Warnings: This chapter will have mentions of SA in it. If this triggers you, please skip over the flashback sequence. Also, from this chapter on there will not be cuts between Anya and Annie throughout their school day.
'It was a quiet night, her mother had gone out on a date with a new guy. She wasn't sure if the other guy knew or not, but she honestly didn't care. It wasn't any of her business anyways. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out some leftover pizza. Her mother said she could have it, which was surprising considering how her mother used to act. She hated to say it but she liked her alcoholic mother more than her normal mother. They say 'drunk actions are sober thoughts' but she honestly didn't buy all that crap. If that were true, her mother would be coming down on her about food 10x harder. She warmed it up in the microwave, and flopped down on the couch eating it. She watched random YouTube videos while she did. After she had finished eating, the washed the plate off and then that's when the someone knocked on the door. She walked up to it, and glanced out of it. She saw that it was her mom's boyfriend, or one of them anyways. Again, she didn't really know what was going on. She opened the door, and smiled at him out of courtesy.
"Hi there... uh... my mom isn't home." She said, and smiled awkwardly. She was trying to remain calm and collected, but she just couldn't shake of the ick. This was the first time she really got a close look at the guy. He was probably in his early twenties. He had dirty blonde hair that had clearly been dyed, and he had green eyes. He would be attractive to any normal person, but she couldn't get rid of this sinking feeling. It probably had to do with him constantly peeking at her. Maybe it was natural to feel a little put off by him.
"Oh... well, can I come in?" He asked, and the girl was honestly unsure. She didn't know if her mother was even still with this guy.
"Uh... Hold on, let me call my mom..." She said, and pulled her phone out, just about to call her mom, the man forced his way into her house. He then flopped down on the couch, and then she closes the door behind him. She then quickly walks into her room, and calls her mother.
"Hey mom... your... boyfriend is here." She said, sheepishly.
"Whaaaattt...?" Her voice slurred, it was obvious her mom was drunk. "Your trying to pway a pwank on me, you siwwy girl... My boyfriend is hewe witf me." Her blood ran cold. This meant her mother had already broken up with the guy. What was he doing here then? What did he want?
"A...Ha! You got me mom! I love you, see you when you get home!" She quickly hung up, and was about to dial 9-1-1 when her hand is snatched out of her hand.
"Heyyy, wanna do something?" He asked, flopping down on her bed cheerfully. Ignoring the fact the girl was about to call the police.
"N-No thank you, my mom says you should leave." She insists, the man's face going from cheerful to solemn. He then stood up, and walked over to her.
"I just wanna get to know you, there's no reason to be so worried." He insisted, laughing softly as he glanced around her room.
"Leave! Now!" She insisted, but this was the wrong move as the man became visibly angry. Before she could react, he had shoved her to her bed, getting on top of her and pinning her to the bed. "G-Get off!" She said, her fear seeping through her words.
"Shhh... Don't worry, what we're gonna do is really fun!"'
When Annie woke up she couldn't breath, not properly. She began gasping for any fraction of air, her reaction woke up Anya who had been sleeping peacefully aside her. Anya, concerned for Annie's wellbeing walked up to her and touched her, she flinched bad as she glanced at the girl, but Anya didn't see... her. It was like she wasn't even there, her face was still and solemn like a robot, but she was still crying. Anya was filled with unease, but it switched to panic as Annie began hyperventilating, constantly gasping out for air as if she could not breath. Anya, overwhelmed with worry, with fear beginning to set in she began crying herself and ran to Loid's door, banging on it hard.
"MAMA! PAPA!" Anya cried out, sobbing incoherently as Yor and Loid both opened their doors in a panic.
"What's wrong!?"
"What's going on?!" Both Loid and Yor said something at the exact same time, and Anya just became even more overwhelmed, she began crying loudly.
