Holy fudge popsicles. I wasn't expecting so many follows/ favs in just one day! Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
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…
"Anna?"
"Hmmm…"I sighed dreamily.
"Anna."
"Hmmm…"
"Anna!"
"Hmmm?"
"ANNA, THE PIZZA!"
"Aah!"I screamed, finally noticing the blackening dough in the oven. I quickly put on some safety equipment (my special 'muffy mittens') and grabbed the pizza paddle in the corner of the room. I sprung into action and chucked the pizza out of its fiery containment to put it on the counter; however, I misjudged just exactly where the counter was located and sent the pizza flying out of the small window where I received my orders, and would have hit Kristoff with it had he not ducked in time. The pizza landed on the ground with a sad 'plop.'
"Oh god! I'm so sorry!" I apologized, rushing over to check if he was alright.
Way to screw up again, Anna. Way to screw up.
Kristoff jumped up from off the floor and quickly rounded on me, freaked out a little that this was the third time I had thrown a pizza at him.
I seem to be doing that a lot lately, I thought to myself, completely unaware that Kristoff was saying words to me. And not just with him. And by not him, I mean a certain beautiful, blue – eyed, platinum blonde-haired beauty that has yet to call. God, I shouldn't be surprised. I totally messed up in front of her and I'm a complete idiot around her. Oh, but she's so nice, and sweet, and I really would like to see her again…
"Okay, what the hell?!" Kristoff suddenly cried out, making me jump. "You're doing it again, off in your head somewhere. This whole week you've been off in 'la la land.' First, walking into walls, and then putting parmesan cheese in a customer's water, now flying pizzas! What is going on with you?!"
Crap, don't let him find out! Make an excuse! Say something, anything. "I'm feeling a little gassy," I blurted out.
Kristoff raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Anna that is always the first thing you tell me when you're trying to cover something up."
Crap!
"Um, no it's not! It's a perfectly acceptable excuse! I haven't been feeling well lately, and can barely concentrate, maybe it's cancer? I mean, no, oh god, I hope I don't have cancer, that would be very bad, wait no I don't have cancer, in fact, never mind! Um, I haven't gotten enough sleep lately, and my eyes need a rest, you know, from seeing stuff, in the real world, because really, who wants to be stuck in reality all the time—"
"Anna," Kristoff tried to interrupt gently.
"—And I've been stressed out about gas prices, you know, because we drive so much from one place to another? I mean, have you seen the price of gas nowadays? It's out of this world, let me tell ya—"
"Anna," Kristoff said irritably.
"—And, um, I'm just feeling a little restless from the, uh…coffee. Yeah, the coffee! That's what did it! The coffee I had this morning is making me gassy, sleepy, and stressed out…about gas prices! Because, you know caffeine can sometimes, really affect your body and stuff. Wait." I paused, thinking to myself. "Did I even have coffee today?"
Kristoff blinked. "Anna, you don't even drink coffee."
…Shit.
"Um."
Kristoff raised his hands to stop my rambling. "Nope," he said sternly. "That's it. This is finally it. This is the last straw. Anna banana," he pointed an accusing finger at me, "we are handling this situation, right now. It's intervention time." He sat on top of the counter next to the register, patting a space beside him. "Sit."
"I'm not a dog, "I muttered, feeling slightly defeated. I obliged and sat next to him, twiddling my thumbs and looking anywhere but at Kristoff.
Don't panic, Anna. Be cool, play it cool. He can't possibly know. He probably thinks you're tired or something. Yeah, that it! Don't panic, it's okay, he's oblivious, he's—
"So…" he started, feigning boredom, eyes roaming around in a care free manner, and clapping his hands together.
"So," I said uneasily.
Don't panic, don't panic. Play it cool, you got this. Don't say anything stupid, just play it cool.
"You've been…out of sorts."
"Um, yeah, I guess," I replied, confused to where he was going with this.
Play it cool.
