Eric woke up at six in the morning thanks to his chirping flapping penguin alarm clock. But when he drowsily reached over to turn off his alarm clock, he miscalculated the distance and ended up rolling out of bed with a thump completely tangled up in bed sheets. Rubbing his head, he pulled himself up to his knees and clicked the penguin shut. He stood up and stretched, working out the kinks in his shoulders. He turned to the rumpled mess that was his bedsheets and waved a hand over it, making the blankets and pillows float, straighten and fluff themselves before remaking the bed.
He walked out of his bedroom and went into the bathroom, splashing his face to wake himself up, brushing his teeth and taking a quick shower. Once he was completely dry, he pulled on his Eden uniform. After doing a quick check up in the mirror, he nodded to himself, grabbed his book bag and walked out of his bedroom to join his family for breakfast. He sat across from his sister who still looked groggy while Loid placed the plate in front of him and took his seat beside him.
"Today's the day big brother leaves me." Anya moped as she chewed on her omelet as Yor rubbed her back.
"It's only for eight hours, Anya. He'll be back before you know it." Yor said as she comforted her daughter.
"Eight hours is forever." Anya said, teary eyed as she looked down at her food.
"Anya, you're also going to school. You won't be alone." Loid said in an attempt to pacify the attached girl.
"He's right, and I bet those kids will be more fun than the ones I'll be surrounded by." Eric stated, unhappy with the spoiled rich brats he'll have to spend the school year with. After what happened with Desmond, there's no doubt he'll be the least liked in that class. Which was fine by him. The less people he talks to, the more time he has to study and quickly earn those Stella Stars.
"Don't be so quick to judge your classmates, Eric. Not all of them are like Damian. After all, you did become friends with that Blackbell girl." Loid stated, watching Eric pause in the middle of cutting his omelet.
"Why do you assume we're friends?" Eric asked, not understanding why his father believed he was friends with a rich girl.
'Is his social growth that stinted?' Loid wondered as he tried to figure his own son out.
"Well, she likes you." Anya stated, "She thinks you're cool, you did save her life, and you both don't like Sy-on Boy. You also said liked having her around."
Eric thought over what she said. He didn't dislike Becky's company. She's spoiled and prideful no doubt, but she was willing to defend him despite learning about his social status.
"I don't hate her, but I'm not sure I'm qualified as her friend." Eric stated, still unsure as he severely lacks the social skills required to making emotional connections like friendships.
"Trust me, you're qualified." Anya grinned, remembering how Becky fawned over Eric and thought how wonderful he was during their interactions.
While Eric had severe doubts, he didn't want to press it further as he finished his breakfast.
His family stood at the bus stop as they waited for the one that would take their son to Eden.
"Listen, Eric, when you see Damian, try to make peace with him." Loid requested as Eric stood with his arms crossed.
"You mean apologize to that child? I'm not the one who has to say sorry. I didn't say anything that wasn't true." Eric calmly stated, not looking up at his father. he didn't care if it was for world peace, he will never get along with that brat.
Loid sighed, "That may be so. But you two will be in the same class all year. You don't want to spend it plotting revenge against each other, do you?"
Eric let out a breath after a moment of contemplation. "You're right, I don't."
Loid placed a hand on his shoulder, "I know it's difficult to get along with people like Damian, but try to at least prove you can get along. You're better than that."
Eric nodded at the bus appeared, hissing to a stop before the doors opened and the other Eden students climbed in. Eric was the last as he placed his hand on the railing and turned to his family. "I won't make any promises, but I'll do my best." He said as he climbed in and took his seat. Once the door closed, the bus drove straight to Eden.
"Good luck big brother!" Anya waved goodbye as she held Yor's hand. It didn't take long before Anya's bus arrived. "Bye Mama, bye Papa. I'll see you at home." Anya waved goodbye from the window before the bus pulled off.
After bidding their daughter goodbye, Loid and Yor set off towards their respective jobs.
'I'm counting on you Eric. World peace depends on you two making amends.'
