The lunch bell rang, and Anna watched the clock as her class filed out. In less than six hours, she was supposed to be meeting Esmeralda. She hadn't expected it to be an issue. Moana was supposed to have taken care of that the night before. They were going to be official, and the incessant need that had not left her since Elsa's visit would have been satiated. Instead they'd cuddled and saved any discussion of their relationship for later. You sound like a horny teenager, Anna. She wasn't so much scared that she'd try to leap into bed with her former lover, only that her current situation would make things as awkward as possible and that she could end up making a decision that she'd regret. I'm going in circles.

I should cancel. That's the only logical conclusion. At least until I'm feeling a bit more stable in my relationship. I just can't be alone with her. She groaned. She hated how she sounded. She doubted even the hormone-riddled kids in her class were going as crazy as she was. Wait, that's it. I can't be alone with her.

She charged out of her classroom, avoided bowling over a few teenagers, and knocked on a door.

"It's open," came the reply from inside.

She flung it open and slammed her palms onto Giselle's desk. "Wanna hang out with Esmeralda and me tonight?"

Giselle lifted an eyebrow at her. "Huh?"

Right. Context. "We're trying to be friends again, but I don't think I'm ready to be alone with her just yet. I know we weren't together for too long, but she was my first real crush – wow, that sounds horrible to Kristoff – so it's just still a little tough for me. So, be our buffer? Nani's babysitting."

"Does that mean that she can't be the buffer or that Olaf can't?" She eyed her suspiciously.

"Both?" Anna offered her most pitiful look, using an exaggerated version of the pout she'd perfected when she was younger. "Pretty please? I'll pay for your dinner."

She sighed. "Fine, but I have to cancel on Jack."

"Can't you just leave him tied up?"

"I can still take it back."

Anna took a step back. "Sorry. I don't know how it works. But you'll come?"

She grabbed her lunch from under her desk and opened it, revealing a wrap and some homemade chips. "I'll come. Now are you joining me for lunch or are you going to let me enjoy the food my boyfriend made me in peace?"

"Can I have some?"

Giselle hands her a chip.

Anna devours it in a single bite. "Fine, I'll go tell Esme the plan's changed. Do you have a good excuse I can offer?"

She shrugged and popped another chip into her mouth.

Anna grumbled and walked out.

She hesitated before her hand hit Esmeralda's door. She wasn't sure what she was scared of. The door opened on its own. "Oh, hey, Anna." Esmeralda stood in the doorway, staring at her, stopping mid-stride.

How am I even going to explain this? 'Hey, Esmeralda, I don't trust myself alone with you, so I invited Giselle to come with us.' Please say that's not actually what I'm going with. "So, did you figure out where you wanted to go today?" They continued standing in the doorway. She's probably going somewhere. Anna steps to the side.

Esmeralda doesn't move. "There's a restaurant I've been wanting to try out. I figured we'd probably just do that, maybe get some ice cream. If that's all right with you?" Anna chose to interpret this as 'If that's not too datey.'

"No, that sounds great. What kind of restaurant. Oh, is it okay if Giselle joins us? I was just talking to her and I kind of," she averted her gaze, hating how ridiculous her excuse sounded, "invited her."

Esmeralda studied her. "Uh, yeah, that's fine. She's kinda cool. I never really got the chance to spend much time with her."

I guess that's true. She's hung out with me and Nani a couple times – long before anything romantic happened, but I never really did introduce her to Giselle. I guess I just assumed they'd know each other. Their classrooms are right next to each other. "She's really cool. I think you two would actually get along really well." Is it rude to compare BDSM and polyamory? I mean they're both weird, and new concepts to me, but I don't want to stick my foot in my mouth on the subject – again. She shuddered, unable to shake the image of just how offended Giselle had looked when she asked about it when they were at Round Table Pizza. Don't say 'you're both kinky freaks.' "She's big into an alternative lifestyle as well." Why did I say that?

Esmeralda's look grew more quizzical. "Anna, you are too. Did you forget that you're gay?"

"No, not like that!" We should not be discussing this in the middle of a high school's hallway – for so many reasons. She grabbed Esmeralda's hand and dragged her into the classroom.

"Then just what do you mean?" she asked as Anna closed the door behind them. "Are you trying to set us up?"

Anna's eyes widened. She ignored the touch of jealousy. "No, Giselle's straight, I didn't mean it like that. I just think you two could be good friends. She's really cool."

