Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sevika flexed her back, popping her bones in place then rolling her shoulders back. 

Today was like every first day of the year. Agitating and relentless.

It snowed of course, causing her 25 year old car to give her a mini heart attack when it stalled 4 times in a row. 

She couldn't even enjoy her coffee as it cooled immediately in her no-heat car. She just wanted to say fuck the school year and go back to sleep.

But alas the art department needed her. It wasn't like she was polished in the arts. No, staffing was just low and she was the only art teacher within a 50 mile radius of this sleepy town. 

She should’ve became a body builder. She had the structure. The muscle, the height. She was 5’9, 6 feet on a good day. She could do it.

Rephrase that: she could do it if she had the money. 

Rookie body builders did not make a high salary. Actually they didn’t have a salary. She’d have to go to shows, slowly get sponsors and she just didn’t have the safety net to support herself through that.

She rubs at her sore shoulder. 

So here she was, an art teacher for a low budget college in the middle of fucking nowhere. 

She gathers her material and throws them haphazardly onto the desk. 

She hated first days because today meant learning first-year kids names that she'll forget on the second day and making them tell her 3 things about themselves that she'll proactively ignore. 

She looks out the window and at the snowy parking lot. Already cars were starting to fill the small lot. 

She should've smoked a cigarette before she came in. She could feel herself growing more agitated. 

The door opens and the first kid is of course a blue haired girl. Probably an anime dweeb that rode her pictured pillow at night. 

Oddly, she only had a thin jacket on and a black beanie. No coat or scarf. Sevika not only had a coat but was currently wearing a thick sweater. That’s how cold it was outside.

The girl smiles widely and Sevika just raises an eyebrow in greeting. 

Why didn't she become a body builder. 

"I'm Jinx!" 

Sevika scoffs. "Is that your real name?" 

"Yea." The girl seems unbothered. Like she gets asked this question a lot. 

Theres a moment of silence between them before the girl speaks up again. "And you are?"

"Sevika Pierce."

"I'm gonna call ya Sevika."

Professor Pierce, Sevika wants to protest but their conversation is already draining most of the energy she had for this morning’s class.

The girl took the front seat directly across from Sevika.

She took out a large sketching pad that was covered in doodles. Some looked ancient while others were relatively new. 

Other kids were starting to stoll into class. 

Jinx crossed her hands over her book and gave Sevika a wide smile. 

She really should’ve smoked that cigarette. 

Chapter Text

Sevika took a quick drink of her water before continuing her lecture. 

She ignores the groans of her students as she moves to the next slide. 

If she had enough time to take a sip of water that was more than enough time for her students to copy the notes. 

She takes another sip and flips to the next notes. 

“Hey, ya wanna slow down there Sevika.” 

Sevika doesn’t even have to turn around. Jinx’s voice is easily distinguishable.

But She does turn around. 

Jinx’s smile is wide. She has the eraser of her pencil between her teeth as she looks up at Sevika.

Sevika’s first instinct is to take that pencil and shove it up her scrawny ass but instead she takes a breath then says, “It’s Professor Pierce.” 

Jinx rolls her eyes but continues to smile. 

Sevika has to turn around or she swears she’ll knock Jinx’s smile straight off her face.

Sevika clears her throat before continuing her lecture. “Now, tomorrow we will begin drawing-“

“Toots, ya mind going back a slide?”

It took Sevika a full 60 seconds to realize Jinx was talking to her. “What did you call me?”

Some of her students were laughing as if they had just realized too. 

Sevika curls and unfurls her fist.

“Fine. Ms Sevika.” She rolls her eyes again, that shit eating grin still on her face.

“I want to see you after class Jinx.”

She clicks over to the next slide and everyone groans.

“It’s not Sevika, Ms Sevika or Foots. It’s Professor Pierce do you understand?”

”I said toots.”

“Do you understand.” Sevika growls.

Jinx only smiled. She grabs her bag from beside her seat and moves towards the door. “See ya tomorrow, Professor Sevika.”

“Have you thought about the competition recently?” Silco asks.

The teachers lounge was empty besides the two of them. So Sevika was confused as to why he was putting on the facade that he cared about her course. 

Sevika furrowed her brows. “Why would I? It’s at the end of the year.”

He leans back in his chair slightly as if he was offended by her confusion. ”Do you think any of your students have any potential?”

The scholastic competition for fine arts was the yearly art competition that only the most prestigious schools were accepted into. Yeah, once in awhile you’ll see an underdog in the queue but they would fail to win every time. 

Sevika had wanted to win every year the damn competition came around but her school was never even accepted and she doubt it ever would be. 

She leans back in the chair and says without hesitation, “nope.”