Anna's arms were wrapped around her knees, her head turned towards the computer on her desk and eyes staring past the screen. Her lids were heavy due to another night without sleep. A small notebook was open in front of her with its pages completely blank and a black pen laid on top of it, waiting to be used.

Gritting her teeth, Anna threw her legs out of the seat and quickly grabbed for the pen. She scribbled random words—strokes—on the page with a desperation she hadn't felt since she first saw Elsa and Cindy's pictures together on Elsa's Facebook profile. Her handwriting was nearly illegible as her hand flew across the page, trying to keep up with the angry, rapid thoughts that plague her mind.

Why?

Why did Elsa ask that?

The pen snapped on her grip and Anna hissed as the pointed end dug against her skin. She placed the broken half on the table and growled at her trembling hand. A small cut began to bleed, but it was not alarming enough to make her leave the comfort of the chair and get a bandaid right away.

Sighing, she pressed her good hand against her forehead. Exhaustion seeped through her veins and she closed her eyes, waiting until the small wave of dizziness passed. With a shudder of breath, she made her way to her personal bathroom and grabbed the first aid kit.

"Why?" she whispered through clenched teeth as she started cleaning the cut.

What was the difference between liking someone and being attached to them? Wouldn't being attached to someone happen only because you liked them? That was how Anna viewed it at least. Out of all the possible scenarios she had prepared for that could occur right after her confession, Anna did not anticipate such a response. She was too shocked and confused to even say anything until Elsa shook her head and smiled ruefully, ending the conversation there.

Biting her lower lip, Anna's hands fell on top of the sink. Her eyes found their way to the small mirror propped on eye level and she nearly choked at seeing the horrid being that was apparently her reflection. She was not able to catch a wink of sleep the previous night and it showed. Her hair was a mess, sticking out in all directions, and her skin lacked the healthy shade of her tan. Even her lips were blue.

With a degrading laugh, she covered her cut with a bandaid and returned the kit from its previous place before splashing her face with water. After seeing her sorry excuse of a reflection again, she scowled and snatched a towel to dry her face with.

Done removing the tangles from her hair and making sure she looked decent enough, she went down to the living room where she stumbled upon her mother humming a certain tune while gently running her fingers through William's smooth locks. The view made Anna freeze on the spot, reluctant to move further and catch their attention. Unfortunately, it was also then that the woman decided to glance her way.

"Anna?" Idunn frowned. "Are you okay?"

Tongue thick from nerves, she swallowed hard. "Yeah," she croaked, wincing when her voice cracked. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Did Meg go somewhere?"

"She said there was an emergency at the restaurant." Idunn gently waved her over and Anna complied. As soon as she reached the back of the sofa her mother was sitting on, she placed her arms on top of it. "I haven't lost my touch." Idunn giggled, gesturing to her grandson's sleeping form.

The slight drool trailing down the boy's cheek brought a tiny smile on Anna's face. "It's a peaceful song," she said. "And it doesn't hurt that you have a soothing voice."

"Do you need me to sing it for you? It looks like you've been having trouble sleeping nowadays." Anna's mouth opened and closed for several seconds before her mother's soft chuckle broke the cycle. "I am your mother, Anna. I can tell when you're not alright."

Words left Anna then. Her mother's gentle gaze pierced right through her defenses and made her look away. "Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Idunn resumed rubbing her hand along William's hair. "I'm not mad. I can never be mad at you and your siblings." The smile on her face fell by a fraction. "I don't know what's happening, but if you are ready to tell me, I'm here to listen."

Anna's hands pressed firmly on the back of the sofa. She was not as close with her mother as she was with Meg. They had their moments and there was no denying that Anna loved Idunn dearly, but when it came to her problems, it was easier to speak with her sister especially after finding out that Meg went through similar things. Anna found it easier to share her troubles with someone who truly understood.

Besides, this was her mother.

The woman who had raised and took care of her and her siblings as a single parent for the last five years. Never mind that Meg and Hans were old enough to take care of themselves when it happened. Anna bit her tongue. She refused to let her mother worry. She had already been through a lot and troubling her with her problems was the last thing Anna wanted.

"You have that look on your face, you know? The same questioning looks that Meg and Hans had when they were younger," the woman said softly, causing Anna's breath to hitch. "It's the same face your father had when he questioned his capability as a father when we had Meg." She pulled her gaze away from Anna and back to her sleeping grandson. "I'll tell you what I told them; no matter what other people say, I will always be proud of you."

Her eyes stung for a different reason other than being sleep-deprived.

With a hard swallow, she crouched behind the sofa and wrapped her arms around the older woman, hugging her from behind. She buried her face on the back of Idunn's neck and quietly sniffed. Her mother did not say anything, but when a gentle hand rubbed along her trembling arm, Anna let out a strangled sob.

