Author: Letting out a little inner nerd on this one :p
"Earth to Anna."
Anna shook her head and looked up, finding a big pair of concerned brown eyes boring into her. Kristoff took a bite of his mac and cheese without taking his eyes off her. "Are you OK? You've been really quiet all lunch," he added with a full mouth.
The auburn had her homework laid out in front of her, her bagged lunch pushed to the side untouched.
"-So you guys," Merida interrupted from next to Kristoff, her hair bouncing in excitement. "You know how I've been thinking of what to name the Nerd Club, because c'mon, the 'Nerd Club' isn't exactly exciting."
"Right, go on," a raven-haired Chinese girl next to Anna spoke. Mulan was not only a huge geek, but also the resident outed lesbian of Arendelle High and captain of the fencing team.
"Ok, so, we're called the Arendelle Elks, right?" the red-head pointed to Anna's school sweater, which sported the insignia, then continued. "Well, put that together into one word, what does it sound like?"
Mulan tested it on her tongue, "Arendellelks," and her face scrunched up in confusion. "I don't get it."
Belle, a senior who already nabbed the valedictorian spot let out a heavy sigh, placing down a book she had been reading and pushed her heavy framed glasses up her nose. "Arendaleks," a small smile appeared on the girls' face, "Clever Merida."
"Ohhhhhhh!" The entire group erupted in realization and cheer, curious glances being cast their way by the other tables in the cafeteria. Kristoff even patted the girl on the back and gave a 'rock on' symbol with his free hand, "That's sick! We're going to have the best name ever! Are you going to make shirts? Please make shirts. Maybe we can ask Rapunzel to design them."
Adam, a gorgeous beast of a man with brilliant blue eyes sat across from Belle, looking confused. "Aren-daleks?" He looked from Merida to Belle, hoping for an explanation.
"It's a sci-fi reference dear, from Doctor Who." The brunette consoled him, reaching across the table and clasping his hand.
Adam and Belle had just started dating a few months prior, he being the star quarterback and still very unfamiliar in geek terminology. At the beginning of the year, his grades had dipped below a C average and was benched until he got them back up. Putting aside his pride, Adam sought out Belle, the smartest girl in school, and begged her to tutor him. It took a week and over a dozen red roses that he kept hiding in her locker until she finally agreed.
It had been four months since then, and Adam raised his grades, took his team to the championships, and was now filling out college applications, all thanks to Belle.
At that moment, the cafeteria doors blew open, letting in a cold gust of wind and a bit of snow that was still falling from outside. Everyone was somewhat startled from the noise it seemed, and all eyes shot in that direction, locked on a platinum-blonde girl that floated confidently in.
"Wow," Mulan was the first to speak as she eyed the pale girl up and down, "I know I've got my own girl-crush and everything, but damn, that girl is hawt."
They watched her sit down at an empty table and pull an apple and a hardcover book from her bag.
Merida let out an airy whistle as murmurs began to build among the cafeteria. "Hans is going to pounce on that like a piece of meat."
"Poor girl," Belle commented, glancing at Hans who was staring in the blonde's direction like a hawk. She turned her attention back to the group and cocked her head curiously in Mulans' direction. "So, I didn't know you had a girl-crush, care to share?"
Blood rushed to Mulans' face as she turned her attention to her lunch. "It's not…it's just a crush. Nothing that will ever happen."
"It's Aurora." Merida answered with a mouth full of brownie.
"MERIDA!" Mulan yelled, throwing a noodle in the Scots' direction.
"What?" Merida calmly dodged the flying object. "Everyone already knows. Plus, Aurora is totally a lesbian, she just doesn't know it yet."
"Here we go again." Kristoff sighed and pointed his fork in Merida's direction. "Aurora is dating Phillip, remember? She's straight."
The Scot rolled her eyes, "OH YES! PHILLIP! How could I have forgotten?" she exclaimed sarcastically, "Are you speaking of the same Phillip who is captain of the dance team, is in chorus, and practices ballet? Also won best dressed every year since he was a freshman? That man is gay."
"Don't forget theatre, remember last year? He tried out for the part of Elle in Legally Blonde the Musical." Adam added, looking in Mulan's direction, attempting to be comforting. "Aurora's dating a girly man. There is very much a chance that she may be at least bi." Adam added with a smile.
"He does have a voice like an angel though…" Belle said, and the quarterback across from her shot a glare in her direction.
Mulan attempted a small laugh as she looked over to Anna, who was quiet, frozen, her eyes bouncing back and forth between the new girl and Hans.
The fencer placed a delicate hand on the auburn's shoulder. "You OK?"
"Fine," Anna said, sounding slightly defeated.
"I'm surprised Hans hasn't made his move already," Merida commented, her eyes searching out Hans as well.
Kristoff looked at his watch, "Let's time it, shall we? What do you think, five more seconds?"
Everyone leaned in, except for Anna, all eyes on Hans as they began to chant down the numbers.
"5…..4…..3…..2….."
Hans slowly rose from his seat, gaze locked on the blonde girl, his lunch in his hands. But at that same moment, Anna jumped up abruptly, lunch bag in her grip and knocking over her chair. Everyone at the table jumped in fright, then stared in confusion as Anna rushed across the cafeteria to the new girl's empty table. Hans was even surprised as he witnessed this, then the man narrowed his eyes in Anna's direction and slowly sat back down to the snickers of some of his friends.
