I don't own the DP or Frozen characters. I only own this story and half credit goes to Toa Naruto.

First of all, I highly apologize for the long wait on this next chapter. There's a really good reason why. For one, I no longer like Delsa. I know. I'm sorry to say but Delsa no longer appeals to me. That's why I deleted it from my OTP list and got rid of any Delsa stories I was planning to write.

However, this story has been one of my most popular stories ever that I was torn. I honestly was on the bent of just deleting this story. But I didn't want to let you guys down. Not to mention my co writer Toa Naruto wanted this story to continue because he loved of how it came out. So the thing is, I'm no longer writing this story. But I figured it would be best if I continue to post while Toa Naruto takes over writing. Keep in mind guys that Toa is very busy so please, give him very kind and encouraging reviews. Again the "This is good! Update soon!" reviews are really let down. Please, PLEASE point out something we may have missed (I will be reading the chapters if I need to edit it myself) or say what you liked best about the chapter. It's always encouraging to the writer when you say what was your favorite part. Thank you!

To make this chapter more fun, feel free to play "Stamp on the Ground" at the appropriate cue!

It was a beautiful Friday at Casper High. The sun was shining, a light breeze blew across the campus, and practically everyone was in a good mood. Elsa seemed especially chipper during all of her classes. Not even pot shots from Paulina or any of the other A-Listers seemed to dampen her spirits. Everyone was perplexed as to why the platinum blonde seemed so happy, but Elsa paid them no attention. Ever since her mother had lifted her curfew, she felt as if a large weight had been lifted off of her, and that she could really live her life to its fullest. By the time her lunch period rolled around, her friends easily took notice of her sunny disposition once she joined them at their usual table.

"Hey, um, Elsa?" began Tucker, catching her attention. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, you seem especially…cheerful today; even more so than usual." added Sam. Danny barely managed to choke back a laugh at the Goth's statement. He knew full well why Elsa was in such high spirits, as she'd texted him last night to tell him the good news, but he wasn't about to steal her thunder. Instead he sent her a secret yet supportive smile, making sure that his other friends didn't notice him. Elsa saw his smile, which encouraged her to tell everyone the reason for her bright mood.

"Well, I have good reason to be happy, Sam. Do you remember all of the times that I had to return home from school almost right after it was let out?'' She waited for friends to nod before continuing. "Well, it was because I had a deeply personal problem that I needed extra help in overcoming, and it usually took a long period of time to treat it. Because of this problem, my mother often got worried whenever I stayed out late, and often wanted me home as soon as possible." At this point, Elsa couldn't contain her glee any longer. "Well, I'm pleased to say that I've finally overcome that problem, and my strict curfew has been lifted!"

The look on her friends' faces almost made her want to laugh. Their shock was so great that they didn't notice that Danny's smile hadn't left his face.

"What?"

"Are you for real?"

Elsa just giggled at their outbursts. "Yes, yes, I am for real. After I thoroughly convinced my mother that I'd finally overcome my problem, she decided that having me keep to my curfew would be highly unnecessary. So from now on, I don't have to scuttle back home before 5:30 anymore. I'm finally free of my proverbial shackles!"

Tucker and Sam remained silent for a brief moment to digest what their friend had just told them. It didn't take long for their shock to give way to happiness.

"That's incredible!" exclaimed Tucker.

"Way to go, Elsa!" added Sam brightly, giving the girl sitting beside her a friendly pat on her shoulder. The platinum blonde's smile grew significantly at the gesture.

"Well, I don't know about you guys," began Danny, drawing everyone's attention back to him, "but I'd say that this calls for a celebration."

"I'll say!"

"Definitely!" Sam then turned to the only other girl at their table. "What do you say, Elsa, you want to hit the mall with us after school?"

"Um, s-sure. That sounds great." answered the blonde. "What did you have in mind?"

Sam's smile widened. "That's the beauty of it all: there is no plan."

"If there's one thing that you should always remember, Elsa, it's that you can always have a blast at the mall, no matter what the occasion." agreed Tucker. "Hell, half the time the three of us go there just to waste time; it's all a part of being a normal teenager."

