The Wise Child (BNHA x OC)

28. Clouded Glass

Fear lived inside me like the blood in my veins. For the next several nights the little sleep I could find was cold and terrifying. And in turn, everytime I woke up, Miss Megumi would be there. No matter what time of the early morning or late night, she would wake, and sit with me. Sometimes we talked. Mostly we remained quiet. But above all we baked.
Strawberry cupcakes. Crumble cookies. Raspberry tarts. It didn't seem to matter. She said busy hands kept busy thoughts at bay. She was right, but wrong too. For the moments of mixing eggs and flour, or kneading dough, I could think of nothing but the sweetness of the fixture. But in the waiting for the oven, and the cold spilling of water over dirty dishes, I could do nothing but wait for the knock at the door.
God, I was terrified. Terrified of a fist against wood. And the fire to come. To burn the sweetness to black. How dare an old pheonix believe it wouldn't succumb to ash.

Never in my life had defiance like this stayed steady in me. With every hour that passed my fear grew. It was as if there was a bomb in the room, but I had no idea when it would go off.
It felt like much longer, the short weekend, that I had managed to first leave that house. But eventually the time came for me to return to school. And I tried hard to convince myself he couldn't make it into the hallowed halls of UA. Even as he used to walk them just as I did.
My feet tapped the bottom of the bus as I attempted to ignore the sound of the walls whirling by. Miss Megumi offered to drive me, but I knew she had to start her bakery in the nearby town soon, and didn't want to be any more of a bother than I had been.

My brother, of course, was on the same bus. But, of course, he didn't talk to me. It was strange, but for a moment, when he first saw me leave Miss Megumi's house, he hesitated. He never hesitated. Not in his hatred of me. So I knew it was simply a trick of my mind. Perhaps he just was worried. About me being a burden for someone else.

I watched as we got to one of the shortstops before we would reach the school, and saw a young girl was on the other side of the door, rushing ahead in front of what seemed to be her mother.

She wore a look of pure glee, and sprinted  towards the bus, only to fall and slip on her way up. Instantly her face scrunched up into a snotty mess. My first instinct, of course, was to ignore it. I wasn't good at comfort. But for some strange reason I didn't. In fact, I felt my feet moving towards her, and I knelt down on her level, holding my hand out.

She looked at me with big sad eyes, only for them to widen instantly. She neglected my offered hand and instead sprung up, jumping up and down and pointing at me while looking back and forth from me to her mother.

"Momma! Momma look! It's the girl! She was on the TV!"

The mother looked at me, at first her eyes examining, and then widening like her daughters in realization.

"Oh, um, I'm so sorry to bother you Miss Todoroki! Come on Nemi, it's not nice to point," she demanded, lightly slapping her hand away.

"Where's your brother! Oh wait, I see him!" She exclaimed, pointing at him, from the other side of the bus. I doubted he'd heard, as he wore large headphones over his ears.

I nodded, and stood. brushing my knees off. I opened my mouth to say something but was cut off.

"He almost won! But he was kind of mean!"

I blinked, unsure of what to say.

"I thought you should have won for sure! You were so cool! Momma said that when I grow up I can be strong like you! I wish I could make ice! You're so amazing!"

Like me? Suddenly, for no reason, I felt my eyes stinging slightly. But I blinked rapidly to keep the tears away.

"Oh, are you alright sweetie? I'm sorry for my daughter-"