Chapter 5
"Park ya brakes." She says, and you sigh before stopping. "What was that?"
"What was..what?" You say dumbly, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, yeah, act dumb. I saw, no, heard you flirting with Mel. If you didn't know, she's dating someone."
"I wasn't flirting," You argue, but Jinx laughs and turns to you, staring at you. Fine, maybe you were flirting a little. But you weren't going to admit it. Obviously, it got under Jinx's skin, and that made you feel good.
"Are you mad because I'm not paying you any mind?" You ask, smirking. Jinx rolls her eyes before getting up and walking over to you.
Jinx crowds into your space, forcing you to step back until you hit the closed door. Her hands plant on either side of your head, caging you in.
"Mad? No. But you're playing a dangerous game." Her eyes lock with yours, intense and unblinking. "Mel's taken. And you know it."
"So what if I was flirting?" You lift your chin defiantly. "It's not like you care."
"Maybe I do." Her voice drops lower, sending a shiver down your spine. "Maybe I don't like watching you throw yourself at someone else just to get back at me."
"That's not-" You start to protest, but the words die in your throat as she leans closer.
"No?" Her breath fans across your lips. "Then prove it."
Your heart pounds. The smart thing would be to push her away, to maintain the distance you've been trying so hard to keep. Instead, your fingers curl into the front of her shirt, pulling her that last inch closer.
The kiss is nothing like your first - no hesitation, no gentleness. Just raw need and barely contained frustration. Her teeth catch your bottom lip and you gasp, allowing her to deepen the kiss.
One of her hands slides into your hair, gripping just tight enough to make you whimper. The other drops to your hip, fingers digging in possessively.
You break apart, both breathing heavily. Her pupils are blown wide, a flush high on her cheeks.
"Still think I don't care?" She asks, voice rough.
"You do care. You care about whether or not I'm chasing you. You like leading me on. You say, and she stares at you, not saying anything. "Well? Am I right?"
Jinx's jaw clenches, her fingers flexing against your hip. "You think you've got me all figured out, huh?"
"I think you're scared," you say, watching her expression flicker. "Scared of actually letting someone get close."
She pushes away from you abruptly, creating space between you with an irritated expression. You were expecting her to give up by now. "Yeah, whatever. You got your lab data. Just go home, Y/N. The competition is coming up soon."
You deflate at her words as she grabs her bag off of the stool and leaves. You were hoping for a miracle before the competition.
The day of the competition arrives, and you and Caitlyn show up with the project. She was immensely proud of your hard work and was probably overly hopeful about your win. But you knew you weren't going to win. Not..by normal means, that is.
You set up your station while Caitlyn goes to chat with potential voters.
"Woah, this is awesome! Powderpuff, did you see this?" Vi says from behind you as you place the finishing touches on your table.
"Oh, hi Vi. Jinx." You say quietly. Jinx nods.
"Yeah, it's cool." Jinx mumbles. Vi looks between you both, noticing the uninterested looks on both of your faces.
Befrore she could ask any questions, Mel comes over with Professor Talis and Viktor.
"Y/N! Wow, is this your project? You didn't tell me you were entering in this year's competition." She nudges Jayce. "Why didn't you guys tell me? I told you I met her."
"It must have slipped my mind, honey. Your project looks great, Y/N!" Jayce says. "Caitlyn not helping again?" He sighs and shakes his head.
"Well, she's the head of house Kiramann. Why would she possibly be helping?" Viktor says dryly. "Either way, your project looks very nice."
You smile at the three. "Thank you. Does this mean you'll be voting for me?" You ask nervously.
"I'll make sure to vote for you." Mel says. "And..I'll try to get these two to do the same, but no promises."
"Thanks, Mel." You say, and she smiles before walking off.
"Told you she was taken." Jinx hums once she's gone. It seems like Vi also went to go find Caitlyn as well, leaving you there with Jinx.
"You really know how to hold a grudge." You say with your arms crossed. "I don't belong to you. I can talk to whoever I want."
"I hold a grudge? Says the one who fucked up our lab data because I wouldn't date you."
