I recomend you to read Elsa's POV first if you're also reading Light in the darkness, but of course, it's up to you.

Chapter 2: Regret.

"Anna! Hey Anna!" I hear Hans' voice calling my name. I can tell he is approaching, but I don't turn, I just keep staring at the place where I last saw Elsa, feeling something strange inside me, but I really can't tell what this new and unpleasant sensation is. "Anna." He says grabbing my shoulder. This time I turn to see him. He is showing that ravishing smile I've liked so much since the first moment.

God, he is handsome, but Elsa's beauty is so much more astounding… or was, before I screw it up… no, wait, even with her hair full of plasticine Elsa was still gorgeous.

"Anna why didn't you answer me?" He asks pulling me out of my thoughts about that platinum blonde girl.

"Sorry." I say "I was just thinking."

"Okay, whatever." He shrugs. "I just wanted to say you were incredible, seriously, the way you gained her trust and actually managed not to let her notice what you were doing… wow, I'd never seen something like that. You're talented."

"Yes, that's true." Various female excited voices behind him agree. I didn't noticed when the rest of his friends arrived to where I am too.

"I… I'd prefer if we don't talk about it." I say. I don't want to remember it, but I don't know why.

"Come on don't be so modest!" Snow says. "What you did was amazing, many others would have declined or failed, but you… that's what a real friend does." Her voice sounds touched by my actions.

I feel rare. I know I should be happy. I have now the best friends I could've wished for. They seem to be taken from a High School movie, and they want to accept me! They want me to be part of their group! They're complimenting me! Hans is complimenting me! Hans, the best boyfriend option in probably this whole town, but there's still this sensation inside of me, like the one I used to feel when I did some mischief in my years of childhood and I got caught, but it's a lot worse. I decide it's better to say goodbye to them and think about it calmly, but before I can do it Meg takes out his cell phone and shows me the picture on it saying:

"Look how ridiculous she looked. Ha. She's such a looser."

What I see in the screen makes me feel even worse. She is there, without doing anything, her expressionless face showing, while I'm sitting at her side, daubing the plasticine. There's nothing strange on it, except my face. I can't recognize me, I have never seen myself like this before. I'm wicked. There's no other way to describe it.

The next picture is one of Elsa, with her hair already braided, and me hiding the plasticine on my pocket, a grin of satisfaction painted in my face. This if from the time I finished, when I was thinking she hadn't noticed what I had done and I was feeling proud of my accomplishment.

Do you know what's the worst part of all? They're laughing while Meg shows the photos. They're laughing as if it's something funny. Maybe it is, but I just can't laugh. I just can't.

"I-I should go." I say. I have to go before they see how I feel about this.

"What?" Hans says really confused. "Don't tell me you're regretting what you did." His tone makes it clear that, if my answer is affirmative, there will be bad consequences. I look to the others and they eyes are telling the same.

"N-no, of course not." I say. "It's just that I've never done something like that before, and I'm not sure how to feel about it.

"Oh, Anna." Ariel says as if pitying me. "You're just a little new mind, ready to be immersed into the real world, but don't worry, we'll led you to the right path."

"R-really?"

"Do you trust us?"

It's impossible to answer with a 'no' with all of them expecting for a positive answer, besides I do trust them, they are my friends after all now. They would never do something bad to me, right?

"Yes, of course I trust you." I say with conviction.

"Then let us show you how the word works around here." Hans says with a seductive voice.

"It's not quite as they told you on the movies." Aurora adds.

"Indeed." Hans continues. "This isn't a matter of good versus evil, it's about winners..." He points to himself. "And losers." he grabs his phone and shows me another picture of Elsa with daubed hair. "Both groups are sworn enemies, and you can't be part of one if you defend someone of the other team, do you understand?" I nod. "Good, then decide, which team do you want to be part off? Winners or losers?"

I'm walking to my first class thinking about the question Hans asked me yesterday. I didn't really say something, but after that I started laughing about how ridiculous Elsa was, afraid to end up like her if I refused to do what they wanted from me. I think that, even if I didn't voice it, I've already chosen my side. After all, who could ever want to be a loser, right?

I get to my math class on retard, because I woke up fifteen minutes later than what I should have (and yes, maths is always my first class in the mornings, I know, not the best to start the day). I sit there the whole hour doing some exercises Mr. Weselton had written on the chalkboard, fortunately it prevents my mind of wondering too much about what happened yesterday and I'm able to finish them just before the hour ends.

Then, while I'm heading to my next class, someone pucks my shoulder and I turn to find it's Rapunzel. I smile widely, glad to see her, and say hello. She kisses me on the cheek saying hi too, then she speaks:

"So, what did you do with heartbreaker-Hans yesterday after I left you with him?"

