“Miss French, may I have a word, please?”

Belle looked up in surprise. She had been in डिज़्नी High for about a week and she was beginning to get used to everything here. She had spent her first enjoyable evening at the Book Club meeting and it had been wonderful. Rapunzel, Hercules, Linguini, Ariel and John made very interesting पढ़ना and debating companions, although Belle couldn’t help wonder if Ariel, who didn’t seem to have paid much attention to 1984, had another motive for attending the club. At any rate, it had been great to be in a place where others shared her deep passion for पढ़ना and she had come away feeling thrilled.

Meg, चमेली and Snow White were fast becoming her friends; as were some of the other students. Flynn was nice and अलादीन something of a joker; Rapunzel was sweet and Merrida, whom, Belle had come to realise, was from Scotland, was feisty, fun and could outrun the boys on the track team any day. Gaston, she tried to steer clear of and Adam still kept to himself around her. Now, however, she felt she could understand his reasons.

It was just after R.E class and the students had been midway through filing out into the corridor when Mr Frollo had called her back.

“We’ll meet आप down the tavern, Belle,” कहा Meg.

“Ok, I’ll see आप there,” Belle replied.

Mr Frollo waited until everyone had gone before closing the door behind him. “I’m, um, I’m afraid that you’re not doing as well in this class as we might have expected.”

“I’m not?” Belle’s दिल sank. “But I thought I was doing alright; I mean-”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Mr Frollo removed his hat and walked up to her. “After all, आप can’t be good at everything. However, if this keeps up, your grades will go down.”

“What can I do?” asked Belle. “Should I put in और study time या ask for extra coaching or...what?”

“What indeed, Miss French?” Mr Frollo smiled. She suddenly noticed what a wicked face he had. She took a step backwards and bumped into the wall. “What indeed?”

“M-Mr Frollo,” she stammered, uncomfortably, “if there’s something I’m doing wrong, can आप just tell me? I’ll try to correct it.”

“There is one way आप can make up for it, Miss French.”

“Really?” He दिल skipped a beat. “What?”

He took a lock of her hair and rubbed it between his fingers. She frowned. What was he doing? Why was he touching her like that? He released her hair and inhaled the scent left on his fingers. “Is that cinnamon shampoo I smell, Miss French?”

Struck mute, Belle nodded.

“Lovely.”

She really didn’t like the way he was looking at her now. She tried to बत्तख, बतख out beneath his arm but she seized her and pinned her back to the wall. Belle looked up at him, fearfully. “Now, now,” he crooned, wickedly, “no need to be so coy, Miss French. Plenty of other girls in other schools do this for better grades.”

“Mr Frollo, please,” she stammered, her दिल rate quickening. “I just...”

He kissed her, forcibly. Belle felt her stomach turn and her head swim and she felt sick. She twisted her head away from him. “Let me go. Please.”

Mr Frollo did nothing of the sort. He simply smiled at her in a twisted way. She felt like she was Red Riding हुड, डाकू and he was the Wolf, ready to devour her. “Relax; it shouldn’t take too long, Miss French.”

He pulled her over to the desk. Belle felt her stomach churn again. “No!” she cried, struggling in his grip as he attempted to pin her down. “No!” She lashed out, arms and legs flailing to fight him off. He pinned her wrists down, painfully.

“You’ll make it worse for yourself if आप struggle, Miss French.”

“Help!” She let out a desperate scream. “Help!”

“We’re in the North Tower; no one can hear you.”

As he leaned down to किस her again, Belle could only think of one thing to do. She brought back her head and butted him in the face. Mr Frollo let out a snarl of rage and pain as he released her and doubled over, holding his nose. Belle didn’t stop to find out if she had done any lasting damage; she simply ran for it. She didn’t know if he was following her and she didn’t care; all she did know was that she had to get out of the school this instant.

Once she was halfway along the road leading to the tavern, she slowed down and turned to see if he had followed her. He hadn’t. Belle felt ashamed and frightened. She pulled her शाल a little tighter around her, for security. Why? Why had that suddenly happened? Was it true? Did girls in other school sleep with their teachers for better grades? If so, she pitied them. She still felt sick, even at the memory of his hands touching her. How close she had come to almost being...she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and kept walking.

Down the side of the tavern was an alleyway. Belle hadn’t been down it before but Meg had told her that it led to a dead end and that, in a town as rough as this, it wasn’t a good place to go at night. Belle hadn’t planned to, but as she passed it, someone stepped out of the shadows.

“Well, well, well, Belle.”

She turned. For once, she felt strangely glad to see him; simply because he was another human being with human emotions, unlike Mr Frollo, whom, she was sure, must be some kind of robot. Here was someone she could unburden herself on, surely?

