MOM...WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT?
porcelain- mxmtoon

"M-Mom?"

Her voice croaked. The teenage girl's mouth quivered as her eyebrows bunch in confusion. Her quivering eyes were searching the ones right before her for an answer.

"W-what's wrong..? S-say something...please!"

Aiko begged. She could feel the bile forming in her throat and the tears started working up in her eyes again. Her hands were shakily reaching out to the person she calls 'mother'.  The other party stood still, staying silent at her daughter's words. Uta's fists was clenched as she tries to register the situation.

But her eyes held deep hatred.

Aiko tried to hold back her tears as she swallowed the formed bile. She had never seen her mother - the woman that has always been kind and supportive to her, the woman that is always so thoughtful, the woman that is soft-spoken and caring - look at her that way.

It was like her mother wanted her dead.

Just as Aiko's hand touched her mother's arm, her mother flinched and stepped backwards, away from her own daughter.  The younger girl's heart dropped even more into anguish.  Her mother's expression changed to an even worser one. Her eyebrows were deepened and her eyes glared with intentions more than hatred - betrayal?

She pointed her delicate fingers, the very same one that held Aiko since she was a newborn, to Aiko's face. She grit her teeth and her knuckle white hands trembled. Aiko's hands were still outstretched towards her, hoping to find the warmth of her mother figure.

"Get away from me, you monster!"

What...? What are you talking about mom..? What are you pointing at? Your fingers..they're pointing at me..are you calling me a monster?

"M-mom! Stop joking around haha...why are you saying all these stuff?" Aiko softened her voice. Her hands itching to move towards her mom once again but the latter pushed her away, causing Aiko to stumble back from the unexpected force.

"Don't touch me!"

The teenager stared at the palms of her hand where her mother had slapped away. This must be a nightmare. It has to be. The person right in front of her wasn't her mother. Her mother wouldn't be like this. Her mother would be accepting and helping her through this confusing time.

She stared back at Uta who was now seething in anger. Aiko could see her little brother Ryo watching the scene from her mother's back. Confusion written all over his face as he held his hands together. He looked like he wanted to cry as well, seeing his only family fight for the very first time. For someone as smart as him, this was also the first time he didn't know what to do.

"Mom?! Why are you like this?! Is it...is it because of these wings?! I'm confused too..and scared! You're not the only one feeling like this!" Aiko raised her voice. Fear was slowly crawling to her.

Why is mom acting like this? Mom..why are you looking at me like that? Why do you look like you want to...kill me?

"Stay away, you devil! You are not my daughter!"

What was happening? How did it come to this?

— ❦ —

The day started with raindrops tapping heavily on the window as if it was begging to be let in. Aiko was asleep on the bed, her back facing the ceiling so that her body wouldn't ache throughout the night due to her wings. After coming home from the UA yesterday, she immediately rushed home and locked herself in her room before passing out. She was lucky that her mother and Ryo wasn't home yet.

It has been two days since she grew wings out of her back.

The continuous pitter patter of the rain woke the teenager up from her slumber. She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she sat up.

Right...I'm not suppose to go to school...

She stretched her muscles and looked at her phone. She had received messages from different people throughout the day of yesterday and the night before.

wannabe e-girl:
hehe your fan club is so sad that you didn't came so I even made them do a chicken dance because I said it would've made you laugh (¯▿¯)

wanna see the video it's funny hehe one of them made the chicken sound !!
Attachment: 1 video

did you hear about Aizawa sensei? I hope you're okay :( we heard from Midnight sensei that he's fine now !!

tin tin:
NATSUMEEE!!!! Are you coming to school tomorrow? I miss my training partner today, get well soon!

tama best boy:
Sorry to disturb you Natsume but I helped you take down the notes in class we had today...I hope you get well soon...

mama:
Dear, do you want anything from the grocery store? I'll be cooking your favourite food tomorrow so you'll feel better. Did the doctor say anything?

Aiko sighed before plopping her head back to her pillow. Her wings fluttered a bit at her negative emotions.

I forgot...I haven't tell them I have wings. But how do you even tell someone you grew it overnight? It's not like I can be upfront about it...and the fact that I lied to them..they would be angry if they found out or even worse, weirded out...

Aiko sat up cross-legged, closed her eyes and brought her hand to her chin. She had to think of ways to break it to her family first. What could go wrong? They were just wings. She's still unsure of where it came from but at least she was still alive, right? Nothing else changed so it shouldn't be a big issue...maybe a wardrobe change but nothing else.

