Chapter Text
I don't think I have said enough about the splintered disorder of June, July & August.
-Virginia Woolf
It’s a little surreal when she thinks about it, stretching out on the football turf while wearing the maroon red of a Baxter High cheer uniform. The dwindling summer heat warms her skin and her brow is slick with sweat. She’d never considered herself the cheerleading type, and she still doesn’t really consider herself the cheerleading type, if she’s honest - but she’s here, at cheer practice, in a cheer uniform, as a cheerleader so logically, she must be the cheerleading type. And she likes it, which is the real kicker - Sabrina Spellman likes cheerleading, she likes the athleticism of it, she likes being a flyer, she likes the other girls on her squad - even the Weird Sisters aren’t so bad. Well, they’re still terrible to her, but they’re worse to some of the other girls, which has kind of been unifying for the squad in all actuality.
But the point is, Sabrina never saw herself as a cheerleader, trying out had been a desperate attempt to find something to do this summer and something to put on her college apps when the time came - all her friends had their own things: Roz was smart and runs quite a few clubs, not to mention does plenty of volunteering at her church, Susie was the VP of the GSA, and even Harvey had his art and occasionally attended the art club - but what did Sabrina have? Working part time at the family mortuary? Hard pass.
So, cheerleading - she had been looking at a flyer for a dog-walking gig in the school hall at the end of her sophomore year when Prudence Night saw her and assumed she was looking at the poster for varsity cheerleading. Prudence had marched over in her coveted Baxter High varsity cheer uniform and ripped the paper from the wall, scoffing,
“Sorry Spellman, we’re going to state this coming year and I don’t need any dead weight dragging us down.”
Well the gauntlet, as it were, had been thrown and Sabrina had never backed down from a challenge in her life, and she certainly wasn’t going to start then. Before she could really even consider if she actually wanted to be a cheerleader, she was buying a new pair of sneakers, brushing off her old gymnastic tumbling routine from when she was 10, and heading to cheer tryouts to show Prudence Night and her goons just what Sabrina was capable of (which was, admittedly, not a whole lot, but she was far better than most of the girls trying out and Prudence’s ambition would always outweigh her pettiness).
Next thing she knew, she was a Baxter High varsity cheerleader.
She’d gotten mixed reviews from everyone when she announced that not only did she tryout, but she made the variety squad - Aunt Hilda had been ecstatic, Aunt Zelda hadn’t really cared other than it would give her something to do other than date Harvey (why Aunt Zee didn’t approve of Harvey, Sabrina didn’t really know, but she figured if she didn’t like a guy as amazing as Harvey, she just wasn’t going to like anyone Sabrina brought home), Ambrose had laughed himself into a case of the hiccups, the bastard, and Salem had merely meowed - but when you go to your cat with your problems, you get what you pay for, she supposed. Susie and Roz had mostly been confused, but ultimately supportive and Harvey, well, Harvey didn’t really get it and didn’t really want to get it either. Which was… fine. It was fine.
“Spellman!” Prudence snapped, shaking Sabrina out of her thoughts. “Since you were too busy staring at the no-doubt fascinating turf instead of paying attention, what time will we be meeting on Friday?”
“Um,” Sabrina wrinkled her nose in confusion. “We don’t have practice on Fridays.” Dorcas tittered behind her hand and Prudence rolled her eyes.
“No, but the first football game of the season is on Friday. We’re meeting here at 4:30, which gives us time to warm up and get ready.” Prudence suddenly grinned, “Get up girls, you’ve got another lap to do.”
Sabrina frowned, “But practice is over.”
Prudence smirked and arched her brow, “Practice is over when I say it’s over, Spellman. Think about that next time before you make me repeat myself.” Prudence’s eyes narrowed, “I hate having to repeat myself.”
The girls all groaned and started to get up, shooting Sabrina dark looks as they began to jog passed. Sabrina flushed crimson.
By the time Sabrina had finished her extra lap, football practice had finished up as well and - sure enough, there was Nicholas Scratch, leaning against the bleachers and talking with Prudence, that stupid smug grin on his face. Sabrina tried not to scowl. She did not need to get into more hot water with Prudence and having Nicholas flirt with her was just going to fan the flame of Prudence’s ire.
