Okay, you guys, I am so SO sorry that it's taken me this long to get back on the ball with this. After I moved and school started and homework started crashing down, I had to put this story on a back burner. Thanks to all who will continue reading this even if you're mad at me, know that I appreciate you and you're probably one of the only reasons that I'm still writing this. I hope you like this new chapter, it's kind of a filler chapter just to get the ball rolling again, and to help me remember where I left off and how to write in Elsa's POV. As always, favorite, review, you do you! Once again, so sorry for the unacceptably long delay. Please forgive me, fair patrons.

"Should have known what, Elsa? You know this Pitch guy?"

I glance over at her and nod. "Pitch was…" I lower my head and concentrate on the swirling patterns of blue on my bedspread, and pick at a loose string. "He was – he is – a bully. He bothered me a lot, usually just from afar, but he approached me a couple of times and said some really disturbing things." Just thinking about that creep makes goosebumps rise on my arms.

"Things like what?" My sister's blue eyes are wide with confusion and concern.

I wave my hand vaguely. "Things about trying to figure out what I was hiding. And he succeeded. I didn't think he would do this though."

"You really think that he would tell Jack?"

"I just don't know," I admit. "I don't know what he's planning. He could just keep giving Jack slight nudges in the right direction, or he could tell him immediately and get it over with. Either way, at this rate, he'll find out and hate me forever." Damn it, Pitch, why couldn't you just leave me alone?

"Well, there's only one thing to do," Anna says decisively. "You have to tell him."

"What?!"

Anna crosses her legs and gives me a calm stare. "You have to tell him. He'll be less angry if he hears it from you."

"There's no way I'm telling him anything. At least, not now."

"You'll risk Pitch getting to him first?"

"Yes."

"But-" Anna starts, but I cut her off.

"I'm not going to tell him, Anna. I'm going to bide my time and hope for the best. And you aren't allowed to say anything to anyone, either." My voice comes out harder than I thought it would, almost the same tone of voice that I would use with Pitch himself, and I wince at the hurt that comes into Anna's eyes.

I take my sister's hand gently. "Anna," I start again, "You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone about anything we've talked about today. It's really important to me to keep this a secret, at least for now, okay?"

She nods without breaking eye contact with me, but I can see tears beginning to form. You're already making her upset, and it hasn't even been twenty-four hours since you've been back. Great work, Elsa. "I'm sorry that I was mean. It's a very touchy subject for me."

After a few seconds, Anna gives me a shaky smile, and it feels like sunshine in the room. I have to find a way to make it up to her. "Hey," I say, "how can I make it up to you?"

We both think for a moment, and then, at the same time: "Ice cream!" Anna bounces off the bed, with me on her heels, and we race down to the kitchen where mom is unloading our dishwasher. I stop abruptly and look around. "You guys remodeled!"

Mom looks up at me and grins. "Do you like it?"

"I love it!" When I moved away, our kitchen was very dark; deep brown cabinets and beige walls and everything looking a bit old-fashioned. Now, there are white cabinets and dark wood floors and light green walls, giving the kitchen a very fresh, light look. It's fantastic.

While I'm caught up exploring and admiring the new kitchen, I can hear Anna asking mom about our ice cream excursion. I'm down on my hands and knees appreciating the wood floors when Anna taps me on the shoulder. "Elsa, I have the keys. Mom gave us some money to go to that new place downtown."

"What new place?"

She shrugs. "I always forget the name of it. But it's delicious, because you really can't go wrong with ice cream. Come on, let's go!"

As I drive – I do have a driver's license, even though I don't usually drive anywhere – Anna points out different landmarks around Burgess, some that I remember and some that are new since I left. There's the fountain by our school that we're technically not allowed to swim in, but we used to do it sometimes anyway just for the adrenaline rush of doing something that we could get in trouble for. They added onto the high school itself, too; there's a whole section on the right side that looks newer and bigger than the rest of the building. There's the Museum of Natural History where we had our sleepover so long ago, and the new strip mall that just opened a couple of months ago. It's weird to see just how much things have changed, and at the same time, how some things are exactly the same.

"Oh here it is! Slow down, and look for a parking space!" Anna squeals excitedly. I smile to myself. I knew ice cream would do the trick. There's an open space just a block down from the ice cream parlor, which isn't too bad considering that's it's a hot afternoon in early August. As we walk the one block back to the store, I start laughing. Anna gives me a sideways glance and raises her eyebrows, but I can't respond right away.

"Ben and Jerry's? Anna, you couldn't remember Ben and Jerry's?"

She just shrugs sheepishly. "I always call it Mike and Gary's on accident. I have no idea why."

It's cold inside the store, but not very busy, which I appreciate. I get a waffle cone of "Americone Dream" and Anna gets "Phish Food". Halfway through our cones, we switch, something that we've done for as long as I can remember. We're just finishing up when several other people walk into the shop, laughing, and I look up in curiosity to see who it is.

Wild red hair and one head of shiny brown. My eyes widen in surprise. I hadn't expected to see them so soon. Anna soon joins me in my observations of the newcomers, but unlike me, she immediately jumps up and runs over to them. "Merida! Hiccup! How's it going?"

