Alright my people, I have a big apology to make. I'm so sorry that it's take me this long to get further with the story. My family just got back from Alaska about a week ago, and we immediately fell into the frantic dance that is getting ready for school. So in the small moments to breathe, I've been able to do some work on this. (It's also serving as my preferred method of procrastination at the moment, which makes it even more fun.) So, I give you, Chapter 28! As always, read, react, review. You all are the reason I keep doing this. Until we meet again!

"Elsa! Where have you been? That was the longest concession stand snack run ever!" Anna's enthusiastic voice accosts me as I trudge back to my seat in the stands.

I'd like to respond, but as full of conflicting emotions as I am right now, I'm afraid that whatever comes out will be hurtful, so I just give her a smile and hand her the chocolate bars that she asked for. I think Anna notices the expression on my face, but surprisingly she doesn't pry and just leaves me alone. I'm grateful for her restraint, but it just gives me more time to fume over my conversation with Jack, which is exactly what I do. By the time the game reaches halftime, I'm not sure that I'll be able to handle staying for the rest of the game, and I turn to tell Anna and Rapunzel so when a small cheer breaks out on the field.

"What's going on now?" I ask, a little edgily.

My cousin shoots me a quizzical look, but answers my question all the same. "It's the dance team. They do a different routine for each of the games, and this one should be especially good because it's for Homecoming."

I nod and mentally prepare myself to be bored out of my mind when a flash of red hair catches my attention. I narrow my eyes at the girl, just to make sure that I haven't suddenly fallen into a massive hallucination, and my suspicions are confirmed. "That's Merida," I breathe out quietly.

Anna and Rapunzel don't seem to hear me, as wrapped up as they are in the performance, so I raise my voice. "Am I going crazy, or is that Merida out there?"

"You are not crazy, sister mine," Anna replies, her eyes still glued to the dancers. "That is indeed our fair ginger friend." She smiles widely and lets out a small yell of encouragement.

"But…" I'm so confused that I can hardly even think of my question. "But…it's Merida, and she's dancing..." When neither of my companions responds, I huff in exasperation. "Am I the only one who is struggling to find the connection between Merida, our tomboy friend who refused to wear dresses until a few years ago, and being on the dance team?"

Rapunzel laughs lightly. "I understand your confusion. But you remember Merida's mom, don't you?"

I'm about to respond in the negative when all the puzzle pieces fall into place. "Ohhhhh…" I trail off. I do remember her mom. Or, more accurately, I remember Merida complaining about her mom. Unlike my parents, who encouraged Anna and me to do things – joining clubs, meeting new people, blah blah blah – Merida's mom forced her to do things. To be more ladylike, to do more things that girls traditionally do. Like needlepoint, and ballroom dancing, and singing, and definitely not archery.

"Merida's mom made her go out for the dance team?"

"You got it. She made her try out every year, but this is the first time she's made it."

I snort. "I'm sure Merida's thrilled."

My cousin's gleeful grin confirms my comment. "You should have seen her face when she saw her name on the roster. I wish someone had captured the moment on camera. She went white, then red, then green."

I clap a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. "And I missed it! I miss everything!" That's an understatement.

"You guys, shush!" Anna's arm wraps around my shoulders and pulls me to her side, forcing me to look straight ahead and focus my attention on the dance team, who seem to be doing some kind of high-kicking can-can dance. Surprisingly, Merida seems to be doing pretty well, hair flying and pompoms waving. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, though. Merida can pretty much do anything if she puts her mind to it – or if her mom does.

The dancers end with a final tumble as the crowd bursts out in applause. Whistles and shouts break through the crisp air, and I hear myself yelling out Merida's name along with my two companions. As the commotion dies down, though, my previous black mood begins to resettle itself. Mrs. Frost trusts me. Jack thinks I'm a liar. Anna's keeping secrets from me. The thoughts and their corresponding emotions war with each other in my head for attention, whirling and spinning like tornadoes, threatening to swallow up any shreds of sanity I have left.

Hiccup announces over the loudspeakers that there are only five minutes left in the halftime break, and begins to call out for the crowd to take their seats. Five minutes left?! My fingers begin to drum impatiently on my knee, a frantic rhythm that drives me crazy, but I can't stop. The players have begun their warm-ups again, tossing footballs back and forth and stretching. Beside me, Anna and Rapunzel have lapsed into a whispered conversation about someone out on the field, but I don't have the patience to ask what they're talking about, just in case it might be Hans.

