"So," Uraraka said, plopping down in the seat next to Ashido. The group had moved tables, just like I said we'd need to. Instead of a smaller circular table, we were at a long rectangular one that could fit all nine of us. On one side sat Todoroki, Sero, Kaminari, Ashido, and Uraraka, the other was Eijirou, Katsuki, me, and Shinsou. "What're we doing after school?" 

"Band practice," Kaminari answered with a frown, poking his fork at the food in front of him. He had a habit of pretending to hate practice, but he was always the first to suggest that they needed more. 

Uraraka's gaze shifted to me, not accepting the answer. "What are we doing after school?" she asked again. I had been dreading that exact question all day. 

I knew the brunette better than anyone, probably, and I knew that she was already restless. The girl needed a regular schedule of partying and rule-breaking to survive. It was like oxygen to her. 

"I'm doing homework in Katsuki's room while they practice," I answered, eyeing her skeptically as I waited for the other shoe to drop. 

She sagged in her chair with a groan. "Fine, I'll just kill myself then." 

"And I suddenly understand where you get it from," Kaminari mused, pointing his fork at me with a teasing smile. 

"No, no, no," I said quickly, shaking my head. "She gets it from me." 

"Oh, look at that!" Uraraka exclaimed, drawing our attention back to her pouting. "I stopped caring five minutes ago. I'm party-starved, Izuku. I'm withering away!" 

"It's a Tuesday," I deadpanned. I had been doing remarkably well all year at sticking to a weekend-only schedule. Somehow, I had actually managed to clean my act up a little and I really didn't want all that effort to go to waste just because Uraraka was around. 

"A Tuesday we could spend at a party!" 

Eijirou let out a chuckle at her antics. "You two really weren't kidding," he said, looking between Shinsou and me, remembering our conversation in detention. It was a lie when we said she was the worst influence. 

The tired-looking teen waved his hand in Uraraka's direction. "Why would I lie about this? She's been making my life a fucking nightmare since ninth grade." 

The brunette across the table stuck her tongue out at him. "If by nightmare you mean fun, exciting, and ever-changing, then yes. That's exactly what I did." 

"Can't you just wait for Friday? I am trying to graduate this year," I told her, resting my elbows on the table in front of me. I knew it was pointless to argue with her, but I had to at least try. 

"You're a straight A student, you'll be fine!" 

"It's still a Tuesday, Ura." 

"When has that ever mattered to us in the history of ever?" She was glaring me down, not ready to give up on trying yet. Back home, it hadn't mattered. We were sneaking out and doing dumb shit every day of the week, regardless of school, but I was trying to turn a new leaf. Some shit like that. 

Thank god for Mina Ashido and her willingness to put up with Uraraka. "Sweetie, you guys just got here. How about we just wait for Friday?" She tucked a strand of brunette hair behind the other girl's ear in a sweet gesture. 

"Mm," Uraraka hummed as she pretended to think about it. "How 'bout no? Izuku just needs to pull his head out of his ass and remember how to have fun." 

I saw Shinsou shake his head from the corner of my eyes as I stared her down. "You did not just say that," he complained. 

"But it works every time," Uraraka said with a wink towards him. 

"Fine," I groaned, letting my head hit the table a little too hard. There was now a dull ache at the top of my forehead, but I chose to ignore it. "What the fuck do you want to do?" The part of me that was still stuck in last year, the chaos, the partying, the drugs, all of it, was pissed that she suggested I couldn't have fun anymore. If she wanted fun, I'd give her fun. 

"Go to a party," she said in a 'duh' tone, I knew she had rolled her eyes without even looking at her. 

"Uraraka," I said, lifting my head to rest my chin on my folded arms. "You're currently sitting with the extent of my friends, who do you think I know who's having a party tonight?" 

"Toga," she answered with a casual shrug. At my look of surprise, she smiled and shook her head. "Did you really think I'd ask without having it already planned out?" 

I sat up again, crossing my arms with a glower. "Why do you know this before me?" Himi and I had just been on the phone last night, why wouldn't she have mentioned it? 

"Because she knew you wouldn't agree to go," Uraraka said like it was an obvious fact, which it kind of was. If she hadn't been a petty bitch, I still wouldn't be agreeing. 

"If it's space bun's party, won't it be at the club?" Katsuki asked, sounding bored of the conversation. 

"Mhm," Uraraka confirmed with a vigorous nod of her head. 

"Not going," I grumbled, turning my attention back to the lunch Katsuki had made me. 

"Come on, Izuku," she whined, her hands smacking onto the table. 

I scowled at her briefly before returning my gaze back to my food. "No." 

Partying I could deal with, drinking was fine, and getting stoned was actually something I still enjoyed, but going to Dabi's club was off the table. I hadn't been back to that place since the night Shigaraki died and I had no intention of going back any time soon. Just the thought of that place made a pit form in my stomach. 

"Uraraka," Shinsou said in a warning tone, trying to keep her in check. It never worked. "Just drop it." 

"No," was her stubborn response. "I will not let the rest of his life be dictated by some fucking dead guy." 

The whole table went silent, the only sound coming from the other students still chatting with their own friends. 

"Shut the fuck up," Shinsou hissed at her, his fists lay clenched on the table. 

"Shinsou, don't try to lecture me right now," she snapped back. I felt when her heated stare returned to me, burning holes into my head. "He's dead, Izuku. He can't fuck with you or anyone else ever again. You being scared of a club means he's still winning. Are you seriously going to let him win?" 

