AFYE chapter 7
After the topside girl had left with the enforcer, Vi stressed about what happened to her. She knew Caitlyn made it back topside, she had watched the sheriff lead her there, but after that she didn't hear anything from Caitlyn, and it was starting to get to her. She had expected some kind of letter or maybe even another surprise visit, but it was just radio silence. Nothing. And it wasn't like she could send Caitlyn a letter, Vi had no idea where she lived! Vi could tell that her worrying about Caitlyn was starting to get to her siblings, Powder especially, but she couldn't seem to stop worrying.
It was two long weeks before Vander pulled her aside to finally talk to her about the girl she snuck into his bar. Vi expected Vander to be angry, or at least disappointed, but he seemed more amused than anything.
"So, who was she?" He didn't need to specify who 'she' was. Vi knew he meant Caitlyn.
"Caitlyn." Vi replied shortly.
"And you met her while robbing an apartment topside?" Vi's jaw fell open. How did he know that? Did one of her siblings rat them out? Did Caitlyn? Vander's serious façade broke the longer he looked at Vi's surprised face and he let out a full bellied laugh. "Sheriff Grayson told me." He answered Vi's unspoken question. "When she came to get Caitlyn."
Vi look away, a little ashamed. She should have known Vander would find out, especially since Caitlyn came around. She opened her mouth to apologize, but a large hand being laid on her shoulder cut her off. "I'm not mad."
The words caught her off guard and before Vi could think of a response, but one flew out of her mouth anyway. "You aren't?" Vi cringed at how childish she sounded, but Vander didn't seem to mind.
"Hmm, maybe a little, but given all the stunts I pulled when I was a kid… well it would be rather hypocritical of me to punish you now." Vander replied with a chuckle. "I pulled off my fair share of jobs topside, even snuck a few girls into my room too…" Vander trailed off with a smirk, causing Vi to blush furiously.
"No, it wasn't like that! It was just too late to bring her home what with all the addicts and-" Vi tried frantically to explain all while flailing her hands about and trying to convince Vander it wasn't like that while the bartender laughed all the while.
"I approve, by the way." Vander said after his laugher had died out. Vi just looked at him blankly. "It's good to have some connections topside, your 'friend' might help you kids expand your horizons." Vi blushed again when Vander put air quotes around 'friend' but she couldn't help but look away in disappointment.
"I don't know if she even is a friend. I haven't heard anything from her since she left." Vi admitted. Vander hummed and stroked his beard, as though deep in thought.
"So, reach out to her." He suggested simply, as though it solved all of Vi's problems. She didn't even know if Caitlyn wanted her around. She went to say this, but Vander spoke again. "She must have told you something that would help you find her." Vi's mind immediately shot to how Caitlyn bragged about some sharpshooting contest she was invited to participate in topside. The contest was supposed to be that afternoon, and if Vi could find it, she could find Caitlyn.
Vander saw her smile as she thought of her plan and clapped her on the shoulder. "Be careful out there, and tell Caitlyn I said hi. She seems like a nice girl." Vi waved a goodbye to him, but he stopped her with a paper in his hand. "Oh, and Sheriff Grayson left this here this morning. Think you could bring it back to her?" Vander handed her a poster about the contest with a shit-eating-grin and Vi, nearly combusting with how hard she was blushing, ran out the door towards the bridge with a small goodbye wave. She needed to find that sharpshooting contest.
Vi had no idea Caitlyn was such a good shot. The girl practically sprinted over the course, lining up shots and taking them before the other contestants could even lift their guns. If she knew Cupcake had such steady feet, she would have pushed her harder during their rooftop run in the undercity. Vi made a mental note to see if Caitlyn would try free running with her again, but for the moment she was content to watch the other girl destroy the competition.
The event was over quickly as the contestants all shot their targets and joined Caitlyn at the finish line. Vi had to fight the urge to cheer when the loudspeaker announced Caitlyn as the winner and as the new holder of the course record, but she definitely thought the polite, slow clapping of the other spectators was not enough to celebrate Caitlyn's win. The whole thing was made even better when the girl Caitlyn and her had been talking to before the event heard the announcement and glared at Caitlyn, looking like she had been sucking on a lemon.
After the announcement, some guy with a big fancy camera stood in front of all the contestants and started taking photo after photo. Vi didn't see what the big deal was, she had a picture of her family hanging on the wall in The Last Drop. Why would anyone need more pictures than that? Even though she thought it was stupid, Vi waited (im)patiently for Caitlyn to finish up and come back to her. However, before the girl had a chance, a large man with on official-looking sash approached her.
