Chapter Text
(September 2001)
Cloudy noons were Powder's favorite; it wasn’t too sunny, yet not too gloomy and having that while in the playground during recess was nice. A week has already gone by since her first day in kindergarten. Her mother has always bid her a good day whenever she dropped her off at school, hoping that she would make a lot of friends like her big sister.
Somehow, today was not as good as the other days, and hearing other children laugh and run around did not do well on her mood either. She would rather look down at the large patch of soil under her swing where hard soles inevitably uprooted the grass over time. While the swing is usually the favored playground equipment, she was the only one using it despite the two vacant seats on each of her sides.
The squeaking of rusted swing chains padded her ears from hearing their joyful noises. Apart from that, the grumbling of her stomach excluded any sound to be processed at all...that was until she heard small footsteps approaching her.
Powder looked up– there was a boy beaming down at her, arms extended and handing her a well wrapped lunchbox.
Her hunger subsided now that she got suspicious of this boy. Her food was tossed on the other side of the fence in courtesy of the rascals who were teasing her for her blue hair. Though, she had to give them credit for not pulling her braid this time. Nonetheless, her appetite was none of the boy's concern. Let alone, trust him with whatever he was handing her.
"No thank you. I'm fine." Was all she could meekly utter. She resumed her swinging until the boy gripped the supporting chain to stop her.
"Mama said I should give the extra to a friend." The boy insisted, once again offering the neat lunchbox. "Here."
Powder doesn't have the strength to deny him, for she had spent it all crying this morning. The children’s teasing was evident on her clothes, stained with paint and water. Pity from this boy is like adding salt to the wound.
The boy placed the lunchbox on her lap and sat on the empty swing next to her. He seems very confident that Powder will enjoy the food his mother made...and it did.
The light steam coming off from rice and marinated meat with a side of stir fried vegetables tickled her nose and beckoned her to drool. This is something she doesn't smell often at home, now that her mother is usually at the hospital.
As she eats her lunch, the boy kept his gaze on her. He was probably glad he was able to give the extra food his mom packed him to save him from embarrassment, she thought.
Or…was it her odd shade of hair, styled in an uneven single braid that he kept his eyes on?
"What's your name?" Powder munched between lines.
"I'm Ekko!" He smiled and proceeded to ask. "What's yours?"
"I'm Powder." Ekko raised a brow at her answer, but kept any questions to himself. Right now, he was really happy to have a friend after moving in town.
"Nice to meet you Pow-Pow!" Ekko's chiming voice ringed through her ears. That nickname was only reserved to her sister, so it was weird to hear someone other than her use that. Nonetheless, she was relieved this boy doesn't have any ill-intentions.
"Me too."
(February, 2007)
It was the finals for the elementary science contest in Piltover district. Powder was sure that her project would blow away the judges, if not literally. Surprisingly to everyone, the teachers let the accident-prone 10 year-old student compete at the nationals much to everyone's dismay. Who in the right mind would let a clumsy girl compete in their prestigious school? Maybe that's why they chose her– the school is obnoxiously snooty that it needs to be defaced, she thought.
She is under Zaun's scholarship program after all, so she might as well use it.
Of course, no one would be in the right mind to choose her for the first prize. She was lucky enough to have consolation though, thanks to the snobs who took interest in her absurd inventions.
What caught her attention was the first prize winner: Ekko.
She's seen the boy in her class. Always jotting down notes during recess, reading a book while eating lunch, and doing extra cleaning after dismissal. She spotted him one time having chalk stains on his pants when walking home from school. Perhaps that's why their teacher gave him two additional stars for good behavior the very next day.
To Powder, he was nothing special. He was just a teacher's pet, always obedient and good. He never had any trouble getting along with other kids.
...and now he's approaching her with two wrapped sandwiches, bearing that sweet smile.
"Congratulations!" He handed her the sandwich. Rarely anyone congratulated her for her achievements, even the mundane ones, but hearing it from Ekko was strangely satisfying even though he won the grand prize.
"Uh...thanks? But I don't think consolation winners get to celebrate that big." Powder's monotone voice did everything it could to nullify the boy's excitement, but he shook his head.
