Ties that bind us
*ding* *Ding* *DING!*
“Wahhhhhh!”
Jinx groaned, her voice thick with sleep as she reached for her phone. She squinted at the screen, blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear the fog in her brain. “WTH, IT'S 8:30?!” Her eyes widened in panic. The time was a reminder of just how late she was. Classic Jinx—always pushing the boundaries of time. She groaned, throwing herself out of bed and quickly grabbing whatever was closest to her.
She threw on a simple top, ripped jeans, and a cropped jacket, all of it thrown together in a blur. “Breakfast? Guess I’m skipping that,” she muttered under her breath, grabbing her bag in haste. She was already late. There was no time to waste.
She rushed to the door, throwing it open—but just as she stepped forward, she was yanked back.
*YANK!*
“AHH!” she yelped in surprise, stumbling backward into the arms of Ekko. His tired voice followed soon after, muffled against her shoulder.
“Stop running.” Ekko’s words were thick with sleep, and the grogginess in his voice was undeniable.
“Ekko, I’m going to be late for class! You, too! We NEED to go!” Jinx half-whined, half-pushed herself out of his embrace, already heading for the door again.
“Finereee,” Ekko grumbled, rolling out of bed and sluggishly making his way to get ready.
Jinx huffed, tapping her foot impatiently. She glanced outside through the window as she waited, but her attention was drawn to something in the street below. A kid—maybe 8 years old—was standing with a woman, holding a piece of paper that had “Foster Care” written across the top.
Jinx’s heart skipped a beat, and a wave of old, familiar emotions flooded her. She immediately recognized what she was looking at. Foster care. She knew that life too well. She had been through it for years, along with Ekko. It had been a nightmare, moving from home to home, never staying in one place long enough to feel safe. She could see it in the little girl’s eyes—the same fear, the same vulnerability she’d felt as a child.
Her hand tightened on the windowsill. She wanted to do something, but she knew she couldn’t. She was just a college student. What could she possibly do to help this girl?
She snapped herself out of her thoughts when she heard Ekko’s voice, still groggy. “Coming, com *huff* ing…” His voice faded off as he continued getting ready.
Jinx immediately shook her head, pushing her emotions aside. She didn’t have time for this right now. She grabbed her bag and rushed out the door, trying to ignore the heavy feeling in her chest.
“Ok, LET’S GO!” she called, clearly annoyed that they were running behind again. Ekko followed her out of the door, their usual morning scramble to get to class kicking in. They parted ways as they reached campus—Ekko heading to art, Jinx heading to her Technology 101 class.
She barely made it to class on time. As she walked in, she was greeted by the steely voice of Mr. Viktor.
“Miss Jinx, why are you late?” he asked, his gaze cool but calculating.
“Sorry, sir, my roommate was taking too long,” Jinx replied with an innocent smile. She knew how to work the system, and Viktor—her favorite teacher—was no exception.
“I see,” he said with a knowing look, his eyes lingering on her. After a beat, he added, “I’ll excuse it this time, but don’t make a habit of it.” Jinx silently breathed a sigh of relief. She had pulled it off.
✨TIME SKIP✨
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Between running across campus, dodging other students, and barely getting through lectures, Jinx found herself outside the art building, looking for Ekko.
When she spotted him, her heart skipped a beat. He was at an easel, absorbed in his painting. His dark hair was a little messy, his shirt slightly wrinkled, but there was something about the way he worked that was almost mesmerizing. She watched for a moment, admiring his concentration.
She quietly stepped up behind him and tapped his shoulder.
“AHH!” Ekko jumped, nearly knocking over his paint cup. His eyes were wide, and for a moment, Jinx felt bad for scaring him.
“Woah, Jumpy, it’s just me,” she teased with a grin.
Ekko sighed, pressing a hand to his chest as though he’d just had a near-death experience. “You nearly gave me a heart attack, Jinx.”
She laughed lightly. “Maybe that’s what you get for being so serious all the time. Relax.”
Ekko shook his head, but the corner of his lips twitched upward in a small smile. “You know I need to focus when I’m painting.”
Jinx rolled her eyes. “Sure, sure. But we gotta go. Are you ready?”
“Let’s go,” he said, grabbing his bag and packing up his paints. They walked side by side across campus, casually talking about their day.
“Did you like your class today?” Jinx asked as they headed toward the café.
“I mean, it was fine. Just more anatomy stuff. We’re getting into sculptures next, so that should be fun,” Ekko replied, his voice matter-of-fact.
