Chapter eight
Overwriting
"So, where to next?" Anna asked, hopping to her feet and handing her sister the empty bottle.
"Next?" Elsa said, alarmed. "You're ready to go already?"
"Yeah, of course," Anna said. "I feel pretty great, actually."
Through the crowd, she spotted an electric display showing wait times. "Looks like Thunderstruck only has a 20 minute wait time. You wanna do that one?"
"Well, sure, but…are you sure you're good?" Elsa said worriedly.
"If I'm not good now, I definitely will be in 20 minutes," Anna pointed out.
Somewhat mollified, Elsa nodded, and the two began to fight their way across the sea of people.
"Stay close," Elsa said, holding out her hand. "We don't want to get separated."
Anna nodded. "Good idea," she said. She reached towards Elsa's hand.
Let's see, this is how you did it in the theater, right?
She grasped Elsa's hand, intertwining her fingers with Elsa's. Elsa's eyes widened, but she said nothing. Together, they weaved through the crowds, Anna leading but never tugging.
Anna's heart was pounding. She felt like it shouldn't be, but it was. There was just something more…intimate about holding hands like this. But was it sister intimate or date intimate?
She looked back at Elsa. She offered only a warm smile.
Well, Elsa's smiling, and my arm is tingling all over. So I must be doing something right.
xxxxxxx
The line advanced, and the boarding zone came into view.
Elsa could hardly believe it. Sure, it would probably be the shortest line they'd be in that day, but it really hadn't felt like 20 minutes had passed at all. All she'd been doing was chatting with Anna, listening to how she was doing in her classes – very well, it turned out – and the line had just flown by. She would've checked her watch to confirm, but this would've meant spilling beer over herself.
Anna looked at the comically large beer cup, now half empty. Elsa waved it in her direction. "Sure you don't want some?" she offered.
"No thanks," Anna said. "Still 18, remember? Besides, I hate the taste of that stuff."
Elsa laughed. "You don't drink it for the taste, silly."
The next group of passengers boarded the ride, and now the two of them were at the very front. The ride attendant looked at her disapprovingly. "No drinks on the-"
"Ah," Elsa said, holding up her finger. She lifted the cup to her lips, inhaled, and started to drink. Anna watched, in awe, as the liquid quickly drained from the cup. Thirty seconds later, as the next set of cars rolled in, she lowered the now empty cup.
She grinned at Anna. "Never let anyone tell you that you don't learn anything useful in college," she said, tossing the cup into the trash. The attendant rolled his eyes.
Elsa hopped into the front seat, and Anna got in right beside her. "Are you excited?" Elsa asked.
"Yep!" Anna said as she lowered the restraining bar. "This is my favorite ride here!"
"Really," Elsa said. The car started to move, and a speaker built into the headrest started playing a guitar riff. "I actually don't remember this one."
Anna gapped at her. "You don't?" she said incredulously.
"Not really. Mom only took us on it once, remember. Then she said it was too intense and never let us ride it again."
Anna laughed. "Dad was a bit more…relaxed about it."
The car, which had slowly started to ascend the first hill, stopped suddenly. Elsa shot a glance over at her sister, who grinned wickedly. "Hold on tight, sis," she said.
At that instant, the car shot forward, coinciding with the screech of Brian Johnson's voice. Elsa's knuckles turned white, and her expression shifted from confused to terrified.
Anna let out a thrilled scream as the car sailed over the first hill, then headed down, gaining still more speed as it did. She threw her arms into the air, her earlier motion sickness a distant memory.
"Come on, Elsa!" she shouted. "Hands in the air!" But her cry was drowned out by the wind, the screams of other riders, and AC/DC. Laughing, Anna took Elsa's hand in hers and raised it high.
Elsa's already stimulated senses now went into overdrive. Her adrenaline surged, and the wind whipped away her surprised gasp. She looked at Anna, laughing gaily, and started to laugh herself. She raised her other arm, and allowed herself to be swept away in emotion.
xxxxxxx
The two sisters stumbled out of the ride and down the stairs, arm in arm.
"So, what did you think of it?" Anna asked.
Elsa struggled to find the words. "It was…it was…"
"Intense?" Anna offered.