"S-Something... Something is wrong with big sister Annie!" Anya exclaimed, Yor quickly scooped her up and began comforting her as they walked into the bedroom to see what's going on with Annie. She sat on the bed looking strange, her knees were pulled up to her chest while she hyperventilated gasping violently for air as if she was not breathing. Anya and Yor didn't know what to do, but luckily Loid had to get really in character for his psychiatrist job. He stayed calm as he approached the girl, and then sat in front of her.
"It's okay, Annie... Let's breathe." He said, and then began doing breathing exercises with her, effectively grounding her from the attack. "Breathe, Annie..." For some reason, that name kept echoing in her head. Annie. She knew it, it was her name. She was no longer in that life, she was now Annie. Annie Forger. She calmed down, and then threw her arms around Loid, sobbing uncontrollably. Each drop symbolizing some of her trauma. She was letting it go, at least for now. Trauma never truly goes away, and she knew that.
"I-I'm sorry..." She apologized as Loid rubbed her back compassionately, he knew what it was like to have PTSD episodes. He just... was much better at hiding them.
"No, don't apologize." Loid said, and Yor and Anya soon joined the hug. Annie hugged Anya tighter than normal that time, in her head she promised herself she would never let anything like what happened to her happen to Anya. What time was it? She glanced at the clock and noticed it was 6:00AM. Why did she always wake up at this time? She couldn't remember.
"We need to get ready for school... the bus will pick us up at seven." Annie said, rushing her family into getting ready, she seemd to want to forget the event even happened. Annie helped Anya get ready, adding some new cute accessories. Anya and Annie both clasped on matching bracelets, one's they made earlier in celebration for getting into the school. They smiled and wiggled their wrists next to each other before walking out of the bedroom to go eat breakfast. During breakfast, Annie only thought business. It'd probably be better to simply forget about Demetrius Desmond, as when she thought about it, Demetrius probably had just as much as a limited relationship with his parents as Damian. So using him as a stepping stone wouldn't really work, Annie's main goal should be becoming an Imperial Scholar. This is also how Anya should go, and she only hoped that things could go well.
"Alright then, it's time to head to the bus!" Loid said, cleaning up the girl's plates and putting them into the sink. They then all walked to the bus stop together. Despite everything, Annie couldn't help but notice just how beautiful Berlint was. She still needed to focus, her best option is becoming an Imperial Scholar, so how to do that...? Stella Stars are offered to those who excel at everything, so her only option is to... 'tutor' like crazy.
"The school bus is here! Do you have everything?" Loid asked, turning to the two girls who stood, their nervousness becoming evident.
"Oh, my hat!" Anya exclaimed, turning around and placing it on her head. They then quickly board the bus, saying goodbye to their parents. It doesn't take long for the bus to take off, and Anya and Annie spend the 15 minute drive talking to each other about their plans. Whispering about their powers, and how they're going to help their father with his plan. Before Annie gets off, she reminds Anya not to tell anyone about her powers. They then go their separate ways, Anya heading towards the elementary wing, and running into Becky Blackbell on the way there, and Annie towards the high school wing. On the way there, someone starts calling out to her.
"Annie! Annie!" She turns around to see the girl from the other day, Elysia running towards her full speed. It was like seeing a leopard chasing it's prey. She smiled as the girl ran up to her, and then asked what homeroom class she has. Annie happily informs her, and they walk there together as they have the same one. On the way there, Annie catches Elysia up to speed about what happened orientation day. When they walked into the classroom, it fell silent. Students had been talking to one another, but the second they entered it was like they all forgot how to speak. 'That's the new girl?' 'Hmph, she doesn't look like anything special.' 'I like her hair, it's so pretty!' All the thoughts came hurling at her all at once, she couldn't help but feel a little sick. Then someone spoke up.
"Ayo, you're the girl who's sister punched Damian Desmond!" She froze, the news had already set in? It hadn't even occurred to her that the incident could've caused ripple effects with staff and students... She gulped. 'What?' 'No way!' 'What if she's violent too?!' 'How did girls like that even get into Eden?' She took a deep breath and smiled softly, glancing around and that's when she saw him...
