Reminder: Elsa doesn't know that Anna already knew about her being Chelsea for a long time. No one told her.

"I wonder if Anna's already back," Rapunzel loudly mused, strolling down the path to the main building. "Did she say anything?"

As she zipped her bag absentmindedly, Elsa answered, "No."

"What will you do if she's ba- Careful! That's slippery." Regaining her balance from nearly falling over, Rapunzel waited patiently until the blonde was by her side again. "You can't avoid each other forever."

"I'm not avoiding her."

"We don't spend time with Marshall and Ariel like we used to, and you haven't seen each other yet. If she's back, let's see if you can still say that."

"I'm always asking how she is, if she already ate, drank something warm, or if she's already sleeping- which is plain stupid because how can she reply if she was?" Her shoulders sagged and the grip she had on her notes loosened. "Ariel said she was crying and I... I want to see her, but..."

"Okay, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." With a heavy sigh, Rapunzel tucked her hands into the pockets of her coat. "I'm just worried about you two. This distance feels wrong."

"I know, Rapz. I do. And I'm sorry if you're being forced to—"

"You're not telling me to avoid anyone. Don't feel responsible that I'm spending time with you instead of them."

"Bu—"

"Hush!"

"Tha—"

"Shush!"

"Ra—"

"Shh!" A raised finger accompanied the brunette's scowl.

Ever since Anna skipped school, Rapunzel and Ariel hadn't been talking the same way they used to. Even back in the studio, there was a tension that neither of them wanted to address. Their interactions nowadays were nothing more than passive greetings and short wisecracks and Elsa blamed herself for it to Rapunzel's dismay.

"We're still friends," the girl had said when Elsa opened the topic, brushing off the worries with a wave of a hand.

But Elsa knew that there was a distance between them because of her. She had consciously asked Rapunzel to hide an important secret from both Ariel and Anna for so long; even when they were aware of how people mistreated the cousins, they went ahead and broke their trust anyway.

Why?

Because she didn't want anybody to know.

"Elsa," Rapunzel warned, a fist on her hip.

Truthfully, no assurances from anyone could convince Elsa that it wasn't her fault. This whole thing started because she couldn't face her fears after all. But seeing how her best friend would continuously insist and even scold her for thinking otherwise, a smile was brought to her lips in spite of the shame lingering in her chest.

Satisfied that she would no longer push, Rapunzel resumed the walk to the main building with her. The few students who rode the same bus were already inside the school and only a handful of teens were left on the way. As they came closer, they noticed a red-headed figure leaning against the wall, foot tapping ceaselessly on the ground with a contemplative frown on her face.

"Ariel?"

The redhead hastily fixed herself upright when she saw them. "Oh hi! Good morning!"

"Hey." Rapunzel gave the worried Elsa a sideways glance before asking, "Why are you out here?"

"I'm waiting for Anna."

"She's coming?"

"It's bad for her to skip too much."

Rapunzel cringed. "You can say that again."

Having experienced being suspended and absent for a few days, Elsa silently agreed. That being said, knowing that Anna would be back quickly made her restless as well and remember Rapunzel's words.

What would she do when they see each other?

Ariel glanced at her wristwatch. "She's incredibly late. She should've been here ten minutes ago."

"You were waiting out here for ten minutes?!"

"No! I just went out," the redhead hurriedly explained. "She texted me earlier, but..."

Worry tied Elsa's stomach into a knot. Anna's place was far from the school, but the travel wouldn't take long. If Ariel said she should've arrived ten minutes ago, then... "Y-You don't think she was in an accident?"

Ariel cracked a smile and raised a hand to placate her. "I don't think so. She knows Arendelle like I do."

"She drives her own car, right? Maybe she stopped over somewhere?" Rapunzel proposed.

"The road is slippery!" Elsa hissed, hands scrambling to keep her notes in place. "You're out here, waiting and- Where is she?!"

"Elsa, I do—" The redhead faltered as her attention caught something behind the blonde.

In her panic and thinking that it was Anna, Elsa turned around and was about to give the younger redhead a piece of her mind for worrying them. Her unplanned tirade never saw the light of day as she came face to face with someone unexpected.

Vanessa.

Her clothes were full of dirt and creases and her face was deathly pale, similar to those people on TV who barely survived a strong blizzard. Without a single word, she walked past Elsa and thrust a small notebook against Ariel's chest.

"Wha- Hey! What was that for?!"

