Disclaimer: I own nothing.
It started with a look.
A simple look that would cause me to go against everything my mother had taught me. Maybe not. I didn't have one at the time and I don't think they explained that kind of behavior to my poor widow of a father. It wasn't like he was a bad father, because none really are, (or so I'd thought at the time) but he just didn't know how to handle me sometimes. Since his wife, and my mother, got caught in the horrible, life-stealing middle of a ten car pile up two winters ago, he just wasn't the same.
Neither was I.
Now I'd heard of Elsa Mariani. Her name came up many a times in conversations around the school, but I just didn't know who it belonged to. Though when I eventually saw her, I didn't realize I was holding my breath until my head began to feel a little dizzy. Her smile was actually the first thing I noticed. It was crooked and a bit awkward, but it only added to the amazing charm she exuded from a distance.
The next thing I noticed was her gentle accent. I honestly had no real idea what she was talking about because I was way too focused on the slight caress of each word as it left her entrancing mouth. Did she say something about the school? I didn't have time to ponder much as her eyes inadvertently swept over mine. They were blue. Crazy, electric blue. Like the color of a glacier. And her hair? The only way I could describe it was the snowy white of a mountain under the moonlight. It also looked as soft as silk.
She was, in a word: Gorgeous.
I was very nearly stupefied and when the students around me suddenly began to clap as she gave a courteous bow, my eyes finally had to look away. What happened? Is she done? When the beauty dismounted the podium, I felt unfamiliar tingles run all down my body to the tips of my fingers from possibly sitting in the same position the whole time. But that would have been a downright lie because it also felt like I'd been struck by Cupid's arrow all of a sudden. Wow. And that was besides the point.
Apparently, Elsa had just become our new Student Council President.
As the days progressed, so did my interest in the girl that caught me by surprise.
In just a few days I could already see that Miss President was actually quite popular whether she wanted to admit it or not. She even had a small group of fangirls that began to follow her wherever she went. It was like everyone wanted her attention and it was a little pathetic, really.
Me? I had no problem keeping myself in check. Of course, that didn't mean that I didn't want her attention either. Alas, I chose to keep my distance and admire her from afar. And from that afar seat, I could pay attention to the smaller details. Such as: the subtle flash of irritation that would pass through those fetching eyes when those clingy girls got too close. Even right into the girls' style room! There was also the smallest hint of shyness that would manifest on her pretty face when some guy would be so bold as to flirt openly with her. It was one of my favorite looks because it let whoever paid attention (like me) know she was human.
Everyone knew Elsa Mariani, but nobody truly knew who she was. Sure, they had personal and painfully obvious details down: like she drove a cobalt blue beetle, her mom was an accountant and her dad worked at Callaway Cars, she could play the piano, and other numerous nuggets people passed from one to another. But no on knew there was more to her than all that.
They couldn't see, couldn't hear, the underlying sadness in her beautiful voice and eyes when she would smile widely at the people closely resembled her friends and tell them all that she was doing fine. I say 'resembled' because they would talk to her more than most, but I never saw them actually hanging around like actual friends would. (Unless she preferred to be alone, I didn't exactly know.)
I may have picked those things up, but that was still on the same level as the school. What we knew and observed from Elsa Mariani was only scratching the surface. I wanted to know more about her and that wasn't all. I found myself wanting her to notice me. Of course, I wouldn't be trying to break through aforementioned surface without warning.
...Kidding.
"Wh- Anna! What the heck do you think you're doing?" Kristoff practically screamed in panic. "Put that down!"
I ignored him. "Wait. You must give a speech!" Olaf pushed him away and stood in front of me, making me crane my head down to look at him with a raised brow. He fixed me with a goofily serious look. "Since the dawn of time, the balance of good and evil has been-"
"Yeah, it's not working." I chuckled, cutting him off and nudging him away with my elbow. "And don't you two stand there all judgmental and tell me not to. You know as well as I do that they've gone and turned this place into a prison!" I declared defiantly and raised my hand over my head. "As your leader, I cannot stand-"
"Pffft!" Kristoff waved me away, muttering that I 'wished' I the leader. Even though he was acting like that, I knew he was still ready to pounce when the time called for it. I just needed to take him off guard just as quickly.
