Frozen, Rise of the Guardians 1. Chapter 1

**Hello :)**

** So this is just another Jelsa modern-day AU. I hope you enjoy it!**

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**Oh.**

_**She's smart. She's beautiful. She's mature-mysterious, sexy, playful, and absolutely irresistible to Jack Overland and completely off-limits because she's his best friend's older sister. She's hard to get, but Jack seriously doubts that she's playing.**_

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"**T**ell me again, why do you need us to come to dinner tonight?" Jack felt a gnat- or dust, leaf, whatever, land on his flat cheek and, on reflex, slapped himself. Hard. He gave a small yelp. Looking to see if anyone witnessed that, his gaze locked on the blue eyes of Galinda Goode. She giggled and he flushed. Both moved on with their day, Galinda forgetting the whole thing and Jack trying to. That's as far as interaction can go for them.

Anna reared back and looked at him with big teal eyes and hands clasped together, "Please, please,_ please_, Jack! I haven't seen my sister's face in years, I'm so nervous!"

"Well then shouldn't that be, like, a private family thing?" Jack said. He grimaced at the thought of sitting around a long table with plenty of silverware he didn't know how to use, painful small talk, and stiff button down shirts. He ran a knuckle through his chestnut locks, a nervous habit of his.

"It'll be so awkward!" Her braided bun bounced with her movements.

"Uh, yes. A private family thing, my point exactly. Thanks for understanding." He shot back. "Didn't Tooth already tell you she would go?"

Anna dodged a football player as they walked, looking sheepish. "It's just... I love Tooth and all... butIthinkshe'llmakeitworse."

Just barely catching that last bit of her sentence, he knew he couldn't argue. The first time he met Tooth, she practically stuck her whole fist in his mouth, gushing over how white his teeth were. He still doesn't know why. He shouldn't have been so surprised, Jack realized, when he went into deep thought about their friends. None of them were exactly normal compared to your average, everyday acquaintances. Most of them were different in someway that separated them from society.

"How about Merida?" Ah, Merida Dunbroch, with her round, blue eyes, button nose, freckles, little face, foreign accent, and wild curls...she's adorable...

...Merida, with her many weapons (bow and arrow being her favorite), master in violence, and obsession with nocturnal and/or flesh-eating animals, she can tear you to shreds. Don't ever cry in front of her.

Anna became more distressed with the mere thought of it, getting a cute wrinkle in her nose that Jack noticed after three years of knowing her, "With her table manners?"

"Since when has that mattered?"

"To my mom?" Anna scoffed, "Always."

"Buns?"

"Too rowdy."

"Yeah...Lotte?"

"Uh?"

"Zel?"

"With Eugene? Ew."

"Tiana. She's great with parents."

"My mom likes her way too much. They would start talking ab-"

"Kay, how 'bout Phoebe?"

"She'd invite Tooth and I don't even know her well. Don't interrupt me."

"Nick."

"He'll only go if I make him cookies."

"Ugh, but you like cookies!" She gave him a look. "Okay, okay... Ari?"

"My step dad walked in on her combing her hair with our forks."

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"..._What_? Nevermind. Sandy."

"None of us know sign. He'd have to use his notebook and you know he's uncomfortable with that."

Jack huffed and threw his arms out in frustration, almost whacking a poor freshman boy in the face as they passed. "And why can't Kristoff go with you?"

"He is! But after what happened last time-"

"That's your fault. How can you even think of doing_ that_ in the same house as your parents?"

"If my mom and Wilt can do that down the hall then I should be-"

"Without locking the door-"

"He should have knocked-"

"_You_," He pointed an accusing finger at her with a wicked grin, "Should have kept it in your pant-"

"The point is, the first meeting with my sister in eleven years can't be anymore mentally straining than it should be."

Jack raised his hands in surrender.

Until just yesterday, Anna never mentioned having a sister. It's like she just came out of no where. She didn't give any word on it, she had no pictures, and it turned out that she was coming all the way from Europe, no specific country. Anna said she's emailed and texted her but hasn't talked to her face to face since she was five, or when her parents split. She's funny, gives good advice, protective, moves a lot, and she's coming over to visit for an unknown amount of time. This _Elsa_ almost seemed unreal.

Now with the mention of some of the pair's friends, it should be the right time to introduce some important people.

Let's start with Buns.

Fortunately, that isn't his real name. _Un_fortunately, he's called that anyway. Nope, his full name is Edmund Asters Bennet, nickname formerly Ben or Benny. Thanks to a petty prank pulled at a barbeque by Jack himself, involving Edmund's seat, Edmund's burger, Edmund's butt, and bad timing for a bathroom break, the new, endearing identity was bestowed upon their "rowdy" friend. His blue-black wild hair, tall, strong figure, and Australian accent won him the hearts of half the female population, maybe even a few males.

Lottie and Ti. Charlotte and Tiana. You never saw one without the other, no matter how many times Lottie would third wheel when Navine, Tiana's boyfriend, came around. They were complete opposites, Lottie being the rich, spoiled daddy's girl, and Ti being the hard-working, I-won't-take-your-bullshit... daddy's girl.

Rapunzel, or Zel, has a lot of hair, and time on her hands. She does anything to fill that time because her parents don't allow her to take any extra curricular activities outside of school. She especially loves to paint. She fears ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, quick sand, cannibals, and snakes, the plague (for some odd reason) and much more. Her bulging green eyes and baby face won over the hearts of many, including Flynn Fitz's, her boyfriend.

Tooth only takes her nickname because her real name is Toothiana, and there was no way she was going to be called that, despite having her braces taken off years ago. She harbored a major crush on Jack ,which he really didn't respond to, and the energy of a five-year-old kid on a sugar rush.

Nick Claud North towered over everyone in school, even Bun, due to much physical labor in his family auto repair shop. He can inhale almost anything edible, but has a special taste for cookies.

The ditzy third red head of the group was Ariel Finn. She comes from a small island no one knows the name of and hardly knew any english upon her arrival. Being the new girl was tough for her without being able to speak, but she somehow managed. She knows more english now, but still limited. She has an excellent singing voice.

And finally, Sandy, a little dude with hair that makes him look like he sticks his fingers in electrical sockets in his spare time, is a mute. This caused him a lot of difficulty in his social life.

"How come you've never told us about her before?"

Anna's freckled skin tinted pink, "It just never came up."

For four years? "Doesn't she ever visit?"

"No, or else I wouldn't be panicking right now! My parents didn't end well, okay? He took Elsa and moved to the other side of the world. So are you coming or not?"

Jack felt bad for prodding at a touchy subject, but he saw a flash of something in her face. Pain. Anna was hurting, and she wasn't saying anything about it.

"Aren't you nervous about seeing your dad, too?" He only met with silence, an unusual case with Anna. The loud chatter of the school halls and the students' hustle and bustle to get to their next class seemed ten times louder. The two friends squeezed past a particularly tight crowd when the ginger spoke up.

"My dad isn't coming. And Elsa isn't visiting. She's moving in."

Jack took an abrupt stop, causing Anna, who trailed behind, to stumble in her steps. Jack steadied her by her shoulders, wrinkling her green blouse. A few passerbys gave them dirty looks for blocking off part of the hallway, but Jack and Anna were in no rush to get to chemistry.

"Anna." She wouldn't meet his eyes. "Did something happen?"

She released a heavy breath, and in that moment she looked five years older. Jack noticed how her shoulders sagged with gravity she'd probably been carrying for who knows how long.

"My dad, my real dad, passed away. Four weeks ago." She brought her gaze up to his, finally. Her eyes didn't rim with tears and her voice didn't break, but Jack wondered if they had not long before.

Oh god, why didn't she say anything? When was she planning to tell anyone this?

"It's okay." She added a beat too quickly. "He never kept in touch. We weren't close, I mean, I'm closer to my step dad... Kristoff knows."

Though Anna's denial unsettled him, Jack was thankful for Wilt's presence in her family. Anna told him that she and her mother had taken his last name years ago, after the wedding, changing from the Snows to the Summers. Jack didn't know if Elsa was included in this family.

He hugged her, because a loss was still a loss, no matter how much Anna would deny that it was hers.

"Anna." He could only say. He'd never been good at consoling people, but he would try because Anna deserved that. "I'm so sorry."

She buried her face into his blue hoodie, giving him a whiff of her strawberry shampoo. Jack felt a surge of pride for being able to comfort her. Anna was the kind of person to face her problems with a cheery voice and a strong front, topped with a practiced smile. She recognized her feelings easily, but never understood what the cause of them were.

She pulled away, eyes so wide that her dark lashes probably brushed her eyebrows. "We have to go!"

She tugged on Jack's collar, and they were off, the colors of rusted red lockers and white walls and classroom doors blurring into one. They skidded to a stop in front of a door marked 609- chemistry, taking time to compose themselves before entering the room filled with other sophomores. They made it right on time. Part of Jack inwardly groaned. He never liked science. It took away any sort of magic or mystery. That, and he failed miserably at it.

"Anna." He called while she headed to her lab seat, black skirt swishing.

She gave him an arched brow.

He sighed, "What time do you want me to be there?"

Anna smiled, sitting down in quiet triumph.

"Six o'clock sharp. Don't you dare be late, Jackson Overland."

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**I suppose I'm okay with how this turned out. I'm not entirely sure on what I want to do with this story, but I have a few ideas already.**

** As for **_**Come Away**_**, I've decided that I want to update it weekly, **_**possibly**_** on Monday nights. I have the chapters planned out, I just need to write some final drafts. The same might go for any of my future stories.**

**. . .**

_**This is one of my first fics, so if you'd all be so kind... **_

_**Please bear with me, and note that I don't have much time to write, type, or edit. The story may be a little rushed (or slow), some chapters may be a little short, there will be many typos, and this in all will not be my best work. **__**I also procrastinate a LOT.**_

_**I'm mostly doing these stories for the fun of them, so please go easy with the criticism.**_

_**Thank you!**_

_**-Mawhn**_


	2. First Impressions

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**Why hello there ;)**

** I would just like to thank everyone who took their time to read this, and for the reviews, favorites, and followers. :'D you're all so nice! After this chapter I'm going to try to start doing updates weekly, or just when I can, even if it kills me a little. If any of you have suggestions, feel free to tell me because I don't have a specific plotline planned for this yet. **

**Thank you, kamicakes, I am rather proud of my cover picture :)**

**Zulka- ;) maybe he does. I haven't decided on that yet. It would be difficult, considering I STILL haven't seen Wicked. I love Glinda none the less.**

_**Please excuse me for any grammar and spelling mistakes. There will be many.**_

_**(I dont own anything :)**_

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**Chapter 2- First Impressions**

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**J**ack was stumped. He'd never been to another friend's house for a formal dinner. The closest he's ever gotten was Chinese take-out at Nick's while his parents slept upstairs. What was he supposed to wear? Say? He met her parents before, so he wasn't worried about that, but Anna's sister? He had some serious kissing up to do .

How he met Anna's family is a very uncomfortable story for him. Anna, on the other hand, found it hilarious. Jack came over to study, like the rest of their friends did later that night (none of them got much studying done, in the end) but he had gotten the time wrong and arrived an hour early. Her mother, who hadn't met Kristoff at the time, immediately flocked to his side with a knowing smile and eagerness to sit him down, feed him, and get to know him better. It turned out to be a very long hour.

Her step dad, Wilt, he met at a nearby Wal-Mart, two years after knowing Anna. Jack lost a bet to Rapunzel's boyfriend, Flynn, that Anna would break up with Hans, her eighth grade summer fling, in three day's time. The penalty was to buy twenty dollars worth of tampons and pads, or any other feminine products and leave it on freshmen representative Glinda's doorstep. Guess who recognized him and went to stand behind him in the checkout line?

So Jack had already had a few awkward encounters with the Summers family, and held no excitement for more, as nice as they were. Yet, he stood in front of his closet for a good thirty minutes, rifling through what he had and yanking and stuffing things back in. He showered, brushed his teeth, put on cologne, even tried to comb his hair down (to no avail) and if he weren't stressed out enough, Anna wouldn't stop pestering him via text message.

** Today 5:21 PM**

** HEY! Remember ****6:00****. Don't be latte**

**...**

** late* **

** It's a sit down dinner. So dress like semi casual.**

** ...**

** mmk?**

** ...**

** Today 5:25 PM**

** Jack answer.**

** ...**

** Today 5:46 PM**

**6:00**** remember. It's already ****5:45 ****so I wanted to rmeind you. yuo dont live that far, so.**

** ...**

* * *

><p><strong> Low Battery<strong>

** 20% of battery remaining**

** Dismiss**

* * *

><p><strong> Today 5:58 PM<strong>

** Jack**

** ...**

** Today 6:00**

** JACK.**

** ...**

** ! Jack!? grrrrrrr.**

** ...**

** its ****6:01**** where are u. **

**...**

Jack stared in disbelief at the texts. Then he grabbed randomly at his clothes, hoping for the best, and ended up in dark jeans and a grey button up, along with an extra winter coat for later. Good enough. He made it to Anna's at six- oh- seven. Not bad, right?

"You're late." Anna said, straight-faced. "I said six o' clock _sharp_."

Jack only mumbled a sad excuse, "Traffic?"

"You live down the street."

"Can I come in, please?"

Anna huffed and stepped aside, calling through the entry room, "Momma! Jack's here!"

A woman around her mid forties came through the doorway leading into the lavish livingroom. In her hands she wrung a dish rag; she's just come from the kitchen. Dark hair twisted into a low styled bun, but not low enough to reach her royal blue cardigan. Mrs. Summers received him with a welcoming smile, the corners around her eyes wrinkling, but not in a way that made her look old. She acted especially lively for the occasion, but Jack could see the faint outline of bags.

"Jack! I haven't seen you in so long- ELSA, we have company!" Jack jumped at the choppy exchange, and nearly did again when she snapped her attention back to him, away from up the dark wood stairs.

"Jack, you can sit yourself in the living room with Kristoff. Dinner's almost ready. I hope you like spaghetti." She glanced nervously towards the stairs again, and Jack noticed how on edge she was tonight, instead of her normal calm self. "What is taking that girl so long? Elsa!"

She jutted her chin out to the main room. "Go on." She told him. "Come set the table, Anna, like you were supposed to an hour ago- what you wearing? Get changed! Just because they're your friends doesn't mean you don't have to look nice! Go!"

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So Jack met Anna's sister.

He asked Anna if he could borrow her phone charger and went up to fetch it himself. He dug through her pink room littered with magazines, looking for it buried somewhere next to her night stand, as she said, and came up with nothing. Not wanting to waste time or risk invading his friend's space, he turned his back on the mess and yelled down to her,

"I can't find your phone charger!"

He waited for a response, and got, "Check one of the top three drawers of my dresser!"

He went back into her room to do just that, opening the cherry wood furniture and searching through junk. When he didn't see it, he moved on to the next one. He grabbed a handful of socks and tried to push it out of the way.

"Oh, um, hello?" Jack, startled, jerked away from the drawer and turned, somehow banging his wrist and misplacing his steps so that he fell back against the dresser. The knobs jabbed into his skin and most likely left bruises on his back. It had the same feel as stepping on a Lego. When he looked up, his gaze met one of a girl, who had wide eyes and a hand clamped over her mouth. The light filtering through Anna's sheer curtains reflected off of her pale skin, the way it hit giving it a rosy tone. She coughed.

"Oh- Pardon me." Said she, with a voice as smooth as the edge of a blade. She came forward, taking him by his elbows and allowing him to grab at her own arms to balance himself. When he pulled himself together she took a step back, putting a good two or three feet between them. She laced her gloved hands together and pulled on a polite smile. "You must be Kristoff. I'm-"

_Elsa_, his mind answered before she did. He saw her lips move with her name, rolling off of her tongue in a gentle lyric. In the back of his head he knew who she was from the first "_Oh_." He should have introduced himself. He should have been creating stiff small talk about the weather. But he didn't.

No, he thought about her eyes, and how he couldn't choose whether to compare them to sapphires or the sea. He thought about how her lips resembled flower petals. He thought about how her white- blonde hair reminded him of morning light reflecting off of fresh snow. He didn't even see that she was still talking.

"Wait, what?" He said dumbly, finally coming out of his funk. He could have sworn he saw the left corner of her mouth tug up a tad more.

"You're Anna's boyfriend, correct?" He admired the way she held herself, like a queen, her last name. Not snobby, but definitely not someone to mess with.

"No." He blurted, "No, no, excuse me- I'm Jackson, I mean Jack. I mean you can call me that. Nice to meet you." He sprung his arm out for hand shake- but to his utter horror, he realized that when he tripped away from the drawer, he had brought a handful of its contents with him. The drawer normally held just socks and tank tops. Unfortunately for him, it had one bra, a bright pink balconette push-up.

And now he was holding it out to Elsa in offering.

The teens didn't say anything. Very slowly, Jack drew his hand back. He could feel the shocked girl's stare burning into his back as he stuffed the undergarment back into the dresser. Blood rushed to his big ears as he turned to regard her with a distressed look. This time, he held his emptied hand out, which she accepted, still slightly horrified. He imagined he could feel the cool touch of her fingertips beneath the fine cloth.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't- I wasn't... I was looking for..." _I'm not a pervert!_ He was trying to say, wanting to crawl under the bed and never come out.

"The phone charger..." she answered for him. A bit of blush dusted her own cheeks. "That's what I came here to tell you. I have it. In my room."

"Oh, okay." His heart still hammered.

She led him away from the embarrassing scene, and into her room. On her vanity was a coiled white Iphone charger with _Anna_ written in sharpie. As he went to pick it up, she watched him with careful eyes.

_She probably thinks you're here to steal her panties_, his mind taunted.

When he came back to her side, they paused, drowning in the loud silence. She toyed with the long sleeves of her sweetheart neckline, form hugging, teal dress. He rolled up his sleeves and kicked at the floor.

"We should go." She suggested, her eyes flitting to her snowflake patterned door. Jack didn't say anything in fear of what would pop out of his mouth. She headed down, Jack on her heels.

"So you're not dating Anna." She concluded.

"Um, no."

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_**This is one of my first fics, so if you'd all be so kind... **_

_**Please bear with me, and note that I don't have much time to write, type, or edit. The story may be a little rushed (or slow), some chapters may be a little short, there will be many typos, and this in all will not be my best work. **__**I also procrastinate a LOT.**_

_**I'm mostly doing these stories for the fun of them, so please go easy with the criticism.**_

_**Thank you!**_

_**-Mawhn**_


	3. You're Welcome

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** Hi :)**

** I just watched 500 Days of Summer for the first time! :'D it has a **_**beautiful**_** soundtrack!**

_** I would just like to thank everyone who took their time to read this, and for the reviews, favorites, and followers. I really appreciate it! If any of you have suggestions, feel free to tell me because I don't have a specific plotline planned for this yet. **_

**Bellabear1- I'm glad :D. And I really love bears. **

**electricangel12- oh, **_**heavens**_** no! Most other pairings I find tolerable... Janna will never be one of them. Though I can see why someone one would think that. I don't mean any offence to any fans of the pairing, but this will only stay as Jack and Anna **_**friendship.**_

**DesertSnowQueen- I happen to find dorkiness endearing. ;) Jack's character is actually one of the things about the story I was a little worried about. He might turn out to be a little OOC, maybe even a bit like Anna. I actually have ideas about Elsa meeting the gang typed up already, it just needs some changes. Thank you very much for the advice!**

**Animagus7- I was thinking about that, too, but I think this would be better without.**

**To the guest who asked how old they are- very good and important question! A lot of people who don't ship jelsa (but not all of them) reason that Elsa is too old for Jack, which I think is silly because I've seen bigger age differences in marriages. I took that into account and decided to apply that complication here. Because I don't want the age to be told through an author's note that is, sadly, all I can tell you, but you will find out soon.**

_**Please excuse me for any grammar and spelling mistakes. There will be many.**_

_**(I dont own anything :)**_

**Chapter 3- You're Welcome.**

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"**S**o how was it?" His mom asked. He closed the front door behind him, house keys jingling off of his fingers. Walking home from Anna's had been a pain, not from the biting fall winds and damp ground but from his pinchy shoes. He should have taken their offer to drive him home.

In all honesty, the dinner was painless enough. He made next to no eye contact with Elsa, steered clear of any embarrassing stories, and ate good food. If anything bothered him tonight, it had to be the way that his mind clung onto every last word or piece of knowledge he could get on the pale girl, none of which was actually said by her. Anna, who had _somehow_ obtained the information despite the fact that her sister had only been there for two hours, and was sleeping or getting ready since, took the habit of answering for her.

_She likes ice skating for fun. She likes designing buildings and clothes. She went to the mall during the two days she stayed at a motel before today. A social worker dropped her off at the house around four o'clock. She doesn't like the clothes at Brandy Melville. Her eighteenth birthday was this upcoming January, on the twenty-first. She is sitting next to me and her mother, straight across from Kristoff._

The conversation started out small, mostly trivial talk about what classes they were in this year and what Kristoff and Anna were doing next Saturday. Saturday shifted to dating, dating shifted to friends, friends shifted to school, school shifted to Elsa...

And she had yet to say one word.

"So you kids have been in school for, what, three weeks now?" Wilt asked them. He spun a bite of pasta around his fork and nodded to Jack. Jack bobbed his head, mouth too full to give him a verbal answer. Wilt was always good at catching him at times where he couldn't speak.

"Ah," Mrs. Summers beamed, "See, Elsa? They just about started, it might not be too hard to meet new people."

"And Eugene can introduce you to his friends!" Anna added, looking at her sister in hope of approval. In the corner of his eyes he saw Elsa fidget under everyone elses' gazes, as if still not used to being around them. _She wasn't._

And how would she be? He observed his company, from Wilt's forehead wrinkles and salt and pepper beard, to the big brown doe eyes and blonde mop on Kristoff's head. The only person he really knew here sat diagonal to him: Anna. He met Kristoff when he took his hockey team to the ice rink Jack worked at. He proved himself to be a good guy for Anna through much work, which was difficult because Jack was very protective of his friends. After that Hans douche took her heart and tore it to shreds, and with how fast Anna jumped back into dating, Jack was sure for a while that Kristoff was just a rebound.

"Why Eugene?" It left his lips before he could think about it. He attended to his plate and speared a meatball, trying to look aloof.

"He and Elsa are the same age." Kristoff interjected. "I doubt she'll want to spend her whole senior year hanging out with sophomores. Even Eugene doesn't stay with Punzie at lunch everyday."

_She and Eugene are the same age. She's a senior, nearing her eighteenth birthday._ Jack knit his dark brows together, letting that sink in. _She's almost two years older than me. _"Aren't they all guys?"

"So?" Kristoff tilted his thick eyebrow, and Jack received an amused smile, "What's it to you?"

Jack left the question hanging, he didn't have an answer. He also didn't like the look Kristoff gave him, even if it was just teasing. They moved on, and the deeper they went into detail about the topic of what classes Elsa should take, the more she didn't look up from her plate, or even eat. She just pushed her noodles around in silence. _She didn't take her gloves off to eat._

Feeling safe enough to study her, he traced the profile of her high cheekbones. He could make out faint freckles on her nose and the cat- like shape and slant to her crystalline eyes. She wore an intricate bun similar to her mother's. Her absentminded smiles showed him how out-of-place she must have felt. He thought about her situation, and put himself in her shoes.

_ She's an alien here._

Then it dawned on him that he wasn't the only one observing her.

Anna sat next to Kristoff, leaning forward on her elbows, regardless of her mother's instructions to keep them off of the table. Her eyes glued to Elsa in childish curiosity, yearning for any kind of attention from her older sister. Jack knew that if he really focused on his glass of water, he would see it quiver from the vibrations sent from her tapping foot, something she always did when she got impatient.

"Momma! Rapunzel and Eugene said they can come over around seven. They want to welcome Elsa." Anna had changed, now in a black dress with a sweetheart neckline that flared with her every move. She had the same hairstyle as the one she wore earlier today.

Elsa cleared her throat, finally speaking for the first time since she greeted Kristoff while waiting for dinner, "Actually I think I might turn in. I feel a little odd." She stood, and Anna panicked.

"But you haven't even finished half of your food!" She exclaimed.

"I'm not so hungry." Elsa held her sides, hugging her body in a defensive stance, her shoulders caving in slightly.

"B-but!" Anna shot up too quickly and had to be supported by Kristoff's burly frame. "Wait!"

Elsa stopped to listen.

"Hem." Anna mumbled, "It would be so great if you could meet two more of my friends. Just two of them. And we have ice cream."

The last part was mostly out of desperation, but Elsa's eyes twinkled with fondness for her sister, "What kind?"

"Chocolate." Both girls grinned at each other and burst into a fit of giggles that, to Jack, made Elsa not look so lonely. Anna's eyes filled with a sparkle he'd never seen before, something he didn't realize she was missing.

_She loves chocolate. Both of them do._

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It was towards the end of the night that Jack started to suffocate.

The long mahogany table could seat ten people, eight of which were filled. The two new members of the group were Eugene Flynn Fitzherbert and Rapunzel Gothel. The pleasant cold of the tiled floor seeped through his socks, but didn't soothe the raging frustration he felt with his whole person. He felt it in his head- the pit of his stomach- his fists- his shaking leg... maybe he could even feel it in his armpits if he really tried- as he watched the two of them. Elsa and Eugene. Eugene and Elsa. That sounded horrible and left a weird taste in his mouth.

He knew he was being foolish, having just met the girl, and that she was his best friend's older sister and that could not be okay...

But it really wasn't his fault that Elsa was so damn attractive.

And it _really _wasn't his fault that Eugene was such a flirt, girlfriend or not.

Reminding himself time and time again that Rapunzel claimed Flynn as hers more than two months ago, and that friends' family members were strictly off-limits, he pushed all of the troubling thoughts to the back of his head, where they were safest.

Jack wasn't being fair; he didn't know Eugene all that well, not even as well as he knew Kristoff. All he ever really was to him was the egotistical jerk with the nice brown hair who came around to mess with little Punzie (Yes, Jack had to mention the hair because he, himself, couldn't get his own brown hair to sit right). Flynn was the guy that Punzie was too good, and too young, to get involved with, but she did. After a lot of going back and forth, this way and that with their relationship, they made it official, that yeah, they might like each other back.

"Sorry if this is rude or whatever," Eugene started, "but if you're from somewhere in Europe, and for like most of your life, too, shouldn't you have an accent?"

Rapunzel hit him and he hissed, "I said _sorry_!"

Elsa only giggled, which clearly delighted Anna. _She laughs behind her left hand._ "Well, our dad was American, and I never really lived in just one place. We moved around a lot- too much for me to pick up one. I also lived here with Anna until I was eight."

Even if Jack found it great that Elsa was finally talking, he noticed the weary looks Mrs. Summers gave Wilt, and couldn't agree, if they were on the right page, more. From what Elsa was going through, it was given that she was under a lot of stress, and that speaking about her deceased father with people she has to move in with just that day wouldn't make it better, right? But Elsa showed no signs of grieving. She was still polite, reserved, and careful.

_She only smiled. _

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"_So_... Jack."

Mr and Mrs. Summers left to get ice cream sandwiches. The girls who insisted they do so, along with a golden-haired hockey player and Elsa, left to finish off the remaining chocolate tub they had. They also offered to wash dishes. The last two boys left to sit themselves in the livingroom in front of the television. Every now and then Eugene would give Jack a cautious glance, and with every look, Jack got antsier for the rest to return.

"_What_?" He said after getting sick of trying to dodge his eyes.

"Have I been bothering you, or something?"

"What?" this time Jack sounded confused.

"I don't know, but you've been giving me these... looks. All night."

"Well, sorry."

"So you were."

"Were what?"

"Giving me looks! You didn't deny it!"

"Just drop it."

"No, what's up?"

"Nothing."

"Jackson?"

This time neither of them spoke, and looked up to the one who did: a pale girl with even paler hair. In her hand she cupped a pink bowl with a tiny round handle on its edge.

"Would either of you like some ice cream?"

Without permission, Jack's tone softened, "No thanks, I'll wait for the sandwiches."

The boy next to him didn't respond, only looking at Jack with a blank stare. Elsa just shrugged and smirked, "So you wouldn't mind if I took this?"

"Nope."

When she left, Eugene asked, "How come we're not allowed to call you Jackson? I mean you still call me Eugene sometimes...Oh." A look of understanding passed over his face.

Then he was staring again.

"What?" He was really getting tired of asking.

"_Oh!_"

"_What!_"

Eugene cracked up. When he finished, he grinned and eyed Jack, then the place where Elsa had been standing moments before. "Anna's going to skin you."

Seeing exactly what the older boy meant, Jack turned red,"You don't know Anna."

"And you don't, either, if you don't see why she should."

"And why should she?"

"Because you were totally checking out her s-!"

Jack pounced, smushing his hands against the guy's mouth. "No, I _wasn't_, and will you _shut up_?"

Eugene shoved him off. "If you weren't you wouldn't get so defensive."

"Well, will you shut up, then?"

"With a price."

"What could you _want _from me?" Jack hissed at him, "A _kiss_?"

"Hey, if you're offering."

The look of disgust marring Jack's face made him cackle more.

**.**

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"It really sucked." Jack left his keys on the coffee table, and went upstairs to get ready for bed.

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** This was mostly an introduction to what Elsa was like, but also because I really love Eugene (the reason I don't ship Jackunzel).**

_**This is one of my first fics, so if you'd all be so kind... **_

_**Please bear with me, and note that I don't have much time to write, type, or edit. The story may be a little rushed (or slow), some chapters may be a little short, there will be many typos, and this in all will not be my best work. **__**I also procrastinate a LOT.**_

_**I'm mostly doing these stories for the fun of them, so please go easy with the criticism.**_

_**Thank you!**_

_**-Mawhn**_


	4. Chapter 3 and a half- A Bloomin

**IMPORTANT- I, myself, dislike reading authors notes, so I hate to be such a hypocrite, but it is suggested that you read them.**

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** Hello.**

_**Thanks to everyone who took their time to read this, and for the reviews, favorites, and followers. **_

**windstruck07- I inwardly cringed at making Elsa older than Jack at first, but then decided to for my own reasons, I'm glad you understand. Because Jack is centuries old, jelsa would make sense in an Edward Cullen and Bella kind of way (before she became a vampire). BUT, because Jack's body is immortal, and Elsa ages, she is physically more mature, even if she doesn't look like it. Get what I mean? **

**DesertSnowQueen- I enjoy reading your reviews! :) I agree with Jack being like Anna, but I also think he's less optimistic. Eugene is the **_**best. **_**3**

**electricangel12- good suggestion, I'll keep it in mind.**

**Alice- Thank you! And as for Jack, I have a few ideas that'll affect his character ;)**

**Guest on July 19- Holding a bra is cliché? Wow, I don't know if that's happened in a movie or story already, but if it has it was purely coincidence that I thought of that! My apologies!**

**(I gave Jack blue eyes and brown hair. Go with it, for now, and trust me.)**

_**Please excuse me for any grammar and spelling mistakes. **_

_**(I dont own anything :)**_

**Chapter 3 and 1/2- A Blooming-**

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**J**ack hated having plans on Wednesday nights. It threw his time off, making that night feel like friday, and the rest of the school week extra long. So this thursday morning, Jack was especially crabby.

"Aahughahhh!" The loud roar sounded across the plain white dining room/kitchen. You would expect the inhabitants of the Overland house to look over at the sleepy, blue-eyed fifteen-year-old who created such a sound, but no one gave him a second look.

Jack took a seat at the small round table, the one next to his sister, who moaned, "Jack, shut _up_. Your yawns are so _ugly_." She rested her head against the table so that her brown hair curtained her face, muffling any last whine she had.

"I don't know." The siblings' mother said, voice dripping in sarcasm. She didn't divert her attention away from her bowl of oatmeal. "It sounded a little throaty today. Is something the matter, dear?"

If it hadn't been obvious, the Overlands weren't morning people.

Jack's ten-year-old look-a-like, Pippa, glared at him through a gap in her hair. "Did you eat all the Poptarts?"

Because Jack's beloved little sister could be the devil at this hour, Jack resisted jeering at her and avoided the question. "Mom, did you ask Dad if he could pick me up from hockey today? I thought we could stay a while on the ice."

His mother lost her hard stare and replaced it with one of pity. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry. You know your Dad is-"

"Busy. Yeah. Got it. It was worth a shot." He grabbed a banana, no intention of eating it. His mother watched as he pushed himself up, chair screeching, and left the room. A year ago his shoulders would have slumped from dejection. His heart would have broken at the realization that his father, again, couldn't attend his games or even have dinner with him. This happened so many times, too many times for Jack to even remember when he stopped caring.

Mr. Lunar Overland was a mysterious man. Jack hardly ever saw his dad, and believed he had no reason to anymore. When Jack was younger, his father got him interested in hockey, even trained with him everyday until sixth grade. He was the one who encouraged fairy tales and stories. He was the one to wake him up in the middle of the night on Christmas eve every year to catch Santa Claus. Now he only has any real conversations with him every few weeks.

Jack sulked to the bathroom, getting himself dolled up for the day and snatching his school bag and hockey gear off of the floor of his messy room. A few video games and dirty clothes caught on his feet on the way out, but it still didn't convince him that he needed to tidy up. When he got to the entry room he retrieved his house key from the coffee table, sighing at the thought of walking to school and back.

"Can't wait to drive." He murmured to himself.

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Rapunzel's bright expression almost made up for his hellish morning. She beamed at him, jumping up and down with excitement. Her purple wine skirt sprung dangerously high on her legs. Her silky gold locks were pulled into a thick mermaid braid (don't ask how Jack knew what kind it was) and her eyes were so round and large that she looked owlish.

"I think classes are shorter today for the club thingy at lunch! My parents might let me join one this year!"

"Clubs?" Jack mimicked. "Do you have one in mind?"

_ "All of them!" _She squealed.

When she gained a few odd looks, Zel stopped, cleared her throat, and tucked her arms behind her back. She playfully swayed back and forth with half lidded eyes. "I mean, I don't know yet."

Jack returned to shoving his books into his locker, elbowing it shut. He didn't have time for clubs with winter sports season approaching. His main focus had to be on conditioning and extra hockey practice before and after school. He also had to keep up his grades. He may not sit well in a tight classroom, but he couldn't repeat last year's mistakes.

"Eugene was a little... affectionate last night, don't you think?" Her voice had a teasing ring to it.

"Oh yeah?" He didn't know where she was going with this.

"You know. The winks, nudges, sexy eyes..." She counted off of her fingertips. "The _smoulder_... Jackson Overland! Is there something going on between you and my boyfriend that I should know about?"

Jack sniggered and shook his head, "Do you think I'm trying to steal him from you?"

"Trust me, you're no threat. Eugene has dirt on you, doesn't he?"

Jack stared at her in mock offense, "He doesn't! And _excuse me_, I could so get a Eugene!"

"Guys, guys." Big arms came out of no where and draped themselves around the sophomores' shoulders. "There's plenty of me to go around."

Jack wrenched himself free of the larger boy's grasp. The man still hugged Rapunzel, who giggled as he attacked her with little kisses. Eugene. Of course.

"Get a room." He spat.

"Oh, Jackie." Flynn pulled away and played with the end of her braid. "I think you're jealous."

"This is the two hundreds building!" Rapunzel thought aloud. "Isn't your class all the way across campus?"

"Maybe I missed you, Blondie. And I needed to see my bitch!"

Jack held back his laughter when he saw Zel's expression shift from dreamy to furious.

"Eugene." She said, sickly sweet, "What did you call me?"

Eugene paled, seeing he screwed up. "I was talking about Jack. Jack's my bitch. I love you Zellie."

"I'm confused." Jack cut into the lover's spat.

"Come on, Jack, get with it! Every senior needs a freshman bitch."

"I'm a sophomore."

"Same thing."

"_When_ did I become your bitch?"

Rapunzel didn't let them continue. "Why are you really here?" She condescended.

"I have to meet Elsa and Anna here to show her around. Hey Jack, why don't you join us?" Flynn smirked his way.

Jack gulped at the thought of seeing Elsa again, and would've jumped at the chance if not for Rapunzel interfering. "Gee, thanks for the invite." She scoffed, "but I have to get to class. I hate say, but Jack, you should too."

"Why? Who do you have next?" Flynn asked.

"Mordu." Jack groaned. "And after that Merida and I have Jafar."

Eugene made a face. "Ew."

"Yeah."

