Obviously, this wasn't working. Elsa's self-imposed isolation was hurting Anna as much as it was hurting herself. But would it really be better to allow her baby sister to be subject to the nasty things she herself has to put up with at school? And if she let her in and told her about all the things her peers say and do, would seeing Anna suffering for her really make her feel better? Just for a few moments of self-gratification, is she really willing to put her sister through that?
Sighing, she picked up her physics textbook and stuffed it into her bag, slinging it over her shoulder and walked out the door toward her next class. A hand on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts quite soundly.
"Elsa, you're needed at the principal's office," her physics teacher informed her.
Calmly ignoring the jeers and insults from her peers about the message, she made her way to the office, entering just as the bell rang again, signaling the start of the next period.
"Hello, Ms. Andersen," she addressed the secretary sitting behind the counter. "The principal would like to see me?"
"Oh, yes, Elsa. Please have a seat across from Mr. Banner's office, around the corner."
Elsa nodded. She knew where that was. She'd come here before, to discuss the courses that she was going to take after proving that she could handle an accelerated curriculum through a series of diagnostic tests. What she didn't know was why she was here.
Rounding the corner, she was shocked to find Anna sitting in one of the seats, eyes red and sniffling. Without thinking, she went to her. "Anna? What happened?" She blurted.
Her sister, too, was shocked to see her. But, without answering, Anna threw herself into Elsa's arms, burying her face in her older sister's neck, and began sobbing violently, sputtering incoherently.
So bewildered that she barely even noticed herself instinctively wrapping her arms around her shaking sister, Elsa rested her cheek against Anna's strawberry blond hair, rubbing the younger girl's back in a circular motion. Words of habit involuntarily escaping her lips, "Shh… it's alright. It's okay." She looked up as the principal opened his office door and invited them in.
"Come on, Anna. It'll be okay," she whispered, herding the upset girl slowly into the room.
Slowly untangling her sister from herself, she helped Anna into one of the seats, and took the one next to her. She eyed the trembling hands that were in her sister's lap and, against her better judgement, reached over with her own and intertwined their fingers.
"So, what's going on?" Elsa asked the principal.
"Yes… I was hoping Anna could explain that. The details I heard from Mr. Weselton were not exactly… complete."
"Have you called our mother?"
"Oh, actually, I was going to do just that."
"May I request that you don't? I'll take responsibility for whatever Anna has done. Telling our mother would not help the situation."
The principal eyed her carefully. Mulling over his impression of Mrs. Arendelle, he conceded, "Very well. Now then, Anna, could you tell me what happened? Is it true that you hit Henry Falk?"
Despite the alarm she felt at the principal's words, Elsa found herself grabbing a tissue with her free hand and gently wiped the tears from her sister's eyes. "It's okay, Anna. You can tell me. I won't be angry."
Anna's eyes watered again at her words. "H-he provoked me first. He s-said… He s-said…" she shut her mouth as a soft sob escaped her.
Be a big sister for once. "Hey," Elsa whispered, "remember that time when I punched Robby Adams so hard that he ran away crying to his mother? And I got in trouble, right? But everything turned out okay in the end." Well, mostly. But that was a story for another time. "So don't worry; I'm not angry that you hit someone. Everyone makes mistakes." Her words made Anna give her a shaky smile.
"He was saying mean things about you behind your back, that you were a… a… he called you a nasty name, and he said that his brother said that no one likes you because you… do… things with teachers to get good grades and I know that's not true because you always work so hard and I just got so angry that I hit him and I hit him really hard because then he got a bloody nose and he started calling me names and…" Anna drifted off, trying to hold in the tears that had welled up in her teal eyes again.
Elsa was fighting to keep her composure as a myriad of different thoughts flooded her.
Elation hit first, like a balmy summer breeze. Anna had been defending her. Anna hit someone for her. The thought was so overwhelmingly warm and pleasant that it almost knocked her off her chair. It made everything she had endured worth it.
Anger struck next in a flash of red, scorching and heavy, like being beaten over the head with a baseball bat. It was disorientating and terrifying.She almost regretted asking the principal to keep this from their mother, because she knew that Alana Arendelle would not have tolerated this kind of insult to the family name.
