I. Am. So. Excited. For. This. Chapter.
(also, Trigger Warning-Minor mentions of abuse)
My loves… enjoy.
The goodbye between Tiana and Anna was tearful and they were struggling to let each other go so Anna could board the bus and they could move along to the next stop in North Carolina.
It took all of Anna's willpower to step away from her friend, wipe underneath her eyes, and bit her farewell. Tiana bombarded Anna with a command to visit New Orleans again as soon as she got the chance. Anna promised her, crossing her heart, and made a mental note to eat more of Tiana's food the next time she visited. The rest of the band shook hands and exchanged hugs with Tiana's little gang, wishing them well. Lottie was literally sobbing into Louis' shoulder, autographs in her dainty grip. Olaf had to pry the girl off of him awkwardly when she embraced him, not wanting to hurt the poor girl's feelings in any way.
Tiana gave Anna a kind peck on the cheek before the redhead had to follow Elsa onto the bus. She watched with tears in her eyes as Oaken pulled away from Tiana's Place, the restaurant getting smaller and smaller as they left along the busy streets.
"You'll see her again, kid," Elsa assured, squeezing Anna's shoulder. "Hell, maybe if you join us on our next tour, we'll swing by New Orleans."
"Yeah! Besides, I need some more of that gumbo," Olaf said, rubbing his stomach pleasantly. "I shoulda taken some for the road."
"I think it's better fresh," Marshmallow said.
"I'd take it in any form. As long as it's Tiana's," Olaf replied, sinking into the couch. "Alright, who's up for a round of Mario Kart?"
They had a long while until they all reached North Carolina so it was a long road trip of moping around the giant mechanical motor monster. Anna took to studying again, burying her face into her work and trying to keep her mind off of things. Elsa locked herself in her room in order to attempt to write a song. The boys were playing games or talking in the front room, Anna occasionally joining them when she wanted to take a break from her heavy books and graphite pencils.
Elsa only showed her face once for lunch that afternoon they had left New Orleans behind. She ate, talked with them for a while, and then retreated back inside. Anna remained in the booth with a light reading book in her grip to put her mind at ease, staring after the punk.
"She's really stressing herself out with that song," Anna mused.
"The thing about Elsa," Sitron said, shoving his side into Olaf as they raced against one another, "is that she's a hard core perfectionist. The song has to be perfect. One hundred percent, no flaws, no hairline mistakes. If Elsa isn't satisfied, then the song is garbage."
"Kai gets really frustrated with that," Marshmallow said from his bunk.
"Elsa claims that perfection is a gift and a curse," Olaf added, fighting Sitron back.
"Why doesn't she get someone else to write her songs?" Anna wondered.
"Because Elsa feels that it's not authentic enough," Olaf chuckled. "I told her that even the greatest singers have their work written for them sometimes but she refuses to believe it."
"Arrogant," Sitron grumbled.
Anna pursed her lips at him but didn't say anything else, her eyes falling down to the words on the page.
Night was falling as they crossed over into Alabama, the bus starting to shudder, in need of gas. Oaken was also beginning to doze off and he wanted to ensure his passengers were safe. So he pulled into a rest stop and filled the bus up with fuel, the band and Anna poking around a liquor store together.
"Million dollar question, Anna," Elsa said to her, a shelf in between the two of them.
"Hm?" Anna said, perusing the chip section with lidded eyes.
"Snickers or Baby Ruth?" Elsa held up the two full sized bars in question, pressing her lips together in a form of seriousness.
"Uh…" Anna raised her gaze up to stare at Elsa. "I'd go with the Snickers…"
"Wrong!"
"What? No. You gave me to options—"
"There's always the option of neither, baby." Elsa smirked, putting back the candy bars. "And when there's neither, you can pick up one of these devils." She lifted a king-sized Hershey's bar. "Wanna split it with me? You said you like chocolate."
Anna smiled. "Oh, sure! Sounds great. Do you want some of my chips?" Anna showed off her Doritos bag.
"Yeah, it'll be great," Elsa said, rounding the shelf to meet up with the roadie. "We'll get stoned, have some chips and chocolate and then—"
"Elsa!" Anna complained.
The blonde laughed. "I'm joking, kid! Chill out."
"But can we still have chips and chocolate?" Anna squeaked.
"Of course we can have chips and chocolate. In fact—" Elsa returned to the candy isle and took out five more bars of the Hershey's chocolate. "We can have three each, kid. How does that sound?"
"Divine," Anna sighed.
"I'm so glad," Elsa teased, putting an arm around Anna's shoulders as they headed over to the line, the three boys still mulling over what they wanted to snack on. Anna allowed herself to snuggle up to Elsa as the punk continued to speak. "Just remind me to stop by a gym soon. After all this chocolate I may need a long session of punching that bag."
