Chapter 1
Too hot.
Way too hot.
Anna rolled around, half asleep, pulling the blanket off of her body, casting it to the other side of her bed.
Uncovered.
Too cold.
Anna groaned sleepily, pulling the blanket back over her body, wrapping the quilt around her.
Too hot again.
"Fuuuuuck..." Anna sleepily groaned, slowly sitting up. The peeled her eyelids open, crusted with sleep, as she looked across the dark room, to her alarm clock.
7:30 am.
"Mmmmhmmmpf."
Anna grumpily huffed, falling backwards onto her bed, her head collapsing into her pillows.
Winters in Arendelle were long, dark nights and short, cold days. The sun wouldn't even rise for another hour or so. She lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling of her small bedroom, in her small apartment, frustrated, tired, and yet unable to sleep. She hadn't slept all night.
After a few minutes, just like it had been all night, Anna knew should wouldn't be able to sleep. She groaned, as she forced her head up from the comfort of her pillows, pulling her blankets off as she kicked her feet over the side of her bed.
She winced, as her small feet touched the cold hardwood floor, sending chills up her spine. Wearing only and oversized t-shirt and underwear, her body immediately grew cold, the heater of her small apartment couldn't keep up with the winter weather.
She walked around her bed, and over to her dresser, blindly fussing through the multiple drawers for some warm clothes, though she had hardly any clothing to choose from. Then, her fingertips grazed past something.
Soft, synthetic feeling fabric, stretchy, but thick.
Yoga pants.
Anna groaned, her spine crackling and popping, and she bent over, sliding her feet into the leg holes of the velvety soft tights. Once she had pulled the pants up, she let go of the waistband, which snapped as it pulled tight against her small buttocks.
They weren't sweatpants, but they were warmer than nothing. Anna grabbed her zip up hoodie, which she had tossed on top of her dresser, and pulled it over her arms, before zipping it halfway.
"Hmmmm..." Anna more cheerfully groaned.
"Warm." She said quietly.
Anna walked over to her bedside table, and picked up her phone, pulling it off of the charging cable.
No texts.
No notifications.
No surprise.
Anna tossed her phone back onto her bed.
She was warm, and awake.
And bored.
Now fully up, she could hear the wind breezing past her window, and the small taps of snowflakes hitting the glass. She walked over to her curtain pulling it open. The floor by the window was especially cold, her toes went numb and tingly.
"Shit..." Anna said quietly, as she looked out towards the street 4 stories below her.
The normally black pavement had disappeared under a thick blanket of snow, almost 3 feet deep. If Anna had had a car, she would be much more concerned, knowing she would have to dig it out. But she hadn't bought a car yet, having just moved in.
Anna sighed, pulling the curtains shut. Her feet were freezing, and even with the yoga pants and hoodie, she still found herself cold, almost shivering.
Anna stepped over to her bedside, where she had kicked her slippers off the night before, and slid her feet into them. Pink, fuzzy, soft, and best of all, warm.
But she was still cold.
"Well, I'm up anyway..." Anna said quietly, before shuffling out of her bedroom, and into the living room.
Her apartment was small, some would even say tiny. Her kitchen and living room were combined in an open concept, and her bedroom and bathroom were set up in a master suite style. Less than 800 square feet, it would be microscopic to some. But to Anna, it was the perfect size.
"Fuck." Anna grunted loudly, as her knee collided with a cardboard box, knocking it over. The hadn't even unpacked yet, though it didn't bother her. The only things she owned were in her dresser, her suitcase, and the one cardboard box. The rest came in the furnished apartment. Couch, bed, coffee table, and dinning table and chairs.
It was a small, simple apartment. Perfect for Anna.
She leaned over and flipped the cardboard box upright, then walked into the kitchen, flipping on the lights. She winced, as the fluorescent light flooded her eyes, temporarily blinding her. She stood motionless, unable to see, her eyes burning as they adjusted to the light.
After a few moments, she peeled her eyes open, having now adjusted to the light. Her kitchen was stark, empty. The only silverware she had was plastic, and the plates were paper. The only real kitchen tool she had was a kettle, and right now, that was all she needed.
She walked over to the stovetop and picked up the metal teapot, then over to the sink where she began to fill it with tap water. She smacked her lips together, dry, almost cracking, from the cold air of her bedroom.
Once the teapot was full, she walked it back over to the stove, where she placed it on a burner, and ignited a flame underneath it.
While she waited for it to boil, she walked over to her panty, the wooden doors creaked as she pulled them open.
The contents of the cupboard were nearly laughable.
The only things inside were a couple bags of Doritos, half a dozen cups of Ramen, a few cans of ravioli, and a small bag of cat food.
And, most importantly, a box of powdered hot chocolate.
She reached into the nearly empty pantry, and pulled out the box of hot chocolate.
"Shit..." Anna grumbled, as she looked into the box. She thought it had felt light.
Only one package of cocoa left.
Anna grumpily tossed the empty box towards the trash can, holding in her hand the last packet of hot cocoa. She shuffled over to the stovetop, where the teapot was beginning to steam. She reached to the cupboard above the stove, where sat a single white coffee mug. She pulled it out and shut the door, placing the mug on the counter, before she ripped open the packet of cocoa, dumping it into the mug.
The teapot began to whistle, a small spray of steam emanating from the long metal spout. She pulled it off the burner, and slowly poured the boiling hot water into the mug.
"Mmmhmmmm..." Anna hummed cheerily. The moment the cocoa powder began to dissolve, her nostrils were filled with the sweet, warm, delicious smell of chocolate.
"Prrrbrrrbrrr"
Anna felt soft hairs brush against her leg. She looked down, and smiled. Her cat Olaf was staring up at her, his tail gently flicking at her ankle.
