CAUTION:The following chapter's content includes mild to moderate use of violence and abuse. Reader's caution is advised.

CHAPTER 15: BADASS

Cicadas lullabied her into a pleasant sleep that night, the air smelling of victory.

She was walking down a runway, at a place she knew very well. It was Nishimuraya Honkan Ryokan, a traditional famous Japanese inn. Its luxurious pathway had been turned into a vision taken out of a fairytale; big willows adorned with cantoya lamps and other arrangements. She was dressed in an elegant dark, ethereal-like gown. Pictures were taken from every seat of the public. She started to walk down the runway, feeling uneasy.

"Go slower."

His voice echoed in the back of her mind, almost speaking to her behind her ear. She slowed down, confidence quickly rising like the morning sun.

"Enjoy yourself." the husky voice repeated its words from earlier that afternoon. She reached the end of the runway and stood proud, letting the crowd enjoy every inch of the body she worked hard on. Someone took her by the hips.

"See? They love you." the manly voice whispered in her ear. She gave the public a dashing smile and was determined to turn and continue the runway's course, but the pair of large hands kept her hips looking towards the public. "Don't rush now, Barbie. Let them savor you."

"I need to keep moving," she replied, her smile now polite facing a confused crowd.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" the voice turned cold, words smeared down her neck. "To be loved? C'mon, flaunt yourself you whore."

Momo violently turned, only to face a dashing, tall man dressed impeccably elegant.

"Duplo." his name escaped from the cage she had built inside her heart. He was here, dazzling as ever.

"I just don't want you to get hurt." His breathtaking lilac eyes with specks of sunbeams almost hypnotized her. "This is not your world, sweetie. They'll tear you apart." his hand slightly caressed her cheek.

"No, that's not true. They're my friends" she turned to look into the crowd. Most of Class A was there looking at the situation from the stands. Mr. Aizawa was also there, his arms crossed and a judgemental look on his raven eyes dedicated especially to her. Skinny fingers slowly turned her chin back to the man in front of her.

"Oh, but they will hurt you. And you'll hurt them too." He lifted his other hand, wide open. The four fingers extended; the severed finger's wound open and bleeding again, just like she recalled. "Just like you hurt me, remember?"

She gave a few steps back in denial. How could this be happening again? Why was he showing her this again? She had apologized over and over.

"No. No," she repeated, walking backward, trying to get distance between them. She gave a final step, but her feet had already reached the end of the platform. Now she was falling, into the abyss. Duplo was looking down at her, his wounded hand still bleeding.

"NO!" Momo woke up abruptly tangled in wet sheets.

The soft beam of her phone disrupted the shadows that surrounded her.

[JIRO: evrthng ok? Heard u through the wall]

The fervorous tapping of her frantic fingers was all that cut the dreadful silence in her room.

[MOMO: Yeah. Bad dream. That's all.]

[JIRO: The one with a thousand Minetas chasing you?]

The soft blueish light of her phone screen highlighted her slightly raised apple cheeks.

[MOMO: Worst.]

Momo glanced at the cheap, pale electronic clock on her nightstand. It was not even midnight and her only Friday plans so far had been falling asleep and waking up from a traumatizing nightmare? How more pathetic could she be? A miserable breeze walking through the window was the only company she'd had in her room ever since all the bullshit from her family had arrived uninvited.

The little "texting…" notification was blinking on Jiro's chat on her phone. The silence was so pure, Momo could clearly listen to the faint music coming from Jiro's loud headphones in the room next door.

How stupid did she feel now, finally realizing that a melancholic melody was always the perfect companion for sorrow.

[MOMO: Wanna come over?]

The blinking "texting…" notification stopped in a heartbeat. Momo stared at her phone, holding her breath, trying not to judge herself so hard for biting her index fingernail.

Jiro wasn't texting anymore. Had she scared her away? Maybe she sounded pathetic and miserable. Maybe she could text Jiro again canceling the invitation.

There was knocking on her door now.

Momo stood up and tried to arrange her disheveled bed hair with her fingers as she approached the door.

"Hey there, you sounded pathetic and miserable in your texts." Jiro's figure leaning on her door.

The big gulps of affliction from past days found their way out of her soul, bouncing abruptly out of her lashes with the burst of pitiful giggles.

"I know." Momo threw her arms to her best friend's neck, who laughed with compassion.

"I mean you didn't even try to hide it with emojis." both laughed, perky tears smearing on each other's pajamas.

Finally letting Jiro inside had seemed so bitter and embarrassing in her mind all this time, and yet her heart was gratefully breathing easy for the first time in months.

"So, this is what you've been hiding all these months? A boring regular dorm?" Jiro looked around. "Not gonna lie. I'm a little disappointed. Thought you were hiding a corpse or something far more interesting than a common futon and some boxes." her friend threw herself on the bed, chilling with an easy smile. "Turns out you're only basic."

Momo nervously laughed, tugging her extra-large nightshirt. "I guess I am."

"The old folks kicked you out, didn't they?" Jiro's arms were bent behind the nape of her head, casually looking right through her bestie.

"Who told?!" Momo squealed in disbelief.

"I'm no Sherlock but gimmy some credit." Momo sat straight beside her. "So it's true huh? Badass."

"Badass? Are you kidding?" Momo jumped, standing once more. "I am a grown woman with no home, no savings, no insurance, no job, nothing!" her voice was loud, but the tight invisible corset sinching her soul was letting loose with each word. When silence reigned the room, both girls overthrew it from its throne with a sudden burst of uncontrollable laughter.

"And yet you manage to have the best scores in classes without losing face? Still pretty badass if you ask me." Jiro added after both falling on their backs in the bed, thorax aching from cackling.

Momo glanced at her Beta warrior, elegantly eyeing both of them from her fishbowl.

"Yeah, I guess I am," She answered back.

She stared at the ceiling, her cheeks aching from smiling, her whole body had finally found its oasis where it could rest and relief. Something about putting her thoughts into words shone a weak light into the darkness that kept it from healing.

She had pictured Jiro judging her so hard for her situation, hating her for the lying and pretending. Fumes and flames of hell dramatically casting out this cruel fantasy that had consumed her from inside out for so long.

And here they were, no secrets at last. No judgment. Just tears of laughter and understanding.

"Don't you ever need a break from it all?" Jiro sat back up, looking at Momo, who still was contemplating the ceiling.

"How do you get a break from life?" Momo's defined eyebrows clenched, eyes lost searching for the answer on the ceiling.

Jiro took something out of her pants pockets and threw it towards the conflicted woman beside her.

Momo grabbed the thin material that landed on her belly and eyed it. A neon green plastic bracelet.

Hello readers! This is the first chapter of 2021! Hurraaaay! I'm feeling refreshed and ready to keep these stories going! I appreciate EVERY SINGLE REVIEW OF YOURS! 3 Hmm, any suspicion on what happens next? Stay tuned!