Elsa turned to her cousin and asked, "Is everything set for tomorrow?"
"Yeah! I'm a bit nervous though to be honest," Esméralda replied.
"You shouldn't be. Seriously, what could go wrong? Especially seeing how successful your stores are back in France."
"Well, this isn't France, this is Arendelle. There's no telling what everyone's tastes are."
"Don't be silly. Everyone loves lingerie."
"I hope so… will you be there?"
"Of course," Elsa replied. Knowing her cousin, she came prepared with that answer. Naturally, she was apprehensive about running into students, but Esmé's grand opening was something she couldn't miss—her presence was a necessity and a vital show of support.
"Great!"
"I think Rapz will show up, too. She might be interested in buying a few things."
"Oh, really?" Esméralda sounded rather unhappy about that.
"Unless you'd rather she not come?"
"Well, no, it's just..."
"I don't understand why you don't like her."
"I just can't forgive her for breaking your heart," Esméralda stated plainly. She smiled as she placed her hand on her cousin's chest. "Especially since you have such a heart of gold."
Elsa looked down to find her cousin's hand placed very deliberately against the peak of her left breast. "Um, you do know that that's my breast, and not my heart."
"It's not my fault it's in the way!" Esméralda responded with a cheeky grin, taking her time in removing her hand.
"And that brings up another point... I'll only be there if you promise to behave."
"Of course!" Unfortunately, Esméralda's smile was less than reassuring.
"So, do you feel any different now that you're seventeen?" Kris asked Anna as she entered his car through the passenger door.
She side-eyed her friend. "You're kidding—right? But, at least I'm closer to eighteen—now that'll be a milestone!"
"Well, I'm not sure you'll feel much different then, either. Anyway, are we picking up Merida? Or is she meeting us at the mall?"
"She said that she'd meet us there."
They listened to music on the drive over, and then eventually ended up finding an open parking space pretty close to the mall's entrance.
"Ah, there she is!" Anna exclaimed as she spotted Merida looking at her phone by the entrance way. "Whoa, she's looking sexy!" Her friend was wearing black leather pants and a loose white blouse.
"Y… yeah," Kris answered, blushing, and Anna had to keep herself from giggling. There's definitely something going on here. I should look into this ...
"Do you think she'd say 'yes' if I asked her out?" Anna asked mischievously.
"What?! Why?"
"Well… she is really cute. And those pants especially make her look hot."
"Wha… what about Ms. Neige?"
"I thought you wanted me to get over her? So I'm thinking about exploring other possibilities!" Anna lied.
"Bu… but… Merida isn't even gay!"
"Well, for now. But I'm pretty sure I could get her to consider other options..."
Kris stared at her, shocked, and Anna laughed.
"Relax, I'm just pulling your leg. She's just a friend. Besides, you really should realize by now that I only have eyes for Ms. Neige."
Kris exhaled loudly. "Damn, you scared the hell out of me! Why would you even say something like that?!"
Anna chuckled. "I was just curious about something. You should've seen the look on your face!"
"Yeah, well… um… I mean, I was just worried for you. Getting into a relationship with Merida would almost guarantee messing up your friendship. You see that kind of thing on TV all the time, you know?"
"Uh-huh… If you say so!" Anna replied. There was definitely something going on... at least on Kris' end. He's always helped me out. Maybe it's time I lent him a hand?
They joined up with Merida and entered the mall.
"Sae, where dae ye want tae go first? It's yer birthday!" Merida piped.
"Why don't we find a store and try on some clothes?" Anna replied, as an idea began to hatch inside her head.
"Alright, let's go!"
Anna cued off of Merida and they picked the first store that caught the Scot's eye. Once inside, she halfheartedly picked out a few outfits—she wasn't really into shopping anyway. I could buy something to look sexy for Ms. Neige, but what's the point? She only ever sees me in a uniform...
With the items in hand, she turned to her friend. "What about you, Merida? Aren't you going to buy yourself anything?"
"Of course!"
Anna promptly went to work, helping Merida pick out a few things. Meanwhile, a very bored Kristoff trudged along behind them. Don't worry, Kris, I'm sure you're gonna love the next part!
Once they had their hands full, particularly Merida, they went to the fitting room.
"Come on, you go first and we'll tell you what we think!" Anna told Merida, and Kris suddenly clued into what was coming next.
"I… um are you sure you want me here for this?" he asked. "I could leave and come back in a few minutes."
"Nah, it's guid tae have a man's opinion!" Merida said with a smile. "Besides, ye'r up next. Ye cuid use a few new shirts!"
