Just a Physics Project

“I never should of agreed to this.” Jinx puffed, beads of sweat lolling their way across her forehead, as finally the turmoil relented and they reached the peak.

Only a blind fool would dare to call the view ugly. Even Jinx, in her spite, couldn’t lie about the beauty of what they stood before.

Ronan had dragged her out for some ‘hillwalking’ that Saturday. Jinx had heavily disagreed but somehow a bargain of sorts was struck. Jinx would go on one walk and Ronan would owe her a favour of any sort.

It was ridiculously early, according to Jinx, 8 am is practically midnight, especially on a Saturday. But seeing it was late in the year, the sun was only then coming up, so an undeniably gorgeous orange tint blushed the hills and shimmered the lake. The day was clear, not a cloud in sight, and the vast span of majestic mountains almost made her forget about her aching limbs and mud-ridden hands.

“You do this for fun?” Every word slurred with panting.

“Some do it for fun… I do it for the view.” Ronan replied. “It is also good for you. To take a breath of nature and a stretch of your legs.”

“Gagh. Why?”

“It… just is.”

“The views’ nice an’ all but like… I’m now bored of it. Can we go back?”

“Yes, sure. In a moment or two.”

Jinx sighed and fell upon a jagged, wet rock, although her eyes stayed fixed on the never-ending scope of tall hills proud and fierce and sat behind a curtain of morning sunrays.

“Is there a magic passage way to get back or something.” She said after ‘a moment or two’ turned out to be rather long.

“I’m afraid not.”

“Or like a teleporter of some sorts.”

“Maybe you should invent one. I think there’d be a market there.”

“Yeah for people bullied into climbing a hill by their weirdo friends.”

“A daily occurrence.”

Ronan then sat down beside her, passing her his water as she drank it all.

“This was the reason I chose this University.”

“Better be worth it.”

“Cambridge was in some town, far from hills as lovely. And Valkeray was too far from home. That, and my German’s not great.”

“I suppose you wouldn’t’ve wanted to come to Runeterra.”

“Hm. Runeterra. No offense, Jinx, but before coming here, I thought people were making that place up.”

“Same. Well, with the Mainland.”

Ronan chuckled and then sat back, drinking in the sunlight as it aimed on his face almost perfectly.

“Any progress with your Physics project? The problem does seem quite hard, me and Felix have exactly nothing yet.”

 Jinx almost laughed, an odd conversation topic to bring up in such a place, but said conversation topic had not humour to it.

“No and I’m glad not to. Less time with Blondie.”

“Your distaste for this girl is actually quite odd, you know. I haven’t heard of a single person who has a bad word against her, save present company of course.”

“Ugh. I don’t want to talk about her. I already have to spend time with her which is far worse. Can my freedom be left Crownguard free, please?”

“Of course.” Ronan smiled, fixing her glasses. “Now, thank you for coming with me.” The way he talked reminded her of a Professor. She found it funny. “Are you happy to leave now?”

“Race to the bottom?”

Ronan looked so petrified it made her chuckle.

“Only kidding, buddy boy.”

*

“Okay, I think I’m getting the hang of it.”

“Jarvan you’ve lost every single point.”

“You’re not going easy on me.”

“How are you supposed to learn then?”

“This feels more like bullying than teaching someone Ping-Pong.”

That achieved a laugh from the table of girls on the other side of the Cairn.

“That’s what you get for asking Luxanna to teach you.” Ahri called.

“Argh! Lux! That… it almost hit my head!” Jarvan squealed like a cat biting its own tail. Lux had to bury her mouth deep into her palms, her head turned away so that she didn’t cackle with laughter. What a little boy.

“Well hit it back next time!” She replied, composure somewhat gained.

“I will when you batter it less hard!” Jarvan was not enjoying this side of Luxanna Crownguard.

“Ugh. I miss the charming month without that ugly table.” Seraphine sighed as the other girls were thoroughly entertained by the coaching lesson.

“I think Lux does to.” Akali snickered quietly. “The day we get a new one and look who comes arunning.”

“He’s really not subtle is he?”

