Walt E. Disney High

Chapter 17

ANNA

As I was turning off the TV because we were getting bored, I recognized the time. It was 10:00, and Ariel had been out of rehearsal for four hours.

"What color nail polish do you want, Anna?" Punz asked from the floor.

"Um, yellow," I said distractedly. "Guys? Hasn't Ariel been out for like, a really long time?"

Rapunzel and Moana glanced up at the clock and let out soft gasps. "Yeah," Moana replied quietly, concern lacing her voice. "Do you think she's okay?"

I looked at Punz worriedly. She looked equally frightened. "I'll call her," she said, standing up and reaching for her phone. The room was silent as it rang. The blonde looked afraid as she took it away from her ear. "No answer."

I inhaled sharply. "Eric wouldn't have done anything to her though, right? He couldn't have," I insisted, pacing back and forth. Moana looked like she was in shock. I tried calling Ariel once more with my phone, but no such luck.

"Maybe she's in Eric's dorm?" I asked desperately, wringing my hands.

"But why wouldn't she answer the phone?" Moana pointed out, her breathing fearful and heavy.

"Maybe she's asleep," Punz contributed, looking like she didn't believe that for one moment.

"Let's go down and ask Lady Tremaine if she saw her walk in," I proposed, slipping on shoes. The other two nodded and hurried to do the same. We ran down the hall and to the elevators, smashing the button repeatedly. When we reached the lobby floor, we almost crashed into someone trying to get onto the elevator.

It was Eric. Without Ariel.

"Eric!" Moana cried frantically, clutching onto his shirt. "Where's Ariel?" He looked down at her in confusion, his eyebrows drawing together.

"I don't know. I left her at the diner and then went out for... a walk."

Punzie gasped. "Alone? You left her to walk home, late at night, alone?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "We, uh, sort of got in an argument. We're not in a very good place right now."

I scoffed. "Yeah, well neither are we because we can't find her anywhere! She's been gone for hours, and we have no idea where she is!"

"But – " he began, looking anxious.

"Come on," I said forcefully, grabbing him by the elbow. "You're helping us look for her."

"I really don't think that's necessary, she'll probably be back any minute. Besides, we only have an hour to be inside," he protested as we marched over to Tremaine's desk. She looked like she was in a very bad mood, but then again, she always looks like that.

"Well, then you'd better stop complaining so that we can find her faster," Moana muttered under her breath as we arrived at the front desk.

"Excuse me, Lady Tremaine, but have you seen Ariel Atlantica return recently? Did she check in?" Rapunzel asked politely, smiling at her.

The woman glanced down at her sign-in sheet, not moving, and looked back at Punz. "I have not."

Moana cursed under her breath.

"Do you know where she is?" Tremaine asked. "She has to be inside at 11."

"Yeah, we know, that's why we're going to find her," I said, tightening my grip on Eric's shirt and we all made for the door.

"Be back by 11," Tremaine called sternly after us.

"We will!" Punz replied, sending a nervous glance at me. We didn't know if we would be back.