A/N: I have returned! Also I cranked out this chapter earlier than expected because it's my little sister's birthday and I wanted to give her something extra. So while Wenedsday might be a bit of an odd day to update, this will be just a one time thing. On that note, happy birthday sis! I hope you're having a good one so far and that this chapter gives you that little cherry on top to make your day perfect! Love you!
Moving on, I'm going to try to stick to a weekly friday update from now on. We'll see if I can actually hold to that once life starts to get stressful again and I'll be busy with other things. But here's for hoping. I really want to get this thing going. There'll be lots of interesting things happening later on which I can't wait to get to in terms of writing. I promise it'll be exiting!
Now, onward with the chapter!
Warnings for: Swearing.
"This means someone is talking"
These are thoughts.
"This means someone is talking in english - or español"
"This means someone is being very loud!"
"This means someone is being very loud in english - or español"
Chapter 2
Day of the Entrance Exam
Don't be afraid. There are exquisite things in store for you. This is merely the beginning. - Oscar Wilde.
Naomi stared down at the the brown, bitter liquid in her pink, cat-eared ceramic cup. A barely contained sneer marred her otherwise quite soft features and her brows were furrowed. As though she were concentrating on something important. She tilted the cup this way and that way as she stirred the contents of the cup with a small spoon. Creating waves on the surface of the drink and breaking them upon the walls of the cup in an endless circle of motion. It looked like it was dancing. Swirling. Swirling. Swirling.
She felt sick to her stomach.
But it wasn't the fault of her morning coffee.
It had been eight months since she had moved to the other side of the earth. A stagnant - horrible - eight months since she had been forced to say goodbye to the states and her beloved neighbourhood - no matter how flawed they were. May had turned to September which in turn had become February. All the seasons passing by like the wind until spring was almost around the corner again.
It had even been five months since she was freed from the grounding she had received from sneaking out that first night. Although her aunt would still sometimes give her the side eye whenever she said she would go outside for a bit.
It had been a pretty stupid idea.
...
She couldn't get herself to regret it at all.
What she did regret however was maybe not paying too much attention to the time while it passed. It had hardly registered in her mind when the minutes became hours, the hours became days and the days turned into weeks. She had blinked. Her head caught up in all the schoolwork, then basketball and then again video games. Until finally she had realized that her time for preparations and revisions was over. She was already passed the eleventh-hour.
Today was the day of her entrance exam.
Her entrance exam into one of the most prestigious schools in the country.
She didn't know if she could do it.
Naomi sloshed the coffee.
...
Maybe a little bit too hard.
It splashed over the edge. Her movement too sudden and forceful for the unfortunate ceramic cup to catch and she was too late to save herself. The steaming liquid spilled onto her hand and the oak table beneath.
"Shit!"
Naomi cursed. It burned badly. Her skin stinging with the pain as the liquid made a mess of her seat at the kitchen table. She almost activated her quirk out of instinct. But thought better of it all. It wouldn't do to start abusing it this early in the day even if she wanted to. She could handle the pain - she always did. Instead she grit her teeth - hissing like a snake - and grabbed after the roll of paper towels which stood in front of her upon the table. She pulled out a large portion of it. Spawning a makeshift blanket upon her side of the table as it began to soak up the bitter drink.
"Ay, Naomi! Que en el mundo?!"
It came from behind her. Naomi turned her head. Her eyebrows furrowing further.
She watched a tall black woman rush toward her from the kitchen area at the back. It was her aunt's longtime girlfriend. Jana Huerta. A woman with an energetic character and an infectious smile. Her coiled mane of hair was tied back with a simple white ribbon and she was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a plain white shirt. She held a cup of steaming hot tea in her hand and her expression was exasperated. Something Naomi had grown increasingly familiar with over the years. Mostly because she was often the cause of the exasperation.
Jana put the cup of tea down upon the table. Out of reach from the mess the young girl had created. She eyed the paper towel Naomi had pulled onto her stinging hand and sighed.