The disguised princess didn't know exactly what to make of Tucker's explanation. Back when she was still a child, almost every little thing that took place in the royal castle had been pre-planned for her a day in advance; there was hardly anything unexpected that occurred back in Arendelle. Although the thought of finally being able to do something spontaneous seemed a bit unnerving for her, she couldn't help but feel excited all the same.

The rest of the day seemed to crawl at a snail's pace, and for once Elsa found herself impatiently waiting for school to end. There were even times where she tried to mentally will the hours to go by at a faster rate, much to her surprise. When the last bell of the day finally rang, the blonde was among the many other students rushing to get out of school as fast as humanly possible. After she met up with her friends, the group of four made their way to the mall.

The moment that she saw the exterior of the building, her heart started to excitedly beat against her chest at the prospect of visiting her very first mall. She had seen several portrayals of malls in movies and television sitcoms on the past, however they were nothing compared to the sight that was beyond the glass doors. The large variety of stores she saw jam-packed in the interior left her momentarily speechless. There was a store for just about everything: clothes, food, sporting goods, books, and several others that she didn't recognize at first glance; it was like she was in a modern-day bazaar.

"So this is what a mall is like?" she said in awe, her eyes shifting to and fro in an attempt to take in as much as the large shopping district as she could.

"Geez, Elsa, you sound as if you've never been inside a mall before." chuckled their group's tech wiz.

"Tucker...homeschooled, remember?" reminded the blonde while pointing to herself. The teen blushed as his friends shared a good-natured laugh at his forgetfulness. "Now I know that you told me that you don't need a plan to spend time at the mall, but just where do we go from here?"

"Well, since this is your first time at a mall, I say that we hit up the place where teens can rage against the machine!"

Elsa couldn't help but stare at Tucker with a twinge of worry. The way that he was speaking sounded eerily familiar to an extreme hacktivist. "Um…what?"

"To the arcade!"

The blonde breathed a sigh of relief once she realized that her friend wasn't talking about committing future criminal activities.

"Try not to take what Tucker says at face value when he's talking about video games." said Danny, as he and the girls followed after their friend.

"Yeah, he has a tendency to go a bit overboard." added Sam. The group of four walked towards an area that had the word ARCADE positioned above the entrance and lit up in bright neon red lights. In contrast, the interior was quite dark, and the only source of illumination was provided by several neon black fluorescent lights. The moment that she stepped inside, Elsa was slightly taken aback by the amount of noise that the room emitted, and just how many people were crammed inside. The sight before her was nothing like what she'd observed from books and TV shows. Her experience with video games was extremely limited as her parents never really allowed her and her sister to really get invested in gaming consoles. The rare instances where she actually had the chance to play them was when she found the online version of a video game about some strange Italian plumber fighting against a large variety of monsters. Her interest in video games waned considerably as she grew older and became more invested in her books.

"Now, since this is your first time at an arcade, the three of us are going to give you a crash course of how to make the most of your gaming experience." explained Tucker while directing her the change machine. Once everyone had several quarters in their pockets, the group meandered back to the center of the area. "Even though the arcade doesn't have anything from the major game consoles, there are still a large variety of game genres that you can chose from: adventure, shoot'em up, racing, sports, even games that had been around since our parents were teenagers. For me, one of my favorite arcade games is air hockey, which I'm practically a pro at. Yep, just point out a challenger, and I can beat them with one hand tied behind my back."

"Tch, puh-lease, Tucker, stop trying to make yourself out to be some kind of big shot." Sam then turned to the other bespectacled teen. "Don't listen to his boasting, Elsa. Despite what he claims, I've actually managed to beat Tucker at his own game on twenty separate occasions."

"Oh, really? Well, so long as we're airing everyone's dirty laundry, I think that Elsa should know that I beat you at air hockey twenty-one times, Sam.

The Goth's head whipped towards Tucker, a mild glare on her face as she folded her arms across her chest. "Oh, no! You do not get to count that last game, mister! That one didn't count since you constantly used your glasses to reflect the fluorescent light into my face to distract me long enough to score those last three goals.

