Yay, I have no school tomorrow due to a snow day. Thank you Elsa and Jack!
Just to let you all know in advanced, Kristoff sings a song later on in the chapter. It is called "Autumn Leaves" by Ed Sheeran. I highly recommend listening to it while that part goes on. It's a lovely song!
Kristoff barreled into the room at such an erratic and hasty pace that I thought he was going to trip over his own feet. But he did not, instead he went straight after Hans, his fists clenched and broad shoulders flexing tremendously with each wide step he took. Hans' head snapped up and he began to back away from the bed, hands held up in a defensive gesture. I watched in amusement as Kristoff jerked his arm backwards.
CRACK!
I winced slightly as Kristoff's fist struck Hans right in the nose, the crunch of cartilage piercing my eardrums at an oddly strong tone. The hulking blond gripped roughly at the crook of Hans' neck with a hand and continued to fling multiple punches at his face.
"Don't. You. Dare. Touch. Her. You. Bastard." Kristoff spat between each hit that he made upon Hans' now bloodied face. I had no idea to do; I was frozen with fear, unable to move either in or out of the doorway that I currently stood in. Elsa brushed passed me and into the room, heading for her sister that was still lying on the bed, motionless.
I decided to follow after her, while taking a few glances at the beatdown that was occurring in the corner of the room. Kristoff had paused his punching, but he still grasped Hans with both hands, his face now contorted into menacing glare that could frighten even the toughest man. Hans was obviously on the verge of unconsciousness; his face was bruised with freshly damaged tissues and muscles, blood poured out of his nose and down his chin, and he struggled to keep his head up which was beginning to loll to the side.
"What the fuck's wrong with you?!" Kristoff bellowed at the auburn-haired man who now looked like a shriveled raisin. I arched an eyebrow with surprise. Kristoff usually was not the one to curse, but I guess at times like this, it was necessary in a way. The blond jock shoved Hans against the wall with aggressive force and as his back slammed into the wall, he grunted painfully.
"Kristoff," Elsa deadpanned, her eyes drilling into him with sheer seriousness. "Enough. I think he has learned his lesson." Kristoff looked back at her, his breathing coming rapid and hard, but he said nothing. He glimpsed back at Hans, who was slowly sinking to his knees in mercy, and delivered one last blow across the face. Hans collapsed to the ground with a sickly thump.
I tore my eyes from Hans' unmoving body as well as Kristoff's trembling form hovering over him, and went over to the bed where Elsa cradled Anna's head in her lap. I was fearful that something was terribly wrong with Anna, due to her paralyzed body and silent lips, but as she stirred slightly, fingers curling into the fluffy comforter of the bed, I mentally sighed in relief.
"Anna? Come on, sis, wake up," Elsa placed her hands gently upon her sister's cheek, her voice cracking with dread. Kristoff shuffled over to the bed and propped himself next to Anna's lying figure. His eyes were glassy, a sheet of tears lustering from his light brown orbs. As soon as his presence was made known, Anna's eyes slowly opened. Her teal irises were dull and weary. The effects of the drug or alcohol that enthralled her were dimming down, and she steadily shrank back to her normal self again.
As soon as she caught Kristoff in her gaze, her pale lips curved into a small smile. She weakly reached up and her fingers brushed the thin stubble upon his cheek. He turned a light red at the affectionate gesture that she made to him, but he smiled and grasped her hand within his own larger one.
"Kristoff?" Anna spoke his name as if it was a whisper gliding along the wind's breeze. "Y-you saved me…" Kristoff radiated with a smile, his eyes twinkling. I felt my heart throb at this tender moment and I faintly heard Elsa sigh dreamily. I did not notice this until now, but part of Anna's shirt was ripped open, revealing the trace of a fuchsia bra. Elsa saw this and discreetly extended an arm over to pull a piece of loose fabric down to cover it. Kristoff and Anna didn't take note of this; however, they were too mesmerized with each other.
"Yeah, I guess I did," Kristoff responded as if he was unsure if it was really true. "Are you okay, Anna?"
"I am now," she says with a tiny turn of her head. "I'm just…a little frightened and dizzy, that's all."
