Chapter Text
The school bell rang at Eden Academy to signify the start of morning classes. Class 3's teacher came in as soon as it sounded, and started the morning roll call.
"Anya Forger," the teacher looked at the empty seat beside Becky. Only silence followed.
Becky wondered as she struggled to focus on the lesson. 'Anya didn't tell me she'd be absent. Did something happen? I'd better call her later.'
The morning lessons were quiet and uninteresting for Becky without her friend. No sleepyhead she would elbow to stop snoring and no one to share her scribbles with— the class has never been so lifeless. How she longed for the bell to ring once more!
After four grueling hours, it's finally time for lunch. Their Science teacher gave his final reminders.
"Lastly, you will be working as buddies for our visit to the Planetarium next week. In random, the pairs are as follows." The teacher drew pieces of paper from a small box and called out names.
"....Becky Blackbell and Ewen Egeberg... Emile Elman and Damian Desmond."
"Now. Since Eden will be sending Elman next week to the Ostania Inter-academy Painting Competition, Damian Desmond's partner will be Anya Forger." He turned to Damian. "I expect you to communicate this to her."
"Mmm." Damian nodded. 'Perfect!' He thought.
The announcement was followed by murmurs. Becky sighed. 'Dishing insults at Anya again? These girls are so jealous and pathetic,' she thought.
"That is all. Morning class dismissed."
One by one, Becky's classmates left for the cafeteria. Becky was approached by Damian and his friends.
"Blackbell," Damian called her out.
Becky automatically rolled her eyes at the boy. "What is it, Desmond? Make it quick, I don't feel like talking to you."
"Tsk. Nevermind." Damian and his friends left.
'What was that about?' Becky frowned. 'Does he want me to tell Anya about next week? Well, I would tell her regardless.' She finished fixing her things and went to the cafeteria.
Becky sat on a corner away from everyone and enjoyed her meal alone. From her seat, she saw Ewen and Emile seemingly discussing something with Damian. Becky squinted to see their facial expressions better. 'What are they up to this time? Are they... persuading him... or something?' Damian took his phone out to call someone. As soon as he spoke, he went outside. His friends were left chuckling.
Becky took a sip of her drink. 'If Anya were here, she would be saying hi to Desmond and we will be bickering as we eat.' She took another bite of her food. 'It definitely is sad without her. I wonder if she's okay... Yeah I'd call her after this.'
Becky decided to go back to their classroom. As she took a final sip, a red-faced Damian returned to his table. She walked past them and overheard Ewen seemingly asking about Damian's phone call. All she heard were fading murmurs and chuckles as she continued to walk down the corridor.
~~~~~
"Forger residence, this is Loid."
"Hi Mr. Forger! This is Becky Blackbell. Is Anya home?"
Loid fixed his tie. "Hi Becky. Thank you for checking on Anya. Anya is asleep. Her fever is high since this morning."
"I see. Is she going to be okay?" Becky began to worry.
Loid smiled. "Yor and I are looking closely after her. Although her appetite is poor, she took all her medicines."
Loid continued, "She even said, 'Anya needs to be well, Becky is waiting for me' as she took the bitter ones." Becky giggled on the other end.
"If she rests enough, I'm sure she'd be well in no time. So don't worry, Becky," Loid said with an assuring voice.
"Okay," Becky felt pleased. "Please tell her to call me when she's better."
"Alright. Take care." Loid hung up.
'It seems Anya has made friends in school. Blackbell seems to be kind-hearted — she's been sticking with Anya since day one.'
Loid entered a rather contemplative state.
'But more importantly, it seems Plan B is working. Otherwise, Desmond would not have called.'
He paused.
'Actually, that was more than I expected. Are they?' Loid shook his head, "No, no, that's impossible, they're too young for that.' Loid tried to brush off a thought.
'Anyway, good work, Anya.'
Loid went to his daughter's room and saw Anya sleeping on her bed, with Yor beside her.
~~~~~
A few minutes before Becky called the Forger Residence...
"Thank you, sir." Damian hung up. He went back inside the cafeteria, his friends waiting in anticipation.
"So who answered the phone Bossman?" Ewen asked.
"Mr. Forger," Damian replied. Damian inserted his phone back into his pocket.
"How is Anya?" Emile asked.
"Well, she woke up with a high fever this morning. She's resting in her room for the rest of the week," Damian explained.
"I thought so," Ewen replied. "Good thing it's Thursday. She'll only miss two days."
"Yeah," said Emile, "You worried, Bossman?"
"This is Anya we're talking about. She's going to be fine," Damian said. "Her parents were at home looking after her and her father is a doctor. He assured me that she's recovering," he continued.
"I see. Are you planning to visit her?" Ewen asked.
Damian scratched his head. "I- I thought I want to send something over but..." he paused, looking troubled, "I am not sure what her parents would think."
Emile raised his hand. "Don't worry Bossman. You're a Desmond. I'm sure they would even be ecstatic to know their daughter has befriended you." Ewen nodded in support of his friend.
"Bossman, you should give her a basket of fresh fruits. If you are feeling brave, also some flowers. Think carefully of the flower— maybe red roses would be great - it's so passionate! The fruits will help her fight her sickness, and the flowers will brighten her mood!" said Emile.
"Well, the idea is fine, but ABSOLUTELY NO RED ROSES!" Damian's face is bright red.