She slowed down but there was no avoiding it, her water bottle was right by where Prudence and Nicholas were chatting. As she got closer she couldn’t help but notice the soft grin on Prudence’s face as she talked with him or the goofy, playful way Nicholas waggled his eyebrows at her - for a moment the two of them looked actually human. Of course the moment was ruined when Nicholas noticed her dragging her feet toward them and his eyes gave her a sly once over - Prudence went back to glaring daggers and Nicholas slipped right back into his infuriating, playboy demeanor.
“Spellman,” he greeted with a smirk. “Coming over to say hello?”
She scowled, “No. Just came over for my water bottle, Ambrose is waiting for me.” He wasn’t but they didn’t need to know that. She picked up her bottle before making to turn on her heels, “Bye.”
“Wait, Spell- Sabrina.” She paused even though she could feel the daggers Prudence was glaring into her back, demanding that she keep walking. But when has Sabrina Spellman ever done what Prudence wanted her to? The uniform she was currently wearing was a testament to that. “Are you going to the party at Billy’s after the game this Friday?”
Oh fuck, she hadn’t thought about that. Prudence had made it very clear that part of her “responsibilities” to the team was keeping up appearances which meant going to as many parties as possible. There was definitely no way she was getting out of the first football party of the season.
She turned around and crossed her arms, “Can I bring my friends?” Prudence rolled her eyes and walked away in a huff, taking Nicholas’ car keys with her while he just shrugged, his grin a little less wolfish and a little more lopsided. Sabrina, against her probably better judgement, felt herself warm up to him and softened her stance.
“Sure, I don’t see why not. Susie, Roz, and… Harry, right?”
Sabrina rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help the small smile that managed to break through. Nicholas had been messing up Harvey’s name all summer and yet he never stumbled with Susie or Roz’s names - she’d initially tried correcting him, but she’d given that up sometime mid-August - now it had become sort of a running joke. Not that she’d ever tell Nicholas that. Or Harvey for that matter.
“Harvey. And yes.”
“The more the merrier.” Nicholas winked at her and Sabrina pressed her lips together to fight the growing smile. The sound of a horn blaring in the distance interrupted the moment, causing Nicholas to roll his eyes. Sabrina giggled before she could stop herself. “I better go, hell hath no fury and all that. I’ll see you around, Spellman.”
“See ya, Scratch.”
She watched him walk away, his strides long and his broad shoulders sure, and there was that weird, pesky warm feeling in her chest again. Ugh, she shook her head, turned and walked away.
-
“This is weird, right?” Roz repeated for like, the fifth time in the awkward car ride over to Billy Marlin’s big party. It was supposed to be one of biggest parties of year, up there with the post Homecoming party and the post Prom party, because not only was it the first football party of the season but also the last party of the summer. It was supposed to be a rager - not that Sabrina or her friends had any experience with parties like those, of course, because up until a couple of months ago no one would’ve bothered with the foursome of nobodies. Not that they’re not still nobodies, cause they are, but cheerleading had forced Sabrina up the social ladder and there was no way she was leaving her friends behind, especially for people like Prudence Night and Nicholas Scratch.
Despite the awkward atmosphere of Harvey’s truck, and the way her boyfriend’s hands were wrapped so tightly around the steering wheel his knuckles were white, Sabrina was excited and she knew Roz and Susie were too. It had only taken them until their junior year, but they were actually going to their first big party.
More specifically, they were going to Billy Marlin’s big end of the summer party - it was a little surreal. Weird, even, as Roz had suggested a few times now.
“I wonder who will be the weirdest hook up this time…” Susie murmured, though the excitement was clear in their voice.
“Oh my God,” Roz gasped. “I totally forgot about that! No longer are we confined to secondhand and thirdhand gossip, but maybe we’ll actually see it.” Even Harvey seemed to perk up a little at that. At this point in Baxter High history the “weirdest hookup” was infamous - it was more than who slept with Nicholas Scratch or who got played by Prudence Night, the weirdest hookup was the backbone of Baxter High gossip - and it was only reserved for the strangest of pairings. The idea was that two people (sometimes more than two, again, thanks Scratch) who you’d never in a million years guess of ever having known each other’s names, hookup at one of Billy Marlin’s crazy parties. It was silly, Sabrina and her friends knew that, but it was fun - and it was exciting to know they might actually get to witness such an important, if stupid, moment go down. The key, of course, was to not end up in the weirdest hookup yourself, but Sabrina didn’t think that would be a problem for her and her friends.
