Esmeralda wrapped her purple silk robe around herself and went to the kitchen, leaving Phoebus's sleeping form in her bed. She smiled at the sight of Meg stretched out on her couch while Flynn and Rapunzel cuddled on the shaggy carpet with their feet under the coffee table. She walked silently into the kitchen and shuffled as quietly as possible through the cupboards until she found the coffee. Once it was in the filter and seeping into the pot she leaned against the tiny two-person patio table that served as her dining table and sighed contentedly, letting memories of last night flow over her.
. . . . .
Once Esme had awakened, she and Phoebus got in her car and drove directly to her house, with the other three following in Meg's car. Esme and Phoebus held hands the whole way, and he continually stared at her longingly, with his puppy-dog eyes, and it made her smile. Then Esme parked in the driveway while Meg parked on the street outside, and everyone rushed into the house. It was empty since Esme's mom would be out working all night, and probably well into the morning too. The boys had the forethought to wash the blood off Esme's car before settling in for the night. Esme quickly locked the door and everyone congregated in the living room. Flynn, Rapunzel and Meg all sat on the couch while Esme took the one chair. Phoebus stood behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Okay, so... What the hell happened?" Meg asked after a long moment of silence.
Esme shrugged. "I got hit by a car. I blacked out. Some perv dragged me into the alley, but ran off. Rapunzel found me, Phoebus woke me up, and I was good as new." Actually, she felt better than she could remember feeling in her entire life.
"You lost an awful lot of blood...somehow... Are you sure you're alright?" Flynn asked, honestly concerned.
Esme nodded, smiling. "Yup."
"I could get you some water..." Rapunzel offered shyly.
"Actually, that would be great." She really needed to get the taste of blood out of her mouth and throat. "Just from the tap is fine... Cups are in the cupboard above the sink."
Rapunzel smiled and nodded, skipping over to the kitchen. Meg watched her go with suspicious eyes. Then, she looked at Esme blankly. "So, you have no idea how you made it through being hit by a car and losing tons of blood without so much as a scratch?"
Esme shrugged. "Nope."
"Hey, maybe she's got freaky healing powers like that cheerleader girl from that TV show." Flynn waved his hands theatrically.
"Oh! You mean Heroes?" Rapunzel asked excitedly as she brought Esme her water. "I loved that show! They should bring it back... Or do a reunion! Those are really big right now."
Meg rolled her eyes while Flynn chuckled in amusement.
"We should test it out. Quick, someone shank her!" He stage-whispered.
"Oh, no." Phoebus gave her shoulders a protective squeeze. "No more blood tonight. Especially not Esme's."
This made everyone laugh. Esme smiled up at him and he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.
"Do you at least know who hit you?" Rapunzel asked.
Esme slowly shook her head. "No idea…" She paused, remembering something else. "Are Jasmine and Aladdin okay?"
"They were on their way to the hospital when we showed up." Meg said.
"We still need to go see them." Phoebus added.
"In the morning, maybe?" Esmeralda said gently. They were all exhausted. Phoebus and Flynn nodded in assent.
"Well, whoever it was that hit you guys, we gotta find them and make them pay!" Flynn dramatically raised a fist.
"No, guys, honestly. It's fine. I'm alive and well; I'm actually really grateful for it. It's put a lot of things into perspective..." She glanced up at Phoebus, who smiled. She grinned at the others. "I have a second chance at life."
"You really needed that." Meg said flatly. Rapunzel looked at her incredulously while the others laughed.
"I know." Esme smirked.
The group talked for a while longer. It was when Meg pointed out that it was three in the morning that they decided to go to bed. Esme told them that since there was no guest room, they'd have to find space in the living room. Then she grabbed Phoebus's hand and said, "But you can share with me."
"Oh, I see how it is." Flynn mumbled, earning a smack from Meg, which made him shout and Rapunzel giggle.
Esme led him to her room and told him to get in bed while she showered. She did so as quickly and as thoroughly as possible, then patted herself dry with a towel and let her purple robe languish over her frame. She strolled down the hall and lounged in her bedroom door, smirking at Phoebus, who was just in his boxers.
"Hey, you." She purred.
He turned to her, surprised. Then he just stared.
"Wow." He sighed.
She giggled and shut the door. "You tired?"
He shrugged. "Not really."
She grinned. He was lying. She slowly approached him and cupped his face with both of her hands. Her emerald eyes gleamed just before she kissed him. He sighed and held her close, deepening the kiss. She smiled against his mouth and moved to leave a trail of kisses down his neck, across his collarbone, shoulders, chest...
He took a moment to really look at her, here with him, with her damp, unstyled hair and her silk-soft skin. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her without makeup. She was gorgeous.
Perfect.
She kissed him again, harder now, and started pushing him toward the bed. He pulled away and looked into her eyes.
"We can wait. If you want to." He murmured.
She looked at him for a long moment, searching his eyes for any hint of possible deception, guilt, trickery.
There was none. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him. But his feelings were amplified by having waited for years.
He wasn't going to wait any longer.
She grinned and kissed him again. This time, when she pushed him toward the bed, he let himself collapse onto it.
. . . . .
Esme grinned to herself, crossing her arms. What happened last night wasn't just sex. It was making love. She chuckled. Meg would've laughed if she heard that, too. Esme had always had the opinion that only sissies called it "making love". But now she really understood.
The coffee machine beeped as if it were being mugged. She heard Meg and Flynn both groan as they stirred awake. Meg almost rolled off the couch and onto Rapunzel's head, making the tiny blonde squeak.
Esme chuckled. "There's coffee!"
All three grumbled in response.
Esmeralda waited patiently for one of them to come into the kitchen, but the moment never came. She furrowed her brow and walked into the living room to find the trio slowly sitting up and looking around them in absolute confusion. Esmeralda smirked in amusement, crossing her arms and leaning in the doorway.
"Wow. You guys slept pretty hard, huh?"
Meg and Rapunzel turned to her in varying degrees of disturbance, while Flynn looked absolutely lost. Esme heard footsteps coming from down the hall and turned to see Phoebus wandering zombie-like into the room, half-dressed and with wildly tousled hair. She wanted to laugh at the sight, but something about his expression was so off-putting that she refrained. She frowned at each of her friends.
"What's going on with all of you?"
Meg tilted her head as though she were trying to work out some impossible riddle. "What are we doing here?"
Esme paused, slightly stunned. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I mean… How did we get here?" Meg asked, rubbing one temple with the heel of her palm.
"You… You drove here." Esme answered, now clearly confused herself. "What-?"
"We drove last night?!" Flynn demanded in outrage. Phoebus and Rapunzel both looked horrified. Meg just hung her head in her hands and groaned. Flynn went on, "Jesus, who let us do that?!"
"What are you talking about?" Esme asked, exasperated.
Flynn scoffed. "Well, I can't remember a damn thing from last night, so I can't imagine I was in a state to be driving." He looked around at the others. "What about you guys?"
Rapunzel slowly shook her head. Meg sighed and said "No" while Phoebus grunted to indicate that he was in the same headspace. Esme stared at each of her friends in shock, dread gnawing at her gut.
"What do you mean, you don't remember anything?" Each of them had had a night she couldn't imagine they would forget any time soon… "You guys weren't drunk! What are you talking about?" She could feel herself panicking. Had last night been real? Or was she losing it?
"Well, what do you remember from last night?" Flynn asked tiredly.
Esme hesitated. She felt those hands roaming over her in the alley, like a ghost that had hitchhiked home with her. The image of the figure with the gilded glow hovering over her as she lay dying on the pavement flooded her mind, the soft, ethereal singing lingering in her ears. She remembered waking up in Phoebus' arms, and later falling asleep cradled against his chest…
She sighed, her heart and mind racing. "Um… Well, you guys went to the Mansion last night."
"The Haunted Mansion?!" Rapunzel asked in surprise.
Flynn was shaking his head. "I think I would remember something like that. That's been on our bucket list for years!"
"Must not have been as exciting as we'd hoped." Meg quipped.
"I don't know, I was at work. Then, um… You guys came to pick me up. There'd been a car accident outside…" Guilt washed over her. "Aladdin and Jasmine were in that accident. They're in the hospital."
"What?!" Flynn and Phoebus both cried. Rapunzel gasped and Meg sat forward with a sharpened interest, her nostrils flaring.