"Eres un poco idiota".
You little idiot.
Naomi frowned. "'S not as if I did it on purpose".
She spoke in a rushed english. Her american accent heavy with west coast influences as she tried to explain herself to her secondary housemate. It was an unspoken rule in the household to keep to english and spanish when talking with one another. Not that it was an easy thing to shake off regardless. Even before the move she had rarely spoken japanese at home - and then again only ever with her aunt.
Jana arched an eyebrow. Disbelieving. "Really? Cause I could have sworn you were playin' around with that shit just a minute ago".
She spoke with an equally heavy american accent. San Francisco had been both of their homes up until just recently. But the older woman had a harder time getting rid of her texan roots. She had been born and raised in the southern state. A texas citizen through and through - even as both her parents had come from mexico.
Naomi avoided the older woman's eyes. "...wasn't really playin'"
"Uhuh?"
"I was contemplating the universe's unwillingness to cooperate with me", Naomi said, almost muttering the words. It was a lie - and a bad one at that. She had never been good at lying. "Coffee just happened to get in the way".
"Nah, conejito, you were playin'", Jana laughed impishly. She grabbed ahold of the mess of paper towels and started to wipe the table down. Ignoring the teenager beside her who sent her a tongue-in-cheek grimace.
"Was not…".
Jana nodded - obviously not believing the young girl. She finished wiping down the table and as she pulled the paper towels into a pile of white and brown plaster, which she let sit on the table, disregarded, she sat down upon the chair beside the pouting teenager.
"So, what's got you 'not' playin' with that brown shit?"
Naomi frowned. She looked up at the older woman. "'s not shit"
She liked coffee.
Whenever it wasn't burning her hand and making a mess of the table she sat at.
Jana nodded. "Right. Right. So what's got you playin' with that 'not shit' then?".
Naomi rubbed her burned hand. "Dunno...it's probably stupid".
It had to be. Otherwise she was afraid she would have a breakdown.
"Most things in life are", Jana said. She closed her eyes and scrunched her nose. A moment later she opened them again and looked at the young girl. Her dark brown eyes glinting in the bright light of the kitchen. She grinned. "So tell your Nana what's bothering you".
Naomi almost felt like flushing at the old nickname. When she was younger she used to have troubles saying the older woman's name. It had stuck ever since - despite her best efforts to grow out of it.
"'S just…", Naomi mumbled. "..the entrance exam…".
She sighed. It was a sound of utter defeat.
Jana grimaced. Her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pouting.
"What about it? We both know you'll ace it. So what's got you in a sludge?".
Naomi groaned. Her elbow settled upon the table and she let her head come to a rest in her awaiting hand. Her injured hand lay still beside the cat-eared cup.
She was well aware of her housemates opinions on her chances at the prestigious school. It had encouraged her throughout the last couple of months as she had been studying and honing out her healing prowess. But she didn't know whether they would end up in the right. She had a quirk which healed people. She could mend damaged tissue, repair broken bones and soothe muscle tears. It was rare. It was useful. She was lucky in that regard. Nevertheless it wasn't something which would give her an edge in a department dominated by the kind of people who smashed their way through concrete with their bare fists. Even if she had the written part of the exam in the bag there was the practical to consider. She had no idea what the practical would even involve. For all she knew she would end up being about as useful as a lamp. Literally.
Maybe she was worrying over nothing. But there was a nagging feeling of doubt in the back of her head. It gave her a headache.
"...but what if I don't…".
Jana sighed. "We've talked about this, conejito"
"I know, I know, but…"
But what if she hadn't studied hard enough after all? But what if she was so incompetent next to the other participants when it came to raw strength that she blended into the background? Forgotten among the masses? What if she completely blanked out in the middle of the written exam? She was still a little bit flimsy with some of the japanese letters - the ones taken over from chinese; the kanji. Her handwriting wasn't the most eloquent either. What if the examinees didn't understand what she wrote? It wouldn't even matter if she had the right answer or not because no one could read it either ways.
