Chapter Text
Powder paces back and forth in front of her locker, clenched fists inside her cuffed pants' pockets. When they start to sweat and get moist, she internally sneers and rubs her clammy palms together before wiping off the moisture against the fabric. She gives herself emotional support, occasionally pressing the folded paper near her chest and taking sharp breaths, talking to herself animatedly in the process.
"Any minute now..." Powder stops, tapping her boot repetitively on the tiled floor, closing her eyes to compose herself.
You, her thoughts whisper aggressively, her fingernail pointing towards her chest. —are going to stand your ground and confess to him.
No backing out now after a dozen failed attempts, girl.
Easy-fuckin'-peasy.
This is easy.
This SHOULD be easy.
The school bell rings and immediately.
Students from all different sections younger and older alike, pour out of their respective classrooms and flooded the halls, talking to their friends by their side, some holding notebooks with one hand, and the obnoxious jocks were howling like crazy as they shove each other playfully on their way. Powder rolls her eyes, looking at her wrist then mentally face-palming herself for suddenly remembering that she doesn't have a watch.
"What's taking him so longggg?"
"Who is?" a voice from behind startles her.
"Oh JESUS—!" like a cat being dumped into cold water, Powder jumps back with a pathetic squeak, holding onto herself with an embrace until she realized.
Ekko.
aw SHIT!
"You waiting for someone, Pow?" Ekko smiles at her cheekily, raising his hand to wait for the usual high-five.
Powder rolls her eyes, coming into the clutch for their handshake. "That's Jinx for you, li'l man."
"Psh, sure. Whatever you say." Ekko fully wraps his hand around Powder's to pull her in and give her a half hug, the strength of his bicep almost distracting her from her mission.
Damn him and the results of his hard work and athleticism—
They let each other go as he pulls out his phone from his pocket, running a hand through his white dreadlocks while locking in to check something on his screen. But he still gave the girl half of his attention to repeat his question.
"Who are you waiting for?"
Powder's glad Ekko looks busy on texting with his thumb because her heartbeat is betraying her ability to speak.
You got this.
You GOT THIS.
"Uh, Vi. Duh," she says instead, almost smugly.
Powder screams to herself internally, about to burn the letter in her hand on fire.
That wasn't what she's supposed to say!
"Oh. Okay..." Ekko looks up from his phone, a playful frown adorning his lips. "You weren't waiting for me?"
I was!
"Pft, HELL NO!" Powder laughs hysterically, smacking his back way too hard that he coughed out an OOF from the weight of it all.
What are you DOING?!
Powder feels her confidence detonating bit by bit with every failed attempt.
SHOW SOME EFFORT.
"Jinx, ow!" Ekko rubs her back, soothing himself from the pain. His eye then catches the letter in between her fingertips, raising a curious eyebrow to point towards the one in her possession, "Hey, what's that?"
Powder stops laughing right then and there, silence blanketing her entire being, taping her mouth into a speechless buffoon. She looks at her letter, parts her lips then purses them against exactly three times then regains composure, looking at Ekko with all the confidence she could muster.
"N-Notes! Obviously!" she boasts, waving the letter in front of his face despite the risk. She pulls it back to quickly stuff it back inside her back pocket like a mad woman hiding evidence of her crime. But Ekko was no detective nor police, so he shrugged it off and somehow believed her in that moment. "For Science. Gotta know the good ol' historical development of the atomic theory for the quiz tomorrow!"
(Lies. There's no quiz at all.)
The boy ends up shrugging at her before getting into a fit of chuckles, giving her that look that makes her either want to smudge it out of his face or just pull him by the hem of his jacket and kiss him. But three years of being capital F to the R to the I to the E-N-D-S isn't exactly worthy of that level yet.
And it's a level Powder wants to climb. But the ladder to climb towards that ain't exactly sturdy.
Suddenly, a groan escapes her lips when her hair is being assaulted by Ekko's hair ruffles that mess up her side bangs in place, causing her to fight against the hand that is doing the crime and one she desperately wants to hold romantically.
"Psh, notes? You don't need that, Pow."
"Jinx," she corrects, pointing a finger to her chest, grumbling.
"You'll always be Pow to me." he stands his ground, pulling Powder closer with an arm to shake her shoulders, unaware of what the close distance is doing to her poor heart and sanity. "Pow-chika-wow wow." he teases further, making Powder have to shove him to the side and cross her arms, glaring at him with daggers that would make him bleed and carve out a heart that beats for him.
