Secrets [Todoroki]

*Chapter Forty-Eight*

Despite her words only a few minutes prior, she still sought the approval of her classmates. Her lack of contact with anyone else made knowing their opinions and feelings about her difficult to distinguish. Were they giving her space? Were they unsure of how to feel? Or maybe even worse?

Do they not like her anymore?

A reassuring hand was placed on her shoulder on the elevator ride up. Uraraka smiled at her. "Hey, just take a deep breath. It'll be fine."

Miri's face heated, a bundle of anxiety growing in her stomach. "I just...I just think I might be better off not knowing what everyone thinks about me. Blissful ignorance, you know?"

"Just go for Deku then. Nobody else." The elevator dinged open, allowing the trio to walk the halls.

Miri took a deep breath. "I suppose..."

Iida pulled the door to Midoriya's room open, allowing the girls to walk in before him. Conversations had stopped and a slight hush went over the room as all eyes went on Miri.

Her skin ignited, the burn of everyone's eyes on her was suffocating. She looked at the floor.

"Miri!" A familiar voice called her name. Her head snapped up to see Midoriya's bandaged, but happy, self smiling at her. "I'm so glad to see that you're alright."

Momentarily forgetting how to breathe, Miri made a weird choking noise. "Me?" She muttered softly, a hint of a laugh in her voice. "What about you? You're bandaged up like a mummy."

A wave of silence fell over the room. Miri felt like she would combust if she didn't at least try to say something.

"I guess...I guess we should address the elephant in the room." Her joke fell flat, and she sighed. "It's not really...I guess it's..." She sighed, not finding the right words to say. "There's really no way to say it other than coming out with it, so yeah, my mother is Nightmare." She cast a look around the room, noticing several conflicted faces.

Spotting Todoroki, who sent an encouraging nod, a slight smile grew on her face. Looking around more, she noticed Kirishima had secluded himself in the corner and wasn't looking at Miri. His arms were crossed in front of him, and he had a very intense look on his face. Her small bud of confidence wilted slightly.

"But...despite that, I'm nothing like her. As much as I'd like to, I can't change who my parents are. Nobody can." Another deep inhale. "I ask that you judge me as I am, not who my mother is."

After a brief silence, Kaminari finally spoke up. "It was...it was just overwhelming with everything else that happened. Villains attacked the camp. Everyone was getting injured. You and Bakugo were kidnapped. Nightmare just showing up to the school like that was already the icing on top of the cake. Her dropping the bomb about being your mom? That was just too much. None of us really knew how to feel."

Miri looked around at everyone once more. "Does everyone feel this way? If you feel otherwise, it's okay."

Mina nudged Miri, a small smile on her face. "Did you really think we'd get all bent up just because your mom is a villain?" A strange look came over her face. "I guess if you say it like that, it sounds a little bad..." She linked an arm around Miri's neck. "Point is, you're still the same Miri that I met on the first day. Nothing will change that."

A small grew over Miri's face, and a weight seemed to lift off her shoulders. "I understand words alone won't fix all the things that have happened, but just know that from this day forward I will do everything in my power to protect the school and you all from anything that should come because of my mother's arrest." A strange look crossed over Miri's face then. "That being said, one of the first things I'd like to do is...discuss what happened after I was taken. About what happened to Bakugo."