"I had a nightmare last night."

Elsa's fork clinked against her bowl as her eyes met her sister's from across the dining room table. "What was it about?" she asked.

"Well… I don't think you'll really understand it," Anna replied. In reality, however, she knew her sister would understand it perfectly. She just didn't want to talk about it.

"Doesn't matter," Elsa said through a mouthful of oatmeal, her hand covering her mouth as she spoke.

"Fine. It was really cold, and I didn't really know why but I was going towards some old house, and I went inside and went up the stairs and at the top there was this room that I recognized for some reason so I went inside and there was this mirror on the wall." She paused for a moment to catch her breath. "I went over to it and I looked in it, but it wasn't me that I saw…" She stopped speaking even though it was clear that part of her story was missing.

"What a pleasant nightmare," Elsa teased. She lifted another spoonful of oatmeal to her mouth. "You know, with nightmares like that I don't know how you ev-"

"It was our mother," Anna said. Elsa stopped chewing immediately.

"Oh…"

The younger girl rested her elbows on the table and lowered her head onto her hands, covering her eyes.

Way to go, it's not even seven o' clock yet and you've made your sister sad.

"Anna... I didn't mean to..." Elsa began. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Her words had a certain sting to Anna's ears. She looked up and retorted "You're a bit late for that. Maybe try giving me the time of day for once if you don't want to upset me."

"Anna…"

"I mean, for the first time in forever you decide to help me with piano yesterday, but then you just leave because… because of what? I don't even know! And now you're making fun of my nightmare!" Anna said. As soon as the last word left her lips, her eyes widened in realization of what she had said.

Elsa sat silently, well prepared for whatever her sister had left to say to her.

She's right.

When the younger girl failed to say anything more, Elsa rose from her seat and carried her bowl to the kitchen and set it in the sink. She walked back into the dining room and continued past the table before stopping.

No, I can't just leave her like this.

She turned around and took her seat again. Her sister appeared genuinely surprised that she did so. Neither spoke.

Neither needed to.

The two looked at each other for a few seconds, both analyzing the other's expression.

Anna was the one who finally broke the silence between the two. "I have to get ready for school," she said. She stood up and walked out of the room, leaving her bowl in its place on the table. For once it was Anna who left Elsa alone.

So this is what it feels like… God I'm an idiot.

Elsa rose from her seat again and carried her sister's bowl to the kitchen and set it in the sink next to her own bowl. She paused.

Even our bowls are closer than us.

After a short while Elsa walked back out of the kitchen and made her way towards her room. She walked slowly and silently up the stairs, trying to hear if her sister could be coming out of her room. She didn't want another awkward encounter between the two. Once she reached the top of the stairs, she walked quickly and quietly to her own room and closed the door. Immediately she realized just how bad of a relationship the two had. She was actually afraid of accidentally having to see her sister.

That realization sent a wave of regret and self-hatred over the girl. She repeated those last few words in her head, hoping to dull the pain they brought through repetition.

Afraid of seeing her… Afraid of… seeing her… Afraid…

Each time the words stung the same.

A shuffling in the adjacent room caught Elsa's attention. Her first thought was to go see what her sister was doing. Her second was of more regret.

It's too late to help her, you idiot. Just stay in your room and think of how bad of an older sister you've been until she leaves.

That is exactly what she did. Anna's footsteps and the closing of the front door were Elsa's signal to begin readying for school herself. She didn't take long, dressing in only jeans and a t-shirt. She grabbed her backpack and her keys and walked out the front door. She hurried around the sharp bend in the path leading to the driveway when her sister's frail voice caught her attention.

"Elsa… I'm sorry."

The words couldn't have hurt more. Elsa stopped and turned around, but she didn't look at her sister.

"I never should have blown up at you like that." Anna began. "I know you're trying to be a good sister, but I just…" She stopped herself, hoping to prevent any further damage. After she had thought through what she was going to say, she started again. "I'm really lonely, Elsa. And afraid… I guess it's our parents… I'm- I'm just not over it."

Elsa drew a breath with the intent to speak but decided against doing so. Whatever she had to say could only cause more harm. After a short while, however, the older girl said the only thing she figured couldn't hurt her sister any more.

"I'm sorry, too."

Neither girl spoke again for fear of treading too roughly on the other's fragile emotions, but both stood ready for those emotions to be shattered by the other.

Both felt they deserved it.

After a few seconds Elsa turned around to walk to her car. The thought of driving to school with only her regrets stopped her, however. She turned to face her sister, who was staring at her feet.

"Hey, uh…" Elsa began. Anna's eyes shot up to meet her sister's. The older girl swallowed. "How 'bout I, uh, give you a ride to school?"

Anna pondered the question for a second before agreeing.

The three minute drive was completely silent but it was still better than going alone for both girls.

When they arrived Anna left with only a half-hearted "thanks." Elsa remained in the car for a while longer. When she finally decided to head to class she made it only halfway to the front gate of the school before Olaf called out to her.

"Elsa!" he said. "Wait up!"

Elsa turned around and waited for the boy to catch up to her. "Hey Olaf," she said.

"Hey," he said. Elsa turned back around and began walking with him. The two remained silent for a short while. "Did you get the student contract thing for calc signed by your parents yet?" Olaf asked.

