Chapter Five

"Anna, school starts in forty minutes!"

Anna Arendelle fell out of bed with a thud. Her hair was a complete haystack, and her eyes were still fuzzy from sleep. "Yeah, mom, I've been up for hours!" she called back, still half-asleep. In a sleepy kind of rush, she got dressed, pulling on a pink skirt with a blue peasant-blouse, brushed through her hair, tying it in two braids, and hurried into the kitchen. She stuffed a piece of toast in her mouth, quickly slipped her feet into some blue pumps, and grabbed her schoolbag. She didn't bother waiting for her sister Elsa: Elsa never walked to school with her anyway.

Anna yelled a "Bye!" at her parents and ran out of the house. It wasn't that she was worried about being late – she often found herself in this situation – but she was on her final warning for a detention. And that was something she usually tried to avoid. Anna half-walked, half-ran the next few blocks, hoping she had enough time to get there. She was crossing the path which led up to the mountains when she spotted a few kids coming her way. They all seemed to be mixed black-Americans, all except one of them who had pale skin and a mess of blond hair. Anna recognised the boy. He was Kristoff Snow, and he was in her woodwork class.

Kristoff caught her staring and asked, "What?" rather reproachfully.

"Nothing," Anna replied quickly, "Friends of yours?"

One of the older girls with coffee-brown curly hair and a blue knitted jumper laughed suddenly. "Good one," she said, "Friends."

"Anna, right?" said Kristoff. Anna nodded. "These are my brothers and sisters," Kristoff told her.

Anna looked surprised. "All of them?"

"Yeah," said Kristoff, "Well, my adopted-siblings."

"You're adopted?" Anna asked, falling in step with the others. "I didn't know that."

"It was when I was a baby," Kristoff replied, starting to look uncomfortable.

"Baby Kris," said the older girl. "I remember when mom and dad adopted you."

"How would you remember that, Ive?" A boy with a dark buzz-cut asked, rolling his eyes. "How old were you, two?"

"I was four, actually," the girl replied. "We adopted Kris when he was two."

"Ivory's right, Jamar," said a slightly younger girl. She looked about Anna's age, or perhaps a year older, with short dark curls and brown eyes. "I'm Dionne," she told Anna, shaking her hand. "This is my idiot brother Jamar, and my sister Ivory."

"Twin brother," Jamar added with a smirk.

"Nice to meet you," Anna replied. "Oh no, I'm going to be so late."

"Don't worry about it – we've still got ten minutes to the bell," said Ivory. "So, are you a friend of Kris?"

"Not really," said Anna. "We're in the same woodwork class."

"You do woodwork?" Jamar asked in sudden interest. "I love woodwork. One time, I made this amazing cabinet. I was so cool-"

"Nobody cares, Jamar," said Dionne. "Anyway, so you're Anna?"

"Yeah," said Anna, "but seriously, I really need to get to school."

"No problem," said Jamar. "We're right here?"

Suddenly, they turned a corner and were right outside the school gates. "Whoa," said Anna, "Did we take a shortcut or something?"

"That's right," said Jamar. "It's the one left of the market and right of the milkshake bar."

"I guess I didn't notice," said Anna. "Nice to meet you all," she added, before walking into class with Kristoff behind her. She took her seat which was just in front of her best friend Rapunzel Towers, and at that moment, Mr Gold walked into class.

"Good morning, class," he said. "You may all take your seats."

"Who's he?" Rapunzel whispered in her ear, nodding towards Kristoff.

"He's just this guy," Anna shrugged. "He walks the same way as me to school."

"Okay," said Rapunzel slowly, her eyes glancing over Kristoff's blond hair.

"Well, what's happening with you and Fitzherbert?" Anna replied, trying not to be noticed talking by Mr Gold.

"What do you mean?" Rapunzel asked.

"I saw you walking home with him the other day," said Anna.

"Sorry I left you," said Rapunzel guiltily. "Look, it's nothing, really."

"Really?" Anna asked. "Only, I saw you talking to him again after lunch yesterday."

"Look, Anna," said Rapunzel, "We're just doing this project together for class."

Anna raised her eyebrows. "What class?"

"Um… art," said Rapunzel.

"Oh," said Anna, brightening up after an explanation, "I didn't know he does art."

"Yeah," said Rapunzel, "He's in my art class."

"Okay," Anna said, turning to the front again. "Hey, do you want to come over mine later this week?"

"Sorry," Rapunzel apologised, "I've got this… English assignment that's due in next week and I really need to finish it. Maybe some other time."

After class, Anna walked into her next class – woodwork. She sat near the back and waited for Mr North to explain what they were going to do.

"Today we start new assignment," said Mr North in his Russian accent. "Each of you will design large box using all techniques learnt so far."

Anna sighed, beginning to wonder why she'd picked woodwork. She liked creative stuff, as long as it wasn't art, but she didn't think woodwork was her thing. She was going to do so badly on this assignment.

"No, Miss Arendelle," said Mr North at the end of the class, "I'm afraid you cannot back out of assignment."

"Sir, please," Anna pleaded, "Can I ask the principle if I can drop woodwork and choose something else?"

Mr North looked at her and then sighed. "You can't just 'drop' woodwork," he said. "But, if you think you will do really bad on assignment, then principle might tell you to drop woodwork anyway."

Anna gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "Alright, Sir," she said, "I suppose I should do the assignment."

"Yes, you should," said Mr North, "Or you get detention."

"Thank you, Sir," Anna grumbled, walking out of the class.

Later that day, after Anna had eaten lunch, she got up from the table to leave. "I'm gonna see if I can use the woodwork room," she told Rapunzel. "I'd better get a head-start on my assignment."

"Okay," Rapunzel replied. "I guess I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, see you." Anna smiled and left the cafeteria.