**.**

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_ "Overland, bring that here. It's blocking the walkway." Mr. Jafar barked._

_ Around this season, Jack took to carrying around his hockey stick wherever he went. Mr. Jafar's orders only made Jack despise him more._

_ His teacher was a bony, ugly fellow, with a weirder smell than the must of the drab classroom he worked in. His yellowed eyes always narrowed into slits, his skinny body always hung long, loose clothes, and his voice was always in a low hiss. He was a snake. Jack tried to pay attention to AP History but could only think of the creep's bouncing adam's apple and shiny bald pinhead._

_ "He's evil." Merida claimed, outraged as a teacher assistant passed out the rubric for an assigned two page essay. She blew a tendril of her fiery hair out of her face. _

_ "That much was obvious." Jack's front row seat gave him a good view of the evil man rolling a spider he plucked from his desk in between his fingers and feeding it to his parrot. Yuck._

_ Merida flicked at her jeans. She never did very well in school, which sucked because her mother is a teacher. Elenor Dunbroch was disappointed in her. Jack felt bad because the woman made no effort to try to hide it, even when any of Merida's friends came over._

_ Merida may not see it herself, because she never cared much for opinions, but Jack picked up the way she avoided the subject. If they ever did touch upon it, she would rant for endless minutes without a breath, a glint of hurt in her eyes and a twist to the right side of her mouth. Her accent would get stronger and her voice a higher pitch. But she still didn't try harder, because she didn't give a damn about what her mother thought_

_ Or maybe she did care, she just didn't want to._

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Just as Rapunzel had said, each class was cut short of ten minutes. Lunch was extended for clubs. Jack and Anna walked from their fourth period, Chemistry, and into the quad where they passed by few stands giving out various foods, brochures, and small tokens. They found three of their friends by the theatre arts club and Red Cross.

"Anna!" Charlotte waved them over. She wasn't hard to spot. Her low-cut, pink v-neck stood out against the gray sky and everyone else's fall apparel. Her sweet southern accent sounded like honey. Tiana stood next to the busty blonde, decked in a vertically striped blouse and an emerald-green scarf. Rapunzel was off to the side chatting animatedly with one of the Red Cross club presidents. She walked away with three flyers crumpled in her hands, stuffing them randomly into the bottom of her bag, where she probably held more. Anna grabbed two from Punzie.

"The black club? Really? And dance." Jack read over their shoulders. Rapunzel knew as much ballet as she could teach herself through YouTube at home, or, not much. The little she did know might not have been learned correctly.

"All of the race and culture clubs group together in spring for international week! Tia and Lottie are joining." Rapunzel grinned and wandered off to collect more.

A crazy smile split across Lottie's face when she discovered something, distracting her from the questioning gazes her friends shot at her. "Oooh, Tia, they have a culinary arts club! you can show them how to make your beignets and gumbo!"

" Tia doesn't need that." Anna pointed out. Tia was great in the kitchen.

"Welp." Lottie's expression filled with determination. She hiked the neckline of her shirt higher and hooked her's and Anna's arms together "We do! C'mon!"

Tiana shook her head, messy pontail almost whacking him in the face, at the sight of Charlotte yanking the redhead towards a table lined with many dangerous looking cooking tools. "I'm going to make sure they don't touch any of those." she looked at him expectantly. "You comin'?"

"Nah, I'll catch up later." They parted ways, and Jack walked along. He enjoyed the biting feel of the crisp autumn air against his face, and the sogginess to his grey converse. He could still feel chills slither down his back through his white long sleeve and brown winter coat. Many of the clubs caught his attention, but he repeatedly reminded himself of his reasons for not signing up. He passed a gay rights club, a movie club, robotics club, and as he walked by a stand with pink posters he caught a glimpse of a familiar tight blonde bun standing amongst a large group of more females.

Elsa had on a dark blue long sleeve. The purple eyeshadow she had painted over her eyelids last night was absent, but her eyes somehow still had the same dramatic effect that mesmerized him. At the second he saw her, she turned.

"Jackson?" She yelled over the crowd. She swept at her bangs and smirked. "Looking to join girls' league, are you?"

He smiled back, holding back his nerves and ignoring the annoying fact that Elsa had a good three inches on him as he came over to her. "Well, what would they have me do?"

Elsa looked thoughtful for a moment, "You could carry our shopping bags."

He chuckled and her eyes twinkled back at him with mirth.

"That was lame. And sexist. I wouldn't do very well in the feminist club, would I?" To make her point, she crumpled up the club's pink flyer and tossed it into the nearest trash bin. She frowned when she saw that he held nothing but his hockey stick and school bag.

"Are you joining any clubs? They sound fun." he shook his head. The appalled look that sprouted on her face amused him.

"Why not?"

"Too busy." She nodded in understanding, clasping her hands together in front of her like last night. She wore gloves again. They weren't ones to keep your finger tips warm in the cold, but fine lace that clung to her skin like frost. She informed him, "Some clubs have weekly meetings at lunch time. You could take one of those."

Before he could confirm, Elsa was already digging through the leather book bag she brought, taking out another paper. Jack could see how long and thick her lashes were when she looked down. "Do you dance?"

He shrugged and said with added confidence, "I'm not bad." He wasn't lying. His lithe stature and coördinated reflexes made him quick and light on his feet. The only thing was that it gave the bigger guys in hockey an advantage. A fifty pound advantage.

"Good, because I'm in need of a partner."

The paper she handed him had the silhouette of a man and a woman dancing.

"Ballroom dancing?" His heart fluttered.

"I can't dance." Jack doubted that. Elsa walked with perfect balance, the perfect flare of a figure skater. "For beginners. Lunch time, every monday in room three-oh-six." She recited, not even needing to look at the paper. Jack thought for a second, and saw no harm in it. Plus, it gave him a chance to become good friends with Elsa, or at least have something good to talk about. He pocketed the paper.

"We can find a club we actually like together, or my sister will probably force the both of us into drama and expressions. Or something like... origami and dining etiquette."

Jack strangely liked it when she said 'us' or 'we'.

"Wait, they have clubs for that here?"

Elsa motioned over to a table that had different forks on display, and another one that had free samples of colorful paper.

_ "Forks?"_

"I've met your other friend earlier today, Ariel, I think. She would probably enjoy that club."

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_**Candle club.**_

"Ugh. Not that one." Jack declared.

"Why?"

"I don't need to learn how to make candles. And the rose one was nasty. It smelled like my aunt."

"I liked that one."

"Well then you like my nasty aunt. And I'm pretty sure that the Grand Canyon doesn't smell like strawberries. Why would they name a candle that?"

"What would you want it to smell like? Rocks? Dirt?" She tugged at the lace on her wrists.

"Just... don't name it 'Grande Canyon'. No one wants their living room to smell like the freakin' Grande Canyon."

"Well, good, because you said it smelled like strawberries."

"Why don't they just call it 'strawberry' , then?"

"I, for one, Jackson, have not been to the "freaking Grand Canyon"... I think it would be wonderful if it smelled liked strawberries."

"You're going to be very disappointed."

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_**Card Club.**_

Jack and Elsa sat across from each other. Their heated stares clashed. Blue on blue. Intense. Jack pricked at the edge of one of his cards, other hand gripping his hockey stick, while Elsa held hers in a fan shrouding the bottom half her face in mystery.

Slowly, so slowly, Jack drawled out, "six."

Elsa hid her sly smile. "Go fish."

"Damn it."

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_**...Some Club.**_

"I think this is the third free cookie I've gotten from that club. Have we already gone here?"

"Which one?"

"... I don't know. The one with the orange banners."

"Oh. Well, free food."

They split the chocolate treat.

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_**Ventriloquy Club.**_

The tall, greasy man smiled at the pair with a little version of him perched in his arms. The dummy winked at Jack, handing him a purple brochure with an eerie, "Join us!"

Jack instantly passed the note over to Elsa. He looked her dead in the eyes, skin crawling, "No."

Elsa placed the brochure back onto the counter with a tight, closed mouth smile.

"No, thank you."

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"How long is lunch break, normally?" Elsa asked him. She sat cross-legged, sorting through different club flyers and choices. She didn't sit too close to him, keeping the same two or three feet of distance between them, like always. Her bun had come just a bit looser, but stayed in tact.

"Like, thirty minutes."

"...It's really long today."

"Yeah."

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**OKAY! Guys, help me pick the club they should join. It can be ANYTHING.**

**Um, so this is part one of Elsa's first day of school. **

_**if you'd all be so kind... **_

_**Note that I don't have much time to write, type, or edit. The story may be a little rushed, some chapters may be short, there will be typos, and this will not be my best work.**_

_**This is one of my first fics and I'm mostly writing for the fun of it, so please go easy with the criticism.**_

_**Thank you! **_

_**Mawhn.**_


	5. -g (B)romance

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**Hi.**

_**Thanks to everyone who took their time to read this, and for the reviews, favorites, and followers. I really appreciate it!**_

** I finally have a written plot for this story, but it's still flexible, so feel free to give suggestions! I also think I have too many characters here, so I'll only make, like, half of them major characters, while Jack is the main.**

** OHHHHHH MYYY GOHHHHDDDDD! Choosing a club was so hard! **_**Thank you all**_** for your ideas! **

**Chapter 4- - g (B) romance.**-

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"**A**re you okay? You look a little green."

Jack's stomach churned, but he waved it off. "It's fine."

The second Jack and Elsa made it to the crowded cafeteria, Tooth came up to them with her mouth curled up to show a row of perfect white teeth.

"Jack! Who's this?" Her smile faltered a little. She was frozen in a stance slightly leaning forward on her toes, like a bird ready to take flight. Not being very subtle, she sized Elsa up. It proved to be difficult, with her towering over Tooth's short, curvy body. Elsa looked a little stiff under the pressure of her observation, but managed a small smile. "Hi, I'm Elsa, Anna's sister."

Any weariness in Tooth's face vanished and instead she flashed a second ecstatic grin. "Hi! Oh, you have such nice teeth! You can call me Tooth, Sorry I couldn't meet you last night!" Without warning, Tooth sprung forward and enveloped Elsa's small shoulders in a tight hug.

_ "Oh!" _Elsa used a high pitch Jack wouldn't have ever imagined her using. All of lunch, Elsa had been nothing sort of cool and collected. Tooth's show of affection seemed to catch her off guard. "You're friendly."

She wasn't done just yet. Apparently, to her, the hug wasn't enough to satisfy, so she turned away from the flabbergasted blonde and gave Jack the same treatment. Her hair tickled his eyelids and smelt of mint and cinnamon.

"Oi!" hollered a familiar voice. The deep Australian accent could only be-

"Bunnymund!" Jack's gleeful response irked the dark- haired man. Benny, or Bun, stayed at a plastic table with a few more of his friends, behind Merida's orange ringlets of hair. He met them a few yards away from their seats and took Elsa's hand in a firm shake.

"Hello. Elsa, is it? I'm Ben."

"Nice to meet you."

"Same."

It was then that Tooth released Jack, and for that he was grateful. For a second he thought he was going to puke in her hair. She flounced back to the group, and waited for him to follow.

"Is she always so..." Elsa trailed off.

"Touchy feely?" Bun suggested. "Yeah, but you'll get used to it."

The look on Elsa's face told Jack that she would never get used to it. Jack wasn't sure on how to react to it yet, either, not that he minded much. But he had always been a special case ever since he met Tooth back in elementary school. She gave him lingering looks, longer hugs, more compliments... He just didn't feel the same way, and hoped that the last thing he did was lead her on. She didn't deserve that.

She was cute, he guessed. He's always had a thing for blue eyes, like her dark ones. Her short brown hair hung feather extensions. They had gone out of style years ago, but it somehow still worked on her. Her colorful clothes added to her sweet, bubbly personality.

Bunny went back to sit and Jack tapped Ela's shoulder.

"Don't listen to him."

"About Tooth?"

"Oh, no, that's true. I mean his real name is Bunny, got it?"

"What-"

"Jack. You look like shite." Buns failed to sugarcoat.

"Gee, thanks, I try." Jack regretted skipping breakfast, and forgetting his lunch, and filling his stomach with sweets. He was starting to feel a little nauseous, and it hadn't gone unnoticed. Jack took deep breaths, trying to still his swimming vision and fill his lungs with fresh air. The cafeteria being busy with school mates and teens, some of which were probably not wearing deodorant, made it hard. This isn't the first time he's skipped a meal; it was just something in all the junk he ate today.

Elsa helped him to the black chairs at the table. She sat a little further away from everyone else, going back to that distant, alienated persona and only bringing herself to exchange a few words with her sister and Ariel, who had shortly joined the group after them. Every once in a while she would shoot Jack a concerned look.

"Jacqueline! You look like shit!" yelled a voice he swears he's heard far too much for his liking in one day. Flynn and Rapunzel stood over the table Jack had draped his body over.

"So I've heard. Don't call me that."

"Do you need to step outside, buddy?" Flynn tried to get a good look at him, poking and prodding at his ears and neck. When Jack refused to answer, Eugene eventually gave up, and simply grabbed Jack around the waist. Jack jumped, startled, and gave Eugene the opportunity to haul his skinny body over his shoulder. The way Jack was bent made the bruises on his back from Anna's dresser ache.

"Flynn!" Tooth shrieked. "Put him down!"

Jack squirmed. Everyone else laughed and followed as he carried him away into the open fields.

"Oh, and Elsa." Flynn said rather nonchalantly whilst carrying the boy. "I told you earlier that I still need to introduce you someone. I think you two will get a along. He's a smart ass and you, well, you're smart. You can take it. He's in our grade but doesn't look like it. Or sound like it. His name is weird, but it's a long story that we don't need to go into. Sometimes he-"

"I what, Eugene?"

Eugene turned, a little surprised, but not guilty. He smiled a cheeky smile. "He can wimp out a lot."

"Thank you, for summing that up."

"You're welcome, bud." Eugene said with a little too much enthusiasm. He clapped Hiccup three times on the back and set Jack down flat on the grass, allowing him to see their new acquaintance.

He was a short guy whose shaggy brown hair stopped above his eyebrows. The brown aviator jacket he wore had a few scratches on it and the green v-neck under it was in worse shape. The freckles and roundness to his face gave him a youthful appearance for his seventeen or eighteen years. His ultra skinny legs looked as if they would snap when he walked, even when covered by the dark jeans he wore. His arms even more so. If Jack had crossed him in the halls between periods, he wouldn't have remembered.

Or so he thought for like, five seconds.

It took those five seconds for something around his foot to draw Jack's attention. More accurately, where his foot should have been. In place of his shoe was a device foreign to Jack, a metal hook shaped prosthetic. He didn't know how high it ran with Hiccup's pants.

"Hey, Jack, are you feeling better?" Tooth asked him. Elsa and Hiccup exchanged pleasantries and started to chat. Jack could hear Merida and Nick arguing. Jack still sat on the grass, while everyone else sort of circled around him, standing. Little Hiccup had to look down at him to say, "Why, what's wrong?"

Anna asked, "What did you eat today."

He and Elsa locked eyes. "Junk."

"Nothing else? You skipped." Anna sounded more accusing than worried.

Eugene tsked and Elsa scolded him, "Why didn't you?"

Eugene turned to Hiccup with a sly smirk, "Do you get discounts for working at that sushi place?" Hiccup shifted and looked irritable, contemplating on whether or not to say anything.

"Umai? Yeah, for me. Sometimes friends."

"Well, we're friends!" Nick bellowed, eyes bright. Hiccup stood even shrimpier next to Nick's towering height.

"Not good ones." Hiccup grumbled back.

"Now that's just being mean." Eugene said.

Hiccup sighed unnecessarily loud and glared daggers at Eugene, but softened when he regarded Elsa. "Fine. I'll take you guys. My treat, but only for you. As a welcoming sort of thing. After school, anyone who can go will meet here."

"Cool."

"Where's Kristoff?"

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**-;-**

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"Have you tried the une-ah-gee here?" Flynn skimmed through a flimsy red menu. He enunciated every syllable with care like it mattered.

Hiccup shook his head, "Toothless won't come anywhere near me when I touch the eel." He turned to Elsa, who sat next to him, and explained, "Toothless, my dog."

The left corner of her mouth tugged up like the way it did when Jack first met her. Even if it made him anxious that he wasn't on the receiving end of the half-smile, he found himself fascinated by the flowery quality of her lips. Jack propped his head on a knuckle, leaning on the shined glass table top of where they all sat. Unlike last night, Jack wasn't given the chance to sit next to her, and instead sandwiched himself in between Bunny and Tooth. Tooth seemed happy, at least.

"You named your dog Toothless." Elsa restated.

"Heh. Yeah."

"Okay." Elsa said, deciding they were past the topic. "So what do you do in your free time?"

Hiccup suddenly looked bashful. "Um, I like to train Toothless a lot. My dad signed me up for karate but I don't show up a lot."

"What classes do you take?" Well, what Jack had taken was that Hiccup didn't talk to girls very often because he looked as red as the coke can he sipped from.

"I'm in woodshop."

"And sewing club." Eugene added. Hiccups cheeks burned brighter.

"Do you make designs?" Elsa sounded more interested.

Jack had stopped listening by then. He looked around the table. Kristoff couldn't make it today, so Anna was between Ariel and Punzie today. Eugene always took the chair next to his girlfriend, and Hiccup took his other side, next to Elsa. The next five chairs were Nick, Bunny, Jack, Tooth and Merida. He focused on a stray strand that had come loose from Eugene's hair gel, flopping from the air conditioner above them. When he had tuned back in, Eugene smirked at him and wiggled his eyebrows,

"Like what you see, Jack?" The waitress placed a small bowl of miso soup in front of each of them, and tittered. She'd overheard.

The waitress had on a dark green apron with straws, chopsticks, and a notepad tucked in. The fray of her shorts that were much too tiny to be comfortable peeked out from underneath a black t-shirt. The clump of mascara that gathered in the corner of her lashes bothered him, but he supposed the make-up made her green eyes pop against her olive skin. She gave them- or, no, him, just him- a dazzling smile that made Jack a little self-conscious.

"Hi, welcome to Umai! Are you ready to order?" Her sultry gaze was still fixed on him. Jack could practically feel Tooth seethe next to him. The waitress forced a smile at Tooth, too, tapping her pen against her dark braid as she took their orders. Every so often she would eyeball him again and bite her sunset lips invitingly.

Seeing that Coralee, her name tag read, was waiting for him to reply first, he straightened himself and said the first thing he scanned on the menu.

"I'll have the..." The first thing he read wasn't exactly easy pronounce (for him at least), and Jack ended up tripping over his words. "U-um- ae- Ume? Ume Shiz-"

"Number fourteen, ume shiso roll." She finished for him. She scribbled on her pad while he heard Anna and Ariel giggle. Thankfully, Merida had as much trouble as he did so it wasn't too embarrassing. The green-eyed girl got all of their orders, and left with a wink in his direction. Jack's ears were hot.

Bunny shook him, "You bloody show pony! Did you see the way she looked at you?" He nudged him playfully.

He really didn't want to think about it. It did boost his ego though. Jack simpered, feeling rather pleased with himself throughout the meal.

"Winter is coming!" Nick thundered dramatically. Of course a big guy like him would quote a show as violent as Game of thrones. He looked ridiculous trying to train his meaty hands to work with the chopsticks. His resolve was to use one to stab through his tofu in his soup, which ended up just slipping through and splatting into mush on the table. He grumbled.

"You know," Jack recommended. "She gave us spoons." He held up his own spoonful to demonstrate and took a sip.

Nick looked at Jack like he was the genius who invented spoons, and took a noisy slurp. He said again. "Winter is coming! What do you guys want for Christmas?"

"That's three months away." Jack laughed.

"It's never too early to prepare for the holidays!"

"Okay," Eugene was sipping directly from the bowl instead of using his spoon. He said unsurely, "I could use a new satchel?"

"He means a purse." Jack corrected him.

"_Satchel_."

"From Claire's." Merida said.

"_No_." He crooked a finger at Jack, then Merida. "No."

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

"Are we splitting the price evenly? Or are we paying for our own stuff?" Elsa had finished her mango roll and was fishing for something in her bag.

"I'm paying for you, remember?" Hiccup held her wrist to stop her, and took out his wallet. The way he emphasized 'you' strictly meant '_only _you'. "My treat. I get a discount anyway."

"How 'bout the tip?"Anna asked.

"She doesn't need a tip." assured Tooth.

"I agree." said Elsa.

Hiccup looked at both of them in confusion, "Coralee? Why? I work here, she'll get mad if I don't leave a tip."

"I hate to break it to you mate, but I don't think she noticed you were here."

"Too busy batting her eyelashes at Jack. She wasn't very professional." Elsa stated, annoyed.

"She's a waitress." He deadpanned.

"She got my drink wrong!" Anna argued.

"Why didn't you tell her that?"

"...Well, I changed my mind." She stirred her sprite.

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

Anna had invited them all over after they finally decided that they _will_ leave a tip for Coralee the waitress. Elsa, Anna, Merida, and Jack got a ride there from Hiccup. The rest of them accompanied Eugene. The entire time that Hiccup drove, with Elsa sitting shotgun, they went from topic to topic and got to know each other better. Hiccup would say some sarcastic remark about a few idiots in school in his nasally snort and she would laugh that cute way behind her left hand.

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

Five schoolmates sat in a circle on the intricate print of the living room rug, in front of the plasma screen television. Five more of them occupied the seats- Anna, Merida, and Hiccup on the sofa while Jack perched himself on the right arm of the love seat, where Bunny was.

"Oi!" Bunny lightly shoved Jack's arm, "Go sit somewhere else!"

Jack grinned and stretched his legs out to rest over Bunny's lap, wriggling his toes. Bunny shoved him again, a little harder. "Really, Jack arse, get off."

"Careful!" Ariel cried.

"Do you guys want to watch a movie?" Anna turned a blind eye to the situation, assuming they had it under control. The only thing everyone was watching was the commotion between Bun and Jack.

"Not so hard, Bunny." Hiccup warned them.

"Then tell him to get off."

"Jack, seriously, just sit next to us!" Tooth urged him.

But Jack was stubborn, and loved to mess with Bunny any chance he got. Bunny gave him one last, hard push that caused Jack to topple out of his place on fall backwards from the chair-and-a-half.

"Jack!"

Anna stopped scrolling through Netflix and looked at them in alarm. Elsa gasped.

"Shit!" Bunny shot from the love seat.

Jack slammed his head and back on the polished wood, right where their rug ended. He grimaced at the loud sound of the collision and the blossoming pain growing from the back of his head. Jack didn't think it was bad- the worst he could get was a bad headache- but four of his friends were in a frantic scramble to get him up. Jack half expected his friends to burst out in laughter, like they always did when he got hurt, but they seemed to think that this could be serious. Anna and Merida moved to sit him down at the couch.

"Crap, Jack, I'm sorry." Bunny's face twisted with guilt.

"Let me see!" Rapunzel came forward and felt the back of his head, fingers massaging into a sore spot. Jack winced. Rapunzel just sighed, but he couldn't tell if she was relieved or irritated. "He's fine. Just get some ice."

"Jack, I'm sorry." Bunny said again.

"It's fine, man." Jack said, but Tooth still glared at him. Bun shrunk back.

"Jack, come here." Elsa was taking out a tray of ice and motioned for him to join her in the kitchen. Away from everyone else. Alone. Elsa ripped a paper towel next to the sink and wrapped a sandwich bag of ice. She nodded to him and told him he could sit on top of the marble counter. He briefly wondered if the kitchen lights made him look pale.

He followed her directions, turning his head and allowing her to come close enough to press the makeshift ice pack to his bruise. They waited in silence, and Jack saw that Elsa was working up the courage to say something.

"Excuse me for asking, but is Ben- Bunny- Tooth's boyfriend?" Elsa asked timidly.

"What?"

Elsa looked shamefaced. "I'm sorry, it wasn't my business." She returned to tending to his head.

"No, no. Why?"

She gave a small shrug of her shoulders, "Just the way he looks at her."

They were quiet for a few moments because Jack was deep in thought. After realizing that Elsa must feel a little awkward, he decided to change the subject. "So you don't like Brandy Melville. Why?"

Elsa pulled away and laughed. "You remembered that?" She shook her head. "It's just not my style. Anna looks good in it though."

"That's all?" Jack quirked a brow.

Elsa bit her lip, not like Coralee in Umai. It was more a natural habit, and less flirty. Jack found it much more appealing. "It may have something to do with all the elementary kids."

"You don't like kids?"

She was absolutely appalled at the thought. "No! I love kids!"

Jack, for some reason, was relieved about that. He didn't know why. He chuckled "Then what?"

"I came in there and heard some six-year-old, like-" Her voice went a few pitches higher. "-_'This is so you! You should so get it!'"_ Jack was shocked, not at her story, but something else.

"At her age." Elsa continued her rant, "I was wearing overalls. That's not fair."

**...**

"Wait..." Jack recovered, and guffawed. "Holy crap, was that supposed to be your valley girl accent? What the hell was _that_?"

Elsa blushed as Jack cracked up.

"W-wait." He was able sputter. "Do it again."

"No. You're laughing at me." She crossed her arms.

"C'mon!"

"_No_!" She shook a little from suppressing her own giggles. Her hand put down the ice bag and came up to cup her mouth. Jack threw his head back a little, nearly hitting his head again.

"Careful." She stopped giggling, but still smiled. She brought him forward by a gentle tug to his collar.

"Guys!" Ariel bounded through the kitchen door. "Anna is starting the movie."

Jack hopped down from the counter and took the ice with him. He didn't need Elsa to reach the back of his head, so why did she insist she help him? It made him giddy. He followed Elsa into the living room. He plopped down next to Eugene and Rapunzel.

"So what are we watching?"

"Twilight." Eugene threw an arm around his shoulders and gave him a meaningful smile, eyes flitting from Elsa and back to Jack. Jack was too much in a good mood to shove him away.

"Someone hit me in the head again."

The girls laughed.

"No, seriously. Please."

No one did, but even after two hours of sparkly vampires, Jack was still happy.

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

**Pick one, please.**

** a) powerpuff girls**

** b) Carl and Ellie (UP) (I thought his name was Bob at first whoops)**

** c) Starfire and Raven (teentitans)**

** d) Gwen Stacy and Spiderman**

**e) Super Mario Brothers**

**I'm sorry if this chapter was a little boring. I'm not happy with this one, but the next few chapters actually have some significant events and details so please stay tuned!**

_**This is one of my first fics, so if you'd all be so kind... **_

_**Please bear with me, and note that I don't have much time to write, type, or edit. The story may be a little rushed (or slow), some chapters may be a little short, there will be many typos, and this in all will not be my best work. **__**I also procrastinate a LOT.**_

_**I'm mostly doing these stories for the fun of them, so please go easy with the criticism.**_

_**Thank you!**_

_**-Mawhn**_


	6. Senior Citizens

**...**

** Hi!**

_**I would just like to thank everyone who took their time to read this, and for the reviews, favorites, and followers. I really appreciate it! I finally have a written plot for this story, but it's still flexible, so feel free to give suggestions.**_

**reluctant-persona: Soon, but not yet ;) **

**maranoismylife: aren't they cute together?**

**(I don't own anything ;)**

**...**

**Chapter 5- Senior Citizens**

**"...**_Just a little closer now_**..."**

**...**

**.**

**J**ack should have spent all of his free time on Friday and Saturday studying for his upcoming AP history quiz in Jafar's. Instead, he spent that time studying Bunny and skateboarding. He just didn't get it. What did Elsa see in the short hours she'd known him that Jack had missed all this time? Was it a girl thing to be able to sniff this stuff out? Or was she just that observant? He'd looked over the twitch of Bun's tiny prickly whiskers to his big feet and saw no sign of... well he really didn't know what he was looking for.

_Just the way he looks at her._ Was it like how Kristoff looked at Anna?

How did Jack look at Elsa?

No, He thought, that couldn't be the same. Jack had met Elsa less than four days ago, anything he thought he felt could only be attraction- a simple interest, not even enough to be a crush, right?

And now the source of Jack's conflict sat next to him on the dull carpets of his room. Bun thumbed crazily at his game controller as he slouched against the foot of Jack's bed, tip of his tongue peeking out over his lip. He had come over at around noon, when the sun was high but still not seen behind murky clouds, because it's never too early or too cold to play video games.

"Crap. Crap!" Bunny sat up and leaned forward in anticipation, "No! Crap."

"Dude, just kill it already."

"No shit." Bunny growled. He died.

"Did you leave me alone?!" Jack panicked. "On hero time? Jackass!"

Bunny stretched, popping his joints and relaxing before eyeing Jack's Play Station with disgust "You need a new system. And new games."

"I don't."

"We're playing Shrek 2 on a laggy PS2."

"You're just mad you lost."

"We're on the same team, and this game sucks."

"You didn't have to come over." Jack's player, Little Red, was bitten by the giant spider boss.

"Yeah. Why did I?"

"You missed me."

Bunny opened his mouth to retort, but Jack was too distracted by his phone buzzing on his left butt cheek. He paused the game, whipping his phone out.

"It's Anna."

**...**

_To: Jack _

**Today 12:51 PM**

** Hey, u busy?**

**...**

_To: Anna_

** Bunnys here**

**...**

_To: Jack_

**Come overrrr ;0**

**...**

_To: Anna_

** Again? Who else is coming**

**...**

"What's she saying?" Bun tried to peek over his shoulder, but Jack shoved his palm into his face to stop him.

"mmff!" Bunny blew a raspberry against Jack's hand and he jerked back.

"Sick, man," Jack wiped his hand on his white t-shirt. "She wants us to come over." He read off of his texts. "Elsa invited Flynn and Hiccup, so Anna wants us there."

"She's not sick of us yet?" That was certainly something to think about, but Anna seemed more than okay with having her schedule packed tight, like she was afraid to be alone any time of her life. "Is Rapunzel coming?"

"Her parents want her stay home, and Ti's with Navine. Merida, Lottie, and Tooth are meeting us there."

And while Jack was rattling off Anna's attendance report, he failed to read the lift in Bunny's shoulders at the sole mention of Tooth's name.

**...**

**...**

If there was anything Jack hated about Elsa Queen, it was how she said hello to him.

"Hi, Jack." Elsa held a teacup in her hands, "I didn't know you were here. I didn't see you on Friday. How are you?"

It was like how a mother would greet her kid's friends every few months. The three years she had on him suddenly seemed like ten, especially with her conservative pencil skirts and long sleeves. She leaned against the corner where the kitchen counters met and sipped her drink in small ladylike gulps. Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and walked over to the fridge to grab him and his friends a few sodas, trying hard not to pay attention to how the skirt was taute around her hips and long legs.

"I'm good. You?" When he peered over his shoulder, all he could think about was Thursday night and the tingle of her gentle touches at the back of his head. The bruise at his crown pulsed a little at the memory.

She gave him a refined, close-mouthed smile. "Fine, thank you."

Flynn sauntered through the kitchen door and snatched a can from Jack's arms, "Thanks, short stuff." He ruffled Jack's already messy locks.

"Hey!"

"It's not my fault you haven't hit puberty yet."

Jack turned red. He didn't even know what to say to that.

Elsa groaned, "Flynn, leave him alone."

Flynn grinned, snapping the can open and taking a great swallow. The three of them started walking upstairs and Eugene went on about the photography club he joined on Thursday, lecturing them about different cameras Jack didn't really care for. When they reached Elsa's open snowflake-printed bedroom door, Hiccup waved to him from inside, next to a few unpacked boxes. Eugene turned to him. "Well, kiddo, this is the big kid room, so scram."

Flynn didn't have the manners to call Jack by name, and didn't plan to start. Elsa hit him, and her friend barley reacted, looking smug. The blonde rolled her eyes and smiled in apology from behind her teacup. So, Jack walked further down the hall, kicking into Anna's pink bedroom with his socks because his arms were full of the sodas.

Elsa's freckle-faced sister was currently gushing about her romantic evening with Kristoff at the park while Tooth and Lottie separated her hair into different sections, twisting them into buns that reminded him of honey dippers all around her head. He didn't question the weird hairstyle. Jack couldn't help but smile. Even if it got a little sickening when either of the couple got this way, it was nice to see Anna so happy.

He never put much thought into relationships. He had distaste for PDA, but he often wondered what it felt like to meet the right someone to do that stuff with. He doesn't see any of that with his parents anymore... wouldn't romance eventually start to dwindle away like theirs did?

Jack shook the thought away. He was fifteen, he didn't need to think about that just yet. And, gosh, he dreaded the day he would have to.

_'I've tried playing it cool. But when I'm looking at you'_ Music filled the empty spaces around the five friends.

"No. Nonononono, Anna, turn that off! Turn it off, turn it off!" Bunny said in pure terror. Merida scowled. Lottie and Tooth, on the other hand, squeaked in delight.

"C'mon! Turn it off! It's three against three." Bunny demanded, his forest green eyes blazed.

Anna smirked, a challenge in the shape of her quirked red-painted lips they all knew too well. "It's _three_ against _two_. Me, Tooth and Lottie. You and Merida."

The blue haired teen pierced Jack with his fierce glare. "Your call. Tell them to turn it off."

Anna and Lottie gave him hopeful looks. _One direction! _Their faces pleaded with him.

.

.

.

_'Something's gotta give now_

_ Cause I'm dying just to make you see_

_ That I need you here with me now_

_ Cause you've got that one thing.' _

.

.

.

And Jack's deep baritone roared,_ "SO GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"_

And Lottie cheered, blue eyes sparkling.

And Bunny groaned, falling back in defeat.

**...**

**...**

"What _is_ 'that one thing'?" Merida asked long after the song ended, scrunching up her nose.

Anna slurped her soda while Lottie applied a fruity smelling mud mask to the ginger's face. "I don't know. A vagina?"

"I don't think so."

"Gawd, they are _so_ cute." Lottie burrowed into Anna's comforters with a dreamy smile. Anna smushed both hands against her cheeks in agreement and Tooth mirrored Lottie's face, head propped up by two elbows. The two boys (and Merida) just waited for the three girls' high to wear off, finishing their cokes.

"What do you see in them?" Bunny grumbled. The girls' lovestruck gazes turned to shock, gasping.

"Now you've done it." Merida hissed, "They won't shut up, now!"

Before any of the girls could get into how attractive the boy band was, and waste a perfectly good afternoon, Jack quickly averted the subject, "Why don't _you_ like them, Mer?"

"Sorry I don't love them as much you do, Jack. I just don't like boys."

"So you like girls?" Tooth asked, curiosity taking her over. Her eyes looked almost purple in the semi darkness. Merida didn't look offended or uncomfortable in the slightest, standing up to switch on a lamp. Anna took apart one of her copper pin up buns and started to redo it, looking between them like she was watching a serious tennis match.

"I'm asexual." Merida drawled back.

"...I don't think that's scientifically possible." Bunny reasoned.

"Not _that _kind of asexual, idiot. I can't reproduce by maself. I mean I'm not attracted to either sex."

"Uh, Cool." Anna tried, and Merida rolled her eyes. She curled an orange ringlet around her finger.

"Wait, so you don't even find them at least a _little_ bi-"

A scream came from the next room over interrupted Lottie.

**...**

**...**

Anna burst into the room, "What's happening? What did you do to my sister?"

An angry Anna was scary, even with pin-up buns and cucumber guck plastered to her cheeks.

Both a seemingly horrified Elsa and Hiccup had themselves pressed into the furthest wall away from Eugene, who had his back turned to them. He was just as startled as they were.

"What _is_ that? On his face?" Elsa yowled.

"Flynn, _don't_ move!" Hiccup begged.

"_What?_ _What's_ on my face?" Flynn started to turn, and Jack braced himself for whatever was there.

Nothing. _Nothing_ was on Eugene's face. He was clean, and Jack was puzzled.

Once Flynn wasn't looking, Elsa's features relaxed. She winked her dark lashes at him, and gave him an intense gaze that said _'just go with it'_.Jack swore his brain just melted and he felt a lot like dancing. Of course, Hiccup gave him the same meaningful look, minus the wink, but Jack didn't feel the same results. It took all of Jack's will power to drop his jaw in 'shock' and not laugh.

Jack jumped back and opened his blue eyes as wide as they would go. He wasn't much of an actor, but he was rather proud of himself for his feigned fear. "Oh my god!"

Everyone else got the message when he did, and followed suit, crying and gasping when Eugene turned to them, brown eyes shining like pennies. He looked close to tears.

"What is it! Get it off!"

**...**

**...**

"That wasn't funny." Eugene groused

Jack crowed, "We won't tell Punzel you cried."

"I didn't cry"

Jack could tell Elsa was trying hard not to laugh, "Yes, but you would have."

"But I didn't."

Eugene pardoned Elsa's teasing, but shot Jack one of the best troll faces he's ever seen. Jack cackled.

The trio stopped in the middle of the two hundreds hall, in front of a curious Rapunzel. She pecked her boyfriend on the lips once, and stood back with an amused smile. "You cried?"

"Oh, come _on_!" Without saying much of a goodbye, he stormed off. Elsa tittered behind her glove and said to Jack, "So, I'll see you at lunch?"

"What's at lunch?" Rapunzel asked, but Jack couldn't recall.

Elsa looked a little embarrassed when she noted his confusion. "Ballroom club, remember? You're my partner."

Jack's tongue was suddenly too big for his mouth when the image of dancing with Elsa came to mind. "Oh, yeah. Of course. What room is it again?"

Elsa informed him of the club information, but Jack realized he was incapable of remembering, or even listening to her when she was looking at him with her deep blue eyes. She gave him one last friendly smile, and followed Flynn, unaware of Jack's predicament.

"What did she say?" Jack looked to Zel for help. She raised a brow.

"You weren't listening?"

