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Chapter Text

WHUMP!

Willow practically jumped two feet off of her chair at the sudden sound. Turning to her left, she saw that it was Luz, who had just slammed her books and papers down unto the desk next to hers and was practically fuming as she slumped down into her seat. Luz, looking mad, didn't surprise Willow in the slightest because she always assumed it had something to do with a teacher or Amity. What was surprising, however, was Luz's attire.

"How come you're not wearing your jacket today?" Willow asked innocently, causing Luz's sneer to become more intense.

"Good question..." she growled. Willow was confused for a bit, but then she remembered something.

"Weren't you wearing your jacket earlier today?"

"Sure was!" Luz exclaimed, "But get this: After gym class, I took a shower--because I'm not an animal--and just left my jacket on a bench. When I was done, I went to change back, but guess what? Someone stole it!"

"They stole your jacket?"

"Yes! And here's the weird part: They only took the jacket. Not the stuff inside it like my phone, wallet, or god forbid, my switchblade. They left that stuff right on the bench for some reason, and instead, took a dirty old thing that I bought a year ago from a thrift store downtown."

"You could always buy a new one," Willow suggested with a shrug, but that only made Luz angrier.

"I shouldn't have to buy a new one!" she shouted, tuning down to whisper once the bell finally screamed and class had begun, "Besides, I love that jacket. It had personality and...I don't know. It felt safe."

"Maybe it'll turn up at some point today. Who knows, maybe the person might actually be wearing it."

"Please," Luz rolled her eyes, "Who'd be dumb enough to go around wearing the exact thing they stole."

***

But it turns out someone was dumb enough to wear it. Or, more specifically, cocky enough.

Because once school was over and Luz had stepped into the parking lot, a flash of bright green caught her eyes. Usually, Luz wouldn't give that green the light of the day unless it was necessary. But it was the different shade of green that caught her attention.

And as Luz turned to get a better look, that's when she saw it: 

Amity Blight.

Wearing Luz's jacket, strutting along like she owns the place.

"You little--AY!" Luz shouted across the way, "GRINGA!"

At the familiar word, Amity stopped a foot away from her car and looked over a shoulder. Luz immediately wanted to punch the smirk off her face.

"Hey, Noceda!" Amity called back, turning around completely, "What's the matter?"

"What's the matter?!" Luz began to stomp over, "You stole my jacket!"

Amity pretended to be surprised, looking down at the article of clothing she wore that clearly wasn't hers.

"You mean this? Hm. I didn't even notice I was wearing it."

"I don't have time for your bullshit right now, Blight!" Luz outstretched her hand, "Give me back my jacket before I punch your teeth in! Now."

"Hm...No, I don't think I will. Bye!" Amity turned on her heel and briskly walked over to her car.

"Oh no, you don't!" Luz sprinted over to Amity's car, to which her rival had already gotten in, and locked the doors. Just as Amity started the engine, Luz was already there, beating her hand against the window.

"If you think I'm too afraid to break a car window, you've got another thing--"

HOOONK!

"...You've got another--"

HOOOOOONK!

"You've got--"

Amity raised her hand above the car horn again with her eyebrow raised and her grin amused. She was essentially challenging Luz to finish that sentence.

"..."

"..."

"...You'vegotanotherthingcoming--"

HOOOOOOOOOONK!

"THAT TEARS IT!"

Luz turned around so she could grab a rock. Because she wasn't dumb enough to just use her elbow as people did in the movies. But she was stupid enough to give Amity what she wants as she put the car in reverse and peeled out of the parking lot. Flipping Luz off the entire way. Luz, in response, started sprinting after the car, not caring about the fact that she couldn't possibly catch up to it even if she wanted to.

"IF I DON'T GET MY JACKET TOMORROW, YOU ARE GOOD AS DEAD, BLIGHT!" she screeched at Amity's bumper as it went further and further into the distance.

***

Amity tossed her car keys onto her bedroom desk, shutting the door behind her. While whistling a casual tune, Amity slipped off Luz's jacket and walked over to her closet. Opening it up, she flipped through several different shirts and dresses until finally finding an empty hanger. Amity then took the hanger off and was about ready to put her prize on it, but stopped.

Instead, she just stared at the jacket, her prize, her reward for screwing with the human. And she wanted to do...something to it.

'Should I?' One voice asked.

'No, you shouldn't," the other countered.

'It wouldn't be that bad.'

'It's quite possibly the creepiest thing you could do.'

'But what if I make it quick?'

'...'

'...'

'...Fine. But just a whiff.'

Amity set the hanger back where she found it and slowly lifted Luz's jacket up to her face. For a while, she did nothing, choosing instead to just stare at it. And then, she briefly took a small sniff.

'Well, that was a mistake,' was all she could think as intoxicating smells of pinecones and lemons started overtaking her senses. Almost immediately, Amity grabbed the jacket with both hands and shoved her face into it, inhaling more of the scent. After letting out a euphoric sigh, Amity looked at it again, shrugged, and put it back on.

In a dreamlike state, Amity walked over to her desk, sat down, and pulled her diary out of a secret compartment hidden inside the top drawer. Because when you have two nosey twin siblings, it pays to be extra secure.

Flipping to the first blank page she saw, Amity began to write.

11/17

Today I stole Noceda's jacket, mostly because I thought it would be funny. Which it was. The look on her face was equally priceless as it was adorable. She was all red and pouty, and I wish I had the chance to take a picture of it. I was already half-tempted to keep her jacket just to piss her off. But after realizing how good it smells, I don't think I'm ever giving it back.

Amity took a break to quickly sniff the inside of the jacket's sleeve. She let out a lovestruck little giggle afterward, only to then look solemn as she continued writing.

At the same time, I also just want to tear out a piece of paper from this book and write a note that explains everything. To put it all out there and move on. I could probably even stuff it in Noceda's jacket's pocket so she can find it later. Give me some extra time for the rejection. Because, of course, she would reject me.

'Hi, Luz! Sorry I've been a rotten bitch to you ever since you came to Hexide. I just did it because I have a crush on you and decided to push you away because I'm scared of getting my heart broken again. Please go out with me.'

"Yeah, right..." Amity grumbled to herself.

The #1 rule of being a lesbian is to never fall for a straight girl, and I blew it. HARD.

But she's so cute! And funny. And, while she doesn't show it often, Luz can be just the sweetest person on the planet. Maybe in a different life, things would work out. But as is, I'm going to have to be satisfied with what I got. And what I got is a filthy jacket that somehow smells wonderful at the same time.

Amity set her pencil down on her desk and leaned back into her chair. Taking the jacket off again, Amity set it in her lap and stared at it, her face switching from smiling to frowning with each passing second. Eventually, she thought about getting back up and putting the thing back in her closet. But before she could even move, a few colors by the collar caught her attention.

Curiously, Amity opened the jacket up even more, and what she saw left her frozen in her seat.

Because sewn right into the collar was the bisexual flag colors. This caused several thoughts to bounce around in Amity's head. 

‘Luz has a bi flag sewn in her jacket.’

‘Luz sewed a bi flag in her jacket.’

‘Luz is bisexual.’

‘LUZ IS BISEXUAL!’

‘I HAVE A CHANCE!’

Amity was filled with excitement at that last thought, but it only lasted for a second. Because another revelation made her pissed off at herself.

“I had a chance this entire time, and I acted like a bitch to my crush for no reason,” she said to herself, muffling her scream by pressing Luz’s jacket into her face, “I am a fucking idiot!”

The Next Day

"Hey, Blight!"

Amity stopped in her tracks as she walked down the hall of Hexide. Turning around, she saw Luz at the other end, pointing a bat with nails at Amity.

"...How did you sneak that into school?" she asked, feeling both curious and a tad bit impressed.

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to!" Luz responded, stomping over to Amity. "Now, give me back my jacket before I use Jorge here to beat some Blight a--"

"Alright, fine!" Amity said with faux annoyance. Sometimes, she feels as though she could be an actor with how good she was at hiding her emotions. She then pulled Luz's jacket out of her backpack and held it out for the human to simply stare at with confusion.

"...Gonna be honest, I'm a little disappointed," Luz nonchalantly tossed 'Jorge' over her shoulder and snatched the jacket out of Amity's hand. Amity felt her heart skip a beat or two just by seeing Luz hold the article of clothing.

'No going back now,' she thought.

"Aw, mi pobre bebé," Luz cooed as she held her jacket to her face, "Did the mean lady hurt you? She probably did, didn't she?"

"It's just a jacket. I have like ten more in my closet that are better than that one just collecting dust."

"I don't know if you know this," Luz glared as she slipped her jacket on, "But some of us aren't rich white girls who can have mommy and daddy buy us something nice and pretty when we lose something. And if you even think about doing this again, I will make you regret it!"

"Looking forward to it," Amity turned on her heel and went back to walking to her next class, "Later, Noceda!"

But while Amity seemed like she didn't care about anything, she was in actuality freaking out.

'Please, please, please read the note!' she internally begged as she walked.

***

At the end of the school day, Amity nervously drummed her fingers onto the steering wheel of her car, watching other students walking through the parking lot. Some were walking to vehicles of their own while others began their long trek home. And yet, Amity still waited for Luz to show up.

Checking the time, Amity saw that it was currently 3:25, meaning that school had ended for a while now. But she expected this. Knowing Luz, she would either be late just to piss Amity off or because she was getting chewed out by Bump. Most likely because of 'Jorge.' But once it became 3:30, Amity decided that maybe Luz wasn't coming after all and let out a sigh as she started the engine.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Startled by the sound, Amity looked to her window to see Luz leaning a hand on the car, her expression unamused. She then reached in her pocket, pulled out the note Amity shoved in last night, and put it up against the window.

'Meet me at my car after school,' it read, 'I want to talk.'

'It's not a love letter, but it got results,' Amity thought as she unlocked the passenger door. Luz took her time walking over to the opposite side, showing how disinterested she is in talking, and got into the car. After shutting the door behind her, Luz then instantly put both her feet onto the dashboard.

"Care to explain why you're forcing me to be in a confined space with you?" she asked.

"I'm not saying a word until you get your feet off my dash," Amity ordered. This time she was actually annoyed with the human.

"Vete a la mierda. You stole my jacket."

Amity kept quiet as she glared at Luz, at least expecting that she would show some cordial decency. Coming to the conclusion of that being a pipe-dream, Amity let out a sigh as she looked ahead out of the windshield.

"I wanted to say..." Amity clenched hard onto the steering wheel, keeping her eyes forward before proceeding, "I wanted to say that I'm sorry."

What followed was silence. A silence that was so quiet that Amity was sure that Luz wasn't even in the car anymore.

"...You're what?" at the sound of the human's voice, Amity glanced over to see Luz staring at her with an expression of bewilderment.

"I said that I'm sorry." Amity continued, "Not just for the jacket, but for everything. The insults, the name-calling, and especially the fighting. I'm sorry for all of it."

"...Are you dying?"

"Wha--No!" now Amity turned to face Luz, "Why is that the first thing that came to your mind?"

"I don't know, man," Luz shrugged, "This just seems like some sort of final repentance type of shit. Like when Tom needed Jerry to sign him off to take the escalator to heaven."

"Who the hell is Tom and Jerry?"

"The greatest comic duo of all time, that's who!" Luz genuinely seemed insulted that Amity didn't know, to which she rolled her eyes in response.

"I'm not dying. I'm actually being genuine."

"Oh...Well, damn. I, uh...I actually don't know what to say now."

"You don't have to say anything," Amity sighed, going back to looking ahead out the windshield. The silence that followed was awkward this time.

"...Can I ask you something?"

Amity shrugged.

"Why the sudden need to apologize?" Luz asked, "What was it that made you go from hating me to being all: 'I'm so sowwy.'"

"I never hated you..."

"Pfft! Could've fooled me!" Luz countered, "You know what, I don't care. Be all cryptic you want, 'cause I'm out of here."

Luz opened the door and was about to leave. But then:

"I saw the bi flag."

After Amity spoke, Luz froze in her place. One foot was out the door, and her face was already turned away from Amity's, so she couldn't gauge an expression. So Amity took her chance to go on.

"It's hidden in a spot a person could barely notice, so there's no way that it came with the flag already sewn it," she explained, "Even if you bought the jacket from someone else, you could have easily torn it out. I've seen you done worse. But you kept it in, which makes me think that maybe...That maybe you're bisexual."

Luz didn't say anything.

She didn't do anything.

Instead, she stayed frozen in place, and Amity still couldn't tell what was going on in the human's mind at the moment. Not that she ever could. Eventually, Luz slowly and stiffly sat back in the passenger seat and slammed the car door shut. Her eyes were tight shut, and breathing was ragged, and Amity thought Luz was seething. But then Amity recognized what Luz was doing. She had done the same thing many times when forced to talk with her mother.

Luz was forcing herself not to cry.

After taking one last calming breath, she finally spoke in a tone so quiet that Amity barely heard her.

"Who did you tell?"

"...What?"

"Who. The fuck. Did you tell?" Amity would have had been an idiot to not notice the venom in Luz's voice.

"I...I didn't tell anybody."

"BULLSHIT!" Luz snapped, whipping her head to glare at Amity.

"It's not bullshit!" Amity raised her hands while defending herself, "I'm being honest. Really."

Luz studied the witch's face. Seeing if there really was any dishonesty in her actions. Feeling somewhat satisfied, Luz looked out the passenger window. Not even wanting to glance at Amity.

"...Did you not tell anybody?" was all Amity could ask.

"...I told Willow," Luz confessed, "She has gay dads, so I thought: 'Hey, she gets it.' Other than that, nobody else knows. Except for you."

"Not even your mom?"

"Especially not her! She's super religious! If I came out to her, then I might as well pack a suitcase and get ready to live on the streets!"

"Why?"

"Because humans are not like witches," Luz looked back at Amity, clapping her hands for emphasis, "For humans, what matters in life is the color of your skin, the people you like, and the gender you're given at birth. Go against any of that, and you're screwed!"

"That's awful."

"That's life!" Luz stated, her eyes glistening, "And I had to put up with that bullshit for all of it! I had to deal with dumb gringas in the locker room who might think that I was a pervert just because I liked girls. I had to deal with pretending to be interested in one gender and hide a part of myself that people think I should be ashamed of! I had to deal with the fear that the one person I trust the most might throw me to the curb because of something that shouldn't even matter!"

Luz paused to wipe tears that had leaked out from her eyes.

"I had to deal with all of that," she went on, "Because that's just what humans are like. I wish we were like witches. I really do. But we're not, and the sad part is, we might never will."

Amity sat stunned, with her jaw slack and her eyes wide. She was so shocked that it took her a second too long to notice that Luz got out of the car. Shaking off her shock, Amity then got out of the car and started sprinting after Luz, who had already walked a decent way away.

"Luz, wait!" Amity called.

"You know, I think I finally get why you apologized to me," Luz claimed as she turned to face Amity, to which the girl in question felt as though her heart came to a stop as well.

"You...You do?"

"Yup! You see, you wanted me to think that I could trust you. That I would think, 'Wow, turns out that Blight isn't the biggest bitch on the planet. Hey, maybe I could air some dirty laundry for her. See how she reacts!' But nope! You probably just wanted me to give you more material to work with! So go ahead!"

Luz spread out her arms.

"Hit me with your best shot! Because there isn't anything you can say that can be worse than what other people have already said when they found out too!"

Amity didn't know what hurt more. The fact that Luz thinks that she would sink that low, or the fact that Amity didn't give any reason to assume otherwise.

Amity was at a loss of what to say to fix this. But she did at least have an idea of what to do.

Steeling her emotions, Amity walked right up to Luz and did something neither expected Amity to pull off.

She hugged Luz.

The hug itself being something warm and nurturing. Something that Amity never had in her life. As for Luz, she was once again frozen with both of her arms hanging in the air. Not knowing what to do with them.

"I'm sorry for pushing," Amity whispered into Luz's ear, "It was none of my business, and I should have just left it alone. I had no idea why it's a big deal to you to keep who you are a secret. I still don't get it, but I won't object to it."