"Anyway." I huffed. "I can't stand idly by anymore while they trample us like weeds." I wasn't actually mad at the new rules the student counsel had just reinforced, but Kristoff and Olaf needed some sort of reason. Something else to make them believe I was mad at the school system and not...
Hans Marsden.
That guy was gorgeous too, actually. And innocent, nonetheless. He had actually done nothing to deliberately annoy me, but I was still annoyed. Something told me that it was misplaced anger directed at him. Hans. The student counsel vice-president and Elsa's apparent best friend. Crap, I think I just found the answer. So much for no actual friends.
Anyway, this day had started out all wrong. First, I was pretty late to school because my dad and I overslept. No time for breakfast and it turned out that I'd forgotten my school bag (with homework in it.) No homework meant lunch detention for me and since I was caught chewing gum in the same class, I had to stay for after school detention.
So there I was, heading to my dreaded lunch detention with the man whose shirt was always one size too small, it seemed, when I noticed two girls at the far end of the hall. Coming toward me. I honestly stopped breathing as that platinum blonde hair came into a clearer view. Oh man. Keeping my head down, eyes glued to the floor, I was determined to pass right by them and scuttle off down the hall to my doom. However, I knew that plan was useless once I heard their footsteps draw closer and I suddenly couldn't stop my eyes as they automatically shot up to look at her.
I was mildly alarmed when Elsa suddenly looked back at me with the warmest of smiles. Frozen on the spot, I had no idea how to respond. Do I smile? Nod? Be a human and say 'Hi?' But before I could even think about possibly doing one of those, Miss President opened her mouth and uttered a different name from those soft looking lips of hers. "Hans!"
Hans!? My awkwardness suddenly turned into a frown. Disappointment to anger and that lead me right back to the outside of the student council meeting room. With a brick in hand.
"Anna, be reasonable." Olaf tried, more calmly, to settle me down to no avail. "You already spent more than enough time here at school, so let's get some pizza, eh?"
"Yeah, we can send them a letter or something other than a brick to the boardroom if it bothers you so much." It was Kristoff's turn to reason. "Seriously, Anna. What if Gerda's in there? Or Kai? What if you knock one of them out?"
"Aw, where's both of your senses of adventure?" I asked with a moronic grin and then hurled the brick with all my might, making it crash right through the window. The deafening sound reverberated like a gunshot across the quad, making the two nearly jump out of their skins.
Olaf ran away first, leaving Kristoff to toss me over his shoulder and then we ran for our lives from the scene of the crime. It was stupid, yes, but I had to laugh out loud. I've never felt so alive!
"Excuse my interruption."
We all looked up from our notes to the front of the classroom where the student counsel's treasurer stood. I felt my stomach drop suddenly when his eyes searched the room only to land on mine. Well, it HAS been about a week. "I'm here to bring Anna Crescent to the boardroom." He finished, making me virtually sit up straight in my chair as a chill ran down my spine. In front of me, Olaf had turned to give me his deer-in-the-headlights look, which didn't help at all.
"Anna Crescent?" Mr. Berkins called out.
"Right here." I answered before shoving my books back into my bag, knowing I wouldn't see the light of day again after this.
"Come with me, please." Kai said, fixing his thick-rimmed glasses in the process.
Inwardly sighing, I followed him out of the classroom and then down the hall to the boardroom. On the way, I blew my bangs out of my face. "So...did I win something?" Drawled my voice as I readjusted the strap on my shoulder.
"I think you know what this is about." Kai barely contained a chuckle, but said nothing more until we reached the door. After he knocked, he turned back and gave me a reassuring smile. "May the odds be ever in your favor."
I furrowed my brow at his sudden nerdiness and continued to stare even after he walked away. I wonder what district he'd hail from. Snorting to myself, I turned the knob and took a bold step into the room.