"Pssh, chocolate isn't gonna do anything," Anna scoffed. "It's a gift from the heavens so what harm can it do?"
"I won't be able to stop eating it."
"Touché, Elsa. Been there, done that."
Elsa snorted and tossed the candy onto the counter, grabbing Anna's chip bag along with them.
"I'm buying," she insisted.
"Ooh, how noble of you, Madame Elsa," Anna laughed. "Paying for my chips. No wonder you make all the girls swoon."
"You better believe it, baby," Elsa winked, pulling out her wallet.
With items bought and the band regrouped in front of the store, they returned to the bus for a couple of movies, the five of them huddled together on the couch while Oaken snoozed in his big seat. The light of the film fell gently across the glowing eyes of each young adult, captivating them in the plot line.
Somewhere in the middle of the second movie, Sitron passed out on the second couch, Olaf and Marshmallow began a game of cards, Elsa had returned to her room, and Anna was on her phone, not paying much attention to the film anymore. It was the cue to shut everything down and head to bed.
So Olaf kicked Sitron awake as Anna bid them goodnight, knocking on Elsa's door and telling her the same. She earned a soft response, feeling her stomach warm up against her will. But she went with the feeling and went to her bedroom for the night.
"You guys!" Elsa shouted from her room, bursting from the confines with her laptop in her hands. "Kai just sent me an email!"
They were in another pitstop but had landed in Atlanta this time around. Anna had departed from the bus to go grocery shopping, finding that their water bottle level was dangerously low. So it was just Dry Ice on the bus, Oaken having accompanied Anna so he could pick up a few things for himself as well.
"About what?" Olaf asked as Elsa threw herself into the booth beside him.
"The posters!" Elsa cheered. "Our first official posters!"
"No fucking way!" Sitron shouted, cramming himself into the booth so Elsa was squished between him and Olaf.
"Yeah, but he wants to Skype us first," Elsa said, logging into her Skype. "He said he wants to see our faces."
"I can't wait!" Olaf clapped as his brother lumbered over to hover behind the three.
Elsa clicked on Kai's name to call and he popped up on the screen, beaming and clasping his hands together in anticipation.
"Ah, yes, Dry Ice!" he chirped. "How are we all this fine day?"
"Spectacular," Elsa said, rolling her eyes. "Kai, can't we get to the point?"
"Of course, of course," Kai sighed, the sounds of typing and clicking coming from his end of the line. "Now these will hang during your big night in New York. I trust, Elsa, that you'll be finished with at least… one song?"
Elsa laughed nervously. "Workin' on it…"
"Hm." Kai sent the email with the pictures and nodded. "Alright, Elsa. Open the files."
The boys gathered even closer to her so they could get a proper look at their posters. Elsa clicked on the first one to reveal a full body image of herself singing into a mic. The background looked as if a blizzard was raging behind her, her name in black stamped at the bottom.
She went to the next one where she was glancing over her shoulder almost lazily at whoever was staring at the poster, silhouettes of the other band members behind her. The band name was across Elsa's back and the nights they would be playing at the bottom.
As she continued to click, the boys realized how little they appeared in any of the posters. They didn't even have one dedicated to them respectively. Elsa, however, didn't seem to notice that at all and kept clicking, her face lighting up.
"Oh, Kai," she whispered. "They're great."
"Kai, what the actual fuck?" Olaf barked.
"What's the problem?" Kai asked, his brow furrowing.
"What's the problem!?" Sitron repeated. "Why is Elsa the attention whore? Where are our posters?"
"Guys, they're fine," Elsa defended.
"Yeah, you'd think so because your face is plastered all over 'em!" Sitron snapped.
"Are there anymore?" Marshmallow said to their manager.
Kai colored. "Ah… well… no. Elsa's photo-shoot proved to be the most successful—"
"Are you telling me I stood stalk still with that bass around my neck for hours on end for nothing!?" Sitron wailed.
"Sitron, calm down," Elsa tried to console.
"No!" Olaf shot at her. "We're a part of the band, too, and we deserve some recognition for once!"
"Hey, do you think I make these decisions?" Elsa snarled.
"You should say something," Marshmallow grunted.
"I can't believe you're that far up your own ass!" Sitron growled, scooting out of the booth to get as far away from Elsa as possible.
"Don't you go blaming me!" she cried, following him out of the booth, Olaf coming in third.
"Uh… I can see this is personal," Kai mumbled.
"Kai, you better not fucking run like a coward!" Olaf yelled. "We still have a bone to pick with you, too!"
But their manager had already logged off, leaving Elsa to fend for herself in this battle. Elsa rolled her eyes and kicked at the ground.
"Whatever," she said. "It's what's gonna happen, you guys. It's not my fault I'm more popular."