**...**

**...**

Jack rushed to room 306, like Rapunzel had told him when the bell concluding fourth period rung. He got there faster than he's ever gotten to any of his classes, but he wasn't the only one. Elsa sat next in the back corner desk to the left, conversing with a young woman with yellow shoulder length hair and a pink ribbon dress. The older woman looked disappointed, shaking her head in dismay and murmuring a few quiet words to the seventeen-year-old. Jack shuffled his way over to them, hoping he wasn't interrupting anything important.

"People just don't appreciate the arts like they used to. I work in this little dance studio where we have ballet and ballroom dancing and I'm losing students every few months because it's too hard for them. They give these allusions on television and entertainment, making people believe it's still alive, but people just don't want to work hard for it." The frustrated woman's soft voice gradually got a few octaves higher with her rant.

"They come in on their phones, wanting to do their own thing, thinking that the class will just be as easy as it looks, and quit when they realize that that's not the case. "

Jack stood behind the woman, who he guessed was the instructor, and Elsa smiled at him a little. The woman noticed and turned her head to him, revealing rosebud lips and a white head band holding hair out of a fair face and almond eyes, "Oh, hi!"

She faced her whole body to him now. "I am Mrs. Cinders, but you may call me Ella. I'll be teaching you how to dance."

Jack smiled back, introducing himself. When Ella started to push the classroom desks up against the walls to give them space, the two high schoolers went to help. Five minutes into lunch, and to Ella's increasing disappointment, the room only filled with seven other couples. She pushed on a dazzling smile, anyway. "So, welcome to the introduction to ballroom dancing! Because your thirty minute lunch break isn't long enough to learn anything, it's been decided that, today and starting next week, there will also be after school classes on Tuesdays."

"Today, we'll be starting on a simple mirror exercise. What you do is-" Mrs. Cinders stood in front of her assistant with neat dark hair, her husband, and started to sway her arms. The man did, too. "Take turns copying each other's movements. This is to build the lead and follower understanding in a dance."

The high schoolers were instructed to grab a partner and mimic each other's movements. Elsa surprised Jack by gently tugging on his hand and leading him over to the side, pushing past a dark-skinned couple with a lot of hair. She squeezed his hand twice and let go, facing him, three feet away, with her crystal eyes boring into his own. Slowly, Jack raised his arms, Elsa following. Mr and Mrs. Cinders stood around, going in between the seven couples to check their progress.

Jack found his gestures getting stiffer and stiffer in his struggle to keep eye contact with Elsa without getting sucked into the deep pools. He just couldn't take this seriously. Elsa knit her eyebrows in confusion when Jack refused to hold her gaze for more than three seconds, his eyes constantly flickering over to their teacher, who was approaching them.

He rolled up his lips into a ridiculous smile and crossed his eyes.

Elsa's eyes widened and immediately stopped mirroring his hands to cup her mouth, which had opened into a silent laugh. She clamped down harder in a desperate attempt to muffle her snickers when Mrs. Cinders came closer, hiding her face behind the sleeves of her cyan trench coat.

"So how are you two doing here?" Cinders shot them a disapproving look and Elsa straightened up and bit her lip. Jack blushed and dropped the stupid expression. He couldn't stop the smirk he directed at his partner.

He cleared his throat. "Not well, ma'am."

The dance coach sighed and seized both of them by a shoulder, rotating them to face each other. She held a finger against the space just underneath his ear and brought his head up. "Grow from your ears." She told him, "and _look_ at her."

"I'm going to turn on some music, and I want you to really _feel_ this. Don't be afraid to get lost in it." She stalked off with the posture of a princess. Elsa stared after her, then down to her gloved hands, unsure.

A smooth, classical melody Jack wasn't familiar with weaved through the air.

_Get lost in it._

They did, and after a while Jack couldn't care less who was even leading anymore. He didn't have the urge to ruffle his hair or shove his hands in his blue hoodie pockets. He got lost in seas and sapphires and wine colored lips and freckles like constellations lacing their way across her face.

**.**

He didn't know that she got lost in eyes like storms and warm chestnut hair and chapped lips.

**.**

... and his goofy antics, crossed eyes, flared nostrils, and twisted expressions when Mrs. Cinders wasn't looking...

**.**

**.**

And snow-white smiles.

**...**

**...**

When Jack came back to room 306 after school, Elsa was sitting at the same corner desk with a long, inch-thin book laid out in front of her. Jack snuck around her easily, nudging his head a little forward over her blue-clothed shoulder to see what had occupied her full attention. She was reading comics. _Elsa_ was reading comics, one about a little boy with spiky hair that reminded Jack of his own.

"Elsa." He finally announced his presence. He hoped he didn't smell like sweat, just coming from sixth period hockey practice. His coach actually let them go early today.

Elsa gasped, flinching away from him as far as she possibly could in the little space she had in the desk. Then Jack remembered that strange three-foot-distance she always maintained. He stepped back for that space.

"Sorry. What are you reading?"

"The world bores you when you're cool."

"Huh?"

Elsa laughed, "You asked what I was reading." She returned her eyes to trace along the black and white comic strips. "Calvin and Hobbes."

He came a little closer, and this time she let him. He read over her shoulder again, intrigued by the little cartoons of the little boy and what looked to be a really cute tiger.

"He has a pet tiger?"

"Sort of. It's just an imaginary friend. Hobbes is really a stuffed toy."

"That's sad."

She didn't respond, too immersed in the comic. Jack tapped out a tune on her desk, reading out the second box of the strip she was focussed on.

"'Happiness isn't good enough for me. I demand euphoria.'..." Jack trailed off. "How old is this kid?"

"Six." She smirked.

A few other students filed in with their partners along with a smiling Ella Cinders. She clapped her hands together twice like one would do to get a kindergarten class's attention. A few kids got up to move the desks away like at lunch while Cinders spoke and scrolled through her phone. "In dance, you have to keep up with the music, or else all you're doing is fancy walking. How you _dance_ is an entirely different matter."

The twenty-something-year-old hooked the phone up to a speaker, letting another soft melody flow from the speakers. "Most beginners start with waltz, so that's what we'll be working on. This song is called Appalachia Waltz. If you listen closely you can hear the lilt in the music- sort of a sway."

Mrs. Cinders started to dance with the music, picking up her white flat clad feet in a graceful number that reminded Jack of a cat. Her skirts jumped from her movements, as did her gold hair. She stopped, looking at the club, expectant. "In this piece it's easier to hear the beat: _one_, two, three, _one_, two, three, _one_, two, three... do you hear it?" Her french tipped hand gestured with said beat.

They spent a few moments in silence, only trying to feel the rise and fall and the tempo. then taught them about the 'box', the very first basic step in waltz. Jack seemed to be getting along well, copying Mr. Cinders, stepping forward with his left foot, to the side with his right, and then closing it with his left. He finished the box step by stepping back on his right foot, to the side with his left, then closing with his right. He pushed away any thoughts about his and Elsa's close proximity.

"Just step to the right." Jack encouraged her. He could actually feel Elsa's nails through her gloves from her tight grip. She bit her lip from nerves, this time, and tried for a reassuring smile. He didn't know if it was for him or herself. Mrs. Cinders circled around the class again, correcting people and giving advice and, for Elsa al least, adding extra pressure.

"It's okay." Jack comforted her the best he could. "You're here to learn."

She grumbled a little, holding his warm hand tighter, and Jack was highly aware of the dip of his hand on her waist and the fact that she was still taller than him. "You make it look easy."

The pair tried at the step again. Jack reminded her, licking his chapped lips, "To the right."

"Yes, to the right." Mrs. Cinders was closer than anticipated and both of the team were startled. "Remember, the girl is always _right_. That will help you remember."

Elsa only nodded, becoming clumsier with her feet as Cinders analyzed them. Jack lead her, trying to make it a little easier for her. If not for him, she'd probably would've fallen on her face by now. Cinders frowned, "Just a little closer now." She placed one of her hands on each of the small of their backs and pushed them together. "Relax."

Elsa only shook more when their faces got closer. Jack could see her swallow. Cinders left them alone to aid a couple that consisted of a hairy senior and a girl in a yellow dress.

"Hey, relax. It's okay." Jack moved to return to their earlier position, further apart but Elsa caught him by his elbows and brought him close again, giving a small smile.

"It's fine." She guided his hand to hold her by her arms. "I'm fine."

She took a deep breath, tensed, and then relaxed as she was told, peering at him through her eyelashes bashfully.

"Told you I can't dance."

Jack smirked, and he didn't know why he did it, but he lent forward and hugged her even closer. It wasn't part of their instructions, and messed up the dance a little, but it felt good, and she didn't do anything to stop him. And her pale hair smelled like winter. Not one foot was between them this time, and he wasn't sure why he cared about that.

"Again, we're here to learn."

Maybe he wasn't completely referring to ballroom dancing.

**...**

**...**

_She wears a lot of blue. _

_ She never takes off her gloves._

_ She likes rose candles._

_ She's good at go fish._

_ He hates the way she says hello._

_ She reads Calvin and Hobbes._

_ She can't dance._

_She smells like winter._

**..**

**...**

**So, Gwen and Spiderman won! You might see why I asked in the first place in a few chapters. (It wasn't a completely pointless question)**

_**And do you guys like love triangles?**_

**I also apologize for these filler chapters; I need some time to pass for Jack and Elsa to get closer and for something big to actually happen. _I'm not happy with this chapter, either_. One more filler after this! Sorry for the sort of late update...**

**I'd like to thank DesertSnowqueen, who helped me with the ballroom dancing exercises and stuff :). Sorry if I didn't use all the information! I'm not good at teaching to start with.**

**Thank you for reading!**

**-Mawhn**


	7. Forever is Overrated

**So no love triangles! Got it!**

**###########**

**Hello.**

_**I would just like to thank everyone who took their time to read this, and for the reviews, favorites, and followers. I really appreciate it! I finally have a written plot for this story, but it's still flexible, so feel free to give suggestions.**_

**Warning: a few crude jokes and suggestive innuendos. and beginner's french.**

**Very unimportant fact- if you get the Phantom of the Opera (original 1986 London Cast) radio on Pandora, it'll give you Frozen and other Disney songs, which I guess makes sense because, you know, broadway. But it still surprised me because the first songs it gave me were "Let it Go" and "The First Time in Forever"**

**(I don't own anything!;)**

**###########**

**Chapter 6- Forever Is Overrated.**

**"...**_Juste un peu_**..."**

**###########**

**I**t was Tuesday afternoon at five o'clock and Jack was once again at the Summer's home, ignoring the ache in his legs from hockey practice. He probably smelled of gym socks. After practice he had planned to get himself home and cleaned up, or at least make a dent in the pile of homework shoved somewhere deep into his book bags, but he had been surprised to find Anna and the rest of his friends sitting in the stands with Elsa, insisting that he come over for a study group.

He and his friends had formed the usual circle in the middle of the livingroom rugs, accompanied by Eugene. Jack was seriously starting to doubt his claims of having any other senior friends by the amount of time he spent with Rapunzel and the other sophomores.

Hiccup and Elsa were chattering by themselves about perpetual motion or something. He ruffled his hair in annoyance as he walked by the pair to get iced tea in the kitchen. Their conversations flowed easily, while chemistry between Jack and Elsa came and went. And, normally, no one even bothered to join in their discussions because they were always talking about sciency-crap that Jack didn't see sense in wasting time on outside of class. He liked to comfort himself with the thought that Elsa could be bored out of her mind, too. _But_ if Elsa liked that stuff, she was smart, at least. And she made smart _really_ sophisticated. Sophisticated was sexy.

He might be a little biased.

Jack didn't even know he was being followed until another boy around two years his senior rammed through the kitchen door behind him. Eugene strolled to the sink with a slight swing in his strut and opened a cabinet above the counter, taking out a dainty teacup that looked fragile between his calloused fingers. Jack took it as a good sign that Flynn wasn't speaking to him yet and hoped it stayed that way. Wordlessly, the younger one rifled through the fridge to get the brisk out.

"Have you tried flirting with her yet?" Eugene inquired. When Jack didn't answer, he continued to pester him. "Don't be like that, you know who I'm talking about."

Jack smirked, "Oh, who? Hiccup? Not really my type but I'll give it a try."

He refilled his glass and was about to leave when Eugene pulled him back, making his drink swish and drip down the rim, "Not quite what I meant, Jack."

Flynn has actually cared to call him by his real name. This had to be good, Jack figured. "What- you're _serious?_ You said so yourself, Anna would kill me."

Flynn released Jack's shoulder and returned to his former task, before he started meddling with Jack's love life again. He took a kettle off of the stove and poured some of the amber liquid into the teacup. "Yeah, sure, she won't take it well, but how_ Elsa _reacts isn't her choice. Just go for it."

"Bros before hoes." Jack argued, watching the ripple in Eugene's muscular arms from lifting the kettle. "And since when do you drink tea?"

"It's for Elsa, and are you calling her a hoe?" He set the kettle down and took a quick whiff of the tea. The sour look on his face told Jack that he didn't like it. "Give it a shot. How do you think I got Zellie to go out with me?"

"Pity. I don't want to go out with Elsa. She's just cute, okay?"

"Just cute?" Jack didn't want to hear anymore, so he shouldered backwards through the door, flipping his middle finger up at the man and smoothly exiting the room.

**###########**

It was five o'clock, and Jack managed to write one sentence for the essay almost due for Mr. Jarfar's class. It was still progress, believe it or not, and an achievement when it came to working with his friends. Just when he was about to set his mind on actually finishing something, Flynn broke his train of thought by calling for a "much needed" break. The group spent their break arguing.

"You cannot be serious." Merida etched a frown on her round face.

"I think it'll help you guys." Flynn necessitated.

Ariel cocked her head and with a curious smile, she asked him, "With what?"

"Getting dates."

Hiccup immediately protested, "I don't think perverted pick up lines are really going to help us. We've already wasted time doing... nothing."

Flynn shot back, "Well, it won't help _you_- you're a hopeless case. Jack?" This left Rapunzel's boyfriend to eye him expectantly. From the disapproving look Elsa flashed her friends from over her teacup, he would've said no, but the man was already typing away at his phone, searching and reading off the first site on his screen.

"Can I read your t-shirt in braille?" Eugene recited, and Jack flinched at the crude but lame innuendo. Rapunzel gave him a warning glance from behind golden hair, but if you looked closely, you could see the mirth in her eyes. Some of the girls giggled, including Merida, who quickly muffled her laughter behind her sleeves and spluttered out in a boom,

"What girl would want to hear that?"

"I don't get it." Ariel admitted.

Jack chuckled a bit, and looked up from his place on the colorful rug to give Elsa an encouraging smile. She only frowned back at his attempt to make her join in on the fun. Her eyes scanned the textbook in front of her as sarcasm left her lips in a snide remark, "Oh, that was _very_ flattering."

Flynn glanced up at her innocently, "I bet I can make you laugh."

Elsa did a challenging eyebrow raise so similar to Anna's that Jack could finally see the family resemblance and past their contrast in personalities and clash of hair colors, setting down her homework with a steady hand and crossing her arms. She squared her shoulders, back as straight as a ruler. "Really? Try me."

Eugene's cheshire grin split his face in two and eagerly chanted the next line. "I'm afraid of the dark... Will you sleep with me tonight?"

No response from the platinum blonde.

"I love my bed but I'd rather be in yours."

Nothing but a daring smile.

"Do you like bacon? Wanna strip?"

She shook her head in disappointment.

"Is your name winter? Because you'll be coming soon."

Ice cold stare.

"Do you like soda? Because I'd mount-and-do you."

She took a nonchalant sip of her tea.

"Hi, my name is Milk. I'll do your body good."

Her eyes widened, and she choked on her swallow, some of the drink spurting out her nose. Horrified over what transpired, she all but lunged for the box of napkins on the coffee table. Eugene roared in victory while Elsa pressed a handful of tissue to her nose, her ears turning red. Jack's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Milk. You laughed at _milk? _Seriously?"

Elsa didn't hear him over Eugene's cackle

"I made you laugh!" Eugene taunted her.

She glared at him when she wiped up her face, indignant. "Don't take all the credit, you're reading off of a website."

"Whatever, _Summers_. You think I'm funny."

A very awkward pause followed when Elsa _Queen _didn't answer. She got a sort of desolate look on her face and held her hands to her chest, shoulders caving in slightly. Her blue eyes bore down into the carpets. A few people flashed her sympathetic half-smiles, but she made it clear that she didn't want them when she refused to meet anyone's eyes, including Jack's. A very clueless Eugene looked around in confusion before it dawned on him that _Elsa wasn't part of the family yet._

"God, sorry Elsa, I didn't mean..." Dumbstruck Eugene trailed off, for the first time, he had nothing to say.

Her wounded expression dissolved, and she fixed him a hard look, standing to gather her stuff for them to fill the empty spaces she would leave. With a face like stone she said,

"You're not funny."

**###########**

The next morning, September nineteenth, the morning sky was pale, and Jack saw a dejected Eugene walk to his first period without Elsa. The night before she had reassured the man before he left that she was fine and that it was an honest mistake, but it was obviously still a touchy subject for her and she needed some time alone. Anna had told Jack at lunch that that morning Elsa had skipped breakfast and left the house without her.

Anna chewed her nails in stress, not radiating her usual confidence. "Elsa doesn't tell me things- I mean, she got here a week ago, I know. And she's not a Summer yet- but she will be! I-I just- I don't know what to do! I'm her sister, I want her to trust me with these things!"

It was true that Elsa had only been living with them for a week, but in that one week Jack could see how much Anna cared for her sister, and how much she craved for her attention. Anna had filled with a new strive and spark in her eyes, a part of her he'd never seen pre-Elsa. It made him wonder how lonely Anna was really feeling with the knowledge that she had an older sister in another continent.

Jack reconsidered his relationship with his own sister and decided that, annoying as she was, life wouldn't be the same without her- maybe even a little empty, incomplete. Siblings share a special bond that couldn't be compared to a friend's, or even their parents. They were always just... there. _There_ in way where you didn't really have to say anything to communicate. Anna had been missing that since she was five. With her sister finally back, Jack couldn't imagine the confusion and stress within the Summer's household. Don't get him started on how _Mrs. Summers_ might be feeling.

"Relax." Had it been another situation, Jack would have been amused at her normal rambling, but he knew he had to be a friend for her now and try to calm her down, "Elsa's taking in a ton right now. Give her some time."

He tried to make the air feel a little lighter by leaning back in his chair and flashing her a cocky grin, but she only brooded to herself, deep in thought while the chairs around them filled up with the rest of the gang. Jack shrugged and took a bite out of his pizza, twirling the hockey stick in his hand.

"Where's Rapunzel?" Tiana asked. She unscrewed a thermos that curled out steam and the smell of spices. Anna zoned back in and told her, "She's in candle making club."

Jack stopped chewing, recalling the smell of strawberries (or the Grand Canyon). He tried to imagine the tilt to a certain blue-eyed senior's lips, or even her girlish giggle that day. Maybe he could even ask Rapunzel to snag him Elsa's favorite rose scented one.

Hiccup hobbled up to their table awkwardly, looking a little lost. "Have any you guys seen Flynn and Elsa?"

_No_, Jack mused to himself, _it probably wouldn't mean much to her_.

Merida, mouth full of pizza, forced out, "Flynn is either in his photography club or at the track.

Anna's nose scrunched up, teal eyes flashing wildly, "Where's Elsa, then?"

"That's sort of what I came here for." Hiccup reminded her. He scratched a little at his rounded jaw line, to where his brown shaggy hair hung. They let him sit.

Everyone turned on Jack, "Do you guys have ballroom club after school today?" Tooth asked, albeit a little irritated, like dancing was a crime.

"No, only on Mondays and Tuesdays after school."

"So where is she?" Anna whined.

"I told you, just give her time to be alone." Jack persuaded her. She frowned, and barely spoke throughout break.

Jack couldn't deny the huge weight lifted off of his chest when he walked into his French one class and saw Elsa there with her magenta cardigan and teal gloves. He smiled at her, and she forced one back. He had been one of the last students to shuffle into the packed classroom and they didn't have assigned desks yet, so he sat down in one of the open seats in the back.

Didn't Elsa know french? She lived in Europe for half of her life.

Jack played with the pen in his hands, paying no attention to when it marked up his cream skin or brushed his brown t-shirt. The slur of his french teacher's deep voice thrummed in his ears and he watched Mr. O'Hara's mustache move from his speaking, "Bonjour class. Please welcome Elsa, our new teacher assistant. Be nice to her."

The students could tell he was trying to be stern, but it was a lost cause because no one could be scared of him and his bald head. Most of them didn't care. Jack didn't either,

Until his teacher said, "Elsa, would you please help me pass out the tests from last week?"

Oh no. Crapcrapcrap _no_. He prayed to any god out there that Elsa would _not_ see the big fat F he got on his test. Oh please, _no_.

He was about ready to pull his hair out when he saw her approach his desk, the click of her velvety flats become five times louder and he questioned if there could be a more maddening noise. He resisted the urge to bury his fingernails into his scalp. Elsa walked along the aisle, giving him a polite smile as she held an upside down test out to him. With sweaty palms he took it from her, mentally hating on himself now that he was sure he convinced Elsa that he was stupid.

"Jack, please come here." His french teacher said after class.

Jack swallowed, feeling his adam's apple bob. It had grown a little larger over the few weeks, but now was not the time for him to be proud of it. He waddled over to the front row of desks, putting a good amount of space between him and Mr. O'Hara's bear belly.

Elsa had stayed behind with him.

"I've noticed that you haven't been doing well in my class over the last month." Jack tried hard to keep his eyes trained on his teacher's dead gray ones, but often strayed to the clock counting down the five minutes students were given in between periods to get to their next class. He gulped again, and did a single nod of his head. His heart dropped into his stomach as Elsa studied him carefully, but quickly looked away when they locked eyes. Jack noticed how stuffy the classroom was and the smell of... people. He had to hold his tongue to keep himself from asking to turn up the AC, even if it was below seventy degrees outside.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, most students don't do well at the beginning of the school year. You're getting used to things. I just thought it might help for you to get a tutor."

Jack blinked once, twice, and Mr.O'hara pulled a smile before motioning for Elsa to come closer. "Elsa says she doesn't mind tutoring you at all, and that you are very good friends."

_Well, we know each other_, Jack wanted to correct the old man. Elsa referred to him as a friend. He didn't know when that had happened, but he was pretty glad about it. He shifted on his gray converse,

"Yeah!" Jack said a little too happily for his liking. "That sounds great! It's just that I have hockey practice after school almost everyday."

Mr. O'hara opened his mouth to talk, but Elsa beat him to it. "It ends at four, right? So we can meet up at six every Wednesday?" She solved. Jack thought the hope in her eyes was just his imagination.

"Yeah, sure, great!" He really needed to stop talking. "So I'll meet you at..."

"My house? That way Anna could study with us." She suggested.

Jack's heart fell just a tad, but what could he expect? It was Anna's house, too. And she would be glad to know that Elsa was okay. Why shouldn't she be there? And it might be weird for her that her friend was coming over to _see her sister_.

God, he'd mentioned it a hundred times by now but _she was her sister_. Why couldn't he get over that already?

He was an asshole.

**###########**

No one does three-way calls anymore. Except for Jack and his friends. The second he got home from practice he rushed himself to the shower without even a hello to his Pippa. He threw on a blue hoodie and jeans, ramming his finger into his home phone and summoning Nick and Tooth.

"You've been spending a lot of time with her lately." Jack couldn't tell if Tooth was annoyed or just stating a fact.

"Why does it matter?" Nick's gravelly voice said. He gasped, tone becoming deeper, if possible, "Jack, are you nervous? Do you like her?"

"No!" But Jack felt more like he was trying to convince himself. "I just don't want her to think I'm an idiot. "

"If she didn't, she wouldn't have offered to tutor you." Tooth pitched in.

"Thanks, that really helps." He could practically see her shrug her shoulders.

"Do you like anyone?"

"Not the point, Nick." Jack never tagged Nick as a gossip.

"How about you, Tooth? I've never heard... oh, wait, nevermind."

"Nick..." She sighed.

Jack was suddenly very uncomfortable, because, crap, he had to be the biggest jerk in the world because he knew exactly who Tooth's crush was and he actually called to ask about Elsa, for crying out loud. Why couldn't he just leave it alone? Maybe it was because he needed girl advice, and Tooth was a girl.

But so were another five of his friends.

"I have to go." He chickened out of the phone call, and he couldn't be anymore ashamed of himself.

**###########**

If there was one thing you should know about Jack, it's that he doesn't stop moving, ever.

His hands or feet always need something to do, whether it was tapping out a tune or ruffling his hair, or wringing his sleeves or pencil or whatever sorry thing he happened to be holding. So, after school at six o'clock, he sat at a little table in Elsa's room, twisting one of the tiny empty teacups she always drank from in his hands and not even thinking of the possibility of breaking it until it had already been done. The handle snapped off when it hit the floor, making Elsa stop talking and both sisters and stare at the mess around Jack's legs.

"Sorry." So much for not looking like an idiot.

Anna pursed her lips, and Elsa said in a voice that made him feel like a child, "It's okay. Anna, can you get me a towel, please?"

The ginger pouted, and left the room.

When Jack got up to aid her, Elsa stopped him as soon as he took his first step, "You're going to cut your feet." She cautioned him. He only looked down at his feet in response, but stayed still, something very difficult for him.

"Sorry for breaking your cup."

"It's fine." But he wasn't sure if that was true by the way she looked at the porcelain in mourning.

The last time he was in Elsa's room, when he met her, he had been so flustered from the bra incident that he hadn't taken a good look around. Now that he was there again, he could say it was very blue, and so _organized_, and so different from Anna's messy pink one, where on some days he couldn't see the floor. It was a nice change, not that he was planning to get used to it.

"Anna was really worried about you earlier."

That was not what he was planning on saying.

Elsa's thin lips parted, taken back and eyes revealing guilt. She looked like she had something important to say, but Anna came in with rubber gloves and a chick- printed rag.

"Elsa!" Anna beamed, "Can you teach us a few phrases in french?"

Elsa quirked an eyebrow in amusement, disregarding Jack's earlier comment. She took the supplies from her little sister's recently manicured hands. "Isn't that what I was doing before?"

"Teach us sentences and stuff."

"Okay?" Elsa omitted a fond laugh reserved only for Anna. The girl she sat down, braiding her red hair while giving Elsa her full interest. Elsa thought for a moment, and took off her turquoise gloves. Jack internally groaned when he saw that her hands were completely normal, and smooth. At least when he didn't know that he could have told himself that they were deformed or covered in warts or pretend that there was at least one thing imperfect about her. Either way he knew he would still like her.

"N'importe quoi!"

_Oh_, that was hot. Really really attractive.

"What does that mean?"

"basically, it means 'whatever'." She crouched down and answered him with her now rubber gloved hand hovering over the glass.

"Another one?"

Elsa shook her head with a smile. "Tu t'en sors ?"

The blonde explained,"'You doing okay there?' Or, 'Are you doing okay?'"

"And je t'aime. It's an easy one." Elsa concluded.

Anna nodded, one of the first times Jack has actually seen her make an effort to learn, most likely in favor of her sister. "I love you?" Anna translated with ease.

Jack's heart pounded uncomfortably in his chest as he tested it on his tongue. "Je t'aimé."

"No." Elsa corrected him, "Not je tem- ay. Just je tem. Je t'aime. And it can also just mean 'I like you'."

Jack tried again, pokerfaced, looking straight at her for approval.

"Je t'aime."

She smiled at him, looking content with her pupils. Very faint blush colored her cheeks, and this time Jack didn't think it was only in his head. And if it was, well, he would take it.

"Juste un peu. Quasiment."

**###########**

They spent some time after the tutoring just working on homework, but Jack wasn't surprised when Anna pulled out the next movie of the Twilight saga: "New Moon". Both Jack and Elsa voted against it, even trying to use homework to get out of it (which never happens for Jack), but Anna had said that they "have to finish the series" because they saw the first one last week. After a lot of going back and forth, they all agreed on a horror movie.

By the end of the banter, Anna had them seated in front of the tv with mounds of blankets and mugs of swiss miss hot chocolate. She buried her self into a thick green comforter, while Jack kicked off his own. Elsa neatly cocooned half of her body in a thin gray one. She lay stomach down and propped up by her elbows, reading glasses nestled on her pointy nose and another comic book stretched out in front of her. The younger girl's hair could barely be seen under her blankets piled around her on the couch, but every now and then Jack would see her green-blue eyes and freckle kissed face peek out.

When Anna clocked out halfway through the movie, either from exhaustion or from shock, Jack fished the remote out from somewhere in her bundle of pillows and paused the movie. Elsa, who had hidden herself behind a large pillow as if it would protect her from the images on the screen, uncovered herself timidly. She kicked away her things and shivered, making Jack grin wickedly.

"Did you cry?"

She glowered at him, but her mask didn't last long as she broke into a smile. Her carefully ironed blouse was wrinkled and a few strands that had come loose from her up do framed her face nicely. Jack noted that she had failed to pull on just one of her gloves, and he admired her lovely skin and filed nails. She shook her head, and went back to reading her beloved comics.

"Calvin and Hobbes?" He plopped down next to her, so close that their shoulders bumped, but she didn't freak or distance herself like he would have expected her to a few days ago. She only did short seconds later because she shivered when his mussed hair accidentally tickled her neck as he leaned in to read with her. She spoke softly as not to wake snoring Anna, "When do you have to be home?"

"When you want me to leave."

She was silent, as if contemplating whether or not to say what she said next, "That won't be for a long while."

That statement made him want to fist pump, but he kept still. He wondered if he should bring up what they were talking about earlier in her room before Anna interrupted them, but decided not to when the picture of her sad face and guilty eyes came to mind. "Thanks again, for helping me in french."

"Don't thank me yet. We still have a lot of work to do. Your oral test is in a week, and he's going to test you on grammar and pronunciation." She teased.

"Okay, test me." He stood up, rocking up and down on the balls of his feet.

"Right now?"

"Yeah, _allez_!"

She hushed him and got up when Anna stirred, but she smiled. "Okay? Start."

Jack obnoxiously cleared his throat, "_Bon-jour. Je m'appelle Jackson Overland. Et tu?_" (Hello, my name is Jackson Overland. And you?)

"It's actually supposed to be _'Et toi'_, and_ bonjour, Je suis Elsa Queen. Enchant__é._" (Hello, I am Elsa Queen. Enchanted to meet you.) She held her right hand out for a handshake, but Jack had other plans. He caught her uncovered hand and held it to his face, inches away from his mouth while he bowed forward slightly.

Bros before hoes.

Screw it, he guessed he could try flirting once. "Enchanté." He murmured, looking up at Elsa through his lashes. He gently pressed his lips to her cold knuckles. The feel of her milky skin against his chapped mouth seduced him. He let go and brought his head back up, taking in Elsa's surprise. He was glad that the low lighting hid the blush surrounding his smirk, which deepened when she hadn't shown any offense to his actions. Her voice was almost a whisper, "You are... very polite."

"Would I have passed the test?"

She sighed, bordering on dreamily, and sat back down in front of her book. "As long as you don't plan on kissing him like that."

"But the kissing was okay?" He sat next to her again.

"For future reference, friends kiss cheeks. Not hands."

"Well do you want me to-"

"No! No, You're fine."

It was the first time he'd seen her like this and it was adorable. He should do this more often.

"So which strip is your favorite?"

"Pardon?"

"Your comic."

"Oh!" She flipped a few pages and pointed to the right bottom comic she stopped at.

He read, so close to her again that his breath ghosted over her skin, "Childhood is short and maturity is forever."

This new revelation had him so deep in thought that he failed to notice their close proximity, the fall in her smile,

and that she had slipped her second glove off- a break in her façade.

**###########**

**Sorry for the late chapter... I had this one planned out and all, but every time I tried to pull it together it fell apart. I don't really like how this one turned out, either. I hope it's not too terrible!**

**Also, if you have the chance, you should look up the lyrics to the song "Faint" by Linkin Park (is that how you spell it?) , if you don't already know it. Once you read it, tell me just what character from "Frozen" you think of.**

**Thank you for reading!**

**-Mawhn**


	8. (near) Two Shades Darker

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Hallo.**

_**I would just like to thank everyone who took their time to read this, and for the reviews, favorites, and followers. I really appreciate it! I finally have a written plot for this story, but it's still flexible, so feel free to give suggestions.**_

**Sorry for the wait! School just started and my teachers aren't as nice this year. I'm glad people enjoyed my last update! Thankyouthankyouthankyou.**

**So here's the new chapter! I hope it doesn't suck.**

**(I don't own anything.)**

**...**

**Chapter 7- (Near) Two Shades Darker**

**"...**_Je ne veux pas quitter_**..."**

**...**

* * *

><p><strong>A<strong> lot (of terrible things) can happen in two weeks.

Because near two weeks later,

1. Jack realized that Bunny had been avoiding him.

2. Jack felt frustrated and embarrassed because Elsa hadn't been talking to him much either, or to anyone, and he had the sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with the first night of french tutoring.

3. He got out of hockey early so he went to Pippa's school to pick her up for once, and saw another kid hit her. When Jack ripped them apart, he spent almost an hour yelling at the punk and reporting him to the principal, and then the whole walk home yelling at his sister for not saying anything about bullies.

4. He found out that his parents were getting divorced

5. He grew a few inches taller. Yoopee.

6. Oh, and it turns out, Jack and Elsa have been dancing incorrectly this whole time.

Mrs. Cinders instructed them a little ways from the rest of the class during lunch break, making the Monday lesson feel a lot more awkward than it needed to be. Her short, grey-blue dress puffed out like a pastry, distracting Jack with the weird way it bobbed around her figure. "Now, the man's hand is on the shoulder-blade, not the waist. Movies make it look like it's on the waist and that the girl's hand is almost on the guy's neck, but it's not. The girl's hand goes on the bicep."

They followed, and Jack's shoulder suddenly felt cold from the loss of Elsa's touch, but the hand now on his arm made up for it. Jack could sense that she was stiffer than last week when they had practiced, but didn't comment. Something was bothering her, and he would rather stay oblivious as to whether it was himself or not. He couldn't even enjoy the fact that he was just barely taller than her.

"Hey," He mumbled close to her, "Are you okay?"

She gave him a closed mouthed smile, and hummed a bit. "Would you mind if we skipped ballroom and do the french lessons after class tomorrow instead?" Her voice was quiet and notably softer than normal, but still held the same clear crisp. "To just get it out of the way?"

Ouch. Since, evidently, Jack's french tutoring was more of a chore for her, he understood why she would want to... get it over with. Elsa seemed to read his mind, or more likely, his face, because she got a guilty look and said, "Jackson, you know I didn't mean it like that."

No, he really didn't- and why had she had she gone back to calling him Jackson?

To further put his mind at rest she reasoned, "I'm a little stressed right now. You understand, right?"

Jack sighed, letting her earlier comment go and leaning his forehead on hers, noses brushing together. It made his heart beat faster and their posture a little uncomfortable, but it already was from the beginning so he didn't care. He could tell she did, though, by the way she went rigid in his arms and red crept up her cheeks. Their footwork, much to Mrs. Cinder's annoyance, blurred into gentle sways instead of the number they were taught, and Jack longed for her to fall into his steps like the first time they danced together. A voice at the back of his head nagged him that the position was far too intimate, and that he was coming on too strong, but he pushed that away because (_Elsa was adorable when embarrassed_) he had to know,

"But... are you okay?" It didn't sound like a question the second time he asked.

She looked down, eyelashes fanning the faint freckles across her cheeks.

"Yes." He really, really wanted to believe her.

She didn't relax in his arms throughout the entire class.

**.**

**.**

**.**

_Two weeks earlier_

_Elsa found herself blushing_

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_and knew _

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_she was in trouble._

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**.**

When the music had stopped and the bell had rung, Elsa retreated from him and classroom 306 as soon as possible, though Jack had fifth period French with her. He shouldered his backpack in gloom, no hurry because the class was straight down the hall and headed the same way his dance partner had taken off seconds ago. Part of him had hoped to walk with her.

She couldn't even share looks with him from the mounds of tests that Mr. O'Hara ordered her to grade. Jack would have fallen asleep from boredom like on any other day, but had been encouraged not to since his first tutoring session. He was about ready to slap himself just to keep awake, but found he didn't need to when Elsa dropped a test onto his desk and left him in amazement before he could say a word.

He had gotten an A, written in Elsa's fine handwriting,

And a smiley face, which rivaled the huge grin that begged to show itself.