"And you've been stressed out."
"Yeah."
Play it cool.
"Over a girl."
"Yeah."
Play it co—wait, what?!
Kristoff turned his gaze on me, lifting a cocky eyebrow. "Does this beau have a name?" He asked, grinning wickedly.
"Elsa," I blurted out. My eyes widened.
CRAP! He got me!
"Aha!" He exclaimed in victory. "You're crushing on someone!"
Dammit it all!
"Am not!"I snapped, unable to control the blush coming to my cheeks.
Kristoff smirked and crossed his arms. "You so totally have found someone to make 'goo goo' eyes at. Spill the beans, strawberry head. When, where and how did you meet? What does she look like?"
"I'm not answering that," I said, pouting.
He gave me a mock glare. "Oh come on! You already know I'm going to find out eventually. I have my ways. You might as well be upfront about it now."
"I'm taking this one to my grave," I said darkly.
He smirked. "You did something embarrassing, didn't you."
"I insist the right of holding off all information regarding our first encounter."
"Tell me."
"No."
"Oh it's on then. The game is on."
"What game?"
"The game."
I blinked. "You've lost me…"
Kristoff moved from off the counter and stood in front of me. "I, Kristoff," he stated, crossing his hand over his heart, "who still to this day believes reindeer are much better than people, do hereby solemnly swear to find out who Anna's new infatuation is and meet her so that we can both exchange embarrassing stories about Anna."
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"That is so not happening," I promised.
He laughed and waved me back into the kitchen. "We'll see," he remarked, throwing me a confident grin. I rolled my eyes and tried to concentrate on my job for the first time that week. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of watching me daydream about Elsa again.
Silence fell between us for a while (And hey, I made three successful pizzas and delivered them safely to their tables without making a fool of myself! Go me!) until Kristoff cleared his throat while all of our customers ate in peace. He leaned on the counter as I washed dishes.
"So, this Elsa girl—"
"I'm seriously not going to answer any of your questions, so stop asking," I interrupted, focusing on cleaning a pot.
Kristoff rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, ruin all my fun. But, answer this one question, truthfully and earnestly. Indulge me on this one." He stared at me intently. "Is she a customer?"
I thought about lying to him, telling him that she was somebody he would never meet in his lifetime, and that he can go nose around in someone else's love life.
"Yes," I grumbled, staring sullenly at the tiled floor.
Kristoff let out a "Woo hoo!" and pumped his fist in the air.
"This makes the game all the more easier," he proclaimed, smirking as my eyes grew fierce with competitiveness.
Oh, the game is on indeed.
…
…
"Uh huh…uh huh…hmmm…uh huh…well, sir I'm sorry, we don't serve hamburgers but we do have hot wings would you like an order of those?" Kristoff was talking with a customer (Why the hell would a pizza parlor serve burgers?!), disinterested in the conversation but still trying to give a damn. "No hot wings then? A shame, truly it is," he said, suppressing a yawn. "Well, whenever you feel in the mood for some awesome pizza, we'll still be here, sir. Okay? Alright, thank you and goodbye sir." Kristoff hung up and stretched. He checked the time on his watch.
"Ann bam, it's almost time to close up shop and get the hell out of here," he called out.
The sky darkened outside, turning a deep shade of purple. Lights from the hustling, bustling cars outside shone through the shades on the windows.
I lay down in one of the booths, staring at one of the old posters hanging up on the wall.
How Olaf was able to get a picture of Elvis Presley in a speedo is a mystery to me. And an even bigger one is why he thought it would be a good idea to hang it up in a restaurant for people to see while they eat.
"Anna, you're not thinking of Elsa again are you?"
I quickly sat up. "Elsa, where?" I asked, looking frantically around. I blushed and wanted to bang my head repeatedly against the wall when I realized it was still just me and a now very amused Kristoff. He snickered and grabbed a peppermint from the jar in front of him to suck on.
