Taking a deep breath, Elsa crossed the road. Slowly, she walked towards Burgess High. A sense of dread filled her as the large building got closer. She stole a glance at Anna, who was humming a cheery tune and was clearly excited for the new school week. She couldn't help feeling a small sense of relief that her sister was happy in their new school.
Her and Anna had been attending their new American high school for four weeks and their experiences at the school had been completely different.
Anna had quickly come to love their new school. Rachel, the girl who had been sent to show her around on her first day, had invited her to join her and her friends at lunch. The two girls had since become good friends and had already caught up out of school hours. Anna's peers were seemingly fascinated with their new foreign-born classmate. Each night, Anna would return home and share stories about the kids in her classes and how they would rush to her, eager to practise the Norwegian phrases which she had taught them.
Elsa, on the other-hand, was struggling in her new environment. Her honest mistake in choosing the wrong seat in homeroom on her first day had only served to cement her as an outcast. Violet, it seemed, held a great deal of influence over their fellow students. As a result, she had continued to remain ignored and invisible to her classmates. The only time when she was shown any attention was when Violet and her clique decided to grace her with their presence- then she was forced to listen to cruel insults where everything from her accent, to her appearance were cruelly mocked.
"If you are worried about school, don't be," Anna said, breaking the silence as she leaned over to nudge her shoulder. "You'll be fine, Elsa. You just need to give the kids in your class a chance to see how awesome you are."
Frowning, she turned to face her sister. "Easy for you to say," she muttered. "Everyone loves you. I'm just the weird girl with the freaky hair colour, pale skin and the weird accent."
She watched as Anna let out a chuckle. A wide grin appeared on her face as she moved to drape her arm around Elsa's shoulder. "Um, Elsa," she began, raising an eyebrow. "I hate to point it out, but we have the exact same accent. The hair is different, appearance as well, but the accent- well that's the same."
She shook her head. "No, Anna. Apparently we don't. Your accent is cute, according to your classmates. My accent only makes me even more of a freak," she protested, stepping out from under Anna's grasp. "Not to mention the fact that I still make mistakes with a few of my words. The slang is really hard for me."
A small frown appeared on Anna's freckled face as she considered her response. Her sister opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sound of her name being called. Sighing, she turned her head and watched as one of Anna's new friends came bounding down the path at an alarmingly fast speed. Stepping out the way, she managed to avoid a collision and watched as the girl flung her arms around Anna's shoulders. The two younger girls let out an excitable shriek as they hugged. Sighing, she tapped her sister on her shoulder. "I'll see you later," she said before turning to leave.
She could hear Anna calling out for her, but she ignored her and kept walking. It wasn't fair to Anna to burden her with her troubles. Anna was the one who had to spend the next three years at the school. Therefore, it made more sense that she was the one who was happy to be there. As the eldest, she would just have to make a better effort at appearing more positive about her experiences in front of Anna.
Carefully, Elsa packed her bag into her locker. All around her, people were shrieking and holding loud conversations as they caught up with friends. A small yawn escaped her mouth as she pulled out the books that she needed for her next few lessons. Clutching the books to her chest, she shut her locker and made her way into her homeroom.
Her eyes fell on the teacher's desk and she noticed that her normally punctual homeroom teacher was late. Keeping her head down, she made her way to her desk and placed her belongings on it before sliding into her seat.
"Hey, vampire," sneered an amused voice. "Did you have a good weekend?"
Rolling her eyes, she turned to look at Violet as she approached her desk. She could feel her breath hitch as she approached, flanked by three of her friends. Within seconds the four girls had surrounded her desk, blocking all hope of escape. Their laughter rang across the room as they congratulated their leader on her insult. She paused, momentarily and considered throwing some sass back at Violet, but thought better of it. Instead, she just shrugged and directed her attention to her books.
"Don't you know that it's rude to ignore people?" Violet hissed as she stepped closer. "Or don't they teach you manners in No-way?"
"It's Norway," she replied, not bothering to look up.
Violet snorted. "Like I care. Do you like my new name for you? Vampire- because you are pale and freaky," she teased.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I can tell that you have put a lot of thought into it," she replied, sarcastically. "You must be proud."
She heard one of Violet's friends draw in a gasp before letting out a small giggle. The classroom fell silent as the other students focused their attention on her and her tormentors.
"Don't you dare try and sass me, girl. I can make your life a living hell," Violet snapped as her hands reached out to fling the books off the desk. "Did you catch all of that, or am I speaking too fast for you, freak?"
She heard the sound of loud laughter escaping from Violet and her friends as they repeated the names that they had called her. With the show over, the rest of the class resumed their conversations. She watched as Violet and her accomplices settled back in their seats, their harsh glares fixed on her. Taking a deep breath, she slid off her seat and bent down to retrieve her books. Her classmates eyes were trained on her, but she ignored them. She wasn't going to give them the benefit of seeing that she had been rattled. Instead, she was going to continue to do her best to ignore them. She didn't care what they thought, she only had to make it through the school year before she could return home to Arendelle.