**.**

**.**

**.**

_Jack and Ariel seldom talk to one another. He didn't make much of that until he passed her on a stroll to get away from everyone, and saw her with Tooth, crying in the empty music room during nutrition. He just didn't think that tear streaks matched her bubbly personality. They were too close to be acquaintances, but not enough to be called friends. They were always something hopelessly in between and that fine line was always a little blurred. That was the time Jack had finally cleared things up._

_"Ariel?" He'd never been inside the music room so he made sure not to touch anything, well aware of how destructive his nimble fingers could be. The polished floors squeaked against his sneakers, moist from the dew outside. _

_She snapped up from the ball she curled herself into in the corner of the room, regarding him with watery blue eyes and a red pout. Tooth gave him a weary stare, a gentle hand on her friend's back like she would break from anything stronger. The ginger sniffled, wiping her face with her knuckles. She didn't try to smile or say anything. Ariel strongly believed in being true to her feelings._

_"Hey." He settled down on his toes in front of her after acknowledging Tooth with a nod. "Are you okay?"_

_ Fresh hot waves of tears gushed down her cheeks and she leapt forward. All he could see was red, and he realized that his face was engulfed by her puffy hair, with her soundlessly crying into his shoulder__._

_"Daddy found out about Eric. He kicked me out. Tooth is letting me stay at her house."_

_ "Who's Eric?"_

_ She laughed, actually laughed, and said while stepping back to adjust her dress and clean away her running makeup. Tooth helped her straighten her blue hair bow, "I forgot that you did not know."_

_ He waited for her to explain in her accent and choppy english._

_ "Daddy has a close mind. He doesn't approve of me seeing boys. I started dating Eric in secret a few months ago."_

_ Tooth gave her sympathetic smile and cuddled her from behind, leaving Jack to do the same in the front for a group hug. _

_ Jack skipped classes to buy her chocolates and ice cream, and helped the two of them eat the whole box at Tooth's house while the girls gushed about teeth and forks and gossiped. Jack spent two hours learning about Ariel's dining etiquette club and the ongoing rumors that Glinda Goode and Elphaba West were roommates, and that Belle O'Hara had already moved in with her short-term boyfriend instead of hockey practice. They spoke of crushes, also, and Jack found difficulty in shrinking into himself when Tooth would send him her hopeful glances._

_Friends. They were friends now, even though they went back to rarely saying a word to each other the next week._

**.**

**.**

**.**

Near twenty-four hours later, Jack found that the last few days have been rough on some of his friends, too. Merida had a huge fight with her mother. Bunny still hadn't talked to him. Tooth was quiet for once. Tiana was over working herself every night to help her now single mother. Rapunzel had been grounded for sneaking out. Sandy has insomnia so he falls asleep during lessons. Anna claimed that Elsa was shutting her out. North, Lottie, Kristoff, and Flynn were at hard work trying to keep everyone's spirit's up. No one knew what was wrong with Elsa.

No one knew what was up with him either, but they didn't ask. He didn't know if he should be thankful or not. He pushed the cafeteria food around on his tray, his stomach flipping at the thought of eating. Like Anna, he couldn't take his mind off of his sister. Pippa had tried to tell him that bullying wasn't a regular thing for her, but he couldn't be so sure. He couldn't imagine what was going through the minds of anyone who wanted to hurt a cute little girl, and he didn't want to. He _wanted_ to tear them apart.

And he couldn't forget about his parent's divorce. He should've expected it, with how little any of his family interacted with their distant father. The worst part of it was how _indifferent_ both sides of the broken marriage were. There wasn't any crying or shouting- no "_please don't leave me's" _or blame... but no peace, either. It's like they didn't- no, _they just didn't _care anymore. It made him even sadder that maybe it wouldn't even make a difference if they stayed together.

But why couldn't they, just for the sake of sweet Pippa, who cried late into the night? Why couldn't they for the sake of Jack, who lost countless hours of sleep trying to soothe those cries, something they should have been doing? They had to care at least that much, right?

Wrong. The bullies and his parents had two things in common.

They had hurt Pippa.

Jack wanted to tear them apart, too.

"If she just _opened her damn door!_" Anna clawed pink polished nails into her pigtails in exasperation, still heated about Elsa's increased emotional distance from her family, "In, like, the first time in forever, we can be close again! Doesn't she want that?"

She deflated, slumping into the cafeteria table and resting her head in her hands. "Maybe she doesn't. Maybe she hates me."

"If that were possible, yeah." Jack scoffed back. He combed a knuckle into his chocolate hair, "But it's not. She doesn't hate you."

If that had helped at all, she didn't show it.

So he mumbled, almost incoherently, to the ones next to him, Tooth and Bunny, "I talked to Elsa yesterday. She's just stressed."

Tooth glared daggers at him. "Jack, what would you know?"

Jack blinked, baffled, and tried to remember if he did anything to her to piss her off. Apparently he hadn't been clear? "I… talked to her?"

"Yes, we got that, but are _you_ living under the same roof? Is she _your _sister? You can't speak for them because you don't get it." She snapped.

Jack stared, a pang of hurt ran through him. Who was this and what happened to sweet Tooth? He skated his sight around his angry friend to see if Buns was thinking the same thing, but he gave him the cold shoulder, averting his concentration to his baby carrots. Anyone else who still had the energy to sent Tooth the same curious faces.

"What's up, Tooth?" Jack sighed, regarding her with slightly narrowed blue eyes and lowered eyebrows. From the hell he was currently going through, he had no patience for PMS or the silent treatment.

"Elsa's _all_ you talk about- it's none of our business, okay?"

"If it wasn't Anna wouldn't be talking to us about it. What's your problem?"

Tooth let out one of the weirdest noises he's ever heard- somewhere along the lines of a growl and a choked sob, slinging her red side bag over her shoulder. She ran from her seat with tears gathered around her blue eyes, so dark they almost looked the same purple the feathers in her hair were.

"Tooth!" Jack called after her, eyes wide as saucers because whatthefuckwashappening.

Bunny cursed, shooting up with his grey bag, worry flashing in his eyes as he sprinted after her.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Je ne veut pas quitter."

"You're getting better." If Elsa's smile reached her eyes, Jack might have glowed at the praise. Only might have because there were too many things, too many people to worry about rather than his grade in French. He never liked drama, but it seemed to like him a lot this month. He yawned, making Elsa's blonde head snap up from her textbook and note the bruise-like bags under his eyes and his fingers massaging his temples. Anna sat soundly next to him, only taking caution to her sister, like any sudden movements would scare her away.

"Why don't we take a break?" She pretty much whispered. She set the neat pile of notes down on her nightstand. "Are you hungry?"

"No, thanks, I just have a headache."

Anna pursed her lips, "We have Advil in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom."

Elsa nodded as she left down the hall, "I'll get you some water."

Jack didn't remember his feet taking him the bathroom, and wasn't fully aware until he held two capsules in his hands: the Advil…

…and the Prozac.

Antidepressants.

Jack felt his stomach drop and his mind stopped working. The bottle weighed so much more after reading the label with his arms turning into jelly and his legs into lead. It was suddenly very hard to swallow. In his scrambled state, he was somehow able to bring himself into Anna's room, where they had chosen to have that week's tutoring session.

"Anna." He managed.

"Hmm?" She eyed the pills and on instant she gasped, looking like a deer in headlights. "Jack!" she hissed. "What are you doing!"

She stole them from his grasp and gave him a pointed stare, nose crinkling, and eyes burning into his.

"Are those yours?" He croaked.

She paled, looking around for who could only be Elsa as no one else was in the house. With the coast clear, she pulled him towards her, foreheads just inches away. "They're Elsa's."

His stomach sunk lower. "She-"

"Jack, this isn't something she tells people. She can't know you know, okay? Don't say anything about it-"

"Am I interrupting something?"

Both sophomores jumped away from each other, widening the small space between them moments ago. Anna slipped the pills behind her back discreetly, while Jack fought off the blush rising into his cheeks with the suspicious grimace he received.

"No. Nothing." Anna said.

**.**

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**.**

Yes, a lot of terrible things can happen in two weeks,

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But one good thing can easily make up for it.

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"Jack?"

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**.**

**.**

That night

Pippa stood only up to a little higher than his waist, being short for her age. Her warm brown eyes resembled melted candy, and he couldn't think of anything sweeter.

"Is Dad leaving us?

When he had no answer, or he did but couldn't bear to say it because

It would hurt…

Pippa,

**.**

**.**

She said, "It's okay."

but for different reasons, because she understood so much more

and knew so much more

than he liked to think.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Jack liked to think that he was trying to protect her

And he didn't want her to hurt.

Of course, that was true.

**.**

**.**

**.**

But he liked to think that

Days in the rink, skating on frozen lakes in winter, climbing trees, pretending to shave, the man in the Santa suit on Christmas Eve

and the man in the pin striped suit

the man he loved to the moon and back

but was now as distant as the moon

didn't matter.

and

**.**

**.**

**.**

It didn't hurt him at all.

**.**

**.**

But it did.

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It twisted, it chewed, it broke

It froze his heart.

**.**

**.**

Jack wondered if he looked as fragile and precious as his sister did when he was younger.

Or if he looked as small and helpless in the hall at that moment, when he realized he was on the brink of

tears.

**.**

**.**

"I love you, Jack,"

She said sleepily, and she went to bed without needing him to tuck her in

that night.

**.**

**.**

Love had a strange way of melting frozen hearts.

**-;-**

**.**

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if it's terrible. <strong>

**I'm thinking about adding more to this chapter if I ever have time because I feel like I forgot to put in a few details but meh I'll figure it out later.**

**-Mawhn**

**(Thank you to dessertsnowqueen for the ballroom dancing info ;)**


	9. Underage

**I'm sorry for the wait! So much school work :,( and I'm SUPER frustrated because my computer crashed in the middle of writing the most important part of this chapter. Anyways, to anyone who is still interested in this story, **

_**I would just like to thank everyone who took their time to read this, and for the reviews, favorites, and followers. I really appreciate it! I finally have a written plot for this story, but it's still flexible, so feel free to give suggestions.**_

**And, just curious, did anyone know what **_**"je ne veux pas quitter"**_** meant without searching it? Anyone taking french?**

**xxxevil cookiexxx- :D thanks so much.**

**Guest 1- I, at first, wasn't thinking about putting Jack's lake scene in the story before realizing that it's a HUGE influence on his character. Thank you for your suggestion! **

**Guest 2- I think I will soon :) **

**Trapid- Oh yes, it did change the tone a lot, I hope it's not **_**too**_** sudden, but darkness seems to creep up on all of us at the most unexpected times in reality, I suppose. **

**Warning- Drug abuse and sexual tension.**

**(I do not own anything.)**

**...**

**Chapter 8- Underage**

**"...**_she was lost_**..."**

**...**

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_...Good morning and welcome to the weather forecast. Well, it's currently raining and cloudy, in the very low thirties. It's rather cold up here! Later on, temperatures will drop drastically, so better stay off the streets and keep your cars in because a storm is coming, accompanied by winds that are at least 35 mph or greater coming in from the North. Hopefully the weather might.__.._

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**.**

**T**hursday, Friday, and the Weekend passes and suddenly it's Wednesday again, and things were starting to calm down for Jack. Sure, a lot occupied his mind- like Tooth or Bunny still haven't talked to him (while he still doesn't know why), or Elsa, or Anna, or the large bags that had taken home under Tiana's eyes, and a few empty seats in the hockey stands that were normally filled with friends when he practiced. It seemed that Anna couldn't even come in to watch Kristoff these past few days, and Jack could tell it disappointed him.

What he couldn't quite place was whether or not he was happy that Pippa had stopped crying. Of course, he was happy that she was finally accepting their parent's divorce, but it only meant that she was growing up, and that this was really happening. His parents are- have broken up, and he seems to be the only one that it's greatly impacting. No one in his family acts like they even care anymore.

Jack tapped his pen, feeling lost on what he was supposed to be doing. He had come to his class that morning earlier than he was used to, not in the mood to see his friends, and recalling that his first period English 10 didn't have a zero period. Guilt ate up his stomach when he remembered that Punzie might start looking for him, and hoped that maybe one of his other friends had found her. She stayed with him every morning, mostly because Anna arrived to school later than most and that his locker was just a couple away from her own, not that he minded. Punzi's bright attitude gave him an energy that coffee never could.

Just by the window, Jack had a view of the well-kept fields, perfect to keep him from going stir-crazy. It wasn't doing a very good job today, he discovered, frustrated because class hadn't even officially started. He started to regret the choice on coming early, especially when two, sadly, familiar girls walked into the room, high heels clacking in an obnoxious beat. It wasn't that Jack disliked them. He didn't even know their names. He just wasn't one to gossip, or even listen to it. The girls, who sat next to him, on the other hand, were.

"Did you hear about what happened in zero period today?" The blonde one with pink french tips squeaked with excitement too abundant for a Wednesday morning.

"Oh! About Dorothy in the cafeteria?" The other, a brunette with blue nails and glitter eyeshadow, bubbled and her friend gasped.

"What? No! What happened to Dorothy?"

"She spilled water on Elphaba by accident and she, like, totally flipped out."

"Wow, what a bit-"

Witch. She said Witch. "I mean, if it was juice or something I'd be mad too, but just water?"

"Maybe she's allergic."

"That's not possible. She'd be dead- there's water in everything. I think."

"Maybe it's like a really minor allergy, like it makes her skin weird."

"That would explain things I guess... Elphaba's always looked a little green to me..."

The one with brown hair paused, then leaned in closer, which was pointless because she didn't speak any quieter.

"Wait, but what happened in zero period?" Jack was ready to tune them out like he did everyday when-

"Oh! A girl like passed out in Mrs. Cade's class. I think it was an anxiety attack."

"Oh my god! Did they take her to the hospital?"

The blonde snorted, "I think they're _supposed_ to? But no, they didn't. They're making her stay with the nurse because she can't drive and no one can take her home yet."

"I hope she's okay. Who was it?"

"She's a senior- Anna Summers' sister I think? What's her name? El- Eli... Eliz... Els... Oh! Els-"

_Elsa._ Jack was out of his seat and the room before he could even fully comprehend what was happening. He didn't remember the bell signaling the start of first period. He didn't remember his teacher calling his name or the curses of the students he shoved out of the way, or outrunning the campus security guards on the way to the health office.

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**.**

The siblings' fighting upon his arrival didn't surprise him. Him coming, though, surprised them. He felt a little guilty for interrupting their private conversation. It had looked pretty heated, too. Anna looked like she was trying to get closer to the blonde, who inched away with every step, arms hugged to her body. Rose had started to shade Anna's face, and her eyes shined with tears. They threw words at each other like rocks until he came in. They both stopped, staring at him in confusion.

"Jackson." Elsa whispered so lowly that he had to strain to hear her. "What are you doing here?"

Jack coughed, feeling his face and ears heat up. Maybe he had overreacted... Elsa didn't look too glad to see him. "Um, I don't know. Are you okay?"

She searched his face, as if trying to detect any bad intention. It seemed that he was clear, because she sighed and asked, "Does anyone else know?"

Jack didn't want to tell her about the girls in his first period, so he told her no. If she had really had an anxiety attack, he surely did not want to worry her. Her hair was messier, some platinum blonde strands coming out of place from her tight bun. Her eyes were the same color of his sweatshirt, darker than they normally were. Jack reached over to give his hockey stick a twirl, like he always did when he was nervous, but groaned when he realized he forgot it with his teacher in his haste. He settled for ruffling his chocolate-brown hair.

"Elsa." Anna finally said, exasperated. She stood only a few feet from the older sister, steam practically blowing from her tiny ears. Her black blouse was ruffled, while Elsa's magenta trench coat remained wrinkle-free. "Elsa we need to talk."

Elsa's face hardened. She tugged at her gloves. "That's enough Anna."

Anna ignored Elsa's bold word, and shot Jack a pointed look. He got the message, and he left to stand outside of the room, which didn't help much since the walls were thin as paper, with a lot of windows, and the door was glass. He could hear the girls from inside.

"Anna, I'm fine."

"Stop _lying_ to me! You aren't _fine_!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to listen to mom! It would really help if you just _tried_!"

"You don't think I'm trying?"

"No! You're not trying! You're shutting it out and ignoring it like it's just going to go away, but it's not!" Anna's voice broke, "Please... I just... I don't want things to be like this between us anymore."

He didn't hear Elsa say anything.

"S-stop shutting me out! Stop shutting _everyone_- the _world_ out! Just let us help you, we're _right here!_"

"Enough, Anna." Elsa's voice trembled in a way that made Jack chest feel tight.

"_Why?_ What are you so _afraid of!_"

"I said _ENOUGH!"_ There was a shatter, and a gasp. With a yelp, Jack fumbled, about to charge back into the room. However, before he could do anything, he was seized by the shoulder.

"Back to class, young man." Said one of the nurses with short, dark red hair and a permanent scowl.

He threw on last lingering stare over his shoulder, and headed to his second period.

**.**

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**.**

_ Tiana's eyes were much like his sister's, big and brown and warm. _

_ Lately, he hadn't seen them. Ti's head was always down, nestled in her arms in class, dozing off more often than Sandy did when insomnia's gotten the better of him. Jack nudged the dark velvet-skinned girl awake when the teacher eyeballed them, not wanting her to get into trouble. She stirred, and peeked up at him, revealing the eyes that he had started to miss. _

_ "Are you okay?" He asked with a voice ebbed with concern. "You seem tired." _

_ No freaking-duh, Jackson, He mentally added to himself._

_ She gave a humorless laugh. "I'm always tired."_

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**.**

Jack had gotten a big, fat detention slip when he got to class and found that he was reported to the office for ditching. He had to miss hockey practice, and stay for an hour after school scraping gum off of the underside of desks, but they let him out early enough before the blizzard. He would normally be at Anna's house for his weekly tutoring session, but he assumed that it wasn't a good time. He trudged his way home, in a hurry to avoid the bad storm that was currently brewing. The winter weather was a freezing cold slap to the face. The wind lashed out at him; the rain felt more like daggers. It was a bad idea, a very stupid idea to walk home today.

If life was okay and normal again, he would've jumped at the chance to sprint through this weather barefoot like the dork he was; he really loved winter, but tonight was not the night.

His phone rung, and he found it pathetic how surprised he was that he got a call at all. He fished it out of his pockets, the screen identifying the dialer as _'banANNA' _He rolled his eyes at the ridiculous name his goofy friend change the caller I.D. to, but a warning bell went off at the back of his mind. Anna alway texted, and never called unless it was urgent and needed your undivided attention. He remembered the fight in the health office and picked up, pausing to shake out his stiff legs as though that would get their spring back.

"Ann-"

"Jack!" She cried out. "Thank god! How come no one else is answering, damn it!"

He frowned. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "What's wrong?"

"I've been calling everyone since fifth period! Where are they-"

"Anna!" He growled, "What's going on? Are you okay? Where are you?"

"No! I'm not! Elsa ran away and it's my fault!"

"What?"

"They made me go to class and when I came back to the nurse's office she was gone. Jack, what if she doesn't come back before the storm? What do I do? We have no idea where she is and Kristoff and Eugene and Wilt are out looking for her- she doesn't know how to drive yet! She's not answering her phone..." Her words died into whimpers, breaking Jack's heart. He started to walk a pace faster, hockey stick clenched tightly in his hand because if he didn't have anything to hold onto he would go crazy from worry.

He had to at least help in any way he can to find Elsa.

But he also had to be there for Anna.

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**.**

When Jack said he wanted to help in any way possible, that did not mean sitting, or more likely, pacing around the Summers' livingroom. His family had freaked when he hadn't come home, and spent the longest time scolding him for forgetting to call. Anna's own parents ushered him in to take a warm rinse in their shower and dry off to avoid the cold that's been going around, and didn't let them leave the house since they couldn't drive and there was no way they were going to walk in the storm.

So the teens were trapped inside, their bodies toasty from the AC but their noses frozen from smushing their faces against the windows for any sign of the men searching for her sister. Both were anxious, neither touching the mugs of hot cocoa set out to mollify them. Their once cozy drinks sat lukewarm and not quite as appetizing as they used to be. Jack shifted his eyes over to his friend, the broken and worried look on her face wove a hollow ache through his chest. It felt like he'd been slugged in the stomach. He was here to comfort Anna, and he was failing. He could see it in the way she wrung her shirt with tremoring fingers.

Two hours later, they still hadn't settled into the heap of pillows and blankets in the middle of the floor. The wind whipped harshly against the windows, so Anna opted for sitting in the nearest chair and staring out while Jack stayed put, using his elbow every now and then to swipe at the fog that crept up the glass' surface. Sighing, he slumped into the glossy wood with half a mind to move somewhere more comfortable, too preoccupied with the rain that had turned to snow that continued to shoot down in rapid blurs.

He caught sight of four beings, which was a miracle because it should have been impossible to see seven feet in front of you in this snow.

He shot up, "Someone's coming!"

Anna perked up and Mrs. Summers hurried to the door. "Is it them?"

"They're the only one's crazy enough to be out in this storm."

Mrs. Summers opened the door, letting in three men Jack didn't know with Elsa in one of their arms. Relief flooded him, but boiled when he recognized the red hair of the one holding the sleeping girl. Just the man's face brought back memories of a heart-broken Anna and the weeks the rest of their friends spent trying to make her feel better over her break-up with-

"Hans." Anna said, shocked.

"One of you call Wilt and the boys!" Anna's mother commanded, "Tell them that she's found!"

Anna rushed off to do that, most likely to find out what to make of her ex-boyfriend showing up on her doorstep, and the woman turned to Hans. "Oh, thank you! Thank you thank you_ thank you!_ Come in and warm up. I'll get you something to eat- what happened to your eye?"

The two boys, twins, behind Hans had brown hair and large builds slightly smaller than Kristoff's. They all wore heavy clothes made for this weather. One of the boys had a large welt on the side of his face. Hans set Elsa down on the couch, who was starting to wake up, thanking Anna's mother and explaining what happened. Anna came back into the room and took her older sister with her arms draped over her shoulders to help her walk. She took her into the next room, probably to get her changed. Elsa's coat and gloves were gone, and her perfect hair was down and swept back in a wild braid. It was so different- a good different- than what he was used to. He wondered how anyone could look so beautiful even after walking through a blizzard.

"She was in the streets when we found her. I don't know what happened before then but she wouldn't let us help her."

A frown etched into the mother's lips as Hans continued, "Ma'am, I think she's very confused. She got aggressive when we tried to get her home."

"She punched me." One of his goons added blandly. He had Elsa's bag slung over his shoulder. We lead them into the kitchen, where Mrs. Summers tended to his eye and the rest took off their damp jackets and gloves. Hans was in the middle of saying how he was able to know where to go from looking through her phone contacts and finding Anna's name. He was interrupted when the doorbell rung.

"Jack!" Anna called, "Bring Elsa to her room, I'll take care of the guys!"

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**.**

He really hoped Elsa was too cold and out of it to feel how sweaty his palms were.

He hugged her around her waist, with one of her own arms across his shoulders. She couldn't keep herself upright, so he helped her forward with her drooping a little into his chest. Her skin was still chilled from outside, and he found their position too comfortable to be friendly.

"Jackson?" She started to come back around when they stood in front of her door. He grunted in reply, bringing her into the room. "Hello. How are you?"

He chuckled. How did she do it? She made him feel frustrated and worried and embarrassed, then relieved and giddy and warm within the next minute. "You're freezing. What happened to your jacket?"

"I took it off."

"Why?"

"The cold never bothered me." She smiled up at him, allowing him to appreciate the deep crystal blue of her eyes, but that's when he saw it.

Her eyes were very dilated.

Jack wasn't sure of what that meant. After Anna had told him that Elsa was on prozac, he did a little research and found a few of the uncommon side effects of people prescribed to the drug, dilated eyes being one of them. He would have dismissed it if not for her odd behavior, but he put two and two together, and set her down on the bed.

"One second. I'll be right back." He took long strides out, coming to a stop in front of her bag downstairs in the livingroom. He rifled through it until he found what he was looking for and unscrewed the cap to her medicine. He counted it, which didn't help since he didn't know how many she started with. Anna came in with Kristoff, still helping them sort everything out. "Jack?"

"Hey, when did Elsa first start taking these?"

"I don't know. When she got here, I guess. Why?"

He told her it was nothing and returned the possibly high Elsa. She sprung up as soon as she saw him, a dreamy smile alighting her face. "Jackson! Dance with me!"

_Yeah, she's high_. He held out the antidepressant to her, angry, "How many did you take?"

She stepped into him, winding her arms around his neck. With their faces inches away and her minty breath fanning his cheeks, his resolve crumbled and she smiled as if something were funny. She said lowly, "A few."

"You only supposed to take one." He felt like he swallowed cotton. "Every morning."

"Dance with me."

"There's no music."

She looked at him like _he_ was the one being ridiculous. "We don't need music! Haven't you ever seen_ 'The Notebook'_?"

"You're high."_ and very hard to argue with._

"As a kite." She added.

"You need to sleep."

She laughed, right into his ear, making him shiver. He thought she saw it, because he could feel her smirk. She rested her chin on his shoulder so that her lips touched the lobe and she whispered, her voice laced with compromise,

"Okay. I'll get to bed soon." He shivered again, and she smiled kittenishly. "But first, I will put on some music, and you will dance with me."

"...Okay."

She left him to get her phone by her nightstand, scrolling through and playing a soft tune. She swayed to herself as the sweet melody sung,

_"So this is love, hmm_  
><em>So this is love<em>  
><em>So this is what makes life divine<em>

_I'm all aglow, hmm_  
><em>And now I know<em>  
><em>The key to all heaven is mine<em>

_My heart has wings, hmm_  
><em>And I can fly<em>  
><em>I'll touch every star in the sky<em>  
><em>So this is the miracle<em>  
><em>That I've been dreaming of<em>

_Hmm, hmm_  
><em>So this is love<em>_"_

When she came back to him, he didn't know what to do with his hands. He reached out to place one on her shoulder-blade like he had been taught, but she caught his wrist and guided him. "As fun as ballroom dancing is..."

She never finished her sentence, proving her point by leading his hand to the small of her back. Jack tried to talk off his embarrassment from his hand dangerously low on her body and the one hand she had on his chest, "Why is it that when we try to dance, we never end up doing it correctly?"

"This feels right to me."

She returned her head to it's place on his shoulder, humming into his ear in content. Her lamp lights were dim, and bounced off every corner of her room in a sleepy, calm fashion. Her fingers at the back of his neck played with the short hairs they found there, and for once, she was lost in the music. "Your ears are red. Am I making you nervous?"

"Your hair is so soft. Like... feathers." She finally said when he didn't answer. She combed a hand through the dark hair at the start of his scalp, and Jack nearly jolted away at the fuzzy, pleasurable feelings bubbling in his stomach. She snuggled closer, and then took her hand away to touch his ear. She said this so fondly that he blushed more. He guessed she took pity because she told him, "Just relax."

And so he did. It was like he was under her spell; the sound of the music and the rise and fall of her breath soothed him, while she continued to play with his hair. He had fully relaxed, arms going a little limp around her waist, bringing her closer, so close that their bodies molded together and the point of her nose skimmed his neck, sending electricity straight down his spine. A shaky breath left him.

"I _am_ making you nervous." She said, delighted. She pulled back enough to look into his eyes. She pushed their foreheads together. "You're so cute."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Jack was probably permanently scarlet by now.

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**.**

But he decided that it was okay, because he really liked Elsa when she was like this.

**.**

**.**

Just not enough for her to keep popping pills.

**.**

**.**

"You can't do this to yourself." He held her tighter. "Please don't do this to yourself."

He noticed a stubborn tendril of platinum at her hairline, and he wondered for a fleeting moment if it was always there. He wanted to memorize every detail, every freckle of her face. Elsa didn't just smile this time. And, for some reason, he found that better than her pushing that she was fine.

She whispered, "I know."

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But then again.

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Maybe she was too tired to.

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"You're cute." She repeated, eyes glazed over.

"I really like you, Jack."

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And then her lips were on his.

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"Jack? Elsa?" Anna's voice called him, but he missed it.

He missed that the music stopped.

He just couldn't think about how wrong this was,

or even about betraying Anna.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Just the feel of her lips. Just Elsa.

Elsa's combs through his hair became rakes and clenches, desperate to bring him closer. Her lips were soft and tasted of mint, and her short pants for breath dizzied him. He let go of her waist, which she whined at, and he brought his hands up to cradle her face. They battled for dominance. She licked the corner of his lips and he gasped, allowing her to plunder his mouth.

He couldn't stop. He didn't want to stop.

He ultimately won when he pushed her against the wall, one hand behind her thigh and the other behind her head. His tongue rolled over hers, and it felt so good and so hot that he nearly forgot that they needed to breathe.

But screw breathing.

He pulled away to leave a trail of kisses along her jaw line, Anna's steps up the stairs sounding far away. Elsa, taking a handful of his hair and squeezing, whispered breathlessly, "Jackson."

The sound of Anna tripping right down the hall brought him back to his senses, and he forced himself off of the girl. She dogged him, bringing them back together and sucking on his tongue, then down his neck.

Jack's heart stopped when Elsa's door opened, "Jack-"

But Elsa passed out in his arms right before then.

Anna stood in the door frame, surprised that Elsa wasn't in bed yet. "What happened?" she asked him, but he wasn't even sure himself. His filled with shame, and his face turned red because _he kissed Elsa_. "Is she okay?"

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He moved to tuck Elsa in to bed, and when he let her go, his heel rolled on something:

The pills

He swallowed, well aware that he had to tell her where Elsa was

and what she had done,

despite how dazed he was over what had just happened,

if he really cared about either of them.

.

.

.

"I don't think so, Anna."

.

.

.

* * *

><p><strong>I apologize for such drama.<strong>

**A****bout updates, sorry if they become further apart. I really don't like school...**

**Please review if you can :) if there's a problem please go easy with the criticism. **


	10. What He Knew

**Hallo :) **

_**I would just like to thank everyone who took their time to read this, and for the reviews, favorites, and followers. I really appreciate it! I finally have a written plot for this story, but it's still flexible, so feel free to give suggestions.**_

**And I'm so so sorry I haven't been updating lately! So much has been happening... and I'm not very happy with this chapter but here you go! **

**Warning: vague mention of nocturnal emission (I believe that is how it is spelled), cussing, and more terrible writing than usual.**

**(I do not own anything)**

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**-;-**

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**Chapter 9- What he knew**

**"...**_he won't admit_**..."**

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**-;-**

**.**

**I**t takes a lot to get Jackson up by 7:20 before school starts... much less four o'clock a.m. But the morning after the storm, a few hours of sleep after he had finally been allowed home, Jack had called Anna at least fourteen times by then. He had to force away the questions eating up his mind about Elsa, not wanting to sound too eager. Anna whined, "It's four in the morning! Couldn't you wait until you saw me at school?"

Jack swallowed, guiltier because he wasn't even sure what he was supposed to be saying, since he would not allow himself to talk about Elsa. "So... how's everything over there?"

"...It's..." There was a long gust of air, a sigh into the receiver, and exhaustion in her normally sweet voice. "Uh. It sucks, really."

"We don't know how many..." Her breath hitched, "pills she's taken, so..." She hesitated, as if just saying that one sentence shook her. "Wilt checked and said she'd be fine, and that the effects of the Prozac will wear off before she wakes up. I don't even know how it works, but she's staying home today."

His throat felt dry, and he felt unreasonably guilty for telling Anna about Elsa popping pills. "How are you taking it?"

"My mom won't stop crying."

"But how are _you_ taking it?"

"Fine, I guess."

What was with the sisters' aversion to telling people about their feelings? "Bullshit, Anna."

There was only the sound of heavy breathing, then she gave a humorless laugh. "I'm... angry."

Jack decided to give her a moment to collect herself, hearing the way her sentence started out clear and sure, only to break and falter into a breathless whisper. "I'm fucking mad. How could she do this? She's supposed to be smart!"

"People make bad choices when they're mad, or stressed, or scared." That was the best he could say. He sat alone in his room, bare feet bunched into a pile of the clean laundry he never put away. He had called Anna partly for company for his restless mind, but the far away sound of her voice only reminded him that he was alone. He had always been okay with being on his own, but for some reason he couldn't let his mind ponder on the reasons _why_ Elsa had done what she had.

"Yeah." There was a rustle on the other end of the line. "Yeah, but... I don't even know anymore. I don't understand her."

"You don't have to know anything. You don't have to understand anything other than the fact that she has her own stuff to deal with and that you can be there for her. Without judgement." He coughed, self concious because he was spouting out whatever shit came to his mind. "I guess."

Anna didn't say anything for a while, making Jack's skin crawl in fear of saying the wrong thing. When she did speak up, it was filled with such warmth,

"You really care about her, don't you?"

Jack nearly choked on his spit, and was glad that she couldn't see his face because it was burning red in his shame.

"I mean, you don't even know her that well."

"You're such a good friend, Jack." His stomach lurched and he felt like he had the air knocked out of him because what she had said was partially true.

**.**

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**-;-**

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**.**

"Jack? Hello?"

.

.

"Ja-"

"I have to go. See you at school."

"...Okay, bye."

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

_ She likes ice skating for fun. She likes designing buildings and clothes. She doesn't lke Brandy Melville. She's a senior, nearing her eighteenth birthday this upcoming January, on the twenty-first. She's almost two years older than him. She almost never took her gloves off until last night. She loves chocolate. She laughs behind her left hand._ _She only smiled. __She wears a lot of blue. She likes rose candles. She's good at go-fish. He hates the way she says hello. She reads Calvin and Hobbes. She can't dance. She has a stubborn strand of platinum at her hairline. Her breath smells like mint, and there's still so, so, so much more that he knows and wants to know. __He wanted to memorize every detail, every freckle of her face. __ He will never get enough of her._

_She's smart. She's beautiful. She's mature, mysterious, sexy, playful, and absolutely irresistible. She's his best friend's older sister._

_He's completely smitten with her._

_ She's completely off-limits._

_ And yet what Annahad said bothered him because while he believed he did know a lot about her, _

**.**

**.**

_it wasn't enough to justify that he knew the taste of her lips. _

_("You're such a good friend, Jack.")_

**.**

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**-;-**

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"Hans was in highschool when you dated him in eighth grade, right?" Jack asked on the way to their usual lunch spot. His legs and back ached from all the books and homework he carried, and he could already feel that he had a long night ahead of him. Anna seemed just as worn out and tired, but handled it better, for she lighted her face with a smile and looked sheepish.

"Uhhh, yeah. I think he was."

"Is he Elsa's age?"

"Yeah. I think he is."

"... Did you know that before last night?"

"...No."

Jack paused, and thought, before a giving her a dimpled smirk. "What color are his eyes?"

"Dreamy?" Anna recalled.

"His best friend's name?"

"Probably John."

"Anna, what's his _last name_?"

"Southern Isles." She said certainly, for once in the conversation.

"Nooo," Jack drawled out, "But that's the name of his _school_."

"It is?"

"Did you know _anything_ about this guy?"

Anna's face matched her magenta scarf, and she whined, "Of _course_ I did!"

"Like what? What kind of hair gel he uses?"

"He loves sandwiches."

"Saucy." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Shut up. I'm not even with him anymore. I wouldn't remember any of that stuff."

"Well, did you when you were dating?"

She turned pinker and sputtered, "Again, I'm not with him anymore, it doesn't matter."

Jack stiffled a giggle and marched beside her towards the cafeteria. She jammed a shoulder roughly through the crowds, and when they reached a clearing, he came up with another question, "So what do you know about Kristoff?"

Any irritation at Jack's antics dissolved imediately. He was going for teasing, or getting some kind of embarrasing reaction to hold over her head, but was somehow intrigued by the sudden display of emotion written clearly across her face. How was it that one person could bring such content and happiness to his feisty friend? Anna always found reasons to smile, but this one was different. Jack was unfamiliar with the adoring, honey-sweetness melted in between her lips outside of any topic involving Kristoff. She opened her red mouth into a babble, and he found himself just slightly regretful of asking at all.

Just slighty.

The rest of him, however, was so painfully curious- curious to see what Anna liked about Kristoff. What did she see? What did girls want to see? What was he supposed to see in girls? What made someone want to be with another person for so long?

Obviously, Anna couldn't answer that last bit for him unless he asked, which would never happen. To his friends, Jack had no known crush, and that often caused them to push, or more accurately, shove girls his way in hopes of changing that. He's not saying he's never dated, or found someone attractive- in fact he did that to satisfy them (it didn't). They just put their self-assigned mission to get him that special someone on hold, and he wasn't going to encourage that again.

"Well. He's a loser-loner, whatever. And a grump."

'_How sweet'_, He meant to say, but she kept on talking. "He has a clumpy way of walking, maybe because his feet are kind of weird. He smells after practice, and sometimes he spends more time with his dog or in his room than with me or other people- he's super blonde and I've always had a thing for dark hair."

"You're very... affectionate." Jack almost squirmed, "Does he even know these things about himself? I swear..." She waved a hand and gave a sparkling smile- one that crinkled around the corners of her eyes and somewhat got the teal of her irises and red lashes to pop out more. "He's a bit of a fixer-upper, but he's sensitive, and sweet, and he loves hugs, and singing, even if he won't admit it."

Jack let her go on as they wormed their way through the cafeteria, throwing in a smile or a word or two before returning to his thoughts and never-ending list of questions. He wondered what sort of things his parents found in each other, like if his dad liked the way his mom snorted when she laughed, or if his mom smiled at his dad's messy hair in the mornings before he gelled it down for work. Did they care about these little details the way Anna did for Kristoff? Maybe they never noticed or dismissed it. Maybe they it they found it annoying, but how the hell do you fix a fixer upper?

