A/N: Wow guys! The amount of love I've been feeling for this story is way more than I could ever had anticipated! Thank you all so much for your follows, favorites and reviews! I love getting new reviews and whenever I read a new one I can't help but smile and giggle like a crazy person. You guys really give me inspiration to continue. That's why I'm giving you two chapters this time instead of just one!
Keep reading and commenting! And now, here's chapter 4.
Sitting in a corner of the dining hall, alone as usual, Elsa was doodling like mad into one of her beat up sketchbooks. She had overheard most of the conversation between her newest pledge and the rest of her group. 'Great, now she knows about the Snow Queen.' Elsa though bitterly, scribbling more fiercely in her sketchbook. 'It's your own damn fault you know. If you tried to be more friendly and open they wouldn't call you that.' Elsa looked down at the page, now covered in rounded arches and dots, gasped at what she saw and slammed the book shut. Elsa had hardly been paying attention as she was doodling, instead running Anna's words on repeat in her head, "Well I thought she seemed nice! …Who knows, maybe she just needs a friend." A friend? Elsa hadn't had a real friend in years. Cautiously reopening her sketchbook, and looking down on what was supposed to be a preliminary sketch for her senior project proposal, Elsa was astounded to see the colorless eyes and freckles of Anna staring innocently back up at her. Elsa plunged her head into her hands and sighed, letting the book slam shut. "Now you did it Snowie."
A few weeks into the semester, things were finally settling in for Anna. Classes had begun, and after being lulled into a false sense of security during syllabus week, she had been drowning as her work load had increased dramatically, thrusting Anna into more reading and writing than she had ever experienced. Not that she minded, history was her passion. Well, that and Baby, who was being neglected far more than Anna would have liked. But school came first and Anna knew that, shooting an apologetic look at her beautiful guitar sitting patiently in her stand.
Anna was curled up on her bed with a copy of "Arendelle vs. The Southern Isles; Who Really Won?" when her phone buzzed on her nightstand beside her bed. Normally Anna never checked her phone while studying. It was one of her few rules she made and stuck by while studying. But this time was different and she picked up the mobile device to see a number she did not recognize. '078? I don't know anyone with that area code.' Anna thought as she unlocked her phone and read the message. Her heart nearly stopped when she read the message. 'Hi anna, it's elsa. from the activity fair. we sent out an email blast but i remembered you saying you don't check your email often and to text you when our first meeting was scheduled. tomorrow night at 7 in great hall G. see you there?' Anna could barely believe it. Elsa, the supposed Snow Queen, had actually remembered something Anna had told her nearly two weeks earlier.
Just as Anna was about to hit reply, a series of short knocks fell on her door, startling the red head from her nervous excitement. Four short knocks. That was Olaf's secret knock. Each of the new Freshman had developed their own signature knock to let the others know who was at the door. Knowing her door was unlocked, Anna called for her friend to enter, and enter he did. Olaf came bouncing into the room with all the excitement and joy he had become famous for around campus for, running up to Anna with all the excitement and energy of a 5 year old. "Come on Anna!" the boy cried, practically pulling Anna off her bed. Struggling to retain her balance, Anna reached back for her phone but instead fell flat on her face. She never had mastered the grace and coordination part of her life. Olaf stopped and helped his friend up. "Hans and Kristoff organized a frisbee game on the lawn! Come on, Rapunzel and Flynn are already there! And I think I saw some other people showing up as I was coming to get you! Come on!" the boy insisted.
Anna sighed and sitting to grab her shoes from the floor looked at her friend with a smile. "You go on Olaf, I'll be down in a minute. Tell Kristoff he is on my team and no arguing." The pudgy boy nodded excitedly and before Anna knew what was happening, vanished from the room. 'For such a little guy, he sure moves fast!' Anna chuckled as she grabbed her phone and, realizing she hadn't replied to Elsa, quickly typed her response. 'Hi Elsa. Tomorrow at 7 in Great Hall G? Count me in :).' As Anna locked her door, her phone buzzed again, signaling a new message from the 078 number she recognized as Elsa's. 'Great, see you then. :)' Anna had never pegged Elsa as one to use the smiley face, but this was just another things Anna had to learn about the elusive Snow Queen. Smiling to herself, Anna pocket her phone and ran to the lawn where a spirited game of lawn frisbee was already underway.
"So as a general reminder, the west side of the building is strictly off limits to new members until you have been officially sworn in," Belle finished, relieved she had made it though the speech. She always had hated giving the lecture at the first meeting, but as President of LIG, she was required to do so, no matter how much it pained her. Looking over the crowd, she looked at the girls sitting in the audience who had just listened to her ramble on about LIG's mission, requirements and other formalities. Realizing everyone could use an excuse to get up and stretch their legs, Belle motioned towards the back of the room. "Thank you all for coming ladies, now help yourself to some treats and get to know your new sisters."
Getting up from her seat, Anna hadn't realized how stiff she had become until she stood up and heard both her knees cracking. An amused thickly accented voice from behind caught her attention. "Aye, that lass could talk forever!" Anna turned to find a girl with a pleasant smile looking at her in amusement. Her fiery red mane was even more unruly than Anna's on the worst day, and that said something. Also like Anna, the girl's face was dusted with freckles, although hers were lighter than Anna's but suited her just the same. A hunter green dress with brown sandals gave the girl the presence of a huntress, confidence seemed to shoot from her like the sun.
