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Going to a fancy private school wasn't something Dmitry ever imagined he would get to do until Vlad and Lily had adopted him. He went from being a dirt poor orphan boy, to being the adopted son of a rich retired actress and her devoted husband. He was seven years old when they visited the orphanage. For reasons he still didn't understand, they walked straight past all the babies and toddlers that were still cute enough to be a-shoo-in for adoption, and they picked him. He asked why once and Vlad just chuckled, saying that Lily and he couldn't have children, but they had always imagined having a boy just like him. His new family loved him and the thought made him smile for the first time in what felt like years.
Now at ten years old and attending the private school Lily chose for him, he sat alone, unsmiling, on a bench by the playground, watching the other students play.
Dmitry didn't really have friends. He was content having Vlad and Lily to call his parents. He didn't need anything else, really. He kept to himself while he was at the orphanage and the habit had stuck in the few years he had attended this school. Most of his classmates were rich snobs. Somehow it seemed like they all knew he was an orphan and avoided him like the plague. Apparently having rich adoptive parents didn't change how he was seen in their eyes.
He was working on his homework alone on his bench outside during recess as usual, until a small blonde girl with striking blue eyes plopped down next to him. He glanced at her and noticed her tiny frame. She was definitely younger than him by a few years but she sat with a regality beyond her years. Her uniform was pristine and it contrasted her scuffed up knees and chipped multicolored nail polish. At a second glace he noticed her mismatched socks as her feet dangled from the bench, her feet not able to touch the ground. He tried to ignore her presence until he felt a tap on his shoulder. He sighed and turned to see a bright smiling face. He raised an eyebrow expectantly.
"I'm Anastasia." She said cheerfully, he legs swinging under the bench.
"Can I help you with something Anastasia?" He asked with an edge of annoyance, turning back to his homework.
"You looked lonely." When he didn't respond she looked at his papers and wrinkled her nose at the sight of math problems. "Are you doing homework? Why? It's recess! You're supposed to be playing!"
"Shouldn't you be playing then? Why are you here with me?" He asked, trying to get her to leave him alone.
"'Cause you looked lonely, duh! Where are your friends?" She saw him stiffen at the mention of friends and her smile faded. "Oh. Hey it's okay. I don't have many friends either. My classmates don't like me much. They say I'm bossy and stubborn and I play too rough sometimes. They're just babies. I have sisters, but Olga and Tatya are a lot older, and Maria doesn't play with me at school. My brother isn't old enough for school yet and he gets sick a lot. I'm eight. How old are you?"
He sighed and put away his books. He certainly wasn't getting anything done while she was blabbing in his ear, so he decided to indulge her until she got bored and moved on to someone else.
"I'm ten." He said, turning to fully face her. Her bright blue eyes widened in excitement.
"You're Maria's age! Do you know her?"
"I dunno."
"Hmm..." She pursed her lips and then smiled again. "I'll just ask her later if she knows you!"
"You do that." He watched her brows furrow for a second before returning to normal.
"You didn't tell me your name."
"Didn't i?"
"Nope." She popped the 'P' in 'Nope' and smiled. This girl sure did smile a lot.
"Dmitry." He gave in, figuring she'd forget it by tomorrow.
"Dmitry..." She tried the name out and pursed her lips again. "Do I have to call you that?"
"What? I mean... It's my name... What's wrong with it?" He was caught off guard by the question and stared blankly at her, mildly offended by her rejection of his name.
"Well duh it's your name! Nothing's wrong with it, but everyone calls you Dmitry, right?" He nodded, still confused, and she continued. "So then it's not special when I say it. As your new best friend, I insist on giving you a nickname that only I can call you."
"Wait, what? Best friend?" He asked, confused. She ignored him, concentrating on finding the perfect nickname.
"I'll call you... Dima!" She beamed with excitement and looked at him expectantly.
"What?"
"It's your turn. Now you give me a nickname."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"A nickname. Everyone calls me Anastasia and my family calls me Nastya, so you need something different to call me." She said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Um okay... uh..." He wracked his brain for a nickname to satisfy the little loud mouth sitting beside him and almost smiled at the thought of having her as his new companion. Considering she actually wanted to befriend him, she obviously either didn't know that he was an an orphan that was adopted into this lifestyle instead of being born into it, or she simply didn't care. She seemed like the type to be the latter.
"Anya." He finally said. She contemplated it for a moment and smiled brightly at him again, practically beaming, before throwing her arms around him in a quick, tight hug and pulling away, practically bouncing in her seat before he could respond to the sudden contact that startled a small smile out of him.
"Perfect! No one's called me that before. I like it! Anya and Dima, Best Friends Forever!!!" She exclaimed excitedly, bursting into giggles. Her laughter was contagious and he found himself laughing along with her. The bell rang for class and she hopped down off the bench. "Bye Dima! I'll see you tomorrow!!" She waved and started skipping towards the school building happily.
He gave her a small wave and smiled to himself. He was incredibly confused about what just happened, but he couldn't bring himself to be upset, or even annoyed that he got no work done today. Apparently he had a new friend.