Chapter Text
First grade, on the very first day of school. Wanting the most efficient, best education for Anya, Anya's papa enrolled her to Eden Academy. Well, of course, he also needed to complete a mission for world peace for he's a spy.
She was bewildered and culture shocked by the elegance and sophistication the academy has. The students were, well, they weren't all in their best manners, but they were darn rich.
Becky Blackbell---who happens to approach and befriend her because she was feeling this maternal instinct to baby Anya---hasn't stopped talking to her ever since she got inside Cecile Hall. Although Anya actually enjoyed talking to her, she wasn't used having conversations with strangers. Just reading everyone's mind is painful enough for her.
"So what does your parents own?"
"Huh?"
"Business,"
"Oh," Anya scratches her head, "um, they don't own something... but, Papa is a psychiatrist, and Mama is a clerk at Berlint City Hall... I think."
"Not that interesting,"
And like any other chick-flick slash highschool teen slash drama movie his Uncle Franky's been watching, a group of three stops in front of them.
Mean Girls?
"Pfft, Blackbell. I didn't know you adopt children." The boy in the middle snickers. Okay, okay. To be fair, he looks cute. If only it weren't for his condescending expression, bashful, arrogant, hazel-colored pair of beads.
He's together with a square faced blond boy with slanted eyes and small irises, and a boy with elongated head, blond, combed back hair that looks like a potato chip. Presumably his friends.
"And I didn't know the academy has allowed two idiots like YOUR idiot followers, Desmond." Becky backfires.
The three were about to throw something back, but their headmaster has already called for a school tour.
And so they went.
It wasn't all that peaceful, y'know. Even though Anya is one of the two hundred-eight new students accepted into Eden Academy, her status has got her classmates view her lowly.
Anya scratches her head and groans as Damian continues to throw a darn crumpled paper ball. Anya picks it up and threw it to the bin again for the third time. She's getting annoyed.
"Will you stop, Desmond? Or I will throw the freaking bin at you. Don't start a war." Becky faces her back, shooting a glare on the three.
Damian smirks, "What? You got a proof it was me? Got an eye behind you?"
And he threw another again.
She's done.
Mama has taught me do a super-punch. This could be a great practice!
Anya turns her back with a poker face as she walks toward Damian slowly. Damian slows back, too, 'til he's now behind the bins. Anya stops and leaves a distance, sways her right fist, landing on Damian's left cheek. She sent him flying into some bins.
Anya has punched the second born of Donovan Desmond and Melinda Desmond.
"Bossman!"
She didn't even need to wait for a minute to hear the little brat cry and scream for the headmaster.
"What? You got a proof it was me?" Anya smiles widely.
You guessed it. Unfortunately that's how Anya got her very first Tonitrus Bolt. Although the headmaster has admired Anya for depending her friend as the reason why she needed the feel to punch the boy. Such an elegant move.
Oh boy, Plan B is hopeless now.
"I need to apologize to Sy-on boy for world peace, Becky."
"Second boy? You mean, Desmond? Nah, let him be. It was well deserved anyways. And I didn't know you were so mature!"
"You don't understand, there'll be war!"
"Anya, there will be war when they touch you again. Not in my watch. Besides, his two goons are probably too scared to touch you. You can just kick their butts again!"
"Then I'll get a Thunderbolt from the headmaster again if I do punch them. Papa's not gonna be happy to hear that."
"You mean Tonitrus. Headmaster ain't Pikachu, Anya."
Embarrassed and mad, Damian avoided the girl everytime Anya attempts to apologize.
His reputation as a Desmond, he can't believe a little girl made her drop to the ground because of a single punch.
But he didn't know why exactly he keeps avoiding her. He just feels too embarrassed... or maybe fear? Everytime he sees her face, his cheeks starts to burn, turning bright pink, heart beating faster than normal.
Yup, that was hatred for sure.
Damian was consistent. He prides as a Desmond. He'd never accept such apology for someone so low, or so he thinks arrogantly.