"You're more popular!?" Sitron shouted, flailing his hands wildly. "Well, no fucking shit! We barely get any recognition from the fans! Elsa, Elsa, Elsa! It's all about pretty, perfect Elsa!"
"I'm just giving what the fans want!" Elsa spat.
"Elsa, think practically!" Olaf begged, moving forward so he could face her. "Yes, you're popular 'cause you're the lead singer and everything. We get it. We've also been putting up with your inflating ego ever since the band started to get good reviews. It's a natural response, we understand!" His fists clenched. "But I'll be damned if we don't get some posters to ourselves! We're not asking much, are we?"
"You heard what Kai said," Elsa said stubbornly. "These are the final prints! I don't have control over—"
"That's the thing," Marshmallow said quietly. "You do have control. You just choose not to use it."
"What are you talking about?" Elsa demanded.
"You can call Kai and tell him you're not happy about the posters and to pull the entire thing!" Sitron suggested harshly, stomping over and poking her hard in the chest.
"I'm not gonna do that!" Elsa said, smacking away his hand. "It's been processed and approved!"
"By you!" Olaf pointed out.
"Do you know the kind of trouble we'd be in if we just decided to get rid of the entire thing?" Elsa said, pulling at her hair. "The money it would cost!?"
"Boo-fucking-hoo!" Sitron threw his hands in the air.
"Elsa, use your common sense," Marshmallow pleaded. "We're really not asking much considering…"
"Considering what?" Elsa growled at him, making the sensitive guy flinch. "What, Marshmallow!? Pray tell me!"
"Don't yell at my brother!" shouted Olaf, marching in between Elsa and Marshmallow.
"I'm head honcho and I call the shots!" Elsa said firmly. "And the posters remain as is! That's final!"
There was a ringing silence, the words settling over them like dust after an earthquake. Elsa's chest was heaving and she had tears shining in her eyes. Marshmallow was fumbling with his hands, Olaf was glaring at Elsa, and Sitron was tapping his feet impatiently.
Something was heavy in the air… something left unsaid and everyone could feel it. The arrogance of Elsa was painstakingly obvious to them all— all but Elsa herself. She merely sniffed and straightened her back in a dignified manner, pushing by Olaf, grabbing her laptop, and storming into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
The boys stood, rooted to the floor. Olaf let out a frustrated noise and kicked the door to the bathroom. Marshmallow leaned his great body against the kitchen counter, his big eyes meeting Sitron's tired ones.
"I don't know what we're gonna do with her," Marshmallow voiced shakily. "This isn't the first fight we've had…"
"Right but they never involved Elsa hogging the limelight," Olaf said, running his hands over his face.
"Where's Anna when you need her?" Marshmallow whispered, unheard by the other two. "She'd sort this out."
"I can't take this anymore," Sitron said, shaking his head. "Seriously…"
"What are you talking about?" Olaf quirked a brow at the bassist as he started to pace.
"I love Elsa. She's an amazing singer and a loyal friend but I can't be around her if she's going to allow this ego of hers be the only thing this band stands on." He ripped off his gloves and threw them onto the ground. "I wear these stupid things for her! I play along with all her shenanigans! And what do I… what do we get? Squat!"
Olaf and Marshmallow stared down at the gloves solemnly. They knew very well that Sitron had a valid point. They too were tiring of Elsa's queen-like arrogance… and she wasn't backing down. She wasn't even defending them in something that could be handled so easily.
It wasn't too much to ask, Marshmallow was right. Posters shouldn't have been that big of a deal at all.
"What are you thinking, Sitron?" Olaf questioned.
"I'm done," Sitron croaked.
"What?" Marshmallow gaped.
"I'm finished. I don't want to get to New York and only see her face plastered everywhere." The bassist folded his arms across his chest. "I don't think I even want to get to New York at all. No one would be there to see us. Just Elsa…"
Olaf bit his lip and nodded slowly. "You're right. If she can't see past this tiny thing, then I don't see why we should stick around to be her whipping boys."
"Let's not be hasty," Marshmallow warned.
"Marsh, do you wanna be pushed around by Elsa anymore? We'll give her an ultimatum. It's either she tells Kai no about the posters or we're gone," Olaf said, removing his own gloves. "She can't do this on her own and she knows that."
"Fine by me," agreed Sitron, heading over to her room. He rapped hard on the door and called, "Elsa, open up! We need to talk!"
There was a thumping noise and then the door was pulled open, revealing a very disgruntled Elsa.
"What?" she hissed.
"Elsa, we've had it up to here with this," Olaf told her.
"Yeah," Sitron added. "We need you to choose right now—"
"—Us… or the posters," Olaf offered, his palms facing up.