Eric stepped off the boss, steadfast and determined to get through his first day of classes in one piece.
'Get along with Damian Desmond? Who's he kidding?' Eric thought to himself, annoyed at the very idea. 'I don't care if he's the enemy's son and if it's for world peace. It'll be a cold day in hell the moment we become friends.'
At the sound of a car pulling up behind him, he turned around just as Becky Blackbell exited her family's car. "Have a wonderful day, Milady."
Becky's smile widened upon seeing Eric standing there as he waited for her to join them. "Lovely morning, Eric." She pleasantly greeted as they walked side-by-side up the stairs.
"Indeed, it is. I see your foot's feeling better." Eric noted when he saw how perfectly balanced Becky is on her feet.
"That's because I have a doctor ready at a moment's notice." Becky said as she looped her arm in his, having him escort her to class and letting other female students know he's hers.
"I'm not an official doctor as of yet. I'm still reading and researching the techniques before I take on Medical Classes here. Which won't happen until my tenth year." Eric stated as they walked together across campus. "The most I can do right now is have bandaid's, gauze, antibacterial medicine on hand, and the Heimlich maneuver."
"I'll still call you my doctor though." Becky said, already imagining him all grown up in a doctor's lab coat.
Eric had that slight smile again, "Guess that makes you my first patient outside my family."
"That's right." Becky grinned, happy that she's his first.
Becky then sighed as they were about to pass by the dorm building. "I'm jealous of the dorm kids who can stay here."
Much to their displeasure, the terrible trio appeared at the top of the stairs. Damian stood in the middle, his right hand in a cast and his two lackeys on either side behind him with the hair-gel kid holding his master's bag.
They paused as Becky gave them her most disgusted look while Eric stared at them blankly like they were the least interesting creatures that came into existence.
"Quit giving us the stink eye you rude little Uggo!" Bucktooth boy yelled from beside Damian as he glared at the duo.
"Geez, how can you be this obnoxious this early?" Becky sighed in annoyance.
"What's your problem anyway!" Bucktooth yelled before Hair-gel added, "Know your place!"
"Shut up!" Becky fired back.
Damian was silent the whole time as he glared at Eric, his cheeks red with anger and teeth clenched to keep from saying anything rude. The way Eric's blank stare directed at him as though he was hardly worth a breath angered him to the core. More than that, Damian despises how a commoner got the better of the second son of the powerful Desmond family.
'Hmph, the brat is still sore, physically and emotionally, over what happened yesterday. I'm not the one who owes the apology. Sorry Dad, not even for world peace.' Eric turned away, prompting Becky to walk with him.
"Let's not waste our energy on them. Acknowledging their existence only encourages them." Eric calmly stated, making all three glare in response.
Becky smirked, "You're right, why should we bother with them. See you, jerks." She waved goodbye as they resumed their walk to class.
Unfortunately, their little exchange didn't go unnoticed by a certain spy perched on the rooftop of a school building.
In the end he got worried.
Twilight removed his scope with teeth clenched in frustration. 'Eric, you're supposed to be the more mature one!'
He knew that Damian is the one mainly at fault for that altercation the day before. But he needs Eric to put aside his pride and bury the hatchet with the second son if Plan B is ever gonna succeed.
Standing up as the first bell rang, he vowed, 'First impressions are crucial when forming a group of friends at school. This absolutely must be handled today.' He'll make sure they're the best of friends even if it kills him.
Eric and Becky sat together at the front row center of their classroom 1082. But the moment they took their seats, everyone kept their distance from the two.
"This feels off." Becky said as they listened to the students whisper about Eric. Some, not so subtle. Many of them were afraid to meet his soulless gaze, believing they'll turn to stone the moment they make eye contact. They even started wondering if Becky is just as dangerous if she's hanging around Eric.
"They think I'm a bad omen." Eric commented, his fingers woven under his chin as his green eyes followed the words on his lesson guide and memorizing the math formulas in his head. While he was mildly annoyed at their whispers and gossip, he focused his energy on preparing for class.
"I swear, people can be so shallow." Becky stated, glaring at anyone in the room.
