Chapter 5

RAPUNZEL

"Seriously, what's his problem?" I grumbled as Eugene and I searched for a comfortable spot in the school's field.

"I'm not sure what to tell you, Punzie. He's your brother, he's just trying to look out for you, is all." Eugene shrugged.

"If you heard what he told me, you wouldn't be saying that," I frowned, then sighed before looking at Eugene apologetically. "I'm sorry, we shouldn't be talking about him. He's already wasting our time together enough as it is."

There were considerably only a few students eating their lunch on the school's field as compared to the cafeteria. This made it a great place to stay at during break time since it would be easier to avoid Jack.

"It's no problem," He smiled. "But I've also been meaning to ask; why did you ask me earlier if I hated your brother?"

I didn't respond. Why did I?

"Punzie?" Eugene asked.

I sighed before I lightly grapsed his hand and stared at our intertwined fingers, " I-uh, because... Well, sometimes I ask myself the same thing. Do I hate him? I don't know. Sometimes I think I do, but I really don't, or at least, I tell myself that. And he's my brother! I know he's just looking out for me, but to hear him talk about you like... Like..." I trailed off. Eugene just softly smiled and squeezed my hand in encouragement.

I smiled back at him, but that quickly fades. "I just wondered... How do you feel about this?"

Eugene frowned, deep in thought, before sighing. "You're right, Rapunzel. He is looking out for you. And I don't want to be the reason you two always fight. But I'm also not gonna give this up, if that's what he's after. Only you can tell me to walk away."

My smile returns. "Well, you're stuck with me forever then, I guess," I laughed softly, trying to lighten the mood. Eugene laughs along before kissing my hand.

But the question remains unanswered, and I still feel uneasy. "But do you, Eugene? Do you hate my brother?"

Eugene's smile falters, he sets his eyes downcast - to look at our hands - and rubs his thumb along my palm, as if to stall from answering. It doesn't last very long and finally, he asnwers.

"I don't."

I nod. I didn't ask him why or if it was really true. I trust him.

I was about to tell him that we should eat when I noticed to familiar figures walking towards us.

"Hicc? Merida?" I frowned, then I gulped. "Where's Jack?"

"We uh... Sort of lost him." Hiccup scratched his nape, kind of embarrassed.

"I told you to throw a chair at him!" Merida grumbled before plopping down near me.

"A chair? What?" I asked.

"We tried keep him preoccupied but he slipped away so we went to you guys as soon as we could," Hiccup explained before looking around. "You haven't seen him?"

"No," I shook my head.

"Hmm, wonder where that lad wandered off to." Merida frowned.

"Let's just... Not talk about him," I sighed. "Are you two joining us?"

"Oh, we wouldn't want to intrude-" Hiccup starts.

"It's fine," Eugene spoke for the first time since the two arrived. He sent a reassuring smile at the two.

Merida eyed him before a friendly smile crosses her face, "huh, you ain't so bad."

"Tell that to Jack. Maybe then he'd stop fussing with my love life and fuss about his own instead." I mumbled.

"Ha! Jack and Love Life shouldn't even exist in the same sentence. That'll go up in flames quickly," Merida laughs.

"She's not wrong," Hiccup smirked before shrugging.

Our lunch consisted of continuous  laughter as we all talked about our day and how one of our Professors, Mr. Occhio, should definitely consider getting a nose job.

We were all taking a break from all the laughter when Eugene leans in to whisper to me, "I like your friends."

I smiled, "yeah, they're the best."

~*~

JACK

"What's wrong with you!" Elsa whisper yelled at me.

She had promptly pulled me away from Drake and his gang as soon as the words left my tongue.

"What's wrong with you?" I raised a brow.

"Me?" She seethed. "You actually have the guts to ask what's wrong with me? You're the one spewing out lies! Last time I checked, I wasn't your girlfriend."

"Calm down sass-a-holic, I was trying to save your pitiful self before you caused even more trouble," I chuckled.

"Oh yeah? How's telling them I'm your girlfriend gonna help?" Her face was about the same shade as a tomato. It's quite an amusing view.

"They'll leave you alone now, I'm quite intimidating so they wouldn't da-"

"Bull!" She cut me off.

"Now, Elsie, is that how you thank someone who just helped you?" I smirked.

"You didn't help me you prick, now take back what you said!" She said as she pointed towards the direction where we encountered Drake and his gang.

