Chapter Text
Wednesday, October 20 (Pt. 3)
You sit in Jinx’s spinning chair, and scroll through your camera roll while she flies about with an enormous tote bag, shoving stuff into it willy-nilly. At some point she disappears into her attached bathroom and emerges dressed in pink and purple slippers, booty shorts, and an oversized, vintage, Joan Jett Tee.
“We’re not going anywhere tonight, are we toots?”
“Not if I have anything to say about it.”
“Great. Let’s blow this Popsicle stand.”
The last thing she grabs is a ragged, stuffed shark and shoves it under her arm before throwing the tote over her shoulder like it’s Santa’s bag. As you follow her down the stairs, you spy a nintendo switch, sketchbook and pencil case, and a mysterious deck of cards poised on top of the pile, defying the will of gravity.
Jinx waves at her own portrait as you pass Silco’s office, "Hi pops", and you wave almost automatically in response. You wonder if he can actually see you, wherever he is.
Jinx helps herself to a bottle of strawberry milk, and you grab three Shimmers from the fridge before Jinx sets the house alarm and you head off to the car. The ride to the apartment is filled with excited babbling and chaotic music choices, and by the time you park you’re pretty sure Jinx is about to self-destruct. Allie is waiting for your arrival in the kitchen, chopping up veggies, resplendent in her tatted, baggy sweat-panted glory.
She looks over her shoulder at you with a broad grin, and salutes your arrival with the knife.
“Howdy y’all.”
“Hiya!” Jinx responds with enthusiasm, “I can’t believe I finally get to meet you!”
“I know,” Allie says. “I didn’t really get to say hey at your art show. Your stuff was super dope, by the way.”
“Thanks.”
“Who’s the shark?”
Jinx clutches the animal closer to her chest as her cheeks turn a rosy pink. “His name’s Mr. Fishbones.”
“That’s a sick name.”
She stares at Allie with wide eyes for several beats. Then, “You know, you’re nothing like I imagined. You’re like, so cool.”
“I understand the confusion. You probably thought I looked like of model for Lululemon, like my little sister.”
She strikes a sexy pose and Jinx snorts.
“Okay guys, I get it. I’m boring and basic and super uncool. Do you have to rub it in?”
“We don’t mean it like that!” Jinx hastens to assure you (with a completely un-assuring, gleeful grin). “Do we Allie?”
“Of course not,” Allie also assures you (but with a shit-eating grin). “You’re totally cool, but in a grownup, competent kind of way.”
“As opposed to the cool, artistic 12 year-old-emo-girl vibes that you both embody.”
“Yep,” Jinx confirms.
“Absolutely,” Allie smirks.
“You’re the mom friend of the group,” Jinx adds. “Which I need real bad right now because I have a serious urge to get a tattoo.”
She looks at Allie’s tattoos with envy. “Did you do all of those yourself?”
“Almost all of them, except the ones on my left arm.”
Jinx shuffles into the kitchen to grab Allie’s right arm, exclaiming over a triceratops skeleton, a cat wearing crocs, and a pair of sparrows circling her forearm.
“Holy freakin’ cow. I need a tattoo from you like, yesterday.”
“I’d be down to do one on you.”
“For real?”
“Yeah, just tell me what you want, where you want it, and when you want it, and I can hook you up.”
“Hell. Yeah!” Jinx pumps her fists dramatically.
“Well I don’t know about you guys,” Allie says, turning back to the cutting board. “But I’m starving. Who’s ready for a girl dinner of fancy wieners with mac and cheese?”
“Ooh, me!”
“Great, it’s already cooking.”
You show Jinx to your room so she can set down her bags. Jorts is curled up in a shrimp like pose on your bed, causing an immediate exclamation of joy.
“OMG she’s just the cutest! Can I pet her?”
“Sure. You can even pick her up, if you want.”
Jinx doesn’t need to be told twice. She scoops Jorts up in her arms, and the cat releases a single, confused meow before submitting herself happily to Jinx’s enthusiastic head and belly scratches.
“Who’s a cute little meow meow?”
You laugh. “Don’t let Crocs hear you, or she’ll demand attention too.”
“Bring it on! I’ve got two hands. I think I can take them both.”
She follows you back to the kitchen, fully happy and occupied with the cat until she sees the mac and cheese boxes.
“Scooby Doo shaped noodles? Are you kidding me?”
Allie is mixing the milk, butter, and cheese into the pot of noodles, looking smug. “I know right? The shaped noodles taste –”
“ – taste way better than regular noodles!” Jinx chimes in with excitement.
“I knew I’d like you.”
Jorts decides at that moment to wriggle out of the girl’s arms and sniff out the food bowl. It was recently filled, but she isn’t convinced it’s real food until you jiggle the bowl (very vigorously).