Tucker's eye narrowed. "Really? Like you're one to talk, Ms. Slingshot! If you hadn't shot your hair band at me during that one game, you'd would've never gotten that winning point. But that's just like you isn't it? The moment it looks like you're going to lose, you have to resort to underhanded tricks to win."

"Hey! I don't resort to underhanded tricks, I level the playing field, especially after you start cheating!"

"I never cheat, you do!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do NOT!"

"Do TOO!"

The two friends settled into an intense stare down, each trying to get the other to back down. Elsa found her gaze repeatedly shifting from Tucker to Sam, unsure on whether or not she should intervene. She was about to ask Danny for help, when the tense silence was finally broken.

"How about we settle this the old fashioned way: you, me, and the air hockey field?"

Tucker's eyes narrowed. "One round. No cheap tricks. Winner takes all."

"Oh, it's on, Foley! Just try not to cry when I wipe the floor with you!"

"HA! Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Manson!" The two then marched towards the air hockey game that was a few feet away from where they were standing, their gazes still locked onto each other as walked. Several patrons gave the duo a wide berth, as if they'd experienced such a spectacle before. Danny and Elsa simply watched their two friends from afar, taken aback at how quickly things had escalated.

"Should…Shouldn't we try to stop them?" Elsa worriedly asked Danny. While it was true that she'd seen Tucker and Sam argue from time to time, what she'd just witnessed was on a whole new level.

To her surprise, Danny just shook his head. "Nah, they'll be fine. Besides, this is nothing compared to how they were two years ago. They used to spend entire weekends trying to beat each other at that game. It had gotten so bad that the arcade supervisor had to constantly kick them out when it was closing time. Sam even bit a guy that tried to get her and Tucker to stop playing."

Elsa visibly blanched from hearing of her friends' past obsession over the game. "Well, what got them to stop acting so obsessed?"

"An intervention by their parents, and the threat of a being banned from the arcade for life." replied Danny. "After that, their competitive rivalry drastically calmed down. They occasionally challenge each other for old time's sake, but they're much more mature about it nowadays."

"OOOOHHH! GET REKT, MANSON! First blood is mine!"

"Enjoy the moment while you can, Foley, 'cause that's the only point that you're scoring!"

The secret couple looked to where they heard their friends, before they turned their gaze back towards each other.

"How about we go look around while they're preoccupied?" offered Danny sheepishly.

"That sounds like a good idea." answered Elsa. As they walked, the blonde looked all around the arcade, astounded at what she saw. People of all ages were spread across the room, laughing and competing against each other. The entire area reminded her of a river from the African Serengeti, only the water was replaced by coin-operated video games, and the diverse wildlife was composed of young children, teenagers, and even young adults. It was all so surreal to her; even though the video arcade was just another everyday location to the average person, the venue offered a glimpse of how much she'd been missing out on from her sheltered life in the Arendelle castle. She was in a place where she could interact with people of all ages without worrying about her powers, and it was a sensation she was beginning to truly relish.

Danny easily took notice of the look on his secret girlfriend's face, and felt a smile of his own stretch across his cheeks. "Quite a lot to take in for your first time in an arcade, isn't it?" he asked.

Elsa smiled brightly and nodded. "Yes, it is. Being here in person is so much different than reading about it or seeing it in a movie."

Danny chortled. "It certainly is, but it's a lot more fun to actually play the games instead of watching other people play them. So, see anything that catches your eye? The first game's on me."

Elsa didn't know what to choose. There were just so many choices: snowmobile racing, pinball, zombie shooters, and even a retro game about an architect trying to rebuild a huge condominium while a large-fisted man tried to destroy it. All of the games looked so enjoyable, which did nothing to help her make a decision. Suddenly, she took notice of a game that was unlike all the others. There were two large pads that were positioned in front of a large monitor. Each pad had four sensors positioned like a compass rose (complete with the necessary arrows) and a metal bar embedded behind them. There were lights all over the outer frame flashing brightly, which served to draw attention to the game's title: Ultimate Dance Battle.

"How about that one?" Looking to where Elsa was pointing, Danny was surprised to see that she picked a dancing game. Despite the fact that he didn't have much experience with those types of games, he figured that he could bite the bullet and give it a try, if only for Elsa's sake.

