Chapter 05 – Just Thursdays then
Anna had to pause to breathe while hugging Elsa. She had done it by instinct and now the awkwardness was setting in. Too soon? Anna's thoughts were drawn back to Elsa, their bodies pressed against each other, her arms around her. She exhaled a contented sigh. Never too soon. The contact only strengthened her resolve.
After Elsa had stormed off into her bedroom last night Anna had spent a lot of time thinking. It was all she could do to stop herself from breaking down the door, pinning Elsa up against the wall and forcing her to spill everything. Whatever her friend was suffering from wasn't something that would be shared so easily though and Anna needed to be smart about this. She needed to give Elsa the space she needed. I won't let it end like last time.
After an awkwardly long time where the pair weren't sure who should pull away first, Elsa took the initiative and stepped back. She hastily grabbed her keys from a bowl on the kitchen counter and headed for the door. Anna had to run to keep up.
She followed her friend down the narrow staircase into the car park below the apartment block. Her surprise at finding Elsa living in one of the least desirable areas of the city was almost eclipsed by seeing Elsa's car. They stopped beside an old Ford Fiesta which must have been as old as her: its silver paintwork was faded and chipped. Anna blinked, unable to line up her memories of Elsa in her ice blue BMW convertible compared to this.
"Something wrong?" Elsa cocked her head to one side as she manually unlocked the car.
"No," Anna squeaked quickly.
She smiled brightly again as she hopped in. The interior was as run down as the exterior but it held a warm charm which Anna had never found in Elsa's old car.
She poked at the fluffy plush snowman hanging from the rear view mirror. "He's cute." She caught Elsa suppressing one of her groans as she turned the ignition on. Anna leaned forward and pressed her nose against the plush toy. The scent of cedar wood filled her lungs. "He smells like winter." Like Elsa.
"Seat belt," Elsa commanded. Anna let go of the snowman and silently obliged.
As they travelled Anna took a moment to examine her former best friend. Despite so much having changed so much was still the same. Elsa was as uptight as ever but a small smile crept onto her lips as she remembered Elsa's laugh earlier. Her old friend was still in there and it warmed Anna's heart. All at once she felt confident and relieved she had sought her out.
This will work out, Anna. You've just got to get to know her again.
Anna had lunch at school nailed. She'd meet Elsa, they'd talk. Well, Anna would talk a lot and Elsa would listen. She was so lucky her new friend was a good listener. Anna told her everything from gossip about the other girls, the rumours about the teachers and most importantly, how to get two chocolate bars for one out of the vending machine. Anna had all of the tricks.
But aside from lunch time the two girls barely saw each other. Elsa's schedule couldn't change and while Anna appreciated her family had a chauffeur pick her up every day, she really hated not being able to see her more often... but if her parents really were that strict there was little room for manoeuvre. And so their days went by largely separated. Elsa was two years Anna's senior which meant they had no classes together and with Anna not joining the netball team training they had no clubs together either.
"I should do it. I should just show up to netball." Anna sat in the locker room holding her kit. She had intended to join up again to see Elsa again but as soon as she sat in the locker room her courage had fled. She grappled with her thoughts as she argued for and against walking into practice.
She called you incredible. Anna wore a goofy grin on her face as she recalled that day. It was all the motivation she needed.
"- Why?" A voice jolted her. Anna snapped round, coming face to face with Elsa. Dangerously close.
"Why what?" Anna asked dumbly, frozen in place.
"Why show up to netball? I thought you quit practice."
The question was both fair and obvious. Anna could admit that. What she couldn't admit to was wanting to see Elsa so badly this was her only option. Why was Elsa in the dressing room anyway? Why was she so close to her?
"I..." Anna faltered. She had never been good at lying. Goddammit Anna, pull yourself together. "...Thought we'd be able to hang out more if you and me were in the same club. And this is the only one you're in so..." Oh god why did you go with the truth? Now she'll know you're a total loser.
"Oh." Elsa's response was brief and frustratingly unreadable. "Then it's a shame I just quit."
Anna blinked. "What?"
"I just quit. I was fed up with their incessant bitching..." Elsa hesitated for a time as if she was trying to decide whether to continue. "...They pushed you into the lake, Anna. I don't want to be anywhere near them." Darkness flashed across Elsa's eyes and Anna shuddered with an unexpected thrill. "That and I don't really enjoy team sports. I only signed up for it because my father wanted me to participate in an after school activity. Specifically one which wasn't chess or IT," she clarified. "But we have a gym and pool at home so it's not like I need the exercise."
Anna was still standing in shock. She talks about having a gym and pool like it's totally normal.
"And besides," Elsa paused and her expression turned uncertain again. Anna didn't think she had ever seen her friend look quite so doubtful in the short time she had known her. "I wanted to spend my Thursday afternoons with you instead."
Anna was sure her heart had stopped. Had she misheard?
"You want... to spend your afternoons... with me?" She was visibly pointing to herself now which caused Elsa to let out a chuckle.
