OMAKE
TITLE: ol time
While we let Raffy and Luz get used with their morning in demon realms, let's go back couple more decades ago in human world, shall we? The Year 19XX — a lively time for American youth, a peak of their youth some teen says—Especially today era. Somewhere in Connecticut, one of the local high schools was buzzing with life. Teenagers crowded the wide school field, laughing, shouting, killing time the way only kids from that era could do as they were free spirit and not being cage and control by modern technology, social media and internet.
Some were skating around on old-school skateboards, others doing tricks on their bikes, a awesome kid with their gameboy, and a couple of playboys leaned on their shiny, expensive cars of that year, flirting with girls who pretended not to care but definitely did. It was the kind of day that felt like the peak of youth in America—back when the education system hadn't been wrecked yet by all sorts of pointless nonsense fucking agenda....
(Author: i didn't write those, that lemon added it ok)
Ahem—where was I? Ah yes.
The high school itself looked like a textbook American school from that era—clean, modern for its time, and wide open. Inside, you could see kids everywhere, all wearing different styles of clothes, different sizes, different skin colors. Most of them minded their own business, just trying to get through the day—Well, it's actually time for school to end. But of course… there some people never needed a reason to be cruel even at the end of the school.
"Hahaha, hey loser, what's this you got here?" a red-haired girl laughed, shoving someone aside.
"P-please, give it back," begged a brown-skinned girl with glasses, cornered by a group of teens—boys and girls alike.
"This?" a blonde girl scoffed, holding up a Cosmic Frontier merchandise item. "Oh wow, this is that shit sci-fi stuff? Eww, it looks horrible!"
"Please, give it back," the girl pleaded again. She had tan skin, brown eyes, and short dark-brown hair, styled the way a lot of girls did back then.
"Oh come on, nerd. You want this?" the blonde said mockingly.
She threw it to the ground and stepped on it, crushing it under her shoe."Nooo!" the girl cried out. "Huahaha—oh, Rebecca, you're too cruel!" said a Black girl with funky glasses resting on top of her head.
"Oops~ didn't mean it~ oh, who am I kidding?" the blonde laughed coldly, like it was all just a joke to her. "Hahahah."
"Weeek, weeek, weeek—cry about it, weirdo," the red-haired girl mocked. "What kind of normal person carries this childish, ugly crap around?"
"Why are you doing this to me? I-I didn't even do anything to you g-guys..…" the tan girl said, her red-framed glasses shaking as she held her broken stuff, eyes filled with fear and frustration."For what reason, you ask?" the blonde said, tapping a finger against her chin. "Hmm, let me think…hmmmmmm~"
"Ah, yeah. There is one."She smiled—then suddenly grabbed the girl by the hair, making her gasp in pain."For being a nerd. A real eyesore to look at. That's why!" the blonde sneered, looking down at her.
The group of teenagers who had been about to leave stopped when they saw what was happening, before long, a small crowd formed—everyone knew this scene too well. Someone was being bullied again, this time by the school's usual troublemakers—They just stood there and watched.
The girl was helpless, her hair still clenched in the blonde's fist, her face twisted in pain. No one stepped in. No one said a word—They were afraid—afraid of getting dragged into trouble, afraid of becoming the next target if they tried to intervene. Why were they so afraid of those three girls?
Why didn't a single person step in when they started pulling this kind of crap?
Because one of them was the principal's daughter.
The principal of this school was known for abusing his authority and having a rotten attitude. Anyone who dared to protest school policy—or worse, complain about his daughter—risked being suspended or straight-up expelled.
The redhead, even if she didn't look like the leader, was the most arrogant of the three. She had a sharp mouth and a nasty reputation, and everyone knew it she the principle daughter's. The other two weren't any better. They came from rich, spoiled backgrounds, raised without consequences, drowning in narcissism and entitlement. Of course, most of the students chose to stay invisible, pretending they hadn't seen anything. They didn't want trouble later on, didn't want to get dragged into something that could ruin their school life—Still… there were some people who didn't care about that at all.
———
"Oh Jesus… poor girl. She really became their target," a curly-haired girl whispered.
"Yeah, damn… that really sucks," said a short boy beside her.
"Man, I can't believe this is happening again. The last kid they bullied didn't take it well at all," another muttered, the crowd giving the girl a mix of pity and fear as her hair was yanked harder.
"For fuck's sake… I can't watch this anymore," an Asian girl said, covering her face with both hands.
Then—slaaap!
The bullied girl was struck across the face by the blonde.
"Aaagh! Hicc—hicc!" she cried, stumbling.
"Oh, did that hurt~? Awwww… well, here, have some more," the blonde mocked, slapping her again and again.
The Black girl with funky glasses was already recording everything on her flip phone."Wooohoo~ this is gold, hahaha!" she grinned."Hey, Rebecca, slap her harder!" the red-haired girl called out. "I wanna see her cry now!"
"Geeez, can you not tell me how to do my shit?" the blonde snapped back."Bitch, just do what I told you," the redhead shot back coldly. This was really the worst way to end the last day of high school—absolutely shitty.
But then—
THUNK!
A can of soda smashed straight into the blonde girl's head. The hit was so hard her head rang like a bell.
"AGH!" she yelled, stumbling back and finally letting go of the brown-haired girl.
The entire crowd froze, eyes wide.Everyone was thinking the same thing—Who the hell was brave enough to throw a soda that hard? End of school or not, whoever did that was definitely asking for trouble."Ppfffft—HAHAHAHAHA! Hey!" a voice laughed from the crowd."Kena (got) her right in the head! Hahaha! That's gotta be, what, a ton of points, right?"
"I can guarantee it'll give you a lot of points, Acere," another voice came from the crowd.
As the two spoke, murmurs spread among the students. Quite a few recognized them—and that only made things worse. These two were bad news in their own way. The kind that already had plenty of problems with the school.
The first was a tall guy with dark eyes and broad shoulders, standing straight and confident. His skin carried a warm, sun-touched tone typical of his Cuban-American—background. A thin mustache rested above his lips, and his dark hair was thick and slightly messy, falling over his forehead in a way that looked careless rather than styled. He wore a black leather jacket over a gray T-shirt.
Beside him stood one of the most well-known students in the school—a tall Southeast Asian girl. She had warm-toned skin, sharp red eyes, and straight dark hair usually left loose, held back by two hairpins at the front. Weirdly enough, she was also the tallest girl in the entire school, with a well-built figure and a bit of her abdomen exposed. She wore a yellow top with long white sleeves. Some one that always looking for fight that another way why she very known—right now she grinned wide and punched her fist into her palm same face she made when ever she want throw a hands."Oh shit…" one of the teenagers muttered under their breath.
The three girls turned toward them, clearly annoyed—especially the blonde, who was still rubbing her head, pain written all over her face.
"Aaagh, you ag—"
She didn't get to finish—the Southeast Asian girl rushed in without warning, her fist swinging hard and clean into the blonde's face."Here come my fist!!"
CRACK.
The hit sent her flying backward, landing flat on her ass on the floor."Well, well—hehehehe… mukhang nag-eenjoy kayo~(You seem to be enjoying yourselves~)" she laughed."Slapping someone for no reason is pretty fun, huh? Well then—let me try it too! Hahahaha!"Her red eyes gleamed as she grinned wide, standing over the fallen girl.