"Let them believe what they think is the truth. However they feel about me makes no difference." He turned the page, ignoring everyone behind them. "I'm not wasting my breath on useless gossip."
"That's very cool and mature of you. You never let anything bother you." Becky stated, drawn to how engrossed he is in his book.
"There are more important things to worry about than children holding on to petty grudges of their own making." Eric's calm words were quiet, but they were heard very clearly from the back of the room as he felt someone glare daggers into his skull.
'That cocky little...' Damian glared and clenched his teeth upon hearing Eric's dismissive words.
"Just who does he think he is?" Emile Elman, the bucktooth boy asked as he glared heatedly at Eric.
"You should teach him a lesson, make him remember his place." Ewen Egeberg said, hating how their leader was made a fool of by a commoner.
Damian growled, holding his right arm as the teacher came in and started taking roll.
He couldn't stop himself from glaring at Eric. 'I offered friendship to that ungrateful commoner only to be disregarded like trash. What's more, he dared bring up my father and mock me. Look at him, acting so annoyingly calm, believing he knows everything. He even has the nerve to make me indebted to him of all people.' He cursed, remembering the fear and anxiety he felt after he left the infirmary with his wrist bound. Henderson approached him and gave him a long stern lecture over his behavior and how it was unacceptable for any student at Eden to bully another. His violent act would earn him a Tonitrus Bolt had Eric not intervened on his behalf. The shock he experienced was something he cannot forget when Henderson relayed Eric's reasoning, how Eric did not get injured at all and that the damage done to himself is punishment enough. But that did not stop the dread he felt when he heard his parents will be informed about his mishap. While he was relieved to not receive a Tonitrus Bolt, he was angry at how a commoner stepped in and saved him.
'How arrogant can that peasant get? If he thinks I'll let him lord this incident over my head, he's got another thing coming. I refuse to be indebted to him.' Damian thought angrily as he continued to death glare at the unfazed Eric.
'Doesn't he have anything better to do than plan my murder?' Eric thought morosely as he felt the daggers digging into him.
Eric spent the rest of the hour was attentively jotting down notes, barely glancing down as he watched the teacher talk and write on the chalkboard. By the end of class, he finally allowed himself to blink.
Putting his pencil down, he rubbed his eyes. "Did you seriously go an hour without blinking?" Becky asked incredulously as Eric blinked rapidly to get some moisture back.
"I think so." Eric answered as he packed his math notebook and stuffed it in his bag.
Looking towards the back, he saw Damian and his lackeys exit the classroom. Eric sighed at the feeling in his stomach as his conscious gnawed at him to get this Damian business out of the way. 'If I don't talk to that brat, the old man's gonna find out.' Swallowing his pride and irritation he made to follow Damian.
"I need to talk to Damian about yesterday." Eric told Becky as they left the room.
"I'd just leave Damian alone, Eric. He did it to himself after all." Becky stated, confused as to why Eric wants to bother the brat.
"That may be, but I said some things that crossed too many lines." Eric explained as they passed by a 'janitor.'
Becky scoffed, "He deserved that. You gave him a taste of his own medicine."
Eric sighed as they paused in the hallway, not realizing the 'janitor' was listening in. "My father wants me to be the better man. If I don't make peace with him, I'll end up looking over my shoulder for the rest of the school year. I for one am not fond of war." Eric voiced his feelings.
'Yes, Eric! That's exactly what we want to avoid!' The 'janitor' thought happily as he continued mopping with enthusiasm.
"You think it'll be bad for your peaceful school world?" Becky asked as Eric nodded as he resumed their walk, "That's what my father implied this morning." 'He wants me to be friends with him.'
"I suppose there's no telling what a boy like that will try to do." Becky said before a smile came onto her face as she suddenly wrapped her arms around a surprised Eric from behind him. "Don't worry Eric, because you've got me on your side all the way. And no matter what, I'm gonna help protect you." She promised, no way was she gonna let Damian bully her Eric.