"Don't look so surprised. I've never had many friends so I'm probably going to get this all wrong and let us not forget my parents are completely overbearing but if you are okay with that I'd really like to spend more time with you. Its lonely back home and you are the first person who has treated me like a regular person. A decent regular person anyway," she amended remembering many of the girls in the school had tried to tease and trick her. "I'd have to tell my father I still attend the club and Kai would still pick me up from school so we can't go far. Do you know anywhere around here we could go?"
Anna had to take a moment to compose herself. Not only had Elsa suggested they meet up regularly, she was also talking far more than ever before. She was talking more than Anna was. That was some achievement.
"Anna? Are you okay?" Elsa reached forward and pressed a cold hand to her forehead. Her face was full of worry. "You're so hot. Are you sick?"
Anna sat rigid as Elsa leaned in close, even closer than she had been moments earlier. She's worried about you. Lazily, Anna's eyes trailed across the faint freckles of Elsa's cheeks and over her pale, parted lips. Just an inch closer and Anna could have tasted them -
"- No! No I'm fine!" Anna brushed away her hand as embarrassment threatened to overwhelm her.
What am I even thinking?
That familiar winter scent of jasmine disappeared as Elsa withdrew.
"Okay. Well I still have half an hour until Kai is here. Shall we take a walk? I'll drop you home again." It wasn't a question. Anna stifled a smile at her bold manner. "I don't want you catching the bus this late. If those girls catch up to you -" she cut herself off from finishing the sentence and Anna cocked her head to one side as Elsa bit her lip. She was looking away distantly. "Perhaps I should drop you home daily. It's hardly out of the way -"
"- Elsa, really its fine - I mean I'd like to have a lift home every day - anyone would! But I have a bus pass and I don't want to impose on you. And if I showed up at home in your car every day my parents will ask questions and that will probably lead to them trying to compensate you and it's going to get awkward." Anna paused to breathe.
"Just Thursdays then," Elsa nodded in understanding. Anna shook her head with a defeated smile. Okay, so she couldn't resist getting a lift once a week.
"Alright, Thursdays."
Elsa hit the indicator and pulled up.
"Elsa!" A cheery voice greeted her as a young man let himself into the car. He leaned forward between the seats and held out a tray of three paper cups and a bag. "This is the one full of sugar," he added as Elsa took the goodies. She thrust the cup marked sugar out to Anna who blinked in surprise.
"Hot chocolate. You still take three sugars, right?" And Anna was certain she could see a light blush on Elsa's cheeks. She remembered.
"Yes, it's perfect." Anna's grin reached her ears. She then looked around to the man who now occupied the backseat. The mop of messy black hair obstructed his eyes.
"This is Olaf. My business partner," Elsa introduced them. "Olaf, this is... Anna." Anna felt the hesitation but any awkwardness was quickly washed away by the hyperactive young man behind them.
"Hello, Snowman267, nice to meet you!" The young man extended his hand and shook Anna's energetically.
"Wait." Anna's eyes widened in realisation. "This is the person you used to talk to in that chatroom?" Her eyes met Elsa's steely blue gaze. "You actually met up with him? Isn't that dangerous?"
"Who did you think I bunked with after I left?" Elsa asked nonchalantly.
"I don't know, I just assumed your parents had given you a bunch of cash." Anna's brows furrowed in thought.
"I took nothing with me Anna, except the car. Which I did sell," she confessed with a sigh. "I needed the money for our business. And to pay Olaf back for putting up with me for so long."
"You were still a better roommate than Marshmallow," Olaf said deflated. "He has some serious anger management issues."
Elsa let out a strangled laugh. "You only liked me better because I did your laundry."
"That too," he could not deny it.
"So, Anna." He turned to the redhead and by his tone Elsa visibly tensed. "Elsa has told me all about you," Olaf's grin was only rivalled by Anna's. Elsa's face was already in her palms.
"Oh, has she now?" Anna raised an eyebrow.
"Right, that's enough of that, we need to get going," Elsa interrupted them both before speeding off from the kerbside with a screech.
This will never work out, Elsa. Why are you even trying?
Elsa's internal struggle of pushing Anna away and pulling her back was exhausting her and it was only 8:30am.
She turned the radio up loud enough to drown out any chatter. She couldn't cope with them sharing the embarrassing stories of her youth. Her mind was vivid as she imagined them turning it into some sort of awful competition. A competition which would no doubt leave her creating some sort of storm in their car. Stay calm. She told herself. Conceal. Don't feel. You've got this.
Elsa parked in the car park beneath her office block in the city. As the others got out she rested her head on the steering wheel for a moment. Frost coated her palms. Inviting Anna into her world was too much and she knew it.
"Elsa? You okay?" Anna knocked on the window. Elsa jolted up and nodded. Taking a deep breath she grabbed her hot chocolate and exited her car. She caught up with Olaf who was dishing out doughnuts.
"Thanks," she said as she bypassed Olaf's offer of the sprinkled one and went straight for the glazed one in the bag. Anna's favourite was sprinkles. Am I being too obvious? Would picking her favourite send out worse or better signals? What signals am I even trying to send?