He was sitting up in the corner exactly how his brother would in the manga. He looked just like him, you could tell for sure that they were siblings. His raven black hair is what initially caught her eye, but he had sharp golden-brown eyes just like Damian. Over his uniform he had an Imperial Scholar's cape hung over his shoulders. She took a deep breath again, and then turned to Elysia. Ignoring the gossiping of the other students while she chose a seat in the middle bottom row. There was no reason for her to even give Demetrius the light of day, he would not help her reach her goal any faster. She took another deep breath, looked towards the board and hoped that Anya's day was better than hers.
It didn't take long for the teacher to enter the classroom, informing the students that it was time to sit down and get ready. Annie was deep in thought, she was thinking of all the ways she could possibly become an Imperial Scholar as soon as possible. Elysia droned on about something Annie truly wasn't paying much attention to. That's when the teacher spoke up and got her attention.
"Oh yes. We have a new student joining our class today. Hello, I'm Mr. Wilson." Mr. Wilson said, glancing at his clipboard and then glancing up. It wasn't hard for him to find the new face, and he smiled feigning kindness. "Go ahead and stand up and introduce yourself." he continued, and Annie hesitantly stood up, she didn't want all this attention on her at once.
"Hello. I'm Annie Forger, I've just transferred here. I hope we can all get along great." She said, and was just about to sit down when the Mr. Wilson speaks up again.
"Anybody have any questions for Annie?" He asked, and she felt her stomach turning slightly. No doubt any questions they could come up with has to do with her sister. A girl in the back raised her hand and the teacher called on her.
"I love your hair color, do you dye it yourself?" The girl asked, seemingly genuinely curious.
"Oh, uh... actually this is my natural hair color..." She stated, earning a few puzzled looks from the students as pink hair was a rare hair color indeed. Another student in the back raised their hand, this time it was a boy.
"Do you play any instruments or sing?" He asked, the whole class hanging on her every word.
"Uh, yeah I do! I play violin, but I don't sing much... I don't think it'd be a very nice thing to hear." She joked, smiling softly. Then, another boy in the back raised his hand, but something about his demeanor made her stomach twist.
"Annie..." He began, feigning kindness and smiling gently at her. "Can you tell me about your sister? The one with the mean punch?" He said, and her heart sank. Her smile fell and she let out a loud, audible sigh. She knew this was going to be asked eventually, but she couldn't help feeling upset that someone did.
"Sure!" Annie said, feigning her own kindness and glaring at the boy with intensity. "My sister Anya... hmmm... how to describe her..." She continued, the Mr. Wilson didn't do anything, eager to see how this plays out. "My sister is rather hardheaded, if I'm truthful. She follows the things she believes without fail, even if it causes her to do questionable things." She replied, continuing to feign kindness.
"Even punching a defenseless boy in the face for no reason?" This angered Annie, for this person had no idea what even happened. She took a deep breath and glanced at Mr. Wilson again, seeing if he were going to do anything and of course, he was not. Fine, she'll deal with it herself.
"I'm not sure what rumors have been swirling about, but my sister did not punch the boy for no reason." She crossed her arms, glaring intensely at the boy. "As it turns out, uh... what's your name?" She asked, looking up at the boy who was taken off guard by Annie's initiative and the fact that she did not become embarrassed.
"Oh uh... it's Christopher." He replied, nervously.
"As it turns out, Christopher..." She said his name with annoyance, and some kind of venom. "The boy was bullying her and her friend, Becky. During the incident, he pushed Becky and caused her to stumble, almost falling over."
