I'm still alive!

Elsa's eyes fixed upon the orange spot on her snowy white sweater. Even after washing it numerous times, completely removing the stain was an impossible task without the proper materials. She would have to get that fixed once she arrived home.

It was lucky for her that her parents' house was nearby. Marshall was able to get a spare sweater and come back in record time. She had her jacket, sure, but it was much too thick to use indoors.

Her sigh was deep and weary as she folded the ruined sweater and placed it inside her bag. Her thoughts went back to the events that transpired during lunch break. She had only wanted to ask what Vanessa did to Anna and if there was something she was scheming, but when that guy lunged forward and aggressively threw a plate, Elsa had to intervene.

If there was one thing she hated, it was bullying. That wouldn't change.

Elsa slung the bag around her shoulders. Classes were over and Rapunzel had gone to the restroom after telling her to meet at the bus stop outside the school.

The hall was not crowded. Most of the students had already left as soon as the bell rang and those that remained were either staying for club activities or wanting to watch said activities. Some might have the same reason as her and Rapunzel—they didn't want to join the dismissal rush.

Elsa's pace was slow and steady until the room of the Juniors came into view. Two redheads stepped out and immediately made her freeze on the spot. Anna and Ariel didn't notice her as they continued toward the exit.

She deflated.

Their talk didn't go well. It didn't even feel like they moved an inch. Anna avoided the topic altogether and Elsa was beginning to think she wouldn't be able to fix this. It was by pure luck that Anna even allowed her to get a word in, but maybe that was because Ariel was there to keep her grounded?

Maybe if I can get her to be alone...

Elsa shook her head and spun in place, deciding to leave through the side doors.

As much as she wanted to patch things up with Anna, she needed to clear her head. There was only too much rejection a person could handle in one day. Anna sitting with Jasmine and Aladdin during lunch, Anna brushing off her apologies in the locker room, and Anna running away after saying what she said—Elsa couldn't handle another one.

The cold nipped at her cheeks as she pushed the door open.

"Shit."

Elsa stopped. About five feet away from where she was standing was a girl crouching and picking something up from the dirty pile of snow. The moment the girl stood, Elsa barely managed to catch her jaw. It was Vanessa, wiping the lenses of her eyeglasses with the edge of her coat, a small thin branch sticking out of her hair.

"A- Are you okay?"

Vanessa's head turned sharply. Elsa resisted the urge to run when the brunette's eyes narrowed to slits, piercing and menacing. A few seconds of silence passed before Vanessa raised her glasses and looked through the lenses. She then rolled her eyes and mumbled something under her breath before wearing the accessory, cursing when it nearly fell again.

"Is the screw loose?" Elsa asked, taking a step forward. "My uncle can fix that. Kai from Eyes Palace?"

"Don't you dare talk about that."

"I—"

"I told you to mind your own business, didn't I? What part of that is hard to understand?" The glasses slipped and Vanessa barely captured it. "Oh for the love of...!"

"Here, let me—"

"DON'T- come closer! I can fix this on my own!" The rest of Vanessa's words were incomprehensible as she left and Elsa was unable to peel her eyes away from her retreating back once she noticed the slight limp on her steps. "Oh fuck this!" Vanessa screamed, startling Elsa back to her senses.

"What the fuck?!" Rapunzel gave the senior charging down the sidewalk a stink eye as she rubbed her sore shoulder. "Does that girl ever apologize?!" she grumbled.

"Hey."

Rapunzel jumped. "Elsa? What are you doing here?" She glanced at the direction Vanessa went to. "I was wondering what that noise was. Did something happen?"

"Her glasses were broken."

"I heard a commotion."

"She didn't want to accept my help."

"Your help?" Rapunzel raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You— Okay. Mind telling me what you're doing?"

"Nothing. She needed help and I was there." Rapunzel's eyes narrowed, causing Elsa to fiddle with the strap of her bag. "Anna is angry, isn't she?"

Releasing a soft breath, Rapunzel rubbed her temples. "She looks sadder to me. And confused, maybe? She's worried because you were hurt, Elsa, and I agree with her. I personally wouldn't mind seeing that girl get a dose of her own medicine."

"That's revenge."

"And it's normal. You were skeptical of her, too. Just yesterday, you were wondering why she had Anna's notebook. What happened? What changed in a few hours?"

It wasn't that simple; it didn't only take hours. The questions began when Vanessa stopped doing terrible things and they only grew in numbers the longer it stayed that way. Why wasn't she fighting back when students attack her? Where did that strong-headed senior go? What was it about her that Anna and Marshall were talking about? There was also the way she acted when they crossed paths at the mall; she looked friendlier and far more approachable than when she was at school.

"Did you see Anna's face when she asked why I went to Vanessa?" Elsa asked.

"As I've said, she looked confused. Like anyone else in that room."

"More than anyone."

"What does that have to do with it?"

"I don't know. I have a feeling... something happened between them."

"Something has been going on since we met them, Elsa," Rapunzel hissed, raising a hand in a frustrated manner on the empty sidewalk. "And now you're helping her mortal enemy. What were you expecting?"

"I don't like seeing anyone hurt. You know that."

