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Everyone saw the smushed cigarettes that were left around in the girls’ bathrooms lately. Which of course led the student council to turn their eyes towards the “delinquents”: of course the students who kept rejecting the dress code and were rumored to carry around weapons would also be carelessly smoking at school, probably doing it when they were skipping class.
There were just a few rumours at first, nothing she wasn’t used to before, but it just kept spreading when the third floor bathroom became impossible to walk into without taking in a huff of that rancid smoke smell.
It was getting to the point where Zanka was called up to the Principal’s office (she was apparently the most “proper-looking” of her friends; ie, seemed least likely to smoke and lie to the principal’s face about it).
He was clear and concise with what he needed. They had one week to find out between them who was smoking, and face a more forgiving punishment, or everyone in school would be taking a cotinine test; the culprit would be expelled immediately.
The gang didn’t smoke. Sure, they skipped a whole lot of class and maybe fought people, but that was only with other gangs and they didn’t do drugs or really abuse substances. It just doesn’t come up much when hanging out with each other, sparring, and maybe shoplifting was enough. Or so she thought.
(They were all gathered up after school, Zanka was explaining to them the news when Enjin suddenly cleared her throat with an unreadable look on her face. Everyone went quiet for a moment, and they stayed that way when Enjin opened her bag and revealed a half-empty pack of cigarettes, and a small silver lighter.
Enjin saw the stares and immediately cleared up, “I’m not the one leaving all the trash everywhere though.”
Zanka was incredulous. As if that made the situation any better?)
Turns out; their senior and sort-of leader had been smoking outside of school, but didn’t tell them because she didn’t want them doing the same. Great, the test would definitely catch Enjin even if she wasn’t the one leaving the fuckass cigs around.
There were few things that made Zanka actually upset enough to personally go out of her way to handle, but the thought of Enjin getting expelled was damn near close to the top of the list.
The gang had been way too chill about it. Sure, Enjin would still meet up with the gang after school, but that was going to put a big stain on her chances of getting into another school or maybe even work. Enjin wasn’t perfect but Zanka didn’t want her struggling more than she needed to be- she had helped all of them with their troubles before.
Admittedly, Zanka was also worried that without Enjin’s sweet talk, intimidation, and sometimes bribery, the student council would definitely make sure all the unsent emails home were delivered before the gang even thought about their next hangout.
It makes her sick to think about Kyouka’s face staring down at her.
So she decided she was going to lock the hell in and find the real culprit.
The rest of the gang, even Riyo, told her things along the lines of “It’s seriously not that deep”, “You’ve got a screw loose or something, that’s a stupid idea”, or “don’t worry too much” when they heard the idea.
They said that Enjin will probably find some clever way to worm herself out of doing the test legitimately– but Zanka wasn’t up for taking risks and she was particularly on edge because of that fuckass council. Kyouka would definitely keep a closer eye on her or even tell mother and father.
The following Monday, instead of skipping and going to Canvas Mall with the others like usual, Zanka made her way to school and stubbornly waited by the outside of the now-avoided third floor bathroom while trying not to get caught for a whole day. Nobody showed up.
They all laughed in her face when they came back with some admittedly cool art prints from the event that day and Zanka had nothing to show. Well, Zanka’s definitely too embarrassed and deep into it to give up now, right? She can’t just have waited outside of a bathroom the entire day for nothing. It’s also about her pride now, not just Enjin, and her dignity was just as pressing of a matter.
She tried again, and again: student president Corvus was (politely) getting on her ass for missing 4 days of important education in a row after the thin ice all of the gang were under for the cigarettes. Then Thursday’s fifth period rolls around and when she’s half dozing off, sitting against the wall holding some book, she finally hears footsteps. Jolting up, used to thinking it’s a teacher, she quickly rushes into a bathroom stall.
But then she hears the crackle and clicking of a lighter and her eyes widen to the dirty stench of smoke reaching her nose. This is what she’s been waiting for.
Immediately she opens the door with a bit too much force, making a slight bang when it hits the wall.
“What the hell?” Zanka hears, and she’s met with.. Jabber.
“It’s you-!” She huffs out, coughing slightly because of the smoke.
“Were you waiting for me in the bathroom??” Jabber looks at her with a raised eyebrow, before smirking, “Aren’t you that one kid who keeps glaring at the board all class? You know, you coulda just asked for my number. Damn.”
“What? No, that’s not– that’s, that’s not why I’m–!” Zanka stutters over her own words, tripping herself up. Fuck she feels so uncool. She moves on, accusatory, “You’re the one who’s been smoking in school.”
“Yeah, I am. Do you have a problem with me?” Mildly amused by Zanka’s reaction to her tease, the small laugh is apparent in her voice.
Zanka clenches her jaw. Yeah, she’s got a problem. Jabber needs to turn herself in before things escalate. Jabber doesn’t react well when those words leave Zanka’s mouth.
Despite this, she still tries to reason with the other, going back and forth for a minute or two before Jabber interrupts Zanka mid-talk, “Listen, you’re cute and all but I’m not doing that, for free, at least. They’re not catchin’ me anytime.”
“Well, they’re gonna catch the others who smoke. Yer putting all of us at risk,” she huffs, trying to scowl as intimidatingly as she can since reasoning isn’t working, “we’re taking the test and the principal’s goin’ to expel all of us if ya don’t turn yourself in. He said you won’t even get expelled if you do it now!”
Jabber grips Zanka’s shirt, despite the girl’s hands immediately trying to pull Jabber’s away in surprise, tugging her forward and closer. She takes in a slow drag before blowing the smoke in Zanka’s face, not even looking like she’s listening, staring at Zanka like she was wasting her time. Absolutely not. Jabber was wasting HER time if anything.