Eric blinked at the girl behind him as a small smile grace his lips. "You sounded like my sister just now. She can be quite protective of me at times."
Becky's smile widened, "For all the right reasons. This way, she doesn't have to worry about you as much." She gave him a reassuring look, "And don't go near Damian or let him bother you unless he's giving you the apology."
Eric hummed for a moment the shrugged, "You're right. Best I keep my distance from now on. So, it should be okay."
'No, it's not!' The 'janitor' thought in panic as he mopped more furiously to vent his frustration. 'I need to find a way to tell him how important this is!'
Eric flinched slightly and turned around to stare at the 'janitor'. For some reason, he felt something off about the man. 'Could he be...? No, of course not. He's got more important things to worry about.' He shrugged and continued to their next class.
Next was Science class. And today they were outside learning how reflective sun rays and heat works.
Eric hung in the back, but he got a good view of the teacher and could hear him clearly.
Something on the ground caught his eye, making him look down at the moving reflective light. His usually calm eyes widened when he saw a message, Fortune telling says, 'It is good to make peace with your enemies today.'
'What the heck? Don't tell me!' It didn't take long for Eric to realize his father's spying on him. Or in this case, stalking.
'C'mon Eric, patch things up with him.' Loid silently pressured his son from the rooftop.
'No Dad, you can't make me!' Eric thought irritated despite the pressure he was feeling.
He and Becky sat together in Literature as they read along with one of the students. The only problem for Eric was how edited the page in his book was. On how it talked about the importance of admitting their wrongs and moving forward to mend things.
It took all of Eric's will power not to tear this book apart. 'Still not happening!'
Eric sighed exasperatedly as he and Becky walked towards the cafeteria. Hopefully some food will calm him down. He listened to Becky talk about how much harder the lessons were on the first day.
Eric glanced to his left and felt his insides drop when he saw letters carved into the trees. 'SORRY'
Eric's eye twitched as he faced forward, glaring slightly as he ignored the message. But it literally returned on the back of an upperclassman walking in front of him.
'He's really pushing this time.' Eric thought as he prevented himself from growling, which took spartan effort as his patience began to thin.
They got to the cafeteria where they looked up at the menu with Becky commenting how none could compare to their family chef. Becky order spaghetti while Eric settled with a salad. But when he got his lunch, he could not bring himself to take a bite.
Make Peace
'Seriously Dad, just how far are you willing to go?!' Eric thought vehemently as he glared at the message written in his lunch. How is he supposed to eat with a knot in his stomach?
"That's a weird dish." Becky commented when she saw the words on the lettuce.
"Somehow, I lost my appetite." Eric said as he clenched his fork tightly.
"Hey, are you feeling okay?" Becky asked as she caught the grimace on the boy's usually calm face.
"You know the voice inside your head that tells you to do something you clearly don't wanna do?" Eric asked as a 'waiter' watched them from the corner of his eye.
"Yeah?" Becky asked, looking concerned.
"Well, that voice keeps telling me to make amends with Damian." Eric said, his eyes sliding over to any of the grown-ups in the room, trying to figure out which one's his father.
"Seriously, that again?" Becky asked incredulously as Damian and his followers entered the cafeteria.
Eric sighed miserably through his nose as he stood up from the table. 'Can't avoid it forever.'
"No, Eric, it's their fault." Becky pulled on his sleeve, urging him to sit down. But then he did something that made her heart stop, he turned his head and gave her his calm reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me. I can handle him. Trust me." If it was possible, his glowing smile was brighter than yesterday. Becky was stunned speechless as red painted her features. Slowly, her fingers loosened their grip, "Okay."
After giving her one last nod, he walked over to Damian's table and sat opposite of him as he struggled to eat with his left hand. His sudden appearance made Damian drop his spoon his surprise.
"Hello Desmond." Eric greeted calmly as he sat, back straight and fingers woven against the table.
"What do you want peasant? If you're here to fight...!" Emile demanded, glaring at Eric's stoic face.