Esmeralda gaped around the room. What the hell was going on? "You guys really don't remember that? I mean… Anyway, we should probably go see them today. See how they're doing." Everyone sat with that information for a moment while Esme thought of what to say next. "Then, um… Then we all came back here. You guys were exhausted, so I let you crash here. And, um…" She turned to Phoebus now. He looked frustrated, as though he were searching through his own mind for concrete memories from last night. Obviously, waking up in her bed must have given him some clues, but he couldn't seem to make sense of it. He was practically gnawing on his lip. He eventually met her gaze and she quietly asked him, "You… You really don't remember anything?"
He looked back at her regretfully. "No…" He, like the others, seemed distraught. But there was a kind of grief underlying his tone that everyone picked up on. An uncomfortable silence settled over the room.
Esme stared at him for a few seconds, then slowly turned away, ducking her head. Tears were welling up in her eyes. "Oh… Well, that's just… That…sucks."
Phoebus tentatively reached for her, unsure how to make it right. "Esme, what-?"
"We can talk about it later." She said shortly, dabbing at her wet eyes with her sleeve. Her head was reeling. What did all this mean? And by what cruel twist of fate had her first time with Phoebus been stolen from his memory? Why was last night missing from her friends' heads? How could they not remember three of their friends nearly dying in a car accident?!
Again, the glowing figure came to her. Esme turned away to hide her expression from the others as an unbelievable conclusion dawned on her.
Then, she realized that she'd actually forgotten something mildly important, too.
Esme gasped suddenly, looking horrified. "Oh, my God! Meg!"
"What?!" Meg was obviously alarmed.
"I'm so sorry..."
"What?!" Meg demanded.
"Hercules!"
Hercules awoke on Naveen's sofa, with his cell phone in one hand and Meg's in the other. She'd left it at the party last night; That was why he couldn't reach her. And Esmeralda had never called back...
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, sighing. Something on the end of the couch stirred and he looked at it; He hadn't noticed Tink sleeping at his feet before.
Weird.
He heard chatter in the kitchen and went to see who it was. Charming, Ferdinand, Edward, Eric, Naveen, Phillip and John Smith were staggered around the kitchen, chuckling about something. They saw him and grinned.
"Herc!" They all cheered.
He waved awkwardly. "Hey guys."
"What's with the phone?" Charming frowned.
"Or rather, phones." Ferdinand commented.
Hercules hadn't realized that he was still holding both cell phones. He stuffed his into his pocket and held the other one up. "This is Meg's. She left it last night."
"Ah." Charming sipped at his coffee.
"So, who all is still here?" Hercules asked as he poured himself a cup.
"Cindy, Lottie, Ariel, Pocahontas, Jim, Merida, Kida, Milo, Peter, Tinkerbell..." Naveen trailed off distractedly.
"Oh, yeah... Why was Tink sleeping by my feet?"
Eric laughed. "She and Peter had an argument, so she was trying to make him jealous."
"Oh."
"They're the only freshman who have stuck around this long, too." John looked annoyed.
"Just kick them out when they wake up." Hercules shrugged.
Meg's phone started to ring in Hercules' hand. He looked down and saw that it said Esme Calling. He immediately answered it.
"Hello?" He sounded way too eager. He cleared his throat and repeated the word in his most manly voice.
"Hey, Wonder Boy." Meg's sarcastic voice spoke on the other end. He could almost see her smirking with one eyebrow raised.
"Hey! Uh, what's up?"
"I heard you missed me last night."
"Well... Yeah..."
She chuckled. "Well, believe it or not, I missed you too."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
He chuckled awkwardly. "Well, I'm glad you're okay. I was getting kind of worried..."
"No need. I'm a big girl, you know. Can tie my own shoes and everything."
They both laughed.
"So, uh... I'll bring you your phone later today?"
"I'll see you then."
"Okay..."
"Bye."
"Bye, Meg." He knew he was grinning like an idiot as he hung up, and his heart was beating so fast from hearing her voice.
Then, the front door opened.
"What the-?!" Naveen was cut off by a woman's shriek that made his eyes widen.
Mom.
"What is happening here?!" A deep voice bellowed.
Dad.
"Oh, shit." Naveen hissed.
"Your parents." Phillip said in shock.
Naveen's mother appeared in the kitchen doorway, astonished. "Naveen! You threw a party while we were gone?"
Naveen smiled uneasily. "You guys were supposed to be gone until Monday..."
Naveen's father now stood behind his mother, pissed off. "Lawrence called us saying that you were in trouble. Obviously, he was correct."
"Dad-"
"Get all of your little friends out of here. We need to have a talk." His dad interrupted.
Tiana was surprised when her phone started ringing around lunchtime. She glanced over to see who was calling and her heart skipped a beat. She quickly answered the call.
"Hey, Phil…"
"Hey, Tia." He greeted her warmly from the other end. "I had a great time last night."
"Yeah? Well, me too." She smiled, fidgeting with her blouse.
"I kinda can't wait to see you again, so… Can I take you out tonight?"
"What? Really?"
"Yeah. I kinda might have already made reservations for us at Bella Notte…if that sounds good to you. If not, we can go somewhere else."
"No, that sounds great, actually." Tiana assured him.
"Cool. So…it's a date."
She laughed. "Yeah, it is."
"I'll pick you up at six. Alright?"
"Sounds good."
"Okay. See you then."
They said goodbye and hung up. Tiana's stomach was riddled with nerves. She was officially out of her depth, and knew she needed help. She sighed and sent Lottie a text.
Eric drove Ariel home after they were kicked out of Naveen's house. They made a plan to go to the beach later that day when he pulled up in front of her home. She gave him a long, steamy kiss goodbye and skipped inside, longing for some breakfast. But as she entered the house, she realized that she reeked and looked a mess. She sighed, figuring that she should probably shower any way. She went to the bathroom adjoined to her bedroom and stripped off her costume, which she had slept in, and pulled what was left of the bobby pins she'd had in her hair out. She turned on her shower and waited until steam filled the whole room. She sighed contentedly as she got under the hot water and pulled the curtain shut.
She'd been under the water for about thirty seconds when she felt an unfamiliar tingling sensation all over her body. It was like wide-spread pins and needles… Then, the feeling became more intense, like a million little pin-pricks. Her skin felt tight and unnaturally sensitive.
In her panic, the first thing she could think to do was get out of the shower. Something must have been wrong with the water; There was no other explanation. But once her fingers found the shower curtain, her legs collapsed from underneath her and she shrieked; Everything below her waist felt like it was on fire. Her nerves were screaming in agony. She looked down to see if she could see anything wrong, but there was too much steam.
She screamed again when she felt a sensation like the flesh on her legs being ripped open. She gripped the shower curtain with both hands and leaned on it with all her weight. Her legs refused to support her.
All at once, her balance was ripped away from her and she had no center of gravity. She fell forward and onto the bathroom tile, taking the curtain down with her. It fell over her as she hit the tile hard; The wind was knocked out of her and spots swam across her vision, already blurred by the unnatural agony. She lay there for a while, panting and gasping, trying to collect her thoughts. She stared up at the plain blue curtain that shielded her in shock. The pain was subsiding, leaving her with a calm tingling sensation again. She sighed as the tingling now melted away. She couldn't feel anything now...
Wait.
She couldn't feel anything now. She lay still for a long, fearful moment, wondering if this random ordeal had left her paralyzed. She would never be able to swim again... Or run. Or walk...
She took a deep breath and reached down to touch her thigh with one hand... And felt something she really shouldn't have. Her eyes widened. Now she felt with both hands.
She used her arms to prop up her torso and brought the curtain down around her waist.
You must be going crazy...
She tried to breathe evenly but it was impossible. So, she decided to hold her breath as she slowly reached for the curtain.
Please let this be a dream...
Without a second thought, she flung the curtain off and away from her.
And promptly screamed at the top of her lungs.
She faintly heard her sisters calling her name as they entered her room. Then, the bathroom door was flung open and Andrina and Adella were both looking down at her with panicked expressions. They both gasped at the sight of Ariel's... Well, where her legs should have been.
In place of Ariel's legs was a long, bright green, scaly tail with a large, wide fin.
"What happened to me?!" Ariel screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Her sisters shared a look.
"Call dad and the others. She needs everyone here." Andrina told Adella. Adella quickly nodded, then ran out of the room and down the hall to her own bedroom. Andrina hurried to crouch next to Ariel, wrapping her arms around her hysterical baby sister's shoulders. "Ariel, it's okay... Shush... Everything's okay. Listen." Andrina spoke soothingly. Ariel grew quiet, but she didn't calm down. She was terrified. Andrina smiled at her comfortingly. "Ariel... There's something we have to tell you."