"It's going to be okay, Anna." Anna bit her lip and nodded. "You're going to be okay."


"Elsa?"

Elsa jumped, face flushing when she realized the three people around the table were staring at her. "Yeah?"

"We were asking if you're okay with it," her father repeated. He leaned forward. "Are you okay?"

"Yes... Sorry. Okay about what?"

"Corona? Have you decided yet? We don't mean to rush you, but..."

Right.

Marshall gulped down an entire glass of water while giving Elsa a questioning look. Elsa cleared her throat and silently alternated her gaze between her brother, mother, and father. "I still need some time to think it through if... if that's okay?"

"It's okay, sweetie, but would you mind telling us why?" her mother asked.

Elsa placed the fork on the side of the plate. "I want us to get over this together, but I am not sure if living there again is going to help us move forward." She hesitated, licking her lips. "I'm not against the idea. I just don't know if it's really going to help."

Their parents shared glances. "We understand," her mother said, placing a gentle hand on top of Elsa's own. "If you decide on something, let us know, okay?"

"Okay," she murmured.

Marshall pierced a meatball and shrugged. "I don't know if I'll be able to come with you if you ever decide to go. I'll be busy with college preparations after graduation."

"That's fine. It's the start of a new chapter in your life." Their mother grabbed the pitcher and poured water into her glass. "Have you talked about that with Ariel?"

"Yeah, we've been discussing my plans since the year started. It's not that far anyway."

"How's your relationship coming along? You should tell her to visit. We haven't seen her in a while."

Marshall shrugged. "I'll let her know."

Their father then glanced at Elsa. "How about Anna? How is she doing?"

Elsa's hand stopped before her lips. Her throat constricted as all heads turned to her again. Slowly, she set the fork down. "She's... fine? She stopped by the studio yesterday."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Elsa confirmed. None of them said anything, but their eyes were trained on her like a hawk. She leaned backward, her shoulders rising an inch as she nearly cracked under pressure. She knew they were curious about Anna, but she couldn't exactly tell them in detail what was going on.

"Huh." Marshall swallowed his food and leaned back. "Didn't know about that."

"She just paid a visit," she hastily replied, looking at her brother pleadingly when his eyes narrowed. The silence stretched on longer than she was comfortable with and it was only broken by a loud burp. Elsa cringed.

"Mars!" Their mother chided.

"Sorry!"

"Honestly!"

Marshall laughed and rubbed the back of his neck as their mother scolded him. Their father could only shake his head and chuckle. "I know, Mom," Marshall said, glancing at Elsa. Her fingers twitched when she noticed the particular look he was throwing her way. "I know."

The rest of the conversation went by smoothly over spaghetti and meatballs with the thing about Anna quickly forgotten and set aside for another night's conversation. They talked about school, work, and Marshall's eventual graduation and college. After dinner, Elsa offered to clean the dishes on her own. Her mother was reluctant at first, but after Elsa insisted, she thanked her and left to rest in the living room. Marshall gathered the dirty pile of dishes and brought them to the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" he asked, accompanying her by the sink. "We lost you back there."

Elsa bit her lip. "Anna came by the studio yesterday."

"Yeah, you already said that."

She placed her elbow on the edge of the sink. "Did you know about her and Vanessa?"

"That they used to be friends?" He wore a small almost-apologetic grin. Elsa pursed her lips. She knew that he was aware of some things about Anna; to what extent though, she had no idea. After all, he had refused to share the information when she asked at the cafeteria. "I only know a little. Anna's a tough nut to crack. Why?"

Staring absently at the running water, she muttered, "I think I understand now why she never said anything."

Marshall grabbed the small towel and began drying the clean dishes. "You do?"

"It's complicated, I guess." She sighed. "I'm glad she told me how she feels about this. But at the same time, I wish she had told me sooner."

"Well, I can't blame her." He placed the dishes by their respective drawers. "She's most likely already used to bottling things inside that she doesn't know how to open up to someone anymore. It must've been hard for her to tell you that."

The image of Anna fidgeting in the backroom of the studio flashed inside Elsa's head. Silently, she agreed. It had taken weeks of questioning before Anna was able to say anything without running away. From all her stutters and pauses, it was easy to point out that she was not used to it. That knowledge, along with everything Anna had told her, made Elsa clench her fists tight.

"But you know," Marshall continued, "I'm glad she did. You look way better now than you did for the past few days."

She frowned. "That fast? That's impossible."

"Look in the mirror and say that again."

Rather than dignify with a response, Elsa turned the faucet off and stood still for a minute. "If I leave, do you think she'll be okay?"

"For real? I doubt it." Marshall shrugged. "But I don't think she'd want you to stay if you really wanted to go. She's always been the one encouraging you to do what you want, right?"

His words stirred the unpleasant feeling inside her stomach again. It had been building up since Anna began avoiding her. She wasn't lying; she was glad that Anna didn't run away this time. But her words at the end... Elsa couldn't shake the horrible, sinking feeling away.