"I just came here to talk. I have no intention of using violence to resolve this matter between us. Besides, I made it a rule not to hit weaklings or crybabies." Eric savagely replied, making Damian red in the face as he slammed his fist on the table.
"Did you just call me weak?" Damian demanded, but Eric's attention was drawn to the fist that hit the table.
"You know, that was your right hand." Eric's words made Damian look down just in time for the pain to register as he bit his lips to suppress a scream on pain.
"Case in point." Eric said as he watched Damian hold his wrist while his lackeys glared at him.
"I see you haven't received a Tonitrus Bolt. Good." Eric stated upon seeing not a Bolt in sight.
Damian clenched his teeth in pain as he glared, "Yeah, you here to brag about how you convinced them not to give me a Bolt."
"Trust me, you would've gotten that Bolt had you actually inflicted bodily harm on me. But you got lucky. Commoners grow up to be tough. If you did hit me with that pathetic excuse of a punch, your hand would truly be broken." Eric sighed, "Honestly, I'm quite embarrassed by such an execution. There was no training or discipline at all. Even my younger sister can pull a more adept punch than you. Next time you want to hit me, learn how to actually fight."
'No, no, no! Eric! That's not what you're supposed to say!' The 'waiter' watched in shock at how his son criticized Damian's attack.
If Damian's face got any redder, he'd explode. "Are you mocking me?"
"I'm giving you a lecture so we can avoid more incidents like this. A little bit of advice, know your enemy before you make the first move. You let your emotions get in the way, you underestimated your opponent, and you paid the price." Eric stated firmly, quickly glancing at Damian's wrist. "Hopefully the pain in your wrist will remind you and humble you into a more decent individual. Consider that punishment for belittling another."
Damian looked like he wanted to yell until Eric raised a hand to silence him. "I didn't come here to start another fight with you Desmond. I'm here to bury the hatchet and clear the air lest it turns into a battlefield."
Damian took a few deep breaths to calm his temper. He really didn't want to get hurt again. And he surely didn't want to give Eric the satisfaction of seeing him injure himself even further. "What do you want?"
Eric took a deep breath and sighed, "We both said things that were very hurtful to the other. Stuff that can never be unsaid no matter how hard we try to forget." He closed his eyes, "I'll admit I crossed the line by bringing up your parents. It was wrong of me. But I'm not sorry I said it."
"You're not sorry? Look at what you did to Lord Damian." Ewen said as he pointed to Damian's arm.
"I didn't come here to apologize. How he reacted is clearly his own doing." Eric stated, not bothered by their pathetic attempts to look scary for the sake of their master.
"My point is, you and I are even." Eric explained before standing up from the table and moving away.
Damian looked indignant as he glared at Eric's back. "What? You think you can walk away after what happened yesterday?" Damian shot up out of his seat and walked away from the table until he was standing six feet from where Eric paused.
Eric scoffed softly and turned to face Damian, "I have more important things to worry about than entertain your petty grudge."
"Oh yeah, and what's that?" Damian demanded, hating how this boy dismissed him, how he didn't look guilty or fearful over what transpired between them the day before.
"To get eight Stella Stars and become an Imperial Scholar."
Damian was struck silent before he snickered then started laughing, his friends joining in at what they thought was the most ridiculous thing they've ever heard.
"You? An Imperial Scholar?" Damian laughed mockingly, "You gotta be joking. There's no way a commoner like can ever hope to become one of the greats. Nothing like that has ever happened before."
"That may be so, but I can bet they did not sprain their hand by punching the wall on their first day of school." He shot back, wiping the smirk off Damian's face as his right hand throbbed in pain again.
Eric scoffed again, "You and I will never be friends. That much is certain."
"Yeah, feelings mutual." Damian glared while holding his wrist.
Eric then surprised them when a small smirk appeared, "You're also set on becoming an Imperial Scholar, are you not?"
For some reason, that smirk felt threatening, almost like a challenge.
"Looks like we have a common goal, though our reasons are far different." Eric added to himself as green met hazel. "I'll never call you my best friend. Though having you as a rival is much more appropriate."
