the exit to stamp people's hands. (Patrons would pay $5 for admission, but once they went through once and got a hand stamp, they could go through as many times as they wanted for free.)
"Cindy!" Charming called with a grin.
Cindy smiled as she walked over to him while Aurora went outside.
Esme and Phoebus were chatting while they adjusted some things in the graveyard. Esme had gone with a more traditional witch costume, though it was kind of sexy for a school function… Aurora reminded herself to reserve judgment. It was Halloween!
Edward and Naveen were helping Giselle and Rapunzel climb on top of the Haunted House. The two girls were dressed as creepy fairies, and would be beckoning "victims" into the house.
Tiana, Kronk and Melina were prepping the food stands while Pocahontas, Nakoma and Thomas were handling the Kids' Station. (A bounce house and a petting zoo.) A group of cheerleaders was sitting in the Pumpkin Patch, waiting for kids to come pick out jack-o-lantern-worthy pumpkins for a modest price.
Aurora beamed with pride. Tonight's gonna be great...
"Aurora! The sun is setting!" Giselle called, pointing toward where the swollen orange sun was dipping behind the dark trees.
"Places everyone!" Aurora yelled as she ran toward her spot. "Someone tell Ferdinand to start the music, quick!"
"On it!" She heard someone yell, but she wasn't sure who.
Just as she disappeared around the back of the Haunted House, she caught a glimpse of the first car pulling into the school parking lot that led to the football field.
Show time.
Eilonwy screeched in delight when the mummy jumped forward and reached for her, sending her backward into Taran's arms. She smiled up at him as he heroically led her to the next room to "safety". Of course, they walked right into the trap of Norman Bates and had to dodge low-flying seagulls.
They'd arrived an hour earlier than their friends on purpose to have this couple-time. They knew they wouldn't really get it at Lottie's party the next night, and the Halloween tricks and treats were too hard to pass up bonding over. Besides, Taran liked getting to hold Eilonwy for no reason. The cheap scares were prime snuggle material.
After going through the house, they got their hands stamped by Aurora and went to get a hand-dipped corndog and some spinach puffs. As they sat at a bench near the Pumpkin Patch they watched the little kids jump around and shriek in joy while the cheerleaders handed them candy.
Taran turned to Eilonwy with a thoughtful look. "When are we gonna tell the others?"
"About us?"
"Yeah."
She shrugged. "Not sure. When do you want to?"
He smirked, shrugging himself. "I dunno. I kinda like keeping it secret."
She smiled. "Me too."
"You wanna go through a few more times before the others get here?"
"Sure!"
They finished eating and headed back to the haunted house. Eilonwy waved at Charlotte as they passed her.
Charlotte was happy asshe could be with her position; She got to interact with the little kids at the petting zoo dressed up at a princess. A bright, pink, fluffy, marshmallow-Peep looking princess.
Lilo grinned as she applied some fake blood to Penny's forhead, then her lip so it dribbled down her pale chin. Penny was dressed as a zombie while Lilo had done herself up like a skeleton.
"Lilo! Are you guys ready to go?" Nani called from downstairs.
"Almost!" Lilo called back, finishing up with Penny's face. She put away the fake blood and grinned. "You look great, Pen."
Penny smirked while Lilo grabbed her camera, (She had to get pictures of the Haunted House for the yearbook.), then followed Lilo downstairs.
"Are we picking up Alice?" Nani asked as she met them at the front door.
"Yeah, and Mowgli." Lilo replied as they walked out.
"Be right back, David!" Nani called toward the kitchen, where her long-time boyfriend was making himself a sandwich. She heard him call back, "Okay!"
"Don't use the peanut butter!" Lilo screeched at him before Nani closed the front door.
It was ten o'clock; Only two more hours till Aurora could go home and sleep. She was glad for this. Sleep was her favorite thing these days.
And the Monster Mash was playing for probably the tenth time that night.
When Lilo and her friends came pouring out of the exit and crowded her for a yearbook picture, she happily managed a wicked grin for them.
Across town, in a seedy, run-down neighborhood, a meeting was happening that none of the unwitting residents of Buena Vista would have ever been able to predict.
Maleficent sighed, standingoutside the Voodoo Emporium with Ursula and their other sister- Ursula's fraternal twin- Morgana. Morgana had been lucky enough to get out of the stripping scene and now worked in the fashion industry with Cruella de Vil. Ironically, Cruella had been quite horrible to them in high school, but now Morgana catered to her every whim. Morgana was accompanied tonight by Yzma, another one of Cruella's business associates.
The four women shared a look before Maleficent raised one elegant hand into a fist and knocked proudly on the door to the little shop, which seemed closed for the night. There was a long, patient silence.
"Maybe the Shadow Man's not in." Ursula said after a moment, smirking.
"Don't be silly, sister." Morgana sneered.
