“I’m joking!”
“Hey!”
Someone flipped the book, causing her to start and look up. To her surprise, it was Esmeralda. “Oh,” she said, in surprise, “Hi.”
“Funny book?” asked Esme.
“Not really,” sinabi Belle, closing it. “I was thinking about something else.”
Esme hesitated. “Room for one more?” Belle shifted up the garden pader and Esme sat down beside her. “Look, I, er, I wanted to apologise for the way I’ve been acting; I mean getting jealous and all.”
Belle didn’t quite know what to say to that. “Oh,” was all she could manage.
“I mean, it’s just, Phoebus is my everything and I don’t want to lose him.”
“What makes you think you will?” asked Belle.
Esme shrugged. “It’s happened before, with men. I’ve not exactly had much luck in the pag-ibig department, put it that way.”
Belle laughed. “Well, I’m not surprised if you keep getting so possessive of them!”
“Being possessive seems to be the only way I can keep them!” Esme sighed. “Before I was possessive, they always used to leave me for some giddy blonde with breasts like water balloons!”
Belle shuddered. “Too much information.”
Esmeralda shrugged. “It’s true.”
Belle propped her chin on her hand and glanced at the girl. “Look, Esme, I’ve known Phoebus all my life and he’s not like that. He loves you; he’s not about to leave you just because some other girl turns his head.”
“Well, don’t you get worried?” asked Esme. “I mean, you’ve got a boyfriend now. Don’t you get paranoid that Adam might leave you?”
Belle thought about it. “No,” she said, finally. “I mean, it’s taken us long enough to get together. And anyway, all the girls here fancy other boys; so I don’t have to worry about them stealing him.”
“What about Snow White and Aurora?” Esme pointed out. “They don’t seem to be chasing after the other boys.”
“True,” Belle said, not daring to reveal that Snow White and Aurora were in a relationship with each other, “but they don’t chase after Adam either. They’re not the type to flirt and neither is he. Relationships are all about trust. You have to be able to trust someone, otherwise there’s no love.”
Esme smiled. “Reminds me of something a Spanish conman once sinabi to me. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am getting too paranoid.”
Belle took a deep breath. “You know, Esme, Phoebus is my cousin and I hate seeing him unhappy. Maybe we should start again. I’d really like it if we could be friends, for his sake.”
Esme nodded. “I’d like that too.”
“So, can we pretend we’re strangers meeting for the first time or something?”
“Very well,” sinabi Esme, turning to her. “who are you and what are you doing in the Disney High grounds? Get out now before I phone the police.”
“Esme!” exclaimed Belle.
“I’m joking!”
Belle laughed. “Well, I’m being deadly serious! Look, we were all going to hang out sa pamamagitan ng the pool later; why don’t you come along with us? It’d be fun. The boys always make it such a riot.”
Esme nodded. “I’d like that.”
“Ok, well, I’ll see you there, then.”
Esme got to her feet and grinned. “You know, Adam’s lucky to have a girl like you, I think.”
Belle blushed. “Thanks.”
Meanwhile, in the school gym, the boys were in the middle of training for the school relay race against Dreamworks High School. Their competitors were Sinbad Sailor, Kale Botswain, Proteus King, Little Creek, Joseph Dream, Moses Nile, Tulio ginto and Miguel Sword; the toughest racing team in the world, so Mr Phil was working them extra hard to ensure they were fit, and fast, enough to compete.
“Mr Phil!” gasped Flynn. “We’ve been doing this none-stop for...” He check the clock. “Four hours!”
“Yeah!” agreed John, clutching a stitch in his side. “And I think I might have overdone it with the stretches.”
“Alright, alright,” grinned Mr Phil, holding up his hands in defeat. “I guess you’ve all worked hard enough.”
“I’ll say!” sinabi Hercules. “I could use a dip in the pool.”
“Very well, we’ll leave it there for today, but don’t forget we’ve only got a week before we compete, so I want to see you boys training hard in your spare time.”
Mr Phil waddled off, muttering something about needing a coffee. Flynn seized a towel from the bench and tossed another to Adam. “Whoo!” he groaned, mopping his face. “I thought he’d never let up on us!”
“Yeah!” Aladdin promptly collapsed on a gym mat. “I need to lie down before I fall down.”
“You did just fall down,” Adam pointed out. “We’re going to have to carry you up the stairs.”
“Drag him, madami like,” John replied, nudging Aladdin in the ribs with his toe.
“Piss off,” muttered Aladdin, trying to swat his foot away, but he lacked the energy.
“Oh, come on, guys, it’s good exercise,” sinabi Hercules.
“Easy for you to say,” puffed Aladdin, sitting up. “Mr Muscles; you can take it! What are you; some kind of god?”
Hercules struck a pose. “Maybe!”
“Don’t set him off,” grinned Flynn. “Come on, last one in the pool has to buy a round susunod time we’re down the tavern.”
“My money’s on me!” Aladdin groaned.
“Oh, come on,” John replied, pulling him to his feet. “You coming Adam?”
“I think I’d like to get my breath back first,” Adam replied, mopping his face with the towel.
“Alright, well, we’ll meet you down there. Come on, someone give me a hand with this lump,” John added, and Hercules went to help him lift Aladdin bodily.
“If we see Jasmine, tell her I’m dying; that’s madami dignified,” Aladdin joked as they left.