It was 12:00 when Esme's mom came stumbling in to the living room, leaving the front door wide open behind her. She blinked clumsily around the room at the teens, not seeming to recognize any of them, though the only one she didn't know was Rapunzel.
Esme hopped up from her seat and approached her mother with an easy smile. "Hey, mom... You worked a little late, huh? It's noon."
Her mom stared at her for a long time, completely confused, with her forehead wrinkled. Everyone waited for her response in tense silence, seeming to hold their breath.
Finally, her mom's taut face melted into a relieved smile. "Esme... Hey, sweetie..." She giggled. "What time is it?"
"It's noon, mom. Twelve."
"Oh!" Her mom's hands flew up to her mouth. "Oh, I didn't... I didn't mean to come back so... So late..."
Esme gripped her mom's shoulders and spoke soothingly, "It's okay, mom... Let's get you to bed..."
As Esme led her mom away down the hall, Meg turned stony eyes on Rapunzel, whose own eyes were wide.
"You don't say a word about Esme's mother to anyone. Understand?"
Rapunzel nodded quickly in fear.
Flynn wrapped a protective arm around Rapunzel and stared Meg down. "She wouldn't say anything, Meg."
Meg narrowed her eyes at the dainty blonde, staring for a moment longer, then turned to look down the hall. Esme was sitting beside where her mother was lying in bed. Her mom was gripping Esme's wrist as she whispered something to her. Esme was nodding along, probably smiling down at her mother as she faded to sleep. Meg shook her head and went into the kitchen to find a soda or something.
Esme quietly shut her mom's door and walked into the living room looking perfectly cheerful. "We should probably head over to the hospital, hm?"
"Is it gonna be okay to leave your mom alone?" Flynn asked.
Esme nodded. "Oh, yeah. She'll sleep all day."
"Alright. Let's go. Who's riding with me?" Meg asked as she re-entered the living room.
"Blondie and I'll ride with you." Flynn said, smirking down at Rapunzel. She playfully smacked him.
"I'll go with Esme." Phoebus said, having just walked into the room...in his costume from the night before. "But we should probably each grab a change of clothes on the way."
Meanwhile, Tiana was driving to Charlotte's house. Lottie just wanted to know everything. Tiana shook her head, smiling distractedly. She wasn't even sure she knew everything...
She pulled into the grand driveway of the residence and parked to the side. Sighing, she pulled herself out of the car and locked it, walking to the front door. After ringing the bell, she was let in by a maid who told her Charlotte was in her room. She climbed the extravagant staircase and turned to the left. She knew the way by now; She'd been friends with Charlotte since preschool.
Tiana's mom was a seamstress. Lottie's family became her mom's biggest customer because Lottie's parents insisted that she be dressed like the princess they believed her to be. And since Tiana's dad worked so much and they couldn't afford a sitter, her mom had to take Tiana everywhere. Tiana and Lottie became best friends shortly, despite being polar opposites.
As soon as Tiana entered the bedroom, she was attacked by a squealing Charlotte. She returned the blonde's hug with a laugh.
"Hey, Lottie."
"Oh, Tiiiiiaaaa! I knew you and Phillip liked each other! Oh, you two are just too cute! Tell me everything!" Lottie bounced onto her bed and patted the spot next to her.
Tiana smiled and joined her friend. "There isn't much to tell, really. I dunno what's between me and Phil just yet. But I guess I'm gonna find out..."
"What do you mean you don't know? I think you two are meant to be!"
Tiana laughed. "Well, he's very nice. And yeah, he's cute. But there's no telling right now, Lottie..."
"Oh, how could he resist you? Oh, Tia, he must be head over heels!"
Tiana smiled absently, too distracted by the mess of Charlotte's room to answer. Charlotte continued.
"I also think he's exactly what you need. A good reason to quit working so much. Now, for as long as I've known you, it's always been work, work, work! This is your senior year of high school, Tia! Time to let loose! Have some fun, ya' know?"
Tiana smiled weakly at her friend. "I just really need to get into that cooking school, Lottie. I need to be able to get away, become a chef- the best chef- and open my own place like I've always wanted! Like daddy and me always dreamed..."
Ever since her father died, Tiana had been obsessed with that dream restaurant. She had to make it happen. And like her daddy had told her, she had to work for it, and she was happy to. Lottie wouldn't understand that... She tried to, but she never could. Not really.
Right now, Lottie had an arm around Tiana's shoulder. "Tia, we both know that's gonna happen. And when it does, it'll be amazing. And I'll have the pleasure of sayin', 'Yup! That's my best friend! She's the amazing chef at that fantastic restaurant!' But for now, why not just live?"
Tiana sighed, standing up and absent-mindedly picking up the various debris around Charlotte's room. "You sound just like my mama."
"Well, Eudora has a point! Now. What happens if you and Phillip become serious?"
Tiana smirked. "I hope he's as patient as he seems." She sighed. "I'm so close, Lottie. I can't let anything stop me now."
Lottie gripped Tiana's hand with a sweet smile. Tiana grinned back, closing her eyes. There was a knock at the door and they both looked up to see a maid standing awkwardly in the doorway.
"Yes, what is it?" Charlotte asked.
"Will miss Tiana be staying for dinner tonight?"
Tiana shook her head. "Not tonight."
Lottie was holding in an excited squeal and bouncing slightly on the bed.
The maid nodded and left. Tiana looked up at Charlotte with raised brows.
"You want me to help you study for that English Lit. test or what?"
Charlotte sighed. "Yeah..." She quickly perked up. "But then I get to help you get ready for your date!"
Tiana sighed. "Lottie… I have to ask… Phil told me there was nothing going on with him and Aurora, but… Do you think this is gonna bother her?"
Lottie pouted slightly. "I'm sure if it does, she'll tell me about it… But, honey…" She placed a hand on Tiana's shoulder. "They had their chance, ya' know?"
"I don't want to cause any drama."
"Hey, now. Don't you worry about that. Whatever happens, I'll be there to make sure everybody gets along." Lottie giggled.
Tiana playfully rolled her eyes and joked, "Oh, great."
Lottie's phone rang then, and she eagerly picked up. "What's up, Rorie?" Her enthusiastic expression quickly gave way to concern. "Whoa, slow down, hon… What are you-?" Her eyes widened and her jaw went slack. "Oh, Lord… Alright, I'll meet you all down there. See you." She hung up, nervously pressing a hand to her forehead.
"What is it, Lottie?" Tiana asked in worry.
"Jazz was in an accident last night. I have to go see her at the hospital." Lottie was already pacing about the room, getting her things together.
"What?!" Tiana started helping her automatically. "Is she okay?"
"Sounds like she's just a little banged up, but… I mean it must have been terrifying… And none of us had any idea… Oh, boy…" Lottie practically swooned, taking a seat in front of her vanity. Tiana supportively placed her hands on the blonde's back.
"It's okay, Lottie… Here, let me drive you down there."
Lottie turned to Tiana, biting her lip. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go…"
Tiana paused, slightly stunned. Then it dawned on her. She stepped back and crossed her arms. "Right. Because Jasmine doesn't like me, and now that I'm dating one of her friends that's just gonna get worse."
"It's just… I—" Lottie sighed, gathering herself up and sorting out her purse. "Just wait here for me, okay? I promise I won't be long." She turned and hugged Tiana suddenly. "This doesn't change a thing."
"So... This happened to all of you?" Ariel asked her six older sisters, who were sitting around her in the living room. Adella had called all of them, just as Andrina had instructed her, and they'd all driven immediately to the house from wherever they'd been at the time. It was one in the afternoon now, and Ariel had been dried off for a while and, to her relief, had her legs back instead of that freaky fish tail.
"Yes." Attina, the oldest sister, responded. She was also the tallest, with brown hair cut close-cropped to her head and curly bangs. She helped their father run the family business, and would be taking over the place once he retired. "It's in our genes."
"Was... Was mom...?"
"No, sweetheart. I'm afraid this comes from me." Her father, Triton, had just come home through the back door and could tell what Ariel was trying to ask.
"What?" She stared at him.
