Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

Chapter 4 - Sensibility

"She gave up on me first," came the sound of Anna's muffled voice through the car door.

Elsa watched Anna walk away toward a furious looking Ariel and a sympathetic looking Rapunzel. Regardless of her feelings toward Ariel, Elsa was glad that Anna had friends to comfort her. She caught one more glimpse of Anna as they pulled away from the school. The look on Anna's face nearly tore Elsa's resolve to shreds. Her shoulders were hunched and she aimlessly kicked at something on the ground. Even from this distance and within a moving car, Elsa could tell Anna was fighting tears.

"She misses you just as much, you know?" Gerda asked from the driver's seat beside her. The older woman had been her mother's nanny when she was young. When Elsa was born, Jules had begged Gerda out of retirement. She believed that every girl would benefit from having someone like Gerda in their life. Jules just went a step further to secure Elsa the actual Gerda. To Elsa, she was less of a nanny and more of the grandmother she never had. Despite that, however, Elsa was not in the mood for a lecture.

"I don't want to talk about it, Gerda," Elsa said, petulance that her voice almost never had coloring her tone.

"That's fine because I only need you to listen," Gerda said sternly.

So much for not getting lectured, Elsa thought.

"Now I've kept my silence though I've felt that you've acted rashly and, in my opinion, extremely distastefully. I, however, can no longer stand idly by as I watch you tear down the greatest friendship you'll ever experience," Gerda said before softening her voice. "You and Miss Anna have something special. The kind of sisterhood that even some connected through blood never form. I had thought that the bond between your mother and Miss Iduna was unrivaled, but their friendship was nothing compared to yours with Miss Anna. It is a disservice to the world to deny such a thing."

There was a long pause as they turned up the winding road to the Arendelle Manor before Gerda had one final thing to say.

"Your mother would not have wanted this."

Elsa only sighed and stared out of the passenger window as her home came into view. The home that now felt so empty without her mother's presence or Anna's rambunctiousness.

"I know."

Elsa was spending her lunch studying in the library. She had a busy weekend and she wanted to get as much of her school work done beforehand to ensure she had enough time. At least, that's what she was telling herself. If she took the time to really reflect, she wouldn't be able to deny that she'd been hiding in the library since the first day of school. Following her disastrous reunion with Anna, she had avoided the girl like the plague. Today, however, was Friday and they'd have class together again so there would be no avoiding her. She had spent her solitary time, which (let's face it) was all of her time, these last couple days trying to solve her current situation. Elsa was partnered with Anna on a project that could very well end up deciding her final grade in the course. That much was irrevocably true. Going about doing so without falling back into old, friendlier habits would be the issue.

She first considered simply offering to do the whole project for them. Elsa worked best on her own anyway, and this would guarantee high marks for the pair. However, she knows, or at least she knew, Anna better than anyone. The ginger girl is stubborn and prideful; she won't take to the idea of shirking her responsibility and allowing Elsa full control over the project quite so simply. No, no. That really wasn't an option, but she was drawing a blank on how to avoid Anna while still working with Anna.

"I don't know!" she exclaimed and slammed her Chemistry book shut. It's not like she was really studying from it anyway.

"Ahem."

Elsa's head spun quickly to catch Ms. Gesner glaring in her direction. The librarian appeared to be as ancient as the school itself, but she could restock books at such an alarming pace that most students would swear she had multiple tentacles for arms and legs. The crone pointed to the sign hanging above her reading 'Quiet Please' despite knowing that Elsa was the only student there.

Elsa gave her an apologetic look before glancing at her watch. It was nearly fifth period. Time for avoiding Anna was over. She gathered her things and, with one final apology to Ms. Gesner on her way out, Elsa headed for Ms. Belle Beaufort's classroom.

"Class doesn't begin for another ten minutes, Miss Arendelle," her teacher said as she walked into the room.

"Oh, I know. I was just done with lunch and thought I'd come get settled," Elsa responded. "Is that okay?"

"Of course. I just thought you didn't much enjoy my class," Ms. Beaufort said but clarified after taking in the shocked expression on Elsa's face. "Vice Principal Anders told me that you tried to switch out after class on Wednesday during the ninth grade's free block."

Elsa felt the blush come to her cheeks. "It's nothing against you, Ms. Beaufort. I've actually been looking forward to the opportunity to take a class of yours. It's just that… Well, you see…"

"It's the partner project?" She asked. Elsa only nodded and Ms. Beaufort gave her an understanding smile. "There's always one or two girls that are desperate to get out of working with whoever they are partnered with. I was a teenage girl once too. Rivalries and cat fights are not a foreign concept to me. I can understand that not all personalities are the most harmonious…"

"It's not that," Elsa blurted. "It's just Anna and I… There's a history there."

"I know."

