(Anya's P.O.V)
Here I am. It's officially my first time, and I'm nervous as hell.
Wouldn't you be? Of course you would. Anyone would be nervous when it's their first time, right?
I expected the walls to be plain and dull, an overall draining atmosphere. I expected for a harsh musk scent in the air when I walked in, but that wasn't the case. The walls appeared to be a navy blue, accented with college degrees and certificates, the works to proving to the school that this principal knows what the fuck he's doing.
It was my first time in the principal's office, and not for some stupid student award on paper.
Why am I here, you ask?
*Fifteen Minutes Earlier*
God damn it. I know better than to accept any mandarins from Sophie at lunch. I always tell myself, 'It's okay, Anya. Mandarins are good for you. Who cares about the residue?'
I care. And I hate the stickiness of mandarin residue on my hands.
I pushed on the soap dispenser in the girls' bathroom a few times, sighing and smiling to myself at the feeling of the sudsy soap as I rubbed my hands. As silly as it seems, I can't stand any sort of sticky, funky feeling in my hands.
As I washed and finished drying my hands with paper towels, Stacy walked in. I didn't need to look at her to see she was in the girl's bathroom. The clicking coming from that girl's heels could probably be heard from the opposite side of the high school. Really, heels in school? Why try so hard to make an impression?
I almost felt sorry for Stacy. Her two friends however, I honestly did feel sorry for. Following a girl like Stacy Seyers around, they couldn't think for themselves. That is the ultimate trap to the human mind.
Why follow someone, why want to be them, when you can be your own person?
"Look who we've got here. Fucking trashy, Plain Jane Anya Blake," Stacy sneered, narrowing her heavily lined eyes at me. I rolled my brown eyes as I stared her down through the mirror. Whirling around quickly, I could feel my steel wall come up as my face went expressionless, keeping eyes on all three girls.
"Hi, Stacy, you look good. That Leo ego is pretty easy to sniff from the other side of the school," I smirked, causing her to narrow her eyes even further at me.
The only reason why I know Stacy is a Leo is because she was friends with Sophie and I in elementary school, once upon a time. We were a trio back then, unstoppable and 'friends forever', as the three of us used to say. Of course, junior high came along and using the massive ego she has, she eventually distanced herself and turned into a total Barbie. I can't stand her now because she's a completely different person - she used to be nice, but now she acts entitled, and bullies a lot of kids, especially Sophie.
And I for one, am sick of it.
"Shut up, Blake. You're such a-"
"Scorpio sun, Virgo moon, Sagittarius rising? You don't know shit," I interrupted, smirking as I knew I was getting on her nerves. Yeah, laugh it up. I've heard us Scorpios are known for being the Slytherins of the zodiac. Given I've got a Virgo moon and Sagittarius rising, I can only hope I'm not as much of an asshole to people that matter to me, but who knows? The perks of this zodiac combination give me the intuition and analytical skills of a detective, with the spontaneity and mischief of a child. I love it.
"Whatever that means. Get the fuck out, we've got touch ups to do and I don't want to see your hideous face," she spat,
"Now why would I do that?" I shot back with a little venom, smirking again, "Remember when we used to be best friends in elementary? You told me I had a pretty face." My laughter echoed throughout the bathroom, causing all three girls to look at me like I was maniacal - a very likely possibility.
"What are you laughing at, bitch? By the way, how's your useless whore of a twin Sophie?" I instantly stopped and fury rose to my body's surface.
"Sophie, a whore? Nah, I think you've mistaken her for yourself, love. The rumor mill is cycling around that you've orgy parties going on with the whole football team, I mean given that you're the typical stuck up and entitled head cheerleader."
"YOU TAKE THAT BACK, YOU FUCKING BITCH!!!"
"Nah, I'm good. Your reaction alone is a partial amount of justice for bullying and spreading rumors about my sister since junior high, you dumb bitch," I sighed, examining the black gel manicure I had gotten done yesterday. Lauren at the salon did a great job. I've got to go to her whenever I decide to keep up with mani-pedis.
