"Now who would like to go next?"
Amity held her breath as the Abominations professor flicked his gaze around the room of students. She spotted Willow looking scared out of the corner of her eye. Luz was in the abomination pot next to Amity's desk. Fortunately, the three of them had made it to class on time after stopping by the healer's office to give Amity's wrist a quick once-over. Just as Amity had expected the healers deemed her wrist to be broken and slapped on a cast and a healing glyph. That, she decided, would be the last time she went gallivanting around with time spells. Even now, when she was supposed to be paying attention to the teacher, her mind kept drifting back to the tender way Luz had been watching her as Amity had been checked over. Luz had looked so concerned. How could she already care about Amity when the two had- for all intents and purposes- just met? Was Amity finally setting herself up for success?
Or would Luz's deep platonic feelings plague her for the rest of the summer?
"...extra homework for a week. You've all got to try harder."
Of course. Class. Amiy brought herself back to the present (past?). Last time, the professor had picked Willow to be the designated class failure. This time, he'd... probably still pick Willow, but at least now Willow was prepared. Would it be enough for her to earn the Top Student badge? And why didn't the thought of giving up her rank repulse Amity?
"How about... Willow?"
Amity could only hope it would be as Willow was traipsed to the front of the class with her cart. She thought the poor girl looked nervous, so she gave her classmate a quick thumbs-up. Willow didn't seem to notice.
"Abomination, rise." Willow's voice shook. The lid of the container slid off and out came Willow's- or Amity's, depending- goop monster. It was smaller and a bit more misshapen than Amity's usual abomination, but it still had a definite form and the flowers and leaves woven into its edges gave it a nice aesthetic touch. It seemed like something Willow would have added, anyway.
It obeyed a few basic commands like lying down and cowering before Willow commanded the lid to close. With each small success, Willow seemed to stand taller and taller. Maybe she really believes she can do this. Maybe it'll make up for... what I did before.
By the end of the presentation, several of Amity's classmates were staring at Willow in awe, and whispers were being passed around the room.
"Is she really the half-witch?"
"Even my abomination isn't that good!"
"She didn't cheat, did she?"
"Who would've helped her? She doesn't have any friends."
Lus peeked her head out from under her lid. "That was really amazing!" she whispered. "Not that I have a frame of reference, but you know."
Amity, flustered, turned away. "I just did what anyone would have done." Anyone who wasn't me, anyway.
"Good job, Willow," the professor praised. "You've made great improvement from last week. A solid B plus for you."
Willow ducked her head shyly. "Thank you."
"And who's next?" he asked. He surveyed the classroom for a bit, raking his eyes along each possible victim of public humiliation. Amity saw Luz quickly slip the lid back over her head. Surely the professor saw the kids who were zoned out, the kids that were sleeping, and the kids that were still trying to keep their abominations from spilling out of their containers- and yet, despite that all, and much to Amity's combined relief and nervousness, she was picked instead.
"Amity Blight."
A swift thumb's-up stuck itself out of Amity's huge clay pot.
"My star student. You're next."
Amity nodded and stood. She tried to keep her usual air of confidence about her, but as she dragged Luz to the front of the class, her heart began to pound. It was so easy to remember the events of Luz's previous first visit to Hexside. She'd almost been killed. Now the responsibility to make sure that didn't happen rested squarely upon Amity's shoulders, and upon her luck at evading the suspicion of any faculty.
"Abomination, rise." Amity winced as her voice cracked. On cue, Luz leapt onto the tile floor, splattering the area around Amity's feet with purple goop. She wasn't completely coated, and some of the browns from her skin and her hair peeked through, but if this had fooled the class last time surely it would work now. After all, everyone in here was already wrapped around Amity's little finger.
"Abomination, bow." It felt strange to command Luz like she was some sort of animal, but Amity supposed it was necessary. When Luz struck a dramatic bow, the class let out a collective gasp.
The professor's eyes glowed with approval. "Impressive as always, Miss Amity."
"That's not all I've got." She faced Luz and quickly thought back to the day when Willow presented Luz as her own work. What had Luz said to Willow? Hadn't it been something really cute? Did Amity just want to hear Luz say something cute again? Probably. "Abomination, speak."
Luz blinked at her for a moment, dumbfounded, but then stumbled over to Amity and threw her arm around the other girl's shoulder. The purple goop on her arm felt cold and alien against the back of Amity's neck, but it was Luz. Amity would welcome any contact.
"I may be abominable," Luz joked, "but you're adorable!"
All the blood in Amity's face rushed to her cheeks. "Oh, that's so sweet," she muttered. She realized that the class was staring at her, watching her as she presented. They'd probably see her blushing. Which would they find weirder, Amity blushing over a human or Amity blushing over an abomination? She didn't know which option was worse.
"How cute, Miss Amity," praised the professor. He painted a red A-plus on Luz's forehead. "A bit different than your usual style, but I like it. You'll remain the top student."
Amity froze and dropped her hands from where they were poised to remove her Top student badge. "But Willow... she improved so much. Shouldn't she be the top student now?"
"No. You are my top student. Willow still has a long way to go before she could earn that title."
From where she was sitting back at her desk, Willow seemed to shrink into her chair.
"Perhaps if she could pull off something like you, Amity..." the professor mused.
Amity pulled Luz back to her desk and deposited her there. Then, unhooking the badge, Amity held it in the palm for a moment, feeling the cold metal against her pale skin one more time. Maybe it wasn't within her social standing to give up the most powerful title that could be bestowed upon a freshman like her, but it wasn't within her new moral standing, either. "Here," she said stiffly, marching over to Willow's table and holding that badge out to the other witch. "You deserve this." I'm sorry, she thought, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words out loud.
