Fire Emblem: High School Years (High School AU) Freshman Year

The Prince and The Ice Queen

Anna

I've been told that I am a perfectionist. Nothing I did was ever good enough, so it had to be perfect.

I would put up a facade; saying that I knew what I was doing. Where I was going in life, what kind of person I am. I would smile and say I was fine. I would bashfully dismiss any compliments.

I was never good enough.

That was my mindset for years at my old schools. My "friends" only added to that. They always told me that I was a failure. I was a terrible person for not letting them cheat off of my work. That my only good quality was to be a pawn.

And I believed them.

I didn't know what else to do. I had no other friends, I thought that I would be at that school for the rest of my career, and I thought that I was helping people.

It all began to change when the rumors started. I finally began to realize that their poison infected me. I was being bullied.

I immediately sought out guidance, and the school counselors, the principal, and my mom were able to help. Luckily, it was near the end of the year, so they were able to temporarily homeschool me.

In the end, they decided that the best course of action was for me to switch schools. Again. I was reluctant at first, but I knew that it was really my only choice. So, I transferred to Ylisse High School, and all was fixed.

However, I didn't want the bullying to begin again. I avoided people. I never talked when unnecessary. I became invisible.

...I never realized how much this hurt me.

My mental state became worse and worse. Every day, I would come home from school with a plastered smile. I told fake stories about my "friends". I pretended I was fine. Then, I would lock myself in my room and cry into my pillow. Mom always knew I was lying. She tried talking to me about it multiple times, but I wouldn't talk. I didn't want to burden her. She already has so much going on.

I kept saying that bottling up my emotions and feelings was the right thing to do. No one cared about me. No one ever will.

I think I finally snapped at the Winter Dance. The sound of everyone laughing at me reminded me of my old school. I did the only thing I could think of and ran away.

Then...a light finally came into my life.

Chrom was a persistent boy, I'll definitely give him that. But his endless attempts to befriend me warmed my heart. Even when I was faking being aloof. I can be vulnerable around him. So, when I finally became his friend: I truly smiled for the first time in a very, very long time. I remembered how to laugh, how to enjoy myself, how to live...

We've only been friends for a couple weeks, but he's already become my best friend.

For the first time, I walked to school with a warm feeling inside of me and a pep in my step.

"There you are!" Chrom ran up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Do you always walk to school?"

Speak of the devil... I smiled. "Yeah, like I've said: I don't live that far from the school! I'm only 10 minutes away!"

He put his hands in his pockets and nodded. "I see. Wait, you walk with all of those books?!" He nudged my backpack that was crammed with textbooks. It was so heavy that I was at risk of toppling over at any second.

I hefted the bag with a huff. "Nothing I can't handle!"

Chrom stopped me and frowned. "Let me carry some of those. The weight must hurt your back." he offered.