She grabbed the blonde by the hair, her grip so tight it made the girl yelp as she was yanked up face-to-face. Their eyes met—but the Southeast Asian girl looked at her like she was nothing more than a pest."Lemme see… this is how you do it, right?" she said casually."Tát trái (Left slap.)"
SMACK.
"And right~"
SMACK.
"Left, left~ left~"
Each word came with another slap, harder than the last.
"Kanan~(Right~)"
SMACK.
She kept the rhythm going, her grin ...her very very scary grin never fading as her hand cracked against the blonde's face again and again. The sound echoed across the corridor.
The crowd could only step back, stunned, as the Southeast Asian girl kept laying into the blonde without mercy. No one laughed now. No one even dared to keep filming—the blonde's friend slowly lowered her flip phone, hands shaking too much to hold it steady.
The rest of them? They just watched.
The red-eyed girl smirked, as her hand snapping back and forth like a whip across the blonde's face. Each strike landed sharp and loud—
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
The sound didn't just echo through the hallway. It lingered—hanging in the air, sinking into everyone's chest like something they wouldn't forget anytime soon.
SMACK!
SMACK!
SMACK!
SMACK!
The blonde's head snapped side to side as the Southeast Asian girl's hand kept moving like a motor. Her face turned bright red, then started bruising into a dark blue. Her eyes watered, unfocused—she was on the edge of blacking out.
The red-eyed girl noticed—and stopped.
"Hey, hey, hey… cái quái gì vậy? (what the hell?) You gonna play unconscious now?" she scoffed. "Don't bullshit me, hoe!"
Her hand curled into a tight fist, veins showing as she clenched it. Then—without warning—
She drove a punch straight into the girl's abdomen.
The blonde's eyes shot wide open as the air was knocked out of her. She choked, collapsing forward and clutching her stomach, curling onto the ground in pain.
"Gasp—! Ghk—! Haaak!"The blonde choked for air, her whole body shaking as the pain hit her hard. She doubled over, coughing and retching, unable to even stand straight.
Above her, the red-eyed girl looked down with a wide, almost unhinged grin."Bah! BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" she burst out laughing loud ,she clearly enjoying the sight.
"Shit… she's still crazy as ever," one teen whispered, sweat sliding down their chin.
"Y-yeah… I didn't even know she was back," another said, wiping their forehead nervously. Even just watching made them tense.
"Man… it's the last day of school, and this is what we get?" someone else muttered.
But not everyone looked shaken.
"Oh man—she's here!" one girl said, eyes lighting up. "I'm actually glad. She's been gone for like two month! Where she have been?!" Statement from girl that seem happy seeing the scene of that girl beat up those bully."its about time someone beat their asses.."commented another one whisper.
But who were they, really? Especially that girl—the one who charged straight at the principal's daughter without a second thought?
The answer came from the girl still on the ground.
The brown-skinned girl with red glasses slowly lifted her head, eyes wide as she stared at her. Her lips parted, voice small and shaky, still thick with tears.
"…A-Anie…?"
She blinked, like she couldn't quite believe it—calling out to someone she knew all too well.
Her best friend Anie ■■■■■■ (18 y'o)
Hearing that, the red-eyed girl's laughter faded, dropping into a softer chuckle as her shoulders relaxed."Suuuup, mila~ Yer good? Ya gotta bit beat up there.." Anie shot back, casual while her lip still curling to a little grinning, but she bit out of breath from laughing as she hadn't just turned someone into a punching bag two seconds ago, then she greated the bulled girl , none other then 17 year old Camila (Camila noceda).
Camila let out a weak, shaky laugh, almost on the edge of tears. "…y-yeah… I think so…"
"Good." Anie gave a small nod, satisfied—but when she noticed the bruises forming on her best friend's cheeks, her smile faded a bit as her grip tightened slightly, with her grin in second turn bit frown before she smiling again.
Why with suddenly expression change earlier? Its because her eyes shifted to someone, whom approaching Camila from behind.
———
Camila heard the footsteps. She turned, blinking—and froze.
"…Fer?"
Fernando (17 y'o)
He crouched beside her, steady and calm, slipping a hand out to help. His grip was firm but careful, like he knew exactly how much strength to use. Camila's fingers were still shaking when she took it.
He pulled her up gently."Oof—there you go… despacio," he murmured, brushing a bit of dirt off her sleeve."¿Estás bien, Mila?"
Camila nodded quickly. "Yeah… yeah, I'm okay…"
"Ey, good good...and damm, seem you look troubled, as what me and Anie see earlier...is kinda shit situation you on now.."commented Fernando as both his hands now inside his leather jacket's pockets."heh, just stand here ok? Let mi amada novia, do the Business."as his gaze look at Anie.
Camila— she glanced between them—two people she hadn't seen, and neither had most of the school, for the past couple weeks. Well, one of them at least. Anie had been gone for two month, and Fernando? Five days. No one really knew where either of them had gone or what they'd been up to.
But yeah, people knew them.
They were kinda infamous around Meeka Community High, somewhere out in Connecticut. Not for grades, not for sports—but for being straight-up wild. The kind of teens who didn't care about rules, didn't care about reputation. And one thing everyone really knew?
If you messed with their best friend…they'd make sure you regretted it.
They've got a long list of violence records—both at school and around town. Everyone knows their names.
Anie, the Southeast Asian chick, has a straight-up explosive personality. She hits first, asks questions later. There are stories about her beating people into a bloody mess, even ripping parts of school property just to use as weapons on punks she couldn't stand. Yeah… she's got a lot of records.
Heck, some students even gave her a nickname—the Red Demon. Every time she goes off, people swear they see things… like red horns of a demon appeared above her head as her dark hair standing on end and flashing crimson, and her eyes turning completely red. Just hearing those stories is enough to make some witnesses feel like they might piss themselves.
Then there's Fernando José Scotch. He looks chill, laid-back most of the time—but don't let that fool you. He can get just as violent. He's already been arrested like thirteen times. The cauliflower ears alone say he's been through some serious fights. And yet… somehow—neither of them has ever been expelled....no one fucking know.
But now here they are..
———
The blonde curled tighter on the ground, still coughing, trying to drag air back into her lungs. Slowly, she looked up—only to meet Anie's face, smiling wide in a way that didn't feel right at all.
"Already looking up, blondie? Huhuhu… that stomach pain I gave you—starting to settle yet?" Anie teased.
"Ghk—! S-shut… ugh—up…" the blonde croaked, her voice completely wrecked.
"Ohoh! Ah, looks like you've started talking again…" Anie laughed. "HAHA—nah, you don't get to talk now."
She wiped the corner of her eye like this was the funniest thing she'd seen all week, then bent down and grabbed the blonde by the hair, yanking her up to her feet.
"Ghaaa!!" the blonde cried out in pain.
"Ghk—! y-you will regret this!!…" the blonde croaked, her voice completely wrecked.
"Seriously,what with ya'all hoes still act arrogant while i slap ya? Seem yer need more?!"Anie's sarcasm.
"Ghaaa!!" the blonde cried out in pain again.
The crowd could only watch in pure horror, every move Anie made making things worse.
The redhead heard it—and her face twisted instantly. The same went for the black-haired girl beside her. Seeing their friend reduced to a bruised, shaking mess—held up like a sack of something broken, made both of them go pale.