What Marshall was saying was true. Since Anna learned about Elsa's past, she had always been the one to assure her that everything would be fine. She was there to comfort Elsa during the times she drowned in her own insecurities. She was the one that gave Elsa the freedom she had craved for a long time. It had been such a huge relief to not feel pressured into doing anything against her will, to not have someone decide things for her for once, and to have someone respect her decisions come what may.

Elsa thought Anna was doing it because she cared. But maybe... maybe there was more to it than that.


The houses inside the subdivision were not as luxurious compared to Anna's mansion, but they still managed to cause Elsa's jaw to drop. She spent a whole minute gawking before shaking her head in hopes to wash away the surprise. Her grip on the wheel tightened. With newfound resolve, she narrowed her eyes to get a better look at each house number she came to pass. When she found the one she had been looking for, she pulled into the driveway.

She held her breath in, steady and deep, and released the air slowly from her mouth. Finally, she stepped out of the vehicle. The first few steps she took were reluctant and every move forward increased the rapidness of her heart rate. Before she reached the porch, her muscles tensed. Another wave of hesitation ignited her senses and slowly, stiffly, she glanced back at her brother's car.

You're already here.

She groaned and faced the house again. This time, she stormed her way through until she was standing by the white door. She raised her fist, opting to knock, but let it fall again. She thought for another moment and then braced herself and pressed the doorbell instead.

Footsteps were heard from inside and not a second later, the door opened, revealing a young redhead whose eyes widened at the sight of her. "Elsa!" Ariel gasped.

She smiled awkwardly. "Hi."

"Hey! Uh—" She stepped aside and urged Elsa in. "Come in!"

Upon reaching the living room, Elsa was greeted with a bizarre sight. A woman who looked like she was Ariel's clone—only with blonde hair—was seated on the sofa, watching a documentary about the ocean. There was a bored look on her face as she grabbed a popcorn from the bowl perched on the armrest of the sofa.

"Who was it?" the woman asked without looking, throwing the popcorn inside her mouth.

"It's a friend from school," Ariel answered, shrugging when the woman finally looked. "Elsa, this is my older sister, Andrina. Andrina, this is Elsa."

"Hello," Andrina greeted before narrowing her eyes. "You look familiar."

"She was at Hans's wedding."

The older woman snapped her fingers. "Aha! I knew it!"

Ariel glanced at Elsa and cleared her throat. "She's also Marshall's sister."

"Oh." Andrina paused, staring dumbly at the blonde. Then, out of nowhere, she rushed over to them and grabbed Elsa's hands with her own. "I knew you remind me of someone! So you're his sister? I am so glad to meet you!"

Taken off guard by the sudden attention, Elsa let the woman shake her hands vigorously, her body rocking with the sheer force of her enthusiasm. She briefly wondered if this was the same sister that Marshall mentioned back at the wedding, but then she was slowly starting to get dizzy with the incessant rocking that the thought left as quickly as it hit her.

"Okay, okay. I'd like to take her to my room now." Ariel pushed her sister aside. "And don't come!"

Ariel dragged a slightly woozy Elsa upstairs and guided her to a room on the right side of the hall. It was painted blue with images of bubbles and fishes, but once Elsa managed to get herself together, her attention fell on the waterbed installed. She tilted her head with a frown and poked at it.

"Sorry about that. I wasn't expecting you." The redhead sheepishly chuckled. "Would you like a drink?"

"I'm okay."

"Alright then. Feel free to sit anywhere."

Elsa took the advice and sat on the waterbed, releasing a pathetic "Wha—!" when it practically ate her up. Her cheeks glowed when a soft giggle reached her ears. "Wow, this is soft."

Ariel giggled. "It is."

Elsa coughed and adjusted herself, marveling at the feeling and patting around, trying to find her balance. As soon as she was certain that she wouldn't drown again, she faced the redhead sitting on the chair in front of a dresser. "Sorry for coming unannounced."

"It's okay. Mind telling me what this is about?"

The knots inside her stomach tied themselves tighter. She took a moment to gather her wits, pushing back the initial shock from being inside one of the houses located in the high-end parts of the city. No matter how many times she was reminded of Anna and Ariel's status in life, she still couldn't get past the feeling of getting overwhelmed every single time a solid proof appeared in front of her.

Elsa lifted her gaze and released a silent breath when Ariel gave an encouraging smile.

Might as well rip it off like a bandaid. "Anna came by the studio the other day."

"Wai—" Ariel blinked. "She did?"

"Yeah, she told me about her father, Vanessa... You. It answered some of my questions."

"Huh." A faraway look clouded Ariel's eyes. Eventually, she blinked again and straightened her back. "But you still have more?"

Elsa played with a loose thread on her sleeve.

