Controlee

3. A Change

Rule 35: Change is scary but it's ok.

Getting on a bus filled with twenty students- her new classmates- was a little overwhelming for a kid who wasn't used to crowds, especially with all of them eyeing her like a piece of meat the entire time.

She twiddled her thumbs, making sure to take a seat on her own only for Pink-Skin-With-Horns to take the empty seat beside her.

"Hiya!" she greeted. "My name's Mina! Ashido Mina!" She was smiling brightly and dropped down into the empty chair with an excitable bounce.

"Otsuka Emiko," the ginger returned, putting her hand out for the other to shake, "b-but I already said that," she muttered, "nice to meet you."

Mina happily shook Otsuka's hand, surprised at the formal greeting as heads popped up over chairs from both behind and in front the two girls.

"I'm Kaminari!" a similarly excitable boy with straw-blonde hair and a lightning streak of black exclaimed with a grin.

A spiky redhead popped up over the chair backs like a whack-a-mole next, "Kirishima!"

Otsuka whirled as a voice perked up behind her, "And I'm Yaoyorozu but everyone calls me Momo, it's a pleasure."

This was way too many names for her to remember. "It might take me a while to get everyone's names," she told them nervously, hoping they wouldn't mind.

"Don't worry about it," Kirishima with the shark teeth dismissed.

"Hey, maybe I could make badges!" Momo squealed excitedly, ducking down as she began preparing something.

At this point, Otsuka's head was whipping around the room like a lost puppy as she followed the crazy class' actions. "I'm Jirou," the purple-haired girl beside Momo introduced calmly, acting like a smooth-sailing boat in the centre of a swirling tempest. It was nice to know that not all of them were balls of unending energy and liveliness, Otsuka could barely keep up with them.

"Would you shut the fuck up already?" the spiky blonde from earlier piped up irritably.

Most of the class became silent while a few only quieted.

"What do I call that bundle of sunshine?" Otsuka asked Mina quietly, wanting to make sure she got his name down to avoid making him mad by not knowing it.

Mina chuckled. "His name's Bakugou, but I personally prefer Blasty Mcsplode."

Otsuka smiled, keeping her voice low enough that 'Blasty Mcsplode wouldn't hear. "And is he always like that?"

Kaminari's head appeared again and he spared a glance to the blonde before whispering, "Well, we haven't seen him be like anything else, so..."

Otsuka nodded, reminding herself to avoid Bakugou so she could avoid unnecessary fights that would no doubt arise just from being around him.

It was a surprisingly fast trip after that, Otsuka chatted with Mina and mostly just inquired about the class' quirks and what she'd missed of the school term so far. Even only missing two weeks, Otsuka knew she was going to have to work hard and fast to get up to speed.

Looking out to the world flitting past behind the window, a jittery wave of anxiety sent a shiver down her spine while her stomach erupted in fluttering nerves. Trying to find some comfort, she reached for a small locket around her neck. In the years she'd spent in the school she'd come to call home, Otsuka had never worn this gift from her sister. The simple circle of cold metal was a little warped in places from the years it had spent around Mufiko's neck but Otsuka didn't mind one bit. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath and allowed her fingers to caress the smeared surface. Her sister had written so many letters to her in the last eight years, sending gifts when she could. She'd always believed Otsuka would get cleared someday, that she'd rejoin civilisation, she'd had more faith in Otsuka than Otsuka had in herself. If her sister believed she could do this, then Otsuka just had to believe it too.