Amity pulled away to look at Luz, whose face was blank and unreadable.

"I promise that your secret is safe with me," she said, "I swear that I won't tell anybody you don't want me to tell."

Amity then turned away so she can walk back to her car, but a hand grabbing her wrist forced her to stop and turn around to see Luz. At the moment, the human's eyes were wandering around to look at anywhere but Amity.

"I...that...you..." Luz struggled to form a sentence, and eventually, her hand slid down to clasp around Amity's. Amity blushed in response.

"Thank you," Luz finally spat out, a blush of her own beginning to form. "Seriously. Thank you."

"Yo-You're welcome," Amity cringed at her stutter, her blush growing darker.

"And honestly, I'm kind of glad that you know," Luz confessed while nervously rubbing the back of her neck, "It sucks when the wrong person finds out, but when the right person does...it's actually pretty freeing."

"I bet," Amity joked, getting a light chuckle out of Luz.

"I don't know where this nice version of you came from, or what me being bi has anything to do with it," Luz smiled, "But I won't lie, I like the nice version of Amity a lot better."

"Me too," Amity smiled back while squeezing Luz's hand in the process. Luz then slipped her hand away and stuffed both of hers into her jacket's pockets.

"Pbbt. Welp!" she said, popping the 'p' and hooking a thumb over her shoulder, "I, uh, I better start heading home. It's a long walk, after all."

"I can give you a ride."

"Thanks for the offer, really, but I'm good. Besides, I need the walk. I need to clear my head and...think about...certain things."

Luz gave a small awkward wave as she walked away. Amity waved back just as awkwardly, heading back to her car. And as she did, she couldn't help but be happy that she stole Luz's jacket.

Chapter Text

"What is up with Blight?"

Luz looked up at the street sign and saw that she was on Maple Street. Just a couple more blocks and she should be home.

"Saying sorry, hugging me, and even saying she'll keep my secret? Why is she so nice all of a sudden?"

Luz kicked a discarded beer can down the sidewalk. Only to just as quickly picking it up and ditching it in a recycling bin that someone left out on the curb for trash day. Luz may be a rebel, but she isn't a lazy prick.

"And what the hell does me being bi have anything to do with it?"

"Bi what?"

Luz stopped both her walk and her ramblings after hearing that voice. Looking to her left, Luz saw a woman carrying her groceries to her house. That woman is Mrs. Kranstien, a white, middle-aged gossip who's part of Luz's mom's church group. Also known as the last person Luz wanted to find out that she's bisexual.

"Uh, bilingual," Luz brushed it off, seeming like she isn't panicking right now. Which she is. "Significa que hablo dos idiomas. What else could I mean?"

"Well, you don't have to be so rude about it," Mrs. Kranstien harrumphed, "It is not becoming of a young lady."

"Y no tienes que meter la nariz donde no pertenece," Luz shrugged, "Pero, ¿quién soy yo para juzgar?"

"...What does that mean?"

"It means you're absolutely right, and I am so sorry for being so rude," Luz turned on her heel and kept walking, "Adios, gringa!"

"Is 'gringa' a compliment!" Mrs. Kranstien called out as Luz walked away.

"Sure is! Make sure to say it to your friends when you have the chance!"

Ok, maybe she is a little bit of a prick.

As Luz continued walking, she heard a light Ping! from her pocket. Pulling out her phone, Luz saw she got a text from her mom.

(MOM 4:15 PM) Hola Mija.

(MOM 4:15 PM) Just letting you know that It'll be seven until I come home from work.

(MOM 4:15 PM) This means either wait a little later for me to bring home takeout or just fend for yourself.

(4:16 PM) I can wait until seven.

(MOM 4:16 PM) In that case, I'll pick us up some chimichurri sandwiches on the way home.

(4:16 PM) Yea :D

(MOM 4:17 PM) Te quero.

(4:17 PM) Love you too.

"Guess I'm gonna be home alone for a little while," Luz said to herself as she pocketed her phone, "Which is fine. I need to call someone, anyway."

***

When Luz got into her room, she slipped into her closet and pulled out her knife. She then knelt down to this vent she had inside the closet and started to use the knife to unscrew each screw except for the one on the top left side of the vent. After rotating the vent grate and then pocketing her knife, Luz pulled out a small box she hid inside in case her mom decided to do some spring cleaning in Luz's closet.

Because inside the box were a lot of magical items that Luz did not want her mom to see. Some were souvenirs from adventures, such as a Slitherbeast's tooth, a demon's eye, and a minotaur's horn. Other items were more practical, like Luz's spellbook (which was a spiral notebook with spell glyphs in it), a training wand for emergencies only, and a crystal ball. The last one was the most important at the moment as Luz pulled it out and switched on to what she assumed was the Bonesborough version of Skype. Selecting a name from her contacts, Luz waited as the dial tone went off.

"Please be home, please be home, please be home," she muttered to herself, lightly drumming the crystal ball. It was during the third ring did her contact finally respond.

"Hello?" Willow said, her face appearing on the crystal ball, "Luz? Why are you calling?"

"I'd thought I should fill you in on the shit that went down with Amity," Luz explained, which caused a worried look to form in Willow's eyes.

"I knew that when you showed me that note, it meant nothing good," Willow sighed, "What did she say to you?"

"Nothing bad. At least, not the usual type of bad."

"What happened?"

"Well...at first, she apologized to me. Like, for every time she acted like a bitch. Not just for my jacket."

"..."

"..."

"...Is she dying?"

"That's what I said!" Luz exclaimed, "But, no. Apparently, she had a change of heart or some shit."

"Well, that is...surprising."

"Understatement."

"But do you really have no clue for why she apologized?"

"Not really," Luz shrugged, "The only thing I got to go off of is the fact that she..."

"...That she?" Willow prompted.

"That she..." Luz peeked outside of her closet, making extra sure that no one was nearby listening. She lifted the crystal ball closer and continued in a whisper just in case.

"Amity knows that I'm bi," Luz confessed, causing a whole range of emotions to transition through Willow's face. Such as shocked, worried, until finally settling for empathy.

"And...how did you react?" she asked carefully.

"By nearly shitting my pants, that's how!" Luz whisper screamed, "Seriously, there are a lot of people I'm worried about finding out I'm bisexual. And Blight is one of them."

Willow nodded, already knowing why Luz gets freaked out about her own sexuality.

"How did she find out?"

"Apparently, she found the bi flag that I sewed into my jacket last year."

"Why did you even do that, anyway?"

"Look, I got high one time and ended up having the brilliant idea of sewing in the flag like a literal badge of honor. When I woke up the next day and had my head cleared I realized how much of a dumb idea that is and went to fix it. It wasn't until I found my jacket did I find out that the flag was sewn onto the inside. Not the outside. And...I don't know. I just decided that I should keep it that way.

"It made me feel...I have no idea how to describe it. Content? Happy? Whatever it is, it felt nice that it was on there. Like I was telling the whole world, but they would have no idea anyway. Mostly because nobody could see it."

"But Amity did."

"Yes. Thank you for that reminder, Willow," Luz said sarcastically.

"And what did Amity say about you being...you know?" Willow asked, keeping in mind her friend's insecurities.

"She said that she'll keep my secret. And she even hugged me!"

"...Ok. Are you sure she's not dying?"

"She swore that she isn't," Luz shrugged.

"And, are also sure she's telling the truth about keeping your secret."

Luz thought back to their conversation in the car.

"...Nah," she decided, "I've heard people bullshit before. Some are almost more convincing than others. You can always tell by the look of their eyes. And in Blight's eyes...In Amity's eyes, all I saw was sincerity. So, yeah. She's being honest about keeping my secret."

"And what does that make you two now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, are you, friends, or..."

"...I have no clue what we are right now," Luz confessed, "I mean, for some crazy reason, I told her that I'm glad that she knows the truth. Which I am, and I have no idea why. And I also have no idea of what we are now."

"Maybe that's something you can ask her the next time you both talk?" Willow suggested.

"...Yeah," Luz nodded, "Maybe."

"Willow!" another voice called from the crystal ball, "Dinner's ready!"

"Ok, dad!" Willow called back before looking back at Luz, "Sorry, I got to go."

"No problem," Luz waved off the concern.

"Have a good night!"

"You have a better," and with that, Luz ended the call on the crystal ball and set it back with her other magical items. She then pushed the box back into the vent and started screwing the grate right into place. But as Luz screwed the last screw in, she still held the knife in her hand and looked at it, with an idea beginning to form in her brain.

She then shrugged off her jacket and opened it up to see the bi flag.

"Should I do this?"

Luz gently rubbed the blade of the knife.

"...Yeah. Yeah, I definitely should."

She lowered the blade over a thread sewn in but stopped a tenth of a millimeter away from it.

"But it's not even noticeable."

Luz raised the knife away.

"Although Blight did notice it."

And lowered it back down again.

"But that's because she was wearing it. It's not like mom could ever wear this."

"But what if it's laundry day and she takes the jacket without you knowing?"

"I mean, that could happen, but she would have to actively search for it."

"Is that really worth the risk, though?"

Luz started twirling the knife in her fingers at this point. The bi flag still remained intact, with not a single thread being taken out. Most days, Luz would barely notice it, and she's the one who always wears her jacket. Now, more than ever, the bright colors of the flag seemed incredibly noticeable.

"No," Luz shook her head, "It's not worth the risk."

She lowered the knife again and even got the blade under a thread. But before she could do anything remotely similar to removing the string, she hesitated. Again.

"...But it's also who I am," Luz sighed, pocketing her knife and putting the jacket back on.

"It's a part of me," Luz lightly beat the back of her head against the wall, "Taking it off isn't going to change anything, and it especially won't make me any less bi."

And Luz continued to sit in that tiny closet, lightly beating her head against the wall to distract from several gas lighting thoughts in her head. Right up until her mother came home with dinner.

Chapter Text

Beep-beep!

After locking her car, Amity walked up to the school with a slight skip in her step. She was a Blight, so she knew how to hide her real emotions. But ever since she gave Luz back her jacket, Amity has been on cloud nine. She now has a chance with her crush, has put herself on the right track, and felt as though nothing can take her down.

"Hey, Ams!"

But the unfortunate thing that Amity learned in life is that a good mood never lasts long.

Amity stopped with one foot on the steps leading to the school’s back door and turned around to see her third least favorite person on the planet. Right under her father and her mother.

"What do you want, Boscha," It wasn't a question. Amity knew that her ex always wanted something, primarily when Boscha was grinning the way she is now.

"I'll have you know that Skara is throwing this party in about a week," Boscha said as she strutted up, "And you're coming with me."

"Hm. I wasn't aware that the pits of Hell finally froze over. Because I could have sworn that I told you that would be the only reason I would ever go out with you again."

Two of Boscha's eyes rolled at that witty remark, but the middle one still looked right at Amity. She always wanted to just poke it out.

"C'mon Ams," Boscha took a step closer, to which Amity took two steps back, "Are you seriously still on that little fight."

"Little fi-We. Broke. Up," Amity said simply and plainly. As if she was talking to Luz or a toddler (which are usually the same thing).

"Yeah, but what if we didn't?" Boscha suggested, "What if for one night, just one night, we go to a party just like we did in the good old days. With all the smoking, drinking, and making out. Especially the making out."

Boscha gave a wink, but Amity raised a skeptic eyebrow in response.

"Look," the pink girl continued, "If it turns out that you don't have a good time, then I'll leave you alone forever. But if you had fun, well..."

Boscha shrugged.

"What's to say that we can't just pick up where we left off?"

Amity stroked her chin, seeming as though she was actually considering her ex's offer. This gave Bosha hope for a bit, up until Amity looked back with disinterest.

"No thanks," she said simply, turning around to go back up the stairs of the school, "Feel free to try again when Satan manages to ice-skate his way to work."

Amity got to the top of the stairs and put her hand on one of the double doors' handles.

"You need me!"

That froze her, making Amity standing still and statuesque while looking right ahead at the door. Entirely because she didn't want to see the knowing smirk on Boscha's face.

"I'm literally the only person your parents would let you date," Boscha went on, "You think there are other wealthy families who have daughters that are LGBTQ? I may have pissed your mom off, but if you date some poor bitch, then it's back to operant conditioning for you."

Amity turned around to face Boscha with a glare so fiery and intense that a Chimera would quiver to the sight. And yet, Boscha didn't even blink.

"Fuck you," Amity said plainly, "I mean it. Fuck you."

She then opened the door, with the handle now bent and crushed, and stomped inside.

***

During Lunch, the constant chatter of the kids around her became white noise to Amity. While everyone else was talking about parties and nerves about upcoming quizzes, Amity sat and stabbed her salad with her fork. Boscha's words still rang throughout her head, having the witch wish she had something to take her mind off her ex.

"Hey."

Amity looked up and nearly dropped her fork from the shock that she saw.

 "You mind if I sit here?" Luz said, holding a lunch tray of her own.

Amity blinked once.

Then twice.

And then she shook her head.

"I, uh, yeah. Er, no. Um," Amity cleared her throat, "You can sit there. If you want."

"Cool," Luz set her tray down and went to sit down across from Amity. The second that the human's butt sat in the seat, the entire lunchroom went quiet as all eyes went to the pair. Luz took notice of this, looked around, and rolled her eyes.

"What? A girl can't sit where she wants?" Luz called out to the lunchroom, "How 'bout you all go back to what you were doing and just mind your own business!"

Everyone went back to talking to each other again, but the loud chatter was replaced by quiet mutterings. Amity didn't need to hear them to know they were talking about her and Luz.

"Why did you want to sit here?" Amity eventually asked after a short silence between the two.

"I don't have lunch with Gus or Willow today," Luz shrugged, "Usually, I choose an empty table or sit in a dark corner somewhere nobody would bother me. But today, I want to talk to you."

Amity's heart quickened its pace.

"About what?"

"About us."

"Us?"

"Yeah, like," Luz gestured between herself and Amity, "What are we now? Because you apologized for being a pain in my ass for the last few months and even promise to...keep my secret. So what's the dynamic now? Are we seriously gonna go back to being rivals after...all that?"

"First off," Amity said, burying her nerves, "The fact that you think we're rivals could not be farther from the truth because I could have always taken you down with no problem."

Luz blew a raspberry in response.

"Second..." Amity's composure dropped for a minute as she contemplated her next words, "We don't have to be hostile to each other anymore. I mean, what if...What if we were just...friends?"

Amity looked down at her tray as she waited for a response. She wanted to be more than friends with Luz, much more than friends, but Amity knew that would be moving way too fast at this point. She needed to take things slow.

"...Friends?"

Amity nodded.

"You want to be friends...with me?"

"Mm-hm."

"..."

"..."

"...Isn't that the sign of the apocalypse or some shit?"

"I'm being serious," Amity faced Luz with an unamused look.

"Who says I'm not being serious?" Luz defended with a smirk, "Us being friends always seemed as likely as The Simpsons getting canned or Boscha saying 'sorry.'"

A chuckle slipped past Amity's defenses, and she instantly slapped a hand over her mouth. In truth, she always found Luz's jokes funny (or, at least, some of them), but it's not like the human had to know that. Or rather, not yet, if it meant that Luz would stare at Amity with a shocked expression.

Amity cleared her throat.

"I'm not saying that we have to be friends," she explained, "I'm just saying that we could be. If you want to."

There was a beat of silence as Luz let Amity's words sink in.

"What would we even do?"

"Hm?"

"Let's say we do become friends," Luz went on, "What happens next? Do we start doing that lame stuff writers make teen girls do in the movies? Like having sleepovers or braiding each other's hair while we talk about crushes?"

"NO!"

Amity's outburst made everyone go dead silent again. Even Luz blinked in surprise because of it.

"I mean, no," Amity reiterated calmly, "We aren't going to do any of that lame shit in the movies. We could just hang out and talk normally. Like what we're doing right now."

"And you call screeching for no reason part of a normal conversation?"

