Chapter 9: The Jessie Belles Are Ringing

(Jessie)

“Look there it is!” I shout to Meowth.

Yep, looming up on us is James’ gigantic Mansion. Finally, it seems as though we floated over the Main Gate half an hour ago. I better set the balloon down in the trees, don’t want to attract any un-necessary attention, if you know what I mean.

I clamber out of the basket onto solid ground. I look around and see a wood chip path leading through the woods to the Mansion. I grab a bag from the basket and head off into the woods.

“Jess where ya going?!” yells Meowth.

“No where, I’m just getting changed.”

“Changed? Into what?”

“You’ll see in a minute.”

I have a full proof plan to fool that butler, and with this disguise I’ll probably fool James too.

15 minutes later I come out of the woods back to the balloon in my full getup. Meowth turns to look at shrieks and me.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! What are you doing here? I, I was just leaving.”

He starts to quickly get back into the basket and shouts in the direction I came from.

“Jess! We got company will ya hurry up in dere?!”

I giggle, well, this disguise has certainly fooled him, but my fun isn’t over yet. I slowly walk over to him and put my hand on the basket. Now I put in my fake accent.

“Well well, if it isn’t that disgusting scratch cat that hangs around with my dearest James. Now you’re here you can tell me he’s gotten off too.”

“L, listen Jessiebelle I ain’t ‘ere to see no weddin’ or anyt’ing so I ain’t tellin’ ya where he is.”

Heheh, not that he’d know anyway. Time to end the fun.

“Oh, it’s just I’ve been searching for him this mornin’ by asking people if they’ve seen him in this photograph.”

I pull the photo of James out my pocket and show it to Meowth. He stares at it for a moment then stares at me. Suddenly, an anger mark appears on his forehead and he swipes me across my face.

“Don’t do dat ta me!!!” he yells.

Argghh! He’s ruined my perfection!

“How dare you!” I yell back at him, hitting him over the head with my mallet. Well, he deserved it.

“Well, now I know my plan is full proof, all I need now is for you to play along.”

“Me? Wat do I ‘ave ta do?”

I smirk evilly at him. I grab him by his Charm again and drag him down the path.

“I’ll explain on the way.”

About 10 minutes later, we come to the end of the woods and the Mansion is in full view. Well, time to find James and…and apologise. Arghh, look what he’s got me doing! All this for a guy. You’d think a girl would learn.

Still carrying Meowth in my arms, I walk up to the huge doors, take a deep breath, and knock on the door.

“Dis had be’der woirk.” Whispers Meowth

“Quiet.” I snap back.

A few moments later, the door is pulled open and Hopkins is standing there. Suddenly, I feel very nervous, but I mustn’t give away my identity.

“Oh, Miss Jessiebelle. I thought you were upstairs with Master James?”

Upstairs with Master James? Dam, she is here, this is going to make things more difficult….upstairs with Master James? God, if she lays one finger on my James she’s gonna be wearing that whip as necklace, or rather a choker. Well, here goes.

“I was yes, but I just came outside to get something from that horrid Growlithes house and, oh dear, I must have dropped my keys inside somewhere. Anyway, when I was walking back, I found this talking Meowth wondering around. It’s the same one that my dearest James has; I was just thinking I could use it to my advantage over James. By the way, you couldn’t go and find my keys for me could you Hopkins?”

Wow, that was long. I hope it didn't sound like I was too nervous.

“Of course Miss Jessiebelle.”

With that said, he turns around and claps his hands to the servants in the Hall.

“Everybody stop what you are doing! Miss Jessiebelle has lost her keys and we must find them immediately!”

All the servants got down on their knees searching for the keys I don’t even own, let alone lost. They all gradually move into various other rooms, and the Hall becomes empty. Well, my disguise fooled them; the key searching will keep the servants busy for a while, so now it’s time to find James.

“Come on.”

I walk up the left staircase. Unfortunately on my last visit I didn’t get the guided tour, so now I’m gonna have to do some searching. No one was down the corridor, so I slowly opened the first door. Looks like gymnasium, empty. The second door. Empty, apart from a couple of expensive looking statues and paintings. Third door. A bedroom, also empty. Fourth door. Sounds like a couple of servants are in there. Fifth door. I hear someone’s voice. I put my ear to the door and listen carefully.

“Growly! Growly! Get the key!”

It sounds like James! I hope it is.

“An’ don’t let me catch you doing that again!”

“Yes Miss.”

I jump out of my skin and spin around to the fourth door. There, with the door wide open, stood Jessiebelle, half in and half out of the doorframe, luckily still looking in the room. Quickly grabbing Meowth I pull him in with me to the next door, shutting it behind me. I put my ear to the door.

“Now then James, before the wedding starts...”

Wedding. What is wrong with her? Can’t she understand that James doesn’t want to marry her? Mmm, I wish he’d want to marry me……….whoa, where’d that come from? Argh, snap out of it! What is wrong with me let alone her? Seems every girl James meets wants to marry him. Hehe, I can see why…..oohhhh! STOP IT!! Now I’m standing here talking to myself. Suddenly I feel a tug at my skirt.

“Jess, I t’ink we got company.”

“Why Jessiebelle? What on Earth are you doing?”

Uh oh. I turn around. There in front of Meowth and I are seven people, looks like they must be on a family visit. I gulp. Think.

“Well…I, I was, I just, thought I heard something outside, and, in my rush to get back I must ‘ave run into the wrong room.”

They look at Meowth by my feet.

“But why have you brought that thing in here?”

Ummm, how am I going to get out of this one?

“I…caught it while I was outside.”

I brought a spare Pokèball out of my pocket and through it at Meowth.

“Hey Jess what are ya doin’?!”

