For Rachel, because she's the sweetest!
"Order up!"
"Gosh, I can't believe how slammed we are tonight." Elsa heaves a giant tray of dirty dishes onto the counter next to the sink and wipes a brow.
"Tourist season is always the worst. Especially when the cruise ships come in." Nani loads her own tray up with her customer's meals. "Ai, watch it!"
A couple plates slide off the slippery counter next to Elsa and almost clatter to the ground, but instead land in a pile of snow. Nani can see a flash of shame and paranoia cross Elsa's face, but it passes quickly. No one is around to notice.
"Hey, you know no one minds, right? With aliens living on our island, no one thinks twice about a little magic ice."
Elsa sighs as though she's heard it before. She probably hears it five times a day from Anna, and countless times from her own conscience. "I know. It just… takes some getting used to. People knowing, that is. I don't want to be treated any differently for it."
"Fair enough. Better get your plates, though, this counter's getting crowded." Elsa hurries to grab another tray to load up and Nani leaves the kitchen for the patio.
Nani's just on her way back to the kitchen for another round of delivery when the hostess pulls her aside.
"Hey, Nani, I'm really sorry, but you've got the big table in the back."
"What? That's not even in my section!"
"I know, but we're short-staffed tonight, and you're the best…"
"Ha, if only the boss thought so…"
"You are though. Please don't hate me?"
"Nah, I'll just…" Nani glanced over at the large party table. Cruise shippers have stuffed themselves around it in a giant clump of noise and possibly hostile hunger. "I'll deal with it."
The hostess gives her a sympathetic look as she steels herself and walks toward the back, plastering on a fake smile.
"Welcome to the Luau, my name is Nani, and I will be serving you tonight. Can I get you started with some drinks," she rattles off to the nearest family. A hulking man sits next to an elegant woman with long, dark hair, who seems to be wrestling with three triplet boys squirming in their chairs. Nani fights to not sigh with frustration. It's going to be a long night, she thinks to herself.
"Aye, yes, we will have the Family Platter, with a side of… what is 'poi?'" The hulking man booms in a foreign dialect that Nani hasn't heard anywhere but on TV. She notices a girl about Elsa's age with wild red hair laughing behind her hands, whether in embarrassment or some sort of inside joke she's shared with this man (her father?), Nani can't tell.
"Da, they told us on the boat about a hundred times!"
"Aye, I know that, but I can't remember!"
"It's one of the staple foods of the Pacific, and you can eat it on its own or with the other…" But no one is really listening to Nani's explanation, as two of the triplets disappear under the table and the mother berates them. Nani sighs. "I'll just come back with six waters and the Family Platter, how about that?" The father gives her a sheepish grin and nods, handing her back the menu. Before going to take orders from the rest of the table, Nani glances at the daughter, who's staring off in the distance, a kind of wistful longing on her face. Nani follows her gaze…
Elsa and Nani end up having about ten minutes to themselves as their customers eat, and they spend it in the back, propping their feet up on the table.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to this dinner rush." Elsa rubs her aching feet, trying to bring some life back to them.
"It's pretty bad tonight, even for the season. But I've noticed you've also been picking up a lot of extra shifts. Is everything okay?"
Elsa tenses a bit, and ice creeps up the windowpane. "It's obvious?"
Nani raises an eyebrow. "You're more tired than usual, every time I get to work you look like you've been here for hours, and… well…" She gestures to the frosty windows. "What's up?"
Elsa bites her lip. "I…"
"Come on, Elsa, you know you can tell me anything."
Elsa nods and takes a breath. "I've just been feeling kinda… lonely… I guess."
Nani gives her a look that says, "Go on."
"Well, Anna's got her classes during the day, and then watches Lilo here while we work. On the weekends, she spends time with Kristoff, and he's really grown on me, I can see that he's good for her, so that makes me happy. And Olaf is always wonderful to spend time with, but…"
"You need more than just two people in your life. I get it."
"I know that seems selfish."
Nani laughs. "Elsa it's the opposite of selfish. You're allowed to need people. It's kinda what we're designed to do? Need each other?"
A smile plays at the corners of Elsa's mouth. "I know…"
"Besides, you've got me! You can come over any time, honestly. I could use a break from all the weird that goes on in my house."
"Oh no, I wouldn't want to impose…"
"Hey, none of that. Listen, next time you're in the house alone, I want you to call me, and you, me and David can go out for a drink or something."
"Now that really would be imposing."
"I'm not listening!" Nani sticks her fingers in her ears and her tongue out at Elsa, who laughs out loud, not bothering to hide her laughter behind her hand.
"Okay, okay, I'll call you!"