I frown at the nickname, but I decide to ignore it for now, then I answer:

"Nothing important, he just introduced me to his friends and we talked a little."

"Really? Just that?"

The gaze she gives me make me wonder if she knows something I'm not aware of. Then I remember about Elsa and the plasticine. Could she be referring to that? Should I tell her? She won't be upset, will she? Hans' friends said what I'd done was very impressive and that I should be proud of it, but the truth is I still don't know if it was good or not, so…

"Y-yes, just that."

"You know you're a terrible liar, right?" She says raising one eyebrow.

"Fine." I sigh. "I may have done something to the Ice Queen."

"So it was you?!" She screams surprised.

"…yes?" I say rubbing the back of my neck. I don't know why but her reaction makes me feel somehow ashamed.

"B-but why?"

"The girls said they wanted revenge for something Elsa had done to them, and Hans wanted to make a joke to her, and they chose me because she didn't know me and she would let me approach her."

"You're aware they only used you to hurt her, right?" She says it as if it were obvious.

"No, they didn't. They said it was what friends do for each other." I feel the urge to defend them, even if a part of me is beginning to doubt their words.

"Hurt someone who hadn't done anything to you?"

"Yes!… No!…she… well, she didn't do anything to me, but to them." I see her opening her mouth to say something else, but I interrupt her before she can do it. "Look, if it serves, I wasn't really planning to do it when I accepted it. I was going to talk to the girl and see if she really deserved it."

"And you decided she did." Her expression is making me uncomfortable, it's like the one my mom has when I do something stupid.

"Well, yes! She was so damn rude…"

"Did she say something awful to you?"

"N-no, not really, but…"

"Did she do something, then?" Rapunzel crosses her arms over her chest, which makes me feel like a little girl being scolded.

"No, but that's the problem! She just sat there giving me short answers and not even looking at me. Don't tell me that wasn't rude."

"You don't know why she did it. What if she has a reason? She's been that way ever since she got into this High three years ago, true; that's why she is known as the ice queen, but I've seen with my own eyes that, the more they bully her, the colder she becomes. What if they forced her to be this way?"

I bite my lip, could it be true? Could she have a reason to be so antisocial?

"Well…" I start. "Maybe it's because she is from Norway and she feels strange being in a foreign country."

"What? She is from Norway?" She asks surprised.

"Didn't you know it?"

"Of course not. She just talks when it's strictly necessary and only about school stuff." This wasn't what I was expecting to hear.

I feel bad, really bad. She trusted me enough to somehow interact with me, and I just took advantage of that trust. Isn't that evil? Am I evil because of what I did? I feel uncomfortable, and I don't wanna feel like that, it isn't pleasant. I have to change the topic quickly.

"How did you find out about the plasticine anyways?" I ask.

"Facebook." She states, pulling out her phone and showing me a picture of Elsa with plasticine all over her hair, one of those Meg took.

"I see." I say, lowering my head in shame.

Rapunzel is going to put it on her pocket again when she sees something more on the screen and frowns. Then she makes a motion to me to get close to her, so we can both see what's on the screen. It is a video, apparently published by Ariel.

It starts playing. Elsa is standing in front of Snow, Aurora and Cinderella, and they are talking, Elsa with the same expressionless face as yesterday, however, it seems a cordial chat somehow. My four friends are smiling at her.

Weird. I thought they didn't speak to her. I thought they hated her.

Then, for some strange reason, Cinderella points to the ground, while the smiles of the other three smile excitedly. In that moment John and Hans arrive and stand behind Elsa, John putting a finger on his lips to indicate silence to the giggling girls in front of the blonde. Elsa, oblivious to this, rises her hand, then her index finger and then the middle one, as if counting, however, while she does that, the boys grab her arms and shoulders, effectively immobilizing her. I let out a gasp. What are they doing?

I see her turning her head to see her captors and screaming, her calm face turning for a second into an angry one just to return to its original state one moment latter. This obviously captures the attention of many students and promptly there's a crowd watching, but no one is doing anything to stop them. John and Febo exchange some words with the girls and then force Elsa to her knees. In that moment I wish to get into that video and help her, seeing how desperate her expression seems for one second, but unfortunately I can't, and I'm sure this happened at least an hour ago, so there's nothing I can do.

Why are they doing this to her? This is cruel and demeaning. I thought they were good guys.

I continue watching. Now I see them pushing her to the ground till her face touches Snow's shoe. The sight is horrible and disturbing, but it doesn't end here. Not satisfied with what they have already done, Hans pulls her bangs to make her to move her head backwards, just to press it again on Snow's shoe, this time making her lips touch it. I feel rage burning inside of me at every second, I've never liked it when people abuse of others who are weaker, and for no other reason that have fun at their expense. I don't even wait till the end of the video, I run searching for my 'friends', not hearing Rapunzel shouting after me.