"Look, could you just--" Amity stopped herself, took a deep breath, and spoke again in a calm manner, "Could you just humor me? For one second?"

Amity then picked up her fork and went straight to eating her salad. The two of them continued to eat in silence and remained as such up until the bell screamed. Luz and Amity then got up out of their seats and carried their trays over to a bin by the garbage so the trays could get washed later.

"What are you doing after school today?" Luz asked while they walked. This made Amity's heart quicken its pace again.

"Um, uh, w-what?" Amity stuttered, her face warm.

"After school. Is there something you need to do after, or are you free?"

"I'm...I'm free."

"Hm," Luz dumped her tray in the bin, and Amity did the same. "In that case, do you mind waiting in your car after school for a bit? I might be a little late in case a teacher chews me out, but I'll still be there."

"...Why do you want to meet in my car?"

"It's a surprise," Luz then turned and winked at Amity, causing the blush on her face to get even darker than before.

"O-ok," she managed to get out.

After School.

For the second time in one week, Amity found herself nervously drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for her crush to show up for Amity's surprise.

'Don't get your hopes up,' she thought to herself, 'It's not going to be anything romantic. You just suggested you'd be friends today. She's probably planning to screw with you or to talk more about...whatever the hell we are now. So in no way is it something like a date.'

'...But what if it is a date?'

Before that train of thought could continue, a light Tap! Tap! Tap! on the passenger window brought Amity's thinking to an end. Looking over, Amity saw Luz leaning against Amity's car. A sarcastic smile was on the human's face as she gave a brief wave. Amity then unlocked the door.

"Care to tell me what the surprise is?" Amity asked as Luz got in the passenger seat. She didn't hesitate to put her feet up on the dashboard.

"We have to drive to it," Luz explained, "Or, rather, you have to drive to it. I'd do it myself, but I still don't have a driver's license."

"Care to tell me where I'm driving?"

"Somewhere in the human neighborhoods."

Amity's grip tightened on the steering wheel.

"And why the hell would I do that?" she practically shrieked.

"Don't worry, Blight," Luz waved off the witch's concern, "I already got a plan figured out to hide those ears of yours. So follow the directions I give you so we can get to that surprise I've got planned."

But Amity didn't even move to start the ignition. Luz noticed this as she glanced over at her new acquaintance, who was now glaring at Luz.

"Look, I swear that nothing bad is going to happen," she explained, "I already got ten bullshit explanations set up in case anybody catches your ears. One excuse being a birth defect, and the other being that you love to cosplay. Trust me. You're not going to get in trouble."

"..."

"...Which means you can go now," Luz prompted, "You know whenever you're ready."

"This car isn't moving an inch until you get your feet off the dashboard," Amity told the human, who then rolled her eyes and looked back at Amity with a smirk.

"Make me, witch."

"..."

"..."

HOOONK!

The sudden sound of Amity's car horn startled Luz enough to kick her feet off the dashboard. She then scowled as she let her feet rest on the car floor instead.

"Much better," Amity smirked, turning the engine on as she began to drive.

***

"Now pull in right there."

"Right there?"

"Did I stutter?"

"No?"

"Am I pointing at something else right now?"

"No."

"Then pull in before you miss it."

"Alright, fine," Amity growled as she pulled into the place Luz was pointing at, "You know, you don't have to be a dick about this."

"And you didn't have to be a bitch to me since the first day we met," Luz countered.

"Yeah, but I've already apologized for all of that."

"Forgiveness is something you earn. Not just get handed to after saying 'I'm sorry.'"

"Where is that from?" Amity asked as she parked in an empty space.

"My mom," Luz shrugged, "I don't know if she got from somewhere, but she definitely said it a lot whenever I apologized for doing something stupid."

"That's harsh."

"Not really. I kept apologizing for making the same mistakes over and over again, and my mom told me that I abused the word with how often I said it. Saying that I don't mean it if I don't actually do something to make up for making her upset."

"Well, what do I have to do to earn your forgiveness?"

"That's what we're gonna find out together right here," Luz pointed at the building in front of them.

"Yeah, about that," Amity looked around at the gas station they parked at, "Why did you make me drive all the way to a 7/11? Is this seriously the surprise?"

"Nope. The surprise is inside. But before we get to that," Luz took off her beanie and handed it over for Amity, "You're gonna have to put this on."

Amity stared at the beanie for a few seconds before looking back at Luz.

"How often do you wash your hair?" Amity asked.

"Hey, if either of us should be afraid of head lice from sharing my beanie, it should be me. Have you looked in the mirror lately? That thing on your head is more of a lion's mane than actual hair."

Amity bared her fangs as she growled.

"Ok, you see, you're just proving my point," Luz held her hat out further, "Just put this on over your ears, ok? Unless you want humans to find out that witches are real?"

Amity stared at the beanie again.

"...Fine," she took the bit of headwear out of Luz's hand, "But if I do get head lice, I'm taking back my apology."

"Duly noted," Luz said as she got out of the car. Amity followed suit, briefly pausing at the rearview mirror to make sure the beanie was on correctly. For half a second, she wondered if it smelled like Luz too. But immediately shook that train of thought out of her head as she followed Luz inside the 7/11.

"This surprise had better be worth it," she said when they got inside.

"Just you wait," Luz continued to lead Amity further through the aisles until they stopped at the back of the store. What stood in front of them was a machine that was all too familiar to the youngest Blight.

"A slushie machine?"

"Yup," Luz said, popping the 'p.'

"You made me drive all the way to...this neighborhood, into a 7/11, just to surprise me with: A slushie machine?"

"Not just any slushie machine," Luz pulled Amity close, and Amity would be lying if her heartbeat didn't quicken its pace for a bit. 

"Now, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret," Luz whispered, "But you gotta swear not to tell anybody, alright?"

"A-a-alright," Amity stuttered.

"This slushie machine, in this particular 7/11, is easily the best one around," Luz explained, "And before you say, 'But they all should be the same,' I would like to counter with a short and sweet, 'bullshit.' Because this slushie machine is incredible, and I will fight anybody who will say otherwise. Now--"

Luz then left Amity's space to grab two medium-sized cups next to the machine and held one up for Amity.

"--Are you a Wild Cherry type of gal, or a Blue Raspberry nerd?"

"..."

"...Nah, you're right. Nobody willingly picks Blue Raspberry. Wild Cherry is the way to go."

***

"So?"

Amity smacked her lips a couple of times, letting the taste of the corn syrupy goodness sink into her taste buds.

"...yeah," she nodded, "That is actually pretty good."

"See?" Luz smiled, "I told you that it would be good. Now you keep that as a trade secret, by the way. The last thing that I need is other kids taking up the line for slushies when I need my next fix."

Amity chuckled, not even caring that Luz heard it. Although that didn't stop Luz from looking over questioningly.

"So what are you into, Blight," she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, what do you do when you're not studying and shit. Do you read, do you write, do you knit? What is it?"

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Well, if we're gonna be friends, we gotta do more than just share secret slushie spots. So give something to work with."

Amity blinked in surprise.

"You really do want to be friends?"

"I mean...why not, right?"

Amity thought on those words for a bit, fighting back a smile.

"Reading," she said, "That's what I like to do the most after a couple of long hours of studying. I like to read."

"I get that," Luz nodded while twirling her slushie with her straw, "Most people hate reading, but I actually have no problem with it. It's when I'm forced to read something that just makes me want to tear my hair out that I hate it. Back at some of my old schools, my English teachers would always force us to read these books 'for the curriculum.' Sometimes you get something pretty good, but there are other stories that are just soooo boring! I don't give a shit about how important Shakespeare's works are. I'd sooner eat my hat than read Macbeth, again. Speaking of which..."

Luz held an open hand out. Taking the hint, Amity took the beanie off her head and passed it back to Luz.

"Thank you," Luz put the beanie back on her head, "So, what do you like to read?"

Amity paused to think about how she could answer that question.

"Fantasy," she supplied, "Like, what you consider fantasy. To witches, it might as well be history."

"Fair," Luz nodded along, "I'm a bit of a fantasy fan myself. My favorite is this one series called The Good Witch Azura."

Amity nearly spat out her slushie.

"You read The Good Witch Azura?" Luz rolled her eyes at the question.

"Alright, listen," she started, "Before you make fun of me for it, you should know--"

"I love Azura."

"--It's not the cutesy kids' book that people think...it...is..." Luz looked shocked as she faced Amity's wide grin, "What did you just say?"

"It was my favorite book series growing up," Amity explained, "It still is, today."

"...No shit."

"Yeah! In fact, when I was nine, I wished I could have been just like Azura herself."

"Same!" Luz's smile became just as wide, "The grand adventures? The ability to just get along with everybody she meets? That was the shit for when I just a little tater tot."

"For me, it was how powerful her magic is," Amity confessed, "I could only dream of being as talented as she is."

"Yeah, I bet. Hey, what do you think of Malengale?"

"Hm?"

"Malengale. The author introduced them in book five. Personally, I don't mind them that much, but some asshole fans think it's a weak attempt to include a non-binary character into a story."

"Oh," Amity's mood visibly deflated, "I, um, actually never read past book four."

"Why not?"

"Well, my parents said that I was too old for books aimed towards children and told me I wasn't allowed to waste their money on any more of them."

"Well, that's horseshit," Luz scowled.

"That's my life."

The silence that followed was thick. Amity started to swirl her slushie with a straw as most of it already melted. As for Luz, a lightbulb of an idea lit up in her head.

"You could always borrow my copy of book five."

Amity looked up from her slushie.

"What?"

"I’ll give it to you after school tomorrow, and you could just sneak it in that mansion of yours without either mommy or daddy knowing. When you're done with it, you can give the book back to me, and they'll never find out that you looked out for your inner child for once."

"But what about that whole 'earning forgiveness' thing?" Amity pointed out, "Shouldn't I earn it before you do me a favor like that?"

"Honestly, I don't give a shit about forgiveness," Luz admitted, "I was just as much of a pain in your ass as you were a pain in mine. The way I see it, we're square. So don't worry about it."

"...Oh."

"Yeah."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...But don't let that stop you from doing stuff for me, anyway."

"Nope, that did it."

"Aw, damn it!" Luz said with faux aggravation, even snapping her fingers for effect. This made Amity chuckle even more than earlier, and even Luz started to grin too.

"So, how 'bout it?"

"...Yeah," Amity conceded, "Yeah, I would like that. I would really, really like that."

"Cool," Luz looked at the clock in the car, "Anyways, I should probably start heading back now."

"I could still give you a ride, you know."

Luz contemplated Amity's offer, only to then shake her head.

"Nah, that won't be necessary. My house isn't that far from here. But thanks anyway."

"Anytime," Amity smiled, but deep down, she felt disappointed. She didn't really want this time with Luz to end, especially after finding out they had something in common. Still, she said nothing as she watched Luz get out of the car. Although, a tiny bit of hope lit up in Amity's chest when the human stopped to look back at her.

"For the record, this was...nice," she admitted, "Maybe being friends with you isn't so bad after all."

Amity couldn't help the smile that glowed on her face.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Luz winked, "See tomorrow, Amity."

Luz then closed the car door and began to walk away.

And once Amity was sure that her crush was far enough away...

"...Eeeee-YES! Yes!" she cheered, starting the car and driving away with the biggest smile she ever had.

Chapter Text

"I hate snow..." Amity growled as she continued to drive through the slush that was the roads in Bonesborough. It hadn't snowed much the night before, and because it wasn't that cold in the morning, most of it had already begun to melt. It didn't mean it wasn't annoying to drive through, though.

After finally making it into the school parking lot, Amity parked her car and got out, shivering slightly despite wearing her winter coat. She thought all annoyances were over as she began to walk to the double doors of the school.

And that's when something cold hit her in the back of the head.

Turning around to find the culprit, Amity saw none other than Luz hiding her laughter behind a hand.

"Did you just do what I think you did?!" Amity asked incredulously.

"Hey, we may be cool now...but I'm gonna take a shot when I see it. Alright?"

Amity glared at that, drawing a spell circle soon after. At the circle's completion, two dozen snowballs began to rise in the air around them, and Luz's face became pale to the sight.

"...On second thought," Luz nervously smiled as she raised her hands in surrender, "Parlay?"

"..."

Amity pointed her finger at Luz, and all of the snowballs immediately knocked the human onto her back.

"I don't think so," Amity quipped, walking over and offering a hand to her friend.

"Leave it to you to escalate things," Luz said as she was pulled up.

"Um, you started it."

"Technically, you started it ever since that first day."

"No, I'm pretty sure that was you too," Amity pointed out while the two of them walked to the school's back entrance.

"...Maybe it was? Honestly, I can't remember who started what."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"...Eh, probably not," Luz shrugged, "I got the goods in my backpack, by the way. You want me to give it to you now, or wait until after school?"

"t sounds like you have drugs in your backpack with the way you said that."

"Who says that I don't?"

Amity let out a light laugh. Luz didn't even seem shocked anymore.

"I'll wait until after school," Amity said when they got to the double doors, "The last thing I need is the wrong person to find out that I like...you know what."

"Got it," Luz nodded only to then lean closer to whisper, "I'll see then for the transfer. And if you get caught, I was never there."

"Ok, now I got to ask: Are you actually planning to give me drugs after school."

"Of course not!"

Luz winked.

"Drugs are bad, especially for our age."

She winked again.

"I wouldn't ever dream of doing something so vile."

And again.

"...I hate you."

"What else is new?"

"Just give me the book after school, doofus!" Amity said between chuckles.

"Yes. Of course. 'The book.'"

Luz winked for the fourth time, and Amity just pulled the human's beanie over her face in response. The two then laughed as they went their separate ways.

***

"Hi, Amity!"

Amity jumped at the sudden squeak of her name, dropping the books she had just grabbed out of her locker in the process. When she looked to the left, she saw Skara standing next to Amity. Her smile was wide yet forced.

"Um...Hey, Skara?" Amity waved awkwardly, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Boscha probably told you that she's--I'm throwing a party next week!"

"She did," Amity said, already knowing the direction of this conversation, "And for the record, I'm not--"

"Please go!" Skara screeched, making Amity jump again, "I mean--a-hem--Please go. Because it matters to Bo--Me! To. Me. It matters to me that you would come to the party."

Amity looked empathetic to Skara.

"What did she say she would do to you if I didn't come," It wasn't a question, but more of a statement of fact. Because, of course, Boscha would force Skara to invite Amity.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Skara clearly lied, "Just come to the party. It'll be a fun time."

"Skara--"

"And you can even invite a plus one if you want!" Skara supplied, "I'm sure that she--that I--would be fine with that!"

She then gave her infamous puppy eyes, and Amity found it incredibly hard to say no. Primarily due to the hidden sadness that she saw in those eyes.

"Well..."

After School.

"Shit..." Amity muttered, holding up Skara's invitation, "SHIT!"

Amity then tossed the invitation onto the backseat and covered her face with her hands, muffling a groan.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

"It's unlocked!" she called out, already knowing who it is. Luz then opened the car door and sat down. Her feet didn't go up on the dashboard this time because she was too busy shivering.

"J-Jesus, it got cold all of a s-s-sudden," she said, putting her hands up to the heat vent.

"The weather oracles did predict that," Amity snarked.

"Yeah, so did the weather woman on TV," Luz nodded, "But she's been wrong before, so I thought, 'why listen now?' Anyways, here's the book."

Luz pulled book five of The Good Witch Azura out of her backpack and handed it over to Amity with a shaky hand.

"Thanks," Amity took the book and gently laid it onto the backseat, right on top of Skara's invitation. That's when she got an idea.

"Hey, is it ok if I ask you a favor?"

"Depends," Luz blew into her hands for extra warmth, "What's the favor?"

"Well...Skara invited me to a party she's throwing next Friday. And I was wondering if you could come with me."

"Which one is Skara again," Luz asked, "I know she's one of Boscha's lackeys, but I can't remember. Is she the tall and skinny one, the small and cute one, or the hot yet nerdy looking one?"

If she wasn't wearing gloves right now, Amity would wager that her knuckles went white with how tightly her hands gripped the steering wheel.

