Chapter One
Rapunzel Towers opened her eyes. The hazy morning sunlight was streaming through the curtains, making the whole room glow a warm golden. Rapunzel rolled over to glance at her clock, and then her eyes widened in alarm as she gave a yell and tumbled out of bed. She was going to be late for school.
Rapunzel pulled on the same clothes as the day before - purple paint-splattered jeans, a yellow gypsy-style top, and pink Converse - and hurriedly stuffed her books and files into her bag. Tipping her art case in too, she didn't even have time to brush her hair before she ran out of the house. "Bye, Mother!" she yelled, before flying down the road as fast as she possibly could.
It was only the second week into her sophomore year, and Rapunzel had a reputation to keep up. She was never late. The High School appeared over the next hill, and Rapunzel was nearly there when she ran into someone and went flying to the ground, spilling her paintbrushes and tubes of paints all over the tarmac. Angered by this, knowing it was going to cost her at least five more minutes, Rapunzel started to put her art supplies back inside her bag, huffing all the way.
"Hey," said the voice from above her.
Rapunzel looked up and glared at him. The teenage boy had floppy brown hair and brown eyes, and he wore a blue and white top with tan jeans. He gave her a cocky smile, pushing the strap of his brown satchel back onto his shoulder.
"What?" Rapunzel demanded. She swung her bag back over her shoulder. The boy offered her a hand up but she ignored it, pushing it aside as she got up off the ground herself. Rapunzel knew who he was, everyone did. Eugene Fitzherbert was his name, and he was one of the popular kids.
"Hey, you're… um…"
"Rapunzel," Rapunzel replied shortly, pushing past him.
Eugene followed her, keeping up with his long strides. "Hey, what did I do?" he asked, feigning a hurt expression.
Rapunzel scowled at him. "I'm going to be late thanks to you, Fitzherbert," she told him pointedly.
"To be honest, I think you were late already," Eugene shrugged, earning him another glare. "Look, I'm sorry. But can I just say… hey." He gave her a sideways smile.
Rapunzel rolled her eyes as they entered the building. The bell rang as they came down the corridor, and Rapunzel sighed. It was all Eugene's fault. She put one hand on the door handle, knocked with the other hand, and then entered. The whole class was staring, and Rapunzel cursed herself for forgetting to brush her hair. The long blonde stands hung tangled beside her face. "Sorry I'm late, Mr Gold," she muttered.
"Miss Towers and Mr Fitzherbert," said their teacher, Mr Gold, "Come in and sit down. I will mark you both late." Mr Gold had golden brown curly hair and hazel eyes that seemed to always be smiling. He wore a check shirt, a brown waistcoat, and a light brown tie to match his brown trousers.
Rapunzel walked to the back of the class and slid into her seat, her face hidden by her hair. Eugene sat down by his mates, laughing about something or other, and Rapunzel instantly despised him. She pulled her sketchbook out of her bag and starting drawing. That seemed to calm her anger at Eugene. An intricate yellow sun and a dancing girl in a purple dress appeared on her page, and she smiled at them. Art was her passion.
When Mr Gold wasn't looking, a ginger girl turned round from the desk in front. "How come you were late?" she asked. "You're never late."
"Tell me about it, Anna," Rapunzel grumbled. "I blame Fitzherbert," she told her friend.
The ginger girl sighed sympathetically, pulling one of her ginger braids over her shoulder. She wore a blue skater dress with a pink oversized cardigan, and pink hi-tops. "Boys!" she said with a shrug.
"I know right," Rapunzel muttered.
The school bell sounded and the class started to disperse. Rapunzel packed away her sketchbook and slung her bag back over her shoulder. Walking out into the corridor, she almost walked into Eugene again, but shouldered past him.
Anna walked beside her, fiddling with her braids, until she said, "Rapunzel, what actually happened on the way to school?"
Rapunzel sighed. "I really don't want to talk about it," she said. "Look, I've got to get to class. I'll see you later?"
