Fanfiction

 The sun rose like a red-hot star over the horizon, signaling the start of yet another school day. The air turned cool as I stepped outside - not that it was an issue for a man such as myself. My hair swayed as a warm breeze blew past - one of many attractive gifts.

I glanced toward the horizon, admiring the beautiful blue sky as a smile rose to my lips. There was no better sight than watching the sunrise from my front yard; something about the way it reflected against the clouds made my heart skip a beat. Nothing could hope to replace the beauty morning provided.

And school had the nerve to ruin every bit.

"Man, you don't look so good. How late did you stay up binging clips?" Sitting in the row above, suspect number two asked. An amateur voice actor and author, Dakota had all the potential in the world to know a world like Astella’s. Just maybe not the right attitude.

"Didn't get a lot of sleep," I lied, rubbing my eyes as I turned away from the window. "I stayed up all night doing homework."

"Dang, that sucks. Anyway, I want you to hear me out-"

"Absolutely not."

"I didn't even say anything yet!"

"Last time you said those words, you spent a week straight writing the most unhinged rom-com known to man."

"How are humanoid Venus Flytraps unhinged?"

I sighed. "That sentence speaks for itself."

"Whatever, this time I'm really on to something! So imagine. There's this girl like any other, an orphan in the slums - having to resort to thievery to survive. Yet she has a secret!"

"Wow, how creative."

"Just you wait! One day, she goes too far and gets the attention of a high-ranking noble. However, she gets rescued by a group of thieves, and not just any thieves! When they ingest metal-"

"And there's the catch. I knew this sounded too good to be true. Dakota, with an original idea that doesn't sound straight out of a mental institution? It's always one of those." Could Dakota be the leaker? She matched the energy,, but her acting ability would have to be off the charts. Dakota was eccentric to a tee. Damn it, why did this have to be so hard?

"Dang it, thought I had one on you."

"Least the humanoid Venus Flytraps were original."

"They were awesome! The way they-"

"Don't say it."

My last bit of sanity was saved as Ms. Hani walked in, followed by the last remnants of our class. All eight candidates were present and ready. Or in other worlds…

The leaker was currently in the room!

"Class, I have an important announcement to make." Ms. Hani's voice carried an unnaturally somber tone. "Recently, one of our students in your guys' grade suffered a data breach relating to work done on their off time - specifically relating to their high school of choice. While luckily their name or appearance wasn't leaked, they have brought up concerns of stalkers and rabid fans showing up to our school unannounced."

Everyone's shot around during the pause, some more knowing than others. Sadly I still needed to enlighten some non-believers about the glory of Astella. Clearly, this was a recent development in Ms. Hani's eyes, so easily within the last few days - probably less.

"While we would love to assume the best, we live in a turbulent world. Because of this, we ask every student here to keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior - and don't be afraid to report anything, no matter how small. Girls especially, take care to stay on well lit roads on your way home and travel with friends if you can. Feel free to tell your classmates as well."

As my eyes met Val's, a wave of understanding flowed between our gazes. Finding Astella was more important than ever.

"Now let's get started with this week's lesson!" Ms. Hani clapped her hands together before opening her mouth to speak. "Today, we will be looking at a new method to derive expon..." Her lengthy drawl faded to a mere whisper - white noise readily ignored. Internet videos taught way better than she could ever hope to achieve; not like I'd pass the next test anyway. With a well practiced motion, I swiftly pulled out my phone undetected. But for once, my fingers didn't dare to dance around my live streaming app.

I'd asked around, gathering name after name for my search committee, making sure to include all eight candidates, of course. Patrick's info would be staying close to my heart, and what better way to investigate them but by working together? All in all, fourteen names were plastered in the official Astella search committee chat - one of my proudest achievements.

One text later and my afternoon was set "Head to the cafeteria after class, right corner. We got some parasocials to slaughter!"

Fourteen... would that be enough? For now, the smartest move was simply examining all eight candidates. If I was able to narrow it down this far with a bit of help, surely there would be a few others, and who knew if Patrick spoke to anyone else about Astella's identity - not that I expected another zip from him. Everything in that man's brain had a calculated aura to it. Whatever his plan was, we were all perfect pawns, whether we liked it or not.

A sudden vibration shook me from my thoughts as the hallways filled with chatter - a short period of silence before the usual noise returned. I checked my phone again, seeing message after message pop up in response. At least we'll be at capacity.

As my eyes glanced over to Charlotte, pointedly drawing every word spouted out from Ms. Hani's mouth like gospel, a tugging feeling arose from the bottom of my chest. I couldn't help but feel nervous. She was far from my only girl friend, so why was my worry so exponentially stronger whenever she got involved?