"It's not about just that, Jinx. There's other things you did too. Giving me first place in the competition or kissing me isn't going to make me feel any better either."
"Oh, so you want to lose and disappoint Caitlyn?" Jinx crosses her arms.
"Well, I'm sure you know a thing or two about disappointing people." You hiss, narrowing your eyes at her.
"I'm not the one who-" Jinx starts, but you cut her off.
"Not the one who what? Who runs away every time someone tries to get close? Who acts like they care and then just-"
"What exactly is going on here?" Caitlyn's voice cuts through your argument like ice. You turn to see her standing there, arms crossed, with an expression that could freeze hell itself.
"Nothing." You and Jinx say in unison, then glare at each other.
"Really? Because I heard enough to know that's not true." Caitlyn steps between you both. "First the crystal incident, now this? Whatever is happening between you two needs to stop."
"There's nothing happening." Jinx scoffs.
"Then explain why Y/N's lab data was compromised." Caitlyn's eyes narrow. "Or why you're both acting like children right before an important competition."
You feel your face heat up. "Cait, it's not-"
"No, listen to me. Both of you." She looks between you and Jinx. "This competition matters. Your grades matter. Your future matters. If whatever this is-" she gestures between you both "is going to interfere with that, then it needs to end. Now."
Jinx's jaw clenches. "Fine by me. I'm out of here anyway." She turns on her heel and stalks off.
"Y/N." Caitlyn's voice softens slightly. "I told you getting involved with her would only lead to trouble."
"I know, I know. I'll leave her alone. I promise." You mumble, and Caitlyn rubs your arm.
"Good. It's your turn to walk around and look at the projects now. Hopefully I secured us a few votes." She winks, and you nod before beginning to wander around the audiotorium looking at different projects and what they do. It was fun, but you made sure to avoid Jinx and Ekko's project like the plague. You were going to ignore Jinx by any means, whether she let you win or not.
Eventually the time came for them to nominate winners, and you sat nervously next to Caitlyn in the front row. She squeezed your hand and smiled at you, telling you not to worry.
Professor Talis steps up to the podium, tapping the microphone twice. The feedback makes you wince.
"Welcome everyone to this year's Engineering Excellence Competition! We've seen some incredible projects today, and it's time to announce our winners."
Your leg bounces anxiously as he unfolds a piece of paper. Caitlyn's grip on your hand tightens.
"In third place, with their innovative water purification system - Team Anderson!"
Polite applause fills the auditorium. You spot Vi giving you a thumbs up from a few rows back.
"In second place, with their revolutionary solar-powered charging station - Team Martinez!"
More applause. Your heart pounds in your chest. You catch a glimpse of Jinx's blue hair in your peripheral vision, but you force yourself to keep looking forward.
"And now, for our first place winner..." Jayce pauses, building tension. You hold your breath. "With their groundbreaking stabilizer core modification - Y/N!"
The applause feels distant, muffled by the rushing in your ears. Caitlyn pulls you into a tight hug, practically squealing with excitement.
"I knew you could do it!" She beams as you stand up shakily.
You make your way to the stage, your legs feeling heavy. As you climb the stairs, you dare to glance at where Jinx was sitting. Her seat is empty.
Jayce hands you the trophy— a sleek crystal structure that catches the light. "Congratulations," he says, but his smile doesn't quite reach his eyes. You wonder if he knew about what really happened with your project.
The weight of the trophy in your hands feels wrong. This isn't your victory - not really. You force a smile for the photos, but inside, your stomach churns with guilt and confusion.
When you return to your seat, Caitlyn is already planning a celebration dinner. But all you can think about is Jinx's empty chair and the hollow feeling in your chest that no trophy can fill.
You return back to your dorm, placing the trophy down on the desk. You'd got hundreds of congratulations and happy comments from basically everyone, but you didn't feel happy. You felt like a fraud. Jinx and Ekko deserved that win. Even if Jinx didn't, Ekko did.
You didn't even want to attend that stupid celebratory dinner if Jinx was going to be there. You knew you never told her not to let you win—you thought that it was obvious you weren't on board with the idea, especially after everything. You sigh and take off the blue and black dress you were wearing and unpin your hair from the bun it was in.