He sighed and sat on the couch with Arista, who was fiddling nervously with her sloppy platinum-blonde ponytail, and Alana, who absent-mindedly looked down her nose at her perfect pink manicure. Triton stroked his beard thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "I'm... I belong to the sea. I was a Merman. And, when I was very young, around Attina's age, I saw your mother wandering around the beach one day. And she was so beautiful, that I decided I had to be with her. So, I convinced the Sea Witch to transform me into a human. It cost me a lot, but I've never regretted it... Aside from what it's done to my girls." He explained.
Ariel blinked slowly. That was a lot to take in. "Wow... Did mom know?" She asked softly.
"Well, I had to tell her the truth when Attina went through the change... And it happened to Attina very early." Triton replied.
"I was twelve." Attina added.
"Wow..." Ariel sighed, running her hand through her hair. "Is it... Is it gonna hurt like that every time?"
"No." Andrina said. "You might feel a slight tingle for a while, but it shouldn't hurt."
"And eventually, the tingling will go away, too." Attina put in.
"How often is it gonna happen?"
"Until you can control it, you'll change every time you come in contact with water for at least thirty seconds." Alana said.
Ariel's eyes widened. "Every time?"
"I'm afraid so, sweetie." Her father said sadly.
"You'll have to step away from water polo and swim for the time being." Arista said.
"Avoid the beach." Adella added.
"And take baths instead of showers." Alana finished.
Ariel stared at them in shock. "Is there anything else I should know?"
Triton sighed and murmured, "I'm so glad this is the last time I have to have this conversation..." Then he looked at her and said, "Sweetie, my father... Your grandfather... Is Poseidon, God of the Sea. And, after I left, my younger brother took my place as King of the Undersea Kingdom, which is what I would have been if I hadn't come to the land to be with your mother."
Ariel sat back in her chair, stunned. "Okay..."
"Which makes you and all of your sisters demigods."
"Right..."
"And you aren't the only ones. But there's only one other who actually knows his identity, and he is the son of Zeus and Hera, and he goes to your school. His name is Hercules."
"Hercules is the son of Zeus?"
"The people he lives with aren't his real parents."
"I know. I always knew he was adopted. I just...never knew who his real parents were. And I never knew that he knew… Oh, boy..." It was getting hard for Ariel to breathe.
"Take it easy, sis." Attina said soothingly, wrapping her sister up in her arms. All the others came around her as well, and they all huddled into a group hug. "It's gonna be okay..."
"You can stay home from school tomorrow. Really take the time to process all of this. I know it's a lot, dear..." Her father spoke tiredly. He looked guilty and sad.
Ariel stood up and walked over to him. She hugged him and said, "I don't blame you, daddy. I'm okay. It's gonna be fine. I love you."
"I love you too."
She sighed and headed upstairs. "I better go cancel my plans with Eric..."
"You can invite him over if you want to, sweetheart." Her dad called.
"Thanks, daddy."
"Oh, and another thing, sis." Attina said before Ariel could disappear. "You can never tell anyone about this. Okay?"
"Okay... What about Hercules?"
"Aside from us, he's the only one you can talk to about this. Alright?"
"Alright. Fine. Excuse me." Ariel ran upstairs.
Attina sighed and sat next to her father.
"She'll be fine." Arista smiled. "If we all could handle this, she definitely can."
"I know..." Attina said flatly.
"I think it would be good for her if all of you stayed available to her for the next month or so... Use the holidays as an excuse for work or school if you have to. Okay?" Triton said to his six older daughters.
"Sure, daddy." They all murmured.
It was then that Triton got a phone call that would derail any plans for attempted normalcy that day.
Jasmine's morning had been hectic, to put it lightly. Her father had been at her side when she woke up in the hospital, in an absolute panic. Jasmine had to overcome her embarrassment at having security guards outside the door and her poor father raving with worry while Aladdin was still sedated in the bed next to her. Then she'd spent all morning calming her father down, telling him what had happened…and convincing him that she'd only been driving around that part of town because the GPS stopped working and her and Aladdin's cell service had gone down, so they couldn't access any navigation tools and had gotten lost. She honestly couldn't tell if her dad was buying any of her lies, but he seemed so beside himself with relief that she was alright that he couldn't even seem to process any of the explanations she was giving him anyway.
"Jazz…?"
They both turned to see Aladdin gazing groggily at them from his bed, his head turned toward them with some effort.
Jasmine sighed and smiled back at him. "Hey… You okay?"
"Pretty stiff… And I'm sure once whatever they have me on wears off, I'll probably be sore. But…" He barely shrugged. Then, he looked at Jasmine's father, who was giving the boy a dumbfounded look. "Sorry we're meeting under these circumstances, sir…"
"I'm just glad, more than anything, that you both made it out of this ordeal in one piece." The old man assured him. "And… Jasmine told me what you did to protect her. Shielding her in that car was very brave, young man. I'm eternally grateful to you for it."
"It was nothing, sir." Aladdin replied. His gaze traveled to Jasmine's mildly scarred face. He had definitely taken the brunt of the damage, thankfully. He quietly said to her, "I couldn't let anything happen to you."
Jasmine's eyes filled with tears. "I guess you were right about my driving."
"I was just teasing you… There was nothing you could have done differently, Jazz. The accident wasn't your fault. Okay?"
She slowly nodded in understanding, but the tears still fell down her paled cheeks. Her father comfortingly patted her shoulder and said, "We're going to find the other driver and make sure justice is served. A person like that can't be allowed on the streets! Imagine how many other accidents he might have caused… Or could still, in the future! Oh, we'll catch him…"
Jasmine wiped away her tears and smiled shakily at him. "I know, dad…"
"Sorry to interrupt." One of the guards said brusquely as he stepped into the room. "They have some visitors. Friends from school."
"Ah, let them in." Jasmine's father said.
Esmeralda came into the room first, followed closely by Flynn and Phoebus, with Meg and Rapunzel coming in last. Jasmine sat up a little in surprise, wincing slightly with the sudden movement. Aladdin grinned sleepily at his friends. Well, he smiled as much as the stitches in his lip would allow.
"You guys made it…" Aladdin murmured.
"Sorry it took so long, buddy." Phoebus said as he and Flynn both eagerly pulled up seats by his bed.
"Don't worry about it… We both only woke up a while ago, anyway. And it seemed like you guys had already had a long night." Aladdin said. Phoebus and Flynn shared a short look. Meg stood at the foot of Aladdin's bed with a guarded expression. Rapunzel was staring down at her feet where she stood by Jasmine's other side.
Esmeralda turned to meet Jasmine's bewildered gaze. Aladdin was pretty out of it, but Jasmine obviously remembered seeing her in the street last night. Esme felt as though she could collapse with relief. She wasn't crazy. She silently signaled to Jasmine that they would have to talk about it later. Jasmine subtly nodded her head to show that she understood. Esme turned away to find Meg warily watching her. She'd seen the whole thing.
Jasmine's father excused himself to let the kids have some time to visit. They all stayed with Jasmine and Aladdin for nearly an hour, chatting and joking around, all trying to make sense of the night before. It never came up that four of them had amnesia and couldn't even remember that the accident happened. There were a few awkward pauses where it was apparent that each of them was tiptoeing around a certain subject, or not willing to divulge any information that wasn't necessary. On all sides, there was confusion and mild suspicion. But for the most part, it was a light-hearted visit.
When Phoebus suggested it was time to head out, Esme told the others she needed to hang back and talk to Jasmine about something. The others paid it no mind and headed out, but Meg gave Esme a long, searching look before following them out. Esme sighed, running a hand through her hair. Jasmine and Aladdin were both staring at her as though she were a ghost.
"We saw you there." Jasmine spoke first, after a moment of silence. Esme looked up at her. Jasmine was shaking her head in disbelief. "You were standing by your car, in the street…"
"Yes, I was." Esmeralda replied shakily.
Jasmine shuddered slightly, as though a cold wind had run through her. She looked Esme up and down. "But you… I thought you were…hit."
"I thought you were dead." Aladdin said hoarsely, and both girls turned to him. He was gazing at Esme as though he was searching for answers only she had. He seemed ready to fall apart as the memory of Esmeralda's body in the street flashed before his eyes. "I tried to tell them… I told everybody…they had to find you…" He coughed quietly, choking back tears. "I thought you were gone."
Esme rose from her seat to stand by him, taking his hand. He breathed raggedly at the shock of her touch, and slowly squeezed her hand in response. Esme smiled sadly at her friend, fighting her own tears now. "I'm here, Al… I'm here, I'm fine."
He sighed and blinked rapidly. A few tears escaped his eyes, leaking down his temples and into his dark hair. "I'm so glad…"
"What happened?" Jasmine asked now, clearly overwhelmed.