Maleficent rolled her eyes. It was never a secret that Morgana disapproved of Ursula's "life choices". It caused a pretty big rift between the sisters, and was part of why Morgana left them for Cruella and Yzma. It also led to Morgana feeling superior to the other two, after being considered the meek sister all her life.
Or rather, three. But their fourth sister was never to be spoken of. Maleficent was the only one who was still in contact with her, but they only saw each other once or twice a year and she never enjoyed it. In fact, unfortunately, they were meeting for lunch tomorrow.
Her attention was forced back to the meeting at hand when the door swung open in front of her to reveal the pitch-black shop. The group of four shared another look before slowly filing into the room. Ahead of them was a table illuminated by a dim overhead light. They each took a seat at the table and waited patiently, absolutely silent.
The shop's door slammed shut behind them and the light turned out, leaving them in complete darkness. After a few seconds, they all heard a deep, rumbling chuckle.
"Welcome, ladies."
They were suddenly brought back into the light, but the room was different now. They felt as though they were underground, in a cave lit all around in a big circle by old torches, turning everything orange. The walls curved outward, as if they were sitting in the center of a fishbowl. All around the room were odd paintings.
They were at a new table now, a long table made of an aged, dark wood, with high-backed chairs surrounding it. The three sisters and Yzma sat on one side of the table. On the other side were the Shadow Man himself- Dr. Facilier- Jafar, and Rasputin, with one extra seat. There was one more empty seat at the head of the table as well.
"So. We're just waiting for the boss?" Ursula asked the men, ignoring Maleficent's pointed glare.
"And The Witch." Rasputin muttered in response. His reliquary glowed eerily in his stiff grasp, emanating an unearthly green energy.
They were all brought to attention by a sound like thunder and an eruption of wild blue flame engulfing the seat at the end of the table. They stared into the flame as a figure seemed to form and grow in the center of it, filling the chair. After a few seconds, the fire was put out and there sat a tall, broad figure dressed all in black. His skin was nearly grey, his sharp eyes darting mischievously about the room, flickering like embers. The corner behind him was cast in the cool glow of the blue flames that danced atop his rounded head.
Hades relaxed into his throne and greeted them all with an arrogant grin, revealing a mouthful of pointed teeth.
"Hello, all." He clapped his bony hands together, rubbing them slightly to create tiny wisps of blue flame. "Let's get started. Shall we?"
"We aren't waiting for The Witch?" Jafar asked.
"Who, Greenie? It's her own fault for being late. We'll catch her up later."
"And what about Grimhilde?" Dr. Facilier asked.
"She hasn't responded to a single call or message from me or Ursula." Maleficent said.
"Her loss." Hades muttered.
"So, what is the word from the Master?" Morgana purred, eyeing Hades with thinly-veiled desire.
Maleficent rolled her eyes.
"He's not telling me squat. But word from Grim is to keep ourselves inconspicuous tomorrow night." Hades replied after momentarily returning Morgana's look.
"What?" Ursula cried. "Halloween night? But we always stir up chaos on Halloween!"
"Thanatos is probably tired of cleaning up after us..." Facilier commented wryly, making Jafar chuckle.
"Whatever. If the Head Honcho wants us to keep it quiet, then that's what we gotta do." Hades interjected. "However, someone should stop by the Haunted Mansion and see if it's still a viable base of operations."
"Mal and I can do that." Jafar said smugly, giving her a suggestive look that everyone else at the table pointedly ignored.
"Meanwhile... What is the Master up to?" Maleficent drawled.
"Oh, just mopin' around on that dark mountain of his." Hades replied casually, not even looking at her.
Ursula groaned. "Does he even have a plan?!"
Hades narrowed his eyes at Ursula. "Of course, he does. It just needs a lot of building up. The Boss needs to recharge his batteries, you know. He's barely woken up."
"Well. When do we get to hear this plan?" Jafar asked.
"Soon enough. Have a little faith, guys. This is gonna be a big one..." Hades smirked. "Maybe…the big one."
"And your dear brothers have no idea?" Yzma asked, skeptical.
"Those idiots don't know a thing, and they never will. This'll be another easy victory to build the Boss's strength. And soon enough, he'll rule over this world just as he did before Zeus betrayed him."
"That is, if the Horned King will cooperate. But no one's heard from him in ages." Jafar pointed out.
"Forget him. He's nothing! Worthless! The Master doesn't need him." Rasputin growled.
Everyone looked at Hades for assurance. It was common knowledge that Rasputin and the Horned King despised each other.
Ages ago, before the Horned King vanished, Rasputin had come to him in the hopes of being granted eternal life in exchange for his service. The Horned King had promised this to him, knowing that it was a farce; the Horned King did not have that kind of power. When the Horned King's attempt to recover the Black Cauldron and raise his undead army failed, the creature disappeared without a trace, leaving Rasputin for dead. Then, Hades stepped in- before Thanatos, the God of Death, could- and offered Rasputin's spirit a very different form of refuge; an alternate way to have another chance at achieving his own personal vendetta against a family that he despised. Now Rasputin lived on in a continuously decaying vessel, preserved only by the endless cold of Hades' realm.
