Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“I hate that I still like this,” The girl admits after finishing the second season of Phoenix Drop High. After nearly a decade, she decided to rewatch it to see how it felt. “It's still pretty good, but I can't believe I squealed during parts of it like a little girl.”

It is three a.m. when she collapses onto her pillows and closes her laptop. She quickly falls asleep while imagining the world she just saw. She fantasized about what it would be like to enter the world on her own.

Little did she know that she would awaken in the world she had only witnessed, but not in the way she had imagined.  

The girl awakens and attempts to stretch, only to realize she is unable to move. Panic sets in as she tries to move; it is as though she is being restrained. She tries to scream, but it sounds strange. All she can hear is a baby crying. Then footsteps. 

“My Irene! Is that a baby?” A voice in the direction of the footsteps approaches. When they get close, she recognizes them. It is Aphmau's mother, Sylvanna, but about a decade younger. 

She wasn’t sure how she recognized her, as she was only pixels on a screen before, but somehow, she knew it was her.

She realizes she is a baby when she is picked up and held in Sylvanna's arms. From her new vantage point, she notices baby Aphmau in a carrier on the ground. 

“Who would leave a baby at someone's doorstep? Oh dear, calm down. I will take you inside and find out what happened,” Sylvanna says as she takes the two girls inside. 

That is how she began her new life in this new world. She kept the memories of her previous life, but her only possessions were the blanket she was wrapped in, a pouch, and a small note that read: 

The note was unsigned, but it was assumed to have been written by her birth mother in this world. The pouch held diamonds of unknown origins but was worth millions. Luckily, Sylvanna saved most of that money and put it in three accounts.

One was her account, which she could use to pay bills, buy groceries, etc. The other two were for later use once the girls grew up. It would cover their college tuition if they chose to attend, and it would allow them to begin their lives on a solid foundation.

Sylvanna was not greedy; she only took what was necessary. She left the majority to the two girls and divided it equally between them.

Wisteria's life became increasingly difficult over the next fourteen years. She had to relearn how to walk and speak, as well as go through puberty again. 

She also had to deal with the drama in her new family. With her adult brain, she would always remember things she should not have understood nor remembered as a child.

She also struggled to keep her past life a secret. The task of keeping her past hidden was simple, but she was far too intelligent for her age. What toddler understands Fibonacci or why the sky is blue?

When she was six, she could not hide her intelligence any longer. After six years of pretending to have average intelligence for her age, she made a mistake that was too serious to ignore.

She was caught during her first week of kindergarten. She didn’t realize that one of the assignments was a test by the teacher to see what the students knew before coming to school. She, of course, knew far more than she should have and got caught. 

She also had a problem with finishing her assignments too quickly. She tried to slow down and intentionally give incorrect answers, but one can only go so far without making a mistake.

Wisteria was not a real genius, but when you put a lifetime of knowledge into a baby, they will seem like a genius. ABCs are boring when you already know how to read and write. 

When they found out she was smart, they wanted to put her in an advanced education program. She had to swallow her pride and throw a tantrum to avoid being placed in the special education program.

Her mother respected the decision after Wisteria said she did not want to leave Aphmau. This was true, but she also did not want to draw attention to herself. School was boring, but she completed her grades alongside her sister.

Her new life wasn't all bad. She grew up in a loving family, saw what the Ro'Meave brothers were like as children, and is now starting high school. 

Wisteria was especially excited to meet the Ro'Meaves again now that she was starting high school. Aphmau and the boys were too young to remember their childhood together, but it was still vivid in her mind.

Her family did not stay in touch after they moved, but she knew they would attend the same high school. She knew from the series that they would not remember her, but she wanted to befriend them again, even if it would hurt.

Wisteria was downstairs, packed and ready for her first day of high school, waiting for Aphmau to finish her 'hiding from the world' fits. When she sees Aphmau walk down the stairs, she grabs her belongings. 

“Ready to go, Aph? You were so excited to start high school, and it is too late to back out now.”

"Yeah, Mom gave me some advice. Let's go!" Aphmau says as she adjusts her backpack straps, preparing to leave.

“Not so fast, Mijas! You know what we do every year on your first day of school,” their mother says, holding up her phone to signal that it was time for photos. 

“Mommm. Why do we always have to take pictures on the first day of school?” Aphmau whines. 

“Because my babies are growing up! I want to be able to look back and remember how adorable my baby girls were before they grow any bigger!”

"Come on, let's pose and get this over with. You know she always wins." Wisteria says as she drops her bag to the floor and drags Aphmau to the spot where they take photos every year.