"Sure," Anna smiled before heading off to her first class.
Rapunzel tucked her hair behind her ear and headed to her first class. Later that day, during her lunch hour, she was lining up to get her lunch.
"Hey, Blondie, I need your help."
Rapunzel sighed. "Why can't you just leave me alone, Fitzherbert?"
Eugene looked at her pleadingly when she turned around. "Please? Just hear me out."
Rapunzel moved up the line of the queue, and stared at him expectantly. "Well? What do you want?"
"I saw your drawings in class this morning," said Eugene. "You must be really good at art, right?"
"Yeah," Rapunzel shrugged, "Why?"
"Well, I've got this science project I have to do, but I don't have any ideas for the design. It's supposed to be something creative, but with a science element," Eugene told her. "So, I figured that you might be able to help me?"
"Absolutely not," said Rapunzel, "Completely out of the question!"
"Why not?" Eugene asked. "Look, I'll even pay you."
"I don't want your money," Rapunzel replied. "I'm not helping you with your stupid science project."
"Well, what do you want?" Eugene came round the side of her, refusing to take no as an answer.
Rapunzel hesitated. What she really wanted was to go up the mountains near their town to sketch the sunrise, but her mother wouldn't let her. Apparently, it was 'too dangerous'. "Nothing you can give me," she said. Her lunch was dumped on her plate and she carried her tray to a table.
Eugene caught her arm. "I saw you hesitate," he said. "What is it you want?"
Rapunzel shrugged him off. She was about to say, "Nothing," once more but she wondered if Eugene could take her up the mountains. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed possible. Eugene could probably take her - he knew his way around everywhere. "Look, Fitzherbert," she said, "I think I'm crazy, but I'm prepared to offer you a deal."
"OK," said Eugene, looking at her curiously.
Rapunzel took a deep breath. "If you take me up the mountains, so I can paint up there, then I will help you with your science project."
Eugene raised his eyebrows. "That's what you want?" he asked. "Are you sure you don't want money or something?"
Rapunzel gave a firm nod. "Take it or leave it, that's my deal," she said.
"Let me get this straight," said Eugene. "I take you up the mountains, and bring you back down again, and then you'll help me?"
"That's right," said Rapunzel.
"Look," Eugene sighed, "I would give you the smoulder but I don't think it'd work." He took a deep breath as he considered this. He really needed her help on that project. "Alright," he said quickly, "I'll take the deal."
Rapunzel grinned. "Really?"
"Yeah, but you have to keep your side of the bargain," Eugene replied. "Meet me at the gates after school." And then, shaking his head, he walked off.
Rapunzel found Anna sitting at a table eating her lunch, with a chocolate muffin for dessert, and then sat down. Grinning madly, Rapunzel dropped her bag under the table and started to eat.
"What's got you all happy?" Anna asked.
"Oh, nothing really," Rapunzel shrugged. "I'm finally going to get to paint up the mountains."
"How come?" Anna asked. "I thought your mom wouldn't let you."
"She won't, but I'm still going," said Rapunzel happily.
Anna shrugged and smiled. "Alright then," she said, shaking her head in confusion.
After school, Rapunzel carefully ditched Anna, and ran to meet Eugene at the gates. He was leaning against the wall, trying to look inconspicuous, when she found him. "Are you trying to hide or something?" Rapunzel asked.
Eugene sighed. He ushered her around the gates and they started walking down the road. "Look, I just don't want Snotlout to see me," he said.
"Snotlout?" Rapunzel repeated. "I thought you guys were friends."
"We are," said Eugene.
"Oh," said Rapunzel in understanding. "You don't want your friends to see you with me."
"It's not that-" Eugene started to protest, but cut himself off, knowing it was true.
Rapunzel tucked her hair back behind her ear from where it was in her face again. "So, what did you want to discuss?" she asked, breaking the awkward silence.