UA High School had a track-record of only accepting one in three hundred participants every year for their entrance exam. As someone who wanted to try their hand at the famed school you had to be something truly special. Naomi usually prided herself for her constant strive toward the top. She had a tendency to go all out in any kind of competition she found herself roped into. It was what had made her excell at basketball with her junior team back in the states. But what if that wasn't enough?
If my best isn't enough...what the hell do I do?
She could feel the older woman's eyes on the back of her head. It was uncomfortable. She knew she was most likely overreacting, letting her nerves get the better of her, and she knew that the older woman was well aware of it as well. But the 'what if' burned in her veins restlessly.
Naomi activated her quirk and let the green bristling light envelop her stinging hand. Her quirk soothed the slight burn in a heartbeat as it buzzed in the air. Jana sighed.
"Tell you what, we still have two hours before you have to be at the school, right?"
Naomi looked up. Her eyes narrowed. Confused.
"Yeah, but what -"
Jana nodded.
"So, get out, get sweatin' and clear your head", the older woman said. She smiled and held her cup of tea up in a mock-cheer. "Then I'll drive you to the school and you can do the best you can with the exam. Deal?".
Naomi's eyes widened. Didn't she have work?
She did. Naomi could explicitly remember the older woman complaining about her huge amounts of work yesterday as they ate dinner. It had been a tirade about the stocks for a particular hero pummeling after a certain scandal. Jana had been beside herself in concern because she was handling another hero who had came to be involved in the scandal because of familial ties. She worked as a manager at a hero agency for a firm in the states - all from her home computer. But as far as the young girl could comprehend it was just hard work with barely enough pay. She could herself only just understand the bare minimum about the stock market and how it related to heroes before getting a headache. It was too complicated.
All the same the older woman was being genuine about her proposal. It would take away from her office hours. But she didn't seem to mind.
Naomi nodded vigorously. Smiling. "Yeah, yeah, I think I can do that".
Jana grinned. "Good, then drink up, and get going".
The older woman leaned out of her seat and planted a small kiss at the top of the teenager's pink haired head. She ruffled the girl's hair affectionately. Loose strands of newly dyed hair coming free of the ponytail the young girl had fashioned only a few minutes earlier. Still Naomi didn't mind. She drank what remained of her coffee and was out of the kitchen in a heartbeat. Still worried. But also feeling slightly more enthusiastic.
Naomi's head felt clearer. Jana had been absolutely right. It didn't hurt anymore to think about the upcoming exam and the fresh air burned pleasantly in her lungs as she ran through the neighbourhood. It's suburban landscape shifting and changing around her person as she passed.
She had managed to quickly change out of her pyjamas and into a plain pair of green sweatpants and a hoodie before she rushed out the front door. Just about remembering to bring her phone on the way out, though she forgot her headphones. But she could survive a thirty minute run without music for once.
She had already been running for twenty five minutes when she finally came to a halt at the municipal beach park. It was only just a few minutes walk away from the house and she always passed it on the way back on her runs. It had been an eyesore ever since the move. An ugly stain on what was otherwise a rather nice looking neighbourhood. It had become a garbage dump throughout the years as currents caused a lot of debris and rubble to wash ashore. Moreover there were people adding to the issue by throwing their personal garbage on top of the already grotesque refuse. Mountains of rusted waste and trash had risen out of the sand. It was almost like something out of a horror movie. Or at least what she imagined they were like.
That had been the case, but…
It had started around a year ago. Someone had taken it upon themselves to start clearing it out and bit by bit the beach had its garbage sorted and thrown away. It had even become a kind of local mystery who was doing it according to her aunt who kept up to date with such things. Someone had claimed they had seen a teenager rummaging through the filth gathered upon the sand. Another saw the symbol of peace. But no one had apparently thought that the project would ever be finished. It was a vain hope...
Only it wasn't a mere wish today.
"It's cleaned".
