To answer a question from a guest reviewer, Thalia: no, I wouldn't say this is based on a 'A Tale of Two Cities'. This story has more in common with 'Romeo and Juliet' if I had to compare it with something. Actually I make some references to the Bard's great romance in this very chapter.
After school Elsa, Rapunzel, Kristoff and Flynn were sitting in the outdoor pavilion, overlooking the sweeping stretch of lawn. They were looking towards one side where there was a small group of students, firing arrows at targets. Anna sat down with a pack of Oreos and drinks in her hands. She passed a lemonade to Rapunzel.
"How is the practice going?" She asked.
"Merida and Mulan don't seem to be impressed," Flynn said. From where they were they could hear Merida yelling.
"Dingwall, look where you're aiming the arrow! You almost took off Ling's head,"
"Was it really a good idea to make her a co-captain for the archery team?" Kristoff asked.
"Mulan is able to keep her in check for the most part," Rapunzel said, "And you can't deny her talent. Remember that one time she shot an apple of Eugene's head,"
"Don't remind me about that,"
"You were the one who bet she couldn't do it," Anna said.
"I bet she couldn't shoot an apple from 70 meters; there was no need for the apple to be on my head," He huffed and folded his arms.
"Flynn, we got to go," Kristoff said looking at his watch.
"Where are you going?" Rapunzel asked.
"The guys from the football team are getting together. One last meeting…or something like that,"
"You aren't planning on all drinking from a pointed cup of wine are you. Because we still need you for the other competitions coming up," Elsa said.
"We're not that depressed," Flynn retorted.
"Really? Felix said Ralph didn't come to school yesterday because he locked himself in his room,"
"He was in school today wasn't he." Kristoff said.
"Yeah, but only because Vanellope went to give him a piece of her mind, after school yesterday." Anna said.
"You make it sound like we shouldn't be sad we lost the big game," Flynn said.
"We aren't saying that," Rapunzel said putting a hand on Flynn's chest. "We just don't want you to be too depressed,"
"Yeah, there will be other games and other competitions. We'll get the moonies back." Anna said.
"We've got to go, and don't worry we won't commit suicide because of our depressed state." Kristoff said.
"If we did that there's no way we'll be able to get DreamWorks back," Flynn said.
"That's the spirit," Anna said. Flynn and Kristoff gave Rapunzel and Anna quick kisses on the cheeks and waved good bye to Elsa.
"Yao! That's not how we showed you to hold your bow!" Merida's voice floated up to the girls. Elsa, Rapunzel and Anna all flinched slightly.
"She's really trying to whip them into shape," Anna said. She opened her pack of Oreos taking one and offering to Elsa and Rapunzel. Elsa took one, but Rapunzel turned her down opting for her lemonade instead.
"They almost lost at the last competition." Elsa reminded her. "And she almost lost to that girl from DreamWorks…Astrid I think her name was,"
"Oh right," Anna said.
"And losing the game is only going to make her want to win more," Rapunzel said.
Belle suddenly slipped into one of the vacant seats.
"Meg said I would find you here," She said.
"Hey, Belle," Anna said, "Want one," She offered an Oreo. Belle shook her head, Anna shrugged, "More for me,"
Belle turned to Elsa, "I have something interesting to tell you," She said smiling slightly.
"More interesting that Merida's teaching methods?"
"Oh infinitely more interesting," She was smiling a bit more now, "One Jack Frost was asking about you yesterday,"
Rapunzel spat out her drink and Anna started to choke.
"What!" They exclaimed once they'd gotten over their respective coughing fits.
"Jack Frost as in Jack Frost who cost us the game, Jack Frost" Anna asked.
"Shh!" Belle said in furious whisper, "Do you want to the whole school to know?"
Anna and Rapunzel both looked around. Several persons were looking in their direction. They leaned in closer to Belle.
"We need details," Anna whispered.
"Where? What? How?" Rapunzel asked.
"Let's see, the where is at my father's auto shop. Frost came in with Hiccup, who's one of the kids my dad teaches machine stuff to. When he came in he said he was trying to find a princess and then described you pretty well. Even knew the model of your car." The three girls all looked at Elsa who was still trying to process Belle's initial statement.
"Jack Frost asked you about me?"
"Yep. Said he wanted to know your name,"
"And you just told him,"
Belle's face fell, "Should I have not done that? His intentions seemed innocent enough. I figured he was just trying to put a name to a face. Do you have some kind of history or something?"
"What? No, of course not," Elsa said.
"Sure you don't," Anna said in a coy tone.
"We don't," Elsa retorted. "We only talked once,"
"Oh, so now you talked to him. I thought you said didn't say anything to each other." Rapunzel said.
"I…didn't…we…he was…"Elsa was fishing for words.
"So you have met him before?" Belle asked. Anna cut in before Elsa could speak.
"They met after the game, and had a moment,"
"What!" Elsa's voice rose a few octaves, "I never said anything like that,"
"It was implied," Anna told her.
"Really, from what I told you, you got that I had a moment with Jack Frost," Elsa raised an eyebrow.
"It was more implied in the things you didn't say," Rapunzel supplied.
Elsa's mouth opened like she was going to say something but instead she grabbed her bag and got up, storming away from the table.
"Oh no. I didn't mean to make her angry," Belle said.
"It's okay. She's not angry, not really." Anna said.
"And thanks for telling us about Jack," Rapunzel said. "It was certainly interesting."
"This is just between us, right?" Belle asked.
"We'll keep it on the down low," Rapunzel said, "This isn't the kind of info you want the whole school to hear,"
"I'd better go before Elsa leaves me in school without a ride." Anna said picking up her stuff and running after her sister. Apparently she didn't have to worry about being left in school because Elsa was waiting in the car for her.