"Even if it's Vanessa?"

"Even if it is her. All this revenge and hatred going around, are they really necessary?" Elsa glanced at the gate where the senior disappeared to. "I know it's normal that people want revenge. I know she hurt a lot of people. She even hurt me. But... there is something about her, Rapz. I just can't put my finger on it."

Rapunzel crossed her arms and eyed Elsa carefully. "What happened to 'accepting that you'll never understand what's running inside a bully's head'?"

"Don't you think it's weird?" she asked, snapping her attention back to the frowning brunette. "Vanessa hasn't done anything to hurt anyone since this year started. Why? And then there's that thing with Anna's notebook. Anna said nothing happened, but what if she's just saying that so that I'll stop talking? Because she's been avoiding me and—"

"If you start being friendly with the person that made their lives miserable, of course she'll question it! You're Elsa. She trusts you."

Regret twinged in her chest. And I lied to her. "Rapz, I know it's confusing. I don't even know what I'm doing. It's just... I can't shake this feeling. I feel like there's... there's something."

Rapunzel stared at her quietly and, after letting out a long controlled breath, took a step back. "She knew," she said.

"What?"

"She knew about you being Chelsea." Before Elsa could point out that Anna did know because she already admitted it, Rapunzel raised her palm. "When you were in the hospital, your parents came while she was there. They called you by your real name."

"W- What?"

"We didn't know how to tell you."

"'We'?"

"Olaf... and Sen."

Time slowed and something clicked. Elsa remembered the day she moved to Olaf's apartment. He told her that he saw Anna in the hospital and he also swore that he kept quiet about her. From there, her thoughts jumped to Rapunzel's hypothetical questions.

[What if she already knew? What if she knew that you were Chelsea from the start?]

Elsa swallowed, forcing the words out. "You lied to me?"

Rapunzel looked away with a pained grimace. "Els—"

"How long were you planning to keep it?!"

"Elsa, please. Back then, it didn't feel like the right time."

"Rapz, you decided things for me! Again! You kept it because, what? Because I can't take it?! Tha—"

"You didn't see yourself unconscious! You didn't find yourself near the river, cold and injured!"

Since they had been friends, there was never a time when Rapunzel ever raised her voice at her. It was not something Elsa ever thought would happen and it left her stunned. Her panicked thoughts and rising anger stopped building in the face of this unfamiliar situation, but they didn't diminish.

"I know how this looks. I know you don't want people assuming your feelings for you, and I'm sorry we did it again. But we were worried after that fight you had with your parents. What do you think would happen if we told you that time?"

Elsa licked her lips and began chewing on her fingernails. "Did you tell Anna to keep quiet?"

"No! I just asked her to leave you alone if she wasn't serious about being friends. We weren't exactly getting along back then."

"Then why didn't she say anything? It's been months since the hospital and her brother doesn't even know about it yet!"

"I thought she was waiting for you to be strong enough and admit it." Rapunzel pursed her lips, her gaze passing through Elsa's shoulder. "But now I don't know. It doesn't make sense for her to avoid you like this."

As Elsa laid on the bed still wearing her outside clothes, her thoughts filled with everything Anna. The sweater remained stained inside her bag and she seriously needed to get up and clean it. Maybe later. She hasn't exactly been in the mood since finding out that Anna knew about it all along.

Why didn't she say anything?

Elsa had been asking the same question over and over again ever since Rapunzel told her about it. She once thought that if Anna found out she was Olaf's cousin, everything she had worked hard to hide would come undone. What she couldn't understand was why Anna kept silent this whole time. No matter how many times she flipped her head over it, the only conclusion she could come up with was that Anna thought she wouldn't be able to handle the pressure.

[I believe in you, Elsa, even if you find it hard to trust yourself]

She groaned, grabbing a pillow and stuffing her face on it. Her heart ached the more that particular moment on the porch replayed in her head. It was the first time someone had said something like that to her. At the time, she appreciated it. Right now, she doubted it.

That wouldn't do.

Elsa didn't like doubting Anna's words. Anna had been honest with her since the very beginning. From the first time they met at the school hallway up until... this, she never lied. Why now?

If Rapunzel was telling the truth, then Anna already knew way before Elsa admitted to it. A little white lie? Maybe she had a reason. Most of the people in Elsa's life had their reasons for leaving her unaware of things. Was Anna's reason the same as theirs?

I hope not.

It would go against Anna's words on the porch if that was the case, which would bring Elsa back to the same cycle. She could doubt her parents and Marshall because they had hurt her before, but Anna never did. That, and Elsa simply couldn't bring herself to think badly of her.

She removed the pillow from her face and stared at the blank space of the ceiling, her arms stretched limp on the bed. "Anna..."

There was a beep coming from her phone on the nightstand which she decidedly ignored. Tried to. Elsa huffed and reached blindly for the device without leaving the comforts of the bed.

It was a message from Rapunzel, asking how she was doing.

Suppressing another groan, Elsa placed the phone back on the stand without replying and forced herself to go to the kitchen and grab a glass of water. After a couple of drinks, she went to the living room where her uncle was drinking a mug of tea while watching the latest news.

