Chapter Text
Amity slipped out of the gym, uncomfortable with the growing excitement over Luz's battle with Grom. Almost without thinking, she pulled out the invitation she'd been unable to give Luz and began anxiously fiddling with it.
It was just a folded up piece of paper, but it somehow felt heavy; a physical representation of the mess she had dragged Luz into. She didn't really want to think about that, not that it kept her from doing so. Yes, Luz had volunteered, and yes, she'd done everything she could to prepare the human girl, but deep down she knew Luz didn't understand what she was getting into.
Hearing footsteps, Amity quickly slipped the invitation into her pocket and looked up to find the girl in question, the girl who she hadn't been able to keep out of her thoughts for the past few weeks, rounding the corner.
Slightly hunched over and holding her stomach, Luz turned to Amity with a queasy look on her face and said, "I'm not sure if it's nerves or I accidentally drank some milk, but something's making my stomach squirm."
Amity approached her crush as the other girl straightened up. Managing a smile, she said, "You look nice, strange, but nice." And she did, a tutu and tux ensemble never would have occurred to Amity—she never would have attempted to pull it off, even if it did—but on Luz, it somehow worked.
Placing her hands on Luz's shoulders, Amity noticed a barely perceptible quivering. Suddenly, the paper in her pocket was even heavier. Without thinking, she found herself saying, "And, thank you, Luz. Honestly, I'm kind of amazed with how fearless you are. You've done things I could never do."
Leaning back and crossing her arms, Luz grinned at Amity. Teasingly, the human girl chuckled and replied, "Yeah right. You going soft on me, Blight?"
Luz's playful question was like a jab to the gut. Amity wanted to laugh it off and give a sarcastic response, but she couldn't. The invitation now felt so heavy that she was sure it would tear through her pocket and fall to the floor. Summoning courage she didn't know she had, Amity clenched her fists and steeled herself for what she was about to do. Casting her eyes down, she stammered, "No. No, I–".
Amity was cut off by a booming announcement from within the gym, "Now introducing your Grom queen. You know her, you love her, you've at least heard of her, Luz the human !" The bloodthirsty cheers from the audience almost shook Amity's resolve, but she held firm.
Before Amity could continue, Luz took her hands and held them up between them. Her voice full of the compassion that had melted the young witch's heart, Luz said, "Amity, it's alright. I was just kidding."
Amity felt herself blush, but ignored it. Looking her crush in the eyes, she said, "Luz, I'm going to fight Grom."
Luz's vibrant brown eyes widened. "Amity, you don't have to–"
"Yes, Luz, I do," Amity said firmly, holding tightly to Luz's hands. "I never should have let you take my place to begin with." Letting go and turning around before she lost her nerve, Amity walked purposefully toward the gym.
From behind her, Luz called out, "You got this, Amity! Go show Grom who's boss!"
As she stepped into the brightly lit gym, Amity desperately hoped the human girl was right.