Elsa
"I can drive you home if you want." Jack offers as he follows me out of the building.
He always offers.
I always decline.
"That's ok." I answer. "I like to walk."
It's true.
There really isn't anything better than the cool breeze tangling itself into your hair as you walk down the sidewalk, breathing in the scent of the trees and the flowers surrounding you.
Now that it's nearly summer, my cool breeze is starting to lose it's coolness, but I still like it.
I like the solitude it brings.
I haven't gotten my license yet. I haven't even gotten my permit yet.
I'm pretty sure I'm the only Senior who can't drive.
I have other things to worry about, though.
What are the others going to do? Mock me for being different? They already do.
"Are you sure?" He slides his hands casually into his jean pockets.
He always wears the same basic outfit every day. I chide myself for noticing.
Jeans and a hooded blue sweatshirt.
Blue is my favorite color.
"Yeah, I'm sure." We break apart from each other when we reach the parking lot.
I can feel his eyes on me as I walk away.
The greater the distance between Jack and I, the greater the loneliness becomes. I can feel it as a thick wool blanket weighing down on my fragile shoulders.
Don't let him in, don't let him see.
Be the good girl you always have to be.
I'm only halfway home when it starts to rain.
I'm not talking about a nice, light drizzle.
It's pouring down on me. My clothes are soaked through.
"Hey Elsie," A red truck slows down on the road adjacent to the sidewalk I'm walking on. Rachel waves to me from the passenger side. Flynn Rider, her perfect boyfriend, is driving. He smirks at my wet dog appearance.
Flynn is what most of us would call a "bad boy". Between his questionable reputation and his ragged looks, the majority of all high school girls are completely wooed by him.
I see nothing but a punk kid with a chip on his shoulder.
"I would have Flynn drop you off at your house so you don't have to walk all this way in the rain, but there isn't any room for you." Rachel pouts. I'm sure she's devastated. "It's all right. I wouldn't want you to get me wet anyway. I'll see you at school tomorrow, Elsie. Don't catch a cold." She waves again as the red truck takes off down the road, going a little over the speed limit.
Don't let them in, don't let them see.
Be the good girl you always have to be.
Anna
When World Literature finally ends, I meander over to Kristoff's desk to talk to him about the assignment.
"Uh, hey there."
He looks up at me while he loads his books into his backpack. "Mhm." He grunts. This is my signal that I have his unwavering attention. Right.
"I was wondering if you were available to meet up after school to work on the project. We could meet in the library-"
Ziiiippp!
He yanks the zipper on his bag. It's loud and obnoxious, just as I'm sure he intended it to be.
"Sorry, I've got plans." He says bluntly.
"Well, what about tomorrow-" He's already past me and out of the room. "Oh, ok. Never mind. We can work on it whenever you get around to it. We do have until the end of the week. Take your time."
I'm talking to myself.
Sighing, I follow Kristoff's example and leave the classroom. I have to get to my next class.
I stride out the door, into the hall, and straight into the body of a human being.
Why, Anna? Why must you be so clumsy all the time?
"I'm so sorry!" I gasp, jumping away from them to keep any other incidents from happening. This has actually happened before; bumping into someone only to end up bumping into them again. I don't recommend it.
"No, no." His voice is surprisingly soft. "The fault is mine."
Someone please pinch me now, I just ran into the arms of a high school hunk.
His hair is ginger, which isn't a typical hunk hair color, but don't let that fool you.
His eyes are as soft as his voice.
I swear I'm looking at an angel right now.
Who is this boy and why have I never noticed him before?
"Well, if you want to take the blame, I won't argue, but with my record of clumsiness..." I find myself laughing.
"Since it's my first day here, I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that that my inner 'new kid' got the best of me. I was totally lost and had no idea where I was going."
"Oh?" I can't hide the interest dripping from my inquiry. "This late in the school year?"
"Yup." He nods. "To make things worse, it's my Senior year." He already sees the question in my eyes. "My dad had to transfer for work."
"Man, that sucks."
He nods again. "I'm Hans, by the way."
"Anna." We shake hands. His grip is firm, but not too firm as to cause any discomfort. It feels nice.
"It's nice to meet you, Anna." I can't help but feel disappointed when he releases his hold.
My disappointment doesn't last long.
The wheels in my head are churning faster than a Cheetah chasing it's prey for dinner... not that I'm implying Hans is my prey. Actually, maybe that's exactly what I'm implying.
Hans is a Senior and a Senior is just what I've been looking for.
I help him find his way through Arendelle High to his class.