The morning light shone through the drapes of her room. On her desk, her alarm clock sang its song to wake her. Anya rolled her covers off of her and felt the chill of a cool spring morning. She hoped today would be a much nicer day than the ones past. She loved the spring but hoped it might warm up later in the day. She still worried about how she'd ask her grandfather and father about the party, or if she would even ask at all. She felt a tight feeling in her stomach for telling Tamaki no. Her stomach had bothered her so much that she had skipped dinner and gone straight to her room when she arrived home from school. The food smelled wonderful, but her nerves wouldn't allow her to eat. Pa had checked on her with a cup of tea. She couldn't tell him about the party, so she told him her stomach was upset. She could never fully lie to him, he was her best friend.
She sleepily stepped down the ladder on her loft bed and switched her alarm off. As her feet touched the ground, she knew it would be a day for a warm jacket. The scent of fresh coffee floated through the house and into her bedroom. That's how she knew when Pa was up early with her. She was always happy when Pa was up with her in the mornings. They would sit together at the table and chat, or even sometimes just enjoy the company. She reached for her gym clothes on the back of her desk chair. Once a week she had gym class. She originally wanted to opt out, but her grandfather convinced her it would make it easier to meet other girls to befriend. It hadn't helped. The other girls didn't like to pick her for their teams and hardly spoke to her. She usually did her exercises on her own, and her teacher allowed her to walk laps during team sports. It was too late to switch out of the class; she had already asked. She pulled her gym clothes on and packed her freshly ironed uniform into her bag. She wrapped it in its cloth before putting it behind her books. It always got so wrinkled if it stayed in her bag for too long. Luckily, she had gym class for her first period, so it wouldn't be in her bag long enough to get too wrinkly. She slipped her sneakers on and stepped out of her room with her backpack in her right hand. She always thought she should get a bigger bag, but bigger bags cost more money.
"Good morning, my Anya," Pa said sleepily. He sat at the table in front of the window, steaming cup of coffee in hand. In front of him was a cup fixed for her, as well. He knew how she liked to have her coffee: milk and a teaspoon of sugar.
"Good morning," she sat down across from him and smiled at the cup he made for her. She wrapped her hands around the cup and took a moment to enjoy its warmth.
"Thanks, Pa." They sat in sleepy silence for a moment, until her grandfather spoke up.
"You weren't just feeling ill yesterday, were you, Snoepje" he reached out and laid his hand on top of hers. He knew her far too well. She looked at the aged hand that laid atop of hers. It was calloused and scarred from years of construction work but felt so gentle nonetheless.
"Pa," she started, but he interjected.
"You don't skip dinner even when you're sick. When you were little, you had a terrible case of the flu in the winter," he chuckled and his cheeks brightened. He lifted his cup for a sip of his drink.
"You could barely keep food down, yet you kept asking me to bring you more Stamppot!" He broke into a burst of larger laughter until covering his mouth to quiet himself. They were both silent for a moment, listening to see if he had awakened her father. Her father was a notoriously light sleeper, and infamously grumpier in the mornings.
"I'm just having a hard time right now, with school and everything," she took a sip of her coffee. She wished she could tell him, the way she always told him everything. She wasn't as worried about him, as she was about her father. She knew Pa's love was unconditional, though her father's never seemed to be.
"Whatever may be going on, always know you can tell your old Pa. I may be old, but that's only because I traded my youth for wisdom," he squeezed her hand tightly. Though he was older, his hand still held the grip of a man who built many structures in his lifetime.
"Now you should be off soon, don't want to miss the bus to school today," he pointed at the round yellow clock that sat on the shelf above her head. She turned her neck to look at it and realized she should begin her walk.
Anya smiled and nodded at him. She slid out of her chair and reached to clean their cups up. He gathered them before she could and landed a kiss on her forehead. He patted her back, the way he had done all her life. It was one of his many subtle ways of showing his love. She reached for her jacket that hung on the hook by the door and pulled her bag over her shoulders. She hollered goodbye on her way out the door and felt the chilly breeze wash over her face.