'More' would be an understatement. She had many. Despite hearing everything from Anna, about why she reacted so fearful and skittish ever since Elsa had told her the truth, it didn't make her feel relieved at all. It was almost as if the questions that were answered only raised more questions to be asked.

Elsa glanced around the room, taking everything in for the first time. It was bigger than her own room back at her parents' house. Every piece of furniture that her eyes landed on, aside from the waterbed, had intricate carvings of shells and swirls. Even the pillows were blue and had bubbles as their design. Elsa pursed her lips and forced herself to face Ariel again.

"When you said 'doubt' was the reason why she's avoiding me," she began slowly, "you meant doubt in herself, didn't you?"

There was a fleeting moment where Ariel's only response was to stare at her. She didn't look surprised, which in turn surprised Elsa. "You can tell?"

"I've had a hunch," she admitted, shoulders slumping when said hunch wasn't met with denial and was pretty much confirmed. "She always keeps saying I'm not obligated to say anything or do something for her, or that she didn't want me to hate her or push her away."

Ariel leaned back on her chair and glanced at a particular spot on her painted wall. There was a thoughtful expression on her face as her finger tapped quietly on the armrest. "Sometimes, I blame myself for it. If I didn't react the way I did a long time ago, maybe she wouldn't be this unsure of herself."

The soft way it was spoken did little to ease the nagging feeling inside her chest. "That's what I don't understand. I know that you said Vanessa was just using her and based on what I've seen since coming here in the city, I can safely assume you were right. You've been honest, so... why are you one of the people that she didn't want me to be like?" She had asked Ariel about this before, but just like Marshall, she had refused to say anything. Elsa pressed her palms roughly against her knees and in a soft, shaky voice, decided to try her luck. "Did you push her away, too?"

There was a small beat, a pause, in which Ariel remained tight-lipped.

"You could say that," she eventually said. "Like you said, I told her about Vanessa. I heard her speaking to some girls from one of our music classes. They were asking why she was being friendly with Anna and she said it was because she was a West. Naturally, I told Anna about it, but she didn't believe me. She insisted that Vanessa wasn't that type of girl, and I..." She paused, hands wrapping around the edges of the arm of her chair. "I got angry. I only wanted to warn her, but she said I was lying and jealous that I didn't have anyone like Vanessa in my life."

Elsa's fingers gently slid back to her wrist as she searched for any sort of emotion on the redhead's face.

"Rather than push her away, it's probably more accurate to say that I left her behind." Ariel followed the statement with a bitter chuckle. Elsa bit her tongue, straining her back and neck as she forced herself not to look away. Ariel's eyes softened. "You see, I'm not the kind person she makes me out to be."

Elsa shook her head. "It's normal to fight as kids."

"It is, but I was her closest cousin, Elsa, and I wasn't there for her when her father passed away and when her best friend turned her back on her. Until she came to me and begged for forgiveness, crying." Ariel smiled sadly when Elsa tensed. "She didn't have anyone to turn to. Her mother, Meg, and Hans were busy trying to get the press to give them the privacy they needed to mourn as a family; and Vanessa, she..." She trailed off with a shrug. A sigh. "It's not an excuse, but I was a child. I didn't handle her accusations well and now, she wouldn't even get mad at me no matter what I do because she's too afraid I'll leave her again. For good."

It wasn't hard for Elsa to picture a young girl begging for forgiveness and acceptance. It wasn't difficult to imagine the guilt, the sadness, the pain of being alone, and being unsure of oneself. These were all things that she was well accustomed to.

And so her breath hitched.

It was on their way to the aquarium when Anna had said that she understood why Elsa was doubting herself. At the time, Elsa thought Anna was simply being polite. They were overused sympathetic words that someone would usually say to comfort somebody in order to make them feel validated. But now, after hearing all this, Elsa thought back on that moment in a different light. Maybe Anna wasn't trying to sound sympathetic or saying those things out of pity—No. She really did understand. It was as plain and simple as that.

"She blamed herself, didn't she? For your fight and—" Her throat constricted as she remembered everything Anna shared with her at the studio. "For everything."

"I told you, Elsa. She wasn't friendly the first time because she only wanted to be careful." Ariel's calm voice carried through the stuffy air. Elsa's grip around her wrist tightened and her lips pressed on a thin line the moment the redhead's eyes met hers. "Because when she loves somebody, she loves them with all her heart. That's why she didn't want to let anybody close."


Confession time! One of the reasons why I couldn't update frequently during the past 2 years is because I got too pressured into releasing updates fast. And no, it wasn't because I was being forced by someone. I was the one forcing myself. I wanted to release these chapters fast for Anna's sake because every little detail in her point of view since the very beginning of this story plays a massive part in her character and backstory. And I mean every little detail. Fortunately, with the help of my beta and friends, I managed to get over the crippling pressure I placed upon myself.