"You didn't sleep with me all night." She said, smiling. The small white cat just stared up at her with big blue eyes, his head slightly cocked sideways.
"That's okay, I didn't sleep." Anna giggled softly, as she looked back to her mug, before placing the kettle back onto the stove, turning off the flame. She reached into the small bag of plastic silverware and pulled out a spoon, to stir her hot cocoa.
"Mrrroww..." Olaf meowed from Anna's ankle.
"You're hungry?" Anna chuckled, before placing the spoon on the counter, and walking back to the panty to grab the small bag of cat food. As she walked, the small white cat followed beside her, his hair gently tickling her leg.
"Alright fussy pants..." she said, as she kneeled down, dumping a small amount of food out onto a paper plate on the floor. Before she had even finished pouring, Olaf began to munch happily on the food, purring in between bites.
Anna stood back up and placed the cat food bag on the counter, before turning back and grabbing her mug of warm, delicious hot chocolate.
She walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, then between the small couch and coffee table, over to a large sliding glass door.
She pulled open the curtains, and looked past her patio, which was covered in a few feet of snow, and down to the street.
Snow plows had begun to drive down the street, pushing large heaps of snow down the road. Some of the snow began to pile up on the sidewalk, as the large trucks pushed through the multiple feet of snow.
The sun was just beginning to peek over the trees of the park across the street, as Anna took her first sip of the hot chocolate.
She moaned, as the thick, warm liquid coated her tongue in delicious chocolate flavor, before sliding down her throat, and into her stomach. Her whole body instantly grew warm, as she took another sip of the hot cocoa.
"Fuuuuuuck that's good..." Anna quietly moaned. Her fingertips were warm against the ceramic mug, and her skin felt warm, and tingly.
"Meeeeooow." Olaf purred from behind Anna. The redhead looked down, just as the white cat walked between her legs, purring as he rubbed against her ankles. She smiled, as she slowly leaned down and scratched the kitten's back, which only intensified the volume of his purring.
"You probably slept great, didn't you little guy." Anna giggled, as she scratched behind Olaf's ears, his head leaning back into the palm of her hand.
"Mrrrooow." He purred.
"That's what I thought." Anna chuckled, as she stood back up, looking out of the sliding glass door.
The sky was beginning to turn, from dark blue, to a pale yellowish orange. The sun was creeping above the tree line, and Anna's living room began to grow brighter, flooded with the morning light.
She tilted her head back as she took one last gulp of hot cocoa, drinking until the mug was empty. She leaned her head back forward, and licked her thin lips of any remaining chocolate residue. She walked over to the sink, and rinsed out her mug, placing it on a drying mat. It was the only real dish that she had.
Anna then walked back to her bedroom, and over to her phone which she had tossed down.
1 Notification.
From: Rapunzel
"Always the early riser." Anna chuckled quietly, as she opened up the message.
Punzie:
"Good morning sleeping beauty. :)"
Anna typed out a response, a small smile pulled at the corners of her lips.
Anna:
"It is morning."
(Anna wasn't a morning person)
Punzie:
"So grumpy :( didn't sleep well?"
Anna:
"Didn't sleep."
Punzie:
"You just moved in, give it some time."
Anna began to walk back into the kitchen, as she continued the text conversation.
Anna:
"I don't even have anything here except clothes."
Punzie:
"Shopping Day :D !"
Anna giggled. Her best friend from back in Corona loved shopping, almost more than anything.
Punzie:
"Who knows, maybe you'll meet a cute boy ;)"
Anna:
"Punz, you know my last relationship...didn't go well."
Punzie:
"Oh boo, Hans was an ass. Time to get over him with a new hottie!"
Even the mention of his name gave Anna chills. He wasn't always bad, but after the last couple months...
Punzie:
"Small town like Arendelle, you're sure to meet a cute cowboy! ;) ;)"
Anna:
"Right now, I just need to meet some new silverware."
Punzie:
"Well you have fun shopping Ann. Hope you find a cutie ;) I'm gonna hop in the shower, head off to work."
Anna:
"Have a good day Punzie."
Anna tossed her phone back onto the bed. She had tired not to think of...him. But after such a long relationship, it was hard not too.
The flowers, the dates...the abuse, mental and physical.
The redhead shut her eyes, and took a deep breath in...and out...
She walked over to her closet, and pulled it open. The only things hanging in it were a wool sweater, and a long dark green dress. She didn't even have any jeans.
"Fuck." Anna said, realizing now a major issue. She only had shorts. Denim shorts, workout shorts, sweatpant shorts.
But no pants.
She walked back to the living room, and pulled on the cardboard box she had nearly tripped over. She began to pull out clothes, once all neatly folded, now being tossed onto the couch.
T-shirt's, a crop top sweater, a pile of panties, bras, another pair of yoga pants, and a mound of socks.
But no jeans.
She should've expected it, she knew she didn't own any pants. She already had a minimal wardrobe, and with corona being warm year round, she never needed jeans.
Except for now, in the freezing cold north of Arendelle, she needed them.
Her suitcase, still with the airline sticker on the handle, lay empty beside the couch. Anna giggled as she looked over, seeing Olaf's big eyes, and the tips of his ears, peering out from inside the suitcase.
"You silly little cat." She chuckled, as she started to put the unfolded clothes back into the cardboard box.
"Looks like I need a wardrobe update." She said to the small cat, who gave a small "prrrb" in response.
She leaned back up from the couch, and looked over to the large glass door. Snow was falling outside, already covering the plowed street in speckles of white powder.
"First though..." she groaned to herself. "...think I need a car."