Stacy's face contorted in anger, and turned so red that steam appeared it would come out of her pores. Wait, that pound of makeup on her face probably won't allow that.
"Fuck you, AND your whore twin! You're both good for nothing! YOU'RE IRRELEVANT!" My face snapped over to the side as I felt the impact of Stacy's hand backhanding my cheek. Because I was still by the mirror above one of the faucets, I looked into the mirror and noticed a deep scratch, with blood spilling out of it.
"Was that really necessary?" I caught Stacy by surprised as I whirled around to face her, backhanding her as hard as I could. She stumbled at the impact, causing me to smile as I caught glimpses of a red mark beginning to form where I hit her.
Her followers started to advance towards me, until I gave them a death glare, "Ah, ah, ah, don't you even fucking try. You try me like she did and I'll make you suffer." They backed up into one of the bathroom's corners, staring at the scene before them with wide eyes.
Stacy stood up, and went psycho on me.
She ran at me, and I dodged her quickly, shoving her towards one of the bathroom stall doors. By now, a huge group of people had filled the girl's bathroom, chanting, "Fight, fight, fight!" and so on.
My sister Sophie was actually in here too, only she wasn't cheering for me to fight, she was begging for me to stop.
"Anya, stop! You're going to get in trouble!" She screamed over the crowd, getting my attention.
"She asked for it! I'm not even the one who started this shit!" I snapped, making the mistake of looking at her, then the crowd.
Stacy took that small window of time I accidentally gave her as she tackled me past the crowd and outside. I fell on my back and hit my head pretty hard on the concrete.
Because I had so much adrenaline at the moment, I didn't feel anything. I stood back up, and faced her.
"What? What are you gonna do now, little tramp! Fucking good-for-nothing whore!" Stacy tried to look tough and intimidating. I'll give her credit, she was able to tackle me through a crowd in heels. That seems like it takes practice.
My right fist curled itself in righteous fury, and turned into a ball of steel. My own eyes watched as it gracefully, but brutally swung right at her, making a really huge impact on her face. My left hand backhanded her yet again. She was clutching her face and whimpering loudly in pain, while I stood there with anger still in my features. This girl really deserved it.
She then jumped on me taking me down to the ground again, attempting to slap me over and over as I made an 'X' motion with my forearms to block her. With one foot planted firmly on the ground, I used the other foot and slid it in between her thighs, placing it there firmly and using the upward shift in my hips and butt to toss her over and away from me.
Rolling over the side before Stacy could fall on me, I jumped up quickly, waiting for her to get back up. As she did, I landed two punches with left hooks and hit her again with my angry right hook. She went down immediately as I stood over her, knowing I won.
"Now, look at you. You don't fuck with me, or anyone that I care about. It's about time someone knocked your ass off your high horse for the monster you've become," I said, loudly enough for Stacy's hysterical ass to hear.
Sudden loud cheering sounded throughout the air. I turned to see dozens of classmates screaming happily at my victory. My eyes widened - Stacy really was a monster to people.
My left arm was suddenly in the air. I turned and noticed it was my friend, Hayley, who did so.
"Oh, yeah! Badass of the year! Can I get a louder cheer for the Judge, Jury, AND Executioner!" she cheered, causing the crowd around us to scream louder, calling me 'The Punisher'. I wonder if something like that would stick with me.
I laughed at her, and abruptly stopped once I saw the principal heading my way.
"Fuck," I swore under my breath. I didn't need an explanation. I'm going to the principal's office.
"Nurse's office, then my office," Principal Webber ordered snippily as he walked away.
*Present Time*
"Miss Blake, you've never been any trouble. You're on the Honor Roll with your twin sister, you volunteer in the community and after-school events and activities. What do you have to say for your yourself?" Principal Webber was trying to make me feel guilty.
"What do I have to say, Principal Webber? I DEFENDED myself. I know better than to get in a fight because I have goals that expand outside of this school. However, Stacy HIT me FIRST in the girls' bathroom. Not only did she provoke me, but she's bullied and spread rumors about my sister for years, sir. If you really think that my actions today are horrible, you should probably take a look at other students in the school."
