Operation 007 (SpyxFamily)

Ch. 19: Part Four

Forger nodded to her question. How did she get out of this conversation? She should leave before Paige said anything else. Anya should have realized this might happen. Should have known they'd want answers wether they were friends or not.

Anya made sure her bag was closed, intending to extricate herself. The action costed her, she was too late.

"So. . .what happened?" Said the girl, freezing Anya before she could move. It was an inquiry made at normal volume, but iot was heard over the chatter.

The conversations stopped as a slow hush reached to the back. A chill slithered down every nerve Anya had, little hairs bristling on the back of her neck.

She could feel them waiting, an intense focus on the girls at the front.

They had been gossiping about this for weeks, wondering what happened. Waiting to hear which one of the rumours were true. They wanted to know what Anya had to say.

"Um . . ." She said, wishing she'd prepared for this earlier. The stares that jabbed little needles into her neck, didn't help

"Like. . . who took you?" Paige elaborated, voice serious and clandestine. Her smile was gone replaced with inquisitive eyes. A curiosity she hoped Anya would quench.

"Um. . . ." Anya faltered. What did she say? What did she say? She was terrible at lying. What would her Papa do? He was good at this, how was he good at this?

"Yeah, where were you?" Paige's friend asked from her seat in the second farthest row, a confidence boost from the girl who waited unflinchingly before Anya.

Anya's head whipped around to look at her, confronted with the other's who openly stared. Most of them were packed up and ready to go, but were halted in place, as if they couldn't move until they heard.

"Um. . ." Anya was frozen. Stuck. Trying to make her brain work. Their eyes bored into her, making her sweat and her palms clammed up at the questions she couldn't answer. The strained tension that held back the others, holding looser and looser.

"Did the police show up!? Was there any shooting?!" A boy excitedly asked from the back, imagining gun fights and tactical gear like he'd seen on tv.

The questions of other students were spurred on by his sudden burst. A fairly quiet room, exploded with noise.

"Yeah, what happened?"

"Did you get to ride in a cop car?"

"Who kidnapped you?"

"Were there sirens?"

"How many bad guys were there?"

"Were you scared?"

"Who was the nurse?"

"Did anyone die?" The last word was emphasized dramatically.

Anya couldn't speak, her head started to pulse as too many thoughts shoved their way in. The need to leave, rose.

"How come you weren't here last week?"

"Were you in another country?"

"What did they want with you?"

Anya covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Are you really a foreigner from a royal family?

"What did—"

"SHUT UP!" Damian shouted before Becky could beat him to it. "You're so noisy! It's annoying!"

Instant silence. A thunder of resonant nothing. Stark quiet that killed their voices.

The children glanced at each other hesitantly. This was the Desmond their parents always told them to be nice to, the second son of a powerful family, and he was demanding they heed him.

"Tch!" Damian tossed his head to the side in cool irritation, the picture of cold disdain.

The others were not sure how to respond.

'WHAT DID I DO THAT FOR?! WHAT IN THE WORLD DID I DO THAT FOR?! IT JUST HAPPENED!!' Damian thought, not letting a hint of it show on his face.

'She covered her ears!' He continued angrily. 'And . . . and she looked she was going to cry!. . . . but it's not like I care!! She was being a whimp! They were just annoying!!'

He snuck a look at Forger from the corner of his eye.

She no longer blocked her ears, but gripped at her head. Her eyes were shut, refusing to look at Becky who fussed over her.

It was happening again, he realized, and his head turned to face her fully at the new insight hitting him. Low whispers picked up and students slowly left their desks. They eyed him warily and shot glances Forger's way.

When the fire alarm went off, it looked like she was sick. But it was just the noise. It was the noise now that bothered her.

But she still clamped at her head, like it hadn't passed.

Did the nurse know this about her? That chaotic noises bothered her this much? Is that why she set off the alarm? Did she know it'd create a situation like this she could took advantage of?

How would she know of it the first place?

As the room petered out, though, he noticed Forger relax. She opened her eyes at the lack of people and lowered her hands at the empty room.

Empty, except for the five of them.

Ewen and Emile were confused why they hadn't left also.

Damian couldn't look away when her gaze fell on him in surprise. It was unbelievable to see her face so clearly. The view he had from his seat when she walked in felt like such a long distance now.

It didn't occur to him how weird it would be to look at her after six and half weeks. Six and a half weeks that many thought she'd never return from.

It was amaz— no, it was just weird.

"Tch." Damian spun around before anyone could speak to saunter out of the hall in icy indifference.

The scene that just ensued played over and over and was convinced it was wholly based on his private analysis taking place. The answers she failed so spectacularly to give, making him more curious.

Her reaction was understandable (glazing over the fact he'd called her a whimp not a couple minutes ago), but it was more extreme than one would expect.

Why couldn't she answer? What didn't she want to talk about? 'There has to be something more to this, there just has to be', he thought.

He had left her in the last classroom, but he saw her again in the next and wondered how to investigate this.

All he had were a few weird things about her and suspicions about her kidnapping. Nothing concrete to really go off. Talking to her wasn't an option, either. He wouldn't deign to ask her questions he knew she wouldn't answer.

Becky was glaring at anyone who even looked in Anya's direction, anyway, canceling that out as an option.

That left him with observation and . . . and. . . .

And his brain!

. . .

. . .

. . .

Well, his brain was brilliant, but it wasn't quite enough. Despite his extraordinary intellect, he needed clues.

Damian sighed inwardly.

This was going to be harder than he thought.