Your freinds were right about you having eyebags. You barely even recognized yourself once you took off your makeup. You lay on the bed before your phone buzzes.
You expect Caitlyn or Vi in the groupchat you were both in, but not Jinx.
J: can we talk?
You stare at the words on the screen, appalled at the gall of this woman.
Y: No
J: im already standing outside ur door
Y: Well go back to your dorm
J: seriously?
Y: Yes, I'm tired
J: hi tired, open the door
You groan loud enough for her to hear and grab any t-shirt and pull it on before opening the door. Jinx, wearing her pajamas looks you up and down, not saying anything before you clear your throat.
"What do you want?" You cross your arms.
"Well..Cait said you looked unhappy about winning the competition. She spoke to me and forced me to tell the truth. Now she wants me to apologize to you."
"I don't want your apology." You say. "Apologize to Ekko and maybe he'll forgive you."
Jinx's eyes narrow at your words. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you screwed him over too. He worked hard on that project, deserved a win that would help him, and you threw it away just to-" You pause, running a hand through your messy hair. "I don't even know why you did it."
"Because I felt bad, okay?" Jinx's voice cracks slightly. "I felt bad about everything and I thought-"
"You thought winning would fix it?" You lean against the doorframe. "That's not how this works, Jinx. You can't just... manipulate situations and expect everything to be fine."
"Then what am I supposed to do?" She runs a hand through her fringe nervously. "Everyone keeps telling me what not to do, but nobody tells me what I should do."
"Maybe start by being honest? With yourself, with others?" You gesture between you both. "Whatever this is - was - you never gave it a chance to be real because you were too busy running away."
"I don't run away," she mutters, but there's no confidence in her voice.
"Really? Then why did you leave the auditorium before they even announced the winners?"
Jinx shifts her weight, avoiding your gaze. "I had somewhere to be."
"See? That's exactly what I mean." You shake your head. "You're doing it right now."
A heavy silence falls between you.
"Fine," Jinx finally says. "You want honesty? I'm scared, okay? I'm scared of letting people get close because everyone who does either leaves or gets hurt. And yeah, maybe I run away. Maybe I sabotage things. But at least that way I'm the one in control of when it ends."
You stare at her, caught off guard by her sudden confession. For once, there's no smirk, no defensive stance—just Jinx, looking smaller and more vulnerable than you've ever seen her.
"Do you like me?" You ask. Jinx looks at you, confused and taken aback at your sudden question.
"What? I don't think now's the time—"
"Jinx." You interject.
"Do you like me? Yes or no!"
Jinx stares at you, her mouth opening and closing like she's trying to form words but can't quite get them out. Her hand reaches for her hair - that nervous tick you've noticed before - but stops halfway when she remembers it's not there anymore.
"Yes," she finally whispers, so quietly you almost miss it. "Yes, okay? I like you. But that doesn't change anything."
"It changes everything." You step closer to her. "Because I like you too, and I'm tired of pretending I don't because you're being confusing."
"You shouldn't." She takes a step back. "I'm not good for you. Everyone says so - Caitlyn, Vi, probably half the campus by now."
"I don't care what they say." You reach for her hand, and to your surprise she doesn't pull away. "I care about what you want."
"What I want doesn't matter." She sighs. "I'll just mess it up. Again."
"Or maybe you won't." You squeeze her hand. "Maybe for once you could just...try. Actually try, instead of sabotaging things before they have a chance."
Jinx looks down at your joined hands, then back up at you with a sad expression.
"I don't know how," she admits.
"Let's start over. As friends. No lying, or being mean to eachother. Just normal freindship, and see how it goes from there. Okay?"
Jinx hesitates, before taking a deep breath and nodding. You feel giddy that she agreed and had to hold back from hugging her.
"Fine. We can do that. Does this mean you forgive me then?"
"I guess, but..are you sure Ekko's not upset about me winning?" You ask.
"Well..honestly Ekko wasn't my actual partner. I was a solo team. He was just helping me with the project here and there. He never had a say in the first place."