Anna smiled at the new face before her and giggled her reply."You could say that again! I though she would never stop. After the third slide on GPA requirements I was about to fall asleep" When the other red head started laughing along with her, Anna felt a true friendship being forged and stuck out her hand. "I'm Anna."
The girl smiled and took Anna's hand and shook it heartily. "Merida. But you can call me Red."
Anna smiled at her new friend. "It's nice to meet you Red. Wanna get something to eat? Everything looks amazing!"
Red smiled eagerly as she and Anna made their way over to a table covered with the most delectable assortment of treats either girl had ever seen. Anna's eyes were instantly drawn to the large pile of brownies. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Red reach for some treat that resembled an apple turnover. As she watched her new friend take a bite, Anna noticed another girl glaring distrustingly at the tray filled with apple deserts. Red must have noticed too because she addressed the wary girl. "Aye lassie. They're not gonna bite ya know!"
The girl looked surprised. She was small with pale skin and the darkest black hair Anna had ever seen. The longer she looked at it, Anna began to question if it was really her natural hair color. Dressed in a simple blue dress with red and yellow dots, the girl looked less like a college freshman and more like a high school freshman. Sensing Anna's confusion, and also in response to Red's blunt statement, the girl quickly retorted. "You don't understand, I'm deathly allergic to apples, so I always have to be careful when they're apples around. And yes," directing the statement more towards Anna, "this is my natural hair color." After a moment of concentrated staring, the girl added, "And my birthday is late, I only just turned 18 last week. It's why I look so young."
Anna and Red looked at each other and smiled, instantly falling for the smaller girl's quick sense of deductions and introduced themselves. "I'm Snow White," the girl replied, a genuine smile spreading across her face. "But Snow is fine."
Red looked at the table and reached for another apple turnover. Snow stepped back and, noticing the girls clear discomfort, Red reached for a chocolate chip cookie instead. Anna grabbed two brownies off the table, handing one to Snow, and happily munched the chocolately treat. Feeling very comfortable with her new sisters, Anna began to relax and enjoy herself more, but one question had haunted her since she had walked into the Great Hall. Teal eyes flittered around the room she asked the question again. "Where's Elsa?"
Scanning the room, Elsa's eyes were instantly drawn to the face she was searching for. Already surrounded by two other girls, Anna's popularity and charm seemed to be infectious. 'Ten minutes after the meeting ends and she's already made more friends than you've made in four years.' Elsa thought as she watched the redhead laugh and joke with the other girls surrounding her, two more coming over at the call of the smallest girl.
"So, what do you think?" Belle's voice snapped Elsa out of her day dream and back to reality. Ice blue eyes met chocolate brown in confusion and surprise. "Think of what?" Elsa lamely replied, honestly having no idea what her friend was talking about. Belle hardly looked surprised, Elsa never had been very interested in social matters. "The new pledges silly. I think we have some good ones this year. Especially those two red heads over there. I think we should go properly introduce ourselves. What do you think?" Elsa didn't have a chance to reply before Belle looped her arm through the blonde's and all but dragged her over to the small group chattering and giggling around the dessert table.
The group smiled warmly as the elder girls approached. Always one for introductions, Belle was first to speak. "Hi ladies. My VP and I wanted to formally welcome you and introduce ourselves. I'm Belle, president of LIG. I'm a senior English major. After graduation I'm planning to get my Masters in Library and Information Science, hopefully working in the Royal Library as Head Librarian." Finishing her little rant, Belle turned expectantly to Elsa, who looked rather nervous, her typical state when meeting new people. Eventually, Elsa found her voice and tried to follow Belle's model introduction. "Hi. Um, I'm Elsa. I'm a senior architecture major. When I graduate, I plan to travel for a bit then come back and design the tallest structure in Arendelle." Belle cleared her throat and Elsa added almost painfully awkwardly, "Oh right, I'm also the Vice President of LIG." Belle smiled, her friend was never comfortable enlarge crowds, and rarely ever delivered full sentences when meeting new people. Turning her attention to the younger girls before them, Belle asked for their names and majors.
Red was first to speak, giving her name and stating she was a Mythology major, specializing in ancient Scottish prophecies and creatures. Snow when next, revealing she was in the Animal Husbandry department specializing in woodland creatures and how their relationships with people can increase awareness of deforestation's effect on the animals. When it was Anna's turn, she spoke almost directly into the ice blue eyes that were having a hard time not looking at the red head. "I'm Anna, I'm a history major specializing in the war between Arendelle and the Southern Isles."
Elsa was stunned. How one person could command so much power when they spoke, she would never know, but somehow Anna managed to captivate her with just one sentence. Belle, noticing her friends unusual staring excused them and left the girls to their chatter, reminding them of the mixer with Alpha Delta Theta to meet the new recruits in their brother fraternity. Giving the girls directions to the building where the mixer was held and promising them the two would meet them there in a bit, Belle dragged Elsa away, not noticing Anna's eyes on the blonde the entire time. 'Was she looking at me? Why didn't she say anything? Maybe there's some secret rule about not speaking directly to the new recruits after the first meeting. And why didn't she mention she was Vice President?' Maybe there was more to the pretty blonde than Anna had anticipated. 'That's alright,' she thought as she followed the other new recruits from the Hall and towards the thumping bass she could only assume was coming from the mixer, 'I always enjoyed a challenge.'