Knowing all this tended to make these meetings a little awkward when the Russian was present.
Hades shrugged. "For all I know, the Horned King isn't alive, let alone an issue. The Master would have told us otherwise by now."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"So. For now, we lay low and continue on like usual. Facilier runs his shop, Jafar will keep stealing and scamming- among other things- Yzma, Morgana and Cruella will continue to brainwash the vapid youth, Ursula and Maleficent will go on exploiting lustful perverts, and... Rasputin, what the hell do you do again?" Hades asked the decaying Russian. It was a petty jab, meant to draw some kind of heated response from the ghoulish sorcerer, but Rasputin was much more level-headed than he used to be, focused only on one thing: revenge. Rasputin crossed his arms in response, remaining silent. Hades chuckled and rubbed his chin, as though it were suddenly coming back to him. "Ah, right... Rotting in a lonely pit in my Underworld, only allowed to come up here when I permit it, and tirelessly waiting for the day you get to personally end the Romanov bloodline. Have fun with that."
Ursula haughtily snickered at the gods' teasing. "No need to be so cruel, Hades." She knew a thing or two about being cast out, ridiculed, and forced to live in a torturous manner, in a body you hated...
Morgana rolled her eyes. "Hades was the one who gave Rasputin a place to cower. Let him say what he wants."
Hades nodded appreciatively at Morgana while Rasputin silently let the conversation wash over him. He'd grown tired of trying to prove himself to these cretins long ago.
"Speaking of revenge... This plan will be coming to fruition after my dear niece's Sweet Sixteen, yes?" Maleficent smirked.
The rest of the table looked between her and Hades with obvious intrigue. Ursula playfully rolled her eyes, while Morgana looked genuinely annoyed. Hades, however, was overtly enthusiastic.
"Definitely." He grinned. "In fact, I suspect your little niece will play a key role in the big picture."
"Wonderful." Maleficent replied with a bitter edge in her voice. In truth, she couldn't care less about the "big picture". She wasn't interested in being one of Hades' tools for destruction and domination. There was only one thing she'd longed for in the last sixteen years; just one thing that kept her up at night…
Aurora was walking to her car when she saw Phillip leaning against it with his arms crossed, waiting for her. She slowed her stride, distractedly swinging her keychain around on her forefinger. He looked up at her when he heard the jingling metal and stood up a little straighter. He looked hurt.
"Hey…" He greeted quietly, stepping away from the car and uncrossing his arms.
"Hey." She said back, nervously wringing her hands.
"Look, I, um…" He looked over at where a bunch of people had stayed behind to break down the haunted house attraction. He was supposed to be helping. "I don't know if I really did a good enough job, you know? Letting you know how much I…care about you…"
Aurora remembered the sight of Vanessa cozying up to him in the parking lot and felt her blood boil. How dare he? "Phillip—"
"But either way, I wasn't expecting you to turn around and start flirting with Lir."
Her mouth dropped open. "Excuse me?"
He scoffed. "Come on, Aurora! I saw the way you were acting with him at the party! The talking, the sitting real close, the dancing… And in my house! I mean, are you kidding?!"
"How I act with my friends is none of your business!"
"You can't expect me to believe you're just friends after that!"
"Okay, well… Well…"
"Well, what?!"
"What exactly is Vanessa to you?!" At the stunned look on his face, she felt like she'd gotten the upper hand. "Hm? I saw her flirting with you, grabbing at your bicep in the parking lot!"
"That didn't— She wasn't—" He threw his hands up in frustration. "That's just how Vanessa acts! It was nothing! She had a question about our English homework!"
"I don't believe that! I know exactly how Vanessa acts, thank you very much. Everyone knows!"
"Why would I lie about that?!" He collected himself and stepped toward her. "Rorie, why would I ever lie to you?" He reached for her hand, but she stepped back. He was crushed by this, but respected the boundary she'd cast between them, and took a step back as well.
"I think you've been lying to yourself." She spat back.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"People have noticed how much time you and Tiana have been spending together."
"What-?"
"Outside of student council, I mean. You two really seem to gravitate to one another…"
"No! No, there's nothing going on between—"
"I've seen how she looks at you!" Aurora cried. Her tone and the pain in her eyes halted his defensiveness in its tracks. Phillip's head was reeling. If it was true that Tiana had feelings for him, he'd truly had no idea until now. Aurora watched as he seemed to mentally sort through every interaction he'd had with Tiana recently. The look that passed through his eyes shattered any hope she'd had before that maybe she was wrong. She shook her head. "You know what's so sad about this? If you'd told Lir how you really felt, he would have just backed off."