Naomi gasped. A laugh bubbled out of her throat. She was transfixed and delighted all at once. She had never looked forward to seeing the heap of rubble and refuse whenever her run slowly came to an end. But today the sight was beautiful. The sand at the beach was a pure white - as fine as anything she had ever seen upon pictures and postcards. Waves from an ocean she had hardly even known was there lapped at the shore. And in the distance the sun was painting the sky lilac and orange as it rose over the horizon. It was a breathtaking scene.
Naomi walked over to the stairway which lead down onto the beach. She leaned her whole weight upon the railing and breathed in the salty air. It was just the kind of thing she needed. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the murmur of the ocean.
Until she heard a squeak.
Naomi looked up, and then down the side toward the stairway. It wasn't a long one, merely a few steps down, and she could easily see what had caused the sound. Two people stood at the foundation of the stairway, one of them tall and the other shorter. She arched an eyebrow. Surprised. She was usually the only one awake and about at such an early hour. Her aunt and Jana being exceptions merely because both of them were workaholics. Though she could easily be considered into that category as well.
Her aunt had already left for work an hour ago. Forced to take an early shift because of a troublesome client.
The first of the two was a short, young boy with a startled expression upon his face. He looked to be around her age. But seemed much more timid. He had dark, almost green, unruly hair which brushed at his face and ears, and wide green eyes. Naomi instantly thought he must have been terribly cold, because he was wearing nothing save for a simple white t-shirt and a pair of loose moss green sweatpants. It was still winter.
Behind the boy stood a tall, blonde man with sunken in eyes and a scrawny stature. He very nearly looked sickly. It was almost as though he was dying and all the life had slowly been sucked out of his body, leaving a shell of a man behind. He was dressed in a pair of far too large jeans and an oversized black coat. It was an odd sight but all the same he looked a bit familiar. Still…
Maybe she'd seen him sometime at the train station?
Naomi smiled politely and motioned toward the stairway. "Sorry, am I in your way?".
It was a startling question to the young boy who frantically shook his head. He mumbled something incoherently. It was the only reply she got as the two of them slowly made their way up the stairs and passed the young girl.
Naomi frowned. She hadn't said something strange, right?
She furrowed her eyebrows as a bizarre idea began to form in her head. It was weird that they were at the beach this early, wasn't it? Especially when the place was infamous for being a garbage dumping ground. So, they couldn't be...could they?
"Wait!"
Naomi called out to the two beach visitors just as they passed her. Both of them were startled and froze up. As though caught doing something bad. But the taller of the two quickly recovered and turned around to greet her - the young boy following his lead shortly after.
Naomi faltered for a moment. "I just...are you the one who've cleaned the beach?"
It was a strange idea. Because the two of them didn't look like they could haul a single tire between them much less a whole car, and there had been three whole vehicles among the rubble last she saw. She was maybe being too ready to judge. She didn't know them. But Naomi had seen men considered large - considered strong. Back in the states nearly everybody towered over her and most notably among those the muscular men. It was hardly surprising that those giants of men stood out as memorable to her. But these two did not fit the pattern no matter how she turned and bent the puzzle piece.
Maybe it was a quirk?
The taller of the two unexpectedly elbowed his companion. He looked at the green haired boy, encouraging him, and motioned toward the girl. The boy looked up, then back at the girl. And suddenly he nodded frantically. An affirmative.
Naomi's eyes widened. She looked out over to the beach and then again back at the two beach visitors. The two beach cleaners. "Really? That's amazing!".
The taller one grinned good naturedly as the green haired boy fumbled with his fingers. His ears turning red as he flushed.
He cleared his throat and mumbled out a modest 'thank you'.
"Not at all", Naomi said frankly. She gazed out at the beach and smiled as a ray of sunlight hit the coast. It gleamed in the water almost like an angel's halo. "It's become beautiful thanks to you".
"Thank you!".
It was an ecstatic exclamation which came from the green haired boy as the compliment reached his ears. It caused him to flush further. But the beaming smile which it accompanied was enough to make anyone's day.
