Qᵤᵢₙₜₑₛₛₑₙₜᵢₐₗ - Yₐₙdₑᵣₑ Bₙₕₐ

2.24.

 Adaliah leaned against the very wall her mom had held her against. Tears streamed down her face as she threw her head back. Her eyes were tightly shut as silent sobs racked her body, burning her eyes and throat.

She couldn't keep living like this.

God, she meant to take a different way! She meant to avoid this hallway, but it was no use, she had found herself subconsciously walking back to this hallway. The only difference now was the tight cheer uniform she had on.  

Blood dripped from her lip as she bit down on the scabbed tissue (breaking the shell over it), a small, crimson stream falling down her chin. There was a bruise forming right beside her left eye, a cut right over top of it. Everything hurt.

But it didn't matter. She had to be the perfect daughter. The perfect student. She had to be perfect.

She was starting to learn to hate that word. Perfect. She didn't feel perfect. She felt defeated, broken, hurt, and most of all trapped. She couldn't tell anyone. They wouldn't believe her.

'The number seven hero? Abusive? Don't make me laugh kid.'

'We all know kids are clumsy, I'm sure you just fell.'

'Quit making up lies to get attention kid, or I'll beat you for trying to drag Shield !'

When they did believe her, they offered nothing but pitiful looks, which Adaliah couldn't stand. The would offer a 'hope it gets better' before running off. They didn't want to get involved, which was understandable, but she was child in need. You would think someone would help.

But no one ever did. Adaliah had spent her entire life with this, pity looks, disbelief and more abuse. She learned from a very early age that she would have to help herself out of this hole. 

When Aizawa found out (Having found her at the park during one of his rainy walks, taking interest in the young girl), he  had tried everything to help Adaliah, but he got the same disbelief- despite the piles of evidence. Eventually, it was taken to a secluded court, the issue never making headlines, where her mother gave up custody to him. 

"Adaliah!"

The girl quickly snapped to her senses as a male approached her, his dual colored hair falling around him as he dropped to her level. She had tried hiding her face, but Shoto had quickly, and gently, pulled it back to face him.

"What happened to you?" His voice was calm, but she could see the panic in his eyes. The duel colored orbs darting from each injury to the next. 

"I can't- I told you this before, Shoto I need-"

"No. I get it, I do. You feel like your alone, like you have something to prove to yourself." Shoto had cut her off, one of his hands lightly tracing her burn, even going as far as to cool it. "Remember when we were in the hospital? I told you my mother poured boiling water over my left side, but I never said why. She found my left side unbearable, horrendous. It drove her insane, making her miserable. Every memory I have of my mother, she's crying."

More tears had started leaking from Adaliah's eyes as she stayed silent, her unoccupied hand reaching up to lightly trace the scar on Shoto's eye. Wordlessly, she pulled both her hands to the top of her cheer uniform, pulling it down ever so slightly and showing the scarred flesh underneath. Three large scratches were there. Starting just above her right breast, only to crawl up and across, ending a little above the left side of her collarbone.

This was the first time they had seen the other's scar so up close, having met each other when the wounds were fresh.

Shoto's hand quickly reached up to trace the scars, faltering slightly when Adaliah flinched away. His cold fingers were light and airy as they traced over the scarred tissue. Adaliah taking a breath to calm herself before she explained.