A/N: Hello, this is my first fanfiction ever, so I hope you guys enjoy it.
Obviously I don't own Frozen or anything awesome like that.
"Why are the houses so close together?" the little redhead muttered under her breath, dragging her feet down the sidewalk. She folded her arms across her chest and huffed.
The summer day was sticky and gray. Even the slight breeze did little to relieve the suffocating air.
It was so stuffy in this town. Congested. Her mother said to stop pouting. Be optimistic, she said. Anna was trying. She really was.
But seriously, how could people stand this place? Every house was a carbon-copy of its neighbors lined up in monotonous rows. You could practically see into your neighbor's kitchen, and while food was often forefront in Anna's mind she wasn't interested in viewing another family's eating habits.
Sighing, the young redhead continued along the concrete path.
This was what? the fifth time the family had moved in Anna's lifetime? She was only ten. Her father's need to constantly change locations both confused and angered her, but he was adamant. It was necessary, he said. That's what he always said. Rolling her eyes, Anna kicked the hard ground.
"Ow! Ok I'm not doing that again."
She was just a leaf in the wind. Drifting from place to place; never staying long enough to take root and make any real friends.
Lost in her thoughts, she followed the sidewalk aimlessly through the large suburb. An hour must have passed before she felt the unwelcome sensation of water on the tip of her nose. With a gasp, she looked up at the darkening sky.
"OUCH!" she yelped as a drop landed in her eye. Now half-blind, the redhead swiveled her head around, realizing she didn't even know where she was. Scanning the area she noticed benches placed haphazardly along the winding sidewalk and a trashcan overflowing with litter. This was a park.
The rain was falling harder; thick drops smashed into the concrete and melted into the grass. Anna knew her father was going to kill her for getting her clothes wet. She saw his stern eyes of disapproval and shuddered slightly.
Resting a hand above her eyes she noticed a large shape in the distance. A gazebo! Several flower beds framed the stark white structure painting a perfect picture of tranquility – if there hadn't been buckets of rain falling everywhere. Smiling in relief, she raced towards it.
In her haste, Anna slipped on the slick steps that led up to the structure. With a yelp she tripped, falling flat on her face.
"Ugh," Anna lifted her aching face from the floor. Another groan escaped her lips as she looked down at her soaked and now muddy summer dress. "Oh, father is going to ground me foreeeeever."
"Are you okay?"
Anna's eyes grew wide as she noticed a pair of sandaled feet standing before her. Raising her eyes she was met with the fabric of a simple blue dress before lifting her head to finally see the face of a young girl.
Two striking blue eyes gazed down, concern apparent in the tilt of her eyebrows. Anna found herself unable to speak, for once in her life – she bet mother would have laughed at that that. Instead her eyes moved to the stranger's hair. It was SO blond, almost white, and styled in a simple braid. A blue headband rested behind her thick bangs. Anna found herself unable to blink, making the girl above her uncomfortable.
"Did you hear me?"
"Oh, oh yeah! Sorry! I just, uh, your eyes. They're very blue. I've never seen anything so blue before. They're actually really pretty! Has anyone told you that before? And your hair is really shiny. Was it always like that?" Flustered, the redhead scrambled to prop her body up as a blush rose in her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling. My mother told me I do that sometimes. Actually, all the time. Oh man…"
A light giggle tickled her ears and she jerked her head up. The strange girl held a hand in front of her mouth, but Anna could tell she was smiling. The redhead froze again, confused.
"Uh… I'm sorry about falling over. Like, really, I'm sorry. I wasn't interrupting anything was I? I'll just get out of your way, sorry, sorry…"
"Give me your hand." Anna blinked in surprise. The blonde was offering her hand, lips curled in a smile.
"Uh, what?" The girl raised her dark eyebrows. She was serious. Swallowing, Anna stuck out her trembling hand before being pulled from the ground. The redhead blushed and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear with her free hand. "Thank you." The girl just smiled back before releasing Anna's hand.
