"It might come as a surprise, but things are rough all over."

Anna looks up from her dog-eared copy of Tartuffe when she hears the iconic line, taking in the scene of Ponyboy and Cherry at the drive-in. When she was younger, she always thought the two characters should have ended up together.

Sure, Ponyboy was a little rough around the edges but what greaser wasn't? And Cherry Valance...Anna used to have the biggest crush on her. She was beautiful, kind, and yet could stand toe-to-toe with anyone who tried to put her down for being a Soc.

Now that she thinks about it, Elsa kind of reminds her of Cherry. She's definitely gorgeous, so much so that Anna doesn't know how she failed to really notice her in school. Sure, they ate in the same cafeteria and walked the same halls, but Elsa never pinged on her radar before.

And she definitely isn't intimidated by Anna, which is oddly refreshing. Most people outside her circle of friends tended to avoid her (or in the case of freshmen, cower in fear). It got kind of tiring after a while, truth be told. But Elsa's different; she had no qualms about throwing an acerbic remark or withering look in her direction.

And...she wasn't afraid to hold her hand last night.

That had been the craziest thing of all, because that's definitely a romantic gesture, right? Though if she thinks about it, spending hours walking around a moonlit garden is also romantic, so what did that say about her?

A piece of popcorn sails towards her, making contact with her cheek. "Earth to Anna, is anyone there?" Hans asks. He's lounging in his seat, lazily flicking popcorn into his mouth as he awaits her answer.

Anna shoots him a playful glare. "Yeah, of course I'm here!" She stretches out across two seat cushions, glad they're spending some time at Hans' place—the Sorveigs have the coolest home theater ever.

"The question had to be asked; you haven't read a single page in the last fifteen minutes," he points out, though his eyes are now back on the screen. Anna is one of the few people who knows his favorite movie is The Outsiders and will sit with him almost any time he has it on, even if her attention is usually elsewhere.

He fires another piece of popcorn in her direction, and she responds by pelting him with M&Ms. "You never did tell me how your gardening thing's been going," he says after successfully catching a piece of chocolate in his mouth. "Does Little Anders have you working day and night?"

"Nah," Anna replies, shaking her head. "It's actually kinda fun. Except for the sunburn I now have." She frowns at one of her painfully reddened shoulders.

Hans raises a skeptical eyebrow. "So she isn't giving you any grief? I figured she'd be acting like a tyrant, bossing you around to do this and that."

"She's not like her dad," Anna says, idly flipping through her book. "She may not even like him all that much."

"Hmm," is Hans' only response, possibly a little disappointed she doesn't have any good stories to share with him. She doesn't intend on telling him about their visit to the botanical garden—it seems personal, special. Telling anyone about it might take some of that specialness away.

They're both silent until the movie finishes, though they occasionally fling snack food at each other when the moment calls for it. As the credits roll, Hans says, "My parents are going to be gone this weekend."

"Cool," Anna grins. The words are code for 'I'm throwing a party'. Hans' parties were the best Arendelle High had to offer, and Anna sometimes wonders if his parents left the house specifically so he could throw them.

"And Charlie said he'd provide alcohol, so that's one less thing to deal with. Stop by around ten on Saturday night," he tells her as he stands up and switches off the movie. He changes it to display a fighting game Anna hasn't played in years and hands her a controller. "Now, ready to get your ass kicked?"

Anna sticks her tongue out at him. "Unlikely," she boasts, scrolling through the character options and selecting a guy with tattoos and spiky hair. As her character squares off with Hans', she can't help but ask him something that's been on her mind all day. "What would you think if I joined the cross country team in the fall?"

The idea is a tantalizing one. She's always been brimming with energy, twitchy and eager to move. When she was younger, her teachers always complained about how much of a handful she was. They still do, just for different reasons.

There's a pause, with only the exaggerated kicking and punching noises from the game being heard. "Isn't that the sport where people run through mud?" Hans asks, distaste practically dripping from his voice.

Anna rolls her eyes. Despite being her partner in crime, he does tend to be a bit on the snooty side due to his upbringing. "Yes, Hans. That's exactly what it is," Anna deadpans. "So wouldn't it be perfect for me?"

Hans' character lands a killing blow on hers, and she hastily chooses to replay the match before he has a chance to gloat. "It doesn't matter to me," he answers, mashing his buttons with more force than strictly necessary. "Go ahead and do it if it's something you'd be interested in. Though I am wondering why you're bringing this up in the first place."