She turned around to look at her grandfather. He looked out of the window they had just sat in front of. He turned his head towards her and gave her a big smile. She wondered what he had been like in his younger age. Looking at him now, she could see every bit of his age on his face. It seemed not long ago that he looked far younger. She wasn't sure when the wrinkles had deepened and his eyes had sunken in. It seemed to happen overnight. Seeing him through the window in the morning light reminded her of how she had seen him the other night. He looked so much more cheerful and full of life in the morning glow of light. He was always quite happy and strove to make the world a little less dark. Her mom was the same way, and now he was all Anya had left of her.
She made her way down the steps of her house and turned to walk towards the bus stop. Half a block away, she saw a mother fussing with her two daughters. They were both lying on the ground, screaming that they wouldn't wear their jackets for the day. The poor mother was red-faced and exhausted, begging them to wear their coats to school. As she got closer, she recognized the woman and the two girls. Her name was Mrs. Misaki, and she had babysat her daughters over the summer. At the beginning of the season, they were quite onery and fought her often. Towards the end, they became good friends, though they apparently still lived up to their names with their mother.
"Hey there, Anya!" the tired woman sighed, obviously exhausted. She clutched the two coats in her arms as her daughters lay angrily on the ground. The young girls peeked up at her, cheeks growing red. They had promised her at the end of the summer that they would be good for their mother, but they did not seem to have upheld their promise. Whenever she saw them acting out, she raised her pinky to remind them of their promise.
She smiled at the girls, wiggling her pinky finger and they jumped to their feet, reaching for their coats.
"I need a second one of you around the clock," her mother laughed and thanked her graciously. She hadn't done anything, just reminded the girls of their promise to her. Anya grabbed one of the jackets and helped one sister slide a jacket over her shoulder, while the mom dressed the other.
"Oh! I meant to tell you congratulations," their mother started, "Your grandfather told me you were accepted into a private high school on the other side of the city? We are all so proud of you!" She beamed proudly at Anya. Anya thanked her before they parted ways. The two sisters minded their mother, at least as long as they were within Anya's earshot.
Anya continued her walk to the bus station. The air was cool but crisp and fresh. Along the streets lined cherry blossom trees, just beginning to bloom. They weren't in full bloom yet, but she couldn't wait to see the pink flowers make their way to life. Everything seemed so much brighter when they bloomed. The winter this year was a particularly cold one, and she didn't enjoy her morning walks quite as much as she did in the warmer months. The cold air and dreary surroundings made her miss the sunshine all the more.
As she arrived at the school gates, she noticed how much brighter the campus seemed. There weren't many students on the school grounds yet, so she took the opportunity to get to the gymnasium and begin to change into her gym uniform. She arrived at the gymnasium. It was far more spectacular than the gym at her old school. Inside of the gym was where they hosted their basketball and volleyball events. Outside, there were a large swimming pool, tennis courts, tracks, and fields.
She crossed past the bleachers and into the girl's dressing room. The dressing room was painted pleasant shades of pink and white. This felt more like a spa room, with showers and comfortable seating. Anya stepped into a stall and dressed in her gym uniform. She reached into her bag and pulled the cloth that held her dress out. She laid it gently in her locker so that it would not wrinkle as badly. After dressing, the other girls in her class began to file into the locker rooms. She hung her bag on the hook in her gym locker and went to the large mirrors to straighten her uniform. As the other girls shuffled in, they seemed to all be looking at her. They were giggling quietly and whispering. She was sure she had heard someone mention Tamaki. She realized they were talking about her. As her face grew red, she left the locker room and headed towards the gym floor.
Towards the end of the period, she headed back to her locker to freshen up and get dressed for the rest of the day. Most of her class period was spent passing a volleyball between herself and the wall. That's usually how it went for her. The other girls engaged in team sports and often left her by herself. She didn't usually mind so much when they ignored her, but their looks and giggles left her feeling particularly self-conscious. Anya dressed into her school uniform alone in a stall, while her classmates dressed out together, chatting and giggling with one another. She was grateful to have Tamaki as a friend, but she still longed to have a best friend she could share her secrets with. She never had that, even as a young child.