"That idiot dropped this," she growled, ignoring the redhead's glare.

Watching the unusual scene, Rapunzel whispered, "What the hell?"

Once Vanessa disappeared behind the door, Ariel lifted the notebook to have a better look. "Wha...? This is Anna's."

"What? Why does she have it?" Rapunzel asked, referring to the senior.

Ariel tapped the tip of the notebook on one side of her lips, face screwed as she mulled over the reason. "She's here."

"Who, Anna? I thought... Wait, weren't you out here waiting? You missed her?"

"I think so. This is her journal, and she always takes it wherever she goes."

"Except now," the brunette quipped, raising her hands in surrender the moment two angry eyes locked on her. "Okay, okay, she's here! But where?"

"I don't know. I'll look for her." Right after Ariel decided, the warning bell rang. "Or not."

"Oh crap!" Rapunzel shrieked and sped down the hall. "Sorry, red! I have to go! Hope you see Anna- maybe she's already in your room!"

"That was fast," Ariel commented and faced Elsa. "Aren't you going?"

"Rapz has a thing for attendance. Either she comes in before the final bell rang or she doesn't come at all."

Accepting the reason, Ariel gestured to the hall. "We should still get inside." She led the way and Elsa trailed after her, the juniors' room being on the way to her own. Stopping in front of her classroom, Ariel peeked inside and wrinkled her nose. "She's not here."

"Why did Vanessa have it?" Elsa asked, the notebook on the redhead's grip worrying her. "What happened to Anna? If she's involved, the—"

"She's fine." Ariel clasped the notes behind her, hiding it from view. "Vanessa isn't pranking us like she used to."

"But—"

"I don't trust her, but I've known her for a long time. If she did something to Anna, she would've been very obvious about it."

Frantic footsteps resounded through the halls. The girls' attentions were immediately drawn to the corner, curious who the tardy student was. Elsa, hoping that it was Anna, was severely disappointed when Aladdin appeared. His eyes widened as he saw them and his pace slowed until he eventually came to a stop.

"Uh," he droned, glancing at the two girls who sighed simultaneously.

Ariel gently adjusted her glasses. "It looks like everybody's late today."

"Yeah, there's thick snow piled near Sunset Bridge." Aladdin hitched a brown paper bag higher when it almost slipped from his grasp. "What about you?"

"I arrived thirty minutes ago. I'm just waiting for Anna."

"Anna?" Aladdin parroted, grunting as he hitched the bag again. "Isn't she with Mars?" Baffled looks were exchanged between Elsa and Ariel. "I bumped into them outside the cafeteria."

"This early?"

He shrugged. "I didn't have breakfast." He briefly glanced at the digital clock propped on the wall. "I gotta go. See you around!"

There was a lull in the conversation and the girls didn't look at each other even as Aladdin left. Elsa's eyes were trained on the floor while Ariel's gaze was on the corner where he disappeared to. "I... I think I'll check on them," Elsa stuttered.

Without missing a beat, Ariel agreed. "Me too."

What are you doing?

Gritting her teeth, Anna allowed her bangs to fall and obscure her vision. What was she thinking, following Marshall to the cafeteria? True, there weren't many students there early in the morning, but that wasn't the problem. She was with Marshall and he saw her earlier actions. That was.

"Here."

Two cups of hot beverages were on his hands and he offered one to Anna. She was leaning against the wall on a corner with considerably fewer tables. She didn't want any prying eyes near her personal bubble.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Anna stirred the drink with false enthusiasm, gaze passing through the swirl made from her actions. If Marshall offered a warm drink before classes began, there was little to no doubt that he heard more personal things than she would like him to.

"How are you? Ariel said you were sick."

She froze. "I'm fine. Will be, until she scolds me for ditching class three times in a row."

"We're not ditching. A little tardiness couldn't hurt." Marshall chuckled and his eyebrows drew together. "You don't look good. Should you be attending classes?"

"Three days of absence is not a joke, Mars." She released the spoon and took a sip. "But thanks for worrying."

"Right."

The following hush made Anna uncomfortable and she had to conceal her unease by avoiding staring at the guy. She wanted to finish the drink, thank him, and leave the place before anything else would be exchanged between them.

"What happened?"

Acting nonchalant, Anna discreetly held her breath until she could speak without a stutter. "With what?"

"Anna, I heard those girls say they were only trying to protect you from Van. Did something happen again?"

Hearing that reason again, Anna rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I saw them ganging up on her."