"Well…" Anna hedges. "It was something Elsa said yesterday. I think she was joking, but she kind of suggested I try out for it."

Hans takes his attention off the game to stare at her. "You're thinking about taking her advice?"

And with that, Anna's character kicks his head clean off.

"Yep," she says simply, leaving Hans to sputter and pick a new fighter. "And I think I might invite her to the party. She's pretty cool." The words are said without a thought, and she's about to take them back before she realizes that she means them. It would be fun to see Elsa at a party, even more so if she could get her to dance.

"Okay, what's your angle with Little Anders?" Hans asks, determined to win this round. "Are you planning on stringing her along and breaking her heart? Dating her to piss her dad off?"

"What, no!" Anna exclaims. But she takes her time to think her answer over. Her eyebrows furrow and she slowly says, "I think I just...like her." Something settles inside her with the admission, and she smiles in relief.

She likes Elsa. Not in a purely physical way, but she likes how riled up she can make her, she likes how easy it is to talk with her, and she likes making her happy.

Hans gives her a considering look before shrugging and turning back to the game. "Huh, okay. Good luck then."

It's that simple—Hans has no interest in judging who Anna might want to date, and he's not going to be bothered by the fact that the person in question is the principal's daughter.

Anna knew he was her best friend for a reason.

She punches him gently in the shoulder, and if she lets him win the next round...well, that's not something he needs to know about.

"So how long are we gonna be here for?" Anna asks after banging her head against another hanging pot. She scowls at the object in question, muttering curses under her breath.

Elsa suppresses a smile at the sight. "As long as it takes to find all the seeds and bulbs I want."

Truthfully, she's already lingered longer than necessary just to spend more time with Anna. Last night seemed like some sort of fever dream, something she may have imagined in the twilight between sleep and wakefulness. Even now, she can't picture herself unlawfully entering the botanical garden. But with Anna it seemed almost like it was the right thing to do at the time. Maybe Anna was onto something when she said she'd be corrupting her. Elsa doesn't feel as bothered by that fact as she probably should.

Anna certainly doesn't seem to be acting any different; she's just as energetic as usual, happy to occasionally push Elsa's buttons as they look through all the plants in the flower shop.

"What is this one?" Anna points at a potted bunch of white-and-pink flowers. "I saw a lot of these ones last night."

"Those are stargazer lilies," Elsa responds after giving them a quick inspection. "Do you like them?"

Anna nods, not taking her eyes off the flowers. "Stargazer…" she mumbles. There's a dangerous gleam in her eyes that Elsa is already beginning to recognize. Anna had an idea, and it probably involved another illegal activity.

Before Elsa can ask about what she's thinking, Anna turns away to fiddle with some of garden gnomes on display. "You should really get a few of these guys," she suggests, poking the creature's belly.

"And why is that?" Elsa asks, amused.

"To scare away anyone who might want to ruin the garden like a complete ass," Anna answers after a moment of thought. She finally looks directly at Elsa, her smile fainter than usual. "I don't think I ever properly apologized for the damage I caused to the original garden." Her head dips down and she scuffs the floor with her shoe. "So...I'm sorry."

Elsa can't help but run a hand up Anna's arm. "I forgive you," she says simply. A smile curves onto her lips. "You've been very helpful with the new garden."

It's true; despite some occasional grumbling, she put more than a half-hearted effort into her digging the other day, which was frankly unexpected. And there weren't any complaints when Elsa asked for her assistance at the flower shop.

But...the garden would most likely be done by the end of the day. All they needed to do was finish the barrier around the area and place the new seeds and bulbs in the ground. What would happen after that? Would Anna leave her life as abruptly as she entered it? Would she pretend she never knew Elsa once school started again?

She glances over at Anna, who's chatting with the shopkeeper, waving towards the gnomes and trying to haggle over their price. Just about all the rumors Elsa heard about her were false, so surely she wouldn't treat Elsa as someone who wasn't 'cool' enough to hang out with...right?

"I think I'm done," she says, interrupting Anna. "We can bring these back to my place and plant them." She tucks away the item she's going to purchase for Anna, determined to give it to her whether or not she ever saw the other girl after today.

Anna blinks in surprise. "Oh, okay." She turns and smiles at the shopkeeper. "You win this round, but I'll be back with a better offer."

Once all the new plants are secured in the trunk of Elsa's car, they head back to her house and start the tedious process of figuring out where each plant will be. Elsa, who would normally be able to plot a garden in no time at all, is going much slower than usual. By the time the first half of the plants are in the ground, the sun is starting to set.