If only it were that simple.
"You gonna get lunch somewhere, savior?" she asks, still looking annoyed. Ekko didn't mind and nods, jabbing his thumb towards the direction until he emphasizes with his index finger by pointing right exactly where the gym is. "Mylo and Claggor wanted me to play a few rounds with them. I'm actually supposed to head there now. And damn, I'm telling you, Mylo's so competitive."
Powder snickers, rolling her eyes at the mention.
Oh I know.
"Well, don't let me stop ya. Go ahead and break a leg." Powder stands up straight, shoo-ing him with her palm.
"I hope we don't break a leg, Jinx."
"It's a metaphor, lil man." Powder deadpans before her arm gestures for him to bring it in one more time. "Seriously, have fun."
Ekko smiles at her with that damn boy charm he possesses and steps forward to indulge themselves into another causal embrace. "I'll let you know what happens. Tell Vi I said hi!"
He lets go first and proceeds to step away, turn his heel, and give Powder one last nod before making his way towards the end of a hall to turn right where the gymnasium was located.
And there, boy savior, handsome, smart, love of her life, basketball player, Ekko disappears from her sight.
She stands there for a good moment, smiling, then catching herself smiling which causes her to snap out of it and sneer at herself for being in a moment of weakness. Powder then fishes out the letter she was supposed to give him from her back pocket and sighs, another opportunity missed, and a heart that has so much to say but lacked the right words to do so.
Great.
Powder sighs and unfolds the paper she wrote with the other hand holding a fork, poking on her untouched turkey and chicken sandwiches her mom had prepared for her lunchbox. She reads each word in silence, furrowing her eyebrows at the content itself.
I really like you. Like, super like you. So just go out with me already? PLEASEEE???
Thank God, she did not give this.
It sounded desperate.
She sits alone in the cafeteria, groaning once more and rests her head on the table, her fingers strongly crumpling the letter she wrote to express her disdain on its existence.
"I don't know how to write shit!" she whisper-shouts, shaking her head in disappointment.
Solving formulas? She can ace that easy peasy like breathing air with her eyes closed. Which is the literal definition of sleeping, but that's the point. It's natural. Analyzing and excelling in logic-based tasks? That's what got her to the top of her damn class after all. That science fair she won? PFT. Easy peasy, even professor Viktor gave her a pat on the back and a Snickers for creating a cute monkey robot.
How she won was beyond her.
But that's proof to say that she has skill, and wit, and persuasion!
Which begs the question on why...
Why she is unable to form the words she wanted to express to Ekko via letter.
That's how girls do this shit, right?
"Hey, Powder." a thud of someone's bag beside her spot catches her off-guard. Powder turns her head to the side and for once, her thoughts temporarily dissipate at the sight of her sister, wearing that good ol' varsity jacket that even she admits, is a look that rocks.
"Vi!"
"Listen, I'll be right back. I just need to find—ah, there he is." Vi zips open her bag to quickly search for something. And when she pulls it out, it was some sort of...plate assignment. Oh.
Her physics plate.
When Powder looks at the direction in front, there was her sister's Physics professor, Jayce Talis, walking alongside the senior high school student council president, Caitlyn Kiramman. And they were holding their trays of lunches, with the girl trying to find a vacant table to sit down on in the cafeteria.
"Really, Vi? You missed an assignment?"
"Wouldn't have missed it if coach hadn't tired me out last practice." Vi scoffs out a chuckle, making Powder shake her head at that implication of Sevika, Vi's football coach, being a reason why her sister is troubled at this very moment.
A missed assignment? That didn't seem like Vi. Her sister was anything but irresponsible.
"Can't join you for lunch by the way. Sevika needs me for something. Probably to help the new recruits do the basic drills. You gonna be okay?"
"Leaving me for football won't kill me, sis." Powder snickers, patting her back and then pointing towards Jayce Talis to urge her to just go for it already. "Now go and pass that shit before you fail."
"Physics? Never," Vi states confidently as she carries her bag once more before making her way towards them, giving her younger sister one last smile that meant I hope he still accepts this.
Powder's confident she'd be fine, which makes Vi's worrying a little hilarious. Her sister's the second most intelligent bitch in her own class, of course there's going to be some fucking consideration. So she watches her sister, looking a bit nervous yet relaxed at the same time, that she's probably praying in her head for a chance.
