WARNING: This story contains mature themes, sexually explicit content, strong language and content that may offend.
This chapter contains suggestive themes and content that may offend.
A/N at the end.
Anna continued to daydream through the rest of the class, her fantasies solely focused on the blonde that had captured her thoughts from the beginning of class. It wasn't until her new-found crush had begun to gather her belongings and leave the room that Anna was snapped out of her daydream.
As Anna frantically searched around the room for any sign of the woman who had ensnared her attention, worried that if she didn't find her, she would never see her again. As she continued to scan the room, the flow of students leaving the room and the ones that were talking to the professor, a sharp stabbing pain quickly coursed through her side before disappearing just as quickly.
"OW!" Anna yelped before suddenly spinning on the balls of her feet to look at Punz, who was on her knees, seemingly struck by hysteria from something. Anna knew exactly what, or who, she was laughing at and glared at her like a mother glaring at a child. "That wasn't funny Punz. And what was that jab for anyways?"
Punz slowly stood back up, trying to catch her breath in between small chuckles as she did. Finally, Punz began, "Well, firstly, you seemed to have missed the entirety of the class from the moment class began. I mean, you didn't take any notes. You always take notes! Then, once class ends, you begin to look around the classroom as if you had just lost a wedding ring or something. Anna, I have known you since-"
"Since elementary school. I know." Anna sighed dejectedly. "I was distracted."
"Saw something you liked?" Punz asked, smiling teasingly. "Or someone?"
Anna blushed. "No" she lied. "Just thinking about…" she gestured vaguely at no particular thing in the classroom. She was fortunately saved by the loud growling of both their stomachs. "Ugh, how about lunch first?"
"Fine. We'll eat first, but don't expect me to forget about this during lunch." Punz said as they gathered up their own items and left the lecture hall. As they neared the cafeteria, Punz's phone rang. Anna caught a glimpse of the caller ID, Flynn Rider, before Punz picked it up. Anna caught a few "yeah"s and "Uh-huhs" before she hung up. "Sorry, but Flynn asked me out and…"
"Don't worry about me. Go enjoy your date." Anna said, relieved that Punz wouldn't be grilling her about who/what was distracting her.
"Don't think I've forgotten." Punz said over her shoulder as she walked back to the exit.
Anna grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza and a chilled can of cola before scanning the cafeteria for a seat. She looked around, realising that the cafeteria was almost filled to the brim with people, and empty seats were nowhere to be found. Anna spotted an empty seat near the edge of the cafeteria and quickly rushed over, placing her tray down on the table before she mentally kicked herself. "Is this seat taken?" She asked the person sitting across from her. Anna looked up, and instantly, her jaw dropped. It was the blonde from her class, the one she fantasized kissing, the one she fantasized… Woah there! Not here, not now!
The blonde glanced up at Anna, and simply pointed her chin at the seat in some sort of assent for Anna to sit, then resumed writing notes in a notebook, a fancy laptop open beside it, along with a half-eaten sandwich. Anna clumsily sat down, shaking the table and knocking over her unopened can of soda which rolled towards the blonde, before falling off the table beside her. Anna's eyes widened as the soda dropped over the edge, but the blonde deftly caught it with her left hand before the sofa could hit the ground and set it on the table, placing it beside Anna's slice of pizza without looking away from her notes. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I swear, I'm eternally clumsy. I hope I didn't bother you with that potential soda-grenade or anything. I mean, I would have died if any of the soda got on you or your notes or laptop or t-shirt. It would probably stain, right? Oh boy. What if it doesn't come out? Or what if your shirt shrinks? I could pay for it… probably. It looks expensive though so I would probably have to use my college money and mom wouldn't…" Anna snapped her mouth shut, her cheeks reddening. "I'm sorry. I tend to ramble when I get nervous."
The blonde glanced at Anna again. "First year?" Anna nodded. "Don't worry. It gets better." She said sympathetically.
Anna smacked her palm against her forehead. "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Anna." she stated as she extended her hand out to the blonde. Thankfully, her rambling caused her to momentarily forget about the slice of pizza she had bought, leaving her hands grease and oil free. The blonde firmly grasped Anna's hand as she shook it, surprising her with both the firmness of her grip, and the coldness of her hand. The blonde's hand felt as smooth as she imagined it.
"Elsa." The blonde replied before returning to her notes, reading them over, then closing her laptop and putting it away in her bag.
"I'm sorry, considering that we just met and all, but can I borrow your notes? I got distracted and barely heard a thing professor Weaseltown said." Anna quickly said as she realized Elsa was putting away her notes.
Elsa hesitated for a moment before sliding Anna her notebook, showing the 5 pages of notes that she wrote.
Anna took out her phone and quickly snapped pictures of the beautifully handwritten notes, which were even colour-coded. After she made sure that the text in each picture was clearly legible, Anna put her phone away. "Thanks. You have beautiful handwriting." Anna commented.
"Thank you." Elsa said politely once she swallowed the bite of sandwich.
Come on Anna! Think! Anna racked her brain for something to say to keep the conversation going. "What year are you in?" Lame! Anna mentally kicked herself again.