Naomi grinned. Waving a quick goodbye to the two garbage cleaners as they headed over the street. Their trajectory leading them in the opposite direction of her house. Absently she wondered if that was where they lived.
For a few minutes more she stood there watching the sunrise. But it was only for a few minutes as she needed to get ready for the upcoming exam. Soon she was running off again toward the house. Her pulse climbing.
Once she was at home she headed into the bathroom on the second floor for a quick shower. She washed off all the sweat and dirt, and rinsed her hair with the orange scented shampoo she so adored. It was the best of all the ones she could find. She dried herself off and pulled on her middle school uniform. As far as she understood it was just good graces to flaunt one's middle school colors where entrance exam's were concerned. Her school had a simple dark blue sailor uniform with a white cravat. It was bland and not much to flaunt at all. She would have preferred something more green.
As soon as she was dressed she gathered up the black backpack she had packed the night before, grabbed her phone as well as her headphones, and headed down the stairs. Jana was waiting by the front door. She was dressed in her black double-breasted jacket and a red scarf clung to her neck.
"Done?"
Naomi nodded. She took her own dark green bomber jacket off the wall hanger and put it on, zipping it up all the way before grabbing the green beanie stuffed into the jacket's left side pocket. She put that on as well. Then she gave another nod toward the older woman.
Jana smiled. "Let's get going then".
It was a tedious car ride from the house to the prestigious school. An hour's worth of driving at the very least, and there was little to do as entertainment other than to sing along with the music played over the car speakers. It was a small consolation that she had been given the chance to choose the songs. But Naomi was hardly aware of the choices she was making as she rode shotgun. She was too nervous. Too ecstatic.
Soon the first building the school owned came into view over the trees along the road. It was almost a skyscraper - no, four in one. A towering glass encased building made up of four parts and four walkways across one another. It was a giant among buildings.
Jana whistled. Her hands gently guiding the steering wheel as the road curved. "Well, I knew they were rich, but damn that's an impressive building".
"Yeah", Naomi agreed.
She had read somewhere that the school owned a lot of land. And because of that it was almost its own city in a way. The benefactors supposedly threw so much money into the school that some speculated it was somehow illegal. She didn't understand how they would have remained open however if that was the case. There were very few parents who would let their children study at such a place after all. Especially since they were supposed to raise young hero-wannabes into proper professional ones. It was likely the ones who were most jealous of the institution who had started the rumor in the first place.
Naomi yawned. Her eyes scanning the treelines for any other buildings which might belong to the school. "You know they own three stadiums too?"
Jana's eyes widened. "I thought they just rented them for the festivals".
Naomi shook her head.
It was a popular event even beyond the country's borders; the school's famous sport festival. She had even watched it once or twice back in the states as it had been broadcasted. It was a ferocious tournament pitting student against student, and quirk against quirk, with the gold medal and fame as the prize. For many people - especially in japan - the tournament had replaced the olympics as a piece of entertainment for the whole family to watch and cheer for as the latter had grown rather dull after the emergence of the quirk factor and cheating became rampant. It was more, in a word; exciting.
Of course, in any tournament as fierce as the UA sports festival there were dangers, and the only one reason the school was able to host such a tournament in the first place without mayor backlash was because of a certain hero who worked there tirelessly. Recovery Girl. Naomi hoped she would get to meet the famous healer sometime during the day. She was a big fan of her work during her days of active duty.
Jana drove the car further up the road until it curved into a crossroad. There were a few signs erected along the intersection, pointing to different faculties at the school and how far away they were. But straight ahead stood the large glass encased building previously seen over the treetops. It was surrounded on all sides by a large security fence. At least four times her own height and made of a massive concrete. A sizable archway opened up the fence for any incoming students and visitors, and at its head it had the school initials displayed for all the world to see. Naomi bit at her lip. Her shoulders tensed as a thrill of excitement raced down her back. She exhaled slowly.