I search in every classroom, since I suppose they are in class, but I don't see them and I decide to search for them at the school yard.

I find Snow and Ariel there, sitting on a bench, laughing about something. They notice me and wave at me, but I don't wave back, I just keep walking with a determined step and when I'm in front of them I say, almost screaming:

"Why did you do it?!"

"Do what?" Snow asks so innocently that, if it wasn't because I saw the video, I would've thought she really had no idea of what I was talking about.

"You know what I mean. What you did to Elsa."

"Oh… that." She says and then laughs. "I thought you were talking about something bad."

Something bad? Something bad?! How what they did to Elsa wasn't bad?

"What you did was wrong." I state. "You're cruel." I then turn to Ariel. "All of you."

"Excuse me?" Ariel says, offended. "Look, you piece of…" She was going to say something more, but a glare from Snow made her shut her mouth.

"If you think we are cruel, then what are you?" Snow asks.

"Wh-what?" I don't understand what she means by it.

"You made something awful to a girl you didn't even know, a girl who hadn't done anything to you, and yet you say we are the cruel ones."

She is right. At least they had reasons to treat her like that. She had done something to them. What I did yesterday, on the other hand… I didn't have a reason, except…

"I did that for you, to gain your friendship. You can't blame me for that."

"Yes, we can't blame you, but that doesn't change the fact that you're a bad person now, Anna."

I frown. I've always considered myself as a good person, but what I did yesterday was pretty bad, and I knew it, and it actually scares me that I agreed to do it so easily and that at the end of the day I actually enjoyed it somehow, I enjoyed the approval that came with it, and deeply inside I know that, if time could be reversed, I would still make the same decision.

She is right. I am a bad person.

"So don't think you can come and scold us for our actions." Snow continues. "Because yours are worst."

But… maybe I'm bad, but they're bad too.

"Fine, you're right." I admit. "I'm not a good person." She smiles at it. "But you aren't one either." Her smile fades. "And I don't like it. Promise me you will not do anything bad to Elsa, or anyone, again."

She frowns, but still answers:

"Fine, I won't do anything bad to anyone again." She smirks mischievously. "… unless they deserve it, of course."

This isn't what I wanted to hear, but I think it's as good as it can get, so I nod.

"Fine, but only if they really deserve it." I say and then I turn to Ariel and stare at her expectantly.

"What?" She asks.

"Promise it too." I demand.

"But I'm the best person in the whole world." She protests angrily, but Snow elbows her and she sighs. "Fine, I promise I'll never hurt someone on propose."

"Good." I say, smiling, feeling almost like a hero. "I promise it too. From now on I'll be good."

"Oh, Anna." Snow says with a tone of voice I can't really identify, it sounds like an understanding tone, but also as if she were pitying me somehow… but that doesn't make sense, why would she pity me? "You're so innocent and tender."

"Yeah." Ariel says, half-laughing. "It's almost a shame."

"What's a shame?" I ask.

"Nothing." Snow quickly says, elbowing Ariel again to shut her up.

"Ooookay." I say confused. "I think I should go to my class, then. Goodbye."

"Goodbye Anna." They both say at the same time. Then they kiss me on the cheek and I leave to my class.

It turned out that my teacher didn't allow me to come into the classroom. Who could've know that there was a time limit to arrive to the class? I didn't, that's for sure. Well, from now on I'll be careful to always arrive at time. Meanwhile, in the time I had left until my next class, I went to the grocery shop that was at the school and bought a cookies & cream Hersey's chocolate, my favorite. Why? Well, it wasn't for me, but for Elsa, to compensate what they did to her today and what I did yesterday, like an apology. I hope it'll make her feel better and that also will alleviate the guilt that I've been carrying.

Some classes pass and I don't see Elsa, not even when I go to my locker to retrieve my books after every class. When I arrive to English, the last class for today, I almost don't have any hope of seeing her. It's a shame, I really wanted to see her again, partially because I wanted to give her the chocolate and partially because I wanted to make sure I didn't just imagined those blue eyes, rosy lips, platinum blonde hair and perfect curves that could drive anyone crazy.

I enter to the classroom and see Meg and Ariel waving at me, smiling. I smile and wave in return, then I go sit next to them and we start talking about many things, however, I completely forget about the conversation when a certain blonde goddess steps into the classroom. I quickly turn around pretending I didn't see her, but I continue gazing at her by the corner or my eyes, my heart racing like crazy, my cheeks red and a thousand butterflies on my stomach.

Why am I so nervous? Is it just because I'll have to talk to her latter in order to give her the chocolate? But why I don't feel like this about interacting to other people?

