third person pov
The joyous weeks that followed included continuous congratulations and celebrations, but a special event was very quickly approaching...
Anya was still slightly distanced, having escaped a place that has trapped her for so long. There were no lingering attachments. When everyone arrived at the hospital to get checked, the embedded microchip was extracted, and hefty ironclad anklets shattered. Their condition was fragile and needed to be placed in emergency care, where excessive amounts of nutrients and protein were absorbed each day.
Damian and Becky, with the help of their friends, quickly spread the information of two past students returning to Eden, one infamous (Anya) the other popular (Chase), secretly giddy. Dorms were arranged for the Year Elevens, and new supply shipments.
The first day of school was in 2 days.
"Miss Anya, please look after yourself!" Yor rushed around their apartment, chekcing and gathering Anya's belongings. Loid smiled at Anya, who was waiting at the door with a wistful expression, "Do remember to enjoy yourself and have fun, okay, Anya?"
She blinked rapidly, coming back to focus. "Yes, Father. I'll call you when I'm free." Yor thanked Martha for assisting Anya with her luggage, twisting the ring around her finger anxiously. "Goodbye, I'll return after no time!"
Anya maintained an uplifted expression as she stopped on the street and waved at her parents, who were standing atop the stairs. Martha hauled her bags into the trunk of the car, and with the final goodbyes said,
Anya departed to experience Eden all over again.
"Keep a close watch for now, Twilight." Loid thought to himself, as he waved cheerily to the distant car driving further down the street. "Loid-san, let's make sure this is a place she'll always want to return to: home." Loid opened the door for Yor, looking back at the streetlights flickering slowly to life as the sun set over the blazing horizon. Closing the door, he embraced Yor. "Our home."
"E– E– E– Ehhh?! L– L– L– L– Loid-san!"
"Anya!" Becky bounded to her friend, careful of her bruises and sore spots, and hugged her elatedly. Anya gave a shy smile, "Hello, Becky."
Becky, becky who rescued her from the prision, the inescapable cage... Stop. Anya pushed those thoughts down, muffling their pain and fear. Replace it with happiness and excitement. Even if I've forgotten.
"Aha, Anya's here!" Dante shook hands with her, patting her back as they walked to her room, Cecile Dorm 29. When she unlocked the knob, Anya was greeted with a soft and cozy setting with colourful displays and the faces of 8 eager girls.
After a brief introduction, Anya toured the whole building on her own, the others occupied with homework. She began to make her way to the second floor, when something caught on her blouse. "Heya, I'm Raine." Standing next to the railing was a tall girl with dyed electro-red tips. "Congrats on the brave getaway, Anya."
Anya gripped the railing nervously. "I just wanted to check if you knew the second floor is where currently 20 boys, socialites or snobs, are studying for entrance exams." Entrance exams, Anya noted. "Heck, Damian hasn't emerged from his room since last weekend."
Damian. Right, the boy. Still don't know why people are talking about him so specifically. Anya nodded, "Alright, I got it. Thanks, but do you mind showing me to Mr. Henderson?" Raine nodded enthusiastically, "by the way, I heard the camping trip is happening this term."
"Yep, they've changed the programme a bit."
Accustomed to the loud, banging glass and histerical screeching, Anya walked down the hallway to her first class of the term stiffly, feeling the judgemental scruntiny on her back burning holes into her nape.
"Raine, where's Becky?" Raine peered over her shoulder, "I think you are in the same homeroom, where they'll distribute school materials to each student." Anya walked tentatively to the front row, when she noticed the seating plan on the desks. She wandered up and down the rows to find the second last middle bench.
The bell rang, and the horde of students poured in and took their seats hurriedly. The boys had sports equipment under their arms, swinging it around carelessly. Anya saw their teacher pushing through the crowd lugging two crates of supplies.
Class began, and Anya could feel the pressuring eyeballing of students as they gossiped. "So the troublemaker's in our class? She's going to drag down our class average in academics for sure." His friend whispered behind the back of her hand, "They haven't even tested her yet! Like, who does she think she is, being in the same class as Master Damian. And sitting right in front of him, no less!"
"So indignant." Anya raised her head from her arms. "When did Damian come?" She thought, as Damian brazenly walked up to the said classmates.
He turned to face the guy, "If one measly score is going to be such a damaging blow, I'd be more worried about your current class average. One mistake shouldn't have an impact if the foundation is solid." The girl beside him nodded vigorously, her headband moving as she beamed.
"Ahem, Mr Desmond, if you will." The professor motioned for Damian to sit down, then gave everyone their timetables and handouts. After Anya had collected her supplies, she returned to her desk, when a lavish girl strutted in in her glorious delayed entrance.
"Attendance, professor." Becky snapped her gaze to Anya, clapping her hands in a small delight. "Anya! You're here!" Becky couldnt contain her grin, happily setting her notebooks and stationary besides her bestfriend. "I was sure you'd chicken out or something."
"What took you so long? Did the poop god visit you?"
"Anya, you're a bit too far gone in that delusion."