"Okay, okay students. Annie, go ahead and sit back down." Mr. Wilson finally butted in, and she listened, rolling her eyes at the nerve of Christopher. She wasn't too worried about him though, he made an enemy of the large brolic teenage boy in the corner. She knew making friends with Will was going to be good for her. "Anyways students, as per usual we will start the new year off with an assessment test. Don't get too worried, it does not count towards your grade at all. It's just to see where you're at." The teacher said as he began handing out exam papers. Annie quickly looked over, and blinked in confusion. She didn't know that Eden's curriculum was actually so basic. She knew it, she'd studied it. Did she over-do it? Either way, this is a great way for her to end up showing off her intelligence. She wondered if this girl, 003. Whoever was originally supposed to be in this body, she wondered if she was this intelligent and it was just rubbing off on her because she was using the body. She wasn't sure, but she knew she was never this smart in her past life. She breezed through the exam, even though she did take her time going over everything and showing her work. She refused to be the first person to turn in her paper. and luckily Demetrius stood up, begrudgingly walked down to Mr. Wilson and turned in his paper. She did the same shortly thereafter. She felt the eyes staring at her, burning into her as she walked. She smiled weakly at Mr. Wilson, handed him her paper and then went back to her seat.
"Alright everybody, I'm gonna go run these through the machine, and see how everything's going okay?" Mr. Wilson left, giving the students some free time to talk to one another. Most of the period was spent gossiping about Annie and her 'crazy sister' that punched Damian. She tried her best to ignore it and focus on talking with Elysia, but things were proving difficult.
"Hey!" A voice rang through her ears, and she turned to face whomever was talking. She was worried for a moment, but was relieved to see that it was just Will. She and Elysia scooted over to make room for him next to Annie.
"Hey Will!" Annie said, smiling softly as Elysia glanced at the two in confusion. This was because she didn't know that Annie and William knew each other, and was surprised by it.
"When did you two meet?" Elysia asked, leaning forwards with her face of confusion switching to one of curiosity; Annie then explained that Will had been the one to give her the tour while the children were in orientation the day before. They spoke with each other until Mr. Wilson came in, he told Will to go back to his seat while he posts the top ten students. He wrote up the top ten, and the class fell silent. Most of the results made sense, except the fact that "Annie Forger" was the one in first place, Demetrius Desmond losing by five points.
Demetrius sat silently in the back as Mr. Wilson came in, but he then turned to look at his victory. To his surprise, he was not in first place. Annie was, and he couldn't help but feel a ping of envy. Demetrius was the smartest one in the class, that's how it's always been. He worked hard to earn the title of 'prodigy', and he wasn't going to let some new girl come in and muck up his reputation.
"Huh... That's surprising." He began, feigning indifference to the whole thing. Truth was, he felt infuriated and embarrassed. "Must be beginners luck, I'm sure it'll rub off soon." He said, his cocky demeanor evident in the way he spoke. He smirked as he looked down at Annie, who had turned around to see who was talking. He waited for her to say something, he needed her to say something. But to his surprise, and horror, the girl just simply rolled her eyes at him and then turned around. He couldn't believe it. 'Did she just... Ignore me?! Who does she think she is? She thinks that because she got a good grade once now she's some hot shit?!' She ignored his thoughts, remaining staring at Mr. Wilson and listening while he explained how the rest of the school year was going to work.
Annie felt strange. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was burning their eyes into the back of her head, glaring intensely. Was she in danger? Then she heard Demetrius' thoughts, and couldn't help but giggle. He really was just like his brother, she guessed it was probably in the way he was raised. If a child is brought up believing that they are the best, they will remain that way until someone puts them in their place. That doesn't make them a bad person, but everyone is born equal. Other than the privilege of being rich, there was virtually no difference between Demetrius and Annie. Other than the physical differences, obviously.
To everyone's relief, the bell rang just then and students quickly began piling out of the room, Annie quickly gathered her belongings and then along with the rest of her class headed towards their next class. She was pretty sure it was science class, so she wondered what kind of stuff the curriculum would start off with. She was thinking hard as she, Elysia and Will walked together. She was so deep in thought thinking about the logistics of getting stella stars. The body she was in was actually quite good, she could play violin well, she's very intelligent, and is okay at sports; although she knew she wouldn't excel in them. So the best option she had was the creative and intelligent route. She didn't have much of an option other than tha- SMACK.