"Still sounds like you're trying to set us up."

"I'm not!" Anna sighed. "Just meet her. It'll be great."

"All right." She continued to eye Anna suspiciously. "I guess we can all grab dinner." Anna didn't want to believe it, but she could swear that she looked disappointed. We both knew this wasn't a date. We don't work as a couple.

"Sounds great," Anna replied with as much forced cheer as she could muster. "Text me the address and we'll see you there."

A few hours later, Anna sat in the passenger seat as Giselle parked them in front of a ramshackle looking restaurant, with its name barely legible on a hand-painted sign. "Is she gonna sell our organs? I mean you two did end things kinda badly."

Anna glared at her friend. "We did not. She just likes interesting places. I'm sure the food is good."

"I thought she hadn't tried it yet."

Anna stared at the deathtrap of a building. "Maybe it's not so bad on the inside?"

"If I see a single cockroach, I'm leaving."

Anna looked around to see if there were any on the outside. "We're just overreacting."

A motorcycle pulled up beside them, and the driver kicked out the stand, climbing off of the bike. She took off her helmet to reveal herself as Esmeralda. Crossing the distance between the two vehicles in a single stride, she knocked on Anna's window.

Anna jumped, but managed to collect herself enough to roll down the window. "Hi."

"Hey." Esmeralda smiled at the driver. " Hi, Giselle."

Giselle waved.

"You look nervous." Esmeralda smirked at them. "I swear, I've heard great things. Don't judge a book by its cover. Really, Anna, you're an English teacher." She winked at her. Anna refused to accept that her heart fluttered.

"I thought it looked great," Anna lied.

"Just come take a look inside. If you're still too scared, we can go someplace else."

Neither Giselle nor Anna could come up with a justification to not go with that plan. They reluctantly followed Esmeralda inside. Anna sees a sign, set proudly against the wall, advertising one of their more interesting food items. "They serve tongue?" Anna asked, aghast.

"They have a surprisingly extensive menu," Esmeralda replied, studying it. "I haven't had cow brain in years."

Anna felt bile rising up in her throat. Just where the hell had she let Esmeralda take her. Organ theft is starting to sound both less scary and somewhat appropriate. "Do they have normal food?"

Esmeralda handed her a menu and another to Giselle. "They have food I'm pretty sure you could both stomach. Just smell that air though, the spices, the meats, the fresh baked pitas, everything smells amazing. It's even better than I'd heard."

Anna just smelled entrails. "Yeah, it's pretty great."

Giselle sniffed experimentally. "It's not that bad. Definitely not as bad as it looked outside."

"Tell you what, I'll buy That way if you hate it, you're not out anything."

That deal was enough for the two other high school teachers. Neither one of them were capable of turning down a free meal. "Yeah, that sounds fine," Giselle offered.

"I guess," Anna agreed, looking over the menu. They had gyros, she'd already learned that she liked those. Maybe some falafel?

"I could go for some shawarma. Though I doubt it's half as good as the one Jack made me."

"Who's Jack?"

Anna could see the mischievous glint in Giselle's eyes. She knew just how open Esmeralda was from what Anna had told her. "My boyfriend," she replied, after a moment's consideration. Good, I want to at least have my food before we get into that discussion.

"So what're you two getting?" They were now at the front of the line.

"Chicken shawarma," Giselle told the cashier. "And a diet coke."

"We only have RC."

"That then."

Anna chewed on her lip. She didn't want to seem too boring to her old flame. "I'll have a lamb gyro and some baklava?" She pronounced it as something closer to 'back lava,' but both Esmeralda and the cashier managed to refrain from laughing. "And some water."

He nodded. "And you?"

"How's your brain?"

He laughed. "Probably a bit damaged at this point, but I think it still works okay."

She gave him a playful smile and Anna gritted her teeth. "I know the feeling there. Oh well, what's the point in having one if you're not gonna abuse it? I'll have a cow brain gyro."

He smiled back at her. "All right. That'll be sixteen-fifty."

She paid and led them to a corner booth. "He's kinda cute."

The grinding of Anna's teeth only increased. I have a girlfriend. I think. Do I? I mean we're dating. I'd certainly be jealous if she got together with someone else, but clearly I can say that about Esmeralda too. She only smiled in reply.