"They were?" He frowned. "Why?"

"Revenge. They said she deserved it."

"And you stopped them. Why?"

It was the same question she asked herself.

Being able to see firsthand what those girls did and remembering every little thing that Vanessa had done to her and Ariel, Anna couldn't figure out why she went ahead and stopped them. She should've left those girls alone, watched them continuously harass the senior, and let everything happen.

But she didn't.

And for the life of her, she didn't know why.

"I'm sorry." Marshall's apology came out of nowhere.

"What?"

"I never had the chance to apologize."

She was genuinely confused. "About?"

"Telling you of me, of Elsa, Cindy..." He traced the rim of his cup. "About my reasons for telling you."

"I'm not sure I get it?"

He released a long breath and took the spot beside her, slumping against the wall. "I've been thinking about it since Corona—Why I told you our story."

"Oh."

"I think it was because I can tell you liked Elsa. I thought that... if it was someone who cared for her, someone who wasn't involved with us in the past, it would be easier for her to move on."

Anna gnawed on the inside of her cheek. She had similar concerns. Why did Marshall tell her? Why did he trust her with that information without consulting Elsa first? Why her, of all people? Unlike Ariel, she was a nobody to him. He didn't have a reason to.

He chuckled bitterly. "I guess I was only doing it for myself. I put the pressure on you, I think. The more I saw how sincere you were with her, the worse I felt." He thumped the back of his head on the wall. "I wish I didn't see you as an emotional punching bag, Anna. I wish I had a more noble reason for telling you."

It would be a lie if she said she wasn't hurt. Every person that she came across with, she had expected to someday use her for their own gain. That was how it always happened in the past. She didn't let anyone close because she was sick of it. Of believing and being proven how stupid she was for doing so.

"I kind of knew," she uttered weakly. "It's a family issue that I didn't have a right to know."

"Yeah, I... I'm sorry."

"It's not entirely your fault, Mars. I was curious too, and I know Elsa wouldn't say anything." I was afraid to ask her. "Maybe... Maybe I really haven't changed."

He shifted, balancing his cup. "Van?"

Feeling the rush of coldness seeping through her fingers, Anna pressed her hands firmly around the steadily cooling drink.

He heard it, alright.

Her hands felt numb and her head hurt from remembering things she tried to forget day by day. Perhaps Vanessa was right. Maybe even if things were vastly different now, there were still some bits and pieces of the past that existed. For one, there was her gullibility.

"You know," he said, "you don't have to be 'put together' all the time."

Anna flinched.

"You don't have to be perfect. I'm flawed, you know that well. Ariel is, too. Rapunzel, Elsa, our parents... We're far from perfect. You don't have to act tough around us. Nobody expects you to always be the anchor. I know I don't anymore."

Hearing those words from him stirred emotions that nearly made her waver. "Did Ariel ask you to do this?"

"Do you think she'll allow us to be late just to have a talk?"

That answered that.

A subtle smile, one side inched higher than the other, showed his sincerity. "I don't want to assume things and regret it in the future again. I just want to understand. I thought you hated Van. Why did you stop those girls from hurting her?"

Knowing where he was coming from, her gaze fell on her drink. It was already cold. She wanted to take a sip if only to moisten her mouth, but her energy was gone. She simply wanted to go home and wrap herself in a cocoon of a blanket and sleep the day away once more.

"If—" Anna hesitated. "If one day, Elsa told you she found out that Ariel only went out with you because you were in Van's group, that she dated you because of the security you could give her from them, what would you do?"

Marshall opened and closed his mouth for about three times before he licked his dry lips. "That's not true."

"She didn't discourage you from joining them even when she knew what kind of people they were." Anna pursed her lips when he tensed by her side. "What would you do?"

"I... don't know."

"It's hard to believe, right? The person you trusted the most, the one you shared your secrets with, and the one you loved... using you. It's easier to think that it's a lie." Her breath shuddered. "Don't worry. My cousin's not like that."

The growing fear in his eyes instantly evaporated, the remains of worry expanding in its place. Anna picked up the spoon and stirred her drink again.

"But I'm not as lucky as you are."

Elsa needed to find Anna, awkwardness or not. She had to see if she was alright and that nothing happened even if Vanessa had her notebook. She was on her way to the cafeteria to see if Anna and Marshall were there as Aladdin claimed them to be when Ariel broke the silence.

"Thank you. For worrying about her even after everything."