"3rd. I'm majoring in Architecture and minoring in Art." Elsa replied.
"But ARC 100 is a first-year course…" Anna blurted out, confused.
"Many upper-year students take first-year courses. I had a logistics problem with my schedule, and I can only attend this class right now, in my 3rd year. It's not ideal, but it will allow me to graduate with the rest of my classmates." Elsa clarified. "What are you studying?"
"Psychology… for now." Anna said self-consciously. "I don't know what I want to do in the future… I may end up switching."
"Don't be afraid to. University is all about trying new things and finding out what you like." Elsa said encouragingly. Anna smiled and blushed at Elsa's comment, thinking back to her fantasies and what she liked. Immediately, Anna mentally berated herself for falling back into those fantasies before returning to the conversation.
"The only thing I know for sure is that I want to do is help people, but I don't know how. I thought that psychology would be the best route to go in order to help rehabilitate and talk with others who need help, but I'm so unsure. I can't seem to imagine myself anywhere, doing anything, or helping anyone. And that scares me the most, not being there to help people. There are so many people in the world who need help but are unable to find it." Anna replied, her eyes beginning to water from thoughts of her mother and being unable to help.
"Are you alright?" Elsa asked as she reached into her bag and pulled out a to-go packet of tissues. She took one out and handed it to Anna, which she took and began dabbing at her eyes.
"Not really." Anna admitted. "It's just… It's all overwhelming." Anna lied. She didn't feel comfortable sharing her own guilt about her mother. "Being so far away from home, you know?"
"I don't." Elsa said tensely.
"Wait, what?" Anna asked, shocked. "You don't miss your home? Your family?"
"I've never had the best relationship with my parents. So after I left, I've never looked back."
Immediately, Anna decided to drop the subject due to the fear of ruining a blooming relationship. Neither said a word, too caught up in their own worlds of familial pain to speak. The pregnant silence slowly became stagnant and awkward, until a wide-eyed boy with short brown hair enveloped Elsa in a hug. "Hi Elsa!"
"Olaf!" Elsa chided with a smile, seeming to forget the previous conversation. "How are you?"
"Oh I'm just living the dream." Olaf said cheerily, sighing blissfully before turning towards Anna, his arms still outstretched and seeming to refuse to lower them until their needs were satisfied. "Hi, I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs."
Awkwardly, Anna unfurled her own arms and met the almost snowman-esque male, due to his shirt, pants, jacket, and even shoes being snow white, in a soft but cautious hug. That was until he pulled Anna closer to him, encapsulating her in a bear-like hug. Elsa giggled slightly at the sight of Olaf pushing the boundaries of what he would be able to get away with when it came to the new freshman. Finally, Olaf released his grip on Anna and let her get back to her now cold slice of pizza before sitting down next to Elsa.
"Um...I'm Anna." Anna stated, before officially taking her first bite of the pizza she had bought. Immediately, Anna groaned at the cold and slightly harder dough of the pizza, setting it down in a fit of mock sadness. "Hey Olaf, do you think you could use some of those warm hugs you love so much to reheat my pizza? I don't like the taste of cold pizza, which is surprising since I love ice cream and a lot of other cold products and foods."
Olaf burst out laughing at Anna's joking request, Elsa letting out another small set of giggles behind her hand as well. Anna, stunned with confusion tilted her head. "What is so funny? Is there something on my face?" Anna questioned, the answer to her question still eluding her.
Finally Olaf spoke, not to Anna or to answer her question, but towards Elsa. "I must say Els, I was worried you may not find anyone, but man. You sure know how to pick them. I mean, with jokes like that, she's a keeper." He commented, a visible blush appearing on both Anna and Elsa's faces as the laughter died in an instant. Anna turned to Elsa to ask what he meant but was promptly silenced as they locked eyes before Elsa speedily turned away.
"I...I should probably go. I have a class I need to go to." Elsa stated as she packed up the rest of her belongings and left the table, Olaf following suit behind her shortly after.
Anna looked at her watch, 2:00 pm. Ugh, I still have an hour before my next class. I hope Punz isn't in the dorm. Otherwise I will have to either listen to a story about her and Flynn, or she will question me about earlier in class. And after lunch, I won't be able to handle that. I've got too much on my mind.
Anna stood in front of her dorm room door, listening for any signs that Punz may be back from her date, only to be greeted with silence. Smiling, Anna opened the door and entered the dorm, settling on the sofa in order to occupy her time before her next class at 3:00. Anna's thoughts once again drifted to Elsa, Olaf's voice echoing in her mind. Is Elsa gay? Like me? Anna wondered, but quickly shot down the idea in the fear of getting her hopes up for nothing. She certainly seemed to be close to Olaf. Are they together? Anna found herself saddened at the thought that Elsa was not looking for a relationship. Get it together! You don't know that for sure! Anna sighed and decided to pass the time by browsing social media. She suddenly got a message in a group chat.
[Dinner together?] Kristoff.
[Flynn and I are in.] Punz.
[Great! How about u, Anna?] Kristoff. Anna began typing out her refusal when Punz's private message came in.
