110: 𝚁𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝
Shoji walked her back to the home.
It was mostly quiet between them. Nova could tell he was giving her space. She needed it too. At least she thought so, in all honesty she didn't know what she needed.
She kept walking, holding in tears. Just thinking alone made her miserable.
They got to the home. Shoji stopped and looked around, studying the place. He seemed to be at ease.
"Thanks for walking me Shoji."
"Nova?" Shoji whispered. Looking at her for a second. His voice was muffled, Nova realized he was speaking from his actual mouth. "I just wanted to say..."
He hesitated. Nova listened quietly, eyes trailing to the ground.
"I'm sorry for your loss..."
Nova didn't say anything. Staring at the ground, but her expression shifted. What loss? The loss of Zoey? Of her home? Of her peace?
"I figured... No one really said that to you... After your father... Passed." He spoke slowly quietly.
Nova felt like she had just been punched in the gut. He was right. Nova had never heard those words before in her life.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Nova had said it countless times. To the families of the people her father killed. Now they sounded wrong and foreign. Like another language she couldn't understand.
"I'm sorry... That was inappropriate. I didn't mean to upset you more i-"
"Thank you..." Nova wiped her nose.
"I um... Saw on the news. Tomorrow was-"
"I know... I can't ever forget the day." Nova nodded. She hadn't expected anyone to know this. She didn't expect anyone to say what Shoji had.
"You know... It's funny because... Ever since that day. Everyone told me it was a good thing. That he killed good i-innocent people. That I should hate him. That I was safe now but..." Nova shook her head, Tears rolling down her cheeks now. "B-but I haven't felt safe since I lost him."
Shoji pulled Nova into a hug as she let out a weak sob.
"I miss him... I miss my dad... I'm sorry I miss him..." Nova whimpered. "I just wanna see him again."
"I'm so sorry Nova... It's going to be okay... You're going to get through this." Shoji hugged her tightly. Wrapping his big arms around her. It reminded her of her dad's, which made her cry harder.
He didn't say anything more. Nova mumbled some but other than that there wasn't conversation. He felt as though he had made it worse. Or maybe better. She was crying now, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Shoji was at a lost. He didn't know how to help Nova. He knew all he could do was be there for her. Be the friend he didn't have in his own past.
And hope she'll be alright.
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
Nova had to go straight to dinner. Thankfully making it inside just moments before Prudence did. She sat at an almost empty table. The two girls were had been sitting at the other end rushed away once she sat down.
Nova had spent awhile making sure it didn't look like she had been crying. But her eyes were still red.
She ate lunch alone. Catching a mere glimpse of Shinsou across the room. Glancing over at her every few moments. Nova felt bad for not coming back with him. She felt bad for making Shoji walk all that way. No matter what she did she felt like she was doing something wrong.
The food was brought out and No a was slow to stand up. Kids rushed around as usual and she was pushed aside by most of them. She felt like she was a boat in the ocean. Just being tossed around by rushing water. She didn't try to fight it. She didn't push back. She just slowly walked over, the last in line.
Someone walked passed her. Lucy. Armed with a plastic fork again, which seemed to be her weapon of choice. That and pure evil. She bumped into Nova's side and jabbed her fork in the exact same spot as last time. This time it was hard enough to draw blood. Nova yelped and shoved her away, pulling the fork out as well. She was glad she changed out of her Uniform earlier right before lunch. Otherwise she would have stained the white fabric. Nova held her hand against the wound and Lucy peacefully walked away. Snickering to herself.
Her side ached, she hoped this wouldn't get infected or anything. She'd have to clean it and cover it. But she didn't know where any bandages were.
She looked around to make sure Prudence and her stitches weren't paying attention. Before slipping away from everyone else and sneaking out of the dining hall. She had a big lunch at UA anyways. She wasn't hungry.
She eventually found a first-aid kit in the bathroom. Using it to clean up the four small picture wounds. They were just slightly off from the marks of Lucy's first attempt.
She must have been there all lunch. When she snuck back out there were a few other kids walking around doing chores.
Nova ran to her bed to change her shirt before she met Botan for dish duty. The one she was wearing was bloody and ripped now. She got to her bed, leaning over to go through her box of clothes but then she stopped.
Her whole body froze.
It wasn't anything other than pure horror and confusion. Then absolute sorrow.
She sat on her knees looking at the center of her bed. It was placed with absolute purpose and precision. This was no accident and it was completely obvious.
Her bag and drawers had been gone through. The product of that was sitting there on her bed. Destroyed.
It was Nova's fault. She should have been more careful. She should have guarded it better. Protected it even with her own life. Hidden it farther than in a pocket in a drawer.
Her most prized possession. Her everything. Torn into pieces on her blanket.
A picture.
A precious picture, in shreds. It looks like something craved it up with scissors while some parts looked wrinkled and ripped.
A family photo.
Nova's ONLY family photo.
This was precious. Nova couldn't ever replace it. It was all she had. The only glimpse of her mother, the only recorded smile from her father. It was ripped out.
The piece with her father's face was completely missing. Cut out purposefully. Carefully separated from his body like a demented paper surgery. The protective plastic around it was mangled and cut a long with the photo. Peeled back in some places.
The gift from Mr Iida... From her father... Torn to shreds.
Nova's lip shook violently. Her hands trembled. She couldn't stop the shaking, her body spasmed in shock and pure agony.
It felt like when her hair was cut off.
A part of her was severed and killed. Someone had attacked her with so much hatred it made her tremble. It made her sob.
Nova tenderly collected all the pieces and held them in her cupped hands. Her only family heirloom. The only thing she had from the two people who loved her more than anyone.
It was destroyed.
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