“And has as much grace as a reversing dump-truck with no tires.” Ren giggled, as the table laughed with her, watching Jarvan chase after the tiny ball, his back hunched and arms outspread.

“What did you get for C, Seraphine?”

“Er… sea water.”

“Not honey?”

“I got honey too.”

“No honey has too much Sulfur. Did you not check the table. Sea water is the only one with the correct amount of Magnesium.”

“But it has too much oxygen.”

“And honey not enough.”

“Eh, yeah it does.”

“It obviously doesn’t. Think of honey, like the thing. It’s too thick to have that much oxygen.”

“You know you actually have to do the calculations and not rely on what your thick brain pictures.”

“I did do the calculations.”

“Good, then you know the answer’s honey.”

“Guys I checked the back and it says the answers salt…”

“Salt?”

“There’s no way. It’s numbers were way off.”

“Or maybe you’re just way off.”

“We’re so doomed.”

“Maybe the back’s wrong.”

“How could the back be wrong?”

“I don’t know Akali… I’m just trying to be optimistic.”

“Sounds like you’re being delusional.”

“Are you’re sure it’s the right question?”

“Yeah, Section 87… Question 1, C.”

“AHA! We’re doing Section 86. There’s still hope guys.”

“Ah, okay well the answer is then… mud.”

“Great.”

“A good day to not study Chemistry.” Lux grinned as she went to the table.

“Says you and your ‘nightmare Physics project’.” Ahri mocked.

“About that, Lux, do you have any idea what’s going on because me and Theo are just clueless.” Seraphine asked.

“We have done nothing.” Was all Lux said, her tone gripped with solemnity.

“Will you ever?” Akali laughed.

“If I can ever find the effort to meet with her.”

“Soooooo, never.”

“You know, she really isn’t that ba-”

“Seraphine… when you have to deal with her the way I have to deal with her, then say that again.”

“Right… well I’d get started on it sooner rather than later. It’s quite complicated.”

Lux ran her hands threw her hair, tapping her foot against the floor. She had to do it eventually, knowing that it would never cross the mind of her partner.

With a long, drawn out sigh she dragged her phone from her pocket and found Jinx’s stupid name.

Lux| We’re meeting after Physics on Monday.

She doubted Jinx wouldn’t be free.

“There. It’s Monday’s problem.” Lux sighed, flopping on the sofa next to them.

“Great, you’ll have it out of mind for tonight.”

“Speaking of which, what time are you going down?” Ahri asked.

“Not sure. Still have loads of work to finish. When do you reckon you’ll accept the fact you’re failing and give up studying?” Lux grinned.

“Er… right now?” Akali suggested.

“No, c’mon we still have all of Sunday.”

“To get through four topics, when the ones we’ve already gone through make less sense than the ones we haven’t?”

“Always the pessimist Akali…”

*

Jinx stared at the message. She agreed to it after all, and willingly gave Lux her phone… well she didn’t really have many options other than killing her.

She laid down on her bed, her limbs aching from the early morning hike. It was quite literally the last thing she wanted, having to deal with Blondie on a Monday of all days. She couldn’t exactly think of an viable excuse, she knew Lux would see through some society she claimed to be at, and if this meeting was postponed, well she’d be in the exact same situation but a few days later. She was trapped in hell.

With a mutter and no other option, Jinx replied.

Jinx| yippee.

Monday came around soon enough. The rest of Jinx’s weekend included only two things, busying herself with the materials from that water dispenser, and her Gameboy. She had work to do but work reminded her of that stupid project so she didn’t do it.

The whole day was weighed down by it. She barely focused on anything during her classes but spent her time dreading the end of the day. Eventually Physics rolled around, she walked in with Ronan and scanned the room for Lux. And as usual she sat, back straight, hair freakishly tidy with its resilient black hairband, uniform pristine and eyes glaring right back at her. Both of them locked gazes but made no sort of affirmation, just looked away soon enough.

But Jinx had her plan, she couldn’t be too cut up about it. In fact she spent that entire Physics lesson planning exactly what she should say, and so much so that she was actually excited to see Lux so quickly accept absolute rubbish.

