𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 ♛ ꜱᴘʏ ✗ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ

ೃ⁀➷𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘢: 𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘵

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"So why does everyone hate you?"
Lia wondered if she'd been too blunt.

Anya paused, still taking bites out of the stale bread.
"Anya got returned..." she begins to count her fingers, "4 times!"

While her expression was cheerful, her eyes dimmed slightly at remembering the number.
"Everyone thinks there's something wrong with me," she said in a small voice.

Lia's cold, dead heart felt a flutter of sympathy and an inexplicable urge to force a smile back into Anya's face.

"I don't think there's something wrong with you," she patted her shoulder awkwardly. "They're just jealous that you're cuter than them."

"Really?"

"Seriously, I'm telling the truth."

A hesitant smile graced her features and it was impossible not to smile back.

Without any warning, another peanut rolled out of her pocket. She froze, wondering if Anya would see it.

The very moment she thought it could escape her notice, her eyes drifted towards it like a magnet. Her mouth made an 'o' of delight.

She picked it up, looking up gratefully at the heavens with literal stars in her eyes (how did she do that??) and formed a wonky heart with her hands. Or in this case, the mouldy ceiling.

"Anya found another peanut! Anya gives thanks the peanut gods!"

But for some strange reason Anya's eyes found her as she said it.

Lia shrugged it off as a coincidence and changed the topic.

"Do you know what we're meant to do for cleaning duty?"

"No one does it unless the bald meanie is around."

"Bald meanie?" Then it clicked. "Ooh that guy."
She wheezed, recalling the way his hair fluffed up at the sides, making him look like a clown.

"He never checks. He's always going to the ca- caso- casi-"

"Casino?"

"Yup! He forgets to feed us sometimes because he's too busy 'banging chicks'. Anya doesn't know why he's hurting baby chickens..."

"Are you sure you know what that means?"

He was probably paying off prostitutes. It's not likely a guy with more hair in his moustache than on his head could get any sex for free.

Anya gaped at her, her expression could only be described as scandalised.

"Wait a second. How do you know that stuff?" Lia interrogated, voice tinged with suspicion.

She shuffled on her feet for a few seconds.

"Anya heard him talking about it." She scuffed her shoe on the ground and bit her lip.

"In front of children? Really?"

Something's not adding up. Just what is she hiding?

"On the tellyfone!" She nodded decisively.

"Telephone? Surely he would've done that somewhere more private."

"Anya has really good hearing!"

She wasn't particularly convinced but dropped it. It was becoming rather obvious she wasn't getting anywhere.

That was when her attention caught the sound of footsteps. More than one set.

The orphanage director's, heavy footed and stumbling slightly on every other step. But the other...more elegant, refined.
Anya also turned around to look in their direction in curiosity.

They appeared around the corner. The orphanage director, blushing from what Lia assumed was too many glasses of alcohol.

His eyes narrowed when he saw that they weren't cleaning. However, he didn't appear outwardly angry due to the presence of some blonde guy behind him.

A very handsome guy. Someone that probably  would've been Lia's type if she were not like 4 years old. She was no saint but she had standards.

She turned her head to the right to see Anya watching her, eyes widening in abject shock and horror.

"What?"

What's up with her?

"N-nothing."

She moved to question her further but was rudely interrupted by caterpillar eyebrows.

"Ah, if it isn't my favourite kiddo! Anise!" He exclaimed, completely ignoring Lia.

"It's Anya, dumbass," she called out.

His eyebrow twitched but he carried on as if nothing were amiss.
"This girl is the smartest in the orphanage I tell you! Very bright for her age."

"Well, I guess we'll see," the man replied, sizing Anya up.

"Very well, come along Anne."

"I want big sister to come with me," she whined.

"Stop complaining, you only met that brat-" he coughed,"brilliant girl today"." He grabbed her arm and roughly dragged her away, smiling pleasantly at the man. Anya struggled futilely in his grip.

"It's okay, I'll still be here when you come back."

She pouted, but reluctantly followed them into another room.

The door slammed shut and Lia was once again alone.

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