Friday evening rolled around and Belle leapt excitedly to her feet. “Book Club! I’m so excited!”

“Have fun,” zei Meg, who was currently engaged in painting her toenails purple.

“What book are u doing?” asked Snow White, applying moisturiser to her cheeks.

“Wuthering Heights.”

“Huh. Never read that one,” jasmijn commented, brushing her hair.

“Oh, it’s one of my favourites! It’s this tragic love story between two characters, Cathy and Heathcliff. They love one another, but Cathy’s pride stops her from marrying Heathcliff and she marries a man named Edgar for his wealth and status and Heathcliff swears revenge because he knows Cathy still loves him; so he marries Edgar’s sister Isabelle, who likes him a lot, but he treats her cruelly and she leaves him and then Cathy dies not long after childbirth and Heathcliff feels haunted door her until his death.”

“So, a nice cheery story, then?” Meg joked, drily.

“Oh, but it’s so passionately written!” Belle smiled. “I’ll see u later.”

“Yeah, see ya!” jasmijn called as Belle shut the door behind her.

Belle hurried along the corridor, not wishing to be late, when she suddenly collided with someone outside the library. She stumbled backwards and toppled to the ground. Her book flew out of her hands and skidded a few feet away from her. “Oh!” she exclaimed, startled.

“Belle! I’m so sorry! Are u alright?”

She looked up. It was Adam, offering her his hands. She smiled and took them, gratefully allowing him to pull her to her feet. “I’m fine, Adam. I know u didn’t knock me over on purpose.”

“Here.” Adam reached down and picked up her book. As he handed it back to her, Belle noticed that he was holding one too. “Adam, are you..?”

“Joining the Book Club? Yeah.” Adam looked awkward.

“Hey, that’s great!” Belle grinned. “So, what did u think of the book?”

“I hated it. I mean, I read it all the way through; but I just didn’t like the story. Cathy’s such a snob!”

“Oh, I know; and she’s such an idiot for not marrying the man she loves right away,” Belle agreed, “but her daughter followed her heart, at least; running off with Hareton in the end.”

“Yeah, it was like Cathy and Heathcliff’s story had a seconde chance, I guess.”

“A seconde chance?” Belle smiled and clutched her book. “I never thought of it that way; but you’re right!”

“Do u ever look for symbolism in books, Belle?” he teased.

She smiled. “I’ll let u know at the meeting. Come on, let’s go in.”

Together they went into the library. “Ah, hello, Miss French,” smiled Mr Nathaniel. “And Mr Castle; what a pleasant surprise. Will u be joining us?”

“If it’s alright,” Adam stammered.

“Of course! The meer the merrier!”

“Hey!” grinned Rapunzel, who was lying on the floor. “What did u think of the book?”

“Actually, we were just discussing it outside,” began Belle.

“You were? That’s brilliant,” smiled Mr Nathaniel. “I hope you’ll bring your insights to the discussion when everyone’s here.”

“Adam had some good views,” Belle said, sitting down on the chair above Rapunzel.

Adam looked embarrassed. “Just one view, really; about the symmetry of the story.”

“Adam, are u blushing?” teased Rapunzel. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen u blush before.”

“I’m just hot,” he insisted. Belle remembered saying the same thing to Meg at the game and she felt herself turning red too. Luckily, at that point, Linguini, Hercules, John and Ariel came in and the meeting began. Belle enjoyed it. Rapunzel made an impassioned speech about Cathy’s being cut off from the rest of the world being the main reason for her inexperience of how to react in the face of love; to which Hercules countered that if she truly loved Heathcliff as much as she claimed, she would have never let her own pride stop her from being with him, no matter where they might end up living of how poor they might be. Linguini zei he liked the characters of Nelly and Lockwood meer than the main characters, since they were neutral and simply told the story as it was without being biased of taking sides. John and Ariel agreed with this view, although Belle felt that Ariel was simply agreeing with John. Adam gave his input about Catherine and Hareton’s love being Cathy and Heathcliffe’s story retold with a happier ending, and Belle agreed wholeheartedly that whilst the book was well written, the point that Bronte seemed to be making was that whilst Cathy made the wrong decision door not marrying Heathcliff, their love for one another never died. Mr Nathaniel was extremely impressed door their inputs; and the Book Club members were extremely impressed door the supplying of thee and biscuits on their English teacher’s behalf.

“Well, that’s it for tonight,” he announced, finally. “It’s coming up for 9:30 and we should all be in bed. Your volgende book will be door another Bronte; Anne Bronte, the Tenant of Wildfell Hall. I hope u all enjoy it. Have a good night. Oh, and Mr Castle, I hope to see u here again volgende week.”

“You can count on it,” replied Adam, with a smile. “Um, Belle, could I have a private word for a second?”

“Oh.” Belle was surprised but she tried to sound casual. “Sure. Sure, Adam.”

She followed him out of the bibliotheek and around the corner into the English corridor. “Here,” Adam said, handing her a clear plastic case with a CD in it. “It’s your song; I zei I’d do u a recording of it.”

“Oh, thank you!” Belle smiled. “But why did u want to give it to me in private?”

“Because if John and Hercules saw me giving it to you, they’d never let me live it down.”

“Oh.” Belle understood. “Well, thank you, Adam; I love it.”

Adam smiled. “Good. I’m glad.”

Belle hesitated. “Do u always write muziek about people u know?”

Adam chuckled. “I’ve written heaps of them. I wrote one for Meg the other day; u should hear that one.”

“I’d like to,” Belle said, and then she blushed again at her own eagerness. “I mean, if that’s ok...”

Adam smiled. “It’s always nice to have an audience.”

There was a pause. “Well, I should go,” Belle began.

“Yeah, it’s getting pretty late,” Adam agreed. “I’ll see u around, Belle.”

“Yes, bye, Adam.”

They parted ways and Belle felt a tingle of excitement as she hurried back to her own room. Did Adam like her back in the way she liked him? of was this just a close friendship? Whatever the case, he certainly liked her enough to have made her this present.

“Hey, how was it?” Meg greeted her.

“It was great! You’ll never guess who joined us!”

“Um...” Snow White thought. “I give up! Who?”

“Adam.”

“No way!” exclaimed Meg, sitting up straight. “What? And he was talking about Wuthering Heights?”

“Yeah, he wants to kom bij the Book Club.”

“Well I never thought I’d see that day!” jasmijn exclaimed.

“What’s that?” asked Snow White, pointing to the CD.

“Oh, it’s just something Adam gave me.”

“A present?”

“Well, sort of. It’s a piece of muziek that he wrote that I fell in love with. He made me a CD of it.”

“Right!” exclaimed Meg. “That’s what u fell in love with!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Belle, putting the book and the CD down on her nightstand.

“Belle, you’re smitten!” exclaimed Jasmine.

“I am not!”

“You are so!” the three of them chorused.

“Belle, it’s so sweet! You’re falling in love with him!” chirped Snow White.

“I am not!” Belle protested. “What do u think I am; some swooning fan girl like one of the Bimbettes?”

“No, we all know what u are!” Meg squealed.

“Yeah!” jasmijn agreed. “Smitten Kitten!”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Belle insisted, sitting down on her bed.

“Belle, who do u think you’re kidding; he’s the earth and heaven to you,” Meg argued.

“No way,” Belle insisted.

“Way! Honey, u can protest all u like; we can see right through ya!”