Jack slumped in his seat. He could feel the ache in his shoulder, but he ignored it. He couldn't let it be known that he was hurting. To show his pain would risk questions being asked. The last thing he needed to do was draw attention to the pain that he was feeling.
He let out a sigh. He'd not even made it into the school when Tyler and his gang had struck. Instead, he had been outside and had been walking up the path from the car park towards the main entrance. They had attacked from behind and had grabbed him and shoved him roughly against the wall of the school. Their attack had been quick, they had simply wanted to remind him of their ability to strike fear in him. Once they had seen the panic in his eyes, they had left. As a parting gift they had tossed screwed up pieces of paper at his feet.
He felt a light tap on his shoulder. Raising his head, he found himself staring into Hans' face. "Hey," Hans signed, furrowing his brows. "Are you okay? You didn't say hello when you came in."
Frowning, he nodded. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted one of Tyler's friends watching with interest. "I'm fine," he replied, offering a bleak smile. "I am just really, really tired. I would rather be at home sleeping."
He watched as Hans bit his lip. He could sense that he wanted to say more, but he didn't. Instead, he returned the smile. "You and me both, Jack," he replied.
He nodded. He watched as Hans gave him one last smile before heading to the front of the room to chat with the homeroom teacher. Digging in his pocket, he pulled out the pieces of paper that Tyler and his friends had thrown at him. Their handwriting and spelling was messy, but their message was clear. Jack was a freak who would never amount to anything and it was their opinion that he should do them all a favour and quit school.
He felt his watch vibrate as the alarm that he had set to coincide with the school bell went off, alerting him that school had started. Scrunching up the papers, he shoved them back into his pocket and looked up. He could feel Hans' eyes watching him, but shrugged it off. He knew that Hans was worried about him. There had been a few times when he had been pulled aside so that Hans could ask him if he needed someone to talk to. Each time he had asked, Jack had brushed it off and had reassured him that he was fine. He had lied every single time.
A tap on his shoulder broke him from his thoughts. "Are you sure that everything is okay?" Hans asked. "What was on the pieces of paper?"
He gulped. His eyes darted to the side while he tried to come up with an excuse that would satisfy Hans' curiosity without getting him in more trouble with his tormentors. To his relief, the teacher stepped in and called them to stand for the pledge. He watched as Hans frowned slightly before stepping back to translate.
Getting to his feet, he faced the flag and signed the pledge. Once that was over, he sat down in his seat and watched as Hans translated the morning bulletin. To his relief, there wasn't much in the way of news to get through. As the last bit of information was read out, he stood to his feet and gathered his books. Clutching the books under one arm, he made his way to the front of the room to meet Hans.
Together, they walked through the halls of the school until they reached the doorway of their first classroom. He felt himself being shoved against the doorframe and turned to watch as one of his bullies brushed past him, stopping long enough to smirk at him before he hurried to his seat.
Shaking his head, he headed to his desk and slid into his seat. He felt a tap on his hand and looked up. "You know, if you are having trouble with something, or someone, you can talk to me? I would be happy to go with you to tell someone." Hans sighed.
He nodded. "I'm fine, Hans," he replied. "Really."
He watched as Hans furrowed his brows. Hastily, he diverted his gaze, shutting down communication so that Hans couldn't press the issue. He knew that Hans didn't believe his answer, he had witnessed the minor attack, but he couldn't force an answer out of him. After all, he wasn't the one who had to face Tyler and his gang.
Elsa scanned the cafeteria for a place to sit. She could feel her anxiety rising as she glanced over the room. For most students, lunch break was the highlight of their school day. It was their time for catching up with friends and sharing jokes without the teachers keeping watch. However, for her it was hell. It was yet another period where she was forced to sit alone, like an outcast. It's only purpose, it seemed, was to remind her of the loneliness she felt.
Her eyes skimmed over the crowded room as she weighed up her options. All around her friends sat in groups and chatted happily. She could see a few empty seats at random tables, but she liked to avoid those seats. In the first few weeks she had taken one of those spots and it hadn't gone well. The other occupants at the table would look at her before moving their chairs and huddling even closer to each other. Regardless of where she sat, the other students would always look at her as an unwelcome intruder with nothing better to do than eavesdrop on their conversations.
Letting out a sigh, she stepped forward. The eyes of the student population fell on her as they waited to see whose table she would choose to impose on.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she spied Anna waving at her. She fixed a warm smile on her face and returned the wave. She watched as Anna lowered her head to talk to her friends and gulped. She knew what Anna was planning. Her sister had noticed that she sat alone in the cafeteria and had offered her to join her at her table. She had politely declined the offer. Sitting with Anna would only risk embarrassing her, or drawing more cruel taunts. She could only imagine the way Violet would respond if she saw her sitting with her younger sister and her friends. Not to mention that it could possibly lead Violet to Anna and risk her sweet sister being tormented as well.
Her eyes fell on Anna as she pushed her chair back and stood up. Taking a deep breath, she made her move. Hastily, she wove through the tables and strode out the wide doors that led to the yard.