"Er, sure. Although I should warn you that I've never played this game as often as the others. Then again, I guess that'll put us on equal footing." he said as they headed to the game, and they each inserted the necessary fee for multiplayer mode. "Have you ever played UDB before?"

Elsa shook her head. "No, but I heard that it's very popular all around the world. That was the main reason I chose it. I'd never seen this game before until today. Do you know how to play it?"

"Yeah, I do, but it's gonna take more than one match for you to learn how to play UDB. So how about we select a three-round match so that we can get the most out of our money, okay?" he answered as he paid the necessary fee. Before she could say anything, Danny pushed a button that was on the screen's dashboard.

ULTIMATE DANCE BATTLE!

DANCE-OFF MATCH SELECTED!

The loud booming voice that came from the console nearly made Elsa jump. The large screen's background animations were then replaced by several tabs that were arranged as if they were in an old fashioned jukebox. On them were several titles of what she assumed to be songs.

CHOOSE YOUR SONG!

"Okay, you first start off by standing on the pad, specifically in the space that's in the middle of the arrows." Danny got into position to demonstrate, and Elsa mimicked his actions. "Next, you choose a song from their selection. Once the song starts playing, you'll start to see several arrows panning up the screen and past a row that's made up of all four different arrows, only they're all hollowed out. The object of the game is to press down on the sensor pad that has the corresponding arrow that you see on the screen, and at the exact time when it reaches the top of the row. For example, if you see a left arrow on the screen, you press down on the left arrow sensor pad. On top of that, the arrows move across the hollow bar in accordance to the song's tempo, so you have to hit the sensor pad at just the right moment, otherwise the game will count it as a miss. The more matches that you make, the more points you score."

Elsa frowned at her feet in thought. Although she had taken ballroom dancing classes when she was younger, she had a feeling that they weren't going to be of much help to her for UDB. By what Danny had explained, the game relied solely on the player's reflexes instead of their experience with dancing. There was one thing, however, that she still didn't understand.

"What are the hand rails for?" she asked, gesturing to the thin red upside down U that was bolted behind her.

"Oh. Well, they're meant to help the player keep upright for the more complex moves." Danny easily noticed her expression become more anxious. "Hey, don't worry so much. It's not as complicated as it sounds, otherwise it wouldn't be as popular as it is today. Look, how about we start off with an easy song, and then work our way up from there? That way, we can both make fools out of ourselves."

Elsa simply nodded in appreciation, as Danny started scrolling through the playlists. He eventually settled on the song titled "Only You", by Captain Jack.

ROUND 1!

BEGIN!

Almost instantly, the music began to play, and the arrows started to pan up the screen. The tempo was reasonably slow, which helped eased the girl's initial fears about the game. Both she and Danny started off well, the two of them easily matching up the flashing arrows to the hollow bar, but it didn't take long for things got more difficult. The rate of the arrows appearing on screen increased, and the patterns became more complicated; sometimes there were two or three arrows that appeared at a time, right after a long chain of single arrows. The sudden development caught Elsa by surprise and caused her concentration to slip. As a result, she ended up completely missing a number of patterns. She tried to soldier on through the remainder of the song, but she couldn't get her groove back. In the end, Danny had the higher score and was declared the winner.

GAME OVER!

WINNER: PLAYER 1!

"So, what do you think of Ultimate Dance Battle? You actually did pretty well for your first try." said Danny.

Elsa grinned wryly. "Well, it certainly gets your heart racing, but I wasn't really expecting to see all four arrows being displayed at once. And what was up with those arrows that had long tails trailing behind it?"

The ghost boy chuckled sheepishly. "Er, yeah, that happens every now and then. Sometimes the game throws up a pattern that has all four arrows at once, and the only way to match it is to use both your hands and feet. As for the arrows with tails, that means that you have that sensor pad pressed down until the entire symbol has passed over the bar. Sorry, I should've remembered to tell you about that; it's been so long since I've last played this game that I forgot about them. Do you still want to play the rest of the match?"