Powder watches, and she hears them clear enough to know what unfolds.
"Uh, sir," Vi starts, ruffling her hair while she shows her papers.
Professor Talis looks at her with a curious look, offering a greeting smile. "Oh, Vi? What's up?"
Just when Powder was about to watch and hear her sister explain her reason, something else entirely catches her attention instead, sticking out like a sore thumb. Because the moment one looks a little bit over the left, Caitlyn Kiramman's calm composure seconds ago? It vanished.
When her sister came to their space? Holy bananas, the girl's reaction was apparent. Caitlyn went from talking to Jayce with a casual smile to suddenly looking helpless and still, staring at Vi pathetically like she was about to melt with so much awe from the presence of her sister.
Oh my God, she is gripping that lunch tray for life.
And oh my God, she's turning red, it's embarrassing!
"—which is why I was hoping you could...dammit, I hope I can still pass this. I stayed up all night to really finish it."
"Vi, Vi, it's okay. Just come with me and leave it on my table in the faculty room. Just make sure to pass it on time next. I'll be heading there anyways!"
Vi sighs in relief and nods. "Yeah thanks."
Powder was staring right through Kiramman's soul and God help this girl because she is pursing her lips shyly, standing on the side awkwardly in such an awestruck state.
When Vi turns her head and finally takes notice of Caitlyn's existence, all hell breaks loose. A bit.
"Oh, hey, Caitlyn."
Caitlyn coughs, trying to shake off the nerves, blinking repetitively until she locks in. "Violet! Hello! H-how are you..?"
Oof, wrong move.
Her sister's first full name?
Minus two points for that one.
But Vi doesn't pay no mind.
"Oh, I'm good! Hoping I survive the training today." Vi chuckles. "You're gonna have lunch at the faculty too?"
What makes this interesting is that Jayce is also seen to be holding his snicker, giving them a moment.
"Uhm no! I...I'll just be here." Caitlyn indicated to a vacant spot where nobody is sitting. "Good luck on your training! Break a leg! I mean—I hope you don't break a leg but it's...it's a metaphor. You know what I mean-"
"Yeah, no worries. I know what you mean." Vi, completely oblivious, just grins at Caitlyn. "Okay, well, see you around, then."
Jayce, now visibly entertained, raises an eyebrow at Caitlyn before nodding at Vi. "Come on, let's get this paper sorted out."
And then, just like that, Vi and Jayce are gone, leaving Caitlyn standing there, gripping her tray like it's the only thing keeping her tethered to the earth.
Powder watches.
Stares, really.
Squints.
This.
This is perfect.
Caitlyn Kiramman. Top of Vi's class. Nationally recognized for her essay on postmodernist literature. Winner of multiple writing competitions, the same ones Powder never even bothered entering because writing? That wasn't her thing. But Caitlyn? Caitlyn was a writer. A damn good one.
Powder smirks like a villain who just discovered a loophole in the system and smiles wider with pride like she is able to overthrow the government in just a snap of a finger.
Oh, she was so going to use this to her advantage. This is it.
When Caitlyn makes her way to sit down on a table, running her hands over her flushed face, that's when Powder stands up, holding her lunch, and finds herself walking towards her like a girl on a mission to help the helpless; a good Samaritan if she says so herself.
And there, for the very first time, history is in the making.
"Listen." Powder slams her hand on the table.
The sound of the slam was so loud, everyone in the area took a moment of silence to look before disregarding the moment afterwards out of fear to not mess with whatever was happening.
Caitlyn's eyes were wider than saucers, Powder would've laughed if this was a purposeful jump scare attack.
But no.
This was way more important.
"Yes—"
"I don't like you," she starts, getting straight to the point towards the older teen who was anything but straight. "But I gots'a li'l deal that'll benefit the both of us, yeah?"
Powder sits down right across from her, clutching her fingers together as princess Kiramman stares at her like she was holding her at gunpoint with a banana. Clueless as shit.
"You like my sister. Saw you unable to speak when she's around like a broken record ready to play love songs so here: I help you get together with Vi while you help me with that cute boy I've been pinin' on for months. Deal?"
Caitlyn furrows her eyebrows, confused and again, lookin' like a clueless innocent teen who doesn't seem like the prissy, rich spoiled brat everyone deemed out to be. So Powder's pride her reached the clouds here.