Esmeralda leaned back in the seat, her hands behind her head. "So, Giselle. Tell me about yourself. It's been a while."

Yes, perfect. Give me some time to be a little less crazy. "I could say the same to you. I haven't talked to you in ages, not since you broke my poor girl's heart." She threw a protective arm around Anna. I regret everything. I should've brought Nani.

Esmeralda sat up, meeting Giselle's glare. She fidgeted with her jacket. "I – I'm sorry."

"I was really rooting for you two."

Esmeralda took a sip of Anna's water. Anna could see the fear in her ex's eyes. She had not been expecting that. She shouldn't have been expecting it. We're trying to make our friendship work again.

"Giselle!" Anna interjected.

She waved her off. "I'm not going to beat her up or anything. I just need her to know that I'm not okay with how she handled things. I can move past it, but I can be pretty protective of you, and I don't approve of anyone hurting you." I swear, she's almost as invested in my relationships as I am.

"I'm gonna go refill her water, and maybe grab one for myself." She had managed to drain the cup under Giselle's grueling gaze. "I'm sorry, Anna."

Giselle crossed her arms.

When Esmeralda returned a minute later, Giselle seemed to have relaxed some. "I hear you helped her pick out where to take Moana on their first date. It sounded like it went pretty well, so I suppose I should thank you for that. I just want her to have a nice healthy relationship. She deserves it after all that time with Kristoff." She just managed to insult Kristoff and Esmeralda with a single sentence. This was a FANTASTIC idea.

Esmeralda nodded. "I care a lot about Anna. We weren't good for each other, but I'm hoping that Moana can be good for her."

"She's definitely up there in who all I think would be best for her."

Anna gaped at Giselle. No. No no no no no no. You are not telling Esmeralda about her! "So, like I was telling you earlier, Giselle is kinda like you. Not the poly thing, I don't think, I mean she does flirt with me a lot, so maybe, but Jack's not exactly just her boyfriend." She gave Giselle an imperious glare. Take that!

She smiled back at her. "Yeah, he's my slave."

Anna's jaw dropped again. Why am I the only person here with any shame?

"Oh, cool." Esmeralda's face lit up. "I've only messed around a little bit with that stuff. So that's what Anna meant by 'alternative lifestyle' earlier."

"Did you really say that?" Giselle turned to Anna, who promptly shriveled under her gaze.

"Well, I wasn't sure how else to say it. I didn't want to say anything too bad. I still remember how badly I missed up last time."

She shook her head. "You sound like an Evangelical or something."

Anna pouted.

"Hey, plenty of them are closeted gay people too," Esmeralda chimed in. "You fit in perfectly, Anna."

"I'm not closeted anymore," she whined. "It just took me a while."

"You were thirty." Giselle rested her hand on her shoulder. "We're all really proud of you for finally figuring it out, but 'it took me a while' is the understatement of the century."

Her pout grew, her lower lip protruding as she lowered her head to look up at them. "We all come out at our own pace."

"Yeah, I still remember when I finally realized it. I was twelve, I felt so dumb. It was obvious in hindsight, the way I felt about Scary Spice, but it just took me a while."

Anna glared at her.

"No way." Giselle's hand slapped the table. "I had a huge crush on Posh Spice."

"You're bi?"

She shook her head. "I mean women are cute, but I don't think I'd ever be up for going that far. Though maybe with Posh Spice." She turned to Anna before quickly mouthing 'or Elsa.'

She hadn't even let herself think that name in several days, and was overwhelmed by just how jealous that made her feel. She glared back at her friend. "And just what do you mean by that?"

Esmeralda looked between the two of them, clearly confused.

"Well I mean if you're not going to go after her." She smirked. I thought she was dropping this. I have Moana. I'm fine with just Moana. I mean Moana is great and she's not 'just Moana' she's amazing. A memory of Elsa holding her on a couch in front of a fire flooded her mind. She remembered waking up next to her. She swallowed and shook her head, trying to force the memory away.

"Don't be weird."

"What's up?" Esmeralda was still studying the two of them.

A tray of food was dropped in front of them. "Your food's ready. I threw in a couple extra baklava for you, and some chips and hummus." He winked at Esme.

She fluttered her eyelashes in return. "Thank you. You're too sweet," she studied his nametag, "Aladdin. That's an interesting name."

"My mom loved Arabian Nights." He shook his head. "I hated it so much growing up."

