Don’t Say Anything
Caitlyn sat on the grass, staring at the last glowing embers of the campfire.
Most of the students were either mingling in each others’ tents or asleep by now. As for Caitlyn, she felt so restless and fidgety she wasn’t sure she could sleep if she wanted to, which was unusual for her.
She thought about Deckard and his goons, and how small she felt at that moment. Had Vi not stepped in, she might be lying unconscious on the lake’s shore right now.
But she hated it. The idea of being a “damsel in distress”. The need to be rescued. it made her feel small and powerless, not at all like a Kiramman.
Someone took a seat next to her. It was Vi, the very person Caitlyn hadn’t expected.
“What’s wrong?” Vi asked.
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine,” Caitlyn answered.
“Right. That’s why you’ve been sitting there like you’re about to punch the moon.”
“I am not!” Caitlyn protested, punching Vi’s shoulder instead of the moon, as if to prove her point.
Vi scoffed. “I’ve been with you long enough to read you like a book. You’ve been sitting here glaring at everything, which is very much unlike you.”
Caitlyn let out a sharp sigh, pressing her palms into her knees. “Leave me be for a bit, Vi, please. I don’t want to talk about it now.”
“Good. I wasn’t planning to. In fact…” She smirked, her mischievous side creeping in. “I’ve got a better idea.”
Caitlyn raised an eyebrow. “Do I want to know?”
“Probably not.” Vi reached into her jacket’s inner pocket, pulling out a metal canister. “But I promise, it’s better than sitting here stewing in your own head.”
Caitlyn hesitated, the rebellious spark in her flaring to life. Maybe this was exactly what she needed — a break from being perfect, from the rules, from herself.
“Fine,” she said, standing. “But if we get caught, this is all on you.”
Vi grinned. “Deal. Let’s go.”
~~~
They sat together at the edge of the lake, not far from where Vi had confronted Deckard. The full moon rose overhead, making the water surface sparkle.
They shared a beer together, despite it being very much against the rules and despite Caitlyn’s status as student council president. But here, it was quiet, and no one had to know they were there, together.
Vi studied Caitlyn. Granted she was more relaxed than before, but still wound up. Vi wanted to reach deeper into her, to know more about her, to learn about all the pressure on her shoulders. But she didn’t want to push Caitlyn.
Vi thought about that incident several years ago, when she’d come home to find out…no. No. It was too painful for Vi. She looked at Caitlyn and for a moment saw a shadow — a familiar one, now gone. She couldn’t lose Caitlyn the same way.
“I used to… have a little sister,” Vi muttered, breaking the silence. She was surprised at her own instinct to share this with Caitlyn, but she didn’t hold back. “Powder. She… she was never like me.” Vi gave a small, bittersweet laugh, looking down at her bottle, as though it could answer questions she hadn’t asked. “I was the star athlete. Everyone expected her to be just like me. But she wasn’t. She had a different kind of strength. The kind that no one noticed. Everyone just wanted her to fit into my shadow.”
Vi's voice wavered slightly, and Caitlyn listened intently, her heart sinking for her. She reached out without thinking and squeezed Vi's hand, a simple gesture that spoke volumes.
“She was under so much pressure,” Vi continued, her voice thick with regret. “It got worse when my parents died. I didn’t see it. I was too wrapped up in my own shit. Too busy being the perfect kid and trying to deal with my own grief, I guess. I didn’t even notice that she was falling apart.” She paused, her face tightening as if the memories were choking her. “And then she… she took Shimmer, thinking it would make her stronger, faster. But she — ” Vi’s voice broke, and she shook her head, not finishing her thought.
Caitlyn’s voice softened, coaxing her gently. “What happened, Vi?”
Vi’s eyes wandered, unfocused. And then Caitlyn spoke again, this time more firmly, pulling Vi back into the moment. “What happened to Powder?”
Vi blinked, clearly coming back to the present. “She took Shimmer, too much of it. The dosage was wrong. It… messed with her mind. And that’s when she became Jinx.” Vi looked down at her hands. “I lost her that day. Powder died, and Jinx took her place.”
Caitlyn’s heart hurt for Vi, but she didn’t interrupt, letting her speak, giving her the space to be vulnerable. Caitlyn had never seen Vi so…raw and open. She had never spoken like this. It was almost like watching a flock of birds settle on a field — one loud noise and it would scare them all away.
Vi’s eyes flickered up to Caitlyn’s, her gaze suddenly searching. “I… I can’t lose you like that. I don’t want anyone going through that alone, feeling like they have to hold everything in. It’s why I worry. The pressure…” She let the words trail off, unsure how to express what had been building inside her for so long.
Caitlyn felt something deep within her stir. She knew Vi cared about her, but hearing this, hearing the weight of what Vi had — and still — carried, it was more than Caitlyn had expected. It made her feel like Vi saw her. Really saw her.
Her voice was softer now, warmer, as she tried to comfort her. “I don’t think you’ll lose me, Vi. I promise.”