She almost shuddered at the anger that incited her last thought.
The principal cleared his throat. "Well, Anna, thank you for telling me the truth. It looks like I'm going to have to speak to Henry Falk and his brother Hans about spreading false rumours and respecting others. Now, by no means was what you did right; it's never right to hit someone, but we can fairly say that you were provoked. I'm still going to have to invoke disciplinary action, I'm afraid—"
"Wait. You said yourself that she was provoked. You're still punishing her?" Elsa interrupted.
"Yes, but it is more for her own benefit than actual discipline. I'm suspending you unofficially for the rest of the day, Anna. That means you're going straight home to reflect on your actions and it won't show up on your transcript. We'll see you Monday." He looked at the girls' hands, still clasped tightly. "Would you like to be excused for the rest of the day as well, Elsa?"
Elsa bit her lip. But Anna gave her hand a tight squeeze, and in an instant, she knew what her answer would be. "Yes. I need to make sure my sister gets home safely. And that she understands the severity of her actions."
"Very well. You are both excused." As he escorted the two out of his office, he said to his secretary, "Ms. Andersen, please call Henry and Hans Falk to my office, please."
Tugging her sister toward the atrium of the school through the empty halls, Elsa was still deciding what she should say when Anna's voice broke the silence.
"Are you mad at me?" Anna squeaked.
"No. Why would I be?" She meant it to be softer than it was.
"Because hitting someone is wrong."
"Well, as long as you realize that, I think it's fine."
"Are you gonna tell Mom?"
"No. Your secret's safe with me."
A pause. And then, "I'm not sorry. He insulted you."
Elsa gave her sister a playful grin. "I'm not sorry for punching Robby Adams either. He stole your cookie."
"Are you sure? Don't you have homework?" Anna was surprised when Elsa suggested they watch a movie. "Mom won't like it, right?"
"Anna, you're starting to sound like me," Elsa laughed, "Screw homework. I want to be lazy today."
Needing no further incentive, Anna excitedly jumped up, "I'll get the popcorn! And the chocolate!" and rushed off to the kitchen.
Elsa left a message in their mother's voicemail that Anna wouldn't need a ride home today. Just as she hung up, Anna came back with a steaming cup of hot chocolate in each hand and a bag of popcorn nestled between her arms. "What movie are we watching?"
"I don't know. What do you feel like?" Elsa felt as excited as her sister looked.
Anna bounced to the movie collection. Most of them were documentaries about businessmen and company histories. "Why is our family so obsessed with business," she muttered to herself.
"Anna, what's taking you so long?" Elsa called with mock impatience.
"It's not my fault we don't have any good movies! Unless you're interested in watching a Bill Gates biography."
Elsa felt a twitch on her lips as she fought a smile. She'd browsed through the movie collection once when she was forced to watch documentaries about the wealthiest companies in the business world, hoping to swap the boring grey-scale one out for something more exciting. To her dismay, there had been nothing of interest.
To her surprise, her sister came back with a worn DVD copy of The Lion King.
"Wow, that old thing still exists?" Elsa gasped.
"I know, right? Surprised Mom didn't throw it out."
"Well, put it in!"
The movie was running in all but two seconds, with Elsa sitting cross-legged on the couch and Anna nestled in her side.
"NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANTS IGENAYA!" The two girls blurted at the same time as the movie started and stared at each other in surprise. It seemed time did nothing to erode the old habits that had been built from watching the same old movie over and over again. They doubled over in laughter as the Lion King theme played in the background.
As Rafiki lifted Simba into the sky, Anna nuzzled into her sister's side. "I missed this."
"Me too," Elsa admitted.
"Poor Scar," Anna lamented wryly, watching Mufasa and Scar challenge each other.
"What? Why?"
"Well, what if Scar and Mufasa used to get in trouble as little lion babies together and had fun all the time and then one day Mufasa becomes king and he gets too busy for Scar and Scar just wants attention from his big brother?"
"You have a really active imagination," Elsa chuckled. "Unfortunately, there is a flaw in your little made-up scenario."
"Oh, yeah? What's that?"
"I can't see Scar riding his bicycle into the bust of his great-grandfather."
"How—how do you know about that?" Anna indignantly spewed. "It's great-grandfather's fault for cluttering up the corridor."