“Gaston!” She grabbed his arms, desperately. “I’m so glad to see you! आप won’t believe what’s just happened to me! I was so frightened-I-!”

“Whoa, whoa, Belle.” Gaston smiled. “Take a deep breath. Come here.”

He led her into the alleyway. Belle looked around. “Is this safe?”

“Safe as houses,” he grinned. “No one can disturb us here.”

“Oh, Gaston! Mr Frollo asked me to stay behind after class and I thought that he just wanted a chat about my grades but then he-” Belle broke off. “What do आप mean; no one can disturb us here?”

“No need to look so scared, Belle.” Gaston brushed her hair back from her face. Something about his touch made Belle close her eyes, automatically. It wasn’t until she felt Gaston push her calmly against the दीवार that her eyes flew open and she realised his true intention. “Gaston, no!”

This time she was ready. Her palm came up and she slapped him. Gaston let her go. Belle turned and ran, in the wrong direction. Meg had been right. The alleyway was a dead end. She turned to see Gaston leering at her. “There’s no way out, Belle.”

“Gaston, please,” she begged, feeling tears in her eyes; tears of fright and panic. Somehow she was out of the frying pan and into the fire. “Let me go.”

“Oh, come on, Belle, how can आप not want this? After all, I’m the best athlete and the best looking guy in the school.” Gaston took hold of her again. Belle struggled but it was no good. “No!” she cried. “Gaston, don’t!”

“Oh, Belle, you’ve had this coming for a long time,” he leered.

“Let me go, please!”

“Sure thing; once I get what I want. And I always get what I want, Belle.”

He was about to किस her when suddenly someone caught hold of his and threw him aside. Belle, startled, slid to the ground. Looking up she saw her saviour.

“Are आप deaf, Gaston?” Adam asked. “She कहा let her go.”

Gaston, furiously, ran at him. Adam ducked aside, caught his fist and twisted Gaston’s arm behind his back. Gaston yelped as Adam pinned him to the wall. “You might have और muscle than me, Gaston, but do आप forget who my फ्रेंड्स are? Flynn, Aladdin, Hercules; the toughest guys in the school. All I have to do is yell out and they’ll come running. You’ll be completely outnumbered. Now, I suggest आप get out of here right now and leave Belle alone.”

He released Gaston. Gaston whipped around and pointed a shaking finger at him. “This isn’t over.”

“Want a bet?”

Gaston turned and hurried away. Adam turned to Belle. His expression was gentle now. “Belle? Are आप alright?”

He bent down beside her. Unable to speak, she nodded.

“Here.” Adam placed a hand under her arm. Belle flinched away and scrabbled to her feet. “Belle, it’s ok.” Adam stood up. “I’m not going to hurt you. आप don’t think I’d do that, do you?”

“I don’t...” Belle looked at her feet. “I don’t know.”

She was shivering, Adam noticed. Her removed his own maroon कोट and draped it around her shoulders. Belle looked up at him in surprise. “Aren’t आप cold?”

“I’m fine,” he replied. “You need it और than I do.”

Without stopping to think, Belle stepped forwards, wrapped her arms around him and buried her head against his chest. She was at a stage where she didn’t care what happened to her now; all she could do was cry. Adam hesitated and then he wrapped his arms around her and held her. His touch was warm, soft and gentle; not like Mr Frollo’s या Gaston’s and Belle suddenly felt safe. “Belle, did he hurt you? आप must tell me if he did.”

“No, he didn’t, but...” Belle bit back a sob. “First Mr Frollo and now Gaston...why? What have I done wrong?”

“What?” Adam held her at arm’s length and looked into her eyes. “What do आप mean; Mr Frollo?”

It all came out in a rush. “When he kept me back after class, I thought he just wanted to talk to me about my grades but then he started अभिनय in way Gaston just did and I screamed but no one could hear and then I pushed him off and ran and then Gaston found me and I thought he was going to help me but then he started it too and I don’t know why! What have I done wrong?”

“Belle, listen to me. None of this is your fault.”

She tried to stop crying but she couldn’t. Adam pulled her close again. Belle clung to him, feeling that now he was the only thing in her life that seemed to make sense. Presently, Adam कहा “Belle, I know you’re frightened and upset, but दिया this is the roughest part of town, it’s probably not a good idea for us to stay here much longer. We should get back to the school.”

“But I कहा I’d meet the girls...”

“Belle, आप need security.” Adam’s tone was firm but gentle. “You need to be somewhere आप can feel safe.”

“The library.”

“The library.” Adam nodded and slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Come on. No one will hurt आप while I’m around.”

