"You know, I am so romantic, sometimes I think I should just marry myself." - Monsters Inc.
"WAIT, SO HE'S DRESSED up as Peter Pan twenty-four-seven, and you still have a crush on him?"
I rolled over on my bed and simultaneously rolled my eyes. It was the first day off I'd had in over a week - and Rachel had been on the phone with me all morning asking questions about anything and everything to do with my new Disney-filled life. It would've made so much more sense if she'd been the one to get the job at Disneyland - and then I could gladly take her shifts at the Walmart. Somehow, I was sure that even then, Max would've figured out a way to get me to like Disney, even if I didn't work there anymore. He always found a way to get to me, somehow.
"Yes, he plays Peter Pan - and no, I do not have a crush on him," I clarified, twirling a strand of blonde hair around my finger. This was the first time in what seemed like forever that I didn't have to wear that ridiculous blonde wig - and I was loving every minute of my freedom.
"Really?" Rachel asked in a disbelieving tone. "It sure sounds like you do."
"Then I think you need to get your ears checked, because I definitely do not. Did you not hear the part about him literally being Peter Pan? That's a bit of a deal breaker in my book, Rach."
Rachel laughed. "I don't kno-ow..." she sing-songed. "With the way you literally fell for him and all, I was just guessing..." she teased, and I wished that she was with me so that I could hit her over the head with my pillow. I'd told her everything about Max and how we'd met - afraid to spare any details. I knew my best friend, and I knew that she'd find out eventually, especially when it was anything to do with Disney.
"That wasn't my fault!" I exclaimed, sitting up and leaning against the headboard of my bed. "I told you, those obnoxious pirates knocked me over the railing - and then Max had the nerve to hold me back when I try to-"
"I need to meet this guy," Rachel decided.
"No, no, no, you are not meeting him. No way - no," I clarified.
Rachel laughed. "Why? Are you afraid I'm going to steal him away?" she teased. "Oh wait - Grace is apparently already doing that for me."
I tried to hide my annoyance. "That's not funny."
"Oh my God - you do like him!" Rachel squealed.
I groaned. "For the last time - I do not like Max. There is absolutely positively no way I could possibly ever, ever like Max. No feelings are being felt but pure annoyance, okay? Are we clear?" I assured her, hoping I didn't sound as suspicious to her as I did to myself. I didn't like Max - but I knew that saying that would only make it sound like I liked him more.
Rachel snorted. "Whatever you sa-ay..." she sang teasingly again.
"Sing-songing it won't change the fact that he bugs the crap out of me, Rach."
"So? I bug the crap out of you and you still like me."
"Rachel, shut up, or I will hang up on you."
Rachel laughed. "Fine, fine! I've just never heard you sound so happy before."
I raised my eyebrows. "Seriously? I'm working at Disneyland - I doubt I sound happy." I hadn't even realized how stupid I must've sounded to her as I recounted my week at the park - especially when it came to the parts about Max. Running around with him in secret and going on rides together - holding his hands the other day? No wonder Rachel thought I had a thing for him.
Rachel clucked her tongue, and I could hear the satisfied smile in her voice. "Well, you do. Sound happy, I mean. And it's nice - just don't blow it, okay? I might stick around, but if you keep pushing this Max kid away, one of these days he might not come back," she reminded me carefully.
I laughed, "I'll try to remember that." I understood what she meant, but I knew Max almost as well as I knew Rachel, and I knew that unless he really did win the bet - which he wouldn't - he'd never voluntarily leave me alone. Months from now he'd probably still be following me around like always, proposing new bets and trying new ways to get me to like Disney (failing ways, but it was beginning to be quite entertaining to watch him try so hard to win my affection - for Disney, that is).
Rachel's voice startled me out of my thoughts. "So, tell me more about this Will character," she asked, changing the subject - thankfully.
"There's nothing to tell," I admitted. "I mean, I think he likes me, but..."
"Uh oh - there's a but," Rachel commented grimly. "That's never good."
Thinking of Will, I remembered that I still had to go over my lines a few more times for tomorrow. I eyed my script for my show - it felt so weird calling it my show - sitting on my dresser, collecting dust. "Listen, I have to learn my lines for tomorrow - I keep messing them up, so I really need to practice before my next show. Can't risk getting fired now - especially since Max would probably still come up with a way to continue his Disney-education around it," I explained quickly, jumping up from my bed and dragging the phone along with me as I went to grab my script and wipe off the dust.
"Wait, Alice-" Rachel tried to stop me, but I mumbled a quick excuse before hanging up and snatching my script. I flipped through the pages, glaring at the messy neon lines that I'd made with my highlighter the day before I started work.
Great. My first day off work, and I was memorizing lines. Lucky me.
➳ ➳ ➳
"Now, I know that fireworks are nowhere near as breathtaking as floating lanterns - but I couldn't hook that up on such short notice," Max dragged me up the hill toward Belle's castle, and I stumbled along behind him, a smile on my face that I couldn't quite contain. I'd been excitedly awaiting this ever since Kiera told me that he might bring me to see the fireworks - and although I wasn't the biggest fan of Disney, I did like the thought of getting a front row seat to watch fireworks exploding in the sky. "And as fun as it is watching from the street like everyone else does, I thought you'd enjoy a better seat," he explains, leading me through the hall and opening two big glass doors for me.
