"Quinn said you know some Paramore songs," she said, cocking her head to the side like a dog.

I grunted in affirmation and pulled on a hat to keep my hair out of my face. It looked cool when it was down, but during practice, I hated the inconvenience. 

"So how about one of those?" she asked. 

I rolled my eyes. "I told you to pick. Sing whatever you know the words to."

She frowned. "I was just trying to--"

"How about Ignorance?" Quinn cut in, attempting to keep the peace. "Jinx likes that one."

Before anyone could argue, Marsh started playing, and it took me a second to remember my part. Before long, I fell into the song, my thoughts bleeding away as I focused on playing. Quinn had not picked an easy song--probably on purpose now that I think about it.

I hardly registered Skylar's voice. We sounded good, and it felt great to be whole again, to be making music with my favorite people. When Marsh smiled at me, I smiled back. 

Truth be told, I didn't want the song to be over. Especially because the second the song ended, Skylar turned to Quinn with the biggest grin and it made me sick. 

I dropped my sticks, my hands still buzzing and my breath heavy from playing. Three sets of eyes turned toward me. 

"You've got a good voice, Sunshine," I admitted. Sky smiled and shared an annoyingly excited look with my sister. "But I don't like you." I took a small amount of joy in the confused look on her face.

"Jinx," Quinn snapped. "Play nice." She turned to Skylar. "I'm sorry, she's pretty standoffish at first, don't take it personally."

I scoffed, and Marsh moved closer to me. Just in case. "Don't lie to her. I'm neither standoffish nor planning to play nice."

"Jinx," she repeated warningly.

Sky stepped forward, the only space between us occupied by my drum set. "Why are you being such a bitch?"

I gasped in mock shock. "How cute. Stratosphere over here knows a big kid word."

She huffed. "My name is Skylar."

"What was that, Sunshine? I couldn't quite hear you." The glare she gave me rivaled my own. "You won't be in my band, so it doesn't matter what your name is."

Suddenly, another incredibly angry voice cut in. "Your band?" Quinn practically growled. "You aren't in charge here, Jinx."

"Neither are you," I growled back. "You don't just get to decide to bring little miss asshole into the band when you know we don't all agree." 

Marsh's hand found my shoulder, and when I tried to shake her off, her grip tightened. My head snapped around to hit her with a death glare, but she wasn't phased. She simply gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Nobody is in charge," Marsh said, her voice even and disturbingly calm. "This is a band, we all have a say."

"I say she's out," I snarled.

"What did I ever do to you?" Sky yelled, her voice painfully high and offended.

"You're a fucking cunt, you know that?"

"That's not an answer." Her hand came to rest on one of my cymbals, and if my sticks were in my hands, I would have beat her with them. "Why do you hate me?"

Before I could answer, Marsh's arms wrapped around me, and I leaned into her out of habit. With me seated, she was the perfect height to rest her chin on my head, and she took full advantage of her positioning. The contact calmed me enough to keep me from jumping up and starting a fist fight.

That being said, it didn't stop me from throwing random profanities her way. I had always been very creative with my words.

"Jinx, I think you need to leave." Quinn's voice came in low and icy. Marsh tensed at the sound, but I was too worked up to register the threat in her tone. 

I gaped at her. "I need to leave? I'm just as much a part of this band as you are. Miss Solar System over there isn't anything."

Marsh let out a noise and her strong arms pulled at my upper body, nearly knocking me off stool. "Come on, Jinx. Now isn't the best time." She sounded unsure, like she couldn't tell if she was supposed to intervene or leave us to fight it out.

I ignored her, forcing my voice to match the ice in Quinn's. "I thought you had my back, sis." I spit the familiarity out like a curse, but when Marsh tugged on my shoulders again, I let her pull me up and walk with me out of the garage. 

"Oh yeah, sure, hide behind your girlfriend, real brave," Quinn shouted as the door closed behind us. It was a stupid decision on her part, likely fueled by years of arguments and an intense desire to get the last word, and I could practically hear the sensible part of my brain flicking off. I tore out of Marsh's grip and whipped the door back open.

Before I could cross the jungle of instruments, I heard Sky make a choking noise and say "You're a fucking carpet muncher?" with such disgust, that I stopped in my tracks and slapped her full on.

I would have punched her, but my hand hadn't had time to clench into a fist by the time my arm had swung up to meet her face.

Marsh and Quinn caught me almost simultaneously and pulled me back before I could do any more damage. With the look Quinn gave me, I thought maybe she was starting to think better of her actions, but she shoved me at Marsh and moved to check on Sky.

"Get the hell out, Jinx," she snarled. "I thought you were better than this."

What? I blinked, taken aback. But she--

"I said get out," she repeated, the malice in her voice hitting me like a semi truck.

"But I didn't--"

"Out." She pinned me with a glare, and I was too lost to fight back.

My heart broke at her words. She didn't so much as glance my way after that, she just helped Sky to the couch along the back wall and held a bag of frozen tater tots to the red spot on her face.

My sister--my only sister--had chosen a homophobic bitch over me. 

I thought I could rely on you, Quinn. I thought... I shook my head. I didn't know what I thought. And it apparently didn't matter what I thought. Quinn didn't care.

I only left because I didn't dare give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry.