Chapter four
"She's taking you to a museum because you didn't tell her about your hair . . .?" Paulina laughed as she pulled on her flats, her energy fluttery, which was how Elsa was able to know she was going to spend time with her boyfriend.
"Yes." Elsa gave her best not amused face, but it fell flat.
"Did she tell you at least what type of museum she's taking you to?" Paulina checked herself in the mirror, pushing her hair back but it just flopped forward.
"Nope, she just said museum." Elsa responded, laughing at how her roommate was fussing around. "Going to get some tonight?" Elsa waggled her eyebrows suggestively, and was rewarded with a nod, her phone ringing.
"Go get 'em!" Elsa called out as Paulina left, and she could just shake her head with a laugh at her roommate. She put her backpack down, her watch told her it was two fifty five, so she had enough time to grab her purse and put on another layer of deodorant.
"I don't know mom, are you sure?" Anna asked her mom for the third time as she pulled up to the curb, and her mother laughed through the phone that was on speaker.
"Yes I'm sure. As you've described her, she'll be thrilled to go to that one." Mom told her, her father's voice calling out in the background.
"Thank you mom—oh she's coming, I have to go!" Anna excited told her mom, this time earning a laugh from both her father and mother.
"Have fun on your date honey!" Mom yelled into the phone as Elsa walked closer to the car.
"It's not—" Anna defended, even though she wished it was, but was cut off when her phone flashed that her mom had hung up. She fumbled to unlock the door just in time for Elsa to open it and slide in.
"Nice car. I'm surprised that the University let you have one." Elsa fastened her seatbelt, and Anna was acutely aware of how her car looked. It was sleek, and she spent the last hour carefully cleaning out all the dirt and crumbs, her eyes flitting to the time on the dash board.
"Yeah, the benefits of having to take a plane to get home. Two weeks to get here by car." Anna smiled at her as she put the address into the maps app.
"Where are we going?" Elsa asked, trying to peer at the screen, and like a bubbling fool Anna turned her phone screen the other way so she wouldn't be able to see it.
"It's a surprise." Anna firmly told her, but she couldn't help her grin.
"Okay then, will it be open when we get there." Elsa asked, sitting back in her chair, and Anna felt like cupid hit her though the chest when Elsa tucked one of her loose strands behind the shell of her ear. Yes, her crush was getting out of hand. For crying out loud this was only her third time being in the same space as her.
"Yes . . . though it is a bit of a drive." Anna admitted, clipping her phone into the case that stuck to the glass, and she took her time with angling it so Elsa wouldn't be able to see where they were going via the maps.
"That's fine. Do you mind if I look through the radio stations?" Elsa's fingers were already hovering over the dial, and Anna found herself nodding as she pulled away from the curb.
"So how does it feel being so far from home?" Elsa inquired as she flipped through stations, her fickleness at music becoming apparent as she only listening to a few seconds on each station.
"I missed my parents a lot at first, then I found out I missed the small things. I'd walk home and then realize I missed the tree that was at the end of the block where all the kids would play. Or I'd miss walking the streets on the way home. But after I adjusted here it didn't hurt so much, so it's more like a memory of missing." Anna found the words flowing from her mouth, daring to glance at the woman beside her.
"That makes sense. A lot of freshmen report those types of nostalgia, and some reports display that in some it stays until the end of the second year." Elsa paused, her head tilted a bit as she decided that that station would do.
"How far are you away from home?"
"Oh, not too far, just a few towns over." Elsa answered back slowly, her tone unreadable.
"Do you visit your parents a lot?" Anna winced as she asked the question, really she should figure out what questions to ask.
"No." Elsa kept that unreadable tone, her face turned to the window.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Anna softly apologized, her thumb tapping a silent rhythm against the steering wheel.
"No, it's fine. So why did you choose to come to this University when you knew it was so far from home?" Elsa turned the music up a bit, so it was a clearer, but to Anna it was background noise.
"Well it has everything I ever wanted in a school, it just spoke to be on a deep level the second I set foot on campus, and it just got better as I went into my classes. Oh there's some snacks in the back seat if you want any." Anna waved to the seat behind her, not taking her eyes off the road.
