Chapter Text
Saturday, October 23 (Pt. 4)
6:30pm-9pm
Before you even get a chance to dial Silco, he’s there at the top of the steps. His eyes are frantically searching the room, but as soon as he sees you he makes a beeline.
You meet a few steps from the top, and he surprises you by immediately grasping your hands.
“Did Jinx see her?”
You search his face in confusion. He looks frantic.
Did he know Jinx’s sister wasn’t dead?
“Um, yes.”
His expression shifts into pure panic.
“She’s alright,” You say quickly, “but she’s having some trouble. Can you open your office? I want to try and calm her down.”
He swallows hard as he looks out onto the dance floor. “Do you think… Will you be able to handle her, alone?”
“Yes,” You say with full confidence, not knowing if it’s true.
“The office is already unlocked. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Okay.”
“Thank you,” He says hoarsely, then surprises you once more by pressing a hard kiss on your knuckles.
He descends the steps and slides into the masses. Sevika and the pink haired girl are nowhere to be seen, but he doesn’t head towards their last location, but rather towards the door on the other side of the bar.
It’s as he disappears that you feel eyes on you. At first you think it’s only Cal, because your gazes briefly meet. But his expression is unsettling. In the strobing darkness you can't clearly read it, but your heart drops when he sets down two drinks, and you suddenly find yourself locked in a staring contest with Charles Rodriguez.
Time stops for several horrifying seconds.
Did he see us?
A sardonic smile lights up his face. He grabs the drinks and raises them in mock salute, and turns to melt into the crowd.
You feel nauseous.
He knows. He knows about us.
But what does that mean?
You waste precious seconds worrying, but the music is too loud for you to gather your thoughts, let alone organize them. They're dancing in a thousand different directions, so you push them all aside as you jog up the rest of the steps. Charles is a problem, but not the current, most pressing one. You'll have to think about him later.
When you round the corner Jinx is craning her neck, watching your approach with wild eyes. As soon as you get close she twitches, and when you open your arms she throws herself into them.
“Would you grab our purses please?” You ask Ekko in a strained voice as you direct her trembling body towards the back hall.
He nods and obeys without question.
“Does she have any medication?” You ask.
“Yeah, she’s always got some with her. She takes it as needed.”
“Great. Okay. And she probably needs water.”
“I’ll go get some,” He says, and dashes off.
Unease follows you into the muffled silence of the back hall. When you push open Silco’s office, the room is lit only by the desk lamp, and the acid green lights from outside the circular window.
Jinx starts muttering under her breath.
"It wasn't her.... Right? It wasn't. She's just some wannabe trash. A fake! I got confused. She left me. She died. She's not my sister anymore. I'm not crazy! I'm not crazy..."
You head for the sofa.
I’m not qualified for this.
I don’t know what to say.
I don’t know what to do.
Please keep her calm.
Please help me…
As soon as you settle onto the worn cushions she curls into your side, knees pulled up to her chest.
“They’re all here for the party,” she whispers. “They wondered why I didn't invite them.”
Chills run down your spine as her wild eyes dart upward to stare into the dark recesses of the ceiling.
What would mom do?
“I’m here too,” You reply, dragging a blanket off the arm of the sofa to wrap around her trembling body.
Her fists clutch her ears. “They’re s-so loud.”
“They can’t hurt you,” You say fiercely, rubbing her back. “I won’t let them hurt you. Okay? I’ve got you.”
She starts to rock back and forth as she screws her eyes shut.
What the hell would mom do?
“Why does he call you Pow Pow?” You blurt.
Her eyelids flutter.
You keep your hand moving in circles, trying to regulate your own anxious breathing. It’s difficult when your heart’s beating so fast, but if you can manage it, you hope it will calm her too.
You repeat the question again, softly. “Jinx, why does Ekko call you Pow Pow?”
It takes several seconds before she replies, in a trembling voice, “It’s a joke.”
“Really? What’s the joke?”
“We used to play flag football,” She says as if every word is being dragged out of her. “With the neighborhood kids. I was the only girl. They all called me powder puff. Ekko thought Pow Pow sounded cooler.”
“It is cooler. I bet you were better than all of them.”
“I was.”
You laugh, out of sheer adrenal overload more than anything, but it draws the ghost of a smile to her lips, and chases some of the tightness from her body.
Ekko arrives with a bottle of water, and upends Jinx’s purse on the table to hunt for her medication. Jinx stirs as he flicks through a handful of tampons, lipstick, receipts, and wadded up cash. The unmarked orange bottle is hidden at the bottom of the stack, and he twists off the lid to fish out 1 neon purple pill.
He kneels down next to the sofa.
“Alright Pow Pow,” He says softly. “Give me your hands.”
She opens her eyes at the sound of his voice, and the pupils aren’t as large as they were before. It still takes a few seconds before her trembling hands fall away from her ears to grab the offered cup and pill. Ekko clasps his hands firmly over hers to keep the water from spilling, and assists her as she raises the cup to her mouth.
“I was just asking her about her nickname,” You say, desperately hoping your voice is coming off as casual.
“Yeah. Our girl could pack a punch back in the day. She played real dirty.”
Jinx swallows with a grimace.
“I didn’t play dirty.”
