"But Rapunzel, everyone already thinks I'm a freak." I say flat out to the chorus teacher at school. I sit on the piano bench in the back of the chorus room, while Mrs. Rapunzel Corona sits across from me on a table. I feel safe in this room, I feel like I could be myself. I love the chorus room, I'm in here every day, yet I'm not in chorus, although I can sing to beat the band. The reason I'm here, is because it's the only place I can talk. Literally. Everywhere else in this hell of a school, I pose as a mute. It's not like I need to talk, nobody ever tries to start up a conversation with me. So on the rare occasion someone has ever spoken to me, I just brushed them off, signaling random words in sign language. Most get the message. But another thing is, Rapunzel is more than just a caring teacher, she's my cousin. And, she's the only one in this hell hole that knows what I can do. I can manipulate snow and ice with my bare hands. Back when I was little, I found out I had powers. Me and my sister, Anna, who is three years younger than me, would play every day. As I got older, I had a harder and harder time controlling it. When my parents died and I was coroneted as the official Queen of Arendelle, I had a little fiasco of freezing the whole kingdom. Afterwards, Anna and I immediately moved in with our cousin Rapunzel and her husband, Eugene. Rapunzel is only 23. Flynn, which Eugene goes by, is 27. With Rapunzel's help, I learned at about the age of 16 how to control it, and the next year I was signed up to public school with Anna. But I didn't fit in at all. I was given the cold shoulder by everyone, and it was my luck I had lost my voice from a cold for the first whole week. But since I was regarded as a freak, due to my outsider-ness, I decided to take it and run. I haven't said a word to a student here since I started. It was late May now, and I still keep that trend alive. I made it a thing. I have to play it dumb at this school, appearing normal on the outside. But inside, I can work at amazing speeds. It seems I'm good at everything. Math, Science, English, Social Studies, music, everything. But to avoid conflict, I play stupid. I don't provide answers or ask questions in class, I sit in the back, I pay attention. But in this room, I can do whatever I like. I play with my powers as my cousin grades papers from her other non-chorus classes.
"Then everyone else is a confused moron, but maybe it is the fact that, despite your complete ability to, you decide to fake being a mute so you don't have to engage in conversation. Not once, this entire year. You should show your true colors. And also maybe go by your real name?" She says, bright green eyes staring me down.
I awkwardly laugh as I sit at the piano and mindlessly pluck out a few notes and hum. "Yeah, why don't you go tell everyone that you are the queen of a kingdom, can control snow and ice, and would make one hell of a fashion designer because I can construct clothes out of thin air. Oh yeah, and you can talk. NO. I am not going to do that. I'm just going to quietly slide out of here and nobody will remember me. And for whatever reason if they do, they won't know me as Elsa. They'll remember Jordan Aren, the lying 'mute' who was so intensely unpopular literally the teachers forgot about her." I say, now realizing I'm playing and singing Let it Go by Demi Lovato. How much I love that song, nobody could even begin to fathom it. I smile and watch as her face twists and contorts the way it does when she's unsure of something. I stop playing and stare her down. I continue doing it; I know she'll crack eventually. She doesn't do very well under…
"OK FINE!" she shouts, throwing her hands up. "You're gonna hate me. But, you won." I sit back, clearly confused at whatever the hell she's talking about. "Actually, two things." She says, avoiding my eyes and rubbing her arm. "Youarevaledictorianandbestsingerandyouaregonnahavetotalkonstage" she mumbles really fast. I tense up, only catching a few words. But they're the ones that counted, though I think. Valedictorian, singer, talk, and stage. I roll over those four words in my head and manage to get words out.
"Slower and audibly, please." I say, smoothly and calmly, but the death stare is back.
"Listen. A few weeks ago, the fine arts director, overheard and oversaw you singing." I can physically feel the blood drain from my face. "She said you sing better than anyone else in the school. But what I said that you are valedictorian and best singer and you are gonna have to talk on stage at the end of the year." she says, quite sheepishly and the brightest red I've ever seen her.
"WHAT!?" I scream, not caring who heard me. "YOU'RE SAYING I NOT ONLY HAVE TO GET UP AND MAKE A SPEECH, BUT I ALSO HAVE TO SING? IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE 12TH GRADE! WHAT THE HELL, RAPUNZEL?" I plop down on the poofy piano bench, eyes blurry with tears.
"Listen, Elsa, I already knew you'd not want to be known. I got them not to use your name, and you can make the speech and sing from behind the curtain." Rapunzel says, rubbing my back. I sigh, leaning into her hand.
"Fine. But I'm doing Let it Go and you can't stop me." I say. That's the only song I truly feel a connection to. I've changed it up a little, making it feel better to me.
"Elsa, you sing beautifully to any song. But I already told her that you would be doing that." She says sadly into my hair. I sigh and get up.
"Ok. I'll be at the library till late tonight. I have studying to do. I'll see you first thing tomorrow, ok?" I say, wiping tears off my face.
"Ok." She smiles and goes to check the door. Once I get the all clear sign, I run to my bike and ride over to the library, letting the smell of books welcome me as I walk to the history section.
I roll over in the dark of the room and groan. I peek open an eye and am met with three bright red numbers, sitting in the darkness, 4:24. Knowing that I'm physically impossible of sleeping in, or going back to sleep, I mumble incoherent words and get out of the tangled mess of blankets. I pluck my phone off the charger and make my way over to the doorway. I brace myself and count down from five until I flick the light on and hiss at the brightness. I got to sleep at eleven last night, which, depressingly, is late for me. I stumble in the brightness over to my bed and sloppily throw the blankets back in their original places.
I walk across the hall to the bathroom and turn the switch and close the door. I search my phone, looking for the right app. I find Instagram and scroll through. I chuckle inwards at how creepy I'm being. I mean, with my completely numerical username, the fact that I put up no pictures and block anyone who requests to follow me, and how I follow most of the people at school and never like any pictures, I seem pretty creepy. And the worse thing is that I do it on most of the social network sites. I just observe. I observe and do not participate in anything. I scroll down, and see that the school's most popular senior has another fan girl. I almost want to laugh at how fake everyone in my school is, pounds of makeup, Botox face lifts and touchups on countless girls, boob jobs, slutty clothes, and crazy stupid shoes. It seems that every girl in the school wants Jackson Overland to herself. I can't blame them though, I would choose him in a heartbeat. Maybe because we seem so alike, with our blue eyes, extremely bleach blonde hair, and incredibly pale skin.
I'm like that because of the winter elements that flow through my veins, but both he and I just claim we're albinos. And for some reason, when he says it, they all flock to him claiming it's sexy. I sigh and shake the thoughts out of my head and turn on the cold water in the shower. I strip down and hop in, used to the usually mind numbing frigidness of the ice cold water. But my skin is already that cold. Yet another thing I have to hide behind my façade at school. I usually wear long, oversized sweaters, jeans, and knee high boots to hide my cold skin. Oh what I would give to be able to just walk around in a bathing suit, letting the cold air brush up against my skin, but no. I gotta almost burn to death inside a hot and humid sweater prison.