"Do you want some gum?" Out of the corner of her eye she was able to see Elsa rummage through the snacks she bought last night, though she will admit she bought too much.
"Sure." Elsa's fingertips brushed against her open palm as she set the gum down, and her stomach did a small summersault.
"So what field are you studying for?" Was she always this inquisitive?
"I want to be a social worker. What are you studying for?" Anna slowly placed the gum in her mouth.
"I'm undecided."
"Oh. Well you have plenty of time." Anna answered lamely, and silence bloomed between them, the radio keeping it from being awkward.
"Why do you want to be my friend so bad?" Elsa broke the silence, and Anna could feel her cornflower blue eyes on her face, her attention unwavering. It made Anna's palm sweat against the steering wheel and her heart pick up its beat. Her mouth dried up a bit and it took her a moment to get her mouth working.
"It just feels right, like we're meant to be friends. Don't you think?" Her voice didn't come out wavering like she thought it would be, and it made her breath come easier.
"I don't believe in that type of things." Elsa quietly replied, her eyes narrowing a bit before letting it go. "But I won't discredit what you feel."
"Thank you. . ." Anna fumbled, not knowing how to respond. How could she not believe in it? In meeting a person and just knowing there was potential in being friends?
The next half hour went back and forth in small talk and silence. When she parked a block away from the art museum she knew that Elsa loved the color grey, that she was making a movie manuscript, and that she couldn't think about her life without being a part of track and field. It made her happy to slowly make her talk, the silence providing answers true.
"It's not far." Anna smiled at Elsa, locking the door and all but dragged Elsa down the block.
"I've never been here." Elsa murmured as they walked up the steps, and Anna found herself holding her breath as they walked in. Would she like it? What if this was a mistake? Oh, mon Dieu!
"It's beautiful. . . " Elsa murmured as they walked past golden arches that had baby angels carved into it.
"Ohhoo, over here." Anna gasped, grabbing onto Elsa's wrist and pulling her over to a large painting.
"Here, it's a perspective painting." Elsa laughed, moving Anna back a bit so everything fell into place.
"Do you make that sort of art?" Anna whispered as all the blobs of colors became flowers floating down a river so detailed it made actually look at it. Usually she would glance at paintings and then be done with it, not actually look at it, or maybe it was because Elsa's hands were on her arms and her face was full of beautiful amazement?
"Sometimes, though it never comes out like that. It must have taken them years to acquire the skills to paint this." Elsa continued speaking lowly, and she sadly released her grip, walking over to the next painting.
As time passed Anna found herself looking more at Elsa than the art, which was an accomplishment because she never spent this much time around art. She hung on the comments Elsa would make on the art and at times she found herself making small replies that sounded smart! Yeah! She got this!
. . . or maybe not. Anna's eyebrows were pinched, the left side of her mouth pulled up as she looked at the huge piece before her. Her eyes just couldn't figure out what was happening and because of that she was ready to move on, but Elsa sat herself down at the bench there, her cornflower blue eyes fastened on the painting with an expression she couldn't understand. Anna found herself fidgeting beside her, but couldn't force herself to break the joy on Elsa's face by making her leave.
"Excuse me ladies, it's going to be closing in ten minutes." A security officer told them lazily, and that made Anna look at her phone. It was already seven! They spent hours here looking at art . . . something she never thought she'd be able to say.
"Come on, let's get something to eat before we go home." Elsa murmured to her, already walking away.
"Oh, yeah that's a great idea! What do you want to eat? Though I'm not paying for your pizza because we're friends now." Anna babbled, scrambling after the taller woman.
"Hmm, pizza does sound good." Elsa laughed, opening the door for her.
"Wait, you didn't deny it! So we are becoming friends!" Anna could help the bounce in her step at the words, or her large grin.
"Don't go screaming it or else I'll take it back, Bisset." Elsa demanded, looking over her shoulder at Anna.
A/n: Hey guys! Who wants swimming in the next chapter?! Give me your vote on yes or no :)