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

"You know, you can sit, Jack."

"Huh?" Jack snapped out of it- whatever _it_ was- and found that he had materialized in front of the table, where four of his friends were sitting, and Anna was nowhere to be seen. He took the seat next to Tooth and across from Eugene and Rapunzel, acutely aware that she had finally spoken to him since her weird scene at the very table they were sitting at. Tooth's peach lips twitched into a frown, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He responded flatly. "Where'd Anna go?"

Bun, on the other side of Tooth, piped up, "She _just_ said she was going with Kristoff to the vending machines... where were _you_, mate?"

Jack spat, "Well, I see why youwouldn't know since you've been avoiding me for no apparent reason. What gives?"

He originally hadn't been planning on letting this get to him; he wasn't supposed to confront his two friends about it, but how could he not? He'd be full of it to say that it didn't hurt when his two best friends decided they didn't want anything to do with him for an unknown amount of time. Tooth flinched when he scowled at her, and some sadistic part of him found pleasure in her guilt.

"I'm sorry about that." She twiddled her thumbs, not meeting his eyes. She only proceded to infuriate him more with her attempt (or lie) lighten the mood whilst hiding behind her choppy, colorful hair, "I was, like, PMS-ing or something."

He gave her a hard look, a challenge to get a rise out of her, or at least tell him the fucking truth, "Yeah. Whatever." He finally seethed when she still didn't look at him. Tooth regarded Eugene and Rapunzel with a shrunken voice and the threat of tears pooling in her deep eyes, and they returned with cautious words, exchanging nervous and uncomfortable frowns when the other girl wasn't looking.

"So what did you two do last night? Didn't you have a date?"

Flynn's honey brown eyes flickered to meet Jack's own, "We did, but something came up."

Tooth's eyebrows furrowed, "What happened?"

"Other than the storm, Elsa sort of ran away yesterday. We helped her parents try to find her."

"You and Zel?"

"No, Jack and I."

"-Actually" Jack said, "I stayed with Anna. I didn't do much but help bring Elsa to her room when they found her."

Tooth looked mortified, "You were in her _room_?" She said like it was disgraceful. She corrected herself, "I mean, is she okay-"

"Holy shit!" Eugene exclaimed. He pointed a finger at Jack with wild and frenzied gesticulations, eyes glowing and brows raised high on his forehead. The wickedest smile Jack has ever seen split his face "Ho-_ly shit_! You _little_ slut!"

"What?" He said nervously, stomach dropping because what the eldest man had to say could not be good if he was this excited.

"That's a hickey! You have a hickey! Just _what_ were you and Queenie doing in her room last night!"

Tooth's horror intensified, as did Bun's outrage. Rapunzel gasped and hit her boyfriend in the chest, as if offended that her friend could be accused of such a thing. Jack's heart lept into his throat as he struggled for words to deny them. "Ow! What? You don't see it? Look there on his neck!"

Jack himself looked down to his chest to try to peer at his throat, which, as you know, dear reader, isn't the easiest thing to do- impossible, even. His friends, however, sat with a clear view of the proud, red marking where his pulse would be found. Rapunzel gasped again, "Oh my god. Did_ Elsa _do that? Jack, _what_...?"

And while Eugene inwardly bounced to himself like a fangirl, while shooting Jack suggestive smiles, everyone else had fallen silent with the gravity of the situation. Jack's ears burned as red as the mark, and he berated himself for missing it in the morning, when something could've been done to hide it. Soon, the tension became too thick for one dark haired member, and Bun snarled, "Well that's bloody messed up! Fuck, Jack, that's Anna's_ sister!_"

Tooth said nothing.

Rapunzel was appalled.

Bunny was livid.

Eugene was just beginning to realize his mistake.

"I know! I Know!" Jack surrendered. He squeezed a knuckle into his brown locks, "I know, I'm sorry! Things are just so messed up! I- I don't even know how it happened!"

"You know better than to fool around with her!" Bunny yelled. His green eyes looked like acid and his blue-ish raven hair look frizzed up.

His jaw dropped, "F- _fool _a_roun_- I'm not! I won't! _I wouldn't!_"

Rapunzel spoke, her apprehension replaced with shining eyes and contained ecstasy, "Wait, so you're serious about her?"

His eyes widened, "N-no! Yes! There- We aren't-"

"When did you guys even start seeing each other?" The blonde's smile was crazed as she practically threw herself across the table to lean over him. He almost got a mouthful of her gold long hair with how close she was.

"What's going on?" Kristoff came up to them, arm slung around Anna. "Who is Jack seeing?"

"No one!" Rapunzel squeaked as she reared back into her seat. "A dentist! For his teeth!"

"And that makes you happy because? I would expect this more from Tooth." Kristoff didn't look sure of how to respond, but looked at the quiet girl with feather extensions for good measure. She only gave a weak smile and said softly, "I just realized, I have to meet... I forgot something in my locker. Bye."

They let her slink away.

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

_ Her parents had something against phones- and social media, and people, or pretty much anything that could possibly taint their innocent little "flower" (ahem, Eugene). Jack wondered how she lived under the surveilance of her parents without suffocating, but then thought of how her sneak outs to spend time with Flynn and the rest of their friends were increasing, and he came to see that maybe she was, slowly. After all, a flower needs sunshine to live. _

So Rapunzel's voice bubbled over her family's home phone since she didn't have a mobile to text him with. Her twitters about how cute he and Elsa would be as a couple encouraged him, that is, until they died down into a mumble. "Punzie?"

"Wait a sec, you said you guys kissed _last night_?" He could practically see the panic on her brow through the speaker.

"Yeah. Why?"

She was a little quiet when she said the next words, as if reluctant. "What? Rapunzel I can't hear you."

"Anna said she doesn't remember last night."

Jack's heart dropped, either with worry or disappointment, or just outrage because he felt like he'd been cheated. He really hoped Rapunzel was just mumbling again and he had heard her wrong. "Wait, what? Why?"

"Anna texted me saying that Elsa woke up and said she didn't remember last night. Or, she remembers some of it, but she woke up with a headache, like she hit her head or something."

"Then...!" Then _what_? What was he supposed to do? He couldn't tell her about last night- what if she freaked? He hoped she wouldn't freak. He hoped that she wouldn't be disgusted if he told her that they kissed. In his grief, Jack recalled the chill of her skin and the warmth of her peppermint mouth and his heart dropped again. He _couldn't_ tell her. They just never danced, she never called him cute... they never kissed... he just had to accept that, and that last night just never happened.

He thought of Anna's smiling face,

_("You're such a good friend, Jack.")_

-and then saw that he also had to accept that maybe it would be better if it never happened again.

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

_"Jackson."_

He awoke with a jolt, sheen of sweat along his hairline, pounding heart, and the ghost of Elsa's breathless whisper echoeing in his mind. He had a very good dream, just not the most innocent. Jack turned red, which he thought he was starting to do much too often these days, and covered his face as if someone else was in the room to see his shame. He tried to push out every last image of her that less than pure, every fantasy his hormones had conjured up for him in his dreams last night from his mind because how the_ hell _was he supposed to look Elsa in the eye today?

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**-;-**

**.**

"Jackson!"

hollered a voice behind him. Jack swallowed because no one else called him that save one person whom he wasn't exactly emotionally ready to face that day.

"Hey!" She said when she caught up to him. She matched his footsteps and grinned.

"Hi." He responded, and he was surprised by her change in appearance. She let her tight bun loose into the wild side braid that he had last seen her with, and he wanted to feel it's silkiness like he had_ that night_. She wore a blouse a shade lighter than teal, and actually low enough to reveal her defined collar bones. The tone she used with him this morning was lighter, free of any burden, and definately happier.

Her gloves were gone again. He didn't miss them one bit.

"You look nice." He told her, and was pleased with the blush that adorned her cheeks, but sharply averted his gaze from the plunge of her neckline and shorter, form-hugging pencil skirt when a particular image (which he discovered his mind seemed to favor because it replayed in his head continuously throughout the morning) popped up.

"Thank you." She replied smoothly. "You do, too."

He was flooded with warmth at her words, despite the fact that she was probably lying since he was just wearing the same white long sleeve that counted for about half of his wardrobe. "So what's up?"

"Oh. Anna told me that you helped me last night, I just wanted to say thank you, and that if you ever need anything..." She surprised him further when she appeared nervous. "I want to make it up to you. Taking care of me probably wasn't a very fun experience, and you might have had homework- and I still owe you a tutoring session."

"Oh, don't worry about it," He tried to tell her, "It's fine."

She ignored his protests, "We could do the lesson today, if you would like?"

For some reason, resisting his aching mind telling himself to stay away from her, he said okay.

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

The tutoring wasn't going well.

Well, it wasn't going terribly, either. The two sat in her room at the table, Elsa noticably closer (at least, it was noticable to Jack) than her three-foot distance. They hadn't started anything productive, but she looked in deep thought, which he was thankful for because he wouldn't have been able to focus anyway with everything that's been going on. At the same time, though, her silence unnerved him. He simply slumped into his chair, bare feet tapping and his dry hands twisting at a piece of lined paper, just for something to do until he gathered the courage to ask once again,

"Are you okay?" Because she still refuses to answer this same question properly. He was still fifty percent sure that he shouldn't have allowed himself to be there. Just the day before he had told himself that he would leave her alone, and less than twenty-four hours later, his was in her room.

"Hm? Oh, pardon me. I'm just thinking." She gave him an embarrassed smile before turning to their textbook, "So, your class is working on the conjugation of _avoir_-"

"You gave us a scare on Wednesday. " He knew he was stepping into personal territory, but he was involved, in way, so he took a chance. "So what's been going on?"

Her blue eyes flashed guiltily, "I don't remember much, but I know it was bad." Jack's gut twisted painfully when he remembered the way her body fit into his, but the foriegn flutter in his stomach at her lack of hesitation to talk to him so openly made up for it. "None of them will leave me alone. They're always watching."

She got a pained expression so alike to one of Rapunzel's when her parents scolded her something stupid, like she was trapped. In a way, she might've been. Elsa was still alien to her new home, not knowing who her mother or sister really was, suddenly having to accept a new man as one of her parental guardians, only knowing a few of her sister's friends to an extent, the only person she relied on gone... and having to deal with this after being sheltered in home schooling, separated from half of her family for years. Elsa also always seemed like she was holding back, calm, cool, collected...

controlled.

Jack flushed because he didn't know if he was supposed to know this; it was pretty deep stuff to know about someone you met only around a month ago. But Jack looked at Elsa and knew he couldn't stand to see her so lost, and considered the thought that she's never opened up to anyone, as Anna had said, because she never had someone to open up to.

"Then let's get out of here." Jack wanted to be that someone.

"What? Where?"

Why not? Jack didn't have hockey practice so there was still daylight to burn. They weren't doing anything important, and both needed some fresh air. He would also take staring into her pretty eyes for the next couple of hours over reading a textbook. As for his homework, he really could care less. "A field trip."

The corner of her mouth tugged up, "Where?"

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

"_Mon Ch__éri_? An ice cream parlor?"

The little place had smooth, shined, white floors and counters and a sundry of different colors of the cold dessert. Outside and on their napkins and walls was a cartoon of a pink-faced girl with a pixie-cut and a single antennae, like a cherry. Jack's mouth watered at the smell of chocolate dipped strawberries and cones.

"_Mon __ch__éri_ means _cherry_, right?" Jack asked her. She shook her head.

"It means_ my girl_. Why here?"

"This is a french lesson, right?" Jack flashed her a coquettish smile akin to Eugene's smolder. Elsa settled for vanilla in a chocolate cone bowl, and Jack ordered a coffee scoop with rainbow sprinkles, and paid for both of them. They seated themselves at a table outside by the fountain since the weather was nicer than normal, with chills of the baby blue skies and a lazy sun, as if morning had never passed and it wasn't four o'clock in the afternoon.

"I really could have paid for my own." She told him, and Jack shrugged.

"Nah. It's fine, I got it." He licked at his ice cream, getting some on his nose in the process, to which Elsa giggled.

"That's a good look for you." She teased, and he rolled his eyes and struck a pose, making her laugh more. Jack liked her laugh, it reminded him of bells and made him feel like he could float. Sometimes he even wished she wouldn't muffle it behind her hand, but he thought that was cute, too. "So, how am I supposed to teach you here?"

"Um," Jack took another quick lick, "I dunno. How do you say_ ice cream_?"

She shook her head, "_La glace ou crème glacée_, but why would you need to say that?"

Jack always got shivers when she spoke in french. He could never get his sentences to run so flawlessly. Of course, Elsa _had_ lived in Europe. "_Je mange la glace_. I eat the ice cream. There."

"But," She stopped herself, choosing not to argue. "Okay, fine." She looked around for a moment, before getting a content look and putting her ice cream bowl down. Jack's blue eyes followed the movement, getting used to the sight of the smooth, pale skin of her hands and elegant fingers. He subconciously felt at his own palms, and the roughness and cold that they were. "I want you to look around and name whatever you can in french."

Jack pressed his lips into a thin line, knowing that his pronounciation was still pretty terrible. "Uh, alright."

He picked up her spoon by the handle, "Uh, _couteau_."

"_Cuillère_." She was quick to correct him.

"Close enough." He muttered under his breath. He pointed to the table. "_Tableau_."

He waited for her to tell him he was wrong, but she only nodded, and beamed as though she were proud. "Wow, really? Hem, I mean, " Jack pointed to another object: her blouse, "_Chemise_."

She nodded again, and he started to get sure of himself as he picked up a napkin, "_serviette_."

She nodded once more and without even thinking about it, so eager in his accomplishments, he put down the napkin and grabbed her hand, "_La main_."

She blinked owlishly and observed him with her blue eyes, startled by the sudden contact, but not pulling away. She bit her rose petal mouth, barely, but it was enough to steal his attention and train his own blue eyes to her thin lips, and he craved peppermint. Maybe he should've gotten mint chip instead of coffee. He let that thought pass. Even if jittery, he felt at ease and peace with the faint sunlight that peeked through the clouds and felt like hugs along his flat cheeks and big ears. Her hand was as cool and as smooth as the night of their first tutoring session, and he treated himself to relish it more by stalling.

"_Les doigt_," He named her fingers when she still had yet to utter a word. They stayed in a comfortable silence, him absentmindedly playing with her fingers and their ice cream forgotten and melting. Jack didn't think to look up at her face, but she watched him carefully, memorizing the crinkles of his eyes, the curve of his nose, and skinny face. He felt eyes burning into his head, so he finally met her gaze, and grinned. She gave him a simmering warm smile.

"Hey Elsa!" Jack yanked away like he'd been burned, and heat shot up his neck. Elsa, on the other hand, withdrew her fine wrist, not the slightest bit fazed when she turned to the voice who called her, smile stiff.

"Hello Snotlout. How are you?" A group of dirty-looking people came up to the two. Jack's hands tingled from holding Elsa's, but he paid it no attention as he stirred his melted coffee cup and studied the people talking to her. All of them wore baggy clothes and had long hair, some of which looked like it needed to be washed. He didn't recognize them, so he supposed that they were seniors. A pair of fraternal twins- one boy and one girl- stood next to an obese man with a patchy, thin beard.

The last one who she called Snotlout stood in front of the gang and sneered at Jack, but the sour look slowly ebbed away, switching his eyes to Elsa, then him, and Elsa again. He looked at Jack with new found respect, albiet a little annoyed, and asked incredulously. "Whoa, are you guys on a_ date_?"

"N-" Jack was interrupted.

"Yes, we are."

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

**Yes, I DID use the clich****é 'she does not remember' plot thing. Sorry if you're sad.**

**SADLY, that is all I can write for this weekend, and probably for the next two weeks or so because I still have to update my other story, ****Claimed****, and I have a ton of homework for, most likely, this whole week. I WILL have a Halloween special and a few snippets/drabbles, sort of, to give you a heads up, I guess? **

**AND ALSO:**

**I have a few other Jelsa AU ideas and summaries that I mostly like just because I have made some cover art for them (PLEASE CHECK THESE OUT):**

**Drama/ friendship/romance:**

_**Home**_

_**After being abandoned by his creator and his family, imaginary friend Jack Frost doesn't think he could ever learn to love another child. That is, until he meets a little girl who doesn't know how to stop bringing her worst fears and thoughts to life. Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends AU. Eventual Jelsa.**_

**Fantasy/Romance:**

_**Enchanted Once More:**_

_**Inspired by Disney's "Enchanted" and "Once Upon a Time". Queen Narissa is at it again! When more of Disney's people start disappearing into reality, Mickey Mouse is desperate. Desperate enough to ask for help from Dreamworks... Dreamworks' Guardians of Childhood. Jelsa.**_

**Romance/friendship:**

_**Elsa's Declassified**_

**-School Survival Guide, for all teens. These are the confessions of a late bloomer, and help through puberty. This is adolescence and only year one... Good luck. Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide AU.**

**Drama/Romance:**

_**I Kissed the Wrong Girl **_

_**-And I liked it (too much). Jack is trying to win over his long time crush, whom he has an "almost thing" with, but after sharing a so-called "platonic" New Years kiss with his best friend, he feels as though his mind has been split in half. Sort of love triangle. ToothJackElsa. **_

**Friendship/Fantasy/Romance:**

_**His Classmate**_

_**Jack Frost decides to pop into Jamie's junior chemistry class and is intrigued with the quiet girl who sits in the right corner seat. Snippets**_

**Fantasy/Drama/Romance:**

_**Lost Boy**_

_**Independence/conscience/choice/experience, Lust/passion, Love, Courage, Security/Sensibility/Acceptance...Jack Frost discovers that there are protectors of every age, including the difficult shift between childhood and adulthood: adolescence. These spirits cannot be seen, but exist in everyone. Of course, Jack never knew. He never really had to grow up.**_

**Friendship/Romance:**

_**Two Sisters**_

_**JELSA. Ever wonder how Anna handled her lonely world? Well, with the help of Jack Frost, she is able to rediscover fun and her own meaning of life; who she is as a person and her self-proclaimed role. But when her best friend starts falling for her sheltered, elusive sister, it's Anna's turn to help him.**_

**Angst/Hurt/Comfort/Romance:**

_**Don't Let Go**_

_**A rush came over her when she jumped. It was the same feeling she got when she leaned out too far of her bedroom window, and the aching lonliness and self hatred in her heart was replaced with adrenaline...like she was one with the wind and sky. A darker take on "Let It Go" that takes place where Elsa's ice bridge should have been made. **_

**I have other summaries and stuff, but there's just**_** too much!**_

**I might do a separate story just to dump different plotlines and snippets of these ideas, much like ****Plots on Pause**** by anastasia 1234 (which is really great and has better, more origional plot ideas, by the way.) **

**Thank you all for reading!**


	11. OKay

**I am so sorry. I was supposed to do a Halloween thing, so I was supposed to update on Friday... haha. Yeah. Sorry. SO! These are two short chapters, in one of them it is Halloween.**

**Thank you all for your reviews! You won't believe how happy they make me! I've said so before that I'm not much of a writer to begin with so it makes me really excited that I'm doing something right... thank you!**

**(I do not own anything!)**

**So I present to you-!**

**. # ****######**** # ****######**** # .**

**Chapter 10- **_**OKay**_**.**

**"...**_Because they have nothing better to tell you_**..."**

**.#######.**

**.**

**T**he senior called by Snotlout and the rest of his rowdy friends had left them in peace, but Jack had kept his eyes on Elsa long after. He couldn't tell if she was avoiding his gaze or not, but she stirred at her ice cream, which had become creamy goop in its cardboard bowl, bashfully. Her normally proud, ruler-straight back caved in slightly, but not in the defensive cower that he had come to recognize in the time he'd known her. Whether or not Elsa had just said it to drive Snotlout away, Jack felt the smallest of smirks creep along his chapped lips, a strange wave of euphoria washing away any thought of Anna, his problems at home, Tooth, and the way Edmund had snapped and shunned him.

"So." Jack hummed in content, feeling rather smug. "This is a date?"

Elsa flushed a lovely color, and stared at him through her lashes. She opened her mouth a few times, at loss for words, hesitated, but found some with a small smirk of her own. "Well, pardon me if I'm wrong, since I don't have much experience to build on, but I think so."

"And why's that?"

"Does it disgust you?"

Jack grinned, not knowing what had brought all _this_ on, but he liked the coyness in her smile, and didn't want it to stop. He caved, leaning in, "_definitely_ not."

"We are alone." She pointed out, and listed, "In public. You paid, and if I remember correctly, you were just holding my hand. Is this not a date to you?"

"I wish I had been informed. I can do so much better than ice cream."

"Like what?"

"You really wanna know?"

"You make it hard to refuse."

Jack swears he can feel his own eyes glinting, suddenly cocky and so unlike himself that it was scary, in the most thrilling of ways, "I have that effect on people."

"Well then you should know what you're doing."

Jack paused, trying to see if that same warning bell would go off in his head, checking to see if his conscience would rouse him again to tell him to stop this madness, but grinned when he heard neither. Cooly pushing out of his seat, Jack checked the time. They still had plenty. "Come on Queenie."

Again, she asked, "Where?"

"I told you, I can do _so_ much better than ice cream."

**. # ****######**** # ****######**** # .**

**.**

Jack didn't like to disappoint, and he's sad to say that he's done that way too many times in his life. He felt it in his divorcing parents, in his incapability to comfort Pippa the way she needed, how he kept hurting Tooth without meaning to, how his knew himself that he could be breaking Anna's trust...

Dammit. His mind just had to go back there. He pushed it all to the back of his head. Elsa was one of the few people he hadn't let down (yet). He wasn't going to start. So he would just have to begin with trying to give her a good night. He thought she deserved that much. It wasn't hard, he noted with amusement, with how quickly her face lit up at the school's ice rink. He felt bad at first that he couldn't take her outside of town, or anywhere very special; he couldn't drive. Elsa always acted grown up, but in that moment she actually looked her age, if not younger.

Her blue eyes glittered, not having even touched the ice and yet already enjoying herself. Personally, to Jack, the air inside the rink didn't compare to the fresh smell of fall and winter on the frozen pond he and his dad would skate on years ago, but it would do. He went to fetch two pairs of skates for them, and when he came back and handed them to her, she said, with a touch of sadness, "I haven't been ice-skating in a very long time."

His eyebrows rose in perfect arcs, "Really?" Elsa looked like the skating and dancing type, with the perfect posture and long, strong legs. The wintery quality to her beauty only added to it. "Why not?"

"The last was when I was with Anna, right before my parents divorced. I thought I was good, I even took lessons. I've asked my father a few times after we moved because I loved watching the figure skating in the Olympics," She shrugged, and looked away, but couldn't hide the longing in her eyes. "but he told me it was too dangerous."

"But it's _fun_, once you get the hang of it." He hastily helped her lace up her skates, even if she probably could have done it herself, and started pulling her towards the ice with new vigor. The air conditioning blew his brown hair into his face, but it he was used to it. However, when they got to the edge, she took an abrupt stop, looking like she was holding her breath. She timidly placed one foot on the ice, and nearly slipped, unconsciously gripping Jack's warm hands tighter. It felt so natural, Jack almost didn't even notice they were holding hands in the first place.

He observed her, eager to see her reaction to being on the ice after so many years, but her narrow shoulders tensed, and her body rigid. She bit her lip and kept her head down, oblivious to the adoring stare Jack gave her. He half-expected her to put on one of her many coats, but supposedly the cold didn't bother her. The reflecting light from the rink made her pale skin glow and her hair almost white; she looked almost ethereal. She stumbled again and he couldn't help but laugh when she gripped his arms for more leverage, eyes wide and unblinking. "You realize that to skate you have to move, right?"

She forced a laugh, "I'm kind of rusty."

"I'll take you to the rail." He did, and she finally relaxed her vice-like grip on his twig-wrists to grab at the red walls. She took a calming breath and in a small voice she said, "Thank you."

They went in a few circles, speaking back and forth as they picked up the pace little by little. She was unwilling to really let herself relax, careful, as always. The rink was large and empty for only two people, but they filled it with echoes of their voices. Jack learned that because of her homeschooled life, she didn't know much outside of her dad's business or her books. Jack had told her that he loved plane rides, and had an odd weakness for rabbits and his sister.

"The little brat has me wrapped around her finger."

She looked thoughtful, "What is she like?"

"She looks like a little female version of me. She's sweet, most of the time at least. I like messing with her a lot. I love her more than anything." Jack felt warm, melted from head to toe. Elsa's hand felt soft and toasty in his own, even if he was sure their fingertips felt like ice. Elsa was almost molded into his side, one arm stretched out to grip the wall. "She's ten but I always think she's like, eight."

"It must be nice to have such a close family."

Jack's breath hitched. Pain expanded in his throat, and he croaked, "Oh. Okay."

She noticed, and she looked at him, a crease between dark eyebrows. She squeezed his hand tighter. "Are you okay?"

Jack swallowed with difficulty, feeling like his insides were frozen. He hadn't talked to anyone about his home life. He wasn't good at expressing feelings, and thought alone made him uncomfortable, but Elsa was giving him a look that warmed him from the inside out and took his breath away. He was about to spill, but quickly changed his mind, seeing no reason to ruin such a good time. "Hey, I think you're ready to let go of the wall now."

Her eyes were like saucers, "Um, no. I don't think so."

"Well I'm going to let go of you, okay? I'm gonna pull you away from the rail." He grew a devious grin. Elsa panicked. "W-wait. NO! JACKSON!"

To his shock, she let go of the rail, and hugged him around his middle. Jack nearly lost his balance, but managed to stay on his feet while the impact sent his skates sliding towards the center of the rink, bringing Elsa with him. She trembled slightly, wisps of her hair tickling his nose. Jack blinked, taking in what had just happened and where they were, no rail within arm's length. Laughing, he sung, merrily. "You have to let go, Elsa."

"Uh, just a moment." She shuffled clumsily on her skates, and stood upright, no longer needing his support. Jack's neck felt cold from where her head was tucked in before.

"I'm going to let go." He said again, and she glared at him, looking around helplessly for a way out of this.

"Jackson, I swear-"

"You'll be fine, Elsa." She stiffened.

"I-I can't. I don't know how."

"Just believe me, okay?"

"...Okay." She almost whispered.

He gave her an easy-going laugh and an encouraging nod, "Okay? Alright."

"One." His jaw tightened, a little nervous.

"Two." Their grips loosened

"Three" She took a deep breath, and she let go.

After Elsa's short, experimental shuffles turned into long, graceful glides, they stayed in the rink long after they were supposed to leave, to the point where their toes froze and the tips of their noses bit. It didn't matter; the cold didn't bother them. They spent the rest of the night with laughter, smiles, and each other, where fears couldn't get to them, they could test limits, and their souls spiraled free.

And it was much, much better than ice cream.

**. # ****######**** # ****######**** # .**

**.**

** Today 8:31 PM**

** From:**_** banANNA**_

**WHERE ARE YOU GUYS**

** ...**

** Is elsa wijt you?**

** ...**

** Today 8:57 PM**

** JACK**

** ...**

** JACK**

** ...**

** Today 9:40**

** FUCK YOU ANSWER ME. HAVE OU SEEN ELSA.**

** ...**

** You***

**. # ****######**** # ****######**** # .**

**.**

_Jack texted Tooth as soon as he got home. He still felt like he was walking on air, and he was still trying to wipe the dopey grin off of his face, dreaming of blue eyes and freckles. It was when he remembered Tooth's sudden departure from the cafeteria that he told himself that the world didn't revolve around him. If something was wrong, she'd tell him, right?_

_ But she didn't seem to feel like talking. Or at least, she didn't seem to feel like talking to him._

_ Because you know when you're texting a friend, and they're not giving you much to respond to? They make the conversation awkward by leaving it hanging at something like,_

"Oh, haha."

"Lol"

"Really?"

"Cool"

_ Or, one of Jack's favorites (_not_):_

"ok."

_The wonderful language of text can be read in many ways, as if english, or even worse for Jack, _girls _weren't difficult enough to understand to begin with... What can be said after that? Jack stared at his screen, not believing that a simple two-syllable word could irritate him so much. After many unanswered texts, questions, and minutes of trying to interpret the possible meanings of "ok." later, Jack finally concluded that in text, it simply meant that it was just because they have nothing better to tell you._

**. # ****######**** # ****######**** # .**

**.**

**I know that the date was pretty cliché, but meh. I thought I should put that in there.**

_**This is one of my first fics, so if you'd all be so kind... **_

_**Please bear with me, and note that I don't have much time to write, type, or edit. The story may be a little rushed (or slow), some chapters may be a little short, there will be many typos, and this in all will not be my best work. **__**I also procrastinate a LOT.**_

_**I'm mostly doing these stories for the fun of them, so please go easy with the criticism.**_

**Thank you all for reading!**

_**-Mawhn**_


	12. Matching

**So what were you all for Halloween?**

**I know that this is off-topic and stupid, and I LOVE EUGENE, but is it weird that I think Rapunzel and Hiccup would make an amazingly cute couple? It's not a popular ship, I know, but still... just THINK about it. I just recently have I think it would be great. Elsa and Hiccup **_**friendship**_** is like the cutest to me though. Not that that matters.**

** AND NO I AM DEFINITELY **_**NOT**_** PUTTING THAT SHIP IN HERE, just so you know. Just saying that if you are a Rapunzel/ Hiccup fan, I totally support and get you, man.**

** (...and if anyone could make some really cute fan art of that I would love them forever... but you know, whatever.) **

**So this is a Halloween chapter, and a sort of filler. I really just wanted to include this because I wanted to give them costumes so whatever.**

**Chapter 11- Matching**

**"...**_Lingering_**..."**

**. # ****######**** # ****######**** # .**

**.**

**A**fter scaring her mother a second time for disappearing with Jack without warning, it was difficult to convince Mrs. Summers to let Elsa accompany Jack, Anna, and Pippa for trick-or-treating. Elsa had already been walking on thin ice, but the worried mother finally relented with a few promises, and of course, Anna's puppy eyes helped a little bit. Jack wasn't even sure why Elsa wanted to come- she didn't have a costume. He was sure that eighty-five percent of the reason was to meet his little sister.

And he might've let himself believe that the other fifteen was to see him.

A guy had to hope, and with the way they were flirting just the few days before had him convinced that Elsa had to feel _something_ for him. And he had, technically, asked her out, and she, in return had, technically, said yes. Anna hadn't known where they had been or if they were in fact with each other that night, but Jack figured that he would get hell for it from Snotlout or even from Bunny, if he caught word of it. Jack pondered on what might transpire if Anna had found out that he had the hots for her sister, and made out with her in her room when she was high and vulnerable. Yikes. That did not sound good.

He stopped himself again because this war had gone on in his head for too long, and always with the same outcome: no answer, and it was becoming really annoying. He sighed, pushing his hair out of his face. He currently sat as Spiderman in the entry room in the Summers' residence, waiting for the two sisters to be ready. Pippa sat next to him on the teal velvet couch, decked in a pink puffy dress with peppermint candies and other sweets she had superglued on, her hair tied up and topped with a plastic tiara. Sensing his frustration, she looked up at him in question, but he just ruffled her hair to which she whined and told him to stop.

"Hey! I'm gonna run to Kristoff's house like, really really quickly." Anna bounded down the stairs. She was in a vintage, floral, pink dress with her hair tied back and brushed straight (for once). "I have to make sure we match!"

Jack protested, "You're running to his house in your costume? Can't it wait?""

And she was out the door without a real explanation, "I'm sorry! I'll meet you at Tooth's!"

"Jackson?" Jack turned to see Elsa slowly descending the stairs. Like she had promised, she wasn't wearing a costume. Instead, was dressed more warmly than their night on the rink, but not as conservative as before. A stylish, mint green coat adorned her petite shoulders, a dark collared shirt tucked underneath. A wine-purple pencil skirt, fine tights, and black boots flattered her long legs and-ahem- other nice things. He admired her, and she blushed from behind her hair, which had been pushed back by a simple black headband, her bangs brushed and styled to look thicker.

"_Jack_."

"Huh?"

"I called your name three times." Pippa said, voice dripping with annoyance. The face she gave him, however, said something else. A light smirk similar to his own passed over her face for a split second, and her eyes glinted with mischief that had taken root as they flickered from Jack, to Elsa, and back to him. Jack became nervous, because when Pippa found dirt on him she was merciless; it was revenge for all the times he would mess with her. "Come _on_, Jack, I want to get candy."

Elsa giggled next to him, and he rolled his eyes, which he then crossed and stuck out his tongue. She mirrored the same look, but with a raspberry. Jack just sighed for about the twenty-ith time that night, and they hadn't even started, and slipped on his red mask. He knew that later into the evening Pippa would get tired and grouchy, demanding him to hold her candy bag, which would weigh like a ton by then, and let her go barefoot into the streets. It happened every year for the past six, and he's often wondered how he's survived.

"Hi Pippa, I'm Elsa." the teen crouched so she was eye level with the nine-year-old.

"Hi!" Pippa chirped back.

"So who are you for Halloween?"

"Penelope from 'Wreck-it Ralph'."

"You look so cute!"

They left when the sun had just begun to set, and the girls were in light chatter. It was a little early but Pippa wouldn't pipe down. A few other kids had waved to his little sister as they went house to house, and Jack chuckled when a particular boy with brown hair had and Pippa had just about squealed to herself afterwards. Pippa had also taking quite a liking to Elsa, and she to Pippa, because she would prance right at her ankles and ask the blonde to come up to the door with her. Jack was truly enjoying himself, until-

"Are you Jack's girlfriend?" Jack's heart leapt out of his throat, and had to keep himself from lunging at his sister. His face and ears burned, and he looked away. Pippa seemed too excited, and Jack didn't know if it was because she really liked Elsa and the thought of them dating, or just because she liked to embarrass him. He didn't understand how she could send a devious grin his way and still look at the older girl with angelic eyes.

Jack anticipated her answer, really eager to her words, and dreading it at the same time. Elsa laughed good-naturedly, faint blush on her cheeks, "Well..."

"Elsa!" Hiccup came limping out of his house with an enormous basket of sweets, a metal bowl-shaped hat on his head with a dull horn on either side. He wore a shabby green long-sleeved shirt tonight, with a brown furry vest and a pair of Uggs (or, one, because of his prosthetic). Jack's eyebrow rose so high it could have brushed his hairline, and his chortles were muffled behind his mask.

"Hello Hiccup." Elsa smiled.

"Dude, are you wearing _Uggs_?" He supposed it wasn't too strange, but it really just didn't suit him.

"I'm supposed to be a viking."

"Last I checked, vikings don't wear Uggs."

"Whatever. It matched the costume." Hiccup proceded to straightened one of his horns.

"Since when does that matter to you?"

"We should really get going to Tooth's. Anna's waiting with Kristoff and the rest." Elsa gained Jack's attention with a gentle touch of his shoulder, checking her phone, the screen lighting up her face in the dimming daylight. Everyone else agreed, but Jack's mind only went to the way her hand lingered there on his arm.

**. # ****######**** # ****######**** # .**

.

_("Hey! Elsa, you decided to dress up!")_

_("What?")_

_("AW! You and Jack look sooo cute! Why didn't you tell me? _We _could've matched instead! cause you know, we're sisters.")_

_("I'm sorry, I'm confused.")_

_("You make a really cute Gwen Stacy, because of your blonde hair. That's a _really _good idea.")_

_("Anna, Elsa isn't wearing a costume.")_

_("Here, let me take a picture!")_

_(But we're not-)_

_("Ooooh this is so going on my Instagram! First Halloween together! Jack, put your mask on- Tooth, don't they look cute?")_

_(...)_

_(Okay, that's good! Aw. Oh, now can someone take a picture of me and Kristoff, I worked really hard on our costumes this year- HEY! You promised you that you'd keep your glasses on!")_

_("But they're so big-")_

_(Put them back on! And dammit you messed up your hair! Tooth, do you have any hair gel?")_

**. # ****######**** # ****######**** # .**

.

Eight friends, Hiccup, Tooth, Anna, Kristoff, Rapunzel, Flynn, Elsa, and Jack hung out in the diningroom and kitchen area of Tooth's house while Pippa and a few of her own buddies walked around the neighborhoods. The gold and stained glass ornaments had class, but her home kept the same welcoming, hospitable atmosphere that Jack liked much more than the tension in his own house. Anna continued to comb hair gel through Kristoff's gold locks, despite the fact that they were only passing out candy (or, in their case, walnuts, bananas, few lollipops and toothbrushes because Tooth was _that person_ on Halloween).

"Who are you supposed to be, anyway?" Jack asked them.

Anna whined, as if offended, "Carl and Ellie from _Up_."

He raised his hands in surrender, sharing an amused smile with Flynn, who was matching with Zel as a burglar/ criminal type character, complete with matching black blindfold-mask things and striped, form-fitting shirts. They all sat and chat, eating some of the candy that was meant for the kids who came knocking at the door.

Elsa had eaten four toosiepops within the same hour.