"Uhm—"
"Well?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Denial. The first problem of this whole conversation. Caitlyn doesn't admit it and this makes Powder laugh.
"Lady, I know a liar when I see one. And I'm staring at one right now."
"Junior high students should mind their own business. And I'm looking at one who should."
"Also looking at one who can't even talk properly to my sister without being as red as a tomato." Powder snaps back. "That's whyyy, I'm here to help."
Caitlyn, now unamused, decides to be more focused on her lunch. "I'm not interested."
"Look, Kiramman, I just saw you. You are crushing on my cool, majestic, amazing sis and—"
"I'm not interested in this proposal that you call a deal, Miss Lane."
Powder glares at her. Goddamn, that accent of hers was meant to intimidate but it sure as hell didn't intimidate her. Miss Lane my ass?!
Caitlyn continues, exhaling sharply, stabbing at her salad. "Why would I need your help, anyway?"
"Because you suck at this." Powder points out. "And if you keep this up, you're gonna fumble the bag. And the bag? Whew! Have you seen my sister? That's the whole deal right there! Smart, intelligent, loving—what more could you possibly want?"
Caitlyn purses her lips, unable to reply to that.
Powder goes on, holding onto luck and chance.
"I'm not blind. I met and saw ladies like you fawning over Vi. Vi doesn't see it because...God, she's always so busy. Sports, academics—sis has to manage all that in a day."
"I know." Caitlyn sighs, a faint dreamy smile on her lips. When Powder catches a glimpse of it, she facepalms and cringes.
Good God.
"Look, this is going to be easy. You help me with my crush by helping me write a confession letter, while I help you with my sister. You're smart, rich, and won all those literature contests. You're good with your words and that's something I need. And what you need? Is the best personal wingman for Vi." Powder drums her fingers against the table for dramatic effect, pointing to herself. "Which is me."
Stubborn meets stubborn.
Because after all that, Caitlyn still gives her a definitive, raw, unfortunate:
"No."
ARGHHHH.
But wait, the battle isn't over.
And Powder holds onto prayers, luck, turkey, and chicken sandwiches that this last execution will finally work.
"Fine." Powder raises her hands in surrender, closing her eyes, shrugging, pretending to have just given up. "I guess I have to find someone else to help me." she stands up, looking like she is about to walk away. "And help them with Vi instead."
When she opens one eye to take a peek, that was it.
Caitlyn's fork freezes mid-air, grip tight. The gears inside Kiramman's head start to process what she had just said, and her eyes, once again, wider than saucers.
"Wait what—?" she blurts out, high-pitched and louder than she intended.
"I said I'll just go find someone else to help me." she pauses, pretending to look at her fingernails nonchalantly. "And help them with Vi instead. Just realized I got lotsssss of options now that I think about it."
"Like who?" Caitlyn drops her fork, demanding. Crossing her arms, as if.
"Oh, I don't knowwww." Powder muses. "Bella from the cheerleading team? Yeah, that's a good one. Anna from her history class who definitely has a thing for her—or maybeeeeee..." she elongates the word, hoping this would hit. Again, for dramatic effect.
And it drops like a bombshell.
"Sarah Fortune," she finishes, trying hard not to smirk. Powder adds fuel to the fire, numbering her traits with her fingers. "Oh, shoot! I should've approached her instead. She's also smart! Reallyyyyy pretty. And that charm? Whew. In fact, I might as well go over to her now—"
"I'LL DO IT." Caitlyn cuts her off, unable to handle the idea alone.
"Sorry, what was that?"
The pink that dusts Caitlyn's cheeks was apparent. She pinches the bridge of her nose before murmuring her defeat for selling her soul to the devil.
A pretty menace one at that, hehe.
"I said I'll do it..!" Caitlyn sighs, pursing her lips.
Powder sits back down again, unable to hide her giddy nature and offers her hand for Caitlyn to shake, grinning. "Pleasure doing business with you, toots!" she takes Caitlyn's reluctant handshake with both hands, shaking it with way too much enthusiasm.
"You aren't gonna regret this," she says lastly before letting go, taking a bite of her sandwich and leaving her extra on Caitlyn's plate as a thank you. "Here, for your troubles!" she chirps.
Powder walks away, throwing Caitlyn a casual salute over her shoulder.