𝐀 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐬 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐀𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞

𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐀 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞

With no memory of that night at the castle, Leta had forgotten about the friends she had made and the prince. Like most of the town, she knew there was something missing, but she didn't know what. Life was lonely, but that was just how it was. Leta lived in the village with her father Phillip. They owned a little farm of sorts on the edge of town. She lived the simple life that she
most definitely enjoyed. Though she participated in the everyday functions of the village, she and her friend Belle were considered odd. The only reason for this was that the two girls read books. Unlike everyone else in the village that was illiterate, Leta and Belle enjoyed reading. No one else owned books other than Père Robert, who was more than happy to lend her one. Belle was Leta's only friend. Their fathers were close as well. Both were inventors, but Maurice was at points the laughing stock of the village. As for her father, Monsieur Phillip was well respected to the people of Villeneuve. He knew of things they called his daughter, but he had pride in the fact that his daughter was educated. For what father could possibly hate an ability that enhanced the life of his daughter? Leta woke up early every morning, coming to do her daily rounds in the village. She had learned by now to avoid the whispers that people made about her. She was proud of herself and her lifestyle, and that's all that mattered.
"Little town, it's a quiet village
Every day like the one before
Little town, full of little people
Waking up to say..."
Leta walked down her steps mumbling the tune, waiting for the whole village to awaken. One the clock hit the hour mark, it seemed that everyone was up.
"Bonjour!"
"Bonjour!"
"Bonjour!"
"Bonjour!"
"Bonjour!" Greeted the drunken man that was being put into a cell.
Laughing lightly at the man, Leta kept along walking.
"There goes the baker with his try like always, the same old bread and rolls to sell. Every morning just the same, since the morning that we came it this poor provincial town"
"Good morning Leta!" Monsieur Jean greeted the girl "Good morning Monsieur Jean. Have you lost something again?" Leta asked "Well I believe I have. Problem is, I've-I can't remember what" He had given up trying to figure out what it was "Oh well, I'm sure it'll come to me. Where are you off to?" "To return this book to Père Robert. It's about two lovers in fair
Verona" Leta informed him "Sounds boring" With that, both Leta and Monsieur Jean continued to do what they always did
"Look there she goes, that girl is strange, no question"
The boys walking into the school said.
"Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?"
The headmaster said, ushering the boys inside. Let's went along her merry way, jumping on the rocks across the pond. She was always lively even though she could hear the things people said about her.
"Never part of any crowd cause her head's up on some cloud"
The women said.
"No denying she's a funny girl"
The small children said as Leta passed them.
"Bonjour! Good day! How is your family?" "Bonjour! Good day! How is your wife?" "I need six eggs. That's too expensive" "There must be more than this provincial life"
Leta repeated to herself. She then found herself arriving at Père Robert's "Ah! If it isn't one of the only bookworm in town. So, where did you run off to this week?" Père Robert asked the girl "Town cities in Northern Italy. I didn't want to come back. Have you got any new places to go?" Leta asked him. It seemed that he was the only friend she had in town "I'm afraid not, but you may re-read any of the old ones that you'd like" He told her. Walking over to grab the book off the table she turned and smiled "Your library makes our small corner of the world feel big" She said to Père Robert as she made her way towards the door. Just as she was about to exit, in walked Belle "Well good morning Leta" "Good morning Belle" Leta replied to her friend with a bright smile "What book did you just finish?" Belle asked "Romeo and Juliet" Leta replied, knowing it was one of Belle's
favorites "Well, I surely would love to read it again" Belle said with a little hop
in her step "I know you would. Goodbye Belle. Thank you you so much for the book" Leta said as she exited "Bon voyage!" Père Robert waved goodbye.
"Look there she goes, the girl is so peculiar"
The  men said to each other
"I wonder if she's feeling well"
The one man received a look from the
others.
"With a dreamy far off look and her nose stuck in a book. What a puzzle to the rest of us"
Everyone in the village agreed.
Ignoring everyone, she gushed about the book she was reading
"Oh, isn't this amazing? It's my favorite part because, you'll see. Here's where she meets Prince Charming, but she won't discover that it's him till chapter three" "Now it's no wonder that her name means angelic. Her looks have got no parallel"
The woman praised as Leta walked past her
"But behind that fare facade, I'm afraid she's rather odd"
The Bimbettes said.