Jana turned the car around and parked - temporarily - in front of the entrance. It was already filling up with students from all over the country. Naomi would be only one among a thousand at least who tried out the exam.
"You'll be fine", Jana said. She shut the car engine off and looked at the young girl. Her warm brown eyes scanning the girl for any signs of a nervous collapse. "I promise".
Naomi smiled. Much calmer than she had been only a few hours earlier. "Yeah, yeah".
Jana seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. Her brows furrowing as she tried to think something up. But after a moment's of hesitation she realized something. "Hey, I'll be making some gorditas tonight, you want something extra in yours?".
Naomi's eyes widened. Her eyes lighting up in delight. Gorditas were a mexican pastry made with dough which could be stuffed with just about anything from cheese to meat, to vegetables, and was then often fried. It was Naomi's favorite dish. But only if Jana was the one making them. She was the only one who made sure they were spicy enough.
"Just some chili. Make it extra spicy".
Jana nodded. Grinning. "Always do"
Naomi nodded as well. Satisfied. She took a hold of the straps of her backpack and put her hand on the door handle. She was just about to open the door when a grip on her arm made her pull back. Naomi looked back at the older woman. Confused.
Jana kissed the top of her head. "Love you, conejito".
Naomi hummed. She smiled blissfully. It was a nice gesture. Encouraging. She opened the door and stepped out of the car. Her asparagus green sneakers meeting hard concrete and a single dried up leaf upon the ground. She watched the reflection of the sun upon the hood of the car for a second. They had bought it shortly after the move since it was too difficult to take a car with them. It was a black japanese make. Together with four seats and a spacious trunk it was a perfect family vehicle. It wasn't the newest model on the market - it was actually second hand. But as long as it worked the way it was supposed to and nothing smelled weird there was nothing to complain about. It was a way to get around, nothing more.
Naomi waved at the older woman sitting in the car. She waved back, pouting slightly, and the young girl shut the door. Naomi turned around and looked up at the imposing archway and the giant four-part building behind it. Her shoulders tensed. She could hardly believe this was actually a school. It was so large up close. She gulped and took the first step onto the school grounds.
...
A car horn bellowed behind her.
Naomi jumped. Her breathing hitched and her heartbeat thundered to a screeching halt before picking up again at twice the speed. A few incoming students looked up and over to the car in surprise. Muttering to themselves. One glared.
Naomi slowly turned around again. Her shoulders tense.
She hissed. "What?!"
Jana had rolled down the passenger seat window and was leaning awkwardly out of the car. Her chin resting upon her folded arms. She was grinning impishly.
"What do you mean what? No kiss goodbye, no I love you too?".
Naomi's eyes twitched. "Are you serious?".
"Completely. I'm starving for affection here", Jana drawled. She nodded her head as though she was agreeing to something unsaid. Her eyebrow raised mockingly. "You gotta say it back".
"You gotta be kidding me…", Naomi groaned. She felt a rush of embarrassment coil in her stomach as a few kids her age passed and looked at her funnily. They looked over to the car and whispered something among themselves. Someone laughed.
"Say it conejito", Jana laughed. She wasn't bothered at all. It was quite the opposite. She was enjoying it all immensely judging by the growing grin upon her lips. "Otherwise who knows what might happen to that pretty, signed basketball of yours. I'm a big fan of the warriors too you know".
Naomi paled. "You wouldn't dare…".
Carefully laid out on top of one of the shelves in her room lay a very special basketball with names and signatures written out in a black marker upon its surface. She had gotten it when she was twelve. Her aunt had somehow managed to secure three tickets to a match between the golden state warriors and the los angeles lakers, and in the middle of it all a player had accidentally gotten the ball out of bounds. Naomi had been the one to catch it, and because the player who had gotten it out of bounds was a warrior and he saw she was wearing one of their t-shirts he had gotten the team to sign the stray basketball in the break before giving it as a gift to a loyal fan. It had been the most exciting event in her life at the time - despite the fact that the game had to be called off later due to illegal quirk usage during the play.