My narrowed eyes flicked up to her, a frown still present on my lips. "This is not a healthy way to deal with trauma." I knew what she was trying to do, play my competitive side against all the shit Shigaraki fucked up. I gave Katsuki a lot of shit for being overly competitive, but I was really no better. 

She shook her head once. "Coke isn't a healthy way to deal with trauma, exposure therapy is actually recommended." 

"Oh, fuck you," I said with a flippant roll of my eyes. 

"Yay!" she cheered, clapping her hands in front of her. "He's going." 

Ashido looked between us, worry lines starting to form between her brows. "Chako, sweetheart, he never-" 

I sighed, cutting her off. "I'm going." The brunette had won, because when didn't she win? We both knew the whole time I'd eventually say yes. 

"Let's not, and say we did," Eijirou suggested, raising a brow in my direction. 

I turned my impassive gaze to his. "He's dead, he's not going to win anymore." 

"I can't believe that actually worked," Shinsou spoke up, sounding a little in awe of the brunette. 

I shifted in my chair to face him. "If I'm going, so are you." If I was going down, I was dragging him with me, kicking and screaming. 

He lowered his head towards me, his shoulder lightly bumping into mine as he invaded my space. He lowered his voice, making sure no one else could hear. "I killed the guy, don't you think I get a little slack here?" 

"No," I said, placing my arms back on the table in an effort to relax. Now, all I could think about was going back to the club, which was making me anxious and antsy. It was quite literally the last thing I wanted to do that day. In my mind, I had already planned to never go back, but that wasn't an option anymore. 

"You don't have to fucking go," Katsuki said beside me, his hand placed reassuringly on my thigh. He was right of course, Uraraka couldn't physically make me do anything, but she could be fucking annoying about it.

"She'll never shut up if I don't." 

"I can make her shut up." 

"Kacchan!" I bristled at him. As irritated with my brunette friend as I was, I still wasn't going to let him have free rein to torment her. 

The blond rolled his eyes, a faint smile on his lips at my response. "I was joking, nerd. Calm down." 

"It'll be fine," I assured him, letting my head fall onto my arms in exhaustion. 

"'Course it will, Kats and I are coming," Eijirou piped up nonchalantly. I was actually relieved to hear it, never wanting to step foot in that building without them. Bad shit always seemed to happen when they weren't around at the club. 

"Accent!" Kaminari exclaimed in a sing-song voice. 

The redhead fixed him with a tired look. "Are you seriously going to point it out every time it happens?" 

"Probably." 

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Eijirou said with a huff, resigning himself to his fate. 

"Well, this went better than I expected," Uraraka said with a smile that proved she was way too proud of herself. 

"And it'll never work again, this is your one free pass," I explained with a sarcastic smile. 

She looked at me with her chin tilted down and her eyebrows raised. "Name one time you succeeded in telling me no?" 

"I-" I shut my mouth as I thought about it for a second, "don't want to talk about it." I honestly wasn't sure if I ever had. That was kind of pathetic. 

"Exactly." 

"You're such a little bitch for the girls' puppy dog eyes," Shinsou teased with his signature tired smirk. I knew he wasn't just talking about Uraraka, but Himiko as well. He had no room to talk, he was just as bad at telling them no. 

"Shin," Uraraka said in a sudden whine. "Can you pretty please go get me a milk carton? I forgot to grab something to drink before I sat down." Her wide eyes were sad as she looked through her lashes at him. 

"Yeah, no problem," he said with an eye roll, pushing himself to stand. Uraraka hadn't even needed to try. "Just let me kill myself first." 

"You all should consider therapy," Todoroki muttered as the insomniac walked towards the, now empty, lunch lines. 

"It's crazy that my mom told me that just before I left," Uraraka mused, happily munching on the rice ball in her hands. 

"Try listening to her for once," the half-and-half teen responded, leaning forward to see her around Sero and Kaminari. 

"What if I lose my sparkle, Todoroki? What then?" 

"I wouldn't squint at you as much?" 

"Brb gotta go kill myself now." 

"Wait your damn turn," Shinsou grumbled, tossing the requested carton at her. Ashido managed to catch it before it hit her square in the face. 

"You're a dick," Uraraka pouted at him, taking her milk from the other girl's outstretched hand. 

"A dick that just bought you milk so you could prove a point." 

"You're a little bitch, too. Point proven." 

Shinsou rested his chin in his palm, looking over the entire table. "So, I've been considering ways to run away-" 

"No you haven't," Todoroki cut him off, rolling his heterochromatic eyes. 

"I'm ready for you all to go back home now," I spoke up, looking between my three friends. The excitement and novelty had already worn off, they were just being annoying at that point. 

Uraraka didn't even bother looking up from her lunch, already calling my bluff. "You can barely survive without us, shut up." 

"I was doing just fine!" 

The brunette snorted at that. "Not according to Mina." 

I turned my glare to the bubblegum pink girl. "Fuck you, too." 

"Pretty girl," she whined, flourishing a hand towards her girlfriend. 

"I thought we were friends," I said with a scoff, feigning disbelief at her betrayal. 

"Do you know how much shit I did for you and your pretty boys? Let me have my pretty girl!" 

"Whatever you say, Ash," I grumbled, but I couldn't fight the smile I wore at her antics.