Willow gingerly took the badge and turned it over in her hands for a moment. When she glanced back up at Amity, her green eyes were brimming with confusion. "Thanks, Amity?"
Amity shrugged. "Maybe your skills don't lie in abominations, but that doesn't mean you don't work hard. You deserve it."
When she turned to head back to her own desk, she saw Luz's curious gaze peeking out at her from underneath her lid. Face flushing red, she averted her eyes.
~
"What an exciting day!" Luz chirped. "I've totally got to convince Eda to let me go to school there, because WOW."
After a few more long classes, school had ended and Amity was now walking through the forest with Luz and Willow by her side. Luz, her clothes still stained with purple goo, was recounting the events of the day animatedly, from her successful presentation to her instant love of Hexside's cafeteria food. ("They didn't have anything like this back home!" she'd gushed. "I'm not sure if that was even food!")
Amity chuckled. "Was it fun sitting in the pot all day?"
"It was an experience."
"It would probably be a better one if you could actually walk around and take classes like a normal student," Willow put in. She'd been mostly silent on their walk back to Amity's house, and Amity couldn't help but wonder if she was still befuddled by the uncharacteristic kindness she'd been shown. She'd never put the badge on and instead opted to put it in her pocket. Amity hadn't wanted to make such a drastic change to time as she knew it so early in her travels, but she felt far too impatient (and guilty) to be slow about making amends with Willow.
Luz rolled her eyes. "I'll see what I can do, but Eda's a stickler about 'being wild' and 'using magic the way it was meant to be used' but come on, it's my weird summer vacation and I can learn what I want."
"Good thing the semester's ending next week. Maybe you can join after summer break," suggested Willow.
Amity shuddered. Great. I forgot I have to take those finals again.
"That'd be amazing," Luz sighs. A wistful, warm smile creeps onto her adorable features. "I could learn to make potions, and ride griffons, and see the future, and control plants..."
Willow shook her head. "Sorry, that's not how it works. You can only choose one of those things to do." She picked at the orchid sleeve of her uniform. "Like how my dads wanted me to do Abominations even though I'm much better at plants."
"Oh, I'll find a way to learn everything," Luz promised. Amity admired her crush's determination. Luz really had known what she'd wanted from the beginning, hadn't she?
"Plus you need to pass an entrance exam," Amity butted in. She figured she'd give Luz a few weeks of warning before the mountain incident that would (hopefully) lead to Luz learning the ice spell. If Luz entered Hexside knowing even more than two spells, it'd most likely be even easier and quicker for her to switch to an all-track course of study. "You have to know two spells." She didn't bother to ask Luz how many spells she did know. The poor thing didn't need that embarrassment.
"I'll be fine. Eda's a good teacher," Luz said breezily.
A buzzing sound distracted the three girls, and Willow stopped in her tracks. "Aw, shucks," she muttered. She reached into her pocket and drew out her scroll. "It's my dads. They want me home now so I can help them make dinner. It's so unfair," she added under her breath. Amity had to prick her ears to make out what the other witch was saying. "They send me to the abominations track and call me home early so I can grow them some asparagus to go with their spagorey and meatballs? It's like they're blind !"
"You got this, Willow! You grow that asparagus!" Luz cheered.
"I guess I don't have a choice." Pocketing her scroll, Willow leaned in to give Luz a quick hug. "It was nice meeting you! I can't wait to be friends. Remind me to introduce you to Augustus later," she said. "He'd get a kick out of you."
When she pulled back, she took a step towards Amity and froze. For a moment it seemed like she'd go in for a goodbye hug with Amity as well, but after a long heartbeat passed Willow turned and dashed off in the opposite direction.
Now Amity stood alone with Luz for the first time since Luz had left. Maybe it would have been awkward if Amity's entire mind wasn't occupied with thoughts of simultaneously wanting to kiss Luz into oblivion and wanting to angrily sob at her for leaving. Too bad neither of those behaviors were socially acceptable among strangers.
Strangers. That word hurt.
"Sooo," Luz prompted, tearing Amity out of her daydreams. "Willow acts super weird around you. What's up with that?"
"Nothing." Amity began to pick at the cast on her wrist. "Anyway, I-"
Luz scooted a few inches closer and brushed their shoulders together. "Are you sure? We're friends now! You can tell me anything." She mimed zipping her lips, and Amity, flustered, groaned.
I thought we were supposed to save this for our epic, life-changing trip into Willow's memories. "Okay, fine. Maybe I haven't always been very nice to Willow but it's only because my parents are stupid- don't you dare tell them I said that, by the way, they'd kill me- and I know that doesn't excuse my behavior but I'm trying really hard to make it right now, and that has to count for something." She shut her mouth when she realized she was about to go off on a tangent. She couldn't overwhelm Luz like this so early. Then they'd never be friends, and they'd certainly never be...
"Go figure. I wouldn't have ever pinned you for a bully, Amity Blight. That means you must be making a lot of progress!" Luz laid a comforting hand on Amity's shoulder.
Amity flinched but soon relaxed at the touch. "Sorry," she muttered. "I just-"
Luz drew her hand away. "It's okay. Can- can I hug you before I go?" Amity nodded, and when she felt Luz's arms wrap themselves around her, she felt herself truly relax for the first time in days. Just as she remembered, their forms fit together like two pieces of the same puzzle. Luz's fist curled itself onto the back of Amity's neck, and Amity tightly clenched the back of Luz's hoodie.
Please never let go, she begged silently. I never want to see a world without you again.