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The words in Caitlyn's physics notes have begun to blur together, and despite her best efforts to colour code everything, her brain refuses to comprehend them. Right now, it has decided there are more important things to think about, and since she cannot concentrate on two things at a time, she's going to have to satisfy it before she can get back to doing her work.
She glances up at Jayce, who's currently typing away at his own research paper on his laptop, occasionally moving across to jot something down in a big notebook, which lies to the side.
After a few seconds more of silence, she huffs quietly and asks the question she's been thinking about for the past ten minutes. "Jayce, how did you ask out Mel?"
He glances over with a slightly bemused expression, and she sees him take a few moments to phrase his answer. "Well, actually she asked me out," he says finally.
"Oh! That makes so much more sense."
"Hey!" he protests, but she cuts him off.
"How did she ask you then?"
He turns more fully in his seat, capping his pen, to look at her. "How come you're asking," he says with a slight smirk.
His eyes follow her hand as she picks up a highlighter from amongst her notes to fiddle with. "There's this girl at school," she starts, and his smirk widens. "But it's not important. Just answer the question."
Jayce snorts. "What's she like then? Oh come on sprout, you have to tell me now."
She pops the lid off the highlighter and slots in back on one-handed, trying not to look into Jayce's eyes. She was really hoping this wouldn't happen. "Um, cool. She seems cool. Anyway-"
"What kind of cool? Ooh, does she do skateboarding?"
Caitlyn groans. "No Jayce. Skateboarding isn't cool, it's dangerous. I just mean she has a lot of friends. And she's funny." And pretty, she thinks, but doesn't add that to the official list.
Jayce chuckles at something, and watches her fidget with the highlighter. "And so you want to ask her on a date?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"You guess?"
"Yeah." She screws up her face in an attempt to power through the awkwardness for the sake of getting some form of useful answer. Jayce is trying very hard not to laugh at her discomfort. "I just… like her, and I don't really know how to… you know… proceed."
He does laugh at that, and it gives her at least a little time to get her blush under control. "It's not funny."
"It kind of is," he explains.
"It isn't to me," she huffs "Oh, you're useless."
With some effort, he does finally manage to stop laughing and controls himself long enough to say, "Alright, alright, so where do you want to take Miss cool?"
She glares pointedly. This would be a whole lot easier if Jayce would just treat it like any normal serious conversation. "I don't know," she admits. "I was hoping for advice on that too."
"Right, ok." He says with the twinkle of repressed laugher shining in his eyes. "Well, what sort of things does she like?"
Caitlyn bites her lip. "I don't know. I don't really speak to her that much. Or… ever actually."
"But you think she's funny?" asks Jayce, a little of the smirk creeping back into view.
"Yeah well. I overhear sometimes like when I sit near her at lunch. Not that I do that a lot, or in a weird way. It's just because I have nobody else to sit with so I just… Look just ignore all of that, ok."
Jayce shakes his head. "Got it. So I'm going to recommend you maybe try to get to know her a bit, maybe ask her to a walk in the park or something."
"Hmm, ok, " she hums. "This conversation is over now. It never happened, and we're never going to speak about it again."
Jayce grins and rolls his eyes. "Sure, sprout."
*
On the whole, Caitlyn is feeling optimistic. She's got it all planned out. First, pack up your stuff early so you can catch Vi as she leaves chemistry. Then, say something friendly: maybe you could compliment her, or ask her about school. Finally, ask her to hang out again, maybe at the park? Would Vi like the park? Ok maybe bowling then? No that's an actual date so definitely not. Ok, park it is.
She's wearing her lucky socks today along with neatly-pressed navy blue shorts and a white shirt, which she picked out specially because a few months ago her father said she looked handsome in it, and she's been riding that high ever since. It's not really any more stylish than her usual school-wear, but she's going for as cool as she thinks she can pull-off, even if it's on the more classy end of that particular spectrum. As usual, she's got her hair fixed in a neat ponytail with a few strands hanging down on one side of her face.
Step one of the plan is executed without a hitch, and she's now walking just behind and to the right of Vi, holding onto the straps of her backpack with both hands to steady herself. This is the difficult step. Just act natural Kiramman. The worst thing that can happen is she says she wants nothing to do with you, then you just shrink into a tiny ball and never speak to her ever again in case you die of embarrassment. It literally can't get worse than that.
"Hi, Vi," she says, causing the other girl to jump slightly and turn to look at her with a quizzical expression. Vi looks as casually stylish as always, with her bright pink hair combed back and shaved on one side. She's wearing jeans and a t-shirt, which shows off her impressive biceps.
"Oh, uh, Caitlyn right?" she asks slowly.
"Yup," confirms Caitlyn, stepping up beside Vi as they continue to walk down the corridor. "I mean yes. I don't know why I said it like that." She's about to continue, but forcibly stops herself from completely over-rambling in Vi's face.