Naomi would only ever hand over that basketball when her body was still and cold in the ground. But the older woman could be devious with her so-called pranks. Sometimes the young girl wondered who was the adult between the two.
Jana shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not".
"That's low, Nana", Naomi frowned. She marched up to the car with purposeful steps. Her eyes narrowed in mock outrage. It wasn't a serious threat - the older woman would at most hide away the basketball for a day or two - but that was enough to get results. "I love you, but you're not taking my basketball".
Jana closed her eyes. Enjoying her indisputable victory. "That's all I wanted"
Naomi made an ugly grimace. "You better make a hella good gordita tonight. Otherwise I'm suing".
Jana laughed. She opened her eyes and smiled. It was not one of her mocking grins but rather something genuine. "Hmm, I'll make it extra spicy, don't you worry".
Naomi knocked trice at the roof of the car. She bent down and kissed the older woman on the cheek. For a moment savoring the comforting smell of her perfume. It smelled like home - and something like apples.
"Bye, Nana".
Jana nodded. "Good luck".
Naomi stepped away from the car and watched as the older woman rolled up the passenger seat window. She waved again. Jana saluted her, and soon the car engine grunted alive. It drove away with a resonant growl.
Naomi sighed.
She turned around.
"What are you people staring at?".
A few incoming students had stayed around to watch the spectacle of the girl and the car with the loud horn. She didn't know what she had expected. But she didn't appreciate the sudden attention. It was enough with nerves bristling beneath her skin because of the entrance exam. She didn't need public humiliation added into the mixture as well for the sole reason that her aunt's girlfriend thought it was a good way to cheer her up. Of course there was the fact that it had worked, somewhat, but that was another can of worms entirely. It had nothing to do with the nosy witnesses.
At her blunt question however most of the curious onlookers went on their way and ignored the pink haired girl. Some whispered to their friends and sneaked a look back at her. Naomi ignored them to the best of her ability. Another grimace working its way onto her face.
Once again she was about to step onto the grounds of the school when something caused her to stop. A gloved hand landed upon her shoulder.
It's just one fucking thing after another.
"Araya".
Naomi looked to her side and arched an eyebrow. It was one of her classmates. A black haired, plain looking teenager with blue eyes and a crooked smile upon his face. She couldn't remember his name at all even though she knew exactly what kind of person he made himself out to be. He was one of the kids who sat at the back of the class and always made a nuisance of himself and disturbed his neighbours. A kid who had garnered just a little bit of fame for being a conceited loudmouth around everything and anyone.
Just my luck...
Her classmate opened his mouth. "That was your aunt right? You mentioned something about that in class didn't you?".
Naomi blinked. She opened her own mouth to retort. But she didn't manage to get a word out before the classmate started to blabber again. His words spewing out of his mouth like a waterfall.
"A bit scary isn't she? You two don't really look alike you know? Are you even related? What are you even doing here by the way, you're not actually trying out for the hero course at UA are you? What was your quirk again?"
Naomi raised her eyebrow further. "Hah?".
What was that supposed to mean? Scary? Of course they weren't related! What?!
As though he had just made a good point the nuisance nodded to himself. He looked out over the walkway up to the front doors of the school. "Well, I guess that's that then. It was good seeing you classmate. I guess you're gonna need a good luck to get through this though, huh? It's supposed to be really difficult. I've been studying hard of course so I won't really have any issues I think. Besides the practical is supposed to be the same as last year, at least from what I heard. Mind you what I hear is often true. I guess it runs in the family. Did you know that my uncle went here?".
Naomi zoned out. She had neither the time for a simple nod nor a determined shake, before he went off into a tirade again. This time talking about his uncle, who was apparently a professional hero. It took at least a few minutes before the teenager with the big mouth and no filter considered himself finished with the conversation. He then walked off into the building without so much as a mention of goodbyes or a good luck.