I stood in awe as he held the doors open - I was in Belle's dining room. There was no one in here by this time, since dinner was long over and the park was nearing it's closing time. The chandeliers sparkled, along with the stunning stained glass windows and shining ballroom floor that looked almost unreal to me, as if it really were just a movie and not right before my eyes. I unsuccessfully tried to contain my excitement as Max kicked off his shoes and had me do the same, grabbing my hands and spinning and sliding with me along the newly cleaned - and very slippery - floor.
Laughing uncontrollably, he spun me around - almost taking down two tables and a couple of chairs in the process - as we danced around like idiots, slipping and sliding everywhere and feeling like little kids. My eyes caught on a set of double doors around the back, and I quickly picked up my flats before clumsily running over, crossing my fingers that they weren't just for decoration or something. I thrust the doors open, and to my content, the balcony was real. Just like out of a movie, there was a gorgeous balcony overlooking the grounds of the park, and I could already hear the melody of "Beauty and the Beast" playing in my mind.
"Max," I breathed, "this is... beautiful."
"So... I did good?" he grinned, looking at me hopefully.
"Don't look so smug," I joked. "But this view... this is nice."
"Nice?" Max asked. "That's all I get, nice?"
"Fine, it's gorgeous. Don't make me say it again." I smiled despite myself. "But don't take this to mean that you can suddenly just Disney up my life now whenever you feel like it," I added in warningly despite the smile on my face. "And you've really got to stop coming to see all of my shows, too. I've got a reputation to uphold, and hanging around with you is really killing my street cred," I joked.
"Alice, your words hurt me," Max laughed, holding a hand to his chest dramatically. "Well, can I at least come to wish you good luck?"
"Isn't it 'break your leg', or something?"
"In theatre, it is, yeah," he nodded. "Hey, did you know that the phrase 'break a leg!' actually originated from theatre people believing in a superstition that said wishing someone good luck actually created bad luck, so now when actors tell each other to break a leg, they actually mean the opposite, and that they really just hope for a great performance?" Max explained off-handedly in a bit of a ramble, and I listened, silently wondering to myself how he'd guessed exactly what I wanted to know. It amused me and slightly scared me how well he'd come to know me.
"Oh? Um, neat," I barely got out without stuttering, still a bit shocked and impressed. Really, Alice? That was all you could come up with? Neat? How about, "Yes, Max, I actually really did want to know that. Thanks for always knowing me so well. It means a lot more to me than I say."
(And it did - mean a lot to me, that is. So why couldn't I bring myself to say it?)
"So... when do these so-called fireworks start?" I said instead to veer off of the subject, leaning against the railing of the balcony and studying the sky momentarily before Max stopped me, attempting to guide me back from the railing. "What?" I asked defensively, staring at him like he was crazy - which, for the record, he sort of was.
Max laughed a bit uneasily. "Sorry - it's just... you don't exactly have a good track record with railings," he explained, and I pushed him playfully, giving him a stubborn look. "And the fireworks should start right about... now."
Right on Max's cue, the sound of an explosion startled me suddenly, and I spun around to see a burst of colour in the sky which instantly captivated me, becoming aware of Max coming to stand at my side. I watched in awe as the fireworks continued, becoming bigger and more frequent. I'd never seen fireworks like these before - I especially got a kick out of the one that they'd shaped like Mickey Mouse's head. I looked over at Max, who was - unsurprisingly - in even more awe than I was, even though I was sure he'd seen the same fireworks at least a hundred times before. Still, he looked like a little kid, smiling dumbly up at the sky with unblinking eyes, completely enthralled by something that really looked as if it were true magic, like what he believed so strongly in.
"This is just like the movie - I have to get you to watch it with me sometime," Max mumbled mindlessly, still staring up at the fireworks in a trance.
I absolutely did not blush. "Watch it? W-with you?" I echoed, sounding like a complete idiot.
Max turned his head to face me like a deer caught in headlights. "Um, well, I mean... only if you wanted to, I mean, you don't have to, I just thought that maybe-" he rambled on until I cut him off.
"Sounds like fun," I replied breezily to cut him off, trying not to look at him directly in case he saw me blushing. Still, out of the corner of my eye, I could see him smiling - and whether it was from the fireworks or my response, I wasn't sure, but either way, I couldn't help but smile a little bit myself, stupidly entertained by his reaction. I gazed up at the sky again. "It's been such a long time since I've watched these. I forgot that fireworks were so..."
"I know," Max replied absentmindedly, seemingly knowing what I was going to say. "Do I sense that somebody is actually enjoying themselves tonight?" he asked, grinning at me.