Vi glances down the corridor then back to her, running her grey eyes down Caitlyn's outfit in a quick snap. "Er right."
"What have you got next?"
"English. Sorry did you want something?" says Vi, back to staring down the corridor.
"Um no, not really. I just haven't really got to speak to you before so I wanted to say hi."
Vi smiles awkwardly. "Right. Hi then. I should really-"
"Do you like it? English I mean."
Vi shrugs, glancing over at Caitlyn doing her least dorky smile. "I prefer math. Less words to write down."
"Fewer," mutters Caitlyn.
"What?"
"Nothing. I like maths to- Ow! Ah, damn it." she yelps as she feels a sharp pain in the sole of her foot, and lifts it up to grab at it through the shoe.
Vi turns around, watching her like a deer in headlights as she hops on one foot whilst trying to maintain a casual smile and tearing off her boot. "Are you alright?" she ventures after a moment.
"Yep. Fine. Just foot cramp I think," she manages, whipping off the boot and grabbing onto her foot to rub at the sole. She almost overbalances and has to throw out a steadying hand into the nearby wall of lockers.
Vi still looks entirely out of her depth and a little concerned, or is that expression weirded out? Her eyes keep darting from Caitlyn's bright red face, to her socked foot, then to the discarded boot on the floor. "Er, ok, well if you're good I should really head to class now," she says sheepishly, backing up several paces before turning to leave.
Caitlyn just nods, trying not to actually die of embarrassment as Vi jogs off down the corridor with her slightly tattered rucksack slung over one shoulder. She glares at the boot lying on the floor as she continues rubbing her foot until the ache finally subsides.
With a defeated groan, she lifts her hand away and stares at her sock. Why did she decide to wear the stupid doctor who ones again? Safe to say that literally could not have gone worse.
*
"Did you ask her then?" says Jayce, putting down his controller after Caitlyn has managed to beat him 15-0 for the third time that evening.
"I don't want to talk about it," she says after a moment, and the look he gives her afterwards can't decide if it wants to be pity or amusement.
"What did she say?"
Caitlyn runs a finger over the textured surface of her own remote, watching it intently. "We didn't get that far," she admits.
Jayce's face could be doing any number of things because Caitlyn isn't watching but he sounds sympathetic when he says, "Oh no, what happened?"
"It's kind of hard to explain," she says, and when he doesn't interrupt she explains anyway. "I think it was going ok, I mean I was being weird but just quirky levels of weird, but then I got a really bad foot cramp and nearly fell over and she practically ran away in fear of catching weirdo from me." She sighs pointedly. "And she knows I'm a nerd now."
Jayce takes long enough to reply that she has to look up to check she hasn't broken him. "Ok," he says finally. "I was going to tell you about when I asked out Viktor and he told me he was aro/ace, but you're right that's probably more embarrassing."
She huffs in response. "Well at least it can't go worse next time."
"Next time?"
"Well yeah," she says, shrugging. "Mother always says how important it is to be resilient, and maybe if I just ignore it ever happened she won't bring it up either."
*
"How's your foot?"
"What? Oh, it's fine."
"Well that's good then. It looked like it hurt," says Vi, rummaging through her locker to pull out a very battered-looking textbook.
"Not really. I mean it did a bit, but sorry for… all of that, it must have been really weird to watch. I'm not usually that weird I promise."
Vi laughs nervously, shoving the textbook back inside after reading it's cover to pull out another one. "I believe you."
Caitlyn watches as Vi takes out a second, even worse, textbook while she tries to come up with a way to steer the conversation correctly. "So what did you think of the physics test?" She crinkles her nose to stem the tingly feeling of a sneeze coming on.
Vi glances at her with a tight smile and begins stuffing her book into her bag, which is sitting on the floor in front of her locker. "It was ok, I guess."
Caitlyn is about to reply when the feeling suddenly gets much worse so she stops, inhaling slowly to control the breathy sensation. Vi eventually turns to look at her with a slightly wary expression.
"Sorry," she says after the feeling has died down enough that she doesn't have to worry. "I just felt like I was about to- Achoo," she sneezes loudly into her hands.
The corner of Vi's mouth quirks up. "Sneeze?" she finishes unhelpfully, and it makes Caitlyn blush.
"Yeah, that's the one," she says, bringing up her handkerchief from her back pocket to blow her nose, but sneezing again before she gets there. "Is it just really dust- Achoo."
She really wishes Vi would stop staring at her like that, and she's aware her ears are probably bright red at this point. To make matters worse, she sneezes again twice more.
"Are you ok?" asks Vi, still looking worried, and closing her locker, presumably in case it is just very dusty.