She thought of different methods for an hour.

Should I cook a morning breakfast then break it to them? No, they might puke or choke. What about slipping a letter under my door and letting them know? No..that makes me a scaredy cat. Sing a song...? That's out of the question. Gosh I'm thinking like I'm telling them I'm pregnant which I'm definitely not...this is nerve wrecking

Her thoughts were interrupted with soft knocks on her door.
"Aiko, are you okay? You didn't reply my messages yesterday. Are you still sick?" Her mother called out. Aiko panicked. She felt her heart racing at the sudden change.

Should I do it now? Mom needs to go to work soon but will this affect her work? Crap but I can't lie to her another day... maybe she can help me with this.

"Aiko? Are you in there?"

"Yes! Uhm mom...I actually have something to tell you..I'm not actually sick," Aiko slowly said as she tip toed across her room to her door.

"What? Did something happen at school Aiko? You can always tell me and I'll talk to Aizawa about it," her mother replied, worried. Her mother didn't want her daughter to relapse back into the old days. Seeing her keeping quiet about her troubles, getting into unwanted fights and even skipping classes cause her to feel disappointed at herself. She felt like she failed as a parent for making her own daughter feel responsible for their father's busy work.

"No..it's not that mom..it's just that whatever happens, promise you'll help me right?" Aiko was now by the door. Her mother was on the other side, waiting for her daughter to unlock the door between them.

The rain was slowly getting heavier, the tapping sound on Aiko's window was increasing in volume.

"Well, dear, that depends right? I need to see what's going on with you. Are you hurt?"

"No..well, technically yes but that's not the point. It's just that this thing is so sudden like it literally grew overnight and I'm so lost. It hurts my back but at the same time it doesn't. It's hard to keep it in control too. You would know what to do, right mom?"

Uta frowned at her daughter's words. She was trying to decipher the situation her daughter was explaining but she wasn't catching on.

Lightning lit up the dark room followed by a soft roar of thunder in the distance.

"Grow..? What grew Aiko?" Uta heard a sight Then she heard a small click followed by the door knob turning slowly. Aiko's hands was shaking but she assured herself. Her mom was there for her through thick and thin, she would help her no matter what. When the door slowly opened to reveal Aiko and her glowing wings, Uta gasped.

There was another lightning striking the ground when Uta saw her wings.

For some reason, Aiko's wings were spread out the moment the door opened as if it was showing itself off like a peacock on display. Aiko panicked, taking her hands in attempt to bring the wings down once again like she did when she met Hawks.

Again?! Stupid wings why can't you just stay still? Why can't I control you?

Uta was speechless. Her mouth was wide opened as she pointed at the wings. The words coming out of her mouth was in pieces as she tried to take in the sudden appearance of her fighter. She had dropped her handbag in the meantime as her mind jumbled up.

"I-I know! It's alright! I-I'm shocked too but they're nothing bad! I'm still me but it's just that I have this thing now!" Aiko assured when she saw her mother shaking but her mother's reaction was slowly growing into something sinister.

The roaring thunder was louder now, like it was closing in onto the both of them. Small footsteps were running towards the two females with a yelp but Uta and Aiko only stared at each one. One was in fear and the other was in anger.

— ❦ —

Aiko focused at the present time. Her mother had shouted at her - calling her a monster and a devil. She was confused. Why was her mother acting this way? They were just wings...right?

Another thunder clapped across the dark sky. The loud sound had somehow woke her mother into reality. Immediately, Uta's hand reached out for her son that was hiding at her back, grabbed her fallen bag and rushed out the door of their apartment.

Aiko was in a state of shock. She tried to trail behind but she was too slow as the front door slammed shut right before her eyes. She could hear Ryo crying and screaming for an answer in the condominium's corridor lower in volume as he was dragged away.

"Onee-chan! Onee-chan! Let go of me, mom! It hurts! You're holding me too tight, it hurts!"

The winged girl wanted to run after them and hug her crying brother but her body failed to do so.

She could feel a heavy weight resting on her aching shoulder - but her mind wandered to the heavy wings resting on her back, reminding her that it was the cause of the happy family's downfall. She slumped on the floor like a lifeless doll. The white feathers of her wings could be seen from her peripheral vision and she wanted to get rid of it. She wanted to claw it out while screaming out her lungs. She wanted to cut it off and never see it again.