Elsa's brows inched together and she gaped at him. "You're joking."
"No. Not joking," Olaf said grimly. "Elsa, we're fed up with so much, you have no idea."
Elsa looked from Olaf to Sitron to Marshmallow and back again. She leaned on the doorframe and scoffed, appearing rather betrayed.
"You guys, I'm not going to sink to your level of bargaining," she said sharply. "The posters are there to stay. I'm sorry."
"I am too," Olaf said, grimacing.
"We're done, Elsa," Sitron said.
Elsa's face fell. "You were serious?"
"Do you think we wanted to joke about something like this?" Sitron replied, turning around. "I'm calling my dad and hopefully he'll send me some cash to fly back home."
"Make it three," Olaf added, following Sitron out.
"H-Hey!" Elsa called after them as they started to leave. "You can't do this! We're a band!"
"Yeah, we are," Sitron sighed. "But last time I checked, there wasn't an 'i' in band… and it certainly wasn't spelled e-l-s-a."
"You can't go!" Elsa yelled. "Come back here! We still have a tour to do!"
They ignored her, leaving Elsa and Marshmallow in the bus. Elsa looked at him helplessly, her face searching his for answers.
"Marshmallow?" she whimpered.
He closed his eyes and peeled off his gloves, letting them fall to the floor as he tailed after his brother and his friend. Elsa was left standing alone in the middle of the front room, everything looking far too big for her on her own. She didn't know how long she had been standing there. It could have been seconds, minutes… hell, it could have been hours. But it felt like an eternity to her and she was devastated at what she had done to reap her of her dearest friends.
"What… what have I…" Elsa swallowed hard and covered her mouth with her gloved hand to hide a choking sob, staggering backward in horror. "Guys! W-wait! I was wrong!"
She made a break for it, rushing towards the front door and onto the sidewalk. She turned right and left but they weren't in sight. Elsa felt terror creep up on her and she let out a furious scream, yanking hard at her platinum locks before retreating into the bus, hating herself.
"Oh my goodness!" Anna chirped as she climbed onto the bus with bags of groceries in her arms. "You guys wouldn't believe what I almost did! Really, you're all gonna have a nice laugh at me." She entered the front room, giggling. "I swear, I really can be the biggest klutz…" Anna trailed off, realizing that there was nobody present to hear her tall tale.
She peered around the area, noticing three pairs of gloves abandoned on the floor. Cocking her head to one side, Anna scuttled over to the booth to rest the grocery bags on the table.
"Hello?" Anna called out needlessly. "Are you guys playing a trick on me? 'Cause if you are… I don't get it."
There was a small noise coming from the back and Anna froze. She strained her ears and the noise came again. It was minuscule and almost impossible to hear but it sounded like a sniffle to her. Anna picked up the gloves and stuffed them in her jacket pocket as she headed towards Elsa's bedroom.
"Els? Elsa, what's wrong?" Anna asked, knocking on the door.
There wasn't a response.
"Elsa, please, I know you're in there," she said, reaching for the knob. "I'm coming in now… you better be decent."
When the door swung open, Anna was astonished to what she found inside. Elsa was curled up in the corner of her bed, head buried in her arms and legs pulled up to her chest. Her shoulders were shaking, Anna making the quick deduction that Elsa was crying. Actually crying!
"Elsa, my god!" Anna gasped, rushing over and crawling onto the bed to meet up with the punk. "What's wrong? What happened!?"
"Why am I such a fuck up, Anna?" came a small voice.
"What? I don't understand—"
"Why am I such a fucking fuck up!" Elsa threw her head back and kneaded her fingers into her temple. "I screw everything up! I am the worst person on the face of the planet! I shouldn't be here! I am absolutely—!"
"Hey, hey, hey!" Anna cried, cupping Elsa's face in her hands kindly. "Elsa, look at me… please, calm down." She stroked Elsa's pale, tear stained face with her thumbs. The blonde's breathing was ragged but she met Anna's eyes nevertheless, feeling a slight relief wash over her. "Now," Anna cooed, offering her a soft smile. "Tell me what happened."
"…They quit," Elsa announced hoarsely.
"Wait, what?"
"Olaf, Sitron, and Marshmallow… they quit. Tour's over, Anna. I can't do this by myself… and it's all my fault. Because I'm a stubborn, fucking moron!"
"Tell me everything."
And so Elsa explained to her about the pictures and how they got mad at her. She even went on to say that she analyzed why and admitted that she realized how selfish she was being. Anna let Elsa ramble, the poor girl crumbling right in front of her eyes. When the punk finished, she pressed her leather bound palms into her face, sniffling thickly.
"Now I'm all alone," she finished.
