Fiery Love

Chapter 44: Goodbye New York

You POV
The following morning was the day of the Physical Finals. Mom woke me up real early to get ready for this event. I do my usual routine, wake up take my medication, brush hair and teeth, take a quick shower, get dressed, then wait for mom to get ready. My outfit consists of a simple black skin tight crop top, with some ripped jeans, a pair of black converse, accessories were some small gold chain necklaces with bracelets to go with them, and a blue puffer jacket. I think I'm pretty strange, while it takes me 15 minutes to get ready, it takes mom an hour to do her hair. I think I was born in the wrong body, oh well I guess I gotta accept that I'm trapped inside a girl's body. While I lie down texting on the phone, mom finally comes after what felt like an eternity. We quickly rush off to find a cab that takes us to Hero League Academy. The traffic is unbelievable, this way worse when a villain attacks New York City, traffic was never backed up this badly. Luckily for us our taxi cab driver happens to have a quirk that allows any object he touches to go through other objects. While we were slipping through the roads we got some awkward stares, but no matter I will get to Hero League Academy on time to support my fellow old classmates. I'm kinda nervous it's already gonna be almost a year since I have left New York, and to be seeing my old teachers and classmates is kinda nerve wrecking. My nerve got interrupted when the cab stopped and my mom tugging on my sleeve to show me we have arrived. Hero League Academy, I am back.
Thanks to muscle memory I was able to lead mom where the events where being held. A staff recognized me and came up to mom and me "Mrs.(L/N) and Ms.(L/N) it's so good to see our former student and parent come back and visit. Do we have a treat for you this afternoon. This year's physical finals are gonna be something like you've never seen before. Come, come, come Im sure you are dying to see your former coach!" The staff hurriedly and excitedly ushered us into a little venue that had a big glass window that over looked the stadium. Crowds filled the stadium, event workers were hurrying up to get everything set up for the events and opening act, and everyone getting riled up for the finals to begin. In the little venue there where a lot of people in business suits, everyone casually talking, and taking sips of their glass champagne. I was starting to feel like I should have dressed up a bit more seeing that I am in the supposed VIP section. "Kiddo!" I hear a familiar gruff voice exclaim, I turn around to find coach walking towards me "Coach." I salute off "Look at you! You looking like a real hero! Ah and if it isn't Mrs.(L/N)!" He greets us with a handshake "It's good to see you Mr.Barker." My mom greets "Please call me Philip after all I'm not your daughter's coach anymore. So kiddo how's that UA school, is it legendary as they make it seem?" Coach asks me "Its way better." I smirk "Ah really now, did you find someone to replace me or somethin'" he nudges "Nah, they don't make it hard like you do coach." I tease. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the physical finals are about to begin. Please stand up for the National Anthem."
"Let us continue on with the second to last event of the day, let the team battle royal commence!" Everything has been super extreme, there has 2 meter race filled with all kinds of obstacles and traps, kids using quirks to get ahead, then after that they performed a rescue and evacuation drill, and now they are going to do team battle royal. "So what do you think about your ex-classmates now (Y/N)?" Coach smugs "Not gonna lie they've gotten stronger. However if I went up against them, they would look like chumps." I smirk "Oh someone's gotten competitive." Coach chuckles. Coach and I continue to commentate the battles, him giving me pointers on what the team should have done instead, I also tell him about all of my classmates in 1-a, mom is cheering and screaming at the teams that are fighting each other. It was nice to be back home, although I love Japan and consider it my other home it's nice to have a few days away from what's going on back there. Here I am surrounded by people that knew me, places that I'm very familiar with, and foods that I have definitely missed. No UA, no work studies, no quirk destroyers, and no weird tension between Bakugou and me.