"I'm fine yes, this is normal- Choo- well not normal, but- Aa- aa- I mean- ACHOO." She's not even sure why she's trying to salvage this attempt at this point, but she's horribly flustered now and wanting to at least make a graceful exit.
By the time she has her sneezing fit under control, Vi is glancing around the corridor in case anybody might see her with the strange dorky kid who can't stop sneezing.
"Sorry," she says, face beet-red. "I should go get ready for class."
Vi makes an indecipherable expression, maybe pity, and offers her a half smile. "Uh sure. See you round."
Caitlyn lights up at that. Vi actually doesn't think she's completely insane. She might have a chance if she doesn't do anything else embarrassing. She opens her mouth to reply, and sneezes again.
*
"So how's it going with your mystery girl at school?"
Caitlyn spins around to see Jayce shaking his head at Mel urgently. "You told Mel?" she demands, and he sighs in defeat.
"Yeah, you did say you wanted her help."
"That's not what I said," pouts Caitlyn, refusing to look at Jayce.
Mel swirls her champagne flute thoughtfully as the adverts continue to play on the TV in front of them. "For the record, it sounds like he did give you some good advice."
"Can we please talk about something else. I think I'm really close to solving the murder."
"Oh, but Caitlyn darling you must understand that watching you squirm is so much more entertaining," explains Mel with a friendly smile.
With great effort, Caitlyn pointedly doesn't squirm, staring at the perfume advert playing on the TV. "It can't have been the vicar, because he's got a fear of blood, and they clearly want us to think it was the nun's sister-"
"You were going to ask her again, right?" says Jayce, interrupting her case-solving.
She huffs indignantly. "Fine, if you must know, it went badly again."
The perfume advert ends with a topless man smoking on a balcony, and the title sequence for Vera starts playing.
"Oh, I'm sorry sweetheart, I wouldn't have brought it up if I'd known-"
"Mel, it's starting!"
Jayce chuckles from the armchair. "I wouldn't worry, Cait isn't put off that easily."
*
"Are you good? You keep blinking at me."
"Um, yeah, there's just something in my eye."
Vi gives her a nervous half-smile, and chuckles awkwardly.
*
"Oh, no I'm actually an only child." she says, walking backwards so she can keep facing Vi as she talks.
"Careful, there's a-"
She doesn't get to finish before Caitlyn slips over and crashes into the wet floor sign.
When she tries to stand, she falls over twice more.
*
Vi has a sort of helpless expression on her face as she looks on in dismay. "Have you tried drinking with your hands in the air?"
Caitlyn hiccups again loudly, and wishes the ground would swallow her up.
*
"So, you do wrestling?" she asks, trying to sound as cool as she can, and leaning a hand out against a wall, which turns out to be a door, which turns out to be unlocked.
Vi looks over just in time to watch her fall into a class of freshmen doing an English test.
*
"Sorry, uh, Caitlyn. This is really awkward, but I think your fly's undone."
*
"Hey Vi, how's your Weekend going?" she says, moments before the awning splits, and she's drenched in ice-cold and not-entirely nice-smelling water.
*
"Jayce, I'm cursed. It is literally the only explanation."
"Hey come on, you aren't cursed sprout, you're just getting unlucky."
"Unlucky?" she snaps, crossing her arms tightly. "I've tried eight times Jayce. It's not even kind of funny anymore. She probably runs away whenever she sees me down the other end of the hall because she thinks I'm some kind of freak."
He sighs gently, scooting over to nudge at her shoulder. "You're not a freak Cait. And I feel really bad for you that all this stuff is happening."
She rolls her eyes, but he doesn't seem to notice. She should absolutely have just asked Mel from the start.
"Maybe you just need to accept that it might not work out. I'm sure you'll meet plenty of other girls," he reasons unhelpfully. After all, the other girls will all have the distinct disadvantage of not being Vi.
"You don't get it. I just want to talk to her. This isn't even supposed to be the difficult bit."
He snorts affectionately, and she has to try very hard not to smack him.
"Just stop it, you aren't being helpful so unless you know how to lift a curse just shut up."
"Well…" he says slowly. "It usually involves a true love's kiss."
She isn't sure what colour her face goes at that, but she also doesn't really care as she gets up to spin around and glare at him. Why does her face do this so much anyway? She's never seen Vi blush. It occurs to her that would be a really cute thing to see, and the thought almost distracts her from her glaring at Jayce. She's not some princess that needs Vi to swoop in and save her anyway, but thoughts of kissing Vi make their way into her brain regardless. Maybe she could be the prince, and Vi the damsel in distress. Maybe they could both be princes, rescuing each other. The thought makes her feel a excited tingle at the bottom of her stomach.
Jayce is now looking at her with a bemused expression, waiting for the other shoe to fall, but she's forgotten what she was going to say.