"No, you're not," Anna said. "I'm still here. And Oaken… who is actually supposed to be back by now but he ran off to get something and… never mind." Anna climbed off the bed. "And you know what? I don't think I'm very satisfied with the results. It wasn't just you who was being selfish, it was them, too in a way. I understand their frustration but I'll be damned they quit on you."
"What do you expect me to do?" Elsa asked her bitterly, picking at a hole in her jeans.
"Oh, you're not gonna do anything!" Anna left the room for a second and then returned with a half pint Dulce De Leche flavored Häagen-Dazs and a spoon. "Eat your feelings, Elsa." She handed the ice cream to Elsa with a goofy grin. "I'll be back, I promise."
"What are you planning?" Elsa said, raising a suspicious eyebrow and sticking her spoon into the frozen treat.
"You'll see," Anna said sweetly, leaning over and kissing Elsa's head, causing the punk seize up in shock. She had never been on the receiving end of the kisses before.
Without any further explanation to her plan, Anna headed out of the bus and pulled out her phone.
She entered the text message app and found Olaf's name in the list of her recent sends and shot him a quick text, hoping he wouldn't question her sudden enthusiasm.
'hey olaff im all done with grocery shopping. you wanna grab a drink or somethin'
Anna held her breath and waited for him to reply. Not thirty seconds later, she received a text back:
'sure thing kiddo! me and the guys are at this bar called the local. its a few blocks from the bus just go right and then straight on from there'
'awesomesauce im on my way! :D'
With a triumphant smirk, Anna shot Oaken a text to keep and eye on Elsa after he returned to the bus before she pocketed her phone and headed down the street.
The bar was a low brow dive bar with sitting areas and foosball tables abound. She glanced around the bar until she found her friends sitting on one of the deflating leather couches, chatting and drinking beers. Anna puffed out her chest and marched over to them, not bothering to sit down.
"Hey!" she barked.
"Hey, Anna!" Olaf greeted cheerily, waving his bare hand at her.
"Who was the genius who decided that the band should break up?" she snapped, getting right down to business.
Olaf and Sitron exchanged looks before pointing to one another in unison. Marshmallow sunk into himself, cusping his bottle like a child. Anna immediately removed her right glove, raised her hand, and smacked both the guitarist and the bassist across the face. The drummer winced in sympathy as his friends yelped out in shock and pain.
"You guys are idiots!" Anna yelled, drawing the attention of a few drinkers.
"Fuck you, Anna, you weren't even there!" Sitron shouted back.
"Elsa told me what happened!" Anna talked over him before he could continue any further. "I come back from shopping and see her fetal on the bed, crying her eyes out and hating herself! She feels so awful right now and, yes, she admits it! She was selfish. She is selfish! She's Elsa!" Anna shoved her hand back in her glove, her hand stinging slightly from the rough faces she had to smack. "But at least she has some common sense to realize her mistakes."
"Anna, listen," Olaf said weakly, rubbing his smarting cheek. "Elsa wasn't sticking up for us and she's done this many times before. We're growing tired of it. We're a part of the band, too."
"And we deserve as much recognition as she does," Sitron added.
Marshmallow remained taciturn, not wanting to get punished by Anna's wrath.
"I agree with you, believe me," Anna said, though much gentler. "And I'm going to sit us all down with Kai on Skype and talk this through, do you understand me? He's a jackass for making Elsa decide on the posters alone. It should be a unanimous vote between all of you." She folded her arms across her chest. "And I'm going to tell Elsa that she needs to respect you more."
"What makes you think she'll listen to you?" Sitron scoffed.
"I'll make her listen," Anna said darkly, sending chills through each of them.
"Anna, here's another snag, though," Marshmallow finally spoke up. "Kai has a point in making all the posters about Elsa… we don't have any fans personally. It's all about Elsa. Do you see any Olaf T-shirts or posters dedicated to me or Sitron?" He shifted in his seat. "It's just a popularity stunt… to get people to come."
"Sure you have fans!" Anna said, raising her brows. "I had these girls in my Econ class last semester who wouldn't stop talking about Sitron!" The bassist blinked at her in confusion. "Lottie from New Orleans, oh, she was all over Olaf!" Olaf flushed and nodded numbly. "Marshmallow, I saw a few bikers with white leather jackets the other week or so and they were all talking about you." He let out a tiny smile, flattered. "Just because Elsa's fan base seems bigger than yours doesn't mean your fans don't exist. Listen, I want you to be honest with me about this… don't you think there are some people who know a band but only remember the name of the lead singer or, perhaps, one member's name?"
The boys exchanged looks before they nodded slowly, wondering where she was going with this.
