“Jinxed Emotions” is a short story by Aimee Bender that follows the intertwined lives of two inseparable young girls, Tina and Cathy. During a visit to a poster store, they encounter an adorable boy, leading to an unexpected kiss and ultimately causing the demise of their friendship. Bender skillfully dives into the tumultuous inner worlds of these teenage girls, tackling various topics such as body image, insecurity, betrayal, and jealousy. Both Cathy and Tina constantly compare and evaluate their own bodies based on society’s unrealistic standards.”
“They were both wearing the hot new pants,” states the beginning of the story (178). Both girls are keen on staying fashionable and up-to-date with the current trends. Cathy, in particular, appears to have insecurities regarding her appearance and choice of clothing. While browsing a poster store, one of the girls expresses a preference for examining each poster individually, taking her time to observe them (179). She focuses on the leather pants worn by both women and men and compares herself to them. Consequently, Cathy embarks on a solo search for her friend. It is noteworthy that Cathy, a teenager, rarely finds herself alone on the street, making this particular moment even more uncommon.
This teenage girl being alone on the shopping street is uncommon. Typically, teenage girls travel in pairs at the very least for a sense of security.
The previous quote indicates that Cathy no longer has that security and comfort of having her friend by her side. She is now by herself. Cathy feels betrayed by Tina throughout the story.
She walked to the corner, questioning if Tina had left her. Initially planning to go back to the poster store, she changed her mind and sat down on a bench instead.
When the bus arrived, she decided to take it home instead of continuing her search for Tina.
Reflecting on her friendship with Tina, Cathy contemplates if they will miss each other while being apart in the stores. However, she comes to the conclusion that she probably won’t miss Tina as their friendship is not as inseparable and everlasting as she once believed.
Sulking for the rest of the afternoon, Cathy sits with her mom ensuring that the backyard remains unchanged, which it does. Meanwhile, Tina prioritizes impressing others by kissing a cute boy in public potentially for a movie camera capture.
Cathy also feels jealous of Tina’s development and the attention she receives from the cute boy. At the beginning of the story, Tina criticizes Cathy’s physical appearance by mentioning one friend having breasts while Cathy waits for hers to develop.
Nearing its end, Cathy gets off at her stop and walks home hours earlier than planned when she was supposed to be at a movie with Tina. Upon entering her house, she finds her mother fixated on the backyard as if unexpectedly cutting short their whole afternoon together.
She sat with her mom, ensuring the backyard remained intact, and when her mom dozed off, everything seemed repulsive. This unpleasant event occurred in the afternoon, and afterward, she spent an hour scrutinizing herself in the mirror. Despite favoring the pose of her left profile, she felt terrible. This passage from pages 179-180 signifies Cathy’s jealousy and frustration, which is evident through the flowing nature of her thoughts as portrayed by Bender. Additionally, Cathy’s dissatisfaction is further highlighted as she critically assesses herself in the mirror.
She is questioning why the attractive boy chose Tina over her. Ultimately, this incident alters the girls’ connection. Tina calls Cathy and both of them feel uncomfortable as they greet each other with uncertainty, saying, “Hello?…Oh. Oh? Hi, Cathy? Tina? Hi?” (180). Despite their deep-seated emotions remaining unspoken, they gradually drift apart. Eventually, both girls make new friends and move on with their lives for the next three years. The story concludes with both girls graduating and bidding farewell, expressing well wishes and hopes to keep in touch, while also suggesting a hot summer ahead (180). The resentment on both sides is too significant for this bond to endure.
Despite their lasting care and nostalgic memories, the bond between them could never fully recover to its previous intimacy. Jinx, an engaging narrative, transports readers back to their own teenage years. Cathy and Tina’s personal growth and self-discovery form an essential aspect of adolescence. The obstacles they encountered are all too familiar among numerous young individuals. Defined as a curse upon someone or something, “jinx” aptly characterizes the damaging effects that body image concerns, insecurity, betrayal, and jealousy had on Cathy and Tina’s friendship—a relationship ultimately doomed to destruction.