Esme shook her head. "I don't know. I mean, not really… Look. The others- Phoebus, Meg, Rapunzel and Flynn- they don't remember anything that happened last night. Not even the accident."
"What, really?" Aladdin looked up at her in concern. "That explains a lot…"
Esme gave him a knowing look. She'd had a feeling that Aladdin was more aware than the others thought. He was sharper than people gave him credit for.
"How is that possible?" Jasmine asked. "I mean…stress? I don't know…"
"Neither do I. But, listen… I need you both to stop telling people I was there."
"Esme, what's going on?" Jasmine asked in a mix of worry and irritation.
"Just listen. Please? I can't explain it right now. I wouldn't even know how to. But… I think whatever weirdness this is- me surviving that accident, the others not remembering last night- I think it's supposed to happen. Like… Someone meant for it to."
"What?" Jasmine shook her head. "Esme—"
"I mean it, Jazz. I know, it's weird. And it's scary. But please, trust me. Okay?"
The two girls shared a long look. Jasmine was obviously doubtful, and slightly disturbed, while Esme was hopeful that she'd gotten through to her.
"It'll be our secret, Esme." Aladdin finally confirmed. "If anyone asks us, we'll say we thought we saw you, but it must have been someone else. We were just panicking." Aladdin looked at the shocked Jasmine now. "Okay?"
Jasmine bit her lip as she thought it over. Then, she nodded. She looked up at Esme and whispered, "Yeah."
Esmeralda sighed in relief. "Thanks, guys…" She bent down to gently hug Jasmine. "I'm so sorry this happened to you…" Why had she been saved, while they'd had to go through all this? Why couldn't they have been healed, too?
"It's not your fault, Esme." Aladdin said. He seemed close to passing out again.
"I'm just so glad you're both okay… That accident was really scary."
"Well, dad's hell-bent on revenge so, we should find the drunk driver pretty quick." Jasmine offered as a consolation.
"Good." Esme said.
"What were you doing down there anyway? At the Grotto?" Jasmine couldn't help but ask. But the sly look on her face let Esme know she had her suspicions.
Esme chuckled a little. Aladdin was frowning in confusion. So much had been going through his head since last night, but it hadn't occurred to him to wonder about that.
"I, uh… I work there." Esme finally said.
Jasmine nodded in understanding.
"That's where you work?!" Aladdin asked in shock. It was the loudest he'd spoken since she'd been there, and Esme couldn't help but jump slightly in surprise.
"Aladdin..." Jasmine admonished him quietly.
Esme laughed a little. "Not for much longer, if it makes you feel better."
Then, the door opened and in walked Aurora, Ariel, Cindy, Snow, Giselle and Lottie. They immediately swarmed Jasmine's bed, fawning over their friend and offering up the gifts they'd brought for her.
"What are you guys doing here?" Jasmine asked, pleasantly surprised.
"Your dad called all of our parents to let us know what happened last night!" Ariel cried.
"We all felt so bad. When you guys didn't come back last night, we assumed you were just…well, you know." Lottie added with a giggle.
Jasmine tried not to cringe while Aladdin smirked slightly.
Esme looked between her two friends and said, "I guess I'll see you guys later."
Jasmine reached out to her and Esme took her hand, giving it a meaningful squeeze.
"I'll see you at dance practice…eventually." Jasmine said.
"Take your time getting better." Esme told her. She turned to Aladdin and added, "And Al, please, just let the nice hospital staff take care of you. Alright?"
He gave her an amused look. "Yeah, sure."
"I'll make sure he's okay." Jasmine said.
Esme nodded. "I know." She slowly pulled her hand away from Jasmine's and headed toward the door, leaving the couple to an endless line of questioning from Jasmine's other friends.
That evening, Charming and Ferdinand walked into Phillip's living room to be greeted by Hercules, Eric and Edward. But no Phillip.
"Where's Phil?" Charming asked, frowning.
"Upstairs. Freaking out about the date." Eric said, obviously amused.
"Why?"
"He can't find a shirt." Edward rolled his eyes.
Charming groaned and went up the stairs to Phillip's room. Ferdinand sat in the living room with the others. Hercules was putting down his phone and saying, "Pizza'll be here soon."
Meanwhile, Charming was helping Phillip search for the right shirt. He pulled out a dark blue dress shirt and held it up. "I guess this'll look good with your jeans...right?"
Phillip shook his head. "Maybe a lighter blue..."
"You don't have light blue."
"Red?"
"Not here. Want me to check for it in the dryer?"
"No time! What about grey?"
"You have two grey shirts." Charming held them both up.
Phillip groaned and shook his head, leaving the room.
"Where are you going?" Charming called after him.
"To find my red shirt!" Phillip yelled back.
Charming sighed and started putting away the other shirts.
Ten minutes later, a very nervous and fidgety Phillip was getting ready to leave while his buddies crowded around him at the front door.
"We'll be right here when you get back!" Charming assured him.
"With pizza!" Hercules grinned.
"And beer!" Edward added.
"And weed!" Eric finished.
Phillip laughed. "Thanks guys. See you later!"
"See you!" They all chorused as he left. Once Phillip had driven away, Edward looked at Eric and asked, "So... Do we have to wait till he gets back, or can we dip into that weed right now?"
"So they made me clean the whole house and the grounds, took away my car, and they're making me get a job so I can 'learn some responsibility'. Ugh! So unfair!" Naveen pouted. It was Monday morning, and he was sitting with most of the group in the school courtyard.
Lottie sighed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "It'll be okay, hon..." She brightened up. "Hey!" She turned to Tiana. "Maybe he could get a job at the diner?"
Tiana obviously disliked the idea. "I don't think..."
"Oh, Tia, please? Could you at least ask your boss? Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!" Lottie gave her puppy eyes.
Tiana rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I guess... But-"
Lottie squealed. "Great! Let's all go over right after school!"
The group murmured and nodded in agreement. Tiana sighed and crossed her arms, shaking her head. Phillip chuckled and wrapped his arm around her.
"You're a saint. You know that?" He looked at her smugly.
She rolled her eyes and smirked at him. "Yeah, sure."
When she looked away, she caught Naveen staring at her. He ducked his head quickly and pretended to be involved in the conversation the others were having.
What is his problem?
Aurora strolled by then, with Cindy, Snow, Ariel and Giselle. While Giselle broke off to join the others where they sat, the other four just waved and kept walking, seeming like they had somewhere else to be. Everyone acted very casual about it, but Tiana could sense that something was off, and couldn't help suspecting it had to do with her. She was tempted to go talk to Aurora, while she had the opportunity…
Tiana realized that Phillip was squeezing her hand slightly. She looked up at him in concern. His expression was as tight as his grip.
"What's got you all wound up?" She murmured so low that only he could hear her.
"I'm fine, babe."
She raised a brow at this. "Babe?"
It took everything in her power not to laugh outright at his startled expression.
"Is...is that not okay?" He faltered.
She chuckled and leaned up, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "It's fine."
He smiled sheepishly while his cheeks burned bright red. She grinned at him before turning back to the group, coyly avoiding his wonderstruck gaze.
Esmeralda rushed to the auditorium, anxious to talk to Quasimodo. She was ditching 3rd period, but that was fine. The sub they'd gotten to replace Frollo was so scattered, he probably wouldn't even notice her absence. She ran up to the doors of the auditorium and performed their secret knock. Quasi was probably cleaning the aisles right now, (he wasn't used to the whole "school" thing yet, so he didn't go to class a lot of the time), so he should have heard her. But he didn't answer her. She frowned and knocked again, louder. Still no answer. She sighed and started to pound on the door, repeatedly calling his name.
"What's up, Esme?"
That had clearly come from above her. She looked up to see him hanging upside down from a window above her head. She grinned.
"Hey, Quasi. Can you let me in? I really wanna tell you something."
"Okay..." He climbed back into the window. She waited patiently until he let her in, and then they sat together on the stage.
"No one's here, right?" She asked, looking around.
"No. It's just us. So, what did you want to tell me?"
She bit her lip for a quick, decisive moment, then blurted out, "I think I have an angel watching me!"
His eyes widened. "What?"
She sighed. "I know it sounds nuts! But hear me out..."
She carefully explained her accident the other night and described the figure that came to her and saved her life. Then, she told him about how her friends who'd come looking for her couldn't remember a thing that had happened, and that she had a theory that the angel had taken their memories as well, because obviously a higher power wouldn't want them to question how she'd survived the accident. Quasi stared silently at her for a long time afterward, wide-eyed and in shock.