Kristoff offered a delicate upwards curl of his lips and spoke, "Don't worry, I'll take you home." He proceeded to slide his robust arms underneath her frail body and scoop her up, bridal style. She flung an arm around his neck while the other was retracted against her, and she laid her head on his chest.
"Wait, what about Hans?" I ask and my eyes flicker to the limp figure on the ground.
"I'll call the police to come and retrieve him," Elsa says as she digs her phone out from of her pocket. I nod in agreement and follow after Kristoff as he carries Anna out of the room. Elsa trails behind me with her phone up to her ear and quietly speaks to the operator about what happened. After a minute passes, she catches up to my side and we push through the bewildered crowd of frat boys, keeping our heads low.
"The police will be here soon. We better skedaddle." I give her a slight bob of my head and we exit the house, escaping the smell of alcohol, drugs, and pain that linger throughout. I'm not sure what time it is, but the sky is dark by the time we get outside. The music slowly decrescendos as we hurry away and onto the sidewalk leading back to the Academy. My ears ring a little from the blaring beats and my throat is parched; I take a whiff of my hoodie's sleeve and frown. It smells of marijuana smoke. I hope Hiccup or any of my other friends don't think that I'm a druggie.
Elsa and I walk alongside each other in silence, tailing Kristoff and Anna from behind. I would rather not speak at the moment; for one thing, I feel like shit due to the second-hand smoking and the dull headache that was emerging, and also because of what we witnessed. How could Hans do such a thing? Drugging your own girlfriend and then attempting to rape her? He is a sick, sick monster and I hope he rots in jail from his unforgiving doings.
The golden gated entrance to the Academy came into view, illuminated by many streetlamps that lined the area. The moon remained perched high up in the dark sky, casting a silvery glow along the sidewalk that we trudged upon. I looked at Elsa with the slightest glance; her head was ducked, lips pursed in a tight line, and her arms swung limply by her sides.
"You alright?" I ask in a rather low murmur.
"Yeah, I'm just – just worried," she says softly, her eyes still training into the paved ground. I'm silent for a moment, and I raise my head up to peer around. The houses slowly passing by to our left appeared snuggled among others and a few contained an afterglow inside. The gentle breeze echoed in my ears, whispering words that I would never be able to understand. Everything seemed calm, peaceful even. Despite the hectic time we fled from, the placid scenery surrounding us was rather serene.
I glimpse back to Elsa who now looks at me with shadowed eyes. Her bright blue irises were masked by the darkness, and they now emerged as dark, dark blue, like a sapphire gem that was swallowed by tar. I gave her a grin and my fingers stretched out to hers as if two magnets attracting towards each other. I found her hand and grasped it softly, earning a small smile from her.
"I'm so sorry about what happened to Anna," I say and I feel a pang in my chest. I don't know why I was apologizing; none of this was my fault, but still, I persisted on saying sorry as if I was the villain in this case. Elsa shakes her head inconsiderably.
"I am too, but you don't have to apologize. Anna is strong, she can live through this," Elsa looks down, her arms now crossed over her chest. "But I doubt she will be, if I should say, mentally okay for a while. Experiencing a near rape is an ordeal thing; she will be scarred forever by what happened."
I nod silently, restraining any words from escaping my mouth. I have nothing to say, Elsa already spoke what had to be spoken. I slither my arm around her waist and reel her in closer to me. She sighs contently as she places her head on my shoulder and I kiss her forehead, right upon a loose blonde bang.
We walked through the gates and onto the campus. Thankfully, at this time of the night, there weren't many students wandering around. I'm relieved that there won't be many gawkers upon Kristoff and Anna, especially Anna who is in raw condition.
"Hold on, I'm going to go up and check on those two," I say and motion with my head toward the couple in front of us. Elsa nods without word and I jog up to Kristoff's side. His face is tight with anguish and his eyes stare straight ahead, dazed and not having that usual sparkle to them. Anna nuzzles up close to his chest with the top of her head just inches away from Kristoff's chin. Her eyes are closed, and I can't tell if she's asleep or just blocking out the rest of the world.
"Hey," I say and stick both of my hands into the deep pockets of my hoodie. Kristoff's eyes flicker to me, and then go back to staring ahead. His lips tremble slightly.
"Hi," he says breathlessly.
"How is Anna doing?" I ask.
