Hello, again. I'm sorry this is quite late - I've been having troubles with my laptop.
This is quite short again, and I hope that they might get longer as I get further into the story, these past few chapters have really been to set the scene so to speak.
I'd like to thank everyone who has left me a review - I really really appreciate it! ... I'm not sure how to reply though! :(
The next week or so passed and for the most part everything at Corona High School was running smoothly. Of course, Elsa was still continuously tripped, laughed at and shouted at in the halls but she refused to let it get to her.
Yes, every word was like a dagger.
Yes, every word that left the mouth of Pitch and her gang of admirers was like poison.
But she couldn't afford to let it get to her.
Instead, Elsa swiftly moved about the school, choosing to buy her lunch (usually just an apple and a bottle of orange juice) from the corner shop she passed on her way to school instead of using the school canteen. She arrived early to her classes and sat at the back, against the wall.
Concealed.
She never contributed to the class, she just listened intently in silence and made her notes in neat handwriting in her light blue spiral bound notebook. As soon as the lesson ended it was lunch, and she would hastily pack her belongings into her satchel and leave, going to the library where she would remain throughout the whole of the lunch break.
That is where she was currently sat, delicately nibbling at a biscuit as she read. To any casual passers by it would seem that the quiet blonde was merely studying, but she was actually reading on a subject that was completely unrelated to any of the lessons she was taking.
Luckily the "magic" and "fantasy" books were highly unpopular within the school, it was rare to find anyone in the library if they weren't looking for an edition that wasn't specifically linked with a subject they were taking. This is why she chose a desk in this area to claim as her own for the hour. Elsa had also collected a few books on physics and chemistry. Over the past few days she had been trying to clue herself up with the science behind ice and water, hoping that understanding the power may help her with controlling it. She was also reading up on the subject of Magic, in the hopes of finding other cases like her own or finding possible ways to control or even get rid of the power she seemed to possess. She had also gathered a few editions from the history section of the library to read up on witchcraft through the ages, hoping to find similar things.
Of course, she knew the basics about molecular structure of water and ice from her previous home education, but she wanted to know as much as she possibly could. She was so absorbed in the book she was reading, following the lines of the pages with a slender, gloved finger, that she failed to acknowledge the pair of bright green eyes watching her from the shelves.
Even though Hiccup was now accepted amongst the players on the ice hockey team, he still felt uneasy when socialising. There was something about being around his peers that made him feel insecure.
Jack and Kristoff were his best friends, and he was thankful that such likeable people had accepted him into friendship with open arms, but he still felt rather inadequate in comparison. They were tall and toned with muscle and a good personality to match. Jack was loud, humorous and highly charismatic whereas Kristoff was kind and funny in his own, unusual way. While Hiccup was tall, he lacked muscle definition and was more on the lanky side. While Kristoff's and Jack's messy hair looked good, Hiccup felt that his own untamed hair just looked dishevelled and unkempt. His friends spoke in deep baritones that sounded assertive and well.. attractive, but Hiccup himself felt that he had a strange, almost nasal twang to his voice, and his stammer certainly didn't sound at all assertive.
This is why every now and again when the team wasn't practicing over their lunch break, Hiccup found solace in the school's library. The fantasy section was his favourite place to be, as it was quiet and empty and had an abundance of books for him to get lost in. He didn't believe in magic per sé but he enjoyed reading about the likes of dragons as the contrast between the brave protagonists he read about and himself were so different, he could almost forget that he was quiet, awkward hiccup for a little while.
However, today Hiccup's plans were altered when he went to sit in his usual seat and found it already occupied.
He couldn't help but stare at the girl before him. He recognised her vaguely, he might have seen her walking through the corridors or she may have been in one of his classes, he wasn't sure. She had her platinum blonde hair secured in an intricate looking bun, and though her eyes were downcast as they greedily read the words on the dense pages she had open on the desk in front of her Hiccup could see that they were large and framed by long dark eyelashes. The most curious feature about the girl in his seat, though, was her gloved hands. It was no where near cold enough for gloves, and besides they didn't look thick enough to provide much warmth.
Elsa suddenly seemed to realise that someone was watching her and her eyes snapped up from the book and glanced around almost fearfully before locking onto Hiccup. If it were possible, her large eyes grew wider as she immediately jumped up and gathered her things. Hiccup could see her hands shaking as she rushed to mark her place in the book.
Hiccup wanted to speak to her, reassure her that she could sit there. He wanted to apologise for staring so openly.
He held up his hands and tried to stop her leaving, but before he could even utter a word the mysterious girl had rushed past him, her eyes downcast and her books held secretively against her chest. As she passed Hiccup could swear that a cold breeze followed.
He stood almost conflicted. Should he follow her? What would he say? Did she want to be followed or spoken to by him? Probably not. Slowly he sat down in the seat that had just a minute a go been occupied and opened the book he had picked up. Judging by how many pages into the book the mysterious girl was, she had been there a while. But if that was the case, why was the seat so cold?
He felt a rush of guilt. Was he that bad that even someone who doesn't even know him didn't want to sit with him? He could only hope that she would come back tomorrow.