Anya protested, "That is one thing I am sure of! I held it in until I saw literal rainbows and a farty old man." After a beat, she added, "And there were waves of toilet paper." Damian tuned out the conversation, slightly weirded out by the girl's behaviour.
"AHEM. As I was saying, the Annual Gala is to be fast-forwarded. I understand this is short notice, but Eden will be hosting the event 2 months from now." Becky gaped at Anya, panicked.
"What do I do?! My dress's fabrics haven't been imported yet, measurements need to be precise, my dress needs to be tailored and adjusted, and I need matching accessorices!" Becky inhaled, releasing her grip on Anya's shoulders. The girl chipped in, "Anya'll wear what she has at home," not seeing the boy behind her drop his hand in shock.
"Does she even know that the customs have changed? Worse, she doesn't acknowledge me as a scholar?"
Becky sighed,"Let's discuss this in my room later, Anya..." pinching her nose bridge as she thought of how many dresses she could make Anya 'try on' from her own closet. As Anya packed her folders and paper away, a hand was firmly placed on Becky's shoulder.
"Explain it properly, Blackbell." Damian said, recieving a stink eye from Becky as she looked between him and the rigid hand rooted on a sore muscle. Damian gave Becky one last pointed look before he too headed back to Cecile Dorm.
The late afternoon sky was a brilliant, harsh light as the two girls dwindled on the bleachers. "Were you aware," Becky said, "That the annual ball has changed the rules? The scholars are prioritised, so they get to select their dance partners earliest."
"I didn't know there was an annual ball, Becky. I didn't know anything up until now." Anya's mouth was set in a straight line, racking her brain hoping the answer could resurface. "Well, guess who was wearing a cape today." Anya guessed, "Uh, superhero. The Bond-man sticker on my schoolbag?"
"The Imperial Scholars cape, who was wearing it today and sitting behind you?" The green-haired boy. "Desmond." Becky patted the area inbetween them, leaning in. "Yes, and he wanted t— Watch out!!"
"Yo, heads!" Anya saw a soccer ball fly in a suspended arch to her head, where it bounced up and she stuck out her foot. Controlling the spin and without skipping a beat, she kicked it back to where the boys team were training. "You're pretty decent for a commoner, Forger." The boy who kicked it seemed impressed, directing his focus back on the field. "Shame there ain't a girls' soccer team here."
Anya seemed invested in the idea, and watching the boys play only further excited her. "My parents would encourage me for sure, but that'd mean less time with Becky..." Anya, after little deliberation, called out, "What if I made one?"
"Do you think you can lead a team with the unpolished skills you showcase now?" Anya's eyebrows shot up. Shock...
"Sure, they're skills, but guiding and teaching a buncha newbies is a another thing altogether. Come to practice with us," he offered, "And you can leave whenever you wish." Anya couldn't contain a wide smile as she hopped off the bench to join their training, waving to Becky, completely forgetting their previous conversation.
"This is going to to take longer than I planned." Becky deflated, her pupils following Anya's figure as her friend threw her head back and laughed. Becky, too, grinned as she went over by the fence and cheered Anya on.
It was late, and everyone was packing the equipment as they headed off to their respective dorms, when Damian leant on the fence with his hands tucked in his pockets. "What's she doing?"
Becky answered, "Playing soccer. Why are you here?" Damian looked a little shocked, "I'm the captain of the boys' soccer team. Of course I need to supervise my team." Of course Desmond had to be a soccer-stan. And the captain at that.
"We're heading off now," Becky informed him, grabbing Anya and leading her away, clinging to her best friend's arm and shooting mocking expressions at the tomato boy named Damian.
Damian pov
Anya walked by me and shot me a quick smile. I shoved the stomachey feeling down and rolled my eyes at Blackbell's faces. I smiled despite myself, covering my mouth with my fist as I walked onto the grassy field. "Aye aye, captain's here." Everyone gathered around, expectant to hear my opinion knowing my charade-dislike for the duo.
"Forger wasn't bad at all," a few people hummed in acknowledgement.
I had something to tell them, but I guess it can wait until next season.
I go to the small lakewhere I had once kayaked across the stream with Emile and Ewen. It was a fun memory, taking my mind off the workload as I traipsed to a rocky shore. Sometimes, I revisit this spot as my little secret, alone with the billions of stars that reflect off the clear rippling water.
Near the small patch of dandelions growing, I saw Becky already snoozing. "She knew about this place?" I pondered, leaning back on a stump as my mind slowly drifted off...
"Woah!" I could hear Anya's voice and her sharp intake of breath. "The green-haired boy's here too?" I forced my eyelids to remain closed. But they wouldn't obliged, instead allowing me a blurred vision of Anya snuggling besides Becky.
She gazed, entranced by the sky, with the twinkling stars illuminating her melanchonic face. Anya turned to her side and in that position, she fell into a deep slumber.
I tilted my head upwards and continued observing the colourful display, staring and eventually also found sleep.
"𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣, 𝙞𝙛 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣?"
[short filler chapter this time; plz don't forget to vote!!]