I finish up the shower and hop out, and grab my towels off the hook. I dry off, and put my hair up in a French braid that sweeps to the side. I stare longingly at the mirror, wishing I could leave on just a little makeup today at school. After a minute and a half internal battle, I finally convince myself to leave it there. Not today. The last day of school, I'll be myself. During the song, I'll be my real self. I sigh, and look down at my towel wrapped body. I close my eyes, and clear my mind. After envisioning the outfit I want for my time before school, I feel icy tendrils creep up my legs and up to my head. I open my eyes and see a cute black crop top and a pair of pathetically small shorts adorning my legs. I look in the mirror, and gasp at what I see. I have apparently applied violently dark smoky eye that looks surprisingly good on me. But what really is surprising is the fact that I somehow managed to embed enough ice crystals in my hair and I managed to dye it blue. I just stare at my hair, a light blue, the color of my first ice dress I made. It sparkles in the light. I love it. I can't believe how light my hair feels, like it's completely natural. But anyways.
I run downstairs and grab my backpack from off of the dinner table. I can hear Flynn just now getting out of bed, feet plopping against the floor above me. I look down, and think of flats for a change, and a cold tingly feeling encases my bare feet and little black flats are visible on my feet. I just recently learned how to make shoes with different colors than the ever obvious ice blue, and I'm strangely proud of the little black things on my feet.
A loud snore snaps me out of my thoughts. The only one that is that loud is Anna, but I hear Rapunzel every now and then. I swear, those two could sleep through the end of the world if we let them. Only me and Flynn are early risers. Even so, he gets up at 5:30, where I'm usually up at 5 and out the door by 6. But we usually talk in the thirty minutes before I leave, but not today. I have thoughts to sort out. I hear the soft clopping of Flynn going downstairs for coffee, and receive an arched eyebrow above tired eyes.
"What did you do to your hair, Elsa?" he says walking over to touch it. I jerk away; suddenly afraid it he touches it the ice will fall out and it will be back to blonde.
"I don't know, I did the magic ice change, but I managed to put enough ice crystals in my hair to make it blue. I'll take it out before school, though." I say assuringly" I see him calm back down, the same tired look back on his face.
"What are you doing down here so early, Els? It's only…5:35" he says interrupted by a yawn. I hand him the other coffee I made and sigh.
"I have some thoughts to figure out. Like what I'm gonna do about the speech." I see a soft look and a smile on his face.
"You're gonna be fine, whatever you do." He says as I grab my travel cup from the counter and sling my backpack over my shoulder.
"Thanks, Flynn. I'm happy you're not still as stuck up and pretentious as when Punz first met you." I say chuckling at the thought of his often joked about 'smolder' as the soft look turns into a hard stare.
"Oh shuddup. Oh, and don't forget to get to school by 7:45. You were almost late, I was told." He says with a gentle shove to the arm.
"Ok, I'll set an alarm. I'll see you later!" I call out as I pull the small blue and white penny board from my backpack and start down the long, curved roads of San Francisco. After a few minutes, I see the bay, a patch of darkness beyond the dull blue glow of the streetlights. I see the one tourist shop that I found an alley behind that leads to the beach. I grab the little skateboard and throw it back into my backpack and walk down to the little beach. I sit down near the water line, but far up enough not to get splashed on. I pull out my phone, and take a note of the time. 5:57. I have an hour and a half. I pull out my phone and begin to singing to the music I know so well. I pull out my text book for calculus. I know it's a pathetically advanced for a senior, but I apparently am too smart for this school according to the gifted counselor, so I take advanced classes with the other smart girl in the school, Belle Beaste. Apparently I'm better than her, due to my winning the valedictorian thingy. But what is really concerning me is the whole singing part. I lay in the sand, singing my version of Let it Go about twenty times, trying to think of what to do. I finally come up with an idea that I actually like and would enjoy doing. I turn off my music, and from memory and what dances I plan on doing on stage, I begin singing the song. I must look like a fool, dancing and singing to a widely unknown song, but I'm enjoying it, and it's not like there's anyone around me. About halfway through, my legs are tired, and I sit down to finish the song, the cold of my shards of cloth that I call clothing, the cold air, and the cold sand all mixed together, along with singing, is what I would imagine paradise is like. As I hit the high note towards the end of the song, I close my eyes, and imagine what I'll be doing in front of everyone in just a few short weeks. I breathe out the last words, more of a singing than speaking tone to them. I keep my eyes shut, taking in the smell of the bay, the feel of the sand, the darkness flickering with little streetlights, and the silence of it all.
"Well damn blue, you sing amazingly." I hear a smug, masculine voice behind me. So naturally I make some type of noise between a yelp and a squeak as I jump up in surprise. I whirl around, ready to beat the lights out of whoever did that, but I am met with piercing blue eyes, white hair, and a signature blue hoodie. I can't believe it, Jack Overland complemented me. The little lonely mute… oh wait. I'm not her. I'm someone else. Someone with a shit ton of makeup, blue hair, and slutty clothes. But I'm sure I'm red as a lobster right now, which must look funny against the blue of my hair.
"Oh, um, tha… thanks." I manage to mutter out. I still feel like I'm burning red, and he just laughs. I can't help but feel awkward around Jack, with him being the most popular guy and me not even reaching the bottom rung on the popularity ladder. But he just smiles and laughs at my awkwardness, completely oblivious to the fact that he's talking to a loser.
"I can tell you're a little embarrassed. Sorry about that, but really, you sing wonderfully. You're better than this one girl at my school, Ariel, who is literally the best in the school." Wait, what? Did he just say I'm better than Ariel? I guess Rapunzel was right. "But anyways, I'm Jack. What's your name?" he says with a cheery smile. I obviously can't tell him I'm the girl he knows at school, Jordan, so I'll just use my real name. Not like he'll ever know.
"Hi I'm Elsa." I say with the same smile. I can tell he's studying my face. I can just hope that my abnormal apparel choice, blue hair, and heavy makeup will hide the loser he knows.
"You seem familiar. Do I know you? What school do you go to?" I tense, but his curious eyes bore into my skull. I give in, too worried for arguments.
"No, you don't know me, I don't know you. I'd remember the hair. And I dyed this months ago, so you'd recognize me. And I'm a senior at San Francisco High."
"No way!" Jack shouts, startling me. I jump a little at his enthusiastic reply. "I go there too! And I'm a senior! Are you sure?" I glance down at my phone, trying to avoid eye contact. Its 7:15, and I don't wanna make this anymore awkward for me. Excuse… I need an excuse.
"Uh, Jack? I have to get to school early. I have… uh… tutoring! Yeah, tutoring, with, with the, uh, school loser." I say, hoping he'll just leave me alone and let me leave. I reach into my bag to grab my penny, but am stopped by a questioning gaze.
"When?"
"At 7:45."
"Where?"
"Mrs. Corona's room."
"Ok." And with that he walks past me and walks through the alley quickly and leaves me there confused. I take a second to concentrate, but shake it off and walk through the alley and am about to start riding again when a dark blue mustang pulls up, and rolls down the window. The figure leans and calls out with an unforgettable smirk. "Get in loser, we're going shopping."