Kristoff looked down at what he was wearing. "Wait! What's wrong with my shirt and the shirts I normally wear?" he asked.
Both girls simply looked at each other with knowing smiles.
Shortly thereafter, Merida disappeared behind the curtain, while Anna observed Kris closely. He was blushing already. He's so into her. How did I miss this until now? I was way too focused on Ms. Neige. I'm such a lousy friend!
The two of them waited patiently, Kris looking around nervously, until Merida emerged from behind the curtain wearing a pair of petite denim shorts and a white tank top. "What dae ye think?" she asked as she twirled around. "I think I like it."
"I think it looks great!" Anna offered. "What about you, Kris?"
Kristoff's face began to redden. "Y… yeah, um, it looks … um, good."
"Aye, sure, bit th'real question is, do I look hot in it ?"
Anna bit into her tongue to keep from giggling as Kris turned an even deeper shade of red. At the same time, Kristoff pulled at his collar and was having trouble speaking.
"I'll take that as an 'Ay!'" she said with a wink before drawing the curtain shut again.
It took them some time, but Merida ended up with a few outfits. Anna was now sure that Kris had a crush on their fiery friend and, judging by the way Merida acted, she was either toying with him or the crush was mutual.
When it came time for Anna to try on some clothes, she was a bit more shy. She showcased the outfits she selected, and Merida gave her feedback. With Merida's encouragement, she ended up buying a colourful summer dress, and was surprised when Merida decided to buy it for her.
"I didnae give ye a birthday present, sae here it is!"
"Well, thank you!" Anna replied happily.
"Now, let's help Kris!"
It took them a lot less time to sort through Kris' selections, as he didn't really have any opinions on what he liked and ended up deferring completely to Merida's opinions. He did seem to appreciate all her compliments though. Yep, he's definitely into her.
They stopped by a bookstore for Merida next, as well as a video game store for Kris, and then finally grabbed some waffles at the food court. They were going to call it a day before going to the movies when someone handed Anna a flyer.
"A new lingerie store In the mall? Weird!" Anna commented as she read.
"Should we gae?" Merida asked as she grabbed the flyer from Anna's hands.
"Are you kidding?" Anna asked, blushing already. She would die if anyone she knew saw her inside that kind of store.
"It's not like it's a sex shop, ye know! It looks fancy."
"Still… I… I don't need lin… that kind of stuff!"
"Are ye sure? Didn't ye say Ms. Neige caught a glimpse o' yer underwear the other day?" Merida inquired, and Kris choked on his waffle. "I'm sure she'd rather see something sexy instead of a pair of Hello Kitty panties!"
"I'm not wearing..." Anna cut herself short.
As she continued to browse the flyer, Merida exclaimed, "Wow, leuk! It's a French store! Ye can consider it a… cultural experience."
"Sure," Anna answered sarcastically.
"Think o' the possibilities! It'll give ye something tae talk about with Ms. Neige the next time ye see her."
Anna snickered. "Yeah, I'm definitely bringing this subject up next time I see her."
"Sae, are we going?"
"Are we even allowed inside?" Anna asked, making her friend laugh.
"Of course we are. Come on, let's gae. Ye definitely have the wrong idea aboot that place."
"Hmpf, ok then," Anna conceded, although she had the feeling she was going to regret this. What if I meet someone I know there, like my aunt or something? That would be so embarrassing!
"Okay, count me out. I'm headed over to the sports store," Kris quickly interjected. "Text me when you're done."
"Are ye sure?" Merida teased. "Nobody's gonna say anything if yer with us! They'll think yer Anna's boyfriend, or mine."
This last comment really had Kris blushing. For a second, it almost looked like he was going to change his mind, but instead he ended up saying, "I… I think I'll pass. Besides, I really want to look at some new hockey gear!"
Anna giggled nervously as she and Merida left Kris behind and went off to find the lingerie store. How did I let Merida talk me into this? Once they were well out of ear shot, she turned to her friend and asked, "Sooo, what do you think about Kris?"
"Hmm… how dae ye mean that?"
"Oh, come on! You must have noticed how he acts around you! I mean, I was so wrapped up in the whole Ms. Neige thing that I didn't notice right away, but isn't it obvious?"
Merida blushed a little. "Yeah, I guess."
"So…?"
"Well, he's definitely cute. And damn, have ye seen how broad his shoulders are? He's no Jessie, that's fer sure..."
"You should go see him at one of his hockey games; I bet he'd like that!" And that would save me from having to go!
"Mibbie..."
"And you do get along with him, right? I've seen you laugh at his jokes."
