Elsa could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she raced down the stairs, taking two at at a time until she reached the first floor of her home.
Bursting into the lounge room, she found her mother curled up on the couch and sipping a cup of coffee while she flicked through a magazine.
"Mum," she called, crossing the room to stand in front of her. "Can you please take me to see Jack?"
She watched as her mum frowned before placing the coffee cup on the nearby table. Her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. "Elsa! It's almost 5pm," she pointed out. "I am having one last break before I make a start on dinner. I am not taking you to see Jack at this time. Besides, your father is due home in the next half hour."
She paused, unsure of what to say to persuade her mum to take her. Her eyes flicked to Anna, who had raced into the room and was frantically pulling her own coat on.
"Please, Mum," she whispered, wringing her hands. "It's really important. I have to go see Jack. I've not seen him since Monday and there has been a really big misunderstanding which I need to sort out."
"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" her mum asked, furrowing her brows as she looked at her.
She shook her head. She opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by Anna, who had come to stand beside her with their mum's purse and car keys in hand.
"It really can't wait, Mum," Anna explained, wrapping her arm around her waist. "Trust me. This is really, really, really important. Also, it needs to be done before Elsa loses all of her confidence."
Her mother sighed and swallowed the last of her coffee. "Let me guess. Neither of you are going to leave me alone until I give in, are you?" she quipped.
She grinned and shot a knowing look at Anna. She knew that her mum was caving in to their pleas.
"Nope. It really is in everyone's best interest for you to say yes," Anna stated. "Also, if you say yes it will make you the best mum ever."
She watched as her mother stood to her feet and let out a loud exhale. "Anna, ring your father and let him know that we will be late and I will pick us something to eat on the way home," she ordered. "Elsa, ring Caroline and let her know that we are on our way. I expect that we will get a full explanation once we get to the Frost home."
Jack could feel the anxiety rising as he tore around his bedroom. He furiously shoved all dirty clothes out of sight. Bunny and Tia had only just left when his mum had burst in to announce that Elsa was on her way over for an impromptu visit.
Pausing in front of the mirror, he frowned. His eyes settled on the dirty pyjama pants that he had worn for the last three days and he groaned. Flinging open his wardrobe, he pulled out a pair of clean trackpants along with some fresh underwear and a t-shirt. Lifting his arm, he took a whiff. To his relief, he smelled somewhat decent which he could only put down to his decision to shower earlier in the day. He chucked the clothes on and dug in his chest of drawers until he found a can of deodorant and a hairbrush.
Brushing his hair, he couldn't help think that there was something suspicious in the the way Bunny and Tia had behaved. He knew that they had decided to check up on him on behalf of Elsa, but there was still something off in the way they had been so quick to excuse themselves after he had confessed his feelings. Tia had pulled out her phone and had sent a text to an unnamed contact. She'd shown the text to Bunny and they had exchanged a knowing look before they had stood to their feet and had announced that they had to leave.
Moments later, he'd received the news that Elsa was visiting, which led him to believe that Tia had sent the text to Elsa. He didn't mind the idea of Elsa visiting. In fact, he finally felt ready to face her and possibly own up to his feelings. However, he couldn't deny that having come clean about his feelings had changed the way he approached her visit.
In the past, he would have felt fine with what he was wearing. In fact, he likely would have remained in the dirty and smelly pyjamas that Bunny and Tia had caught him in, but not anymore. Having owned up to the truth of his feelings for Elsa, he suddenly felt that he needed to look better, more presentable for her. He wanted to impress her.
The doorbell receiver flashed, letting him know that someone had rung the doorbell. Stepping over to the window, he peered out. His eyes fell on the Andersen car parked in front of the house.
Gulping, he grabbed his iPad and left his room. He could feel his heart beating as he walked towards the living room.
Rounding the corner, he saw Elsa. She was standing bashfully beside her mother, who was deep in conversation with his mum. Anna and Emily stood behind her, a knowing smile on both of their faces. Suddenly, he could feel himself growing nervous.
"Elsa, hi," he spoke, giving her a shy smile.