"Exactly!" Anna said, spreading her arms. "No Doubt? I only know Gwen Stefani's name! Guns and Roses? Slash. That's it. I don't know anybody else. I don't even know all the names of One Direction even though I babysat this girl who was in love with them. Harry, I know… Then… Zack? I don't remember anything else. The only names I can recognize fully are John, Paul, Ringo, and George!" She sighed and dropped her shoulders. "You guys shouldn't be recognized just by your names, though. You should be recognized by the name of the band and the good you do and what you stand for. There's so much you guys have done for so many people… and you have such a fantastic future ahead of you.
"If you're gonna let another act of Elsa's selfishness ruin everything for you guys and your career… maybe you're not as special as I thought you were." Anna sniffled and hugged her arms to her chest. "You guys mean a lot to me and if you drop everything now… I would be losing a family." Tears swam in her teal eyes and they stared at her in alarm, all sitting up in an effort to comfort her but she shook her head at them. "I'll leave it up to you but just know that you're still in the early days of your career, your first tour. There is so much to be accomplished."
She dipped her hand into her jacket pocket and tossed the gloves into Olaf's lap.
"Anna," Olaf whimpered.
"We were just… Elsa is…" Sitron trailed off, downcast and guilty.
Marshmallow stared down at the floor, unsure of what to say.
Anna wiped underneath her eyes and turned around, leaving the bar in silence and leaving her friends with a choice.
Somehow she managed to get Elsa to come out of her bedroom and sit with her in the booth. They finished off the pint of Häagen-Dazs together without speaking. Elsa's eyes were red, itchy, and puffy but she had managed to pull herself together. After Anna told her what she said to the boys, Elsa agreed that it was the best thing to do for the time being.
All they could to was wait.
Oaken was leaving them be, relaxing in his driver's chair and silently hoping that everything would work out. They would be behind schedule is this whole ordeal didn't get resolved by the end of the day… not that it would matter. If it was left alone, there would be no tour to continue.
Suddenly, there was a clearing of a throat, causing the two girls to look up from the empty cardboard pint. Standing in the doorway between the front room and the entrance was the rest of Dry Ice, the gloves back on and apologies written on their faces. Elsa scooted out of the booth and stared at them with anticipation.
"I suppose we took things too far," Olaf said.
"And I don't think it's very fair to have you do the tour alone, posters or no posters," Sitron said.
"We're sorry, Elsa," Marshmallow finished.
Elsa's lip quivered before she ran at them, Olaf opening up his arms for a warm hug, the blonde falling into it and crying into his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry!" she wailed. "I'm so, so, so, sorry! I should have fought for you, I should have been a better friend, I should have… I should have… I'm sorry!"
The other two gathered around and entered a group hug.
"I'll call Kai first thing in to m-morning," she promised. "A-and sort this all out-t-t. Anna's r-right, you do n-need more attention. You're a p-part of the band!"
"We forgive you, Els," Olaf assured. "We would have never gotten this far if it weren't for you."
"We wouldn't have come back if it weren't for Anna," Sitron reminded them all.
"Oh! Uh…" Anna flushed and rubbed the back of her neck. "It was no biggie. I just—"
But she was cut off by Marshmallow yanking her over into the group hug.
So with everything patched up with the band and some tears were shed in relief, Oaken joyously shifted the bus into gear and headed out to North Carolina.
On the ride there, Anna tucked herself away in her bedroom and watched the road move from her window, giving the band some privacy so they can recuperate their emotions and discuss the matter of the posters on a much more level headed state.
Anna had stripped herself of the gloves and skinny jeans and was sitting on her pillow with her knees drawn to her chest in an old T-shirt, a pair of comfy shorts, and socks. Mose's head was sticking out from beneath her pillow, his furry face smiling up at her. She was tired and achey, today proving to be more stressful than she had originally intended.
There was a soft knock on her door and Elsa opened it, poking her head inside.
"May I join you?" she asked.
"Sure," Anna approved, sending her a grin. "Sit down." She gestured to the other side of the bed.
Elsa did so, leaning her back against the wall and stretching out her legs.
"I have to thank you, Anna," she said. "Without you, we wouldn't be on our way… we would be fucked…" The corners of her mouth twitched. "I never knew you'd be so important to all of us."
"Neither did I," Anna admitted.
Elsa sighed and ran a gloved hand through her hair. "I also have something really stupid to tell you?"
"Oh?"
"I figured something out a while ago after doing some calculations and looking back on dates… I don't know if I told you— maybe I did— about me exploring my sexuality a while back?"
"Probably. What are you talking about?"
"Well, I discovered that you dated Hans around the same time his family took us on as a sponsor. And remember when I told you that I tended to like things for their name rather than what it is?"
"We were talking about the color periwinkle, Elsa… that's… how is that relevant to this conversation? Where are you going with this?"
"I dated someone for their namesake…" Elsa took in a deep breath. "And I feel awful about it because I…" She averted her eyes from Anna's. "I dated Hans."
