Put that down, Cleo.
  
    I scolded the floating spirit as she maneuvered her way through the tables of the restaurant.

    "Ohh, but look at how pretty these are!" She held up the shiny glassware and silverware that reflected everything but the translucent ghost holding it up.

    Once again, I asked Cleo to let go of the delicate utensils, knowing she had a habit of dropping things through her unreliable grip. She frowned and let go, disappointed to not be allowed to touch anything, but it didn't take long for her attention to flip to admire the colorful decorations around us.

    It wasn't every day that I brought the ghosts with me when I went out, but I was in a good mood. I figured that when I agreed to meet some classmates in Tayōna-Toshi, I could let my spirit family tag along. It wasn't like my friends would notice anyway.

    Edison, Cleo, Jack, and I were the first to arrive at the small restaurant in Little Mexico. Jack was shockingly the least to cause a disturbance as he just floated along and made cynical remarks about the living people. Cleo busied herself by growing fascinated with everything around her, "not having seen such beautiful decorations since the tomb" as she put it.

    To my surprise, it was Edison that seemed on the fence about coming along. I couldn't remember the last time he went out with me, but I knew it was a rare occasion.

    He stayed close to me and inched away whenever a living person would walk by as if he could be seen, heard, or felt by them. His hand swept his hovering, yet somehow combed back hair while he talked.

    "Are you sure you want all of us around you while you're here, kid?" He asked.

    Floating up through the table was Jack's intangible form, ready to jump in.

    "Yeah, no offense, but what's the deal with you suddenly wanting us around? You used to hate it when we bothered you around your 'living friends'," he added, emphasizing his point with visual air quotes.

    I wasn't sure how to explain it to them. A lot has happened since my first day, and since then, having my family with me in public didn't bother me as much as it did. I didn't need to look at my family when activating my Quirk to gently tell them the reason behind my change of heart. I took a breath and started to speak in my head.

    I guess I just want to spend time with you all. Marie and I never got to do stuff like this a lot, but if there ever comes a day you guys decide you want to move on, then I want to help you without regrets.

    I looked back up to the three spirits hovering in front of me. As long and as sappy it was, my answer was at the very least honest. Losing Marie hurt like hell, and if spending time with my family while I had the chance would save me from going through the hurt again, then I was willing to.

    Edison and Jack didn't say anything back for a second, and I began to think they probably didn't want to hear that. But next to them was Cleo, holding her fists up to her mouth.

    "Awww, Mordecai, that was beautiful!" She rubbed away the welling tears from her eyes before flying to hug me. I didn't move, but I also didn't swat her away like I normally would. I figured if getting one hug in would keep her from sobbing all day, then it was the price to pay.

    "Okay, pull yourself together, Ce. We're in public, remember that," Jack griped at her. Before Cleo's emotional crying could go on more than either of us could stand, the ones I planned to meet up with finally arrived.

    I looked over to the door as Double waved his arm over to me after spotting the empty seats I left for them. Soon, Snake, Dani, and Rose followed inside until we were all at one table.

    "Sorry that we're late–late," Double apologized, sliding into the chair next to mine.

    "Yeah. Someone thought he could map out the city by himself," Snake said, and she sent a glance at Double's way. My guess was he probably underestimated the complicated routes of the very small city, and Snake then waited patiently until he admitted he was wrong.

    Double's hand quickly reached for the bandanna tied tightly around his wrist while he answered. "I-I almost had it! I think next time— next time, I'll get it for sure."

    I didn't have to turn my head to hear Edison chuckle from behind me.

    "He's quite the go-getting lad, isn't he?" Edison asked. I was glad to see him grow more comfortable around my friends despite them being oblivious to it. Although, the thought of Double actually getting to meet Edison and likely passing out in the process was almost laughable for me to think about.

    I focused on the ghosts as they made themselves used to the new faces around them.

    Guess I should probably introduce you all. Guys, this is Double, Dani, Snake, and Rose. You can probably guess which one is which.

    That was one thing I enjoyed about the extras' nicknaming system; there was no confusion about names.

    Cleo was probably the least hesitant to phase through the table to hover around my friends. She stopped at the end of the table where Dani sat without moving.

    "Oh, Great Ramses, would you look at the craftsmanship of those bandages‽ I couldn't remember a time I've seen better wrappage on any pharaoh in my day." I could tell Cleo was tempted to pull on Dani's wraps out of awe for how much they reminded her of her time, but I had to remind her not to get too comfortable. I've learned most of everyone didn't find the idea of the dead messing with them too appealing.

    I tried to tune back into the conversation around the table. Rose propped her metal elbow onto the table while her eyes surveyed the menus.

    "Wow, I haven't had Hispanic cooking in ages. I'm actually glad you guys drug me from my work to get me here," she noted.

    Right on time as always, Jack filled in any silence after someone's sentence with commentary of his own. He looked at Rose with his arms crossed, saying, "Someone probably doesn't get out very much." It wasn't what I had hoped for, inviting him with me, but I knew he could have been a lot worse.

    Still, I was disappointed Jack didn't want to make an effort to be kind to my friends. I was ready to call him out on it when Rose spoke up, having more to say.

   "I should probably head back afterward. I've started a new design for a double-ended chain scythe that's been itching at my brain for weeks." I expected Rose to be clingy to her work; what I didn't expect was for Jack to find common ground with it.

    "Are you kidding me?" He emphasized. "I practically invented that idea! Sure, I never wrote it out or told anybody, but come on, it's right up my alley." Grateful he was no longer being dismissive, I let Jack continue his one-sided conversation with my classmate until it was time for all of us to place our orders.