Esme bit her lip. "Do you think I'm crazy?"
He slowly shook his head. "No..."
"So, you believe me?"
He sighed. "Well-"
"Quasi!"
"Well, Esme... Ugh." He ran his hands over his face, continually shaking his head. He threw his hands up in defense. "It's kinda hard to believe, ya' know?"
"I know..."
He sighed again.
Esme gripped his hand and murmured, "But it's the truth. I know this because Aladdin and Jasmine were both in the accident, and they remember me being there! So I didn't imagine it."
He stared down at their hands for a long time, awed. Then he looked carefully up at her. "Wait… If an angel took away a bunch of other people's memories so they wouldn't know about the accident, why do Jasmine and Aladdin remember it?"
Esme's face slowly fell. That was an excellent point. "I hadn't thought about that before…"
Quasi watched her for a moment, seeming lost for words. Then, Esme realized something.
"Maybe because they were both already on their way to the hospital when the others found me? Maybe…" She sighed. "I dunno… But how else do you explain the glowing figure? And… Well, me being alive?"
"I can't explain it, Esmeralda. I'm really just glad you're okay."
"Thanks, Quasi…" Esme gazed off to one side of the stage, an incredible amount of questions running through her head. If it wasn't an angel, what was it that saved her? Why didn't her friends remember anything? It had actually turned out that Jim, Merida, Pocahontas and John had also lost their memories from Halloween night… So, what was the real connection? The Mansion? None of it made sense… And she still had to talk to Phoebus about what happened between them that night.
She turned back to Quasimodo. "Thanks for listening, anyway. You're the only person I could think of to talk to about this."
"Of course! You can talk to me about anything. Any time."
"But you can't tell anyone. Okay?"
"I promise. I'll never tell anyone, I swear. Ya' know..." He glanced shyly down at their hands. If she hadn't survived that night, if she weren't here with him now… He didn't know what he'd do. He smiled up at her. "No matter what, it really is a miracle."
She grinned at him. "I know, Quasi."
On Wednesday night, Aurora brought Lir to a movie with Snow, Ferdinand, Giselle, Edward, Lottie, Cindy and Charming. The group had decided to go out so that Cindy and Charming could be together without raising suspicion from her step-family. But the couple seemed to be getting closer to going public, which was everyone's hope.
After the movie, they all went to get ice cream. The group gathered at a table toward the back of the little ice cream parlor and started to chat.
"Has anyone checked in with Jasmine or Aladdin today?" Giselle asked everyone.
"She told me that she might be back in school on Friday, but Aladdin probably won't be back for another week." Aurora said as she sipped at her milkshake.
"Yeah, I heard he got really hurt in the accident." Cindy said sadly. Everyone knew at this point that Aladdin had risked his life protecting Jasmine in the car, and hated to imagine what might have happened to her if he hadn't been there.
"It really is amazing that they're both okay." Snow chimed in.
"On to less depressing matters!" Lottie called theatrically, clapping her hands.
"Such as...?" Cindy mused.
"Homecoming, silly! Nominations start next week!" Lottie cried.
"Yeah, and we already know who's gonna win..." Giselle winked up at Edward.
"Oh, that's so kind, sugar. But me and Naveen both know that they still have to hold the vote, so..." Lottie started to prattle on.
Giselle scoffed playfully. "I was talking about me and Edward."
Lottie gasped dramatically. "Oh, really?"
"Yup."
"Well..." Lottie folded her hands together deviously. "I suppose we'll just see who the public wants, hmm?"
"Yes, I suppose we will." Giselle smirked and crossed her arms.
"Any way..." Cindy cut in. "I think Phillip and Tiana should also get a nomination."
"Really?" Aurora asked, seeming doubtful.
"Well, sure." Charming said, wrapping an arm around Cindy.
"They're our political power couple, being president and vice-president of student council. It would be surprising if they weren't nominated." Ferdinand shrugged. Snow giggled and kissed his cheek, murmuring something like, "You're so smart..."
"Okay!" Lottie clapped her hands once to get everyone's attention. "So, we'll campaign for Naveen and me, Giselle and Edward, and Tia and Phillip." She threw up her hands and squealed. "This is gonna be so much fun!"
"You're not nervous, Lir?" Edward asked the blond with his eyebrows raised challengingly.
"Why? Because I'm from the challenging school?" Lir shrugged. "I never really got into that stuff..."
"Who are you gonna cheer for?" Lottie demanded.
Lir looked awkwardly toward Aurora. "Uh..."
She laughed. "I don't care one way or the other..."
"Does anyone at your school know that you're dating a Disney Academy cheerleader?" Giselle asked suddenly.
"Ooh, imagine how they would react!" Ferdinand chuckled.
"You'd probably get mobbed..." Charming smirked.
"Come on, guys. Leave him alone." Aurora said, gripping Lir's hand. He looked down at her gratefully.
"Maybe we should leave. Go find a park or something..." Lir put in.
"Ooh! That does sound fun! Let's go!" Lottie was the first one to jump up.
As they walked out to their respective cars, Aurora looked up at Lir and said, "Sorry about all that... They were just giving you a hard time."
He chuckled softly and ducked his head. "It's alright..."
Meanwhile, Tiana was serving Phillip another cup of coffee while he sat at the counter of the diner.
"How come you didn't wanna go out with the others?" She asked him as she walked back toward the kitchen.
He shrugged. "Just wasn't in the mood. I like this better anyway..." He glanced around at the only other people in the diner; and elderly couple sitting silently in the back corner. An old song played calmly overhead. "It's quiet." He smirked.
"Yup. I'm livin' the life at this job." She joked through the kitchen window.
He heard her putting together two dinner plates. "Why do you stay here?" He asked.
She came out carrying the two plates on a tray. She balanced the tray on one hip as she faced him. She smirked. "Every penny counts." She strutted across the restaurant and placed the plates in front of the two older folks. She gestured toward their coffee mugs. "Ya'll want a refill?"
The two shared a look. Then the man smiled a little and shook his head, mumbling something. Tiana grinned and walked away with the tray. She disappeared into the kitchen again. After a few minutes, she came back around the counter and sat with Phillip, pouring herself her own mug of coffee.
"Where do you want to go to school?" Phillip asked her as quietly as possible, not wanting to taint the muted atmosphere and possibly disturb the old couple, though they seemed pretty much deaf.
She softly smiled. "There's this fancy old cooking school down in New Orleans that I've always dreamed about..."
He tried to hide his distaste. "Kinda far..."
"I know."
He looked at her for a moment, then stared down at his mug.
"Where are you going?" Tiana asked him.
He shrugged. "Probably Corona University..."
"Ah."
"Yeah..." He glanced toward the kitchen and his expression became amused. "So, Naveen's gonna be working here, huh?"
Tiana sighed. "Yeah. He starts on Monday." When Lottie hadn't been around, Tiana had done everything she could to talk her boss out of it. For a moment, she'd thought she'd won. But then Lottie kept coming in and sweet-talking him, and her daddy had even come to visit once or twice with her, put in a good word and tipped generously... And all Tiana could think was: Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, DAMN IT.
She shook her head. The last thing I need is some trust-fund brat hangin' around... She already had to be around kids like Naveen all day at school; kids who'd never had to spend a day in their entire lives doing any form of work, except maybe Cindy and Snow and Giselle. And here in the diner, she had a sanctuary from all that nonsense. She could come here for hours, day and night, do some honest work, and be around regular human beings just like her, not a bunch of preppy rich kids who didn't have any worries. Tiana had learned to appreciate life's hardships; The other kids couldn't fathom that. Which was why she needed to have her own world away from them, with no intrusions from kids like Naveen...
Tiana looked at Phillip, now remembering that he was also one of those rich kids... He looked so strange sitting in this dinky little diner in his designer clothes and finely coiffed hair. And he was uncomfortable because he was trying so hard not to intrude that he just called more attention to himself. She smiled a little. Maybe a little intrusion from that world wasn't so bad...
"What?" He asked with a smirk.
She grinned. "What? I can't look at you?"
"I just wanna know what you're thinking when you look at me like that."
She laughed, but didn't answer. She just sipped at her coffee.
"Well, come on, then. What is it?" His eyes shone a little.
She shook her head. "You're just..."
He looked down at himself, then back at her with a slight pout. "I'm just what?"
