FANFICTION

SPY X FAMILY

Guiding Star

CHAPTER IV : Spinning Star

Eden Academy was quick to recover. The week after the incident, the students were asked to go into the main auditorium where the director gave a speech.

Professor Adler, an esteemed Biology Professor of over twenty years, had put an end to his life, following a series of unfortunate events in his private life. Help and psychiatrists were available to all students. The witnesses of the event would have weekly follow-up by the team of doctors, nurses and experts on child trauma that were brought in by the academy.

But overall, it was expected that everything would go back to normal. As normal as can be. To provide as much of a normal school life to the students.

'Cecil Hall students, be quiet! What is this lack of elegance? '

Professor Henderson 's voice resonated, and all the hyped students dispersed at their respective seats.

Once they were sitting, they noticed the other man, in his thirties, who was standing just behind Professor Henderson.

'Following the unfortunate circumstances of Professor Adler 's passing, let me introduce you to your new biology teacher. Professor, would you like to introduce yourself? '

The man, handsome in the way men who were slightly too old were, stepped forward and smiled. Several young girls immediately leaned forward, swooning. He had a charming smile, and the more they looked at his slightly messy brown hair, and his shiny grey eyes, the more handsome he became.

'Hello everyone, I am Professor Erik Dunkel. Despite the difficult context, I am very glad to be making your acquaintance. I am looking forward to the year we will spend together. '

'Very well, ' continued Professor Henderson with a nod, 'I will let you continue the lessons of the class. Students, I am counting on you to make an elegant first impression. '

Professor Dunkel smiled as Henderson left, then he turned towards the students.

'Well, everyone, I am quite aware of Eden 's high expectations, but I believe that today, it would be a little cruel to make you study long and difficult notions. So what don 't we just spend the hour discussing, mm? '

He leaned against the edge of the desk, his long legs crossing over the ankle. He smiled and everyone relaxed.

'What should we discuss, sir? ' a student asked.

'You could introduce yourself, or just talk about what you like or dislike about biology! '

He had such an easy composure that everyone easily fell into a rhythm of interacting together and with their new professor. He was quite the contrast with the older, too thin, and overly anxious Professor Adler ' not that anyone would ever admit it outloud so soon after the poor man 's demise.

Anya, sitting at the front row, wasn 't quite as charmed as the rest of her classmates. She had grown up with a father who used his charms for anything and everything, after all. She was immune. Curious about the fast arrival of the new professor, she opened her mind, focusing on him, his face, his thoughts.

And nothing came.

She blinked, tilting her head on the side curiously. She made sure her mind-reading abilities were on and

yes

, she could hear her classmates ' thoughts without any trouble. Many of them were sighs and moans of young teenage-girls who didn 't find the hormonal-and-acne-prone young men their age attractive or mature enough and far preferred this biology professor.

Anya focused more intensely.

Still, nothing. It wasn 't that this professor had no thought, it was impossible, it rarely happened and never for such a long period of time that anyone wouldn 't

think

. There was no buzzying sound like it sometimes happened if she was overwhelmed by sounds and thoughts. Just ' a blank canvas.

Anya gasped, loud enough that several schoolmates heard and turned around. It attracted the attention of the new professor who smiled at her:

'Yes? Are you alright, um ' let me remember your name ' '

'It 's Anya Forger, sir! ' One of the classmates exclaimed.

'She 's the weirdo of the class! ' another cackled.

It provoked a wave of laughter. Anya flushed in embarrassment, but the professor was quick to quieten down everyone.

'Please, please, no such teasing here. Let 's all remain polite and, as would Professor Henderson put it, elegant. '

It provoked giddy chuckles. As the students were distracted, Professor Dunkel moved closer to Anya and Becky:

'Miss Forger, ' he started in a low voice, 'And Miss Blackbell? '

The latter, who had been mysteriously quiet this entire time, gasped and flushed happily.