"Okay, I think. She's been asleep ever since we left the party," he deadpanned. A muscle beneath his eye twitches and he looks exhausted.
"Are you tired?" My eyes switch between the film of sweat covering Kristoff's brow and Anna's dozing face.
"Nah," he shakes his head, causing his blond bangs to spill over the brim of his hood and down his slick forehead. "Anna's as light as feather and I surely don't mind carrying her," He pauses briefly and glances down at her, his lips curling into the ghost of a smile. "I'm just sluggish from the aftermath of the party and beating up Hans…"
I notice that the knuckles along his right hand are splotchy with bruises and lightly covered in dried blood. I cannot imagine the pain that he's feeling right now, both physically and mentally, and yet he lumbers on without giving in to the afflicted misery. I touch his shoulder with my fingertips.
"Even though I've been told beating the shit out of someone is frowned upon, I still think what you did back there was brave. You're a real hero."
"I'm no hero," Kristoff closes his eyes and sighs lightly. "I can't be,"
"Yes, you are," I strain my eyes on him, piercing into his temple. "If it weren't for you, Anna would have been – well – you know…"
"Yeah, I know," Kristoff looks sadly down at the sleeping girl in his arms. "Thank you for considering me as a hero, but I still don't believe it."
We approach the Crystal dormitory and as Kristoff carries Anna up the stairs and into the building, I wait for Elsa. She comes up to my side and we lace our fingers together.
"What were you guys talking about?" she asks in a gentle tone before brushing her lips against my cheek. I smile and turn my head to give her a full kiss on the lips.
"Oh, it's nothing, really," I murmur as I nuzzle into her hair, breathing in the sweet scent of shampoo.
"You know, I hate to admit this, but Anna and Hans had a really strong relationship," Elsa says with a slight pout. "It's sad to see it all go downhill so quickly."
"Yeah, but look, she has Kristoff. He risked a lot for her: agreeing to come to that disgusting party, beating up Hans, and even carrying her safely home."
"They were meant to be," Elsa remarks. "Kristoff would make a way better boyfriend than Hans any day." I nod as we continue up the short staircase and into the dormitory's lobby. It was practically empty, even Clarisse who is usually always at the front desk was not there. Kristoff had already gone up to the dorms, leaving an aura of silence and vacancy in his wake. Elsa and I ascend up to the second floor, walking directly to my dorm.
The door was wide opened and we entered, with Elsa closing it behind us. Kristoff stood over a bed, and I realized it was his own bed. Anna laid upon it on her back, her arms curled and legs pressed together. Hiccup was next to him, staring down at the wrecked girl with a hand up to his mouth. He turned his head to look at us and walked on over.
"Kristoff wouldn't tell me what's going on," he says in a hushed voice. "What happened to Anna?"
I shake my head and as I pass him, I mutter, "I'll tell you later. It's a lot to take in."
Hiccup shrugs his shoulders in defeat, disappointed that he has no answer to his burning curiosity. He shuffles over to his own bed on the other side of the room and plops down; he takes a comic book out from under his pillow, but his eyes would glance up every once in a while.
I walk over to Anna's bedside with Elsa behind me. But as I approach, I notice that she was awake. She may not be completely aware or focused on the settings, but her eyes were droopily open; her chest slowly heaved up and down with each breath. Kristoff was crouched next to her, his hand idly touching her freckled cheek. She seemed unhurt on the outside, except the obvious fatigue that washed over her, but her insides were most likely twisted into knots of pain. That memory of Hans looming over her, targeting her in his hunger vision full of lust and pride, must be singed across her mind, an unforgettable nightmare that will never go away.
"How are you feeling, Anna?" Kristoff asks her, almost in a whisper.
"Better, but I'm awfully tired," she croaks with a half-stifled yawn following afterwards.
Kristoff smiles and picks up a forest green blanket that was folded on the end of the bed. He unraveled it and splayed it over her body, pulling the soft blanket up to her chest. I feel a tingle of sympathy for his act of kindness; perhaps he is the perfect guy for Anna, and I believe that wholly.
"Maybe you should go to sleep, then," he tells her, his honey eyes smiling down at her.