"I hope you choke on that," I said glumly, sticking my tongue out at him.
He was about to retort when suddenly the phone rang. He and I shared confused looks. Who calls two minutes before closing time? I cursed and hurried back into the kitchen to gather ingredients.
Kristoff answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Um, hi. I'm really sorry about calling so late, but is it possible for me to place an order?"
Kristoff shrugged absently and grabbed his notepad. "Sure, not a problem. What would you like?"
"A medium-sized pepperoni."
"Want a drink with that?"
"No thank you, I wouldn't want to trouble you."
Kristoff smiled. Polite and empathetic customers were rare. "It wouldn't be any trouble at all. Do you want a drink?"
"Um, sure. Can I get a small lemonade?"
"Absolutely. Hold on one sec." He took the phone away from his ear. "Anna! A medium pepperoni and small lemonade!"
I had already begun making the pizza and was currently preheating the oven. "Got it!" I called back.
Kristoff turned his attention back to the customer. "Alright. Name and address, please?"
The girl on the line hesitated for a second. "Elsa, and I live on 163 Arendelle Drive."
Kristoff's eyes widened and in his shock he accidentally dropped the phone. "Elsa?" He whispered.
Thanks to my fantastic 'Elsa alert', I heard his whisper. Immediately I began doing a victory dance and bounced around in the kitchen (careful of the appliances, because last time I danced in the kitchen, I accidentally stabbed myself in the hand).
Oh my God, Elsa is asking for our services again! Oh God, I'm going to see her again! I stopped dancing and stood there in horror. Oh God, Kristoff is going to win the game!
I went to work full pronto, turning the heat up on the oven and preparing the bag for delivery. I hurriedly grabbed a small-sized cup and pushed it under the fountain machine. Kristoff, now out of his stupor, realized what I was doing and made a quick dash for the keys on the hanger, still holding the phone. I let out a small shriek, rushed out of the kitchen and charged straight at him, knocking both myself and him to the ground. We scrambled on the floor, yanking and pulling each other back to reach the keys. Over the phone I heard Elsa call out a worried, "Hello?" and took the opportune moment to shove the phone into Kristoff's face to distract him.
"Ah fuck! I mean, um, anything else, ma'am?" He ground out, grabbing desperately at my feet to try and trip me. I dodged his flurrying hands, successfully got my hands on the keys and with a triumphant fist pump, dashed into the kitchen to retrieve the pizza and her drink.
"Um, no?" Elsa said unsurely.
"Then we'll be there soon with your order. Goodbye." He hung up on a very confused and slightly terrified Elsa.
When I had her order all packed and ready to be delivered, I found Kristoff in front of the door, hands outstretched and body blocking my way.
He gave me a death glare. "There is no way you are leaving here without taking me. I need to see Elsa. These embarrassing stories must be shared!"
I glared back and got into my attack mode. "Never," I whispered menacingly.
I ran at him full speed and he prepared himself for impact. At the last second though, I pushed the momentum of my body downwards and found myself slipping between the gap of his legs and barreling into the door. The door flew open from the velocity and I quickly got up and sprinted to the old pizza car, legs and arms pumping wildly to put distance between myself and Kristoff.
Finally, I made it and tossed myself into the front seat, locking the door just in time before Kristoff could put a hand on the door handle. He pouted at me in frustration and flipped me the bird as I drove off into the night, grinning smugly over my victory.
Elsa, here I come!
…
…
I pulled into Elsa's driveway, nervousness settling into my bones once again. I turned the engine off and looked down at my hands, which were shaking terribly. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
You got this Anna. Don't let her unravel you. You're just delivering pizza, that's it. You got this. Go!
I smiled at myself in the mirror and gave myself a thumbs up before grabbing the pizza and drink and heading towards her door. I rang the doorbell and this time had time to prepare myself for the sight of her gorgeous face.
"Pizza delivery!"
