Chapter Text
We were sixteen but I have
Known you since second grade
We were best friends but I have
Wanted you in different ways
Damian wanted to shut Anya up.
She was so small that first day. Her stiff movements and undeterred glare made her stand out in that room of 208 children and their parents. Her hair, vibrant pink, only made her stick out further. From the crowd he had noticed her, though she sat so far back in the auditorium she attracted his eyes like flies to honey. He only meant to sweep the room to check for any notable names, friends that could be of use to him later, but as he anticipated he was the highest born out of all the new students. They bored him, the entire crowd was filled with people that would lick his shoes and call him a god if he asked.
The only one he hadn’t recognized was her. Eden wasn’t to be underestimated, but if he didn’t know her name she was most likely a low born member of society, someone who didn’t fit in in the slightest. Judging by the features of her parents there was a slim possibility she could’ve been some foreign socialite. Then again he couldn’t make out their faces, only their outlines and basic features from his position on the stage.
His eyes followed her until she took her first step onto the stage to be grouped with the other members of Cecil house. It was just his luck that the one anomaly in the entire student body was his classmate.
It was painfully awkward to see her walk across the platform past the podium, so green and bewildered. The sight fueled his ego and stifled any of his concern over her existence. She was merely a shy girl unfamiliar with the workings of the academy. She would be eaten up by the harsh environment in no time if she continued to make herself stand out.
Damian only realized he spoke to soon when she met his scrutinizing glance with a stare of her own. Unlike his eyes hers were filled with wonderment, and a little determination. Somehow Damian began to feel a little too relaxed, and consequently out of place.
He continued to look at her, his pride not letting him step down, but neither would she. Perhaps he had overestimated her, and made a false assumption once again. This girl was undoubtedly in love with him at first sight. Why else would she continue to stare at him with eyes that had ‘be mine’ written all over them? Admiration from such an odd girl wasn’t nearly as big of a compliment as he would like it to be. Taking a closer look she wasn’t half bad, but for a first grader she was terribly short. He liked shy girls at least, those who wouldn’t give him too much grief in the future.
As soon as he had given her the benefit of the doubt she turned her back to him, it was endearing how bashful she was. He could get used to having her around, to entertain him throughout the dull academy experience.
But she made her way over to Becky Blackwell. Damn this girl was smart, making an impression on those of the highest status on the first day. The Blackwells were longtime partners of the Desmond group, she’d be set for life if she even made one friend. This also raised the question of whether she had only been staring at him because she knew his father, who wouldn’t? Anya could be scheming her way into a rich future as they stood there and he would’ve been all too naive. Damian wouldn’t let that happen.
The tour went along all too smoothly, though not without him catching a few looks from Anya in his peripheral vision. It wasn’t long before students began to gather around him, slowly recognizing him as the son of the president of the National Unity Party. Earning their respect was like stealing candy for a baby, no one wouldn’t try to align themselves with a member of the most influential family in Ostania, and potentially the entire western world.
The only two girls who stood off to the side were Anya and Becky. It irked him that she didn’t jump at the chance to associate with him like the others. Then again she had been proven to be shy, of course he would need to make the first move. Damian felt a smirk growing on his face, he really was such a charitable guy.
“And what about you? What do your parents do?”
The question was a mere formality, he didn’t really expect that much from her answer, maybe she had sense enough to avoid the question.
Anya’s eyes widened as she tilted her head to look up at him. She still was pretty cute from this close, lucky her, but her hairstyle was tacky. Not to mention how stupid she looked with her mouth gaping open like that.
“Depending on how important they are, I could let you be my friend.”
He almost chuckled, her expression was so pathetic, and his words so generous. Anya was so very lucky to receive this much attention from an esteemed Desmond.
“He’s a mind doctor.”
It was such a shame she failed to surprise him once more. A doctor. And a non surgical specialty at that! Could you even call that a profession? Anya really was ignorant to the honor of Eden academy, commoners weren’t a good fit. So shameless.
“I bet you’re poor too.” He barely held back the scoff that came with it.
Ewen and Emile were quick to back him up, berating her with a barrage of insults. They worshiped the ground he walked on, he couldn’t help it if others were hurt in the process.
Anya didn’t react at first, the poor girl must have been in shock. She lowered her head and clenched her fists, her reaction was so textbook it almost made Damian scoff again. But his breath shouldn’t be wasted on her anyways.
Her eyes widened for a brief seconds before settling into agitating slits. Her pupils shrank and looked down on him, despite her height, with a loathsome scowl. Anya’s eyebrows quirked at an angle that just screamed audacity and sure enough Damian was incensed. But her smirk, her smirk was the worst of them all. A commoner like her shouldn’t have the gall to even look him in the eye, disregarding the entire interaction from earlier, but she would not back down. She was just beckoning him to fire back at her, but the exasperation in her smile left him at a loss for words.
He was wrong. Anya wasn’t cute or shy or any of those things he said about her. She was annoying as hell.
And he just wanted to smack the sneer off of that aggravating face of hers.