Chapter Text
Jax is still reeling from his fight with Pomni. But it was for the best, in his opinion. He doesn’t want anyone else to get hurt because of him. No matter how much he wants to be around them. And that includes Pomni. He already messed up with Ribbit. His heart couldn't handle anymore.
He saw everyone else sitting in the for the awards show, while he sat in the back. No way he could be around the others now. They probably don't want him around anyway. Better to just stay at a distance.
Though at this point, he wasn’t even paying attention to the show. What he said to Pomni echoed in his mind. He felt awful about it, but it was better than the alternative. The insults repeated over and over again, haunting him. It was like a broken record. He could never forgive himself for this. It was Ribbit all over again.
The more it repeated, the more anxious he got. It started driving him crazy. It grated on him. He kept trying to tune it out, but the voices just got louder. The more anxious he felt, the more he rapidly tapped his foot. He was starting to fidget too much. He could feel it building up inside, about to explode.
He soon couldn’t take it anymore. With a hard stomp of his foot, he stood up and ran straight to the bathroom. He bursted through the door, frantically going to turn on a sink. He bolted so fast, he slid on the floor a bit.
Gripping onto the sink and trying not to lose his balance, he turned on the water. His grip got tighter around the sink as he began hyperventilating. His legs wobbled beneath him. There was a ringing in his ears while simultaneously hearing his heartbeat. His vision faded in and out. He tried his hardest to ground himself by focusing on the sound of the running water. He attempted taking a few deep breaths. Just breathe.
After a minute, he was able to calm down. He breathed out a sigh of relief. A moment later, he raised his head to look at himself in the mirror. But when he did, his heart nearly stopped. In the reflection, he saw Ribbit behind him, partially abstracted. Panicking, he quickly rubbed his eyes to see if that would help. Next when he opened his eyes, she was gone.
He panted a bit, not sure why that happened and frantically looked at his surroundings. Is he actually losing his mind? He tried not to think about it too much and move on. It was probably just his paranoia.
When he felt ready enough, he exited the bathroom and went back to his seat. He hopes that's the only time it happens. He sat through the rest of the show just fine.
By the time they all got back, Jax went straight to his room. He slammed the door behind him and locked it. He immediately layed down on his bed. He layed on his back for a while, just staring at the ceiling. His thoughts kept him awake for the majority of the night. It wasn’t until the exhaustion overwhelmed him that he was able to finally drift off. His rest became peaceful for the rest of the night.