Phillip snapped back to the present moment and regarded her with pained eyes. "So, he…hasn't, then." When he heard nothing from Lir after the party, and nothing from the others in regards to Lir and Aurora, he'd hoped that maybe it had been a passing thing. That they'd just flirted for a night and that was it…or that Lir had made his move and been turned down.
Aurora's jaw set unpleasantly. She looked briefly down at her feet, not wanting to meet his gaze. She felt guilty… Why did she feel guilty? She hadn't done anything wrong… She looked back up at him, her lip shaking slightly. "We've been…talking."
Phillip stared vacantly back at her for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Talking."
She put her hands on her hips. "Yeah."
"Yeah… Okay…" He scoffed and suddenly walked past her. "Fine, then…"
Aurora turned to call after him, "Phillip, I—"
"I've heard enough!" He cried with a dismissive wave of his hand, not even turning to look at her. Aurora watched him stalk toward the field, feeling numb.
Phillip's eyes stung as he heard Aurora's car start up and slowly drive away. He tried to appear calm as he approached everyone who was working on taking down the attractions. It was mostly the guys, but a few girls had hung back to help as well.
Including Tiana. Ever reliable.
"Can I talk to you?" He whispered to her as he was passing by. She seemed a little surprised, but nodded and excused herself from the others to follow him. All of their friends who were still working paused momentarily to curiously watch Phillip and Tiana walk away.
"What's up, Phil?" Tiana asked, concerned. It was obvious to her that he was upset about something and trying to hide it.
He quietly regarded her for a moment, seeming to be trying to come up with the best way to start. She patiently waited, eyebrows raised. Finally, very bluntly, he asked her, "Did I kiss you that night?"
She was stunned. "What?"
"I remember, at the party, you were the one who took me up to my room. A lot of it is a blur, but… I could swear I kissed you. And I just wanted to say, if I did, or… If I did anything to make you uncomfortable…"
"Phil…"
"Tiana, I'm so sorry…"
"You kissed my hand."
He paused. "What?"
She raised her right fist, and indicated the spot on her knuckles with her left forefinger. "Right here. That was it. Nothing inappropriate."
He sighed in relief. "Oh, good… I really wasn't myself that night. Just…embarrassing, really."
Tiana laughed. "Phil, if I wasn't sure what you were capable of then, I wouldn't have put your sorry butt to bed."
He looked back at her gratefully for a moment, until something dawned on him. "Why did you take care of me that night?"
"Oh, um…" She shrugged, stuffing her hands in her pockets. She looked down at the space in between them. "Seemed like the right thing to do."
"Right…"
They were silent for a moment.
"We should probably get back to the others…" She started.
"Tiana?"
"Yes?" She looked up at him again.
"Go to the party with me tomorrow night."
She wasn't sure what he meant at first. They were already going together, weren't they? With their friends… Oh.
"You mean, like…as a date?" She asked doubtfully.
He nodded. "Yeah. I mean…"
"You actually want that?" She was mildly skeptical.
"Yeah! Yeah, of course I do. That's why I'm asking."
She laughed at the amused look on his face. "I thought you and Aurora were—"
"No. Not so much."
"Oh…"
"I like you, Tiana."
She gazed up at him. She felt torn. She trusted Phillip, and knew him pretty well… So why was it so hard for her to believe him in this moment? She'd never had feelings for anyone before, but couldn't deny that with him, she felt comfortable…things felt right. And yet, something about this also seemed rushed… She'd never had another boy like her before, so she figured that was probably why this felt so strange and out-of-nowhere…
Lottie's gonna lose her mind…
"Well? Will you go with me?" He asked again, hopefully. When she looked hesitantly back at him, he smiled and said, "We already have the perfect couples' costume."
She laughed in spite of herself.
Phillip's expression relaxed. "Come on. Just one date."
She stared up at him, still doubtful. He watched eagerly as she shook her head, deep in thought. After a moment, she sighed.
"You know what?"
"What?" He grinned.
"Sure."
"Awesome!"
Tiana was caught off-guard by him suddenly scooping her up and spinning her around. She giggled a little as he put her back down, and gazed up at him in slight disbelief. Was this actually happening? He kept his arms around her for a few seconds, and she happily rested there, hands still gripping his shirt. Then he noticed some of his friends staring unabashedly and sighed.
"Okay, now we should get back to the others…"
"Yeah…" She slowly pulled away from him. They looked at each other for a few seconds, then both started to laugh. Tiana walked ahead of him back to the others so that he couldn't see the unwavering grin on her face.
Aurora was really glad that the musical casts had this weekend off, (Cast one met on Saturday mornings and cast two met on Sunday afternoons), because she needed to rest up after the fundraiser so she could look good for Lottie and Naveen's party. It was a good thing that everyone she knew loved Halloween, including her teachers. (The whole staff had actually dressed up in costumes on Friday, and some even gave out candy.)