It took a moment for Anna to realize her own hand was empty. The blonde girl was now sitting at table that she hadn't noticed before.
A rainbow of paper was scattered across the wooden surface. The blonde had one of the pieces in her hands and was carefully folding it into intricate shapes. Intrigued – and reluctant to go back out into the rain – Anna sat down across from her, and to her relief the stranger didn't seem to mind.
The blonde's slender fingers moved so fluidly Anna felt she was watching a spider weave its web. Her hands danced around each other, molding the baby-blue paper into different shapes. The rain was pounding a rhythm on the gazebo roof and the redhead found herself entranced by the sound. She was soon lost in her silent observation.
"Do you like it?" Anna blinked. She hadn't even noticed the movement had stopped. In place of the sheet of paper was a tiny blue flower. A series of intricate folds created the center of the flower, while long bent pieces of paper curved into the petals.
"Whoa…" was all the redhead could muster. Her companion smiled proudly, and Anna felt her cheeks burn. "What is all this?" She asked, trying to direct attention away from her face. "The, uh, paper and stuff?"
"Origami. The art of paper folding."
"That's an art?" Anna blurted out. "I mean, uh, I didn't know that could be an art." The blonde girl laughed again. Anna decided she liked the sound.
"I just like being able to do something with my hands. To make something beautiful," the girl said. It was a normal comment, but Anna thought she heard something else in the shadows. Sadness, maybe? She looked at the pale girl. She was probably a couple years older than her, and Anna learned that people got sadder as they got older. At least that's what father always said.
"Do you wanna try?"
Once again, Anna was flustered. "Uh, no, you saw how clumsy I was right? I can't do nice little things like that." She pointed to the flower. There was no way she could create something so perfect and beautiful.
"We can do something easy. Do you know how to make… a paper airplane?"
"A paper airpl-? I mean, yeah, duh," Anna grabbed one of the sheets and began folding. She was determined to prove she could do something. Paper airplanes were the easiest thing in the world, right? The older girl was too surprised to say anything.
After a feverish few minutes, the redhead produced her plane. But her smile of accomplishment quickly faded to disappointment as she inspected the finished product. One wing was a whole inch longer than the other and the focal point was off center. Anna's lips dipped into a frown.
"That'll never fly," the girl said, reaching out to grab the plane. Anna lowered her head. "But we can fix it, see?" She began unfolding some of Anna's handiwork and readjusting the creases. "Just redo that fold. Make sure this is even. And you have to really crease it here." Anna watched in awe as her plane was brought to life.
"There!" The blonde girl handed the plane back to Anna. "And if you bend the wing tips a bit, it won't wobble."
"Thank you! Ohmygosh thank you! Wow, this is the most awesome paper airplane I've ever seen! Do you make them a lot?"
"Yeah, it helps pass the time, because they're simple and easy…" The girl moved to grab another sheet of paper. Dark purple.
"Sometimes I think I'm jealous of paper airplanes." The blond girl muttered. It was almost a whisper, and Anna heard that small hint of sadness again.
"Why?" She inquired. Her companion was silent for a long time. Anna was afraid she had overstepped some invisible boundary, but her thoughts were interrupted.
"They can just catch the wind and follow it wherever it goes. That freedom is so… hopeful?" Like a leaf in the wind, Anna thought. The girl spoke again.
"I want to ride the wind like a paper airplane too. Just take off and never look back."
Eight Years Later -
Anna took a deep breath. Legs trembling, she stepped out onto the red rubber track before kneeling down and unbuttoning her warm-up pants. She didn't anticipate her fingers having such a hard time grasping the buttons.
Calm down Anna. Why were her hands shaking so much?
The chill wind bit her now exposed legs. The redhead shivered, but she wasn't sure if it was from the cool air or the nerves clenching her stomach. Come on, get a grip.
Sighing, she closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of the bitter spring day. The unmistakable odor of rubber hit her nose and her lips curled up at the familiar smell.
