Elsa

Nineteen

The bus driver was injured. We're not able to drive back to campus together, but spread across a few police cars and a couple of borrowed vehicles from the lodge owners, the group heads back to campus the next day.

I sit in the back of a car, squeezed between Ariana and one of Jack's frat brothers, Ollie.

She asks for pieces of the story, very subtle, without saying anything about magic. I tell her about Pierce and Jack and the police. When I get to the part about the gun Ollie chokes.

"Whoa," he interrupts. "Pierce? Man, I've never liked that guy. He was super shady."

"Yeah," I say softly. I sigh. "The worst thing is that I believed him."

"It's okay," Ariana says, squeezing my knee. "People like him don't care who gets hurt, they just... let greed overcome everything else."

"I-" I bite my lip. "I loved him," I spit out.

Even Ollie is silent when I say it.

I have to fight not to cry. "Why am I so stupid?" I stare at my fingers on my lap. "I thought he loved me, too. Turns out he was just using me." I bite the inside of my cheek. "Maybe that's what love always is. Using each other to get what you want."

"That's not true, Elsa," Ariana argues.

"If only there was someone out there who really loved you," Ollie says. "Then you'd know the difference." I glare at him, but he continues. "I'm serious! I mean, I'm not a love expert but- I have friends who are."

"Thanks, Ollie," I say.

"Love is... putting someone else's needs before your own," he says. "You know, the way Jack jumped in front of the gun for you."

The memory is painful. I rub my forehead. "Jack... loves me?" I snort. "He doesn't love me. He did that because he's a good person." I look past Ariana, out the window at the snow. It's not as deep here as we come down the mountain. "He did that because he's never going to be the kind of person Pierce is."

We got a late start on our drive back, and the roads turn out to be icy and difficult. I have to fight the memories of my family. I've been on icy roads before, but I can never forget the connection. Any time I feel the car sliding, I become rigid. But it's not a second before Ariana's hand is on my knee. She doesn't say anything. But she's there for me. I relax.

The moon is out when we pull up to campus. Ollie has fallen asleep. I slide out Ariana's door and the driver takes our bags out of the trunk. We pick up our things and head to the dorm.

"People will ask us questions about the storm," I say.

Ariana shrugs. "People always ask questions."

"People will ask me questions about the storm."

We walk on to the elevator and ride up to our floor. Ariana leans her head on my shoulder.

"Well, you'll just have to tell them what happened."

I glance sideways at her. "People can't know what actually happened."

"I didn't say to tell them what actually happened," Ariana said, walking down the hall towards our room. Her voice lowers as we walk past locked doors with the lights off. "They'll be too distracted by the gunshot to notice any holes in the story."

She swings open the door and flips on the light. I'm immediately hit by the strong scent of flowers. There's an enormous bouquet on the shelf under the window.

"What is this?" Ariana gasps, throwing her bags on the bed. She steps closer and reads the card. She looks back at me. "They're yours."

I swallow. I hope desperately they're not from Pierce, but my gut twists. Who else would send them?

My fingers are shaking as I pull the card out of the envelope.

you're stronger than you know

if you still want me to teach you how to use your powers i'm up for it. i'll only be in a cast for a few months. i'm in hospital room b22.

-jack

I look up at Ariana in shock.

She looks back at me askingly, but I can't even speak. I throw the card at her and she reads it, then gasps and giggles. She slaps my arm as she reads it again, smiling to herself.

I fall back on my bed and cover my face with my hands.

"They're so pretty!" she says, smelling the flowers.

"I don't know what to do," I say. "Last time a guy told me how to use my powers-"

"Jack's not Pierce," Ariana says quickly. "You know that."

I lick my lips. For a second we're silent. Then I look up at Ariana, biting back a laugh. She tilts her head, looking at me. Then she reaches forward and puts her hand on my hair.

"You're different, Elsa."

I smile, looking at the ground. "I feel different."

"What is it?"

I breath for a few seconds, then look up at my roommate.

"I'm not scared anymore."