Chapter 53: The Crisis

Quasimodo couldn't believe the sight he'd stumbled upon: The woman he loved kissing the man he hated. And it hadn't been just any kind of kiss. Quasimodo had seen quite a few couples kiss from the balcony of the belltower, and none of them had kissed like this. This was something else.

The way they'd held each other... The obvious emotion... The sheer length of the kiss! Quasimodo had been caught in a frozen stare at the sight for a full minute before he'd brought himself to interrupt it!

Esmeralda and Frollo... Kissing like that... It couldn't be, but it had happened right in front of Quasimodo's eyes.

Now the pair had noticed him, meeting his eyes in a silent shock. Elaine was as stunned as the rest of them, and most confused of them all.

A mortified expression came over Esmeralda's face.

"Quasimodo!" She finally exclaimed. "I... We..."

She struggled for a way to explain this. But what was there to say? How could she possibly explain the fact that she'd just been locking lips with Claude Frollo?!

"You... Just..." Quasimodo stuttered. "...You just kissed him!"

"Quasi..." Esmeralda struggled.

She took a few steps toward her friend, who stumbled backward, away from her. She stopped when she realized she couldn't come near him.

"You broke my heart..." Quasimodo started. "And now you're kissing my miserable excuse for a father?!"

In his state of shock, he forgot that Elaine was there. She turned her head toward him in surprise.

Elaine didn't understand what was happening. Why did Quasimodo say Esmeralda had broken his heart?

"Quasi, I would have told you!" Esmeralda said pleadingly. "But we're not-"

"What are you saying?!" Quasimodo snapped. "I know what I just saw! You... You're in love! Aren't you?!"

Esmeralda looked at her friend with endless sorrow.

"Yes..." She admitted. "We're in love..."

Quasimodo looked like he might faint. Shock and disgust rushed through him.

"Oh God..." He gasped.

"I need to explain." Esmeralda insisted. "Please-"

"How could you do this to me?!" Quasimodo shouted.

Claude had been frozen the whole time. He knew that Quasimodo wanted nothing to do with him, and he respected that fact. But now that Esmeralda was being accused, Claude's protective feelings for her kicked in.

"Please, don't blame her for this!" Claude interjected.

Quasimodo glared at him.

"Don't talk to me, you MURDERER!"

Claude felt his composure crack at the mention of the blood on his hands. The reminder of that crime was crippling...

Elaine was staring at the interaction in disbelief. What was this talk of murder about?

Quasimodo looked back at Esmeralda. Angry tears started to leave his eyes.

"I can't believe this..." He mumbled. "This SICKENS me!"

"Quasimodo..." Esmeralda attempted.

"Just stop it!" Quasimodo begged. "I can't... I CAN'T!"

He rushed away from the scene as quickly as his staggered gait would allow. Esmeralda could only watch in disbelief, paralyzed by the fact that her sweetest friend had just yelled at her.

Elaine briefly looked at Claude and Esmeralda, then bolted after the bell ringer.

"Quasimodo!" She called. "Wait!"

Esmeralda and Claude were left alone and at a loss for words. They looked at each other silently, both heartbroken beyond description.

"I need to fix this." Esmeralda insisted tearfully. "I'll see you..."

She started away in the direction Quasimodo and Elaine had left in.

"When?" Claude interrupted. "When will we see each other?"

Parting at a moment like this was stressful. Claude needed to know when he would meet Esmeralda again, so he could make sure that she was alright.

She stopped to look back at him. Esmeralda realized that Claude was worried, so she tried to give him some assurance.

"No later than tonight." She promised. "I'll tell you what happens."

Claude nodded.

"You know where to find me." He reminded. "Should you need me..."

"Thank you..." Esmeralda sobbed.

She went away. Claude was left alone. The most alone he had been since Quasimodo had ordered him out of his life.

His eyes were full of tears, but in that moment he was too numb to cry.

Quasimodo laid his head on the table as he cried.

He couldn't get over the shock. It had been difficult enough to learn that Esmeralda was friends with Frollo. What he'd found out today was far worse.

Admittedly, it would have been hard for him to see Esmeralda kiss any man. But this wasn't like when she'd kissed Phoebus. At least Phoebus was a man whom Quasimodo could respect. He would have accepted it if those two had ended up together.

But Quasimodo had no respect for Frollo. To see his mother's killer in that intimate position with his best friend was... Disgusting...

The bell ringer felt betrayed. He could accept (with difficulty) the fact that Esmeralda and Frollo were friends, since it was only natural for one to be friends with someone who was good to them. But this added layer of closeness between them was too much. Quasimodo felt sick when he thought of the image of Esmeralda kissing a shirtless Frollo, adoring him... How could she do that with someone who had put her friend through so much? Quasimodo sobbed as he thought about it.

Elaine soon caught up with the bell ringer. She frowned at the sight of him crying at the table and went to sit next to him.

"Hi, Quasi..." She greeted weakly.

Quasimodo lifted his head to look at her.

"Hi..." He replied. "Ugh... I'm sorry, Elaine. You shouldn't have had to see me freak out like that. I just lost it..."

"It's okay..." Elaine assured, putting her arm around the bell ringer. "I just don't understand... Those things you said... What did you mean?"

Quasimodo regretted making a scene in front of Elaine, who had only been an innocent bystander. He hadn't intended for her to learn so much already, but maybe it was a good enough time. Elaine had proven to be a good friend, and Quasimodo didn't have anyone else to talk to right now. Maybe it was time for her to know the whole story.

"I need to get these tears out of my system." Quasimodo informed regretfully. "But after that... I'll tell you everything."

"Okay." Elaine said with a nod. "Whenever you're ready."

She hugged Quasimodo to help him calm down. Elaine didn't fully understand the context of what was going on, but she was ready to find out. Whatever had happened in the past, it was troubling Quasimodo, and that just wouldn't do. Elaine would do whatever was necessary to help him through this.

Sorry! This disaster had to happen so I could move the plot forward, but I promise I will resolve it!