Susie and Roz began detailing the past weirdest hookups and possible pairings for this year and it wasn’t long until they pulled up to Billy’s house, the party already in full swing. The bass from the music seemed to rattle the glass of the pickup’s windows and Sabrina could already feel it hum in her chest. The group fell silent, nervous once again as Harvey killed the engine.
“At least Ambrose will be here, right guys?” Sabrina tried. Roz perked up a little at the mention of Sabrina’s older cousin which made Sabrina and Susie grin at each other briefly. Harvey rolled his eyes but for once didn’t say anything about the crowd Ambrose ran with, and for that Sabrina was grateful.
“Well I guess we better…” Roz trailed off, her hand reaching to open the car door when Susie suddenly exclaimed,
“Wait!” The group all froze and turned to stare at their smallest friend. Susie blushed, “Um.” They nervously twisted their hands in their lap before swallowing. “Uh, actually guys… uh, I have something that I wanted to say before we… ya know…” Susie took a moment to steel their courage, “Um, I, uh, I’m a guy.” The words were rushed and breathless, like they’d been punched from their lungs.
“Oh!” Harvey exclaimed, sounding a little out of breath himself and Roz reached out and pulled their friend into her side,
“I’d, um, like it if you guys, uh, called me… Theo… from now on.” Theo looked up into the supportive faces of his friends and smiled lopsidedly. “He/him pronouns please.” Sabrina leaned over and placed a supportive hand on Theo’s leg and grinned,
“Of course, Theo.” Harvey nodded enthusiastically beside her.
“Do you…” Roz paused, “how do you want us to address you at the party? Are you like, coming out, or…” Theo bit his lip and then shook his head.
“Um, I don’t really want to make it, like, a Thing, but I’d like it if you guys called me Theo and used the right pronouns. I don’t want to stay in the closet and… I guess I figured that… if we’re going to Billy Marlin’s party… I might start this year… as me.” Roz squeezed Theo tighter.
“Ok.” The friends all took a second to smile at each other, but the moment was shattered when there was a loud crash and the echo of loud laughter from inside the house.
Sabrina squared her shoulders. “Everybody ready?” Her friends reluctantly nodded. Sabrina looked at Theo, “If anyone gives you shit tonight I’ll kick their ass.”
“Me too.” Roz grinned.
“Me three.” Harvey said softly.
“Thanks guys,” Theo beamed at them. “Now, let’s go!”
-
Sabrina didn’t know, really at all, what to expect when they walked through the gates of Hell -er the door of Billy Marlin’s house, but it wasn’t to immediately run into a wet-haired, shirtless Nicholas Scratch with a broom, dust pan, and good-natured scowl on his handsome face. And judging by the look of surprise on his face, he wasn’t expecting to run into them either.
Harvey’s hand tightened around hers.
“Watch your step,” said Nicholas as he pointed to the ground. “Some idiot knocked over a vase.” Sabrina tore her eyes away from his bare shoulders and looked at the floor - sure enough, there were sharp pieces of vase everywhere.
“Was that idiot you?” Sabrina couldn’t help but ask, her voice a little bitier than normal due to the uncomfortable warm pressure in her chest. Was she flushed? She felt flushed. But Nicholas took her acidic tone in stride and laughed,
“Nope, I’m just the idiot who thinks it’s a good idea to clean it up so drunk high school students don’t get rushed to the ER with feet lacerations.”
“Oh.” That was… responsible of him. Nicholas gestured with his hand, inviting them in.