"I hate to admit it, but yes - this is pretty cool." I smiled - not even bothering with the fact that Max might be winning the bet, and that I was beginning to be okay with that. Max did a little fist-pump into the air in triumph - very reminiscent of The Breakfast Club - making me laugh. The lights in the ballroom behind us came to life suddenly, and Max's hand pulled me out of sight before my brain could process what was happening. "What's going on?" I asked in a hushed voice.
"I don't know," he whispered back. "Security, probably."
"What?"
"Shh!"
"We're not allowed to be here, are we?"
"Alice, I'd love to have this conversation with you, I really would. But first, we need to not get fired - and to do that, I really need you to be quiet."
"But Max-"
"Shh!"
I ducked my head down behind the potted plant we were hiding behind and shifted closer to him, resting my head up against his chest and tucking my knees in close, worried that my feet might be sticking out. I waited a few minutes before speaking again, hoping I wouldn't give us away. "Do you think they're gone yet?" I asked quietly, my heart thumping quickly.
"I don't know... maybe you should check."
"Me? Why me? Why don't you do it?"
"You're closer to the door," Max pointed out. "S-so you should do it."
"Oh, stop being such a child."
"You don't know much about Peter Pan, do you?"
"I happen to know very much about Peter Pan, for your information!"
"Shh! Just check." He nodded towards the door and I groaned before peeking my head around the pot and looking through the glass door. I breathed a sigh of relief when I didn't see anyone in a security uniform, and it was only a couple standing under the chandelier. I nudged Max and he moved beside me, peeking his head out so that he could look too. The couple was wearing matching Buzz Lightyear sweaters, and they looked adorable as they did just what Max and I had done - they kicked off their shoes and slid around the floor in their socks.
I smiled to myself as the girl slipped suddenly, the boy catching her in his arms before she fell. They laughed at each other, and Max and I were both silent as the boy let the girl up, getting down on his knee and taking her hands in his. I inhaled sharply as I realized what was happening - maybe even before the girl realized it herself. I watched with a faint smile as the girl put one hand over her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears. I could only faintly hear what was happening, but I knew exactly what he was saying.
Out popped a navy blue box with a sparkling ring nestled inside of it, the girl's eyes widening at the sight of it. She didn't say a word - she just nodded her head silently and the boy slid the ring onto her finger before jumping up to kiss her. I heard them faintly humming "Beauty And The Beast" as they began to slow dance together, and I couldn't hold back a grin at how cute it all was.
"That's so romantic," I breathed.
"Really?" Max asked in disbelief - guess he didn't realize that I really did have a heart.
"Of course," I grinned. "It's sweet, how he brought her to Disneyland to propose - I bet Beauty and the Beast is her favourite or something, and that's why he did that. God, I wish someone would do something like that for me."
"Like what?"
"Do something special for me at Disneyland - I guess this really is where dreams come true, huh?" I replied in a daydream, not even realizing what I was saying until I noticed Max grinning widely at me. "Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden.
Max smiled at me, "I think I just won."
I realized what I'd just admitted and resisted the urge to slap myself across the face. "You know, you're a lot more cunning than you look. I can't believe you actually tricked me into liking Disney!" I fake-whined, grinning at him.
"I know. For a while there, even I didn't think it was possible," he remarked in a conceited tone, and I punched his shoulder playfully.
"Oh, shut up," I scolded. I couldn't help but smile again - maybe Rachel wasn't completely wrong about this whole thing. Maybe I didn't have to keep pushing Disney away - if Max cared about it and me enough to try and make me believe in it again, then maybe I owed him a chance. More than that, I owed him the truth - not any of those stupid little excuses I'd given him before. And before I lost the courage, I decided to do something that I wasn't sure if I would regret. "Max?" I asked, surprised at how nervous I sounded already as I uttered out the words that would change everything.
"Yeah?"
"I think I'm ready to tell you the real reason why I don't like Disney." ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁
a / n ~ GASP SHE'S GONNA TELL HIM YOU GUYS DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THESE CLIFFHANGERS?!?!?! Hey, guess what? It's my birthday tomorrow! I seriously don't feel like I should be turning fifteen - I feel like I should be turning ten. Considering that I know every single word of both Tangled and Frozen, am writing a Disney fan-fiction and usually dance around to musical songs in my pyjamas when no one's home, I think that ten is a good mindset for me right now - hey, you can still never be too old for Disney, right? Hope you liked the chapter, I was especially excited to write this one when I started the book. I know that this scene won't be too accurate because I haven't actually had a chance to go to Fantasyland yet, because it's so new, and I also live in Canada, which can complicate things slightly...
Disney question of the day: which Disney character are you most like? And don't just write your favourite character, write who you think you really relate to/look most like. Of course I'd want to say Rapunzel again - and there are ways that we are very alike, which is probably why I like her so much. I think we are both alike personality-wise, and even though I'm not blonde, we have the same singing voice and quirky / clumsy / daydreamy attitude. I'm really most like Belle though, to be quite honest, since I'm super bookish, independent, long to travel and have the same hair and eye colour as her. She's quite a radical feminist and the heroine of her own story, and on Once Upon a Time, she's even got some killer outfits! I'm proud to be most like Belle, what about you guys? ~xoxo, sydney ♥