Anna gasped. "You did not!"
"Yup. I only did because he was part of the amp sponsor and I was trying to get to his dad… it was a stupid ulterior motive but I did it anyway." Elsa closed her icy eyes and grimaced. "But that's not the worst of it. I dated him when… when you did."
"Wait… what?"
There was a long paused before Elsa grit her teeth.
"I didn't even realize it until a few days ago but… Hans cheated on you with me."
Anna stared, disbelief written all over her freckled face. Elsa shook her head rapidly.
"I'm so sorry I didn't even realize… I never knew he was dating another girl while he was dating me. I broke it off for an entirely different reason but he still stuck around with us 'cause he was a roadie and everything but… fucking, shit, Anna! I was that girl. I'm so sorry. I couldn't keep this from you because I—"
Anna suddenly cut her off as she burst out laughing. Words failed Elsa as she watched the ginger clutch her stomach and choke for air, absolutely losing it. Tears were gathering at the corners of her eyes as she cracked up, trying to catch her breath.
"I don't understand why this is funny?" Elsa said. "Anna, Hans cheated on you with me!"
"Oh my fucking god!" Anna cried. "This is too perfect!"
"Why is this funny!?" Elsa demanded, flabbergasted.
"Because here I thought Hans cheated on me because he was just a big dick. I mean, he was, but he was also probably doing it as an ulterior motive so he could get a better reputation with his brothers. If he sealed the deal with you, a future pop star, he would get so much credit!" Anna wiped the tears from her eyes and continued giggling. "Oh my gosh, that's too funny! Both of Hans' exes sitting here. I wonder what would happen if he knew we were talking to one another. He'd be so embarrassed, I bet!"
"You're not mad at me?"
"No! You had no idea, after all!"
"Well, I'm glad you punched the fuckhead in the face, kiddo, but I woulda socked him in his microscopic groin."
"Isn't it tiny!?" Anna squealed.
"Oh my god, so tiny!" Elsa grinned.
They both howled with laughter. Anna struggled for more air while Elsa held her sides.
"D-did you have to help him—?"
"—In picking out the best shampoo for his hair?"
"Yes!"
They both enveloped in another fit of giggles. It took them a good five minutes to calm down but still held stupid grins on their faces.
"Ah, man… it's been a crazy ride with you so far, Anna," Elsa said, gazing fondly at the object of her affections.
"Yeah, it has," Anna agreed, hugging her legs to bring them closer to her chest. "I'm glad I joined you guys, though."
"Me too…"
Elsa let her glance fall from Anna to the black gloves that covered her hands. She stared at them for a second or two, a million thoughts and decisions whirring through her mind. Anna had proven herself to be a loyal friend to her and the boys, going along with them in all sorts of situations. She stood proudly beside them and worked hard to gain their friendship.
The blonde's walls were still up, sure.
But maybe it was time she took them down for a change. She really did like Anna more than she would admit to herself. And if there was truly something there, she shouldn't be afraid of it anymore.
"Anna, are you still curious about my gloves?" Elsa asked gently.
The roadie froze. "Huh?"
"Because I think it's time I showed you."
Anna gaped at her before blinking herself out of her stupor. She sent Elsa a cautious look of shock, unsure of what was about to actually happen next.
"Elsa… are you sure? Like, on hundred percent absolutely positive? This is a big deal."
Elsa peered out the window with an expression of slight uncertainty. "Yes. I'm sure. You deserve to know the truth." She faced Anna. "Are you ready?"
Anna closed her surprised gape and nodded seriously, not taking her eyes off of Elsa. The punk took in another humungous breath before reaching for one of her gloves with a shaking hand. Slowly, she peeled off the first one and then the other. Anna didn't dare drop her eyes to the hands just yet. She waited for Elsa to give the okay or to show her properly.
Then, with a hard swallow, Elsa turned her palms up. Anna took that as permission to look… and she had to stop herself from gasping.
Upon Elsa's pale palms were grotesque, rough, and dark pink scars. The tissue was damaged to no repair, it was clear to Anna, and it made sense to why Elsa constantly wore her gloves.
"Oh, Elsa," Anna whispered.
"Dry ice… These are dry ice scars left over from gnarly burns. I got these things when I..." She struggled with her words. Anna didn't say anything in fear of frightening her away from the confession. She simply waited patiently. "My grandmother found me kissing a girl in my bedroom when I was seventeen. I managed to get this girl I had liked into my room and... I thought we were safe since my mother and grandmother were out. But my grandmother came home early and she," she choked on her words, "she took me to the shed. She had some dry ice from our shed's freezer and forced me to handle it. She said this was to remind me of what I was: a scar, a mistake, on the purity of love." Elsa glared down at them with hatred shining in her eyes. "So I named the band after my 'mistake,' forever cursed with these scars. A reminder of what she told me I am…
"I say a lot about being true to yourself, flaws and all. But I can never bring myself to reveal the truth behind my gloves. I'm ashamed of them… I can't stand them every time I see them on my skin. If people found out…" She grimaced. "Who would want to see a fucking coward perform?"