Again, I heard movement from inside the house. As the door clicked and slowly swayed open, Elsa was revealed to me once more.
And once again, I found that preparation still did not help me.
She gave me a small smile. "Hi, Anna."
Wait.
What?
She knows my name?
…
SHE KNOWS MY NAME?!
"Oh, Anna! Hey, that's my name!" I said proudly, pointing at my chest. Elsa gave me a strange look and then let out a small laugh, giggling into her hand. I looked down to where I was pointing and realized why she was laughing.
I had pointed to my name tag.
I sighed and shook my head.
Great. Way to suck at not being an idiot.
I got out the pizza from my bag and handed it to her, along with her drink. She gratefully took it and went back in her house to place it on a table. When she came back out, she was holding her wallet.
My eyes widened. "Oh, no," I protested, waving my hands in front of me. "You don't have to pay for your pizza. I remembered what happened last time (Yeah, you made a huge ass of yourself, there's no way you're letting her pay for her pizza.), so the pizza and delivery is free of charge. Seriously, it's on the house."
Elsa merely shook her head and pulled out a twenty. "I know. It's not for the pizza. It's your tip." She stretched out her arm to hand it to me. I stepped back.
"T-twenty? No, no, really I don't deserve that. Oh goodness, I could never take this, really, it's fine, I like delivering pizzas to you, it's the highlight of my day. Err, the delivering part that is. To other houses. Not just specifically you. Ah, but I like delivering to you too, oh but of course I like you! The delivering part, that is. Again. Yeah…" I trailed off, choosing to stare at the lawn than look up at her expression.
Stop talking. Please, stop. You're embarrassing yourself and Elsa. Stop. Talking.
"Oh, um, thank you," Elsa replied after a moment's hesitation. "Still, please, I must insist."She waved the twenty at me, shrugging sheepishly. "I think you deserve the tip. Not many people go out of their way to talk to me."
My eyes snapped up at this. "Really? But why? You're so…nice! Well, nice to me! Even though we've only met like twice and talked for maybe ten minutes max and—yeah, I'm going to shut up now, sorry I tend to ramble," I finished, going back to staring at the lawn with a deep blush on my face.
Elsa merely chuckled and leaned against the side of the door. "Thank you," she said. "Again. You really do know how to dish out compliments." She glanced at me curiously.
"I'm sorry," I apologized, rubbing the back of my neck. "It's probably making you uncomfortable."
Her eyes crinkled in merriment. "Actually, it's quite the opposite. After all, who doesn't like compliments every once in awhile? However, we might be getting off topic. Please," she implored, holding out the crisp bill. "Please take it. If you don't take it, it's just going to waste away in the bottom of my purse. Or it will be used to pay for the next pizza I buy."
My eyes lit up. "So you'll be ordering from now on?"
Her head tilted to the side. "Every Friday and maybe a few Saturdays."
I was almost bouncing on my feet in my giddiness.
I'm going to see her again! I'm going to see her again! I'm going to see her!
I saluted her in my eagerness and gave her a wide, happy grin. "You can certainly count on me to deliver your pizzas! And not throw them at you this time, because, you know, that would be horrible of me."
She simply smiled at my exuberance. "So, the money?"
I sighed in mock exasperation and held out my hand as if I were annoyed. "If you insist." She laughed (Holy crap, that is my favorite sound. Seriously, her voice needs to be put on a mixtape.) and put it in my palm. As her fingers made contact with my skin, I shivered, feeling electricity shoot up my arm once more. She pulled back quickly, furrowing her brows and biting her (pretty) lips.
Oh no, don't leave now. Quick Anna, think of a conversation! Anything to keep talking to her!
I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"Your commitment to your lawn is amazing."
Elsa's brows shot up to her hairline. "My lawn?" She asked, bewildered.
Holy cow. Please, someone throw me off a cliff.