This isn't something Jack would normally care about, if it had been Anna, or maybe Merida, but the swirl of her tongue and the pucker of her lips around the hard candy drove his mind wild and sucked away any moisture from his mouth.

Of course, Eugene of all people in the room would catch his lingering stare. The older boy, his self-proclaimed wingman, best friend, whatever, nudged him. Weeks ago Jack would've found himself fantasizing about whether her lips would taste like cherries or the chocolate candy center, but he knew now. To his utter embarrassment Eugene_ knew_ he knew; he could see it in the suggestive waggle of his eyebrows. Jack shoved him, playfully.

He told him, "Shut up." when Flynn hadn't said anything. Sometimes, he felt, they didn't really need to. Jack grabbed his own toosiepop, thinking of cherries, and chocolate, and peppermint.

**. # ****######**** # ****######**** # .**

**.**

_**This is one of my first fics, so if you'd all be so kind... **_

_**Please bear with me, and note that I don't have much time to write, type, or edit. The story may be a little rushed (or slow), some chapters may be a little short, there will be many typos, and this in all will not be my best work. **__**I also procrastinate a LOT.**_

_**I'm mostly doing these stories for the fun of them, so please go easy with the criticism.**_

**Thank you all for reading!**

_**-Mawhn**_


	13. We All Fall Down

**I'm just wondering, does anyone else out there like Elsa in her coronation hair and dress much better than her ice one? Or is it just me? **

**I still think she's gorgeous, though. 3**

**Ugh. I'm over my random rapunzelxhiccup phase. Idk why I liked them, but either way I respect the other ships.**

**("when the f*ck are you updating?") ~Guest - I hope you aren't too frustrated with me. That **_**was**_** a little harsh, though, and I also hope you understand that life simply gets in the way of things at the worst sort of times. But I'm eager to say that I'm going to try my best to make up for the time lost! I want to try to make another holiday special for Christmas and New Year's eve.**

**Thank you everyone else for your reviews! They make me very very very happy.**

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**Chapter 12- We all fall down**

**"...**_You're afraid_**..."**

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'**Q**uih hoggign dthe si_nn_k, I 'av-tuh' shpiht!" (Quit hogging the sink, I have to spit!") A mass of brown hair whined up to Jack with a mouthful of toothpaste on the Monday following Halloween weekend. Jack blinked, only half comprehended her muffled speech, and tripped over to his left of the shared bathroom, his own blue toothbrush slathered in mint. Pippa finished brushing, and regarded him with sleepy eyes as they got ready together in hazy, tensed, silence. She obviously wanted to tell him something, but Jack didn't ask because he knew if it was important she'd say it in her own time.

Things surprisingly hadn't changed that much in his house. He could hear his parents, not legally split up yet and his dad still not moved out, getting ready in their own bathroom down the hall. He and Pippa shared one together, also. The only real changes were instead of breakfast as a family in the dining room, it just was the two of them eating at the counter, and the few, terse exchanges he had with his parents, simple nods of acknowledgment instead of "good morning," and the awkward smiles he would share with his sister.

"I don't see Tooth that often." She pointed out as Jack started to brush his teeth. He nearly groaned in annoyance, because of course she expected him to actually respond to her only half- lucid and with a full mouth of mint goop and saliva at six-forty-five in the morning.

"Yah. Ohkeh."

"Why?" She pushed, taking out a pink plastic hairbrush.

Jack grimaced when he found that Pippa, for some reason, really wanted to have this conversation. He spit and rinsed his mouth, giving her an 'are-you-serious look', because Jack still wasn't a morning person. "You saw her on Saturday."

"For like, five minutes!"

"_You_ wanted to go trick-or-treating."

"It was halloween..."

"Why? Do I have to keep you updated on my friends or something?"

"I like Tooth."

"She'll be glad to hear that."

Pippa sighed, and Jack wondered why any of this really mattered to his sister. She and Tooth weren't close or anything; Tooth just happened to be good with kids and babysat often, and Pippa always happened to be home when Jack's friends came over. Sure, his relationship Toothiana had been rocky as of lately, for reasons unknown, and she acted more awkward than usual around him... but why this should concern Pippa, he didn't know.

Pippa almost looked nervous in asking, "You don't like her, do you?"

Jack shifted next to the little girl. "She's my friend."

"But you don't like her like_ that_." Pippa didn't have to wait for him to confirm. It wasn't question that time. "Why not?"

Why?

Yeah, why didn't he like her? Tooth was nice, pretty, and athletic. She was one of the sweetest people he'd ever known, even if she was hopeless when it came to first impressions. Her eyes were a unique indigo that he liked, and he liked the feather extensions in her bouncy brown hair that went out of style three years ago, and he liked her elfish features, and he liked her colorful, quirky rainbow outfits that always somehow worked on her, he liked her weird obsession with mint and cinnamon flavors, and the fact that she was never biased. He liked her, but why couldn't he like her like _that_?

_But that was the thing_. There _was_ no 'why'. Jack just _didn't_.

Jack left for his room, deciding that he was ready enough for school, and not enough to have this talk, but Pippa wanted answers. She didn't ask again, but stated. "But, you like _Elsa_."

"Yeah, so? They're completely different people." Pippa sat on the edge of his bed as he grabbed a pair of socks and his bag.

"So why do you like her?" Jack faltered in his steps, but quickly recovered and marched down the hall with Pippa on his tail.

"Why does it matter at all?" He grumbled, starting to get annoyed with his sister's antics.

Pippa rolled her eyes. "I'm a girl, Jack, and trust me, it _so _matters."

He snapped around and gave her a hard look when he got to the front door. "Fine, but why does it matter to _you_?"

"Have you even told either of them that?"

"Told them what?"

"How you feel." Jack inwardly cringed at even the thought of that. Pippa only had good intentions, but she really needed to just stay out of it. "N-"

"Jack, have you told anyone about Mom and Dad? Have you talked about the divorce, at all?" He stiffened, heat rising to his ears and stomach lurching. Had this really been what Pippa was getting at? Something in him shifted, and he felt a cold look freeze his features.

"That doesn't have to do anything."

"You always comfort me!" Pippa didn't sound grateful, only sympathetic, frustrated, and almost accusing. "Why won't you let anyone do the same! You're like... I don't know. You're afraid, aren't you? I just want to know what you're feeling. I feel like you try not to feel anything."

He glowered at her, and felt a twinge of guilt when she cowered back. "Pippa we're not talking about this."

"But-"

"Bye. Have a good day at school. Love you."

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**.**

Jack hadn't known what he was expecting. He didn't have much routine in his life, despite that he had the same schedule every school day. Jack didn't plan- he wasn't going to start.

But this morning, everything just seemed... off.

For one thing, Pippa's poking and prodding at his love life and feelings had rattled him completely, and Rapunzel couldn't walk with him to his locker because she was retaking a test in her chemistry class. And the strangest thing of all? A few seniors had greeted him on the way in, some of which he didn't recognize and some he was surprised that they even knew his name. He flushed red as anther pair of senior girls flashed him dazzling smiles and greeted him in perfect synchronization. "Hi, Jack."

"Uh. Hey." He was blanking on their names. He found it wasn't a problem, because the two walked right by, giggling and sending him kittenish smiles. He was bewildered. Was there something on his face? He shrugged and turned the dial on his locker. He's had enough confusion in one morning.

"Jack!" He looked over his shoulder at the sound of a familiar voice, catching a mop of brown hair and a prosthetic leg.

"Hiccup?" Jack said as the older boy limped over. He had gotten noticably taller, and his voice deeper in just a span of two nights. He decided not to comment, knowing the nightmarish effects of puberty himself, and still experiencing it. Held between Hiccup's twig wrists were a pair of safety goggles, probably for woodshop.

"Mornin'." He said casually, but Jack heard a hint of discomfort. The two boys didn't talk much, even with connections through Elsa and Flynn, and seeing him almost everytime he and his friends went out. "Do you know where Elsa is?"

"Why?" Jack was slighty ashamed that Hiccup wanting to see Elsa bothered him. But only slightly.

Hiccup excused himself to dig through his backpack for a moment to pull out a green jacket. "Tooth said Elsa left this at her house. I would've given it to her at lunch, but don't you guys have ballroom then?"

Tooth could have given the jacket to Anna or Elsa herself, Jack reasoned. At the mere mention of his feathered friend, his memories shifted back to that morning and Pippa's questions. He then began to question himself and the unexpected bubble of bitterness towards the girl. On halloween he remembered the stiffness in Tooth's speech that night and her unwillingness to really interact with the sisters, which was odd considering Tooth's normal eagerness her please guests and natural hospitality. He swallowed the feelings to sort out later. "Oh yeah, that's right. Sorry, I don't know where she is."

"Really?"

"Yeah... should I?"

"Well, I mean, she _is_ your girlfriend, right?" He asked, laughingly, like this was old news.

Oh_ really_? Jack turned red all the way from his collar. "What?"

Hiccup's amusement dissolved, and he darted his eyes about nervously. "Oh. _Oh_, wait, so... you're..._not_ dating?" He scratched behind his ear, looking as embarrassed as Jack felt.

"No."

"Oh! Oh, sorry. I thought, well, people have been saying that you are and I knew that they were just rumors but they were so believable that I just assumed... yeah, know what? I'm just gonna go. Bye, Jack, I'll see you at- uh, _tomorrow_." Hiccup left with haste and a few squeaks of his prosthetic limb. Jack stood, dumbfounded, with one hand frozen in place to get his books out of his locker, the realization dawning on him that Snotlout, or whatever his name was, and his friends spread word that they had seen Elsa and himself at _Mon Cherie_. And the whole school, or maybe just the senior and sophmore classes by what he can judge, probably believed every word. The whole school probably believed that Elsa Queen had gone out on a date with Jack Overland. The whole school probably believed that beautiful, smart, perfect _Elsa_ was dating _him_.

Jack was pretty sure he should have been annoyed- he hated rumors. He should've been angry, or just embarrassed or, really, he wasn't sure how he should've been reacting...

but he certainly shouldn't have been _grinning_.

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**.**

That grin could have very well stayed on Jackson Overland's face for all eternity, especially when he met the eyes of the source of his suddenly good day, who was skimming an Anthropology: "_Of a Feather"_ catalog. They shared shy smiles. If Elsa had heard of the rumors she showed no offence, but he hoped she wasn't indifferent to them, either. She blushed prettily, and her eyes fluttered back down to her magazine as she chatted with her own group of friends, two girls by the names of Megara and Nani, and Hiccup. As far as Jack knew, Elsa wasn't as close to the two other girls, but Eugene was sitting with him and Rapunzel that day.

Jack scraped an extra chair to an already full table of his friends, who had finally gotten back to their comforting rowdiness after each of them had faced weeks of hell of their own problems. Sandy had finally gotten a full night of sleep, things were looking up for Tiana's family restaurant, Anna was getting closer to Elsa, Ariel made up with her father, Merida was going on a family camping trip to get to know her mother more, and Rapunzel was getting over her guilt of regularly sneaking out to spend time with friends. The only ones who really hadn't said anything were Tooth, Buns, and himself, but Jack made up for that by cracking a few jokes and not allowing anything to wipe away the grin that he's somehow kept throughout the whole morning.

_You try not to feel anything._

_ -_And the corners of his mouth finally dropped. Any laughter or smiles from seeing Kristoff giving Anna a piggyback ride, Eugene shrieking like a little girl when Rapunzel smeared catsup into his hair, the posibility of him and Elsa actually having a thing, the ecstatic bob of Ariel's head as she explained her father's acceptance of Eric and how she "loved him"- it all fell down the second Pippa fought her way back into his head.

_What are you feeling?_

_ It matters._

"Jackson?"

"Hm?" Jack turned around at the gentle tap of his shoulder, and met with bright blue eyes that changed with the lights. Eugene replied for him, getting everyone's attention, and all heads turned to let out a chorus of greetings, except for Tooth. Elsa acknowledged this with a flicker of her eyes, and she smiled politely. "Hi, Tooth."

Although no one would have admitted it, everyone got the shock of their lives at the aloof, almost rude, simple nod of the smaller girl's head. She regarded with a bite, "Elsa."

Toothiana had pretty much made it a rule for herself to be sweet and kind and welcoming... always. She loved Elsa- loved almost everyone and gave them her utmost respect and attention. Elsa's dark blonde eyebrow rose on her forehead, and she made brief eye contact with Jack once more, then back to Tooth. He expected her to leave it alone, but her mien frosted over, her willowy frame tall, chin up, soft features hardening, and eyes lidded in a patronizing way. Tooth got up from her seat, her thin shoulders squared to match the strength of her stout hips. The contrast of the girls clashed- Elsa's cold blues and Tooth's flamboyant rainbows.

"I'm going to class early. Jack, wanna walk with me?" Tooth's indigo eyes flashed.

"Well, actually, Jackson and I have to go ballroom club today. He's my partner."

"Oh, did he forget you again?"

Tooth stole the last word as she twirled herself around, and was out of there. The space between Elsa's eyebrows creased, mouth a jar open, "Is she alright?"

"Nah," Bunny said with a wave of his hand and sip of his pop. Jack was surprised that he didn't defend Tooth this time, and appeared almost tired and annoyed himself. He gave a deep, disapointed sigh. "She's got this thing going on, don't worry 'bout it."

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"I'm sorry about Tooth, earlier, " Jack said as they practiced the box step. They were improving steadily- Elsa didn't step on his feet once during the excercize. He had the strange urge to hold her like he did at the ice rink, but there were other students in this class who peered at them curiously, and Mrs. Cinders, who decided to watch them after she realized that they neglected to follow her directions the first few classes.

"Don't be. Everyone has their off-days. If it's okay that I ask, is something going on?"

_Maybe the fact that she may or may not like you because _I _like you but, _"I don't know. I haven't really talked to Tooth since-"

"Excuse me, I meant, is something going on with you?"

"What?" He looked down at her, and she gazed up at him with concern pooling in her liquid eyes. Her pale skin tinted with pink, but he wasn't fully able to appreciate the sweet sight with the fear squirming in his stomach.

_You're afraid, aren't you?_

It seemed that he had waited for too long to form an answer, and Elsa sensed his discomfort because she was quick to correct herself. She started to pull away, "I'm so sorry, I don't mean to be nosy. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"No," He pulled her back, "It's fine, but what made you think something was wrong?"

"You," He swore he could could feel the heat radiating from the blush on her face, "seemed different when I was walking to your table earlier. Like... like, okay, you were smiling one second, and then the next you completely blanked out. It was like how I was when..."

"When?"

"When my father died, and I had to start taking medication."

Elsa hardly ever mentioned her father, or the events that transpired only just a week ago, so he knew she was serious. "Can I ask you something?"

She shrugged.

"Why did you take all of those pills?"

Elsa's eyes got a faraway look in them, and was temporarily saved from answering when Mrs. Cinders came over to fix their posture and remind them to keep moving with the beat, something they had stopped long ago. She swallowed and said in a thick voice, "You know you can't really get high on Prozac?"

Jack got a sinking feeling in his gut. "So what did you...?"

"I'm not exactly sure. I bought something from someone and I took it. It was stupid and I could have died because I didn't know what the effects were, and combined with antidepressants too, but I just"- Her voice broke- "I wanted to get away."

Tears started to run down her face, and Jack panicked, wrapping one arm around her shoulders in a protective brace and guiding her out of the room. He nodded to a worried and confused on the way out, but she let him handle things.

"I'm sorry." She whimpered out in the hall, and he shushed her, "I'm so sorry, this is... embarrassing." She wiped frantically at her cheeks before he pulled her cool hands away and thumbed them away himself.

"Hey, it's okay. You'll be fine, Elsa." Her face fell more, and she pulled herself to him, clutching the front of his shirt desperately, like a small girl.

"Those are the last words he said to me." She said, numb. "You can't blame me if I don't belive you."

He held her there, clueless on what he was supposed to do. He felt just as hopeless when he was trying to comfort Anna, just about as _useless_, and he would've rammed his head into a wall if he was alone. From outside of the music room, the air was stale and the colors were dull from years of vandilation, but they could hear the pulse of waltz from inside and in their minds, and the steady beat of their hearts with how close they stood. Jack recalled the night of when they danced to lazy lights and hums of an old speaker, with Elsa's head jumbled with a mysterious high and Jack there to make sure she didn't fall. She did fall, in the end. Jack thought of the kiss they shared and little did he know...

Elsa did, too.

"You didn't answer me..."

"And you dont have to, either. I just want you to know that you can always tell me of you decide to, just like you can tell Kristoff, Tooth, Nick, Edmund, Ariel...Anna. You've seen parts of me my sister hasn't."

Jack buried his face into her hair and sighed. "Thank you."

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**.**

("Elsa?")

("Anna?")

("I have to go- thank you, Jackson.")

("Wait...Elsa!")

("Anna, listen, Elsa is just-")

("No! _I'm_ her sister, okay? Don't tell me that I can't speak to her like- as if_ you _can!")

("...Okay.")

("...Listen, I'm sorry. But what's wrong with Elsa?")

("I think she should be the one to tell you.")

("...Okay.")

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("Jack.")

("Yeah?")

("I can trust you.")

("Uh, yeah, of course.")

("You spend a lot of time with my sister.")

("... yeah.")

("So you would tell me if you made a move on my sister, and the rumors were true, right?")

("Right.")

("And, I mean, you _wouldn't_- cause' she's my sister, right?")

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("Right.")

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**IN REALITY you technically **_**can**_** get high on prozac, as some people have said they feel as a very strong lift in spirit, but you cannot get **_**high**_** as in the high that Elsa felt in this story. I know, or at least I'm sure I do, because I had my doctor explain the side effects and searched it up myself, as I take antidepressants myself. DO NOT TRY AND DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS YOU CANNOT COMBINE WITH SOME ANTIDEPRESSANTS, SUCH AS ALCHOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS.**

**I'm sorry if you feel that not much happened in this chapter, or that many parts of the story have different paces, but that's really just how this fic is going to go. **

_**This is one of my first fics, so if you'd all be so kind... **_

_**Please bear with me, and note that I don't have much time to write, type, or edit. The story may be a little rushed (or slow), some chapters may be a little short, there will be many typos, and this in all will not be my best work. **__**I also procrastinate a LOT.**_

_**I'm mostly doing these stories for the fun of them, so please go easy with the criticism.**_

**Thank you all for reading!**

_**-Mawhn**_


	14. Chapter X

**Thank you all for your reviews, favorites, and follows. I really appreciate it!**

**Hello everyone! Happy holidays!**

* * *

><p><strong>. <strong>

**Chapter 13: X**

**"...**_she believed in him_**..."**

**. **

"**N**o way, is he really doing it?" Eugene watched excitedly.

Anna gasped, "Oh, god, he _is! _I can't watch!"

And yet the girl made no move to shield her eyes.

"No." Kristoff had his doubts, "Nuh-uh, he isn't. He can't be _that_ stupid."

**.**

The teens gained a few odd looks as they all tried to squish themselves behind a nearby pole at the Arendelle Shopping Center, but none of the friends cared enough to move themselves or at least find a better hiding spot- they absolutely _had_ to see this.

"Wait. Why are we hiding anyways?" Rapunzel asked no one in particular. She kept her eyes trained on her brunette friend, who was next in line to meet Santa Claus. Merida stood next to her with a pouted lip, "We look like idiots."

The only one who wasn't having a problem with squeezing into the cramped space was little Hiccup, who answered, "Well, that isn't new."

Jack briefly wondered what the hell he was doing with his life before he proceeded in his mission. Seating himself on Santa's lap, lightly so not to crush the old man, he blinked up at him innocently. "Santa!"

Beardylooked taken back, most likely at Jack's age, but he recited the same script he had been using with the other children before the teen. "Hello...err... _little_ boy, what is your name?"

"Jackson Overland."

"Well nice to meet you Jack-"

"Am I on the naughty list?" Jack wiggled his eyebrows, and the few employees dressed like yetis, elves, reindeer, and other _'Santa's helpers' _surrounding them exchanged looks, some of them even taking caution to distract the children waiting eagerly for their turns. They knew this would end badly, unlike the other adults and parents who, by then, were grumpy from waiting in line and ready to get this over with.

Santa coughed, "Uh, have you been a nice boy?"

"No," Jack pouted, "I've been a very naughty boy!"

"Well, then..." Santa gave an incredulous look, that seemed to scream for help, to one of the elves. "It isn't too late! There are three days until Christmas Eve! Maybe enough to change your attitude! So tell me, what do you want for Christmas?"

"Oh, well! If you're really asking, and it isn't _too_ much..." Jack fluttered his eyelashes and threw his arms around Santa's neck, almost ripping the man's beard off by accident. He grinned, "I would like some candy, an Ipad... and you never got me my pony-"

Santa rolled his eyes.

"And some pink lingerie!" That turned a few heads, and when Santa's jaw dropped Jack whipped out his phone, snuggled closer to his beard, and did what any teen of this generation would have done, really. He took a selfie.

Then he ran.

"He did it! I knew he would do it!" Eugene whooped.

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**.**

_**Secret Santa!**_

_**You got:**_

_Jack_

_What I want:_

_1. Light blue 54 convertible_

_2. Yacht_

_3. The deed to a platinum mine_

_4. Duplex and checks_

_5. A ring_

_..._

_What I really want:_

_Dear whoever got me, _

_I really don't fucking know._

_Sorry._

_Likes: _

_Blue, socks, hockey, music, food? _

_Dislikes:_

_? idk_

**.**

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**.**

"Damn. Where the hell did November go?"

"No one cares about November, where did this whole _year_ go?"

Hiccup, Merida, Jack, and Flynnunzel (because for some reason Zel insisted they call them that) sat in the middle of the living room of the Summers as always. Anna went to go get them beverages after a long day of last-minute Christmas shopping, or for Jack because he had done his shopping earlier in the month, running from a few elves and security for taking a picture with Santa without paying and knocking over a few dozen holiday displays in his escapade.

"You, like, sexually harrassed Santa in front of a hundred kids." Anna passed out steaming mugs of extra minty, extra chocolate-y hot chocolate.

Jack threw his arms around his head and smiled almost dreamily, " Best Christmas ever."

"Hey!" Merida bellowed so suddenly that Anna nearly dropped her drink. "Stay back, ya talkin' fishbone! Ahm still wrappin' mine!"

Hiccup said in a snarkier tone than usual, "You got your giant hair caught in the tape! And it doesn't matter if I saw anything, I already know who's secret santa you are."

It was a bad move on Hiccup's part to spite her. Merida looked like she was going to cry or hit something when she roared in outrage, "How? No yeih dohn't!"

"It obviously isn't anyone in this room if you decided to_ wrap it right in front of us_."

"We're passin' them out t'morrow an' I don't av' wrappin' paeper! And maybe ahm tryin' ta confuse yah!"

"Will you guys shut up and flirt somewhere else? I think Elsa's sleeping upstairs."

"Speaking of Elsa..." Rapunzel spoke softly and stared at Jack expectantly, "How did that gossip about her and Jack dating spread?"

Jack tried not to blush or sweat, "Huh. I dunno."

Eugene grinned at him, "Oh, cause Snotlout told me he saw you two eating ice cream. Alone."

Jack rolled his eyes and said sarcastically "Yes, we ate ice cream together- hey guys I think we're going to get married!"

Eugene patted his back, "I better be invited to the wedding."

"Uh, guys this is making me kinda uncomfortable."

"Oh, I'm sorry Ann-" Rapunzel's eyes went wide, "Wait, was it a date?!"

"Uh, I don't think so, no."

"No, " A voice called, "We just didn't feel like studying."

Jack looked up the staircase where Elsa stood, smiled at her, even if he felt a blow to his gut. "Oh."

"You sound disappointed." Elsa giggled.

"Well, sorry if I think we'd make a cute couple."

And Hiccup cleared his throat and quoted, "Uh... still here, remember? Will you guys flirt somewhere else?"

Elsa blushed and smiled gently, leaving the room to make her own extra minty, extra chocolate-y hot chocolate. Jack chuckled and avoided any eye contact in the room, including Anna, who burned the back of his head with suspecting and narrowed eyes. The girl then relaxed her features, thinking herself ridiculous for overreacting. Jack and Elsa were just good friends. They spent a lot of time together.

After all, Jack had told her that she could trust him, and she believed in him.

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The next evening, Jack was pretty sure Nick almost killed Hiccup.

"THANK YOU!" He bellowed, probably destroying the poor boy's eardrum. He who had gotten the fate of being Nick's secret santa choked and gasped what was supposed to sound like a, "You're welcome, buddy."

The burly hockey player pulled away from the skinny man and dumped himself onto Anna's futon, admiring the polished, sharpened, and intricately engraved blade that Hiccup had gotten him that year. Everyone seemed somewhat satisfied with their presents. Anna had gotten a tray of homemade truffles from Tiana. Rapunzel had made a pillow for Sandy. Eugene had gotten a laugh out of giving Hiccup a pair, scratch that, _one_ shoe. Kristoff grimaced but was quick to smile and thank Lottie for a pair of pink earmuffs. Almost everyone exchanged their presents and they were in the middle of opening one of the last of the two left: Jack's.

Jack had put in much thought, and savings into his gift for Merida. It wasn't who he wanted to get (he wanted either Eugene or Elsa), but he decided to go all out anyways. He made an effort to bake, or have his mother bake, Merida's favorite pastries, bought a giant teddy bear (Merida hated to admit her obsession with the things), one new arrow tip, and a silver pendant the size of her thumb. She thanked him probably a hundred times.

Jack thumbed the pretty maroon striped bow that hugged his silver- wrapped present. He already had a few guesses in mind, since there were only a handful of people that his secret santa could be. He eliminated all of the guys- none of them could wrap this perfectly. So far only half of them had guessed their secret santas right, so that only left Tooth, Elsa, and Ariel. Jack grinned at his friends, who pushed him to tear into the wrapper, and he did. He undid the ties, opened the box...

and pulled out a bright pink balconette push-up bra.

"Is that mine?" Anna shrieked.

"It's Elsa!" Everyone looked surprised and paused at the sureness of his guess, but he nodded belatedly and gave a wolfish grin.

"Really? Are you sure, mate?" Edmund- no one- believed him.

"No, he's right." Elsa smiled, came forward, and hugged him before pulling out another box behind her back. "Here's your _real_ present."

"Wait, I'm sorry. Was that like an inside joke or something?"

Jack ignored him and pulled apart his second gift to reveal a Grand Canyon candle, blue socks, a blue christmas stocking, a gift card to_ Mon Cherie_, a ring pop, and

...Matching underwear.

"You wanted lingerie for Christmas, no?"

"Ok, really, that isn't my bra, right?"

**.**

* * *

><p><strong>Another filler! Sorry, but I wanted to do a Christmas one, even if it turned out boring!<strong>

_**This is one of my first fics, so if you'd all be so kind... **_

_**Please bear with me, and note that I don't have much time to write, type, or edit. The story may be a little rushed (or slow), some chapters may be a little short, there will be many typos, and this in all will not be my best work. **__**I also procrastinate a LOT.**_

_**I'm mostly doing these stories for the fun of them, so please go easy with the criticism.**_

**Thank you all for reading!**

_**-Mawhn**_


	15. Dearest Kissy

**Chapters 14-15: Dearest Kissy **

**Why, hello there! **

_**I would just like to thank everyone who took their time to read this, and for the reviews, favorites, and followers. Special thanks to numerous guests, Anonnymous, Whisper, Sav1289, broken princess of the angels, Lulu14168, DesertSowQueen, Livia Toric, unboundanime, Kissy, and many many many others! **_

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**Chapter 15- Dearest**

**"...**_The only thing I'LL don't seem to understand after what seemed like ages waiting for and reading this fic, is how much big of a deal it is to date you bestfriend's sister_**..."**

_-Kissy chapter 14_

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**O**h dear God... haha... I don't even know where to begin. :)

I guess I'll start by thanking you for your review and the _brilliant_ question. Let's see how well I can explain this...

Uh, it sort of depends on who you're dealing with, and who are _really_ your friends. By the sound of yours, they seem like pretty damn good friends. I wouldn't think that it would be a serious matter, either, but I've been there, done that and believe me when I say I NEVER want to go there again... Because, well if you think about it, it isn't so surprising how protective and absolutely terrifying people can get over their siblings, especially if they're the younger one. You can have the coolest friend in the world- you tell them you like their little sister and they think you're the spawn of the devil.

I have a lot to say about this.

It's really just a personal thing. If you're more conservative or believe in logic over romance- or you're just a realist or... I don't know, you don't trust people all that well, I think you'll have a better understanding of what I'm talking about. Some people believe that young romance is all about physical attraction and sex, especially at around Jack's age in this story. They believe that because they are adolescents and are new at, basically, _life_ (and have raging hormones, I might add), they have no idea of what they really want or what true love is (Think of Hans taking advantage of naive Anna). So, it's a maturity thing, too, something I'm sad to say that people around my age don't have enough of. If you hadn't noticed, it's very hard for many adults to believe a teen when they say they're in love. I also hate to say that it _really_ doesn't help Jack's case that he's a guy. I don't mean any sexism (that's a word, right?), but males have a bad reputation when it comes to this, especially if you're like my mother and believe that everyone with a penis is out to rape and shame your precious little darlings.

Think about it like this- this is someone you've either looked up to or protected your whole life, and you overhear your best mate say that they would "_so_ hit that."

You want to bash their face in, correct? :)

It's just human instinct to defend your kin...and if you end up being the douchebag that breaks their heart?

If you see chapter nine (or was it ten?) you may notice that Rapunzel, at first appalled because she thinks that Jack simply hooked up with Elsa, grows happy because she realizes that Jack seriously likes Elsa. That chapter, particularly Rapunzel's reaction was actually based upon a spat my friends had upon a similiar topic.

It can ruin relationships. Not only can it be an awkward situation in the beginning (again, depending on who you are and who you know) but once you get past that and yada yada yada honeymoon phase and everyone is happy for you yada yada- and something goes _wrong_... it gets icky. I'm not going into detail about that because this is already lengthy enough and I believe I've wasted enough of both of our time.

BUT if you have real friends, who will understand your intentions (unless your intentions are really sucky and you deserve to be bitch-slapped) they will stick by your side even if things get uncomfortable. That's what is to be learned here.

Okay, yeesh. Sorry about that.

**Chapter 16- Kissy**

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**"...**_progress report_**..."**

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**20.**

"**Y**ou know, 2015 is the year Marty McFly travels back to in _Back to the Future _yet we don't have flying cars or automatic shoe laces. How sad." Of course, in the middle of break when Elsa was worrying about the school progress report cards being sent out to families, Anna was worrying about this.

"What?"

"You know, in the movie."

"I'm sorry, I'm confused."

"You've never seen 'Back to the Future'? Have you been living under a rock?"

"Something akin." Came Elsa's bitter retort, referring to her old days cooped up in homeschool under the strict super vision of her father. Although she had grumbled under her breath, Anna still caught it, and quickly became uncomfortable. Elsa didn't blame her quirky younger sister; it was unusual to bring up her old life. Since Anna was one to always try to make the situation light, she insisted, "You have to watch it _now!_"

"Anna-"

_"Now!"_

"But I-"

"I'll make hot chocolate!" Elsa's mouth dropped open into an 'o', but ended up laughing at her little sister's antics. A little time with her sister couldn't hurt.

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**19**

Elsa was well aware that gifts and money and material things don't get you real friends. She knows that people cannot buy friendship.

And yet when she handed the silver-wrapped box, similar to Jackson's present, to Ariel with a sheepish smile, she couldn't resist the swell of happiness that engulfed her as the redhead gushed over the small, gold seashell pendant. Elsa could afford to get some extra gifts with the little money she had on the side, but deep down she knew that she didn't need to buy their companionship. She already had it, and they had hers.

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**18**

After her little _date_ with Jackson (she didn't want to say it was in front of his friends, that was down right embarrassing), Elsa had gotten back into ice skating. It took a little- a_ lot _of practice, and at times she underestimated her own strength, but it was rewarding and fun. She needed more of that.

During the winter break when the ice rink was open, Elsa would take walks to the school. It was difficult to get her mother to let her out anymore since her little episode that one stormy night, but she convinced her that gettign out more was a good, healthy chance to explore the neighborhood, and it really was. It certainly served as an escape from the wary looks that were starting to suffocate her at the house. Skating took her mind off of the little things that have been plaguing her since she had arrived, something prozac couldn't.

Elsa was surprised to see someone else using the rink. It made her blush, because as stupid and selfish as it was, practicing was more of a private, personal time for her when she would ponder on certain thoughts (and if she couldn't help it, a certain someone's blue eyes and wolfish smile). It was foolish to think that she could hog the place to herself; the court was open to anyone during the season, but Elsa still waited by the sidelies with her own pair of skates, watching the other user kick around a hockey puck.

Wasn't Jackson on the hockey team, too?

Elsa would've scolded herself for the silly obsession she had, but she couldn't keep herself from peeking carefully at the person, now more clearly male, and sighing at the observation that his broad shoulders and shaggy blonde hair under the helmet couldn't possibly be Jackson's. After him circling around the rink several more times, the man brought himself back to the wall with a scape of his blades and grated ice, and Elsa was surprised to see the familiar brown doe eyes and cherub face of her sister's boyfriend.

"Christopher?"

Christopher snapped his head up and his eyes widened, "Actually, it's Kristoff, but that's close. Hey, Elsa. What brings you here?"

She shrugged, "Just wanted to skate."

"You skate?"

"Ah, only recently, yes."

"Mmkay, I guess I'll leave you to it then."

"Okay. It was nice seeing you."

Kristoff nodded to her once, and left the room. She was only able to take off and make a few awkward experiments on skating backwards when he marched right back in, cursing like a sailor with his floppy yellow hair dusted with fresh snow. Elsa frowned, only mildly annoyed with the interruption, and glided over to him in concern. "Kristoff, what happened?"

He sighed heavily and mumbled,"Sorry 'bout that. My car won't start. I guess I'm stuck here for a while."

"Do you have a ride?"

"Yeah, I can ask Hiccup to pick me up or something, but I should really get a toetruck, first."

"Okay." Kristoff was probably one of the people she talked least to, which might have been strange with how often he was over at her house. She really didn't know what to say to him- she couldn't very well talk about ice and hockey for the rest of their time. "Would you like to sit down?"

"Sure."

"So how long have you been skating?"

Kristoff got an excited gleam in his eyes, "Ice is my life."

She was wrong. It should have been a dull topic, but with the passion and love that Kristoff spoke with, it only showed Elsa more and more of the man that Anna had told her she was in love with.

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**17**

She would be lying if she said Merida didn't scare her at all.

She didn't know how it happened, but her mother sent the two of them out to buy pop while Anna and the rest assisted in making spaghetti dinner. She initially thought it wouldn't be so bad, but then soon learned that the girl seemed like she was constantly on her period, had no filter or manners of any sort, and to top it all off, she told Elsa that she reminded her of _her mother._

"Yer not strehct. Or annoyin'. But- ah dunno- yeh dress the same, and, well I dunno, yah just _doo_."

Well, that's flattering.

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**16**

What was Toothiana's _problem?_

Was it something she said? Elsa wondered, slightly embarrassed at the way Tooth immediately turned her head at her greeting in the hall of Eugene's house. She had liked Tooth the first week she got there, with her peppy smiles and almost motherly care and affections, but the past week week she had been acting really... catty.

And maybe it was Elsa's jealousy speaking, as much as she would love to deny it. She knew of the younger girl's feelings toward Jackson, she had been able to recognize Edmund's, after all. Even if she wanted to tell herself to loath the colorful girl, she felt the oddest pangs of pity at the look that would cross her pixie-like features. It was one she was most familiar with, the confusion, the doubts of self worth, the misplaced anger...

Maybe she and Tooth had more in common than she thought.

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**15**

"What is your New Year's resolution?" Elsa asked Tiana with genuine curiousity. Tiana was one of the most ambitious people she has ever encountered, and she wondered what were the goals of someone with such determination.

The velvet skinned girl blinked up at her with her round eyes. "All that matters to me right now is maintaining my family's food business. My papa worked hard for it, so I guess my resolution is just to save up. How bout' you?"

"Oh I'm not sure." Elsa wished to have the same hope and dicipline as Tiana.

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**14**

"I'm sorry, I really can't help you, Eugene."

"I didn't know I was still supposed to get her a present! I thought that was why we did the secret santa thing in the first place!"

"You always have to get _your girlfriend_ something. Christmas was almost a week ago." She laughed

"That's why she's so pissed!"

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**13**

Elsa waddled down the stairs early in the morning. She was unable to sleep, and was thinking she best do something productive until she spotted a not-so-familiar middle aged man sitting at the table. Anna's stepfather. She made to turn around and break for her room before he could see her, but he had already initiated conversation.

Wilt cleared his throat. "So. Elsa. How are you?"

"...Well. Thank you, and you?"

"I'm good. Thanks."

Technically, Elsa realized with inexplicable unease, Wilt was soon to be her father, too, when she became a Summer. _If _she became a Summer.