Also, she needed to cheer up after what had happened with Phillip the night before.
Aurora was in her room with Giselle, Lottie, Ariel and Belle, having a "spa day". Once they'd heard that Belle had never experienced a day like this, they'd decided that they had to involve her. Belle was focusing on not moving her face at all in the green mud mask while Giselle gave her a pedicure. Lottie giggled and squealed excitedly as she started painting Belle's fingernails as well.
"I just cannot believe you've never had a spa day before! I've even talked Tia into it once or twice..." Lottie suddenly gasped. "Have you never gotten a seaweed wrap? Or a massage, even?!"
Belle shook her head. When she muttered the word "no", her lips barely moved.
Lottie looked shocked. "You poor thing... How have you been living?"
Belle shrugged, making the other girls giggle.
Snow and Cindy walked in then, and immediately started taking part in the activities. Jasmine was the last one to show up, and Giselle was more than happy to give her a manicure. It was just now that Aurora realized she had no idea what Jasmine's costume was.
"Jasmine, what are you going as?" The blonde asked.
"Oh! Aladdin and I are going as Daredevil and Elektra." Jasmine laughed.
Ariel giggled. "That is just great."
There was a short silence after that.
"Lottie... Did you invite Gaston to the party?" Aurora asked.
Everyone turned to Lottie, who was scoffing.
"I talked Naveen into doing it. I didn't want to say a word to that brute. I still don't. And I can't believe you're so willing to forgive him!"
Aurora shrugged. "I just think it's time to move on. And if I can do it, so can everyone else."
Belle, who had just rid her face of the mud mask, smiled. "You're so brave, Aurora. And kind. I don't think I could handle this situation the way you have."
Aurora grinned in response, shrugging again. But inside, she cringed.
I hope you never have to, Belle.
"Well, hopefully we don't have to worry about him for a while. He and Vanessa are together again." Lottie replied in a bored tone.
"What? Since when?" Ariel cried.
"I dunno... Yesterday?" Lottie shrugged, making a face.
"Ugh. Those two are ridiculous." Jasmine rolled her eyes.
"I'm gonna go see if mom has any lunch ideas..." Aurora said, getting up to leave the room. She was eager to leave this conversation behind. She blew idly on her wet fingernails as she hopped downstairs. Just as she was nearing the bottom of the staircase, she heard her mother's calm voice. Her mom seemed to be talking to someone. At first, Aurora thought her mom was on the phone, and started to go back upstairs. Then, a second voice started to talk, and Aurora froze, feeling her skin crawl.
"I'm so glad you could come for lunch, sis." Leah said, grinning nervously. She gestured toward the silver platter on the coffee table. "I made sandwiches. Feel free to have a few... And I could make tea, if you'd like..."
"Oh, no, dear sister. Don't strain yourself. I mean, isn't that what your little servants are for?" A cold, regal voice drawled.
"I actually gave the staff the day off..." Leah replied pleasantly, smoothing out her skirt.
There was a short chuckle. "Right. I make them nervous."
"Well, yes, but..." Leah sighed. "You have given yourself quite a name in this household."
The laugh she received in response actually seemed amused. "I know. How's Stephen, by the way?"
"This isn't about Stephen." Leah said curtly.
"Of course not. This is about the same thing we've always met over... Your sweet little Rose's sixteenth birthday."
"Yes."
"You want to beg for her life. Again." A light chuckle.
Leah's tone became much less pleasant. "For God's sake! She's your niece!"
"Yes, well... I've made my position quite clear, I believe. She does have another option, dear sister… Have you ever brought it up with her?"
Leah's expression turned firm. Or, as firm as Leah could pull off. "No, and I never will. If you actually thought I would even consider…" She sighed again, shakily. The woman across from her could sense the nerves that were overtaking her typically pristine self, and quite enjoying it. "I can't let her do that to herself. I won't. She could have a future. A bright one!" Leah's voice and expression became desperate. "She's a good girl. She doesn't deserve this…" Leah choked up, her graceful hands flying instinctively up to her lips. "My sweet girl…"
"How touching."
"She always asks about you... She desperately wants to know her aunt."
"The one who she actually knows exists? The one who's vowed to kill her since her birth? Interesting." A pale, elegant hand plucked up a cucumber sandwich while vibrant chartreuse eyes scrutinized it.
"That's my point. I know that the whole reason why this happened is that you felt...excluded. But, it's not like you guys have really tried to reach out to me either! Look, for everyone's sake, we should just forget this whole thing and try to be a family again." A hard sell from someone who didn't believe herself it was a possibility. "Mallory-"
"That isn't my name anymore!" Maleficent suddenly snapped. For a long, tense moment, the two sisters just stared at each other; Maleficent out of anger and challenge, while Leah had on her poker face which she'd perfected after years and years of these conversations.