Their breathing got heavier. Sweat started dripping down their faces.
Were they scared?
Yeah.
They were scared.
FUCKING scared of her.
They'd thought this was just another day—another easy target, another bit of "fun" like always. But they'd messed up. Badly. They hadn't expected her to still be around. For over months, Anie had been gone, rumors flying that she'd finally been expelled for good, although the red hair girl's dad didn't say anything about it true or not...
But seem its not..
She was here—And they were the ones who walked straight into it.
Rebecca had already paid the price.
"Fuck…" the redhead muttered under her breath, her legs starting to feel weak.
Every instinct screamed at her to run—to get out of there before she ended up the same way. The girl next to her was thinking the exact same thing.
But neither of them moved.
Their legs just… wouldn't listen.
She looked at the blonde, then at her friends, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes for a second. "You think y'all are funny?" she snapped, yanking the blonde up right in front of her face so she could see her clearly. "You just assaulted her in front of everyone In last day of school....well fuck You're done."
Her gaze shifted to the other two. "All three of you."She rr she smirked. "Hey, babe!" Anie called out to Fernando, who was standing beside Camila.
"Well, shit… I got it," Fernando replied, already knowing what she meant.
"H-huh what?" Camila said as she didn't Understand what they talking about.
"Good… now!" Anie said, shoving the blonde toward her two friends, make those two girls tripping "You three đồ khốn (bastards) need a beatdown." She cracked her knuckles, ready to go.
———
BAM!
DUSH!
BAM!
BAM!
KWAK!
The hallway filled with the sounds of a one-sided beatdown—one person against three. The redhead barely got her hands up before Anie's fist slammed straight into her guard, knocking her back into the lockers with a loud metallic CLANG. The whole hallway flinched. "Gah!" one of them cried out as a kick landed hard in her stomach, followed by another sharp punch. Some of them tried to fight back—at least, they tried. The black girl rushed in, swinging wildly, but Anie slipped in close and drove an elbow straight into her, stopping her cold...all this happened very animatelly one side beat down.
"Yikes—yeah, nah, we're not standing there," Fernando muttered, grabbing Camila by the back of her shirt collar and pulling her a few steps back. "C'mon, front-row seats is a bad idea."
"Weh—w-wait! What about Anie? Aren't you gonna help her, Fer?" Camila tried to protest, but her voice got drowned out by the next impact.
"Gah!" the dark skin girl yelped as Anie slammed her to the floor.
"Help her? You kidding?" Fernando snorted. "Heh, she can handle it herself, Camila. It's Anie we're talking about… heck, she'd probably get mad if i jumped in." He scratched his cheek, already imagining it. "I'd end up getting punched by her instead—and she told me to make sure you don't get hurt—although she didn't really said it, but when she called me that already enough to understand.., so you stay here in this safe range ok? La pequeña Mila~"He patted Camila on the head as he explain this, although Camila bit annoyed when he doing that.
Meanwhile Anie still busy with these three bullies. As right now as the other student that still watching it some of them show lots defferent expression Some looked sick, Some looked scared...and yeah, a few looked satisfied, seem some of them have built-up resentment to these three girls, and after watching finally getting paid back.
"Damn…" someone whispered. "They actually got what was coming to them…"
"Shh! You want her to hear you?!" another hissed."i wish i have pop corn for this." Chirp another student as they lifted up their flip phone to record the scene.
After a while, Anie finally stopped. She let out a slow breath through her nose, rolling her neck as she looked over the three of them—down on the floor, groaning, barely able to move.
"…Tch."She clicked her tongue and stepped back. Not worth it anymore.
The crowd stayed dead silent, just staring at what was left of the three girls.
Anie turned and walked back toward Fernando and Camila."Man… these type of bitches are always annoyin'," she muttered lazily.
Fernando nodded, snorting a little. "Yeah, I feel that, acere… and here I was thinking we'd make a peaceful entrance...back at school even though its already end of it heh." He shrugged. "But, you know… plans change."
"Peaceful my ass," Anie muttered, picking up the stuff those three had trashed. "I saw her getting slapped—I wasn't just gonna stand there and watch our best friend get bullied."
Her eyes lingered on the broken Cosmic Frontier merch for a second before she handed it back to Camila.
Fernando let out a breath, stretching his neck. "Well… that's one way to end the day." He glanced over at the three girls, now out cold, while the crowd slowly came back to life—phones out, people talking all at once.
"Shit, this is gold! Gotta add this to my collection—Anie beating up bullies, hahaha!" one kid with sharp-looking hair said.
"Man… these past couple months were hell with those three running around," another added.
"Yeah, no kidding. I still got a cigarette burn from them," someone said, shaking their head. "Honestly? I'm glad they got what was coming. Hell of a way to end the school year."
Fernando watched the crowd as they talked, then muttered under his breath, "So many people, and nobody did anything when she was getting bullied… what a bunch of cowards. Only good at watching and talking…"
Only Anie caught that. She gave a small chuckle at his comment."Heh… you're not wrong, babe," she said, glancing at the crowd.
"Eh… whatever," Fernando shrugged, losing interest. His attention shifted back to Camila, who was quietly staring at her broken merchandise.
Camila's hands trembled a little as she took the merch back, fingers brushing over the cracked plastic and bent edges like she was trying to piece it together just by touching it. For a second, she didn't say anything.
"…It's kinda messed up now…" she murmured, forcing a small smile that didn't really land.
Anie noticed it right away. That lazy grin of hers slipped a little—not gone, just… thinner. "Tch. Yeah. Those idiots got heavy feet," she muttered, scratching the back of her neck. "Should've stomped them a bit more for that."
"hold on~ Easy, tigresa, Making a bastard disabled, that's my trabajo, don't take my job heheh"said Fernando as he chuckled under his breath, though his eyes flicked to the damage too. He leaned in, reaching out to gently tap the item in Camila's hands. "Lemme see."
Camila handed it over, and he looked it over with a small frown."Hmmm… geeez, they really did a number on this… but I think we can fix it," he muttered. "Or, I dunno, get you a better one? One that doesn't get stepped on by some spoiled perra…"He glanced up at her. "wait...is this a limited edition?"
"…Yeah," Camila said quietly. "I spent all my savings from my part-time job to buy it…"That made both Anie and Fernando pause—eyes widening just a bit.
"Oh, those bastards… that does it! I'm breaking their legs!" Anie snapped, already turning to storm back toward the crowd—
but Camila grabbed her arm and stopped her.
"Hey, hey! Don't do that, Anie! They're gonna die if you go again!" Camila rushed out. "It's fine! It's just… merchandise! Plastic—I'll be okay."
That actually worked. Anie paused.
"But—but! They destroyed something you worked hard for!" Anie shot back.
"It's alright," Camila said, shaking her head. "Don't worry. I can get a new one in a couple months. I'll just save up again."
Anie looked annoyed, clearly not satisfied—but after a moment, she let out a long sigh.
"Fiiine… but we're helping you save for it, got it?" she said, But the idea being rejected by Camila"No..no,you two don't have to do that its alrig—" but Anie cut her word up as she emphasize her words with a big smile her"Nope! We gonna and Will help you to get your merchandise of fron—or whatever new one! We can't still seeing our beloved friends in throuble."she said while glancing over at Fernando. "Right, Fern?"