“I still can’t believe you’re the girl dating Marcus,” Jinx says.
“I couldn’t believe it either," You deadpan, "Not at first anyway.”
You start cleaning up and organizing the carnage of mac and cheese packages on the counter, and Jinx makes herself at home as soon as you’ve wiped away the last vestiges of powdered cheese. She expertly jumps up to sit on the newly cleaned surface, grabbing a banana and pretending to use it as a gun as her legs swing.
“How did he trick you into dating him? I mean no offense, but you’re a Piltover 10, while Marcus is clearly a Zaun 6.”
You laugh so hard that Allie looks slightly offended. “I think he’s at least a Zaun 7!”
“Maybe on a good day. He might even be a Zaun 7.5 if he didn’t scowl so much.”
Jinx does such an impressive impersonation that even Allie releases a grudging laugh.
“Okay, so maybe he isn’t the hottest guy around, but he has other more important qualities.”
Jinx closes one eye and lines up the imaginary sight of her banana gun on the headless horseman across the living room. “Like what?”
“Well, Mark is very considerate towards my sister, and a gentleman.”
Both Allie and Jinx look at you in surprise.
“Wait, are you actually helping me hype up Marcus?” Allie asks in delight.
“I’m not hyping him, I’m just saying that I think it’s nice that he takes the time to get together with you, and bring you flowers.”
“Marcus gives you flowers?” Jinx looks extremely doubtful.
“Yeah, he’s a pretty thoughtful guy. He even planned a surprise for me when we went to an escape room. None of my other boyfriends ever gave me gifts like that.”
“Mark’s Ass still has a long way to go when it comes to awkwardness,” You chime in. “But I’m sure he’ll come around.”
Jinx giggles gleefully. “Mark’s Ass? Ooh that’s the best thing I’ve heard all day. I have to tell Ekko!”
She whips out her phone and starts typing madly.
“So, you and Ekko,” You say casually as you grab plates and bowls from the cupboard. “How serious are you guys?”
“Honestly, I don’t even know. Kind of serious I guess? I mean he texts me cute things, and sometimes when we hang we talk about pretty serious stuff. Like how hard it was growing up with a single dad, or how the world seems to be going crazy. But we don’t really make time to see each other that often.”
“Time apart is perfectly normal and good in healthy relationships,” You assure her.
Even when it feels like it’s driving you mad.
“She’s right,” Allie nods. “It’s super important to have alone time.”
“Really?”
“100%.”
“You’re still a whole person without Ekko,” You say. “And you should put as much energy into yourself as you would the relationship.”
“But shouldn’t he want to spend time with me, if he likes me? I mean he doesn’t even try to call, or make up any lame excuses to talk!”
She looks so affronted that you have to laugh, “I don’t think that’s how boys work.”
“But you and Silco make excuses to call each other all the time!”
Allie oohs, then laughs, and you have to raise your voice to be heard over her racket. “Well your dad’s pretty busy, so calling is the only way we get to spend time together. And it isn’t even like we’re spending time together so much as working. Or having an argument.”
About you or Ekko, funny enough.
She looks unsatisfied with your answer. “Still…”
“Every relationship is going to look different,” You try again.
“Yeah,” Allie pipes in. “Plus you and Ekko are a whole lot younger than we are. You’re going to have a totally different experience for that reason alone.”
“Maybe,” Jinx says stubbornly. “but I’ve thought about it a lot, and I know what I want.”
“Which is?” You prompt.
“I want what you and Silco have.”
Her answer startles you. “Really? What do you think we have?”
She fiddles with the banana. “I don’t know, you guys just… compliment each other, I guess. Even if the two of you don’t really make any sense. I mean you’re both like, badass and all of that stuff so you make sense on one hand, but on the other hand you don’t, you know?”
Your confusion must be showing on your face because she abandons the banana to lean forward, face full of fervor.
“I just mean you shouldn’t work because you’re so different! But that doesn’t seem to matter at all, because you guys figure it out. And I want that. I want things to work out, even when it doesn’t make sense. Even if the odds are like, totally against me.”
“Huh,” You play with your sweatshirt strings. “I hadn’t really thought about it before. Your dad and I make sense to me because… well, I guess there was never really an option for us not to make sense. In my head, I mean. I just liked him, and by some miracle he liked me too, and here we are.”
“Your level of delusion is so adorable,” Allie says with a romantic sigh.
“Hey, you were the one who encouraged me to let myself fall in love!”
“Yeah, but I never said that I thought you guys made sense! I just wanted you to be happy, even if it was with the man who has the biggest ‘criminal overlord’ vibes in town. No offense, Jinx.”