Anya made her way to her next class, more distracted than she had been the morning before. She felt as if she had floated through her next two periods and somehow ended up in her math class. It wasn't like her to drift off in thought so often, but she couldn't help but wonder what the girls were saying about her and Tamaki. She felt the same embarrassment as she had when Tamaki had walked into her classroom before lunch the day before. Somewhere between daydreams and deep thought, her teacher called to her.
"Do you know the answer?" He questioned her, pointing towards the chalkboard. She looked at the board for the question, trying to quickly solve it. She didn't have enough time before her teacher interrupted her thoughts with the answer. She lowered her head, furthered in her own embarrassment.
It felt like an eternity before the bells rang for the lunch period. As her classmates pulled their lunches with them, others hurried out of the classroom. She packed her things away and heard familiar giggling outside of the classroom. Girls were crowding the doorway, talking excitedly to someone, just as they had the day before. As she headed towards the overly crowded doorway, her teacher called for her.
"Miss Lambrecht, can you come here for a moment?" He waved her towards his desk. She approached his large wooden desk. Across it laid scattered papers, mathematical tools, and a few folders.
"Yes sir," she replied to him, standing in front of his desk. He remained seated and straightened his desk in a way that reminded her of Kyoya.
"You are such a bright girl, with a wonderful mind for the academics," he looked at her almost sorrowfully, "but I worry you're not connecting with your peers," She opened her mouth to object, but he continued.
"I would like to see you join some clubs, or even just try to make some friends. I know your situation is different than most of the students here," she felt her face blush at the statement, "but I know you could if you just put yourself out there."
She nodded her head at him and bowed before turning to leave the classroom. The blockage of giggling girls had turned into daggering looks, all turned in her direction. She lowered her head and walked carefully around them and through the doorway. After passing the barricade of evil eyes, she began to walk quickly to escape the looks she was being given. She suddenly and forcefully bumped into someone in front of her. She bounced backward, unsteadily with her bag pulling her weight behind her. She stumbled back when the person she had just attempted to bulldoze grabbed her arm to steady her. She looked up and realize it was Tamaki. He laughed and had a bright smile across his face. She was sure if he laughed any harder, she could see every one of his teeth. He looked down at her, still holding her arm. Her face was already flushed, and she felt incredibly flustered. The stares of everyone passing through the hall didn't help either. Tamaki finished laughing and looked around to see everyone staring at the two.
"Oh, right," he said, chuckling. He held onto her arm and began to lead her down the hall. People still gave her odd looks, but mostly went back to what they had been doing before he arrived. He led her to a hallway where there weren't many people and dropped her wrist from his hand.
"Sorry about that," he rubbed the back of his hair, "I know you don't really like being around a lot of people." He laughed and pushed his hair back. With his hair pushed back, she noticed his eyes stood out a lot more. They were a beautiful shade of violet. She couldn't help but stare at him. He looked a little confused with her or maybe surprised. She shook her head and looked towards her feet. Her dress flowed outwards around her legs. She could just see the tips of her black shoes over the edge of her skirt.
"I was thinking maybe we could have lunch outside?" He pulled a lunchbox out of his own bag, "I know a really nice place in one of the back courtyards. No one goes there so we should have it all to ourselves!" He led her towards a door, and they both snuck through it. As she stepped outside, she saw a fountain that was no longer functioning and a small courtyard of grass. Lined around the courtyard were benches and unbloomed cherry blossom trees. Though it seemed as if no one had been here in quite a while, the grass was trimmed and the scenery was beautiful.
Tamaki walked to the middle of the courtyard and Anya followed him. He sat with his legs criss-cross on the grass. Not wanting to stain her dress or white socks, she knelt down gently. She reached into her bag and pulled her lunch out of it. He fumbled around in his own and pulled out a notepad and a pen. He passed them both to her. She laughed at the thought of him carrying this around so they could have a conversation. He looked at her, puzzled by her laughter. She quickly covered her mouth and cheeks, which had once again flushed.
"So how's your day been so far?" He lifted a large bite to his mouth and chomped it. She wrote to him about how people had been staring at her all day and mentioned how she was sure the girls in the locker room had said his name. Though she wasn't sure what they were talking about. He laughed with a heaping mouthful of food and apologized.
