aerie (bakugo katsuki x oc)

chapter 19: statistically an idiot

There's only two more days of school before the camping trip, and they're pretty uneventful. Kai got her face all healed up, but she's still acting weird as hell. She's all quiet and reserved, and when she does speak to me and Kirishima, it's something snarky and rude. It's a complete 180 from how she usually is, but somehow, the way she's acting now manages to annoy me even more than when she's all up in my face talking crazy.

Our seats on the bus ride are the same as when we went to the USJ, only this time is different, because Kai isn't even trying to talk to me. She just stares out the window, listening to music.

   I glance at her phone to see what she's listening to, and it's some random Beach Boys song.

Who the hell listens to that sort of thing? She really is weird.

I tap on her shoulder. "Hey," I say.

She looks over at me with a frown. "What?" she says, harshly.

I'm a bit jarred at her annoyed tone. "Why are you acting like that?" I ask, suddenly going from slightly concerned to kind of pissed off.

"Like what?" she says, in a rude, mocking tone.

"Like you hate me. And Kirishima. What the hell did we ever do to you?"

Her frown softens, and she shakes her head. "Y'all didn't do anything," she says, tone suddenly changing to something more apologetic.

"Then why are you avoiding us all of the sudden?"

She closes her eyes with a small sigh. "Look. I'm not allowed to hang out with you guys anymore, alright?"

I raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean not allowed?"

   What are we, in grade school?

"My..." she starts, then sighs deeply. "Dad. He was mad that I didn't come home after the sports festival. He apparently had a surprise for me, but I never showed up. And my phone was off all day, and, ugh." She shakes her head.

"What does that have to do with us?"

"Well, he wasn't exactly in love with the fact that I came home wasted after hanging out with two guys all night. Especially one that almost killed me at the sports festival."

I furrow my brow. "But that was an accident."

She scoffs. "Uh, yeah. Try to tell him that."

"Is that what happened to your face?" I ask, bluntly. "Your dad?"

She leans her head against the window and sighs.

I'm taking that as a yes.

Damn, what kind of parent beats their kids black and blue? I mean, sure my mom smacks me around, but she'd never leave bruises like Kai had. A fully grown man beating on a girl, too? While she couldn't use her quirk? What a douchebag. I can't help but feel a little bad for her.

"That's kind of fucked up," I say.

"Uh, yeah. You're tellin me."

"Does he do that a lot?"

"He used to," she says, gazing out the window. "But it hadn't happened in a long time before the other day. I kinda thought we were past that sort of thing."

"Why don't you just, like, move out?"

She chuckles softly. "You mean leave?"

"I mean, yeah. If that's how he treats you, why don't you just go somewhere else?"

She shakes her head. "I can't just leave. I love him. He's my best friend. He's my only family."

"Family isn't supposed to treat each other like that."

"It's not like that all the time. He's usually... loving, and kind. It's just when he gets mad... he... turns into someone else."

"Does he yell a lot?" I ask, trying to relate in some way.

She shakes her head. "Almost never. When he gets really mad, he usually just lashes out physically. But other times, he goes with the silent treatment. And that's so much worse."

"Silent treatment?" I repeat.

"Yeah. He'll just pretend like I'm not there for days, or even weeks. No matter how much I beg him to talk to me, he doesn't say a word."

"Why do you care so much? The guy sounds like an asshole."

"Shut up. He's not. He isn't always like that. It's just when he gets mad."

"So, what? You're just gonna completely avoid me and Kirishima now because your tool of a father said so?"

"Pretty much."

"That's bullshit."

She rolls her eyes. "Oh, please. Like you care."

"No. You spent this entire school year weaseling your way into my good graces, and when I finally let you be my friend, you just say never mind?"

She narrows her eyes at me. "What, so you actually consider me a friend now?"

"I mean, I thought I did. But I guess not, then, right? 'Cause daddy said so?"

"Hey, fuck you, alright? It's a little more complicated than that."

"Whatever, man," I say, shaking my head. "Do whatever you want. But Kirishima's gonna be bummed as hell, and I'm gonna have to be the one who deals with that."

"Oh, boo-hoo. It's not my choice, alright? I'm just trying to be a good g-..." she halts for a moment. "...daughter."

"Suit yourself," I say, rolling my eyes. "But when that bastard beats you to death, I'll have the last word."

"Beats me to death? Are you crazy? He'd never do something like that. He loves me."

Does she not realize how stupid she sounds right now? If she lets people treat her like that, the idiot's gonna turn into a statistic.

"Was this last time the worst it's ever been?" I ask, trying to prove my point further.

She puts her tongue in her cheek, and I take that as a no.

"What makes you think next time it's not gonna be even worse?"

"Look, I can take care of myself, alright? I don't need you to save me."

"Obviously, you can't. You let the bastard beat the shit out of you. Ms. Kung Fu fighter got her shit rocked by an old man."

"You have no fucking idea what you're talking about, okay? You don't know the nature of our relationship."

"No, I don't. But you know what? I don't care. Do whatever you want. But when shit gets even worse, don't come crying to me about it."

"Don't worry, I won't," she says, folding her arms and sinking down in the seat.

What the hell is wrong with this girl? What kind of idiot defends someone who abuses them like that? She needs serious psychiatric help.

But as much I try to tell myself that it's her problem and not mine, I can't shake the anger I have for her. All I know is, if I ever lay eyes on the bastard that hit Kai while she was defenseless like that, I'll fucking destroy him. Idiot or not, the girl kinda grew on me. I don't ever want to see her getting hurt like that again. And if I do, I'm gonna have a problem.