"Insane!" Elsa declared, throwing her hands in the air.
Anna chuckled. "Now you see why it's my favorite," she said.
"How did it do that…thing at the beginning, where it went fast before the first hill?" Elsa asked.
"They use something called a LIM, or Linear Induction Motor. See, it uses electromagnets to propel the cart by…" Suddenly aware that she had begun to ramble, she trailed off. "Sorry," she said.
"No, no, go on," Elsa said, tousling get happy playfully. "I love it when you nerd out like that."
Anna chuckled. "I know, I know," she said. Still, she didn't resume her explanation.
Elsa frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," Anna said. "I've just been trying to cut back on those lengthy stories lately. I've noticed some people tend to lose interest when I talk too long about things."
Elsa's expression darkened. "It's because of him, isn't it?"
Anna looked down. "Partially," she admitted.
Elsa gently draped her arms around Anna's shoulders. "What did he say?" she asked, trying to keep her voice soft and soothing while containing her own rising anger.
"Well, He didn't really say anything," Anna said. "He'd just kind of start to look at other things, His attention would wander, sometimes He'd check his phone…"
"Then he's an asshole," Elsa said, squeezing Anna's shoulder. "And an idiot."
"Yeah," Anna said, not sounding enthusiastic about it.
But Elsa wasn't done yet. "Let me tell you something," she said. "When you start talking about something you know and care a lot about, you're goddamn adorable. Your enthusiasm is like…like a balloon. It lifts everyone else in the room higher. If he couldn't see that, then his head must be screwed on backwards."
Anna giggled. She reached up and patted Elsa's had appreciatively. "Thanks, Elsa," she said. "You're always so nice to me, I…" She trailed off again, but this time, it was due to her own attention being diverted. "Hey, I think your braid got kinda messed up on that ride," she said, feeling along the braid's length.
"Really?" Elsa ran her fingers through her hair, feeling the disheveled strands. "Ah, shit," she said, letting go of Anna for a moment. "I should've seen this coming." She took a closer look at Anna's head. "Yours are a little messed up, too. It's not too bad, though."
While Anna inspected her plaits, Elsa unbraided her hair, untwisting the elaborate, now messy braid. Grabbing a hairband from her bag, she swept her hair behind her, gathered it all together, and bound it in a nice simple ponytail.
"There, that works," she said, satisfied. "I've got another band if you want to do the same, Anna." She turned. "…Anna?"
Anna had been starting as she had fixed her hair, with a semi-awed smile on her face. Upon Elsa's remark, she snapped out of it, then began to stammer.
"Oh, nothing, it's just, uh…you reminded me of those shampoo commercials, when you flipped your hair like that," she explained.
Elsa chuckled. "Oh, you mean like this?" she said, running a hand across her ponytail and tossing it loosely, trying to emulate the cascade effect.
"Heh, yeah," Anna said. "It's really…" She trailed off, trying to find the right words.
"Attractive?" teased Elsa. "Gorgeous? Stunning?"
Anna blushed. "Y-yeah," she said. "Exactly."
Elsa feel silent. She had meant it as a joke, but judging for her expression, those had been exactly the words Anna had been thinking of.
"Hey, uh," Anna said, trying to change the subject. "Let's go see our photos."
"Good idea," Elsa said, falling in behind her.
It's no big deal at all, she told herself. She's complimented me on my looks hundreds of times in the past, and I've done the same to her. Totally normal, totally platonic.
Then why was she acting like it was a big deal? Does that mean she felt different about saying it this time?
As they approached the kiosk, she shrugged it off.
No, it's probably nothing. I'm just letting my filthy mind ruin a perfectly innocent situation. Yet again.
With that settled, she turned her mind to the vastly more important task of locating their photos. Yes, that was much more pressing and suspenseful. What if their hair was messed up? That'd be a disaster!
Finally, she located it on the top row. Surprisingly, their hair looked fine. Anna's plaits we're pointing in odd directions, but it still looked fine. Elsa's face, on the other hand…
She looked up at her own face, a feeling of embarrassment swelling inside her.
Fuck, was I really that surprised?
