the rest of the morning was a blur. my mom had attempted to hold a conversation about the whole ordeal, but i was hyper-focused on getting ready so i had to tune it out.

finally, after what felt like hours of preparation, i was ready. i stood at my full body mirror, quickly double checking that everything was okay.

"c'mon, (y/n)! you were just nagging me about leaving and now you're taking your sweet time!" my mom continued shouting for a bit while i glanced at the mirror again, looked myself in the eyes, and breathed out slowly.

i can do this.

...

"i can't do this." i told my mom as we pulled into the parking lot of the school. it was ginormous.

i felt my stomach do backflips when suddenly my mom grabbed me by my face and forced me to look her in the eyes.

"you're gonna kick butt as a pro-hero someday, okay? don't overthink it. rip the bandaid off and walk in because your future is in that building." my mom's eyes sparkled with hope and confidence in me. i refused to let her down.

"you're right. i've got this." i smiled at her. i couldn't tell who i was reassuring more, her or myself.

before i had a chance to think about it any longer, my mom reached over and opened the door near the passenger seat. she pushed me out of the car and i toppled over onto the sidewalk. as i looked up in shock, she smiled and waved at me.

"have a nice day, sweetie!"

and she was off.

i grinned. that's my mom for you.

i stood up carefully, scanning my uniform for any rips and tears. when i stood firmly on my two feet, i dusted off my skirt and began walking towards the entrance. i took the time alone as a chance to breathe gently.

i was calming down a bit until my shoulder bumped into someone else's. the shove clearly wasn't accidental. i looked up to see a blonde, spikey haired male walking in front of me. i stared at his back for a few seconds, wondering what the hell i did to deserve that.

"don't get in my way next time." his stern voice spoke. i felt my cheeks heat up slightly.

"why didn't you just go around me, genius?" i retorted, annoyed by the blonde's attitude.

the boy stopped. he clenched his right fist, as he slowly turned around and walked towards me. i stood my ground. who is this kid anyways?

"what did you just say?"

he had gotten much closer, giving me a clear view of his face. his eyes glowed a crimson red as he stared into mine. despite his seemingly permanent scowl, he was kind of cute, handsome even. i smirked.

"what's that grin for, huh, nerd?" he stated, getting closer with every breath he took between the words. at this point, our faces were inches away. i couldn't tell if he was trying to intimidate me or if this was an extremely strange flirting method.

"i find people like you amusing." i stated, walking around him and heading towards U.A.'s doors.

i felt someone grab my wrist and i turned to see the same boy, looking more frustrated than before.

"what the hell do you mean by 'people like me'?!" he practically yelled.

i snatched my hand away, glaring into his eyes. but before i could say anything else, i heard a bell ring.