"Sure," Fernando said, handing the item back to Camila. Then he smirked a little. "Although… I know a guy. We might be able to get it for a good price."
"Yeah, that's a good ide—" Anie cut herself off mid-sentence, blinking as what he said actually registered. She groaned instantly. "Oh my god, not this again—"
"What? I do know a guy!" Fernando shot back, defensive.
Anie dragged a hand down her face in a slow facepalm. "You always say that. You always 'know a guy.' And in the end it's either good, total shit, or the police end up chasing our asses."
"Hey, that only happened once! Okay?!" Fernando argued. "I didn't know he was selling drugs and fireworks at the same time! And this time I'm serious—I really know someone who can get us that limited-edition Cosmic Frontier merch for Camila. Absolutamente original, I swear!"
"…that is extremely debatable, babe…" Anie muttered, not convinced at all.
Camila let out a weak laugh at their back-and-forth, her mood lifting just from having the two of them there. She couldn't help it—she actually laughed. It started small, a little shaky and uneven, but it was real. A genuine laugh, pulled out of her by their constant bickering.
"hehehe sniff...hehe.…I missed this," she admitted under her breath, wiping at the corner of her eye with her sleeve. "You two arguing over dumb stuff…"
"Ey,this it ain't dumb," Fernando shot back right away, placing a hand over his chest like he'd just been personally attacked. "My connections are a valuable resource for surviving in society, thank you very much."
"And again, I remind you—your 'connections' almost got both of us arrested," Anie replied flatly.
"And like I said, that was one time—"
"Three times, mister. Three times."
"Wait—huh? Three??" he asked, confused.
"Yes. First was that whole thing with that guy name Charles and the drugs, like I said. Second was the ice cream accident. And the third one—all those animals at the zoo getting loose from their cages!" Anie listed off, making Fernando blink.
"…Okay, but two of those weren't even my fault—" Fernando tried to defend himself, but got cut off again.
"The third one happened on our one-year anniversary, you idiot."anie said as she start pouted cutely.
Fernando only could scratching behind his neck as she strike him critically."Ah mierda, me atacaste ahí." As he respons in Cuban Spanish."i don't know what you saying babe,but you damm right i did bring this one up."
Camila who her mood already good, She wiped the last bit of moisture from her eyes, looking between the two of them as they kept going back and forth, Anie slowly cornering Fernando verbally, while he tried—very poorly—to defend himself.
"C'mon, that anniversary thing was low, Anie…" he groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "You didn't have to bring that up in front of Mila…"
"Oh, I absolutely did," Anie shot back instantly, crossing her arms with a grin. "Public humiliation builds character."
"…."
"Ah, mierda… you really gonna use that against me?" Fernando groaned, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Always," Anie replied without missing a beat, arms still crossed, way too proud of herself. "Especially when you start with that 'I know a guy' stuff again. It just reminds me of all that shit—and yeah, I'll bring it up every time, 'cause you deserve it."
"Eres cruel, cariña…" he muttered dramatically, like he'd just been betrayed on a national level.
That made Camila laugh again"hahaha…Man…" Camila murmured under her breath, her smile turning more genuine. "I really did miss this…"But then as her smile softened, her ekpresion turning a little more thoughtful. While Her fingers tightened slightly around the damaged merch in her hands. A thought slipped in between her laughter—a question that had been sitting in the back of her mind this whole time.
Where have they been?
Camila looked at both of them, still caught in their usual back-and-forth—well, mostly Anie cornering Fernando. She took a slow breath after laughing, her smile softening as she watched them.
"…Hey," Camila spoke up, her voice quieter now, but steady. That alone was enough to make them pause."Where have you two been?"
That—yeah, that got their attention.
Both of them froze. Anie blinked a couple times at Camila, and somehow Fernando started blinking in the exact same rhythm.
Camila tilted her head, curious. "You two were, like… what? You just disappeared. No calls, not even messages—even when I texted you guys. Nothing… and then suddenly you show up again like this?"
There wasn't any accusation in her voice—just honest confusion. Maybe a little worry, too.
Anie scratched the back of her head. "Ah…" she let out, like she hadn't really planned an answer. Her face went kind of blank—almost dumb-looking—completely different from the expression she had earlier when she was beating the hell out of those bullies just minutes ago.
Fernando glanced off to the side, clicking his tongue softly. "Yeah… about that…"
They looked at each other for a split second—silent, wordless, but saying everything.
'You gonna say it?'
'Nah, you say it.'
'Hell no.'
Camila noticed the look they were giving each other and frowned a bit. "Umm… guys?"
That snapped their attention back to her. Both of them went quiet again for a second. Anie shrugged, deciding to go first.
"Well, Mila—"
Her words were cut off by a loud, angry voice echoing from somewhere down the hall, just past the crowd of students.
"HEY! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"
A loud shout cracked through the hallway like a gunshot—enough to make every head turn.
"What's with all this noise? Aren't you kids supposed to be leaving the schoo—"The teacher froze. "—Gasp!"
They'd seen the crowd. Then their eyes landed on the three girls on the floor.
"Wait—is that Rebecca, Amelia, and Jane?!" another teacher blurted out as they reconize those three girls.
Within seconds, two security staff and a couple more teachers rushed in.
"Oh, shit…" Anie and Fernando both muttered under their breath, instinctively trying to hide their faces.
But it didn't matter—the staff's attention was locked entirely on the three beaten girls.
"MOVE! EVERYONE MOVE! GET OUT OF THE BUILDING, NOW!" one of the staff barked, pointing toward the exits. "THIS IS NOT A SHOW!" they didn't need to tell the crowd as its already exploded into motion.
Students scrambled, grabbing bags, shoving past each other, voices overlapping in panic and excitement.
"Go, go, go!"
"Dude, run!"
"Yo, I got that on video—!"
"MOVE!"
"SHIIIT!"
It turned into chaos fast. A wave of students started moving, heading straight for the main entrance. Perfect chance.
Fernando didn't hesitate. "Aight—time to bounce," he muttered, already grabbing Camila and pulling her along. "We do not wanna be here when they start asking questions."
"Wait—wait! I still need to get my bag—" Camila started—
"Already got it," Anie cut in, holding up her backpack. She must've grabbed it from the locker earlier.
"C'mon, Mila."
And just like that, the three of them slipped into the crowd, blending in before any teacher or security could spot them.
...
...
....
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The scene shifted to a park—late afternoon in some quiet town. Sunlight filtered through rows of trees, casting long shadows across the walking paths. People were still out and about—some chatting, others just strolling along. Kids ran around playing games, a few flew kites with their parents, and nearby, food vendors were still open, their carts giving off that mix of sweet and fried smells that pulled in both kids and adults looking for a quick snack.
But that's not the focus here.
Not too far from the park itself was a parking lot, lined with cars. Most of them were empty—owners already off enjoying the park.
Except for one—a bluish-grey van, covered in all kinds of random stickers. And unlike the others, it still had people gathered around it.
Near that van were three teenagers. One leaned against the side, another sat up on the roof, and the last one lounged half inside the open door. Familiar faces—Camila, Anie, and Fernando—each with a can of soda in hand, just talking like nothing happened.
…
…
"…and that's basically it," Anie finished casually, taking another sip, like she hadn't just dropped something insane.
Camila just stared at her.