"You did a great job with your project! I wish I could design my own stuff the way you do." She could see the sparkle in his eyes. She knew it was a lie, or at least it felt like it. "You're amazing!"
She doesn't know whether to slap the sandwich on his face or storm out. All this flattery will get him nowhere especially if he's talking to a girl like her, let alone with him wearing that damn medal around his neck.
"Thank you. You did great yourself too." Powder seethed through her forced toothy smile. What the hell does this boy want and why does he need to pity her? It's not like she needs a friend anyway.
Before Ekko could share more kindness, Powder simply walked away. She has a sister to greet her anyway, if Vi is in the mood. Mylo and Claggor couldn't care less, but at least there are people at home. Vander is probably waiting for her, not knowing that his youngin even entered this event.
As much as she hated to admit it, she was hungry. None of her family members have arrived yet, so she pondered on eating the sandwich while waiting. It was still warm and nice that unwrapping it would emit that signature steam. The aroma was tantalizing enough to remind her she’s one step away from collapsing. One bite was all it took to make her beam.
...well not really...
Not when the boy who gave her the sandwich kept staring at her from a yard away. His brown eyes seemed to be fixated on her. Was he waiting for that reaction? If so, that was annoying as hell.
Cute, but annoying.
Powder faced a different direction to hide her bashful face, drowning in embarrassment as she tried to swallow the piece of sandwich.
As soon as she finished it, Vi and Vander arrived just in time. It seems that her sister texted their uncle to pick her up after her contest. ‘So much for surprise.’
Before she could enter Vander's car, Powder saw Ekko holding hands with both of his parents, particularly with his mother as he gave her a hug and he received a kiss on his forehead.
How she wished her parents were still there to congratulate her.
(April, 2010)
Ruffles were never her thing; she never considered them in her wardrobe. If only Vander and Silco had listened to her heed, she would have looked normal.
Tonight, however, was not on her bingo card in her junior year. The drab cloth and patterns was on par with a floral curtain used in home for the aged rather than something that could be used as a chiffon. They were short on budget, they said.
But here she was, all dolled up with the strangest dress in this time period, holding a red plastic cup in her hand and sitting in the darkest corner of the school gym. The dim lighting and discount mirror ball hanging from the ceiling was kind enough to disguise her face all while letting her see her surroundings. The party was quite boring, and she would rather play online games or read at home.
She was not asked out by anyone a week prior to the dance, yet her uncles insisted it was the best way to gather confidence at her age. All she gathered was a never-ending stomach-churning anxiety. Maybe Vander had been drinking a gallon so much that it led to this decision, and Silco probably didn’t even bother to argue with him about it.
Before she got up from the bench, her lab partner walked up to her. Well suited and groomed, Ekko was the only proper boy in their god-awful school, even down to manners. This did not spare him from scrutiny though, which is why Powder’s main instinct was to threaten those that picked on him for his ‘goody-two shoes’ demeanor.
“What?” she growled.
“I was just wondering if we could go get a drink?” He squeaked. The nervous laugh only made his approach all the more awkward the moment he realized she was already holding a cup.
“No thanks. I don’t plan on going back and forth in the bathroom.” But despite her monotone voice, Ekko kept on pressing further.
“Um…how about a dance?”
Powder stared at him for one solid minute; he did have someone to take to the prom, right? She assumed that he had at least asked out a student or two and they wouldn’t hesitate to say yes on the spot.
“I was too shy to ask anyone out. My parents kind of dropped me here without a word.”
Ah…so they were on the same page after all. A wave of bewilderment drowned her for a second, until Ekko spoke again.
“It’s not weird to dance with your lab partner, is it?”
To be asked for her opinion was a ticking time bomb in and of itself, but to Ekko, it did not seem to be rhetorical. The sight of his open hand waiting for her acceptance was tempting.
…and so she did.
She sat her cup down, and with a swift motion, both of them found themselves on the dance floor. The beat of the music tampered on their chest as if to command them to take part of the rhythm. A twist of steps here, a shake of body there– it was enticing until it was only the two of them in the limelight.