Unsure how to take it, Elsa slowed her pace. "When I remember what Vanessa did to the two of you, I can't help it. I don't want any of you to get hurt again."

A simple nod was Ariel's answer and they pressed on. A number of students were running around and trying to reach their classes before the final bell rang while there they were, resigning themselves to being late. It didn't take long for them to reach their destination and it was Ariel who pulled the door open, the hinges creaking loudly and making them cringe. They glanced around the cafeteria until they saw two familiar faces engrossed in a conversation by the wall. With a soft sigh, Ariel made her way to them. Elsa followed closely behind while not once removing her attention on the serious expressions on Marshall's and Anna's faces.

Then she heard it.

Somewhere between a whisper and a hiss.

"—Van—"

"Anna!" Ariel shouted.

For a fleeting moment, Elsa caught a glint in Anna's eyes. She didn't have enough time to figure out what it was because the girl hastily blinked them away at the sight of them. When the distance between them shortened and she finally could see Anna in her entirety, everything around Elsa came to a screeching halt.

Anna was paler and thinner than the last time they'd seen each other.

"Where have you been?" Ariel asked, eyeing the two.

When none of them gave away any desire to answer, Ariel showed the notebook to Anna. Anna gasped and fumbled with her bag, squeaking when the hot chocolate spilled from the cup that was in her possession.

"Careful." Marshall reached for her cup.

Elsa pulled out a handkerchief and ran to Anna's side, dabbing those dainty fingers carefully with her full attention. The shudder of the redhead's breath and the tensing of her muscles made Elsa hesitate in her actions and reluctantly lift her gaze.

There was a blush on Anna's cheeks when she dropped her head to the ground.

"Vanessa gave me this," Ariel informed, gently nodding to the female blonde to continue what she was doing. "She said you dropped it?"

"I—" Anna croaked, brows furrowing. "I did...?"

Ariel tilted her head and offered the notebook back. "What happened?"

Glad that the drink was no longer hot to the touch, Elsa released the mildly reddish hand. Anna, despite her earlier reaction, graced her with a subdued smile. She didn't look angry, but it dampened Elsa's mood altogether because it was clear that the girl was uncomfortable with her there.

"Nothing," Anna stammered, tucking the notebook into her bag. "The bell. We're late."

"Anna—" Elsa tried.

"Later," she said.

The smile on her lips broke Elsa's heart. Whatever that 'later' meant, it wasn't going to be anytime soon.

Elsa wanted to talk, to reach out, and to clear this suffocating air between them. She wanted to apologize, to assure Anna that she didn't mean to lie or hide being Chelsea from her and that she wasn't using her for anything. She wanted to prove she didn't deceive her, but she couldn't.

Because she did.

The final bell rang, indicating the beginning of the first classes.

"I have to go. I have a lot to catch up on," Anna excused herself and left.

Sending a questioning look to Marshall and being answered with a cryptic smile, Ariel shook her head and followed her cousin.

"Why aren't you in class?" Marshall asked once they were left alone.

"What were you and Anna talking about?"

He blinked as his question was answered by another question. "That's a secret," he said. His arms flew defensively when Elsa narrowed her eyes. "That won't work on me this time. I'm trying to be fair here, Elsa. That's between Anna and me."

"Really now?"

"Hey, hey. You were angry when I told her about you and Cindy. I just want to do it right this time."

Even when glad that he was trying to change his ways, Elsa hated how it had to happen now when she was curious about the mention of Vanessa's name in his conversation with Anna. She hadn't moved past wondering why the senior was dressed differently since school started up again or why she wasn't doing anything mean lately, but having spent months seeing what she was capable of, Elsa wanted to be alert.

"I heard you talking about Vanessa," she stated flatly. "At least answer me this. Did she hurt Anna?"

The reluctance was clear on his face and Elsa grew immensely anxious by the minute. She was about to probe deeper when he answered with a voice she often heard him use when he was sad, bothered, or troubled by something.

"No."

It was an honest response, but one she knew even he doubted.

Fun fact: Excessive crying can make you lose weight.

I guess apologies are in order, huh? I'm deeply sorry for this super late update. This year didn't start off well (it actually went terribly) and left me in a huge slump. I didn't want to post anything half-assed. As for how short this comeback chapter is compared to the previous ones, I'm trying to get back on track and I ask you to please be patient with me. ;-;

To those who are still here, thank you for staying! And to the new readers, you have my gratitude as well. It truly means a lot.