"This event is not open to the public." He spoke in a deep voice. Vi just raised and eyebrow and dug the flyer Vander gave her out of her pocket. The man looked on in disgust as she unraveled it, turning it around to show him the advertisement for the event that said in big, bold letters 'Open to the public'.
The man sputtered slightly, as though he didn't think Vi would call his stupid bluff, before taking a deep breath and trying again. "That means it's open to citizens of Piltover, not scum from the undercity." Vi let the insult slide off her back, it's not like she hasn't been called worse, and just tapped the word 'public' on the flyer again. At this the man became enraged. "I will not have you disrespecting this event! Leave at once!" This time the man yelled, attracting the attention of everyone in the area, including the contestants.
Vi fought to keep her composure, she didn't want to embarrass Caitlyn at her event. "I'm just here to watch someone. I was invited." Technically she wasn't but Caitlyn seemed to want her there earlier so that was close enough in Vi's opinion. "I'm with-" she tried to show him the badge Caitlyn gave her, but he bellowed over her and cut her off.
"LIAR! No self-respecting citizen of Piltover would invite undercity trash to such an event!" The man's words gave Vi pause. Was Caitlyn just being polite earlier? Was she getting Caitlyn in trouble for showing up unannounced? Vi tried fishing in her brain for an answer when someone stepped in between the two.
"That's quite enough, Mr. Jacobson. Clearly, she has on a Kiramman badge, meaning she is a welcome guest, so I suggest you stop making a scene. And nowhere in any advertisements for this event did I read that undercity folks weren't welcome." Vi was shocked to see Sheriff Grayson standing between her and the man, who was practically frothing at the mouth at that point.
"But she-" Grayson immediately put up a hand, stopping the man.
"I don't want to hear it. I don't want to see you harassing this young lady or anyone else, regardless of their home." That was apparently the final word the Sheriff wanted to have on the subject because she turned away from the man and laid a land on Vi's shoulder to lead her away.
"Ummm… thanks. For that." Vi wasn't sure how to handle the situation. This lady was apparently a trusted friend of Vander's, but she was still an enforcer so Vi still wasn't sure if she should trust her. However, the Sheriff seemed unconcerned with Vi's inner turmoil and smiled at her.
"Of course. Let's get you back to Caitlyn, I'm sure she is looking for you." Sure enough, when the two approached the winner's podium, Caitlyn was looking around. Vi's chest burned when Caitlyn's face lit up upon seeing her, even if the expression dropped into confusion when she saw Sheriff Grayson right behind her.
"Afternoon, Sheriff." Caitlyn respectfully greeted the enforcer, who just nodded back to her before nudging Vi in her general direction.
"I believe I found your companion. She was over there, being harassed by the event's assistant coordinator." Grayson spoke in an amused voice, but Caitlyn clearly did not feel the same way as she immediately whipped her head to look at Vi. The blue-haired girl looked Vi's up and down, her eyes fixing on the pin still fixed to her shirt, and sighed, shaking her head. For a moment, Vi's heart dropped thinking maybe Caitlyn was upset with her.
"Mr. Jacobson always was weird about who attended his events, though I wonder why he confronted you so quickly." The words had an instant soothing effect on Vi's nerves, and she quickly breathed a sigh of relief. Something the Sheriff definitely noticed as she started lightly chuckling at Vi.
Looking slightly over the sheriff's shoulder, Vi saw that Jane girl talking to Mr. Jacobson and scowling. The way the two kept glancing in her direction told Vi exactly who had sent the assistant coordinator after her.
"No idea." Vi looked away, not wanting another scene. Plus, her skin was starting to prickle at the stares she could feel on her. The event coordinator might not have been able to kick her out, but he definitely succeeded in drawing a lot of unwanted attention to her.
"Well, that was my only event so now I can show you around!" Vi's eyebrows shot up. Caitlyn wanted to take her around Piltover? In public?
"Sure, yeah. As long as you are sure." Vi tried to sound confident, but based on Caitlyn's unimpressed look she did not succeed. The blue hair girl rolled her eyes at her companion.
"You showed me around your home. It seems only fair I show you mine." Caitlyn's expression was so earnest, Vi wanted nothing more than to believe her. To trust her.
"You sure you can keep us from getting mugged, Cupcake?" Vi's joke earned her a punch in the shoulder, but Caitlyn's brilliant smile made it worth it.