Is It True? (Kristanna) EDITING

Chapter 11

When the end of the history lecture finally came, I quickly snatched Elsa's hand in mine, grabbed my things, said goodbye to everyone, and dashed back to our shared apartment/dorm. Elsa was definitely more worried about me than she let on. I could only tell this due to the fact that small snowflakes began to crystallize on the outside of my hand that was grasping hers.

As soon as the door to our living quarters was within a few strides, I let go of Elsa and rushed to get the door open and get us both inside as soon as possible.

"What happened?" Elsa's stern, yet concerned question broke the barrier I had built up throughout history. The reality of the situation that I was in hit me like a ton of bricks and tears began to fall once again.

"I.... I found out why you were so against Hans." The words escaped me with a bitter taste and tone.

"You did?" I couldn't bring myself to look at her, but her voice was filled with disappointment and pity. "How?"

Tears began to flow more freely as I broke down into sobs. "I just- I was curious, there was this gnawing feeling in my gut- I was stupid. I don't even know why, but I saw his phone-"

"And he was talking to other girls." Elsa finished my sentence for me as she gently placed a hand on my shoulder and led us both to the couch.

"Not just talking," I said venomously. "He was planning on having sex with them. It was disgusting. I can't believe that he would do something as disgusting as-" This time, I cut myself off. The fact that Elsa knew exactly what I was about to say about Hans was just now registering in my mind. I look up to face her and the look on her face just confirmed my assumptions. "You knew." The accusation was just a whisper, but it was there. "You knew this whole time, didn't you?"

"Anna," she reached out to hold my hand, but I reflexively jerked away from her. "I didn't-"

"I can't believe you! You knew exactly what type of person he truly was, yet you did nothing to stop me from dating him? You probably even knew before I even told you about my feelings for him, yet you didn't tell me?!? You waited for me to fall into his trap," I paused, feeling so betrayed by my best friend. "Just so you didn't have to hurt me yourself?"

Elsa stood up defensively, trying to plead her case more affectively. "Look, Anna, you're so stubborn. Even now, you're denying the fact that things like this happen to too many people, and sadly it happens often. You're trying to keep the blame away from Hans, and I have no idea why! You've glued your mind into believing that he's the only good thing in the world, and I knew that I wasn't going to be able to rip you away from that! I knew that no matter what I said about who Hans actually was, you'd never believe me. You'd just shake you head and walk away!" She runs a hand through her platinum, blonde hair, physically showing her exasperation with me. "Do you remember how you found me after your first date?" My eyes finally find the courage to meet hers, and I can tell how difficult it is for her to fight against me... and she must have realized the same. When she spoke again, her tone was much more soft and gentle. "I was a wreck. I was so scared that he was going to... to take advantage of you, and the fact that I did nothing to stop you... it made me furious with myself. I tried to tell you, but you were so happy... I couldn't take that happiness away from you."

We spent the next few moments in complete silence. I, for one, felt so conflicted. A part of me wanted to go to my room and slam my door in Elsa's face, while another part of my wanted to continue arguing with her. But the last part, and the part that won my internal struggle, was the urge for comfort. I silently stood from the couch and wrapped my arms around Elsa, who quickly reciprocated the action.

"You're right," my voice cracked as I broke the long lasting barrier of silence, "I would have never listened to you. I'm stubborn and naive." A soft chuckle followed my confession and a small smile formed on my face. "Now, before we do anything else," I remove myself from her as I spoke, "What else do you know about that disgusting thing I used to call my boyfriend?"

I could tell she was reluctant to tell me by the way her body language suddenly changed again. She went from being relaxed and relieved to being tense and nervous. "Well... I mean, another reason why I never told you about his tendencies, is because he won't let anything, or anyone, stop him. It's horrible..."

"What do you mean? Who told you all this?"

"Belle." She confessed plainly, as though it was a birder to have kept it a secret. "After finally getting Gaston to leave her alone, Hans took that as his opportunity to 'date' her. Of course, they both had two completely different ideas for the first date. When Belle told him no, and tried to get away from him... to say the least, it wasn't pretty." I mentally thanked Elsa for sparing me from the details of the rest of the story. "Constantly, she tried to separate herself from him, but he wouldn't let her. He forced himself on her, and he manipulated her into believing that it was all going to work out in the end. Eventually, she met Adam, and he saved her from Hans."

"How did I crush on this guy for years- heck, I even knew him through high school!- but yet I never knew this?" I mutter to myself in disbelief at how oblivious I had been.

Everything kept getting more and more complicated with each adding piece to the puzzle. First, he was obviously cheating. But now I know that he's a manipulative little son of a-

*You can count on me, like 1, 2, 3. I'll be there~*

The ringtone I had recently assigned to Hans's contact interrupted my thoughts, making me both angry and nervous (and slightly disgusted by the fact that one of my favorite love songs was being closely related to that scum bag).

"Els... it's him." I pull my phone out of my pocket and stare at the picture which was placed in his contact file. "Do I answer?" Anxiety suddenly owned my body, as my fingers began to shake slightly. "What if I try to break up with him and he does the same thing that he did to Belle, but to me? What if-"

"Just tell him no."

Elsa's blunt response forces my train of thought to freeze. "Just... no?"

"Exactly." She nodded her head as the ringtone stopped playing. "Now, he's probably going to call again. When he does, say no. Now, if he won't take no, then we can just hang out here until he comes to bother you. As soon as he shows up, I can settle it." She raised a hand, forming an extremely cold snow cloud, implying that she'd use her powers against him if he proved to be too persistent.

As if on cue, my phone begins to ring again. With a deep breath, I answer the call from Hans.

"Hello, Hans." The bitter taste of his name made me sick at this point.

"Anna, what is wrong with you today?" There was hardly any concern in his tone, mostly disbelief and frustration. "First, you ask if I'm cheating on you, then you started crying randomly during history, and now this? I've been texting you like crazy, why haven't you responded? Is this because I sat with Snow and Rapunzel during geography? Honestly, I never thought you to be one to get easily jealous over something so-"

"Don't you dare try to fool me," I say viciously. "You've gotten good at putting on this act."

His silence showed me his shock without it being vocalized, but he soon followed it with, "I'd like to know what you mean, exactly, by that comment." His voice was almost deadly and it made me suddenly very scared.

"I know what you're doing, you sick bastard." My grip on my phone gets slightly tighter as the confession finally comes. "You can consider 'us', as good as dead. We're through."

"Oh Anna," Hans chuckles darkly, showing the hidden side of his twisted personality, "It's not that easy, sweetheart. I don't give up what's mine. You've even said it yourself. Your mine."

"No." I shook my head, even though he couldn't see my actions. "I'm not. I don't belong to anyone, least of all you. And it doesn't matter if you can get that through your thick skull or not, I won't let you do anything more to me." My sheer determination was the only thing keeping my voice from cracking due to the massive amounts of anxiety and nervousness currently coursing through my nervous system.

"Anna, darling, you don't know what your saying. You're probably overwhelmed by class work, which is making you go into a state of hysteria," Hans said with a venom to his words that was practically lethal. "Now, when I come over tonight, we can work all this out together, in person. Okay? Okay."

"You will be doing no such thing! If I so much as see you, I will not hesitate to show you how- how absolutely enraged I am. You stay away, Hans Westergard, or things will get reeeeally messy." I hang up.