Chapter 04 - Your pancake is getting cold
"I heard a lot of noise from your room last night," Anna put it ever so not-delicately as Elsa cooked breakfast.
Does she know? Elsa froze but regained her composure. She took a fleeting glance at Anna checking if she had noticed. She didn't seem to have done. She was too busy trying to complete the puzzles on the back of the children's cereal box.
"My shower is broken." The excuse was lame; she knew that even as she said it. Regardless, she pressed on. "It makes a lot of noise when I... use the cold water a lot." Even more lame.
"Must have been a long shower. You know my best friend's friend is a plumber. I could call him. I mean, I don't know him personally but from what Kristoff says he is really good. And he won't charge a lot. Probably. If I tell him I'm a friend of a friend he'd give me - no you a good rate. A friend of a friend's friend."
She was rambling. Dammit Elsa loved it when she rambled.
Stop thinking Elsa! She chided herself as she flipped the pancake. She put her sole attention back to breakfast before she did something embarrassing: like get the pancake stuck to the ceiling. She instantly regretted that train of thought. She'd done that with Anna once. And now all she could think about were those times - Elsa control yourself! Straightening she turned and stiffly served Anna the pancake.
A fragile peace had fallen over the two girls since they had awoken. They were both in denial over the events of last night, perhaps even the events of the past four years. Elsa wanted to argue. She wanted to push Anna away, but seeing her happy and bubbly, the two of them talking as if they were teenagers again, it was too much. Elsa wasn't strong enough to fight it. She had missed it too much. She had missed Anna too much. Knowing it could only end in heartbreak, she pushed everything aside and pretended just for a day that nothing had happened.
"Are you sure you can manage both pancakes and cereal with a hangover?" She asked unconvinced.
"That sounds like a challenge, Miss Arendelle," Anna turned to her, eyes alight with mischief.
"Well, Miss Summers I wouldn't want you to throw up in my apartment. We both know I'd be cleaning it up," Elsa did not back down from the staring match that had started. And it was lasting an awkwardly long time. Elsa was doing all she could to hold her ice queen mask in place but it was difficult when gazing into those teal eyes. Those perfect teal eyes...
"Your pancake is getting cold," Elsa finally said moments before she felt she was going to falter and Anna squeaked. She broke her gaze and like a madwoman squirted syrup all over it before stuffing her face. It was quite a sight to behold.
"I win!" Anna declared victory as she slammed her knife and fork down. Then her stomach made a noise and Anna's face turned green. Elsa let out a laugh as the redhead rushed from her seat in such a panic her chair fell over. She skidded into the bathroom and threw up.
"You poisoned them! Sabotage!" She choked back to Elsa who was, for the first time in four years now howling with laughter.
She had missed this. She had missed Anna; the way she talked too much, her awkward charm, the way she could light up a room with her presence. The laughter faded as quickly as it came as reality crushed her. End it before you break both of your hearts. Again. She closed her eyes to calm herself. She needed to keep it together just for today.
Anna crawled out of the bathroom a good five minutes later. She slumped down at the table and sipped her water.
"Don't even say it," She groaned, her head on the hard surface, one arm around her fragile stomach.
"What? I told you so?" Elsa asked lightly, relishing in satisfaction of being right. Anna groaned even more loudly in response. Elsa leaned back against the kitchen counter and watched her friend, unable to hide the small smile. It really was so good to see her again.
The calm was welcome. Just them, alone, together.
"Elsa. I've just realised... If you were showering last night how'd you get into the bathroom? You didn't leave your room."
Crap, crap, crap. Elsa couldn't explain it. She felt the frost on the kitchen counter where her hand rested. She needed to think quickly.
"Elsa -" Anna began again and Elsa, in her blind panic opened her lips to yell out pathetic and angry excuses. "- It's okay. You don't need to explain." She was silenced. Anna smiled her genuine and happy smile and in that moment Elsa truly believed Anna's words. The frost had thawed. How does she always know how to handle me?
The vibrations of Elsa's phone tore her back to reality.
"Shit, I'm going to be late for work," she grumbled as she grabbed her handbag. It then occurred to her that she had no idea what Anna was doing. The girl had helped herself to one of Elsa's brighter dresses this morning. One that Elsa didn't even remember buying and had never worn herself. She could not help but think the airy white and yellow spotted dress suited Anna far more than her. The little minx had even stolen a pair of her shoes.
"Earth to Elsa." Anna waved her hand in front of her face.
Elsa blinked. "What?"