A stifled laugh from her side told her that Anna had also seen the photo. She looked sideways at Anna, hoping her blush wasn't showing.
"We've gotta get that photo," Anna said.
"We are not getting that photo," Elsa deadpanned.
"Come on, Elsa, look at it! It's great!"
"No, Anna," she said, beginning to walk away.
"We could put it on our Christmas cards this year. Imagine Aunt Sally seeing that!"
"Not even that funny, Anna."
"Aw, don't be like that! It looks attractive. Gorgeous. Stunning, even!"
"I want another beer."
xxxxxxx
"Are you sure you can handle that?" Anna asked.
Elsa raised the cup to her lips, squinting as the motion sent the afternoon sun directly into her eyes. "What do you mean?" she asked, lowering it again..
"Well, that's kind of a lot of beer, isn't it?"
Elsa scoffed. "Pfft, you kidding? I've only had four."
"Well, yeah, but…" Anna held her hands apart, indicating the dimensions of the cups in question.
"It's fine, Anna," Elsa said. "Thanks for the concern, but I know my limits. Trust me, you figure this stuff out in college."
"Okay," Anna said. "Just be careful. You remember last year's 4th of July party, right?"
Elsa raised an eyebrow. "No, what happened?"
Anna seemed surprised. "You don't remember at all?"
Elsa thought about it. "No, I guess not."
"Well, Uncle Dan kept bringing you shots, you started getting loopy, Evan pulled out his phone and took a video, and you started talking about-" Anna cut herself off abruptly.
Elsa regarded her curiously. "What? What did I say?" she asked, amused.
"Uh, well…it's not important," Anna said. "I'm not trying to embarrass you, just…give you a warning, y'know?"
"…Okay," Elsa said. She let it pass, but she felt a burning curiosity rising inside her.
Hastily attempting to change the subject, Anna fished the map out of Elsa's pack. "So, anyway, where do you want to go next?" she said, glancing it over. "We've done most of the big ones already. How about…the Firebolt?"
Elsa shook her head. "I can't stand those wooden coasters. Makes my head rattle like a maraca."
"Fair point," Anna said. "There's the arcade, but that's all the way on the other side of the park. The closest one left to us is…"
Anna fell silent. She lowered the map, then looked up and saw it looming just over the trees. "The Ferris wheel," she said.
Elsa noticed the shift in her tone, and turned to look at her. Anna's eyes had widened, and she was gripping the map tighter.
"Anna?" she said. "What's wrong?"
Anna didn't answer, but continued to stare at the wheel.
"You know what, it doesn't matter," Elsa said. She put her hand on Anna's shoulder. "Let's not do the wheel this time."
The contact broke Anna out of her trance. "Are you sure?" she said, trying to sound casual. "I…I thought you liked it."
Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Well, clearly you don't," Elsa said.
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Anna said, in an even more hokey voice.
Elsa looked into her eyes. "Anna, tell me what's wrong or don't tell me. Just don't lie to me about it."
She was surprised – Anna almost never lied to her. And she'd been remarkably honest so far.
Anna took a deep breath. "He kissed me at the top of the wheel."
xxxxxxx
The cabin swayed in the breeze. Anna shivered. He wrapped his arm around her, and she happily snuggled up beside him.
"This is nice, isn't it?" she said.
He looked at her, a wry smile on his face. "Yeah, it is. We can't be on the fast-paced rides all the time. It's nice to slow down once in a while."
Their cabin neared the top of its arc, and Anna gazed over the park. Basked in the evening light, the park stretched out beneath them. Anna gaped at the view.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said beside her.
She turned to look at him. "Yeah-"
The sentence caught in her throat. He was looking directly at her, and his face was mere inches away from hers.
"The most beautiful thing I see is right in front of me," he said in a low and sultry voice. He placed his hand on her chin and pulled her in close…
xxxxxxx
Elsa winced. "I'm sorry," she said, drawing Anna in for a hug. "I shouldn't have pressed you about it."
"It's okay," Anna sniffled. She clutched Elsa tight, and Elsa rubbed her back. "I should've told you before."
Elsa didn't answer, instead continuing to stroke her sister's back. She had known this was bound to happen sometime today, and she was prepared to do whatever necessary to console her sister.