"Your face, my sister, is so obvious when you've done something wrong. You should've seen yourself when you watched the maids pick up the pieces. Guilt as plain as if it were written in bold letters across your forehead."
She pouted, "Well, excuse me for not being to hide my emotions as well as you."
The playful jab hit an unexpectedly sensitive spot. Anna noticed that she crossed the line when she didn't hear a good-natured response from her sister.
"Elsa? Elsa, oh my god, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just—I mean, you're so good at keeping a poker face, but whatever I feel is always written on my face, and I really envy how you can keep what you're feeling hidden inside… I know I'm babbling now and I'm sorry and I'd really like to stop…"
Elsa gazed wistfully at her sister's concerned turquoise eyes and managed a smile. "I think it's ironic how I wish I didn't have to keep everything inside. I envy how you're not afraid to show what you're feeling to the world. Not just happiness, but anger too. Like when you defended me today. Thank you for that, by the way."
"You—you really? Oh. Well, I wasn't really thinking about showing off how angry I was. I was just... angry at what he said about you." Elsa watched as realization set in. "This is what you've been keeping from me, isn't it? Why you don't want to be seen with me at school. You didn't want me to know how the other seniors at school are treating you. Are you afraid that..." she paused, blinking rapidly, "That I'll somehow get involved?"
Elsa sighed, her poker face crumbling, resigning herself to the accusation. So tired of hiding everything. "I just don't want you to get hurt. You don't know what they're capable of."
It was Anna's turn to stare back determinedly into Elsa's weary eyes. "I don't know what you think I'm made of, but I'm not as fragile as you think. I would beat a thousand Henry Falks shitless if it meant you stopped going back to ignoring me and making me talk to a damn door."
Despite her language, her words got a quiet giggle from her sister. "I'm sorry, Anna. I won't shut you out again. But can you promise me something?"
Spirits lifted by her older sister's words, Anna nodded enthusiastically. "Anything."
"Never talk to me at school."
Immediately, her face fell, "Why? I thought we were passed all that. I said I would defend you."
"Look, Anna. It would just make me feel better the less people know we're related, the better. Who have you told already?"
"Umm… Rapunzel and Merida already know who you are from elementary…I told my new friends Aurora and Megara… and Henry Falk?" she said the last one with a quiet voice, hoping her sister didn't hear. Ha.
"What. You told Henry Falk. Hans' brother. Dear god, just kill me now."
"He insulted you! So I yelled at him to stop talking about MY SISTER like that."
Elsa sighed. Well, her plan to protect Anna was out the door. Hans was her primary tormentor. There were others in previous years, but they'd all decided to leave her alone when they realized their tactics had no effect on her. Only Hans and his friends continued to insult her and set secret 'traps' for her day in and day out. Like 'accidentally' tripping her in the halls. Or pouring soda through the vent on her locker door. Or spray painting vulgar comments about her on her locker door. If Henry Falk knew that she was Anna's sister, then Hans would know for sure as well. Why the sociopath couldn't just leave her alone, she couldn't figure out for the life of her.
She pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Why didn't you just keep quiet?"
"Because he was insulting you! Would you have kept silent if someone was saying mean things about me behind my back?"
The answer to that was obvious. She would have viciously assaulted whoever tried to mar her sister's reputation. She sighed again in defeat.
"Exactly. Now stop sighing all the time like an old lady. Ms. Corona says that whenever you sigh, you let a bit of your happiness escape."
A smile tugged on Elsa's lips, "Please. That doesn't bother me. I have my happiness locked up tight and safe."
"Where?"
Poking Anna's nose with her index finger, she replied, "Here."
Anna giggled and batted Elsa's finger away, "Stop making fun of me!"
"Sorry, it's in my blood. Can't stop it if I tried," she smiled at Anna, who beamed back. "Now let me watch the movie. It's been five years."
The rest of the weekend passed uneventfully, unchanged from the norm. The only difference was whenever Anna knocked on her big sister's door, she was invited to enter. She spent the two days talking to Elsa while the latter studied, or studying in the same room. All the maids were shocked at the change, and Gerda was thrilled. Either their mother didn't notice, or she didn't care.
And then it was time for school again.