He watched as she bit her lip. Her eyes darted between him and her sister. Then, to his dismay, she took a step back. Her mouth opened, but she soon closed it. He felt his heart sinking. The last time he had seen her this nervous around him was on the day they had first met. That had been the same day that they both feared that the other had been sent to hurt them.
"Elsa," he spoke, taking a step towards her. "Please."
Lifting her head, she looked at him. Her mouth opened as she took a deep breath and signed to him. "Can we talk?" she asked. "Alone?"
He nodded and beckoned her to follow him. Pausing at the door, he turned to let his mum know that they would be in his room and that the door would be left open, as per the agreed upon rules.
Elsa could feel her confidence slipping away at a rapid pace.
When she had first approached her mum about visiting Jack, she had been so sure about herself. She had known exactly what needed to be said. She had known that she needed to tell him that she was aware of his feelings for her. She had known that she had to reassure him that his feelings for her were not in vain and that he didn't need to fear rejection from her.
However, now that she was sitting on his bed with her back resting against his headboard and her ASL book by her side, she wasn't as sure of herself. Jack had taken the seat opposite her on the bed. The iPad laid open to the note application app between them. Glancing up, she noted that he was rubbing his hand over the back of his neck which was a nervous habit of his.
She bit her lip, suddenly unsure about what to say. A part of her wanted to bring up the fact that he had hurt her. She wanted him to know how his silence had left her feeling miserable and fearing that she had upset him. Another part of her wanted to jump straight to the point and tell him that she knew that he had admitted to having feelings for her. She wanted to tell him that she realised it was his own insecurities that had seen him try and push her away from him. However, she felt that she needed to hear it from him and in doing so she needed to be honest with him about her own feelings.
"Elsa," Jack spoke. "I am so, so, sorry."
She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall and looked at him, catching his gaze. "You hurt me," she replied and paused to flip through her book until she found the next sign that she needed. "I thought that I had offended you."
Jack sighed and shook his head. "No," he admitted. "You could never hurt me. I was a jerk. I'm sorry."
"So, what happened?" she asked. "To make you leave and ignore me for so long. What did I do?"
Jack groaned and shifted so that he was leaning against the wall. "It's a long story," he replied.
Nodding, she leaned down and flicked through her book before turning to face him. "Please tell me, Jack," she pleaded. "I think that I have the right to know."
Jack grabbed the iPad and carefully rested it on his lap. "It may be easier for me to type," he spoke. "We don't have a lot of time and I don't feel comfortable speaking it because of nosy sisters. You are right though, I do owe you an explanation."
She nodded. She watched as Jack bent his head down to type on the touch-screen keyboard, a faint blush dusted his cheeks.
Blushing furiously, Jack handed the iPad to Elsa. He could feel his heart pounding as she tilted the screen to read what he had typed. He had decided to stick to key points and explain how Ryan had approached him on Monday before lunch and had got her name and nationality wrong before he'd asked if they were dating. He then explained how Ryan had stated that he wanted to ask her to the prom simply because she was hot.
He watched as she bent her head over the screen and typed a reply. 'So, were all these days off because Ryan asked me to prom?' she asked.
'Kind of,' he replied. 'There is more to it though.'
He watched as Elsa balanced the iPad on her lap before pulling out her phone and tapping to bring up a message. Leaning down, she typed her response. 'Is this true?' she asked.
He gulped as he read through the message. As expected, it had been from Tia and had relayed the fact that he liked her and had taken the days off because he feared that she couldn't return his feelings. Blushing, he handed the phone to her and took the iPad. Bending down, he typed his reply. 'Yes, it is true. I am in love with you.' he confessed. 'I am sorry. I know that you probably hate me now. I know that you are going to prom with Ryan and I'm not good enough for you.'
Sniffing, he turned his head. A part of him was glad that the truth was finally out and that Elsa now knew he liked her. The other part of him was terrified and feared the reaction that was bound to come. Especially since she'd had the last few days to sit with Ryan.
He felt Elsa's hand reach out to softly tap at his hand. Reluctantly, he turned to face her. He forced himself to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. Softly, she stroked his hands before pulling back to sign.
