Everlasting Winter

The empty desk

Todoroki POV

The next day I made it out of my room. Natsuo printed off a picture of my class last night and left it on my desk. I can't stop looking at the picture. I have a thing about pictures, they help me see new situations before I'm in them. I walk over to my small bookshelf and grab my photo album from middle school, it is full of pictures. Pictures that remind me of who I am away from the burning eye of my father. I flip to the back of the book where I keep a bunch of pictures of a dog named Trooper. Trooper was a goldendoodle therapy dog that came to my middle school to help ease the stress of school. I wasn't intended to be a part of the group that saw Trooper but one day my counsellor thought it might help my anxiety. So I tried it for a day, that day turn into all of middle school. Well, I haven't seen Trooper since I started high school but the memories of him still help me today. To be honest the only days I went to school last year was Trooper days, he was my reason to get out of bed. Call me a star child, but that is who I am and I'm not ashamed of that. Star child is what Yaoyorozu and her group of friends called me after they caught me with Trooper. The nickname hurt in the beginning, but I came to except it. I return my focus to the student photos of class 1-A and the boy I met two days ago. I was interrupted by a soft knock on my door.

"Time to get moving Shoto," Fuyumi says as she pokes her head into my room.

I walk over to the bookshelf and place the photo album back. Next, I head to the bathroom and take a shower. After getting dressed and brush my hair I check the calendar. There is a doctor's appointment tomorrow.

I race down the stairs sliding into the kitchen on my socked feet.

"Can you cancel the appointment?" I ask.

"No. You know this is your regular appointment for your..." she says.

I interrupt her, "I can't do a doctor's appointment on my fourth day of school. Please Fuyumi," I beg.

"Okay. I'll reschedule. Did you at least put in your eye drops?" She turns and asks.

"Apologies, I'll do it right now," I say heading to my room.

I search for the eye drop bottle but can't find it. Damn it. Where did I leave it. I get a little upset and start to lose focus bumping into my desk. The impact knocks my book to the floor. This reveals my eye drop which was hiding under my book. I grab the bottle and quickly put 3 drops in my left eye. I pick up my book, maybe I can read a chapter before school. I sit on my futon. Last time I read my book Jackie was getting ready to go to a local theme park with her family. The chapter starts off with Jackie putting on Harlow's pink service dog gear and the family getting loaded into the car. Jackie sits in the back seat with Harlow. As the drive continues Jackie becomes too quiet for Harlow's liking. Jackie then starts scratching at her arms, something she commonly does throughout the book. Harlow notices the scratching and alerts Jackie that she is scratching. This is one of Harlow's tasks she does to mitigate Jackie's PTSD. Jackie smiles and pets Harlow thanking her for stopping her before she hurt herself. As they pulled up to the theme park, they could see some of the rides. Jackie got out of the car first putting on her backpack before calling Harlow. Jackie put Harlow's leach around her waist before following her family into the park. They walk around for a bit before deciding of there first ride, The Hunted Mansion. There was a line but because Jackie has a disability she got a disability return time, which allows her to skip the line. So, they were able to go right in. They were about to get on...

"Hey Shoto close the book and come downstairs," Natsuo says from my door.

"Natsuo," I wine "they were able to go on The Hunted Mansion," I say