A/N: Pyrrha's a useless noodle.
So, I may have finished writing the entire story already. Do y'all want the rest all at once, or spaced out? Let me know!
Thrown to the Wind
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For the rest of the weekend, Pyrrha's sights were so singularly set upon her studies and athletics that even Nora was tricked into no longer asking about Jaune. Thankfully, that was aided by the fact that the extra week given to them before Neon's party (now happening a few days after Halloween, rather than before it, since the day itself was that Monday) gave Nora enough time to ensure that everything on their costumes was as authentic as possible. The orange-haired girl refused to tell Pyrrha their chosen characters, especially after finding out that Ren ("Thanks to that dang TA job," Nora kept mumbling under her breath bitterly) wasn't able to make the party anymore. She wanted to relish in seeing the redhead's surprise when she finally unveiled the costume, and Pyrrha was more than happy to oblige her friend.
It was startling to think about how quickly the blond had wormed his way into her heart. It had been just over a month since she had met him- barely three weeks since their first lunch together- and yet, his absence by her side was already so noticeable. She hated not talking to him. Yet, after Sunday night, when she was struck with the realization that the blond still hadn't texted her back after her message nearly a week before, she was far too unnerved to message again.
A part of her wondered whether it would be worth it to go to the library behind the genetics lab during her breaks, just so she could at least study near him. Each time that errant thought flitted by, though, she squashed it instantly. It wasn't worth it. His work was too far away. By the time she reached the building, she would only have a scant twenty minutes to eat her lunch and study, versus the nearby library that gave her almost the full hour between her classes. So, she stayed close to home, shoving her feelings away.
The Halloween party was only a few days away, and Pyrrha's final meet of the season was set for the following weekend. Everything was finally closing, and then Pyrrha could figure out how to talk to Jaune like an adult about her feelings, as clumsy as she was. That was the drive that kept her going, as she firmly put away the fact that his status left her on read.
Practice early on Wednesday morning began fairly well. Glynda was guiding them through a circuit before their throwing session. She preferred these exercises the most- it took concentration on her form, her heart pumping in her chest, breath heavy and quick and focused as she completed each repetition as cleanly as possible. She didn't have time to think about anything else.
When Glynda finally called a break to transition to throwing, however, her eyes fell upon figures on the sidelines. Emerald was stretching below the stands- the girl had a separate meet coming up on Sunday, so she was prepping for that. And, of course, Mercury was there, the boy's eyes drifting from his friend and landing upon Pyrrha. Even from the distance, she could feel the smirk on his lips, and she rolled her eyes.
Why has he been so… present lately? She just didn't understand. Nothing about her had changed, and yet, over the past month, the grey-haired boy had been more aggressive in his advances than ever before from the past two years.
Am I acting differently, since meeting Jaune? Did she suddenly seem more vulnerable, or more approachable, thanks to the blond? She honestly didn't know. It was a little frightening, though, thinking of the possibilities. After all, how could the blond have had such a profound impact on her that Mercury was suddenly treating her differently?
She shook her head, trying to knock those thoughts out of her mind. There was no point stressing about it. She had sprints to finish.
And then, a flash of blond hair caught her eye. She paused where she was, nearly dropping her water bottle as she squinted, staring down the figure in the stands.
It was Jaune… wasn't it?
She cast a furtive glance to the giant digital clock ticking away on the ever-present scoreboard above the field. Why it was above the track, rather than the stadium, she'd never know- but she knew that there was still over half an hour before classes began on campus. Why would Jaune have come so early? Why would he even be there? The boy was just seated in the bleachers, watching the runners go, but it was too far to see his expression.
"Pyrrha, line up," Glynda called, watching the redhead sternly. Pyrrha bit her lip, glancing over uneasily at her coach. Everyone was watching her- she needed to go fall in.
As she moved towards the others, however, she could only watch as Mercury followed her gaze, landing on Jaune. In a few moments, the grey-haired boy stood, hopping up the steps in order to meet the blond. The two boys seemed to exchange words, and even from the field, Pyrrha could see Mercury gesturing towards the athletes- towards Pyrrha.
Then, the blond stood, grabbed his bag, and rushed out of the stands towards the exit. Mercury jogged back down, waving towards Pyrrha casually before meeting up with Emerald, where the runner was stretching still.
"Pyrrha, hurry up," Glynda commanded.
And before the redhead knew it, she jogged to the side, grabbed her belongings, slung them all clumsily over her shoulder, and bolted towards the exit, desperately chasing the blond, ignoring the confused cries from her coach and teammates. She needed to know what had happened.
Because, even if she couldn't see him clearly, the aura of hurt that had hung over Jaune before he left had been unmistakeable, and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to help him.