"Jack, did you really just quote Mean Girls?" I say, giggling.
"Maybe I did, maybe we're actually going shopping." He says, shrugging it off. I laugh and hop around and plop into the passenger side. We chat all the way to school, resulting in many laughing fits and many new jokes being learned. When we're almost there, he turns.
"Who are you being tutored by?"
"Jordan Aren." Oooh no. I shouldn't have brought myself into this conversation. Now I'm just going to be made fun of to my face. This is gonna be fun.
"Wait, you called her the school loser."
Oh well, if he's not gonna shoot me down, I will. "Yeah, she has ugly, uh, bleached hair, a blotchy face, small eyes, is ugly, and doesn't give a shit about others." Oh well, minus well throw my self under the bus and act like the other kids. But what surprised me is what I saw in his eyes when I started insulting myself. Was that… anger? He slams the brakes on in the middle of the road, lurching us forward, then backward. I guess it is anger.
"Listen here, Elsa." He said pointedly, walking up to me. He firmly places his hand on my bare shoulder and stares coldly into my eyes. "I don't care who you are, where you're from, or what you think you're doing, but I will not take people throwing Jordan under the bus for who she is. She can't help that she is unable to talk, or doesn't wanna wear makeup like all the other fake bitches at our school. So what if she wears oversized shirts all year instead of the strips of fabric like the bitches do. She's still great and beautiful without all that shit. Beauty isn't about fashion trends, or who has the newest version of this that or the other. And if you can't respect real people, then you're the true ugly one. You may be pretty on the outside, but what matters if if you're pretty on the inside." He pulls up to the curb of the school.
I just smile at him. "Thank you." I say, staring at him, with the dorkiest smile in the world.
"What? I just chew you out for being a dick and you respond with 'Thank You'? I'm confused." His face is twisted like Rapunzel's is when she gets confused.
"Thank you for not being an asshole. For calling people out. Too many people are assholes to Jordan, and I'm her only friend, and I'm practically invisible as well." I say as I gather up my stuff and step out of the car. But before I close the door, I turn around. "Hey Jack. Try and talk to her. She may not be able to talk, but I'll be she's gotta lot to say." And with that I close the door and begin walking. I know I'll be hearing from him again, I left a scrap of paper on his seat with my locker number on it, saying that it's Jordan's locker. I smile to myself, and walk across the lawn. But before I can get very far, I hear a door shut. I keep walking even though I know Jack just got out of the car.
"Elsa, when can I see you again?" I know he means like what time of the day, like lunch or art or whatever, but he has no idea of what opportunities he just opened me up to.
I turn slowly, letting my blue hair whip across my face. I say, smiling but with sad eyes, "Beach." And with that I walk slowly towards Rapunzel's room.
I can hear him talking to himself in the back ground, things like "Blue hair, Blue hair, dark eyes, small shorts" and things like that to try remember. I laugh and turn the corner and walk right into the door frame. I sigh and smack my forehead and pull open the door to my cousin's room.
"Elsa, what the hell did you do to your hair?" Rapunzel says from behind me. I turn around, and see a hilarious reaction from the 23 year old.
"Ice in the hair, I dunno, it just happened." I say, walking past her and into the corner behind her desk. There are no windows or doors over here, and there's a tall cabinet I can hide behind to transform back into my old, dumb self. As I feel the ice creep up again, I look down and watch as black skinny jeans and a large signature sweater. My hair curls up around my head in an odd twisted bun that curls around the crown of my head. I look in the mirror, and notice there is still one strand of the blue in my hair. Oh well, it's small enough and looks fake enough to call it a ribbon. I turn to Rapunzel and am received with a judging glare.
"Ok girl, you're happier than usual. Spill." She says, one hand on her hip.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." I say with a stiff upper lip. I attempt at changing the subject like I do with Anna. "Do you wanna build a snowman?" I say, widening my already unconscious smile.
"Yes, but first you gotta tell me what happened earlier. You're too happy for it to be coffee." She says, whipping out her handy dandy cast iron frying pan and points it at my chest. I can tell I can't win this argument. I throw my hands up in defense.
"Fine! This morning, I was singing at the beach, and some guy overheard me. I was pretty pissed, but I recognized who it was. It was Jack. Jack Overland, the boy with white hair." I see her eyes open and a giant smile cross her lips.
"And…" she says ushering me on.
"He complemented me. My singing, that is. He offered me a ride to school. He didn't recognize me, though. He didn't recognize Jordan, so I told him my name was Elsa. I mean, it's not like he'll ever know. But I said that I have tutoring with Jordan in here. So… yeah." I smile and look to the ground.
"Nuh uh, girl. There's more to that. You're red, smiling at the ground, and twisting your hair. That is not the Elsa, or Jordan, I know." She says with a smirk.
"Ugh! Fine! To seem like a normal kid, I called "Jordan" a blotchy faced, ugly, mute. But what really surprised me, is he got really pissed. But what he said was even weirder. He called me pretty. He grabbed me by the shoulder and defended Jordan, the one who doesn't wear makeup. He stuck up for me. I just don't understand." I say quietly and place my head in my hands. Wait, he touched me. He grabbed my shoulder. Other than the strap of my shirt, it was bare. He touched my skin! He didn't pull back and freak out at my complete coldness. But I don't remember his skin being entirely warm either. Was his skin, cold? Oh whatever, I'm probable just imagining things.
I get up to go check the windows, kids are slowly beginning to fill the hallways, being five to eight. Punz goes to the piano to check her music for the day. Right now, I'm pretty well hidden from the door. But before I can move, I hear it fling open and feet step in.
"Oh, hi. Do you need anything?" I hear my aunt say as I cower behind a filing cabinet.
"Uh, yeah. Do you know if there's an Elsa in this room?" I hear the same low, masculine voice from earlier resonate from the doorway. My breath hitches. I gotta hide. Please don't give me away. Please, please, pleaseeeee don't say…
"Elsa? No, but her tutor," I can hear those words thrown directly at me. "Jordan is in here." Dammit Rapunzel. I'll yell at her later. "Jordan, someone's here for you. You don't have to finish filing, you know." Well, at least she gave me a cover.
I stand up, red as a lobster. "Jordan?" I hear him chuckle awkwardly. "Oh, um, hey." He grabs his neck and twists around, clearly embarrassed. I grab a white board that Punz keeps in her room for me and write.
I finish writing and hold it up. 'Hi. I'll go now, I don't wanna keep you.' And begin to grab my things.
"No, no, Jordan, uh, you're um, you're fine. I actually wanted to talk to, um, you." I say all awkwardly.
After erasing the board, I write furiously. 'I doubt it, you can talk to Mrs. Corona and I'll be out of your way.' And put the board down and begin to walk past the door. He grabs my arm and turns me around. I almost did the yelp squeak from earlier.