She stumbled backwards, landing on her butt. Surprised. Elysia and William stared at her in surprise as some of the people around them snickered to themselves, including Demetrius. She looked up and noticed that there was a wall in front of her. She couldn't explain it, but she had somehow run into the wall. Will quickly helped her up, and she laughed nervously.
"I was so deep in thought I wasn't paying attention to where I was going!" Annie exclaimed, laughing shyly as she scratched the back of her head. Well, that's great. Now she was going to have a reputation for being clumsy, she thought for a few moments before deciding that's the personality she was going to go for. Shy, reserved, clumsy. But also intelligent, calculating and ambitious. Although two of those last three traits will be a secret, if people realized how calculating she could be, there's probably a chance that they'd think she's a spy. And although it's technically true through association, she can't be having rumors like that swirling around.
"You'd better be careful there, Annie." Demetrius said as he walked by, smirking as he did. "You might lose important brain cells if you aren't careful." He knew this would get a rise out of her, she obviously felt strongly about her intelligence, there's no way she'd stand for someone suggesting she could lose it. But to his shock, horror, anger, and embarrassment, she simply kept walking, talking with her friends as she did. 'What's up with this girl, does she not care what I think?!' Demetrius couldn't fathom the idea of someone not caring what he thought, or brushing his opinion off. This girl... made him angry, really angry. It made him so angry his heart was beating rapidly due to all the adrenaline
As Annie walked into their classroom, she could feel his eyes fixated on her every move. She couldn't help but feel uncomfortable, she didn't think ignoring him would've had this effect. It's like he's obsessed with her. She composed herself, and sat down with Elysia and Will. Surely she was just overreacting, there's no way simply ignoring a boy would make him so utterly obsessed with her. It was such a dumb thing, too. When the teacher walked in, she felt his eyes divert from her and she sighed out in relief, Elysia glancing over at her.
"Hey, are you okay?" She asked, gaining the attention of Will, who was sitting next to Annie. Annie turned to face Elysia, and smiled weakly.
"Yeah, physically fine." She said, and then scratched the back of her head. "I just can't shake this feeling that I'm being watched." Annie admitted, and then turned to the front of the class as this answer satisfied Elysia enough to drop it. That, and the teacher was telling them to quiet down.
"Hello students! Are you ready for the assessment test?" Annie blinked, letting out a soft sigh as she realized that this was happening, maybe she should throw some of the tests to keep Demetrius' ego up and off her butt? No, that wasn't a good idea. She needed to become an Imperial Scholar as quickly as possible, but because she didn't know for sure when they'd be giving out stella stars, she needed to excel in everything she can excel in. But maybe she could let up with the ignoring him a bit... she took the test, and of course, she came out on top again. It has to be the body, she knew she was never this smart before. But, her showing up Demetrius seriously pissed him off again. He took a deep breath, and tried to compose himself. But he couldn't, he found himself staring at the girl again. Watching as she talked quietly to Elysia, watching every little movement. Even the way her hair swayed when she moved between talking to Elysia and Will. 'Why... do I feel like this? She's just some random girl, I shouldn't care so much about her ignoring me!' Something caught him off guard, as he thought the Annie turned around, locking their eyes. He swiftly looked away, hoping to avoid her seeing the fact he was looking at her.
Annie was confused, did ignoring Demetrius cause him to have feelings for her? She couldn't help but feel bad, she knew someone else was supposed to get Demetrius' attention this year, she just couldn't shake the feeling she was getting in the way. Maybe Elysia was supposed to get his attention, she's pretty and smart. She couldn't shake these thoughts off as the bell rang and everyone quickly gathered their stuff and headed towards the lunchroom.
"Ahhh... I'm starving!" Elysia said as she, Annie and Will all gathered their belongings and walked out the door. On the way out, Annie stumbled and fell again, dropping all her things and then sighing. Was this body actually a klutz? This was just great. She began gathering her things when a voice rang through her ears.
"How are you so smart with how klutzy you are?" Demetrius asked, stepping in front of Annie and looking down at her as she picked up her belongings. "I would've thought you lost all your braincells by now." He insulted, angering Elysia.