"Jack," Elsa began, smiling. "I'm not going to prom with Ryan. He is nice, but he is not who I want to go to prom with."
Cocking his head, he looked at her. "You don't? Why not? He's popular and all the girls like him," he pointed out.
She shook her head and smiled shyly. "He's not you," she replied.
He could feel his cheeks heating up. His eyes flicked between Elsa and the ASL book which lay open to her side. He contemplated asking her to repeat herself, maybe even type the message on the iPad so that he could be certain that she had signed the correct words.
"Me?" he repeated, staring at her. "You want to go with me?
Elsa nodded, shyly. She could feel her cheeks heating up as her eyes flicked between Jack's own eyes and his lips.
Glancing down, she flicked through her ASL book and double checked the sign that she needed before meeting his gaze. "I'm in love with you, Jack," she admitted.
She watched his eyes widened and his mouth pulled into the lopsided grin that she had come to know and love. Shuffling closer, she reached her hand out to lightly cup his chin. She could feel her heart pounding as she leaned in to press a soft kiss to his lips.
Breaking apart, she gasped as the realisation of what she had done hit her. Hastily, she climbed off the bed as she mentally scolded herself. Never in her life, had she been so bold and now she had gone and kissed Jack. She could feel the panic rising. Sure, he had admitted to being in love with her, but it was still possible that she had kissed him far too soon. After all, they had a lot of things which they still needed to discuss. Blushing, she turned to grab her book from the bed.
Turning around, she stood up straight and found herself face to face with Jack, a tinge of blush dotted his cheeks.
"Don't go," he spoke and reached for her.
She gulped. Biting her lip, she watched as Jack's hand moved to grab hers. His spare hand grabbed her book and placed it back on the bed. He then snaked the spare arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She was certain that he could feel her heart racing. Slowly, he leaned in and kissed her.
Instinctively, she moved to wrap her arms around his neck. She moved one hand to rest against the back of his head and deepened the kiss. She trembled slightly when Jack tightened his grip on her and pressed his body even closer to his.
The sound of high-pitched giggles coming from the door caused her to break the kiss. Shifting her head, she spotted her sister and Emily standing with their hands on their hips as they looked at them. Blushing, Jack dropped his arms from her waist and moved to stand beside her as Anna and Emily entered the room.
"Called it," Anna smirked, watching as Emily signed for Jack. "I knew that you'd end up making out."
"What do you want?" Jack spoke, running a hand through his tousled hair.
"Mum said to let you know that the Andersen's are staying for dinner," Emily replied. "We are having Chinese take out. She asked that you come and check the menu in case there is anything special that you want to order."
She shook her head. A wide smile crossed her face as she watched her sister and Emily playfully push each other in their rush to leave the room. She knew that by the time her and Jack made it to the lounge room that their parent's would know about the kiss, but she didn't care.
She felt Jack reach down to tap her arm as he shifted to stand in front of her. "So, will you go to prom with me?" he asked, furrowing his brow.
She nodded, enthusiastically. "I'd love to," she beamed and reached over to hug him.
Jack lay on his back. The covers were pulled tightly around him as he reflected on the events of the afternoon and evening.
As he'd expected, Emily and Anna had been quick to inform their respective parents that they had walked in on him and Elsa kissing. However, he'd not felt embarrassed. To his surprise, both his mum and Elsa's parents had been supportive and had claimed that they had long suspected that he and Elsa had feelings for each other.
The Andersen's had stayed until 9pm which had given him and Elsa plenty of times to talk. After dinner, they had retreated to his room where Elsa had filled him in on the events of the last few days. He had felt a pang of jealousy when she had mentioned spending time at Ryan's table, until she had gone on to explain that she had felt miserable without him and had discovered that Ryan and her were two different people.
Rolling over, he reached for the alarm and checked that he had set it in time for school. His mother had already emailed Hans to let him know that he would be attending for the last day of the school week. Especially, as he had seemingly made a miraculous recovery after in time for Elsa to visit.