"So you're saying our school has a bullying issue?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying. Stacy Seyers is one of those bullies, and I have witnesses to vouch for that."
"You could have come in and made a report."
"I doubt that, sir."
"So you turned to violence to resolve this problem?" Webber makes an amateur interrogator. He's annoying to no avail.
"Since no one else had the guts to defend themselves from her bullying and harassment, I made the call. She's spread rumors and bullied more people than just my sister and I. I won't apologize to anyone for the part I played." I sat there comfortably, staring down the principal with a neutral expression. My eyes bore deeply into his, causing him to blink several times. I could feel the vibrational shift - he's intimidated.
"I can understand where you're coming from, Miss Blake, but I'm sorry, I have to set a punishment somehow. One week's suspension," Principal Webber announced that last part like he closed a case at court.
What!? I can't miss a week's worth of school! My grades will drop!
"What about my grades? My GPA?"
He sighed, "Three days of suspension, take it or leave it."
I stood up, offering my hand to shake his, "I'll take it."
He shook my hand, giving it a subtle squeeze as he pulled me in a little closer, "This is your first time in here, and I prefer it to be the last. Don't pay me any more visits unless you are called in for good behavior. Are we clear?"
It was my turn to give Webbers hand a little squeeze. I kept my eyes on him as I pulled him closer, "Keep an eye out and engage with your students. DO something about Stacy and any other assholes causing problems, and we're crystal clear."
"Your teachers will be notified of your suspension. Have your sister or another classmate give you your assignments. You're dismissed," Webber sighed, motioning for me to leave.
I speed walked out of his office, excited to finally leave. I was on my phone, now aware that classmates on Instagram were tagging me in photos and videos they took of the fight. Hashtags were on several similar posts, with things like, "#myhero", "#badasswarrior", and "#thepunisher". Shit, I guess it's going to-
"Whoa!" The wind was knocked out of me as I collided with another person.
"I'm so sorry. Are you-" I looked over at the person I ran into, "Oh hey, Soph!"
"Oh my God, Anya! What happened!?" Sophie asked, whacking my right upper arm, "Why did you fight Stacy?"
"I was washing my hands when Stacy and her Oompa Loompas came into the bathroom. She said a lot of really mean things about you, Soph, AND she hit me first! How could I not fight her?"
"You could have left it all alone," Sophie turned all motherly on me, causing me to roll my eyes.
"No, I couldn't have. I handed her an ass beating on a cold platter. You're welcome, by the way. She's been bullying and spreading rumors about you for too long, Soph."
The one thing I don't like about my Scorpio self is my ability to hold a grudge. I could conjure up dozens of plans and schemes to make Stacy's life a living hell to make up for all the shit she's done to my sister. All the times I'd catch her crying because Stacy came up with new ways to hurt her really set me on fire.
"What kind of punishment did Webber set up?"
"Three days' suspension."
She glared at me in disbelief, but nodded her head in understanding, "We should probably get home so that you can tell Mom."
"We've got one class left, Soph."
"I'm tired of today. Let's just go," she whined.
"I like the way you're thinking, Soph. About time you ditch class with your little sister," I smirked, earning an eye roll from her.
"This is the first and last time," she muttered as we made our way to the parking lot. I spotted my car and unlocked it, watching as Sophie unlocked hers. She and I stopped carpooling to school when we turned sixteen and started working and taking on school activities.
"Anya."
I looked over at my older twin, and she smiled at me softly, "Thanks for standing up for me."
My lips stretched out widely, "Anything for my big sister."
~
"Mom, we're home!" I yelled as I walked in with Sophie. My mom poked her head out of the kitchen, with a suspicious expression on her face. She knew something had happened.
"What did you do?" Sage Blake gets straight to business - it's definitely the Aquarius in her. She's really direct and doesn't sugar coat a thing except the occasional candied bacon and desserts.
"I defended myself and my sister from a plastic fantastic bitch today, that's what I did," I said nonchalantly, pulling out my phone. "Would you like proof?"