The floor was theirs; both faces met and a wave of euphoric consciousness washed over them. Powder avoided close proximity with anyone in fear of them making fun of her for the way she looked, how her breath smells, or the amount of freckles on her face. But this? She did not expect how welcoming it was to be wanted.
Slowly, they waltzed to the mellow music and let themselves get carried away. None of them knew how to dance properly, but it didn’t matter– their steps felt right.
It all felt like magic, just like those fantasy books she borrowed from the library alone.
But maybe they should have paid attention to where they were heading, because otherwise, Ekko wouldn’t have received a black eye from the school’s number one brute.
“Watch where you’re going, peepsqueak!” called out the bully as they headed out of the court. They hurried outside, ignoring the calls of other teachers, and went straight to the park. Outside, the sky was a mix of shades of purple and pink, dusted with stars that begin to twinkle in the twilight.
“Oh my god, are you okay?” Powder asked, observing the fresh bruise on his eye as she led him to a bench to sit. “Is it hurting?”
“Yeah.” He replied. “It’s kinda throbbing.”
Powder looked around for solutions until she saw an ice cream stand, about to leave the park. “Um, stay here for a minute, I’m gonna get you something.” She told him as she ran towards the man that ran the stand.
“Excuse me? Can I buy a popsicle?” Powder handed the man her spare change before he could say no. He sighed and gave her a wrapped popsicle before he exited the park. Powder quickly ran back to the bench, seeing the boy trying to dampen the pain with his bare hand.
“Here,” she offered the ice cream, still cold yet a bit soggy from the inside. “It’ll help lessen the pain.”
“Thanks.” He said as he laid the popsicle on his bad eye.
“Sorry for dragging you around.” The girl , lowering her head in shame. “I should’ve let your parents come pick you up—”
“That was fun!” He interrupted.
“W-what?”
“I had fun!” Ekko laughed. “Let’s do that again sometime.”
Powder was puzzled; she didn’t know whether to smack the boy’s head or laugh along with him. Never had she ever heard anyone say that it was fun hanging out with her. Although it wasn’t word for word, it was enough implication that he was enthralled to be around her. “But you’re hurt!”
“Not as much now. It’s getting better, don’t worry about it!” But this didn’t assure Powder the slightest. In an attempt to lift her spirits, Ekko unwrapped the popsicle and gave it to her. “Here. It’ll make you feel better too.”
She hesitated, not wanting to take away the aid she gave him earlier. “Don’t you still need it?”
Ekko pursed his lips; he ate a portion of the popsicle and gave it to her. “See? It was useful. I’m happy now!” He munched, causing Powder to giggle and finally take the frozen dessert.
Maybe the night wasn’t so bad after all.
(May, 2013)
Summer was the worst month to graduate in. The dark tinted regalia did nothing but needlessly insulate her body in the heat, as well as the cap encasing the sweat on her scalp which eventually rolled down on her neck. Her signature two braids for the majority of her senior year were dampened, threatening to lubricate the clasps and pins holding the cap in place, whereas her make up was starting to melt. Who in the right mind would host the ceremony in the middle of the day?
Regardless, she took her mind off the heat and looked around; she was forever happy she finally gets to leave it behind, fantasizing about getting her own place while studying the course she has long picked herself. Despite Vander’s protest in her choices, getting accepted into the university she had applied to was by far the greatest achievement besides blowing up the lab twice. Meanwhile, Silco was all the more supportive about her decision.
Dubbed as the ‘Blue She-Devil’, she took pride in being the terror student among her peers, using it as a leverage to set her name and legacy. Not that she cared about being seen in a good light when her sister already made a dent in their reputation long before she went away for college.
Oh how she savoured her teachers’ faces when they found out she was accepted to a prestigious school. 'Suckers…'
“-Ekko Xavier Perez; Valedictorian for batch 2013, 1st place in Valoran Junior Science Quest, champion for Innovateur Piltover-Zaun Science Investigatory Project Research Congress 2013, and awardee for participation in ‘Lost Children of Zaun’ charity project.”