Naomi twitched. What in all the fucks of the world was that?
She could officially consider herself lucky to always be seated at the front of the class. It had always been a point of annoyance since the move that the seats in the classrooms were assigned in order of their surnames. She was an Araya. She would always sit at the front and be questioned first by the lazy teacher. But now she only pitied the poor soul who was forced to be that loudmouth's seatmate at the back. Imagine hearing that day in and day out. She would have gone mad.
Naomi sighed. She gripped the straps of her backpack tighter and once again took in the glass encased building. It was still amazing. She looked at the clock above the center of the front doors. It was diligently counting down the minutes. Almost time...
Only a few more minutes remained until everybody was expected to be seated in the main lecture hall and the coordination would begin. Soon thereafter the written part of the exam would start as well. She still had no idea on what would happen at the practical. It would remain a mystery until the school deemed it fit to be revealed.
Naomi felt a flutter in her stomach. She bit at her lip and swung her backpack over her shoulder. Adjusting the strap until it felt comfortable. It's now or never. She moved up the walkway. Her sneakers carrying her steadily forward until she reached the large front door and pulled it open. She walked through the door with her heart in her throat and the backpack hanging over her shoulder in a tight grip.
She walked through the door…
And straight into someone's back.
She hadn't watched where she was going. Instead of looking straight ahead where most would look as they walked she had watched the wall on her left side because there were pictures of previous classes there. Students who were now working as professional heroes. It was exciting. She was too blinded by her own amazement at the many heroes as young students to notice the person before her. It was like walking into a wall. Whoever it was she had walked into was wearing a coal black student uniform and had a back made of concrete.
She stumbled and hastily apologized. "Ah, sorry, sorry".
Naomi took a quick step back and looked up to see exactly who she had walked into. She met carmine red eyes. A sneering expression. All rough edges, tense muscles, and spiky sand-blonde hair. It was the face of someone she doubted she would forget anytime soon. If nothing else because he looked so angry.
Naomi tensed. Did I already fuck up, again?
"Watch where you're fucking going".
Naomi nodded. Absolutely agreeing to the statement. She should have watched where she was going. But instead she had acted like an amazed idiot. She wouldn't have liked being walked into either.
She smiled for good measure. "Sorry"
The red-eyed stranger growled. "Tch, whatever"
Naomi made to move away from the angry teenager when a thought struck her mind. It was always better to leave with a good impression than to arrive with one. At least her aunt always told her that.
"Hey, you know you've got really cool eyes, yeah?", Naomi said. She grinned and gave the boy a thumbs-up. "It's a good thing to have for a hero. Makes you stand out. So good luck with the exam!"
The red-eyed stranger scowled. "I don't need your fucking luck".
Naomi frowned.
The red-eyed stranger with the bad attitude shoved past her and into the cluster of students moving through. Vanishing among the masses. All of them were heading deeper into the building with their course set for the main lecture hall.
Naomi adjusted the backpack and moved in after a pair of blue haired twins. She decided she just wasn't having any luck with people today. And her mind slowly turned from the angry boy toward her immediate future within the school grounds.
There was still a long day ahead of her. Who knew what the school had in store for her during the exam?
A/N: That was chapter two! Our main character gets a bit stressed, makes a mess in the kitchen and we meet her energetic aunt++. She's a really fun character to write, mostly because of her relationship with the Arayas, and Naomi specifically. She's almost like a big sister in a way. We'll see how it all develops in the future. That'll be interesting.
Also, I kind of foreshadowed a couple of other OC's which we'll meet later on. Let's see if any of you remember them at that point!
I think you can guess though that one of them talks a lot. Don't worry. He won't always be a douchebag. I have things planned out.
Pressing on, thank you all for the really nice reception! In future chapters I'll be answering all of the reviews and comments at the end of the text but right now I really gotta run! So sorry about that! I still appriciate each and every one of your comments, favorites and follows, and I look forward to recieving more!
Until next time!
Please R&R!