My mom scrolled through several of the photos and videos I was tagged in. Her eyes widened as she took it all in.
"Wow," she sighed, "my little girl knows how to kick ass." She gave me a high five, "Those MMA and boxing lessons were done justice."
I smiled wider until she delivered the silent death, "However, I got a call from the school's principal and was told you're suspended for three days. No phone for three days starting on the first day of your suspension, understand?"
I was about to protest, but Sophie's elbow hit me pretty hard on my ribs.
"Y-yes," I breathed. She smirked, getting back to washing dishes in the kitchen, "Sophie, you're in charge of bringing her schoolwork."
"Yes, Mom."
~
Sophie followed me into my room, plopping herself on my bed. I sat on my couch and turned on Resident Evil 5, playing for the next hour and a half. I purposely ignored Sophie's conversation with me. I responded with 'yeah's' and 'wow's', clearly focused on advancing in the game.
As I was about to shoot a zombie, someone interrupted.
"ANYA BEHIND YOU!" A familiar voice roared into my right ear.
I screamed and fell off my couch, hitting my head again, this time against the hardwood floor. I looked up to see my best friend, Vince, laughing his ass off.
"Vince!?" I tried to look menacing and scary with my glare at him, but I only laughed hard two seconds later, clutching my stomach. My head suddenly began throbbing painfully, and I winced. I must have looked hilarious being scared like that.
He helped me up, and we both turned to see Sophie laughing so hard she left the room. Probably had to pee...
"So it's true. You beat Stacy to a pulp," he started. I nodded, pointing at the scratch on my face and wincing at the pain in my head. Dizziness and sudden nausea settled, causing me to take a deep breath and blink a few times.
"For a scratch, you did good. I oughta say you look hot and dangerous with a scratch on your face," he joked.
I punched his arm, "Shut up!" I laughed, stopping as another painful throb. A nap sounds pretty good right now...
"So what's the punishment diagnosis?" he wondered. "Three days' suspension. Sophie's bringing my work," I shrugged.
Don't get me wrong, I have days where I'd much rather stay home and avoid the world, but one day seems to set me back quite a bit with schoolwork.
"I'll be sure to accompany you during lunch and afterschool and make suspension fun!" he promised, as I smiled at him gratefully.
My head throbbed a lot harder this time, and Vince clearly noticed, because I whined a little. I tried to brush it off.
"Did you get your head checked out after the fight?" he asked, cradling my head and examining it. When his fingers pressed lightly against the back of my head I yelped, jumping away from him. Another wave of dizziness hit me, causing me to close my eyes and take another deep breath.
"I guess that's my answer," he sighed, looking at me in annoyance.
"I did get checked out. I honestly couldn't feel any pain because of that crazy adrenaline rush-"
"Which is clearly gone, now," Vince cut me off, "Let me grab you some meds." Vince stepped out of my bedroom and went downstairs.
Vince and I have been friends since we were little kids. He's a total Virgo - super analytical, with a secret soft side, incredibly smart, and currently attempting to keep his anxiety at bay regarding my head.
He's supportive of my obsession with astrology and the zodiac, so he's a Virgo sun, Capricorn moon, and Libra rising. I expected Vince to be a Negative Nancy and totally guarded, but that doesn't seem to-
"Anya!" Vince's frantic fingers were waving around my face, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"Why didn't you tell your mom you hit your head? What if you have a concussion? What if-"
"VINCE!" I screamed, yelping as I felt the painful throbbing again, "I'm fine!"
"Yeah, that's convincing."
"Quit being such a-"
"Which placement of my natal chart are you blaming today? My Virgo whatever, or that Capricorn sun thing?"
"That confirms that you weren't paying attention, and today I'm blaming your Virgo sun AND your Capricorn moon. You earth signs are such know-it-alls," I laughed, wincing.
"ANYA!!!"
I looked towards my bedroom door, then back at Vince, repeating several times.
"Why is my mom yelling?"
"I may have told her you hit your head twice and she's kind of livid," he shrugged, "Looks like we're taking you to the E.R."