A wave of applause flooded the auditorium, ringing every ear that occupied that area. Jinx rolled her eyes and grumbling at the emcee for taking a minute to announce this fucker’s name. Big deal– he was everyone’s favorite. The “wonder boy,” as many referred to.
Ekko marched on the stage, wearing that smile many of the girls fall for. Even the boys grovel at his feet to notice them, hoping that his friendship would rub off the “coolness” they claim he radiates. The teachers are not safe from his charisma either– not everyone gets to be in the spotlight and crowned prince in sports fest pageant.
Jinx didn’t mind him being her study partner, but she would be damned if she didn’t admit his very presence annoyed her. She never looked at him, for it only added creases to her permanently scowling face.
…or at least not really. The streak was now broken.
Brown eyes fixated to her direction, injecting such interest that she swore it bursted her bubble of solace. It felt cold at first, but was suddenly wrapped in comfort, as if to excuse her from the scorching heat.
What is with this boy and his hideous charms???
After the last set of students were called on stage for their diplomas, Jinx unironically stayed in her seat. Her desire to get out of the ceremony was flushed down when she remembered her sister brought her girlfriend to attend her senior graduation. How funny, she thought, that her supposed high achievement would impress her dear sister only to be outshined by her partner. With a ring, no less!
No messages or calls about her life, no updates from Vander of her brothers– Jinx was slapped with the reality that her sister is to be married next year after being away for so long. Only now she was officially meeting her as a “surprise”, despite them dating for almost five years since Vi and this Caitlyn girl met in second year college.
What a way to start her summer vacation.
The grip on her diploma was too strong, threatening to tear the paper.
–“Something on your mind?”
“I thought you knew everything, Mr. I-Know-Everything.” she scoffed.
Ekko, while aware that the girl disliked him for his status, never showed any disdain towards her. Despite the so-called warning from others, he knew her too well that she would not go far with her antics unless provoked. He saw how thoughtful she was one time after helping out a girl that refused to go out of the bathroom.
Unorthodox her solution maybe, she gave the girl’s tormenter the taste of their own medicine. He simply could’ve walked away when she was subjected to the office, but he saw it as an opportunity to give her a reward for her good deed. It wasn’t a lie that his charms worked wonders, especially when he uses it to get out of the class.
“A way to start a conversation then.” He chuckled as he observed the slight crease forming on her brows. “Congratulations, by the way.”
“For what?” she raised her eyebrow.
“Achievements.” He pointed. “It’s quite a lot!”
“Coming from the ‘Boy Savior’ himself– what a humble king.” She scoffed. “Or should I say ‘Boy Xavier’?”
Ekko cringed at wordplay, hardly partaking in his middle name. Seeing the grimace plastered on his face, Jinx snorted.
“I prefer you don't call me that, Powder.” he snapped back.
She rolled her eyes. “What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn’t you be with your mom?”
Ekko sat down next to her, ignoring the loud ambience as other students and families took their photos.
“I would, but I promised her I’d take a friend with me.”
Jinx stared at him for a minute, contemplating if she should go and suffer the rest of the afternoon hearing her sister gush about her wedding plans, or take up on his offer. “What’s on the menu this time?”
–“We plan to go to a restaurant, that is if you’re free?”
“I got nothing on my plate.” She lied.
She had met his mother a few times before, always radiating that sweet smile and enticing smell that she swore that came from baked goods. Inna was a good woman after all, always supportive of his son all throughout.
Her mother would have been so proud of her too if she was here…
So imagine Jinx’s surprise when she found out Inna was her mother’s high school friend. Her words of delightment echoed in her head:
“You’re Felicia’s baby?! You look so much like her!”
What was supposed to be a stab in her chest was more of a tug– she felt relief that her mother was remembered not only by her family, but by the mother of whom she considers her only “friend”...as much as she hates to admit it.
“Well! Certainly great to see you, Powder!” a woman in her 40s, dressed in a knee length beige dress and matching hat, approached them.
“Ma, she goes by Jinx now.” Ekko corrected his mother. Inna nodded at him and continued.
“Oh Jinx! My bad.” She addressed her. “We’d love you to go out for lunch with us!”
“Ah…I...uh…” she stuttered to get an answer.
