Everyone was celebrating in good form that evening. Mr Ratcliffe allowed them to deck the school hall out with fairy lights and a large banner পাঠ করা Congratulations from the rafters.

“By rights, it ought to say “Well Done, Team,” অথবা something,” Meg pointed out. “But it’ll do since we couldn’t find anything else at the last minute.”

As good as his word, Mr Ratcliffe also provided alcohol but limited them all to only two coupons each. It was fair enough, thought Belle; this was a school after all, and none of them wanted its reputation to be sullied দ্বারা wild drunken rampages on behalf of the students. But lack of alcohol didn’t stop it from being a good party.

“This is so cool!” squealed Lottie.

Meg laughed. “Well, don’t go thinking it’s always like this at school, Lottie! There’s a lot of hard work and serious stuff involved too!”

“Please!” Jim, who was standing nearby, glanced over at them. “When was the last time we did anything serious in this place?”

“Except form relationships?” Audrey added, squeezing his arm.

Meg grinned. “Ok, fair point!”

“Besides, we’re goin’ to the সৈকত soon and I can’t wait!” Lottie gushed.

In a far corner of the room, Rapunzel, Flynn, আলাদীন and জুঁই were watching the couples who were dancing.

“They’re such a cute couple,” জুঁই sighed, leaning against Aladdin, and looking over at Belle and Adam.

“Speaking of which,” grinned Aladdin, turning to Flynn and Rapunzel, “I’m guessing আপনি two are official now, then?”

Flynn flushed bright red. “Well, it was inevitable, we all knew that!”

“You always ব্যক্ত আপনি liked brunettes!” Rapunzel pointed out, with a slight teasing pout.

Flynn shrugged and put an arm around her. “I was never serious. I like আপনি blonde অথবা brunette; although আপনি probably would look cute with brown hair.”

She began playing with a strand. “What if I cut it? I do keep tripping over it.”

“Would your mum let you?” asked Jasmine.

Rapunzel shrugged. “I don’t know.”

In another corner of the room, Merida and Linguini had been snogging for what felt like hours. Finally, breathless, they broke apart and Merida giggled at the look of astonishment still plastered on Linguini’s face. “Oh, come on, like আপনি didn’t see this coming!”

Linguini went as red as both their hair. “Well...I did hope that...you might...like me back...like that.”

“Of course I do, আপনি daft thing!” Merida ruffled his hair. “You might not be the sharpest tool in the box but you’re incredibly sweet and আপনি make me laugh!”

Hercules grinned. “I think they make a good couple, don’t you?”

John chuckled. “Sure...if Linguini can put up with Merida wearing the trousers in that relationship!”

“Aw, come on, lay off her, guys,” ব্যক্ত Adam, pulling Belle into a hug as they came up. “After all, she won us the race.”

“Yeah, we should be grateful,” agreed Hercules, soberly. “Hey, so, when are আপনি getting the stitches out, anyway?”

“Tomorrow, apparently,” Adam replied.

Belle gave him a teasing smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll hold your hand.”

Eventually, Mr Phil came into the hall and reminded them, gently, but firmly, that it was coming up for midnight and they all needed to be in bed.

“And, team,” he added, dashing a quick tear from his eye. “I just want আপনি to know that I was proud of আপনি all today. Especially Merida. আপনি did the school proud.”

“Yeah, three cheers for Merida,” আলাদীন said, raising his glass. “Hip-hip!”

“Hooray!” everyone else chorused.

“Hip-hip!”

“Hooray!”

“Hip-hip!”

“Hooray!”

“Aw, stop, guys! You’ll make my head big!” Merida grinned.

“it’s already big!” Flynn crowed.

“Punzy, thump him for me!”

Everyone laughed, and then they laughed even আরো when Rapunzel actually did hit him. “Ow!” laughed Flynn. “Ok, ok, at the risk of being hit again, I take it back!”

“Alight, everyone,” Mr Phil insisted. “Bed!”

So, everyone did as they were told and Mr Phil placed the trophy in the school trophy cabinet in the foyer before he too retired to sleep.

The পরবর্তি morning, everyone was still buzzing about winning the race. Well, everyone except Belle and Adam, who had gone down to Dr Sweet’s surgery in order for Adam to have his stitches removed.

“I’ve ব্যক্ত it before, and I’ll say it again,” smiled Dr Sweet. “You’re lucky the wound wasn’t deeper.”

“But he’s going to be alright now?” Belle asked, slightly fearfully. “I mean, no infections অথবা anything?”

Dr Sweet laughed, kindly. “You’re worrying too much, Miss French! He’s going to be just fine.”

Adam grimaced as the last stitch was removed and then relaxed. “So I’m alright for the সৈকত trip, then?”

“As long as আপনি don’t care about the scarring, yeah,” Dr Sweet replied.

Belle was slightly nervous about the সৈকত trip, and she confessed as much to Adam as they walked back into the school together. “How come?” Adam asked her.

“Well...” Belle took a deep breath. “My swimming costume just looks like an old schoolgirl one; আপনি know, with the little shorts and very covered up here...” She gestured to her chest. “It makes me look very...non-sexy. I’m going to stand out against everyone else.”

“Well, they’re not going to care,” Adam replied, wisely, squeezing her hand. “And neither am I. আপনি always look beautiful no matter what আপনি wear.”

Belle smiled. “You’re very sweet. And very brave.”

Adam pulled her to him for a kiss. “Come on, we’d better get to Art class.”

“Alright, everyone,” ব্যক্ত Mr Wiggins, looking slightly flustered as he came into the room. “We have a new teaching assistant.”

“Teaching assistant?” Belle whispered as they sat down.

“Sometimes they get these like trainee assistants in for classes,” Rapunzel whispered. “Miss Maleficent started out as a teaching assistant, and look at her now!”

“This is Miss Ting-Ting!” announced Mr Wiggins, as a beautiful Chinese woman glided into the room. Now Belle understood his nervousness. The poor Art teacher was smitten. “Now, as আপনি can see, Miss Ting-Ting” began Mr Wiggins, pulling what he thought was a meter stick from his ডেস্ক drawer and tapping the blackboard with it, “We’ve been studying the modern artists and-!”

He broke off with a nervous chuckle seeing that he had picked up the অনুষ্ঠান- অ্যারো hairband he had been wearing on Belle’s first দিন in ডিজনি High and been pointing at the board with that. Miss Ting-Ting seemed to see the funny side of it, however.

“Aw!” Lottie whispered. “Isn’t that cute?”

Belle smiled to herself. It looked like yet another romance was blooming at ডিজনি High.