Chapter Text
Vi hated Caitlyn Kiramman. The girl walked around school like she was royalty, strutting through the halls with that high-and-mighty air, as though the world was supposed to bow down to her. Vi hated the way Caitlyn’s Piltie accent grated on her ears, like a constant reminder of how different they were. Caitlyn with her perfect posture, pristine uniform, and that smug smile—she might as well have had a crown. It was a constant reminder of everything Vi wasn’t.
And when she found out they were partnered for the chemistry project? Well, Vi would’ve rather been locked in a room full of toxic chemicals than deal with the girl who seemed to own the entire school.
Oh, Caitlyn Kiramman. She was untouchable. Or so she thought.
The feeling was mutual, though. Caitlyn hated Vi just as much as Vi hated her. Every teacher in the school knew it, the whole class knew it. The rivalry had been ongoing for three years, and no one expected it to end anytime soon.
So when Miss Grayson announced the project pairs, there was an audible gasp in the classroom as Caitlyn and Vi’s names were called out. “Caitlyn and Vi, you’ll be working together.”
There was no mistaking the tension that filled the room. The whole class leaned in, waiting for the inevitable explosion.
Both girls shot to their feet at the same time, rushing toward the teacher’s desk with barely concealed anger. Vi’s fists clenched, ready to fight for her freedom, while Caitlyn’s face was already red, her lips pressed into a thin line of annoyance.
“Miss, you can’t make me work with her!” Vi shouted, pointing at Caitlyn like she was some kind of disease.
“Oh please! You’re the one who’s a pain in the ass!” Caitlyn shot back, her voice laced with venom.
“Language, Caitlyn,” Miss Grayson said, her voice cool and uninterested as she continued flipping through her paperwork. “The reason I’m pairing you two together is simple: this rivalry has gone on long enough. Maybe working together will teach you both something.”
Vi’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You can’t—”
“End of discussion. Get it done, or you’ll both be serving Saturday detention,” Miss Grayson interrupted, her tone final.
And that’s how Vi found herself at Caitlyn’s house later that afternoon, glaring at her partner in the dimly lit living room.
“You’re such a pain!” Caitlyn snapped, tossing her pencil across the room. “God, who raised you?!”
Vi didn’t even flinch at the insult. It was a standard Caitlyn move—throwing a tantrum when things didn’t go her way. But instead of retaliating with some sarcastic remark, Vi just stared at Caitlyn, her mind flicking through the usual insults she could throw back.
Who raised me? she thought. It wasn’t a sob story Vi liked to tell, but she knew the answer. The Pinkettes were orphans. She had grown up on the streets, scraped by with whatever she could. And then there was Vander, who had taken her in and taught her how to survive.
But Caitlyn wouldn’t care about that. Not that Vi owed her anything anyway.
“Oh, fuck off,” Vi muttered, rolling her eyes as she flopped back on the couch. “Who raised you? Your parents never even pay attention to you.”
The words were out before Vi could stop them, and she saw the immediate change in Caitlyn. The usual fiery defiance seemed to drain from her body, her shoulders slumping as her eyes dropped to her clenched fists. For a split second, Vi wondered if she had gone too far. But then she saw the sadness in Caitlyn’s eyes—something she had never seen before. Something that made her stomach twist in an unfamiliar way.
It should’ve felt good. She deserved it. Caitlyn had always been so smug, so perfect, so untouchable. But now, Caitlyn was… broken. And that guilt—god, it was like a weight pressing down on Vi’s chest.
Caitlyn stood abruptly, her voice quiet but strained. “I’m going to the bathroom.” There was a hitch in her breath as she spoke, and Vi could hear the break in her voice.
Vi sat there in stunned silence as Caitlyn walked away, leaving Vi alone in the room. She hadn’t expected that. She hadn’t expected Caitlyn to show any crack in her perfect armor.
A sigh escaped Vi’s lips as she leaned back against the couch, arms behind her head. What the hell had just happened?
For a moment, Vi let herself relax, her thoughts swirling in the heavy silence. She didn’t understand why Caitlyn’s reaction bothered her. Why did she care if Caitlyn was upset? It wasn’t like they were friends. They were rivals. And yet, something in Vi’s gut told her she had crossed a line she didn’t know existed.