Then—she choked a little, soda spilling out of her mouth and dribbling down onto the asphalt."Cough! Cough! Cough!..."she cough very hard before regain her composure.
After a few seconds of coughing, Camila finally caught her breath. She took a huge inhale—then just exploded.
"WHAT—?! WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'VE BEEN IN OREGON ALL THIS TIME, ANIE?!" she shouted, crushing the soda can in her hand without even noticing.
"Egh! Ouch—ôi, Mila, tai tôi đau quá! Cậu định làm tôi điếc à?!"("My ears Mila! Are you trying to make me deaf?!")Anie yelped, covering her ears.
"Chill, Mila...calm down," she added quickly, trying to calm her down. "C'mon, it's not that big a—"
"Not that big a deal?? NOT a big deal?!" Camila snapped, her hands flying everywhere as she looked up at Anie. "You disappeared with no news—no calls, no texts, no emails! Did you even think about how worried I was?!"
"S-sorry…" Anie mumbled, shrinking a bit, actually looking a little scared for once.
"And YOU?!" Camila whipped around to Fernando.
"Glup.."
"You vanished for five days—and you were in a police station the whole time?!" she shot at him.
Fernando flinched so hard he almost dropped his soda. He just stood there, sweating a little, bracing himself. "…Yeah… well, some racist cop picked me up outside the arcade. Said I 'looked suspicious.'"
"AND YOU STILL COULD'VE CALLED ME TO BAIL YOU OUT! WHY DIDN'T YOU?!" Camila shot back, arms tight at her sides, pouting in frustration.
"Hey, por favor, cálmate, Camila—just calm down first…" Fernando said, scratching the back of his neck. He gave an awkward chuckle. "…I had a reason, it's just… I, uh… don't remember your phone number."
Camila just froze from his statement and because of that for a full second, nothing came out of her mouth—just a blank stare, her brain clearly trying to process the absolute nonsense she had just heard,
Then her hand slowly rose and facepalm right across her forehead, but not hard as her cheeks just get treated."…You, Fernando…" she started, dragging her hand down her face like she was physically trying to pull her sanity back into place. "¿Por qué no lo anotas?" Her eyes snapped back up at him, disbelief written all over her face. "You don't remember my number?! We've known each other for YEARS!"
Fernando winced a little,as his shoulders creeping up like he was trying to make himself smaller. "…In my defense," he muttered, raising a finger, "its...never crossed my mind? And my flip phone confiscated by the racist police...soo "those word not helping
"That's NOT a defense!" Camila shot back instantly. She turned slightly, pointing between them like she was presenting evidence in a courtroom. "And here's Anie—she had to bail you out instead!"
"Yeah, heheh—" Anie cut in, way too casual about the whole thing, grinning as she took another sip of her soda. "And when I got back from Oregon, first thing I hear is my dumbass boyfriend got himself arrested…"
"…Aunty Lily told me," Anie continued like he hadn't even spoken, waving her hand lazily. "Y'know, the fruit lady near the bus stop, your part time job bos? When I just got off the bus, she looks at me and goes, 'Anie, your boy's in trouble again.' I was like—of course he is."
"So I went, bailed him out…" Anie went on, clearly enjoying herself now. She tilted her head, smirking. "Not gonna lie though—seeing him behind bars?"She snorted."Kinda funny."
"Vaya, eres tan cruel, querida..."said Fernando.
Camila just… stood there, staring at the two of them. Her eyes moved slowly from Anie—still a little smug, lounging on top of the van like nothing was wrong—to Fernando, who was trying (and failing) to look innocent.
"…I can't believe you two idiots," she said flatly, Both of them stiffened.
Then she pointed up at Anie. "You disappeared to another state for two whole months—to some town called what? Graving—?"
"Gravity Falls," Anie corrected casually.
Camila didn't even pause, just swung her finger toward Fernando. "And you—you spent five days in jail and didn't contact me at all?!"
Hearing that both of them opened their mouths at the same time—
"…I—"fernando was trying to said something but didn't.
"Look, I—" same goes with Anie.
As they immediately closed their mouth again, as they feel there nothing they can said now, for while there were brief silent before Fernando managed to start talk first, barely. "…Well… when you point it that way," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "it does sound bad."
Camila hear him,she slowly turned her head toward him, and stare at him heavy stare before open her mouth "…Sound bad?" she repeated flatly.
Fernando shrank a little under it. "…Yeah… i mean...its...pretty bad."he tried to admit it ,then followed by Anie, for once, didn't jump in with a joke. She just scratched her cheek, eyes drifting off to the side, her usual grin nowhere to be found. "…Okay, yeah… we kinda messed up."
"Kinda?" Camila echoed, voice quiet now—but somehow that made it worse its make neither of them answered ,as now they both looked… guilty.
Camila stared at them for another second, then suddenly turned away and climbed back into the van, dropping herself onto the cargo with a soft thump to soft the bed, pillows that are there are because Van Fernando himself transformed it into a resting place. She leaned forward, elbows on her knees, and let out a long, heavy sigh.
"…And I was worried for nothing," she muttered with Her voice that wasn't loud anymore, bit sound tired, but relieved?
"I thought something bad happened to you two…" she continued, eyes dropping to the floor of the van. "I was really worried, you know that?"Those words hit them Anie's shoulders tensed a little, her usual attitude slipping for a second. Fernando looked away while his jaw tightening.
Camila lifted her gaze again, this time at Fernando. "Fernando… you saw how worried I was when Anie disappeared those first two weeks. You were worried too. We asked around her neighborhood, her uncle, everyone… but nobody seemed to care."
Fernando nodded slowly. "Sí… I was," he admitted, voice quieter now. "I thought something happened to her… she's my girlfriend, after all."
Anie blinked a couple times, caught off guard by that. "…O-oh," she muttered, softer than usual. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, and she quickly looked away, scratching the back of her neck like the parking lot had suddenly become very interesting.
"And then you started disappearing too," Camila added, her voice tired now with small plaster on her cheek visible.
Fernando let out a breath through his nose, scratching behind his neck again, looking a bit sheepish. "…Yeah… I figured."
"I'm… scared, you know," Camila said quietly, leaning forward and resting part of her face against her folded arms on her knees. "I was scared something really bad happened to you. I was worried you got into serious trouble…im scared like something very dangerous happened to you two that ....took you both life ..and most of all, I was scared of being alone…"
She hesitated, voice softer now.
"You two are the only real friends I've got…"
The words hung there.
The chaos from earlier—the shouting, the jokes, all of it—just… faded. What was left felt quiet. Heavy, but gentle at the same time.
For a second, neither of them moved.
Then Anie shifted on the roof, exhaling through her nose before hopping down in one clean motion off the side of the van. Her sneakers hit the pavement with a soft thud as she walked around to the back, her usual swagger toned down—just a little.
Fernando followed after her, slower this time. Even though he'd been standing near Camila the whole time, he slipped his hands into his jacket pockets, glancing at her like he was actually trying to find the right words for once.
Anie stopped right in front of Camila, scratching the back of her neck.
"…Yeah… okay. We messed up. Big time," she admitted, her voice quieter than usual. "I should've said something. Left a note, called—anything… instead of just disappearing like that."
Fernando nodded beside her, shifting his weight. "Same here… I should've tried harder to contact you. Memorize your number, write it down—something," he said with a small, guilty shrug. "Lo siento, Mila."