"You do?"

"Well, I at least had a suspicion. You see, I grew up with your mothers. I remember how they were. It actually surprised me when you two seemed quite the opposite."

"We weren't always," Elsa said defensively, much to her own surprise.

Ms. Beaufort fixed Elsa with a calculating look. "I think I understand. Well, as it is, your enrollment in this class is final so it would seem you are stuck with Miss Noruldra."

The warning bell rang before Elsa could respond and she took her seat as the rest of the class began flooding into the room, discreetly watching Anna and Ariel arrive and take their seats a few rows behind her.

"Want to go to the mall tonight?" Elsa heard Ariel ask.

"I can't. I have a dinner," Anna said.

"Oh! A date?! Who is it? How did you meet? Would you say he's handsome, cute, or hot? Spill the deets, Anna! I can't believe you've been holding out on me."

Really, Anna. Why are you friends with this vapid girl? Elsa thought to herself with an eye roll.

"Oh my god, Ariel. Stop," Anna said, laughing. "No, I'm just meeting my mom's boyfriend tonight."

Oh, Mama Ida found someone. That's good.

"Sounds serious," Ariel said.

"Must be if they're arranging a dinner for all of us to meet," Anna said. "Apparently he has a daughter that's about our age."

Elsa sat up straighter, which was a wonder as she always sat with the perfect posture of a classically trained pianist. Her godmother had a serious boyfriend and he had a daughter; a boyfriend serious enough that she was introducing Anna to him. There was another girl in this world that might one day be Anna's actual sister. The thought made Elsa's chest ache and the room felt colder somehow, like the sun had suddenly been blacked out by storm clouds, and the blood rushing in her ears sounded like gusts of wind with each heartbeat.

"Anna?" Elsa asked as the gale outside blew fiercely. The breeze coming off the bay was rather unrelenting that night; winter in San Francisco had decided to arrive with force this year.

"Yeah?" The red-head rolled over to look at her. They were laying in Elsa's bed together. Even though Anna had her own room at Arendelle Manor, the girls always slept together in one of their bedrooms. Tonight, the tradition was less slumber party and more necessary comfort; both girls unable to sleep from worry.

"Do you think my mama will be okay?" They had been having dinner earlier that night when Elsa's mother suddenly felt faint and icy cold to the touch. Elsa's dad and Anna's mom shared a concerned look before telling Gerda they were taking Jules to the hospital. In their haste, the adults did a poor job comforting the nine year-olds. Agnarr had simply told Elsa that she'd be fine in what was an attempt at a gentle voice, but it quaked with an uncertainty that left Elsa and Anna more afraid than before he'd said it.

"Mama Jules is strong," Anna said reassuringly.

"I know she is," Elsa responded so quietly that Anna would have missed it if they weren't so close. She closed her eyes and a small tear that she had been holding in betrayed her by rolling over the bridge of her nose to the pillow below.

"Hey. No matter what happens, I'm going to be right here, okay?" Anna said, demonstrating by moving to scooch in closer, cuddling right up to her best friend.

"What would I ever do without you?" Elsa said with a smile.

"Become a totally boring nerd," Anna joked, trying to lighten the mood. Elsa giggled so she knew it was working. "You'd spend all your time reading or mastering whatever instrument interests you next and probably never leave this Manor except to go to school or go ice skating. You'd turn as pale as a ghost from all your time indoors, but that's all irreverent… iridescent… what am I trying to say?"

"Irrelevant?"

"That," Anna said as she draped an arm over Elsa. "You'll always have me. More like stuck with me, actually."

"Stuck with you?" Elsa said with a laugh.

"Yup! Stuck like superglue. Nothing can tear us apart. I will be right here in the good times when chocolate supplies are large enough to compete with our needs and the bad times when Gerda makes us finish our broccoli before we can have dessert…"

"I like broccoli."

"Please, Elsa. I'm trying to be poetic here and you're going to make me gag."

"Oh okay, sorry," Elsa giggled again. "Please continue."

"I'll be there when it's winter and we get to go up to the snow, when it's hot, like 'the best weather for chocolate ice cream hot,' and when…"

"I thought you said it's always the best weather for chocolate ice cream?" Elsa asked. Anna only stared at her, both eyebrows raised at the second interruption. "Sorry. Go on."

"Just like it's been our whole lives, I promise I'll be right by your side until the sun burns out and the world is covered in frost," Anna said as she adopted a more serious look, one that was more typical of Elsa even at their young age. Anna always told Elsa that she took herself too seriously for a fourth grader, but after her mom started getting sick about a year ago, Elsa seemed to worry constantly. "It's just like our moms say. We can conquer anything as long as we're together."

Elsa smiled, tears still in her eyes but now they were no longer from fear or sadness. "You always make me feel better."