"Definitely." There was a competitive flame burning in her glacial blue eyes. It was a look that Danny had only seen when they were sparring in the Ghost Zone. "Now that I know what to expect, I can definitely do a lot better; you'll see. So go ahead and pick the next song, but this time make it a challenging one!"

"Um, okay, if you insist." Scrolling through the playlists once again, Danny selected a song from the intermediate category: "La Libertad", by Cheryl Horrocks.

ROUND 2!

BEGIN!

Unlike the previous song, "La Libertad" began with an extremely fast tempo, and the chain of arrow patterns immediately appeared on screen. Danny had to really go all out to make sure that he hit all of the patterns. Glancing to his opponent, he was shocked to see Elsa blurring through the patterns on her side of the platform. Even though she still made the occasional misstep, she was doing exceptionally better than her first attempt. Seeing her in action was enough to spur him to double his efforts in making his own matches, but he started making mistakes in his haste. He tried to concentrate on his own screen, but his eyes kept on darting to the dancing girl next to him for the rest of the game until…

GAME OVER!

WINNER: PLAYER 2!

…Elsa won the second match.

"Are…Are you sure…you never…played this game before?" he gasped while trying to catch his breath. "Because I…I have to say that you're pretty good at this."

Elsa, who was feeling especially pleased with herself, flashed her secret boyfriend a triumphant smile. "Like I said, I knew that I could do better once I had an idea of what to expect."

Danny chuckled as he glanced back at the screen. "How about you choose the song for the tiebreaker?"

With great interest, she began to peruse through the songs that the game offered. Although she didn't know half the titles that were displayed, the short preview clips gave her a good idea of what they sounded like. The girl wasn't sure if she'd be able to find a suitable song until she saw one that instantly caught her interest. Once she had placed the cursor over the title, Danny felt his trepidation rise once he saw Elsa's choice: "Stamp on the Ground", by Italobrothers. Difficulty Level: Expert.

"Er…don't you think that a …um…less difficult song would be a better choice?"

The cyrokinetic girl's grin took on an extremely teasy expression. It was a look that Danny had rarely seen on her alabaster face. "Aw, what's this? Are you saying that you're afraid of being beaten by a girl?"

Initially surprised by her playful tongue-in-cheek, Danny quickly rose to her challenge. "Not at all, I just figured that I'd save you the embarrassment when I win."

The secret couple stared intensely at each other, until Elsa's grin morphed into a competitive smirk. "How about we make this last match more interesting with a little wager?"

One of Danny's brows rose in intrigue. "What do you have in mind?"

"Nothing too serious; just that the loser pays for snacks at the food court?"

"How big of a snack are we talking about: traditional "Tucker-size"?"

"Traditional-size, of course."

"From which vendor?"

"Anywhere we want."

"Budget?"

"Nothing over ten dollars." Elsa then held out her hand. "So, do we have a bet?"

Danny glanced at the hand that was outstretched towards him, then at the confident smirk on his girlfriend's face.

"You're on." he said as he grasped her hand with his own and shook it, sealing the deal. Elsa then pressed the SELECT button on the dash to finalize the choice of song

FINAL ROUND!

BEGIN!

*Cue Song's Start*

The song began with a subtle crescendo that was almost too soft to hear, but the couple quickly leapt into action once the patterns flashed onto the screen at the fastest pace that they'd ever seen. They duo found themselves in constant motion as pattern after pattern flashed before them; the pace was so fast that it would only take a brief moment of stillness for one of them to lose the bout. Danny was having an especially difficult time staying focused, as he couldn't help find the song's lyrics and electronic/techno music to be quite catchy; he made a mental note to look up more of ItaloBrothers' work after the game.

Glancing towards Elsa, her legs becoming a blur of motion, the young man couldn't help but notice the vast change in his girlfriend's demeanor. From when he first met her, he could instantly tell that she was a kind and reserved girl that kept to herself. Despite the fact that she desperately wanted to stop hiding behind her shell, her shy nature and a prior agreement with her mother often got in the way of that. It wasn't until he'd accidentally stumbled upon her true secret that he learned the true reason that she insisted on keeping to herself. With both his and Frostbite's help, Elsa was finally to put her lingering fears to rest, and begin to truly enjoy all of the possibilities that life had to offer. Now that she free of the restrictions that her powers normally placed on her, the girl's smiles were more frequent and a lot brighter. Her laughter sounded more genuine, and her demeanor seemed so positive that just being near her was enough to lift his spirits.