[don't think i've forgotten]
Anna sighed in defeat, deleted her previous unsent response, and instead typed in [sounds great. C u soon :)]
[Great! I'll send you the details later.] Kristoff
[ive gotta get to class. Bye!]
Anna prepared for class and left the dorm, all without getting spotted by Punz. Elsa wasn't in any of her other classes. Anna sighed as her last class of the day ended. Whether it was relief or disappointment, Anna couldn't tell. Anna absentmindedly began to pack her belongings, her mind once again drifting to Elsa. Her thoughts were interrupted by a message from the group chat. [Meet in the cafeteria. 6:30.] Anna checked the time: 6:00, and rushed out of the classroom. Anna bought her food and quickly slid into the seat next to Punz at 6:30 on the dot.
"Someone document this moment!" Kristoff said jokingly. "Anna's on time for once!"
"Shut up." Anna blushed in embarrassment as the group laughed. The group began to talk about their day, but as they talked, shared jokes, and laughed, their voices began to fade into the background as Anna's thoughts drifted to the blonde from earlier today. Once again, she retreated to her fantasies, and continued to think about the feel of the blonde's hands on her body, her lips on Anna's.
"What do you think, Anna?" Flynn asked, snapping Anna out of her thoughts.
"I'm sorry, what was the question?" Anna asked, shaking her head to clear her thoughts, vaguely realising that she was probably flustered.
"Are you alright, Anna?" Kristoff asked, concerned. "You seem distracted."
"I was thinking…" Anna said, before quickly changing her mind. "Nevermind."
"Don't think I've forgotten, Anna." Punz warned.
"Ugh, fine." Anna said self-consciously. "I am a bit distracted with…" Anna gestured at seemingly everything in the room.
"I heard about your mom." Flynn said reassuringly. "I'm sorry."
Grateful for the escape, Anna quickly replied "Thank you." The group's conversation quieted as the somber news sank in. Punz narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Anna's relief, but she decided not to pry. "How were your classes?" Anna asked, trying to lift everyone's moods.
"Well… I fell asleep halfway through math, so there's that." Kristoff said sheepishly. "Thankfully, Sven woke me up and prevented me from making a fool of myself."
"I know right?" Flynn said. "I swear that Professor Kaldong is a robot. He legit speaks in a robotic monotone. How about you, Anna?"
"I have professor Weaselton for Art with Punz in the morning. It was… uhh… weird." Anna said as she struggled to remember what happened in the class.
"Nice." Kristoff said. "It helps to have someone you know in class."
"Ugh. Prof Weasel." Punz said. "I'm surprised that people laugh at his offensive jokes. He seems like the 'weird uncle' of university professors."
"What's his deal with Elsa?" Anna blurted out. "I think he gave her a 'what are you doing here?' glare the moment she walked into the classroom."
"Who?" Kristoff asked, confused.
"Elsa." Anna repeated. When her friends continued to stare at her blankly, Anna sighed and began describing the blonde. "Tall, long platinum blonde hair in a single braid, 3rd year architecture student, loner."
"Ah." Flynn said in recognition. "The Ice Queen."
"Sorry… what?" Anna asked, confused.
"She went to the same high school as me." Flynn explained. "Most of what I heard was just rumours."
"What rumours?" Anna asked, her curiosity piquing.
"She's extremely introverted and cold." Flynn said. "I can vouch for the 'extremely introverted' part. Her family is crazy rich and powerful, like, Queen Elizabeth's royal family rich and powerful. And that she had a falling-out with her parents about their decisions after graduation." Anna opened her mouth to ask for more details, but Flynn quickly continued. "That's all I heard, and again, these are just rumours."
"Why the interest in this mysterious Elsa, Anna?" Punz asked, a knowing glint in her eyes.
"Just wanted to know…" Anna faltered for a brief moment. "Who I should avoid. Also, none of you answered my question. Why does Prof. Weasel have against Elsa?"
"Well… according to some of my new friends, Prof. Weselton expects students to regularly participate and ask questions in his class." Flynn said. "He dislikes those who pretend to be invisible, which Elsa has done for the 6 years of classes that we shared."
"So… we should participate in class and laugh at his offensive jokes." Anna summarised.
"Yes, unfortunately." Flynn confirmed.
The group continued to chat, share bad jokes, and laugh, and soon, everyone returned to their dorms to get some much needed rest. Anna, now alone with her thoughts, began to think about her mother. Tears began to flow as she imagined her mother alone in a once lively house, and Anna drifted off to sleep with tears running down her face.
A/N
Someawe45- Thank you for reading our story and sticking with us so far. Once again, life has gotten busy and both Rias and I cannot write and publish as often as we'd like to, and we would like to apologise for our lack of activity. I myself am currently finishing summer courses in University (I do not recommend doing this for math or science courses) and life in general has been busy with everything that is going on. Once again, thank you for reading this story and thank you for your patience.
And now, replying to a review that we got.
KaytieJay: Thank you for your feedback, and we are honoured that you've decided to ride along with us as we write this story. We hope that this story will live up to your expectations.