Breathing in, she could make out the hint of freshly cut grass and the faintest aroma of- wait, is that-? She sniffed again. Chocolate! Her grin widened. The concession stand must be nearby. I could kill for a chocolate bar right now.
A hard object glanced off the crouching girl's shoulder, throwing her from her thoughts. Now off-balance, the redhead fell forward before catching herself with her hand. Wow, Anna. Why don't you just embarrass yourself in front of the whole school during your first meet here? Good plan.
Furrowing her eyebrows, she glanced up at the girl that had hit her. The opposing runner uttered a muffled sorry before moving to her spot at the line. Anna huffed and stood up. Rude.
As she brushed herself off she glanced out at the crowd that had gathered in the bleachers. Her annoyed expression faded into unease. There are definitely a lot more people than at any of my high school track meets. Their collective voices echoed through the chill air like metal pots clanging together.
Anna grimaced at the sound and her stomach clenched again. Ugh, I'm gonna have to pass on that chocolate bar…
She found her spot at the starting line as several assistants placed hurdles along the rust-colored path. You're here for a reason Anna. Not everyone gets scouted to Arendelle U. She swung her arms back and forth, stretching them. Her muscles felt stiff and useless; she wished it wasn't so chilly.
To warm her muscles up she began hopping from foot to foot. You've got this. You broke all the – well, the majority of the records in high school. And you've been practicing all winter. You are so ready! You were born ready!
"GO ANNA~!" A singsong voice rang through the air as a few in the crowd looked for the source. Annoyed heads turned towards a frenzied girl in the bleachers. She was standing on her metal seat waving her arms wildly, her short dark hair fluttering up and down. "ANNA'S GOT THE WIN! YOU GUYS DON'T STAND A CHANCE!"
Anna felt the blood rush to her head, and she halted her stretching. The air wasn't so chilly anymore. Oh god, Rapunzel. Why?
The other competitors were glaring at her. Anna ducked her head, absentmindedly pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"SHE'S ONLY A FRESHMAN AND SHE'S GONNA KICK YO-!" Anna glanced back towards the bleachers in time to see Rapunzel tackled to her seat by an irritated brunette woman.
"Oh my god Rapunzel, will you shut up?" She heard the dark-haired woman hiss loudly. Rapunzel was now in a rather uncomfortable looking headlock.
"I'm just cheering on my cousin, Meg," Rapunzel gasped from her strained position. She managed to wrestle her way out of her friend's prison. "Maybe if you had a little more school spirit people would actually like you," she continued in an overly loud volume.
Anna shuddered at her friends' boisterous "conversation." The two girls' voices had quieted so Anna couldn't make out what they were saying but saw Meg scoff several times. She failed to stifle a giggle when Meg gave her two thumbs up. Now let's focus on the-
A flash. A shimmer in the afternoon sun. Anna froze, her eyes widening and the color draining from her face. Meg and Rapunzel gave her confused looks, but Anna was oblivious to their concern. Her eyes scanned the bleachers, but she didn't see it again. It was hair. Blonde hair.
"Hey, get ready. We're about to start." One of the runners elbowed Anna and she snapped back to reality. Right. There's a race.
She kneeled into her starting position, feet placed in the blocks. Focus Anna. You have to prove yourself here.
But she couldn't focus. Not now. Blonde hair. She saw blonde hair. It wasn't Kristoff coming to surprise her. She knew that he had other obligations today. Besides, it wasn't his golden locks that had flashed in the sunlight. Platinum blonde, I saw platinum blonde.
Somewhere in the distance, she heard the announcement declaring the start of the race. But her mind was somewhere else. Digging through memories she had tried to keep buried. 3 years. It's been 3 years since I lost my best friend. Since father-
She shook her head. You can think about this later Anna. Focus.
Steadying her hands on the rubber surface before her, she steadied her breathing. A thin man walked over to the starting line and held his arm high up in the air. The tiny gun in his hand sparkled in the warm sunlight. Anna felt the butterflies fighting in her stomach, but she forced them away with a grimace.
BANG! The runners were off. Anna was already in the lead before they reached the first hurdle.
