"You want to try apple picking again?" Cedric Goodwyn suggested.
"Uh-uh," Mavis Spence said, shaking her head. "Not after what happened last time! I couldn't feel my legs for a week!"
"You smell nice," Connor Price whispered , who had been standing right behind her. "I mean...maybe you're a teacher like your mom!"
She scratched her head. "Huh. Hadn't thought of that."
"You'll need some sort of practice," said Chloe Price.
"We could play school!" Chara exclaimed.
Belle and her friends were at Cedric Goodwyn's and Mavis Spence's clubhouse, which had been passed down to them from their aunt Regina Mills. They had all been Cutie Mark Crusaders at one point, until Mavis Spence was the only blank leg left. Today they were going to fix that.
They were not alone. Connor and Chloe had brought their four-year-old sister, Kara. She was the spitting image of her mother, from the wild brown hair to the tan skin. The only difference was her father's emerald eyes. Cedric Goodwyn had brought his younger sister, Cordelia Goodwyn, as well. The seven-year-old had tan skin and platinum blonde hair tied up in a ponytail and she was just as eager to get her cutie mark, even though she had plenty of time ahead of her. The twins had also brought their family's pet tortoise, Tank.
While everybody pretended to be Mavis Spence's students, Belle could not concentrate. She should be thrilled, as she had not had the chance to hang out with her friends since her grounding, but her mind was on the friend she had lost.
Prince Rumple had looked so sad when his frightening mother took him away. She knew fire giants had no hearts, but did that mean they had no emotion?
Her father had called them monsters, which appalled her. After all, neither he nor she liked being called such a thing. The prince had not looked monstrous. Sure, he was unusual, but so was she. In fact, she was fascinated by how different and mysterious he was.
Why had he stayed? Why had he not run off once his cover had been blown?
She remembered how he had reacted when that manticore had appeared. While he could have saved himself, he had taken her with him. Of course, she had been in no danger, but he had obviously thought otherwise and had tried to pull her out of it. If he was as heartless as her father had said, why would he have bothered?
"Belle, are you paying attention?" Mavis Spence demanded, imitating her mother.
Belle shook out her thoughts. "Sorry, guys. I'm...distracted today."
"Did you eat some bad muffins for breakfast?" Chara asked.
She snorted in amusement. "No. I just...have a few things on my mind."
"Well, get those things out of your mind!" Mavis Spence ordered, banging her stick on the map of Newark. "We have a lesson here!"
"Cut the theatrics for a moment, Spence," said Chloe. "Can't you see Belle's having a crisis here?"
"Maybe she has low blood sugar," Cedric Goodwyn suggested.
"I made some rolls this morning!" Cordelia Goodwyn announced.
"Don't be silly," said Connor. "Belle eats nothing but cotton candy and chocolate! She's never low on blood sugar!"
"Is she sick?" Kara asked.
"Now that's even sillier. Belle's the Princess of Mischief. She never gets sick!"
"Yeah," Chloe groaned, rolling her eyes at her sister. "Don't be an idiot, Kara."