Camila didn't look up right away.
So Anie climbed into the van and sat next to her, leaning forward just enough to get into her line of sight. "Hey… we're sorry. For real this time," she said, more serious now. "We won't just disappear on you like that again. Promise."
Fernando raised a hand a little, like he was swearing an oath. "Yeah. No more vanishing acts. You'll always know where we are. Even if it's something stupid… or illegal," he added under his breath, stepping closer and resting a hand on the edge of the van door.
Anie shot him a look. "Babe… not helping."
"…Right. Not illegal."
Still, Camila didn't respond right away.
For a couple minutes, there was just silence.
Then, slowly, she looked up at them—plaster still on her cheek, eyes a little tired, but softer now. She stayed like that for a second, just looking between the two of them.
"…You better mean that," she muttered. Her voice didn't have that sharp edge anymore.
The moment she lifted her head, both of them relaxed a bit, small relieved smiles showing.
"We do," Fernando said right away.
"Yeah," Anie nodded. Then, after a beat, that usual spark came back just a little. "And hey—next time I disappear to another state, I'll at least send a postcard or something. Maybe a weird one."
Camila huffed softly through her nose, almost a laugh—though she tried to hide it.
"And we're not just saying sorry," Anie went on, arms loosely crossed. "We're gonna do better. No more disappearing without telling you. Deal?"
Fernando nodded right away, backing her up.
Camila looked at both of them for a moment… then let out another sigh—this one lighter than before.
Anie let out a small breath, seeing Camila soften a bit. She straightened up where she was sitting, her usual grin slowly coming back.
"Hehehe… see? Don't worry about it anymore, okay? We're not disappearing like that again, promise," she said. "Besides, we already said we're sticking as best friends, right? Even after we graduate—we're staying together."
She crossed her arms, nodding to herself. "Me and this idiot? We'll just find a college near wherever you go."
Fernando nodded like it was the most obvious thing ever. "Claro. Easy solution."
"And," Anie added, jerking a thumb at herself with a cocky smirk, "we can't exactly let some random assholes start bullying you there, right, babe?"
"Yup, sure," Fernando said—then paused, glancing at her sideways. "…Although I don't think you're getting into any college, Anie. With your grades? I mean… those C's…"
"…Excuse me?" Anie turned very slowly.
"Well, I'm just being realistic—" Fernando shrugged, already smirking.
"Oh, you wanna go?! Mày nói cái gì—đến đây, đánh nhau đi! (What did you say—come here, let's fight!)" Anie snapped, jumping out of the van in one quick motion, her words slipping into a mix of languages like always.
Fernando, who'd known her for ages, still didn't understand half of what she said—but yeah, from the tone alone? She was mad.
"Hey—chiiiill!" he backed up, hands up defensively.
Camila watched them and just couldn't hold it in anymore. A small laugh slipped out—then another—and before she knew it, she was actually laughing again, the tension finally cracking. She covered her mouth, shaking her head.
"You two are impossible…" she laughed, a little breathless. "…Idiots."
There was no bite to it this time.
"So… are we forgiven?" Anie asked.
"…Okay," Camila said after a moment, wiping the corner of her eye. "I forgive you two."
Both Anie and Fernando visibly relaxed.
"Good," Anie muttered, though a small smile tugged at her lips.
"Gracias," Fernando added with a nod.
For a moment, things finally settled.
...
....
.....
———
The three of them fell back into chatting like usual, Anie going on about all the weird stuff she'd seen in Gravity Falls. Strange creatures, odd people, things that didn't make any sense.
Fernando and Camila just sat there, listening—both of them wearing that same there's no way that's real kind of expression… but they still listened anyway.
Time just slipped by while they talked.
The parking lot slowly emptied out as people left the park one by one. The noise faded, replaced by a quiet calm. Streetlights flickered on, casting a warm glow across the pavement and the nearby trees.
Fernando was the first to notice. He glanced up at the sky, seeing the orange of late afternoon fading into a soft purple, the first hint of evening settling in.
"…Huh," he muttered. "It's getting dark already." He stretched his arms a little, then looked between the two girls. "You guys wanna grab something to eat? My treat...i got lost money, so why not go to some good place to eat for celebrated our long school summer vacation, and we can also meet the guy i know to get Camila new cosmic frontier limited edition"he said proudly although he notice Anie annoyed look when he say 'i know a guy' words.
But she shake it this time because they just make up with Camila after those they said earlier. "Treat?" she repeated, raising a brow. Then she snorted. "Like some fancy 'family dinner' thing? Nah—hard pass, babe." She waved a hand dismissively. "I like your home cooking better."
Camila nodded right after. "Yeah… same. Your cooking's way better than anything we'd get outside."
Fernando blinked, then chuckled, a little flattered. "Wow. Okay, okay—I see how it is." He shook his head with a grin. "Fine. We go to my place, I cook. But you two gotta wait."
"Deal," Anie said instantly.
"Yeah," Camila added with a small smile.
They started to shift, like they were about to head out—when Anie suddenly snapped her fingers."Oh—wait!"
She turned and jogged back to the front seat of the van, leaning inside for a second before rummaging around pile of random stuff—clothes, cans, who-knows-what—before pulling out a small handful of items that being pilled there because Fernando clean his Van once a month as to find her waist bag."where is it? Ah ketemu! (Found it)" She said after a bit of clattering and muttering, she popped back out holding two small items in her hand.
"Almost forgot," she said, walking back over. "Got you guys something from… y'know. My trip."
Camila blinked. "Huh? Ah right,its must be a souvenir from a town name graving feel—right? On Oregon?"
"its Gravity Falls Mila," Anie corrected with a grin.
Fernando raised a brow. "huh since when do you bring gifts?"
"Shut up and take it," Anie shot back,though there was no bite in it.
She handed one to Camila first—a weird little keychain. It looked… off. Like a tiny snake head, too realistic for something that was supposed to be plastic. The patterns on it were strange too—little symbols twisted in on themselves, shapes bending in ways that felt wrong if you stared too long.
"…This looks weird," Camila said slowly, turning it in her fingers. "I mean, I know it's fake, but it looks real...its kinda creep me out ,anie."
"Oh, that? It's not fake," Anie said casually. "It's a real snake head, preserved in pine resin. Got it for eight bucks from some guy named Stan—or whatever his name was, he said its sorta like old good luck stuff?? But that all just bullshit tho, but I'm only buyed it cuz' it look cool as fuck."
Camila froze.
"Although He was kinda weird," Anie went on, completely unfazed. "Pretty sure when I first saw him, he had glasses? Real antisocial type—always inside his shack, only comes out at night. And I swear he had six fingers on each hand… but then the next week he looked different...and start open his shark to do business. Hah, pretty weird, right?"
She shrugged. "Well, that whole town was already hella weird anyway."
Camila just stared at her, still processing all of that, she want to say something but she shut her mouth and just go with it.
Meanwhile, Fernando hadn't even caught what Anie just said. He was too busy with the other keychain she handed him—something just as weird, but in a different way. It looked like an eyeball with tiny bat wings, all preserved in pine resin… except the eye didn't look still.
It moved.
Just a little—like it was actually looking at him.
He squinted at it. "…Why does this feel like it's watching me?"