“No, that’s totally valid,” She replies. “He’s got that kind of mysterious, dark energy, no cap.”
You scratch your scalp, and smile ruefully at the two smug girls in front of you.
You hadn’t thought about how little you make sense. Or that there was a lot going against you. Or that you might actually be a more unlikely pairing than Marcus and Allie (though they do run a close second).
“Well if you can take anything from your dad and my relationship,” You say at last, trying to bring it back around. “It’s that if you’re meant to be together, then things will work out. It may take some time and patience but –”
You’re cut off by your phone ringing.
“Ooh!” Jinx exclaims with sudden, manic energy. “Fifty bucks says that’s Silco!”
“No way!” Allie laughs when you look at the caller ID, and fail to respond.
“Shut up,” You mutter, “I’ll be right back.”
You pretend not to hear their teasing and jeering as you step outside.
“You have excellent timing.”
“Are you and Jinx at your apartment?”
Silco’s abrupt question immediately puts you on your guard.
“Yes,” You answer slowly. “Why? Is something wrong?”
“When did you leave the house?”
“Yours? Um… half an hour ago, I think. What’s going on?”
His long pause increases your unease.
“It’s nothing,” Is his eventual, unconvincing reply. “Are you planning on going out again this evening?”
“No but… you’re starting to freak me. Did something happen that I should know about?”
“No. You’re perfectly safe.”
He says it without hesitation, with the utmost confidence, but it almost sounds as if he’s trying to convince more than just yourself.
You huddle closer to the door frame, looking out at the approaching twilight with suspicion.
“Okay, I believe you.”
“As you should.”
“As I should,” You repeat slowly as you catch sight of a dark figure huddled in a car across the street.
Your eyes narrow.
It seems to you like they tried to hide their face when you looked over, but you can’t tell if you’re just being paranoid. After all, shady people come and go from your complex all the time, and Silco’s call hasn’t changed that. Still, it doesn’t help that he called you to tell you “nothing’s wrong ”, and “You’re perfectly safe” .
“How has your time been with Jinx?” He asks. His voice sounds strained. “Did anything unusual occur during your visit to Black Lane?”
“Not that I remember.”
But now you distrust your brain, and you attempt to think back on if there were any particularly strange individuals that caught your attention. None come immediately to mind.
“We didn't do a lot. We ate and went shopping in a haunted thrift store.”
“Did you go anywhere else?”
“I– well we made a few more stops after that for um... aftermarket parts. You know, for the hellcat?”
"What were the names of these establishments?"
Your anxiety is rising higher. "I don't know. The places we visited didn't really have store fronts. They were kind of just... garages."
You find yourself holding your breath at the silence on the other end of the line.
Then he says, rather clipped. “Very well. I would appreciate it if you remained indoors until tomorrow morning.”
“Yeah, sure, I can do that. Let me know if anything… you know, happens. Or changes, or… or whatever. Or if I can help in any way.”
“It would help me very greatly if you do as I ask.”
Stress is leaking through the tightness in his voice.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” You answer. “We weren’t planning on leaving the house tonight.”
You feel your phone start to buzz, and look at the incoming call. You recognize the number with an excited jolt.
“I’m so sorry Silco, I hate to go but I have to take this call. But you can feel free to check in later, if you want! I’ll probably still be up around 11.”
“Perhaps I will.”
“Okay, great! Talk to you later! Love you! Bye!”
Those two little words slip out so effortlessly, it's almost shocking. But there's no time to dwell on them as you answer the next call. “Hi Mr. Guzman! Did you find the part?”
As you listen with satisfaction to the repairman’s report, you can hear Jinx and Allie's muffled laughter. You try to focus on his quote, and his answers as you ask all the important questions: Yes it can be fixed. No, it won’t take long to install. Yes, it'll be ready for you by Friday morning, for pickup by 10pm at the latest. Yes, it will be expensive but I take credit card.
In less than five minutes you have Silco’s present officially squared away, and the pickup arranged. After you hang up you take several deep breaths. You're feeling so much, you aren’t sure which emotion to give more attention to: the thrill that you’re actually going to have Silco's gift ready in time; Embarrassment at the flippantly given 'Love you'; Unease at Silco’s cryptic threat of danger, no matter how small.
The night air is chilly, making you shiver and pull your sweater tighter around you. The yellow street lights flicker on, painting the complex across the street in ominous, unnameable shades.
The world around you looms, but simply knowing that Silco exists in this world, and is watching out for you, brings a great deal of comfort.
It’s a terrifying, yet wonderfully strange dichotomy.
As you turn to re-enter the apartment, you wonder what other strange and wonderful experiences your relationship with Silco will bring.