She's silent, her drowsy teal orbs studying his features from her lying position. Then she speaks, in a voice so soft that it's barely audible, "Can you sing me a song?"
Kristoff appears surprised as he brings his head back a bit, eyes widened. He glances at Elsa and I with pursed lips and a knitted brow. I offer him a grin with a thumbs-up and Elsa smiles reassuringly. He turns back to Anna who gleams up at him with a tiny smile, and gives a reluctant nod. Standing up, he scurries over to the couch and grabs the guitar that leans upright on the furniture's armrest.
He pulls up a chair and settles himself to Anna's side, the guitar tucked under a brawny forearm. "What song would you like me to sing?" he asks.
Anna raises and contracts her thin shoulders effortlessly, and says, "It's your pick." Kristoff ponders for a moment, his eyes staring blankly at the tan-painted wall. After a moment, he puts his hands in position on the guitar and begins strumming. The first few notes are gentle, and sound almost like a lullaby. Chords replace the notes, vibrating through the air in a hauntingly beautiful tone.
Another day, another life
Passes by just like mine
It's not complicated
Another mind, another soul
Another body to grow old
It's not complicated
Do you ever wonder if the stars shine out for you?
Float down, like autumn leaves
Hush now
Close your eyes before the sleep
And you're miles away
And yesterday you were here with me
Another tear, another cry
Another place for us to die
It's not complicated
Another love that's gone to waste
Another light lost from your face
It's complicated
Is it that it's over or do birds still sing for you?
Float down, like autumn leaves
Hush now
Close your eyes before the sleep
And you're miles away
And yesterday you were here with me
Ooh how I miss you
My symphony played the song that carried you out
Ooh how I miss you
And I, I miss you and I wish you'd stay
Do you ever wonder if the stars shine out for you?
Float down, like autumn leaves
Hush now
Close your eyes before the sleep
And you're miles away
And yesterday you were here with me
Touch down
Like a seven four seven
Or stay out and we'll live forever now
Kristoff finishes the song as the last chord to the guitar fades out in a gentle ring. I'm struck by his incredible singing, maybe even paralyzed. I have heard him sing previously, but this particular song framed his vocal chords perfectly. Elsa is stiff beside me, her body rigid with sheer awe. I glance to the back of the room at Hiccup; he stares at Kristoff, mouth slightly gaping, with his forsaken comic book upon his lap.
I look to Anna who gazes up at Kristoff. I'm quite certain she was going to burst into tears or compliment him, but instead she heaves all of her strength upwards and catches him in an embrace. He chuckles softly, using one arm to support her and the other to place his guitar down. His nose burrows into her strawberry-blonde hair and I can imagine him smiling rapturously.
"That was amazing," Anna mumbles against his shoulder, her voice shaking with the presence of oncoming tears. She pulls back, her arms still wrapped around his neck, and stares into his eyes. Her face is merely inches from his, and I see his small Adam's apple bob as he gulps nervously. "You're amazing, Kristoff."
I'm anticipating for the moment when they kiss, but Anna retracts a bit farther back. Kristoff shrinks down in disheartened sorrow. To all of our surprises, Anna leans forward and pecks him on the cheek. She falls back on the bed with a light dusting of crimson upon her cheeks. Kristoff stares at her, blush beginning to creep along his face as well.
Anna snuggles back into the blanket and closes her eyes. After nearly a few seconds, she is asleep, and breathes steadily with a soft snore in between. Kristoff continues staring at her, and then slowly stands up, his eyes trailing to the carpeted floor.
"You don't mind if she sleeps here tonight, do you?" He speaks to Elsa.
She shakes her head, her hand stroking the skin by her chin. "Not at all. Just as long as you don't get any ideas; if you know what I mean." Kristoff suddenly turns bright red with bashfulness and holds his hands up in front of him, defensively.
"Hey now, of course I wouldn't do such things. I'm not Hans." He rakes a hand through his disheveled blond locks.
Elsa nods. "Yeah, I'm glad you aren't. Well, it's getting late. I better get back to my dorm before Merida sends a search party for me. That is if she even notices my disappearance." I laugh and Elsa smirks at me. She presses up to me and places a sweet kiss on my lips.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Jack." She heads for the exit and I wave to her before she slips out, leaving with a soft click of the door.