She walked over to the woodwork department, heading over to Mr North's room. She had a hand raised to knock on the door, but quietly lowered it. Blond-haired Kristoff Snow was inside, making some sort of harness piece. Anna stood silently at the door, watching as he made those precise movements to create and finish the piece he was working on. It was only when she clumsily let her bag knock against the door that Kristoff spun around in surprise.

"Mr North said I could-" He relaxed when he saw her. "Oh, it's you." He had been holding up the wooden piece but put it back down on the table when he realised it was Anna at the door.

"Thanks," Anna muttered. She walked over with a curious smile and asked, "What'cha making?"

Kristoff grunted a little, his messy hair falling in his eyes. "Why would you care?" he asked.

"Just curious," said Anna cheerfully, sitting up on the sideboard.

"Well," said Kristoff, "If you must know, it's the joining piece which attaches Sven to my cart."

"Who's Sven?" Anna asked, swinging her legs.

Kristoff sighed. "He's my... dog," he said, and then grimaced at his reply.

"You attach you dog to a cart?" Anna asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No, when I said cart, I meant... sled," Kristoff amended. "My... dog pulls my sled when I go sledding in the winter."

"Okay..." said Anna. "Can I see?" Kristoff handed her the wooden piece and she studied it for a few moments. The attention to detail was incredible, and it felt so solid and unbreakable in her hands. "This is amazing," Anna told him shyly. Then an idea sparked in her brain. "Can you please help me with our woodwork assignment?" she asked hopefully.

Kristoff stared at her. "Of course not," he said like it was obvious. "It's an individual project. Helping you would be cheating."

"It wouldn't be cheating," Anna reasoned. "The school encourages people to help each other. How could helping me be cheating?"

Kristoff sighed then. "I'm way too busy to help you," he said. "There's way too much stuff to do at home." He flushed slightly when he said that.

"Like what?"

Kristoff clenched his teeth. This Anna girl was so annoying. "Well," he said, "You've seen some of my siblings. There are a few others that live at home as well. The chores mount up when I skip them."

"Alright," said Anna, trying to find a way around this. She suddenly smiled.

"What did you just think of?"

Anna looked at him. "What if we come to some sort of deal?" Kristoff raised his eyebrows. "You don't really get out much, do you?" Anna continued, "So, if I help you with your chores, then you have to help me with the woodwork assignment."

"What does 'You don't really get out much' have to do with all that?" Kristoff asked.

"You see," Anna said, grinning, "With all the spare time you'll have, it'll be well worth it."

"I won't have any more spare time," Kristoff said patiently. "I'll be doing your project, remember?"

"You won't be doing it," said Anna, "You'll just be helping. But here's the best part of the deal." She leant in closer to whisper, "I'll keep doing your chores for a week after the assignments are due in."

Kristoff looked interested now. "Alright," he said slowly, "I'll think about it."

Anna fist-pumped the air with a murmur of Yes!

"I'm not saying anything for definite," Kristoff added quickly, "but I'll think about it."

Anna grinned. "Great," she said. "So I'll come round yours after school?"

"Hey," said Kristoff, "I haven't decided yet." He gave her one last look. "I'll tell you my decision later."

"Okay," said Anna, feeling fairly triumphant, "I guess I'll see you later then. I have Math last."

"See you," Kristoff muttered, turning back to his work.

Anna skipped out of the class, feeling that sort of self-satisfied feeling for the rest of the day. She even said a cheery, "Bye!" to Eugene Fitzherbert, who was her desk partner, on her way out of Math class. She walked the rest of the way home with a smile on her face, knowing she wouldn't have to fail her woodwork class.

"Hey, Anna," said Mrs Arendelle when Anna got home from school.

"Hey, mom," Anna replied. "What are you doing home from work so early?"

"There's been a small change of plans, Anna," said Mrs Arendelle. "We'll wait for your sister to get back and then I'll tell you both together."

When Elsa arrived, she dumped her bag by the door and started to walk straight to her room but her mother called her into the kitchen. She slowly sat down by Anna, suspicious of what the talk was about. "What's going on, mom?" she asked.

Mrs Arendelle took a breath before beginning. "Elsa, Anna, I have some news," she said.

"You're not having another baby, are you?" Elsa asked with a sigh. "I definitely don't want another younger sibling."

"Aw, I'd want a baby brother or sister," said Anna.

"No," said Mrs Arendelle with a frown, "It's not that."

"Well what is it then?" Anna asked impatiently.

"You know your cousin, Olaf?" Mrs Arendelle replied. "He is coming to stay for a while whilst your uncle is away in Hong Kong for work."

"Not Olaf," Elsa groaned. "Where is he supposed to sleep?"

"That's the thing," said Mrs Arendelle. She looked at her daughters, knowing what their reaction would be. "Anna, you will be giving up your room for Olaf to stay in and will be moving in with Elsa."

"Mom!" Anna and Elsa both protested at the same time.

"Anna is so annoying-"

"Elsa hates me-"

Mrs Arendelle held up both her hands. "No arguments!" she told them firmly. "You will make Olaf feel welcome, and you will learn to share."

A/N: Hey, back again with another chapter. I included some OCs in this chapter - Kristoff's lovely adopted family The Trolls - and I hope they aren't too annoying. Sometimes when I read fanfiction it becomes all about the OCs and not about the real characters, so I hope you kind of like these :) Thanks gwendalyn for the Fishlegs/Heather idea since I hadn't actually thought of that myself. Look out for them in a future chapter to come. Please review, and tell me what you think of the story so far, and I'll be back with another chapter soon!

Ginger xx

(Oh, and one last thing - I was so pleased to have NO line-breaks in this chapter! Bye for now)