“Oh!” Meg groaned after school. “I need a drink!”
    
“Tell me about it,” agreed Jasmine. “Let’s go down to the tavern. You coming, Belle?”

“To the tavern?” Belle frowned. “Isn’t that off school property?”

“Don’t worry, we’re allowed to go down there as long as we’re back at school before lights out. Otherwise, we get locked out.” Snow White smiled and linked arms with Belle. “Come on.”

“You don’t need to worry about a thing, Belle,” Meg reassured her. “You’re with us.”

Belle had heard that taverns could be quite rowdy places, but this one, to her surprise was both quiet and filled with her classmates. Meg was glad to be able to light up without worrying about her teachers catching the smell of smoke lingering on her. Jasmine ordered their drinks. Belle looked around her. It was a cosy enough place and there were plenty of chairs in front of the fire where a person could sit and read. Then her eyes fell on something that made her feel sick.

“Ah, Belle!” Gaston was beside her. “There you are! Haven’t seen you all day! Do you like my trophies?”

“N-not really,” Belle stammered. “They make me feel sick.”

Gaston laughed. “Oh, you city girls!”

“I’m not from a city, actually, Gaston. Just a little quiet town.”

“Ah, same thing in my book.” He picked up an enormous flagon of beer. “We do things differently in this part of the world, Belle. Say, how about you and I go out on Friday night. I know this great little place...”

“Friday?” Belle saw a way out. “I can’t. That’s Book Club night.”

“Oh, you can miss it once, can’t you?”

“Well, it’s my first meeting with them and I’d really like to go.”

“Oh. Well, maybe some other time.”

“Maybe.”

“Here you go, Belle.” Jasmine handed her a glass. Her eyes found Gaston and she tutted. “Trying to rope another girl into your bed, are you, Gaston. Well, I’m sorry, but Belle’s already with someone else!”

She seized Belle’s arm and twirled her about. “Over her; this is where we sit.”

“Sorry,” Belle stammered politely to Gaston who was staring at her in confusion. She allowed Jasmine to drag her over to the others. “Oh, God, Belle; I’m so sorry!” hissed Jasmine. “I don’t know what came over me! I just didn’t want to see you getting hurt by Gaston, so I spoke without thinking! I’m sorry!”

“It’s ok,” Belle smiled in relief. “I think you might have done me a favour there, Jas.”

“What did you do?” asked Snow White.

“I kind of, may have, sort of told Gaston that Belle was dating someone else to get him to leave her alone!”

Meg laughed. “Well, it seems to have worked! Look at his face!”

If Gaston was gobsmacked, it didn’t last long. Three blonde girls, whom everyone called the Bimbettes because of their silly giggling, soon crowded around to flirt with him and he recline in a chair by the fire, proudly showing off his trophies. Belle couldn’t help but envy them. Why couldn’t she be like that? Why couldn’t she learn to attract the attention of someone she actually wanted to notice her?

“Seriously, though, Belle,” Meg was saying now. “For future reference, is there anyone here you like?”

“At school?”

“Well, yeah.”

Belle blushed. “Well, just one person. I don’t know why.”

“Ooh!” Meg grinned, cheekily. “It’s not one of the teachers, is it?”

“No!”

“Relax, I’m joking!”

“Who is it?” asked Jasmine. “You can tell us. Look, you already know that Meg likes Hercules and I like Aladdin and Snow White’s just waiting for her Mr Right to come along. You can tell us.”

“Do tell,” Snow White smiled. “That way we’ll know not to flirt with him or ask him out, seeing as how you like him.”

“Yeah, friends don’t do that to each other,” Meg agreed. “Come on, tell.”

“Very well. I like...Adam.”

The trio stared at her. “Adam?” Meg repeated. “But,” she lowered her voice, “no one ever goes for Adam! He’s got such a temper on him!”

“Yeah, and he never talks to anyone,” agreed Snow White, “or if he does, he doesn’t say much.”

Belle’s blush deepened. “Well, he’s got nice eyes.”

“Oh, sweetie!” Meg patted her hand. “You’ve got it bad for a guy who’s never asked out a girl in his life. You poor thing.”

“Now, Meg, there’s no reason he shouldn’t ask her out,” Jasmine reprimanded her.

Belle remembered Adam touching her hand in the Common Room, how it made her feel, and his quiet, reserved manner when he had pulled away from her. “Maybe he’s just lonely?”

Meg laughed aloud. “Belle, sweetie, you’re great but you’re so naive! Adam? Lonely?” She laughed again. “Take my advice, honey; forget him. There are plenty of other good looking, single guys in the sea.”

Belle quickly excused herself and hurried to the bathroom. “Now you’ve upset her!” Jasmine hissed. “You and your big mouth!”

“What did I say?” asked Meg.

Belle washed her hands and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn’t think she was beautiful. She had pale skin. Her eyes were big and hazel. Her hair was long, brown and untidy when it wasn’t tied back. She was sort of petite and slight in a way. Maybe that was the problem. She had heard that boys often went for curvy girls.

She took a deep breath, dried her hands and made her way back into the barroom. “Hey, Belle!” said a voice.

She looked up. It was Flynn, standing with one elbow on the bar. She smiled. “Hi.”

“You ok? You’re looking a little flushed.”

“Oh, yes, I’m fine, thanks.”

“Flynn.” She turned and her heart leapt. It was Adam. “I’m shooting off, ok?”

“Oh, you sure you don’t want another drink?”

“Nah, I’m going to go get my head down.” He spoke over the top of Belle’s head, like he was trying to pretend she wasn’t there. He didn’t acknowledge her presence at all. “I’ll see you.”

“Bye.” Flynn waved him off.

“Flynn, who doesn’t Adam like me?” Belle asked.

Flynn looked at her and smiled. “It’s not specifically aimed at you, Belle. Adam’s...”

“What?”

Flynn ran a hand through his hair. “He’s had a hard life. His parents were abusive. He got bullied by the people in his town. He’s even considered suicide before now.”

“Goodness!” Belle put a hand over her mouth. “I had no idea!”

“He’s only told me and Aladdin. That’s why he’s like he is. He’s scared to let anyone else in, in case he gets hurt again. Don’t let anyone else know, though, eh? He doesn’t want it spread around the whole school.”

“I won’t,” Belle promised. She looked over at where Adam had just been. “That’s why he’s so quiet at times?”

“And snappy at others, yep.” Flynn raised his pint. “I have told him; I’ve said “Adam, you’ll never get a girl to like you if you keep this up.” He doesn’t listen, though.”

“But I like him.” She blushed again as she said it and looked at her feet.

Flynn stared at her. “You do?”

“Please don’t tell him!”

“Belle, that’s great! Good for you!”

“Please, Flynn, don’t say anything to him.”

“I won’t; but I think you should.” Flynn grinned at her. “You could turn out to be just what he needs!”