Then Caitlyn leaned back slightly, staring out at the night sky, as though trying to collect her thoughts. She was quiet for a moment before speaking again, her voice carrying a weight she hadn’t realized she was carrying until now.
“I know what it’s like to be expected to be something you’re not,” Caitlyn said, her voice surprisingly steady. "I grew up in a family where my parents expected more from me than I could give. They wanted me to follow a strict path, be the perfect daughter, just like they envisioned. But I didn’t want that.”
She looked over at Vi, her blue eyes catching the faint light of the moon. “I’m not like that. I want to be my own person. Not some image they’ve built up in their heads. It’s hard, sometimes… trying to make them understand that I have my own dreams.”
She paused, her heart heavy but her voice unwavering. “I don’t think I could ever be what they want. But… Vi, with you? I don’t feel like I have to. With you, I can just be Caitlyn. I can breathe, you know?”
For a moment, Vi didn’t respond. The silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was thick with the weight of what had been said. Vi’s gaze fell to Caitlyn’s face, lingering on her eyes for a moment longer than she should have. It was then, in that split second, when the words Caitlyn had spoken finally sank in.
Vi listened, but her focus started to shift. At first, she was just hearing Caitlyn — understanding the weight in her voice, the way her words danced between light and dark. But then, Vi’s gaze couldn’t help but drift. She noticed how the moonlight caught in Caitlyn’s hair, a cascade of dark waves falling softly over her shoulders, catching every ounce of the beautiful light, as though each strand was alive and dancing through the night air.
Caitlyn was talking about her parents, her voice tight with frustration, but Vi wasn’t really hearing the words anymore. Instead, her attention was on Caitlyn’s eyes—those impossibly blue eyes. They were so expressive, shimmering like the ocean on a clear day, and something about them just stuck with Vi. It was as if she could get lost in them, drown in them. There was an intensity there, a depth she hadn’t really noticed before.
And then Caitlyn’s accent — how it slid over each word so effortlessly, making the simple things she said feel like music. It was soft, calming, with just a touch of that upper-class lilt that made everything Caitlyn said sound... important. Vi wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the quiet of the night, but it felt like the world had narrowed down to just Caitlyn, her voice, her eyes. The rest of the camp, the noise, the pressure of everything…it all faded into the background.
“Vi?” Caitlyn’s voice broke through her thoughts.
Vi blinked, her heart pounding a little harder than before. She swallowed, trying to shake the haze that had come over her. “Yeah?”
Caitlyn was still looking at her, those eyes locking onto hers, full of that open honesty. Vi’s breath caught in her throat, the world feeling heavier than it had just moments ago. Her pulse was a steady thrum in her ears.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever thanked you for everything you’ve done for me,” Caitlyn said, a small, shy smile tugging at her lips. “You’ve always had my back…and I never really had a chance to tell you how much that means to me.”
Vi tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it was hard to focus on Caitlyn’s words now, not when everything about her felt so right in this moment. There was something magnetic about her. Caitlyn was more than just the cool, calculated person Vi had always seen. She was beautiful — and it hit Vi like a tidal wave. The way she moved, the softness in her voice, the way the moonlight danced in her hair — it was like Caitlyn was suddenly all Vi could see. All Vi wanted.
Vi took another swig of her beer, trying to calm the flood of emotions. She didn’t understand it. She didn’t want to understand it. This wasn’t part of the plan.
But Caitlyn was still there, so close, her smile so soft and genuine that it made Vi’s chest ache. It was in that moment, as Caitlyn’s words faded into silence, that Vi realized...she had fallen for her. She had fallen for Caitlyn’s heart, her mind, and everything in between. And she hadn’t even seen it coming.
Caitlyn laughed, the sound softer than usual, a little slurred from the alcohol, but still so…her. Her cheeks flushed — not from embarrassment or anger this time, but from the warmth of the night and the easy closeness between them.
Vi’s breath hitched. She couldn’t resist it any longer. Here she was, the love of her life, sitting just inches away.
Vi’s hand moved before she could think, brushing a strand of hair away from Caitlyn’s face. Caitlyn froze, her lips parting slightly, her breath catching as her gaze locked with Vi’s.
The world around them disappeared — the forest, the faint hum of crickets. It was just them, suspended in this fragile, perfect moment. Vi could barely breathe as her fingers wrapped around the back of Caitlyn’s neck and gently pulled her closer.
Caitlyn didn’t resist. Instead, she leaned in, her lips just a breath away from Vi’s.
Vi didn’t think. She didn’t hesitate. She closed the distance between them, her lips pressing against Caitlyn’s in a kiss that was tentative at first, almost unsure — until Caitlyn responded.
Caitlyn’s hand found its way to Vi’s jaw, anchoring her in place, her fingers grazing the edge of Vi’s hair as she held on, not wanting to let go.
It wasn’t just a kiss. It was everything Vi had been holding back, everything she didn’t even realize she felt, poured into one perfect, undeniable moment.
For a moment, time slowed down. Then, they broke apart, both breathing heavily.
“Vi…” Caitlyn started, but the words failed her.
“Don’t say anything,” Vi whispered, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Don’t say anything.”