Supernova

Chapter Nineteen - One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

When I got back to the dorm common space, the laughter was muffled, but it did start. I curtsied and waved. Momo was looking at me knowingly, and it made her laugh, so it was worth it. Mina started screeching, and I made my way over to her. Everyone else was there too.

"Sorry I thought you tattled again," I told Bakugo with a nod. "But you do have a track record, so technically speaking, I was not out of line for thinking it."

"Fuck off," he scoffed at me, but it was softer than usual. Gross.

"Did you get in a lot of trouble?" Mina asked, grabbing my arm and pulling me into the spot between her and Kaminari.

"No, not at all." I told her. I shook my hair over my shoulders and into my face for my Aizawa imitation. "It was more like, Miss Stronghold, you'd better not corrupt any of my virtuous students into any more delinquent behaviour. Keep your no-good hands to yourself. Totally fine."

"Hope you guys got it out of your systems last night then," Sero joked.

"Shut up!" Bakugo yelled at him.

"Genius caption, by the way. I lost my fucking mind when Aizawa read it out to us," I told Kaminari, grabbing his arm. "Can you please send that to me?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Bakugo's eyes were on me now, and there was nothing soft about his tone.

"I tagged you in it," Kaminari told me. Oh brother. That wasn't good.

"I don't have access to any of my accounts," I told him. "Just send it to my phone."

"Why not?" Kiri asked, his eyes horrified by that confession in a way that confused me. I laughed and motioned to the phone in Kaminari's hand.

"Because I'd post stupid shit like this," I admitted, laughing more.

"Somebody thinks it's funny," Kaminari mocked, looking down into his phone.

"Take it down or you're dead!" Bakugo yelled at him.

"Stronghold," Neito told me, coming around the corner into the common space, holding his phone out, playing the video. "Are you cheating on me?"

I cackled as I got to my feet. "Neito! You saw it! Back me up, it's hilarious right?"

"This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen," Neito told me, looking back onto his screen. "I can't stop watching it."

"Fuck off!" Bakugo yelled at him. "You aren't supposed to be in here!"

"Relax, we're leaving," I told him, getting to my feet, and pushing Neito towards the door. "Let's go."

We laughed, rewatched, and reinacted it, with fake kissing of course, the entire way to the car. Tears were rolling down our cheeks. He asked me whether the punch or the puking was my favourite part, and I told him I didn't mind the kiss actually and he told me I'd really lost it and that there might still some time to wash my mouth out. He also told me that he was breaking up with me, saying that a whole lot of people sent him that video, and being considered in the same league as that total spazz wasn't something he wasn't interested in. I laughed and told him I understood and that I was sorry for his loss. He disappeared with Jojo the second we got into my house, and I was about to use moderate politeness to demand some breakfast out of Amy, but she looked more nervous than usual.

"Princess Stronghold," she began, and I could tell from her tone that it was an address and not a greeting. "Your father requests an audience with you in his study."

"Of course he does," I said, trying to mask the dread. "Stand down."

I hadn't been into my father's study in this house yet, but it looked more or less the same. The screen was behind him, displaying snow covered cherry blossom trees, and the desk was freshly stained. There were less accomplishments on the walls, and more pictures of me. I was relieved not to see any stack of papers on the desk.