Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Chapter 9

***What the heck is this song doing here?

Welp, guess you'll just have to read this chapter LOL

I've been waiting so long to write this one, so...welcome to 4,000 words of angsty Jaya.***

***(Nya's POV; song for this chapter: "Happier" by Marshmello and Bastille)***

My graphite pencil tip breaks, and my bottom lip trembles.

Jay, Lloyd, and I got back a few hours ago. We haven't heard from the others, and to be honest, I'm starting to get worried. Of course, I'm already worried about a host of other things – finals, the mission, Jay, running away. If I run away. I just don't know about anything anymore.

I toss my broken pencil to the side, taking a deep breath.

"I won't cry," I sniffle to myself. "I won't cry!" I snatch a new pencil from my case, accidentally jabbing my palm on one tip. I bite out a curse and pull out my hand as blood begins to pool near my thumb.

I wipe the liquid off on my pants, forcing myself to take deep breaths. My eyes stray up to the clock, looking for something to keep me grounded.

9:43 in the evening. I still have time to complete this review sheet. It's extra credit, and the First Spinjitzu Master knows we all could use some extra credit.

Okay, I can do this. I reach my hand in my pencil bag again, this time more slowly. I pick out a new utensil and look down at my paper sheet.

The letters swim before my eyes, but I blink away the distraction.

"Let's see," I swallow. "Um, calculate the thermal change for the following reaction. Thermal change." I rack my brain. "We did this two months ago in chem class. I know how to perform these equations. Um, thermal change, thermal change, thermal – "

I stop. The truth is, I don't remember. My head is too full of...everything to think right now.

But it's already almost ten in the evening, and if I want to turn in to bed before midnight, I have to complete this review sheet now. I'm just going to have to push through these problems.

I skip to the next question on my paper. "Let's see...okay, here we are. I'm determining the reverse reaction for this equation. That's cool. I can do reverse reactions." I begin to work the problem on my page, when –

Snap! My pencil tip breaks. Again.

I inhale deeply. "Good golly, this is killing me." I scoot back my desk chair and cross over to my bed, flopping down on it for just a moment. All I need is a few cleansing –

I press my nose to my pillow, and it smells just like Jay's aftershave.

A sob escapes my throat, and I pull away from the pillow. "No," I choke out. "Stop h-haunting me already!" I roll off my bed and cross over to the desk chair, sitting down with a vigor. "I will complete this now. Nya, you know how to work thermal energy problems. You can do this!"

But for the next several minutes, all that stares back at me is a blank problem.

I snap, shoving my desk chair backwards. It topples onto the floor, but I don't even care. I don't have time to care. I don't have energy to care.

I grab the pillow that smells like Jay and shove it under my bed. I'll deal with it after finals week. I'm too stressed to wash it now.

Do I even want to wash it?