In Captivity

Alec's POV

"You must make friends" Lumière croaks, I nod. I'm too nervous to speak I have to go to school. Lumière's wrinkles wobble as he climbs into his wheel chair, I start to push him up the ramp but I am a little weak.

"Do you want me to deliver him to the hospital, master?" my driver sticks his head through the window.

"Lumière is not an animal, you do not deliver him, you drive him. Be careful with him." I frown.

"I'll be alright, you go on now boy. Have fun at school." Lumière's old voice echoes behind me. I wave goodbye and continue to walk up to the school gate. The principle is standing at the door looking at his watch, I've met him before, and I have no idea how he got to run a school, he has the brain of a Fruit-fly, Fruit-flies have the smallest brain. Lumière taught me this, for every birthday since my parents passed away he has given me 20 books, I own more than 300 books too myself not including my parents library. I've always enjoyed reading, reading book taught me more than you can learn from one year at high school.

"Ah, you are here. Alex is it?" He absent-mindedly asked. He sounded more like a toad than a fruit fly.

"No." I grunted. I have no shame in my terrible people skills.

"So are you going to tell me?" Actually I think he might have the brain of a jelly-fish, they are the only organisms to not have a brain.

"No." I grunted once again. The principle gives me a strange look and takes me up to the front office.

"We have a lovely student to show you around, her name is Belle." Belle, the French name for beauty.

We find Belle sitting in a lovely yellow sundress, glasses perched on the peak her nose. Her head is engrossed in a book which looks to me like Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, a classic. Belle's brown curls rest behind her ears in a loose pony tail, her name really does define her.

"Belle, I need you to show this boy around, Okay?" The principle looks in a hurry.

"Okay..." She smiles at me. The principle winks and wanders into his office.

"Hi, My name is Belle." Her voice is quiet and innocent. I nod.

She shows me around the basics of the school, the cafeteria, the gym, a few of the classrooms and her favourite place to sit quietly and read- an elegant blossom tree at the back of the school field. If it wasn't for my poor social skills I would come to this beautiful tree and read with Belle, we might just be reading together but I might not even be able to say yes or no to her.

"So... do you like it here?" She is shy, It's cute. I nod, again.

"I don't, I hate it here! There is so many boys that just... ugh!" I understand her, but I feel bad for her.

Lumière is in his bedroom accompanied by his nurse when I get back, she tells me to let him rest.

"Can I please see him? He would want to see me." I try peak over her shoulder to see how he is doing.

"He is asleep, honey." She gives me a fake smile.

"Don't call me 'honey'." I slam the door and walk to my library.

I pick up a book called: Symptoms of dying of old age. It was left open on page 127:

Sickness

It is important to look for both signs and symptoms of physical discomfort in someone who is near the end of life.

Examples include

pain

breathing problems

digestive problems

skin problems

feeling too hot or cold

fatigue

distress

dementia

delirium.

Pain, breathing problems, Feeling too hot or cold, and fatigue was highlighted yellow.

I know who was reading this. The book was sat open on Lumière's chair. I drop the book in disgust and storm into his room.

"What do you think you are doing, young boy?" Nurse's fat face turns red. I walk straight past her and kneel next to Lumière's face.

"Why would you need to think you are dying! You are just sick, with the flu or maybe its just a cold. You are not going to die!" tears start to sting my eyes, I try to blink the tears away but I can't stand it.

"You are angry because you are overwhelmed, Alec. There is nothing to be afraid of, you are old enough to care for yourself. after you mother and father died I was there for you, now you are here for me. You need to understand that I love you, and you are more than just a wealthy, lonely boy. You are much more than that." His breathing is deep and slow, I reach out and place my hand on his heartbeat. The beats on the heart monitor match the beats I feel through my palms, the colour drains from his face and his heartbeat fades to a long tone. Rest in peace Lumière.

I don't want to go to school but I do anyway, Lumière would have wanted me to. I don't wear my suit today, it seems inappropriate as half the school would think me as an outcast. I slip into a pair of skinny jeans, a grey t-shirt, and some Converse All Stars.

I'm walking through the front gate trying to blend in with the others. As you would see in a typical high school movie, there is an assortment of different crowds, but here you can be a nerdy jock, a goth cheerleader, or a rich outcast. I see Belle with neither of these cliques, but by herself continuing her book under her favourite tree. I want to walk over to her but I just admire her from the shady side of the court. She is beautiful enough to be a Greek goddess like both Athena and Aphrodite. She is pulchritudinous, a word that Lumière had taught me when I pronounced the word 'beauteous' wrong. The thought of him sets me off, I silently sob, wishing that no one can hear me. Belle doesn't hear me but she walks up to me and comforts me.

"I am not a mind reader but is it your grandfather?" She is so clueless, it's adorable.

"He wasn't my grandfather, but my tutor, after my mother and father passed away he has raised me." I think that was the first thing I have said to her. She grins at the sound of my voice, but then saddens a little at the realisation of what I had just said.

"My god, I am so sorry... um... I didn't catch your name."

"Alec Beast. Sorry the last name is a little intimidating." She smiles, I hope she likes my name. I hope she likes me.

"Belle Beauty, yes, my name means beauty beauty. My mother loved that name and then she met my dad, so..." She giggles.

I feel confident with talking to her until she mentioned her name, that's when I realised who I was actually talking to. I swallowed hard and held my breath. Everything went black.