Elsa stares up at the sky and wipes some sweat away from her brow. "It looks like we won't get done today after all," she says, though she can't force herself to sound disappointed by that admission.

Beside her, Anna just nods. She doesn't seem disappointed that she has to come back another day. In fact, that troubling look is back in her eyes.

"I was just thinking…" Anna starts as she takes off her gloves.

Elsa narrows her eyes in suspicion, because surely nothing good can come from that statement.

Her gloves off, Anna flexes her fingers and continues, "I was just thinking that you have like, a really nice roof. I bet you can see all sorts of stars from up there."

"I've never tried to go on the roof before," Elsa admits, not terribly fond of heights.

Anna waggles her eyebrows at her, looking ridiculous. "Wanna give it a try?"

Elsa studies Anna, wondering what she wants. "I suppose we can," she says before she realizes what she's agreeing to.

But it's too late to back out now—Anna's face positively light up. "Cool, let's go!" she says happily, walking off towards the house.

She waits for Elsa once she takes her dirty shoes off, revealing mismatched socks. "Which way to your room?"

Elsa takes her shoes off as well, swallowing a lump in her throat. Anna was going to be in her room, where her book and and posters and bed are. She tries especially hard not to think about that last item, because 'Anna' and 'bed' don't need to be thought of together. At all.

She leads Anna through the house and up to her room, closing the door and trying not to feel self-conscious about her pale blue bedspread or the motivational sayings pinned on the walls. Against her will, her eyes slide over to her desk, where Anna's bouquet sits. The flowers are already starting to bloom, healthy and strong. Elsa imagines them clenched in Anna's determined grip as she broke into her backyard for the second time that day.

Anna looks around in interest before making a beeline to the window and sliding it open. She peers out of it and then steps out onto the roof without hesitation. A pleased sound leaves her throat. "This is really neat, Elsa!"

Elsa sighs and pokes her head out the window, not surprised to see Anna already laying down against the slate shingles. Before she can think better of it, she follows Anna's example and starts to climb out her window.

But as she gets one leg out, she hears the front door open and close. She nearly loses her balance, though she manages to haul herself back inside instead of becoming a splatter on the porch below. "My dad's home!" she hisses when Anna gives her a questioning look.

Anna's eyes widen and she sits up and scrambles back into Elsa's room. "What am I supposed to do?"

Elsa's having a hard time thinking—heavy footsteps are sounding on the stairs, and it probably won't be long until he reaches her room. It would be stupid to ask her to jump off the roof, right? "Just—just hide in my closet!"

She opens the door and practically shoves Anna into the space, having never been more glad to have a walk-in closet than now. Anna topples against something lacy, accidentally pulling it off its hanger and taking it down with her.

Anna holds up the item in front of her, an impish grin on her face despite the situation. "When are you planning on wearing this? Because—"

Elsa slams the door shut, refusing to acknowledge that Anna just had to land against her one and only piece of negligee.

Not even ten seconds later, her dad knocks on the door. "Elsa, can we talk?" he asks, deep voice muffled by the wood.

"S-sure," she says, opening the door. Her dad looks more disheveled than usual, his tie is loose around his neck and his hair is ruffled. "You're back early."

He rolls his eyes. "The last few days of the conference are for sight-seeing Corona or participating in team-building exercises. I opted to fly back instead."

Of course he wouldn't want to relax and enjoy a few days off work. "Oh," Elsa replies, not sure what to say.

He surveys the room and sits at her desk. "I wanted to apologize for the way I came across at dinner the other night," he says carefully.

Elsa just stares at him. As unexpected as it was for Anna to apologize, it's even more so for her dad. Was he having second thoughts about letting her choose her own major?

He tiredly runs a hand through his hair. "I just don't think you realize how little you could do with those...degrees." He says the last word like it's a placeholder for something lesser and he doesn't want to anger her.

Her heart sinks. This isn't a real apology, this is just him wanting to get his point across. Proving her assumption, he continues on, "I'm not saying the environment isn't important. It's just with a degree in architecture or especially engineering, you can go much farther in life."

"I don't want to be an engineer, dad," she says, trying not to let her temper get the better of her, "and I don't want to be an architect. I'd be miserable."

He shakes his head. "You would love it," he argues, "You're so good at math and I've seen your drawings—"

"Those stupid sketches were for an art class, it doesn't mean I want to be an architect! You're just seeing what you want to see." Her voice is too loud and she knows Anna can hear all of this, but she doesn't care.

