It was around the afternoon when Anya found out. It was around that time when things seemed meek and gloomy.

When her whole world fell apart.

"How could this happen?! I was so careful about it too! This is a disaster! I won't be able to show my face at Eden ever again! I'll be turned into the laughing stock of the school! A total loser! I'll be bullied into oblivion. I'LL HAVE TO GO INTO HIDING!!!"

"ANYA! Calm down and tell us what's going on!"

"Yeah what Becky said!"

Anya paused her mid-rant and took a deep breath as the events from this morning weighed on her like a pile of bricks. Suddenly she begins to freak out again causing her to go into another rant, one her best friend Becky couldn't pull her out of. She watched as Anya frantically freaked out over god knows what.

She snapped her fingers in her face. "ANYA! Focus!! I can't help you unless you tell me what's wrong!"

Anya looked at Becky and almost burst into tears. "My life is ruined."

George, who was sitting at the table watching the two girls, crossed his arms in worry. "We get that but why and what happened?"

Anya sat back down and looked at the floor intensely. She looked up at her friends with a look of utter despair. "This is what happened…"

A few hours ago…

Anya wasn't a morning person but since she had school and responsibilities what other choice did she have? Thus here she was walking up the steps of the school with Becky in tow talking about the latest episode of Love Island, some new romance reality show she was into since Berlint in Love ended sometime last year. It was just one of those usual boring and tiring mornings where all Anya wants to do is sleep in and never come to school because it's boring and her mind can't keep up with the material being taught. Here she was walking as Becky talked her ear off when she caught sight of a familiar-looking Imperial Scholar cape.

Anya couldn't keep her eyes off the owner of said cape because it happened to be someone she knew well, a little too well if she were honest. It was like a scene right out of a shoujo manga as he walked by and the wind hit just right and his cape flowed and his eyes shined and-

Anya quickly shook her head while mentally slapping herself silly like the idiot she is. It's been what, four years? She's been self-aware for four years now and has no idea how it started but it happened and Anya was starting to regret everything with a burning passion. For you see Anya has what one would like to call a crush but not just any crush but a crush on her classmate who she's known since the first grade.

Who she punched during orientation.

Damian Desmond.

It was utterly mortifying to know she likes him of all people. Years of Becky alluding to her liking him and knowing she was wrong and that it couldn't ever possibly happen and when Becky accepted Anya didn't have a crush on Damian it was when Anya started to notice him more. Talk about great and worst timing. She no longer had Becky teasing her over something that wasn't true but now it became a reality and it was terrible!

They don't exactly have the best relationship, it was worse when they were kids but they're not the best of friends either. They're rarely cordial to each other. It was like a one-sided battle every day on his end. She just wants to be nice but he takes it the wrong way and starts insulting her which results in her yelling at him thus an argument ensues and back to square one they go.

He was so confusing too!

The occasional peanuts, the invites to tutor her on the subjects she's struggling with. The flowers on Valentine's day! Granted those were anonymous but Anya knew it was him due to her mind-reading abilities. She always made it a point to talk about them with Becky knowing he could hear her.

"I just wish I knew who they were so I can thank them because these flowers are so beautiful."

Becky gushed as she reread the note. "It's so romantic Anya! Your secret admirer must really love you!" She giggled.

Anya blushed. "No way!"

She laughed it off at the time but such a declaration still caught her off guard. She just wanted Damian to know she was thankful but she wanted to know if he felt the same way. Unfortunately, his thoughts were always a jumbled mess which constantly made her dizzy so she could never tell.

The insults were enough to answer her questions though.

It was obvious he hated her and only tolerated her because they've practically grown up together and knew how the other acted daily. They were more or less rivals to boot but the only thing Anya could ever beat him in was classical language. Every other subject was dominated by him, he made a point to rub it in her face every time. Naturally, she stopped reacting because that's what he wanted and knowing it annoyed the shit out of him was enough to clench her anger. However, her heart would constantly betray her whenever he was near. All the more reason why she couldn't react or fight back because she knew she'd be reduced to a stuttering mess. She became the very thing she feared the most…

An idiot!

Well, an idiot in love to be more precise.

She found herself doing the stupidest of things whenever she was in his presence. It was like she forgot how to act like a normal person. Like the time he was gifting her a bag of peanuts, you know, something he's been doing for years and like the dumbass she is she stuttered and dropped them and just kept dropping them while muttering apologies and-

Damian thought she was a weirdo.

And truth be told she was because what even happened!?

There was also that other time that in an attempt to get him to notice her she tried on makeup without the help of Becky or her Mama and ended up looking like a clown reject at school. She was the laughing stock for the rest of the week and since then she never bothered with makeup again.