Once the class ended, Jinx looked around for the unmissable blonde hair, only to watch it walk right out the door…

Alright then. Better this way I guess.

But Jinx got her hopes up too early, coming out the classroom, there Miss Goodie-two-shoes stood leaning against the perfectly painted dark blue wall, a giant painting from the 1300s, probably, hung beside her.

She stood with her arms crossed, a finger tapping against herself, with her lips sown in a straight line. With Jinx slumping up to her, she stood up off the wall like a feather blown in the wind.  

“Right, let’s go.” She said as sternly as one could.

“Uh… before you lead me down a dark alleyway, Blondie, your gonna tell me where we’re going.”

“The library? Where else.”

“Uhhhh. You can’t talk in the library, and as much as I don’t want to talk to yo-”

“Pft, I forgot you’re new. There are practically a billion sections of it, lots of which you can talk. Besides, I’m definitely not stepping foot in your room again, and we’re most certainly not going to the Cairn, it’s too busy and you’d probably start quivering if you saw a Ping-Pong table again.”

Jinx had sooooo many things to say about that, but kept her mouth tight, somehow.                        

They walked in silence, Lux leading the way and Jinx trailing after, not wanting to walk alongside. It didn’t help that the trek was over 15 minutes long. After the first five Jinx completely forgot what she was doing, and simply out of automation followed the bright girl.

The library, once they managed to reach it, looked straight out of an old age book. Emerald green walls and ceilings, book shelves the height of giants with the rigid ladders attached to them and every painting one could think of stapled to the walls. It smelt like dust and burnt tree.

 The tables were in rows by the bookshelves, each littered with tomes and papers from students who needed to see some sun, and as every room in the Rhayn academy, the walls, mostly made up of windows, looked out upon the picturesque scenery that was the Scottish Highlands.

Daring to speak would be a risk to your life, but that was only part of the main library. Lux led her through a small doorway that was hidden in one of the walls, it fell out into a shorter room, a bit less grand but no less beautiful. The bookshelves were lined with dark oak and such covered the walls. The tables and chairs were in rows, so it was smaller, with the whole room being of darker colours and deadly silent, but Lux did not stop there, instead she followed through another door which led to a corridor and then finally opened out into a much louder room.

It was full of small round tables and, of course, more bookshelves reaching the ceiling and walls being made of glass. It wasn’t as busy as the other rooms, and there was a reason why. A sign above the door read: non-quiet zone.

Without any deliberation, Lux chose and table by the window, with a dark bookcase to her back, she sat down – not even bothering to look at Jinx who just had to follow her like a puppy – and neatly placed her books as though they were being marked by a spirit level.

With a puff of frustration, Jinx sat opposite her, dumping her bag on the floor, folding her arms and resting her chin on the pillow they made, planning on letting Lux do all the effortful tasks.

Lux, finally acknowledging her, met eyes with the glaring, haughty, huffing girl.

With the brightness of the massive window, her blue eyes were almost blinding. Jinx ignored that thought, and instead noticed how her face was suddenly less stern than the typical pout. Then, how she took a long deep breath, like one did before a plunge in cold water.

*

“Alright. There’s no way we can get through this if we only bicker.” Lux had to bite her tongue to make her say the words she planned instead of what she wanted. Always have to be the bigger person. “So, can we talk like mature people for once?”

Jinx didn’t answer, focusing instead on rolling her pen along the table.

“Right. Okay.” Lux rapidly tapped her finger on the wood. “Em. So, normally how these conversations in these situation go is through a question. Do you know any social conversation… of any kind? Probably not, then I’ll start… So…. what do you study?” There was more tension in Lux’s shoulders than in a courtroom.

Lux pretended she didn’t know such a fact, all for the sake of immunity. She hated how she had to be the one forcing this amity, she hated how it was obligated with Jinx. But Luxanna Crownguard failing a module could simply not happen, for her own livelihood.

“I already told you. Mailman studies.”

Lux hung her head.

“Don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be.”

“And knowing what I study is supposed to help how, Blondie?”