They pose for photos before heading to school. When they reach the school's steps, Aphmau suggests they take a selfie together. They pose together for a selfie when someone bumps into them. Aphmau still takes the photo, and it turns out perfect.

"How can you complain about posing for a picture for Mom when you do the exact same thing as her?" Wisteria teases Aphmau as she posts the picture on social media. 

"Hey! This is different. At least we are both in the photo! She only wants them of us, not our time spent together!" Aphmau argues.

Wisteria laughs but does not argue against Aphmau. 

Wisteria and Aphmau walk up to the front doors. “I don't think it is time to go in yet,” Wisteria says, looking around at all the other students outside. 

The students are standing around in groups, chatting together, and not trying to enter the school. Many of the students seemed to have known each other from prior years of high school or middle school.

Aphmau doesn't listen and tries to open the door anyway. “What? Why is the door locked? Did they forget to open it on the first day?”

Someone giggles behind them before Wisteria can say anything. “I assume you're both freshmen.”

They both turn to face Teony, an upperclassman. She describes how the doors are opened on the first day of school, forcing everyone to flood in and causing chaos. Teony and Wisteria attempt to calm the nervous Aphmau but are unsuccessful.

Wisteria had previously attended high school, so she knew what to expect this time around. She hoped it would be a better experience than last time, and despite her nervousness, she kept it hidden. 

Teony is soon called away by a teacher, leaving Aphmau and Wisteria alone. "There are still 10 minutes left, and everyone is in a group! Is it just us alone?" Aphmau rambles. 

“Calm down, Aph. It will be okay. It’s only 10 minutes, and you aren't alone. You got me.” Wisteria smiles reassuringly, putting her thumb to her chest.

“But everyone is going to look at us, and—” Aphmau says as she steps back. Before Wisteria can stop her, she collides with Garroth. 

He grabs her arms to prevent her from falling. "H-hey, are you ok?" He asks. Aphmau stutters a bunch of apologies before looking at his face and freezing. She is so focused on him that she does not hear him speak. 

Wisteria watches in amusement, a hand covering her lips to keep her from laughing. She could have been nice and saved her sister sooner, but she waited for her to embarrass herself before intervening. 

She grabs Aphmau's shoulders and pulls her back into her chest, saying, "I am sorry about her. It is our first day, so she is a bit nervous. Thanks for catching my little sister."

"Ahh, freshman. No wonder she was acting so weird. It was no problem, as she only ran into me. Just watch where you are going next time. Take care, and see you around." He says before leaving. 

"You cool; thanks for help me. Ugh, why did you let me say that!" Aphmau, embarrassed, buries her head in Wisteria's shoulder.

Wisteria lets out a laugh. "But you were so cute. I didn't want to ruin your chance to drool over your dreamboat there." Aphmau softly punches her sister's arm, annoyed by her teasing, before wiping her mouth to ensure she wasn't drooling. 

Two girls walk up and say, “Well, didn't you look all pathetic, drooling all over him? I saw you playing that innocent freshman act. Don't get any ideas because he is mine.” Before walking away as the school bell rings. 

"What was that about?" A confused Aphmau asks. 

"Nothing important. Come on, Aph. Let's follow the crowd. I am sure it will lead us to where we gotta go," Wisteria says, dragging Aphmau along to get their IDs and class schedules. 

Wisteria and Aphmau share a homeroom but do not take any classes together. Unfortunately, they got lost on their way to homeroom. Wisteria has a worse sense of direction than Aphmau, leading them to get lost. 

"No, no, no, no! This can't be happening!" Aphmau panics as she slides down a locker and sits on the floor. 

“I know the bell rang like ten minutes ago, and we still can't find the damn classroom. This school is way too big!” Wisteria sighs and joins Aphmau on the floor. 

"Are you ok?" Laurence asks as he walks up. Wisteria looks up to face him, but Aphmau keeps her head down. 

"No, we are not. We are lost and have no clue where to go." Aphmau responds. Wisteria slowly stands up. 

"Freshman, right? Didn't you get a school packet in the mail over the summer? They were sent out to all the local middle school kids entering high school." 

“We were homeschooled.”

"Oh well, let me see your schedule then," He says. Aphmau finally looks up as she hands him her schedule. She freezes for a moment when she realizes how attractive he is. 

"Please don't tell me you are falling for my looks," He says, looking at her schedule and giving her a cheeky smile. 

“No, no, no, no, no, no, that's not it.” She panics and laughs as she rushes to stand.