I want to leave. Now.

"Hey, guys?" I ask, trying to keep my voice from showing the hurricane that's welling up inside me. When they both turn to me, I try to smile confidently. "I think I'm gonna head out," I say, noticing their confused expressions. "I'm not really used to big crowds of people, and I'm getting a bit claustrophobic," I explain. That's basically true…a little.

"Seriously? You're going to leave right in the middle of the game?" Anna asks incredulously.

I nod and look straight at her. "Yeah. I'm gonna leave." It comes out with a tinge of the anger I'm trying to keep bottled up, almost like a challenge. Her eyes widen in alarm, so I add quickly. "You don't have to come with me. I think….I just want to walk with myself for a while. Okay?"

Anna nods, but Rapunzel shakes her head vehemently. "You can't walk home!" she exclaims. "It's way too far to walk!"

"Not really," I say. The mental path I've drawn for myself from the stadium to our house seems pretty efficient to me. She opens her mouth to disagree with me again, but I cut her off. "It will be absolutely fine. I'll have my phone with me, just in case I need to get a hold of one of you two, and I'll probably get home way before the game gets done."

"Okay, I guess," my cousin says, still looking doubtful about my planned endeavor.

"Alright, I'll see you at home, then," I say, casting a glance at each of them as I stand up. The crisp autumn air is refreshing and inviting, and there's not much of a breeze, which means I won't get cold as I walk. Most of the members of the audience are returning to their seats, with only one minute left in halftime, and I keep my head down as I elbow through the crowd until I reach the bottom of the bleachers.

Thankfully, the third quarter starts just as I begin to make my way to the exit. With everyone's attention on the field, I can sneak away unnoticed. I take one glance back at the field before passing through the gates, though, and while there seems to be some complicated ball play happening on the field, I notice Jack again, standing stock still on the sidelines, silently watching my retreat. We stand for a second or two, just looking at each other from across the field, and then I raise my hand in a timid wave. When he doesn't move, I start to turn away, but a movement catches my eye. My gaze snaps back to him just to see the end of his motion, which causes a grin to creep across my face. I know he probably just did it to make me feel better after our conversation earlier, to apologize further, but I appreciate it all the same. I nod at him and leave for good.

Growing up, Jack and I tried a bunch of different secret handshakes, most of which were deemed unsatisfactory due to their complicated motions and unnecessary embellishes. But there were a few that stuck, including one that wasn't much of a handshake at all, but more of a salute. Two thumps of your right fist over your heart, and then a standard casual salute from the forehead. As I walk down the brightly lit street, I can't help but perform the motion myself, over and over and over.

Two fist bumps. Salute. Two fist bumps. Salute. Two fist bumps. Salute. As I continue to repeat the gesture, my footsteps sync up with my actions, creating a continuous marching beat. At this rate, I'll be home in no time.

As I walk away, an eruption of cheers from the stadium follows me into the dark, cool night. I pull out my phone and earbuds, hoping to make the long walk a little more exciting. After checking my messages – only one, from Anna, telling me to be careful on the way home – I pull up my music app and hit shuffle.

I don't know where I'm goin'
But I sure know where I've been
Hanging on the promises in songs of yesterday
And I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time

Here I go again, here I go again
Though I keep searching for an answer
I never seem to find what I'm looking for
Oh Lord, I pray you give me strength to carry on
Cause I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams

Here I go again on my own
Goin' down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
And I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time

Just another heart in need of rescue
Waiting on love's sweet charity
And I'm gonna hold on for the rest of my days
Cause I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams…

I hum along with the melody as I walk. I know this song. Kevin used to play it every time he drove his pickup truck, and I couldn't help but memorize the lyrics. They make me a little sad, but I like them all the same. Somehow, they always make me feel like I can survive anything, like being alone isn't the worst thing that could happen. I let my thoughts drift from one subject to another, occasionally catching snatches of the songs that the app picks for me, and slow my pace. It's such a beautiful night…I sigh and crane my head back to get a good look at the night sky, and I realize where I am.

The pond.