Anna tilted her head until their foreheads touched. "That's what sisters are for, Elsa."

"Elsa? Hello… Earth to Elsa," came an aggravated voice pulling Elsa from her memories and back into the harsh present. Anna was standing in front of her, eyebrows furrowed. When Elsa looked up she saw something else behind Anna's eyes that contradicted her tone of voice. If she wasn't mistaken, she'd say Anna looked concerned.

Could she still worry too much about me? Even after all this time, she thought.

"You were a million miles away. Where'd you go?" Anna asked as she pulled a desk closer to her.

Definitely still worries.

"Nowhere. What do you want?" Elsa said, voice devoid of any emotion, low and nearly robotic. Looks like I've decided how I'm going to play this.

Like an unfeeling Ice Queen.

Anna looked hurt for a moment before schooling her features. "Were you even paying attention? We're supposed to spend the rest of the period deciding on what book we're reading for our project. Since we're stuck together on this, here I am."

Stuck like superglue. Elsa looked at her watch. That can't be right? There's only twenty minutes left of class. I don't even know what today's lesson was about.

"Somewhere you have to be?" Anna said sarcastically, anger simmering just beneath the surface as Elsa's eyes darted between her Apple Watch to the wall clock and back again.

Elsa ignored her question. "What book do you have in mind?"

Anna rolled her eyes. A well practiced move it appeared to Elsa, so fluid a motion that you'd think Anna's intraocular muscles were well tuned pistons. "Well since we have to choose a book that neither of us has read, I figured I'd defer to you. I assume you've read every book in the library at your house over the last few years?"

It wasn't really a question.

And she isn't exactly wrong, Elsa's internal monologue interrupted again.

"It may be easier to list books that might interest you and I'll tell you if I've read it," Elsa said, voice still carefully controlled and apathetic.

"I'll take that as a yes," Anna said and looked down at the handout of suggestions Ms. Beaufort had handed out. "How about something by Shakespeare?"

"Read them."

"All of them?" Anna asked incredulously.

"I've had time," Elsa responded with an ever so slight, single shoulder shrug.

"I'm sure you have."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "What else?"

"Wuthering Heights?"

"Read."

"To Kill a Mockingbird?"

"Read."

"Madame Bovary?… As I Lay Dying?… Things Fall Apart?… The Great Gatsby?"

Elsa found it easier to remain blank faced as Anna suggested books off the list; waiting until she said one that met the criteria.

"Okay, obviously you've read the classics. I should have known since the library at the Manor is ancient. How about something more current?" Anna said as she flipped the pages of the handout. "The Joy Luck Club?… The Perks of Being a Wallflower?… One of the Harry Potter books?…"

That caught Elsa's attention, emotion finally flitting across her features as she peered at Anna with the faintest look of horror. "You haven't read the Harry Potter books?"

"I've seen all the movies."

Elsa blinked. "You're hopeless."

"Yeah, well you're heartless!"

"Ladies," Ms. Beaufort said as she approached them, hands clasped behind her back. Anna and Elsa looked up at her before glancing around the room to see that everyone was staring in their direction. Neither girl had realized that the volume of their discussion had crescendoed dramatically. "Might I make a suggestion?"

Their teacher didn't wait for an answer before handing Elsa and Anna twin books.

"Sense and Sensibility? I've heard of this book which means Elsa's probably read it," Anna said looking at the well worn cover and spine.

"I have not," Elsa responded and Anna stared at her, mouth agape. Elsa just shrugged. "I prefer the Brontes."

"Give Jane a chance, Miss Arendelle. I'll convert you yet," Ms. Beaufort chuckled. The end of period bell rang and the class started gathering their things. "Do not procrastinate on reading your chosen works as you'll need to read it on top of our other required readings. You'll want it finished before the Winter break. We'll go over my expectations for the final assignment before then."

Elsa hurried to pack her bag. She had AP Comparative Government for the last period and needed to make it across campus. Mr. Weselton was not a teacher you wanted to cross and tardiness to the first class with him of the school year would most assuredly be cause for his aggressive attention to be sighted on her.

"Do you know what this book is about?" Anna asked from beside her.

Elsa looked up surprised that Anna was still there. She was not at all excited about this book suggestion. She had gotten the feeling that Ms. Beaufort was extremely perceptive regarding her students during their interaction before the start of class. Elsa realized the moment her teacher had placed this book in her hands that she had spectacularly underestimated her. The book suggestion implied that Ms. Beaufort could see through to the subtext, read between the lines of all the things left unsaid, and would unapologetically seek to control the narrative.

"A relationship between two sisters," she answered before walking away without saying goodbye.

A soft "oh" was all that chased her out the door.

A/N: As always, thank you for reading. I will try to post bi-weekly on Sundays at the very least for the rest of the story.