Anna was stunned, unable to think of how to respond. Elsa didn't seem bothered by this. In fact, she had gotten this very same reaction from Olaf when she had stumbled blindly to his house after her grandmother treated her scars carelessly. She hadn't had the strength to tell her mother what really happened, so she had lied about how she got them. Olaf, Marshmallow, and Sitron were the only people who knew. Now, Anna knew, too.
And it broke Anna's heart.
Elsa had her moments of being obnoxious, rude, and crass. But even she did not deserve to be treated like that. That was horrible, abusive... and Anna hated what those scars meant for Elsa.
She timidly reached out and curled her hand around Elsa's wrist, snatching it in midair. Elsa furrowed her brows at her.
"Wha… Anna, what the hell are you doing?"
She felt herself being pulled forward slightly as Elsa brought the scarred hand up close to her face with a deadpan expression on her face. The position her hand was in was rather uncomfortable and Elsa was confused beyond belief.
"Ow, Anna, that kind of hur—?"
She blushed a deep red as Anna pressed a kiss into the palm of Elsa's hand, letting her lips linger there. Elsa was gawking at Anna, eyes wide. She had no idea what to say as Anna ran a thumb across the bumpy scars. She looked into Elsa's eyes with a genial smile.
"I think your scars are beautiful," she said genuinely. "They show that you're a survivor. Why you got them was awful. That I will not deny. But you got out. You lived on, carried on. You're loving who you want to now. And I don't think that should be hidden from the world." She let go of Elsa's hand and Elsa reached for her gloves. "Elsa, they're a part of you. They made you who you are, for better or for worse. You've gained strength from that."
Elsa scoffed and shot Anna a sarcastic smile. "Ha! If you think these things are beautiful, then you need some glasses pronto." Her smile melted away as she shoved the gloves back onto her hands. "Let's just say I'm a coward and leave it at that."
"You're not a coward," Anna insisted kindly.
"Hm…" Elsa scowled.
"Not to me."
The two of them fell into silence again, Elsa securing the leather along her wrists. Anna watched her, feeling a slight satisfaction in finally getting to see what was underneath the gloves. But another feeling and thrilling realization was sparking in her stomach.
Elsa trusted her.
She trusted her enough to remove her gloves in front of her. She finally showed off the shameful secret she hides away from everyone, no matter what. Anna understood why the boys were so apprehensive to answer Anna's questions about the gloves. Because they new it was Elsa's business and that she needed to tell Anna when she felt comfortable.
There was a courage in Anna that reared back its head and told her to take a chance. Anna looked up at Elsa, who was still rather shy and perhaps embarrassed after showing Anna the truth about her. She sat up and leaned forward until she was nearly nose to nose with Elsa. That snapped the punk out of her daze and she raised her eyebrows at Anna.
"What are you doing now?" she said.
"Trying something," Anna responded.
And with that, Anna closed the gap between the two. Elsa's eyes went wide open at the feeling of Anna's lips pressed against hers. It took her about two seconds to finally relax and kiss Anna back, resting her hands on the roadie's shoulders. She deepened it, their noses bumping together but neither of them cared.
What Elsa assumed would be a quenching of her desire to kiss Anna failed immensely. She merely craved more of Anna's kisses, to hold her close and never let her go, to see what she was like when the lights were turned down low and her eyes were full of lust.
Anna felt a warmth in her stomach that was ten times hotter than lava, pushing her lips harder onto Elsa's before the blonde parted her mouth and allowed Anna entry.
How long the kiss lasted, they had no idea. They were swimming in ecstasy and didn't want to break for air.
Olaf, however, did that for them.
He threw open the door until it hit the wall with a loud clang, startling the two apart. Elsa flew backwards and smacked her head on the wall while Anna did the same, only her head met the shelf for the umpteenth time.
"Guys!" Olaf shouted joyously. "We're almost to Raleigh, North— Whoa, what happened to you two?"
"Nothing," they both groaned, rubbing their growing bumps.
"Well, c'mon, Els!" Olaf said, grabbing her by the wrist and yanking her out with him. "Sitron and I think we can match a few chords for a song."
Elsa craned her neck so she was sending Anna an apologetic yet longing glance over her shoulder as the redhead witnessed her being dragged away from her. When Elsa was forced in the front room and Anna was left on her bed, she raised a hand to her lips and fully understood what she had just done.
And she wanted more.
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