"Aye. He can get a bit goofy even, and he's sae kind and considerate. I dae like him. He's a genuinely good guy.."
"So you'd go out with him?"
"Well, if he's really interested, he's gonna have tae ask me oot."
"Hmm, knowing him, you're going to have to wait a while. I'm pretty sure he has no idea you like him, and right now he's too chicken to do anything about it."
"There's something else, too… I'm not sure if I'll still be here next year. If I have to leave in three months knowing I won't come back… it'll be so much harder if I have a boyfriend."
"Oh..." Anna simply replied. She hadn't considered that. To be honest, it never even dawned on her that Merida could be gone in a few months. "I… I hope you can stay."
"Thanks! Me, too. Ah, look, we're here! Let's gae in!"
Anna looked at the window display and gulped. Here we go.
They walked inside the store, and Anna was surprised to see so many people.
"See, Kris could have come, too."
There were, indeed, a few men around, but none were their age. "I don't know. I think he would have felt really awkward. I know I do."
"Hello girls!" a woman's voice called to them in a strong French accent. The voice was pleasant to the ear, but it was also distinctly different from Ms. Neige's. First of all, the accent was way stronger, and secondly, it didn't carry the same sexy, sensual vibe to it. Anna turned around to greet the woman behind the voice and was shocked to recognise her teacher's girlfriend.
"Please look around. It's our grand opening, so everything is ten percent off."
"Th… thanks," Anna managed to say, despite her shock.
"Call me if you need any advice!" the woman said before walking away. Anna couldn't help but notice how sensual her gait was.
Merida, standing right beside Anna, leaned in and lapsed into her brogue. "Tatties o'er the side, wasn't that Ms. Neige's girlfriend?"
"Y… yeah. I'm almost sure," Anna replied, feeling like someone just tied an anchor to her heart. "Ugh! Not only is she gorgeous, but she's French, too… just like Ms. Neige. And she sells lingerie? I definitely have no chance at all." She looked at the woman again, and her shoulders slumped. "Ms. Neige is so… out of my league."
"W… well…" Merida mumbled.
She's trying to find something that's going to make me feel better, but there's nothing to say, really…
"Oh my God!" Merida suddenly blurted, and Anna looked at her, surprised.
"She's here! Ms. Neige! And so is Mrs. Fitzherbert."
Following Merida's gaze, Anna spotted the two teachers talking to each other some distance away.. Oh no-no-no-no. What are they going to think if they see us?
"We shouldn't have come here!" Anna half-whispered.
"What? Why? Don't ye want to see what kind of underwear Ms. Neige buys?" replied Merida, smiling.
"I… no! I don't think this is a good idea. We need to leave before they see us."
She was turning around when Ms. Neige looked over her shoulder and saw her. Their eyes met, and they both froze. Oh my God. This is so embarrassing!
Anna didn't know what to do, so she ended up looking elsewhere, as if she hadn't seen her teacher. Oh no. She definitely knows that I saw her. Why didn't I smile at her or nod? Or...or anything!
"Calm down, Anna. It's not that bad," Merida said as she dragged Anna into another aisle.
"She saw us!"
"So what?"
"I… I pretended I didn't see her!"
"Again, so what? I'm pretty sure she understands it's awkward to see yer teacher in a place like this. I bet she feels awkward, too. Maybe even more so than us."
Anna stood on her toes to look over a stand of lacy panties in front of her. "She's talking to her girlfriend!" she whispered before quickly ducking behind the stand once more.
Merida laughed. "Ye really need to relax. It's fine. Actually, I have an idea."
"What?"
"Wanna try to make her jealous?"
"Who?" Anna asked, feeling confused.
"Who else? Ms. Neige, of course."
"How?"
"We could pretend we're a couple. We could look around, select a thing or two, and then you go try them on while I pretend I'm with you."
"But why?"
"We'll see if she gets jealous!"
"Let's be real. Why would she?"
"It's a test. Maybe she likes you, too?"
"That's… that's ridiculous. We've already established that she has a girlfriend... and I mean, look at her!"
"That doesn't mean she can't be interested in you!"
"This is getting too crazy. I don't know… I think we should just go."
"Anna… ye have to fight for her. Maybe there's still hope. What do ye have tae lose?"
"What about you? Wouldn't it bother you if she thinks we're a couple?"
"I don't care. Besides, she's gay; it's not like she's going tae tell on ye."
Anna sighed loudly. "I have no idea how I let you talk me into this stuff."