He nearly choked when he noticed her. "Elsa, you startled me!"

"Sorry!" Elsa quickly rubbed her uncle's back until his breathing evened out. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes, that feels better. What's wrong?"

"Wrong?"

Kai tugged on her wrist, dragging her down to his level, and poked the middle of her eyebrows. "These things are suspiciously close to one another."

Inwardly, Elsa chastised herself for letting her emotions appear on the surface. Her uncle let go of her wrist and grabbed the remote to mute the show and she took that as a sign to sit on the opposing couch still at a loss for words.

"Well?" he urged after a minute of silence.

Her eyelids slid shut as she counted one to ten. When the overwhelming feeling dulled, she opened them again and swallowed past the rough ball lodged on her throat. "Do you remember that song I wrote after graduating from Junior High?" At his encouraging nod, she continued, "And the guy who heard it?"

"Senya's senior. What about him?"

"He's... He's Anna's brother?" she asked more than said, trying to see if her uncle knew about it as well. Judging by the way his mouth practically hit the floor, she guessed wrong. "When I came over to their house, I told her I wrote that, and now she's avoiding me."

"Really? Anna's avoiding you?" He placed the mug on top of the mini table when she confirmed with a nod. "When did you find out that she's the sister of this guy?"

Guilt embraced Elsa as she said: "Days before we bought Ariel's glasses."

"Hm. That complicates things. If you've known for that long and only told her about it recently, she's going to need some time to think it through."

"That's what I thought, too." Elsa poked her thumbs together. "But today, Rapz told me that Anna already knew about it since I was hospitalized."

His lips tightened. "And she's still avoiding you?" She nodded. "Is her brother trying to get you to play?"

"He doesn't know."

"What? Why?" He folded his arms across his chest as Elsa shrugged. "Have you talked to her about it?"

"I tried." Elsa slumped on the chair and absently toyed with her fingers. "Is it hard to trust me?"

"Where did that come from?" He stirred to face her fully and crouched, placing his elbows on his knees. "Of course not. Maybe Anna's just going through something right now and she can't tell you about it yet. It doesn't necessarily mean she doesn't trust you."

"I know, but it's not just about that." Elsa lowered her head. "Ever since Cindy died, it's like nobody thinks I can take care of myself even if I try."

"What makes you think that?"

"Olaf lied to me about Anna not knowing. He even promised he didn't say anything. And Rapz... She said it was difficult to let me know and that they were worried I wouldn't be able to handle it at that time."

"Would you have?" Elsa opened her mouth, but the words remained stuck at the tip of her tongue. "You have a right to feel sad or angry."

"But...?"

"But they did let you know. The circumstances might not be ideal and maybe if some things didn't happen, they wouldn't tell you at all. But it's out there now. Rapunzel told you. And am I right to assume you already talked about it?" Silence. "You didn't?" He grabbed the mug again and swallowed what remained of his tea. "You should. It'll be better if you let them know how you feel about this."

"I... I guess," she said, watching him reach for the remote. "Uhm, one more question."

"Yeah?"

"Do you—" She paused, wondering whether or not it was the right time. "The collector of glasses? The girl with long brown hair and pointed eyes?"

"Van?"

The nickname basis caught Elsa off guard. "Yes, Vanessa."

"You know her?"

"She goes to Arendelle High." Elsa let the information sink in before clearing her throat. "Does she go to the shop on a specific day? A schedule? Like if... if she's coming back on what day."

"If I remember correctly, she's supposed to pick up that new pair in a day or two. Why?"

"Can you give me a call if she's there?"

"Why?"

"It's important." Elsa barely managed to hide a squirm under his watchful gaze. "There's something I need to talk to her about that can't be discussed in school."

He hummed, tapping his pointer on the remote. "What is it about?"

"It's... private."

"Private matter?" He rubbed his chin. "Does Anna have competition? Van is a sweet girl, but Anna already grew on me. I know you're in a rough patch right now, but you two should stay strong. No one said having a relationship is going to be easy."

It didn't take long before Elsa realized what her uncle was implying. The colors drained from her cheeks and quickly, she raised her hands defensively. "Wait, no! That's not- Anna and I am not- I don't see Vanessa like that!"

"Like what?"

"Roma—" Elsa's eyes widened when he saw the upward quirk of his lips. "You're teasing me."

His eyes crinkled at the corner as he slapped his knees and doubled over on the couch. "S- Sorry, I had to grab the chance!"

"You didn't have to!" She hid her face behind her palms.

"I wouldn't be your uncle if I didn't embarrass you from time to time! It helped you relax, didn't it?"

"Ugh!"

"Alright, I've had my fun!" He sucked in a lungful of air and fixed himself upright. "So about Van. I can't promise anything, but if I do give you a call, don't scare her off! She's one of my best customers."

"She's only been your customer for a month."

"And she's been loyal for that month."

The comment made Elsa wonder how many pairs Vanessa bought in a month to be considered loyal. Better yet, how many glasses did she lose or break within that time frame? "I'll be careful," Elsa promised, pushing on her knees and standing up. "Thank you, uncle."

No perspective from Anna on this one.