"Oh yeah," said Eugene. "When exactly do you want to go up that mountain?" He looked up at the mountains looming over the town. "It's just that my science project has to be finished in less than two weeks, and I need to get started on it straight away."
"Sure," said Rapunzel. "If you need to work on your project straight away, I'll let you keep your side of the deal and take mine once it's finished."
"Really?" Eugene asked, hardly able to believe his luck.
"Yeah," Rapunzel replied. "So, in two weeks, my mother is going to this conference out of town and that'd mean…" she trailed off, her cheeks flushing. "Anyway, you can take me then."
Eugene looked at her, strangely puzzled, like he was trying to figure her out. "Yeah, I guess that would be cool."
"So," said Rapunzel, still blushing after she'd almost revealed everything about her home life, "You can come by my house really early that morning?"
"If you want to paint the sunrise, I'll come by at midnight that day," said Eugene.
"How did you know I wanted to paint the sunrise?" Rapunzel asked, taken aback.
"Lucky guess," Eugene replied. "Anyway, sounds cool?"
"Yeah, sounds… cool," Rapunzel repeated, the word cool sounding strange on her lips. "We've got a deal?"
Eugene held out his hand. "Deal," he said, and he and Rapunzel shook on it. His hands were quite soft, Rapunzel noted, but frowned at that thought. She took her hand away.
"I've got to get home," she said hastily. "See you tomorrow."
"Oh, and Blondie?" Eugene called after her.
Rapunzel turned back. "What?" she asked.
"Meet me by the field after school tomorrow," said Eugene. "And then we can work on my project."
"Sure," said Rapunzel. She sighed, turned, and carried on home.
"Mother, I'm home!" she called as she shut the front door. She slipped off her shoes, dumped her bag in her room, searching the house for her mother. She found her checking her reflection in the mirror, and she jumped as she saw Rapunzel behind her.
"Rapunzel, my dear," she said. "You wouldn't believe the day I had!"
It was always about her. Rapunzel smiled, and decided to humour her foster mother, Gothel. "It must have been pretty stressful then, mother," she said.
"Oh, it was," said Gothel dramatically. She sighed then, putting her hands on Rapunzel's shoulders, looking into the mirror. "Look in that mirror," she said. "I see a strong, confident, beautiful young lady." Rapunzel smiled but then Gothel added, "Oh look! You're here too! I'm just teasing, Rapunzel. I don't know why you take everything so seriously!"
A frown formed between Rapunzel's eyebrows but she followed her mother into the lounge. "Mother, can I ask you something?" she asked.
"What is it, Rapunzel?" Gothel asked, checking her reflection in yet another mirror.
"Can I stay at school after school tomorrow?" Rapunzel asked hesitantly.
Gothel looked at her. "And why would you want to do that?" she asked.
"I have to work on this partnered project in school," Rapunzel said carefully, choosing her words to protect the truth. "And we decided to work on it in the library tomorrow."
"And why didn't you ask me first?" Gothel asked.
"It's just staying at school, mother," said Rapunzel. "I'll be back in time to cook dinner."
Gothel considered this. "As long as you're back within two hours," she said, "I suppose it's alright."
Rapunzel breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, mother," she smiled, and then turned to go to her room.
"Rapunzel?"
"Yes, mother?" Rapunzel asked.
"I'm going out to get some pizza," said Gothel. "That'll be nice for dinner, won't it?"
"Yes, mother," said Rapunzel, and then went to her room and flopped onto her bed. She grinned with excitement. She was finally going to paint that sunrise.
A/N: Hey, my fellow readers! (Hopefully I have some) Back with another crossover - it's basically Big Four plus Frozen, but with mostly canon pairings (well, except Pitch/Tooth and Merida/Bunny) Each chapter will probably be about a different pairing so the characters in different chapters will probably be quite seperate in the first few chapters. Sorry to those who don't ship the pairings in this story :) Anyway, please please please review and tell me what you think and if you want me to upload the next chapter? Thanks for the support.
Ginger xx