Audrey sighed, irritated, as she stomped back to her room. Her roommates were all out so she was alone, but two seconds later there was a knock at her door.

“Who’s there?” she called.

“Hey, it’s Jim!”

Relieved, she went to let him in. “Jim, you would not believe what Belle’s just been saying!”

“Yes, I would.” Calmly, Jim folded his arms. “She told you that you were sick, right?”

“Oh, don’t you start!”

“Audrey, it’s the truth! Everyone can see it but you!”

“I am not sick!” Even as she said it, she knew that she was lying to him. “Why can’t everyone just leave me alone? And what did you have to tell her for? It’s none of her business!”

“Maybe, but I was desperate!”

“Desperate?”

“Desperate to make you see sense!” Jim caught her by the arms. “Look at you! There’s barely anything of you!”

“Stop it!” Audrey flung his hands off her. “Stop lying to me, Jim!”

He stared at her. “Audrey, I’m not lying!”

“Yes, you are! Look at me!” Audrey turned and stared at her reflection in the mirror. “Look at all this!” She plucked at barely any flesh on her arm. “It’s awful!”

Jim was alarmed. She really was sick. She really couldn’t see just how painfully thin she was. “Audrey, you’re beginning to scare me.”

“It just doesn’t go!” Audrey cried. “I exercise! I diet! It still stays on! What is wrong with me, Jim?”

“You’re anorexic!”

“I am not!”

“You are!” Jim stepped up to her. “And I won’t see you do this to yourself, Audrey! Just admit you need help!”

“I don’t need help, from you or anyone!”

Her sharpness stung both of them. Jim sighed. “Fine. I’ve tried. I’ve done my best. I give up. But if you insist on killing yourself like this, then I can’t be with you anymore.”

Audrey stared at him. “What? What do you mean?”

“I love you, Audrey, but I can’t watch you do this to yourself.” Jim took a deep, heaving breath. He was actually on the verge of tears. “It’s over. I’m sorry.”

“No!” Audrey grabbed his arm, desperately, as he turned to go. “No, please, Jim! Don’t leave me! I know I’m not beautiful like Snow White or Belle or any of the other girls here, but please, I love you! Please don’t leave me!” In tears, she sank to the floor. “Please!”

Jim dropped to his knees beside her and gathered her in his arms. He was confused. “Audrey, what do you mean?”

“I’m not beautiful but I can be! Please, just let me!”

“You...don’t think you’re beautiful?” Jim was slowly beginning to understand. “You think that not eating and losing all this weight will make me want you?”

She began to sob into his shoulder. “Don’t leave me, please.”

“Audrey, you are beautiful,” Jim told her, holding her tightly. “You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on, and so much more than that too. You’re my best friend; my missing half. I don’t want to lose you; don’t you understand? That’s what’ll happen if you keep starving yourself! I’ll lose you! I don’t want that!”

“But-”

“Audrey, listen to me. You’re making yourself less beautiful by doing this. If you keep this up, you’re not going to be the girl I fell in love with in the first place anymore.” Jim looked at her. “When we first started going out, you remember, when we used to roll in the field after dark, and now, well, now I’m afraid of touching you in case you break.”

Audrey looked up at him; tears in her beautiful eyes. “You think I’m beautiful now, Jim?”

“Yes.”

“But...look at me.”

“I am.” Jim cupped her face and turned her to him. “I see a smart, strong and beautiful girl who took my heart the moment I met her; and who’s foolishly wasting herself away because she’s worried she’s no longer attractive. Audrey, I’ll always love you, no matter what; but if you starve yourself to death, there won’t be any of you left to love.”

His words finally shook some sense into her. “Jim?”

“Yes?”

She smiled. “I’m starving.”

Jim sighed. “Then we can’t be together if you insist-”

“No.” She cupped his cheek. “I mean I’m hungry right now. Let’s eat.”

He eyed her, carefully. “You’ll eat? Properly?”

“Every last mouthful.”

“And you won’t make yourself sick afterwards?”

“Will you leave me if I do?”

“I’ll have to.”

“Then I won’t. Jim,” she took a deep breath, “Help me.”

In relief, Jim kissed her forehead. “Oh, Audrey. Yes, I’ll help you.”

If Belle had known what was going on in Audrey’s room, she too would have been relieved; but being in the school hall, having put up the rest of Mr Genie’s posters, with Adam, she didn’t. She stepped up on the stage, which was a lot bigger than the one in the Drama room and looked around. “This is where we’ll be performing the Summer concert?”

“Yep!” Adam removed the dustsheet from the piano. “How about you show me what you can do, seeing as your up there now?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Sing for me.”

Belle laughed. “You sound like the Phantom.”

“I’m serious, Belle.” Adam smiled. “You might as well practise for the auditions.”

“There’s no music.” Truth be told, Belle was suddenly nervous about singing for the boy she had deep feelings for.

Adam pressed a note on the keyboard. “There is now.” He flicked through the music sheets on the piano stand. “What sort of music do you like?”

Belle looked embarrassed. “Truth be told, I don’t listen to music much, Adam.”

“Oh, Belle, you’re hopeless!” Adam laughed. “There must be some song you know.”

“Well, there is one I like a lot.”

“Yeah?” Adam gestured for her to sing. “Let’s hear it.”

Belle hesitated. “Bear in mind my voice isn’t great, Adam.”

“I’m bearing it in mind, Belle. Now, stop stalling.”

Belle took a deep breath. “Every evening brings an ending. Every day becomes a legacy. Every sunset leads to morning, with the promise of opportunity. We can reach for the stars we find along the way, dreaming as we learn to love every day. Promise you will take my hand, as tomorrow comes, we’ll go on. We’ll go on, growing closer through the years. Moving on, through the good times and the tears. Ever on, another thousand circles ‘round the sun. If two can be as one, we’ll go on.”

Adam was silent for a minute after she’d finished. When he finally spoke, he said “Belle, you are such a liar.”

She looked at him, confused. “What?”

“You said you couldn’t sing. You’ve a wonderful voice.”

Belle blushed at the compliment. “I don’t think so.”

“Trust me. You do.”

Her blush deepened. “Well, thank you.”

“How about we try it with the music?” Adam moved over to the piano.

“Do you know it?”

“Yes.”

“What’s it called? I learned the words but I never found out what the song was called.”

“It’s called Promise. Ready?”

She nodded, all nerves suddenly leaving her. “Ready.”

As Adam played and Belle sang, she realised that she had no need to be nervous of doing anything at all when Adam was around...