Prom, exams, turning your longtime crush into a zombie... life's tough when you're a teenage necromancer.
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Willow has had a crush on Jensen Peters FOREVER. And with prom days away Jensen seems to be finally feeling the same... then a terrible acc...
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The sunlight is warm on my face, the air surprising mellow and rich with the scent of summer. Of freshly cut grass, and blooming gardens. I'd slipped out after Mum had fallen asleep. Spent the rest of the night searching the streets for signs of Jensen. Finally, when streaks of light shimmered along the horizon, alerting me to morning, I'd trudged home.
I was terrified about what Jensen could get up to. He'd been missing for the entire night and from Sophie's updates, I knew that she, Kira and Henry had been searching but they'd no better luck than me. I should have been hunting with them, not hiding away on my own. But on the plus side, I'd had time to think and my mind was clear. Even if I didn't have a clue how to make it up to Henry; I felt ready to try.
Henry's house was actually only a few streets away, but I'd never been before. He always came to mine when we worked on projects. My stomach feels like lead as I walk up the small stone path, looking up at a house not dissimilar to mine. A basic red brick house, with a few scattered plants around the edge of a small garden. From inside, I can hear Sophie bickering with Kira through an open window.
"That should go over there. It says in the book..."
"I know what it says in the book, but you're reading it wrong, it should be..."
I smile. I hadn't seen either of them since the wedding but I'd grown very fond of Sophie and her somewhat uptight wife. I hoped whatever happened with this ceremony I wouldn't let them down. If everything went as planned tonight, this would all be over. No more flesh-eating Jensen, no more waiting for Mr Jones and Zara to turn. I could go back to my exam, my prom night and my friends. The thought made something uncurl inside me. I wanted life to go back to the way it was so bad, even though something told me that wasn't really an option.
I knock lightly and wait for someone to answer. The door flies open, and Henry stands there, his body tenses when he sees me. His lips part like he wants to say something and then his eyes narrow and his face turns stern. An expression I hadn't seen directed at me in days. I already miss my Henry, the one I'd be getting to know amongst the chaos of the undead and skeletons and magic.
"Hey..." he mumbles.
"Henry, I..."
Kira walks out into the hallway, her face flushed. Her blonde hair sticking up in strange angles from her messy ponytail. She wore a plain vest and colourful leggings; she looked like she was on her way to the gym, not a magic ritual.
"I love her..." she mutters, arms folding across her chest. "But Witch's assistant... let's just that's not a position I will ever be applying for."
"I heard that!" Sophie sticks her head out from the room, sweat shimmering on her forehead. She wears her curls in a colourful scarf, perched on top of her head. A bright pink crop top under her dungarees and a scattering of colourful tattoos. She sees me and her face breaks into a wide smile.
"Willow! OK, I need a little more time, the circle is nearly complete but..." She glances between me and Henry, her face dropping as she picks up on the tension. "Is everything OK?" She looks to Kira who shrugs discreetly but raises her eyebrows.