She nearly jolted at the thought, aghast at herself. Her stomach churned, and she pondered on where the sudden bitterness had come from. Did she not want to be a Summer?It couldn't be that big of a deal- she wanted to keep her father's last name, so what? Anna didn't even have to really change her name when she did. She told herself this, but couldn't get the images of Anna's sparkling teal eyes out of her head when she excitedly exclaimed that she share the same name.

"How's school?" Elsa slowed her racing mind, and nodded to the man absently, opening the medicine cabinet left to the sink. The meds she took from the middle shelf a rattled disturbing clatter through the otherwise quiet morning, and she shook the medicine out, self-conscience of Wilt's deep-set eyes. "We are on winter break."

"Right."

Elsa hoped it wouldn't always be this awkward.

She downed the pill, already knowing that it never really worked, anyway.

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**12**

Elsa nervously padded down the hall, which at the moment seemed to stretch for hours. Every shadow seemed to leer at her, every noise seemed to stalk her. She sped up her walking, slightly thankful Wilt was out on a business trip, and there was one less person to witness her foolishness that night. She stopped in front of a pair of familiar double doors that let into the master bedroom. She chided her self, what was she doing? She wasn't five...

And yet...

She pushed one cautious hand into the white wood, and into the dark room. The lump under the sheets stirred.

"Elsa?"

"I...I couldn't sleep."

"...Come here." Elsa tucked herself under the covers, feeling small, but she relished the warmth that not just a blanket could provide. A warmth she had been missing for far too long. The warmth of a mother's embrace.

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**11**

Elsa thought it was really cute.

Hiccup had his grey-green eyes trained on a new girl with a yellow braid and limp side bangs that fell over sky blue eyes- Astrid, she thinks.

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**10**

They sat in the middle row of the theatre. It was old, musty, only showed one movie, but it wasn't only one dollar entrance for nothing. They were streaming "Les Miserables", and fifteen minutes in, she saw Anna and Jackson exchange nervous glances. Anna gaped at her for a second.

"Elsa... why haven't they stopped singing?"

Elsa smirked to herself.

"Elsa... you did_ not _take us into a full on musical."

She nonchalantly sipped her lemonade.

_"Elsa!"_

_ "SSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

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**9**

She didn't understand Nick's judgement. After all, she learned that he bases it off of the feel of his belly, or something along those lines.

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**8**

**Anna- banANNAhammock523 **

to me

January 6 (1 day ago)

sent from my Iphone

Hi Elsa! Happy Birthday! And happy new year! You haven't answered my last email, but, yeah, that's okay. HOw are you? Whatcha been doing?

Before winter break this year in home ec class I had to do that baby project thing, you know the one they always show in tv shows where a guy and a girl pair up to take care of a doll or a sac of flour or something? Yeah. It wasn't all bad. just heavy. And I got paired up with one of my friends so it was cool! Jack, I don;t think I've told you about him before. He comforted me after I broke up with Hans...

Yeah... You were right. Hans and I didn't work out, and it was kind of weird to go out with some one who was in highschool, anyways. But I'm going to be a freshman next year! But he he WAS a jerk. YOu aren't mad at me, are you?

I met a lot of new people this year, including Jack and his friends. They're really supportive ans protective. Maybe i can send some pictures. I think you'd like them.

Well anyway I hope you respond. I'm promoting from middle school this summer and I really hope that maybe you and pappa could come visit some time. Momma said it was fine, but I wasn't sure.

Okay, bye!

Love,

Anna :)

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**7**

"This is...really weird. I mean, just not for me, no offense."

"I didn't say I liked it, either." Elsa shrugged.

For that french lesson, Elsa had scheduled cover some from french pop culture, music, and little bit of geography. Currently, her computer blasted out "Papaoutai", one that she was quite familiar with.

"Who is this?"

She arched a brow. "Stromai. It's not weird. It sounds just like the music here. He's popular in Europe _and_ in the United States."

"... I think it's weird."

She shrugged and turned away from him, trying to hide the smile that crept on her face. For the sake of his pride, she decided not to point out the fact that his foot was tapping to the beat of the music under the table.

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**6**

She stared in disdain at the screen, the maddening tune making her inwardly cringe with its tiresome mewls thrumming through her mind. Her sister stifled a giggle next to her at her disapproval. Scoffing and questioning her sense of humor, Elsa found that the video lack impact. It was hopeless for a pixel cartoon of a flying cat with a pastry body to amuse her, but clearly entertained Anna, who still tittered behind both hands smushed against her face. Elsa couldn't tell if she was laughing at the bizarre creature on the computer, or at her distaste. She made a final decision by closing the tab, noting that kittens and Poptarts simply do not mix, and that she had better things to do than watch the results of someone who had tried to make it work.

Anna squealed, "Okay, so that was "Nyan Cat", now I have to show you "Charlie the Unicorn!"

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**5**

Even from behind the loom of Mr.O'Hara's big beer belly in french one, and over the stacks of graded papers and projects ment for elementary school, and the dull glow of fluorescent lights that have always given her skin a sickly tint, and the constant drag of depression on her very being,

She still finds it in herself to giggle at Jackson Overland, who by then has either fallen asleep or pulled a funny face.

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**4**

Elsa had excused herself upstairs not long after the New Years party started. She felt guilty for leaving when she should be spending time with her family and the rest of their friends' families, but something in her had shifted. She didn't know what, but she could just feel it. She currently sat on the top stair, stirring a small glass of apple cider. Next to her was a bottle of sweet moscoto, but why she had it in the first place, she didn't know. She wasn't much a drinker.

"Hey."

She yelped.

"Whoa, jumpy." The voice chuckled in front of her, and Elsa's cheeks warmed. She looked up to meet none other than Jackson, blue eyes glittered in the Christmas lights they had not yet taken down. How had she not noticed him walking up?

"Hi." She said meekly. He motioned for her to scoot over, and he sat next to her, so close that his breath tickled her braid and their shoulders touched. She had to resist the urge to lean into him. "So why are you all alone?"

"I like being alone."

"No one does."

She looked at him and found that their faces were inches close with their proximity, and she blushed and inched further away. "Do you speak from experience?"

"Eh. I guess." They were quiet for a few moments, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

"They're counting down soon. Do you want to join them?"

"Ah, no, but you can. I don't want to keep you."

"Hurtful."

"You know what I mean." She giggled.

"You mean that you don't want me here."

"Never." He chuckled what she thought was a beautiful chuckle. The thought was a little odd, but Jackson did odd things to her head. "You don't like the countdown."

"Well." She started sheepishly, "It's loud, and I never really know what to do. I just stand there."

"You don't know what to do?" He seemed more amused than baffled.

"Yes... My father and I would always have New Years with his friends from work. I would be the only one of my age there. Anyone else was years older or younger. And... excuse me, but they were very lame." She could hear the background noise of everyone counting. There was one minute left.

Jackson pouted, "Well that's no fun. People sometimes throw confetti, or jingle coins, or blow horns and noise makers. Sometimes they kiss someone."

"Really." She said, deep in thought.

"Yeah."

**3**

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**2**

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**1**

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**0**

_"Happy New Year!" _

There came the noise makers, the jingling coins, the confetti, the horns,

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**.**

In one quick, swift movement, there came the shock of Jackson's dry, ice-cold lips

against her cheek.

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**.:.**

**I hope you all enjoyed your holidays! **

**One of my new plans are to make Merida and Elsa besties!**

**maybe it was a little stupid to make one chapter an author's note, but, you know, my choice, and I thought it was a good question. So yeah.**

**Sorry if this chapter is confusing because they don't go in any particular order, as you can see that in some of them they are in school, while in most, they are on winter break.**

_**This is one of my first fics, so if you'd all be so kind... **_

_**Please bear with me, and note that I don't have much time to write, type, or edit. The story may be a little rushed (or slow), some chapters may be a little short, there will be many typos, and this in all will not be my best work. **__**I also procrastinate a LOT.**_

_**I'm mostly doing these stories for the fun of them, so please go easy with the criticism.**_

_**Thank you!**_

_**-Mawhn**_


	16. Break

**Kahnartis,**

_**Self-tying shoelaces:**_

**Are you for real? You just made my life. Probably some pretty fucking expensive shoelaces. Either way, oh well, I guess I can manage tying my own shoes for the time being. Thanks for your review!**

**and also Thank you to ...**

**Madison, ara, DesertSnowQueen, reddawnrox, Lostblueheart16 (YEESSSS I love stromai!), Trapid, and guest**

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**Chapter 16: Break**

**"...**_You don't know who you're hurting_**..."**

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**J**ack actually saw his parents talking and smiling over a cup of coffee that morning, and he felt that it was going to be a very good day.

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"Hi, Jack" A senior boy passed him in the halls, patting his shoulder none-too-gently. He gave a simple nod, unexpectedly grown to the casual smiles and friendly treatment from the seniors, like he was one of them.

He wasn't quite sure what to make of it yet, but either way he had Elsa to thank. Jack rubbed the arm the man had pretty much punched, making his way to the front parking lot where he would normally meet Rapunzel. This routine had become almost mindless, like he felt most of his highschool life would pass on. It didn't take long for him to figure out how much it sucked to be turning sixteen and in his second year of highschool. Sure, he could finally get his driver's license but he wasn't an upperclassman, he wasn't a fresh meat fourteen-year-old...

Sophmore year was just splat in the middle of the chaos they call adolescence.

Jack thought about what it might be like to turn eighteen. Elsa came back from winter break to be greeted with much chocolate (including from himself), balloons, and birthday cards. At first his mind reeled at the thought of being a legal adult in the span of one day, but when he saw Elsa receive the thirteenth hug upon entrance that morning, he wondered-

How many people did she talk to outside of her little sister's circle of friends? If she was so well known among her peers, why did she choose to hang out with them, Hiccup, and Eugene when she could easily have her own clique of senior girls? Did guys hit on her often? He knew Snotlout did on occasion, but Elsa certainly didn't seem like the outgoing type.

Normally, Jack would have prided himself on memorizing the little details of her smile, laugh, or anything he could, but that morning he realized just how distant their two worlds were.

He regularly glanced her way, something that hadn't gone unnoticed by some of his nosy, starry-eyed acquaintences, where she stood under a tree with her own fellow classmates. She smiled and laughed, one arm cradling a small basket of goodies, while she dangled the other one limply by her side. Jack felt an absolutely ridiculous knawing at his gut, and possessiveness taking over his mind's eye. He grunted to himself when a burly boy wrapped an arm playfully around her shoulders, but then he saw it-

The tightened smile.

Drop in her enthusiasm.

She stepped away a distance-

of at least three or four feet-

forced a giggle-

_but not behind her left hand._

Were there two worlds, really, or was Elsa on her own island?

The skin between Jack's eyebrows bunched when none but himself took notice of her change, and he realized with almost pity- _almost_, because he knew she didn't need it- that possibly, they didn't know her as well as he initially thought.

That morning he had thought of how distant their two worlds were, but prided himself on memorizing the little details of her smile, laugh, or anything he could, because that had brought them a little bit closer.

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"Wait, really?"

"What?"

Elsa looked confused. "SFS, on instagram..._doesn't _mean 'suriously funny shit?"

Jack turned away from his locker to stare at her, and he cracked up.

"What?"

She blushed ruby. "S-shut up! I don't even have an instagram!"

"Yes you do! I follow you!"

She rolled her eyes, "You're one of my only followers..."

He smiled cheekily, "That's what makes me special."

"They are _so_ cute together." Both of them froze at the girlish voices not-quite-whispering behind them, and Elsa's face darkened further. Jack just gave a sort of lopsided grin, blue eyes twinkling with mirth. Elsa avoided his gaze, and didn't say anything.

"Well," He started with mischeif trailing into his baritone voice, "I don't think they're wrong."

Elsa laughed, but still ducked her head, vermillion by then.

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Edmund

passed them in the hall,

what was once his gentle spring

green eyes raging against

a withering glare.

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In his second period, Jack wasn't sure what he was _supposed_ to be doing, but he braided Rapunzel's hair (quite terribly, he might add), who gossiped contentedly with Tooth and Buns at her side. His feathered friend didn't say a word to him or even look back while Edmund groused to himself, and months ago he would have just reasoned that it was because they had the desks in front of him and it was a discomfort to crane their heads back, but he already knew that that was not the case. It seemed Rapunzel had noticed as well, because she kept trying to bring Jack back into the conversation. In her last desperate attempt, she even brought up-

"Elsa _this_, Elsa _that_- she's all you guys ever talk about." Tooth whined, "Can't we _just _hang out?"

That shut them up, and only made things awkward.

The teacher saved them, however, when she decided that she would switch up the seating chart for the hour, talking about discussion groups and "variation of ideas", and the teens were separated to different parts of the room.

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Throughout the rest of the class,

spring eyes were trained on the feathered hair of his friend,

and hers on Jackson Overland.

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At lunch, before his ballroom lessons, Jack saw Elsa across the quad, and he admired the way her blue tiered dress fit her waist, and the wisps of her french braid danced around her delicate cheekbones. She caught him looking, and the corner of her mouth twitched as she waved him over. He let a toothy, maybe even dreamy, smile lift his features, and he went to walk with her to room 30-

A firm, calloused hand fisted the slip of his brown jacket.

"_Oi_, Jack."

Jack saw a flash of confusion and concern grace Elsa's face, and he pivoted his shoulders to see spring green eyes gleaming back at him.

"Edmund!" Jack said with mocking honey-sweetness. "Are you actually blessing me with your acknowledgement? How lu-!"

"This business with Elsa- it needs to stop. The flirting, the lies, everything. You need to stop, Jackson. Do you really think Anna deserves that?"

"My full name. Scary."

"I'm serious!" He growled. "You don't know who you're hurting!"

Jack managed to yank away, and with Edmund's brawny shoulders towering over him, Jack inwardly shook at the notion that this man could undoubtedly beat him to pulp. Another hand grabbed his shoulder opposite to his old friend, but without the harshness in his or her grip. A rich voice said, "What's going on?"

"Elsa." Jack switched his attention to her, "We should go. It's starting soon."

"Wait a second, I'm not done." Elsa looked taken back at Edmund's hostility, but Jack continued to walk away, which only angered the other boy more.

_"Do you even care?" _He roared, and it suddenly felt like everyone's attention was on them. "Or- or do you just _like_ this?"

"What are you even talking about?"

"The drama, the girls- You _like_ the attention from being around her, huh? You _like_ the thought of two girls fighting over you!"

"What the _fuck_ Bunny-"

_"Don't call me that!_"

Jack fumed, and even if some part of him knew that Edmund was only saying this stuff, maybe, just because of anger from which he didn't know came from, he took Elsa and backed the hell out, moving to some place where less people could poke into their business. Edmund tailed them, seething, "Just because no one gives a _shit_ doesn't mean you can use people to your advantage!"

"I _still _don't know what you're talking about!" Jack was getting frustrated. Elsa stepped away from them, either to give them space or because she was scared, he didn't know, but she watched warily from the side.

Edmund's eyes were as wild as his blue hair, which starting to remind him of dark flames licking at his skull, "We know you don't tell us things-we might not know _what_, but we aren't stupid. We're supposed to be your best friends and you don't even trust us! Guess what? The feeling's mutual,_ mate_."

Jack opened his mouth, but Edmund spat, "We don't need people like you, Jack- we don't have time for that. To me, from this day on, _you don't even exist_."

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The spring in his green eyes wilted,

and they closed before turning his back on his best friend.

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**';'**

A few shuffles of feet off-beat to the music-

stilled silence-

muttered, unintelligent answers in french-

murmurs, gossip of nosy people-

flashes of worry from sapphire, ocean eyes-

and his school day was over.

**.:.**

**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**

_When Anna caught the familiar sight of dark blue hair, and the other mess of brown that was Jack's, she grinned, and started towards them._

_ "-This business with Elsa- it needs to stop. The flirting, the lies, everything. You need to stop, Jackson. Do you really think Anna deserves that?"_

_ She stopped in her tracks, smile dissolving._

**.:.**

**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**

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**';';';';'**

**';'**

_"Do you even care?" _

**';';';';';';';'**

**';';';';'**

**';'**

**Im sorry that my writing has been slowing down- espescially with my other stories. It appears that my medication is no longer effective on me...and well, yeah. I haven't exactly been feeling it lately. I'm going to see a pyschiatrist to discuss my dosage and hopefully from there it'll get better- but until then I don't see that happening for a while.**

**So I apologize if I dont update in a while, but that doesn't mean I wont be trying.**


	17. Schism

**Chapter 17: Schism**

**"...**_he fell through_**..."**

**.:.**

**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**

**.:.**

**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**

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**';';';';';';';'**

**';';';';'**

**';'**

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**';'**

_**H**__e felt that it was going to be a very good day._

**.:.**

**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**

"Jackson?"

...

"Elsa." He said, tiredly. "Why are you here?"

...

She glanced around the ice rink, her breath frosting. She seated herself next to him, in the middle of the ice, without skates.

She guessed that they didn't have hockey practice today.

"Well. I wanted to see if you were okay."

He sighed. "And?"

"And..."

...

"You're not."

He shrugged.

"Listen, Jackson... I hate to think that I'm coming between a friendship-"

"No. You're not." He said firmly.

"But-"

"Elsa, _do not _pull that with me... don't shut me out. If our friendship ended over anything, it's my own stupidity."

She didn't say anything.

"Urrrgh... I make a mess of everything." He knotted his hands into his hair, and pulled.

She smiled sadly, "Maybe... but not without my help, yes?"

He gazed at her through his lashes, and despite everything, a smile pulled at his lips.

She squirmed.

He laughed, "What?"

She blushed. "Why...why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like..."

**.:.**

**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**

**';';';';';';';';';';'**

**';';';';';';';'**

**';';';';'**

**';'**

"Nevermind."

They stayed in silence,

at some point, laying back against the cold ground.

"He said I didn't exist. That I wanted to be seen." He muttered,

"And that I liked the attention."

Elsa frowned.

"And you believe him?"

"I don't know."

**';';';';';';';'**

**';';';';'**

**';'**

"I see you."

"Huh?"

"Excuse me... I just saw 'Avatar' recently, " She blushed and looked away.

"I don't mean to quote it... but I see you. You don't know the effect you have on people."

"...What affect do I have on people?"

He wanted to see her face, but she kept hiding it.

"You're friendly, down to earth, spontaneous, funny, easy to talk to..."

"What effect do I have on _you_?"

She paused.

"I like you."

"I like you, too."

**.:.**

**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**

"If I'm allowed to ask,

what exactly did he mean when he said that you don't trust them?"

Jack swallowed. "I don't share things with them, at least not as much as they talk to me."

She waited for him.

"I mean, I didn't realize he'd notice! And it's not a big deal... just family problems."

She sat up, and whispered, "Like what?"

Jack struggled to find words, and after a while Elsa sighed

"You know," she began, "When my mother remarried, I believe my father was still in love with her."

Jack sat up, too. "Elsa, what are you doing?"

"I'm opening up to you."

"You don't have to."

"But I want to."

**.:.**

**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**

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**';'**

"I trust you, Jackson."

His heart beat wildly in his chest when she smiled, and she took his deep gaze as cue to continue.

"And when he heard of the news, he suddenly stopped talking to me. He kept himself busy- didn't even _look_ at me. People used to say that except for my hair, I am the spitting image of my mother, so I believe that might have been why he didn't indicate any other reason why. It was too painful for him, even after all those years of not seeing her, and the last of my family became another stranger."

Jack's heart broke for her.

She took a deep breath, voice thick. "The only words he had really said to me-whenever I turned to him for comfort, when I was lonely, or missing Anna and my mother, or him- whatever it was, his only words were- " Her voice became strained, almost choking,

"Conceal it.

Don't feel it.

Don't let it show...

Like a- a _fucking_..._twisted_... _nursery rhyme."_

**';';';';';';';'**

**';';';';'**

**';'**

**.**

**.**

**.;.**

"...My parents are divorcing."

**.:.**

**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**

Without hesitation, she hugged him,

and he whimpered into her expensive dress.

But she didn't make him feel bad about it.

**.:.**

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**';'**

When Jackson Overland was little, he went to the nearby lake during the winter to ice skate, and the ice cracked under his small feet. He probably stayed there for only minutes, frigid air ripping through his paper lungs in panic, but it felt like hours of wavering, waiting for someone to save him.

He was stupid to think he could do this by himself.

He knew the ice had to give out at some point. It had to.

But that didn't take away the shock when it did.

**';';';';';';';'**

**';';';';'**

**';'**

He fell through.

**.:.**

**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**

"What?"

"There's no pressure, son, We're just asking you to sign either Overland or Frost by your name on the line here. Your father's name, or your mother's.

That's all."

**.:.**

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**';'**

The man with the bushy mustache leaned over him at the dining table where multiple documents where spread out in perfect alignment. Jack wanted to swipe his arm across the wood and let gravity take care of the rest- he was good at bringing disorder. He was good at making a mess of everything. He kept his arms glued to his sides, shaking from the strain, making no moves towards the ballpoint pen the divorce lawyer held out to him with kindly, sympathetic eyes. The man had probably seen many families unravel before his eyes, he'd probably seen many boys his age- younger than him- unravel before his eyes.

But Jack wanted to pretend that he hadn't- that he didn't understand the turmoil in his head.

Jack wanted to pretend that he couldn't- didn't see his father's packed bags- ready to go- in the corner of the dimly lit room, like an interrogation room.

Jack wanted to pretend his mother's eyes weren't watching him sorrowfully or that Pippa wasn't crying again.

Most of all, he wanted to pretend that Lunar Overland's, his father's, eyes weren't trained on the screen of his smart phone, like they always were, like the only thing he cared about was how straight his tie was and how crisp his suit was.

And Jack wanted to pretend he didn't hear the distressed calls of his sister as he bolted out of the house and into the night.

**';';';';';';';'**

**';';';';'**

**';'**


	18. Jackson Overland's

**I know I haven't posted anything in, I think, more than three weeks now and I apologize. I've gotten a new dosage and medicine, and the side affects are **_**crazy**_**, AND I'm a bridesmaid for my aunts' wedding (:D). Overall, I think I'm doing much better and will be trying to work faster, as I have the next few chapters planned. Thank you for waiting!**

**Thank you to: drop, percabethraura4eva, reddawnfox, guest, smiley critic, ara, Madison, Kahnartis, DesertSnowQueen, zulka and others for your reviews!**

**Zulka: That was so deep and so wonderful and I love you. Thank you for reading!**

**Chapter 18: Jackson Overland's**

**"...**_death_**..."**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**To: Eugene**

**Today** 7:01 AM

Hey you busy today

...

**From: Eugene**

**Today** 7:37 AM

Uhhh? school, jack, duh. where are u?

...

**To: Eugene**

Skip.

...

**From: Eugene**

... Wha?

whoa. wait. you serious?

is this jack?

...

**To: Eugene**

COme ON.

...

**From: Eugene**

Punay- nay is witrh me

...

**To: Eugene**

Who?

...

**From: Eugene**

Rapunzel.

...

**To: Eugene**

Ok.

...

**From: Eugene**

dont telll her i call her that.

...

**To: Eugene**

Ok BUT COME ON. Fake a note.

...

**From: Eugene**

...mmk. im kidnapping her. Where to?

...

**To: Eugene**

Really?

...

**From: Eugene**

Duh. who do u think ur talking to. you cant think ive never done this before

...

**Today** 7:42 AM

and, dude ive really got to talk to you.

...

**To: Eugene**

Same.

...

"Hey, wait, slow down-_easy there_, Jack." Rapunzel had her hands out in little stars splayed across Jack's shoulders, a strained expression on her face. _"What?"_

Jack took a deep breath, talking so fast that he sounded a little bit like Anna when given too much chocolate. Him, Rapunzel, and Eugene sat at a nearby park, not exactly somewhere Jack imagined ditching school for but- hey, there they were. No one gave them a second look, which Jack would've found odd; he thought him and Rapunzel still looked like eleven-year-olds, save for their height, but he took that as a good thing.

"I don't even know," he muttered. "I'm so confused, and so stupid and I should've told you guys before- sorry, because that's actually part of the reason Edmund hates me right now-"

"Okay. Why is he mad at you?"

"Since when do you call him _Edmund?_"

Rapunzel gave her boyfriend a pointed look, while Jack ignored him."I don't know! I don't get it! He just- just started throwing all these things at me! First it was because I was lying to Anna-" Rapunzel and Eugene flashed each other wary looks, but Jack was still ranting, "-that part I understand! But then suddenly he says it's because of the people I'm hurting, then he says I like the drama, and that I'm an attention whore. He says no one gives a shit about me, and then tells me I'm taking advantage of people,"

"Jack..." Rapunzel's eyes were sad, and he couldn't stand it. He didn't want to see it so he turned away. He shoveled handfulls of his hair into his knuckles, as if it would steady his spinning head.

"Then he says I don't trust him- _he_ doesn't trust me... and- and then suddenly he-_ all of you guys don't need me _and-" Jack couldn't see anything for some reason.

Flynn was suddenly in front of him, steering him backwards by his boney arms and that's when Jack realized he'd been pacing forward, and, embarrassingly, his eyes were watering. Eugene's expression was abnormally soft, hair framing his gentle face, and his palms felt like bear paws on his arms. "Hey, Buddy, come on-"

"-and I don't exist." Jack ended in a scoff, trying to ignore the ache in his throat and the sting in his eyes. Thankfully, his friends do the same in ignoring the tears seeping into his voice.

"He said all that?"

"I told you. He just sort of jumped around randomly."

"That's really harsh."

Rapunzel places a hand on Jack's flat cheek,"I know he doesn't mean any of that. He's known you and Tooth since elementary school. He's just hurt."

-"_You don't know who you're hurting."-_

Jack_ felt _like a fucking eleven-year-old. He sniffed, "Why?"

She fidgeted, and withdrew her hand, looking conflicted, "Well, it's not my place to tell you..."

_"For fuck's sake-" _Eugene threw his hands up, "Bun likes Tooth!"

"Eugene!" Rapunzel stared at him, aghast, but her boyfriend didn't care. "No-_ Zel_, this could all be so much easier if everyone just fucking opened their eyes! Don't you see? We don't need all this stupid drama! _Bunny likes Tooth, _Tooth likes Jack, Jack likes Elsa, Elsa likes Jack- or should I say_ 'Jackson,'_! If everyone realized that they could just suck it up and move on."

A crease appeared between Rapunzel's brows. "I get it, but we're talking about people's _feelings_ here- it's so much more complicated than that. No one can control it. Things start to get personal." She turned back to Jack, "And that's why Bun is angry- he doesn't think or mean any of what he said to you, he's just self-concious and jealous. If he's angry about anything really, it's that Tooth is hurting, too and Anna is oblivious to all of this."

"Well not so much anymore." Flynn grumbled under his breath, and Jack froze.

"What do you mean?"

Rapunzel played with her hair while Jack stared at her, "Anna.. may or may not know."

Eugene shrugged, "Uh, yeah, she knows. Sorry bro."

Jack was ready to pull out his hair, and his skin crawled. He felt like someone had slugged him in the gut. "You know what?" He sighed angrily, "That's fine. She needed to know. I can't believe I lied to her... I had it coming."

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Rapunzel frowned.

"No! I mean... I- I am_ such _an ass of a friend! Who_ does _that?" Jack laughed bitterly. "Bunny was right."

"Jack, just drop it, it's already done- and, you know, it's gonna get better." Flynn patted him on the back and pulled him aside as the trio began to walk who-knows-where. "And right about what, exactly? That you're a 'bloody show pony'? An 'attention whore'?'

"That's the thing! He said that I wanted attention because no one gives a shit about me. He said I don't exist- pretty much, anyway. That's what it sounded like."

"_We_ give a shit about you, Overland. Believe it or not." Eugene grinned, and even if Jack still felt miserable, he was able to smile just a bit.

"I mean I guess." Jack muttered, but his face fell again. "But... there's... _another_ thing."

"What?" Rapunzel asked cautiously, like he was glass and would shatter any second.

"My parents are divorcing."

"Jack... I'm so sorry."

"It's fine."

"...Listen, you shouldn't feel obligated to tell us this, if you really don't want to. People have different ways of coping and we trust you-"

"No- _no_, I wanted to. I swear."

"Okay... are... are you alright?"

"I mean... I guess."

"Stop saying that!" Eugene looked irritated, his penny- brown eyes were honey in the light, and that's when Jack saw the genuine concern written into his sharp features. "Are you fine or not?"

They were there for him and they deserved a real answer for once, and he thought that that felt really good. "I'm not."

"Okay, and what do you want to do about it?"

"... I dunno? Break something."

"Always a good idea."

"Eugene, no."

"You said everyone has a way of healing, Zel, and Jack wants to break something."

"Something a little less _violent, _please_._"

Both of them looked at Jack expectantly, and he thought. Breaking something actually sounded like a really good stress-reliever...

But there they were, infinite, young, and they could do anything they wanted to today- him and his best friends, without adult supervision. Just them. No complications, no anger, no nothing other than the fact that theywere_ there_- living in the now, going with the flow, no thinking about tomorrow...Now, he didn't mean he wanted to go, like, rob a bank or anything, but he wanted to do something they'd really remember.

"I wanna do something I've never done before. I need something new- something spontaneous and crazy. Something I might regret later but _won't_."

Eugene raised a brow, "Okay? Care to be more specific?"

Jack smirked "Surprise me."

Rapunzel snapped her finger, a very satisfied smile lighting up her face. "I know!"

**.**

**.**

**.**

_ "You're fucking kidding me." Eugene grumbled, "Target? Fucking Target? Fucking _really_?"_

_ "The language isn't nessessary." She nagged, but Jack could see mirth in her expression. "And trust me- I know what I'm doing."_

_ She pulled them into the beauty and bath products aisle, but didn't allow them to see what she bought._

**.**

**.**

**.**

"This stuff smell's like death." Jack whined

"You'll love this, I promise."

"I'm holding you to that."

Jack sat in a sea green chair with a flowery towel draped over his thin shoulders in Rapunzel Gothel's bathroom, which was a little crowded with three people in it, but she didn't seem to mind. Her mother, of course was busy at work and didn't need to know that she'd brought home her friends- boys no less. Yet, the girl still looked antsy, glancing out into the hall every now and then and playing with the ends of her lavender blouse. In one of her small hands she held a comb with hair dye- or what Eugene called 'salon guck'.

"You look good like that, Jacqueline." Eugene smouldered at him, and Jack glared back while Punzie massaged more dye into his locks.

"Shut it, _Flynnigan_."

"No, really, I think it brings out your eyes... and your _enormous_ ears."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." His normally unruly, spiked hair that hid said enormous ears was clumped and matted to his skull. His floural cape didn't help. Jack made a note to avoid looking at his reflection. "When do I wash this out?"

"Well right now I'm just bleaching your hair. That'll take, like, thirty minutes."

"...You're bleaching my hair?"

"Yeah?"

"Why? What the hell are you doing to me?"

"I promise, you'll _love_ it. And when I make a promise, I never, _ever_ break that promise." She wrapped his head in plastic.

Jack asked warily, "How long is this gonna take?"

She looked unsure. "Long. I still need to apply toner and then you have to shower."

_ "Here?_ Rapunzel, what the _hell _are you doing to my hair?!"

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Damn, Jack. You really do look good like that."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Really suits you. No sarcasm intended."

Now that his hair regained it's bouncy, prickly volume, he could stand to look at himself- and it wasn't half bad, actually. "I like it."

"Told you." Punzie stuck her tongue out at him. "Do you love it? Or do you love it?"

Jack grinned, "Well, sorry if I doubted you a little."

"Damn straight." Rapunzel looked proud of herself. "I'm glad, but now what?"

Both boys grew mischievous grins, and Jack handed a pair of scissors to her boyfriend and picked up a box of brown dye. "Now, it's your turn."

"Um?" Her lime eyes widened, and she looked fearful. She let out a nervous chuckle, "Eugene... _what?"_

"We promise." He sung, "You'll _love _it."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Nom:

Période:

La dat:

Vocabulaire de Mardi gras (1)

**Directions: pick ten words from the film shown in class and translate them into english.**

**Due date: le 17 de fevrier**

1. Mardi Gras- _fat tuesday_

2. Le Fou- _the fool; the mascot of Mardi gras_

3. fete- _party_

4. Carnival starts- _le 6 de janvier_

5. gateau- _cake_

...

6. Le roi- _the king_

7. La rene- _the queen_

8. les plumes- _feathers_

9. Laissez les bon temps roulez!- _let the good times roll!_

10. Nouvelle- Orléans- _New Orleans_

**.**

**.**

**.**

The boy walked into the french one classroom with the hood of his blue jacket shadowing his elfish face. No one seemed to recognize him, neither did they make a big deal of it, skirting around him like he didn't exist- even when he asked one of them a question. He passed by a desk to the far left by itself, occupied by a pale- haired girl with fair skin. She seemed to be looking for someone- and did a double take when he passed by.

"Ey!" Mr. O'Hara's dead grey eyes seemed to pierce into him. "You in the blue! You're in a classroom, take off your hood."

The boy did what he was told revealing a head of snow-white hair, and suddenly everyone's eyes we on him.

It was an unfamiliar feeling.

They murmured and pointed, and some girls tittered and sent him flirty glances. Elsa Queen stared at him wide-eyed from her seat. Eventually they all settled down, and the lesson began with turning in last week's homework assignment.

"Who's paper is this? _Pas de nom_!" ("no name!") Monsieur O'Hara boomed.

The boy raised his hand, and the prof grumbled as it was passed back to him. He sat tapping his leg, twirling a ballpoint pen in one hand and the other gripping his favorite hockey stick. He looked so much more conflicted than one should be writing their own name.

**.:.**

**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**

**';';';';';';';';';';'**

**';';';';';';';'**

**';';';';'**

**';'**

_When Jackson Overland was little, he went to the nearby lake during the winter to ice skate, and the ice cracked under his small feet. He probably stayed there for only minutes, frigid air ripping through his paper lungs in panic, but it felt like hours of wavering, waiting for someone to save him. _

_ He was stupid to think he could do this by himself._

_ He knew the ice had to give out at some point. It had to. _

_ But that didn't take away the shock when it did._

_**';';';';';';';'**_

_**';';';';'**_

_**';'**_

_He fell through._

_**.:.**_

_**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**_

And in a clumsy scrawl on the top of the page he wrote-

_Jackson Over-_

He crossed it out, and begun again-

_Jack Frost_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Anyways... this is not important... but I thought I might mention it because it makes me so fucking happy- I just got a new game on my phone called 'Monument Valley'. It's mind-boggling and beautiful, and just SO cool. I costs money, but if you ever plan on buying it...**

**It's SO cool.**

**Anyways, if anyone had trouble understanding last chapter or any other, I apologize- I don't do very well in writing my thoughts down on paper, or making my abstract ideas tangible... I guess. So again if I did not communicate the story well, I'm sorry.**

_**This is one of my first fics, so if you'd all be so kind... **_

_**bear with me, I don't have much time to write, type, or edit. The story may be a little rushed (or slow), there will be many typos, and this in all will not be my best work. **_

_**I'm mostly doing these stories for the fun of them, so please go easy with the criticism.**_

_**Thank you!**_

_**-Mawhn**_


	19. Ostracism

**I would just like to thank everyone who took their time to read this, and for the reviews, favorites, and followers. **

**So b****ête means "beast, or creature" by the way... not sure if it's a last name but whatever.**

**SO! I've decided to stop making promises that I cannot keep and out right just say: I don't know when the next time I'll updating, but I certainly hope it's soon- have I got the energy. I have the next chapter planned but I like to space my updates... if you hadn't noticed AND it needs some serious editing. But what's new?**

**Also, by the way, I am **_**very**_** excited for next chapter, and I'm not even sure why. I have many fragments to be put together and have a hard time remembering the significance- which I guarantee there **_**is**_**- of it is.**

**By the way... this is the combination of maybe two or three different chapters, since standing alone I felt they seemed pathetically short.**

**This chapter contains many references to google and articles THAT I DO NOT OWN. **

**(I do not own **_**anthing**_**.)**

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

**Chapter 19: Ostracism**

**"...**_hurts more_**..."**

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

_ "The Social Death Penalty!" Mrs. B__ê__te slapped a few articles down on their desks, "Why being ostracized hurts even more than bullying, by Lynn Stuart Parramore. We'll be covering this topic before we start on the transcendentalism unit, and by Friday I expect you to prepared for a full socratic seminar, and an essay. So first off, can someone tell me what ostracism is?"_

_ No one answered, and she pursed her lips. "It dates back all the way to practices in Ancient Greece. Every ten or so years the people would vote on one person, who they'd decided was either gaining too much power or becoming a tyrant, to leave their home for a number of years- not even with their families. Tonight, your homework is to research all you can on ostracism. Have fun."_

_ "Of course he'd dye his hair," Jack heard an all too familiar voice from behind him. "He's an attention seeker. A bloody show pony."_

_ Jack wanted to pull his hood up._

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

**Google**

define ostracism|

google search I'm feeling lucky

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

_About 180,000 results (0.52 seconds)_

**os·tra·cism **

/ˈästrəˌsizəm/

_noun_

**1. **exclusion from a society or group.

_"the family suffered social ostracism"_

**2. **(in ancient Greece) temporary banishment from a city by popular vote

_V Translations, word origin, and more definitions_

**.**

**-;-**

**.**

Of course, Jack really should have expected their cruel comments. He could keep skipping school and dying his hair all the colors of the rainbow he wanted until he became a human snowcone, but the guilt of his betrayal would always haunt him. He especially savored the mornings with Rapunzel, filled with light hearted banters and bull shit smiles, but they both knew the trouble that weighed heavily on his mind. He dreaded the day to come, the invisibility he had to endure from Tooth and Edmund, the sour glances and upturned faces from more than half of his friends, the loneliness he braved during lunch in which he still had no clue where to sit.