"You think Cat is hot?"

"Eh. Objectively, yeah," Luz shrugged, "Also, I didn't know her name was Cat. Should probably make a note of that."

"She also has a boyfriend," Amity said a little too quick, "And she's straight as a board. So go ahead and...unnote that. Just take that note and...throw it in a river somewhere."

"...Ok? Weirdo."

"Anyways, Skara is the short and--" Amity steeled herself before saying, "Cute one."

"She's also kind of annoying with that preppy cheerleader schtick she's got going on."

"She's not a cheerleader."

"She might as well be."

"Yeah, but at least she's harmless," Amity pointed out, "That's the main reason I said I'd go. Saying no to her is like saying no to a puppy with an abusive master."

"Speaking of abusive masters: Is Boscha going to be there?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Amity sighed, "And from how Skara invited me, I take it's basically Boscha's party instead of hers."

Luz then groaned.

"I really don't want to spend a night in some rich girl's house if Boscha's gonna be there too."

"Me neither. Which is why I was hoping you could come with me. That way, we could use each other as a buffer if she gets on our nerves enough."

Luz took a minute to think about that.

"...Alright."

"Really?" Amity fully expected Luz to say no no matter what.

"Meh. Why not," Luz then pointed at Amity with a mock glare, "But let it be known that you're gonna owe me big time, Blight."

Amity grinned as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm already prepared to do anything."

This time, Luz's glare transformed into a mischievous grin.

"Anything, huh?"

"Almost anything."

"Too late," Luz winked, "See you later, Blight."

Luz then turned to leave but stopped when she looked outside.

"Oh, you have got to be shitting me."

Amity looked outside as well and realized that it began to snow again. This time, a little harder than last night.

"Welp," Luz sighed, "The faster I get walking, the faster I get home."

Luz went to open the door, but Amity had already locked it. After jiggling the handle a few times, Luz looked back at her friend to see that she was starting to drive.

"...Are you kidnapping me?"

"I'm taking you home," Amity explained as she pulled out of the parking lot, "How do I get there."

"No," Luz shook her head, "You don't--"

"If you walk in this, you are going to get sick," Amity stated, "And the last thing I need is for you to get a cold."

"Why? Because you don't want to lose your buffer?"

"Because you're my friend, you dick."

Luz looked stunned by Amity's answer.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah," Amity nodded, a light blush creeping on her cheeks, "And as my friend, I'm going to care if you get sick or not. That's what friends are for, right?"

But Luz said nothing and instead chose to keep quiet as Amity drove through the streets of Bonesborough.

"...You know the exit you took into the human neighborhoods?" Luz finally said.

"Yeah?"

"Instead of taking a right, take a left."

***

"Now take a left up there."

"This is a little far," Amity commented as she followed Luz's direction.

"It's not that bad. Honestly, I like the walk. It helps--Take a right--It helps clear my head."

"Do you always walk to school?"

"Another right," Luz pointed ahead, "And, no. Not before coming to Hexide. I would usually take the bus, but because no human bus stops in witches neighborhoods--Left--I have no choice but to walk."

"What do you tell your mom?"

"Easy. Nothing. My mom's usually at work when I get up in the morning, so I don't need to give any excuse for how I get to school. Unless it's a day she has off, in which I just tell her I take the bus."

"And it doesn't bother you that you lie to your mom?"

"I didn't say that..."

And that's when the conversation came to an end, the silence between them only being broken when Luz would point out another direction for Amity to follow.

"Now pull up to that house over there," Luz told Amity, who then pulled up to the small house Luz pointed at.

"It looks...nice."

"Yeah, it's a shitshow," Luz shrugged, "But it's my shitshow."

Luz unbuckled her seatbelt and went to open the door, but stopped an inch away from grabbing the handle.

"Um...Thanks," she said, facing out the window, "Thanks for the, uh, the ride."

"No problem. And, you know, I could always give you a ride to and from school. If you want."

"That won't be necessary," Luz shook her head, but Amity wasn't having that.

"Why does it bother you?" she asked, causing Luz to look back.

"Hm?"

"Every time I offer you a ride, it seems like it kind of bothers you when I do. Why?"

Luz's thumb gently rubbed against the door handle.

"I...I don't want you to waste gas mileage on me. I know how expensive that shit can be and I don't want to owe you anything for it."

"...You do realize that witches' cars don't run on gas, right?"

Luz blinked.

"They don't?"

"No," Amity laughed, "They run on magic. If a car starts to lose power, you can just do a lightning spell, and it'll be good as new."

"...Really?"

"Yup."

"...You know, it's shit like that that makes me wonder why witches and humans are forced to live separately. Seriously, you guys can solve, like, a lot of our problems with a literal twirl of your finger. So why can't you just, y'know, reveal yourselves and help us out?"

"Probably because you assholes burned us at the stake because we did just that," Amity pointed out with a quirk in her eyebrow.

"...Fair," Luz conceded, getting another chuckle out of Amity.

"So, how about it?" she asked, "Do you want me to give you a ride now?"

"...No. And it's not that I don't want to. It's just...I don't want to risk my mom seeing you and forcing me to explain why I got a ride from a girl with pointy ears."

"Well, how about I drop you off and pick you up a block away from your home?"

Luz still looked unsure.

"At least when it's not snowing as bad as it is today," Amity suggested, "Besides like you said, I owe you big time for coming to Skara's party with me."

"...Ok," Luz nodded, "When you put it like that, I guess I can be ok with you being my personal chauffeur."

"Uh, no," Amity lightly snarked, "I am not your chauffeur."

"You are now," Luz winked and got out of the car, "See you tomorrow."

"Oh, wait!" Amity called, which stopped Luz from closing the door, "Um, before you go, uh..."

Amity wanted to say something. Something that isn't a big deal yet incredibly hard for her to say. And she struggled to say it for so long that Luz had to sit back in the car, closing the door behind her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just..." Amity's face grew hotter all of a sudden.

"...It's just?"

"It's just...Can I...can I have your scroll number?"

Luz tilted her head like a confused dog. Amity had to bite her tongue to not comment on how cute her friend looked.

"Only so I can call you next Friday so I can let you know when I'm picking you up," she supplied, "Just that, and nothing else."

Luz continued to stare for a while, only to then smirk at Amity. She then lifted up her backpack, pulled a pen out of the front pocket, and held out her hand.

"Give me your hand."

"..." Amity slowly and nervously lifted a shaky hand over to Luz's. Luz then pulled the glove Amity was wearing off, uncapped the pen with her mouth, and started writing on Amity's hand. When she was finished, Luz capped the pen and put it back in her backpack.

"I don't have a scroll, but I do have a crystal ball," she explained, "You can facetime me through that by searching that username and number."

Amity looked at her palm to see the words 'AzuraFan4Life' drawn over an eight-digit number. The number of times Amity had dreamed of this one moment were innumerable. And here it was. Physically on the hand in front of her.

She immediately began memorizing every last digit. So much so that she didn't even notice Luz leave her car until she heard the door shut. When she looked up, Amity saw Luz walk up to her front door, turning back to give a two-finger salute to Amity. Amity awkwardly waved back, only to then go back to staring at her palm when Luz went inside her home.

“I should have stolen that jacket weeks ago,” she whispered to herself, “Because this just keeps getting better and better."

Chapter Text

The Day of the Party.

Luz sat against the wall of her closet, lightly drumming her fingers on her knees. She stared at the crystal ball in front of her, waiting patiently for her new friend to call her. Luz and Amity agreed on the day before that Amity will pick her up at around 7:00. At this point, it was just a matter of waiting for the call that she's arrived.

Ring ring! Ring ring!

"Finally," Luz muttered. She then pressed the answer call button and was met with Amity's face taking up the crystal ball.

"Hey, I'm here," she said, "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. Where are you?"

"At the end of your block, right where I said I would park yesterday."

"Got it," Luz pulled the box full of magic items over to her. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Feel free to take your time. Honestly, the more I can delay all of this, the better."

Luz chuckled in response, pressing the end call button. She then put the crystal ball in with the rest of her stuff and pushed the box back inside the vent, screwing the grate into place soon after. Pocketing her knife and snatching her winter coat off its hanger, Luz got up and out of her closet and started to head downstairs. Once she got to the bottom step, she saw her mother was already watching TV on the couch.

"Adiós, mamá," Luz said, "I'm heading out. I should be home later tonight."

That caught Camila's attention as she looked up at her daughter with a curious and cautious expression.

"Where are you going?" she asked, which made Luz freeze when grabbing the doorknob.

'Shit,' she thought, 'I knew I forgot something.'

"I'm going to be hanging out with a friend at her house," Luz lied convincingly, "She's parked not too far away and is picking me up right now."

"Why not just park in front of our house?"

Luz shrugged.

"...Can I meet her?"

"Um," Luz slightly panicked for a second, "Maybe another time. I want to ask if she's cool with it first."

"Ok," Camila, albeit hesitantly, turned back to watch TV, "Tenga una buena noche, mija."

"Gracias, mami," Luz went to open the door.

"¡Te quiero!" Camila called.

"¡Yo también te quiero!" Luz called back, shutting the door behind her. 

Slipping her winter coat on, Luz began to sprint her way to Amity's car, which she could already see from her house. Once she got to her friend's car, Luz immediately tapped the window.

"It's unlocked!" she heard Amity say from inside the vehicle. Luz quickly got inside and, as she did throughout the whole week, immediately put her hands up to the heat vent.

"Aren't p-p-parties usually in the s-sp-spring or s-summer?" Luz shuddered.

"C'mon, you weren't out there for long," Amity rolled her eyes as she started the engine.

"I'm c-cold-blooded. Give m-me a b-b-break," Luz shuttered, "So, w-what's the game plan?"

"Well, my plan is not to touch a single drop of alcohol, seeing how I'm the one driving."

"Fair."

"What about you? What's your plan?"

"Smash something nice. Ruin some guy's game. Maybe even smuggle a family picture in my jacket."

"Why?!" Amity asked incredulously, "That's, like, the one thing you can't replace!"

"Which is why I do it."

"...Have you done this before?!"

"..."

"...LUZ!"

"...Anyways, after that, I'll probably just grab the first bottle of liquor I see and get wasted in the pool. Skara does have a pool, right?"

"Yes, she does have a pool. And don't think we're not talking about that picture thing!"

"Yes, mom," Luz snarked as Amity continued to drive to Bonesborough.

***

Amity drove up to the one open space on the curb in front of Skara's mansion and set her car in park. After unbuckling her seatbelt, Amity then began to unzip her winter coat.

"What are you doing?"

She looked over to Luz, who gave Amity a confused look.

"I'm taking my coat off and leaving it in the car," she explained.

"And why the hell would you do that?"

"Because I'm not going to leave it in a closet where someone could steal it. Or worse. Leave it in a room where people can make out on top of it."

"...I guess that makes sense," Luz then began to unzip her own winter coat. Amity continued to take off hers, eventually shrugging it off and tossing it into the backseat.

"But my question is," Luz said, "Why even bring a winter coat if you...were...just..."

Curious as to why Luz had stopped, Amity looked back at her friend, only to see that Luz was staring back, her face flushed.

"...Are you ok?"

"Huh," Luz temporarily snapped out of whatever trance she was in, "OH! Uh, yeah! It's just, um...you sure you don't need a winter coat?"

Amity looked down at her outfit. She traded her usual pink dress and black leggings for a tightly fit hot-pink dress where the skirt went up to the knee. It wasn't revealing or scandalous in the slightest, but it also wasn't exactly a dress that a school girl would wear.

"Yup, I'm good," she looked back at Luz with a grin, "You see, this is also my plan. By pissing off Boscha by showing what she wants but can't have. Why? Do you like what you see?"

"Pretty much," Luz let out, causing both girls to become wide-eyed and red-faced.

'Holy shit,' Amity thought.

"I mean, you, uh, you look nice," Luz stuttered, "Not to say that you don't usually look nice. It's just that now, um, you look...I'm just gonna go."

Luz got out of the car as quickly as possible and dashed into the house, not even checking once to see if Amity would follow.

"...eeeeeEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAA-AH HA HA!" Amity cheered, which caused a curious look from some passerby. But she didn't care. Because as Amity got out of the car to follow Luz inside, she felt on top of the world.

No matter what happens, Amity knew she won the night.

***

But the euphoric high Amity felt did not last long as she went inside for the party. Because the second Amity stepped in the front entrance of Skara's mansion, she was already surrounded by a sea of drunk toddlers dancing, talking, and making out. Amity immediately wanted to turn heel and leave this mess.

But then she remembered Luz's reaction to Amity's dress and thought, 'Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have a little fun tonight.'

"Luz!" she called out into the crowd, already beginning to shuffle through. She had to bump and shove her way past a few people, keeping an eye out for a red beanie or a green jacket. As she did so, Amity couldn't help but notice that most of the kids here weren't even kids in her grade. Some weren't even from the same school.

"LUZ!"

Amity then felt a tap on her shoulder. When she turned around, her mood had once again soured.

"Hey, Ams," Boscha grinned as all of her eyes looked Amity over, "You look hot tonight."

"And you look like a prick. But that's not entirely new, is it?"

"Whatever," Boscha put an arm over Amity's shoulder, sending white-hot fury coursing through her veins. "What say I get you a drink and we can have a little fun tonight."

"Get your arm off of me before I bite it off," Amity growled, to which Boscha then take a step back, her arms raised.

"Fine, be that way," she started to turn to walk away but stopped to look back at Amity. "By the way, if you make your way to the confectionary table, drink the punch bowl on the left. The right one is spiked."

"Did you spike it?"

"Perhaps," Boscha winked, but it did not have the same effect that Luz's winks did. "See you later, Ams."

Boscha disappeared into the crowd, which prompted Amity to push her way through the opposite direction Boscha went in. Eventually, she popped out into a clear, open space. It was there that Amity found herself standing in front of, of course, a confectionary table with two punchbowls.

The left one had a purple-colored punch, where the right had a bright orange color.

'Drink the punch bowl on the left. The right one is spiked.'

"Like I'm dumb enough to fall for that," Amity muttered, heading for the punch on the right. She was fully aware of Boscha's mind games after a year of dating and knew that if Boscha wanted Amity to steer clear of one punchbowl, then that was the safest to drink. Which is why she was currently pouring some into a cup.

Amity then turned back towards the crowd, still having no clue where Luz went.

"Where the hell are you, Noceda?" she asked no one in particular, taking a sip of her punch.

***

"Too old, too recent, way too freakin' big," Luz walked past the hall of family photos, analyzing each one to decide which photo would be the best to take. After seeing the ocean of drunk idiots on the main floor, she immediately went 'nope' and chose to head upstairs first. So far, she has made decent progress with her plan.

She knocked over a vase (which cracked rather than shattered), shoved a bitch 'making a move' on a clearly uncomfortable girl, and even managed to clog a toilet, all in five minutes. Which was a record best, in Luz's opinion.

Now, she had difficulty looking for the right photo to add to her collection, with one in particular eventually catching her eye. Picking it up to analyze, it was a photo of a young Skara wearing a ladybug costume with a huge gap in her teeth.

"...You'll do," Luz shoved it into the pocket inside her jacket and started heading back in the direction she came from. 

She eventually found herself in a hall that led to bedrooms, only to see Skara sprinting around and picking up discarded beer cans and red solo cups and tossing them into a trash bag. She then opened a random door, squeaked, and slammed it shut, leaning against it while pressing her palms into her eyes.

"Why do that in my parents' bedroom!?" she cried to no one in particular.

Usually, Luz wouldn't give a shit about any of Boscha's lackeys. And yet, something compelled her to walk over.

"Are they making out or doing something worse," she asked, which caused Skara to look up in surprise.

"...What...What are you doing here?"

"Don't question it," Luz nodded to the door, "In there. Are they just making out?"

"...Yes, but it's still--"

Luz pounded on the door, making Skara jump.

"Hey!" she shouted, "That's not your bed, assholes! If you want privacy, then go to the back of your car like decent human beings!"