I may actually die of jealousy between Giselle and Esme's bullshit. This is just so ridiculous. I have Moana! I don't care who's seeing Esmeralda or – her heart skipped a beat – Elsa. I'm happy just where I am. Moana is amazing. I can't wait to see her next week.

"Earth to Anna." Esmeralda waved for her attention, the sandwich still in her hand. Brain splattered onto her plate. Anna watched it intermingling with the meat of her gyro. Can I bring myself to try it? "You've been spacing out for a bit."

"Sorry." She shrugged and picked up her sandwich, staring at the tiny bit of cow brain and trying to decide if it was worth it to pick it off, or if she could be as brave as she wanted to be. I'm starting a new life. My life. I can handle anything. She bit into the sandwich. The lamb was great, but the bit of cow brain was almost enough to make her hurl.

"Everything okay?"

Giselle looked at her with obvious concern. At least they're not torturing me anymore. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a lot going on right now. Also I just ate a piece of cow brain and it was horrifying. I don't know how you do it." She stared at Esmeralda with something between awe and horror.

She laughed in response. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay." She took another bite, with only the lamb and toppings. She could definitely see why someone had recommended this place to Esmeralda.

"Did you have a crush on any of the Spice Girls?" Giselle asked, finally taking them back to the conversation their food had interrupted.

Anna shrugged. She hadn't really been too into them when she was younger. "Baby was cute?" she offered. She wished that figuring herself out had been that easy.

Giselle shrugged. "She was all right."

"You're straight!"

"She was definitely the least interesting," Esmeralda added. "Now I'm a little concerned about your taste in women."

"I have great taste." She stuck her tongue out at Esmeralda before taking another bite of her food. "That cashier clearly agrees."

She blushed. "If I was on my own I'd have already taken him to the freezer for a quickie."

Anna resisted the new rush of jealousy, focusing on Moana. She was over Esmeralda. She was just being silly. "Well don't let us stop you."

She looked like she was genuinely considering it for a moment. Her eyes lingered over the man at the counter. "Nah, it can wait. I'm spending time with friends. I don't do that nearly enough. I have missed you, Anna. And I suppose you seem pretty cool so far, Giselle."

Anna is pretty certain that if it wasn't for how badass Esmeralda looked in her biker outfit, that Giselle would have been offended. Instead she replied "Thank you. You're pretty cool too." She is the bi-est straight girl.

"You handling everything all right since the divorce?" Esmeralda asked out of nowhere. As she always does. "I know you said that it's good and that Olaf is managing really well, but what about you? You going to need us to start chipping in with groceries? You know we would, right?"

Giselle nodded. "I know that it's what you wanted, but it has to be tough to adjust to. I don't know what I'd do without Jack helping out." How the hell did we get on this topic?

"Can we go back to the Spice Girls discussion? I'll find pictures and come up with a better answer."

"No, you've made your choice there and deeply lost our respect." Esmeralda beamed at her. "Now tell the truth. How are you doing?"

She blew out a breath and pouted at her friends. This was not fun. She was hanging out with friends, it was supposed to be a chance to take her mind off of things. And to prove that she could actually make her friendship work with Esme and wasn't at all a jealous wreck for no reason. "It's definitely tougher," she admitted. "I miss having someone to drop Olaf at school in the morning. I'm going to Monday and Tuesday, since I'll have both of them, but it'll make me late - I just don't trust Lilo without adult supervision in my house. But I am okay, really. You don't need to worry." She did some mental calculations for her bank account. With Kristoff's child support she had enough to cover everything, but it would be close. "I'm fine."

They didn't look like they believed her. "Your house has to cost a fortune," Giselle announced. "It's a pretty nice place, and now you're paying for it on your own."

"It's not that bad."

"Are you really going to tell me the mortgage isn't an issue?"

Anna shrugged. She'd been avoiding this topic the best she could. "Guys, please, stop. I'm fine. I'll manage. Maybe I should just work over the summer instead of visit -" shit, I haven't actually told Giselle that yet. She's just going to keep bringing it up. "My sister." I meant to say Moana! That one is also true. I can't correct it, that'll just sound worse.

A Cheshire grin slowly spread across Giselle's face. Yep, I'm hearing about that on the ride home. Hopefully she can actually wait until then. "Don't be ridiculous, Anna. We'll help you. We can chip in for groceries, take you out to eat, whatever you need. And you know I'm always up for babysitting."