“She’s free.” He interrupted. “She’ll come with us.”
“That’s great! Let’s get going then.” Inna held Jinx’s back gently as she guided them to the exit, but stopped on her tracks. “Ah! I almost forgot.” She then pulled out a camera from her bag and faced the two. “Come on, let me take a pic of you two.”
Both of them awkwardly shifted beside each other, knees solid from tension as they positioned themselves. Their gowns ruffled as they held each other's shoulders side by side. Jinx usually doesn’t do well with close proximity, but this time…it felt so familiar, she swore she felt like a velcro to him, especially with his cologne lingering on him. Sure, they danced in middle school before, but even that had space between them. She felt her heart pounding.
“Smile!”
Flash!
…
The lunch was astoundingly good, and she wasn’t one to gobble up food that much. Lunch during her senior years was barely anything but slop, yet it was always sprinkled with life whenever he was around. Jinx hated to admit it, but she liked his presence– it made her high school bearable. She thought that maybe if she avoided him during breaks, she’d lose him, but he would always find a way to be with her.
There was one time when she cut classes for the hell of it, though really she was bored from lecture, she saw him hanging out in one of her spots behind the vending machine behind the school, waiting for her so he could give her a soda he got.
Honestly, this boy is weird…but sweet.
But what was weird is that she eventually agreed to come to their little get-together. They had a reservation for this particular restaurant, and now she was sitting full.
“Save more room for dessert. I got us some cake slices.” Inna clasped her hands under her chin as she watched the two teens. Jinx became fond of Inna over time, preferring to be around her rather than her own family. As much as she loves her own family, they were a pain in the neck; she could barely feel herself at ease without all of them bickering every other week.
“So tell us about your plans for the future, Powder.” Inna beamed at her. The girl pursed her lips, thinking what to say even though she knew the clear answer to that. Perhaps it was the amount of respect that she gathered for her that made her think twice.
“I applied to the University of Piltover. They have a scholarship offer.” She simply replied as she drank her glass of water.
It was the best course of action on her part, as she wanted to leave this town for a good chunk of time. If she was being honest, she wouldn’t miss anyone if she were to go away, not even those that were close to her. She argued with herself that it was for the best, seeing that everyone was having trouble adjusting to her new found identity. She needed space to grow into her own person, even if it meant leaving some things behind.
On the contrary, Inna’s shocked reaction surprised her.
“That’s good to hear! Ekko is also going there.” She clapped, as Jinx nearly choked on her water. “He applied not too long ago. I told him to submit his papers before the day of the deadline. This silly boy…”
Jinx felt her eye twitch. Did she hear it right?
“Come again?”
“He’ll major in engineering, dear.” The woman replied.
She turned her eyes to him– he was sweating buckets while pretending to sip from his glass as he looked away from her direction. ‘That motherfucker…’
“Oh really now?” The corner of her lips twitched as she tried her best to smile, faking the sweetness in her voice. She could feel her vein popping on her forehead. “That’s great!~”
“I’m glad you think so! I’m worried that he might not have anyone else there besides his Uncle Benzo. He’ll be living there with him when the time comes. I’m sure his Wyeth would be happy that he’s in good hands, bless his soul.” Inna explained, excited about the plan. “You can live with them too if you don’t mind!”
“Woah– wait, WHAT?!” Both exclaimed in unison. Ekko nearly choked on his water after hearing his mother. “Mom, you can’t be serious?!”
“Why not? I’m sure it’ll come of help when she starts to look for a place to live in.” The woman sipped on her drink, oblivious to the two panicking in their seats. “Besides, you wouldn’t want her to have a hard time looking for one, would you?”
“No, that’s not necessary–” Jinx twitched her eyes and tried to turn down the offer, but was interrupted by the waiter.
“Excuse me ma’am? Your desserts.” On his hand laid a tray of three slices of cakes, all elegantly decorated with icing and a piece of strawberry on top. Inna thanked the waiter as he went back to the counter.
“Well, dig in!” said Inna, eager to take a bite on her serving. Meanwhile, Jinx is still processing what the woman had just said. She wasn’t serious, was she? That she can live under the same roof as him? Besides, she didn’t agree to any of it. It was only a possibility she wouldn't entertain at all cost.