She smiled. "You're just real cute. You know that?"
He shrugged casually. "Well..."
She laughed and playfully pushed his arm. "Shut up."
He chuckled. "Okay..."
"How are you and Hercules, Meg?" Esme asked at lunch the next day. They'd taken to having their lunch in the auditorium with Quasi, just for the time being. He wasn't really comfortable having lunch around the rest of the student body yet.
Meg rolled her eyes. "He's been acting all weird."
"Yeah, I noticed that him and Ariel are hanging out a lot all of a sudden..." Phoebus murmured.
Flynn smirked at Meg. "You jealous?"
She scoffed. "Definitely not."
"Should she be?" Esme asked him.
Flynn shrugged. "You never know..."
"Shut your mouth." Meg growled.
There was a long moment of silence. Rapunzel was the one to break it.
"I'm sure it's nothing, Meg. I mean, Ariel's got a boyfriend, too. And she's absolutely crazy about him."
Meg rolled her eyes and abruptly excused herself to use the bathroom backstage. Esme sighed and smiled tiredly at Rapunzel.
"Thanks for trying, Ellie."
Rapunzel shrugged and stared down at her feet, which were dangling off the stage.
Flynn chuckled and pulled her close to him. "Meg just takes a while to get used to. I mean, a really, really long while. But she's a great friend... Actually, I guess ally would be a better word to describe it..."
Esme laughed. "Shut up, Flynn."
Flynn shrugged. "Well..."
"I know." Esme grinned. "Just shut up." She glanced toward Phoebus, who'd just stood up to drop something in a trash can by the door. She got up and walked over to him, leaving Flynn and Rapunzel to chat with Quasi.
"Hey…" She quietly greeted him. Things had been unbearably awkward between them all week, to the point that they'd barely spoken to each other since the hospital visit over the weekend. He gazed down at her, clearly taken off-guard, and tried to act casual.
"Hey."
"Listen…" Esme bit her lip. How exactly was she supposed to say this? I know you don't remember it, but we slept together earlier this week and now we're supposed to be dating? She took a deep breath. "I know things have been weird. And…"
He stared back at her, anxiously waiting for her to finish. He'd spent all week feeling guilty for something he couldn't even guess he'd done wrong, wracking his brain for even a glimpse of a memory from that night, and worrying that he'd done something to harm Esmeralda in some way. Waking up in her bed that morning, without his clothes, with no memory of what had happened the night before had been a sickening experience. And the way she'd looked at him afterward, when he'd told her he didn't remember… Something about that day just left him in a fog.
Esmeralda looked up at him. She'd never felt safer in her life than she had that night, with him… She wanted to chase that feeling. She wanted him with her again.
"Come to my place tomorrow night." She said suddenly.
His eyebrows shot upward. "Sure. I can do that."
She smiled and pulled him into a hug. Phoebus absent-mindedly pressed a kiss into her hair, then realized what he'd done and silently marveled at how natural it felt. Something about her closeness to him felt familiar and…right. Esme smiled to herself as he held her.
Rapunzel noticed the way Quasimodo's expression fell as he watched Esme hug Phoebus, and felt a pang of pity for him.
Meg was in a no better mood after school, when she and her friends were all hanging around her car in the parking lot.
"Hey, Meg!"
They all turned to see Hercules waving at Meg from across the lot. Meg was just about to wave back when she spotted Ariel walking by his side, also waving and grinning like an idiot. Meg rolled her eyes and hopped off the hood of her car, unlocking it.
"Off." She growled at Flynn, who was sitting on the trunk. He jumped off without a word, walking over to stand by Esme and Phoebus. Hercules was running toward the car and calling Meg's name while Ariel jogged close behind. Meg looked thoroughly uninterested and completely ignored him as she drove away. Hercules skidded to a stop and watched in awe as her car disappeared from the lot. Ariel crossed her arms as she stopped next to Flynn.
Hercules turned to the others, utterly confused as well as hurt. "What's been up with her?"
Esme looked at him sadly, shrugging. "I would tell you if I knew, Herc."
"You just need to give her some space, man." Phoebus said sympathetically.
Hercules sighed. He looked at Ariel and said, "Come on. I'll drive you to Rorie's."
"Okay..." Ariel said quietly before following him to his car.
Esme watched them go with a sad expression. She knew the signs that came just before Meg broke up with a guy, and these were clear enough.
Eric was sitting on the patio at his favorite coffee shop, at his usual table, trying to focus on his homework while he snacked on a pastry. Eventually, a waitress wandered over to him and started to pour more decaf coffee into his waiting cup. He looked up to thank whoever it was, and fell silent in mild surprise. A familiar pair of violet eyes gleamed down at him.
"Vanessa?" He asked. "Since when do you work here?"
She held the coffee pot at her side and shrugged nonchalantly. "Started earlier this week. I like this spot, so I figured I might as well get paid to be here."
"Oh, that's cool." He came here often, and vaguely remembered seeing her here a few times. "Guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other, then."
"I hope so." She said demurely.
He shot her a look, but she was focused on fidgeting with her apron. As the fabric shifted, it revealed her bare hip, briefly showing him a mark that peeked out from behind the waistband of her jeans.
"What's that? A tattoo?" He asked.
She put the coffee pot down and giggled, shifting the apron a little. "Yeah…" She inched her jeans down to show him the illustration of a seashell etched into her fair skin, adorning her hip at the joint. "You like it?"
Eric quietly swallowed and said, "Uh, yeah! Yeah. I mean… It's cute." He was trying to be polite, though he was honestly caught by surprise by the gesture. And now well aware that Vanessa was going commando. He pulled himself together. "Aren't you underage, though?"
She shrugged, readjusting her pants and her apron. "I know a guy. Well, really, my foster dad knows a guy."
"Ah, okay…"
"You ever thought of getting one?"
"A tattoo? Oh, sure. I always thought I might get something that reminds me of my parents."
"Really? That's interesting." Vanessa thoughtfully flipped a strand of her hair over her shoulder. She smiled at him. "Tell me more."
Meg was passing through Main Street on her way home. She went by the old coffee place and barely glanced toward the patio before suddenly braking. Thankfully, the street wasn't too busy, so no one was behind her. She parked her car on the opposite side of the street and turned around in her seat to look at the coffee shop.
Eric was sitting there, smiling up at a tall, lean waitress with dark waves of hair and purple eyes.
Vanessa.
She was smirking down at him, her eyes gleaming under lazy eyelids, her dark eyelashes fluttering ever-so-slightly. He said something and she giggled her signature giggle and playfully pushed at his shoulder. Her perfectly manicured fingers lingered a little too long before falling away from his shoulder, brushing against his bicep.
What the hell?
Vanessa grinned as she scribbled something on her notepad. She ripped the paper away and folded it in half, holding it out to him with a smug expression. Eric looked up at her questioningly as he took the paper, then unfolded it and glanced down. She proudly watched as he seemed to absorb the information that she'd handed to him. He looked up again and nervously shook his head and held the paper out to her. (Meg could tell that it must have had Vanessa's cell phone number written on it.) She smirked and held up her hand and shook her head as if to say, No need. Then she leaned down and whispered something in his ear. He gaped up at her as she waved daintily and giggled as a goodbye, flipping her hair as she turned and strutted away. Eric watched her go, then stared down at the paper.
So... Are Ariel and Eric broken up? They must be; Eric's no cheater...
Meg's nostrils flared the way they did when she was really truly angry, and her eyes narrowed. She pulled her car back onto the road and took off with the engine roaring toward the one place that she could think to go.
Mulan knew practices would get more intense as they drew closer to the Homecoming game, but today had really taken the wind out of her sails. She lingered under the hot water in the shower of the girls' locker room, which she had all to herself until the Cheer team wrapped up in the gym. She could hear them practicing their cheers clearly enough, even over the hiss of the falling water. She hummed contentedly to herself as she rinsed, having finished cleaning up for a bit now and just reveling in the feeling of the water on her skin, the shroud of steam that enveloped her. Eventually, she sighed to herself and shut the water off, running her hands over her eyes and smoothing her hair back. She shook off briefly, then reached out to grab the towel that hung just outside of the shower and quickly dried herself. Then she carefully stepped out and traversed the tile to her locker to get dressed. She could hear the low murmur of the boys chattering in the locker room next door, and smiled to herself.
Once she was dressed, she gathered up her stuff and headed out to the gym. She caught Aurora's eye as she was heading out. The two girls waved at each other and Mulan said, "It's all yours, girls."