"I've b-been able to ignore everything else," Anna said, voice wavering. "To forget about the past, and just have fun in the moment. But this…"
"I know, I know," Elsa said comfortingly, now stroking her hair. "Some memories are just too strong, some feelings too intense."
"I…I didn't…hate it," she said. She buried her face in Elsa's chest and mumbled something else.
Elsa pulled her just a hair's breadth away from her chest. "What was that?"
Anna looked up at her with watery eyes. "I liked it," she croaked.
Elsa blinked.
"I wish I didn't," she continued. "But I enjoyed it. Even now, it's still a…happy memory."
Elsa sighed deeply. "It was your first kiss, wasn't it?" she said.
Anna shook her head. "No. But it was the first kiss where we…where His mouth…He…"
Elsa nodded understandingly. She pulled Anna back to her chest, and Anna's words faded into whimpers.
"It would be easier if they were all bad memories, wouldn't it?" she said.
Anna nodded. "I just keep thinking about it," she said. "Even when I'm doing something else, I'll think back to how good it felt, and think maybe I should've…should've not…"
Once again, she fell silent, this time seemingly afraid of her own confession.
Elsa's heart ached. Now, more than ever before, she wished she could get her hands on this piece of shit. Not only had he broken Anna's heart, but he was still clinging onto a piece. No matter who she dated after this, he'd still haunt her, casting a shadow over even her happiest moments. If only she could overwrite these memories, erase them from Anna's mind. But the only thing she could think of was…
The idea hit her suddenly, and the argument against it surfaced almost as quickly. But looking at Anna in her arms, she felt that the time was right for decisive action.
"Let's ride it," she said. "If you want to, of course."
Anna looked at her, blinking away tears. "The wheel?" she said.
Elsa nodded. "I can't erase that memory. But maybe we can make a better one." Elsa paused.
"If you don't want to do that, I understand 100%," she added. "No pressure on you at all."
Anna thought about it. Elsa swore she could see the internal debate going on just behind her eyes.
Then she nodded. "We've come this far," she said. "Let's do it."
"Okay," Elsa said.
Then the two of them walked towards the Ferris wheel, Elsa setting a brisk pace, lest she have time to second-guess herself.
xxxxxxx
Of course, it doesn't work like that, does it?
The line was incredibly short, five minutes at most, but five minutes was still more than enough time for doubts to set in. By the time they were seated in a cabin, Elsa was already unsure of her plan. And then the damn thing still had to reach the top.
Two weeks ago, she wouldn't have thought twice about this plan. It would've just been a simple favor, nothing more. And four beers ago, she wouldn't have dared try it. But their past few…dates put the idea in a new light.
She saw that Anna was trembling. She put her hand over Anna's to steady it. This only further deepened her own concerns, though.
All this time, she'd been shrugging off the idea that she and Anna had been doing anything but platonic roleplay. Elsa Schneider was just a stupid nickname she had thought up at the last second. And still, she was trying to further justify this as a mere extension of that persona. But that only went so far. There was a line, and the more Elsa thought about it, the more sure she was that this would be crossing it.
Her first kiss with Belle had been romantic. In a darkened car, just as she dropped Elsa off at her dorm, she had punctuated the night perfectly. Elsa still remembered the heady smell of her perfume, and the heavenly taste of her lipstick. Anna, no doubt, had had a similarly euphoric moment, that was now tethered to a monster. She wanted to free her sister from that. But to replace that with an equally sensual moment with her own sister…
The cabin was halfway up the wheel. The expanse of the park, while not cast in orange, was still majestic. Neither sister looked at it.
It's too late now, another voice in her head countered. You've already gotten into the car with her. If you don't follow through with this, you'll have just dragged up her own trauma again for no reason. Besides, it's not that much of a step beyond what you've already done. She kissed you on the lips, don't forget that.
That logic was comforting, but not bulletproof. Clearly, an open-mouthed kiss was a big leap. It had been for her in the past, and it surely would be again. If it wasn't going to be a big deal, there would be no reason to be doing it. Not to mention, she still hadn't asked Anna about the results of her homework. That would cast this in an entirely different light, and to bring it up now would make it even more obvious.
