Jermaine Deon Carter
April 9, 2020
Friends in Need
It was the first day of a new semester at Princess Academy. Despite feeling low on energy, I volunteered to escort the school's newest student to class. She was so nervous, she didn't say a word the whole time and never even told me her name.
The school was a huge, Victorian-style mansion. The doors opened to reveal Princesses Ariel and Tiana. Behind them, the foyer gave way to the Grand Staircase. Tinker Bell, Mulan, Jane Porter, and Tiana's friend Charlotte descended from it to greet the new student. Tiger Lily and Pocahontas threw leaves like confetti while standing in front of a large window near the top right of the staircase. I hugged Ariel and Tiana.
"It's good to see you both," I said.
"It's good to see you too, Jermaine," Ariel said.
"It's been a while. Thanks for bringing in our newest student," Tiana said. Said student remained quiet. I began to head back home.
"Why don't you stay so we can hang out again, Jermaine?" Ariel asked.
"I'm sure you'll like it here," Tiana said.
"I don't know. I'm kinda tired. Besides, Princess Academy isn't for boys," I said.
"Come on, Jermaine," Ariel said.
"Please?" Tiana asked.
"Just because boys can't attend Princess Academy doesn't mean they can't visit," Mulan said.
"That's right," Jane said.
"Well…okay. I'll stay," I said.
Ariel and Tiana took me to explore the school. Mulan and Jane did the same with the new student. Meanwhile, Princess Sofia, Queen Elena, and Star Butterfly danced in the ballroom to celebrate the start of the new semester.
"I feel kinda out of place here now," Star said.
"Why?" Sofia asked.
"I'm not a magical princess anymore," Star said.
"Star, you may not be a princess anymore, but you're still a good person who always tries to help your family and friends," Elena said.
"Elena's right, Star. You belong here just as much as anybody else," Sofia said.
"Aww….Thanks, girls," Star said as she bear hugged Elena and Sofia.
A couple hours later, I attended an outdoor tea party under a large oak tree. The party was held by Snow White, Alice (and her older sister), Wendy Darling, Belle, Megara, Mulan, and Jane. I sipped my tea. I'd never been to a tea party before, but I still enjoyed the event.
An hour after that, I joined Aurora, Esmeralda, and Mulan in dancing around a small pond near the back entrance of the school. Aurora played a harp, Esmeralda played her tambourine, and Mulan played a lute or mandolin. I didn't have an instrument to play, but the girls didn't seem to mind. Back inside, Elsa made Sofia a special icy tiara in the arts and crafts center. Queen Anna watched in the background.
"Thank you for the tiara, Elsa! I'm so glad to finally meet you and your sister," Sofia said.
"Likewise," Elsa said.
"Yeah," Anna said. All three admitted to being impressed and inspired by each other's actions before sharing a group hug. Out in the hallway, Jasmine and Star walked and talked.
"I like your hair, Jasmine," Star said.
"Thanks! I like yours, too!" Jasmine said.
"You know, I still feel out of place here. I made some bad, selfish choices. I destroyed all the magic in my universe," Star said.
"Star, everybody makes mistakes, but that doesn't mean we should be condemned for them. You did what you thought was right," Jasmine said.
"Thanks, Jasmine," Star said as the two girls hugged. At the end of the day, Esmeralda, Megara, and Jane relaxed in the parlor.
"You know, I feel like none of us belong here since we're not actually royalty," Esmeralda said.
"Maybe you're right. I know I don't belong here. I'm not exactly a good role model, and I'm, like, the worst judge of character," Megara said.
"Now that I think about it, why does a place called Princess Academy allow in those who aren't princesses?" Jane asked. After a few more minutes of talking, they assured one another they all deserved to be at the school. They hugged.
I was exhausted from the day's events. I rested on a bed in one of the school's guest bedrooms. I laid down for hours. Tiana knocked on the doorframe and came in to check on me.
"Hey, Jermaine," she said. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah. I'm just really tired. I feel this way every day. I think it's why I have trouble sleeping at night," I said. She put her hand on my shoulder before hugging me. Ariel walked by and came in. She joined the hug.
Over the following weeks and months, the new student acclimated to the school. She found a second home and family there. Meanwhile, I spent more quality time with everyone. Snow White and I picked apples from the orchard.
"Are any of these apples poisonous?" I asked. Snow White took a bite from one of them.
"Don't worry, Jermaine. These apples aren't poisonous," she said. She picked another apple and gave it to me.
Cinderella helped me with my dancing in preparation for an upcoming ball. I had butterflies in my stomach. She placed her hand on my shoulder. She took my hand and put it on her waist. We swayed back and forth as Madame Adelaide Bonfamille played a waltz on the piano.
"You're doing great," Cinderella said.
Aurora took me on a personal tour of the gardens and forest around the school. She took me by the shoulder and guided me down a desire path through the greenery. A few hours later, Eilonwy and I explored the basement and some underground tunnels. We loved exploring with each other.
Belle and I spent a whole afternoon reading in the school's library. We each had a mountain of books on our side of the table. She mostly had adventure and fantasy books. My stack was a mix of similar subjects: the afterlife, death, ghosts, self-harm, and suicide. She noticed this and grew concerned.
"Jermaine, are you okay?" she asked.
"Yes," I said.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Yes. I'm fine," I said. Jasmine and I went for a ride on the Magic Carpet.
"Are you sure Aladdin's okay with me having a magic carpet ride with his wife?" I asked.
"Yes. We're just two friends having a fun time," Jasmine said. I placed my arm around her as Carpet sped up.
Pocahontas and I canoed in the nearby river. We were glad to reconnect after such a long time. We spent the day exploring, playing, and swimming in the forest. Esmeralda and I sang and danced in the music room.