But she didn't. She didn't have the strength to do it. As much as she hated the stupid colour of white located right behind her, her muscles didn't seem to move. As usual, she could see her wings falter like it was sad with her.

She scoffed and placed her head between her knees. The heavy thunderstorm that was in the background dissipated to a drizzle. It's soft patters were like a lullaby to Aiko.

The teenage girl wanted to cry. She really did but she couldn't. Her heart was begging, shouting and screaming to let its emotions out but Aiko kept silent. She kept her head down in her knees and closed her eyes as she tried to recall what had just happened.

She felt betrayed. She felt like a monster. She was the one at fault but she felt confused. Lost. Why did her mother reacted that way towards her? Why didn't she hug her and tell her it was alright like always? Why does she hate these wings so much?

— ❦ —

It took Aiko an hour to barely get herself together. She decided that she was going to go out because she felt like she was suffocating in her own home. The very place that she felt safe suddenly felt foreign and unwelcoming to her like she didn't belong there.

So after cutting up more holes in old shirts and wearing her ripped jeans, she went out. She was too caught up in her thoughts that it took her a few minutes to realise that the rain never stopped and she didn't take any umbrella with her. The grey eyes looked up at the grey sky that was watering down at her puffy face. She felt herself going lifeless.

The only reason - purpose she had to live and be a hero - called her a monster and pushed her away. The rain drops was cold on her skin as she closed her eyes and continued to welcome the rain in the middle of the street. Some passerby's were looking at the lost girl in curiosity, wondering why she was willing to stand in the wet weather that could make her sick.

She didn't care. She could feel her wings becoming wet and adding more weight to her body - as if the heavy feeling in her heart and shoulder wasn't enough.

Ever since she had gotten the misfortune of wings, everything had gone downhill for her. Not only did her teacher, Aizawa, almost died from a villain attack but her only family that usually supported her was scared of her.

She didn't want to die, no. She was just tired. She wanted to sleep and never wake up again - or perhaps better, she wanted to wake up from this realistic nightmare. Maybe these wings never existed and she could go back to normal, having breakfast with her family and fun at school with friends.

Friends..If her family acted like this, how would her friends react? Probably the same, she guessed. She trusted her family more than friends and now her heart was shattered. She didn't dare to tell her friends about this.

Kamisama, why is this all happening to me? I never asked for this..I was happy with my life. Why did you do this to me? Is my misfortune your happiness? Are you happy now?

Aiko sighed, still welcoming the raindrops beating on her face continuously. She didn't want to look at any passerby at the moment that was avoiding her like a plague. If she did, she would be jealous of them and their lives that was still going normally.

She was relishing the cold feeling until a familiar voice spoke up against her ear.

"What are you doing? You've been standing here for a while and I thought I wanted to give you that cool main character moment,"

She slowly turned her face and opened her eyes to meet familiar amber looking ones. Suddenly, the rain had stopped making contact with her face and she looks up to see large red wings covering her head.

"...you.."

"Yes, me. What are you doing out here, sweetheart? Are you lost?" He asked. Both of his wings were now sheltering the both of them as he scooted closer to her. They were still in the middle of the street and people were walking around them. Some were staring and whispering now that the popular hero had entered the scene.

It's warm...

"Oh- Uhm...I don't know," she mumbled. Hawks eyed the teenager, taking in small details that tells him the story instead of her vague answers.

Puffy eyes and face. Messy hair and droopy wings. Her eyes, lost and empty.

"Well, it's not good to stand in the rain or you'll get a cold. Come on, I'll take you somewhere warm," he said as he nodded his head to a certain direction but the girl didn't move.

Aiko stared at the ground. She still felt like someone had punched through her chest and stole her heart without warning. Her only family was gone. The hero beside her hummed in thought.

"Everything's going to be okay, Natsume."

He grabbed her shoulder and slowly guided her to his destination. She didn't retaliate or deny his actions, like before, she didn't care about anything so she lets it be.
The two walked in the heavy rain in silence, both in their own deep thoughts.

— ❦ —

I'm actually curious: what font are you using to read your books?

I just realised that I never did point of views of the characters. They're usually third point of views so maybe in the later chapters, I'll make it to their point of views!

Also I got inspired by this lmaooo she's just standing, not lying down in the story