The next day was Tuesday, and I was able to convince my friends to drive me to school. There were a few things in my locker I wanted to grab. There was very little hope in my mind that my mother would allow me enough time to clean it out after I got home. She'd probably already signed me up for a school far away. 

Getting in was easy seeing as I was still a student. I was given a tardy pass and a sharp scolding before being sent on my way. I had strict instructions to head straight to my current class, but I ignored it. I had no intention of going to class after all, I was just there for my locker. I reached it in no time, dropping my bag on the floor in front of it while I put my combination in. I found the book I'd forgotten that Friday and slipped it into my bag. I was rummaging around through the mess of papers, making sure I hadn't forgotten anything else that was important. 

"Midoriya?" 

I snapped my head out of my locker as soon as I heard the voice. Sero was standing a few feet away from me, watching my actions in confusion. 

"What're you doing? Where have you been?" he asked, one hand going to the back of his beanie. "I thought you said you weren't going to ghost us anymore. Kiri's a mess, dude. I don't know what happened between you two, but even Bakugou's acting weird about it." He was talking a million miles an hour, something that the usually composed stoner didn't do often. 

"I'm leaving," I told him a half-truth, cutting off any more questions before they could spew from his mouth. "My mom's gonna ship me off." 

"Shit, dude," he said, releasing a large breath. "Why didn't you tell us?" 

I shut my locker, grabbing my bag, and slinging it over my shoulder. "Just drop it, Sero. I'll be out of here in a few days and then you'll never hear from me again. Let it be a clean break, it'll be easier for you." My voice was cold and logical. The further I removed myself from the situation, the less shitty it felt. If that made me a cold-hearted asshole, then so be it. 

"Whoa dude, I don't know what you and Kirishima got in a fight about this time, but you don't have to cut everyone off because of it." He held his hands out before him as if he was approaching a wounded animal. It annoyed me just a little bit. "You two should just talk, I'm sure you can work through whatever is-" 

"I cheated on him, Sero," I cut him off. I didn't want to spend any more time in that school than I had to. "So I'm going to boarding school and you'll never hear from me again." 

It was a lie, obviously, but it was the picture Shinsou had painted yesterday. It was an easy out, really. The only sure way to make them all give up on me. It didn't matter that the thought alone made me want to vomit. 

I kept my eyes on the ground as I turned on my heels, not wanting to stick around and wait for his brain to start ticking again. I already felt like the worst person on the planet, I didn't need him to tell me that. I was so focused on getting out of the building as quickly as possible, I almost ran right into someone else. 

Eijirou and Katsuki had been standing a foot or two behind me, I wasn't sure how long. From the looks on their faces, it was long enough though. They looked... shattered. For a fleeting second, I worried they'd physically fall to pieces in front of my eyes. 

I was like a deer caught in headlights, it was pointless to try and look away from them. I was rooted in place, unable to form thoughts or move my limbs. 

"Iz..." 

I took a loud, deep breath, physically shaking my head to restart my body. "Ugh, that was weird," I admitted, eyeing them cautiously. "You really shouldn't look at people like that, it's creepy." I was acting my ass off, hoping that at least Sero would buy it. 

"Welp," I said awkwardly, looking between the three of them, both hands on the one strap of my bag that was actually on a shoulder. "I've got an impatient, rich boy waiting for me in the parking lot. See you boys never," I called over my shoulder, holding my breath until I was out the front doors of the school. 

My breathing became faster and faster as I sped towards Todoroki's already running car. He hadn't bothered to shut it off, which I was thankful for. As soon as my body was in his car, I was shouting at him to drive. Being within a ten-mile radius of them was too close for me, it was like I could physically feel their presence. It was making my skin crawl. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We can stay longer if you want," Shinsou offered that night. We were all hanging out on me and Uraraka's bed. It was there last night there, they'd be heading out tomorrow morning. 

"Uh, no we cannot," Uraraka interjected in offense, holding her hand up to shush him. "My mom would never let me travel with you guys ever again." 

I shook my head at them both, a small smile on my lips. "You have your own lives to get back to. After you guys leave, I'll head home and deal with my mom. I'll let you know how it goes."