"Hm? You think so?" Anie just shrugged. "Maybe it is. Or maybe you're hallucinating from drinking too much soda on an empty stomach. C'mon, let's go—I'm starving."
"Alright, alright, let's go then," Fernando muttered, still eyeing the thing for a second before stuffing the eyeball keychain into his leather jacket pocket. He headed for the driver's seat.
Camila lingered for a moment, still staring at the snake keychain in her hand. She let out a small sigh, then climbed into the back of the van and pulled the door shut behind her. and finally the van drove away.
.....
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...
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"….."
"…Ma'am…"
"…Ma'am…"
"…MA'AM!"
The sharp voice of a woman in her twenties finally cut through the silence.
"For cryin' out loud, Mrs. Scotch! Did you even hear what I said?!" she snapped.
Across from her, a woman in her thirties sat behind a large desk in a high-rise office, completely zoned out. Papers were scattered everywhere, but her attention wasn't on any of it. Instead, she was staring at a picture frame in her hands.
"Huh?—Ah, right, right… my bad," the older woman said, snapping out of it.
She had short, wolf-cut black hair, tan skin catching the light from the tall glass windows behind her. Her build was solid—broad shoulders, strong frame—dressed in dark slacks and a white shirt.
"Geez, ma'am, don't tell me you're spacing out again…" the younger woman groaned. "Mrs. Anie Scotch, you've got a mountain of paperwork here."
Yeah—her boss.
Anie Scotch (34)
Anie let out a low chuckle, leaning back slightly in her chair as her assistant pointed out—again—that she'd drifted off. "Hahaha… yeah, seems I did," she admitted, her voice carrying a calmer, more grounded tone than the fiery girl she used to be, though that familiar warmth was still there. She glanced down at the frame in her hands, her thumb brushing lightly over the glass. "Just… reminiscing a bit."
The photo was old—edges a little worn inside the wooden frame, the colors just starting to fade.
Three teenagers stood frozen in a moment that felt louder than any memory.
Her younger self was off to the side, grinning wide with that same wild spark in her eyes. Beside her was a younger Fernando—her husband now—his arm slung casually over her shoulders, that familiar smirk like he was about to say something slick. And there, right next to them, was Camila… their longtime best friend, smiling softer in the picture, her red glasses sitting just right on her face.
"…Those were good days…" Anie murmured to herself.
Her eyes drifted away from the photo, landing on something else on her desk, half-buried beside the mountain of paperwork.
Right beside it, another frame sat neatly on her desk. This one was newer—colors bright, glass clean.
Anie's smile in that photo was softer. Warmer.
Inside it was her and Fernando from their early days building a family. And between them—a small baby boy, red eyes just like hers. Rafheal L. Scotch. Their firstborn. Their only child.
"…I always end up spacing out when I look at these," Anie said quietly, a small smile still on her face. "Takes me back… to the first days. The best ones. With my friends… and now with my family."
"Geez, ma'am…" her assistant sighed, rubbing her temple like this was a daily routine—because it kind of was. "You do this every time. You just… drift off like that." She gestured toward the mountain of documents stacked across the desk. "You're running three major companies across the country. You cannot keep zoning out like this."
Anie just huffed out another quiet laugh, setting the frame down gently like it was something fragile—even if it wasn't. "Hahaha… I know, I know… no need to remind me, Kate," she said, waving a hand lazily as she leaned back again. "I was just spacing out a bit. Doesn't mean the world's gonna collapse."
Kate shot her a look—long, tired, very used to this. "It might if you keep ignoring your schedule."
"Eh, doubtful," Anie shrugged, though her eyes flicked back to the photo for just a second before she pulled herself away. "Mọi thứ đều nằm trong tầm kiểm soát… that means everything's under control in Vietnamese," she added with a small chuckle.
Her assistant just stared at her, clearly not amused. That language-mixing thing she always does again.
"…Ma'am," she said flatly, already sounding tired of it.
Anie just laughed it off when she heard how done her assistant sounded.
"That's exactly what people say before things go out of control, ma'am…" Kate muttered under her breath. Anie smirked at that—sharp, a little amused. "Relax, kid. I built these companies from the ground up since in cheap apartemen with my husband in college. Heh, I can handle a little paperwork."
She grabbed a pen, her expression settling into something calm and focused as she started signing documents, flipping through pages one after another. With her other hand, she tapped at her laptop, pulling up an Excel sheet and scanning through numbers like it was second nature.
"But seriously, ma'am…" Kate spoke up again, more careful this time. "You've been spacing out a lot since yasterday. Did something happen?"
Hearing that, Anie didn't look up from her laptop. Her eyes stayed locked on the Excel sheet, fingers tapping lightly against the desk as she skimmed through numbers her finance teams had sent over from all three companies. "Well, kid… you're not wrong," she said casually. "I haven't been very enthusiastic these days, like a day ago."
Kate blinked, one eyebrow lifting. That… was rare. Seeing her boss—this tall body builder like monster that always-energetic, borderline unstoppable woman that outtalk investor just admit something like that? Yeah, something was definitely up.
"…Oooookaaaaaaaaay, now I'm concerned," Kate said, crossing her arms. "What happened?"
Anie hummed softly, scrolling down the spreadsheet before answering. "Well… yesterday," she started, tone still light, "my lovely dear boy left for summer camp. With his childhood friend, Luz."
'ah that the reason,that make sense....' Kate's thoughts after Heard that.
She'd met Rafheal plenty of times—"Lil Raffy," as she liked to call him. The kid was… something else. Nothing like Anie's explosive personality, and not quite like Fernando either—yeah, she'd met her boss's chubby husband too, and honestly, she was still impressed someone could grow a moustache that thick.
Raffy, though? Different.
He had this sharp, almost surgical way of talking—borderline sarcastic (not to much like his mom), and sometimes way too foul-mouthed for a kid his age. Kate still remembered the first time she heard him casually roast one of the office managers—who was trying to flirt with an intern—into complete silence. The guy didn't even recover from it.
Raffy had to be, what… eight back then? When Anie first brought him in?
Yeah… that definitely caught her off guard.
But at the same time… the kid wasn't cold. Not really. There was something else there—something very quiter and suprisely that kid—He the only one noticed things.
If someone looked exhausted, he'd point it out bluntly, then go straight to Anie like, "Mom, they need a break. That guy looks like he's about to pass out." No hesitation at all. And yeah—Mrs. Anie actually listened. Thank God she did, too, because it turned out that guy had malaria from a vacation a couple weeks before.
Yeah. Lil Raffy was… complicated, but a good kid... right ??… Well kate—She wasn't even sure about that.
Like—was he actually a good kid, or just… not entirely stable? She mean mentally stable? Because she'd seen him do some weird stuff. More than once, she caught him messing with frogs by messing she mean she has been see the boy mutilating them, really—and she could swear his red eyes glowed when he was doing it also the boy start murmuring something while doing that. That part? Yeah, that genuinely freaked her out—Aaaaand now… he wasn't around.
"…Ah," Kate muttered, the pieces clicking together.
Anie leaned back slightly in her chair, finally glancing away from the screen for a second. "The name of the camp was...hmmm ah right Reality Check Camp," she added, making a face. "That's the name of that summer camp. And I'm telling you, that camp sounds like a cult or something...what kinda sane person would name their camp "realitic check' camp?? That sound like brainwashing camp sect! Now i regret sending him there...sigh"Kate snorted a little despite herself.