Finally, Maleficent dropped her anger and regained her prideful demeanor. She glanced down at the sandwich she still held, then slowly brought the tiny, soft thing to her mouth for a dainty bite. After a few seconds, she nodded and hummed in satisfaction.
"You have gotten better at these." Maleficent smirked.
"Maleficent." Leah spoke stoically. "Please. She is my only child. I didn't even think it was possible for me to have any children, and then Aurora happened, and..." She sighed. "She's perfect. Stephen and I could never imagine life without her. She's so innocent, and-"
"Exactly, Leah. This isn't about Aurora. It never really was." Maleficent leaned in a bit and hissed, in finality, "This is about you."
Maleficent sat back again, languidly finishing her sandwich, completely comfortable. Meanwhile, Leah sat rigidly, her sad gaze stressed on her most recent knitting project, sitting on the table near the platter.
Maleficent daintily dabbed at her ruby-colored lips with a floral napkin after finishing her sandwich. Then she turned toward Leah, looking perfectly pleasant.
"I'm sure that you understand exactly what I'm capable of?"
Leah nodded numbly.
"Then you understand that any attempt to hide her from me is futile and will only make things worse for your entire family?"
Leah looked up at her, her violet-colored eyes shining with tears. "Yes."
Maleficent nodded, smirking. "Good. Then I suppose we're done here."
"Mallory."
Maleficent turned a violent look on the blonde. "What now?"
"Just tell me... How this is my fault? Please? What could I have done to save her?"
After a silent couple of seconds, Maleficent laughed good-naturedly. "I think I'll wait to explain that another time."
Leah blinked once, obviously straining herself to keep from crying. Maleficent made a soft noise and reached out one thin hand, making Leah flinch mildly, though she dared not lean away from her sister's grasp.
"Oh, don't stress, my dear baby sister. I wouldn't want you to age yourself..." Maleficent grinned, stroking Leah's cheek with her thumb. Leah flinched again; Maleficent's nails were so long, like claws. Maleficent chuckled, pulling her hand away from her tense little sister's face. "I suppose I should be on my way, then." She stood up to leave.
"Would you like me to call Aurora down for you?" Leah asked softly, not looking up.
"Call me down for what?"
They both turned to the blonde, fifteen-year-old beauty queen who'd just walked into the room, seeming to glow as she smiled at Maleficent.
"Rose." Leah said, her shock evident. "How long have you been there?"
"Oh, I was just coming downstairs now, to see about lunch..." Aurora responded, gesturing toward the hall behind her.
Maleficent smirked, her reptilian eyes gleaming. Nice try, child.
"Hello, Aunt Mallory."
"Hello, dear." Maleficent smirked, nodding slightly.
"Leaving so soon? I could make some tea..."
"Actually, I really do need to head out. But… Come here, let me look at you." She raised her arms welcomingly. Aurora obediently approached, while Leah watched from where she sat, noticeably tense. Maleficent looked the girl over, a gleam in her eyes. "My, my... You just get taller and prettier every time I see you." Maleficent said, taking one of Aurora's hands in both of hers. "It's hard to believe how much you've grown… Tell me, child, are you still cheerleading?"
"Yes, Aunt Mallory."
"Wonderful. That will look great on your college apps, hm?" Maleficent looked sharply toward Aurora's mother, only for a second, before focusing on the girl again. "And, hopefully, it will open the door for you to break into a promising career in…some form of entertainment." She squeezed Aurora's hand.
Aurora could feel the gilded band of Mallory's ring pressing into her skin. It was a simple ring, with one large, dark gemstone that Aurora couldn't name. Aurora couldn't remember a time that she'd seen her aunt without that ring on.
Aurora nervously laughed and withdrew from her estranged aunt. "Here's hoping."
"Right… Well, be seeing you, dear." Maleficent nodded and turned toward the door.
"Goodbye, Aunt Mallory." Aurora politely responded, waving.
Maleficent rolled her eyes while facing the door, then callously said over her shoulder. "Goodbye, Leah."
Leah said nothing. Aurora snuck a glance at her mother's pale face, feeling deeply worried. This always happened when her sister came to visit.
Her aunt suddenly paused in the doorway. "Oh, and Rose?" Maleficent turned to Aurora, smirking. "Mind the spinning wheels."
Aurora waited to frown until the front door was shut. She would need more than two hands to count how many times she'd heard her aunt say that bizarre phrase. Her mother had always told her that Mallory was just "eccentric". Now, as had happened many times before, the woman had left Aurora and Leah in absolute, unsettling silence.
Aurora shook her head. "She really gives me the creeps…"
"Aurora. How much did you hear?" Her mother seemed terrified.