"We're not humans!"

"Not the point!"

For a while, nothing happened. Then finally, two boys walked out of the room, hand in hand with their clothes ruffled, and started shuffling their way down the hall. Skara just stood where she was, not knowing what to say or do.

"Hey," Luz snapped her fingers to get Skara's attention, "If a person starts acting like a prick, be an even bigger prick. Someone's going to eventually back down, so don't let it be you. They'll get the point, then. Oh, and by the way..."

She pulled the photo out of her jacket's pocket and tossed it to Skara, who then fumbled with the thing before catching it.

"Someone tried to steal that," Luz told her, "I don't know where it belongs so, there you go."

Luz then began to head in the direction of the stairs.

"Thank you."

The broken tone of voice made Luz freeze for a second, turning over her shoulder to see Skara looking at the human, her eyes full of gratitude and amazement.

"...Don't mention it," was all Luz said before walking down the hall to find the stairs.

***

As she pushed her way past the drunken teens, Luz was beginning to remember why she hated parties in mansions. In a tiny house, it's at least a little easier to find somebody and to get from point A to point B. In a mansion? Luz basically had to swim through an ocean of drunks just so can get some booze herself.

She hoped to get at least a little tipsy before talking to Amity after that whole...incident in the car.

After pushing past a couple more people, one teen slid right in front of Luz. He has tall, tan, muscular, and objectively handsome for, what Luz assumed to be, a seventeen-year-old. Didn't mean that she was excited to talk to him. Especially when her creep alarms started going off when he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," he grinned at her, "What are you up to tonight?"

Luz rolled her eyes as she pushed the guy away from her.

"Sorry, pretty boy," she said, "Fourteen-year-old me may have been into you, but now, you're just not my type."

"And why's that?"

"Hey!"

Before Luz knew what was happening, she felt an arm flop around her shoulder, and she turned to see Amity pointing a hand holding a solo cup at the guy.

"Get out of here, dickhead," she said as she leaned into Luz, "This one is taken."

Luz already figured where Amity was going with this.

"Yup," Luz put an arm around Amity's waist, "I told you that you weren't my type."

"Oh, um," the poor boy began to awkwardly walk away, "I'm so sorry. I'll just...sorry."

As he disappeared into the crowd, Luz slipped out of Amity's grip. To which her friend staggered for a bit.

"Thanks for that," Luz said.

"Don't-Don't you forget to mention that," Amity slurred, "Because nobody flirts with you and gets away with it. Not when I'm here...and around...and even when I'm not here. Nobody flirts with you."

"...Are you drunk?" Luz asked, finally taking notice of Amity's current state.

"What? No. I'm not drunk. I told-I. Told. You...I am not drinking tonight. I'm driving so, I-I-I shouldn't drink."

"Then what have you been drinking?" Luz pointed at the cup that Amity has been waving around.

"Oh, this? This is--Hang on," Amity shugged down the liquid in the cup, most of it getting on her dress. "That...was the punch that Boscha said was spiked."

"Then why would you drink it?!"

"Because it's all mind games," Amity twirled a finger next to her head, "She doesn't...she said that there were two punch bowls. Alright? One was drunk, and the other wasn't. So clearly, the one she told me to avoid is the one I should drink. Because that's the one that is safe."

"Ok, good point," Luz sarcastically nodded along, "Counterpoint: She was telling the truth because she knew you would be this paranoid."

Amity blinked one eye after the other, slowly figuring out what Luz said. And when she did, Amity's eyes went wide. Or as wide as they can be when drunk.

"Oh no..." she whispered, "I'm drunk...I'ma go get more."

Amity staggered away in one direction for a minute, but Luz grabbed her by the arm.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Hey!" Amity ripped her arm out of Luz's grasp, "No one tells Amity Blight what to do...Except for my parents. But they're not here tonight, so FUCK THEM!"

Amity continued to drunkenly walk away, and Luz was about to follow her. But the sound of snickering caught her attention. When she turned to face the source, Luz saw none other than Boscha, holding up her scroll.

"Have you been filming her?" she asked, stomping over.

"Oh yeah," Boscha nodded with a smirk, "I'm pretty sure Amity won't object to getting back together once I show her this. Something tells me that mommy and daddy won't be too pleased with what their 'perfect' daughter said about them."

"That is...hilarious!"

Boscha blinked in surprise at Luz's response.

"You really think so?"

"Hell yeah! I'm always a fan of Blight getting taken down a peg!"

"Right!" Boscha nodded along, "Man, I should've known you of all people would be into it."

"Sure am," Luz pointed at Boscha's scroll, "Can I see that for a second, though? I want to see what I've missed."

"Oh, yeah, sure," Boscha handed over the scroll to Luz, "Honestly, I'm a little amazed at how quick it took to get her shitfaced. I had two drinks myself, and I'm still good."

"Uh-huh," Luz was already beginning to delete the video Boscha recorded, "Man, this is some quality camera work you got here."

"Yeah, my parents spared no expense with getting me the perfect scroll."

"I bet," Luz started to write 'I once had a crush on Mattholomule' on Boscha's social media, "Hey, how much does it cost to buy one of these. 'Cause I'm thinking of getting one myself."

"Pfft! You wish you could afford a scroll. Especially one like that. It costs a fortune."

"Good!" Luz smiled, tearing the scroll in two and tossing both pieces aside like they were nothing. She then pulled out her phone and took a picture of the shocked and dumbfounded look on Boshca's face.

"That's a keeper," Luz said as she flipped Boscha off and walked away in the direction that Amity went in. She continued to push and shove her way through the crowd just to get a slight glimpse of hot pink and bright green.

The good news is that Luz finally found her.

The bad news is that Amity was standing on top of a table as everyone stared at her.

"I am the lesbian queen of the universe!" she shouted, "Y'all can bow down and kiss my ass!"

"Get it, girl!"

"You bet I'll get it, whoever you are! Seriously, who said that?" she called back, turning in a circle to find the source of the voice. However, because of Amity's drunken state, she soon tripped on her own feet and fell off the table. Luckily, Luz was quick to realize that wearing heels and being drunk was a bad combination, so she had already run over to the table, ready to catch Amity.

The green-haired witch landed in Luz's arms, bridal princess style. Luz then set her down, but Amity still wrapped her arms around the human's neck.

"You're my hero," Amity said wistfully.

"Yeah, I'm a real knight in shining--" But Luz didn't get a chance to finish her snarky remark. Because Amity leaned in to plant a wet, sloppy kiss onto Luz's cheek. This caused the human to go still and red-faced, her brain ceasing to function as Amity pulled away with a Mwah!

"...What's the matter?" she asked while twirling a finger through a strand of Luz's hair. "Every hero deserves a reward."

Amity leaned back in, this time aiming for Luz's lips. Luckily, Luz snapped out of her shock and pushed Amity away before her friend--Her. Friend--could make contact.

"Ok!" she exclaimed, "I need to take you home right now!"

"Aw," Amity whined, "But I'm having so much fun at this party."

"But there's an even better party happening at your home," Luz lied with faux enthusiasm, "And it's ten times more fun than this snooze fest. So what do you say?"

Amity looked down, shuffling her feet with a pout on her lip. 

"Are you going to be there too?" she asked innocently.

"I'm taking you there, so clearly I am."

"Yay!" Amity cheered like a five-year-old, "Luz is coming to my party! Suck it, Skara! Your party is now worse in comparison!"

"How sweet of you," Luz snarked, "Now give me your keys."

"Ok," Amity went to pull out her keys but stopped suddenly. "Wait...why should I give you my keys? You don't know how to drive."

"I do know how to drive. I just don't have a license."

"How do you know how to drive if you don't have a license?"

'Mija, You're going to have to drive me home.'

'But Papi, I'm twelve.'

'I didn't ask for excuses!'

"Let's just say I do and leave at that."

"How mysterious," Amity poked a finger onto Luz's chest, "I like that about you."

Amity then reached for her pocket, only to find out she didn't have one. Patting both sides and all over, she soon realized that there wasn't a pocket to be found.

"Oooooh," Amity let out a laugh, "That's right! This dress doesn't have pockets! How silly of me."

She reached into the front of her dress, pulled out her keys, and jingled them in front of Luz's face.

"...I'm just not going to think about that," Luz snatched the keys out of Amity's hand and wrapped an arm around her side, "C'mon, let's get you out of here."

"Ok!" Amity wrapped an arm around Luz's neck, "Goodbye, Skara! I love you, and your party was amazing!"

***

"...Are you sniffing me?!" Luz shrieked once they got outside.

"Mm-hm..." Amity mumbled with her face pressed into Luz's neck.

"Why are you sniffing me?!"

"Because you smell nice..."

"Smell ni--What do I even smell like?"

"Like a human. All nice and...human-y."

"...I really need to get you home," Luz sighed, pulling out the keys to unlock Amity's car.

"HUMAN!"

'Oh, great,' Luz thought.

"Piss off, Boscha!"

"Yeah, piss off, Boscha!" Amity joined in with a little more anger in her tone, "Just go ahead and...piss somewhere else!"

"That's not--Alright, you know what?" Luz opened the passenger side door, "Just get in the car."

"Ok, but only because you told me to," Amity untangled herself from Luz and went to go sit in the passenger seat. Once she was situated, Luz shut the door and walked around to the driver's side, only for Boscha to follow.

"Do you have any idea how much you owe me for that scroll?!" she yelled.

"Sure do," Luz made a point to make eye contact with Boscha while opening the car door, "I owe you exactly two things: Jack and shit."

"Ooooooh!" Amity cheered from the passenger seat, "Get WREAKED, bitch!"

Luz couldn't help but grin in response as she sat down, closing the door behind her. Unfortunately, Boscha was still on the warpath and started banging a hand against the window.

"Don't think this is over!" she shouted through the glass, "Because by Monday, you're as good as--"

HOOONK!

"...You're as good as--"

HOOOOOONK!

"SCREW YOU!" Boscha kicked the car and stomped her way back to the mansion.

"You see?" Amity poked Luz in the side, "It's fun, isn't it?"

"...It really is, to be honest," Luz started the engine and began to pull out of the curb in front of Skara's mansion, "Can I borrow your scroll for a second?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to borrow it, that's why."

Amity was silent for a while, doing nothing as she stared at Luz, a slow smile creeping onto the witch's face.

"Ok," she slowly said, "I'll give you my scroll. But only if you give me a kiss."

"Yeah, that's not happening!" Luz tried not to think about why her voice cracked or why her face felt hot.

"Well, then I won't give you my scroll. So HA!"

Luz hummed, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel.

"How about you give me your scroll now, and I'll give you a kiss when we get to your place."

"Deal!" Amity drew a spell circle to summon her scroll, "Sucker."

'Yeah, I'm the sucker,' Luz thought as Amity handed over the scroll, 'And you're the drunk idiot who's going to forget this conversation within five minutes.'

While Luz continued to drive, her eyes swapped between the road and the scroll as she tried to select Amity's contacts. Luz knew this was dangerous, but she also knew that it was important for either Edric or Emira to know Amity's current situation. Once she got to the contacts, however, Luz was briefly shocked to see four names: Mother, Father, Jackass, and Dumbass.

Testing her luck, Luz selected 'Dumbass' and held the scroll up to her ear.

"By the way, you might want to take your heels off," she said to Amity, "It'll make walking easier."

"Um...Ok."

By the fourth ring, the person on the other end picked up.

"Hello?" it was Edric, "Mittens, is that you?"

"It's not Amity. It's Luz."

"What?" Edric said a little louder. It was then that Luz heard the loud music in the background.

"I said it's Luz," she repeated a little louder.

"I still didn't get that!"

"I said--Wait, where are you right now?"

"WHAT?!"

"WHERE ARE YOU DIPSHIT!"

"Oh, I'm at some girl's party. I think her name is Skara or some shit. Hey, Mittens, you should totally bring that human friend of yours over. She should be able to make this party a helluva lot more--"

Beep!

Luz let out a sigh when she went to select her second option.

"Luz," Amity whined, "I can't take off my heel."

"I was talking about the shoe, not your foot."

"...Oh. That makes way more sense."

"Yeah, I bet," Luz had an annoyed tone in her voice, mostly because 'Jackass' was taking her sweet time answering. Finally, at the very last ring:

"Hello," Emira's voice came from the scroll, "What do you need, Mittens?"

"Not Amity. It's Luz."

"...As in Luz the Human?"

"No, Luz the Peadatricion. Yes, Luz the Human!"

"Ok, ok! Geez. You don't have to be all feisty about it. So, what's up? Why are you calling?"

"Because your sister is wasted, and I'm taking care of her until she's in your care. So where are you?"

"Um...At Viney's," Emira whispered, "We're having a horror movie marathon."

"You do realize that Halloween was last month, right?"

"Well, yeah. And we did watch a horror movie then, and I was kinda hoping Vine would curl up next to me for protection. But it didn't happen once! So we're watching horror movies of several genres so I can figure out which one would make her cuddle up the most."

"Or you could just, I don't know, ask her to cuddle you?" Luz suggested like it was the obvious answer. Which it was.

"Yeah, I could do that. But it would ruin this cool-girl persona I have. And Vine loves that about me."

"Does she, though?"

"Luz, I got my heels off!" Amity proclaimed as she held her high heels up like a trophy.

"Yeah, that's great. Now, quiet. 'Cause I'm on the phone--er--scroll."

"Who are you talking to?"

"Your sister."

"Oh! Hey, Luz," Amity started tapping Luz on the shoulder, "Luz, Luz, Luz, Luz--"

"What?"

"Tell her--Listen--Tell...Emira that she is the worst...and that I don't like her. It's an--Look--It's an inside joke between us. She'll understand it when you tell her."

"...Will do."

"Oh! And Luz,"

"What?" This time, Luz was starting to get aggravated.

"Emira--Don't tell her this part--But Emira is, like, the most important person to me. And Ed too. Sometimes. Because they've both always been there for me when our parents are being bigger dicks than they are. I just don't--Hey--I don't tell them that because then they'll make fun of me for it. So don't-- Shh! Don't tell her."

"...You got all that, right?" Luz asked into the scroll.

"Sure did. What the hell did she drink?"

"No idea. But I do know that you're gonna get a drunken third wheel to that date of yours. So give me Viney's address so I can drop Amity off."

"... Or."

"There is no 'or.'"

"Hear me out," Emira continued, "What if you take Amity home--"

"Nope."

"--Put her to bed--"

"Nuh-uh."

"--And just head home when she's asleep."

"Here's my counterpoint: She's your sister and not my responsibility to take care of!"

"Look, me and Vine rarely get alone time with how busy our senior year has been. And I already told both Amity and Ed that I won't play babysitter if they got drunk tonight."

"Alright, even if--IF--I take care of Amity, how the hell do I get home? Busses and Ubers don't go between human and witch neighborhoods, and there's no way in hell that I'm walking back when it's below freezing!"

"...Well, then spend the night at our place."

"Nope!"

"It's not like you have to worry about our parents," Emira argued, "They've pissed off for the whole weekend for a meeting with Belos."

"Your parents aren't the ones I'm worried about," Luz countered, "I doubt my mom will be happy about me suddenly spending the night at the house of someone she doesn't even know."

"Just use that human charm. It worked on Amity."

"...Wait, what?"

"Whoops! Gotta go. Good luck!"

"Wait, no, don't--" But it was too late. Emira hung up on Luz, leaving her even more frustrated than before. It took every ounce of willpower to simply hand Amity's scroll back to her instead of just crushing it with a single hand.

"I'm gonna fricken' murder Boscha for getting you drunk," Luz growled through gritted teeth.

"Can I kill her too?"

"You bet. Why did you even date that bitch in the first place."

"I just wanted to piss off my mom," Amity explained, "Boscha's mom and my mom hated each other, and I thought: 'I'll just date Boscha. I was already forced to be friends with her, so mom won't say anything about it.' And yeah, it made my mom mad, but I was forced to then be in love with Boscha because of it."