A few long strides across the grounds was all that had been needed for Elsa to find a place to sit. After fleeing the cafeteria, she had come to rest underneath a large tree on the edge of the school grounds. The spot was nestled amongst a few trees and allowed her to remain hidden from the majority of students while still being on school grounds.
She had lowered herself down and had pulled out her packed lunch and her favourite Harry Potter book. She had flicked open the pages of the book and had let her mind travel to a distant place while she'd read about Harry and his friends dealing with the threat of an escaped prisoner.
The serenity that came from the hidden location was a welcome relief. The mild autumn breeze was blowing the leaves around her and helping her to feel relaxed. She found herself becoming lost in the story and would have continued to do so, if it wasn't for the sound of leaves crunching around her as someone approached.
Gulping, she slipped her bookmark between the pages of her book and closed it. Her eyes settled on the intruder. He was a slim boy with tousled silver-white hair and was dressed in black jeans with a blue hoodie. If she were to guess, she would put him at around her age. Although, she didn't recognise him from any of her classes. Biting her lip, she watched as he continued to stare at her. A lopsided grin crossed his face before he reached a thin arm out and pointed at her book.
"Harry Potter," he said, giving her a thumbs up.
She panicked. She watched as the boy's grin disappeared and he looked around for something, or someone. His arms dug into the pocket of his hoodie and she assumed that he was digging around for his phone. He was currently alone, but she couldn't help fearing that he was another one of Violet's acquaintances- sent out to corner her before alerting her bully to her location.
Standing to her feet, she grabbed her book and her empty food wrappers and bundled them under her arms. "Leave me alone, please," she begged before turning to flee.
Jack could feel the panic rising as he looked around the busy cafeteria. His eyes scanned the room until they settled on Tyler and his friends. His bullies had gathered at their usual table along with Tyler's girlfriend, Violet, and her equally nasty friends.
Taking a deep breath, he looked for an escape. His eyes fell on the doors that led to the yard and he breathed a sigh of relief. The pleasant weather outside had made it possible for him to flee to safety. With one last glance at Tyler, he made his move. He scurried through the tables of the cafeteria until he had stepped outdoors. Once outside, he paused to exhale. Glancing over his shoulder, he felt his heart rate slowing down as he realised that he had managed to get out without his bully seeing him.
He raced through the grounds with purpose, until he reached his favourite hiding spot. A large tree that was nestled among other trees on the edge of the school grounds. He had discovered the tree by accident a few weeks earlier and it had quickly become his safe haven. It was a place that he could go to rest in peace without the fear of being discovered by Tyler and his gang.
Slowing down to a halt, he could feel his eyes widening. Sitting in his hiding spot was a girl. Her back was curled up against the tree. He couldn't help noticing that the girl was undeniably beautiful with a slender frame, pale skin and platinum-blonde hair. However, it was the book that she was reading that really caught his attention.
Furrowing his brows, he leaned in for a closer look at the title: Harry Potter og fangen fra Azkaban. The cover art, series name and Azkaban gave it away as being Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, his personal favourite book in the series. The language, however, was foreign to him.
"Harry Potter," he said, grinning widely.
He watched as the girl raised her head to look at him. Hastily, she jumped to her feet before looking around for something, or someone.
He gulped. He could feel the panic start to return as the girl continued to look around. His Harry Potter obsession was well known amongst his classmates. They didn't even have to communicate with him to know that he was a proud Potterhead. His folders were all decorated with Harry Potter book labels and stickers and he could often be found wearing his favourite Slytherin t-shirt. It was entirely possible that Tyler had discovered his safe place and had convinced the girl to go out and use his own interests to lure him into a trap.
To make matters worse, he had actually spoken out loud to the girl. He had used his speaking voice in front of her and had broken his own rule of not speaking in front of people until he was comfortable with them.
He knew that many people at his school assumed him to be a mute. However they were wrong. He was capable of speaking. He simply chose not to speak in public due to the reaction that his spoken voice tended to get from strangers.
His mother had explained to him as a child that his voice sounded different to those of hearing people. She had said that it was a side effect of being born Deaf. In order for him to vary the tone and pitch of his voice, he would have to be able to hear it. As a result, he had made the decision to refrain from speaking around people until he trusted them enough to not ridicule him. However, now he had screwed up and had spoken in front of a complete stranger.
Shaking his head, he watched as the girl clutched her belongings to her chest. Her mouth was moving as she spoke to someone. Glancing around, he couldn't see anyone, but it was possible that they were hiding behind the other trees that lined the area. Digging in his pocket, he pulled out his notepad and a pen. Hastily, he scribbled down a message for the girl. He could feel his heart pounding as he reached out to grasp the girl's hand.
A/N- So, here we have our duo meet each other.
I'd like to thank Zulka for providing some valuable insight into Deaf/ Hard of hearing, ASL and services in the USA. As whilst this is an entirely fictional story for enjoyment I am striving to show respect to the Deaf community, and to me that means trying to keep it accurate, maybe bring a small bit of understanding.