"You're a pretty good dancer and singer," Esmeralda said.
"Thanks. You are, too," I said. Meg and I strolled through the local woods.
"Belle told me you were reading books about death and suicide," Meg said.
"Yeah, I was," I said.
"And Ariel and Tiana are still worried about you," she said.
"They are?" I asked.
"Yes. I have personal experience with self-loathing, so I kind of understand what you're going through. I'm here if and when you ever wanna talk," she said.
Mulan challenged me to a friendly sparring match in the school's courtyard. I lasted about ten seconds and didn't land a single punch. The same thing happened again during my practice swordfight against Merida.
Jane and I began work on a tree house. With some magical help from Tinker Bell, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, we finished in about two hours. The tree house had a ladder built into the tree's trunk, four windows, a deck, and a pyramidal roof. We went inside the tree house. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and talking about animals.
Kida Nadakh and I swam in the school's Olympic-size pool. Ariel and her daughter Melody, in their mermaid forms, lounged nearby in case anyone was in danger of drowning. After Kida made an impressive cannonball dive, we fist bumped.
Rapunzel and I went to the arts and crafts center. I drew, and she painted. She told me about all the adventures she had.
She painted a picture of her and her friends standing in front of Corona's castle. I made two drawings. The first one was me about to be shot by a police officer. The second one was my bloodied, bullet-riddled corpse hanging by a noose from a tree. A police badge and a Ku Klux Klan hood sat on the ground in the left corner. When I showed her, she gasped.
"Jermaine, why'd you make drawings like this?" she asked.
"Because I deserve to be killed. I've done and said a lot of stupid things in my life," I said.
"Jermaine, you deserve to live a long, happy life," she said. Afterwards, she hugged me.
Anna and I picked flowers. After that, we frolicked in the park. We were happy to hang out with each other. Elsa and I talked outside on the school's front lawn. She used her powers to make a small ice crystal and handed it to me.
"Just think of this as my way of saying thanks for being such a good friend," Elsa said.
"Thank you, Elsa," I said as I hugged her.
Moana and I spent a whole day together. We went boating, fishing, hiking, and surfing. We enjoyed every minute of it. At the end of the day, we relaxed in lawn chairs on the beach and drank coconut water.
About a year later, I went up to the rooftop of the school. I stood at the edge. I got an X-acto knife out of my pocket and slit my wrists. I jumped. As Ariel and Tiana talked in the foyer, they heard a loud thud.
"What was that?" Ariel asked.
"I don't know. Let's go check it out," Tiana said. They went outside. They gaped and gasped when they saw me lying face down on the ground, a small pool of blood around me.
"Jermaine!" Ariel said.
"Oh no…," Tiana said.
They rushed to my side. Ariel turned me over, put her arm around me, and caressed my face. Tiana placed her hand on my shoulder. I groaned and grunted as I came to.
"What happened?!" Tiana asked.
"I tried to kill myself," I said.
They cried as they hugged me. They helped me up and took me to the emergency room. I had to stay overnight, and they stayed with me the whole time. They called and told everyone at the school what happened.
The next day, I was released. My forehead, cheeks, and arms were bandaged up. Ariel and Tiana took me back to the school. Everybody stood in the foyer.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I'm sorry for being such a burden on all of you. I'm sorry for betraying your trust. I'm sorry I failed you. I'm sorry for never wanting to talk about what was bothering me. Thank you all so much for your friendship and hospitality. Given everything that's happened, I think it's best if I no longer visit Princess Academy," I said. I tried to walk away, but Ariel and Tiana stopped me.
"Jermaine, you have nothing to apologize for. You didn't betray anybody's trust, you haven't failed anyone, and you're not a burden. You were just in a lot of pain and wanted it to end. It can be hard to open up and reach out to others," Ariel said.
"We're not giving up on you, and you shouldn't give up on yourself. We'll always be here for you," Tiana said.
I cried. Ariel and Tiana pulled me in for another group hug. Everybody else looked on with warm smiles.
Over a month later, I didn't feel like getting out of bed. Calls, texts, and Facebook messages went unanswered. I barely ate. I only showered once or twice. I didn't visit the school for a whole week. One afternoon, there was a knock at my door. It was Melody and Rapunzel.
"Melody! Rapunzel! What a nice surprise," I said. I went in for a hug, but they both backed away.
"Don't. You haven't been by the school in a week. You haven't answered anybody's calls, messages, or texts," Rapunzel said. "What's going on?!" she asked.
"We've all been worried sick about you!" Melody said.
"I'm sorry. I just haven't had the energy to do much of anything," I said.
"You still should've called or texted or something! We thought something bad had happened to you!" Rapunzel said.
"Jermaine, when my mom told us about you trying to kill yourself last month, we were so scared," Melody said as tears welled up in her eyes. "We thought we were gonna lose you," she said, her voice breaking.
"Melody…," I said.
"That's why we're so upset you haven't been telling anyone what's been going on with you. My mom's still worried about you. You two are best friends, and you haven't even tried to talk to her at all lately!" Melody said. "How could you do that to her?!" she asked.
"I…," I said.
"Jermaine, we all care about you and just want to make sure you're okay," Rapunzel said. "Don't you understand that?!" she asked.
"Yes," I said.
"No, you don't! You and my mom went on lots of adventures together. We invited you into our home. You spent Christmas with us. She got you a present. She's been nothing but a good friend to you and…and…," Melody said. She collapsed in my arms and cried into my chest.
"Melody, I am so sorry," I said as I hugged her. "I did not mean to hurt you, Rapunzel, or anybody else," I said.
I held my hand out to Rapunzel. She crossed her arms. Her chest heaved, and she cried. She took my hand, and I pulled her into the hug.