Damian gave him a challenging smirk of his own. "Oh yeah, you really think a commoner like yourself can become an Imperial Scholar before me?"
Eric's smirk widened, "Min ypotimáte poté ton antípaló sas gia na min chásete ti máchi."
That threw Damian off, "Huh, what did you just say to me?" He demanded, wanting to know what kind of insult Eric said to him.
"If you don't know, then you better study hard, Desi." Eric said, turning his back to the sputtering boy and walking past the 'waiter.'
The 'waiter' dropped his tray in shock, his mouth gaped open over what happened. 'How could this happen? Eric wasn't supposed to make Damian his rival. Plan B is terminated.'
Everyone who watched their exchange were stunned silence. No one dared challenge a Desmond. But Eric Forger is a whole different story. His calm, cool composure combined with his quick wit made him unpredictable. While he indeed looked bored most of the time, his reserved exterior gave him a gentle glow and an air of superiority. When you add the cropped blonde hair and mesmerizing green eyes, he makes for a lethal opponent...and interesting target for the female students in the first grade.
"Eric, that was so cool." Becky said, witnessing it all as though it was one of her favorite shows. Like two alphas trying to show who is more dominant to lead the pack.
"Yeah?" Eric asked as he stabbed a fork into the words on his salad.
"Mmhm, you totally got under his skin again." Becky said smugly, it was too fun for her not to watch.
"Glad I could entertain you." Eric said as he started eating, not noticing the flustered stares from the female students of their grade. Becky, however, felt their gazes and glared at them, daring them to come near her Eric. No way was she letting them get close.
When they finished their lunch, they had about fifteen minutes before their next class begins.
"Eric, let's go outside for a bit." Becky said, taking Eric's hand and guiding him out of the cafeteria and away from the female students who discreetly watched Eric leave.
Eric found himself on a stone bench in a courtyard with Becky beside him. Both enjoyed the breeze and the sun warming their faces.
"This feels wonderful." Eric said, his eyes close and head tilted back as he basked in the sun's rays.
Seeing such a peaceful expression made Becky happy since he always put on such a strong front. If he's dropping his guard around her, that must mean he trusts her.
"Is it true? Do you really intend to become an Imperial Scholar?" Becky asked, after hearing the declaration of their rivalry, she was curious to know why.
Eric opened his eyes and turned to her, "Well, you've met my little sister." At Becky's nod, he continued, "She doesn't like hospitals. So, I thought, if I become a doctor, I can take care of her. Make sure she lives long, happy and healthy. It makes me happy, being relied on like that. By becoming an Imperial Scholar, I can raise my chances in going to one of the best medical schools in the country. I want to preserve human life and postpone death just a little longer for the people who love them." He looked down at his shoes. "Not only that, but I want to prove myself to them. I need to show them that a commoner can rise on their own merits. That money and social status aren't what matter in this world."
When Eric realized what he said, he turned to Becky's awestruck face. "Sorry, that last part was very rude. I did not mean it like that."
"That's alright. The Blackbell family wasn't always rich. We had our start somewhere in history." Becky said, not offended at all as she listened to Eric talk.
Eric sighed in relief then looked back up at the clear blue sky. A frown then appeared on his face, "Hey Becky, are you sure it's okay for you to be around me?"
"Huh, where did that come from?" Becky asked in surprise as a 'gardener' pruned the bushes not too far from them. But they hardly took notice.
"I'm a son of a psychiatrist, practically a nobody by social standards. And you heard the other kids talk, what they said about me, what they said about you. You're really nice to me, and my sister likes you already. I don't want you to be made fun of or get hurt because of me." He said, finally voicing his concerns and self-doubts about their interaction from yesterday and today. He really enjoyed her company, but he didn't want her to be punished by association.
"Are you worried for me?" Becky asked as she watched Eric's face fall into resignation, as though this is the last time they'll talk.
"Yes."
Becky scooted closer to him, making him look at her in surprise. "That's very sweet. But I can handle those kids better than you realize." She said with a smile, "Besides, they're all boring and the same, self-entitled snobs. You're more than a psychiatrist's son, you're my hero, twice already. So why would you think I wouldn't want to have you as my best friend?"