Aurora had often wondered exactly what the two women got to talking about every time they got together… What could it be that always left her mother so shaken, so drained… Sometimes Leah even seemed petrified.
Aurora frowned and turned to her mom. "Not much. I heard you guys mumble for a bit, then she yelled at you about how 'that wasn't her name anymore', whatever that means. More murmuring. Then I heard her say she was leaving, so I figured it was safe to come out for a short goodbye..."
"Are you sure that's all you heard, Aurora?"
"Yes."
Her mom shot her a look.
"Mom, yes! That was all! Why? What were you talking about?"
"Sweetheart..."
"No, I want to know." Aurora wanted to think it was something like Mallory having her parents trapped in some kind of money laundering scheme, or something outrageous like that. But she had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't something illegal, exactly…but the insidious energy Mallory put off made Aurora believe that maybe she was reveling in some kind of power she held over Aurora's parents…
And Aurora also had a sinking feeling that it had something to do with her. Something about the way Mallory spoke to her, and made a point to size her up whenever they saw each other, just didn't seem right. Aurora suspected that whatever kind of ownership Mallory thought she had over Stephen and Leah, the woman probably assumed soon she would own Aurora in much the same way…
Fat chance.
Leah ducked her head suddenly, hiding her eyes behind her hand. Aurora heard a sniffle.
"Oh, no, mom… Mom, it's okay. Mom..." Aurora rushed over and wrapped both arms around her mother, holding her while she cried. "Mom, it's okay."
"Oh, no, sweetie..." Her mom sobbed, then suddenly she was the one holding Aurora. "Oh, my baby... You shouldn't be the one to tell me that, sweet girl. I'm so sorry..."
"Mom? What is going on?" Aurora asked softly.
"Oh, Rose..." Her mom sniffed, pulling back to look her daughter in the eye. "Oh, sweetheart... I just can't tell you right now. It's all so…complicated. But, I promise, it's going to be okay. Someday we will talk about it. Okay?"
"Okay..."
"Oh, Rose..." Leah sniffed, holding her daughter close again. "I love you so much. Oh, my beautiful baby girl..."
"I love you too, mom."
They sat like that for a couple minutes. Then, her mom gave one final sniff and pulled away. She smiled weakly at Aurora.
"Would sandwiches be good for lunch then? Not those dainty little things over there, but real sandwiches?" Leah asked her daughter.
Aurora giggled. "Sounds great, mom... Are you sure you're okay?"
"Don't you worry about me, Rose. Go on upstairs now. Your friends probably miss you."
Aurora nodded. "Okay..." And she headed back upstairs.
Leah watched her daughter go with a heavy heart, new tears ready to burst. She rose out of her seat and went into the kitchen, feeling sick to her stomach. As she tried to get her trembling hands to work for her, the memories of that terrible night came flooding back, and she had to press her hands over her face to suppress her sobs.
. . . . .
It was a mild summer night, peaceful and still. Leah was home alone with her infant daughter, living in pure bliss. She went through her usual nighttime routine with the baby, laying the 1-month-old Aurora down in her crib and going to bed herself. It was a perfectly typical night. Calm. Average. The weather was still nice enough to sleep with the window open, allowing the moon to cast its light upon them as they slept.
Leah was stirred awake by a strange sound. Her eyes first rested on the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was just after midnight. She reached tentatively behind her to feel the empty space in the bed. Stephen wasn't home. He hadn't made the noise.
"Rose?" Leah groggily called, starting to sit up. Maybe the baby had awoken and needed her…
"She really is a beautiful child."
That cold, dignified voice stirred a violent reaction in Leah. She sprang out of bed to turn on the light, whirling toward her baby's crib. There stood her older sister, who for a long time had been absent from her life. Leah hadn't even known if Mallory knew where she lived, or if she'd had the baby. But here she was. Tall and imposing as ever. Her long, glossy black hair draped over her shoulders and spilling down her back. Face pale and angular, as though it were carved from stone. Eyes sharp, and malicious. Her red lips were perpetually curled in contempt. Mallory had always been quite beautiful…and notably cruel.
"Mallory…" Leah's eyes focused uneasily on how her sister's hand rested on one corner of the crib.
Mallory's eyes flashed with an unrecognizably unpleasant emotion. She turned to solemnly look upon the infant, who blinked sleepily up at her.
"What are you doing here?" Leah demanded.
Mallory looked around the room, as though carefully inspecting it.
"What a beautiful life you've built here, Leah… Better than any of us could have imagined for ourselves growing up, hmm?"
Leah was the youngest of four sisters. But the three women she'd been raised with weren't related to her by blood. Mallory and the twins had been adopted by a good-natured couple who were struggling to conceive. Then, magically, after years of having to live in poverty and grapple with raising three delinquents, they were somehow able to have Leah. Like some kind of miracle.
