ANNA watched out the window for Jack's car. Elsa told her twenty minutes ago that he was going to pick them up for school. Soon enough, the dark blue mustang pulled into the driveway and honked. "Elsa!" She called, "Jack's here!"

Anna jumped when she heard a voice behind her. "I'm right behind you," Elsa said glumly. She was wearing a black and turquoise long sleeved shirt, dark high-waisted jean shorts, and simple turquoise flats with bows. Her platinum hair was tied up in a loose bun. "What are you waiting for? Let's go."

"What about Rap?"

"Flynn is going to be here soon to get me," Rapunzel answered as she skipped down the stairs. Her hair was long and blonde again. Just yesterday she went to the salon to get it colored and have extensions put in. She wore a light pink dress and leather sandals. Her hair was braided with a flower crown.

"Oh, okay."

Anna and Elsa walked out of the house and hopped in Jack's car. Elsa in the front and Anna in the back with Emma. "Hi Snowflake!" Anna watched her sister blush slightly at the intimate nickname.

"What am I, chopped liver?"

Jack chuckled, "Greetings Anna. "

"That's more like it."

"How're you settling into Punz's?" Jack backed up the car and started heading towards the school.

Anna waited for Elsa to speak, but the tension was getting unbearable. She took it upon herself to break it, "Pretty good. Packing and unpacking took a while. You know how that goes..." She continued rambling, drawing any unwanted attention away from Elsa. She knew how much her sister hated being asked questions when she was in a funk.

Too soon Jack parked in the school's parking lot. "Sophomore year, here we come!" Emma announced as she fled the car.

"Let's do this!" Anna followed after her. They walked towards the school, but something caught Anna's eye when they got to the door. A familiar redhead was crying behind a bush. "Merida?"

Merida's head shot up, eyes pink and puffy. "I'm fine," She immediately defended. She started to stand up and walk away, but Anna walked behind the bush with her and held her back.

"No..." Anna shook her head, "You're not." She forced Merida to sit down again, and sat with her. "I have seen you like this since your mom was diagnosed with cancer. Did she go into remission?"

Merida shook her head, "no, mum's alrite."

"Then was is it?" Anna persisted.

She sniffled and looked up, "I'm sorree, I-I can't tell ya."

"Please Mer, let me help. Do you want me to get Hiccup?" Anna tried to give her a hug, but she bolted, ran out from behind the bush they were hidden behind, then up the stairs she went.

Anna could do nothing but stare at her lonely friend. Usually Hiccup would make everything okay...maybe that was why Merida was upset. Looked like she had some investigating to do; starting with interrogating Hiccup. Without a second thought, Anna hopped to her feet and went to Hiccup's locker.

FLYNN leaned against Rapunzel's locker. It was after first period and he had nothing better to do than wait for her. He knew she had Trigonometry, which was on the opposite end of the school, first hour so she would be a while yet.

Of course, he didn't mind. He would wait until the end of time for that girl. She was so unique, so pure, so good. He couldn't help but love her, everyone did.

"You might want to stop drooling before she gets here." Kristoff remarked. Anna smirked next to him.

"Ha ha." Flynn deadpanned. He glared at Kristoff.

"So have either of you seen Hiccup?" Anna asked, ignoring the staring contest that was going on.

"No. Why?" Anna looked worried, an expression that Flynn was frightened to see replacing Anna's usual go-with-the-flow expression.

She sighed, "Mer was crying behind a bush this morning, I'm worried about her."

Flynn raised an eyebrow,"Merida was crying?"

"I figure Hiccup will know what's going on."

Kristoff looked at something behind Flynn, "speak of the devil."

Flynn turned around. Hiccup, Rapunzel, Elsa, and Jack were walking towards them. He moved away from Rapunzel's locker, so she could replace her trig textbook for a Fashion and Fabrics one. He then put an arm over her shoulders.

The seven of them stood in a circle.

"Where's Merida?" Jack asked.

Anna and Hiccup spoke at the same time. "Actually I wanted to talk about that."

Hiccup looked at Anna, "do you know what's wrong with her?"

Anna shook her head. "No. I saw her crying this morning. I was going to ask if you knew "

Jack's eyes practically popped out of his skull, "wait. Hold up! Merida? Crying?"

Flynn rolled his eyes. "That's what I said." They all paused, taking it in. He got an idea. "Hey, Punz?"

Her green eyes stated up at him, "Hmm?"