Jinx made a face. “Bo-ring! You should see what we’re doing in Technology! We were building robots in Mr. Viktor’s class! It’s way cooler than drawing bones and muscles.”
Ekko chuckled. “You’re a mess.”
Jinx grinned, but before she could respond, they entered the café and saw Caitlyn and Vi sitting together at a table.
“Hey, Jinx!” Caitlyn greeted, her tone polite but somewhat cool. Vi, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow at Jinx as if she were about to make some sarcastic comment but thought better of it.
“Hey, guys,” Jinx said, waving at them briefly before sliding into the seat next to Ekko. They’d been friends for years, but the dynamics were sometimes awkward. Caitlyn and Jinx never got along all that well, but Jinx didn’t care. She wasn’t here to make small talk with Caitlyn.
“So, Mister,” Vi said, giving Ekko a curious glance. “How’s art going?”
Ekko smiled, leaning back in his chair. “Well, we’re learning to draw human anatomy right now. It’s pretty challenging, but we’re moving on to sculptures next.”
Jinx immediately groaned, dramatically flopping her arms on the table. “Bo-ring! You know what’s way cooler? TECHNOLOGY! We’re building robots in Mr. Viktor’s class! It’s so much more exciting than boring old anatomy.”
“Jinx, let Ekko speak,” Caitlyn interjected, her tone flat.
Jinx raised an eyebrow. “Sure, Cait,” she muttered under her breath. She didn’t have the energy to deal with Caitlyn’s condescending tone, but whatever. It wasn’t like she cared what Caitlyn thought anyway.
After a few more minutes of conversation, Caitlyn and Vi left, leaving Jinx and Ekko alone.
The two of them walked to a nearby bench outside, the warm afternoon sun casting a soft glow around them. It was just the two of them, and Jinx realized how much she cherished moments like this—simple, calm, without anyone else to interrupt.
“So, Mister,” Jinx said after a pause. “I know this place we should go. It’s this little museum of astrology and art. It’s kind of quirky and cool, and I think you’d love it.”
Ekko raised an eyebrow, but a smile tugged at his lips. “Sure, Jinx. I’d love to go. How about Saturday?”
Jinx’s face lit up. “Yes! YES! Saturday is perfect.” She grinned, practically bouncing in excitement.
As they walked out of the café, the door chimed as it opened, and Jinx turned to glance behind her. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the same girl—the one from earlier—walking with a woman who appeared to be some sort of social worker. They were walking toward a waiting family at a table.
Jinx overheard pieces of their conversation, and her heart dropped when she heard the girl’s name was Isha. It was clear the conversation was about Isha being “given up” and placed into foster care.
Ekko’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Hello, baby blue?”
Jinx snapped out of her trance. “Huh?” she asked absently.
“Let’s head back to the dorm,” Ekko said, his voice gentle.
“Yeah, okay,” Jinx replied, her voice quieter now. Her thoughts were racing, and she couldn’t shake the image of Isha, the little girl who had been abandoned.
✨TIME SKIP✨
Later that evening, at dinner, Ekko brought over some leftovers from the previous night. They settled into their usual routine, but Jinx couldn’t stop thinking about Isha.
“So, Ekko,” she began hesitantly. “There’s this kid. Her name is Isha. She’s in foster care, and… she was given up.”
Ekko looked up, his brow furrowing in confusion. “Where are you going with this?”
Jinx nervously fidgeted with her fork. “Maybe… we could foster her. Just for a while, you know? I don’t know… just help her out. She’s been through a lot.”
Ekko blinked, clearly taken aback. “What?”
Jinx looked down at her plate, embarrassed. “I mean, it’s just a thought. I know we’re in college and everything, but maybe… we could give her a place to stay, help her for a bit. Just… make her feel safe.”
There was a long pause. Ekko slowly leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. “I love the idea, Jinx. But… we’re in college. How would we manage something like that?”
Jinx’s heart sank, her hopes momentarily dashed. But before she could speak, Ekko smiled gently at her. “But that’s not a ‘no,’ right? I’ll think about it.”
Jinx’s jaw dropped, her heart fluttering. He hadn’t said no. He hadn’t shut her down. He said he’d *think about it*.
As she got into bed later that night, Jinx lay there, her mind racing. The thought of Ekko, of them together, maybe even helping Isha—it felt like a dream. A hope she hadn’t dared to let herself feel in years. But now, maybe, just maybe, that dream could come true.
She smiled, her heart fluttering. With Ekko by her side, she felt like she could take on anything.