*
When Caitlyn notices Vi at the bus stop, she has half a mind to just pretend she hadn't, but in the end, the decision is made for her as Vi turns around and spots her too. Caitlyn doesn't miss the single quick glance down at her trousers, but she clears her throat pointedly and acts as if she had. Vi moves a little closer past the crowd, and waves hi.
"Hey, Cait."
"Oh, Hi Vi," she manages, glancing round for anything that might be able to ruin another of her nice shirts.
Vi scratches her side-shave. "You manage to get back ok then? Last week I mean."
Caitlyn nods. "Um yeah, I got a taxi back."
"Good. Sorry I couldn't help you out, I wanted to, but I just had no idea what to do. I'm glad you're ok though you seemed pretty upset."
Is Vi rambling at her now? She's not sure quite what to make of that. "Are you getting the 19?" she asks hopefully.
"I'm sorry?"
"The bus."
"Oh, right. No, I'm just waiting here for my sister." She opens her mouth to continue and suddenly her eyes go wide. Dashing forward, she grabs Caitlyn, and swings her out of the way as a car whizzes past, throwing up a large spray of water right where she was just standing. Vi gets splashed all up the back of her legs, and she winces at the cold, but once Caitlyn has managed to recover from being manhandled (womanhandled?) by those impressively strong arms, they both start laughing.
"Um, thank you." Proudly, she realises she isn't even blushing that much, although that's becoming harder because Vi still has her hands on her arms.
Vi seems to realise at the same time, and drops them immediately, looking worried. "Sorry, I-"
"It's fine," Caitlyn interjects, higher-pitched than she'd wanted. "Listen, um, I was wanting to ask you actually if you'd would like to hang out or something. Outside of school I mean. We could go to the park maybe, there's a really nice one on cross street that I looked at, but that's just an example. Piltover has lots of parks."
Vi blushes, her freckled cheeks glowing a soft pink, and Caitlyn is pleased to be proved right about its cuteness. "You're asking me on a date?"
"No, I mean yes, I mean if that's what you want it to be, because that's what I want." She realises this phase needed more thought put into its exact phrasing.
Vi's lips quirk up in a shy smile. "That's what I'd like too."
*
"Oh come on, you must know what these ones are," Caitlyn says pointing at a bed of flowers across from the bench they're both sitting on, a few hours later than Caitlyn's pre-planned end of date time.
Vi gives her a slightly helpless look. "Uhh, lilacs?" she offers.
Caitlyn giggles. "No silly those would have tubular petals, they're violets."
Vi's mouth is left in an 'o' shape as she's clearly trying to think of a witty comeback. Eventually she settles for, "You're cute when you say nerdy things," and Caitlyn's blush returns in full-force.
She notices Vi's eyes dart to her own lips and she swallows. This was so far outside of her planning that she's completely lost, but she's also finding she's kind of ok with that. She imagines again the two princes, saving each other and lifting the curse together, and she smiles shyly.
Vi flinches as a wasp buzzes by her head, and Caitlyn's breath catches, worried the moment might have vanished, but it hasn't. That is until another wasp joins in, and Caitlyn has to wave a hand to get it out of her face before two more join the party.
"Ahh, leave me alone," she says as one tries to land on her neck and she jumps off the seat to escape it.
This situation is horribly familiar, and Caitlyn's brow falls as she sees the same helpless stare that she's so familiar with reassert itself on Vi's face.
Caitlyn flinches away from a buzzing right next to her ear, there must be five or six of them circling her head now, and gives Vi an apologetic look.
Vi's shoulders slump as she watches Caitlyn try to avoid the onslaught, hands hovering fruitlessly in the air. "Oh my Gods why is this happening again?" She stands up, wincing as Caitlyn ducks another attack. "I'm so sorry Cait, I think I must be cursed or something. Every time I talk to you something bad happens, and I don't know what's going on, but I feel so bad about it."
Caitlyn pauses long enough to ask, "What?" and to be stung on the back of her hand. Angrily shaking off the bug, she continues. "You think you're the one who's cursed?"
Vi shrugs unhelpfully. "Well, kinda yeah. What do you know about lifting curses?"
Caitlyn very briefly weighs her options, and after throwing out every one that doesn't involve grabbing Vi right there and kissing her, she does exactly that.
It's wet and awkward and everything she ever wanted it to be, and when they finally break apart, Caitlyn feels about as stunned and breathless as Vi looks. The wasps, thankfully, seem to have flown off, and Caitlyn smiles at the slightly surreal feeling in her stomach. "That seems to have done the trick," she quips.
Vi shuts her mouth, which was hanging wide open, and swallows. When her voice finally comes, it's higher than it was thirty seconds ago. "Yeah, but, uh, just in case… I mean it couldn't hurt if…"
Caitlyn nods eagerly. "Yeah, we'd best make sure."