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Damian's POV:

Today is a great day. There are no clouds in the sky, and the sun is shining. And most of all, today's the day we get the midterm results.

"You're obviously going to score number one. Right, Bossman?" Ewen says to me. I nod. I had studied for days for that test, and maybe getting the top scores in the school will finally get Father's attention.

When we get to the announcement boards, my eyes immediately fly to the top spot. But instead of my name on the top of the list, it's...

1. Anya Forger

What?!  I don't understand. She always had terrible grades, but the number one spot? No way this could be true. I turn to Anya, spotting her bubblegum-pink hair immediately. She's sitting with Becky(like always), and Becky's squealing like a little kid.

"Ohmigosh, you got first place? That's amaaaazing!🎶" She singsongs. Why is she so excited? She should be mad that Anya is higher up than her. Nevertheless, I walk up to her, followed by my friends/followers.

"How?" I ask. Simple and terse. Becky looks up and glares at me.

"Trying to figure out how she's suddenly smarter than you?" Becky asks, a smug look on her face.

"Don't get the wrong idea." I grumble. "It's just suspicious that you almost failed yesterday's test but scored number one today."

"Sy-on..." Anya says. Her voice sounds hoarse, and when she looks up, she has tears in her eyes.

My heart...!

Wait. Why is she crying? "A-are you okay?" I ask. Based on the look in Becky's eyes, she didn't see Anya's face either.

"I-I'm fine." Anya replies in a shaky voice. She looks so helpless, so vulnerable.

"You are not!" Becky insists. "What happened?"

"I-I'm okay. It's nothing, really." Anya protests. Nothing? Something bad must've happened. Wait. Back up. Why am I caring?

"Stop lying and tell me what happened." Becky says. She turns to me. "I bet she doesn't want to tell you because you're horrible!"

"Okay, if you want me to leave, I'll go." I say, holding my hands up. Anya looks up again, more tears flooding her eyes, and shakes her head.

"S-stay." She whispers, and I feel my heart skip a beat. Why am I feeling this? First, she's way out of my league, and secondly, she's straight up annoying. But...she's so... Okay, brain, time to stop.

Becky gives me an expectant look, and I remember what Anya was saying. "Oh, um, if you insist." I stutter. God, this is so embarrassing. 

Anya's POV:

'Is anything the matter?' No. Maybe. Actually, yes

Everything is wrong. Life is horrible. I feel tears in my eyes. I studied so hard for midterms, just to impress chichi. And now...now...

Gone. This morning when I woke up, nothing. Nobody. Not even Bond. Just a note on the kitchen table next to a pile of cash.

I feel Sy-on Boy sit down next to me, his thoughts crowding his head in a jumble of words. I feel sick.

"Can I...go home?" I manage to say, and Becky takes out her phone and immediately starts dialing her maid, Martha.

"You've got to tell me what's wrong." She insists after she's acquired my ride. I shake my head. If I tell them, they'll start asking questions, and that will lead to me eventually telling them about my powers.

Sy-on Boy tells the housemaster that I'm sick, which is partly true. It's rare seeing him like this. He's always been mean to me, and now he's being...nice.

When Martha comes by to pick me up, she immediately starts fussing over me.

"Dear me! What happened? Here, get in the limo and tell me everything." It's a kind gesture, but I can't bear to smile right now.

Becky gives me a sympathetic look as I get in the back seat, and when the windows pull closed, words spill out of me like a river.

I can't imagine that Martha was the first person I turned to. She's always been like a second mother to me, and that's exactly what I need right now.

"Oh, sweetie." Martha says once I tell her everything, her eyes are brimmed with visible tears in the rearview mirror. "I'm sorry. If you'd like, we'll lend you one of our guest rooms for as long as you want."

"Can you do that?" After all, Martha's a maid.

"Of course." Martha replies, smiling. "I have more power than you think." The limousine swerves through a u-turn, on the familiar path to the Blackbell mansion.

"Then yes, please." My eyes are red and puffy from crying, but that's not what I care about right now. 

It's silence all the way to the mansion.

[Hi, guys. Sorry I took so long to update. It's hard writing semi-angsty stories. And this isn't that long too! Sorry if I keep you waiting on the next chapter...]

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