They went silent after that and I couldn't blame them. Even I wasn't sure what to say next. This might be the last time I see or talk to them until I graduate. It was a feeling of finality that I didn't want to acknowledge. 

"You text me as soon as you talk to her, okay?" Uraraka demanded, giving me a fierce look that I knew meant she was dead serious. 

I nodded quickly. "Of course, Ura. I was already planning on it." 

She sniffled, her eyes becoming red-rimmed and glossy. "Good." 

"You wanna just cry for a little bit?" I asked her, my own eyes becoming moist with unshed tears. 

"Yeah," she wailed, the dam finally breaking for both of us. It didn't take long for the other two to get a little choked up, although nowhere near as bad as Uraraka and I. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our goodbye was long and full of tight hugs the next morning. I almost hopped in the back seat with Uraraka, but I knew it would be a terrible idea. I'd dug myself into a pretty deep hole and it was finally time to put the shovel down and just sit in it. Todoroki had gotten me an Uber after  I had been adamant that they couldn't drive me home. I wouldn't have been able to get out of the car then. 

I walked into my house, dropping my bag at the door. My mom's car was in the driveway, so I knew she was home somewhere. It didn't take long for me to find her on the couch reading. 

"Izuku?" she asked in quiet surprise, quickly shutting her book and setting it to the side. 

"Hey mom," I greeted with a sheepish smile. 

She was staring up at me from where she was still seated. "You were gone for three days." 

"I was, uh, staying with some friends," I mumbled, my hands shoved in my pockets as I would our carpeting more interesting than meeting her eyes. "Mom, I... I fucked something up. Something really important and... and I just couldn't deal with it." Being completely honest with her wasn't part of my plan, but I felt the need to explain myself. I wanted her to know what had happened. "I," I took a deep breath, needing to brace myself for the words I was about to say. "I relapsed and I just- I needed to get out of here for a few days. I'm sorry I didn't text you, I know I probably scared the shit out of you." 

My confession hung in the air around us, like a heavy fog. I could feel it settling into the room, changing our dynamic in an instant. I heard her stand from the couch and slowly make her way to me. 

"Oh, Izuku. My sweet, sweet boy," she said softly, pulling me into her arms in a tight embrace. I broke down for the millionth time that week. I clung to her like a toddler who'd had a horrifying nightmare, sobbing into her shoulder until I couldn't breathe anymore. I hadn't realized how much I missed my mom until that moment. "Everything going to be okay, I got you. It's okay, sweetheart." 

Once we'd exhausted all our tears, she ushered me onto the couch, holding both of my hands tightly in hers. "Things need to change around here, with both of us," she explained, wiping a stray tear from my cheek. "I've been too hard on you, I can see that now. I'm not saying it's a free-for-all all now, but if you'll work with me, I can loosen the reigns a little." 

I blinked at her, my leftover tears causing my vision to blur and unblur with each one. "What'd you mean?" I asked her, completely in shock by her words. 

"No more drugs, no more drinking. If you leave, you text me. I don't care where you're going or what you're doing, as long as you're safe. That's all I ask." 

My mind was buzzing, trying to process what she was saying. "You're not... going to send me away?" I was in disbelief. 

"Oh, hunny," she tutted at me, running a soothing hand over my hair. "I never could have sent you away." 

I suddenly nodded my head, my grip on her hands tightening slightly in excitement. "I can do that. Easily." 

She laughed quietly at me. "How about I go make us some lunch? I won't make you go to school today, but I want you to at least try tomorrow." 

I nodded in agreement, it was a fair deal. She smiled at me before retreating to the kitchen. I used the time to send Uraraka a quick text to tell her the good news. After it had been sent, my finger hovered over the unread messages from my other group. I decided to keep them unread and put my phone away. It didn't matter what they said, even if I was staying. They wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore. That was what I wanted. 

Maybe I could finally keep my promise to my mom. A quiet year, what was left of it anyway, with my head down. I didn't need friends at school, I had my friends back home, and Himiko was just thirty minutes away. I'd survive until I graduated and moved back home. 

It'd be hell, sure, but it was doable. Or at least I hoped it was. 

I'm actually a little sorry for this chapter.