"Why don't we all go over to your place this weekend, try to get it out of her?" He whispered. "It might be good for Els too."

She beamed, "That's a great idea!" Rapunzel turned to the others. "Everyone meet up at my house after school on Friday!  Hiccup, I'll need you to get Mer."

"That's probably not going to happen," Hiccup frowned, "I don't really think she wants anything to do with me at the moment."

Flynn wasn't the only one that noticed their friend's grim look. If Hiccup couldn't get Merida to do something, there was no hope of anyone else being able to.

ELSA looked around as everyone began arguing—Jack, Anna, and Rapunzel the loudest. She knew Merida seemed like a lost cause. She knew she herself was a lost cause. But maybe she could at least help Merida. Even if there was no saving herself from the overbearing grief of losing her parents, she could at least help her friend.

She wasn't known to be an impulsive person, though as of late things were changing, so why the hell not?

"I can get her."

The bickering ceased.

"What?" Elsa inquired, "She clearly doesn't want to talk with Anna or Hiccup. Jack or Rapunzel would only make her more upset. And I honestly don't think she'd really listen to Flynn or Kristoff." She spoke quietly, not showing too much emotion, yet showing just enough to prove her point.

No one objected, she had a valid reason. Still, she didn't say anything, letting them mull over her words.

She couldn't help but think how proud her parents would be of her, of how diplomatic she was being towards everyone. A ghost of a smile unconsciously crossed onto her lips.

She cleared her head and got rid of it before anyone could notice.

"Good idea." Hiccup finally agreed, "But...I want to try to talk with her after school today."

"I never said you couldn't, Bestie."

HICCUP waited outside the back doors of school near where Merida's locker was. Usually she would go out the front and get a ride with him, but he knew this is where she would leave from given her...was it anger?

No, she didn't cry when she was angry. She didn't cry at all. Well, except when her mom was diagnosed with cancer. They were fortunate to have caught it so soon, Elinor was already up and kicking after being treated for only a year and a half. He had to admire the strong woman. That was where Merida got her courage from, and he admired both of them for it.

The only problem was that Merida wasn't acting like her usual brave self. She was acting like a child afraid of monsters under her bed.

That scared Hiccup.

A flash of red alerted him, but when he looked over he was surprised to see Ariel. "Hey Hic!"

"Hey mermaid."

She rolled her eyes at the nickname. "Are you waiting for Merida?"

"When am I not waiting for Merida?"

Ariel grinned and shook her head, "She went out the front, I saw her a few minutes ago. I think she was planning on walking."

"What?" He gaped, "Damnit! Sorry, I gotta go!"

"Go get her tiger."

"Yeah." Hiccup quickly jogged to the parking lot, throwing his backpack in the back seat, he started his car and went to find Merida. It only took about two minutes of driving down an old dirt road that lead to an old park to find her.

He stopped the car and ran to catch up to her because apparently she was still ignoring him.

"Hey!" He shouted when he was only about two yards away from her. She didn't turn around to look at him, just kept walking. "Merida!" Still nothing. "Please!" He reached her and grabbed her gently by her shoulders. Her watery blue eyes were forced to look into his. Now Hiccup knew it was bad, all he saw was fear and sadness. For what? He didn't know.

"Just give me sum tyme Hic."

"Time for what? I don't understand what's going on!" He was trying not to shout, not to get angry and end up accidentally saying things he didn't mean. When she continued to refuse to say anything, he lightly shook her shoulders. "Please. Tell. Me."

Her voice was so low, and quivering he might add, he could barely hear it. "Ye'll get mad."

"No." He rocked his head violently, "no I won't."

More tears fell from Merida's eyes. "Please let go a me. I want ta walk home."

Hiccup wasn't going to get anything out of her, he knew it. He let go of her shoulders. "At least let my drive you home.. Please?"

"I just want ta be alone rite now." She sobbed. The sound and the sight of the beautiful girl crying shattered his heart.

He didn't say anything when she turned around and walked away from him.

Merida did; however, look behind her. "I love ya."

"I love you too." He didn't notice it until then that he had been crying with her.

Happy Birthday to the wonderful @Amyarie! I hope your 15th was fantastic and that you enjoyed this little present! Sorry we weren't able to chat today. I'm at my dad's and we decided to have a bonfire (we don't do electronics when we have those) otherwise I would've seen your messages earlier :( And I also really wanted to work on this for you, I know how much you wanted an update...