"Best. Friend?" Eric repeated those words, they sounded foreign to him.
"Yeah. Wait, have you...never had one before?" Becky asked with a frown as Eric looked down in shame.
"It's just...I don't know how to make friends. I've never really talked to kids my own age before." Eric stated, remembering how the other orphans kept their distance from him and Anya. "I..." He sighed, "...I don't know how to properly connect with people on an emotional level. I'm not really good with my emotions. The most I've ever done was keep them locked away for my Dad and sister's sake."
The 'gardener' paused in his pruning for a millisecond as he waited for Eric to continue.
"What do you mean exactly?" Becky asked, frowning when Eric's eyes filled with hidden anguish.
"My birth mother died when Anya was still a baby. Dad was a complete mess." Eric began his story, "He worked hard to support us, and tried even harder to be there for us emotionally and physically. But I knew it was taking a toll on him." He swallowed his saliva as he spun the story, mixing in his own feelings. "I don't fully remember my first mother, but I knew she loved me and Anya the most. She literally gave her life for my sister." He clenched his fist at the vague memory of his mother. "Dad could only do so much as a single parent, and Anya had already driven him into exhaustion. So, for both their sakes, I kept my emotions down and decided to take more responsibility and raise my sister in Mom's place. Take some weight off of Dad so he only has one kid to worry about."
The 'gardener' gripped his shears as he listened to the boy. While the boy making most of it up, he knew there was more truth to how he raised his sister the first few years of their lives and how he forced himself to mature for the sake of survival and in his new family. And his father tossed him into this school without fully understanding the extent the boy is willing to go through for his sister.
"Things got easier when Dad married Yor, she became my second mother. Someone I'm proud to call family." Eric said with a fond smile as he thought of his scary, protective and loving mother. "She herself is an older sibling, and she raised her younger brother when they lost their parents, so she understands me better than most." His smile faded slightly, "But I still keep my emotions in check out of habit. I don't like causing trouble for Dad, not when he's trusting me to do well in this school."
Eric allowed a self-deprecating smile on his face, "Unfortunately, I miscalculated my social skills. I knew the moment I entered this school, I'll be on my own. The only thing that would get me through this place is by staying in the books where it's safe. Books aren't judgmental as people. But it's fine, I'm used to being by myself."
Suddenly, arms wrapped around him from the side. Eric turned to see only the top of the girl's head as she buried her face in his shoulder. "Becky?"
Becky's tears stained his uniform as she cried over his suppressed pain. "Don't ever say you're fine by yourself. Because you're not."
Eric's eyes widened at what she just said, but she wasn't finished as she lifted her head to lock her tear-filled gaze with his. "You say you're not good with your emotions, maybe that's true. But I can tell what you were feeling when Damian made fun of you yesterday. You were annoyed, angry, and I can tell you wanted to hit him. But you didn't, you proved you were better than him and never gave in to his taunts. But I also could tell how lonely and scared you felt standing among the other students. You thought you could hide it, but I saw you very clearly. So don't you dare tell me you're fine by yourself because you have me here."
Eric was completely shocked, he thought he could carefully hide his emotions here because they were kids who don't care much about feelings. But this girl...no one other than Anya can tell what he was feeling. It made him wonder if maybe this girl was also a telepath.
"You saw right through me. No one but my sister could tell what I felt. And she's only four." Eric admitted, not mad at how he failed to properly hide himself. Somehow, he felt happy that someone saw him.
"That just means she's emotionally smarter than you."
Eric released a small laugh, "I won't deny that."
He then looked doubtful again, "Are you sure you want to be my friend? I'm not good at properly expressing my emotions, or how other people feel. What if I hurt you?"
Becky gave him a comforting smile as she held his hand in hers. "Don't worry about that right now. We'll take it one step at a time." She said as she hopped off the bench and pulled him with her. "And you don't have to hide yourself from me. As long as it's just us, you're free to feel whatever you want to feel."