Elsa stalked down through another aisle of the library, trying to forget the emerald eyes of the boy that had found her. For days she had been able to sit there undisturbed, and now she would have to find somewhere new. All this avoiding was exhausting.
It wasn't that she felt unsafe around him. His eyes actually seemed gentle and kind – unlike most of the others that burned into her from the other pupils – and most importantly he didn't immediately shout and jeer at her. In fact, Elsa would go as far to say that he looked just as uncomfortable to be in her presence as she felt to be in his. It was her fear of accidentally hurting someone that prevented her from being more polite towards him. Pitch's threat also rang in her mind, like a bell.
"I can make your life a living nightmare"
She tugged frustratedly at the edges of her gloves as she moved, the tingling sensation in her hands growing gradually stronger as her emotions increased in intensity.
Conceal, don't feel.
Don't feel.
Don't.
Feel.
That afternoon, Hiccup was making his way to hockey practice, his skates slung loosely over his shoulder. He was still thinking about the girl from the library.
It turned out that he did recognise her! She was in his biology class that afternoon, and he recognised her from English class, which they also apparently shared.
Her name was Elsa White. He thought that was a little ironic considering her platinum blonde hair. But apparently she was more widely known across the school as "Freak" among various other things. He'd heard the other pupils in his class torment her throughout the lesson, whispering at her and knocking her stuff off the desk. Hiccup knew that she was new to the school, but what she'd done to deserve such hatred baffled him.
Hiccup himself had struggled to fit in, and people had often singled him out and made his life a misery. It wasn't until he tried out and got into the school's hockey team that people backed off and let him be. Some even wanted to be his friend! However, the likes of Pitch Black still made him feel unwelcome in the institution, despite him having been there for just as long as she had.
Wait a minute...
The team!
Hiccup had a sudden thought that maybe, if he invited Elsa to watch the hockey team practice, she might become more accepted by her peers. He didn't think it would cause a sudden surge in popularity, but somehow he didn't think that a quiet girl like Elsa would like that. But maybe she'd appreciate being able to do her work in peace, and not having to hide away in the library at lunch time.
He just had to try to build up the courage to speak to her without looking like a creep... and find the courage to actually speak to her.
He was jolted from his thought process by a clap on the shoulder from one of the team members, Bunny. He had reached the rink.
Bunnymund – or just Bunny – was an Australian student who was relatively new to the team. He was tall with short hair and side burns. His hair was naturally a shade of dark brown, but he chose to dye it a shade of grey - much to the rest of the teams bafflement. Bunny was in the same year as Hiccup, Jack, Hans and Kristoff but he was a good head taller than most of them.
"Wake up, mate! We've got a big game coming up, we can't afford to have you daydreaming!" He chuckled, "What're you thinking of, anyway, hm? Astrid?" Bunny dragged out Astrid's name and then proceeded let out a full belly laugh at his nervous friend's uneasy expression. Hiccup's crush was seen as pretty ridiculous by most of the team. Bunny included.
Hiccup just laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck, and moved to the bleachers to put on his skates. He surprised himself as he realised that he hadn't really thought of Astrid all afternoon.
Practice went smoothly and as practice drew to a close the team skated a few laps around the rink to work off any excess energy. It was in this time that Hiccup was approached by Jack.
"Hey, Hic, you alright? You've seemed pretty distracted this afternoon," Jack's tone and eyes portrayed nothing but seriousness. Behind Jack's mischievous exterior was a deeply loyal and caring friend. Hiccup was almost ashamed to say that he had initially been intimidated and even wary of his team mate.
Hiccup wetted his lips, unsure of how to breach the subject he wanted to talk about before asking, "Do you know the new girl?"
Jack looked up in thought for a moment, "The one everyone calls a freak?"
"Her name is Elsa, Jack"
"Well, she does wear gloves in this weather, Hic," Jack defended himself with a small smirk. "But yeah, I know who you mean. What about her?"
Hiccup hesitated for a moment, wringing his hands slightly, "Can she come to practice tomorrow?"
Jack laughed, "You haven't got a crush on her have you?!"
"No! Of course not! She was on her own at lunch today and I just thought that maybe..." Hiccup trailed off, embarrassed.
"Wait, so you want this Elsa girl to come to watch our practice, so she doesn't feel lonely?"
Hiccup looked away as he nodded, his cheeks going slightly red. He suddenly realised now ridiculous his idea seemed.
"Aw, man. Hic, I don't know..." Jack started, his light blue eyes glittered though his tone was sombre, "I don't know if we'll have enough space for her to sit..." He gestured to the bleachers, which were completely empty besides a couple of girls who were there to watch the likes of Hans South.
Jack laughed, "Yeah, I don't see why she can't come along. But you better come on if you want me to give you a lift home - I've got to babysit Jamie at 7."
Hiccup let out a breathy laugh of relief as he realised that his friend was joking. Now he just needed to figure out a way to invite Elsa to come to practice.
so, there's chapter 3! I'm sorry - it's a bit of a filler chapter again but the story will pick up soon, honestly!
drop me a review to let me know what you thought? :) Thank you!