'Y-yes, sir? '

'I believe you two were very close to the unfortunate even that befell my colleague ' if either of you don 't feel well, don 't hesitate to take time out of the classroom. Today, but also in the future. I don 't want you to feel pressured in any way. '

'T-that 's very kind of you, sir! ' Becky answered, the charm of the professor slowly hitting her (hard), 'A-Anya-chan, say something! '

'Ah, yes, very kind. Thank you. ' She answered, less enthusiastic.

He smiled and went back to the other students who were happily showing him past projects.

'He 's so kind and charming! ' Becky exclaimed in a low voice, 'He is exactly my type! '

'I 'm surprised you 're not already trying to woo him, ' Anya answered with an amused smile.

She put her cheek on her palm, but Becky darkened.

'What is it? I thought he was your type ' '

'I ' It 's just ' ever since last Friday, I ' '

Anya swallowed hard. She was doing alright, to some extent, after seeing a man plumet to his death and break in pieces at her feet. But not everyone was accustomed to violence and death.

She took her friend 's hand and leaned to put her head on Becky 's shoulder.

'I 'm here for you if you need, Becky. '

'Thank you, Anya-chan, ' she answered, squeezing her hand.

'Hey! What do you say we dance to your favourite songs after school? '

'Ah? But, your parents will not let you go to my house on a week day ' '

'I 'm sure we can find an alternative at the academy! '

'If we get caught ' '

'Professor Henderson will put it on the shock of what happened, and in a way, it 's the truth. Let me ask Elsa! '

Becky could only watch as Anya jumped from her seat and approached one of their friends who remained at the dorm. A few whispers in the young girl 's ear, and Elsa perked up, proving that she was agreeing to the crazy plan that Anya had just concocted.

A few more murmurs in the right ears, and a few minutes later, Anya very proudly went back to sit next to Becky.

'I 've got it handled, ' she said, stretching her arms forward and joining her fingers together.

'If this works and we don 't get caught, you are absolutely mad, Anya Forger, ' Becky said but she couldn 't help but smirk, 'Although, I know some people who like crazy. ' She added, while glancing towards the back of the classroom where some boys were chatting, far more relaxed than the girls who were surrounding the new young and handsome professor.

'I didn 't invite any boy to our surprise party, ' Anya answered, 'Although, they 'll probably hear about it and join anyway. '

'You don 't know how to have fun, Anya! If we are to do something a little forbidden, then we should make sure the boys

will

join! Where 's the thrill otherwise? '

Anya chuckled, but she was glad that Becky felt better and was more upbeat at the perspective of an impromptu dancing party.

A few hours later, after the end of school classes, most of the students of Cecil Hall, grown fond of each other after a decade together, all followed the girls who had decided to do an improvised dancing party in their common room.

The common room was a place to gather, relax, play, or learn, mostly for the dorm students, but occasionally, like this day, the students who were commuting could join. The only requirement was that they needed the authorisation of their housemaster (and Professor Henderson had reluctantly agreed) and that all the commuting students had left the academy grounds by the time all the after-school activities were done.

Which meant they had two short hours to try to forget the shocking events of a few days ago, and enjoy their youth.

Elsa, one of Anya and Becky 's good friends, owned a brand new radio that also allowed to play cassette tapes. She had many tapes, song compilations, some coming all the way from America! Becky, of course, had a whole collection and a much more powerful cassette tape player in her house but she and Anya wouldn 't be able to go there so unexpectedly.

As expected, word spread among the students of Cecil Hall that they would, for once, exceptionally, for cheering up reasons, dance to cassette tapes.

Only some of the girls had decided to join but they very enthusiastically gathered their music cassette tapes and started playing them, as loud as the player could possibly get. Some brought out snacks that had been hidden in their beds. Eventually, the girls ' singing, dancing and laughter resonated loud enough that several of the boys popped out their heads from their dorms. The common room was shared by boys and girls alike, and the young men joined, taken in by the goofy atmosphere. Then, other students from other halls also joined, bringing in more snacks.

Couches were pushed away, tables were brought together, and elegance was wholly and completely forgotten as they forgot their families, their duties, their studies, and were, just for a couple hours, simple teenagers being silly.