"But Camila my friend ,she vouched for it," Anie continued with a shrug. "She Said it's a good place. Teaches kids about 'reality' or whatever." She rolled her eyes lightly. "Which is funny you know , 'cause reality kinda sucks , but hey—learning experience, right?"
Kate shook her head as she listened. Yeah… reality kinda sucked sometimes. No wonder a lot of adults—especially young ones—kept themselves busy just to avoid thinking about it. On that, she actually agreed with her boss.
"But… sigh… I let him go anyway," Anie went on. "Figured he could keep an eye on Camila's kid too. Those two are impossible to separate—especially when you see Lil Luz's face whenever I take Rafheal with me on business trips… heh, that kid's adorable."
She paused, and her tone shifted—just a little.
"And now…" Anie sighed, leaning back in her chair, one arm draped over the backrest. "…Now it's just me at home. Gotta survive without my two favorite people around."
She slouched a bit, even while her hands kept working through the paperwork.
"Two?" Kate voice come out from her mouth before she realize it."ah right, Mr fernando not around is he?"
"Yeah, My husband's out of state," Anie replied, waving a hand. "Checking on his mom my mother in law. Won't be back till next month." She let out a long breath. "And the kid? Three months."
Kate winced slightly."Damm ma'am..."
"Yeah," Anie muttered. "And now the House feels… too quiet right now, heck even after this I'm gonna straight to sleep, if the no more paper works heh.."
Kate exhaled through her nose, then shook her head. "Well… that explains a lot, also didn't lil rafheal...sent you any text? I mean do you ask him to tell you the news of him being in the camp? Or did you forget to tell him to do it ma'am? "
Anie scoffed immediately. "Please. I'm not him," she said, jerking a thumb toward the imaginary direction of Fernando. "Yeah, I told him. I said, 'You text me. Anything happens—I wanna know, and I have mark my words to my son'"
Kate nodded. "Well that Good..you make sure he text you, Sooooooo?" She leaned forward slightly."Did he? What'd he say?"Anie's expression softened just a bit as she glanced at her phone on the desk."Yes, He texted this morning," she said.
Anie picked up the phone, unlocking it with a quick tap before reading off casually, though there was a quiet warmth in her voice."'Good morning,' ' Mom. Did you eat breakfast yet?' 'Don't eat something to much spicy in the morning!' and etc"
Kate stared at her boss as she read through the messages from her son. Honestly… she was impressed. That didn't sound like something a kid his age would usually say to their parents. Most kids? They barely talked like that to their parents, too busy with their rebel phase and all.
"…Wow," she muttered. "Lil Raffy sounds more responsible than half the adults in this building."
Anie snorted softly, a small smile tugging at her lips as she looked at the message again.
"…Yeah… adorable, isn't he?" she murmured. "Checking up on me like I'm the one who left him home alone, hahah…"
She shook her head lightly, still smiling.
"…Yeah. That's my boy."
Anie paused for a second, her fingers hovering over the keyboard before she reached for her phone again. "…Although," she added, glancing down at the screen, "he did say something… interesting yesterday. In his first day arrived at that camp."Her red eyes scanned the message again, slower this time.
"Hm?" Kate tilted her head, curiosity creeping in. "What do you mean?"
Anie gave a small hum. "He said the place is… kinda bizarre. Like—not from this world looking." She shrugged lightly, like she was reading off something mildly amusing. "Basically called it weird."
Kate's expression shifted almost immediately, her brows knitting together. "…Eehhh...okay, that sounds a little suspicious, don't you think?"
Anie let out a soft chuckle, setting her phone back down on the desk. "Heh… yeah, it does sound suspicious," she admitted. Then her lips curled into a faint grin. "But sometimes, someone's gotta go through something weird at least once in their life, right?"
She said it like she already expected strange things to happen to her kid.
Kate, still standing there, didn't look convinced at all.
"…Ma'am," she said carefully, "you're not worried about that? I mean, that's kind of a red flag, don't you think? And we're talking about Lil Rafheal here… your kid."
Anie leaned forward again, flipping open another document. "Worried?" she said casually from her laptop. "Well, yeah—I'm a mother. A mother cares about her kid, loves them… so of course I worry."
Kate crossed her arms. "That doesn't sound like worry."
Anie let out a quiet chuckle, eyes still scanning through numbers. "Heh… that boy can handle himself. He's sharp… way too sharp for his age." There was a hint of pride in her voice. "Takes after his dad after all my lovely chubby husband...sigh,i Miss my darling husband.." she said as she sulking slighly before back to her usual calm ekpresion.
She tapped her pen lightly against the paper. "…And he's my son. He'll be fine. I've already given him what he needs… if he ever gets into a bad situation."
A small smirk tugged at her lips. "Kid can punch his way through it if he has to. Heh."
Kate stared at her for a moment, clearly unsure whether to argue or not spesially when she said 'punch through' what the hell this women like beast has been teaching her own kid?. "…Well… okay," she muttered in the end, though she still didn't look fully convinced.
After that there conversation the assiten have with her boss situation,a brief silence passed—just the soft sounds of papers flipping of Anie hands as she sign and stamping some papers while read them fast and sound keys of her laptop keyboard as she tapping it faster, the room go bit silent as both of that women could hear AC sound, Then Anie spoke again, casually, like the previous topic was already closed.
"Hey, Kate."
"…Yeah Ma'am?"reply Kate as she were look through her phone after that conversation she had with her boss.
"How about you take an early lunch break?"
Kate blinked. "…What?"
"You heard me," Anie said, not even looking up. "You've already done a good job bringing all this in. Go take a break."
Kate narrowed her eyes immediately. "…You're not trying to slack off again, are you?"Anie finally glanced up, one brow raised. "Wow. That's rude nak (kid)..."
"Ma'am."
"I wouldn't," Anie said, holding up a hand. "I'm literally telling you—go get food, relax a bit." She tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Or… you can go back to your desk and listen to Josh talk about his vacation for the next hour."
Kate froze mid-step.
"…Oh hell nah. That man spits when he talks fast."
"Exactly," Anie smirked.
Kate let out a sigh, already turning toward the door. "Alright, fine. Early lunch it is." She paused at the doorway, glancing back once. "…Try not to disappear into your thoughts again, okay?"
"No promises, kid…" Anie shot back lightly.
Kate just shook her head and stepped out, the door clicking shut behind her.
Anie leaned back in her chair, stretching both arms up over her head with a quiet groan. Her muscles tensed, then relaxed as she rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck.
"…Alright,Anie..." she muttered to herself, exhaling through her nose.
She grabbed her pen and pulled the next stack of documents closer.
"Well… gotta finish these real quick."
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DOUGH: unnecessary 11k word omake? I know,told you imma make this horroble fanfic hahaha
DOUGH: Also this Originally to be chapter 5 omake,but i hold upload this because LEMON that write half of paragraph,they say they want try to write so yeah...
LEMON: So what do you think?
DOUGH: Oh its shit..
LEMON: FUCK YOU !
DOUGH: Hahahaha
DOUGH: ANYWAYS this extra Doodle or trash art ...
DOUGH: BYE BYE! SEE YOU GUYS 8 MONTH LATER FOR CHAPTERS 7! OR LESS..