A/N: Ten chapters left, woot! Also, Merc's sleaziness is based off of real experiences, so excuse my salt. Creepers like this indeed exist, unfortunately. Still one of my fave RWBY boys though.

Let me know what you think!

Thrown to the Wind

Quit

It was after the presentation that she truly found her resolve. She had managed to pull off a decent job, earning a more-than-passable mark from her prof, but her mind had been so distracted that the entire presentation itself was nothing more than a blurry memory. This whole affair with Jaune had caused such an odd, unexpected whirlwind to throw her life off-kilter, and she needed it to stop.

So, she'd step away from him. It would just be for a bit- her final meet for the on-season was mid-November, and then she'd relax with indoor training through finals- but until then, she had to keep her performance from suffering.

With that decided, she texted him quickly before she could lose her confidence. Lunch would have to be solo. She still had upcoming assignments, so she needed to dedicate her breaks to the library- not her lunch spot, and certainly not Jaune.

He didn't respond.

Nora was on her the moment she walked back into their bedroom, freaking out. "Apparently Neon's parents need the house this whole weekend, so the party's next weekend!" She collapsed dramatically on her chair. "But I worked so hard to finish our costumes on time…"

"Well," Pyrrha mused, "doesn't this mean you have even more time to make sure they're perfect?"

At this, Nora sat upright, a fire in her eyes. "You…'re absolutely right!" She leapt to her feet, holding a fist in the air victoriously. "Time to make this perfect."

Pyrrha chuckled, hanging up her business attire, changing into pyjamas. Soon, she found herself in the cafeteria with Nora, Ren and the others, eating quesadillas.

"Well," Blake commented, "at least this means that almost everyone will be done their exams."

Weiss nodded happily. "I'll actually be able to stay the whole time!" she shrilled. "I was going to have to head out early, since I have a paper due Sunday night. It's so much work."

"Nerd," Ruby mumbled around a mouthful of cheese and sour cream, giggling at the glare her pale roommate sent her way.

Nora elbowed Pyrrha lightly, catching a cherry tomato thrown by Yang from down the table before whispering, "Go ask Jaune if he's free!"

"No, Nora," she replied smoothly, cutting into her dinner. Her roommate pouted, but soon turned her attention back to Ren, chattering about how her club's show was progressing.

So, life carried on. She went to practice, pushing herself harder and harder. She threw herself into her training and academics, weekly assessments garnering positive results for her efforts. It felt good to have some semblance of control over her life again.

The only mar on her training was that Emerald had also taken to extra workouts when Pyrrha's teammates were on the field. With Emerald came Mercury, his prying eyes watching coyly as Pyrrha worked on her form.

And every time the little voice in her heart whispered about how she wasn't good enough to reach out to Jaune again, she shut it up by throwing herself even more wholeheartedly into her work.

Yet, that Friday, sitting around her dorm was driving her crazy. She threw on her sneakers and some warm workout clothes, and was jogging into town blindly before she knew it. Her mind drifted off, focusing on the music pounding in her ears (Nora's playlists were always so random and entertaining that they were perfect for her to zone out to) until the shine of streetlights, headlights and storefronts were nothing but blurs in the wind.

Yet, muscle memory was dangerous. When she finally took stock of her surroundings, she was stepping onto the street adjacent to Jaune's workplace. Instantly, she bolted the other direction, groaning internally at her stupidity. How had she not noticed?

As she reached a large intersection, waiting for the pedestrian crossing to change, she felt a light touch on her arm. Pulling out one headphone, she saw a kind young woman smiling up at her. "Um… may I help you?" Pyrrha murmured, confused. She didn't recognize this person- who was she?

The woman chuckled, waving brightly. "Ah, you were listening to music. I was calling your name!" she chirped. "At least… you are Pyrrha, right?"

"Yes, I am," she replied, turning to take full stock of the stranger. With long, dirty blonde hair, a round, open face, and startlingly-familiar blue eyes, the woman looked oddly welcoming. "Have we met?"

The light on the intersection turned green, allowing the two women to cross. "Oh, goodness, no," the stranger murmured. "But I think you know my brother!"

Suddenly, it clicked. "Wait… are you Jaune's sister?"

"Saphron Arc. Just call me Saph." Saph beamed up at her, eyes sparkling. "But Jaune's told me so much about you! I saw the hair from down the street and just knew it had to be you."

Pyrrha chuckled embarrassedly, unease growing. "Really, now?" She was suddenly struck with the urge to talk to Saph, to tell the older woman about what was going on with Jaune- how could she not know that her brother was getting into fights in order to protect her?

She said nothing, though, biting her tongue in guilty frustration as Saph said in a light, teasing voice, "He keeps buying cereal boxes with you on them, y'know. He's a total fan!" Laughing brightly, she added, "At first I thought he was being kind of creepy, but Ruby told me you were actually friends now, so I figured it was cute instead." They reached a corner, and Saph readjusted her backpack, waving to the redhead. "Well. I'm off this way. Enjoy your night, Pyrrha! Sorry for just talking your ear off. It was nice meeting you!" And with that, the friendly woman skipped up to a nearby building, leaving Pyrrha on the curb.

The redhead didn't move for a long time, mind spinning in circles, heart conflicted. God, how she wanted to see him. Not yet, Pyrrha. Get your life on track, grow a spine, then talk to him.

He still hadn't texted her back.