"I'm sure you worried you'd wind up much like them. Our parents." Mallory said, looking at the younger woman now. "Stuck with a bunch of brats that weren't yours. But no…" She gestured behind her, at the crib. "You got to skip right to the good part."
"It wasn't easy, you know." Leah responded icily. "Stephen and I were worried we wouldn't get to have children for a while. And Aurora will probably be the only one."
"Of course. Because the nature by which you were able to conceive this…" Mallory turned to the crib and leaned down slightly to examine the baby. "This little beast…" She turned sharply back to Leah, who was on the defensive, obviously not liking how close Mallory was to her child. "…was not so natural, was it?"
"Mallory—"
"This was very wrong of you, Leah."
"How could you know that-?"
"I know many things, sister. There's not a thing in this world you could keep from me. Especially not when it comes to the…what shall we call it? 'Mystical'?"
Leah shuddered. "Please get away from my baby."
"This is quite literally a crime against nature, you must realize that?" Mallory didn't give Leah a second to respond, immediately filling the room with a wicked cackle. "Of course, even if you do, I suppose you don't care. You're far too accustomed to taking what's not meant for you!"
"Mallory, stop it!"
The baby started to cry. Leah moved instinctively toward the crib, but one look from her sister froze her in place. Mallory sneered down at the wailing infant, repressing the urge she felt to reach into the crib and silence it. Leah sniffled softly as she waited to see what her sister would do next.
"You always got your way." Mallory said after a long, tense pause. "Always… You get everything you want."
"That's not true…"
"It is." Mallory peered up at her. "Well… I'm sorry, sister." Mallory took a step back, raising her hands. "Someone has to draw the line."
"What are you doing?!"
Mallory tapped one long, black nail against the gemstone that was nested atop her ring finger on her left hand. Leah looked on in confusion as a green glow started to rise off of the dark gem, dancing and weaving like a strange aura.
Leah looked on, horrified, as the realization dawned on her. "Mallory… I thought that-?"
"You thought wrong. And you'd do well not to let anyone know about it." Mallory said venomously. The green aura grew and started to drift through the air, toward the crib…
"No… Don't!" Leah started to run toward her.
"Shh…" Mallory raised her right hand and Leah froze, though not of her own free will. Leah wanted to struggle, or scream, but couldn't. Mallory thoughtfully watched the baby for a moment. Aurora had fallen silent, watching the green glow in awe. The infant curiously reached up with one hand and extended one tiny finger to poke at the aura. Mallory chuckled at the admittedly amusing sight. "Brave little beast, aren't you? Hm…" She tilted her head to one side, watching the child that blankly stared back at her. The baby seemed perplexed by the sound of her voice, oddly melodious and chilling. Mallory remembered why she came and, after another few seconds of thought, firmly said, "It will be your downfall."
Leah helplessly whimpered as Mallory began to cast her spell. Mallory's voice became more menacing and oppressive, taking on an unfamiliar tone, as though another voice were speaking over hers. Leah could feel the weight of each word bearing down on her, as though trying to break her apart. Aurora started to wail again, signaling that she also felt that intense pressure. Leah silently sobbed, wishing she could run to her baby.
"Before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, this child shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel…"
Mallory turned her head slowly to rest a malevolent gaze on her terrified sister.
"…and die."
The power inside the room was cycling around like a whirlwind, icy and turbulent. Mallory's black dress billowed around her as the wind howled and tore its way past her, rocking the crib forcefully as it flowed out the window and carried the curse off into the clouds. The green glow dissipated, slipping back into the gem on Mallory's ring. Leah suddenly sank to the ground, enervated and violently weeping, but able to move freely again. Mallory stepped away from the crib, where Aurora was screaming still, and moved toward the window, looking out at the darkened street. For the rest of the neighborhood, it would be as though nothing had happened.
Leah crawled toward the crib and clumsily pulled herself up against it, reaching down to soothe the baby. Then, she looked up at her older sister, utterly shattered.
"How… How could you…do this?" Leah sobbed. "You can't just—"
"It's already done, sister." Mallory said coldly. "This is what happens when you trifle with powers you don't understand. There's always a price."
"Take it back." Leah choked. "Take it back!"
"The curse cannot be broken."
"Bullshit!"
"No power on this earth can change it."
"You can't do this! Please, please don't—" Leah seemed close to collapse. "Don't do this… You can't take her from me, please…"
Mallory turned slowly to look at her younger sister, seeming unconvinced. Then, after a moment of thought, "I will think of something. A deal we can come to, that might spare the child's life. I will find you in two years to share whatever I come up with. Then, it will be for you and Stephen to decide her fate."
Leah breathed shakily and looked up to respond, but Mallory had vanished. She ran to the window to see if she could catch a glimpse of her sister taking off into the night, but there was nothing. No sign of disturbance in the neighborhood.
It was just a perfectly typical night. Calm. Average.