Aurora laughed. "Thanks for warming it up for us, girl."
"Ah, no problem."
Mulan was just opening the gym door to head out when a tall, broad figure in her peripheral vision caught her attention. She turned to meet Shang's gaze and smiled instinctively at him. He seemed slightly surprised, but quickly caught himself and smiled back, ever so softly.
"Hey…" He said as he drew near.
"Hey. Heading out?" She asked, nodding toward the door.
"Uh, yeah…"
"Here." She held the door for him as she stepped out.
"Oh! Oh, okay…" He sheepishly stepped out around her. He cleared his throat slightly as she released the door and fell in step beside him. "Uh, thank you."
"Of course."
It was quiet for a moment as they walked, Shang tense and awkward while Mulan seemed perfectly at ease in the silence. Eventually, Shang opened his mouth to speak, though it took a few seconds for him to actually say anything.
"Hey, ya' know, uh… Well, practice today, um…"
"Yeah?" Mulan looked up at him in interest.
"Well, you, uh… You did good." A stunted pause. "Ya' play good, I mean."
"Oh." Mulan said pleasantly, nodding a little. "Well… Thank you."
Another pause. Shang felt as though he could pass away on the spot. "I mean , uh… Well, I just think, with you on the team, um… Victory's guaranteed. Is all."
'Victory's guaranteed'? You've never talked like that before in your life! What is wrong with you?!
Mulan was biting her lip on a laugh. "I… I'm really glad to hear that. You have no idea." What is happening right now?
"Um… Yeah. So—"
"Oh, sorry. Getting a call." Mulan said suddenly, pulling out her phone. She held it up so he could clearly see the screen. "Like, actually. Not just trying to get out of this conversation."
Shang laughed. "Okay."
"Okay…" She answered the call with a sigh. "Hey, Pocahontas. What's up?"
It had been three hours since Meg had driven by the coffee shop, and she was awakened by someone giving her shoulder a light push. She groaned as she woke up, instinctively scooting away from whoever was touching her.
"Come on, Meg. Wake up."
That was definitely Jim's voice.
Meg squinted up at him and the couple of others who were with him; Esme, Phoebus, Flynn, Pocahontas, Mulan... Holy shit, is her head on fire?! Oh, no. It's just Merida... The setting sun was streaming down on the redheaded girl in such a way as to make her look refulgent.
Meg sat up slowly, rubbing at her forehead. She'd come to the tree house to relax, and must have fallen asleep. She didn't think she would be disturbed here...
"I thought you guys had plans tonight?" Her voice creaked because her throat was so dry.
"We were worried about you." Esme said.
"And Hercules is, too." Phoebus added.
Meg scoffed and scooted away, leaning against the wall. "Sure, he is. That's why Ariel and him are so buddy-buddy, right?"
"Don't tell me you're jealous." Jim smirked.
She glared at him.
"I mean, if you were, that would mean that you have, like, feelings. And I don't think I can believe that." Jim continued, shrugging.
Meg chuckled dryly and gave his arm a soft punch. "Shut up."
"You can't keep ignoring him, Meg. That's the coward's way out." Jim said somberly.
Meg narrowed her eyes at him. Coward wasn't a word that Jim used lightly. And it definitely wasn't a word that she thought defined her.
"You need to talk to him." Esme added.
Meg shook her head. "Why? Ariel's better for him, anyway."
"So what? She's got a boyfriend." Flynn said bluntly.
"I don't know if that's the case anymore..." Meg muttered.
"What do you mean?" Phoebus frowned.
Meg explained what she'd seen at the coffee shop. When she was finished, everyone sat for a moment in stunned silence.
"Maybe Vanessa's just gotten a bit more desperate..." Esme whispered.
"She's probably just trying to make Gaston jealous." Jim added.
"I bet Eric just threw the number away after he left." Flynn shrugged.
"Besides, if Ariel and Eric had broken up, it would've been all over school..." Pocahontas murmured.
"Has anyone heard anything?" Mulan asked.
Everyone shook their heads in response.
Esme turned to Meg. "See? Nothing can be going on between Hercules and Ariel, because they're both dating other people, and neither of them are cheaters. Problem solved. Now you can quit being an asshole and go be happy with your man." She grinned.
Meg smirked. "I guess..." She furrowed her eyebrows. "Did you guys really come here looking for me?"
Everyone looked at Pocahontas, who sighed and said, "I was coming here to get away from John. I saw you sleeping up here, so I called anyone who could make it..."
"We knew it had to be serious, because you only sleep up here when you're in a particularly foul mood." Esme smirked and poked Meg's shoulder.
Meg's gaze flickered over to Pocahontas. "What happened with you and John?"
"He didn't like what I was wearing for our date tonight. We had a big fight. Needless to say…date canceled." Pocahontas explained.
"Are you still going to his place for Thanksgiving?"
Pocahontas shrugged. "Yeah. It's better than sitting at home with Dad and his work friends. He's still trying to get me to go out with Kocoum..."
"What's that guy like, anyway?" Esme asked.
Pocahontas rolled her eyes. "He's the dullest, most serious guy ever. All work. So boring."
Flynn laughed. "Right, and John's just so different."
Pocahontas frowned. "He used to be…"
There was a moment of silence while they all thought the sympathies for Pocahontas that they didn't dare to voice. Mulan placed a hand on Pocahontas' shoulder and said, "So she's with us tonight! Meg, are you in or what?"
Meg smirked at her friends. "Yeah, fine. Let's go."
"Cool. You can call Hercules and patch things up on the way. I'm tired of listening to him mope about you at practice." Mulan said, making a couple of them chuckle.
Meg's expression softened once none of them were looking at her and they were all heading to their cars. He mopes about me?
The following night, Esme anxiously let Phoebus into her house, and he stood in the living room with his hands in his pockets, just as nervous as she was but trying not to show it. He wasn't sure why she'd invited him over, but nothing could have kept him away. And she had no idea what to expect from this night; she had no plan, no idea of how to approach the situation.
She just knew she needed him. After spending a long time pretending that wasn't the case, she could admit it now.
"Look…" She started, coming toward him.
"Did something happen between us that night?" He asked suddenly. He couldn't take the uncertainty anymore.
"Do you remember?" She asked hopefully.
"No. I'm working purely off of context clues, here." He replied in a sardonic tone.
Esme groaned, running her hands over her face. Then, she walked over to him, and took his hands in hers, catching him by surprise. She gazed up at him and said, "Something did happen."
He hesitantly responded, "And… By 'something', you mean…?"
She slowly nodded.
He gaped at her for a few seconds. "Huh." He unsteadily sat back on the arm of the old, tattered reading chair behind him. "Wow."
"Pheebs…"
"Think I would, uh…remember that…"
"It's not your fault."
"Okay, so who do I blame?"
"No one! Listen…" She thought fast. She remembered what Jasmine had said at the hospital and decided to run with it. "We were all there when the accident happened that night. I think, maybe, the stress of the situation made you guys lose your memory. You know, like you repressed it. It's something the brain does to protect your mental wellbeing, a trauma response…"
"And it happened to all of us?" He asked incredulously.
"Sure! It's not uncommon for groups of people to have identical responses to traumatic events. You know, like mass hysteria!" She honestly didn't know if this was working.
Phoebus sighed. "Esme, that doesn't make sense… And it definitely doesn't make me feel better."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that…" He looked at her sadly. "Did I screw this up for good?"
"What?"
"Have I ruined any chance I had with you?"
"No!" She came closer to him, surprising him again, and prompting him to wrap his arms around her.
"No?" He asked quietly.
"Phoebus… We all went through a lot that night. I don't blame you for your memory loss. It's not like you did it on purpose!" She raised her hands to cradle his face in front of hers.
"Still, I just… I feel so…"
"I know…" She pressed her forehead against his. "But, listen… I don't want you to. I mean, I don't want you to look at me and feel guilty for something that was out of your control. Let's just consider this a fresh start. Okay?"
"But I don't want you to—"
"Phoebus." She said firmly, cutting him off. He looked back at her expectantly, tightening his grip. She gently brushed her lips against his and whispered, "I want you."
He leaned in and urgently kissed her. She sighed contentedly and wound her fingers into his hair, allowing him to pull her impossibly close. As his lips traveled to her neck, she smirked and said in his ear, "Let's go have our first time again."
He chuckled against her skin and muttered, "Please don't tell anyone I forgot the first first time."