"Listen." I follow his glance at Punz and watch as she puts in her headphones and cranks up her music. "Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to, uh, like, hang out some time, like just to, uh, talk." I send him a pointed look and point to my throat. He turns a darker shade of red, which stands out against his white hair. "Not like that obviously. But like, uh…"
I feel bad for him so I just pull out my phone and pull up a new contact and name it Jack. I hand it to him with the phone number up. He smiles and puts in his number, and sends a quick text to himself. I hear a ding from his pocket and he pulls his phone and taps the screen a few times.
"I'll uh, see you later, Jordan." He says with a big grin on his face. I hear the door click shut and watch out the window as he walks down the portable ramp. I turn around and am met with an expectant pair of bright green eyes. After a second, she does a happy little "Eee" and hugs me. I just stand there dumbfounded.
"DID HE JUST ASK YOU OUT?" Punz dances around her room happily.
"I guess so." I run my hand through my hair.
"I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!" she's interrupted by the morning bell, signifying I have five minutes to get to my locker and to calculus. Give her a quick goodbye hug and run through the halls and throw most of my stuff into my locker and somehow make it to my class first. There's only three people I the class. Me, a reasonably smart girl named Jasmine, and the school wide known genius (although I have a higher grade though, but I don't let onto it). She walks past me and plops her books down and pats out the wrinkles in her small yellow dress and plays with her brunette locks.
"Belle Beaste, for the last time. Please do not be late. Next class, you're going to get detention.
"Whatever, I already got into the best school in the country." I hear her mutter.
"Anyways, you three, today, we're going to be going over…" and from there the rest of class is the same. Three hours of continuous boring math that I somehow understand, Belle being the stuck up snob she is and Jasmine admiring her for some unknown reason. I honestly have no idea how they got into this class. But I finish the last problem of my homework right as the bell rings. I can hear the commotion of the seniors from three halls down as they open and close their lockers to grab their lunch. I walk down make out hall, the hall with a busted security camera the school is too lazy to fix. I manage to get to my locker before someone else has claimed it, and unlock it and stuff my binder into my backpack. I slam the door shut and make my way to the library, where I can eat my lunch in peace.
As I pass the end of the hall where the jocks hang out, I catch a foot being stuck out in front of me in my peripheral vision. I nimbly step above it, but as I do, someone pushes me, and I stumble over my feet and land on the floor with a solid thud. I look over to the owner of the hand that shoved me, and I am met with cold, pale green eyes and red sideburns. Hans, again. I sigh and go to grab my book which landed a few feet in front of me, but as I place my hand around it, I see another pale hand grasp it. I look up, and I see Jack smiling back. He helps me up with a gentle hand. I smile shyly and stare at the floor.
"Hey Hans, don't be such a dickbag to everyone. This is the the third one this week I've seen you trip. Listen, pick on people your own size, or don't at all.
"Hey Frosty, leave the loser to her own terms. If she has anything to say, she can say it to my face." he says with a smirk. I just ignore the tight ball of fire in my throat and the tingling cold in my fingers and just walk away. I storm off to the library, taunts and everyone looking at me. I could change in the bathroom, get some red hair, makeup, and different clothes, and then beat the lights out of Hans then change back before I could be caught. The thought makes me happy, but I don't use my powers for evil. I just walk past the bathrooms and into the library. The librarian, Mrs. Potter, but I call her Jane, sits behind the desk reading about apes. I sigh and smile to myself and walk up to her. I shoot a quick glance around the room and wave my hand in front of her book.
"Hi Jane." I whisper, smiling. I see her jolt up, and a wide grin cracks across her face.
"Hi El… Jordan. How are you today?" she says while putting her book down. Jane and my cousin were friends in high school, so she is the only other person who knows about my true self.
"Good, good. Everything is coming along nicely." I whisper smiling. I know that Rapunzel is just going to burst in here and tell her about Jack, I minus well tell her myself. I cower down next to her face and whisper even quieter into her ear. "I got asked out this morning." I pull back, smiling at her flabbergasted expression.
"Wait, WHAT?" she shouts, getting a few stares from the other librarian and a confused tenth grader. "Sorry." She says embarrassed, but turns back to me. "Who!" she grabs my shoulders and shakes me, but I don't spill. I just smile and shake my head. "Come on!" she prods in her British accent, still shaking me.
"Jordan?" I hear a confused voice behind me. I can tell its Jack. Jane and I both freeze and I whirl my head around and look at him. I pry myself out of Jane's hands and face him, feeling heated in the face. He gives the confused look at Jane. "Mrs. Potter, what are you doing?"
"Oh, Jordan here was just being a big bum and wouldn't finish her riddle." She says with the same pointedness as Punz. I sigh, and thwap my hand to my forehead. "She obviously wasn't telling it, but writing it and she is going to finish it." I chuckle and walk around the desk and grab a note pad. I scribble down
'It's him you big baboon. Now you're going to stare confused at this and pretend it was a riddle, and claim you have things to do and leave.' And I slap the notepad on her desk and look at her expectantly.
She reads it over and does like I ask, be confused. "If it was the cow how did the horse ju… Ooooooooh. I get it now." She laughs and looks at her watch. She jumps up and grabs a few useless things and turns back to us. "Sorry, its 11:15 and I forgot I have a meeting in five. Gotta run!" and with that she's out the door. I turn to Jack awkwardly and he just laughs.
"What was that?" he asks, joking. I just shrug my shoulders. "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out this weekend, like Saturday or something, but I don't really care, but…" I grab his shoulder and he stops rambling and looks at me. I nod with a smile. All of a sudden, my stomach rumbles. Loudly. We both stare at my stomach and I erupt in a fit of silent giggles. He just chuckles. "Well, I better leave you to get eating. I'm sure if I wait another minute, my stomach will be just as loud. See you later, Jordan." He says smiling and walks back to the cafeteria.
I just make my way to the librarian work room and pull my spare key out. But before I can get the door open, I hear a little screech as Jane runs up behind me and slams into me with a hug. "That's him?" she says excitedly, pointing to the door.
I smile back at how she is just like Rapunzel when it comes to me. "Yeah. His name is Jack." I watch her jaw drop.
"He's the really popular one, right?"
"Yeah. My reaction too. But, if you let me eat, I'll tell you about this morning." She squeals and pulls me into the now open room and closes the door.
"Spill." I chuckle and begin going over the events of the day, for the second time.
The rest of the day had gone the same. I had gone to English, then PE. But at the end of the day, Jack walked up to me and offered me a ride home. As much as I wanted to, I had to stay and talk to Punz. I smiled and sadly shook my head no, and he just smiled and waved good bye. From there, I ran into Punz's room and started screaming. We spent the rest of the time she had to stay talking about everything. Jack, what I'm going to do Saturday, what I'm going to do for the singing, what I'm going to do for the speech, EVERYTHING. We had gotten home, and I had sat right down, and done the rest of my English homework. Anna clopped in around 9 from a study group, but her messy hair and swollen lips told me there was a little kissing going on. She denied it though. But everyone knew there was, and she was as red as her hair. I had gone to bed around ten, and it was now 4:30 am again. I stand in the shower, thinking about how much had changed over 24 hours. I think about how just yesterday, I was brushing off the Jack fan girls, but now, I had managed to become one of them. Whatever. I get out of the shower, and grab my phone. I pull up Jack's contact. I smile as I hover my finger over it. I tap the little speech bubble and pull up the text thing to text him, but I hesitate over the letters. It's 4:45 am. He's probably asleep, or won't want… I can be Elsa. I go to text him, but I see a little gray bubble. Oh, well what a coincidence, he's texting me too. I hear a glass ding, signifying that he sent the text. I pick up my phone and read what he said.