"I actually had someone ask me about you today, too! It was a first-year asking who you were. I told him your name, I hope you don't mind. I probably should have asked first," He laughed, "He seemed pretty interested in you," he teased.
Anya shook her head and furrowed her brow funnily at her friend. This made him laugh even harder. She was sure the boy in question was just wondering who the odd-looking red-haired girl was. She didn't want to open herself up to any more teasing than she had already received.
As Tamaki was laughing, he dropped a piece of food that was held between his
chopsticks. It bounced off of his jacket and rolled onto the ground. He looked at it disappointedly and reached for a napkin to wipe his jacket with. Anya stifled a laugh.
"Hey! It's not funny!" He said, beginning to laugh himself. Continuing to try and wipe the mess he had made from his shirt, they both erupted into a stream of laughter. Anya laughed heartily, a laugh that resembled one she had heard from her father long ago. The sound of it caught her off guard, and she stopped abruptly. Tamaki stopped soon after and folded his napkin. She once again felt embarrassed for being weird with him.
"Are you okay?" he gazed at her, more seriously than he had been moments before. He looked genuinely worried about her, as he did the day she had run out of his club's room. As she looked at Tamaki, she wanted nothing more than to know him, as a best friend would. He was her best friend, in the sense she had no others. He was the best friend she had. She wondered if something was wrong with him, the way he wanted to be her friend. She nodded her head and reached for the sheet of paper.
On the notepad, she scribbled a question to him. She wrote to ask him if his father was kind, and what he was like. She was desperate to know how he could become such an interesting and likable person; one that so many in their school looked up to. She held the note in her grip, unsure if she should ask such a question. She thought that it may have been too forward, but her curiosity only grew. She handed it to him, and he looked at the paper in his own hands. He looked at it for a few moments, before he looked back to her. She felt an uneasy pit in her stomach like she had done something that she shouldn't have.
"Well," he said, leaning to his back. He laid on the grass with his knees bent upward and an arm behind his head. He looked toward the light blue sky and had the look of a man with a long life on his face. "My father works quite a bit, so it's usually just me and grandmother at our house. She's always busy, so it's basically just me," His voice fell quiet. Anya still sat upright, looked at him. The way he spoke of his family seemed all too familiar to her. Her house was a quiet one, but at least she had her grandfather. He quietly chuckled, but it wasn't like his usual laughter. It was more somber, less joyful than he was.
"So," he turned his head towards her, smiling. "What's your family like?" She felt a certain embarrassment in trying to find an answer to him. She scribbled on the notepad an answer. She wrote, "My house is quiet as well. My dad lives with us, but he doesn't speak much. It's mostly just my grandfather and me, we're almost like best friends." She passed the note back to him. He held it above his face, still facing toward the blue sky.
"Your mother is gone, too?" his face looked pained. She felt a sting like a knife to the heart. He hadn't mentioned his own mother, she wondered if his had passed as well. She nodded her head and reached for the note in his hands. She laid it gently on the notepad and began to write. She explained how her mother had passed years ago, and how her father was essentially gone too. This was the first time she had told anyone outside of her household what had happened with her family. She felt nervous telling it, but also comfortable enough to allow him to know a different part of her. He already knew she was different, and he hadn't run away from her just yet. She spent a while writing her note, trying to explain herself with the limited words she could muster. Her hands were shaky, causing her script to be even sloppier than before.
As she laid the note back in his hands, she felt a sharp nervousness in her stomach. She wanted to reach into his hand and pull the note back, but he had already begun reading it. She watched the usual optimism leave his face and he lowered the note as his eyes had reached the bottom of the sheet.
"Anya…" he held the note in his hand and pushed himself up with his elbows. He was sitting upright alongside her. He laid the note down onto the ground in front of him. He looked shocked with her, she worried that she had said too much too soon and that maybe this would be the thing that finally ran him off. She reached to pack her lunch away, wanting to leave before he could. As she touched the lid of her lunch box, she felt arms wrap around her tightly. In less than a moment, she felt her head buried into a chest. Shocked, she lay still, holding her breath. He held onto her tightly, his hair falling over hers. The tightness in her chest loosened, and her breathing returned to normal. She raised a hand and laid it over the arm that held her so securely.