Elsa glanced over to Danny and noticed that he was still looking directly at her. Normally, she would've felt flustered whenever her boyfriend's gaze was focused on her, but in the midst of the competition, she felt invigorated to push herself even harder. "You really think that you can afford to be looking at me when you should be focusing on the game, Fenton?" she teased.

Danny smirked confidently in response. "HA! Don't you worry about me, Smith. Just try not to be too disappointed when I beat you!"

"Oh, I won't, because I'm going to be the one who beats you!" With renewed vigor, the couple battled on, slamming their feet on the sensor pads as quickly as the patterns appeared; even the four-arrow patterns were quickly matched by the players. The two were locked in a heated stalemate, both trying desperately to get an edge over their opponent, and yet they were smiling and laughing during the entire time. Unbeknownst to them, a small crowd had gathered around the game console to watch the lively match, and started cheering for the player that they believed was going to win. It was the same cheering that unintentionally helped decide the final outcome of another game between two friends.

"BOOYAH! That's game, set, and match! Looks like I beat you again, Sam!"

Sam growled in frustration. "Oh, come on! You only got that last point because I got distracted by an outside distraction at the last moment."

"Yeah, yeah. You and your excuses." Tucker turned to where a crowd was gathering, and was surprised at what was drawing in so many people. "Well, don't those two look like they're having fun?"

Turning to where Tucker was staring, Sam was surprised to see Danny and Elsa going at it on Ultimate Dancing Battle. "Huh, who knew Arendelle had moves?" she murmured. As the Goth and tech wiz approached the dancing duo, they too found themselves enthralled with competition taking place before them.

"WHOO! Keep going, Elsa! Show him who's boss!" cheered Sam.

"Come on, Danny! You got this, dude!" rooted Tucker.

With the song nearing its conclusion, the dancers were practically sprinting towards the proverbial finish line. They were neck and neck; their resolve to obtain victory still remaining strong regardless of their exhaustion. Alas, despite his efforts, Danny was the one who was the first to make a mistake. He'd only glanced back at Elsa for a moment, but that was all that it took. He just couldn't help but drawn in by the euphoric expression on her beautiful face, which proved to be such an effective distraction that he ended up tripping over his own feet and missing two consecutive complex patterns. He hastily tried to recover, but by that time, the song had finally ended.

*Cue Song's End*

GAME OVER!

WINNER: PLAYER 2!

The gathered crowd cheered as the victorious Elsa stepped down from the platform, where she was congratulated by a few of the spectators that remained after the match concluded. Some onlookers even praised Danny for his efforts, although there were also a few that teased him about losing to a girl. Once the crowd finally dispersed and the competitors had a chance to catch their breath, Sam and Tucker were instantly by their sides.

"That was some show you guys put on there." mentioned Tucker.

"I'll say. It looked like the two of you were really going at." added Sam.

"Well, we…did have bet going between us." replied Elsa in between breaths, before she grinned wryly at Danny. "And since I won, I expect you to uphold your end of the deal, mister."

"Don't…Don't worry, I will, but don't think that this is over between us. I want a rematch sometime in the future."

Elsa's smile shifted into a smirk. "Sure thing. I'm always eager to have another chance to thoroughly trounce you." The two fell into a tense staring contest, their expressions quickly becoming confrontationally. Sam and Tucker became worried that an altercation was about to erupt among their two friends until they heard snickering from the duo, which quickly evolved into full-blown laughter. For some reason, seeing such camaraderie between Danny and Elsa made Sam feel somewhat uneasy. That uncomfortable pinching sensation at her chest that usually felt whenever she saw the two together had once again flared up. Unlike the other times, however, the unpleasant sensation seemed even worse than before, and continued to strengthen the longer she saw the duo interacting with each other. The whole situation left the Goth struggling to deal with a multitude of confusing emotions that she didn't want to face at the moment.