Adam laughed and fanned himself with the edge of the towel. At this rate, they’d either beat Dreamworks High or else die halfway through the race. He sat down on the nearest bench, catching his breath. His thoughts went back to Belle, as usual, what was she up to now? Reading, he thought, with a smile. Suddenly filled with the urge to be with her, he got to his feet just as someone else came into the room.
It was Gaston.
Adam wasn’t worried; not at first, anyway. After all, he had taken on Gaston once before and everyone sinabi that Gaston was just full of hot air. What was it Merrida had sinabi about Flynn the other day; all mouth and no trousers. “What is it, Gaston?” he asked, seeing that Gaston looked to be seething about something.
“No tough mga kaibigan to help you out this time, are there, Adam?” he sneered.
Adam shrugged, carelessly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that I can fight you without the worry of feeling outnumbered.”
Adam flinched. “I’m not about to fight you, Gaston. Why should I?”
“For her.”
Adam stiffened. “Belle? I’m not about to fight you for Belle, Gaston.”
“Because you’re afraid you’ll lose?”
“No, because there’s no point. She’s made her choice. You can’t win her affections sa pamamagitan ng taking me on in a fight.”
“Who sinabi anything about her affections? I don’t give a damn about her feelings.”
Adam took a step forwards. “You put madami respect in your voice when you talk about her, Gaston.”
“I will have her, you know. She will be mine.”
Adam Nawawala control, without even meaning to. How dare he talk about Belle in that way; as if she were some lifeless puppet and not the woman she was? He landed Gaston a blow that sent him sprawling onto his back. “I warned you, Gaston.”
Gaston grinned, wickedly, looking up at him. He was already bruising where Adam had hit him. “Alright, then, looks like we’re fighting after all.” He scrambled to his feet and whipped a dagger from his belt. Now Adam was worried. He had no such weapon. He took a step backwards. “Gaston, I have no intention of fighting you...anymore.”
“Really? I beg to differ!”
With a snarl, Gaston lunged at him with the dagger. Adam knew he had no choice but to fight him off. Gaston had a glint in his eyes like a man possessed. What had brought this on?
Meanwhile, Belle was making her way down to the pool when she heard a voice behind her say “Hey!” Turning, she grinned at Flynn.
“Hey,” she replied, and then, looking around, “Where’s Adam?”
“Probably in already,” he replied, just as the door to the boys changing room opened and Aladdin stuck his head out. “Hey, Al, is Adam in there already?”
“No.” Aladdin frowned. “I thought he’d be with you.”
“Well, where is he, then?” wondered Belle.
“He did say he needed to catch his breath,” Flynn said, thoughtfully. “I hope he’s alright.”
“Come on, let’s go find him,” sinabi Aladdin, exiting the room in just his trunks. “Guys, we’re going to look for Adam!”
“Well, wait for us, then!” John grumbled, emerging from the room, attempting to button his sando up the wrong way. Hercules followed and together they made their way to the gym.
Inside, Gaston was gaining the upper hand. “You may have beaten me once,” he hissed to Adam. “But not this time!”
“Why is this so important to you?” Adam asked him. “Are you in pag-ibig with Belle? Is that it?”
“Love?” Gaston gave a hollow laugh as he knocked Adam to the floor. “Who cares about love? I just don’t get why she’d want someone like you when she could have someone like me!”
“Perhaps because I never attempted to rape her,” Adam snapped, struggling to his feet.
Flynn got the gym a little ahead of the others and now he pushed open the door. “Hey, Adam are you-?” He broke off. “What the-?”
“Back off, Rider, this doesn’t concern you!” snapped Gaston.
“Flynn, you’d better do as he says,” sinabi Adam, warily. “He’s armed.”
“Yeah?” Flynn stepped further into the room. “Well, can he take on two of us? I think not.”
Adam took advantage of Gaston’s distraction to knock him off his feet. Gaston sprawled and landed flat on his face, his kutsilyo an inch away from him. “Moron,” Flynn muttered, helping Adam to his feet. “You ok?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Belle suddenly came hurrying into the room. “Adam!” She hugged him tightly. “I was worried there for a moment!”
Adam smiled and held her tighter. None of them noticed Gaston raise his head. None of them noticed him seize upon his kutsilyo and start to his feet. None of them noticed him lunge.
But all of them heard Adam cry out as dagger ripped through him, tearing flesh and causing blood loss at an alarming rate. Belle screamed as he fell and landed beside him. “Adam! Adam!”
“You bastard!” shouted Flynn, and punched Gaston down and then began to beat him until Aladdin and John pulled him off. “You bastard! I’ll kill you!”
John looked at Aladdin. “You’re fastest; get Dr Sweet, quick.”
Aladdin sprinted off, leaving John to try and calm down Flynn and Hercules to hold down Gaston, who was attempting to fight back.
“Adam!” Belle sobbed.
“I’m alright,” he groaned. “Well, not really, but...”
“You’ve got to be alright,” she sobbed, her voice almost indistinguishable through her tears. “I mean...it can’t just end like this..!”
Adam touched her face. “At least we’re together before...”
It was no good. He passed out with the pain.
“No!” Belle sobbed into his chest, his blood covering her hands. “Please don’t leave me! I pag-ibig you!”
“Please don’t leave me! I love you!”
Along the ways she pulled back curtains and opened windows.