Grinning, he ran his fingers over his lips. He couldn't help smiling when he remembered how Elsa had kissed him, not once, but twice. He shook his head. He could scarcely believe that in a matter of hours, he had gone from believing it was best to keep his distance from her, to holding her in his arms and kissing her. He had even asked her to their school prom, an event that had held no interest to him, until now.
Suddenly, a bright light filled the room and alerted him to his new text message. Reaching over, he swiped at the screen. He felt his smile widening when he saw that it was Elsa, telling him to check his bedside drawer and that she would see him tomorrow morning.
He shuffled into a sitting position and flicked the bedside light on. Pulling open the drawer, his eyes fell on a folded piece of paper with his name written on in Elsa's neat handwriting. Eagerly, he pulled out the paper and unfolded it to read the message that she had left for him.
'Jack,
You may feel that you are not good enough for me, but I know for a fact that that is not true. The truth is that you are perfect for me and you mean more to me than you can ever know. ~ Elsa'
He sighed. He knew that he still had to admit the true extent of his low confidence to Elsa. Despite her revelation that she liked him as much as he liked her, there was still the fact that he feared that she wouldn't want to be with him long term. Not with the changes that it would mean for her life. Still, he knew that it was only the beginning which gave him plenty of time, he hoped, to broach the subject with her.
Tonight, he wanted to focus on the positive which was that someone as perfect as Elsa, could be in love with him.
Elsa grinned as Anna pulled the bedroom door closed behind her. Her sister had just spent the last thirty minutes pleading with her to reveal the details about her and Jack's kiss. However, her attempts had been thwarted when their mother had burst in and ordered them to go to bed.
Lying down, she raised her fingers to her lips. Her mind continued to replay the events of the last few hours and the changes that had come from them.
To her delight, the rest of the night had been a pleasant affair. The Andersens had shared dinner with the Frosts before her and Jack had excused themselves to talk some more. They had ignored the kissy faces that their sisters had made and had retreated to his bedroom where they had gone over the events of the last few days.
She had admitted to him that it had been her time spent with Ryan and his friends that had helped her to realise the true extent of her feelings for Jack. She had revealed how, despite being a lovely guy, Ryan had left her feeling bored and missing Jack. She had sensed that Jack had felt a pang of jealousy, but had hoped that he trusted her when she had told him that Ryan could not compare to him. After all, he was the guy that she had fallen in love with.
Both her and Jack had realised that thing had changed for him. The dynamic in their friendship had shifted with the admittal of romantic feelings and while they had both enjoyed the kisses that they had shared, they also wanted to take care to ensure that the friendship that they had built would not be lost in the excitement of their blossoming romance. Together, they had decided to keep the nature of their new relationship a secret. They had decided to only let their parents and sisters, as well as Bunny and Tia, know about the change. They both felt that it was for the best until they got used to the new direction in which they were headed.
To her relief, her parents had been supportive. Her mother had revealed on the ride home that her and Caroline Frost had long suspected that her and Jack had feelings for each other. Although, she had warned her that friend or not, her father still intended to act as the protective father and give Jack 'the speech' prior to letting him whisk her away to the prom. He had claimed that it was one of the perks of fatherhood.
She shut her eyes. She still couldn't believe that she was going to the prom. In the last few weeks she had heard so much about it and had seen the posters which decorated the school. However, she had never held much interest in it. Jack had never indicated that he intended to go and she knew that there was no way she wanted to attend without him. He was, after all, her first and best friend in America. However, all that had changed and he was now the boy she loved and her prom date.
Yawning, she rolled onto her side and pulled the blankets tighter around her. She felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, one that she had not realised she'd been carrying. The weight had only been lifted once she had been honest with herself and with Jack.
A/Note- Ahh, so they finally did it, they kissed. They've still haven't got everything sorted and in the next chapter we'll learn a bit more about how they are handling the shift in their relationship. Jack's confidence issues are still there and in time they will be revealed to Elsa, giving her the chance to respond to them.
I'd like to do a shout out to Zulka who has recently started posting two of her own Jelsa stories. Zulka is someone who has been an incredible help to me with this story, so if you're looking for some new stories to read, check out her profile :).