"Do you wanna hang before school? I know this little beach that isn't too far from school…" Oh. Well, it would be fun. But, with Jordan, I can't talk to him. But as Elsa, I can talk to him, interact. I'll just be my own best friend. I can know everything. Oh, this will be perfect. I smile and text back.
Hey Jack. I literally just got up. Sorry, I have a little more studying I want to do. I can't come, but I know Elsa's an early riser and she'll be happy to talk to you again. She told me what you did, defending me. She was just checking if you would be yet another jerk. I'll have someone call her and ask.
That seems good enough. The ding fills the air again, and I look down.
"Oh ok. Ask if 5:30 will be fine at the same spot as yesterday." 5:30, that gives me thirty minutes to get there after I finish getting ready. I smile at the text and look in themirror. Make up. I'm gonna need lots of make up now that I know that he's been paying attention to my face without make up, maybe he might recognize me without enough makeup. I think of the outfit I had yesterday, and with the blue hair and dark make up. I think of the same style, short shorts, a small crop top, and small shoes. I feel the ice come up, and I see the outfit I imagined take form on my pale skin. I see the dark, dark eyes and the blue hair and smile. It worked. I send a quick text to Jack saying that she'll be there. I run down the stairs, grabbing a coffee and scratching down a note for Flynn. I grab my penny board and backpack and fly down the streets, early in the morning. I tap my music on my phone and start singing the same way I did yesterday. Loud and without a care.
I smile as I run onto the beach at 5:20, finishing singing some random song I like. I locate the spot, with the pristine view of the Golden Gate from here, all lit up pretty, only a dark shade of maroon against the black sky. I sigh, happy and content. I begin to play with my hair, blue with the ice. I flop into the sand, letting the cold grains sit beneath my exposed midsection. I close my eyes, and start humming to some old One Republic songs.
"What 'cha singing?" a curious voice rings out from above me. I open my eyes, and crack a smile in an instrumental break.
"Nothing…" I say, still turning red. I still don't like it when others hear me sing. But I'm gonna have to get over that.
"Oh c'mon! Sing it! You sing beautifully." He says, poking my tummy. I giggle, and after regaining my composure, turn to him.
"I won't sing that one, but I'm gonna have to sing in front of an audience soon, and I need to practice. Do you wanna listen, considering I wasn't really trying yesterday?" I say. Somehow, being under a pseudonym of a pseudonym gives me double the confidence.
"Really! I'd love to! But first, where are you singing? Because, you're gonna have to tell me so I can come. Ooh! Maybe ask Jordan to come too…" he trails off, thinking.
"Like a date?" I say with a satisfied smirk.
"What! No…" I give him the glare I use on Jane and Rapunzel. "Ok fine! Yes!"
"Oh good, so she said yes. She was thinking of asking you to laser tag and a maybe a movie. Since it doesn't require talking that much." I throw behind me as I get up to stand in front of him.
"Yeah, that'd be pretty fun. But anyways. Now… sing!" he says with a smirk and like a very enthusiastic five year old, sits with his legs crossed and places his chin on his hands. I can't help but chuckle,
"But Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack… I don't want to now." I see a pout form across his face, and it's adorable. "Buuuuuut, I have a recording of me singing from yesterday." His face lights up again and I place it between us and tap play.
"Holy shit. Elsa, you're awesome!" he says, laughing in disbelief.
"Eh, I'm not that good. I've heard better." I say, awkwardly grabbing my arm.
"Listen, Elsa. You'll do amazingly wherever you are singing. Which, you still need to tell me where I'll be going."
"Oh, you'll be there alright. Everyone will. I have to sing at the end of the year. For the best singer thing. I'm horrified." I say, having sat down next to him and started hugging my knees.
"You beat out Ariel! I called it. CALLED IT!" he shouts proudly. I chuckle and grab his shoulder.
"Calm down, you're not going to be telling anyone this. At all. Not Ariel, not her posse, not any single person in the school. Or I will sink you to the bottom of the bay. And I will not resist." I watch his strained expression. "But if you should be proud of anyone. It's Jordan. She has to go up there. And make a speech. A SPEECH. And the girl can't talk. But she's finding a way."
"Wait, what did she win?" I wanna tell him, but I can't. He'll figure out.
"I can't tell you, but she didn't win anything. I shouldn't have even said anything in the first place. She has to go up there for some disability shit." I sigh, feigning empathy. He smiles, and I can tell he's thinking of my alter ego. I decide to change the topic. "What were the categories for winning things again?" I ask, and I can tell he's made it his task to find out what I won.
"Oh well, there's ten. Best voice, which you won. Most athletic boy and girl which Merida and Hercules probably won. Then there's most artistic boy and girl, which is definitely Pocahontas and, I don't know. Then there's most popular, which is definitely Mr. Douchebag McSideburns and Cinderella. Then funniest, which is probably Megara and DEFINITELY Kuzco. Then valedictorian, which is gonna go to Belle." I see him working gears in his head. Oh well. At least it will go out with a bang." He says, smiling at me. I make some noise from deep in my throat signaling my agreement and plop back down in the sand, lying on my back. He does the same, and I look over. I watch him stare at the stars and really study him. He has a strong angular jaw and his eyes are a deep Caribbean blue. I can almost see a snowflake pattern in them. I brush it off though, I see snowflakes in lots of things. His hoodie has almost sparkling crackling designs, like frost almost. His snow white hair almost glows in the moonlight. I notice a small shimmer from his neck. I look closer and see a small chain.
"What's this?" I say, pointing at the chain.
"Huh? Oh, this." He says, pulling a small chain out from beneath his hoodie. It holds a small stick on the end, about three inches tall. For about two inches, it runs straight, but the last inch, it is curved, like an angular 'C'. He holds onto it, and I can tell it means something to him. "It is a reminder of what I'm supposed to do in the world. It was given to me by my little sister back east." He smiles sadly and I can tell I shouldn't prod.
"Well, it's wonderful." I smile genuinely and decide to change the subject. "Where are you going next year, Jack?" I ask.
"Nowhere, I'm going to, uh, the military in a few years." I notice the crinkle between his eyebrows as he thinks. I can't imagine Jack in the military. From the day I've known him; I can tell he would be absolutely horrible with all the rules and restrictions. I think of him in the military, white hair buzzed and in cameo cargo pants. A little chuckle escapes my lips, and Jack looks at me. "What's so funny?"
"I'm just imagining you in the military, buzzed hair, baggy pants, and all stiff. Not you." I say, pressured under the glare, but it soon subsides.