Students were beginning to fill the halls as they waited for the bell to signal their next class. I grinned mischievously as an idea crosses my mind.

Elsa eyes me with confusion as I cup both of my hands to my mouth, "Hey everybody!"

Majority of the people, especially those closest to us, paused from their chattering and faced us.

I plastered on my most charming smile before proclaiming, "I'm officially off the market!"

It was silent in the halls till it was broken as students began whispering around us and I saw Elsa grow deathly pale and silent.

I grabbed her hand and showed everybody our intertwined fingers, "meet Elsa Faye, my girldfriend."

Now the chattering grew louder as they looked at Elsa while some glared. Others were confused as to who this 'Elsa' girl was.

Finally Elsa seemed to have found her voice as she whispered so that only I could hear. "I'm gonna kill you, Frost. I swear it."

I smirked at that, "I'd love to see you try, dear."

~*~

HICCUP

We were all walking back to the halls since classes were about to resume when we spotted a crowd of people at one corner.

"What's up with them?" I asked as we approached the crowd.

"Hey, isn't that your brother?" I heard Eugene say as he tapped Rapunzel's shoulder.

We all craned our necks in order to get a better view, and just as Eugene said, we saw Jack in the middle of the crowd with a girl.

"What's he gotten himself into now?" Rapunzel murmured.

"And who's the girl?" I added.

"Apparently she's Jack's newest girlfriend!" We heard someone say. We all subtly turned to see three girls gossiping near us.

The girl wearing a red dress scrunched her nose, "who was she again? Ella Stray?"

"No, that doesn't sound right." The girl beside her frowned.

"I've never seen her before," A girl sporting a high ponytail commented as the others all nodded in agreement.

"She looks so... weird standing next to Jack," red dress girl remarked.

"That's because she looks out of place next to anyone." One of them laughed.

The four of us all frowned. Girlfriend? Jack has a girlfriend?

"Huh, well I hope he treats her right," Eugene hummed thoughtfully with a frown before planting a soft kiss to Rapunzel's temple, "I'll uh, see you around Punzie."

"See you," Rapunzel replied softly.

Rapunzel watched as Eugene walked down the halls to his next class, obviously knowing that Jack wouldn't be pleased by his presence.

By this time, the crowd has mostly dispersed as they all started heading back to class. This made it easier for the three of us to approach Jack and his apparent girlfriend.

"You take that back!" We heard the girl whisper yell as Jack just smirked at her.

"Woah, what'd you do to piss your girlfriend off?" Merida raised a brow and I noticed Jack's girlfriend bristle as soon as the words leave her mouth.

She turns to us, "I'm not-"

"Angry!" Jack butts in, "she's not angry. I was only teasing."

Rapunzel looks at him suspiciously, "So... You have a girlfriend. Why didn't you introduce her to us?"

Jack rolls his eyes, "I can do it now. Elsa, Rapunzel. Rapunzel, Elsa. See?"

Rapunzel ignores him and instead takes Elsa's hand and squeezes it. "Hey, uh, I'm Rapunzel Overland." She offers her a smile. "And you are?"

Elsa regarded her for a moment before sighing, "Elsa Faye." She frowns then says, "And I'm not Jack's girlf-"

"Nice try, Elsie, but you're not fooling anyone," Jack cuts her off. "Don't mind her, she's just shy. Not really used to being in an open relationship."

Merida and I look at him weirdly, what was he hiding?

"So... How long have you two been together?" I asked.

Jack glared at me. "Long enough," there was a dangerous glint in his eye, as if he was daring me to question him.

Merida ignored Jack's tensed answer and turned to Elsa while pointing a finger at Jack's general direction, "how'd you put up with a guy like him?" A bit straightforward, but a legitimate question all the same.

Although Elsa didn't have a chance to respond as Jack pulled her by the arm. "Alright, that's enough. We have time for questions later," he grumbled. "We're heading off," Jack said as he continued to pull Elsa with him as they walked away.

The three of us just watched them walk away. We were somewhat in a daze - no, scratch that. We've been left absolutely stupefied. What the hell just happened?

Does Jack really have a girlfriend? Oh, this was not good.

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A/N: hey guys, tried squeezing in a new chap for you.

It's currently 12:15am rn and I have school later so ha. Sleep is for the W  E  A  K.

Thank you so much for still supporting this story! We reached 6k+ reads!! You're all amazing!

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