“Trying to break the ice, Jinx.”

“Pfft! The ice has turned to a murky puddle. I know you very well. That’s the problem.”

“Oh you know nothing.” Her lips were sown into such a straight line and eyes brimmed with such severity that Jinx found it a little funny.

“Hate to break it to you, Luxie, but ya’re more transparent than glass.” Jinx rested on her palm, twirling her pen around through her fingers.

“Oh yeah and whys that?” Lux’s eyes narrowed.

“Before I ever met you, I knew what you’d be like.” She sounded uninterested.

“Enlighten me, Miss Omniscient.”

“Well, y’know, typical golden girl, loves her attention, everyone eats straight out of your hand because they’re too blind to see past your stupid smile. And well… that’s exactly what you are.”

Lux shook her head, looking out the window with pursed lips.

“What? Am I wrong?” Jinx taunted with a large smile. Lux bit her lip and thought for a moment.

“Alright smarty-pants. If you think you know me so well… then what do I study?”

Jinx squinted, contemplating if she would eat into Lux’s game. Then considered her, looking Lux all over.

“Hmm. Well, obviously nothing mathsy. Your brain would implode before the end of semester one. So something filler and useless, like English or something.”

“Try again.”

Jinx thought about it, moving off her palm and looking Lux in the eyes.

“Eh… okay… like one of those Mainland languages?”

“Nope.” Lux’s lips twisted upwards a little.

“History or something boring like that.”

“Keep going, you’re doing great.”

Jinx hummed, chewing her top lip and looking out the window before snapping back with a thought. 

“Oh ew, do you study drama?”

“I thought I was transparent Jinx?”

“Art.”

“Wrong again.”

“Oh like PE, another useless subject.”

“You’re really bad at this.”

“Can I get a hint?”

“Hm, you know what? I would actually think it is quite obvious.”

“Oh… Looking at Yourself in the Mirror studies.”

“You got it! Well done.”

“Economics? No that’s too mathsy for you.”

“Getting warmer.” Lux teetered her head from side to side.

“Accounting or something… do they even do that here?”

“No and no.”

“Uh… okay… social studies.”

“Does that even exist?” Lux was actually a little amused, and couldn’t help the smile forming.

“Hm… Politics?”

“Gracious. Took you long enough.”

Jinx let out a long breath, relaxing her shoulders a little.

“Ah… Politics. Yeah you are transparent.”

“Clearly not to you. There were no subjects left.”

“I forgot about it.”

“Yeah, yeah, use those excuses.”

“Okay then…” Jinx said growing in height, rather insulted and furrowing her eyebrows. “You guess mine!”

“You don’t study mailman studies?” Lux feigned a face of hurt and Jinx scowled. “Well Jinx, you actually are transparent. I bet I can guess in one.”

“Typical Piltie arrogan-”

“Engineering?”

Jinx’s mouth slammed shut, narrowing her eyes as Lux wore her innocent smile.

“You probably stalk me or something.” She scoffed, looking away as if it was nothing.

“Oh definitely.”

Then came a bit of a silence, nothing awkward, Jinx had a thought though, and contemplated asking it. She didn’t really want to talk to her… but she was a teensy bit curious. And so she asked, at length, her eyes fixed on the window’s scenery as if embarrassed by the question.

“So… if you do Politics, why the hell do they make you do Physics? That’s just cruel. Basically evil for such a poor dummy such as the Crownguard girl to be forced, and I thought the school liked you.”

“Ah, well, it’s not part of the course curriculum. I chose it as my elective.”

Jinx turned to her and pulled a face.

“Since Physics is such a great help to the Politics of today?”

“No…”

“And you’re so good at it, that it’s like a free module! Great thinking, Lux.”

“I severely regret my choice if that’s any consolation.”

“Yeahhhh… but… why?”

“Why’d I chose it?… eh, you know what Jinx, I think telling you the reason would just make you laugh and you’d not take it seriously.”

“What makes you say that?” Jinx said, grinning, playing a voice of innocence as her legs kicked back and forth. Lux gave her a look.

“Right, well. I wanted to prove my… capability a bit. I wanted a challenge.”