“Yup. Drinks and snacks are in the kitchen, help yourselves. If you want to smoke, do so outside - there’s also a pool and a bonfire out there as well.” That at least explained his undressed state and wet hair. She focused in on one wet curl hanging in his face but when he grinned crookedly at her, she was forced back to reality. She pursed her lips and waited for the no doubt flirtatious comment that was on the tip of his tongue but instead, he just shook his head with a laugh. “Good to see you, Spellman,” his eyes drifted over to her friends for the first time. “Rosalind, Susie, Harvey.” Nicholas winked at her which caused Sabrina to fondly roll her eyes and Harvey to tighten his grip even more. She winced.
“It’s, uh, Theo actually.” Theo spoke up softly and Nicholas focused his intense gaze on the shortest of their little crew. The blonde tensed, ready to kick his ass if he so much as looked at Theo funny.
“Theo? Cool.” Nicholas grinned and there was a warmth to his voice that surprised her. “Uh, he/him pronouns?” Theo beamed and nodded. “Cool.” Nicholas suddenly looked serious and hitched a thumb over his shoulder, “If any of these assholes give you a hard time, just holler and I’ll kick the shit out of them, pro bono.” Everyone in their foursome stared at him in shock, and Theo’s face was bright red, but Nicholas didn’t seem fazed by them at all and instead stepped out of the way, “I’d keep your shoes on, if I were you. Enjoy the shitshow.”
Sabrina couldn’t help but look down at Nicholas’ bare feet and then back up, refusing to let her eyes follow the drop of water trailing down his neck. She quirked her eyebrow up but before she could trade anymore barbs with him, Harvey was pushing her forward and into the great unknown.
-
Maybe if she was drunker or if she knew these people better - even liked these people better - she’d be having a better time at her first high school party. But as it were, sipping slowly on some gross concoction called Jungle Juice with Harvey’s arm a heavy weight around her shoulders while the party raged on around them, was hardly her idea of a good time. Honestly, the drink was disgusting.
“You aren’t supposed to sip it, Spellman.” Nicholas’ voice purred close to her ear and she jumped, before turning and scowling at him. He just smirked cheekily at her. Still shirtless. She could practically feel the heat of the glare Harvey was giving Nicholas and his arm grew even tighter.
“Excuse me?” She snapped. He leaned away and rested his hands on the back of the love seat Sabrina and Harvey were sitting in. She had to crane her neck back to look at him.
He pointed to her drink. “Shit’s vile, but sipping just prolongs your suffering. Jungle Juice is meant for chugging.” She set her drink down on the coffee table,
“No thanks.”
He shrugged, “suit yourself. There’s also water in the kitchen if you’d rather.” She would rather, but she wasn’t going to tell him that.
“We’d like some water if you’re… offering…” Roz piped up, gesturing to herself and Theo from the other couch, but her voice trailed off under the heat of Nicholas’ gaze. Sabrina almost expected him to say something sarcastic like, ‘did it sound like I was offering?’ but instead he just shrugged,
“Sure,” and headed toward the kitchen.
Sabrina shared a bewildered look with Roz.
“What’s he playing at?” Harvey muttered from besides her and she turned to look at him, confused.
“What do you mean-“
Nicholas walked back over with three water bottles and her cousin Ambrose, a beer in his hand, in tow. Roz brightened and Theo knocked his shoulder into hers playfully.
“Hello cous, how’s your first party?” Ambrose grinned and plopped down besides her in the love seat that was way too small for three people. She glared at him. Nicholas set two of the water bottles down in front of her friends and winked at Sabrina before setting the third down in front of her. He turned, not waiting for her reaction, and began chatting up Roz and Theo.
“Does it get better? Because honestly, I’m not sure I get the hype.” Ambrose laughed at her and reached out to mess up her hair, forcing her to focus on him and not on the strange spectacle that was Nicholas Scratch chatting happily with her best friends. She glared, but it only made Ambrose’s brown eyes glitter with mischief.
“Everything’s more fun when you’re drunk Sabrina - especially parties.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t need to be drunk to have a good time, Ambrose.” Her cousin shrugged,
“Sure, but maybe if you actually embraced the party instead of just sitting in judge-y seclusion you’d have a better time - alcohol or no alcohol.” He took a long drink of beer. “Just a thought.” She just glowered at him in response, mentally ceding his point.