"I asked you if you if I could see where you work?" Anna was stood in all of her adorable glory, clutching her handbag - another item of stolen property - anxiously. Her eyes flickered from Elsa's to the floor and then back. Elsa wanted to shout no. She wanted to scream it from the rooftops. She needed space to think. Space to think up a battle plan. Space - "Yes," Elsa's voice even surprised herself. Anna leapt up and embraced her in a tight hug.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She exclaimed in glee. Elsa stood shell shocked at her traitorous voice. This was a bad idea. A very bad idea.
"So erm - thanks again for saving my life yesterday. It turns out I don't have any friends anymore after your spectacular fist of doom - no that's not quite true. I never had any friends to begin with." Anna took a deep breath as she sat opposite Elsa in the school canteen. "So I was thinking. Maybe we could be friends." She didn't look Elsa in the eye immediately. But when there was only silence Anna braced herself for rejection. She slowly looked up, hands gripping her tray ready to flee. She met Elsa's royal blue eyes and an undeniable look of bewilderment.
"Elsa?" She asked, unsure if she was even registering what she had said.
"...Yes," the words barely escaped Elsa's lips. "Yes I would like to be friends."
Anna's face lit up in shocked delight. "Really? I mean, ahem," She cleared her throat. "Great!"
Anna chatted away in nervous excitement, unable to hold back the tsunami of words. Elsa listened attentively and patiently. As they talked, or more accurately, as Anna talked, the netball brunette stomped up to the table.
Anna would have burst out laughing if she hadn't been so paralysed by the girl's dark expression. Behind the ridiculous cotton bandage strapped to her nose she promised revenge.
"Here she is! She punched me in the face." Her finger pointed squarely at Elsa. Anna felt a cold dread in her stomach as she caught the irritation in her new friend's face.
"Is this true Elsa?" It was the headmaster.
Anna panicked. Elsa had been defending her. She was responsible. She couldn't let this happen. "No - I mean it was me - it was my fault -"
"- Yes, I did," Elsa rose to meet the headmaster with no remorse, cutting Anna clearly off.
"I will see you in detention and I will be informing your parents. Physical violence is not acceptable at this school. I suggest you reread the school values, Miss Arendelle, if you wish to remain here," his tone was sharp and it reduced the canteen to silence.
Anna wanted to reach out and yell that it was her fault. She wanted to tell the headmaster how the netball team was bullying her. How Elsa had saved her. How none of this was her fault.
Her mouth was dry and no words escaped.
To her credit, Elsa did not falter under the intensity. She simply nodded to the headmaster and took her seat again. The sound of footsteps echoed. The buzz of the canteen roared up as soon as the doors closed behind the headmaster.
The pair ignored the smug looks from the brunette as she took her seat across the hall.
"I'm so sorry," Anna whispered in guilt. "I should have stuck up for you. I'm just not brave enough." She clenched her can of soda until it crumpled.
"It's fine." There was a pause. "Anna, really." Elsa reached over and placed her cool hand on Anna's. "It's better you don't say anything. Don't antagonise those girls."
Anna relaxed. She doesn't even look fazed.
"Besides, I lost my cool. I shouldn't have retaliated. I just couldn't stop myself."
Anna looked down to Elsa's hand still lingering on her own. Her cheeks flushed as her mind processed the contact.
"Thanks. For both saving me and facing detention," Anna mumbled quickly. She knew at that moment she should have withdrawn her hand. But she couldn't. Elsa's touch was so cold but also so warm. How did that even work?
"...What will your father say?" The question was enough to make Elsa clam up. The cool touch was sharply withdrawn and Anna was left wishing she hadn't brought the subject up. Elsa's mask had slipped and it told her all she needed to know.
"He will recover from it," the answer was guarded and evasive.
Anna wasn't buying it.
"I have a plan to save you." Anna leaned across the table as a spark of inspiration hit her. "But I'll need your help."
"Anna, I'm not sure about this." Elsa rarely showed her anxiety so openly but this was one of those occasions. What Anna was suggesting was, quite simply, insane.
"Trust me, Elsa. I did this once with the netball squad and it worked like a dream."
Anna would never know how much her voice soothed her nerves.
"You mean they made you do this," Elsa muttered, overcome with bitterness. The more she'd heard about Anna's time with the netball team the more she wished she had kicked the brunette into the lake when she had the chance. Heaven forbid that opportunity arose again. She'd be getting more than just detention.
"Just make a fuss in the reception. I'll take care of the rest, I promise." Anna winked.
Elsa let out an exasperated sigh. She handed Anna her mobile phone and the pair went their separate ways.
Elsa greeted the school receptionist with a curt nod. Her plan was distraction, something she certainly did not excel at. Blending in and staying hidden was her forte. She considered whipping up a freak storm in the school grounds but that's be something her father really would hear about, and the consequences of that would certainly be far greater than punching an annoying school girl in the face.
