Vulnerability

Act One START!

"Forger!" Mr. Henderson said. "Sleeping in class is not elegant! It is very disrespectful, especially during history class! Think of all the people who suffered for you in wars--"

Yap yap yap, Anya thought, Mr. Henderson's voice falling on deaf (and more importantly, sleepy) ears. People suffered in wars, and Anya respected their service and felt horrible about those in pain and fear. But, her and everyone else's emotions did not make it easier to pay attention in class. It wasn't necessary information to learn, and Anya could learn fighting skills from Yor and Loid if she every was in a war.

Anya's thoughts drifted to her epically using a gun to shoot the soldiers of the opposing side. When her gun was knocked out of her hands, she used hand to hand combat and immobilized all opponents. She was cheered on and applauded "a few days later," and Damian stopped treating her badly.

Anya had a dopy smile on her face. Becky elbowed her, actually paying attention, "Anya, you're my best friend, but you got to stop doing this. You won't be in the same hall as me if your grades drop!"

This got Anya's attention. Low grades = kicked out of Cecile Hall = no Becky and Damian = no friends = Friendship Scheme bye bye = Operation Strix fails = no more family.

That was still a very real fear in Anya's mind.

"Class is dismissed. My hall, stay here." Mr. Henderson's voice took Anya out of her thoughts. Anya's head snapped up. Mr. Henderson said, "The halls are competing against each other. Each hall will choose a group project. The winning hall will get--"

Both Anya and Damian's hands were raised simultaneously.

Mr. Henderson sighed, "No, you will not get a Stella Star."

Damian and Anya's hands fell back down.

"But," Mr. Henderson continued, "The winning hall gets to go to an amusement park."

The class erupted in cheers.

"You all have three days to decide the project and the rest of the month to complete it," Mr. Henderson explained. "That is all, class dismissed."

--One Week Later--

After careful voting, two important things were decided: Cecile Hall was doing a play, and Becky was the director. Now it was time for her to pick the play.

"I say we do Romeo and Juliet!" Becky said enthusiastically. Anya read her thoughts, automatically knowing what she was thinking without even having to use her telepathy. Oh well, her telepathy didn't have an off button anyway.

'If everyone else agrees, then I'll pair up Anya and Damian! Eeee!' Anya heard Becky think. Yep, she was right. Anya remembered her father thinking something about a "Honey Trap", which, from context clues, she figured out was making/using the person in love with the spy to further the operation. And this would be good, because Damian was the son of the target.

Unfortunately, that didn't mean anything.

Besides, Anya didn't like the thought of using someone, even if said someone was an arrogant, cute jerk.

Wait...cute-?

"Romeo and Juliet is too cliche. If we're doing a Shakespeare play, we should do Macbeth," George said before a vase in the classroom fell, nearly hitting a girl.

"You don't just say the name of The Scottish Play!" Emile chastised him.

Becky nodded, "That's right! Run outside, spin three times, spit, curse, and then come back in! Now!"

"Wha-?" George said, very confused.

"NOW!" Becky screamed, causing George to run out. She cleared her throat. "Anyway, back to Romeo and Juliet."

"Hate to agree with Glooman, but it's really too cliche. Shakespeare? There's a lot of different playwrights," Damian said. Anya nodded. Besides, she didn't know how she'd take kissing Damien. Or marrying him. Or sharing a bed for that matter-

"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Damian suggests, Ewen nodding along in excitement.

"I'd agree," Becky said, "But it's for adults. Eden wouldn't let us preform it."

"Kabald und Liebe. Intrigue and Love," Bill says.

"Intrigue and Love?" Anya asks.

Bill sighs, "It's basically German Romeo and Juliet. The main guy has an important father and falls in love with a middle class musician but they're separated because the guy's father sets him up with this other girl. Our "Juliet," I guess you could say, commits suicide at the end."

Becky looks between Anya and Damian rapidly with a devious smirk. Damian, although without telepathy, catches on. "No."

"Aww, come on!" Becky pleads, still grinning.

"Absolutely not. Any plays with spies?" Anya asks.

Becky puts on her thinking face while Bill shakes his head. "There's crime and mystery, but I'm pretty sure there's no spy plays."

Anya thinks back, searching through her memory.

The Lab.

"...Faust...?" Anya suggests.

Everyone looks at her, shocked that the "lazy kid" knows a German classic. Bill lights up, and Damian gives a respectful (yet reluctant) nod. Becky sweatdrops.

Becky looks around the room, "Um...it might take a bit more effort on production...y'know, behind the scenes and all of that-"

"Who's willing to be stage crew?" Bill asks, and around 14 people raise their hand. Bill claps his hands together and beams, "Perfect! We've found our play."

Becky sighs, "Alright, majority vote wins..."

-----

"I don't want to kill an infant!" Anya exclaims. "Why can't I be Wagner?!"

"Bill's Wagner!" Becky says in response. The stage crew shrink away as they continue making the lighting, sounds, and props. Oh, and a few of the people making costumes messed up a stitch. There was only one sewing machine, so most were doing it by hand. You would think Eden would focus their money on more than one sewing machine, but no.

Anya throws her hands up and scoffs. "Then what about Homunculus?"

Becky takes a step forward. "No-actually..."

Anya raised her fist half-jokingly before dropping it and saying, "Wait, what?"

"Congratulations, you're Homunculus! You seem like the kind of person who would be trapped in a jar," Becky says, looking up to the ceiling in thought.

"Hey!" Anya says. "At least I'm not a murderer."

-----

With so, the play came and went, and, sure enough, Cecile Hall won. Now was the scheduled amusement park field trip. Everyone gathered on the bus in a line as orderly as possible for school kids, and scoured for a good seat. Anya was separated from Becky halfway through the line because she was distracted by a moth (they have interesting thoughts, okay?!!) and Becky was seated next to Ewen, who, thankfully, got a better haircut.

Anya was about to ask Becky why she didn't save her a seat when Becky winked.

Go get your man, Becky's thoughts said mischievously. It's been 11 years and I will eat my shirt if you two don't get together before graduation.

Anya's mouth dropped.

Well, if it makes her happy...

Anya made her way to the seat next to Damian's. It was the window seat.

Don't tell me they all planned this.

The two looked at each other in silence. This would be a long ride.