"Hey, leave her alone, Demetrius!" Elysia said, glaring at Demetrius as she walked over and began helping Annie pick up her belongings.
"It's okay, Elysia." Annie said, standing up once all her belongings were gathered. She feigned kindness and smiled softly at Demetrius, who was taken off by it. He expected her to get upset, cry... or even get mad and yell... "Thank you for your concern, but I'm quite fine."
'Did she... just thank me?' His thoughts echoed through her head, and they quickly went off the rails. 'She thanked me for bullying her?! Does she think she's better than me or something?!' She couldn't help but giggle softly as she walked away, heading towards the cafeteria. As they approached, Elysia gave her the run down for everything. She told her how everything works while Will just stood there, he as kind of like a gentle giant, who didn't say much. But they both appreciated his presence. They walked up to the counter, and she looked up at the menu. She ended up getting fried chicken with a side of fried rice. She also got a strawberry milk drink, which she loved. They walked over to the table, and sat down. They chatted as they spoke and ate. She ate despite feeling Demetrius' eyes stuck on her.
Demetrius stared, long and hard at the girl. He just couldn't keep his mind, or his eyes off her. He honestly didn't really know what he was doing, or why. He found himself staring at this... girl. This... girl with weird sunset-colored hair, and eyes of diamond...
"Demetrius!" A girl's pick-me voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and he turned to see his 'friend' Roselynn. He turned to look at her, and she cocked her head to the side confusedly. "What are you staring at?" She looked towards the direction he was looking, and there was only one table in that direction. Annie's. "Urgh, she's such an eyesore." Roselynn said, insulting the girl and rolling her eyes. "I heard her sis-"
"Yes, I know. Her sister punched some boy." Demetrius said, rolling his eyes and stuffing some of his food into his mouth.
"Not some boy, her sister punched Damian!" Roselynn informed him, looking towards him while she eat some of her food. This surprised Demetrius, he didn't know it had been Damian who had been punched, although he knew he probably deserved it, he couldn't shake the fact that Annie had known and intentionally avoided acknowledging it around him. This pissed him off, but he knew he couldn't do anything right then. He needed to wait for her to be alone to confront her. And then just like magic, an opportunity opened up. He watched as Annie stood up and walked out of the cafeteria, he quickly excused himself and followed her. She walked towards the girl's bathroom, probably to use it, and he patiently awaited her exit. He parked himself just at the end of the hallway, leaning on the windowsill coolly as he waited for her to come out, when she did she walked in the opposite direction, not even noticing him.
"Hey!" He exclaimed, and she turned around. She turned around, surprised, as she had no idea he was there.
"Demetrius!" She exclaimed in surprise, as he walked over to her. Her guard when straight up, he could tell. Although she didn't exactly take a fighting stance, her shoulder's tightened as she was prepared to fight.
"Calm down, Annie. I just want to talk." This seemed to calm her down, and Annie's shoulder's loosened up.
"Alright, what do you want?" She asked, looking at him with curiosity written all over her face.
Demetrius thought for a moment, he knew that if he wanted to get answers without causing a scene that could potentially bring people over here and have them butt their noses into their conversation. Although, he knew that he didn't exactly want answers as much as he wanted a reason to get a rise out of her, a reason to get her to be mean to him back, but... she just wouldn't.
Demetrius gazed at Annie, considering his approach carefully. He couldn't quite put his finger on why he was so drawn to her, and his emotions were a mix of curiosity, anger and... an odd sense of attraction. He couldn't understand why he felt this way about a girl he barely knew, he decided to start with something relatively harmless to gauge her reactions.
"... I heard your sister punched Damian." Demetrius admitted nonchalantly, although his emotions weren't easy to contain. He saw it though, Annie eyes flickered with surprise as she didn't think this was what he was going to confront her about.
"Yeah, she did. Damian was bullying her and her friend." Annie insisted, mostly because that was the truth. Demetrius felt a surge of annoyance, she wasn't reacting the way he had hoped she would.
