An: Thanks to all my readers for following this story it has truly been appreciated. Unfortunately my updates may be slow as life has a tendency to get in the way of writing.I'm currently in my final stretch of university and it comes with deadlines that won't go away no matter how much I act like they don't exist. PS: I wish the best of luck to all those going through a similar experience or just struggling in general may the late nights and bad days bring about better times to come :) Lastly i just want to send a thank you to my friend for editing some of this chapter for me

Chapter 22: Maybe I don't need you

He doesn't know how it escalated so quickly. The only thing he could truly register was that she wanted him gone. Everything around him fell silent as he watched her wipe her cheeks stubbornly from the hot angry tears he had was not the girl he knew. She was a woman now, and with that her once meek and mild tones had almost all but vanished. So he left. He could not stay because if he did he feared he would never again be able to grace her life.

She tries to control her breathing as they make their way to her place; tries to see things from his perspective, tries to fight against her every thought to be upset with her best friend. It's been silent the entire journey from the car to her place and she lets him in because she knows they can't leave it just like this. She doesn't want to fight with him; it hurts too much to fight with him.

When he shuts the door behind him and she looks at him so lost and hurt, he can't stop the words that fall from his lips.

"I'm not sorry, Blue. Don't ask me to lie to you because I can't." when he looks at her face he almost instantly regrets those very words as her face morphs to anger and frustration.

"Get out," her voice is small and cracking but the look in her eyes reveals the finality of her words.

"Blue...I know you're mad at me right now but you'll thank me for this later,"

"Thank you?! What is wrong with you Tatsumi?! I'm not some porcelain doll that needs to be protected. Especially from someone ... someone I care for,". Tears sting her lids but she refuses to let them fall, Not yet...not until he leaves.

"Are you serious?! He's just another addition to the long list of crappy choices you make because you're too trusting! And guess who will be the one picking up the pieces again!"

Disbelief washed over her and her teeth grinded together painfully as his words struck her.

"I can't believe you just said that..after all this time? You have known me for years...years, Tatsumi. And you tell me this now? I am not weak, I am not some fragile girl anymore! I'm certainly not some damsel in distress that needs you to come and rescue me! You've been gone; for years now ... No real visits; you never sent me texts or emails, not even a fucking voice message.

Tears began to run down her flushed cheeks but she refused to give in.

"You don't get to come into my life and act like you were always there. Like I had to just stay stuck in time to suit you. No! You don't get to play the role of a concerned best friend after all this time. I waited an entire year for you ...I made excuses after excuses as to why you weren't visiting; why you couldn't even pick up the phone to text me a fucking hello. And it hurt. It hurt more than the break ups I've went through and it hurt more than whatever stupid crap people said about me, because YOU were my best friend...and you couldn't even pick up the phone to call or answer me when I tried to talk. Sometimes.. I just wanted to hear your voice , I just wanted to hear you.

He doesn't know what to say , he can't say anything as guilt shuts his body down to a almost catatonic state. When movement finally seems slightly possible he moves his mouth to apologize ? To explain? To do something to just rid himself of the heaviness he was carrying. But when he sees her and searches her face he knows nothing he does will fix what had been done. Had she really been keeping all this from him ? Why didn't he notice ? How could he not noticed her... Maybe she was right , maybe this guy was better for her than him. Maybe he had been the problem after all.

Tatsumi walks out of her door without a further word and once his gone Ren immediately rushes to the door to lock it.

How did everything go so wrong so fast?

She cant even begin to process everything as her sobs wrack through her chest as she turns into a fetal position on her bed clutching her pillow to her chest trying to muffle out the feeling deep seated within her chest.

Ren makes her way through her school halls as people start to whisper amongst themselves as they set their sights on her awkward form. She pretends to not notice but she can feel her cheeks heat up as random calls of nasty words fall from the more bolder children hanging about the halls. She speeds up her walk just to find a reclusive spot for lunch as some children scatter at her appearance.

"She might be contagious,"someone whispers when she finds an empty table close to another occupied table.

She bows her head trying to hide her face in the book she had brought to occupy her time since she didn't have much friends after they found out about her.

"Why doesn't she just do us all favour and sit outside ?" another snickers

And she cant help the burning behind her lids , everyday it was the same and there was nothing she could do to stop the torment. Maybe she have just gone to the library no one bothers her there much. Some girl with colourful hair even speaks to her sometimes and it's nice to have someone not mean just for a few moments.

Tatsumi had been suspended again for a week this time so there was no respite from these kids and this week had been particularly difficult. There had been group projects and group tasks all week long and no one wanted to be her partner so the teachers either ended up placing her in groups which didn't want her or after some pleading allowed her to work alone. Each experience more embarrassing than the last. If only she was normal...

Years prior:

A six year old Ren was playing in the park with a seven year old Tatsumi. However, after losing for the third time , playing following the leader Ren had given up she just couldn't keep up with her slightly older friend.

"Come on Blue , you're not even trying ," Tatsumi whined as she sat on the grass under a tree they often played under in the summer heat. Their mothers not far from their sight Tatsumi walks over to Ren who was stubbornly sitting with her legs and arms crossed watching the other children play freely.

"Blue?"

"I went to the doctor , Tatsu"

He nodded solemnly thinking about when he went to the doctor to get a shot.

"Did they prick you?" he asked concerned

She shakes her head

As tears ran down her chubby cheeks

"Im... quirkless, tatsu ...I will never be as cool as you ," cheeks become bright red and Tatsumi can see their mothers approaching in concern.

He doesn't know what to say to make her stop crying but it seems like her mother had caught some of their talk and looks at his mother sadly before scooping up the girl in her arms trying to placate her with soothing words and backrubs. His mother looks on and squeezes his hand acknowledging the distress he felt for his dear friend.

The mothers walk the children home with Ren in her mothers arms and Tatsumi at the back of the duo holding his mothers hand. When Ren's mom insists she needs to say good bye once they had parted ways she looks exhausted and miserable as she mumbles out a greeting to Tatsumi's mom and the boy. Tatsumi quickly reaches for her hand dangling from her mothers arms and squeezes it and he hopes he helped her in some little way and when she gives him a small smile he smiles back knowing he always wanted to see her little smile.

Tatsumi knew Ren would never be as cool as him because she was way cooler than he could ever be and her not having a quirk meant little to him as he was still his friend.