I rubbed at my arm, feeling yet another flush creep up my neck. "Um, because your grass is really green, and looks healthy, and you seem like the type to really care about your lawn, and yeah I have no idea why I said that, ignore me." I kicked at the ground and scratched nervously at my cheek.
To my complete surprise, Elsa's lips curved into a wide grin. "Thank you. I'm actually really flattered you noticed. I do the lawn mowing myself." She wrapped an arm loosely around her stomach. "I know it's a little dorky, but I actually really enjoy lawn mowing," she said, chuckling. "It helps me think."
My eyes brightened. "Oh, that's cool! I do the same thing, just not with lawn mowers. I'm probably the only person in the world who likes to wash dishes because I can daydream without being reprimanded for it. Unless I break a dish, but that's a whole different story. I'm really clumsy, as you probably already know," I said, waving my hands around in a circle, referring to the pizza incident. "But, yeah, I like thinking too. Even though it doesn't look like it. I actually do have a brain…I think," I mumbled the last part unsurely.
Around you, my brain tends to malfunction, but no need to tell you that and watch you freak out.
Elsa leaned against the doorframe, studying me. I felt exposed under her gaze but for once did not look away, fascinated by the intensity of her eyes. As if noticing I wouldn't back down, she quickly averted her gaze, chewing on her (Sweet mother of God, so luscious!) lips.
Finally, I spoke up. "What do you think about?" I asked gently.
She glanced my way for a second before turning her attention back to her lawn, her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Life in general, I guess. Most of the time it's usually about trivial things, such as what I'm going to wear for a meeting or what I'd make for dinner. Though sometimes, I go off into my own world and just…ponder my own existence." She shuffled her feet nervously. "Um, sorry, that was a bit personal."
"No, no!" I said excitedly. "Wait." I paused for a second. "Okay, well, maybe," I admitted, shrugging. "But that's good! It's great that you're able to open up to me so readily, even though I just deliver pizza. I do the same thing as you. I like to ponder about life too. You know, the meaning of life and all that other stuff. I've even had an existential crisis before!" I started bouncing on my toes in excitement. "And aliens! I think they exist! We can't be the only ones in the universe to be alive and kicking!"
Elsa let me ramble on, amusement shining on her radiant face.
I continued. "And where do we go when we die? I mean, I don't want to find out so soon, because, you know, that answer kind of requires that I die, and I don't want to die. Living is so nice! The world is beautiful, filled with beautiful things, and beautiful people!"
Alright, I think that's enough Anna, you're probably creeping her out. Stop at that sentence.
"Beautiful people like you!"
…
When will I ever learn to shut my stupid mouth?
I blushed. "Err, well not like you! I mean, yes, you are beautiful. People are beautiful, you're just beautifuller—oh God! I mean, you're not full," I said, bulging my cheeks. "As in fat. You're not fat. You're just…um…sorry, I'll stop. Man, it's getting late," I said abashedly, checking the nonexistent watch on my wrist. "I should get going. Yeah, I'mma get going. I'm gonna go."
Without even waiting for her response to my stupidity, I practically ran for the car and quickly got in. I rested my forehead against the steering wheel, berating myself for once again acting like an idiot.
You're such a dolt. She's way out of your league; you really need to stop saying weird things to her. Besides she's probably not even into girls. Did you even consider that? Of course not! Oh god, she probably thinks I'm a complete nutcase.
I looked up dejectedly, already picturing in my head Elsa laughing her head off at my expense.
My breath caught at the sight of Elsa giving me her warmest smile and waving at me, a pretty, rosy blush on her cheeks. Sure, she looked as embarrassed as I felt, but the way she was smiling at me made me feel as if the heavens above were singing my name.
I returned her wave with my own timid one and slowly backed out of the driveway, my eyes never leaving her even as she stopped waving and went back into her house.
...
…
On my way home, I rocked out to 'Welcome to the Jungle', air guitaring and banging my head, a wide grin on my face and not a care in the world.