"I really like her, you know." I peer up at him, confused, but realize he's talking about me. I lay my head down and listen. "Even back in her first year, sophomore, when I wasn't praised or noticed, I still liked her. Back then, we both were nobodies. And I would have happily stayed that way." He says, smiling at the moon, small and shrinking over the horizon. He suddenly turns to me. "You two are so different. But alike, too. You're bold and outspoken, with colorful hair and tiny skateboard. She is small, reserved, with oversized sweaters year round and hidden hands. But you both have the same smile, the same eyes. But what lies beneath them is the same good soul. It's just one can't get out and show its true colors." He sighs and sits up, facing the now golden sky and stretching. "Come on, There's something I need to show you." And with that he pulls me up and drags me to the car.
"Ok, where are we going? We have thirty minutes before we have to be at school, Jack." I cross my arms and refuse to budge.
"I need you to judge this. I'm gonna surprise Jordan Saturday and I want you to have you judge if she'll like it or not." I tense and freeze.
"Oh, no! Don't show me, show, uh, someone else. Or not. I'm sure she'll love it. Don't tell me, I want Jordan to. To, like, tell me all about it. Well, not physically, but with her frantic arm motions and excited face. Surprise her, and I'm sure she'll love it." I really don't want to ruin my surprise for Saturday. That would stink. "C'mon. I wanna talk to Mrs. Corona before Jordan gets there. Can we go?" I just wanna get to school, and get this day, week, and the last two weeks of school so I can just get the last day over with and relax for the rest of my life. I'm just going to go back to Arendelle and just chill. Leave my past behind. But first, I need an excuse. I can't be the one singing. That would freak him out. I need for him to think that I'm someone else. Not Jordan, or Elsa. But someone else.
A hand being waved in front of my face snaps me out of the little day dream I fell into. "Hey? You in there?"
"Huh? What? Oh, yeah. I got lost in train of thoughts."
"Oh, ok. Well, come on. I'm sure you should get to Mrs. Punz. It's what… 20 after? Let's go." I slowly amble over to the blue car, and sit down in the comfy passenger seat and listen to the car hum as Jack turns the key and we head off to school.
"Yeah, I have to talk to her about quitting the end of the year singy thingy. I don't wanna do it." I say nonchalantly, hoping he'll just agree and not say anything. But I really don't wanna do it, but I know I can't get out of it.
"What? No! You can't!" he says frantically, then he realizes how he said it. "I mean, you're amazing, and I'm sure everyone would love you. Why?"
"Cause I just don't like preforming in front of others. Singing in front of you was pretty nerve racking itself. So I'm not going to do it. I'm giving it to someone. Someone who can sing like an angel, who is absolutely amazing." I say, looking off into the distance. I keep thinking down this path. I can't do this. I am just a lie, in both this "rebel Elsa" and Jordan. You know what. I'm going to fix this.
"No but, Elsa, you're amazing. But I understand what it's like to be afraid." His eyes look off into the distance for a split second, but immediately snap back to the road. I continue my sad, sweet little smile, and watch him as he drives. He has a strong jawline, snow white hair, eyes that shine bright blue, and long dark eyelashes. I catch a quick glance at myself in the side mirror. I see unnatural blue hair, dark and heavy black eye products, and darker but still just as piercing blue eyes. I look like a big fake. I can't be this lie. I sigh, and turn back to Jack's concentrated face as he parks at the school. We both get out, and I take another breath and stop him before he can go to his friends.
"Jack, listen." I say, softly grabbing his arm and he turns, confused. "I don't wanna lie to you anymore. I really am not this person. I mean, personality wise, yes, but I look like a big fake. My eyes, the only thing real is the color. My hair is blond, not blue obviously. I won't be singing at the end of the year. That was a really well timed recording of someone else, the girl who will be singing. And to make this even worse, I don't go here. I just know Mrs. Corona through a friend and I go to Jordan for tutoring." I smile awkwardly at the ground, and look to his confused face.
"What? What do you mean you don't go here, where is a different high school? And you're not old enough to be in college." He just looks down. "Ok. Well, I'll see you around hopefully. I'll tell Jordan you say hi." And with that, he walks away. I just run to Punz's room, not looking in the direction of Jack. I slam the door open, and walk into my corner and immediately change back into the clothes I wear for school. I look up into the mirror and am satisfied with what I see. A light blue hoodie with some bogus ice skating championship, white skinny jeans and black combat boots, and hair up in its usual bun.
But before I can turn around, I can see in the mirror an outline of a person. That person solidifies, and I see the principal, Mrs. Cinders, staring straight at me.
"Jordan? What just happened? She says, entirely interested in my magic. I can't move at all. Nobody in this school knows what I can do, spare Jane, Rapunzel and Anna. Nobody here even knows I can talk. But, I minus well tell the principal considering she's going to be in one hell of a surprise in a few days.
"Oh, that? Quick change thing. Comes with the powers." I say, and walk over to the piano with a bounce.
"YOU CAN TALK? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" she practically screams.
"Oh, I probably should explain myself. Sorry. Well, I had a bad cold on the first week of school, and I lost my voice. That's why I had to transfer out of chorus quickly. So I just went with it, nobody talked to me, and I didn't talk to them." I just brush her off, acting as if that's what she's so astonished about.
"No! The whole freezy changey thing! What was that?" she asks frantically.
"Oh. I was born with powers to control ice and snow. When I was about 15, I taught myself to make fabric out of ice threads. It holds together pretty well, but I just recently learned how to dye my hair. Still trying red, though." She stares in awe of me, and I decide to feed it a little more. "Would you like to see?" and she cracks a grin and nods quickly like Anna used to.
I smile back, and walk around the room, placing my hand on the doorknob and freezing it, and touching all the windows and frosting them over. Once I know I'm fine, alone with Mrs. Cinders and Rapunzel, I start moving my hands in a small circle around a non-existent point. But soon, a snowball forms from there and I hear a gasp from the principal. I throw it up, and it hits the ceiling, and snow spreads across the roof of the room. I snap, and from the layer, snowflakes fall. I throw some ice around, making a few sculptures, one of which being Mrs. Cinder's face, which is absolutely hilarious. And to finish up my little 'act', I close my eyes and imagine a figure, and I open my eyes, and another Olaf sat in front of me. I smile. I can see Mrs. Cinders slowly approach Olaf and reach out to touch him. All of sudden, like he always does, turns and says in his goofy voice "Hi I'm Olaf. And I like warm hugs!" and to this, Mrs. Cinders screams at the top of her lungs, and kick's Olaf's bottom section out, leaving his stomach right on his feet. "Hey! What was that for?" Olaf asks innocently, as if talking snowmen were a commonplace thing.
"What… how… it talks… what?" she stutters and falls into a chair, in shock.
Rapunzel decides to join the conversation. "That's Olaf. Something Elsa and her little sister made when they were kids before she went all ice crazy. Like she said, comes with the powers. You know, life. She also has Marshmallow, a giant bodyguard at the entrance to the Ice Palace back in Arendelle." Her causal tone seems to shock the blonde woman.