“No need to lie; I have that effect on most girls in this school. But don't let these looks take advantage of you.” He winks. 

Wisteria decides to chime in before Aphmau embarrasses herself further. “The only thing we plan to take advantage of is your help getting to homeroom.”

“Oh, a girl who isn’t affected by my charm? Well, lucky for you, your class is nearby. I will walk you there.” He says as he leads Wisteria and Aphmau to their homeroom. 

Once there, Aphmau speaks up. "Sorry for probably making you late to your class."

"Naw, no worries. I am actually setting up at the club social for all the freshmen, so I'll probably see you two there." 

"You probably will. Hopefully, we won't look as lost there." Wisteria says. 

Laurence says, "I will be glad to see you two again," and starts walking away, but he stops and turns to look at Wisteria and Aphmau. "By the way, that uniform looks good on you two." He says before walking away again.

Aphmau screeches like a fangirl as Wisteria's cheeks flush. "He called us cute! Ugh, wait, he probably has a girlfriend or something. We have to get to class!" She says as they both enter class. 

"Stop, wait, let me guess. The whole you're new, so you got lost excuse. You are lucky it is the first day and you are freshmen. The school sent home orientation packets when you—" Says the teacher as they walk in.

“We were homeschooled!” Aphmau screeches out.

"Oh, I see. Well, I won't give you flak for that. What is your name?"

"Aphmau—" Aphmau says quickly before being cut off. 

"I see your name. It's unique. Go ahead and take your seat. And yours?" The teacher asks as Aphmau quickly finds a seat.

"Wisteria," Wisteria replies before taking a seat. She sits in the empty seat in front of Zane. 

"Alright, take your seat as well. We are almost done taking roll call." He continues to call roll until he gets to the last name on the list. “And last, Zane Ro’meave?”

“Here,” Zane says. 

“Ro’meave, are you related to—” The teacher gets cut off by Zane. 

“Yes,” He sighs, “I am.”

“You’ve got a big name to live up to. I expect great things from you. Well, that is it for roll call. You can all mingle, and then we’ll head over to the club social.” The teacher says before sitting down at his desk.

Wisteria quickly stands up, walks over, and speaks to Aphmau. “Hey, Aph. Talk to the person next to you. We are all new here, so take the chance to make friends. I'm going to test my luck with the kid behind me.”

"Hey, wait!" Aphmau tries to protest, but Wisteria walks away and returns to her seat. Before speaking to Zane, she observes Aphmau for a minute to ensure that she is all right speaking to the student next to her.

Aphmau stares at her as if asking her not to make her do this alone, but Wisteria only smiles and does shooing hand motions. Aphmau sighs before she starts to talk to the person next to her.

Now that Aphmau was settled, Wisteria turned around in her chair and focused on Zane. "Zane, was it? You don't have to listen to any of the crap the teacher said about living up to anyone's name. It's good to be unique."

Zane looks up from his notebook and huffs. "And what's it to you whether I’m like my brother or not?"

"Nothing. You seemed displeased to be compared to someone. Figured a cutie like you didn't need the extra pressure on his first day of school." She says with a kind smile. 

"C-c-cute? I am not cute, you girl-woman thing!" He says, the tips of his ears turning red as he buries his head into his notebook. 

“Awww, don't be shy. I like your face mask. Did you make it? It matches the school uniform; did you find the same fabric to make it?”

He perks up at the sound of his face mask being complimented. "You like my face mask?"

"Yeah, it's cool. I just met you, but I think it suits you. If you made it, you should show me how to make one sometime. I wish I had your confidence. I don't think I have the confidence to wear it all the time like you."

His blush grows deeper. "Yes, I made it. It is quite easy, but I'm not sure you could do it right. But I guess I could show you how sometime."

"Great, would you like to go around with me when it's time for the club social?" She excitedly asks.

Wisteria knew the Ro'Meave boys had forgotten about her and did not mind starting over. She figured it would be a good way to tease him later for forgetting about her. Especially Zane, who used to follow her around like a lost puppy when they were children. 

"Sure. I guess I could go with you." He says, trying to act nonchalant. 

"Sounds good," She says as she steals his notebook from him. She quickly wrote her number on the corner of the page he was drawing on. "Cute drawings. There’s my number, so feel free to text me whenever you want." 

Zane is left flabbergasted in his seat when the teacher speaks, “Alright, class. We are headed out to meet all the clubs and upperclassmen. Line up, and let's get going.”

The students quickly pack their belongings and slowly file out into the hallway, following the teacher to the gymnasium for the club social.