I can't tell everything that they're saying, since everyone's voices are jumbling together, so I look down and fiddle with my used napkin. I feel so awkward. Should I go over and introduce myself? Should I stay here and try to remain inconspicuous? I just don't know. What do I do?

Before I've made up my mind either way, though, Anna's back at my side, with the others standing right behind her. When I look up, they're smiling at me, and it's a relief to see that neither are looking at me in a weird way. Anna winks at me subtly, then turns back to them.

"Guys, this is Clara. She's the one I told you about, the girl who's living with us this year. Clara, this is Hiccup and Merida." As she says their names, they each smile wider at me. They're just like I remember them. Seeing their faces on the Internet earlier can't compare to seeing them in person. It's only then that I realize Merida' s wearing some kind of arm brace that goes around her waist and is keeping one of her arms from moving.

"What happened?" I ask, nodding toward the brace.

She throws her head back in a laugh, which sends her hair scattering in all directions. "My dog. It's a really terrible story. She knocked me over when I was chasing her around the backyard, and when I fell I apparently separated my shoulder. I'll be in this lovely thing for three weeks." She wiggles her fingers of the arm in the brace at me.

"Will you need surgery?"

She shrugs. "Depends. The doctors don't think it'll be necessary, but it's not going to heal on its own, which means that I'll either get surgery and have a huge scar on my shoulder, or just leave it alone and have a big bump there where my collarbone is dislocated."

"You're saying that like you're happy about it," Hiccup says.

Merida carefully raises and lowers her good shoulder. "It's no biggie, I don't start archery again until after Christmas, so I have time to heal up."

A small silence settles on our group. Anna must've already told them why I'm here and that my "parents" died in a car accident, because neither of them ask where I'm from or any of those ice-breaker questions that people are so fond of. We chat for a while longer, but there's nothing really of substance to talk about, so Anna and I leave the other two to their ice cream.

As we're walking back to the car, I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pull it out just when it vibrates again, but no one's calling. There are a couple of different messages, though, one from Tooth, two from mom, and one from Jack. I check Tooth's first.

T – Hi Elsa! (Is it okay if I call you that?) Hope your move went well! Gimme a call when you get a chance or something, I miss you!

I smile at her message. I'm surprised how much I miss Tooth already. I shoot back a quick text about calling her later tonight and move on to my mom's messages, which are just reminders about being back home in time for supper and all that jazz. I keep Jack's for last, and I have to admit that I'm a little anxious about what he has to say, even though I don't know why. He hasn't texted me since the night of the….accident.

J – Hey Clara, I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I heard about your aunt and uncle, and I'm really sorry for your loss. I was wondering if you wanted to get together sometime to work on our song? If you're not feeling up to it, that's okay. No pressure or anything. Just let me know.

I stare at the message for a few seconds. He seems different in this text, more subdued or reserved or something, I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe he's just trying to tiptoe around because he thinks I'm still really sensitive? I mean, there are still moments that I have to just sit down and wrap my arms around myself and try not to cry, but that doesn't mean I'm not okay. Or maybe he's suspicious of me now because of Pitch. Or maybe I'm just looking way too much into this and should just answer his question already.

C – Hi Jack. I'm doing pretty okay, actually, and I think getting together is a good idea, since we should probably start actually doing work soon. When, where, and what time works for you?

J – We can do the Skype thing tomorrow at 2 if you want.

C – Actually, would you mind meeting in person? I feel like we get more done that way.

J – You wanna drive all the way to Burgess?

I take a deep breath. I don't like texting this, but there's no other way. Telling him over the phone would just make it weirder.

C – I live in Burgess now.

J – Really?

C – Yeah, funny how that works.

J – Okay, well, cool. Does tomorrow at my house work, then? 2 o'clock?

C – Sounds good. What's your address?

J – How about I just pick you up? I probably know this place better than you.

C – Fair enough. I'm staying with the Winters. Do you know them?

Okay, that was just cruel of me. But I haven't quite given up on getting information from Jack, and this may be a good way to do it.

J – Yeah, I know their address. See you tomorrow then?

C – Tomorrow!

"Hello? Earth to El-Clara!" Anna's impatient voice snaps me out of my digital conversation. I look up and see her drumming her fingers impatiently against the windshield of the car.

"Oops," I say, unlocking the doors. "Sorry, I didn't realize I didn't unlock them for you."

"That's okay," she says, "I'll forgive you since you were too busy talking to your boyfriend."

"Jack is not my boyfriend," I say, and I can feel my face getting hot.

"Sure," she responds in a mocking voice. "You did tell me earlier that you liked him, remember?"

"That doesn't make him my boyfriend!"

"It doesn't make him not your boyfriend."

"That literally makes zero sense."

"You make no sense."

"You make even less sense."

"When are you meeting him?"

"Tomorrow at two."

"Awwwww. Tomorrow at two. Clara and Jack sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G…"

I roll my eyes and concentrate on driving. Anna continues the song all the way home, but I try to ignore her. Just you wait Anna, when you have a crush I will mock you until the end of time.