"I'm just going to stop asking questions and just… wait, you said Elsa? So you won Valedictorian and best singer?" The two of us look at each other and turn back to the principal and nod.
"And I'll be using those." I say as I point to different snow things around the room.
"Ok, well, just come talk to me later. You should be getting off to…" all of a sudden she looks up at Rapunzel. "Shouldn't you have a class? It's already 9:30."
"Oh, I put up a sign on the door and am having the kids learn library stuff with Mrs. Potters."
Mrs. Cinders seems satisfied with that answer, and looks at me and begins to scribble something down. "I'll write you a pardon for your class. What is it exactly?"
"Oh, um, Biomedical Calculus." Mrs. Cinders gives me a funny look, but writes it down anyway and sends me off. I stroll over to the class, and quietly slip into my seat in the back, and let myself get absorbed into the classes of the day and finish my daily routine.
The time leading up until the end of school drags on, I only can talk to Jack through some form of written communication. The surprise was a gorgeous sunset and ice cream, and to his surprise I actually put on a little mascara, and he immediately noticed. I still ate in the library, but on the second to last day, I wandered into the cafeteria to buy my lunch. I got pulled aside by Hans, and into a corner. He and his goons were about to beat be up, but Jack came in and stopped them. I ate lunch with him that day. But I still couldn't shake my nerves about the last day, my speech, my song, and my performance. I had rehearsed them endlessly, but nothing really could prepare me for what I felt like that morning.
It felt like I had only been asleep for a minute. It had only been an hour. I practically throw the clock across the room and flip the lights. I don't care if it was only one in the morning. I was up, and I was going to the beach. I stare in the mirror and will up the new tricks I could do. First, a cold wind washed over my hair. Next, I feel a cold tingling from my scalp down to my hair's tips. Clothes slowly replace the pajamas I wear, and I snap open my eyes again. In the mirror I see a tan girl with brown hair, and pink shorts and a yellow top. I smile at my odd creation. With this, I silently walk down the stairs, and scratch down a note to Punz that I'll be at the beach. And I jump in my light blue convertible and head down the roads. Once I get about forty five minutes out of town, I lay out the blanket down on the seats of my car, set my alarm for school, and lay back. I watch the stars drift across the big black ocean, and a bright full moon sits towards my feet.
I once heard Jack talk to the moon, calling him Manny. He said that he was told there was a man in the moon, and he works with the guardians of childhood, Santa, Sandman, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Jack Frost. He said that if you watched at the right angle, at the right time, and if you believe, you could see the sandman's dream sand, delivering dreams. I silently laughed and leaned into him. His stories were amazing. As a kid, he traveled the world, and he tells me about the different countries. The lights in China, the Big Ben and the London eye in England, the gorgeous cliffs in Scotland and Ireland. And I sit and listen, he seems so happy. I listen in amazement, watching his face and what he describes each country as. I almost see him among the stars, his happy face traced by the stars. I watch as a faint shooting star whizzes across the sky for thirty minutes until I drift off to sleep.
A loud buzz next to my right ear jolts me awake. I look up to the dark sky, traced with a small splotch of purples and pinks to the very east. I turn off the alarm, and look at the time. 5:30. I pull my stuff back together, wrapping it up in the blanket. I slip back into the driver's seat and turn the key and start the car. I can fell the warm air turn cool as I drive down the highway back towards San Fran, entering what may just be the last quiet day of my life.
I get to school five minutes before the bell, which gives me no time to go to Punz's to change. The winners decided to meet there, and they're already there. So I book it to the bathroom, but not without people wondering who the girl with the red hair is. I run into the big stall, lock it, and then crawl into the one next to it. I lock this one, change into Jordan, and walk out, not bothering to do anything about the red head me. I walk out, and silently walk to Mrs. Cinder's office. Over the past two weeks, she's gotten over the whole power thing and we get along fine. She agreed to escort me to the stage. As I walk in the shadows, I see Jack in the back, asking where I was. I gather my courage and keep walking. I hide in the back shadows, behind the curtains. I already put up my ice wall to keep others out. As I wait I get set up with my face microphone, the ones that sit naturally near the face. I listen to Mrs. Cinders announce the winners.
The most athletic boy and girl which went to Merida and Hercules. Then there was most artistic , who was Pocahontas. There's most popular who was Hans. Then Kuzco won Best Jokester. We finally got down to me. Valedictorian. I smile to Mrs. Cinders, and she steps in front of the stage. I can hear her talking to the students.
"Due to the request of the recipient, she will remain anonymous. I now turn you over to your school valedictorian." And she steps behind the curtains. I still sit in the back of the stage, avoiding this whole thing. But Rapunzel practically shoves me up to the platform. I tap the mic and can hear it working. I stick my tongue at her before I begin. "Um… hi. I normally wouldn't be hiding behind a curtain to address you, but then again I normally wouldn't be up here at all. Um, I wanted to say, uh, thanks to Mrs. Corona, the chorus teacher. She's more than just a teacher that I don't take classes with, she's my family, my aunt. So, thank you, Rapunzel." I turn and smiling at the blushing teacher. "She's the one who actually convinced me to own up to what I've done and come up here."
I can hear in the crowd Belle talking rather loudly to her posse. "Well, guess who my least favorite teacher is now." With her pointed voice, she aims the words at the stage, but I carry on nonetheless.
"She's encouraged me to accept who I am. And that's what high school is all about, right?" I smile again at the crowd, who can't see me. I suddenly feel a buzz in my pocket. What could Jack possibly need right now?
"There was a story I was told as a kid. It was about a little girl who could manipulate snow and ice, named Elsa. Elsa and her little sister would play with them in the biggest room in the house, sledding and having snowball fights and building snowmen. One day, when they were playing, the little sister was moving too fast for Elsa to keep up with her. One thing lead to another, and the little sister wound up getting struck in the head with the ice powers while the Elsa was trying to catch her. The sister was healed, but Elsa had to shut herself in her room until she figured out her powers. But it didn't work, so for ten years, the little girl lived inside her room, slowly losing control of her powers. One day, her parents left for a trip and never came home. She had to go outside the room, and confront her sister. It was going well, until they got into a petty argument. It resulted in Elsa's powers coming out in front of the whole town. She ran away, and let her powers go. After a long time, the sisters reunited, and everyone back home accepted her.
That's the thing though. We all are Elsa in some way or another. Keeping secrets, keeping hidden who you really are. I especially am Elsa. I know how it feels, shutting yourself away for a long time. Being so alone for so long. The thing is, if people pick on you, ignore you, hurt you, because of what you are, just let them go. Be the bigger person, and move on. Face your fears. That's what I'm doing right now. Facing my fears, and making this speech." The stage darkens and I take an audible sigh, and stretch my arms. I snatch out my phone, and check my messages.
Jack: Where are you? And the girl on stage right now sounds too much like Elsa. She even told a story using the name Elsa.
Me: I got sick and couldn't come. And the blue haired Elsa is in New York right now.