"No…" Elsa replied.

"Why not?"

Why the fuck do you care?

Elsa pondered the question for a short while before saying "I don't know."

"You hesitated," Olaf replied.

"N- No I didn't…" Elsa said shyly.

"Sure," Olaf said playfully. "You're gonna have to work real hard on that forgetfulness if you hope to survive this year, that's for sure. Luckily for you we're on block schedule here so you get an extra day to get it signed."

"Yeah…"

Elsa hardly noticed that they had reached the front gate.

"Hey, I'm off to my English class," Olaf said. "See you later."

Elsa watched for a few seconds as the young boy strode off towards the office before the first bell prompted her to walk through the gate of the school towards her first class of the day.


Elsa's first two new classes were more or less void of anything memorable. AP Norwegian literature and AP Chemistry, although being AP classes, so far seemed like nothing to worry about.

It was her third and final new class, TA for the sophomore PE class, that brought Elsa another well-known wave of panic, not because of the class itself, but because of who was in it.

Anna.

As soon as she entered the gym to meet the teacher she caught sight of her sister's red hair.

Great. Just what I needed.

Elsa tried her best to avoid catching the eye of her sister, but failed. Anna noticed Elsa out of the corner of her eye and looked towards her, surprised to see her. Elsa thought about looking away but she knew it was already too late for that. Instead she too looked in Anna's direction.

"Alright everybody, welcome to sophomore PE!" the teacher exclaimed while still walking down the stairs leading into the gym.

Anna quickly turned to attention, but Elsa continued gazing in her sister's direction. After a short while Anna glanced back towards Elsa to see that she was still staring at her. Anna mouthed "what?" while throwing her arms up a bit in a questioning gesture.

The teacher took notice, and he was not pleased.

"Ahem, miss," he said. Anna's eyes grew wide as did Elsa's. "Do you have something to share with the class?"

"Oh, uh… no…" she said in a feeble voice.

"Then who were you talking to?"

At this point all eyes were on Anna.

"My… My sister," she said.

"And who might that be?" the teacher asked.

Do you really fucking care, asshole? No, you just want to make my sister feel bad, don't you?

Anna failed to respond. The teacher raised his eyebrows in a gesture that was both questioning and annoyed. After a short while Elsa spoke.

"I am..." she said.

The teacher turned to his right to face her. All eyes were now on Elsa.

"Oh, and what might be so important to your sister that she needs to disrupt my class to speak to you about it?" he asked.

"N- nothing," Elsa replied.

"It has to be something, I'm sure."

"No, really, it's nothing," Elsa said. Her defense was weak at best and both she and the teacher knew it. All she could do at this point was wait for him to drop the subject. He didn't. The girl cracked under the pressure of his stare after only a few seconds.

"I… I was staring at her because I was surprised she was in the same class as me… I didn't… I didn't know…" she reluctantly confessed.

The teacher gave a loud and obnoxious laugh. "What? You're not used to seeing her or something?" he said.

His lack of knowledge regarding the relationship the two sisters shared hit Elsa particularly hard.

"We… We had a bit of an argument this morning…" Anna said in defense of her sister from amidst the group of students around her.

At first it seemed as though the girl had nothing more to say, but she continued nonetheless, now addressing her sister. "Elsa, it was my fault. It was all my fault. I'm an idiot to think that I'm the only one that's lonely and afraid and all that..."

Anna, just stop. These people don't need to know about… Oh God, please don't bring up our parents.

Every eye and ear in the room was now on Anna, desperate to get every detail of what she had to say. The girl didn't care, however. She continued pouring her heart out to her sister. "And I can't put all of this on you. I know you're only trying to help, and I never should have complained about how you don't spend that much time with me because it's my fault, too."

Just don't bring up our parents, Anna.

"I need to take more of the blame for this than I do. I can't put this on you, and furthermore I can't put this on our parents."

Elsa's eyes widened.

Oh God, oh God… Anna that's enough! Can't the teacher stop this or something?

"Just because they're gone now doesn't mean they're at fault for the way I've treated you, and I'm sorry, Elsa. I'm truly sorry."

The room was now completely silent. All eyes now turned towards Elsa, who was blushing furiously.

"Anna, I…" she said feebly. "I forgive you."

Anna smiled slightly, her eyes glistening. The silence was painful.

The teacher cleared his throat. "Well, um…" he began. His voice showed deep remorse for the unnecessary drama he had caused. "Let's all just keep our personal lives to ourselves from now on, alright?" he said. The room remained absolutely silent. After a few seconds he continued his speech. Elsa now focused on the teacher, trying to block out the embarrassment that her sister's apology had brought. A short while later, however, she looked back towards her sister.

She was staring at her.

The older girl locked eyes with her sister until tears began to well up in her eyes, at which point she turned her attention back to the teacher.


A/N Hey guys, looks like I will be completing this fic, but I'm still not so sure I'll be updating very frequently. By the way, if you're wondering when the meth comes in... be patient :) As for the prog metal references, this chapter references "Strange Deja Vu" by Dream Theater from Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory (1999). For those of you who know that album, you can probably guess where this is going. For those of you who don't... it's gonna get sad. Really sad.

Happy reading,

for-the-first-time-in-never