"So, uh, a bet, huh? What exactly did this bet entail? I mean, it would be a shame if you guys got carried away and wagered something too extreme." she said, her voice a tad bit louder than normal. The young woman desperately wanted to draw the pair's attention away from each other, if only to lessen the dreaded pinching sensation. The tension that she was feeling was so severe that one of her eyes had developed a minor twitch.

It was Elsa who answered. "Oh, relax, Sam, it wasn't anything major. It's just that snacks are on Danny today."

The anxiousness in Sam's face vanished in an instant, leaving her feeling highly relieved. Tucker, on the other hand, looked ecstatic at the prospect of free food.

"Well, if it Danny's treat, then-"

"And when I say snack, I mean a small dish, not a full-course meal, Tucker." interrupted Elsa, making the teen deflate somewhat. His enthusiasm returned, however, as quickly as it left.

"Oh well, so long as I'm not paying for it. You guys want to hit the food court next?"

"Now hold on a minute, Tucker. We just got here and Elsa's only played one game; it wouldn't be fair if we just left right now. Danny can treat us later, after Elsa has had the chance to get a few more games under her belt." The Goth then draped her arm around the blonde's shoulder and began to lead her deeper into the arcade. "There's this one game that never fails to put me in a good mood, and I guarantee that you're gonna love it." Danny and Tucker said nothing as they followed after the girls, already having a clue as to what game Sam was referring to. They only hoped that Elsa had no qualms with shooting cheerleader zombies.

Elsa sighed in content as she closed her literature textbook, having finished the last of the weekend's homework. Feeling somewhat drained from staring at small-print text for several hours, she welcomed the relief that washed over her as she eased herself down onto her bed. The feeling of the soft mattress' shape contorting to the shape of her back brought a content sigh from her lips. Her relief was further compounded as she gently massaged her temples, which were no longer obstructed by her cosmetic frames. As she stared up at her ceiling, she thought back to the day she'd spent with her friends, which brought a fond smile to her face. The games that Sam and the others had suggested were all quite exhilarating, and she quickly found them very addictive; not to mention that there were still several more games she hadn't even looked at.

After nearly an hour of gaming, the group of four felt quite ravenous. They made a quick stop at the food court, where Sam and Tucker made sure that Danny kept his word from the bet he lost at the UDB game, but the former made sure that the latter didn't go overboard. After they'd finished their snacks, they then checked out a few stores that Sam liked to visit. Although the disguised princess didn't find the merchandise as appealing as the young Goth did, Sam's favorite bookstore had a few titles that caught her interest; she was already making plans to visit the store again sometime in the near future. Next, Tucker took charge of the group's journey through the mall, and led them to several stores that specialized in movies, video games, and electronics. Just like the previous time, she couldn't understand any of Tucker's explanations about the "ins" and "outs" of each gadget that was for sale, yet she took note of some possibilities for future birthday and Christmas gifts.

Overall, her first day of freedom was even more amazing than she'd first imagined. Despite the fact that everything that she participated in was nothing spectacular or extravagant, and that just about every normal teenager did same activities on an almost daily basis, they all seemed indescribably wonderful to Elsa. It was as if she were experiencing what was like to truly begin living a normal life, which was a welcomed change in pace from when she spent most of her early life sheltered in an environment that was constantly controlled by someone else. Although she was eternally grateful for everything that her parents and castle staff had done for her and her sister, she'd often felt as if she were a caged bird whose cage was positioned near a window that overlooked a scenic meadow, unintentionally taunting her with what she could never experience first-hand. That was why she truly cherished every moment she spent with her friends. Now that she had her powers under control, Elsa finally felt like she was free from her claustrophobic lifestyle; as if she could actually feel and do things that she normally observed from behind a large glass window.