    Once we did, I knew everyone who bought something was just dying to have their food delivered; myself included. On an average day, I wasn't one to jump in and try something new. Food wasn't the exception either, but as I mentioned, I was in a good mood that day and didn't feel like holding back.

    I ended up ordering the fish tacos. Not as out-there as the tamales Rose ordered or the fajitas Dani chose, but better than Snake's choice of a cheese quesadilla or Double's plain nachos. Fish tacos were close to the Japanese dishes I was used to but ethnic enough to live a little.

    "God, I'm hungry," Dani complained, reading my mind. I didn't realize how long the wait had felt until I began to lose my train of thought, recalling what food we had all ordered.

    Double replied, "You're always hungry." He wasn't wrong, but it wasn't like the rest of the table wasn't starving at the time.

    "We got to— got to remember why we're here in the first-first place," he said. "To-To try some awesome Mexican food of course— of course. But also to-to celebrate the greatest comeback in-in class election history!" Saying that, Double raised a hand in the air that faced me. I hoped it was the start of a high-five and not his way of grabbing someone's attention, and I just lightly slapped my hand against his.

    I watched as Dani followed in on the congrats. He said, "Oh, yeah. So how do you like being Class Rep?"

    I shrugged as my way of saying that I hadn't done much as a representative, but I also gave him a wavy hand and a thumbs up. I still couldn't sign much to them, but I was happy to see they understood me explain that I liked my title so far.

    "Well, get used to the easy phase," Snake advised. "Support Class Rep is in charge of keeping the Hero Course students on task with costume upgrades. That means you'll be seeing a lot more of 1-A."

    "Yikes. Good luck with that," Jack told me. The ghosts, from what I've told them about 1-A, already knew that as great of heros as they were, those kids weren't always the easiest to work with.

    I started to fret about the idea of having to carry that many tasks by myself. My tics flicked at my neck until I twitched it to the side and rubbed my palm over the spine.

    Rose likely noticed that I was having second thoughts as she added, "Hey, don't worry. That's what you have a Vice Rep for, so you don't have to deal with all of that work alone."

    I looked at her, raising my eyebrow and placing my fingers together in a way to sign for her to repeat what she said.

    "A Vice Representative?" Rose clarified, but I was still just learning about this then. "They're like the number two in the class."

    "Wait, have you not picked one yet?" Snake asked me. I shook my head no, and she leaned back as if it wasn't a good thing for her to hear.

    "You might want to get on that, man. Vice Rep is important, and if you don't tell Professor Q who you want, then he might go with whoever got the second most votes in the contest. . . Which means. . ."

    No, no, NO.

    I shook my head, and my tics helped me with that while my mind began to panic. I couldn't even grasp the thought of working with Remata all year for even a second, more or less deal with it being a reality. While I was thinking, our food was finally brought to the table, but I was too frazzled to dig in.

    I had to pick a vice representative, and fast.

    Luckily, I had four great candidates right in front of me. All I had to do was narrow them down. Remembering back, I could find moments where everyone at that table has helped me make it through my first couple of weeks at UA. Whether it be through their kind gestures or by assisting me in my first collaboration project, I couldn't have done any of my accomplishments without these people. However, one of them stuck out to me, and I soon knew who it was I wanted to be by my side when leading Class 1-H.

    My friends all started eating right away. I would too soon, but first, I started to write on my whiteboard. When finished, I showed them my sentence.

    "I know who I want for Vice Rep," I said. While eating, the four of them paused for a second to watch me for my answer.

    There was one of them who didn't waste a second to jump in to help me when I needed it. They were someone that took a chance when giving their ideas to me and trusting me to do something great with them. This was a person I knew I could count on for support, and someone I had faith in. And as much as I appreciated all the help from Snake, Dani, and Double, I held my open hands out to Rose to offer her the position.

    At first, she glanced to either side of her; then pointed to herself, asking with a mouth half-full of Mexican food, "You want me?"

    I put my hands down and nodded. After Rose swallowed the food left in her mouth, I watched her silently think about the offer. I was glad she was putting thought into the decision, but for the seconds she didn't say anything, I was a little worried she would say no.

    My concerns proved to be unnecessary as I saw Rose break into a smile and nod when she answered. "Okay! Let's do it, Class Rep," she excited, and she held her hand out to me for another high-five. Much like the one I gave to Double, my reciprocated gesture was light and unmotivated.

     Rose wasn't having it though. "Oh, come on. You can do better than that for your Vice Rep," she encouraged with her hand still high in the hair.

    I figured she had a point. I brought my arm up to reach hers and smacked her palm with much more strength than before.

    "There it is!" Rose laughed along with the others around us. As they did, Double joined in, giving Rose another congratulatory high-five.

    "Well, props to— props to you both!" He praised us. "I knew this group had-had what it took to rise above-above the background."

    "Hey, there's nothing wrong with the background," Snake corrected. "Remember we're all here because we're extras, and I wouldn't change that for anything."

    She was right. If I wasn't pushed behind the spotlight, there was no way I could face some of my greatest fears and conquer them as I had. Feeling a wave of pride go over my mind, I quickly erased then wrote over my whiteboard.

    "To the background," my message wrote as I flipped it to the people around me and slid my glasses to the middle of the table. They all followed in, pushing their glasses to mine and repeating, "To the background."

    "Congrats, Mordecai," Edison told me. Cleo and Jack behind him showed their agreement, and I could tell they were as proud of me as I was.

     I never would have thought that I could achieve so much in my class. The whole reason I chose to be in 1-H was that it seemed dull and uneventful. However, I could not have been more wrong. I met some of the best people through that course, and I grew more as a person than I ever expected to.

    There was more to Class H than what was seen from the outside, and there was so much more that could be done as an extra than we all thought.