The lights flicker on, signaling it's time for part two. I look over and see Rapunzel ushering me on. I sigh and take a breath.
"I also won most talented singer, which I find funny because nobody has ever heard me sing." I say from behind the curtain. I love how nobody knows who I am. The anonymity gives me strength. I can hear Belle and Ariel fuming in the front row about how Belle should've won valedictorian and how Ariel has the prettiest voice. But I laugh and carry on. "So, the song I'm singing has a lot of meaning to me. So, without further a due, I present Let It Go." I step back from the pedestal as lights from behind me flicker on, creating a silhouette of my figure through the thin ice layer. I look down at my dress. It's not one of the graduation robes like everyone else wears. I actually like the way the green sleeveless dress layers over the long sleeved black dress, but I'm glad I skipped out on the magenta cape. It would have been annoying and in my way. I feel the presence of my graduation cap on my head as it pounds from anxiety. I suddenly feel the music begin to reverberate throughout the outdoor stage. I take a deep breath as it reaches my lines, and begin to fill the silence with my strong yet quiet voice.
The snow glows white on the mountain tonight The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside Don't let them in, don't let them see
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation,
And it looks like I'm the queen.
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know
I slowly walk around the stage, making little movements with my hands. I come up to my old mantra, and can feel my voice almost crack. No. I am strong. There are people who love me, who know and who love me. I throw my glove up into the air the same way I did on the mountain that night. I summon up the cold in my blood, in my being, and release little spurts of it from my fingertips.
Let it go, let it go I don't care
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
What they're going to say
Let the storm rage on,
The cold never bothered me anyway
I hear the crowd gasping at every snow flurry erupting from my hands. After building a little snowman, I hear laughter in the crowd. But they're enjoying it. I can make out little snippets of people saying how well the animation is. I softly laugh, and decide to show them some ice. I get excited, and start bouncing around, full of the cold energy that fuels my being. It's funny how some distance It's time to see what I can do
Makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me
Can't get to me at all
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
I'm free
I throw my hands out in front of me, and watch as snow pillars grow from the ground. I ride one down, and create more and more frozen snowstorms around me. I laugh. I've never had this much fun at school before. Let it go, let it go Here I stand
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You'll never see me cry
And here I'll stay
Let the storm rage on
I slam my foot onto the ground on the stand, and watch as a snowflake grows from beneath my feet. I curl my arms up, bringing the snowflake up with me. I hear ice crackling beneath me as I rise up, ten feet above stage front. I begin changing up the snow pillars around me into carved ice ones. My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I face away from the crowd as I finish a quick change into my normal school clothes. My baggy purple sweater, loose black jeans, braided bun, and plain eyes. I commit before I back out. I snap, and the ice wall that hid who I was dissipates, and the crowd gasps at the sight they see. I continue on, grabbing my graduation cap and throwing it to the side, still facing away from them.
I'm never going back,
The past is in the past
I unpin my hair, and let it cascade over my shoulder in a French braid and begin to change my dress, raising the platform with me, then suddenly face the crowd as I begin the final chorus.
Let it go, let it go Here I stand
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone
In the light of day
Let the storm rage on,
The cold never bothered me anyway.
Stare above the crowd, at my snowflake in the sky that I created discreetly. I snap, and it dissipates, the snow will soon meet the ground. I suddenly become aware that everyone is staring, slack jawed, at me. I bring up an ice wall between me and the crowd, and I hear them begin to whoop and holler. I just stand there, facing the wall, until I hear a thud and feel the stairs beneath me reverberate the thud. I turn around and see my aunt attempting to climb up the stairs.
"What, are you doing?" I ask after turning off the stage sound.
"Shut up, not everyone can walk on ice without slipping. Now, get down here and give me a hug, girl!" She says as she cautiously makes her way down. I clop down the stairs, and see that she's crying tears of happiness. I smile and throw myself into her arms.
"Thank you." I whisper into her ear, tears threatening to spill over my own eyes. I hear screams of happiness as the audience begins to notice the snow, cool on their skin instead of the hot dry air. Punz pulls back from the hug. Smiles show on her face and in her eyes.
"Now, let's formally introduce you, as Elsa. Not Jordan. For the amazing girl who has always been here, they were just too stupid to see." Rapunzel says, holding me by my shoulders. The principal comes over and whispers something in her ear. She nods and smiles at me again. "C'mon. Let's go show them who you are." She says, and walks in front of the curtains, which replaced the ice wall. I hear from in front of the curtain her talking.
"I now present, Elsa Winters." I am completely taken aback by the amount of cheering at the mention of my name. It's weird to think ten minutes ago, everyone but two people didn't know who I was. Nobody cared about me, but now, I'm the center of everyone's attention. I feel a strange sense of pride as I walk out into center stage. The applause I receive is mind-numbing. Some shout for more, some play in the snow like children, snowball fights and building snowmen. I even see Olaf playing in the crowd among the other two snowmen I created and breathed life into. I laugh and bow.
Everyone is happy. And I'm the reason why. And that, that is enough to make me happy. In the far back, I see flashes of hair that is as red as fire and white as snow. I smile, watching their faces, so incredibly different. I throw my hands out in front of me, and the beginning of a snowy staircase forms on the edge of the stage. I run over to it, and place my foot on the first snow step, and watch as it turns to ice. I run up the stairs, hands out front, continuing the stairs above the roaring crowd. As I get above the two, I turn the stairs ahead of me into a slide, and hop down the slide. I speed down and am immediately enveloped into a warm hug. "I knew you could do it." Anna says with a smile. I laugh and bop her on the nose, watching as ice forms around it.
"I knew it too. I just was nervous." I say smiling back. Our little sister- sister moment is interrupted when I hear stammering from behind me.
"How… what… when…" Jack. I turn around and hug him. "How… how long have you been able to do that?" he screeches out.
I laugh at his complete bewilderment. "What, talk, sing, or control ice and snow?" he just stands there flustered.
"Yes." Is his only response.
"Since forever. I just never let it show."
"You mean let it go?" Jack says with a smirk.
"Really? But anyway I'm just glad I'm finally free."
"Well, Elsa. You're not alone anymore."
"I know. I don't feel like a loser anymore. I may actually have a life now." I say with a smile.
"I meant about the whole ice thing."
"Oh, and is that so?" I say poking his nose and giggling as icy tendrils creep across his nose. "And how is it that I'm not alone in the snow and ice world?"
Suddenly something tickles my nose. A cold, crispy, wispy feeling. I touch my nose, and feel it is covered with frost. "Huh?" I look up at Jack, who seems a little taller than usual. I glance at his feet and see him a few inches above the ground, floating. I look back to Jack, who now twirls a snowflake around his fingers with ease. "Wait, what!?" I yell in confusion.
"After all, nipping at noses is what I'm known best for." Jack says with a smirk and sends the little snowflake towards me, and I watch as it lands on my nose. Realization washes over me.
"Jack… as in, Jack Frost?"
I watch as he lands, and awkwardly bows and kisses my hand. "At your service, milady."