"You and Vi could have used the prize money." You cross your arms.
"Mmm, Vi kinda has a job. And is dating the head of house Kiramann, so.."
You cross your arms.
"You're makign up excuses. You deserved first place and you know it."
"Can you just take the compliment and shut up?" Jinx argues. You open your mouth to say something before closing it, deciding to let it go.
"Fine. But can I at least share the prize money with you?" You ask, and Jinx laughs.
"I don't need your money. I have ways of making my own money."
You stare at her incredulously. "Um…legal?"
"I wouldn't say writing notes and finding test answers for people is 'legal', but yeah." She says with a shrug.
"Oh. You had me worried for a second." You think for a moment. "Honestly..thats just as bad as being a drug dealer, just academically."
"It's nowhere near that bad. Not like anyone's gonna catch me anyways." Jinx says proudly.
"That sounds like something a drug dealer would say."
"What are you—are you sleep deprived or something?" Jinx asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Maybe a little." You admit, rubbing your eyes. "I haven't been sleeping well lately. Too much on my mind, working too hard on the project..”
"When's the last time you actually slept?" Jinx asks.
"Properly? Like three days ago." You stifle a yawn. "I keep trying but my brain won't shut up."
"I've got melatonin back at my place," Jinx offers. "Or we could watch something boring until you pass out. Your choice."
You consider the options with a hum. "Movie sounds nice. I don't really like taking stuff to sleep."
"Scoot over then." Jinx walks into your room, kicking off her boots. You grab your laptop and settle onto your bed, making space for her.
"What are we watching?" You ask as she sits next to you. She takes the laptop away from you and you want to rest your head against her shoulder but decide against it.
"Something mindless. No horror - you're jumpy enough when you're tired." She pulls up a streaming service and scrolls through the options. "How about this old sci-fi thing?"
You nod, already feeling your eyelids getting heavy. The movie starts playing, but you're barely paying attention to the plot. The warmth of Jinx next to you and the soft glow of the screen are making it harder to stay awake.
"You don't have to pay attention if you're tired you know." Jinx nudges your shoulder. "Stop fighting it."
You slide down until your head hits the pillow, and Jinx adjusts the laptop so you can both still see. The last thing you remember is her quiet laugh at something on screen before sleep finally pulls you under.
You wake up in Jinx's arms—you remember falling asleep normally, but waking up like this was fine too. She smelled like a dark perfume and rose soap. Plus for once, she was warm. You squint at the alarm clock over her shoulder, noticing it was 9am. At least you had class later in the day. You close your eyes, forcing yourself to go back to sleep, and you do—but 10 minutes later your alarm begins blaring, making you jump. Jinx was still fast asleep.
You manage to untangle yourself from her hold and reach over her to turn off the alarm, but when you look to see if she's still asleep her pink eyes were staring at you.
"Oh, you're awake. Sorry if my alarm woke you."
"No, you moving around woke me." Jinx grumbled.
"Well, I had to turn off the alarm. It's not my fault you were suffocating me."
"Oh, really? Well it's not like there's much space on the bed anyways." Jinx replies, and you roll your eyes.
"When do you have class?" You ask.
"I dunno. Maybe at 10am?"
"Jinx! It's already 9:15!" You exclaim. "You have to leave."
Jinx groans. "But your bed is like 10 times more comfy than mine! Well, there's less pillows..but still comfy!"
"Ugh, I don't want you to be late. Just go to class." You say, nudging her to get up.
"Fine, fine. Were you at least able to sleep?" She sits up.
"Yeah, better than usual actually. Thanks for watching that movie with me." You smile.
"No prob. Maybe since the competition is over you'll be able to get some rest. Because I can't keep sitting through boring movies till' you fall asleep."
"Well, the first step of friendship is hanging out. We should have a sleepover sometime, doesn't that sound fun?"
Jinx's stomach swirls uncomfortably at the idea of being able to have a sleepover with you, much less even cuddle (?) with you again. Before her mind can wander too much into dangerous territory imagining cozy movie nights and shared blankets, she shrugs noncommittally.