Jinx glanced at her cake, unable to eat any of it due to the thought of Ekko attending the same school. It wasn’t that she hated him, it was more of a piece of this town following her around like a lost puppy. She looked back at Ekko again, whose face looked quite constipated from the situation at hand. Perhaps he didn’t expect her to be taking that path as well.
“Oop–” Inna wiped her mouth and grabbed her bag. “Nature calls. Excuse me.”
As soon as his mother left for the bathroom, Ekko cleared his throat and took another sip from his glass.
-“Everyone’s been talking about it.”
“Yeah, no shit.” Recalling the hallways buzzing with whispers about her scholarship, it was impossible for him to miss out on the news. Everyone was fussing about the unruly girl who somehow got into a prestigious college–the girl who set the football field on fire because some jocks and cheerleaders mocked her for her appearance and got suspended for it, and the girl who supposedly beat up several students over some absurd rumors about her upbringing. He had every reason to stay away from her, and yet he ignored all of the flags. He couldn’t put a finger on it, but every time he was with her, it just felt right.
Ever since losing his father a couple of years ago, he tried diverting his attention by focusing on academics, but his grief was setting him back. He even considered becoming a bad apple himself to release tension from within, but what good would that do for him? If it wasn’t for Jinx though, he might have fallen to that path.
He remembered how she found him in an abandoned alleyway while walking home, all worn and crouched down from destroying a soda machine with a baseball bat after spray painting the wall beside it. He remembered how she sat down beside him and sheltered them with her umbrella as the rain poured while soda cans rolled off from the machine and on to the ground.
He remembered the soda they shared. Meanwhile, she couldn't seem to find it in herself to leave him that moment even when they were beginning to get wet from the rain.
“I’m happy for you.” He said truthfully.
Jinx sighed. She can’t seem to leave him behind too.
“I’m happy for you too.” The corner of her lips curled up. She poked her cake, pondering. “Though it wasn’t a shocker that you got in.”
Ekko chuckled at her remark. “It wasn’t hard. The entrance exams I mean.”
She rolled her eyes at his cockiness, but it was true. Everyone was expecting him to ace the rumored brain-wrecking exam, but they only scoffed when they heard that she was taking one as well.
“I was nervous about it.” She bit her lip.
-“About what?”
“About not passing.” Oh how she hated being sincere around him. Truth to be told, she didn’t want to fall behind everyone else, especially him.
”But you’re brilliant.” He pointed.
“What?” Her ears perked up. She looked at him intently.
“You’re brilliant,” he repeated, this time with mirth. “That’s why you passed.”
Yes, she has heard him praise her before, but she didn’t think much of it until now. Maybe she was too preoccupied in avoiding him that the weight of his words didn’t ground her to her feet to stay. Probably because now she was sitting beside him instead of finding a chance to walk away again. She felt her stomach flutter, but it wasn’t a warning for her to go to the bathroom.
Quickly, she turned to her cake again to eat. But as soon as she stabbed her fork on the strawberry, it clumsily fell and rolled off the cake then on the floor.
“Ah shit.” she hissed, dropping the utensil and bending over to pick up the fruit. Ekko noticed this and halted her.
“Hey now. Don’t do that. That’s gross, Jinx.” He grabbed her arm before she could pick the morsel. He managed to get her back to her seat.
“But five-second rule–”
“No.”
Jinx pouted at his disapproval, but her eyes sparkled when he handed over his strawberry on top of her slice with a fork.
“You can take mine.”
Suddenly, there was a warm sensation filling in her earlobes and across her cheeks. The gesture was so simple yet it made her quiver. The thought of her never escaping his charms brought butterflies to her stomach. It felt like she swallowed a bunch of them.
“T-thanks.” She sheepishly accepted.
Somewhere in the corner of the restaurant, Inna was returning from the bathroom. Just when she was walking near to their table, she saw the two teenagers getting close. More specifically, Ekko was wiping Jinx’s mouth with a napkin.
Savoring the scenario in front of her, Inna silently took the camera out and snapped a picture.
Flash!