"Can I help you, Miss Arendelle?" The lady asked bored. She wanted this conversation as much as Elsa did.
"I am concerned about the quality of the lessons I am receiving for English and science." Elsa had no idea where she was going with this, but now she had chosen the entitled rich kid attitude she stuck with it. "When my father enrolled me here it was promised there would be adequate facilities and materials. The books provided are two editions out of date." She knew it was ridiculous. How much really changed in the edition of a textbook? "The science labs are, quite frankly a disgrace. My father gives this school significant funding."
The receptionist was on her feet now, realising that upsetting the daughter of one of their top sponsors would not be positive for her career development. She wasn't paid enough for this.
"Allow me to find the headmaster," she got up and rushed away. She returned after a few minutes with the headmaster. Leaving them to it, she slipped away for a swift tea break.
"Miss Arendelle -"
"My grades have slipped in both English and science," Elsa began her rant before the headmaster could take her into his office.
Catching a flash of red in her peripheral vision, Elsa didn't even pause for breath.
Channel your inner Anna. She psyched herself up.
"I have been reading the school policies and values very closely and you are failing on several points." She went on endlessly about the quality of the facilities, the expectations and, several times, mentioning the fact her father funds the school. The headmaster looked completely exasperated.
"Miss Arendelle, I will discuss your concerns with your father."
Elsa was about to interrupt him and continue her ranting when her eye caught the flash of red escaping his office.
"That will be adequate. Thank you for your time." And with that Elsa sharply turned on her heel leaving the bewildered man to wonder what the hell had just happened.
Breaking into the headmaster's office had been a breeze. Anna slipped the keys from her pocket and unlocked the filing cabinet. How the netball team had gotten a hold of these keys she had no idea but she had never returned them after they dared her to break in last time.
She ignored the pounding blood in her ears and focused on finding Elsa's file.
"Goddammit, where is it?" she grumbled as she flicked through what felt like hundreds. She let out a squeak of victory as she finally laid her fingers on it: Elsa Arendelle.
An unsurprisingly thin file for a new student, Anna opened it right up and rushed to amend the emergency telephone number listed. She pulled out Elsa's phone to make sure she had it right.
Her eyes caught a glimpse of her address. She knew she shouldn't be snooping through her friend's personal information but she couldn't help herself. Elsa was an only child. Her birthday was 22nd December. A winter child. It suits her. She couldn't help but think of her cold hands again.
She made a mental note of the address. She'd Google that later on.
With a smirk of great satisfaction, she returned the file and locked the cabinet up.
Anna slipped out of the office, giving Elsa a thumbs up from behind the headmaster before sneaking off down the hall.
"What if he calls while I am in class?"
Elsa and Anna sat staring at the mobile phone on the school fields. They only had 10 minutes left of lunch.
Elsa fidgeted uncomfortably. When Anna had suggested this it sounded thrilling and dangerous. Now it just felt stupid. There was no way they could get away with it. What if the headmaster realised? What if he then told her father? Life wouldn't be worth living. Not only that, if they found out Anna was involved what would happen to her? Putting Anna at risk was a mistake. Why had she let her talk her into something so reckless?
"You are such a glass half empty person. Have some faith," Anna was undeterred.
How is she so optimistic? A seemingly endless silence followed.
The phone buzzed.
"Is it him?" Elsa was almost on Anna's lap as she answered.
"Arendelle Residence," Anna put on her best posh accent. "This is Mrs Arendelle speaking. No, my husband is not available."
Elsa was practically on top of Anna as she spoke. She pressed her ear close to the phone so she could eavesdrop on the conversation. Never in her life had she felt so exhilarated.
"I see. That sounds most unlike my daughter. What did the other girl do to provoke her? Nothing? I find that difficult to believe. Rest assured she will be disciplined. Detention? No that won't be necessary. Sitting in a classroom after school will make her late for dinner and that just will not do."
Elsa almost choked. Was Anna seriously getting her out of detention too? With such a lame excuse?
"Her punishment at home will be sufficient, I can assure you. Is that all? Good. Thank you for informing us. Goodbye." Anna hung up and took a breath.
They met each other's eyes before bursting into a fit of giggles.
"You actually did it!" Elsa said in elated disbelief.
"Of course I did! You just needed a little faith." Anna's smile reached her eyes.
In an uncharacteristic display of emotion, Elsa embraced Anna in a tight hug. She leaned into red locks, inhaling the deep scent of gingerbread and sweet treats.
"You're incredible."