Elsa was shocked. Her biggest fear was that she was going to run into one of her students. Worst case, she figured she'd run into one of the older students, like Jasmine… but Anna? That completely threw her for a loop. It was so unexpected, especially since Anna didn't seem like the type to wear lingerie. A stray thought forced its way into her mind as she pictured Anna in one of the outfits she had just been admiring, and she blushed.
"Oh no, this is embarrassing," Rapunzel remarked.
"Yes… very."
"What's the problem, girls?" Esméralda asked.
Yikes, Esmé better not say anything to Punzie. Elsa suddenly felt panicked. What if Esméralda mentioned her feelings for Anna in front of Rapunzel? It was definitely a possibility, knowing how her cousin usually operated. Calm down, Esmé has no idea that one of the girls in her store is Anna. And she doesn't have to know.
"These two girls are students of ours," Rapunzel disclosed.
"Oh, I see."
"I had no idea that Anna would ever come shopping at a place like this… no offence, Esméralda."
"Anna? Isn't that…" Esméralda started to say more before seeing the stern, dark look on Elsa's face. She stopped and rephrased her sentence. "I… I think you mentioned her before, right? Pretty girls. Which one is Anna?"
"I… I might have. She's the strawberry blonde … You probably heard me mention that she's a good student," Elsa replied, hoping that Rapunzel wouldn't notice the smirk on her cousin's face. Elsa groaned internally.
"Well, it seems like her friend wants to speak to you."
Merida was indeed walking towards them, with a couple panties in her hands. Really? I was perfectly fine pretending we hadn't seen each other!
"Awright, Mrs. Fitzherbert, Ms. Neige," Merida greeted.
"Err… hello Merida," Punzie replied, while Elsa simply nodded.
"Excuse me, is it possible tae try these on?" she asked Esméralda. "It's fer ma friend, but she's really shy about all this."
"Well, of course. All we ask is for customers to keep their own underwear for hygiene issues."
"Aye, of course."
"Let me show you to the fitting rooms. Where's your friend?" Esméralda asked before turning to Elsa. "I'll be right back," she proclaimed with a wink.
Please, don't do anything stupid. Elsa stood there partially paralyzed. Two thoughts came to her mind as her cousin walked off with Merida. First, was Anna really going to buy those panties? She flinched when she realized that she was picturing Anna wearing them. Totally inappropriate!. Second, why was Merida shopping for lingerie with Anna? Could she be here as a friend? After all, she had come here with Punzie…
What if they're actually here as a couple? No, they're teenagers, it wouldn't make sense that they'd be at a point where they're already buying lingerie together if they just started dating… but why would they need lingerie if they're both single? Merida commented that the panties were for Anna… that must mean she has someone special in her life, even if it isn't Merida. Fuck.
"Do you need anything else?" Ms. Neige's girlfriend asked Anna as she walked out of the fitting room. To be honest, Anna had only pretended to try on the underwear.
"N… no, thanks."
"Did you like them?"
"Y… yeah," Anna answered without thinking.
"Great! Would you like to try on a matching bra?"
"N… no, thanks."
Anna felt forced to buy the panties now, and she followed Ms. Neige's girlfriend to the checkout with Merida.
She waited as the woman rang her up, before gathering her courage and asking, "Do… do you know Ms. Neige?"
"Ms. Neige? Ah! How cute. Yes, I do. You're one of her students, right?"
"Yes," Anna answered shyly.
"She told me all about you."
"What? R… really?" Anna responded in surprise.
"Yes, but she's going to be mad if she sees me talking to you!" the woman remarked while placing the panties into a small bag.
"I'll pay," Merida interjected, handing over her credit card.
Anna stared at her.
"For yer birthday!"
"O… ok, thanks." Normally, Anna would have protested, but she couldn't afford the price. Besides, it was all because of Merida that she found herself in this situation. Now the big question was, how was she going to hide the panties from her mother?
"Goodbye!" the two girls exclaimed as they left.
"See you soon," the woman replied.
"That was so totally weird..." Anna told Merida as they walked away.
"What's even weirder," Merida added as she grabbed the bag from Anna's hand, "is that I saw her writing something on the receipt."
Merida handed the receipt back to Anna after glancing at it herself. There was, indeed, something written on the back. "Call me, we need to talk!" followed by a phone number.
"What the..."
"Do ye think she knows you have a crush on Ms. Neige?" Merida asked.
"I… Oh no! That would be horrible. Do you think she's angry at me?" Anna had to admit that the woman had seemed rather friendly, but what if it was all an act, and she's actually a psychopath? I know that I'd be madly possessive if I was lucky enough to be with Ms. Neige.
"I don't know… there's only one way to find out. Do ye think you'll call her?"
"I have no idea, let's see what Kris has to say about all this."