_ Not even with their families. _

Rapunzel, and often times Eugene, was generous to invest in him her company at the far side of the cafeteria, but he'd felt Anna's eyes burning into him from across the room and decided he'd caused her enough heartache. Rapunzel and she'd been friends longer, anyhow. In Anna's eyes he'd probably already stolen her elusive sister- he saw no need in hogging yet another important person in her life.

_Exclusion._

Elsa and her group of friends (_also_ sometimes including Eugene- thank god) were always open to him, too, mostly because of Elsa. She always gave him that same adoring smile that he'd be happy to return with a soaring heart.

But he'd almost always limit his time in speaking with Hiccup and listening in on the girls' latest gossip as Elsa gushed about local cafes and music and whatnot with Nani Kona... something about a couple of boys from their rival school tranferring to theirs.

"As long as they're cute." One girl winked, and Elsa rolled her eyes with a riveting laugh.

"I'm gonna walk around." He told them, and smirked with a tilted head, "I'll see you guys later."

"I'll join you." Elsa chirped from her seat as he stood. Jack panicked, not just opposed to her coming but also to the fact that he had a _very_ good view of down her shirt. He looked away.

"That's not a good idea." She pulled him down by his white sleeve towards her face, so that her thin bottom lip whisked her warm breath by the lobe of his big ear, her voice deliciously low,

"I know. I _need _to talk to you." And he shivered. Within minutes they pushed through the red worn double doors of the pavillion together, and Jack felt the world judging him.

They stopped at the school's front fountain, where no others were to watch them. She spoke shyly, and Jack's always been absolutley taken with the particular way she spoke. "May I say that I'm certainly glad to see you?"

"You missed me." He translated, and she blushed but nodded. She looked up at him through her thick lashes and placed a single hand on his chest, enough to send a million volts of electricity through his being.

"We haven't spoken so much, lately."

"Sorry."

"Don't be." She whispered, and that's when he noticed how close her face had gotten to his. She placed a chaste push of her lips against the very, very corner of his mouth, and he gave an intoxicated sigh. She pulled back slightly, to his dismay, and played with the hair at his neck. "So why did you dye your hair?"

"I dunno. I guess I wanted at least something about me to be interesting"

"You're always interesting... but it looks good anyways"

"I'd hope so." And she laughed. Jack tapped his foot without any rhythm, but it was fine- they both sucked at rhythm. He twiddled her own hair between his thumbs with a grin. "And we match. We look good together."

She joked, "Of course, for what other reason would you want me?"

He gaped at her in feigned shock, "Do you really think I'm that shallow? And I thought you had faith in me!"

He looked down at her (absolutely delighted that he now was taller than her to _actually have _to _look down_) and his heart beat with something he didn't know- and he wanted to tell her everything. Somewhere during their mock spat they had started to sway in each others arms- something he had just started to notice how often they do, possibly a force of habit from ballroom dancing. He gave her a twirl, and she giggled before settling her back into his chest, their cheeks grazing against each other. She whispered suddenly. "Anna's been angry with me."

"Hm?"

"Why? She hasn't talked to me."

He stared at her, dumbfounded. "Um, well, for one thing, me and you..."

She stopped swaying. "...Is that a problem?"

"You're her sister." He laughed, and felt smug when she shivered against him.

"Yes?"

"And I'm one of her best friends."

She unwound his arms from her waist, then turned to face him. "I'm confused. That's not allowed?"

They stayed in awkward silence, she gave him an embarrassed smile that ultimately dropped. "Oh, dear, I feel stupid."

She sat on the edge of the fountain, and laughed nervously, "And that explains things."

The bell rung, much too soon to get themselves together, but Elsa quickly said, "We need to get to french." and walked off with remarkable speed in heels. He caught up to her. "Elsa."

He grabbed by each shoulder and forced her to look at him. "Do you regret anything?"

"No." She said quickly, looking like a deer caught in headlights. "I don't know. I need to think. I..."

Jack took a deep breath.

"I need to speak with Anna about this...I'm sorry, I'll talk to you after school."

She left him there.

_Hurts even more._

Jack watched her go, and the second his legs chose to follow her, his phone rang.

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**-;-**

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**Google**

is my child depressed?|

google search I'm feeling lucky

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**Teen Depression Screening Quiz- Are your kids... -Pediatrics**

A _depression_ screening _quiz_ to see if your _kids_ or teenager is _depressed_. ... _Depression_ Screening _Quiz_. Are your _kids depressed_? ... Sign up for _My_ Newsletter...

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Experts report that over 2% of children and 8% of teens suffer from depression. Are your kids depressed? Take our depression screening quiz to see if your child has symptoms of depression, such as sad or irritable mood, a loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed, trouble concentrating, and feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt.

**start the quiz**

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1. Has your child, for at least two weeks, had **a persistent sad or irritable mood**?

_**yes **_  
>no<p>

2. Has your child, for at least two weeks, had **a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed**?

_**yes**_  
>no<p>

3. Has your child, for at least two weeks, had **significant change in appetite or weight?**

_**yes **_  
>no<p>

4. Has your child, for at least two weeks, had **problems sleeping or over sleeping?**

_**yes **_  
>no<p>

5. Has your child, for at least two weeks, had** pyschomotor agitation or retardation?**

_**yes **_  
>no<p>

6. Has your child, for at least two weeks, **had a loss of energy?**

yes  
><em><strong>no <strong>_

7. Has your child, for at least two weeks, had **feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt?**

yes  
><em><strong>no <strong>_

8. Has your child, for at least two weeks, **had difficulty concentrating?**

_**yes **_  
>no<p>

9. Has your child, for at least two weeks, had **recurrent thoughts of death or suicide?**

yes  
><em><strong>no <strong>_

10. Has your child experienced any **stressful or traumatic events **within the past three years? _(mark all that apply)_

death in the family

break up with a longterm boyfriend or girlfriend

moving

_**divorce in the family**_

neglect

physical, emotional, or sexual abuse

disease

other

11. Is your child currently suffering from any **other personality or mental disorders?**

PTSD (Post- traumatic Stress Disorder)

Bipolar disorder

Multipersonality disorder

other

_**none**_

**See results**

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Your child or teen has 5 or more of these depression criteria and may be suffering from depression. Be sure to get them a further evaluation for depression from your doctor. Also keep in mind that the following signs may be associated with depression in children and adolescents. Whether or not your child seems to meet the criteria for a diagnosis of major depression, talk to your doctor if they have some of the following signs:

Frequent, vague, non-specific physical complaints such as **headaches, muscle aches**, stomachaches, or **fatigue**.

Frequent **absences from school or poor performance in school.**

Talk of or efforts to **run away **from home

Outbursts of shouting, complaining, **unexplained irritability**, or crying

**Being bored.**

**Lack of interest **in playing with friends

Alcohol or substance abuse

**Social isolation**, poor communication.

Fear of death

Extreme** sensitivity to rejection or failure **

**Increased irritability, anger, or hostility.**

**Reckless behavior.**

**Difficulty with relationships.**

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Mrs. Ov-_Ms. Frost _stared at the screen, biting her peach lips until she tasted blood.

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**Chapter 19: Another Point of View**

**"...**_thank you_**..."**

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_**Earlier that day-**_

"Hey."

Ms. Frost shot up from her seat and closed her laptop with an echoing _smack_- to which Jack raised a perfect eyebrow, but he didn't have the energy to comment. She inwardly frowned at the bags around his eyes. "Good morning, honey!"

"Uh." He coughed. "Morning... You're weird today."

"Be nice." She warned him, and twisted her old wedding ring as she side stepped into their kitchen, leaving her silver computer on the island counter. He just stared at her with dulling blue eyes. "Are you hungry- do you want breakfast?"

"No." He went for the front door, and seemed to suddenly remember his manners, "Thanks."

Even if some part of her should have been relieved- she hadn't cooked in months-the mother's heart plummeted, and she went after him to stop him, silently hoping he wouldn't forget to leave her with his normal _'I love you', _or a sarcastic remark- _something._ She wanted reassurance that he was still her little Jackson with bright eyes, restless vigor, lively attitude- but he wasn't... he didn't have the same _hair color _anymore. His new white locks glinted from the sunlight that shone through their dusted, neglected windows, and she wondered about what else was new. "A-are you sure? Don't you have practice today? I don't want you getting sick..."

"I'm skipping."

She pursed her lips, "Why?"

"I dunno. I don't feel like it?" He sounded annoyed.

"You haven't been eating well lately..." He scowled at her, and it was so unexpected that her mind was still processing when he muttered, so low she almost missed it,

"Will you leave me alone?"

He disappeared through their front door, and she realized that he left his lunch.

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She should have more faith in her son, she thought, as she hesitated to open the white envelope from his school. Jack knew the importance of his sophmore and junior years, and often spoke of trying harder to stay in sports, to get into college. He promised her. His grades couldn't be so bad. She believed in him.

Ms. Frost tore into the envelope, biting her peach lips until she tasted blood.

English 10-

**B+**

_a pleasure to have in class_

Geometry-

**D**

_low test scores_

World History-

**C-**

_not showing full potential_

Chemistry-

**B-**

_a pleasure to have in class_

French 1-

**A**

_a pleasure to have in class_

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_ "Jackson Overland Frost!" _She cried over the phone- and she heard him yelp.

"What!" He hissed. Ms. Frost bit her peach lips until she tasted blood, stifling a whimper before her next words and covering her hurt with a tight growl. "Why did I get a call from the school saying that you missed a day without notice?"

He didn't say anything.

"Dammit Jack! I don't know what's going on with you- but _don't tell me_ you played hooky!"

"It was just a one time thing, Mom."

"_One time thing?_ Jack, this isn't like you! One time will become once a week, twice- thrice- it's bad a habbit and it _won't _happen again! And don't get me started on your grades!"

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That night, Ms. Frost had to force Jack out of his room to have dinner with her and Pippa, and he sat there without eating a bite, vacantly twirling spaghetti on his fork and not saying one word. She could feel the tap-tap_-tapping _of his foot under the table, and she didn't like the way the yellow light of their dining room brought out the redness of his eyes and hollows of his thin face. "Jack, you need to start talking to me."

He looked up at her tiredly. He dismissed her with a simple, "Mmhm," as if he couldn't even manage a, "Whatever."

She cleared her throat, biting her peach lips until she tasted blood. "Now, how's school?"

"Fine."

She waited, and when she realized there was nothing more to come, she pushed him, "Your grades don't look fine."

His eyes flickered and seemed to darken. She watched the bob of his adam's apple as he swallowed and said in a small, husky voice filled with shame, "I know."

"You said you would try."

"I did." Not_ 'I am' _or_ 'I will.'_... but _'I did.'_

"Jack," She said gently. "What's going on? Is everything okay? Did something happen?"

"No."

"Is someone hurting you?"

He glared and said, more forced, "_No_."

"Then what's going on?" She was starting to get frustrated. She heard the honk of a car horn outside, the clatter of dishes in the sink, and small the opening and closing of a door. Jack's weary blue eyes flashed away from her- and she knew Pippa had left for her friend's house without so much as a goodbye.

Jack stared back into her brown eyes with the dark storm blues of his father. "I need to get ready. My tutor's coming over."

"Elsa? I thought you went to Anna's for that."

"We're not talking right now."

"What?" He shrugged his shoulders again, a terrible habit she might add, and nearly sobbed at the much too prominent outline of the bones of his shoulders against his paler skin.

"Oh," she sighed, exasperated, "So you're not talking to her, either. Pippa's told me about Tooth and Edmund, you know."

"Since when do you care?"

"What are you saying? I just want to make sure you're making the right decisions. I'm your mother." She whispered, "I _always_ care."

"Oh!" His dry, cruel, barking laugh made her wince. "Right! I'm sorry, I forgot. You mean like when Dad left, right? When I had to stay up all night comforting Pippa, and when she came home crying with bruises and scrapes on her legs! And all those hockey games and practices you guys missed! Thank you, for your support!"

It was a low blow, they both knew, but Jack showed no remorse as his long legs had already taken him out of the room and up the stairs by twos.

Ms. Frost started to cry.

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Elsa was a lovely young lady with mild perfume and magenta lips. Her slender frame donned a casual dress the color of jade, but still nice enough to make the woman's pink small t-shirt and jeans feel like rags. She smiled radiantly and her voice sang, "Good afternoon!"

She stood a good three feet away from the door when she answered and had out a pink flush wrist for her to shake, which looked ghostly against the peach freckles of her own when she stepped forward to do so. "It's wonderful to meet you."

Ms. Frost smiled back. "Nice to meet you."

And it was amusing, she thought after she took the girl into their quaint living space, how she sat the very edge of her seat with the posture of a silver ladel, stiff and graceful even after being told to make herself comfortable. When her son came in, the frost glaze of her smile melted, and she, more relaxed, gave herself to the welcoming hospitality of their home. The older woman made to leave the room, but watched from the doorway with utmost fascination at the flood of happiness in her son's smile, and the brief but full exchanges between them, staring at each other as if they'd been apart for decades. At the girl's exhilarating ripple of laughter his eyes twinkled with mirth and life and love and stars and it-

_He _was_ beautiful_.

She bit her lips until she tasted blood, wanting to cry but confused as to whether the tears were out of sadness or relief.

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"Mom?" He called cautiously into her bedroom two hours after Elsa had arrived. Such a lovely young lady, she recalled and mused to herself, and saddened once again. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, love. You shouldn't keep Elsa waiting. It's rude." She, herself, never liked how old she sounded when she called him so, but her heart warmed at the sight of his presence none-the-less. He didn't seem angry anymore, and with the weight of that gone she was able to feel how much she'd missed him, and how lonely she'd been all along.

"Your lip's bleeding."

She ignored him, "And check if your sister's ready to be picked up from her friend's, please."

He left the room, and her night probably would've ended there.

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.**-**

But he came back, with some hot water with cotton, and a swab of vaseline. He handed both treatments to her gingerly.

"You should stop biting your lip."

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "You only do that when you worry. What are you worried about?"

"...I'm sorry, Jack, I really am." She didn't need to say anything else- he knew what she was sorry for.

"Me too. I shouldn't have said that earlier. It was selfish."

She smiled weakly. She would've maybe brought up Elsa, but decided that it could wait, and for a moment pretend that Jack didn't need any other woman in his life, that he was still her little boy. He still had all his life to wait for those sort of things, and maybe in due time she'd accept it like she'd eventually have to accept Pippa growing up, too. After all, Elsa was such a lovely young lady, and Jack becoming a mature, beautiful, _beautiful _young man.

"You should get back to your friend, Jack."

He nodded, and was about to disappear into the hall when he hesitated, "You told me I need to start telling you things, but you need to start talking, too."

He left her there.

_Hurts even more._

_ She watched Jack go, and the second she thought to follow him, her phone rang_. It was time to pick Pippa up. As she gathered her purse and things she wondered why someone would need to be tutored for more than two hours. She second guessed leaving the two teens alone at the house.

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When Jack returned to Elsa, she looked pained.

"What's wrong?" He asked, and she started. She twisted around and looked at him with her left hand on her chest.

"Jackson, you scared me."

"I have that effect on people."

"Really now? You must affect me in a lot of ways."

He didn't quite understand. "Huh?"

She just laughed behind her hand again, "I recall you using that line another time, that time when we got ice cream..."

And he almost fell backwards when she stepped into him, like the way she had at lunch, and Jack was sure that she was trying to seduce him. "that you're very hard to refuse."

He flushed, but not out of embarrassment. His tongue feeling too large for his mouth, he teased her softly, "I'm flattered that you remember my exact words."

She tilted her head and hummed, grasping a fistful of his shirt but simply twisting and wrinkling it. She furrowed her brow and her deep blue eyes accused him of her next words. "You are very hard to refuse. Sometimes I don't think I'm capable of it."

Although half of his mind still buzzed from lust, he sensed her frustration and asked again, "What's wrong, Elsa."

Both became aware of the thud of footsteps sounding down the stairs, and she broke away from him, speaking in a hushed tone until the mother crossed the room with a suspicious glance their way and shut the front door behind her. "Anna knows I'm here."

"You talked to her." He guessed. She wrung her hands and opened her mouth a few times.

"Jackson, I don't know if I'll allow myself to see you anymore."

He smiled, and looked at her sadly. "Did she tell you to?"

She stilled her hands, as if just realizing what they'd been doing, and mirrored his expression. She told him, "She didn't really say anything. I was talking to her door."

Inside, Jack was screaming at himself to say something, but Elsa took the floor. "But... I told her that I'd been clueless of my mistake, and would respect her wishes. If she did not want me to see you after today... I wouldn't. Not even as friends. I'm sorry."

Jack watched her blink back tears. She stood up straighter with a new resolve, a glassed look in her eye. She helplessly croaked in the most professional tone she could muster, "Well. Good work today, but I feel I've overstayed my welcome. I'm sad to say this will be my last session as your tutor."

She tried to smile, "I won't be in ballroom, on the brightside...you don't have to put up with me stepping on your feet anymore."

"Elsa-"

"Excuse me- may I freshen myself up before I leave? Please?" She ducked her head as she tried to wipe at her face.

Jack fought with himself, and only ended up numbly nodding, leading her to the bathroom where she shut herself in. He dazedly gazed out into the living room window, where the day's earlier sunshine was wiped out by the night's winds. When she came back out she had her hair fixed into a neat bun, with a coat the color of her lips. Her red, puffy eyes distracted themselves with a concerned look at the weather, and she took a pair of gloves from her pocket.

"It's rather cold." She said meaninglessly.

"The cold doesn't bother you..." He murmured, but she didn't mind it. "I can walk you home-"

"Oh, please, don't trouble yourself." She said in a breath- _'please, don't make this harder than it needs to be'- _and held out a gloved hand for him to shake from more than a three foot distance. "It's been a pleasure, Jackson. Good night."

She left him there.

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**I'm a terrible terrible writer.**

**I'm the one writing this, and still- as much as I love her- Elsa is really frustrating me in this chapter...**

**Call me dependant, but I hate sitting alone. I always need a friend by me, and, yes maybe I'm needier than others, but I still encourage you, readers, that if you see one sitting alone, just offer them a smile, a conversation, and if they reject you it's their loss. **

**If you don't quite understand the parallelism between Jack and his mother, it is to convey her own isolation from the life she used to know, and the same pains they share.**

**Ostracism is dehumanizing- and I highly encourage you to read the article referenced if you have not before.**

**Thank you all for reading ! **

**-Jo**


	20. Truth Is

**So... I really wish I could say I had a decent excuse for my long absence... but I really don't. No busy schedule, no writer's block, no personal crisis... I was really just lazy and in fact have all of my other stories and ideas planned out... just no first drafts or really even any effort to put them down on paper... I don't know... Sorry guys. **

**And one of my friends wants me to write a Big Hero Six fanfiction with fem!Hiro. Not sure about that but I've been thinking...**

**Oh, it wasn't at all intentioned to make Anna and her defenders so hated! Well, maybe I meant it so that Bunny and Tooth do and say things over the top (I'm not a fan of the two, but still feel so guilty for antagonizing them)- but I hope you see soon that EVERYONE in this story suffers, just like how in real life everyone has their own problems...**

**but I have to admit that some reviews made me smile. and lol.**

**AND also I've made one mistake: I've forgotten to mention Rapunzel's new hair :/ but no matter. That will be fixed. **

**MsNatsumiChan, Trapid, Pam Elric, Syafiqahlshak, reddawnfox, Madison, SureSnowflake, Esmeralda22, zulka, LightMyBulb, Denise Siah, DesertSnowQueen, .Fresh, alkorn, GOHarryPotter, astrid-c-hofferson, aria, a****nd guests- Thank you for your support and reviews! You all make me so happy!**

**AND FANS OF ANNA, BUNNY, AND TOOTH who probably hate me- don't worry I'll defend their honor soon enough! **

**Again, I don't own anything**

**Warning: OOC Pitch Black**

**...**

**Chapter 20: Truth is**

**"****...**_I don't need you_**...****"**

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"Your father and I," she sighed to him that night after Elsa left, and Pip was returned home and seated by them in the master bedroom. "before Pippa was born, we still had a lot of issues to deal with."

"I just I thought we could make it work. He did, too."

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**.:.**

**.**

Children should wake up to sunny skies and songs of their mother's voices.

But a seven-year-old Jackson woke to a cresent moon the size of his toenail gleaming through the curtains of stars and his window. But in his head- he was a bright boy- he knew that hundreds of miles far out it was so big and it was so bright, seeming to chase the dark away.

Once upon a time, he woke to the grovelly yelling of Lunar Overland and his mother in tears. It was dark, it was cold, and he was scared. The tiny boy lingered by the peep of his bedroom door, half of his face shadowed by the deep darkness of his chamber, unseen and small- much too small to understand what they argued about, or some of the words he just knew he wasn't allowed to use, but he assumed it was money. That's all it normally was with adults, he thought.

It was one of those times where he swore to himself never to grow up.

_...But forever is overrated._

"I can't even look at you!" She shrieked with such hatred Jack wasn't familiar with from the earthly warm smiles and hugs that he'd seen just hours ago when she had tucked him in. The moon froze, and looked up at her from his chair, rising with a bite in his voice, "I told you it was a mistake! I screwed up! I'm _sorry_!"

"Oh, really! What were you sorry about when you did it- her? Me? Our vows? Yourself? Our family- our own fucking kid!"

"What do you want, a divorce?"

"I want you to leave. It's late and I don't have time for this shit. Find your girl and crash there." She spat, but before she could turned away, he countered.

"No- no, say it- do you want a divorce? Is that what you want?" Her mother was looking anywhere but her husband at that the time, before training on the big, watering eyes of her son. She flinched, mildly surprised and even ashamed at the time, like being seen as anything other than his sweet, cool-tempered mother was a crime. "Jack-"

"Leave your son out of this- this is between you and me."

_ "My son!"_ She scoffed, "Excuse me, but last I checked, you took part in this! How could I leave him out of this? We're family! _That_ was the deal when you married me! Jack is involved! Are you regretting it now? Will you be part of this?"

"I don't know, Frost." Lunar hissed, "How does that sound?"

She stared and there was a long, tense pause. "I... I can't believe you... You are an _asshole!_ You're kidding me- fucking kidding me! You meet some pretty nineteen-year-old in a bar and he's not your son anymore? _What is wrong with you!"_

"Go!" She choked. "_Go_- you're _disgusting! _Pathetic and _selfish _and I _hate you!"_

His father seemed fine with the suggestion, and gave his son a steely look. "Your name is Jack Frost." He turned away for the door, and said without emotion, "Take care of your mother."

His mother sobbed while Jack tucked himself back into his cold bed that night. With the slam of a car door, the shriek of tires and the break of dawn, the moon's reign on the sky was over and Mr. Overland had disappeared with the night once again. But he'd come back, Jackson believed, hoped, because his father had been the one to tell him once that the moon rose every night, the sun rose every day... Jack might've been too young to see the symbolism there, but if his wonderful, wise father said it, it had to be meaningful. So Jack remembered it, and with that he believed that his father would always come back, like the moon did.

He missed the moon, he thought as he got up for school, because when it was there, he didn't feel so scared anymore.

He had been told that the moon always came back. The sun _will_ always come back.

That was a long, long time ago.

**.**

**.:.**

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Traffic looked a lot like Christmas lights,and Jack really liked Christmas. "Jack?"

It made him think of the ice skates he's saved up and gotten for Pippa. It reminded him of the slightly over priced roses that stayed on his mother's bedside for days after. "Jack."

It made him think of gumbo and home-made powdered beignet, seashell necklaces, crazy red manes of ringlets and coppery pigtails, feathers, boomerangs, long golden locks chopped short into flouncy brown sprigs, and white-gold hair and pink lingerie. "Jack."

It reminded him of holiday Santa suits instead of pinstriped ones. It reminded him of baking pre-made grocerie store cookie dough because they didn't know how to cook and playing hockey on the frozen lake._ "Jack."_

"What?" Jack practically growled back. Whether the anger came from being interrupted from his daydreaming or simply the one doing the interrupting, he wasn't certain. His father, however, sat in front of the wheel, eyes trained on the road and not even flinching at his irrational, _presumedly_ testosterone-induced behavior. He had an ugly twist in the corner of his mouth that Jack deviously thought would be the easiest thing to slap off, but he refrained from doing anything stupid. Or stupider. Like getting out of the car in the middle of the busy streets.

"Don't talk to me like that." Mr. Overland's voice sounded abnormally husky, making Jacl squint his eyes with suspicion.

His father sighed, sounding like he had bricks lodged in his chest and a rake down his throat. He went into a coughing fit of deep, throaty chokes.

Jack tried his hardest not to care. "You've been smoking again."

"So I see you've dyed your hair." The man swerved around the topic.

"No duh."

"Jack, I'm trying, here."

"And you're failing." Jack knew he could be a little shit when he wanted to. He could only guess whom he'd learned that from.

"I picked you up from school on my own time. I could very easily dump you on the side of this road."

"You picked me up because mom was busy and I don't have a car. Then you took me to lunch against my own will, and now you want to take me to your work like I'm actually something to show off. You know, I would assume from past experience that you'd have something _much more _important to do."

"Yes, maybe-" Jack scowled because this man was _unbelievable_- " So I demand your respect!"

"Earn it, first."

The older male looked red in the face, but cooled himself down before speaking. Much to Jack's annoyance, the man sounded almost sad when he next said, "I wanted to spend time with you."

"Why?" The white haired one's voice cracked embarrassingly. "All of a sudden?"

Mr. Overland didn't even fucking look over at him when they reached a stoplight. The coward. "Let's not forget that you're _suspended_. How did that happen?"

Oh. That. Though for the fact that Jack still sat a loner at school lunches and weekends at home, he knew his mother thought that maybe being friendless was healthier for him. He pushed himself back into hockey, and with being a loner his schedule remained open for practice, meals, homework, family time, a good, relaxing sleep, and still some extra time for a new,_ healthy _hobby- _but who was anyone kidding! That _happenedout of utter boredom. And what his mother, for some reason, still hadn't realized was that when Jack got bored, he got restless, when Jack got restless, he got reckless.

Which is kinda sorta maybe how the all the girl's locker room toilets ended _filled up to the brim with fresh soil and newly planted, minature palm trees._

A storm raged under his dry skin. "No! You don't get to do that! You don't get to fucking disappear from our lives and then play parent after we've spent too much time and tears over someone like you, okay?"

"Don't talk to me like that."

"I'll treat you however the _fuck I want_. You don't own me anymore. I'm not yours." He ignored the very visible shaking of his dad's hands clenched on the wheel. His words were cruel, he knew- and immature. But this was aimed towards someone he so passionately disliked; he didn't care. Jack was fucking out for blood.

"I'm still your father! Your mother and I got _divorced_. That doesn't change anything!"

Bullshit. "It changes everything."

Mr. Overland didn't say more over the rush and hush of the cooling system grazing over their angry, flushed faces, leaving Jack an open opportunity for an escape. "I have so much shit going on and I don't need you adding to take me home."

His father exploded, though now much less furious- more and becoming more desperate."We were in love_ once!_ We were best friends _once! _We want to try being friends _now_! I will be here _now! _I will love you guys_ always! _ Doesn't that mean _anything?"_

It didn't. "Just take me home."

"Jack-"

"Take me home."

**.**

**.:.**

**.**

"Jack."

He paused, but didn't bother to _even fucking look over at him._

"I love you."

He then remembered _a small boy staying up late into the nights with his mother's sobbing and his small finger tracing small, ugly rabbits into the shear fog of his small window of his small bedroom in his own small world, awaiting daylight and for a father to come home. His wearing patience was only to get a distant fool stumbling into their small home in the dark of night, every night, refusing to provide comfort or warm kisses to his cheeks like the sun never failed to do in the mornings. Maybe then, the boy would have thought that when the moon tells you something, you believe it. _

He didn't bother to even_ fucking look over at him _before slamming the door.

_-But no. Not when the moon is muddled with clouds and smog and fog and stars and two-hundred-thirty-eight-thousand and nine-hundred miles of distance and atmosphere and gravity and space and darkness and _nothing_._

**.**

**.:.**

**.**

A death sentence in his set jaw and every twitch of his brow, toxic, yellowing dark eyes, and hair gelled back against his greyish pale skin like pins and needles, Jack easily recognized the very cleary stereotypical character of Pitch Black against the white walls where Hiccup worked: _Umai_. Pitch was looking at him with the critical sharp turn of his thin mouth and a dying cigarette butt between his fingers, making Jack feel stupid because why why _why_ did he even come up to say _hi_ like some kindergartener? Because everyone older than even the fifth grade probably knew that encountering one outside school grounds meant to turn around, hide, and pray to never be found- to avoid conversations as awkward and dangerous as this one. "I know you."

"What do you want." It was a demand, Jack noted, coming from a smelly, slick, and slimy voice that he didn't like.

"I just wanted to chat." Jack didn't sound convincing enough, apparently, and he found it sad how he had to be convincing at all to have a normal, civilized conversation with someone.

_'Don't talk to strangers.'_ His mother's voice said all those years ago. But oh well because Jack was bored and the sun was only just setting. When Jack got bored, he got restless, when Jack got restless, he got reckless.

The older- _senior_, Jack recalled- boy snorted, "No one ever _'just wants to chat.''_'

"Your name is Pitch Black, right?"

Pitch visibly winced and took a quick drag. "Ugh. That name. It's like my birth parents were setting me up for the mess I live now."

"Well. I'm Jack Frost. At least you're not a Holiday character," Jack couldn't help but understand, a dry chuckle escaping dry lips. Anna had teased him about nipping people's noses and whatnot the first time she'd learned his_ full _name. "Oh, yeah, these kinds of names are only ever fun in elementary school."

"Jack Frost. I've heard of you. You're all the senior girls giggle about. It's annoying."

"Tell me about it." Jack thought of all the gossip circling around school. "Wait, I never see you around."

"I go to school sometimes. Just not my classes. The security there is shit. Good place to hide."

Jack couldn't help but chuckle at the logic. "So I take it that right outside of a sushi bar is a good place to hide, too?"

"I come and go as I please." He did not seem the slightest bit amused, but Jack wasn't detered.

"But have you ever actually gone _inside the restaurant_?" He laughed when Pitch blatantly ignored his question, only opting to expertly flick the cigarette butt into an explosion of residue and nicotine against the wall.

"Well, come on, then." Jack knew Hiccup was inside. It was his shift about now, but Pitch looked as hungry for a decent meal as Jack was for someone to just talk to.

Jack had them seated far into the corner of the restaurant, not for privacy but more just to somehow stall from seeing Hiccup sooner than he had to. He knew it was useless, however- it_ was _Hiccup's job. When the time did come Hiccup double took at their table, giving Jack a startled, but bright, crooked grin that quickly melted off of his face at the sight of his company. He studied Pitch with skeptical observation, looking at Jack with questions swimming in his grey-green eyes.

"Hi, Jack."

"Hey."

"So you got suspended...and you're hanging out with Pitch." He quipped, but surprisingly, even in his charactistically sarcastic voice, didn't reveal any sort of judgement.

Jack had to admit he like Hiccup for this, but still had to ask hesitantly, "Is that a problem?"

"Not at all. Can I get you guys anything to drink?"

"Coke, please. And an unagi bento."

"I'll have the same but with a Sprite." Pitch finally spoke up. "As long as you don't spit in it."

"If you promise me a good tip, sure." Hiccup laughed a little awkwardly. He then said in nonchalance, "By the way, Jack, Coralee's here again- and I'm not touching the eel."

Hiccup winked, and walked away. Pitch whistled lowly, "Who's Coralee?"

Jack couldn't help the blush that splattered his face, recalling his friends' first outing with Elsa. "Just a flirty waitress."

The rest of the meal they were silent, uncomfortable- the creepy leers he got from Coralee the waitress really not helping the astmosphere at all. He was thankful though, seeing that Pitch was just as hungry as he looked, and didn't seem to care to talk as he devoured his dinner with impressive speed. It crossed his mind that if Pitch could afford cigarettes and whatever _rumored _drugs he _supposedly _collected, why not a meal?

Pitch finished his box light years ahead of Jack, and then Jack finally knew that the dark man was able to look sheepish and he wiped around the corners of his mouth with his own sleeves. "So this was on you, right? I have no intention of paying."

"Yeah, it's on me." Jack smiled. He was going to be left alone again.

"Kay." Pitch tapped his foot- like Anna _always did when she got impatient_- before getting up, about to leave, and stopping, giving Jack the most contemplative look. "So... if you ever feel like stopping by..._I guess_...my friends and I stay behind the school's nature center most days."

Jack didn't know if he'd actually be welcome among the older guy's friends, but he took it as the closest thing to a 'thank you' that he would ever recieve from Pitch Bl-

"Thank you, Jack. See you around."

**.**

**.:.**

**.**

Jack hadn't felt like going home just yet.

So. He walked a good few miles to the library.

Which was weird.

The people at the library at this time were _weird_- most of those studying for classes normally taking their things over to the_ Lucky Cat _cafe-

after realizing how fucking _weird _things get late at the library.

Why was it open so late anyway?

He tried to ignore the fear welling in the pit of his gut, and soldiered on between dimly lit towers of bookshelves, willing himself to smile and nod at those he encountered at sometimes.

After all, Jack must have been some sort of freak. Reading old comics at nine o'clock in the evening.

And maybe every other creeper here also had no where else to go.

And Ms. Teapot was just too nice to kick anyone out.

And so Jack had curled up alone on a dusty old couch, that once may have been springy and soft and warm, but Jack only felt cold as he read-

_"I think night time is dark so you can imagine your fears with less distraction."_

**.**

**.:.**

**.**

Jack had started to spend a lot of time on his own- no rules, no responsibility. It was as good as it sounded so naturally he'd grown to love it. That's why when he'd finally returned home because _"dear, it's time to wake up. The library is closing", _the last thing he should have expected was to ram hard into his dad, who'd claimed he was worried and about to go out looking for him, the second he'd opened the front door. Jack didn't have the patience to question why was still doing at his house, anyway.

The man had fussed over him like he was still his dad, bringing him into a gentle hold as he was guided to the kitchen, passing the open bathroom door to the left. Jack caught his own reflection above the sink, mind haunted with the _moon_-wide orbs that filled his sockets and the almost white ice blue that would dominate the night if all light in this small world was sucked from his reach. He flinched away from his father's grasp as though his very touched scalded him. _As if _the man hadn't already done enough damage.

"I'm fine. Just give me a second."

_Two-hundred-thirty-eight-thousand and nine hundred miles of distance _and Jackson Overland still thrived somewhere, laughing and crying, in the recesses of his own mind. Within the iced, moon-wide orbs that glowed back at him in his own reflection.

**.**

**.:.**

**.**

But

just maybe

some part of him

was thankful

for that.

**.**

**.:.**

**.**

_His father had come back (again and again and again and again) just the night after that one fight when he was just child, _drunk,_ he remembered, and every time he did he had crouched down to look him in the eyes, with tears in his own. "Jackson, Jack, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."_

_ He hugged him, but Jack realized that something in him had broken the first time he'd left, with how long he'd stayed away, and every night he'd gone back to sleep wondering whether the moon or the sun- light or darkness- would greet him the next time he'd open his eyes. His name was Jack Frost, because the moon had told him so. And then, with only a couple years of age and no other, better knowledge, he'd figured that whenever the moon told him something, he'd better believe it._

**.**

**.:.**

**.**

With the iced, moon-wide orbs that glowed back at him

Jack found a friend in his own reflection.

**.:.**

**.**

**DON'T WORRY IT'S METAPHORICAL JACK IS NOT GOING INSANE.**

**sorry it's still sad...**

**:)**

**mwahahaha**

**This chapter is to show the sudden shift in Jack's personality influenced by outside forces he has no control over- much like the underlying bitterness you can sense in the Jack shown throughout the movie, "Rise Of the Guardians", past all his joking and playful attitude. It's also to show the strain in his relationship with his father (aka the Man on the Moon). **

**next chapter will be more centered around his life at school now.**

_**if you'd all be so kind... **_

_**Please bear with me, and note that I don't have much time to write, type, or edit. The story may be a little rushed (or slow), some chapters may be a little short, there will be many typos, and this in all will not be my best work. **__**I also procrastinate a LOT.**_

_**I'm mostly doing these stories for the fun of them, so please go easy with the criticism.**_

**Thank you all for reading!**

_**-Jo**_


End file.

Frozen, Rise of the Guardians, Friendship, Romance