"I have a better idea, Bossman," said a grinning Ewen. "You should give her what she wants the most— peanuts! You could also send over her favorite peanut cake. And it would be best if there's a message on it: 'GET WELL SOON, ANYA!' or 'CLASS IS BORING WITHOUT YOU, ANYA!'" Ewen proudly suggested.
"Oi," Damian looked at his friend. "I don't call her Anya, I call her SHRIMP. And ABSOLUTELY NO CAKE MESSAGES!" Damian's palm went to his forehead. "Where did you get the nerve to tease me now?"
The truth is, for Damian, the greatest obstacle is not choosing, buying, or sending presents. He has the people and money to get it done in a flash. His bane is Mr. Forger, Anya's father, and his paradoxically friendly but subtly menacing aura towards him.
"Alright, except for a few details, I like both of your ideas. I'll have it ready," Damian told his friends.
"Are you going to bring it to her yourself, bossman?" The two asked.
"Well..." for the first time, Damian doesn't know how to answer his friend.
"Thank you for visiting Anya, Sy-on boy," Emile teasingly said, mimicking Anya's voice. Damian closed his eyes and sighed. His friends chuckled as they followed him to the classroom.
~~~~~
Becky was about to leave when Damian and his friends approached her after class.
"Blackbell, we want to talk," said Ewen. "Do you have a minute?"
"You again," she said. "If you're going mean, I won't give you even a second."
"It's about Anya," Emile said. He slightly inclined his head towards Damian.
"What about? If I hear even a single insult from you—"
"I called her. I know she's sick." Damian bravely spoke.
"I don't believe you. She won't give you her number." Becky responded.
"But I have it. She dialed it herself in my phone when she missed her bus the other day and I offered to help her contact her parents."
There was silence.
'He called Anya?! Why would the mighty Desmond do that? Wait! There could only be one reason...' Becky has been suspicious of her friend's relationship with Desmond. Slowly, her face lit up. Her mood drastically changed, as if she was reading a major plot point in one of her novels.
"I've been meaning to ask you something, Desmond." Becky looked around to make sure they're the only ones left in class. Damian started to appear to look anxious.
"You're crushing on Anya, don't you?"
Ewen and Emile looked away on either side as Damian struggled to respond.
"I- I... I see her as a friend," Damian stuttered.
Unable to contain her excitement, Becky almost squealed. "I had a feeling this was the case! Anya rushes forth to help you even when you always acted mean towards her, and you make yourself available for her when I am not around. And as we speak, you are as red as tomato!"
"Bossman also tucked a flower over Anya's right ear during the Elegant Race activity," Ewen added. Damian glared at his friend.
"Yeah, they actually ate in a restaurant alone when Anya missed her bus," Emile continued with a whistle. Damian couldn't believe how his friends are behaving.
A completely shocked Becky cupped her hands on her mouth. "So it's true!"
Damian tucked his hands in his pocket. He did not respond. Becky crossed her arms.
"Well, not so fast, Desmond. I haven't approved of you yet," Becky warned. "As her bestfriend, I have the responsibility of helping her find out whether a suitor truly loves her. I will not hesitate to talk anyone down with her if that will save her from tears."
"I do not ever want to make her cry, Blackbell. Now, I need you to hear me out," Damian said. "So when I called her at lunch time—"
"So that's what you three were talking about in the cafeteria," Becky interjected. "So, what does it have to do with me?"
"Yes," Damian cleared his throat. "I have prepared something for her."
"And you want me to bring it to her?"
Damian nodded.
"You know us boys can't just visit a girl, right? You are Anya's best friend. You're the only one that can help us," Emile explained. Ewen nodded.
Becky however does not agree to the idea. "But why should I? It's your gift, you should be the one giving her that and telling her to get well," Becky said frankly.
"Bossman doesn't want her parents to think that he is courting her," Ewen said.
"Of course! We're still too young for that!" said an embarrassed Damian.
"Anyway," Damian continued, "I am not forcing you if you don't want to do this for me, Blackbell. You are her bestfriend — there's no better person to ask. I know it comes with the risk of revealing my secret. But even so, you deserve to know. Thank you for hearing me out."
He turned his back and spoke to his friends.
"Let's go," Damian said. Ewen and Emile looked at each other and followed their friend.
However, Becky called them out.
"Wait! I will bring your gifts to Anya." Becky announced.
Damian and his friends turned around with a surprised face. "Are you sure?" asked Ewen.
"Yes, but in one condition," Becky said.
"What would that be?" Emile asked.
Becky pointed at Damian. "You... will go with me."
'What?!' Damian was clearly astounded.
"We will visit her together so her parents would think you're simply tagging along to let her know about 'Planetarium Monday'. What do you think?" Becky asked.
Damian made a satisfied smile. "You are smarter than you look, Blackbell."
"No, I'm a genius!" Becky winked. "We'll be going on Saturday. Let's just meet near Anya's house. But we'll talk again tomorrow," Becky instructed. Damian nodded.
"Alright then, it's settled! I need to leave. Get your dowry ready..." Becky said in a sing song voice. A teasing chuckle can be heard as she left the room.
Ewen and Emile turned to Damian. "Er, what do you think, Bossman?" Ewen asked.
Damian responded with a smile. "Let's go."
'It couldn't be any better.'
The three left.
~~~~~
Next Chapter: The Visit
~~~~~