Minutes passed, and Caitlyn still hadn’t returned. Vi felt the uneasy weight of the silence pressing in on her. She stood up, pacing for a moment before running a hand through her messy hair. She wasn’t sure if she should apologize, if she even could. Caitlyn wouldn’t care, she told herself.
But then again… maybe she did.
Vi didn’t know what to do, but she knew one thing for sure: this project was going to be a hell of a lot harder than she had ever imagined.
Vi’s footsteps echoed down the hallway as she waited for Caitlyn to return. The awkward silence was making her feel strangely restless, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could sit around doing nothing. She had never been one to wait around for anything, least of all for Caitlyn Kiramman to come back from wherever she had gone.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Caitlyn reappeared in the doorway. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she had clearly been crying. Vi’s stomach twisted at the sight, but she quickly brushed it off. Why should I care? she thought. Caitlyn was still the same person, no matter how much she might try to act like she wasn’t.
Caitlyn stood there for a moment, not speaking. She cleared her throat, and when she spoke, her voice was surprisingly calm. “Look, I—I’m sorry for what I said,” she muttered, eyes on the floor, clearly unwilling to make eye contact with Vi.
Vi blinked, caught off guard. She had expected Caitlyn to come back with a snarky remark or some form of defiance, not an apology. It threw her off. Was Caitlyn really apologizing? Her first instinct was to shrug it off, but she found herself pausing, listening.
“I didn’t mean to…,” Caitlyn started, biting her lip. “I’ve just been under a lot of pressure lately. You probably don’t care, but… it’s been hard, okay?” She hesitated, her fingers tugging nervously at the hem of her skirt. “And I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. That wasn’t fair.”
Vi stood there, arms crossed, as she processed Caitlyn’s words. The girl was standing in front of her, vulnerable, for the first time in all the years they’d known each other. Vi should’ve felt triumphant, like she had won. But instead, she felt… something else. Something that made her uncomfortable.
Vi let out a long breath, pushing the uncomfortable feeling aside. “I guess I’ve been a pain too,” she said grudgingly, though it almost felt like the words were being ripped out of her. She wasn’t used to apologizing, especially not to someone like Caitlyn Kiramman. But she couldn’t deny that she had gone too far. The look on Caitlyn’s face had hit a little too close to home. Vi knew what it felt like to be under pressure, to feel like you had to be perfect all the time. Maybe Caitlyn wasn’t so different after all.
“But don’t get it twisted,” Vi added quickly, throwing up her hands in mock surrender. “I still think you’re a stuck-up, high-and-mighty princess.”
Caitlyn gave a dry, but faintly amused, laugh. “And I still think you’re a reckless troublemaker who can’t control herself.”
Caitlyn crossed her arms, the faintest trace of her usual arrogance creeping back into her posture. “So, do we just get this project over with or what?”
Vi tilted her head, a smirk forming on her lips. “Yeah, but don’t think I’m gonna make it easy on you, princess.”
Caitlyn narrowed her eyes, but there was a flicker of a smile threatening at the corners of her lips. “I wouldn’t want it any other way, troublemaker.”
The rivalry wasn’t over, not by a long shot. There was still too much pride, too much history between them. But in that moment, the hatred didn’t feel quite as sharp as it used to. Maybe they’d never be friends. Maybe they’d still annoy each other to no end. But the tension had shifted—if only slightly. They had apologized, but their rivalry remained.
Vi stood up straight, arms uncrossed now, and gave Caitlyn a nod. “Alright, let’s get to work. I’m not wasting another Saturday in detention because of you.”
Caitlyn shot her a glance that could’ve sliced through steel, but there was something more in her eyes now—something like… resignation? Acceptance? Vi wasn’t sure, but it was enough to make her hold her ground.
“Fine,” Caitlyn said, her voice a little more even than before. “But if we fail this project, I’m blaming you.”
Vi grinned. “It’s always my fault, huh?”
“Always,” Caitlyn said with a smirk. “Just like how you always make everything ten times worse than it has to be.”
Vi rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up. “You really are a pain in my ass, you know that?”
“Right back at you,” Caitlyn retorted, but there was a spark of something different in her voice.
For now, that was enough.
They still hated each other, but maybe, just maybe, they were starting to understand each other too.