Starry Night ✧ Merida & Elsa

12 - A Little Love Is Better Than None

I could vividly recall how Dad's cages got rattled during dinner because of a certain so-and-so at work that I swear, he would be two seconds away from slicing his plate in half. I didn't pay attention all the time but now I know it was Mr. Cooper he was talking about.

"Buuuut, in the end, Elinor reigns as queen. Still, it agitates me because her awards would still be in Fergus' home too, so it ultimately meant they both won, in a sense." I can do nothing but laugh.

"Six 'Teacher of the Month' awards isn't enough for you yet, Fred?" Mrs. Cooper, Arianna, rubbed her husband's arm lovingly.

"You know I'm a collector, Sweetie."

"Don't I know it! I get reminded of your collector-ness every morning when I go and dust your special room for your collection of eggs." 

Did I hear that correctly? Eggs?

"Shh! Honey!" Mr. Cooper's cheeks were flushed in red, quietly murmuring to his wife unintelligible words to stop her but the lady just smirks triumphantly. 

What a pleasant surprise this was. I was sure they were going to gobble me up as I use ten-dollar words to save my life but that didn't happen. I was treated as though I had always been a frequent and beloved guest to the Cooper residence, which I never knew was now a goal for me since seeing their house. I should've known, knowing Blondie, Strawberry, and Porcelain.

Well, Anna may have come on strong to me, but she was just being... a sister.

"I adore your hair, Merida." speak of the angel, she complimented me.

"Thanks."  It was now my turn to blush after Mr. Cooper.

"They remind me a lot of Hans'." I almost choked on my saliva when she mentioned Sideburns' name.

The ball...

With the way she spoke his name in the happiest tone, I mentally confirmed they are, in fact, still together. Further meaning that my complicated cheating hypothesis could not be far-fetched at all.

I was itching to tell her, but it was smart to keep my lips shut for now.

"Yeah, where is that handsome young man! You should've invited him tonight, honey. You know how he loves chicken." Mrs. Cooper cooed, placing her chin under her knuckles.

He's at the Pride Ball, Mrs. Cooper.

"Oh, he's out of town. He and all his twelve older brothers are going to celebrate a birthday for his eleventh brother. I forgot his name.... probably John."

Twelve older brothers? WAIT, who gives a rat's ass? Hans wasn't at the Ball tonight?

That's case closed; I suppose. Happy to be wrong.

"He invited me to come but I couldn't sacrifice my perfect attendance, of course!" she raised her chin up in pride. 

"That's our girl."

"Never risking her studies for any boy."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Elsa take a sudden halt to eating. She had been so quiet. She simply stared at her plate as the rest of the family continue to shower Anna with praises and how she was a pure paragon of responsibility or something along those lines. She gripped on the stainless silverware as if her life depended on it. 

Before I could ask her if she everything was all hunky-dory, she resumes her eating as if I had just made up her dead silence. What was going on with her?