'My favourite song!! Anya-chan!! ' Becky exclaimed when a new song started.

Anya and Becky held hands as they started jumping around, laughing loudly, occasionally snorting. They dramatically spun around, imagining that they were with their favourite fictional characters instead. It was nothing like the ballroom classy dancing they had been learning since they were children, it was the crazy Rock n 'Roll brought from the other side of the world that, for a moment, helped them forget the weight of the world.

Damian had been studying in the library, only half-focused from all the thoughts in his mind, when he wandered back to Cecil Hall. He heard the smothered music and loud laughter through the door and hesitated. Somehow, he had managed to remain ignorant of Anya, Becky, and the rest of the girls ' plans.

He winced as he opened the door, wanting nothing else but aim straight to his dorms ' door and ignore their craziness. What sort of academic environment was this? Who had approved of such a plan?

But whatever he had been expecting, when he walked in, it was way worse. He stopped, stunned, to see so many of his friends, the people he had grown up with, people

like him

, from the top of the social ranks, with high expectations, dancing on tables and jumping around like ridiculous monkeys.

'What ' '

Ewen was suddenly at his sides:

'The girls decided to have a dance party, to cheer up after the other day! Isn 't it fun? '

'Uuuh ' '

'It was Anya 's idea! AH

AH!

Look at Emile!! '

Damian 's followed his friend 's finger and found Emile 's figure, dancing like some sort of round octopus, but he looked happier than he had been in a long time. Actually ' as Damian looked at everyone, they all looked brighter with smiles bigger than they had been ' in years. Ever since the war had almost broke, everyone 's spirits had been dampened, the cruel reality of the world had been a harsh lesson to learn. But for this short moment, they had some respite from being too old for their young age.

How did Anya do this?

'Hey! Boss-man! '

Emile waved at them, very excitedly, quite obviously asking them to join.

Damian was most definitely not joining this circus.

'I 'm glad everyone is having fun ' I guess ' ' he mumbled.

'Uh? What was that? ' Ewen asked, incapable to hear over the music.

'I said ' nevermind! '

Bill Watkins, as tall and massive as he had always been, grabbed Becky and Anya and raised them above their shoulders. The two girls laughed joyfully, ecstatic as their hair flew around.

Damian stiffened, an almost gasp bubbling in his throat. Thank goodness he managed to control himself just in time before any obvious reaction would be noticed.

He had never seen Anya flushed in glee like she was right now.

Already, the two girls were back on their feet, dancing and jumping around like mischievous fairies in midsummer.

He swallowed. Hard. He looked away, passing a hand over his mouth. He couldn 't control the way his heart beat, the heating in his veins building, or his lips trembling. He glanced back at the crazy girls, the music and the cheering became background noise, as his entire mind focused on Anya Forger.

Anya, Oh Anya, Anya '

The girl, as if she could somehow hear his thoughts, whipped around, towards him. A light sheen of sweat covered her forehead, some of her pink hair stuck to her skin. Her emerald eyes shone like diamonds and her gaze met his. As if his line of thoughts had been enough to attract her attention on him, enough to create a new gravity between their bodies, a magnetic bond that made everything else fade as faraway distraction.

Becky grabbed Anya to draw her in another dance. The spell broke.

Damian let out a breath he hadn 't realised he had been holding. He was vaguely aware of Anya trying to catch his gaze in-between spins. She laughed once more and even if the music and everyone 's voices were too loud for Damian to hear the carefree laughter, he had no trouble imagining what it sounded like. It was the only music to his ears, rather than this loud ruckus. Her laughter was like the enchanting melody of bells.

And a smile tugged on Damian 's lips. An honest, soft one he never let anyone see. And no one noticed. No one but Anya who remained out of reach, spinning around like a sparkling star around the night sky.

But Damian was satisfied with this, watching her from afar, appreciating her beauty from a distance. Like a star. Because if he got too close to that star, to his sun, he would burn.