Esmeralda nodded and gave Anna a toothy smile. "Of course we will." She pulled out twenty fives from her wallet and handed them to her. "Here, this ought to cover your next week's groceries." Why does she have that many fives?

Giselle stared at her, her eyes narrowing. "I didn't realize we were doing this right now. She pulled out her own wallet. "I don't have any cash. Esmeralda, who the hell has cash? Let alone a huge bundle of fives. I swear I saw a bunch more behind that." She gets me.

"The food cart owners lose money when they use their credit card apps and Voodoo Doughnuts is cash only. I'm not missing my cock and ball doughnuts."

Giselle's mouth opened, her jaw hanging there as she considered this information. "Their bacon maple doughnut is really good." She pulled out her phone, shaking her head. After tapping at it for a minute, she announced "There, I just transferred you $150." She held her head high, looking down at Esmeralda as if to say 'I'm the better friend.'

Anna just stared at the two of them.

Esmeralda glared at Giselle. "Well I'll babysit too. He can meet my goats."

Anna had to give it to her there. As strange of a place as Esmeralda's commune was for her son, she and her goats would be amazing. For Olaf. Not cause I want to pet goats. I mean I do want to pet goats, but I just think it'd be fun for Olaf. "I am definitely taking you up on that."

Esmeralda grinned. "Awesome! I've always wanted to be the cool aunt. I shall teach him the ways of the world."

"Just no drugs."

Esmeralda rolled her eyes. "Obviously."

"You let Snow White do drugs, it's a valid concern."

"She's fifteen. He's like, what? Four?" She dipped a chip in the humus and took a bite. "I'm far more responsible than that."

"He's five."

She shrugged.

Anna finished off her gyro. Seriously, this is so good. "Thanks, you two. So much." She put the money in her wallet. Seriously, who has this many fives? They finished off their meals, Giselle answering a few questions about her lifestyle and Esmeralda doing the same for her. Anna just focused on the baklava. She had already learned more than enough about both. I just want Els - Moana. I just want Moana. I don't need anything weird, just her. She's amazing. And holy fuck she looks good in her suits. Yep, gay for Moana. Glad that's settled.

Outside, Esmeralda gave Anna a kiss on her cheek that made her shudder. Moana. Definitely Moana. She climbed back onto her bike and waved at them. "See you tomorrow!" She revved the engine and sped off away from them.

"So, you're seeing Elsa this summer?" Giselle steepled her fingers, grinning at Anna over her fingertips. "Tell me everything."

"There's nothing to tell," Anna admitted as the climbed into Giselle's Nissan. "We haven't even talked yet. I've been too scared. I'm actively avoiding my sister's calls, and yet I somehow think I can manage visiting her. I love her so fucking much. Moana is amazing, but she's not Elsa. I think I could love her, I think she could be perfect for me. I just can't manage to stop thinking about Elsa."

Giselle pulled Anna into a hug. "It'll be okay, honey. I promise. Either you and Moana will work out, or Elsa will finally realize how she feels about you and you two can be together."

Anna looked up at her, wiping her eyes. "You really think she has feelings for me?"

"I think she'd be crazy not to." She squeezed Anna's shoulder. "You're an amazing woman, Anna, and both of them are lucky to have you."

Anna leaned against her as they drove, trying to take what more comfort she could from her. "I just need to get over this. We can just be sisters. That's all I really want."

Stopped at a light, Giselle squeezed Anna's shoulder. "You are sisters. Other than one little freakout, you managed to last two whole weeks with her. By then you'll be comfortable enough with Moana that you won't even have trouble with Elsa. No matter how much I might wish that you would. You're really cute together."

"I'll try. I mean being around her, not getting together with her. I just can't. I'm not ruining her relationship. I don't care how badly I want it, I don't care that I ache for her, I'll resist. Moana is amazing, and I'm so happy with her."

"I know you are. She's good for you. You'll be fine."

Anna nodded, clinging to her friend's arm. "Thank you. I just need to hold it together for this phone call on Saturday. Then I'll see Moana and she'll put Elsa out of my mind again. When I'm with her, she really is all that I want. I just need to be with her more and it'll be better."

Giselle held her for a while after they parked. Olaf was spending the night at Lilo's so Anna didn't have anywhere to be. She just let her friend sooth her worries. She'd take Sven for a walk when she felt a little better.