Of all the wondrous experiences she had, there was just one thing (or rather one person) that had put a damper on the otherwise amazing day: Sam. While her first female friend hadn't displayed any downright antagonistic behavior toward her, Elsa couldn't help but notice how oddly the Goth acted around her. The girl always seemed to be watching her and constantly tried to subtly break them apart whenever she and Danny were together; it was as if that girl was trying to keep her from spending too much time alone with him. The blonde also noticed how Sam's voice took on a somewhat strained tone whenever she attempted to join in whatever conversation she was having with her boyfriend, and tried to distract her something whenever she was alone with him. There were even a few times when she noticed the Goth faintly glaring at her. A part of her wondered if her friend was aware that she and Danny were more than just good friends, which in turn worsened her unease. From what her boyfriend told her, there had been a time where he and Sam once liked each other to the point that they could've started a relationship with each other, but that possibility had been abruptly demolished after a disastrous fight had occurred between them. Regardless of Danny's claim that he only saw Sam as a dear friend, it was clear to the disguised princess that the Goth still carried a torch for the ghost boy. Elsa sighed in frustration at her situation; although she wanted to tell her friends that she and Danny were together, it was Sam's reaction that worried her the most. Based on what she'd already observed from the girl, there was a high chance that she'd lose the Gothic Manson as a friend if she ever caught wind of her relationship with Danny.

VZZZT! VZZZT!

The sound of her cell phone vibrating brought Elsa back to the present, putting her troubling thoughts on hold for a later time. Grabbing the phone from her desk, she was pleasantly surprised to see that she'd gotten a text message from Danny.

[ Hey, r u still awake? ]

Elsa wasted no time in answering. [ Yep. Just resting after finishing h.w. ^_^ ]

There was a brief pause before her phone buzzed with a response. [ Srsly?! I've barely managed 2 get half of mine done. L What is ur secret? Is super intelligence another 1 of ur powers? 0-0 ]

The last question made her giggle. [ No. I'm just not as easily distracted as u. ;-p ]

[ 2 tru. . So, how did u like ur 1st day w/o a curfew? ]

[ It was absolutely amazing! XD The games, the stores, everything was all so spectacular! I actually feel like a teenager. :) ]

There was a brief moment of silence, which made her think that Danny had turned in for the night, when another message buzzed in on her phone.

[ Feel like seeing a movie this Saturday? ]

Her answer was almost instantaneous. [ Sure! What do u and the others want 2 see? ]

Again, there was a brief moment of silence before Danny responded. [ Actually, I was hoping that it could b just the 2 of us. ]

Elsa felt her cheeks heat up once she understood the implications of his text, yet she still felt the need to confirm what he was talking about. [ Do u mean "like a date"? ]

She didn't have to wait long for his reply. [ Yeah. I mean, if u want it 2 b. If someone sees us, we can say that Im treating my math tutor… ]

Elsa bit her bottom lip in contemplation. Even though no one else knew about their secret relationship, they were still officially a couple, and going on dates was something that couples did do every now and then. Additionally, Danny's alibi sounded pretty believable; practically everyone from school already knew that she was her boyfriend's personal math tutor from time to time. On the other hand, since she had never been on a date before, the young princess didn't know what to expect, or at the very least how to act. There was also the possibility that someone from school would notice them together, and not buy their cover story. Once the "rumor" that she and Danny were dating was known throughout Casper High, Sam would undoubtedly confront them about it, and that was something that she did not want to deal with. Then again, Elsa didn't want Danny to get the wrong idea and think that she didn't consider their relationship to be a real one by declining his invitation. Furthermore, while she liked the idea of being able to spend more time with her friends, she also wanted to spend more quality time with her boyfriend. After all, if it weren't for him, she'd still be under curfew, and trying desperately just to keep her powers under control. With that last thought ringing in her mind, she finally texted a reply.

[ Yes, I'd like that very much. A movie sounds like a wonderful idea. ]

[ Great! =D So, u wanna meet at that new coffee place we saw as we were leaving the mall at around 10? ]

[ It's a date! ;) ]

[ Super! Welp, better get some shut-eye. Good nite, Elsa. I'll see you 2morrow. ]

[ Good nite, Danny. ] Returning her phone back to its original resting place, Elsa found her heart beating at a rapid pace. A delightfully warm feeling coursed through her very being as one thought played itself over and over again in her mind, making her feel both nervous and excited at the same time.

'I'm going on my very first date tomorrow!'