And those are what made their classmates make fun of Anya. Using their high class status to bully and harass her verbally. At some point it annoyed her, but she didn't want to receive those stupid bolts again. Besides, she thinks it's better that what they know about Forger family is pure misinformation and nothing true. She prides about the fact that she is an esper, her papa's a spy, and her mama's an assassin.
"What, Forger? You wanna fight?" One noon breaks the cycle. Anya has finally spotted Damian and his followers in their usual table without Damian avoiding him!
Anya's without Becky right now, but she needed to apologize to Damian. She has to. So she steps towards him.
Damian's eyebrows furrows. Hands clenching. Here it is again, that damn heartbeat.
Anya hands him a bag of peanuts.
"What am I supposed to do with that?"
"Apology offer, Sy-on boy. I... I didn't mean to do it, the punch, if you remember..."
Silence. There was this long silence. Of course Damian remembers. He lived with shame for days! Heavens knows how long that deafening silence were, broken by Anya's tears and sob.
"I'm sorry I did it. I'm sorry I have short legs and- and I'm sorry I look dumb. I'm sorry peanuts is all I offer you, you.. you can punch me too, right now, and I'll take that as quits and then we'll be friends, if you want to..."
Damian can't believe it. Dumbfounded, literally. There's a girl in front of her crying for forgiveness. She didn't mean to do it? I mean, I guess I went out of line... No, no! A Desmond takes pride and never-
"Fine,"
...
Whaaaaat?! How come my mind and mouth didn't work together?! Stupid! Stupid Damian!
"B... Bossman?"
"It's fine..." It is certainly not! "But I will not be punching you and I won't be friends with you, either."
Anya blinks for how many times she could. "Really?"
"Yes. And nobody said you have short legs and you look dumb. But you are an idiot." Damian thanks the Gods and Goddesses for Blackbell being missing in action right now. She would probably strangle Damian for calling Anya an idiot.
"Well," Anya sniffs before continuing, "your friends did,"
"Did we really say that loud?"
Anya stops crying, then smiles. Alrighty! Plan B is saved, and she's picking up the pieces! At least.
"Okay... can you stop smiling now?"
Their time together didn't mean they were friends friends. Damian needed a lot of time to trust. He doesn't want to admit it, but he may have a crush on her. From the blushing and sudden heart attack, he may like her. He's not that stupid to not realize. He's a top student. He's a Desmond.
Everyday, Anya, together with Becky---she forced Becky to come, and Becky has no choice---joins Damian's circle every lunch. Even in study groups! Damian didn't really mind. He liked having her presence, and she was like a ball of sunshine. He liked having her around.
But it was still hell for her. From the false accusations, verbal harassment, malicious comments and things she never knew first graders can do.
"You think the most prestigious, respected Eden Academy will really allow pests to go here?" Damian scoffs at the girls, annoyed by the buzz of those stupid stories they made up for Anya. "If yes, then you girls are probably the pests here."
"Hey, can you tutor me in math? I really don't understand those numbers with doodles," Anya says, munching on her favorite snack, peanuts.
Actually. Damian was just about to ask if she'd like to be tutored, but courage wasn't happening.
"Yeah, sure, we're on the same class in math anyway. And those aren't doodles, those are the signs, Anya. They have names." He laughs a little.
Anya's eyes widens, turns to Damian, then smiles, "I never heard you laugh before. I mean, yeah, you smirk and grin and all to annoy me, but not laugh genuinely,"
Damian stops and cleared his throat. "that's... I laughed unconsciously. I'm very composed."
"And short-tempered?" Anya giggles. Damian rolls his eyes, but smiles after anyway.
Yes, every afternoon since then, after class, Damian would pull her inside the library, Anya regretting she asked for help. Damian's tutoring sessions don't really end well. Anya's hopeless, she thinks. But he believes in her at some point.
"Well," Damian sighs, "what are your favorite things to do?"
"I thought we were doing math?"