To my surprise, the only one there was none other than the queen herself. Queen? Not president? She was sitting behind her desk that had a few stacks of paper on it. "U-uhh. Hey?" Not knowing what else to say, I cleared my throat awkwardly and stepped further into the room.
"Anna Crescent, right?" Elsa's lightly accented voice filled said room with sweetness.
"Y-yeah. Yes." I couldn't stop myself from fidgeting, but I thankfully was able to shut up before my mouth ran away from me.
She didn't smile. "Have a seat, Miss Crescent." I assumed she meant the chair directly in front of her, so I dropped my bag and did just that. Those electric eyes of hers instantly began to look me over, causing my face begin to burn with embarrassment. It was odd since nobody had ever openly done that to me before. "You don't look like the rebel type." Elsa began with amusement twinkling in her big bright eyes.
"And just what is one supposed to look like?" I successfully held in my scoff. A delicate brow rose on Elsa's face before she crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair with a sense of calmness that would make anyone uncomfortable. Like she had all the patience in the world to mess with me.
"Well..." She began with a nice drawl. "First off, I wasn't expecting a girl." Her elbow then came back to rest on the surface along with her chin in the palm of her hand. As she watched me with mild interest, I tried not to do the same to her. She just looked so elegant! Her and all her beauty on her throne of sorts.
The thought alone had me wanting to push it. Maybe just a little. "Last I checked, Anna wasn't a boy's name." I replied sassily.
That time she smiled, almost blinding me. "I actually didn't get your name until this morning." She answered sweetly.
I tried to keep up the tough act, because it was surprisingly easy. "looks like your officers aren't that sharp then."
"Think you could do better?" She challenged.
"Please." I waved her off nonchalantly. "Sherlock is my middle name."
"I thought it was Leslie." Elsa deadpanned and I felt my face instantly begin to burn once again as she effortlessly shot me out of the sky.
"Y-you know what? Whatever." I coughed, turning to the side and away from her unfaltering gaze. "Aren't you supposed to be punishing me for my rebellious deed or something?" I asked with a hint of mock annoyance.
"And this isn't punishment enough?" Her head tilted to the side, accent taunting me too. I could listen to her talk all afternoon, regardless that she was indeed punishing me with embarrassment.
"Are you going to tell me my credit score too?" I couldn't help but grin back at her. "Because that would be a little creepy."
"It's bad." She answered almost believing enough to make me second guess myself.
It made us stare at each other for a short contemplative minute. "I...underestimated your officers then." I shrugged, missing her smile and then leaned forward again. "What do you actually have for me?"
"You'll help the janitors by cleaning this room everyday after school." She answered right away and I was sure if I wasn't prepared for it, I would have gotten whiplash from the mood change. Maybe I shouldn't have been as quick to get to this point too.
But still. "I have band practice." I tried.
"Arendelle doesn't have a band."
"I-I meant softball practice."
"The season hasn't started yet." She cracked half a smile. "Look Anna, you'll be cleaning this room until the end of the month, but if you do something like this again, your punishment will be more severe. Understand?" There was an almost cold resolve in her voice that made me bow my head in surrender. Could be worse, I guess.
"Yes." I answered, trying not to feel rejected. Though, I had no logical idea where that feeling was coming from. Perhaps it was because that I was leaving her presence so early?
"Great. That'll be all then. You can go back to class now." Elsa nodded in finality before pulling the closest stack of papers to her so she could get back to work too. Yeah. She'd had enough of me.
With an arrogant bow of my own I then stood up and made my way out of the room. I'd just about closed the door when she called my name once more. "Why'd you do it?" She asked when I turned.
"Honestly?" I swept my eyes from her to the patched up window and then back. "I'd just watched Purge Anarchy the night before and figured I'd make own one night of the year." I winked at her and then closed the door behind me, leaving her with whatever expression she saw fit to my ridiculous answer.
I did it so you'd notice me. I answered truthfully in my mind as I strode down the hall, passing my designated classroom altogether.