Don't stutter. Don't stutter. Not now Anna. Lifting her right foot, she heaved herself upwards. With her right leg outstretched, she glided over the hurdle bouncing to the ground on the other side.
Grinning with glee, she pressed forward, clearing each hurdle with ease and increasing in speed after every successful jump. Sweat glistened on her forehead as she pushed farther and farther ahead.
With two hurdles left, Anna was far and away the leader. Two hurdles to go. You've got this Anna.
The home crowd was cheering. Happiness swelled in the redhead's chest; they were cheering for her. Tilting her head to the side Anna glanced at the crowd.
Platinum blond reflecting in the sunlight. Blue eyes gazing into her own. Elsa.
It happened so fast. Her trailing leg faltered as she leapt over the second to last obstacle. With her arms out of position her leg caught the top of the hurdle and she toppled over.
In seconds, she was on the ground. Her face smashed against the track as her left leg twisted beneath her body. A collective gasp reverberated through the crowd.
Pain rushed through her body. But she immediately forced her arms to prop herself up. Determination overpowered the throbbing in her leg as she pushed herself up off the ground. Her competitors had seen her fall as an opportunity, and they pressed forward with a renewed confidence; they were catching up to the fallen leader, and fast.
Despite the discomfort, she sprinted to the next hurdle. Face pulled in a tight grimace, she felt the warm wetness of blood collecting in her nose. Still, she cleared the last hurdle, and with her head down, made it across the finish line just before the second-place finisher.
The crowd erupted in a cheer. But Anna took no notice. She was scanning the bleachers again. The person was gone.
The pain in her body became dominated by a pain in her chest. Elsa. I know that was you.
She was then swarmed by medical attendants and pulled onto the grass.
"We're not supposed to be out here Rapunzel! Anna's fine! There are trained medical personnel helping her! YOU ARE NOT TRAINED MEDICAL PERSONNEL!" Anna looked up at the sound of the husky voice only to see Rapunzel pushing her way through the crowd of attendants, Meg held in her vice-like grip.
"ANNA!? Oh my god, are you alright!?" Rapunzel cried, her eyes finally finding her cousin. Gasping at the sight of Anna's beat up face, she knelt down and touched the redhead's shoulder.
"Yeah, I just tripped is all," Anna laughed, a few drops of blood escaping her nose. "You know how clumsy I can am. Nothing new." Rapunzel gave her a worried look. "It was just nerves Punzie. I was tense."
Her cousin gave an understanding smile, but Meg wasn't as forgiving.
"Just nerves, huh?" She prodded. Rapunzel spun around towards Meg, a look of horror on her face.
"Why are you here?" She questioned, finally releasing their entwined hands. "And why were you holding my hand!?"
"Hey, you had some sort of tunnel vision and were gripping me like a freaking crayfish, okay? Don't accuse me," countered Meg who rubbed her sore, red hand. Rapunzel shook her head confused and turned back to Anna.
"It's nothing serious, is it?" She asked with concern in her eyes. Anna was thankful for the change in subject, though Meg was still eyeing her suspiciously.
"No, I just have to ice it for a couple nights and try not to strain the muscles. I should be fine for the next meet."
"That's good to hear." Rapunzel smiled, and elbowed Meg who eventually produced a similar facial expression.
"Listen, you guys should go. You're not actually allowed out here." Anna moved her hands in a shooing motion, giving her two friends a small smile. Rapunzel was reluctant, of course, but Meg stood and grabbed the smaller girl by the arm.
"Let's let our little princess get pampered," Anna heard her proclaim as the two moved away. She shook her head, smiling.
But as soon as the two were out of her sight, the smile was gone. The blood in her veins turned icy as her thoughts turned to the previous events.
Elsa…
Why did you come back?
.
.
.
Why did you leave?
A/N: So what did you think? I'm hoping to continue this story into a multi-chapter fic, so let me know if you like it.
Later chapters will definitely have a heavy dose of angst, so be prepared!