Belle trusted him and so she allowed him to lead her back to the school. “Are we allowed in this part of the building after hours?” she asked.

“Beats me. I’ve never been in this part of the building after hours,” Adam replied.

Whatever the case, the पुस्तकालय was open and when they stepped inside, Belle saw that the आग had been left burning in the grate. She sank into a chair. Adam went over to the hot drinks machine and brought back two steaming cups of tea. “Here,” he said, handing her one.

Belle took it and looked up at him. “Adam, why are आप being so nice?”

Adam frowned in a teasing way. “I can be nice, Belle; it’s not completely beyond me. Anyway, आप need it.”

Belle watched him as he sat down opposite her. “It’s just...well...Flynn told me about...your past. He कहा आप had a rough time of it.”

Adam took a deep breath. “I did; and that’s the reason I’m so guarded, and often prone to snapping. But if I see another person being treated poorly, well, I just remember what happened to me when I was a child and I want to help them.”

Belle bit her lip. “I’m sorry, Adam. I don’t want आप thinking that I think badly of you; I mean, I don’t...I...” She took a deep breath. “Thank आप for saving me, Adam.”

“You’re welcome.”

Belle drank her tea. “I wish they’d put honey in it here. I always like a spoonful of honey in my tea.”


“Me too.”

“You do?”

“Yeah; I find it soothing.”

Belle looked around at all the books. “Adam, do आप like reading?”

He smiled. “I do, as a matter of fact. I’m probably not as much of a bookworm as you, but, yes, I do read.”

“How come you’re not in the Book Club?”

“I’ve thought about joining...but I can never work up the courage to.” Adam hesitated. “By the way, your first दिन here, I’m sorry I shoved you. I was having a bad day.”

“That’s alright,” Belle replied, and then she added “I suppose when I took आप on in the class debate, that didn’t exactly make your दिन any better.”

“Actually, that was something of a highlight.” Adam grinned at her. “You were so stubborn.”

Belle made an indignant scoff. “Thank you!”

“No, I mean, आप didn’t back down until you’d had your say. I’ve never met a girl like that before.” He smiled. “It’s refreshing.”

Belle blushed. “Well, thank you.”

They finished their tea. “I suppose we’d better go,” Belle said, eventually. “I mean, we might get into trouble being here after hours.”

“Yeah,” Adam agreed, taking her empty cup from her. “I’ll throw these out.” Their fingers met. Belle looked at him and saw again that same warm look in his eyes she had noticed the first time she had seen him. “You alright, now?” asked Adam, gently.

She nodded and smiled. “Yes, thank you, Adam.”

Adam threw the cups into the bin and Belle got to her feet. “Do आप want me to walk आप back to your room?” asked Adam. “For security?”

“Yes, please.”

They walked along the corridor in a companionable silence. Belle’s head was spinning. Somehow the चाय and the talk with Adam had made her feel a whole lot better.

“Oh, here,” she said, as they reached the door of her room. She slipped out of his कोट and handed it back to him. “Thank आप for this.”

Adam smiled as he took it from her. “You know, this old कोट has seen me through a lot of the hard times.”

Belle bit her lip. “I’m sorry आप didn’t have it easy, Adam.”

“Talking about it helps, sometimes. That’s why I told Flynn in the first place.” He took a deep breath. “Look, if आप ever need to talk to someone about what happened tonight, Belle, I’ll listen.”

“I know आप will.” Belle smiled. “And thank आप again for saving me, Adam.”

Automatically, she slid into his arms. Adam was rather well built, she noticed, not what you’d call fat, like Mr Phil, या rounded, like Mr Nathaniel, but just solid and yet somehow warm and comforting. His embrace was gentle and she closed her eyes for a second, feeling the warmth of him as he rubbed her back gently.

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused them both to look around. Belle saw Meg, चमेली and Snow White gawping at them. She blushed with embarrassment. Adam, however, smiled in a good-natured way and gently released her. “You’re alright now, then, Belle?”

“Yes.”

“Well, goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Adam.”

“Girls,” Adam acknowledged them as he passed. Still hot with embarrassment, Belle went into their room.

“Oh, my God!” exclaimed Meg. “We wondered why आप didn’t दिखाना up but now we see!”

“No, it’s not like that,” Belle insisted. “Adam was comforting me because...Gaston tried it on with me in the alley and I didn’t want him too...Adam saved me.”

“What?” gasped Jasmine.

“No,” breathed Snow White.

“Oh, sweetie, are आप ok?” Meg gave her a hug. “God, I always knew Gaston was a jerk.”

Belle spent the night being comforted द्वारा her friends, and yet somehow they couldn’t make her feel better in the way Adam just had...