"...You actually loved her?!" Luz didn't even think anybody was capable of loving someone as cold as Boscha.

"No, no, no, no, I pretended that I loved Boscha. And that's what I said to her too. That nothing was real, and I was just using her to make my mom mad."

"That's a bit harsh."

"Maybe. But it worked! She's now my ex, and I got a better girlfriend!"

Luz felt something twist in her gut.

"You're dating somebody?!"

"...Oh, no. No, wait. I don't have a girlfriend yet. But I. Am. Working on it."

Luz let out a sigh of relief. Although she wasn't sure why she was relieved in the first place.

"So why is she obsessed with getting back together?" Luz couldn't help but ask, "If it was me, I would want nothing to do with you."

"I don't know," Amity shrugged, "But I also don't care. Because she is a bitch!"

While Amity exclaimed, Luz, looked at an upcoming street sign, knowing that they were getting closer to Amity's mansion. Which Luz may or may not already know the address of after going to egg Amity's home.

But that same memory brought up another question into Luz's head.

"...Then why are you friends with me?"

"Hm?"

"I'm not exactly the nicest person on the planet. So why be friends with me when I'm no better than Bos--"

Amity put a finger to Luz's lips and shushed her. Or, at least, Amity tried to put a finger to Luz's lips. From the position in the car and the fact that Luz kept looking forward throughout this entire drive, Amity more or less just rubbed a finger across Luz's lips.

"Listen to--Hey! Listen to me," Amity said, "You are my friend because you are the best. You're smart, you're funny, and you do your best to help people. You can be an asshole sometimes, but you're a nice asshole. And I'd rather spend an entire night with you than another second with my bitch of an ex-girlfriend."

Luz felt stupified.

"...You really mean that?"

"Mm-hm..." Amity nodded, twirling a finger through Luz's hair again. To which Luz swatted away the hand and chose to spend the rest of the ride in silence.

***

"I'm home!" Amity shouted once she busted through the front doors, her yell echoing through the entranceway of the mansion.

"Where is everybody? EMIRA!"

"Sh-she's at her girlfriend's," Luz told her drunken friend, closing the doors behind them with a shiver.

"Oh...EDRIC!"

"He's at Skara's party."

"Oh, we should go there!" Amity already started heading back to the entrance, "It sounds like fun."

"Nope," Luz grabbed Amity by the shoulders to stop her, "You've had enough partying tonight."

"Whaaat? No, I haven't. I could party all night, baby! Just...you..."

"...Amity?"

Amity's face suddenly paled. Luz couldn't figure what was wrong at first, at least until she saw Amity lurch.

"Oh, shit," Luz then guided Amity over to the nearest potted plant, "Shit shit shit shit--"

Once at the plant, Amity bent over and...lost her lunch.

"...Are you o--"

And then her breakfast.

"...Are--"

And finally tossed one last cookie for good measure.

"...You good?"

"Yeah," Amity looked up at her victim, which was already starting to wilt, "...This my mom's favorite plant..."

She then slapped it.

"Fuck you, plant!"

"Ok," Luz helped her friend up, "I think it's time I get you to bed."

"At least buy a girl dinner first," Amity smirked, "Hey-oh!"

"Not like that!" Luz blushed, "Although--and I do hate to ask this--how confident do you think you are in changing out of those clothes? Like, on a scale from one to ten."

"I'm a ten out of ten thousand! Watch!"

Amity started to pull her coat up as if it was a shirt, not even bothering to unzip it first. As expected, she got stuck halfway through with her arms just dangling in the air.

"...Luz?" she called through the coat, "Luz, where did you go?"

Luz pulled the coat down. Amity's face lit up with a smile the second she saw her.

"There you are!"

"...I'm going to have to change you out of your clothes, aren't I?"

"At least buy a girl dinner first. Hey-oh--"

"You already made that joke."

"Oh...Am I drunk?"

"You sure are," Luz put an arm around Amity, "Let's go to your room."

One worst hour in Luz's life later.

"Drink it!"

"No!"

"Drink it."

"No!"

"Drink it!"

"Noooo!" Amity flopped face down onto her pillow as if she was a five-year-old. The bunny-print pajamas that Luz changed her into didn't help, either (it was the minor victories). With one hand, Luz started messaging her temple out of annoyance, while the other hand gripped tight onto a glass of water.

"Amity, if you're gonna lay down like a baby, then lay on your side," she explained, "If you face down, or up, then you'll just drown in your own vomit. And is that how you wanna go out?"

Amity flipped onto her side with a harrumph.

"That's what I thought," Luz held the glass up to Amity again, "Now drink this water."

"I don't wanna," the witch wined, "It doesn't have flavor. It's boring. Give something less boring."

"It may be boring, but it's going to help with the hangover you're gonna have by mourning. Make it less painful and all that."

"How do you know that?"

"My mom's a nurse," Luz supplied, "She taught me about this shit. Now drink the water."

Amity looked at the water for a minute and then back at Luz.

"...And don't say--"

"Give me a kiss first."

"--Son of a bitch," Luz put the glass onto the bedside table, "I am not kissing you."

"Why not?"

"Because it'd be weird, first of all. And second, you puked earlier, and your breath is going to taste like literal vomit. And I'm not kissing that."

"I don't mean a kiss on the lips. I mean a kiss on the cheek. My face cheek, to be clear."

"How about if you drink the water first, I'll give you a kiss after?" Luz offered, but Amity shook her head.

"Nope. Give me a kiss now, and then I'll drink the water."

Luz groaned, getting up to pace for a bit. On the one hand, she really didn't want to do this. On the other hand, Drunk Amity is being annoying as all hell, and all she is asking is for a stupid kiss on the cheek.

"Just one little peck on your cheek?" Luz asked for clarification.

"Mm-hm..."

"And you promise to drink your water after?"

"I swear on it," Amity sat up to give the scout's honor salute.

Luz continued to contemplate her options, ultimately letting out a disgruntled sigh as she sat on Amity's bed.

"Fine."

"Really?!" Amity seemed a little too excited.

"I'm only doing this just so you can drink your water. Let me be clear about that."

"Ok," Amity quickly scooched over and turned her cheek to Luz, "I'm ready~."

Luz remained still for a minute or two, ultimately thinking 'screw it,' and kissed Amity's cheek. It was about a millisecond, maybe even half of that, but it did not stop Luz's face from heating up.

"There. Happy now?"

"Nope," Amity faced Luz with a drunken smile, "Because now it's my turn."

"Wait, no- Mmph!" But it was too late. Because the second after Amity spoke, she leaned in to kiss Luz's cheek, giving Luz no time to even turn her head. Which resulted in Amity giving Luz another wet and sloppy kiss, not on her cheek, but right on her lips.

And perhaps it was just as long as Luz's kiss. Probably even a second longer. But for her, it felt as though time had come to a standstill as Amity's lips were pressed against Luz's. But regardless, Luz didn't pull away. She didn't even shove Amity off, despite having every reason to. In fact, when Amity finally pulled away from the kiss, Luz had this strange desire buried deep within her brain, yet she was still aware of it.

Because despite how weird it would be and how Amity's breath will absolutely taste awful, Luz felt a strange desire to kiss her friend again.

"...What were we doing again?" Amity asked, which slightly took Luz out of her shock.

"...W-wa-wa-w-w-Water," was all she could spit out. Amity looked around confusedly, smiling as she grabbed the water off her bedside table and handed it to Luz.

"Here you go."

"Thanks," Luz took the glass with a shaky hand. That's when she fully snapped out of it, "But, wait, no. I-it's not for me. It's for you."

Amity's reacted as if Luz handed her a treasured gift as she took back the water.

"Thank you so much!" she finally began to drink her water...only for some of it to already drip onto her shirt.

"Wait, wait, wait," Luz just as quickly took the glass from Amity, put a hand under her chin, and help her drink the water. Once the glass was finally emptied, Luz tried to move away, but Amity grabbed her hand and held it fondly.

"You're so good to me," she smiled, and Luz may or may not have stared at Amity's lips a little longer than necessary.

"I..."

Ring ring! Ring ring!

"I should get that!" Luz tore her hand out of Amity's grip and pulled out her phone as she walked a few steps away. She didn't even see who was calling her as she answered.

"Hello?"

"Luz," it was her mother, "Are you still at your friend's house?"

'Shit.'

"Uh, yeah," Luz kept her voice level, "Sure am."

"Oh, thank goodness," Camila sighed, "Do you think you could spend the night there?"

"...What?"

"It's snowing really badly out, and I don't want you or your friend driving through the snow when it's already late at night."

Luz looked over at the window, and sure enough, the snow was falling down hard.

"...Um, yeah, I can spend the night. I was actually planning to call you anyway to see if it was ok."

"Of course, it is. Just as long as you stay safe."

"I will."

"Tenga una buena noche. Te quiero."

"Yo también te quiero."

"Chao."

"Chao," Luz hung up her phone and turned back to face Amity. She was about to explain the situation but stopped when she saw the sparkling look on the green-haired witch's face.

"...What?"

"You're spending the night?"

"Yeah, well--"

"We're having a slumber party!" Amity hip-hip-hoorayed, "Oh my gosh, we can spend all night telling ghost stories, braiding hair, maybe cuddle as we sleep--"

"What?"

"What?"

"...Ok, no. No to any of that," Luz stood firm, "Because not only are you going to bed right now, but I'm not sleeping in here. Instead, I'm going to sleep...somewhere else. Hey, are there any guest rooms I could sleep in?"

"Yup."

"...Are you going to tell me where they--"

"Nope."

"God damn it," Luz pinched the bridge of her nose, "Alright, you know what? I'll just find the room myself."

"Ok," Amity shrugged, "Then I guess I'll just be in here. By myself. Completely unsupervised and sleeping in any position I want. Maybe I'll even sleep like this tonight."

She then lay down flat on her bed, crossing her arms over her chest in an apparent attempt to mimic a dead person. It pissed Luz off, knowing that Blight was somehow still a genius despite being drunk off her ass.

"...Fine," Luz seethed, "I'll sleep in here tonight."

"Yay! Cuddle party!"

***

Luz stepped out of Amity's closet (which might as well have been a room of its own with how big it is), wearing her tank top and a pair of pajama shorts that Amity owned. It wasn't that different from what Luz usually wore at night, which she was more than ok with. After setting a pile of her neatly folded clothes onto Amity's desk, she looked over to the bed to see her friend smiling smugly, patting the side next to her.

"I hate my life," Luz muttered, shuffling over. She pulled the covers up and slowly got into the bed. But once she did, Amity didn't waste a second wrapping her entire body around Luz's. Like a koala bear, clinging to a tree.

"...Do you mind?" Luz's voice cracked.

"What? I'm sleeping on my side."

"Yeah, but I'd prefer it if you slept on a side that wouldn't result in me getting puked on."

"But how will we snuggle?"

"Oh my god," Luz sighed, "You're not gonna back down from this, are you?"

"Mm-mm."

"...tell you what. If you flip onto your other side, I'll--I can't believe I'm saying this--I'll...spoon...you."

Amity gasped, her eyes practically glittering with stars as she looked up at Luz.

"That's even better," she whispered, untangling herself from Luz's body so she can flip onto her other side, already getting into a position to receive comfort. Luz, slowly and reluctantly, turned over to wrap an arm around Amity, pressing their bodies together.

'This is probably punishment for...every shitty thing I've done in my life," she thought to herself.

"Hey, Luz?"

"What?"

"We're friends, right?"

"For reasons, I still don't understand, yes. We are."

"Best friends?"

Luz rolled her eyes.

"Sure. The bestest of friends."

"Ok..."

It was silent for a while, and Luz thought for a second that Amity was finally asleep.

"...Hey, Luz?"

"What?" Luz groaned.

"As my best friend, can you promise me something?"

"Only if you promise to go to sleep."

"Can you promise that you won't hate me?"

"...What?" Luz was not expecting that.

"When my parents found out that Willow was my best friend, they didn't like it," Amity explained, a little sleepily, "My mom said that her and dad would do bad things, and I didn't want them to do bad things, so I did what they said."

"...That's why you two stopped being friends?!"

"Mm-hm. And I said really mean things to Willow so she wouldn't even want to fight to still be my friend. It worked, but now Willow hates me, and that makes me sad sometimes. So when my parents find out about you, can you promise that you won't hate me when we have to break up? Because it will hurt even more when you hate me too."

There was one part of that explanation that didn't sit right with Luz.

"When? Not if?"

"It's never 'if' with them. Only 'when.'"

The assuredness in Amity's voice is what tore at Luz's heart.

"I...I promise. I promise that I won't hate you if they find out about me."

"Thank...you..." Amity mumbled.

"No problem."

"...I...la...love..."

"...Amity?"

A light snore coming from her friend told Luz that Amity, at long last, fallen asleep. Thinking that maybe she could sneak out and head to a different room, Luz slowly began to lift her arm. As she did, Amity started to shuffle in her sleep, and, not wanting to deal with Amity's bullshit again, Luz wrapped her arm around the witch.

"You're going to owe me big time for this, Blight," Luz sighed, trying to get some sleep herself.

She didn't even question the light feeling in her chest as she lay there with Amity.

Chapter Text

"You falling asleep on me?"

"Hm?" Amity looked up at Luz after leaning into her as they slow danced in the gymnasium. It was the perfect grom night for Amity. Her in a long mauve dress and Luz in a green suit, bow tie, and, of course, still sporting her beanie.

"Nah, I'm not falling asleep," Amity shook her head, smiling like the lovesick teen that she is, "I'm just really...at peace. You know?"

"Yeah, I do," Luz twirled Amity, "To think, you could have had this much quicker if you just told me how you felt. How you really felt."

"Rub it in, why don't ya?" Amity quipped, getting a chuckle from her girlfriend, "But all joking aside, I'm glad that I finally told you."

She then cupped Luz's cheek, the human leaning into the touch.

"Because this is everything that I have ever wanted."

Amity then began to lean in, their lips getting closer.

And closer.

And--

"Ah!" Amity yelled, feeling a slight pang in her head.

"Hey," Luz gently grabbed Amity out of concern, "Are you ok?"

"Uh, yeah," Amity said through the pain, "It's just a little--AAAAUUUUGH!"

Suddenly the pain got much worse, feeling as though Amity's head was splitting open by the second. She clenched her eyes shut, everything around her, including Luz, disappearing into nothing.

***

Amity blinked her eyes open, the remnants of her dream disappearing into the back of her mind as she began to wake up.

'Aw, damn it,' she thought, the headache from her hangover attacking with full force.

She was not in a gymnasium on grom night, but in her bedroom early in the next morning. And she was, in fact, not slow dancing with Luz, but instead, lying in her bed...with an arm wrapped around her?

Curious, Amity looked over her shoulder to see the culprit.

'Oh, it's just Luz," she thought, slowly turning back over.

...

Amity's eyes popped open.

She whipped her head back to look over her shoulder, which was a mistake because the sudden rush made her hangover say, 'screw you,' and leave Amity with a ton of pain. Once it slowly wore off (or, at least, became a bit more bearable), Amity got a good look at the person behind her. And what she saw both warmed her heart, as well as stopped it.

Luz. Sleeping in Amity's bed. Pressed up against the witch and peacefully smiling as she dreamed.

This left a myriad of thoughts in Amity's head.

'Luz is in my bed.'

'Luz is in my bed, and she's spooning me.'

'...I need to wake her.'

But just as she was about to wake her friend, Luz, in her sleep, then shuffled herself further against Amity. Her sleepy smile had grown wider.

'...And I am dead. I am dead, have ascended the stars, and this now my life for eternity.'

In a way that was much slower and stiffer, Amity turned back to lay on her side. Her entire face went red, and all of her thoughts remained empty as she stayed still with her eyes as wide as possible.

'...You know, it's probably for the best to leave Luz asleep.'

She eventually found Luz's hand and gently rubbed a thumb against it.

'I mean, it's not going to hurt anybody if we stay like this for five more minutes, right?'

Now it was Amity's turn to smile, as she shut her eyes and let out a whistful breath. Not even caring about the pang in her head.