A burst of Roz’s laughter caught her attention and she turned to look. Theo had his head buried in the side of Roz’s shoulder, his own shoulders shaking with muffled laughter and Roz had her head thrown back, giggling gleefully. Nicholas was gesturing with his hands wildly, a crooked, playful smirk on his face and his dark eyes were bright with laughter - her attention was caught up in watching his hands as they moved. There were two silver rings on two of his fingers - briefly she wondered if they would feel cool in contrast to the warmth of his large hands. Her mouth went dry and she flushed - part embarrassment, part anger. Furiously, she grabbed the unopened water bottle Nicholas had brought her and took a big gulp. She forced herself to look at Harvey, her boyfriend, her sweet and handsome boyfriend, who she loved and who loved her and found him glaring heatedly at Nicholas. She sighed and snuggled closer.
“Wanna dance?” Sabrina murmured and it took real effort, she could tell, for him to stop wishing violent death on Nicholas and actually turn to look at her.
At first she thought he was going to reject her, with the way his jaw worked silently, but with a quick glance at Nicholas, Harvey took a drink of her water and nodded. She grinned and stood up, catching everyone’s attention.
“Harvey and I are going to dance. Catch up with you guys later?” She didn’t wait for their response and pulled Harvey to his feet. They slipped into the small crowd of people grinding on each other and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Harvey gave her a tight smile and she resisted the urge to sigh. She tried not to think about how badly she wanted Harvey to just want to dance with her, instead of it being some competition with Scratch. Not that there was a competition - she was with Harvey and she loved him, no handsome jock who wore silver rings on his fingers was going to change that.
She kept her head buried in Harvey’s neck, refusing to look over at her friends.
-
It doesn’t take much longer for Roz and Theo to join them on the makeshift dance floor and for the first time tonight, she’s actually enjoying herself. Harvey’s shoulders aren’t as tense either and he actually smiles at her when she twirls around in his arms. Nicholas and Ambrose are nowhere to be seen.
Eventually the four of them begin to wind down and none of them feel the need to stay any longer than they have to - the fantasy of witnessing the Weirdest Hook Up had lost it’s appeal in the face of tired, danced-out feet. She fulfilled her duty to Prudence and the team, she could bail whenever she wanted. But first she had one last task of the night: she needed to find a restroom in a house she’d never been to - it wasn’t as labyrinthine as the Mortuary, but Billy’s house certainly wasn’t small.
Harvey, Roz, and Theo were heading back to the car and she’d join them hopefully soon. She checked a door by the kitchen but it was locked, causing Sabrina to huff. She glanced at the staircase across the room, hoping that maybe she’d have better luck upstairs. She kept her eye out for Nicholas or the Weird Sisters, not looking forward to getting cornered by any of them while her friends were out of the house. She just really needed to pee.
She dashed up the stairs, ignoring the couple dry humping in the hallway - it was too dark to tell who it was anyways.
She tried the first door on her left, but it was locked as well. Feeling a little more desperate, Sabrina hurried farther down the hall and grabbed the next available door - it was unlocked and swung open with a little more aggression than had been probably necessary. However, she was woefully unprepared for what she witnessed next - the room was not a restroom, but a dimly lit bedroom - a dimly lit bedroom with people in it. Naked people. Naked people she knew. She watched in numb horror as her cousin trailed his mouth down Prudence’s exposed neck, a pleased smirk on her face and her hand twisted in dark hair belonging to someone else - Nicholas Scratch, Sabrina realized quickly, with his hand on one of Prudence’s breasts and his mouth scraping kisses above the lace line of her panties.
Prudence opened one eye and stared at her with feline like satisfaction, her smirk changing from pleased to cruel. “Enjoying the show, Spellman?” Both Ambrose and Nicholas jerked in shock and whipped their heads around to see her standing in the doorway. Nicholas’s normally plush lips were swollen and shiny - her heart was pounding in her chest.
“Sorry!” She squeaked and slammed the door closed. There was a weird feeling in her gut and she no longer needed to pee - what she needed was to get the hell out of this house and wash her brain out with bleach.
Sabrina booked it down the stairs and out of the house, Prudence’s haughty laughter echoing in her ears.