Before he had time to complain any more, he was sucked up into the Pokèball. I held it tight so he couldn’t get out. I hate to do it to him, but it was the only option I had. I smile sweetly at the group, hoping that that excuse would work.

“Oh, well, anyway, how are you and James getting on? I hear the Wedding is ready to be performed some when today correct?

Errr…

“Yes, it is,” I answer.

James is in trouble, what am I going to do?

(James)

Feathers. Feathery pillows. I can feel soft pillows. A bed. Soft bed, mmmm, very soft bed. I can hear something, someone’s voice. I pull the covers over my head, only to feel them being pulled back again. I try to open my eyes, but all I can see is a blur. A blur of red surrounded by a light grey. I blink a couple of times as the image before me gradually comes into focus. Hmm, could it be?

“Jessie?” I ask quietly.

“Put a Belle on the end and you’ll be there. Wedding Bell that is.”

Bell? Jessie? Ohhhhh, Jessiebelle. Now I really want to pull the covers over my head.

“Come come James. You must wake up, we have to fulfil your parents Will, we must get married today.”

Married? Will? Oh no. It’s all coming back to me now. What on Earth am I going to do? I’m not marrying Jessiebelle that’s for sure; I’d rather marry that Twerp Misty than Jessiebelle. Than again I’d rather marry Jessie over any of them. Jessie. Oh I miss her. I look over at the clock on the desk. 2.19pm. God, look at me. One morning without Jessie and look what I’ve gotten myself into already. One morning without Jessie and I’ve never missed her so much. I’m starting to feel guilty now, about that argument. Jessie still doesn’t know the main reason why I left, to come here. Although that wasn’t the only reason. I would have gone back in the morning, and I now wish I had. If I hadn’t got into that limousine and come here, I wouldn’t have gotten into this mess in the first place. If I had gone back, if I had just tried to talk to Jessie to say…to say I’m sorry.

“Now then James, your suit is being pressed downstairs in the washer room and the chef’s are preparing the food. We might as well get married today, after all, all your family are here.”

Suddenly, my head cleared of Jessie and I suddenly realised what was happening.

“There is not a chance in this world I would ever marry you!” I shout at her.

She turns around sharply and stares angrily at me.

“I don’t know if you have forgotten during your little blackout, but I swore I would follow you to the ends of the Earth and the bottom of the sea James dearest. And now I finally have you here, we can fulfil your parents Will and get married.”

“No! My parents Will said I had to marry anyone I desire by my next birthday, and that certainly isn’t you!”

She leaned closer to me.

“Yes. But seen as you said there is no one you desire at this time, I’m afraid I’m gonna have to do.”

She stood up straight again and turned towards the door. I have to do something. There is no way I am marrying her, never, never, never! I…wait, I can marry anyone I desire? This, this, can’t be happening. Not now. No, I don’t feel like that towards Jessie. It’s just the thought of finally getting all this fortune. I just, I just can’t do that, I just…sigh…I just can’t live without her. It’s true. I can’t. I miss her, and I want her back. I want to say I’m sorry, I want to let her know that I’d never walk out like that again, I…I love her.

“Your wrong!” I shout to Jessiebelle, getting up of the bed and standing up. “There is someone, someone I do desire.” Jee that sounds really stupid saying that out loud.

She looks at me sternly, almost daring me to say any other name than hers.

“And who might that be James?” she said mockingly.

“J…Jessie.” I say quietly, waiting for her response.

Her lips twitch, almost laughing.

“Jessie? Surely you can’t mean that ragamuffin street rat you hang around with? What on Earth could you possibly see in that poor little failure?”

I scowl at her.

“She’s not a street rat.” I say through clenched teeth. She is really getting on my nerves now. “And because she’s the one I want to marry, means that I don’t have to marry you! So kindly get out!”

She stands there completely calm just looking at me. She doesn’t even move. I gulp. She starts moving slowly towards me and I start moving back. I find I can’t move back any further as I hit the wall. She walks straight up in front of me and leans towards me as close as she could get.

“That maybe so James. But she’s not here, and I am.”

I really hated her. It made me feel sick feeling her so close. Suddenly, a large crashing sound came from the room next door. Jessiebelle backed away from me and scowled towards the wall.

“If those servants have broke another vase…” she mumbles to herself.

She turns towards the door. Yes, this is my chance to escape. As soon as she’s closed the door behind her, I’ll open it and run out of here.

“Now now James dearest don’t get any ideas, there’s no way you can escape from this room. Not when I have the key.”

She produces a key from her pocket and walks out the door, locking it behind her. Great, that didn’t go to plan. I sit down on my bed and sigh. How am I going to get out of this? I pick up a photo frame with a picture of Growly and I when I was younger. Growly! Of course!! When I was younger, I always kept a spare room key in Growly’s doghouse in case Jessiebelle locked me in my room, which she always used to do. I leap up of the bed and lean out the open window.

“Growly!”

Below me Growly comes charging out of the bushes chasing a Pidgey, which flaps its wings and flutters up into the air, Growly barking at it on the ground. I shout again.

“Growly!”

He looks up at me and barks happily.

“Get the key!”

I’ve done this routine so many times he knows exactly what I’m talking about. I could try to pick the lock, but I used to do that when I was younger, and that caused my parents to install these weird kinds of locks on all the doors, ones that are practically impossible to lock pick.

Immediately Growly runs into his doghouse, but before I could see whether comes back or not, I hear the lock on the door click. I quickly step away from the window and sit back down on my bed. In walks Jessiebelle, mumbling something about the servants being disorganised. She turns and locks the door again, putting the key back in her pocket.

“Now then James, before the Wedding starts, I must re-teach you how to act the gentleman. I can’t have you ruining the wedding with your reckless behaviour.”

She walks towards me with that god awful whip of hers by her side. I gulp, this, is going, to hurt.

Jessie…help…