jinx me once, jinx me twice. {briknope]

Jinx could feel the bandages sliding down in the sleeves of his jacket, irritating both him mentally and his arms physically. It mostly irritated his arms more than his mentality, as the bleeding hadn't entirely stopped, and now there they were, rubbing up against the red cloth jacket, unprotected by the gauze that was a necessity in his life so he could hide his secrets. At that moment, he regretted that he hadn't clipped the bandages together good enough, as he could feel every single cut and burn on his arms if he focused hard enough, and it was painful to know how much pain he inflicted on his arms to relieve stress than it was painful to feel them on his ruined flesh. Sighing, knowing what day it is, he pressed his back deeper into the wall of the building, hoping to blend in.

He had no good reason for being there except for the fact that he needed some silence and alone time, and of course time to think, and that was the best way to do it, which was go to wherever that wasn't his house. Sure, at his house, he was always left alone (partially because his parents resented him), but being in the same house where his sister died and where his hateful parents always had a glare in store for him always gave him an itch to go out and go wherever seemed appealing to him. For some reason, the old rusted building seemed to be someplace for a guy like him; probably because the older people there who lived during the Dark Days had nothing to say anymore and didn't bother him, even though every now and again they would pass him a questioning glance, to which he would shoot back a venomous glare.

Soon enough, Jinx felt like he was being smothered by the cigar smoke that infiltrated the air and hitting his lungs, so with carefully planned, silent footsteps, he crossed the building from the corner he lurked at and clicked open the door that closed them in, allowing cold air of the night to flow in and send a shiver through everybody's spine. With a few crunching steps into the outside and onto the streets, the door closed with a slam, making everybody in the place jump.

Jinx turned the right-hand corner that was at the side of the building, leaning against the brick wall that met up against the front of the place just five feet away. Leaning against the corner made him think about what that particular day was. It was right around the time that she left him, exactly two years ago. I know what day it is today... even if I chose to ignore it, it won't go away, and she won't ever come back. It's... all of my fault. All of it is. Everything that happens to my family... I am always the main cause of it. I deserve everything that I get in life... my misery, my arms.... He could feel his throat begin to burn, making it slightly harder for him to breathe. Guilt, just as it always did, seared through him, but with him knowing what day it was, it seared through him like when the painful burn of the cigarettes touched his arms.

Before tears could well over, a small noise hit his ears. His heart picked up the pace as he concentrated on the noises around him. He heard nothing for a moment, and then the sound of what seemed like two people speaking reached his ears. It wasn't around him anywhere, but he realized it was right above him. Looking up the side of the building, he saw the old rusty fire escape. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but when he saw two figures at the top of the escape, he knew something was up.

Fear, more than anything he had ever experienced before, seared through him as he watched the two people holding on to the hand rails for dear life. As he looked up, he couldn’t exactly tell how they had come into the position they were now (because he didn’t think they would be dumb enough to jump over the edge and hang there), but then he took into consideration that the fire escape was old and rusty, so the metal beneath them must have broken loose. Jinx wanted to help, but the fear and shock froze him in place. His usually fast-acting, quick-thinking brain slowed from the pace of a bolting stallion to the measly pace of a turtle. What do I do now? Even though he wanted to move, his body wouldn’t permit him.

When the two bodies hit the floor below the stairs, it sent a shock through Jinx’s spine, finally spurring him into action. When the loud crash of them falling to the more secure metal below them hit his ears, it must have finally hit him that they needed help. Looking up at the fire escape quickly to assess what floor they were on in the large maze of stairs, he pinpointed their location and slightly nodded to himself as he reached the beginning of the fire escape. Jinx’s eyes shined bright with determination, a feeling he hadn’t felt since what happened two years ago.

After the boy mumbled something he couldn’t hear and pushed past him, slightly making Jinx press his arm painfully against his side as he did so, he glared momentarily after him, but then decided to look questioningly at the girl. Jinx felt slightly irritated that this girl actually had to apologize for her brother’s behavior, and explain it to him, no less, when the boy seemingly had no thought of doing so for himself. After her short explanation, he narrowed his eyes at the way into the building, but was thrown off and distracted when she spoke her name and asked him how he was.

To a question like that, especially on this day that he had been dreading all year, he would have instantly answered horrible. She seemed to be trying to lighten the situation up by her flashing, pretty smiles and her seemingly energetic tone of voice, and he didn’t exactly want to be the one to drag down her happiness. In a voice that consisted of being half-concerned, half-rushed, he spoke to the girl who named herself Theron.

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, threatening a smile. They certainly didn't look like thieves, or people who would get into trouble that often, as a matter of fact. Well, he could believe that the boy was a thief by the way he seemed like he needed to hide everything, but the girl, on the other hand, seemed like one of those good girls that would get straight A's in school and would be nice to everybody and everything. But, just as he knew from personal experience, looks were deceiving. For example, he bet to himself that they had no clue that he was a both murder survivor and a suicide survivor and cuts and burns himself every night.

Miles, the boy, seemed angry that Theron had told the truth, and instead of looking at her with hatefulness, he looked at Jinx with the malice instead. Jinx couldn't exactly figure out why though. Not only did he ask them to come inside from their hiding, but he even had to risk going up the fire escape and almost fell through a stair. Theron, on the other hand looked totally calm, almost positive that he understood, and he did. I do wonder why Theron looks at me like a friend and Miles looks at me like a fiend.

For reasons even Jinx didn't understand, he smiled. He was pretty sure that Miles would bitch at him for doing so, but he did it anyways.

Jinx’s smile slightly deadened as soon as Miles muttered the nickname ‘Charms’. What does he think he’s doing? I didn’t do a damned thing to either of them. At that moment, he had to urge to get out of his chair, reach across the table, and slap him as hard as he could across the face. Although, he liked Theron, and he didn’t exactly want her to believe that he was a temperamental bitch. She dealt with Miles every day, so she didn’t need him on her platter either. Licking his lips and looking down at his hands to try and think of what to say next, he did a small smirk and replied to Miles.

His head bobbed slowly as her high voice crashed against his eardrums as he comprehended what she said. So she and Mr. Wonderful are orphaned, use appearance and personality to get by, and almost practically live on the streets. And she mentioned that the two of them are… twins? Jinx could hardly believe the words that past over his ears. Theron seemed honest enough, but the resemblance between the two was so little – so little in fact, that it would have been almost acceptable to believe that she was being a liar. But, she seemed like she had no reason to lie. It was almost like someone meeting your girlfriend and then claiming she was just a friend – there was no reason to do so.

Jinx had been so wrapped up in the thought of them being twins (a thought that was still hard for him to comprehend) that he hardly even noticed that there had been more words after her explanation of herself and Mr. Wonderful. He felt slightly complemented that she had taken notice that he wasn’t a street rat like them. Jinx had the urge to lift up his arm and take a sniff to testify against that statement, but he didn’t exactly want to look like a dumb ass in front of Theron. She was a girl that was intelligent, and just basically a person you would like to leave a good mark on. It was like a friend almost; the type of person that you wouldn’t put down or use too much hateful sarcasm towards.