"Very different from the rest us" "She's nothing like the rest of us"
The Bimbettes argued. From the hill across from the village stood LeFou and Gaston on horseback.Extending his telescope, Gaston put his focus on Leta "Look at her LeFou, my future wife. Leta is the most beautiful girl in the
village. That makes her the best" LeFou was unpleased with the way he spoke of the girl. True there was some feeling he had towards Gaston, he felt bad for the girl. Gaston couldn't tell that Leta wanted nothing to do with him "But she's so...well read" LeFou tried to explain "And you're so...athletically inclined" "I know. Leta can be as argumentative as she is beautiful"Gaston said, still looking towards the village "Exactly" LeFou tried to point out "Who needs her when you've got
us?" "Yes, but ever since the war I've felt like I've been missing something And she's the only girl that gives that sense of..." Gaston couldn't think of how to finish his sentence "Mmm..je ne sais quoi?" LeFou suggested "I don't know what that means" Gaston told his friend as they continued into town.
"Right from the moment that I met her, saw her. I said she's gorgeous and I fell. For in town there's only she who is as beautiful as me. So I'm making plans to woo and marry Leta"
LeFou rolled his eyes at the foolishness. For he could tell that there was something holding Leta back. Like there was someone who had ahold of her heart.
"Look there he goes. Isn't he dreamy? Monsieur Gaston, oh he's so cute! Be still, my heart. I'm barely breathing. He's such a tall, dark, strong, and handsomely brute"
The bimbettes gushed as Gaston
stood in front on them. Little did the bimbettes notice that Gaston's horse was stomping in the mud. Out of nowhere, the horse kicked the mud at the girls. Gaston laughed and walked away. LeFou stopped and looked at them "It's never gonna happen ladies"He then caught up with Gaston as they walked through the village.
Gaston tried to move through the people politely, trying to reach Leta "Bonjour!" "Pardon" Gaston said "Good day" Leta responded "Mais oui!" "You call this bacon?" "What lovely flowers!" "Some cheese" "Ten yards" "One pound" "Excuse me" Gaston said "I'll get the knife" "Please let me through" Gaston pleaded "This bread" "Those fish" "It's stale!" "They smell "Madame's mistake" "Well, maybe so" "There must be more than this provincial life"
Leta muttered, but it sounded like screaming to her.
"Just watch, I'm going to make Leta my wife"
Gaston said as he got closer to said girl.
"Look there she goes, that girl is strange no question. A most peculiar
mademoiselle. It's a pity and a sin. She doesn't quite fit in. Cause she really is a funny girl. A beauty, but a funny girl. She really is a funny girl"
It seemed as thought the whole town was about to her. By the time Gaston reached Leta, she stood in the middle of the town center. Wasting no time at all, Gaston confronted her "Good morning Leta" Gaston smiled "Ah, wonderful book you have there" "Have you read it?" Leta asked, looking down at her book in confusion. She really had no idea that Gaston read. He hesitated "W-well not that one, but you know. Books. Ha" Gaston laughed awkwardly "For your dinner table" A bouquet of flowers were shoved in front of Leta "Shall I join you this evening?" "Sorry. Not this evening" Leta replied simply "Busy?" Gaston asked, and his face seemed to drop "No" Leta said to the man and rolled her eyes. She left him
standing there, looking like a man who lost his dog "So" LeFou said standing beside his friend "Moving on?" "No LeFou" Gaston replied "It's the ones who play hard to get that are always the sweetest prey. That's what makes Leta so appealing, she hasn't made a fool of herself just to gain my favor. What would you call that?" "Dignity" LeFou replied simply "It's outrageously attractive, isn't it?" Gaston asked, but walked off when he noticed the Bimbettes. LeFou repeated the noise Gaston made and followed behind him.
As for Leta, she walked home, looking back every once in a while to make sure Gaston wasn't following. Who did he think he was asking himself over for dinner? She didn't know how much longer she could be nice to him about it all. She was growing tired of his
constant asking. Once arriving home, she heard a noise coming from the lower part of the house 'He must be down in the cellar working on his contraptions' Leta thought. Still holding the book in her hand, she placed it on her bed. Thinking about the fairytale, there was something that always resonated with
her. She didn't know if it was the romance or if it was just the whole
story itself. It reminded her of something or someone she once knew,
but she couldn't place her finger on it.
Thinking back to what Gaston said, she was repulsed. Leta had always seen herself more than likely living out the rest of her days alone. Though she had the idea of the perfect man inside her head, she knew it was only her imagination. Still, his beautiful blue eyes would make her melt when she saw him in her dreams. She was dancing with the man of her dreams. It seemed he was a prince, much taller than her with blonde hair. Too bad he was just a figment of her imagination. Or was he?