“Hey, Snow, can I borrow your-?”

Belle broke off. It was the دن after the shopping trip and she had been reading in the لائبریری until she remembered that she had promised to meet Adam in the Drama room to rehearse their duet for the Summer concert. She had been about to ask Snow White if she could borrow her hairbrush, her own had been mislaid somewhere, to quickly drag through her untamed hair before meeting the boy she was in love with. What she had not been expecting to find when she opened the bedroom door was to see Snow White and Aurora in what she could only describe as a compromising position. The pair of them looked to have been...kissing.

They both sprang apart like curtains when Belle walked in, of course and blushed deeply. “Hey, Belle,” stammered Snow White, pressing down the front of her dress. “Did آپ want something?”

“I was going to ask if I could borrow your hairbrush. I can’t find mine anywhere.” Belle smiled, kindly, at Aurora. “Hi, Aurora.”

“Hey, Belle.” Aurora glanced at Snow White. “Anyway, I’d better get going now.”

“Ok, see آپ later,” Snow White replied, casually.

Aurora ducked past Belle and walked out of the room. Without a word, Snow White handed Belle a brush. Belle laughed in delight. “So, آپ two..?”

“Please don’t say anything!” begged Snow White. “I don’t want to be labelled a freak!”

“What are آپ talking about?”

“People here think it’s not normal, not natural.” Snow White flushed, deeply. “They think it’s weird. Especially Gaston. There were a couple of girls who made out down at the tavern once; they were at Dreamworks High. I think their names were مرینا and Chel. They started making out and Gaston denounced them as “Freaks” and humiliated them سے طرف کی throwing a bucket of آل, علیہ السّلام all over them and everyone laughed at them. It was horrible. I don’t want anything like that happening to Aurora.”

Belle put down the brush and went over to hug her. “Gaston’s just a jerk, Snow.”

“I know, but,” Snow White took a deep breath. “I don’t feel ready to go telling the world just yet. Promise آپ won’t tell?”

Belle nodded. “I promise. Do آپ love her?”

Snow White nodded. “Yes. I can’t help it...”

“Hey, it’s not a bad thing.” Belle offered her an encouraging smile. “I’m really happy for آپ two.”

“Truly? آپ don’t think it’s weird?”

“No. Why should I? In a book I love, The Well of Loneliness سے طرف کی Radclyffe Hall, it’s one of the main themes, as a matter of fact. I once heard someone say “any love is better than none at all.”

Snow White smiled. “Thanks, Belle.”

“So?” Belle sat down on her بستر to brush her hair. “How did it all happen? I mean, when?”

“Oh, it was way before آپ came here, Belle. We were on a field trip to a nearby forest with Professor Porter. He was off looking for a particular type of fungus یا فرن, فارن یا something and we were all sent off in partners to see if we could find any interesting specimens.”

“And I’m guessing آپ were with Aurora?”

“Yeah.” Snow White blushed. “I’d always fancied her a little bit from the دن I first met her, but I assumed she was straight. All the boys flirted with her in a jokey way, well, except Adam, but then he hardly flirts with anyone; and she seemed to enjoy the attention. Anyway, we wandered off into this clearing in a glade...”

“Shall we sit down for a minute?” asked Aurora. “My feet are hurting.”

“Oh, sorry,” I said, settling myself on the grass. “I do walk pretty fast. I didn’t realise. Sorry, Aurora.”

“Oh, that’s ok.” There was this lovely little pool nearby and she took off her shoes and cooled her feet in it. “That’s better,” she sighed.

I looked around the glade. It was so peaceful and quiet. It felt like we were completely cut off from the rest of the world. “It’s so beautiful here,” I whispered.

“Yes, beautiful,” کہا Aurora, and then I noticed that her eyes were on me. I blushed and looked away. “Do آپ see anything that looks like whatever the Professor’s after?” I asked. Moss, that was it! I remember now!

“Oh, who cares about that?” Suddenly Aurora was beside me, pretty close to me. I didn’t know whether to back away یا not. But then I realised she wasn’t about to pin me down and hurt me in any way. I remember the look in her eyes; so much passion there...

“I really like آپ a lot, Snow,” she whispered and then she kissed me on the cheek. I was stunned, I can tell you.

“I really like آپ too,” I stammered, in surprise. “I didn’t think آپ felt the same way. I mean, the boys always flirt with you...”

“O, I’m through with boys!” Aurora groaned. “The last one I went out with was such a jerk! Besides, I like girls too. They’re better at relationships.” Then she kissed me on the lips; just gently, really briefly, for a second. “You’re beautiful, Snow,” she whispered.

“You’re beautiful too,” I کہا back. I was about to kiss her again but then I suddenly had a thought. “What if someone sees? آپ know what they’re like at Disney High; how shallow a lot of them are.”

“I think that’s just Gaston. He’s such an idiot. Anyway, we’re alone here.” She clasped my hand. “Please, Snow, please.”

So I kissed her, properly this time. It was the most magical experience of my life.”

Here Snow White sighed, romantically. “Aw, Snow, that’s so sweet,” Belle smiled, tidying her hair up.

“Anyway, that wasn’t all that happened that day.”

Belle felt her jaw drop. “You mean you-?”

Snow White smiled. “I know it might sound strange to آپ but-”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just, well, آپ were in a public place. I mean, in private, but still, quite risky.”

“I didn’t really think about that at the time. Neither did she. Anyway, I did wonder afterwards if it was, آپ know, purely sexual on her side; whether she was just using me, but she wasn’t.” Snow White looked at her friend, dreamily. “We went back to that glade once on a weekend, just the two of us; had a dance, sort of an anniversary type thing, آپ know.”

“That’s really sweet,” Belle smiled. “And you’re going to the school dance together?”

“Yes. I hate this illusion we need to create; that we’re just friends.” Snow White sighed again. “It’s so frustrating.”

“So why don’t آپ just come out and say it?”

“Hello? What did I just say? If Gaston denounces Aurora as a freak, I couldn’t live with myself.”

Belle sighed. “Well, there’s got to be some way around it. Do the girls know?”

“No one knows. Except us.”

“Well, Mum’s the word,” Belle promised, getting to her feet. “And now I really have somewhere I need to be, Snow. Sorry I walked in on آپ guys. I didn’t realise you’d be here.”

“It’s ok, Belle. Anyway, how are things going with آپ and Adam?”

“What do آپ mean سے طرف کی that exactly?”

“Has he asked آپ out properly yet?”

It was Belle’s turn to blush. “Do آپ think he will?”

“I think he should! آپ two fit well together!”

“You really think so?”

“Oh, yes!”