"You knew about it, right? You knew it was Damian she punched." He prodded further, his actions practically begging her to do something to prove to him that she cared that he had something to say about it. Something to say about her. He needed her to react, it was driving him insane. Her guard rose up again, and he smirked. He was finally getting somewhere. It seemed as if Annie wasn't all calm and composed all the time, he also knew that this area had a damaged camera, so chances are nobody will ever know what happened in this hallway. But to his annoyance, she quickly composed herself.
"Yes, I knew. I didn't really think it was my business to go spreading around." She confessed, crossing her arms and looking at him. This wasn't working, he needed the satisfaction of seeing her fall apart, even just a little bit. He needed to switch tactics.
"Why do you act so aloof, Annie?" She was surprised, she didn't view herself as aloof, but this might have to do with the fact that she had spent half the day ignoring him. He had to admit, he did let his anger get the best of him. Before he had time to properly think, he had grabbed her wrists and pinned her up against the wall. Looking down at her as he voice lowered, like he was attempting to assert dominance over her. What was this, a wolf pack?! She was flabbergasted, but she could easly push him off thanks to her advanced strength. Issue is, if she used it against him, he'd know something's up, so she had to pretend like she was defenseless against him, but if anything goes too far she'll throw him off with ease. "Why... do you act like you're better than everyone else?" He asked, he couldn't help but smirk in this situation. At least he knew he had something over her, and that was physical strength. This probably had to do with the fact that he was male, and she was female. It's just natural biology.
"Is... that what you think, Demetrius?" She asked, this question caught him off guard, but he didn't let up. He squeezed her wrists tighter as he held them against the wall.
"It's not what I think, Annie..." He again, nonchalantly. He needed to know she was the only one feeling any type of way here. She could feel her legs turning to jelly. She couldn't understand why his behavior was making her feel like this, did she need therapy? She definitely needed therapy. She desperately tried to push down the blush that was threatening to burn her cheeks. "It's what I know."
"Demetrius... I do not think I'm better than anyone else." She said, looking up to make eye-contact with him. This was a mistake as she ended up just about nose-to-nose with him, she couldn't hold it back, her face flushed very quickly. Doing her best to ignore it, she continued on. "I just don't want any unnecessary drama." She insisted, trying to de-escalate the situation. She thought about how Damian acted in the manga; he was a child. It would make sense for his older brother to be more unpredictable than him. "Listen, how about we take a deep breath and talk about this like adults?" She asked, desperately trying to talk him off of her. He held her wrists in place, he had no intention of letting her go. Not until she did something, not until she react the way he wanted her to. Not until- STOMP.
There was a sudden and sharp pain in his foot, and he yelped out in pain, in his shock he let go of her wrists. And she swiftly moved out of the way, effectively ending the confrontation. Annie's heart raced as she hurried back to her friends at the cafeteria table, leaving Demetrius behind in the hallway nursing his injured foot. She didn't look back, afraid that he might follow her or that the situation would escalate further. She found Elysia and Will engrossed in their conversation, their voices filled with laughter and excitement.
"Hey, Annie, everything okay?" Elysia asked, her concern evident as she noticed the flush on Annie's face. Annie quickly sat down and tried to catch her breath, her heart still pounding.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Demetrius was just being... well, Demetrius." Will raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a mix of curiosity and worry.
"What happened?" Annie hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal about the confrontation in the hallway. She decided to keep it vague for now.
"He just wanted to talk, but things got a bit intense. I don't think he likes me very much." Elysia put a reassuring hand on Annie's shoulder.
"You don't need to deal with him if he's causing you trouble. We've got your back."Annie smiled appreciatively. "Thanks, guys. I don't get what his problem is anyway." Will shook his head.
"Who knows what's going on in his head. Maybe he's just looking for attention." He stated, and Annie shrugged. She honestly wasn't completely sure what Demetrius' problem was, she rubbed her wrist slightly as he had squeezed a little too hard. When she thought back to the situation, she was surprised she even held herself together.