***

"You see that star up there?" Luz asked as she pointed to the night sky. 

"Mm-hm," her date nodded while wrapped around her.

"Good. Now follow my finger."

Luz started to trace a pattern in the sky, ultimately going back to the initial star she pointed at.

"Aaaaand that," she said, "Is Ersa-major."

"...It is!"

"Yup."

"How do you know that?"

"Eh, my dad was an astronomy nut," Luz explained, "Once a year, we'd go camping, and he would always take me out to see the stars."

"You never talk about your dad that much."

"Well, there's not that much to talk about. Sure, we had fun sometimes. But for the most part, my dad was just this drunk asshole who made his daughter's life a stressful hell. Probably explains why I turned out all fucked up."

"Hey," A hand cupped Luz's cheek, forcing her to stare face to face with her date.

"You remember what I said?" Amity asked, "You may be an asshole, but you're a good one. It's what I like about you."

Luz smiled, genuinely smiled, at Amity's comment, glancing down at her date's lips for a second.

"You want to kiss me, don't you?"

Luz stayed silent, choosing to nod instead.

"Well, why don't you?"

"I...I don't want to assume."

"Assume what?" Amity leaned closer to Luz's face, "You know I want you to do it too. So what's stopping you?"

Luz remained still, glancing between Amity's eyes and her lips. Ultimately, she closed the distance between them and kissed her.

And kissed her again.

And again.

It felt so amazing, with each kiss sending a wave of euphoric energy through Luz's body. It was everything she didn't know she wanted.

"Luz?" Amity gasped.

"Hm?"

"Are you awake right now?"

"Mm-hm," Luz mumbled as she continued to kiss Amity's sweet, soft, hairy--

'Hairy?'

***

Luz peaked open her eyes, and instead of seeing Amity's face, all she saw was bright green. Remembering where she was, Luz's eyes became wide once she took in the fact of what she just did.

"mmBAAAAAAAH!" Luz shrieked, pushing herself to the other end of the bed. Unfortunately, she pushed a little too far and ended up falling off the bed entirely, face-planting onto the floor.

"Ow..." both girls groaned simultaneously, each with their own reason. Luz, for falling on the floor, and Amity, for her hangover. And hearing Amity's voice helped make it click into Luz's brain about what just happened:

She just had a dream about making out with Amity. And her dumb unconscious body started making out with the witch's hair.

"I am so sorry!" Luz exclaimed as she popped up onto her feet, her face completely red.

"Could you keep it down to a whisper?" Amity cringed, her face also red.

"Sorry," Luz whispered, "Um, sorry for both things. Both for being loud and...and for...um--"

"WE don't have to talk about it," Amity cut her off, "You were just dreaming. Right?"

"Exactly!" Luz shouted, only to quickly going back to whispering, "I mean, exactly. It was just a dream, and motor functions took over for a bit. Nothing more than that."

"Good..." Amity smiled, except she didn't sound as happy, "That's...That's good."

"...Are you ok?"

"What? Oh! Yeah! I'm fine. I'm just...thinking."

"About?" Luz sat on the bed, feeling concerned for her friend.

"About...how did I get here? I mean, clearly, I got drunk. But I have no idea how so...what happened last night?"

Luz frowned. She knew for a fact that Amity was lying through her teeth. But Luz also knew that it was because of a topic she didn't want to talk about. And who was she to judge?

"Boscha spiked a punch bowl," she explained, "And, like a dumbass, you drank the one that she said was spiked."

"Well, that explains the headache," Amity massaged her temple, "But how did we get home?"

"I drove us."

That made Amity whip her head to look at Luz, only to just as quickly cringe at the pain the head rush brought.

"You drove us?"

"Sure did. By the way, you know how you said you owe me one for going to that party?"

Amity nodded.

"Well," Luz began to list off her fingers, "Now you owe me for going to the party. You owe me for driving your drunk ass back home. You owe me for practically carrying you to bed. You owe me for forcing you out of your clothes and into those pajamas. You owe me for convincing you to drink some water. And, on top of all that, you owe me for being forced to spoon you as we slept last night. Which led me to do...what I did."

Amity's face flushed and continued to grow redder and redder as Luz continued to list things she owed.

"...You saw me undressed?" she squeaked out her question.

"THAT'S THE SHIT YOU FOCUSSED ON!" Luz shouted, causing her friend to cringe at the noise. "Sorry."

"No, no," Amity waved off the concern, "It's fine. And honestly, you're right. I do owe you. A lot."

"You owe me six, to be specific," Luz half-joked, but the crestfallen look on Amity's face said that she wasn't in a joking mood.

"...Although," Luz scooched closer, "Looking back, even though you were a pain in my ass, Drunk Amity is...kind of adorable."

Amity's face flushed again.

"You really think so?"

"Pretty much. You were kinda like a little kid. Naive, happy about every little thing, and a little pouty when you were upset."

Luz couldn't help but laugh as she thought about it. Even Amity couldn't help but chuckle a little bit.

But it didn't take long for another flustered frown to grow on her face.

"I didn't...do anything too embarrassing, did I?"

'Every hero deserves a reward.'

"Luz?"

'Nope! Now it's my turn.'

"Luz!"

"Huh?" Luz snapped out of her little trance to see Amity staring at her with a face full of concern.

"What did I do last night?"

"Um...You did stand on a table and announced that you were the 'Lesbian Queen of the Universe,'" Luz pointed out, feeling as though Amity had enough mortification for one morning. Amity, in response, let out a sigh of relief.

"That's not too bad, I guess. Anything else?"

"Other than puking in your mom's favorite plant and demanding that we snuggle? Nope. There's nothing else."

"Did I really say the word 'snuggle?'" The witch grimaced.

"Sure did."

This time Amity groaned as she flopped flat on her back onto her bed.

"Titan, kill me now..."

Luz chuckled, lying flat on her back as well, turning her head to look at Amity.

"There might have been other shit that happened while you were getting wasted. I wasn't there to see any of it, but Boscha was. She recorded the whole thing--"

Amity's eyes widened.

"--Which I already took care of. So don't worry that pretty little head of yours."

"...How did you take care of it?"

"By convincing Boscha to hand me her scroll and ripping it in half."

Amity turned her head to look at Luz. Her eyes were wide, but not from fear, but from amazement.

"You really did that?"

"Sure did," Luz smirked, "And before I did, I typed that she had a crush on Mattholomule through her social media."

Amity had to cover her mouth with her hand as she laughed.

"Oh my Titan," she said, "She is going to be so pissed at you."

"Oh, she's already pissed at me. Well, she's pissed about the scroll. The Matt thing is going to be fun for another time. And it is all worth it as I got a photo of her face when I tore her scroll in half. Which is absolutely becoming my new wallpaper."

"That's awesome. I...I can't believe that you did all of that for me."

"Of course I did," Luz shrugged, "It's like you said: We're friends. We gotta look out for each other."

Amity smiled warmly, and Luz smiled back. Once again, her eyes went to the witch's lips, her dream coming back to her.

"Hey, Amity..."

The bedroom door slammed open.

"WAKE UP, SLEEPYHEAD!" Emira shouted with glee.

"GAH!" Amity pressed a palm against her head due to the sudden noise. She then grabbed a pillow and hurled it at her sister, who instinctively dodged it.

"You asshole!" Amity screamed despite the headache.

"Aw," Em pouted, "Is that what you say to the most important person in your life?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Um," Luz chimed in, "I called her to let her know that you were wasted, and you pretty much went off about how much you love Ed and Em."

Amity's face was already crimson with anger, but now it was most likely red with embarrassment.

"Aw, shit," Amity muttered as she covered her face with a hand.

"Oh, don't worry, baby sister," The eldest Blight sister cooed as she walked up to hug the youngest, "I wuv you too! So much so that I got you the best healer I know to help with that headache of yours."

Emira gestured to the door, to which Viney leaned in, waving nervously. "Hi."

"Hey, babe," Em pressed her face against Amity's, "What do you think? Can you help my poor, innocent sister?"

"Get off of me before I bite your face off," her poor, innocent sister growled.

"I can certainly try," Viney walked over, "I know a helluva hangover cure that does numbers on my dad...and Emira. Mostly Emira."

"Rude of you to call me out like that, but thanks for helping." Emira stood up, "Anyways, I'm only here to see if you're ok, Mittens. And to drop Vine off to take care of you. Right now, I should pick up Ed. I promised I would after dropping him off at the party."

She pointed at Luz.

"You want a ride?"

"Um," Luz briefly glanced at Amity, "...Sure."

It was Luz's turn to get up as she walked over to the pile of her clothes on the desk.

"Just let me change first and--" She coughed, "--And I--"

Suddenly Luz was coughing severely, her face going red from lack of air.

"Luz?"

"What's wrong?!"

While coughing, Luz pointed at her throat.

"She's choking!" Viney deduced, "Hang on, I got this!"

She ran over and went behind Luz. Placing the thumb side of her fist over the human's abdomen and placing a hand over said fist, Viney began performing the Heimlich maneuver. After a few thrusts, Luz finally coughed out what was obstructing her throat. Once she could breathe again, she got a look at what nearly killed her. Only to see a clump of wet, green hair on the floor.

"...Is that--"

"Anyways, I'm gonna go ahead and change!" Luz squeaked quickly, grabbing her clothes off the desk and dashing into the closet. Viney and Emira looked over at Amity, who, red as a tomato, pulled the covers over her head.

***

Luz nervously shuffled in the passenger seat of Emira's car. After her incident a few minutes ago, she was more than willing to walk all the way home instead of getting a ride from Emira. But Amity's sister insisted more than ever, and now, Luz was forced to ride home with the last person she wants to be forced into a confined space with at the moment.

"...So," Emira said, "...You two had fun last night."

"Can we not talk about this," Luz muttered.

"I'm her older sister. I feel like it's my job to interrogate you about...whatever the hell led to that."

"Look, nothing happened, alright? She wanted me to spoon her, I did it, and it resulted in me getting your sister's hair in my mouth. That's all there is to this story."

"I feel like there's a little more to the story."

"Well, then you can ask Amity about it. Because I'm not saying shit."

"Oh, I'm absolutely going to ask her about this. Maybe even tease her for it too. But I also want your side of the story."

Luz stayed dead quiet.

"...fine, be that way," Emira shrugged as she finally pulled into the curb in front of Skara's mansion, "I'm going to make sure Ed's still alive. You can wait here if you want."

Shutting off the car, Emira got out and walked up to the mansion. Luz had zero desire to get out, but something on the lawn did catch her eye. Or rather, someone.

Skara, all by herself and barely keeping it together, was currently picking up beer cans and tossing them into a garbage bag. Only taking a break to quickly wipe away her tears.

"...God damn it," Luz muttered as she got out of the car and strutted over to the smaller witch. Once she got close, Skara looked up and froze from tossing another can into the bag, her eyes filled with confusion and surprise.

"Hey," Luz pointed at the bag, "You need help?"

"...I'm not allowed to talk to you," Skara stated, going back picking up trash. But Luz was not having any of that.

"Is that an order from your parents or from your white master?"

"...Boscha isn't white."

"Her soul is white. And it's pretty evident given how you immediately knew who I was talking about."

Skara shuffled her feet, the public sign of a person having an internal debate with themselves. 

"...She's going to kill me if she knew I talked to you."

"Well, then it's a good thing she's not here right now, is it?"

"..."

"Listen, if you really don't want my help, that's fine. I'd be more than happy to wait in Em's car, where it's slightly warmer. But only if it's your decision that you made. Not a little idea that Boscha planted in your head."

Skara still didn't look certain.

"...Alright," Luz shrugged, "If you really want to clean this by yourself, then so be it."

She then turned heel to walk back to the car.

"...There are a bunch of people passed out inside," Skara spoke up, making Luz stop, "I've been trying to wake them for an hour, but nothing works."

"You asked the right human for the job," Luz changed her direction to the mansion's entrance.

Meanwhile, at Blight Mansion

Amity's hangover somehow felt worse by the minute. But it remained a fair distraction for her not to think about the fact that Luz frickin' kissed her! It was the back of Amity's head, sure, but it didn't matter at the time.

From the first kiss, Amity froze, trying to convince herself that it was just a dream or that she imagined it. The second and third kiss made it clear that it was real, and Amity's heart started racing because of it. By the fourth and fifth, for a brief second, Amity allowed herself to just let it happen and enjoy it. Luckily, by the sixth kiss, she knew how wrong and unfair that would be and had to check to see if Luz was at least aware of what she was doing. Even if it broke Amity's heart to find out the truth.

Ok, maybe the hangover wasn't that big of a distraction after all. Still didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell.

"Alright, baby Blight," Viney gently said as she came back into the room with a glass full of mysterious liquid. "I've got the hangover cure right here."

"Be honest: How much am I gonna hate drinking that?"

"Oh, trust me, it tastes awful," the half-healer handed the glass over, "But, once you down it, that hangover of yours will vanish in no time."

As slowly as she possibly could, Amity took hold of the hangover cure and lifted it up to her mouth. And as she took a sip, she just as quickly spat it out and handed the glass back to Viney.

"Nope," she gagged, "I'd rather deal with the hangover."

"And I'd like to remind you that your brother and sister are going to be back any minute. Do you really want to deal with a headache with both of them here?"

"..."

"..."

"...Fine," Amity sighed, bringing the glass back to her mouth so she could drink the vile liquid. It tasted like garlic, drenched in ranch dressing, and sprayed with liquid garbage. None of it tasted good, but Amity did admit that her headache started to go away the more she drank.

She was about halfway through when--

"So...the human, huh?"

Amity nearly choked on what little of the cure was left. After a few more sputters and a couple of pats on the back from Viney, Amity felt ready to talk again.

"I don't--" she coughed, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, please," Viney smirked, "If that wasn't an obvious enough clue that you're crushing hard on Luz, then the Blight eyes you gave her definitely were."

"Blight eyes?"

"It's a term that Jerbo and I use when talking about how you Blights stare at people you're head over heels for. And from where I was standing, I can tell that you've got it bad, girl."

"...Please don't tell my sister," Amity begged.

"Your secret's safe with me," Viney smiled as she playfully jabbed Amity in the shoulder, "But I gotta ask, though: What do you see in her?"

"And why do you got to ask that?!"

"Morbid curiosity," Viney shrugged, "So what is it?"

Amity nervously fiddled with her blanket.

'Wait, would this smell like her?'

'Not the time for that!'

"...There's...a lot that I like about her, to be honest," she confessed.

"Well, then care to give me the top five?"

"...She's straight with people. Either she says what's on her mind or gets right to the point. I lived my whole life with people spouting bullshit to slowly work their way to get what they want. But Luz?"

---

HOOONK!

Most of the guests startled awake from the sudden noise, while the rest slowly and groggily got up. All eyes then went to Luz, who stood in front of them with an airhorn held above her head.

"Where did you even get that?" Skara asked right next to her.

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to," Luz then turned to the crowd, "Alright, assholes, listen up! You're gonna get up and off of your asses and head home to sleep like the dead in your own beds. And every second you're not gone is another second that I'm spamming this bad boy."

And to prove her point:

HOOOOOONK!

Just like that, every guest slowly got up and walked right out right past Luz, who was smirking like a maniac.

---

"She also understands people. She can figure out what they want and how to convince them to give her what she wants. Not in the way that she manipulates people, like what my parents or Boscha do. More like in a way that she strikes a deal with them where everybody wins.

---

"Hey, Luz?" Emira shouted from another room.

"What?" Luz called back as she shoved another beer can into a garbage bag.

"I found Edric...I'm pretty sure he's dead."

"We can worry about that later. Right now, you can help me and Skara clean up."

"And why the hell would I do that?"

"Because then I'll explain the hairball to you."

"Yeah, but I can get that from Amity anyways," Emira pointed out, "What else you got?"

"I can tell you an embarrassing thing Amity did last night?"

"Make it two embarrassing moments, and you got a deal."