"Thanks for not leaving me,"
Elsa smirked ruefully as she started the car and pulled out of the school yard, "Yeah, well if I went home without you mom would have my head."
"So…" Anna grinned at her sister.
"So, what?"
"So, what are you going to about Jack?"
"Nothing,"
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Elsa with an eye roll, "We only talked once. That's all there is. End of discussion."
"If that's really all there is then you wouldn't have had the reaction you did,"
Elsa bit her lip, she couldn't deny her sisters words and Anna knew it.
"So, are you going to start talking to him at least,"
"No,"
"But, but why,"
"I can't. He goes to DreamWorks,"
"So what?"
"Disney and DreamWorks don't mix. Might as well be the Montagues and Capulets,"
"They were able to work things out at the end of the story,"
"Yeah, after the main characters die!"
"I'm sure you and Jack won't die. This is the twenty first century. If you get poisoned or stabbed we'll take you to hospital."
"Anna!"
"Elsa, maybe at actual events and in school we want each other's blood. But that doesn't extend to outside of school. It's not like if we were to randomly bump into someone from DreamWorks out on the street we'll start clawing their eyes out,"
"But at the same time you don't see kids from Disney and DreamWorks hanging out together,"
"True, but there has to be a first time for everything."
"I rather enjoy not being a social pariah,"
"Seriously, that's what you're concerned about? Since when do you care about that stuff,"
Again Elsa didn't have answer, because again she couldn't deny Anna's words.
"Look, even if I wanted to do something I couldn't. The only thing I know about him is his name. It's not like I have a number I can just call. The only thing I could probably do is wait outside DreamWorks and that would not only be suicide, but incredibly creepy."
"I guess you have a point," Anna said.
"So, you're going to drop it,"
"I suppose so. There really isn't anything you can do,"
As it turned out she didn't have to do anything.
Two days later the sisters were in their room. Anna was doing research on her laptop while Elsa was reading one of her literature books. Downstairs they heard the doorbell ring, but neither moved. They weren't expecting any company and their mom was downstairs so she'd get it anyway. A few moments passed then…
"Elsa, there's someone at the door for you,"
Elsa and Anna looked up. "Were we expecting someone?" Elsa asked. Anna shook her head. The blonde got up going to the steps, leaning over the banisher to see down stairs.
"Mom?" She called. Her mother appeared.
"I said there's someone here for you. He says he has something of yours,"
"He?" Anna said at Elsa's shoulder.
"Did he say who he was?" Elsa asked.
"Ja-" Anna was already running down the stairs.
"Anna!" Elsa yelled, racing after her sister. The girls blew past their mother. Anna arrived at the front door first.
"Hi, I'm Elsa's sister An-ahh!" Elsa grabbed her sister by the back of the collar and pulled her inside. She stepped outside and closed the door before Anna could say something Elsa would regret. She turned around and was greeted with a wide smirk and playfully blue eyes.
"Hello Princess,"
"Jack Frost,"
"You remember me, good or this could have been awkward,"
"Could have been? I thought we already went past awkward when I pulled my sister away from you. Or maybe that happened when you rang my doorbell. How'd you even know where I lived? You aren't stalking me, are you?"
"I looked up Winters in the phonebook,"
"My family is the only Winters listed?"
"No, there were six. But I got lucky, you're the second one."
"I see,"
"Aren't you curious to know my sources?"
"Your sources?"
"For how I found out your name? Seeing as you refused to tell me what it was the last time,"
"You and your friend, Hiccup went and asked my friend Belle,"
"I see I'm not the only one with sources," Jack said laughing. Elsa bit her lip, but she couldn't stop the corner of her lips from curling upwards.
"Why are you here Frost?"
"Oh right," He dove his hands into his jeans pockets for a second, pulling out a small, crumpled rectangle of hard paper. "I found this in my jacket Sunday evening. It doesn't belong me so I figured I must have picked it up from your stuff by accident,"
Elsa looked at the paper and did recognise it. It was one of those promotional cards from a coffee house- buy six drinks, get the card punched six times and get a free cup of coffee.
"You went through the trouble of tracking me down, just so you could give me a promo card for a coffee house, that still needs three more punches before I can get a free latte,"
"Well, you never know. It could have been important," Jack smiled, "For all I knew you have a secret code written in invisible ink on it,"
Elsa couldn't help her laughter. She took the card. "Actually you're partly right. It's not in invisible ink, but if you decode the hidden message by seeing where the crease lines overlap you'll get the password for a nuclear weapons base."
"I knew it!" Jack said laughing.
"Okay, seriously, why'd you do this?" She asked.
"Maybe, I just wanted an excuse to see you again, Princess,"
Elsa, blinked at his words, fighting back a blush.
"So what would you say if I offered to help you get that free latte?" He indicated to the card.
"That's the line you're going with 'Can I help you get a free latte?'"
"Hey, I thought it was pretty smooth,"
Elsa bit her lip again, refusing to smile. She didn't want admit it, but it was pretty smooth.
"Alright Frost, I wouldn't mind having some coffee,"
"Really?" His eyes lit up for a second, but then he coughed, "Uh, I mean cool. That's cool. Is tomorrow at seven good?"
"That okay for me,"
"Cool, I'll see you tomorrow at seven," He smiled. Elsa stood on her porch, watching him disappear up the street. When she went back up inside Anna was waiting.
"So?" She asked.
"We're going for coffee,"
Elsa covered her ears against Anna's high pitched squeal.
It was incredibly fun to write the last part of this chapter.
Nardragon~ until the next page.