As they continued to talk and enjoy their lunch, Annie couldn't help but wonder about Demetrius's strange fascination with her. It was as if he was trying to provoke a reaction from her, and she wasn't sure why. She also couldn't deny the odd mix of emotions she felt when she was near him. It was a complex, confusing situation that she wasn't sure she could make sense of anytime soon.
Meanwhile, Demetrius nursed his injured foot in the hallway, a mixture of pain and frustration swirling inside him. He had hoped to get a reaction out of Annie, but it had backfired. He couldn't understand why he was so fixated on her, and the encounter had only intensified his curiosity and attraction. Demetrius knew he had to figure out what was going on, but for now, he decided to retreat and nurse his ego. There was more to this story, and he was determined to find out. He sheepishly returned to his table, and continued on with lunch.
They finished out the school day, and while Annie was walking back to the bus, Roselynn caught up to her. This was strange as the girl with long wavy blonde hair and green eyes had been ignoring her all day, acting as if Annie simply didn't exist. So it was strange for her to go out of her way to talk to her.
"Hey..." Roselynn said, and feigned kindness as she smiled at Annie. "I just wanted to tell you to stay away from Demetrius." She said, Annie then stopped walking and turned to look at Roselynn.
"That's no problem, tell him to leave me alone then." Annie stated simply, suggesting that Demetrius even gave her the light of day, which Roselynn rolled her eyes at.
"Don't act cocky, there's no way Demetrius would give a girl who looks like you even a second of his time." She insulted, and then rolled her eyes. Walking away and getting in the back seat of a very expensive looking car. Ah, whatever. Annie honestly couldn't care less what that girl did with her time.
"Big sister Annie!" Anya's voice rang through Annie's ears, and she ran towards her, Becky nearby behind her. "I apologized to Damian!" Anya confirmed, as Annie quickly scooped her up in her arms.
"Good job, Anya!" Annie praised her, and Becky waved them off as she got into her own car. They then got on the bus and sat down in a seat. They talked about their day on the way home, Anya then noticed the reddening that was beginning to appear on Annie's arms.
"Big sister Annie..." She started, a concerned look on her face. "What happened to your arms?" She asked, and Annie brushed it off.
"You don't need to worry about that." She insisted, and then when it was their stop they got off the bus. Loid and Yor were already there, waiting patiently for them to get off the bus.
"How was school?" Loid asked, picking up Anya happily as Anya cheered about what a good day she had. Before Annie could say anything, Yor grabbed her arm and looked closely at her wrist.
"Who pinned you against a wall?" Yor asked, without even a second thought. Annie was surprised, and blinked.
"W-What?" Annie asked, looking at Yor who looked absolutely pissed.
"Who pinned you against a wall?" Yor repeated, her motherly instincts kicking in for her daughter.
Annie hesitated for a moment, not sure how to respond. She didn't want to worry her family with the details of what happened at school, but Yor's concern was evident, and she knew that hiding it wasn't an option.
"It was just a guy from school, Mom," Annie replied, trying to downplay the situation. "He was being rude, and things got a little intense, but it's not a big deal." She didn't mention Demetrius by name, not wanting to make the situation more complicated. Yor's expression softened slightly, but she was still clearly concerned.
"Annie, if someone at school is causing you trouble, you should tell us. We're here to support you." Her tone was gentle, but there was an underlying seriousness that made it clear she meant what she said. Annie nodded, appreciating her mother's support.
"I know, Mom. I'll handle it, and if it gets out of hand, I'll let you and Dad know." Loid, who had been listening to the conversation, chimed in.
"That's right, Annie. We're a team, and we'll always have your back." Anya, who had begun playing with her toys, looked up and said.
"And if someone's mean to you, Big Sister Annie, I'll tell them to go away!" Her innocence and determination brought a smile to Annie's face.
As they walked home, Annie felt grateful for her family's support. She knew that she could count on them, and she hoped that she could find a way to handle the situation with Demetrius without causing unnecessary drama.