“And you clearly got one.”

“Yes. And I really, really regret that senseless decision.”

“Who thinks like that? Wanting a challenge… Could you not have ran a marathon or something.”

“I don’t know, there was something about doing a subject I’d never studied before that was appealing, a completely different mindset, a different skill pallet. In hindsight I’m just an idiot.”

“You sound bored.”

“I think I was just stupid.”

“No surprise there.”

Back to normal.

“Well its done now. And we still have this problem of the project.”

“Yeah…” Jinx sighed, putting her feet on a nearby chair and twirling a braid around her arm.

“Have you got the question sheet?”

“Em…” Jinx sounded, pretending to think. “I think I lost that.”

Lux held her breath, no shock really.

“I have mine.”

So why ask? Jinx wanted to say. She thought that would maybe be the wrong dialog option though.

“Right… here we are. Gah, can hardly read his handwriting, not to mention its photocopied. Okay… ‘Using a model of your own creation, study how materials expand or contract with changes in temperature. You must produce proof of these findings. Secondly, you must replicate the famous double-slit experiment and explore the wave-particle duality of particles. Then using your own design, investigate the phenomenon of quantum tunnelling and its implications in nanotechnology.’

Lux looked up to Jinx with face of such concern, Jinx couldn’t help but laugh.

“Sounds easy enough.” Jinx dismissed, waving her hand.

Lux glared back at her.

“Oh right, yeah… it does.” She said, dripping with sarcasm.

And Jinx was indeed lying, only really because she couldn’t think of a way she could make Lux do that question all wrong whilst still making some sense. She had to accept, it wasn’t the most straightforward thing of all time.

“It’s just the laws of thermodynamics. Piece of cake.”

“Well only for the first one. The second is quantum mechanics… that a piece of cake, Jinxie?”

Maybe she wasn’t as ditzy as Jinx thought. She could read, after all.

“And how are we supposed to just causally build a model?”

Dammit. That actually sounds kinda cool. Jinx wasn’t exactly pleased that the project she was currently sacrificing would probably the one most ‘up her alley’.

“Uh… with materials?”

Jinx’s new plan was to act as if everything was easy. It got under Lux’s skin quite well, she could see her digging her nails into her palms, but didn’t know if that was enough to make them fail without her noticing they’re definitely going to fail.

“Oh really? I didn’t think about that.” Lux said with the most stern face one could see.

“Do you ever think at all?”

“Oh far more than you. You just say the first thing that comes into that demented brain of yours.” Lux, probably, should have held her tongue with that. But she was sick of being the bigger person.

“You know, Blondie you really do just lie on all those news things...”

Lux’s face then twisted into one of utter bewilderment.

“What is that supposed to mean?” She asked, her eyebrows drawn so close Jinx thought they’d tangle together.

“You spend all this time pretending to be Miss Sweetie-Pie and whatever sickeningly cheery emotion that comes with an–”

“Yeah, to the media? Do you have any idea how this world works Jinx?”

“Duh, obviously.”

“Do you think the Crownguards would uphold their respect if their daughter was overtly a vicious gripe?”

“And you’re not?”

“Not overtly.”

Jinx scoffed.

“So you’re just a fake gripe.”

“Fake? I’m socially skilled, Jinx. I’m not an idiot. That’s the difference. Do you know why I am far more liked than you?”

“I’d severely disagre-”

“Because I’m not a jerk to people’s faces. You are. People annoy me just the same way they annoy you. I swallow it. You don’t. ”

“And what exactly are you basing this from?” Jinx screeched, insulted.

“Cal, Seraphine, me-”

“How was I ever rude to pink hair?”

“-you’re are blunter than a rock. Saying the first thing that comes to your mind.”

“Oh what and you don’t?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Wo-wo… A fierce lie there again! And I have evidence!” Jinx stabbed her finger into the table. “First, when you-”

“Fine, okay. I do. To one person.”

“Right, ‘cause I’m from Zaun and so I’m not worth your effort, right Blondie?”

