When Different Worlds Collide

Chapter 38

Hey, guys! I hope you enjoy this part! Happy reading!

Elsa

I'm really excited to be attending the Arendelle Art Show with Jack and the others. I've been to art museums and art exhibits with Rapunzel, but something tells me that this will be even more special. The thought of seeing all the different types of works these students have worked really hard for just simply exhilarates me (Anna would probably tease me and call me a nerd for saying that, but I can't help it).

When Merida got a text from Hiccup asking her if she'd like to go to the art show, her eyebrows quirked up in surprise. She quickly typed back a reply, putting her phone back in her pocket.

"You guys are going to the art show, right?" she asked.

We all nodded. "Yeah, Jack already asked us if we wanted to go," I said.

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought I was going to be the only one there with Hiccup and Jack," Merida said, a sigh of relief escaping from her.

"What, like that's a bad thing?" I teased.

Merida rolled her eyes, a hint of a blush beginning to color her cheeks. "Haha, very funny."

"Speaking of Hiccup," Anna drawled, sharing a glance between me and Rapunzel, "we kind of noticed that you brought a - ahem - piece of clothing when you came back."

"Told you," Rapunzel winked.

"Guys!" Merida exclaimed. "It's just a scarf!"

"Hiccup's scarf."

"Okay, okay, you guys," I said, trying to calm them all down. "I think Merida deserves a break."

"Thank you, Elsa," Merida gave me a grateful smile and a smirk to my sister and cousin. "So, can we talk about something else? Please?"

"All right," Rapunzel sighed. Her eyes suddenly lit up with excitement. "Aren't you all excited for the art show? It's going to be so fun!"

"As long as you guys don't ditch and leave me there, then yeah, I guess it'll be fun," Merida shrugged.

Rapunzel playfully pushed her on the shoulder, causing Merida to laugh. "Oh, stop it, you partypooper."

"What?" Merida said. "No offense, as much as I'm all in for supporting Jack and stuff, an art show still really isn't my kind of thing."

"When is anything else besides archery your kind of thing?" I teased.

Merida turned to me and grinned. "Exactly."

"It's too bad that Hans is probably going to be there," Anna scowled. "He just has to show up and ruin everything."

"Hans?" Merida piped up, straightening her back,

"Yeah, I overheard him telling some of his teachers," Anna rolled her eyes. "That guy is such a kisser-upper."

"I can't believe you went out with him," Rapunzel said.

"I know," Anna and I said together. We looked at each other before bursting out laughing. When our laughter died down, Anna said, "But it's not like he can do anything funny there. There's going to be a lot of people, so haha to his sideburns face."

"How I'd like to get a frying pan and just smash his face into it," Rapunzel said, pretending to do so.

"Oh, like how you did to Eugene?" Anna said.

"Yep! Exactly!" Rapunzel said, causing both of them to roll over and start laughing their heads off.

I chuckled along with them, glancing to Merida, who had been awfully quiet these past few minutes.

"Mer?" I said. She seemed to snap out of something. She looked at me in surprise. "You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. Fine," she said absentmindedly, fiddling with her hands, "Just...thinking."

"About what?"

"Stuff," she said vaguely, a hint of a smile coming across her face. She turned to me. "Don't worry, Els. There's nothing to worry about. Really."

I stared at her for a few moments before nodding. "All right," I said reluctantly, "if you say so."

"Yes, I do say so," Merida grinned, standing up and padding over to the other girls, leaving me confused and curious as to what could have made her act so oddly.

I sighed. Well, hopefully things all go well at the art show, with nothing going wrong. For both Jack and all of us.