Or that other time she made him cookies and somehow managed to trip and fall on top of them. Right. In. Front. Of. Him.

Becky had to help her pick up the pieces of her dignity that day.

Ironically it was also the day they ended up befriending George Glooman, another long-time classmate of theirs that was an outcast due to his gloomy personality. He helped her out because out of everyone he knew what it was like to lose their dignity.

That didn't make Anya feel any better but she gave him a chance to get to know him and he was nice, a fellow Spy Wars fan. They bonded over that and he also happened to enjoy Berlint in Love causing him to earn points with Becky. He wasn't lying either as he had all the episodes and knew them by memory like Becky. Anya watched as they gushed over their favorite episodes.

It was strange but it's how it happened.

But Anya wished it wasn't at the expense of her dignity.

Regardless they became a new tight trio which surprised everyone in Cecile Hall. Many questioned it but later accepted this new development. Anya was more or less happy she had someone else in her corner for once that wasn't Becky. Especially because George was a Spy Wars fan! She had someone to accompany her to all movies and special events. One time she invited him to the movies for the premiere of the new Spy Wars movie and people in Cecile Hall thought she was asking him on a date which was false. George knew, of course, he planned to ask Anya if they could go see it together. Regardless they were the hot topic of the day and Becky had to spend all week leading up to the movie disproving the rumors. The movie was fun although there was that odd moment where popcorn randomly landed on George's head. Anya couldn't tell where it came from as whoever did that was too far away for her to read their mind. Despite it all, they had a fun time and George brought up the idea to go to the amusement park with Becky next week and see the new Spy Wars roller coaster.

She naturally accepted and Becky did too because it was a roller coaster even if it was Spy Wars-themed. Plus there was plenty to do at an amusement park.

It got weird real fast with George ending up in the kiddy pool where you could fish out little fishes at one point but he never disclosed how or why he ended up there in the first place and his mind ran a mile a minute so Anya couldn't tell.

All she managed to decipher in his mind was the following:

Strawberry, huh?

What about strawberries??

Anyway, off-topic, it was morning and like always she ignored Damian's rather commanding presence. He'd walk into a room and all eyes were on him. Besides being the most popular guy in school he was also the most desirable one. Every girl wanted to date him so the bravest of them all would constantly shower him with attention, gifts, praises, and love declarations.

All of which he'd reject in the harshest way possible.

Because aside from being the most desirable he also held the title of causing the most heartbreaks.

Ironically that only made him even more desirable which Anya didn't get at all. Granted she was used to his insults but if Damian were to find out about her crush she's sure he'd humiliate her so badly she'd cry and have to stop coming to school.

This brings her to her current predicament which is…

Writing her feelings out!

She can't confess to Damian so she'll write her feelings out and crumble them up and then toss them in a trash can never to be seen again. Unfortunately, her timing was terrible as the moment she took out a piece of paper to start her venting session the teacher announced a group project. Becky was about to ask Anya to be her partner when the teacher clarified he'd be picking out their partners from a box.

And much to Anya's dismay she got paired up with Damian of all people.

"You better not hold me back Shrimp!"

Anya had half a mind to not punch him again.

Thus here she was working on her part of the project instead of venting. Venting and then burning her damn feelings like they were nothing at all and making them go away forever. Because what exactly does she even see in him anyway? Sure he's good-looking, smart, has nice hair, pretty hazel eyes, good-looking lips-

No Anya!

Bad Anya!

Bad!!

She allowed her head to drop on the table with a thud. That earned her a weird stare but whatever she had no energy today.

Her side of the project was simple and all the information she could easily find. So she spent most of the class and the next few hours working on it. Mainly because she wanted to get it over with even though it wasn't due until Friday. She just didn't want to spend any time with Damian. Because being around him burned her. It made her face feel hot and her mind numb. She wasn't like this at all! Becky always noted how bold and confident she often is.

If only she knew how much of a mess she is with a certain scion.

So she resorted to venting on a piece of paper. Her Papa and Mama suggested she take up journaling and Anya found it to be quite relaxing and it helped. She had a journal full of her inner deepest darkest secrets and desires. However, she didn't have her journal with her so the piece of paper will have to do. Now that it was lunch time and Becky and George, who got paired up, (lucky them) were busy with their project at the library. Anya was in the courtyard eating lunch alone. The perfect opportunity to vent!

She began to write.