“Hey, you were the one who barged into my room! Then acted as though I was a drain on your time. You can’t act like that and expect me to treat you with giggles and smiles and what not. Is that what you want? Is that why you don’t like me, do you want me to grin and pretend I like you?” Lux said with a hint of aversion.

“Ew! No. I would like you far less if you did that!” Jinx squawked, her tone tainted with disgust. “Keep your Piltie perversion away.”

Lux rolled her eyes.

“Jinx, you are the most judgmental, prejudice person I have ever met. You hated me immediately, without any sort of reasoning!”

“Oh I had plenty of reasoning! When I came into your room you saw me like a messenger or something, just some Piltie obsessed with social class. Then you said all these things about the Kirammans and then switched up when that stupid girl came in-”

“You came in with the most stand-offish attitude I had ever seen. Was I just supposed to eat into it, treat you how you want? And you read my letter, y-”

“Oh and I wish I hadn’t, that physically pained me to look at.”

“Either way, Jinx, I’m not saying I wasn’t impolite but it was not plucked from the blue. I had every right. I knew you made your decision about me before you even knocked on that door.”

Jinx was lost for words, her mind started playing on her as the silence endured. But Lux was not finished.

“And then you BROKE MY DOOR!” She yelled. “All because I said a mean word or two. You’re ridiculously childish, you know that?”

“That was a month ago, get over it.” Jinx said, half-mindedly, her eyes slipping from the room.

“And you are extremely difficult for no sensible reason. You could just act like a normal person and not be so brusque all the time. But you act as though you are invincible and-”

But Jinx wasn’t really listening, instead she started catching at the skin on her forehead, looking out the window.

And Lux noticed this, quieting down slightly. With the hush she cooled a bit, sighing and also looking out the window. They stayed like that for several long moments, until Lux took a big drink of a breath, running her hands through her thick hair.

“We’re not going to get very far if this is all we’re capable of saying.” Again the bigger person.

 It was infuriating. Lux had to admit that she was jealous of her. Jealous of her freedom. She had no reputation to uphold, no limits to how she acted. She could be the most vile creature to exist on this earth and live with no consequences. Whereas in Demacia, if Lux’s hair looks slightly tangled one day, she never hears the end of it. And her smothering standards do not limit themselves to Demacia. Rhayn is no place to slip from the golden girl repute. Practically every student has influence, well, those from Runeterra, so if Lux was to be a backwards git her whole time there, there would be no was to escape such news when returning home.

She didn’t entirely mind it though, she was, at heart, sweet-natured to those who deserved it. The frustration only came when she had to treat those who most definitely do not deserve such, with poise. Like with the girl sitting opposite her.

“I’m not saying we should try to be friends. Believe you me, I have more in common with woodlice than I do you, but… can we be civil? For the sake of passing this module.”

Jinx wasn’t really listening, not in the way she wouldn’t be listening when Lux would watch her completely zone-out in classes, but in a very different way. Her mind was rather caught by something.

“Jinx?” Lux was more concerned than aggravated.

“What’s so appealing about them anyways?” Jinx said, turning back to Lux, her hand gone from her forehead.

“Uhhh.”

“Like, they’re just tall. Very green and grey, not exciting colours… why are people so obsessed with them?”

“Obsessed with what?”

“The hills!”

“What hills?”

“All the hills. All the time people blab on about how great mountains are or whatever. Are they really? Or are people just so bored.” Jinx then pointed outside, where the library looked out upon the foot of a mountain with a group of red-coated people trekking up it. “Do they look happy? Really?”

“Hm… I don’t know… you can’t really see their faces this far away.”

“Ah, but if you’re happy you can tell without looking at their face. If I really loved mountains, like really, I’d start skipping up them or something.”

“Sounds exhausting.”

“Well if ya like it that much you can’t feel tired.”

“Don’t think that’s how it works.”

“Do you get tired of being arrogant. No? See! ‘cause you like it so much.”

Lux contorted her face, her nose bunched up and eyes squinted.

“Well, think of it this way, Jinx.” Lux said, leaning forward. “If the space out there was just flat, would it be as appealing?”

Jinx thought for a moment.

