//------------------------------// // 5. Standing Up To Flash // Story: A Dazzle In Her Eye // by Joshua the Dragonslayer //------------------------------// The next day Adagio and Anon had gotten to school earlier than normal. Adagio had taken Anon to the back of the school, where the schoolyard was. When they got there Adagio had taken off the jacket she had on, underneath was her cheerleader outfit and Anon couldn't help but get a glimpse of her. To him, she looked absolutely stunning in her cheerleading outfit with her hair tied in a bun.  "Okay, Anon, I know how to help you. Just look at what I do." Adagio said as she placed her backpack on the ground and walked a bit forward and started doing a few stretches. "Okay... but what am I looking at exactly?" Anon asked with a confused expression plastered on his face. "I've been trying to learn a new move for my cheerleading routine. But I haven't been able to get it right. I keep falling or I get too dizzy and can't land on my feet. So if you watch me persevere and master it then you'll understand what having confidence is all about. To persevere you have to have the confidence to do so. Just watch what I do." Adagio said as she finished her stretches. "But I'm here. Won't I get in your way of practicing?" Anon asked. "I don't want to be a bother to you."  "Don't worry about that. Once I'm in the zone I can channel everything out. So to me, you won't even be here." Adagio said as she gave Anon a smile.   Anon looked at her surprised but still with a bit of worry. "Okay?" Anon said cautiously. "If you say so, Adagio. But be careful, if you hurt yourself then I'm going to have to step in and help you." Adagio blushed at Anon's words. Here Anon was once again being her hero. How could he act like that and not be confident? Adagio sighed, her plan just had to work, so without missing a beat she started to try her new move. The move was simple but could be dangerous if done incorrectly. Adagio had to jump in the air, do a spin, and land on the ground. To one, it may sound easy but it was way more complex to do, more so master. Adagio then jumped in the air and spun; she was able to land but she soon fell to the ground due to the dizziness getting to her.  Anon had seen everything that had happened, especially Adagio falling to the ground. At first, he got nervous but he soon saw her get up and try her trick once again. To Anon, the move didn't even look possible to do as he frowned. Adagio looked over at Anon and saw his frown, seeing that only wanted to push her, even more, to show Anon that anything was possible and to show him exactly what confidence was. It had been some time since Adagio had started practicing the move she was trying to master. No matter how hard she tried and what she did she kept on falling to the ground, but she continued to get back up for Anon's sake. Seeing Adagio preserve and get back up impressed Anon immensely. If that was him doing that he would've given up a long time ago, heck, he wouldn't even of joined the cheer team in the first place as he would've been scared to mess up or something.  Adagio kept on trying and trying but still proceeded to fail, and the more she tried the closer she knew she was getting. The school bell was about to ring in a few minutes, and time was running out. She was getting closer, she knew it, she was on the brink of a revolution she just had to keep trying. She got back up and took a deep breath, sweat dripping down her forehead, she looked at Anon and saw him staring at her. She breathed in and out to help calm herself down, after a quick break she then decided to try the move one last time. So she took a running start and jumped in the air. Adagio spun in the air and landed feet on the ground, she opened her eyes and noticed she wasn't on the ground, she had landed perfectly on her feet. Adagio couldn't believe it, she had done it! Anon couldn't believe it either, Adagio had actually landed the move!  Anon stared at Adagio wide-eyed and impressed. Adagio actually did it. Anon looked at Adagio and she looked at him. Obviously, they were both surprised but yet still happy for her. Anon looked into Adagio's eyes and saw the passion and fire, was this what confidence did to someone? Make them do things that seemed near impossible, to make them get up and try again and again until they succeeded? "See Anon!" Adagio looked at Anon with a smile. "All you have to do is just believe and you can achieve your goals! Persevere through the tough times, and push yourself and you can do it! That's what having confidence is all about!" Anon was surprised but he couldn't help but smile at Adagio. "Yeah, I guess so. I didn't think you could do it but you definitely proved me wrong. Good job, Adagio." "Thanks, Anon. But if I can do it then you can too. Flash will most likely try to do something to you and will continue until you show him you're not one to be messed around with. You and I both know that after the broken desk incident. That could be your chance to show Flash you're not going to let him boss you around anymore." Adagio looked at her watch and noticed the time, school was going to start in a few minutes. Adagio put her jacket back on and retrieved her backpack. "Now we should get going, it's almost time for class to start." Adagio said as she started making her way to class.  "Yeah, let's go." Anon said as he began walking with Adagio. With what Adagio had said, set a fire in Anon. With Adagio by Anon's side, Anon felt as though he could do anything. Flash was probably going to do something, but Anon would be ready for whatever that would be. Unbeknownst to either of them, that moment would come much sooner than they thought. It was the break of the day and Anon was hanging out with Adagio. The two were happily having a conversation with one another when out of nowhere Flash came by. He grabbed Anon by his shirt collar and threw him up against a wall. Anon groaned as his body was slammed into the wall and Adagio couldn't help but sigh, they just couldn't get away from Flash and his antics. "You think you're funny, don't you? Messing with my desk and making it look as if I broke it. I said you were going to pay for that and you're going to pay." Flash said as he cranked back his arm ready to punch Anon. Anon looked back at Adagio and Adagio nodded her head, Anon looked back at Flash. No more. Flash wasn't going to boss him or anyone else ever again. Anon stood up and got right up to Flash, putting on his best serious face even though he was still a bit afraid.   "Flash, I didn't mess with your stupid desk. It must have been old or something. You always put your feet on it so you probably did break it. You just think it's me because you don't like me. I haven't done anything to you, I don't know why you hate me so much." Anon said, but he then glared at Flash. "But I'm done being afraid of you, you've hurt so many people, especially me, so I'm asking you to please stop!" Adagio smiled, she was proud of Anon. He was finally starting to stand up for himself. Adagio looked over to Flash, and to say he was surprised would be an understatement. He probably never had someone talk back at him like that. But now here was Anon finally standing his ground to Flash, and now Flash was the surprised one.  "You want to know why I hate you? I'll tell you why. You try to be the little peacemaker but whenever you're the one in the fire you act like a little baby and can't fight your own battles. You try to help others and help fight their battles but you can't even stand up for yourself. That's why I hate you and I always will!" Flash yelled.   Adagio was dumbfounded, that's why he hated Anon? Because he couldn't stand up for himself? That was a stupid reason to hate Anon, and it wasn't even Anon's fault. It was a good thing that she had been helping Anon with his confidence issues.  "What do you think I'm doing right now? I'm standing up to you, Flash. I didn't break your desk, so leave me alone. I haven't done anything to you, you've just always been rude to me." Anon said as he continued to hold his ground against Flash.   Flash smiled. Adagio didn't know why he was smiling, nor did she like the fact that he was smiling. He was losing to Anon but yet he was smiling like he had won. Was Adagio missing something... or was this some sort of plan of Flash's?  "This is what I've been waiting for. You're finally standing up for yourself. Just know this... it still won't be enough to beat me. You have confidence, so what? I can still beat you in a fight, I always have. I'll give you this one Anon, but you won't be so lucky next time." Flash said as he gave a wave of what looked to be sympathy to Anon. Flash walked away leaving Adagio and Anon to themselves once again. Anon looked back at Adagio with shock. "Did I really just do that? Did I actually stand up to Flash and somehow manage to win and not get a black eye in the making?"   Adagio couldn't help but smile at Anon. "Yes, yes you did. I knew you could do it Anon! Now he knows you can't be messed with." Anon looked at Adagio and then looked back at where Flash had walked away. "I may have won today, somehow, but Flash is stronger than that, I know that. He gave me that win out of his free will. I still have a long way to go until I have full confidence like you. But I'm not going to let him step over me like I'm some bug."   Nodding, Adagio looked where Anon was looking as well. "You said it Anon. And I'll be with you during the whole thing."   Anon looked back and couldn't but smile. "Thank you, Adagio." Anon did it; he finally stood up to Flash. His goals were one step closer to being completed. No longer was Flash in control of him. He was making a stand, Flash would no longer bully people if he had anything to say about it. Someone had to stop him and that person that would stop him once and for all would be Anon.