"Fine, Elsa," he stands abruptly. "I don't know if this is some kind of rebellious phase you're going through, but you're too young to know what you want from life."

"And you know what I want?" she fires back at him, stung by the unfairness of his words. "After this year, I won't be another student of yours—you won't be able to dictate my life and push me into something I have no interest in." She breathes heavily, surprised at how she talked back to him.

He clearly wasn't expecting this much of an argument, and he shakes his head in disappointment. "You're starting to sound like Kicklighter or one of her friends. They have no respect for authority and mark my words; they won't be going very far in life."

"I'd rather go through life happy than miserable," Elsa says quietly, resolutely, "and if that means I have to go against your advice, then I will." At that, something that sounds suspiciously like a squeak comes from her closet. "I'm tired, dad," Elsa says when he opens his mouth. "We can talk more about this tomorrow."

Despite clearly wanting to stay and argue his case, he leaves her with a stiff nod, closing the door behind him and stomping towards his room. Elsa releases a shuddering breath. She had never said such things to him before, even though she desperately wanted to.

After taking a moment to compose herself, she opens the closet door. She expects a smarmy remark from Anna, or at least some kind of insult directed at her dad as she comes back into the room.

Instead, Anna's lips are settled in a thin line. She looks unhappy, almost angry, as she paces the length of Elsa's room. Elsa just sits on the bed and watches her, unsure of what to do in the wake of that conversation.

Anna finally speaks up, her voice is barely above a harsh whisper. "To hear him talk—and he talks all the goddamn time—there's nothing you can do that's not a crime." She stops pacing when she's right in front of Elsa. "He rails against everything, doesn't he?" she asks softly.

Elsa stares at her, urging her eyes not to get teary. The stress from dealing with her dad and the worry from wondering if Anna will still want to spend time with her after gardening threaten to crash down on her. "He's difficult sometimes," she manages to say, sniffing.

Anna places her hands on Elsa's shoulders. "You were right though; you should do what makes you happy. From the sound of it, you're still going to college. It's not your fault he's such a control freak."

Elsa nods, marginally comforted by the words. "I'm sorry he said those things about you and your friends," she murmurs. "It wasn't fair."

Anna shrugs like it doesn't matter. "There was some truth in there," she admits. Then her eyes narrow and in the most determined voice Elsa's ever heard, she says, "But I can go as far in life as I want to. We're the ones in control of our lives, not the adults who push and prod us to go where they want us."

There's a pause, and then Anna releases Elsa with a small smile. "Anyways, umm...we'll be done with the garden tomorrow, right?"

Elsa feels as dazed as if someone hit her over the head. "Yeah, it probably won't take too long. My dad will be away during the day, so come over when you're free," Elsa responds once she regains her bearings.

"Alright, then I'll see you tomorrow. And don't worry," Anna adds when seeing Elsa's expression. "I'll sneak out quietly."

She makes her way to the door, but hesitates before she touches the knob. Turning quickly, she walks back to Elsa and brings her into a crushing hug. Startled, it takes Elsa a moment before she's able to return the gesture, and she loops her arms around Anna's back.

"Hang in there," Anna whispers against Elsa's hair. "It's only another year. Then you'll be off at school and you can do whatever you want."

Elsa smiles into Anna's neck. "I don't think it will be that easy; he's still my dad." She reluctantly breaks the hug. "But thank you, I mean it."

They stand awkwardly for a moment before Anna clears her throat. "Right, well. I'll see you tomorrow then."

Elsa silently walks with her until they reach the backyard, and then waves at Anna as she climbs over the fence.

Back in her room, she prepares for a long, hot shower. Once she's under the spray, she can't help but recall the sensation of Anna's arms around her. The other girl was so supportive, so sweet, earlier. She seemed so determined to make sure Elsa knew she could do whatever made her happy. She believed in her, and she didn't try to talk down to her at all.

It makes Elsa believe she really can pave her own way.

A/N: Hope you liked it! I didn't want any unnecessary/cliche drama about Hans not wanting Anna to date Elsa. If you think about it, it's more rebellious to not be super judgmental about a friend's love interest, at least in fiction.

And as a bonus, Anna threw in a Tartuffe quote during her bedroom conversation with Elsa. The original lines being, "To hear him talk – and he talks all the time –there's nothing one can do that's not a crime. He rails against everything, your dear Tartuffe." Check out the book, its humor (much like The Importance of Being Earnest) ages very well. Just make sure it's the Wilbur translation!