Mind Boggled

Chapter 54

"Jesus fucking christ." Harper murmured, dragging a hand down her face. "Listen to me. I trust Tsukauchi with my life. I don't trust Sansa with it because he's a fucking idiot, but I do trust that he's scared enough of me not to do shit. I talked to the Chief before I left. He knows I will raise hell if you're moved for any reason in the next seven days! I sorted it all out before I left, okay? So untwist your fucking panties and act your age, not your shoe size. Or I'm going to knock your head into a wall and force your dumbass to eat soggy mashed potatoes for a week." 

Sero hated mashed potatoes. Especially soggy ones. 

There was a deep silence from the other line, like Sero was thinking. Aizawa was staring at her intently, his thoughts going a mile a minute and making Harper want to deck him in the face. If only assault were legal. He was an adult man. He coudl take it. Surely she could say it was an accident and get off the hook. Though, her aunt was standing right there, and Harper really didn't want a lecture right now. "You're so cute when you're angry! Look at you being all responsible! It's the best thing I've ever seen! I wish I had my camera! This is definitely one for the scrapbook! I mean, just look at the way your eyebrows are furrowed! So cute!"

"Shut up or I'm going to find your fucking scrapbook and burn it in front of you." Harper hissed at him, pulling the phone briefly away from her face so Sero didn't catch her quiet threat to her teacher. Aizawa just stared passively, but she could feel him beaming on the inside and mentally laughing as though she were actually joking. Harper just put the phone back to her ear and glared at him. Deep breaths. Assaulting her teacher was illegal. Though... this was a hero school. She could classify it as training if she played her cards right. Not that Aizawa would actually expel any of them. Well... barring Mineta, whom he seemed to despise. 

"...Okay." Sero finally answered, his voice quiet and croaky. Harper felt herself soften slightly. Great, so he'd been crying this entire time. She probably shouldn't have yelled at him, but he probably shouldn't have thrown and entire fucking bed at Tsukauchi. Sansa, she wouldn't mind so much. Maybe he'd fall into a coma long enough to sober up. Though he'd probably die from withdrawals in his sleep, or find a way to get vodka into his IV. That shit truly ran in his veins at this point. She needed to deal with that, actually. Some rehab would do him good. Maybe. 

"Okay." Harper responded, sighing. Sero sighed too.

"I-I'm sorry. I just-- I feel antsy. Like everyone is watching and waiting. Like they're going to take me away." Sero said, his voice lowered conspiritaly. He sounded very torn up at the moment, his tone raw with emotion and faint sniffs coming from over the line. Great. Now she felt bad. He was traumatized, but that still didn't justify chucking lamps at people, you had to give that to Harper. Crying and demanding a phone call, yes. Sure, he could do that. Destroying an entire bedroom and screaming at people hysterically? Abso-fucking-lutely not.  

"No one is. You've got my word, and if anyone tries, Tsukauchi knows how to contact me and tell me. And I'll be on the first bus back to kick the ass of whatever idiot thought it was okay to try and go behind my back." Harper huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. She really needed to cut this shit. She glanced at her classmates, who were all wondering who she was talking to. Whatever. "So sit down, eat your Taco Bell, and listen to the radio or some shit. And help Tsukauchi and Sansa fix your room before anyone realizes what you did. Yeah?"

"Damn. You're bossy." Sero snorted, sounding a little better after her pep-talk. Being straight forward with him always seemed to work out pretty well in the end. Harper was glad. Tip-toeing around a conversation wasn't her thing. 

"And you're going to be in the hospital soon if you don't shut the hell up." Harper griped back. Sero snorted. "Now give the phone back to Tsukauchi. And for the love of god, stop throwing shit at them. Injuring Sansa just gives him another excuse to drink."