"Just answer it."
"Uh, I like watching Bondman every night. You know, the spy TV series? And I love chimeras. You should see my chimera plushie when you visit our home. Peanuts. I love peanuts, I think you know that already. And, and, I love Eden's uniform! The..."
Oh, man. "Anya."
Anya blinks, "what?"
"I asked about your favorite things to do, not your favorite things,"
"Eh. That's the same."
"No, it's not. This is why you're failing math."
"Wow, okay. That hit hard. But what was the point of asking me that, anyway?"
"I thought it might be effective for you if I associated math with the things you love, but you seriously went off topic, kinda," he sighs.
"It already is,"
"Huh?"
"You're associated with math, Sy-on boy. You're even teaching me math!" Anya beams.
Damian felt he was gonna faint. He tried to brush off his blushing, but his heart! That damned heartbeat!
"S- Stop playing with me, Anya, and focus."
"What? I love my friends, you know!"
Ah, right.
She's way too innocent for love bullshit. And what was Damian thinking about, anyway? Thinking Anya loves her.
Anya feels guilty after she heard what he was thinking. Oh, my god. I didn't know that's what he meant. Does he think I hate him? Uh... Anya's still a child so she's a little dumb at times like these.
Damian felt disappointed, but that wasn't the point. It's just a stupid crush for her bestfriend. It'll pass soon.
Until it never did.
"You know, I might actually think you like Anya, Bossman."
Damian choked on his own breath, "what was that, Emile?!"
"You do spend a lot of time with her! That's not usual."
Damian rolled his eyes and continues reading his book, "I'm just tutoring her every afternoon, that's why we got closer."
"So you do like her?"
"Ewen!"
"He's blushing! Bossman's got a crush!" Emile teased.
Damian felt like he was gonna explode in embarrassment. "Okay, okay! I do like her a little! But she's our friend, and that's like, against the friends' codes, you know."
"There's never a friends' code."
"Yeah, some broken and rejected people just made that up." Ewen added.
"Shut up. You shall never mention this to Anya, especially Becky. You know how her mouth works."
There was actually fruits of Damian's tutoring. Anya scored higher that her usual scores. 42 on their recent test! Beat that.
Anya created a smug face and grins, "I think I might be able to surpass you now, Desmond."
Damian scoffs. "I got a 97 over 100."
Her enthusiasm was erased in an instant. "Yeah, nevermind."
"This calls for a celebration, Anya!" Becky squeals. "We're going shopping this afternoon! Do you wanna come Damian? Emile? Ewen?" Becky adds, inviting their other friends.
"Sorry, can't, my father's bringing me to our company." Ewen replies, feeling a little apologetic he can't come.
"I guess that's fine. Emile?"
"Also can't. Business too."
"Darn businessmen." She rolled her eyes. "You, Damian? Wanna come?"
"I'm not busy, but I don't wanna. I'm just gonna study for prelims."
Becky deadpanned. "Meh. Whatever. Our date is for girls only!" She exclaimed.
Afternoon came and they shopped together at one of her Mom's own malls. Anya doesn't like buying material things, but Becky is her actual opposite. Materialistic and rich.
"Becks. Look at this," Anya points at the chimera keychain that looks like her plush at home. "Such a cutie."
"Right! You gonna buy some?"
"Yes! Let's buy two and wear them both."
Anya was delivered safely back to Forgers' residence after their lovely bonding. She was behind the doors when she heard her Mama and Papa's thoughts loudly.
"This can't be happening right now."
"WISE is gonna kill me."
Anya was scared. She didn't want to enter inside. It was frightening just to hear whatever they're fighting about right now.
The door opens, "Anya! Welcome home." Her Papa opened the door. It's probably his instincts telling him somebody's outside.
Anya slowly walks inside. Her Mama was anxiously watching her. Something's definitely wrong.
"Mama and Papa fighting?"
Anya's Papa's eyes twitched. "Uh... No! Yor and I are fine,"
"Loid's just talking about things. Why, Anya? Is there something wrong?"