Dear Damian,

You'll never read this letter but I'm writing it anyway so I can get it out of my system one last time and move on and forget about you. Truth is I've written many times in the last four years about my growing feelings for you. I like you a lot! Like, really, really, REALLY like you. Maybe I love you, I don't know yet. And I often find myself wishing you'd feel the same way but knowing you the way I do considering we've known each other since the first grade I know you'd never feel the same way. I'd die if you were to ever catch wind of my feelings! The humiliation you'd put me through would be enough for me to die of utter shame and embarrassment. I can handle your occasional insults but I can't handle your rejection, especially because I've witnessed countless girls declaring their undying love for you only for you to crush their hearts into tiny little pieces. Like they mean nothing to you. And I don't want to be that girl. I'm not sure if writing this will be enough but I hope I can move on now. In case I don't then I'm sure I'll be miserable the day you marry some rich and perfect and nice looking girl your family approves of. You'll never know of course.

With love

Anya Forger

With that, she took a deep breath and hid the piece of paper under her project. She didn't have her bag with her and she didn't want Becky or George to potentially see it so she hid it there.

The bell rang so Anya gathered her things and made her way to the cafeteria to leave her tray and then head to class. She met up with her friends by the doorway and they went in. Almost everyone was already seated. She caught a glimpse of Damian talking to his friends Ewen and Emile by the back. Almost as if sensing her gaze he turned and locked eyes with her. Anya quickly looked away feeling her face heat up a bit. They sat in their seats by the front and waited for the teacher to arrive. Unfortunately for Anya, it wasn't the end of having to look Damian in the eyes. His cute and beautiful-looking eyes.

Oh god.

"Hey, Forger."

Becky made a face. "Ugh, Desmond what do you want?"

Damian ignored Becky and focused on Anya. "Are you done with your side of the project yet?"

Anya was about to answer when George interrupted her. "It's barely been a few hours, lay off!"

"Yeah! It's not due until Friday anyway!" Becky chimed in with a scowl.

Anya appreciated the defense but she more or less knew what was in store being Damian's partner. Unless you were Ewen or Emile he had no mercy or patience for you. Absolutely none. With a sigh, she rubbed her temples. "I only have half of it." She quickly presented the information to him. Luckily she hadn't stored it in her bag yet. "I can get the other half done by tomorrow."

Damian examined her work. "That is if you actually did it correctly although knowing you I doubt it." He scoffed and walked back to his desk.

Anya let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"I swear Desmond is the worst!" Becky glared at Damian as he sat down next to his friends. "He's always been such a jerk ever since we were in first grade!"

George nodded. "It seems some things never change." He still recalls how mean Damian and his friends were to Anya and Becky when they were kids. Back then George's reputation was rock bottom. Still is but not as bad since he now finally had friends.

"It's whatever guys, I can handle him." Anya dismissed what they were saying but she knew deep down they were right. She was doomed. She could only hope that writing her feelings one last time would be enough.

The teacher walked in signaling the start of class.

Anya couldn't pay attention for the life of her and she refused to tune into anyone's thoughts for the day. Mainly to avoid Damian's. So when the bell rang and it was a free period you bet she bolted out the door like a cheetah making her way towards the library where she and her friends planned to spend it since Becky and George wanted to continue working on their project and Anya liked the peace and quiet. As they sat down and began laying down what they were working on Anya went off to find a book to distract herself with. She quickly found a classic language-related one and naturally started to read it. She walked back to the table happily humming away while Becky and George were deep in concentration looking at a workbook. Anya sat down and started skimming through. She knew most of the material but studying wouldn't do her any harm. Sure she could do her other half of the project but knowing Damian he'll probably come back claiming he found a bunch of errors in her paper. She rolled her eyes and sighed, laying the book down as she stared at her bag. Now would be a good time to crumble up the paper and throw it away. She grabbed her bag and started rummaging through trying to find it. After a few minutes panic settled in as she couldn't find it at all.

Where is it, where is it?!

I left it in here, didn't I-

Suddenly she remembered she had hidden it under the papers that were related to the project she was working on.

The project she was working on… with Damian.

The one she handed to him a few minutes ago…

And was currently checking…

She felt herself hyperventilate and clutched her head. The attempts to steady her breathing weren't helping and trying to count to ten wasn't either. Anya let out a scream that caused mass panic among her friends.

"MY LIFE IS OVER!!"

--

What is this?

Another story?

Yup lol

I mentioned I have way too many stories sitting there looking pretty

I'm starting to think of a upload schedule for myself ngl xD

Anyway this particular idea hit me like a truck and I just had to write about it ya know lmao

Also I don't really promote it but here's my twitter @Vipp73

I mostly just like and retweet fan art because tweeting anything on twitter is like crossing through a minefield lmao

And while I do occasionally tweet I'm mostly active on discord:

https/discord.gg/dAY5xuXSnQ

Hope you all enjoy this story!