Boredom and loneliness - two things that Jack Frost hated and he was currently experiencing both of them. He had no classes today and no reason to go into university. He had risen at his normal time and had driven Emily to school. By the time he'd returned home, the house had been empty with his uncle and aunt having already left for work at the Guardian's head office.
He lazed on the couch with his laptop resting beside him while he aimlessly scrolled Facebook. He'd switched the TV on for background noise, but it was doing little to ease the loneliness he felt. Grabbing the remote, he flicked through the channels and cursed at the selection. It seemed that the only thing on offer was morning talk shows, cheesy music videos or repeats of '90's sitcoms - none of which entertained him. Desperation mounting, he grabbed his phone. If he remembered correctly, Jamie and Fred didn't have classes today and would be available to hang out. He typed his message swiftly and hit send. He placed the phone back by his side and said a prayer to the god of procrastination that his friends would come through and rescue him from his current boredom.
The jingle of an advert on the TV caught Jack's attention as the jolly sounding voice-over loudly declared, 'Kingdom Ice Creamery - where everyone is royalty.' Jack jerked his head up just in time to catch sight of Elsa on the screen as she smiled at a customer.
Elsa. The thought of the awkward interaction they had shared the day before plagued him. His friends had joked about it and he had smiled and shook it off, but it still hurt. He didn't know what he had expected when he had sent Jamie to approach her in the cafeteria.
All he knew was that his ability to construct intelligent sentences seemed to fly out the window when it came to Elsa. Jamie, on the other hand, wasn't struck with a hopeless crush on her like he was. As such, Jack had hoped that his friend would have been able to convince her to join them for lunch. However, his hopes had been dashed when Jamie had returned to their table alone.
Hearing the sound of rejection from Jamie had made something inside of Jack snap. Driven by desperation and curiosity, he had stood up. He'd grabbed his chips and soft drink and had made his way across the hall to Elsa.
However, nothing had prepared him for the reaction he had received. The look she had given him when he had sat down had left him wanting to cry. She had been visibly shaken and her blue eyes had widened while she shrunk back in her seat. Once she had locked eyes with him, her demeanor had changed. She had immediately placed her arms in front of her and had glared at him. He had ignored her glare and had continued to try and talk to her. The way she had questioned why he cared had surprised him, it was almost as if the notion that someone could care about her, let alone him, was a foreign concept to her. However, it had been her parting words that had stung the most. In that moment, Jack had felt like he had been shot.
"Listen, I don't know what your deal is, whether this is your idea of 'fun,' some kind of joke, but I want no part of it," she'd snapped.
Out of all the things that she could have said to hurt him, it had been that.
He knew how he was perceived. He was the 'good looking' guy who had been fortunate to be raised by his wealthy uncle. He was the popular hockey player who had girls drooling over him. He was also an illusion. People saw the car he drove, the suburb he lived in. They saw the lean, cocky prankster with the silver-white hair that never sat quite right. People saw Jack Frost, but Jackson Overland Frost remained invisible.
Jackson Overland Frost was the guy who blamed himself for his mother's death. He was the one who had forgot the present for his cousin's birthday. He had been the reason that his mum had been forced to turn around and return to their home to pick up the missing gift. It was because of him, that she had been on the road and had been crossing the intersection when a speeding driver had run a red light. It was his fault that Emily had been raised without her mother.
The sound of a text message broke Jack from his thoughts:
"Meet up at the lake in 40 minutes. Fred and Lana against you and I in hockey. Can you pick me up?"-Jamie
Jack grinned as he skillfully dodged past Fred to deliver yet another puck into the makeshift goal. "That's 3-1, Alfredo. Jamie and I have kicked your ass," he boasted, pumping his fist triumphantly
"That's only because Lana and I went easy on you, Jackson," Fred protested, pulling his girlfriend in for a hug.
"Easy, yeah right. Just admit it, Frost and I were the better team. Although, technically Lana could claim she was playing with a disadvantage. After all, she did have to play with you," teased Jamie as he skated to the sidelines.
"Only because we decided to go easy. We thought Frost may need a bit of kindness after he got shot down by his long-term crush, again," Fred taunted.
"Be nice, Fred," Lana chided, stealing a glance at Jack. "Anyway, less chat, more action. I'm starving. I need lunch."
Feeling the familiar growl of hunger in his stomach, Jack nodded. "Same here. I do believe that we agreed losing team paid for lunch," he added. "I expect that means you'll be treating us to a five-star restaurant then, Freddy."
Fred smirked. "Oh no, Frost. I know the perfect place for lunch. In fact, I think you'll love it. Just follow us, we'll lead the way."
As they piled into their respective cars, Jack couldn't help but feel nervous. There had been something in the way that Fred had smirked at him that had piqued his interest. He knew that Fred was planning something, but what.
Shrugging, he kicked his car into drive and followed Fred as he wove his way through the suburbs to reach downtown Arendelle. He watched as Fred pulled the car into a small parking bay and groaned in realisation as the Kingdom Ice Creamery flagship store came into view. Elsa's family store. The very same store where she worked.