Eric felt the locks he kept on his emotions start to break as he felt a fluttering sense of happiness and belonging course through him. He never had a best friend before, he never felt worthy of such a thing. But Becky saw something in him that he was unable to see.
His peaceful smile widened as he felt another weight leave his shoulder as he squeezed her hand in return. "Thank you."
Becky's smile was beaming as she saw a truly happy and beautiful on her knight's face for the first time. "C'mon, let's go to our next class. I want front row seats for the two of us." She said as they rushed to their next lesson hand-in-hand.
"As you wish." Eric said, as they left the courtyard.
Though his original plan was never to make any friends in this school and focus on his studies to get Stella Stars, he'll make an exception for her. Having her with him will make being among the children of the elite bearable.
'My first best friend.'
The 'gardener' watched them leave, already inseparable as they made their way towards their next class. He allowed a smile to grace his features since his original plan didn't go the way he thought it would either. While he failed to get Damian and Eric to become friends, he was glad his son was able to make a friend in the Blackbell girl. Not because of who her father is, but because she can serve as an emotional support while Eric's in this school.
With a resigned sigh, Twilight left the courtyard. Even though Plan B will never happen, he'll happily accept this turn of events so his son could at least have some comfort in this mission. Once he was changed in his regular clothes, he decided to go to Anya's preschool and wait for her to come out since her classes end two hours earlier before Eric's.
"So you and Sy-on Boy didn't become friends." Anya stated as she Loid, and Eric sat in the living room where their father helped his son with his homework, giving him tips and examples to work with. Yor was in the kitchen washing dishes from their dinner as she listened to their conversation.
"Not even if he's the last kid on earth." Eric said after describing what happened in the cafeteria. "I made peace with him, yes. But friendship is nonexistent between us. What we have is a rivalry in academics."
"What's a wival? *rival*?" She asked curiously as she wrote in her coloring book.
"It's a person or thing competing with another for the same objective or for superiority in the same field of activity. In Eric's case, they're both competing to become Imperial Scholars." Loid explained, not looking away from his son's work as he patiently guided him in how to solve these problems.
"Oh." Anya nodded in understanding then asked, "But if you both want to become Imperial Scholars, why not work together instead?"
Her question raised a good point for the spy since he himself is curious about his son's reason.
Eric stopped writing as he looked up at his father and sister. "Our rivalry is more beneficial than friendship. By competing, we're pushing ourselves and each other by expanding our knowledge and testing the limits. He believes himself superior because of the social class he's born into. He's intelligent, yes. But not wise as yesterday proved. I plan to show him who his equal is. If I become an Imperial Scholar before him, I'll not only have his respect, but everyone's in the school. At least that's how I look at it." Eric shrugged before resuming his work.
Loid was actually impressed by that idea. Plan B would potentially get things done faster, but he considers his son is a natural born genius compared to other kids. It wouldn't be bad to put Plan B on the back burner for now. But he hoped that one day Eric's rivalry with Damian will turn into friendship and understanding.
"Well, as long as you take care and be civil with each other, I don't see a problem with that. Just remember not to push yourselves too hard." Loid said as he accepted his son's reason.
"No promises, sir." Eric answered as his mind started working the problems.
Anya, upon listening to her father's thoughts wanted to go to Eden and help them out even more. If Eric can't be friends with Damian, maybe she can. But the problem is, she's not old enough to become a student yet. With a hum, she returned to her coloring book while figuring out a plan to increase the chance of the mission's success.
Completely, and utterly different compared to the anime/manga. Eric has officially made a friend and a rival.
As for that language Eric spoke. It's Greek. He's basically telling Damian not to underestimate him lest he suffer the consequences.
I know most of you are angry at how Anya wasn't accepted as a student alongside Eric, so I'm already fixing that and setting up the whole Damian falls for Anya but will never admit it as Anya tries to be the Plan B her father needs.
Not sure when I'll update the next chapter, I just write whatever holds my interest. Still brainstorming the next two Yuri episodes. Wish me luck and leave a review.