"Why did you come back?"

Disputed her apprehensive mother blinking in confusion, widely observing her daughter's features contorted in a sort of inexplicable emotion. She slowly removed her school shoes evading her mother's concerned eyes, eyebrows furrowed at her small rebellion. Swiftly considering her words, the young girl reasoned.

"My stomach started hurting very badly midway, so I returned. I'm sorry I didn't think I would be able to handle the pain all day at school." She said, all while glancing away from the woman when she could, frowning lips pressing inwards as nervousness bubbles up.

Her mother's expression altered a bit, before revamping into irritation, "I told you to take those medicine! Why didn't you?" She whispered yelled at the meek girl, head slightly bent down in contrition.

"I didn't think it would start to hurt again."

She tried her hardest to fake it, just accepting one day's worth of absence was going to reduce her raging anxiety. It would only grow, but she was a good person, she doubtingly believed that this would steer past her and she would retain normalcy.

Her mom sighs, closing her eyes disappointingly, saying, "You better take those medicines now." Demanded the mother.

She mindlessly obliged.

Trying to damage control what her fit of distress landed her on.

She watches the clock tick, dressed in black and white hairs let loose, suddenly sighing and glancing at her tapping feet stopping herself upon noting. It was four o'clock.

In honesty, she was simply dawdling for the time when her bully would call, mandating proper information, threatening, even after she blocked his number, who's to say, he wouldn't attempt to contact her again, with different numbers, so if she could somehow assume his time pattern, preventing it would be easier, leave her phone turned off.

In her earlier state of misplaced courage, she went online on insto, took his account out of the blacklist, and graze through his texts. Most of them were his normal, ridiculing comments meant to poke fun at her confidence and self-esteem, near obsessing over his book, that was petty, she'd thought to herself.

The most recent ones were from yesterday, in big bold letters, ruling she unblocked him and talked, unlike a coward.

Reaching the bottom, she is surprised to find new ones, she browses the fresh text, only ten minutes late in viewing it this particular text from him stood out more than the others, more so in her eyes.

'You did not come today either, what? Are you scared, loser...'

She waited, observing the text buddle buff, and she quickly discerned it.

'I saw you today.'

For such easy words, it had a significant impact on the strategy she thought of, her eyes mildly widened and her will to continue just seemed to be sapped away the longer she decided to remain.

'At least, you unblocked me. Loopy, I'm asking, where is your house.'

She made the mistake of reading it, and now she felt like turning back meant more consequence than ease of satisfaction.

'You didn't change your house after you met me right? It's still the same, isn't it?'

She didn't comprehend what she was experiencing at that moment, irrational fear? Dread? Knowing she was bound to lose the happiness in her home once he tried to step in. It's game over for her.

Quickly she typed.

'No, it's not. We shifted.'

She lied.

'Oh? Is it? I thought for sure it was that grey house I passed by the other day, you sure?'

Her heart dropped.

'It's that one, right?' He pressured her, he was toying with her and she too insisted.

'No, it's not, why do you wanna come? It's the White House.' she lied again, acting to keep it cool. 'I'm fine really! Thanks for your concern.' She typed and saw that her message was received and sighted, but he did not reply.

The chat room was silent. She unwillingly relaxed, the tension lowering. Only to spike up rapidly after he replied.

'Who are you trying to fool?'

Now it was her opportunity to turn a blind eye and flee. She deleted the app and held her aching head, comprehensive about going to school the next day.

She didn't know how time escalated so quickly because the moment she woke up, pessimistic thoughts were prepared and ready to shove her to the brink of paranoia, for a short while, she persisted in that exact position, staring at the ceiling as if she non-verbally pleaded enough it would all be over. She didn't want to go yet.

"Get up! Why are you still in bed sweetie, you are always up before I can say something." Her mother suddenly entered and softly scolded her.

She looked at her with open eyes.

"What's wrong?" Her mother asked.

She slowly glanced away, uttering, "Nothing, I'll get up now." That's what her mom needed to hear, departing from her room and leaving her daughter by herself.

She peered down, unblinking.

Her thoughts were frightening.

She felt out of it.

Hunching over in her seat, head on the desk, arms wrapped around to keep safe, noises around seemed dull and, distant like she wasn't mentally present to perceive the weird looks her classmates threw at her from behind. Her homesickness somehow amplified upon heeding the voice she was seeking to deter.

"Looks like you finally worked up the courage to come back." He abjectly spoke with an underlying tone of hostility.

She stayed still. Not responding.