She’s pretty respected by the gang, though Zanka didn’t have personal experience with her outside of the dull chemistry class where they sat tables apart. She was told by some of her friends who’d briefly encountered her that Jabber was similar to them, in a way– in terms of rebelling and rejecting, at least.
It was obvious from how she dressed herself, bold makeup, nails, jewellery, always a bit “extra”; her shortened skirt wasn’t unlike the gang’s lengthened ones, and anyone who was sticking it to the system was good in their books.
Jabber was pretty respected by the gang.
Enjin always told them, “we don’t fight if it’s another gang, got it? Gang business is the only business we gotta handle with our fists.”
Zanka can’t seem to recall those words now, seeing red as she feels the smoke invading her lungs, not knowing what comes over her as her hand winds quickly into a left hook. Jabber doesn’t dodge but she slams Zanka backwards against the wall. Zanka couldn’t stop herself after that. She needs to make Jabber take her seriously and make her relent.
What’s worse is Zanka quickly finds out that Jabber isn’t easy. At all. Sure, she’s not dodging as much as she could be, but she kicks, and punches, and scratches like she’s got a personal problem with Zanka. Damn, does it hurt. But damn, is it also so fulfilling when she manages to get something in on Jabber.
By the time Jabber wears her out (since when was Zanka losing?), they’re both panting and bloody, Zanka pressed up against the wall with one of Jabber’s hands holding her by the shirt again, looking almost expectant. Unbearable, Zanka thinks.
“Damn, Ms. Bad Attitude.. You give a way better fight than you look like you do,” she sneers, blood dripping down from her nose, and Zanka can’t even tell if that’s an insult or not anymore. She can barely think with all the blood rushing everywhere and the adrenaline coursing her veins.
Jabber uses her other hand to take another drag, and Zanka’s nose wrinkles. Jabber just laughs, hoarse this time and presses the end of it against Zanka’s arm and makes her hiss in pain. “Hurts, right? C'mon, give me something to cry about... ‘Know ya got it in you.”
Zanka lifts a hand and halfheartedly tugs at the one holding the cotton, it doesn’t budge, and her fingers hurt grabbing at the rigid rings. God, she wants to throw up and pass out at the same time, fingers falling back limply to her side. She’s trying so hard but no matter how hard she hits her, she just can’t wipe that fuckass expression off of Jabber, the way she was beckoning her like…
“You’re enjoying this, fucking masochist..” Zanka grunts out, with some effort, her brows furrowing. The girl underneath her doesn’t even try to pull away when Zanka’s leg kicks out and she steps on Jabber’s foot.
Jabber doesn’t deny it. She reaches for Zanka’s hand, traces over her own bruises and then uses Zanka’s fingers to press down on it, hard. It makes something click in Zanka’s brain that she doesn’t want to confront.
“Gross,” she snarls, trying to spit at Jabber. The moment she dares moves her lips, Jabber presses the cigarette against them, nails digging into Zanka’s jaw fiercely until they prick a bit of blood and Zanka has to suck a breath in.
It irritates, infiltrates her. Jabber doesn’t get the message even when Zanka’s spluttering out all the smoke, and it’s making her blood boil hotter alongside the nausea. Zanka leans forward even with Jabber’s hand scratching her, getting about half of the cigarette in before digging her teeth into it, tearing it before quickly spitting it out onto the ground.
The reaction comes with scoff, “Yo! I still had like, a quarter of that left. Really do have a bad attitude, don’t yo–”
“Shut up.” She pushes her mouth onto Jabber’s, heart pounding in her chest. Shit, why did she do this?
And then Jabber reciprocates, fully. She throws her bitten cigarette end she seemed to care so much about a second ago onto the ground without hesitation and puts both hands on Zanka’s head. Jabber pulls Zanka back by the hair hard when she tries to pull away. What the fuck. Genuinely, what the fuck. This encounter was rapidly escalating into the freakiest shit Zanka’s ever experienced.
It was definitely just the cigarette, and the electricity sparking in her brain (and the breathless feeling of her senses only taking in Jabber) that made her lips move too. Yes, totally, even as she leans closer into Jabber’s eager movements and licks at the other girl’s stupid plump lips.
If she was barely able to breath before, she definitely can’t now. It was just Jabber. Jabber, Jabber, Jabber.. Smoke, probably weed, strawberry or some other kind of fruit in her mouth.. It didn’t matter. Fuck, Zanka loves it, she needs more.
Everything comes crashing down as soon as they part, Jabber bites gently on Zanka’s lower lip before finally giving her relief. That sense of nausea comes back, tenfold when Zanka’s catching her breath while the other just stares. Eventually the school bell rings, how long has it been?
She sees Jabber licking her lips when she backs up, and Zanka can’t help but utter out weakly, “You’re a goddamn pervert.”
Jabber’s lips quirk up again and Zanka feels a kiss, or more of a nibble, on her cheek. She whispers, and Zanka has no choice, “We’ll continue this again sometime.”
After a minute of watching Jabber leave in sheer stupidity, the other girl’s frame is already out of sight by the time Zanka comes to her senses and realises she still needs to force Jabber to turn herself in. She immediately runs out of the bathroom, but it’s hopeless, the hallways are completely packed at the end of the day.
Or maybe it wasn’t hopeless. The next morning, Zanka endures some questioning on where the hell she got those crazy scratches and bruises on her, which she skillfully tries to avoid. Even when Enjin gives her that look that makes her feel way too guilty.
Semiu interrupts their questioning when he realises the conversation wasn’t going to end and was headed nowhere, “Just got news that Jabber apparently was the one smoking in the stalls. Turned herself in this morning, showed the student council which CCTVs to check too, apparently.”
What?