Groaning, he parked the car and got out. He hit the button to lock the car before striding across the parking lot to face Fred.
"Told you that we'd bring you someplace nice, Frost," Fred teased.
"Are you fucking insane?" he shot back, his eyes darting between the store and his friends. "I can't go in there! Do you actually want the girl of my dreams to kill me?"
"Settle down, Jack," Fred urged. "We're just customers who want lunch."
He glanced at Jamie who just shrugged. Running his hand over the back of his neck, he watched as his friends turned and walked towards the store. He could feel the anxiety rising as he slowly followed his friends. On the one hand, there was every chance he would see Elsa and could talk to her, maybe apologise for the misunderstanding. Then again, there was also the chance that Elsa would either not be working, or would ignore him completely - adding his presence at her workplace as yet another misdemeanor that he had committed.
Walking into the store, he couldn't help feel impressed. The store was decked out in complimentary colours and the design reminded him of a '50s style diner. The walls were decorated with old posters and in the far corner stood a jukebox which was playing an old tune. It was a stark contrast to the modern, flashy look of his own family's store.
Slipping into a booth, he spied Elsa. He could feel his heart skip a beat as he watched her chatting with customers. She was dressed simply in a neat pair of black dress pants and a lilac blouse. Her long hair had been tied back in a tidy plait. He could feel his breath hitch as she approached them, her eyes focused on the order pad she held in front of her. He said a silent prayer that any interaction with her would be positive.
"Good afternoon and welcome to Kingdom's…" Elsa gasped as she raised her head to look at them. Her eyes widened as she turned to face him. "You! What are you doing here?"
"Don't we get the pleasure of hearing your normal spiel? Or is that how you greet all your customers?" he sassed, winking at her in what he hoped would appear non-threatening.
"No, just you" she remarked, barely raising an eyebrow.
He grinned and ran a finger through his hair. "What makes me so special?"
He watched as she looked around to check on the other customers before leaning down to glare at him. "Asides from the fact that you practically stalked me yesterday and managed to interfere with both my study time and my lunch break. Or the fact that you are the nephew of my father's biggest business rival and it's entirely possible that you are here to spy on our store?" she hissed. "Nothing."
Groaning, he slid himself out of the booth. It was obvious to him that she had the wrong idea. "Can I...can I talk to you?" he asked softly.
Elsa quirked an eyebrow as she looked at him. Her plum-coloured lips pulled into a small smirk. "We are talking," she stated.
"I meant alone" he whispered, beckoning towards an empty booth.
"I..I'm working," she stammered and held up her order pad and pen as if to illustrate the point.
"This will only take a minute. You've not got any customers who appear to need serving and my friends, they can wait," he pointed out, smiling at her.
He watched as Elsa bit her lip. He could sense that she was thinking it over and that she was torn between continuing to shoot him down, or finding out what he had to say. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and pointed to an empty corner of the store before throwing him a pointed look. Nodding, he slipped out of the booth and followed her. His eyes lingered on her retreating frame and he shook his head. It would not do him any favours to get caught out acting like a perve.
"Talk," she ordered as he came to a stop in front of her.
Taking a deep breath, he began. "I wanted to apologise...for yesterday."
He paused and looked at her. He could feel his palms getting sweaty and wiped them on his pants. He noticed how the smallest hint of a smile had begun to form on her face which highlighted the few freckles that dusted her flawless face.
Sighing, he continued. "I mean it. I really am so -"
"Elsa!" boomed a loud voice. "What are you doing? You're not being paid to stand and talk."
Jack groaned. He noted how Elsa's eyes had widened and she began to step away in panic.
Turning around, he watched as Walt Blanchard strode towards them dressed in a business suit.
"You!" Walt spat as his eyes narrowed in on Jack. "You are Nicholas' nephew. You have no business being here and even less business talking to my daughter."
"Please, Mr Blanchard, I'm not here to cause trouble," Jack pleaded, stuffing his hands in his jean pockets.
"Silence!" he snarled, glaring at Jack. "You will leave, immediately."
"But..but my friends, they wanted to eat here" he begged, turning to face the angered man.
"Leave now or I will have security come down here and escort you out," Walt ordered.
Sighing, Jack turned to Elsa. She had stepped further away from them and had her head down, avoiding eye contact.
"Elsa," he whispered, "I'm so-"
"Just go, Jack... please," she mumbled.
He sighed. Turning to his friends, he beckoned for them to follow as he left. To his relief, his friends said nothing. Instead, they ran ahead and left him to pick up the rear.
He glanced through the window as he walked. His eyes settled on Elsa as she looked down at the floor with her arms wrapped tightly around her tiny frame. Her father stood in front of her as his arms flailed about. It was obvious that he was not happy with the situation and it seemed that she was copping it. Jack sighed as he watched the angered man remain oblivious to his daughter's obvious distress.
Shaking his head, he ran to catch up with his friends. Any longer spent watching Elsa and he would want to run in and comfort her. Now more than ever he could see that she needed him. Whether she realised it or not, she needed someone to care for her and to give her the treatment she so richly deserved.