When she passes I notice she has a stain of coffee on her t-shirt. One could've thought that she had spilled it on her accidentally if the spot didn't reach her back. Someone should had spilled it on her. I don't know why but I suddenly feel angry towards whoever it was who made this. I don't know why I'm so protective with the girl, I don't even know her. Maybe it's the guilt I feel for what I did yesterday.

The teacher gets in and starts with the class. Every passing minute my nervousness grows to the point I'm even sweating, fidgeting with my hands, moving unsteadily on my sit and not thinking about anything but the prospect of speaking to Elsa the moment the hour finishes.

When the torture… ehm… class is finally over, I grab my things and quickly put them on my backpack, seeing Elsa doing the same, then I say goodbye to my friends who stand there confused as I run to the exit calling for Elsa just as she is getting out of the classroom.

"Elsa! Elsa, wait!"

She accelerates her pace, but I'm able to catch her and hold her hand, keeping her from leaving. I blush at the physical contact with the impossibly attractive girl.

"Where you running away or something?" I say half-joking, but wanting to know if she was running from me. Maybe she knows I'm part of Hans' friends now? My heart sinks at the thought of her being afraid of me and thinking I'm going to hurt her.

Well, I did do something bad to her yesterday, but she didn't notice it, so it doesn't count… right?

She turns her face towards me, not saying a word and with that mask of indifference that almost makes me give up talking to her that very moment, but I'm very persistent (or stubborn?).

"It's incredible we're going to have English class together." I say to make some conversation before getting to the point. The exited tone comes natural from me "I didn't know you were a junior, though. You look older, actually."

What did I say?! It sounded bad.

"N-not that you look old, or something, j-just more mature. You look more mature than the others." I correct my words, internally cursing myself for stuttering and being so damn nervous.

She doesn't say anything and her expressionless face is not helping at all, actually it makes me more insecure of what I'm doing.

"So..." I say, knowing I have to get down to business before the situation becomes even more awkward. "I... I heard about what happened this morning." The sole memory of the video makes me feel bad. "You know, about Snow and the shoe... and... well I just wanted to say I'm sorry. They were cruel, y-you didn't deserve it, so… I-I'm sorry about it."

"You don't have to apologize." She says. My face raises at the sound, meeting her precious icy blue eyes. Her voice is so damn beautiful. "It wasn't your fault. You weren't even there."

True but yesterday's events were all my handwork.

The guilt is eating me alive.

"I-I know, it's just… they are my friends, so…" I just admitted I'm friends with the ones who bully her. Wonderful. I have to change the topic before she wants to hit me or something. "Don't worry, I talked to them about it and they promised they won't do it again."

I wait for her reaction, but no feeling shows in her face. I better give her the chocolate now and leave, she clearly is not enjoying this conversation.

"Anyways." I sigh. "Let's forget about those awful things." I start searching for the chocolate bar on my backpack. "I bought you something." Finally I find it and extend it in her direction. "I-I know It isn't too much and it doesn't compensate what happened in the morning, b-but my mother always says that even the worst pain can be bearable with a little bit of chocolate, so…"

She takes it with uncertainty and examines it, but she doesn't say anything and her façade just fades a little for an instant showing what seems like surprise. I think that was just my imagination though, because it doesn't last. I suppose she is not reacting because she doesn't like my little present.

"S-sorry if you don't like it." I rush to apologize. "I didn't know which was your favorite or if you even like chocolate…" The stupidity of all this suddenly reveals in my mind, and all my insecurities come crashing me like a huge tsunami. "Wait… You like chocolate, right? Please, tell me you like chocolate. It would be so awkward if you don't." My entire self-esteem now depends on her answer.

"T-thank you." She says after seconds of agonizing silence. Her voice sounds strange, as if her throat was swollen, but I don't pay attention to it, because in that moment her expression is different, and it amazes me. She is smiling, but not with her lips. She is smiling with her eyes. I don't think she has realized it, but it's as clear as the day. She is happy, and it's because of me. I feel proud of my accomplishment, but not as I felt yesterday when I managed to daub her hair without being noticed, It's different, it's a warm sensation, it's wonderful.

"Well, then I think I'll go to my house now." I say happily. "See you tomorrow."

I squish her hand, which I hadn't noticed to be holding the entire time, and I blush deeply before releasing it and walking away, turning just once to wave at her. She waves back and smiles, this time not just with her eyes, but also with her lips. It's the first time I've seen her doing that, and it's the most beautiful sight in the whole planet. It almost makes my heart stop, but it ends as quickly as it started, that stupid mask taking its place again over the gorgeous girl's features.

She turns to leave too and I continue walking, promising to myself that I won't ever do anything bad to her again. From now on, I'll always try to make her smile, to make her be happy, to make her express her feelings. Yes, from now on my mission will be to break the barriers of the Ice Queen.