They're lying...
But they're probably lying for my sake, right?
Anya yawns. "Nothing."
Wanna ask how fast time goes? Prelims have come. The results are out.
Damian's on the top, Becky's on second, and Anya's... well, in the middle. She doesn't wanna meddle with smart people, she thinks.
Usually Anya would react as if like she got the highest spot, but no, she didn't. Something felt wrong. Something wasn't right. She wasn't her usual self. She wasn't the ray of sunshine she was. She looks dull, cold, and sad. Her emerald eyes doesn't sparkle like how it does before.
"Anya," Becky sat beside her. "Are you feeling alright? I can accompany you to the clinic."
Becky didn't get any response. Becky felt really worried about her. She looked for Damian and there he was, looking at the numbers on the posted results.
Damian took notice of Becky's presence behind his back. "What?"
"Do you know what's happening with Anya, Desmond? She's really dull today. She's not even eating peanuts right now."
Damian felt alerted. "Where is she?"
Becky came back to Anya with Damian on her side. She's right. Anya looked like she didn't get enough sleep for days. Maybe she's stressed because of the results? But she actually improved. She got two places higher than the usual.
"Are you okay?"
Anya looks up to him, then back to her hands again, "I'm fine." She sighs. "Just my fear of crowds." She forces a smile.
No. They already saw how she reacts to crowd. It was never this. It was never this dull. They knew she wasn't okay. But they let her. They didn't wanna force her to speak.
"Bossman! Becky! Anya! We got- oh, what's up, Anya?" Ewen and Emile immediately felt the atmosphere. "Is everything alright?"
Anya was about to answer them, but Becky cut her off. "I know! We'll eat outside tomorrow, since it's Saturday! Just ice cream and hang out. No one's not gonna go! That way, you can release your stress, Anya."
"Al... alright,"
Saturday came.
"It's raining." Damian stated. It was a heavy rain, dark clouds covering the sky.
Becky didn't mind. "No worries. Weather ain't changing our plans. We have to make Anya happy."
Ewen cleared his throat, "I... you know, I feel scared about this..."
Emile laughed, "scared of her parents?"
"No, I'm just... Dunno. I felt like something's really wrong. I hope Anya's alright."
Damian glanced at Ewen. That's weird. He's always up for everything. Why'd he feel down now?
They reached the Forgers' residence with Becky's lead. It was really exciting for Damian, as he remembered Anya would show her her favorite chimera.
Becky knocks on their door, "Anya? We're here! Mr. Forger? Mrs. Forger? It's me, Becky!" But after few knocks, nobody's opening the door. "Ugh, this is frustrating. Where could- oh my. Good afternoon, Ma'am!" Becky was distracted by the old woman. That's the Forgers' neighbor.
"Oh, hi, dearie. Good to see you. Are these boys with you?" Becky's been visiting Anya's home frequently that Anya's neighbors recognize her.
"Yes, they're with me. We're actually going to the mall with Anya together. Do you know where the Forgers are? We've been knocking for minutes, but it seems nobody's home." Becky complained.
The old woman sighs, "they just left yesterday night. I didn't know where they're going, but it seemed important. Loid and Yor looked serious. I'm sorry I can't tell you where they are, they didn't left traces behind."
Oh.
Anya left.
Anya left them?
Anya...
It felt heartbreaking. It felt confusing. But they continued going to the mall to eat ice cream, and to discuss things.
"She... left. Without notice."
Silence.
"No, it's- it's probably just a vacation, Becky."
Silence.
"Emile, she would've told me if it was!" Becky snapped. She's started crying.
Damian's been silent ever since they left Anya's home. It left him speechless. Heartbroken. It angered him. Their friend not telling what was happening. But he couldn't bring himself to hate Anya. He would never and he could never.
"Bossman, you good?" Ewen felt the urge to check up on him. Damian hummed in response.
That night was the most painful and unforgettable moment of their life.