"You should have seen yourself running, didn't know you were such a weakling." He ridiculed her, sarcastically reciting her spontaneous decision.

She heard him take a deep breath, footsteps nearing her, abruptly yanking her curled arm and forcing her to make direct eye contact. Catching sight of his vexed face her expression opposite of his, fear.

"What? Are you that scared of me now? Why are you looking at me that way?" He said it as though he was relishing it, savoring her shift in behavior.

She contemplated, still adamant about conserving her sanity.

"Come on, speak up! Can't you speak now?" He taunted once more, throwing her hand down and grimacing at her disturbed features. She kept her eyes on him, not allowing any reaction to appear out of her.

"So then, where's your home?" He asked with a bitter smirk, she gritted her teeth and fingers loosely enclosing.

She did not respond yet again.

Irking her bully.

"What? You not gonna answer?" He said, moving closer and leaning forward.

"Did you accidentally hit your head or what?" He continued regardless of her silence. Though the break was about to expire soon. "If I don't get a reply, I'm really going to trash your notebook and spread all sorts of rumors for you." He darkly whispered, glaring at her.

Hesitantly, silently, she answered.

"The grey one."

He smiled in victory.

"Guess you care about your reputation, after all, you missed a lot of homework, why don't I help you, what do you say?" He closed the distance between them, observing her eye-to-eye. Daring her to say no.

She bent her head down, not looking into his blood-red wide eyes, her eyes slightly watered. Softly muttering.

"Okay."

After class, he loitered around the campus not wanting her to flee without him, so even if she managed to get home without being spotted, he'd come either way. Make her life a little more miserable, make her regrets more potent, make her question and delude herself into thinking she's the bad guy.

She should let someone know, her parents, someone with proficient knowledge to help her, make her understand what she is supposed to do, without falling into his trap and submissively let him take charge to dissuade conflict.

Walking with his strangely calm deception rendered her dismayed, was this his odd way of friendship, liking? Or was he just a misunderstood person who needed guidance to adjust his habits?

Either way, she wasn't going to be the one.

Leading him to her haven, her one place to reside and ease out of stress and suffering he'd be the one to arrive and ruin it, like everything. She didn't want to let him near her house, to further harass her in the future and bully her into compliance.

As much as he troubled her, she wanted to forget and forgive and move on, not forgive and forget as if nothing had happened, he'd have to repay one day or another, be taught he's in the wrong and should hope to improve without any arrogance.

Because he'd shut her up if she said anything right to direct him. As if he thought she was making herself appear wiser, more knowledgeable, more stronger than him. He hates that.

Sinking in deep thoughts, letting negativity boil inside without a proper outlet, it strives to brew. She realized it when they stopped in front of her house, she was done for.

"Our class teacher wanted me to tutor her in maths." He'd lie to her mother's face, saying it in such a firm formal voice she'd never heard him use.

Her mother's eyebrows furrowed, glancing at her meek daughter, who said nothing and stood at her spot, not addressing her questioning gaze.

"Oh, that's great, thank you for helping my daughter, she's very quiet." She laughed, welcoming the youngsters inside, into their lounge, chartering their unexpected guest to sit.

"Dear! Don't leave our guest alone, talk with him, I'll make some snacks." Her mom whispered, urging her to take off.

She loudly drew in a deep breath, glancing at the blonde's head from the entrance, he stared at her the entire time she entered and sat down to the opposite of him. Bitter face with a frown and a pair of dull eyes, it was a tense juncture, she mostly did not let her gaze settle on him for more than a second, folding her arms and closing the gap between her legs.

He did not speak up either, intensely studying her, only diffusing it after noticing her mother welcome herself with a smile and a tray of juice and cookies.

"Please help yourself, what's your name?" She politely asked, sitting on a chair between the two. He answered, "...Katsuki bakugo."

The mother happily grinned, chatting some more, "SO how's my daughter in class? She doesn't talk much, does she?" She jokingly inquired. He smirked and that could be perceived as a smile if they didn't know.

"Yeah, she's shy." He said.

She picked up on the mocking expression caching in his voice as he glanced at her and back to her mother.

"Oh! Please do take care of her, I'll be going now, study hard kids." She sweetly enunciated and took her cue to retire for work.

The young girl struggled to keep her beating heart in stillness, her air locked inside her lungs, lips slightly trembling.

She thought.

She could overcome this with sufficient willpower.

He glared at her during her mother's absence, wordlessly advising her to come closer.

She looked up and said.

"I'll go get my notebook."