“Depends what’s there.”

“Nothing’s there.”

“Nothing?! So a big gap in the floor? Sounds great. I could push you in it.”

“Well, duh, something is there. Like… grassland…”

“No that’s far more boring.”

“See.”

“What? So tall grass is interesting but flat grass isn’t.”

“Well it’s not just tall. They are beautiful in a way.”

“Right, ‘cause green and grey are the most beautiful colours.”

“Something doesn’t have to be colourful to be beautiful.”

“No but grey sure isn’t pretty.”

“There’s like 20% grey in comparison to the green and yellow, Jinx.”

“Hmpf. Maybe.” Jinx trailed off, looking back at the scenery with squinted eyes.

“So I’m guessing you’re not an orophile then?”

“What the actual fuck.” Jinx’s face looked like it was warped.

Lux really laughed at that.

“It’s a name for someone who like mountains.”

“Sounds like a name for someone who likes kids.”

Lux cringed.

“Always delicate, aren’t you.”

“So are you a pedophile, then?” Jinx just said that to make herself laugh. Lux rolled her eyes.

“Well I am an oro-”

“Really? That’s horrible Lux! Geez I’m lucky I just turned 18.” Jinx found herself very funny.

“Jinx. I like mountains. And am obviously not.”

Jinx kept laughing at her own joke.

“So you’re one of those weirdos that just hike for the fun of it.”

“I am indeed. Actually Rhayn has like seven different clubs dedicated to hillwalking. I’m in one of them, but would maybe not recommend it to you.”

“Do you call yourselves the ‘oralphiles’ or something.”

“Em… I think if we did, no one would join.”

“I think if you did, you’d be arrested.”

Lux just smiled.

“Right.” She sounded like a Dad leaving a family gathering. “It’s all fair and good, the discussion of nature’s gift, but I really have no idea where to start with this Physics question.”

“Pst. Basic Physics. We can do it the night before. I say this was a great start… cya the 20^th of December ‘cause we can just grind it then.” Jinx waved her arm and stirred about in her seat, as if she was about to stand, despite having no intention to.

“Jinx…”

“Ya-huh...”

“Not even your conceited brain could possibly think this is a one night task.”

“Conceited?”

“Too big a word for you?”

“Too much a word foryou.”

Lux ignored that.

“How about we plan what to do when we meet and what not. For example, one week we fixate on the double-slit experiment, or at least the theory behind it, the next the theory for intermolecular forces and so on. So, when abouts are you free?”

Sooo much planning. This girl is a walking calendar.

“I dunno. Can’t see the future.”

“Right well… is there a time you know you’re not free.”

“Hm. Most time actually.”

“Okay well, I have hillwalking every Saturday morning and debating every Thursday afternoon. It’s not athletics season so I don’t have to worry about that, but I need the whole of Tuesday since my classes are packed and I have Volleyball after. Then the weekends… don’t think either of us want to spend our Friday nights with each other. So that leaves Mondays, Wednesday’s and Sunday afternoons.”

“Uh…” Jinx tried to comprehend the immense volume of whatever Luxanna just spewed out. “Mondays are fine.”

“Yeah, okay, Mondays and then what else?”

“Andthen? You want to do this more than once a week?!” Jinx did not hide her distaste.

“Did you not hear the problem question? There’s no way we can finish it with just a couple hours a week. Realistically we need three days but I think we’d both kill each other if that was so.”

At least she was candid.

“Ugh. Fine. Not weekends though. I actually am busy. Wednesdays’ll do.”

“Alrighty!” Lux mimicked a certain boy’s voice as she said that, one they’d both remember vividly. That evoked a very natural and oddly soothing laugh from Jinx. It actually was quite funny. “Wednesdays and Mondays then.” Lux couldn’t stop the smile that caused, it formed so automatically at the sound and the gratitude she got from making her laugh. “And Here. At say… half three?”

“Uggggggh, finnnnne. Deal.”

The girls deemed such organisation enough progress for the afternoon and went their separate ways. Jinx left whilst Lux stayed to work. Both of them with smiles that couldn’t quite go away.