"Hi Elsa."
Startled, the blonde nearly dropped her apple before looking up, catching sight of the hockey player she met the night before. She looked at her for a moment, eyes roving over her green school hoodie, her skinny jeans and Ugg Adirondack winter boots that were left open and partially laced.
"Hi." Elsa managed with a smile.
"I uhm," Anna felt extremely awkward when she realized the entire school was currently watching them. "Do you uhh, want some company?"
Elsa's smile grew as she motioned to the seat across from her, "That would be great, actually."
"Great." Anna plopped down in the seat and tossed her crumpled brown lunch bag on the table. Elsa looked at it curiously before Anna began to talk.
"So I didn't realize you were a student," the auburn commented before tearing open her bag, taking out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and beginning to munch on it. "I mean, you just look older." Anna said with a full mouth. Her own words registered with her a moment later and she shook her head, attempting to chew and swallow quickly. "I mean! Wait, I don't mean you look old, just older, as in, like, more mature."
Elsa couldn't help but laugh as Anna blushed furiously. "Jeg vet."
Anna paused, hearing the familiar words and staring at the blonde with wide eyes.
"Snakker du norsk?" she asked, testing the girl in front of her.
"Dessverre snakker jeg bare litt norsk." Elsa replied, her eyes twinkling.
Anna tapped her finger on the table, thinking of a simple Norwegian sentence she could ask, though not fully trusting the humble blonde.
"Hvor er du fra?"
"Jeg er fra Boston."
A buzz in Anna's pocket distracted her and the auburn whipped out her phone. "Vent litt, er du snill."
Elsa smiled and waited patiently, she was enjoying this a little too much.
Merida: Kristoff is getting crazy jealous. Are you coming back here or what?
Anna considered not replying to Merida's text, but realized the group could probably see her looking at her phone from across the cafeteria. Sighing, she punched in a response.
Anna: She's helping me with my Norwegian homework.
Merida: You don't need help, you're fluent.
Anna: Am I?
Merida: Your dad was from Norway.
Anna: Was he?
Merida: You were born there, then moved here when you were two.
Anna: Did I?
Merida: *facepalm*
Anna smiled and briefly caught eyes with Merida from across the room, and the Scot graciously flipped her off, which the auburn pretended to catch and hold to her heart, as if she had just blown her a kiss.
"What are your friends saying?" Elsa asked with a slight look of confusion as she glanced over her shoulder at the other table. They were staring, and once they realized Elsa was looking their way, their faces instantly dropped to their already-eaten food, trying to look busy.
"They're just curious," Anna said with a smile, following Elsa's eyes for a moment before turning her attention back to her. At that moment, the bell rang, and Anna tried to keep her face from falling in disappointment.
Both Anna and Elsa rose from their seats, Elsa stuffing her half-eaten food into her bag, and stared at each other for a moment.
"So…" Anna said, scratching at her ponytail, "Do you have practice tonight?"
Elsa tilted her head slightly as she slung her bag over her shoulder, "Do you work tonight?"
Anna suddenly felt very nervous answering. Elsa answered a question with a question, and she could be trying to avoid Anna altogether by finding out if she worked so she could say no, or maybe it's the opposite? Why does she ever care so much?
Anna sighed, partly out of her own confusion and from the reality that she didn't actually have to work. "I don't luckily, Fridays and Saturdays are my free days."
Gawd why did I say that? Why would she even care about my bloody schedule? …why am I thinking in an English accent? I need to stop watching Doctor Who.
"Well since we're both free, maybe we can hang out? You can give me a tour of the sights and sounds of Arendelle." Elsa was smiling, and Anna found it absolutely adorable.
"It would be a very short tour, that's for sure." Anna laughed, trying to cover up the excitement that was building in her gut.
It was then that Elsa held out her hand.
Anna looked at it curiously, not sure if she should shake it or give the girl a low five. After a moment of silence, Elsa raised her palm up and extended it further. "Your phone?"
"OH!"
Anna dug the device out of her pocket and handed it to the blonde, their fingers grazing for a moment before Elsa pulled away. The auburn watched her navigate the device and dial her number into the contacts, and a moment later, she heard a buzz coming from Elsa's bag.
"There." She said, handing the phone back to Anna.
Anna took it and shoved it back into her pocket.
Elsa gave the auburn one last glance before giving a small wave and walking away. "Hadet bra."
Anna stood there unmoving, staring at the door Elsa had just walked through as Kristoff came up to her, holding her backpack and textbooks. "Hey why didn't you bring her back to our table?" he asked, handing the objects over to her.
"I uhm…" Anna searched for a reason as she hefted her backpack onto her shoulders. "She doesn't seem much like a geek honestly," she finally managed.
Kristoff laughed, "Oh we can fix that. Look at Adam! One day he's the star quarterback, and the next he's buying an Xbox and playing Titanfall with us!"
Anna shook her head, "I can't believe you hooked him onto that, you cruel man. Belle will never forgive you."
The blonde smiled as he draped a heavy arm around the girls' shoulders. "So you coming over tonight? We were thinking of a round of Munchkin and maybe Cards Against Humanity?"
Anna shrugged out of Kristoff's grip as the second bell rang.
Shit. I'm late.
"I can't, sorry. I uhmm, already have plans."