The most shocking realization, though, was that she was starting to actually want the kiss – not just want it, desire it. She was picturing Anna's luscious red lips, pulling her closer with an arm around her slim waist-
Knock it off! That's your sister you're drooling over. You're doing this for her, pervert, not yourself.
I thought I wasn't going to do this at all?
Aargh!
The cabin was almost at its peak, and Elsa's confidence was gone. She couldn't do this. It had been a bad idea, and she should've realized it from the start. She had no choice but to apologize for Anna, and hope that her dumbass move wouldn't ruin their date-their trip completely.
She turned to Anna and opened her mouth. She left it hanging.
Anna was looking right at her with half-lidded eyes. She had scooted closer to her on the seat, and was leaning into her. She didn't look sad, or traumatized. She looked…anticipatory.
"I think I understand what you meant," she said quietly. "About making a better memory." Her body was trembling, but her voice was steady.
Elsa swallowed. "Yeah," she said. "It was…a spur of the moment idea…kinda stupid…"
Anna placed her other hand on the two that were already intertwined. "Not at all," she said. "I want to try it. See if it helps any."
Elsa desperately tried to steady her voice. "R-Really?"
Anna managed a grin. "Miss Schneider," she said, "it would be my genuine pleasure."
That's a line from somewhere, a voice in Elsa's mind registered. She ignored it.
Well, fuck, there's really no turning back now, is there?
Elsa turned her body so that it was fully facing Anna's. With her free hand, she stroked the side of Anna's face. Anna shivered, but didn't flinch. She saw a longing in Anna's eyes, which mirrored her own.
"Do you want me to le-" Elsa began. Anna moved in.
Elsa jolted as their lips connected. Seeing as Elsa's mouth was already open, Anna wasted no time in opening hers. Anna's tongue darted forward, then hesitated.
Elsa, now fully committed, sent her own tongue forward. The two touched, and goosebumps pricked up across Elsa's arms. Elsa's eyes closed as the taste of her sister washed over her.
A moan escaped from Anna's mouth, muffled. Instinctively, Elsa advanced forward in response, her tongue dancing around Anna's mouth. Anna was breathing heavily through her nose, and common sense returned to Elsa just long enough to pull back for a second, allowing both of them a breath of air before coming back together.
Anna was clumsy, but more experienced than Elsa had expected, and now her tongue surged into Elsa's mouth. Elsa countered, leaning forward and sliding her tongue across Anna's as her mind frantically tried to regain control.
This has to stop soon. Or else it might never stop.
After a brief eternity, Elsa placed her hand on top of Anna's and tapped twice. Anna understood the signal, and the two broke away. They both slumped back in their seats, physically drained.
After a few seconds of heavy breathing, Elsa turned to Anna. "How…was that?" she asked apprehensively.
Anna inhaled deeply, then grinned. "Great," she said. "Really great!"
Elsa breathed a sigh of relief. "Good," she said. I didn't screw everything up, after all.
Anna leaned forward, still grinning. "Yeah, you're way better at it than he was!" she said brightly.
Elsa wearily smiled back, amazed at her sister's nonchalance. "It just comes with experience," she said, surprising herself with her own nonchalance.
Anna giggled. "Well, I can't wait to get some!" she remarked.
Elsa blinked. "Uh…" she said uncertainly.
"With other girls, of course!" Anna added hastily. "I bet it'll be a lot easier now!"
"Right, right," said Elsa, reassured. She smiled lovingly at her sister – her sister, her brain emphasized. "You're gonna break a lot of hearts, that's for sure."
Anna looked worried. "Oh, I hope not," she said.
Elsa chuckled. "It's just an expression. I'm sure every girl in your school is gonna want you once you get back there. They'll just smell the pheromones oozing off you!"
Anna laughed. "Dare to dream, Elsa. Dare to dream."
Elsa placed her hands behind her head, feeling a deep sense of contentment. That one voice inside her head was screaming in disapproval, but she ignored it. Right now, she was totally convinced that she had done the right thing. Anna was happy, and that meant that she was happy.
They stepped off the Ferris wheel a minute later, but Anna's feet never touched the ground.