"So have you got your presentation ready?" Olaf asked as they walked.
"It's ready. I really wish it was you doing this though." Elsa exhaled, allowing some of her anxiety to show. "You're much more charming than me."
"We both know that's not true." Olaf shook his head with a doughnut still held in his mouth. "Plus it'll be good for you to get out of your shell."
"Excuse me, but what is it you both do exactly?" Anna interrupted curiously. Olaf looked between Anna and Elsa in disbelief as they headed into the office building.
"You haven't told her?"
"I haven't exactly had an opportunity." Elsa said defensively.
Elsa spoke to the receptionist while Olaf stood back with Anna.
"She's getting you a guest pass," he explained to her as they finished their doughnuts. "We share the building with quite a few other companies so for security reasons everyone has to be signed in and out. We already have company passes." He held up his badge as an example. Anna nodded along in understanding. Her eyes caught a glimpse of his company name, Snowflake Studios, and found it odd the name wasn't on the list of companies on the wall in the lobby.
"Let me guess, you picked the name?" Anna asked.
"Ha, no, actually Elsa did, but I can't complain. My online ID was Snowman after all." Olaf was grinning now. "I might have persuaded her."
"We're clear!" Elsa called from the reception desk. Olaf and Anna walked over and Anna accepted the guest pass. She smiled with more pride than she could contain when she read the card. Anna Summers, Consultant, Snowflake Studios. It looked identical to Olaf's. Now she wished she had read his job role. Being a consultant sounded far too posh for her. Student or trainee would have been more on her level.
She followed Elsa and Olaf to the lift where they hit the button for the 13th floor.
"So, erm, a consultant," Anna stammered. "For what?"
Elsa let out an audible sigh. "Together Olaf and I make video games," Elsa finally told her. Anna had to double take. Not because Elsa wasn't smart, she knew first hand she was incredibly proficient at coding and everything IT related. She really took after her father in that regard. It was the video games which caught her off guard. For as long as Anna knew her she had never played video games.
"Well mainly apps and games for mobile. We aren't exactly a big enough company to make anything bigger. And that is actually why we are here. We're partnering with Southern Isles Studios to make a proper game. Olaf and I can't do all of that work on our own."
"Plus SIS have their own publishing department," Olaf chimed in. The doors opened on the elevator before Anna had time to respond.
"Olaf and I have to attend the meeting. We'll come pick you up from the common room in an hour." Anna simply nodded, and then frowned.
"Wait, what do I say if someone starts asking me about Snowflake Studios?"
"Download Olaf's Awesome Adventure on your phone while you wait. Trust me, you'll enjoy it." Olaf winked. And with that the pair disappeared off through a pair of double doors leaving Anna to relax in the large open seating area.
Elsa closed the double doors and leaned against the wall, anxiety slipping through her mask. She clenched her eyes shut and took deep breaths.
"I was surprised when you told me she was coming," Olaf didn't skip a beat as he leaned against the wall beside Elsa. He took one of Elsa's cold hands in his and squeezed it.
"But I'm glad you brought her. She's nice." Olaf continued talking while Elsa focused on her breathing.
"You have your session tonight? You are still attending them, right?" He took Elsa's silence as a tentative yes. "I'll keep an eye on Anna so don't worry about anything. Have a night to get your head straight."
Elsa couldn't suppress her small smile. She squeezed Olaf's hand back in thanks.
"Pass me the memory stick. I'll handle the presentation." Olaf held his free hand out.
Elsa finally opened her eyes and met his gaze. She really was so lucky to have met such a kind and understanding guy. She released her icy grip on his hand and fumbled in her handbag for the data stick.
"Its labelled Project Snowflake 03," she instructed him as she handed it over. "And Olaf, thanks," she added gratefully.
"Anytime," he grinned back. He gave her a high five before heading towards the meeting room.
Anna sat back in Elsa's luxury chauffeur car on the way home to her flat with a goofy grin on her face. Like flicking a switch, Elsa had turned from soft and friendly to rigid and guarded the moment she got into the car but Anna didn't mind. She was getting to know the real Elsa and it thrilled her.
"Elsa? It just occurred to me," Anna turned to her friend with a look of concern. "Why did your father not want you to join the IT or chess clubs?" She felt dumb asking, but she just couldn't imagine Mr Arendelle being concerned with whether his daughter was popular or not judging by how she acted around the school. In fact she'd probably have had a much better reception in the chess club than anywhere else. Anna could just imagine Elsa being good at chess. She'd stare her opponent down with that calculating gaze. Outplaying her rival with a grace only she had.
"My father owns the largest computer corporation in the world. I have a lot of private IT related lessons at home. Joining a school club would be a waste of my time. And as far as chess goes... I beat my father once every five or six games. I don't think my classmates would offer the same challenge."
"You really are so damn sophisticated." And perfect. Anna silently added. She sat back in the leather seat, still wearing that goofy grin.
"Yes, but I can say with certainty you are more fun." Elsa dropped her icy persona for a moment to give Anna a knowing side glance. Anna's smile widened.
She thinks you're both fun and incredible.