In the battle royal, a couple of my classmates have moved on to the final round of the exams, and that is one on one battle. There were a couple of students that I was cheering on, but it did not compared to when Tristan or Jame stepped up to the arena. Let's just say a couple of hero agency recruits were looking at me a bit funny. As they continued on to win with their opponents, they got to one round closer to going against each other, and when the time did come for them to face each other I didn't know who to root. Knowing them, no matter what happens there's not gonna be any hard feelings. On the giant monitors you could see both of them getting excited and fired up, which got me fired up too. As soon as the horn went off, both of them went running towards each other. Tristan activating his speed quirk to get the first punch in, to only find himself almost stepping out of line when he realized his opponent also activated his quirk shrinking himself. Obviously due to his size Tristan is carful to not move around to much incase he were to crush his boyfriend, before he even got the chance to look around Jame pops out of nowhere and swings hit leg to knock over Tristan. Tristan skids across the other side of the arena before quickly jumping back up ready for the next attack. They go at it with each other for a couple of minutes, Jame perfectly executing the use of sneak attack, and Tristan being able to jump back up and get it a couple of punches once figuring out Jame's battle style. The battle was over when Tristan snuck up behind Jame, locking his arms behind Shia back and pushing him onto the ground, causing Jame to be immobile declaring Tristan as the winner of that round.
We met up with Jame's and Tristan's parents outside of the school building. Both boys walking hand in hand wearing their medals, Jame came in third, Tristan in second place, and the first place winner was given to some kid that was in a different class. "YOU GUYS WERE AWESOME!" I jumped to them giving them a big bear hug "Thanks." They both return the hug, and our parents also joined in. The rest of the evening we went out on a celebratory dinner, New York City's finest pizza place. We all gushed on how great the boys were, and how great the other students were as well "Now that exams are finally over, it's time to relax." Jame sighs excitedly "You know tomorrow they are going to be giving us our assigned apprenticeship at a hero agency right?" Tristan says, as soon as those words left his mouth Jame sulked and hit his head on the table. We all giggle at his childish behavior while Tristan tries to comfort his poor devastated boyfriend. The night continued on as we all headed back to Tristan's place so the adults can talk while the three of us can go upstairs and hangout in Tristan's room. "So you leaving tomorrow morning huh?" Tristan asks, looking up at the ceiling "Yeah." I say twirling around his desk chair "I wish you could stay here a bit longer." Jame grumbles "Me too, but I have a mission to go to, I can't miss it." I explain "You nervous?" Jame asks "Hm, only a little, if it were just me than I would be." I smile softly "Promise us that you'll be safe." Tristan says seriously, a small smile appears on my face "I promise once the mission is over I'll tell you guys all about it." I say.
We arrived at our hotel room at around 11:00 mom and I were pretty exhausted, and we didn't go to bed till 12:00. We stayed up packing our belongings and setting up our alarms so we can wake up early enough. The De La Rosas are gonna pick us up and drive us to the airport, apparently they said they wanted to give me something before I leave, no doubt it's going to be something that used to belong to Melissa, which I'm kinda dreading about. Although it's nice that they would want to give me something that belonged to her, I don't wanna be reminded that she's not here. It was already hard enough to see her gravestone again, I feel like more weight is going to be placed on me if apart of her is going to be with me physically because she's already intruding my dreams. Nonetheless I will respect their wishes, plus gives me a chance to see them once last time before I go back to Japan.
Surprise surprise, turns out they weren't the only ones bidding us farewell. Jame and Tristan also tagged along, the car ride was bittersweet as we talked for this would be the last time we get to talk like for awhile, each of us we are going to be busy with our hero work studies and school. Mom and the De La Rosas we are also talking as well,  although we only saw them twice on this visit mom always knows what to say them, meanwhile I have no idea what to say to them, still do. Once we get to the airport we all hug each other and say our goodbyes, obviously Jame and I are the ones tearing up and Tristan is the one comforting us, mostly me because I'm his favorite female friend, nothing to do with the fact that Jame accidentally shrunk himself and we have no clue where he is. Nope not at all. By the time I got to the De La Rosas they pulled out an envelope and along a leathered book "We recently found them in her room, the envelope was addressed to you before she passed away, and the book was a scrap book she was making for you." Mrs.De La Rosa explains as her eyes started to get watery, her husband pulls her to his side and comforts her and looks at me with the same sadness "We all know how much she cared about the three of you, and she wanted you to never ever feel like you were gone. So she wanted compile a bunch of memories for you to look at and be apart of." Mr.De La Rosa adds on. I look at them both before landing my eyes on the book and the envelope, I shakily go and grab them, and ever oh so slightly trace my name she wrote on, Melissa always had better handwriting out of all us. I look at them back and out of habit, I bow "Thank you, I promise I will put them in a safe place." I say. As I lifted my head I could hear them whimper a bit before I am pulled in to their arms holding me so tightly. I feel Jame and Tristan join in, and mom as well. We stay like this for a bit before we take off back to Japan.