chapter 1 belle

Ch.1 tale as old as time

A young girl found herself in a serene environment. The sun was starting to set, radiating golden rays through the clouds. The girl lay on the grass at the top of a lush green hill. Her hand went through the grass as she stared at the sky, trying to make out the shapes the heavens were drawing with their wispy clouds. She sat up and picked a dandelion. It was ready to spread its seeds around the land, and so she helped it by blowing on it, watching as bits of white flew in the air and landed on the green blades.

She closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air, as she listened to the trees swaying and the sounds of birds chirping. She took in all her surroundings, finding herself in a state of calm and peace. She felt her hair being blown out of her face and lifted her head to welcome it more. She heard a faint thumping sound, but she didn't mind it. However, the sound became louder...and louder...and louder until-

"Belle!"

'Belle' instantly snapped out of her trance, blinking a few times until she found herself staring up at a fuming Mr Alhueban. She realised she was in the cramped and humid atmosphere of her chemistry classroom, and not in the green hills she imagined she would be.

Looking at the ring filled hand on her table she found out the source of that awful thumping noise.

'If you are done daydreaming about your perfect little world, then start with the questions on the board! They go as your homework if you do not finish them before class ends' Mr Alhueban sighed, before running off to reprimand the group of boys yelling at the classroom.

Belle looked at the board, then at the clock. 5 minutes?! Looks like no relaxation for me today. She let out a breath and started working through the questions, fighting her head to refrain from looking back towards the window.

Lunch was a student's favourite time of the day. It was a time to eat, catch up with friends and stay away from teachers for half an hour. But for Belle, it wasn't the best.

Belle wasn't very social. She was considered 'the weird girl' by her peers. She would often get stares and weird looks as she walked in the hallway. But sadly, Belle wouldn't blame them. Her thoughts throughout the day were always about getting out of this provincial town. Disney, to her, seemed like such a small part of such a large world. She wanted to explore, see new things, go to new places. She thought about the world outside all the time, and therefore she rarely found someone having a conversation with her.

It wasn't like no one talked to her. She often found herself in conversations with Ariel (another enthusiast of the wider world), or in debates with Milo on whether underwater cities actually existed. But during lunch, they had their own friends, and she didn't.

And that is why Belle found herself in the library. Her safe space. Her second home. The library was the only place where she felt her thoughts were welcome. She was able to escape into fascinating locations, getting lost in stories about knights and dragons, and delving into the shoes of complex and layered characters. Reading was Belle's favourite pastime. She would've already read all the school-assigned books and would proudly say the public library probably has not one book that hasn't been touched by her.

She read her latest book until the lunch bell. She got up with a groan, checked out the book and left for her next class.

Maths, she inwardly groaned, My worst nightmare.