“Oh yes you did,” He brushes a stray drip of water from her chin with a crooked smile. “You knew exactly where you were putin’ those knees, no matter how innocent you tried to play.”
“That was one time,” She says, dropping her head into your lap and turning to bury her face completely into the blanket. “And I’ve told you I didn’t kick you there on purpose,” She finishes in a mutter.
“Whatever you say.”
“Ugh, boys are such babies.”
You and Ekko share relieved smiles. She’s nowhere close to her usual, enthusiastic self, but there’s a glimmer of it breaking through.
At least you think the danger of a panic attack may have been averted, for the present.
You resume rubbing her back, much of your own worry bleeding away. “Yeah. It’s a good thing they’re cute, or we probably wouldn’t need them at all.”
She snorts, weakly.
“Damn, now I’m feeling all objectified. I’ve got more to offer than just my good looks you know.”
“I do know. You’re a good man, Ekko. I hope you know that.”
You offer him a sincere smile. He rubs his neck and shrugs his shoulders with an uncomfortable chuckle.
“Aw, naw. I’m just stupid enough to pretend like I’m all that.”
“If what you’re doing is pretending, then I can’t wait to see what you’re gonna do when you really believe.”
He keeps shaking his head, but there’s a self-conscious smile hiding behind his long dreads.
“Yeah, well um… You need anything else from me?”
“Jinx? Do you want anything?”
There’s a long pause before there’s a muffled, “Milk.”
“Strawberry on the rocks?”
The blanket moves as she nods her head.
He grins. “I can do that. Anything for you?”
“Just a water, thanks.”
“Yes ma’am.”
As soon as he leaves, Jinx removes the blanket and rolls onto her back. She closes her eyes with a shaky sigh.
“I hate when he sees me like this.”
“He doesn’t care.”
“I still hate it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I think I love him.”
At these words her face screws up tightly. Tears well up in her eyes, and she claps her hands to her face as she starts to sob.
Your heart clenches as she turns once again to bury her face into your stomach. You undo the braids in her hair, and gently run your fingers through her long blue locks as she cries. After a few minutes the crying turns into hiccuping sighs.
It’s around this time Ekko returns with the drinks.
“Cal says he made it just like you like it.”
Jinx tucks her head to hide her face, and you nod to the table.
“Thanks Ekko. Could you pass me my phone please?”
He looks at Jinx’s back in consternation as he does as you ask, and you offer him a smile. He looks a little unsure of himself as he shoves his hands into his pockets. “Well if you need anything else, just uh… shoot me a text.”
“We will.”
He hesitates only a moment more before accepting the dismissal, and slouching out the door.
It’s only a few minutes before the stiffness in Jinx’s body releases. She rolls over to stare at the strawberry milk – which has been put in a fancy cup with a sugared rim, straw, and blue umbrella. She reaches out to touch a bead of condensation running down the side, but otherwise appears to have no interest in drinking it.
You gently scrub her scalp, just like your mom used to do for you when you were younger. She watches the ice slowly melt until her eyelids grow heavy, and you sense the moment she succumbs to sleep.
Even though you have your phone, a faint chime from the clock on Silco's desk marks each quarter hour that he doesn’t come back.
7:30, 7:45, 8:00.
Charles saw us.
You worry about what that means.
Jinx has a sister and she's alive.
How long has Silco known?
Why didn’t he tell Jinx about her sister?
There’s so much you don’t understand, and so much Silco has to explain.
Allie texts that she isn’t going to make it to the party because of her client, and you’re immensely relieved. There was no way you would be able to leave Jinx like this, even for your sister.
There’s no text or calls from Silco.
You shift frequently to keep your legs and butt from going numb, but the girl sleeps like the dead.
At 8:30 your eyes start to droop. You lay your head back and soon fade into a dream.
You and Jinx are running through an endless maze of rooms. Jinx’s grip keeps slipping from your grasp, but you’re desperate to hold on as you're chased by an unnameable fear. Your eyes are clouded by a dark mist, and you feel so heavy that you can’t seem to keep on your feet long enough to take more than a few steps.
Your faceless pursuer is closing in when you suddenly jolt awake.
Jinx is being lifted off your lap, and in a panic you reach out.
“It’s alright,” Silco says softly, taking your hand.
You grip it tight as you try to gather your wits enough to see through the gloom.
“Stay here. I’ll come back for you.”
You manage to blink away the sleep in time to catch sight of him carrying his daughter’s limp body out the door. It’s cold without Jinx on your lap, and with a shiver you wrap the discarded blanket around you. You brush your fingers through your hair and feel that it’s an absolute mess, but you don’t really have the energy to do anything about it.
Silco is back within minutes.
“We've ended the party early. Jinx is in the car, and Thomas is driving her home.”
“Okay. Good.”
There’s a strange, fidgeting energy to him. He can’t quite look you in the eye as he fixes his coat.
“I’m sorry you didn’t get to enjoy the evening.”
“I’m not. I got to spend time with Jinx and Ekko. He helped me keep your daughter calm.”
His eye drops to the floor, strain lining his face.
“I believe I have some explaining to do.”
“Yes.”
He swallows, closing his eyes in suffering acceptance, ”I’ll explain on the way home… If you’ll allow it.”
“Okay.”