Nani smiles, triumphant. "Good. You haven't lived until you're the awkward third wheel for someone, anyway." Elsa laughs again. "So Anna's spring break is coming up this week, what's she gonna do?"
Elsa shrugs. "Not sure yet. I've been thinking of taking a few days off to spend some time with her."
Nani playfully swats at Elsa's arm. "See? There you go. Much needed sister time. If only I could get a few days off myself, we could make a real party of it."
When they finally emerge off their break, a few tables have emptied and things have quieted down considerably. Nani collects checks from other tables before wandering back toward the cruise shipper table.
"How was everything?" She plasters on a smile, but can see that even the rowdier customers have settled with their full stomachs. The burly Scotsman from earlier pats his belly and gives a roar of laughter.
"I haven't eaten like that since we had the three families over for the Highland games!" The three boys are running around the table, chasing each other and stealing un-eaten bits of food from some of the other's plates. Nani grimaces, but turns back to the father.
"Would you like some dessert? We've got a variety of-"
"Oi! Watch out!" The daughter reaches out across the table, but the damage is done.
The triplets have dumped an entire pitcher of water on Nani's head.
"BOYS! APOLOGIZE. NOW." The mother grabs the three of them by the wrists and hauls them off to a private corner, as the father looks shocked and whispers, "I think we'll just uh, take the check."
Nani nods once and stalks off to the back.
She's about half-way across the patio before she hears, "Hang on!"
Nani whirls around as she wrings her hair out to see the fire-haired daughter rushing toward her. Nani braces herself for another random attack but instead finds money thrust in her hand.
"My da said to give this to you. As a tip." She sighs. "As an apology. My brothers are rowdy little buggers, and I'm really sorry about them."
Nani rolls her eyes. "How do your parents keep up with them?"
The redhead laughed. "A lot of shoving them off outside to play. We're going camping while we're here, I'm hoping that they get worn out so I can be left in peace."
Nani laughs. This girl seems pretty normal. "Hey, what's your name?" Nani asks.
"Merida. And you're Nani, right?"
"Yeah."
"Say…" Merida's looking off into the distance again. "Um, this might be an awkward question but… That girl you work with? The blonde? What's her name?"
Nani follows her gaze to find it resting on her friend serving another table across the patio.
"Oh, the one with the braid over there?" Merida nods. "Her name is Elsa."
"Elsa…" Merida repeats distractedly.
"Yeah, she's relatively new to the area. Why, do you…?" Nani lets the sentence drift off. The answer to her unfinished question is spelled out plain as day on Merida's face. Remembering her conversation with Elsa a few minutes ago, Nani suddenly gets a very devious idea.
"Say, you said you're going camping?"
A few minutes later, Nani's in the back drying her hair out with a towel, a wicked grin on her face. Elsa bursts through the double doors with her tray. "I just heard what happened! Are you okay?"
Nani shakes her head out. "Yeah. I'm not the Wicked Witch, a little water's not gonna kill me."
Elsa smiles a little, but her brows furrow. "That's still awful. No one deserves that."
"Thanks you, really, but I'm okay."
"All right, just making sure." Elsa loads up her tray with some carefully plated slices of cake.
"Hey, actually, I was doing some thinking," Nani interjects. Elsa's eyes meet Nani's to say she's listening. "What if we went camping for Anna's spring break?"
Elsa stops. "Camping?"
"Yeah, what if me and Lilo take you guys camping as kind of a thank you?"
Elsa gives her a look that says, "Come on," before actually saying, "A thank you for what? We haven't done anything."
"Oh please. Anna watches Lilo every single day after her classes."
"David is teaching her how to surf, and she's assured me that that's plenty of thanks."
"Well, okay then, how about we go in honor of you?"
Elsa's eyes widen. "Me?"
"Yeah! Come on, you've been a god-send for me. You're… well you're my best friend." Elsa's face flushes a brilliant scarlet. "And because of that, I want to take you guys camping!"
"That's… incredibly sweet of you. But is it safe? Out in the wild?"
Nani laughs so hard she doubles over. "The wild? Elsa, where do you think we're going? Lilo and I grew up on this island, we know it like the back of our hand, we're not gonna lead you guys off the beaten path."
Elsa flushes in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't know…"
"Nah, it's okay, it was just funny. And heck, let's bring the guys! I'm sure Kristoff could use a few days off from work, and David always wants to spend time with us. We'll make Anna's spring break one to remember!"
Nani can see that Elsa's warming up to the idea. "What about Lilo's school?"
"Her spring break is next week too." She can see that Elsa is running out of excuses. "Come on, I know you want to say yes…"
Elsa suddenly smiles from ear to ear. "All right. It sounds like a lot of fun. I know Anna's been wanting to explore the island more, anyway."
"Perfect."