---

"And she gets away with that because she's smart. And not just street smart. Luz has this unique way of doing magic, and because of it, she has to become more strategic."

---

"I can't believe someone broke this?" Skara held up a vase Luz knocked over last night.

"Yeah, who would do such a thing," Luz commented from the side.

"My dad said this has been in the family for generations! He's going to kill me!"

"Give it here," Luz took the vase out of Skara's hands. She then pulled a marker out of her jacket pocket, pulled the cap off with her teeth, and began drawing over the cracked part.

"What are you doing?"

"Hang on," Luz said with the cap between her teeth. After finishing a small glyph, Luz tapped it, and all the cracks went away along with the glyph. She then set it back on the table for Skara to look at it out of astonishment.

"How did you do that?"

"Illusion spell," Luz explained, pocketing her marker.

"But illusions only work--"

"--As long as the caster concentrates on the spell, I know. But Gus and I tested this. As long as the glyph stays intact, the illusion cast should last for...I don't know. Forever, I guess."

"...that's incredible."

"Sure is. Now let's move."

---

"Also, if you're a dick to her or a dick in general, she will not hesitate in making sure you get what's coming to you. I should know. I was at the forefront for most of it.

---

"Passed out, huh?" Luz asked, staring at an unconscious Boscha splayed out on Skara's bed.

"Yeah," Skara nodded, "I couldn't just leave her with everyone else, so I just...dragged her up here. She's a heavy sleeper, so it wasn't like I had to worry about waking her."

"You should have lied her out on her side. That way, she wouldn't drown in her own vomit."

"I didn't know that."

"Most people don't. But it's cool. You did almost save her from the worst thing about passing out in someone else's house."

"What's that? And what do you mean by almost?"

Luz answered that question by pulling out her marker again, uncapping it with her thumb. Skara instantly connected the dots, and her eyes widened.

---

"But on top of all that--"

---

"You can't!"

"I can, and I will," Luz held the marker out for Skara, "You want first dibs? She is the reason why your house is a wreck right now."

Skara's shock then turned to slight desire. She looked back and forth between the marker and Boscha, and Luz could see the inclination slowly slipping away each time.

"There was a ton of people at this party," Luz explained, "You can easily pass it off as someone getting to Queen Bee over there before you found her."

Skara still didn't look convinced as she looked back at Boscha.

"For fuck's sake, she's not invincible," Luz held the marker out further, "She only has power if you give it to her. You gonna give it to her?"

With that, Skara's stare turned into a glare as she snatched the marker out of Luz's hand and stomped over to her so-called friend.

"Atta girl," Luz couldn't help but smile.

---

"--Luz can be the sweetest person on the planet. Sure, her methods can be rude at times. But if your a person she likes, or someone who clearly needs help, she will do everything in her power to be there for you. And it is...amazing."

Amity let out a wistful sigh. Looking back up at Viney, she saw the older girl staring back with a smarmy grin.

"What?"

"You really do got it bad, don't you?" Viney couldn't help but joke.

"I know," Amity groaned as her head flopped onto her pillow, "But I can't help it. I never had an actual crush before. At least, not as strong as this one."

"Aw, don't worry. Crushes get easier with time."

"They do?"

"Well, for normal people, yes. But given how you Blights are all gay disasters, I'd say the odds aren't entirely stacked in your favor."

"...That's not helpful."

"Yeah, I figured as I was saying it," Viney got up and headed for the door, "Anywho, you can go ahead and finish that hangover cure of yours. I'm going to go work on your brother's."

"What if he doesn't need it?"

"Then I'll trick him into thinking it'll magically make him the strongest man alive until sundown."

"...I can see why Em likes you."

"Damn straight," Viney winked, walking out of the room and shutting the door behind her. And when she was gone, Amity slowly grabbed the part of her blanket that covered Luz and lifted it up to her nose. She then took a whiff.

"Oh my Titan, yes," she said breathlessly, shoving the entire thing into her face inhale it.

Back at Skara's

"Ready?" Skara asked at the pump.

"Aim," Luz said, lifting the hose at her target.

"Wait," Emira tucked Edric's shirt and pants under her arm and summoned her scroll. Once getting the perfect angle of Luz aiming the hose at her brother, currently unconscious and lying on a pool chair in his boxers and undershirt, Emira pressed record.

"Alright, now you can blast him."

Luz nodded at Skara, prompting her to turn the pump. Water then began to spray out of the hose, blasting Edric with water. Almost instantly, he floundered out of the chair and onto the ground, sputtering out some of the cold water that managed to get into his mouth. Once he was awake, Skara shut off the hose.

"W-w-wh-what the h-h-hell?!" he shuddered.

"We would have thrown you into the pool," Luz explained, "But that bitch is basically a large block of ice at this point."

"Here you go," Emira handed him a towel, which he took with a shaky hand, "After you dried off, you can go ahead and put your clothes back on."

"Why am I in my underwear anyway?"

"Because then you would have caught a cold in your wet-logged clothes, and Skara doesn't have anything for you to wear. Not anything that would fit, anyway."

"Noted," Edric held out a hand for his clothes, "But couldn't you at least dunked my head in a tub of ice water?"

"Yeah, but this was more fun," Luz smirked.

"C'mon, dipshit," Emira said, stopping her brother from making a snarky remark of his own, "Let's get you inside to warm up. Oh, and if you puke in my car, I'm gonna kill you."

Emira grabbed Ed by the arm and led him back inside the mansion, clothes in hand. Luz went to follow.

"Hey, hu--Luz?"

"Hm?" Luz turned to look back at Skara, who was nervously twiddling her fingers.

"Um...thank you," she muttered, "Thank you for...everything."

"Eh, don't mention it," Luz waved her off, "Despite what most people are lead to believe, I am not a complete asshole...at least, not when I want to be."

Skara smiled, running over to capture Luz in a big hug.

"Ok!" Luz exclaimed, her hands lifted up in the air. Slowly, she lifted them down and around Skara, gently patting the smaller girl's back.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...This is already longer than a normal hug should be."

"Just a little longer?"

Luz breathed out a sigh through her nose, deciding to just give in. And yet, she couldn't help but think that, for the second time in two weeks, she was being hugged by a person she wouldn't expect. And yet, she surprisingly didn't mind it...that much.

Chapter Text

"It cleans-eth me now, hallelujah to God;" 

"I rest unto His pro-mise, -- I'm un-der the blood."

Luz sang the hymnal with the same monotonal indifference as the other attendants in her church. And as she sang with thirty people in a worship hall that could fit a hundred, she couldn't help but wonder a few things. For example, why bother wearing a pale blue dress that matches her mother's and actually combing her hair when there's a family in the back that wore jeans and t-shirts. Hell, why bother showing up at all when she could be at home, sleeping in on a Sunday morning, for once.

But then Luz glanced over at her mother, who brightly smiled as she sang along to the hymn. It would most certainly break her heart if Luz voiced any of these frustrations.

'She's probably the only one here who actually has a chance at getting into heaven,' she thought, 'The last thing she needs is your whining. So suck it up, and just focus on keeping her happy.'

Gurgle!

'...And also hope that the pancake breakfast is going to be worth an hour of worship.'

"A-men~!"

"Please be seated for the words of the lord," Pastor Benson said to the crowd, who all obliged.

"Here we go..." Luz muttered, already dreading whatever words would come out of that man's mouth.

"I think I can speak for all of us when I say that the world is constantly changing," Pastor Benson began his sermon. "For every day, new lifestyles and ways of loving others are introduced and integrated into our society. Just the other day, I was given a chance to experience this first hand."

That caught Luz's interest for a moment.

"You see, my nephew gathered the whole family, everybody that he trusted, and did something none of us could have ever expected. He told us all that he was a homosexual."

Immediately everybody started murmuring with each other. And Luz had to admit, she was more than curious to see where Benson was going with this.

"I know, I know," he silenced the crowd, "I was surprised too. And as he continued, both he and his boyfriend, which was another shock to find out, started telling us all about what it means to be what they are. They explained what they considered the basics, answered questions, and soon enough, Micheal's parents stood up to give him a hug, and everyone else took turns letting him know that he is loved."

Now Luz was really interested.

"Later, I took Micheal aside so I can have a heart to heart with him," Pastor Benson pressed on, "I said to him that he is my nephew and that I will always love him. And no matter what, God will love him too, like all of his children."

For the first time in her life, Luz hung onto every word that a pastor said.

"But sin is still a sin, and I said that it's not too late to save his soul."

'There it is,' Luz thought, slumping into her seat and hoping that her mom didn't notice her reaction. Pastor Benson continued his sermon, but Luz mentally checked out, not caring about what he has to say next. It didn't matter if Benson told the secrets to the universe or the meaning of life. Because of what he said, Luz tuned him out for the next few minutes, stirring in a pissed-off mood she genuinely tried to keep out of church.

"--Now, I would ask you all to join me in prayer before we bring this congregation to a close," Luz heard Pastor Benson say fifteen minutes later. Everyone then simultaneously lowered their heads to pray, with Luz right along with them.

'Dear God,' she prayed, 'If you could be so kind, could you send down an angel or your son or something to tell all these homophobes that being gay isn't a sin. And the only reason why people think that's true is that some dickhead mistranslated a line somewhere. A translation, by the way, that was meant to tell people that pedophilia is awful. Something that some of your own pastors should learn from time to time.

'Because if you could send someone down to get the record straight, I, and many others, would really appreciate it...also sorry for swearing while during prayer. That wasn't cool of me. Bless my mom, and praise be to you.'

"A-men."

Shortly After.

"If you ask me, that was crossing way over the line."

Camila looked over to her friend Claire, who stood with her as they waited in line at a makeshift buffet table to grab breakfast.

"Are you talking about Pastor Benson or his nephew?" Camila couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, absolutely, it's Benson," Claire whispered so as not to draw attention amongst the chatter, "I mean, here you have a kid who was in a safe space and just wanted to be accepted, only to have your uncle basically say you're going to hell. The man might as well have punched poor Micheal in the gut."

"Aye, I am so happy that you said that," Camila grabbed two plates for herself and Luz, who sat at a table for them. "I understand that he's a person of the lord, but that's taking belief a little too far. I believe in God, and I love him with my whole heart, but I would never say anything like that to Luz. If she was gay, that is."

"I'm right there with you," Claire nodded as she piled food onto her own two plates, "I have five kids. Two of them moved out with relationships of their own. But if my other three ever come to me and say that they're gay, then the last thing I'd do is make them feel ashamed of it."

"Right? I always make it clear to Luz that she can tell me anything. Especially if it's something like that."

"Glad we're on the same page," Claire said as she headed toward the table her three kids sat at. "Have a nice Sunday, Cam."

"You have better," Camila nodded with a smile. She turned to look over the other tables, searching for the one that Luz was saving. After finding her daughter, she began to take a step forward when--

"You know, you two shouldn't talk about Pastor Benson like that."

Camila stifled her groan once hearing that voice. Looking over to her right, she saw none other than Gladdis Kranstien, the only person in the church group that Camila is less than thrilled to know.

"Hola, Gladdis," she greeted the woman.

"Seriously, the Pastor is a man of the lord, and you shouldn't say that about his teachings. Especially since the poor soul got treated with such hostility from his family after doing his job."

'Less than he deserved if you ask me,' Camila thought.

"Now, I'll keep quiet about that discussion between you and Claire cause we're friends--"

'I wouldn't call us friends.'

"--But keep in mind that not everybody will be as gracious as I am."

'Gracious isn't the word I'd use.'

"Gracias, for your advice Gladdis," Camila said instead, "I really appreciate it."

She then tried to walk away again.

"Also, if I were you, I would keep a closer eye on that daughter of yours, nowadays," Gladdis added, "For all you know, she commits bigger sins that are more worrisome than lesbianism."

That made Camila instantly turn on the heel and stand firm, facing the woman in front of her.

"With all due respect, Gladdis, I don't think it's your job to tell me how to raise my daughter," Camila's voice was patient yet stern, "Especially since you have no right to say what I should and shouldn't do. And you definitely don't have the right to say that Luz is a sinner."

"I'm just saying, you haven't dealt with teenagers before," Gladdis defended herself, "My eldest, Tommy, was just like Luz when he was her age. Moody, sarcastic, and a constant liar."

"Luz. Doesn't. Lie."

"How can you tell that she doesn't?"

"How can you tell that she does? It goes both ways, you know?"

"Oh, she lies. Because if Tommy taught me anything, it's that teenagers have no shame in lying to their mothers. And they're convincing, too. This one time, he told me that he was going to 'hang out' at a friend's house, but it was with someone I have never met before. I decided to follow him, as a good mother would--"

'Paranoid is more like it.'

"--And found him sitting in a room with a bunch of gangsters, smoking weed and making out. It took a whole summer at Bible camp before he got scared straight."

"Mm-hm. Ok. But the thing is, that's not Luz."

"Are you sure about that?"

Camila opened her mouth to object but became a loss for words when she thought back to Friday. With that in mind,  she'd be the one who was lying if what Gladdis described what Tommy said wasn't the slightest bit similar to what Luz said.

"Something tells me by that expression of yours, you're not."

It was true that Camila wasn't sure. But she was not willing to admit that Gladdis was right.

"As I said, keep an eye on her. For both of your sakes," the gossiper said as she turned to walk in her own direction, "Adios, gringa."

Camila did a double-take.

'Did she just...No,' she shook her head, 'No. She couldn't have.'

One Pancake Breakfast Later.

The drive home was a quiet one, not because Luz and Camila didn't want to talk to each other, but rather that they didn't have anything to say to each other. And it always broke Camila's heart knowing that she has difficulty speaking to her own daughter nowadays.

"So...what did you think about the Pastor's sermon?" She finally asked, only to be met with a shrug.

"It sure was something, I can tell you that," Luz said.

"Yeah...Something..."

Once again, there was silence.

"Hey, Luz?"

"Hm?"

"You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Luz's face stayed emotionless as she stared out the window, but the rest of her body noticeably got stiff.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Camila wanted to bring up the subject of homosexuality but decided against it. It would be unfair to assume anything about Luz, not to mention awkward if she wasn’t anywhere near gay.

"Well, your friends for one," Camila suggested instead, "I mean, you hang out with them a lot, but you barely tell me anything about them."

Luz visibly relaxed.

"I just don't know what to tell you about my friends," she confessed, "Mostly because I don't know where to start."

"You can start with their names."

Another silence passed.

"...Willow, Gus, and Amity," Luz eventually said, "Those are their names."

"...Can I meet them?"

"Why?"

"It's just..." Camila let out a sigh, "No offense, mija, but something that Mrs. Kranstien said that really got to me."

"...What did she say?"

"About...she thinks...she told me that maybe you're lying about your friends."

"And you believe her?!" Luz sounded genuinely betrayed.

"I don't want to, really. But...But look at my position, Luz. You tell me that you go out to be with these supposed great friends of yours and have never shown me any physical evidence that they exist. It's...It's a bit worrying, is all."

Yet another silence stood between them, except this one was thicker than others.

"...Alright."

"Huh?" Camila glanced at her daughter for a fraction of a second before looking back at the road.

"Seeing how Mrs. Kranstien made such a convincing case, then fine. You can meet my friends."

"Mija...I don't--"

"No, no, no, it's fine, it's fine," but Luz's tone made it clear that it was far from so, "I'll call them up once we get home. Tell them to have dinner with us tomorrow night, and we’ll all just sit by a fire and sing Kumbaya. I'm sure that will be enough to convince you."

"Hey, there is no need for that tone."

"Then I guess Mrs. Kranstien is right about me after all."

And that was the end of their conversation for the rest of the drive back home. Only this time, it was due to neither wanting to talk to the other. 

Once Camila finally pulled into the driveway of their house, she parked the car, and the two of them didn't even move to exit. Camila glanced over at her daughter, who stared indignantly out the passenger window. And it did fill Camila with a twinge of guilt, knowing that she was the cause of this. She was about to say something, but Luz beat her to the punch.

"Look, I'm sorry for getting a little...angry earlier," she said, "I'm not a fan of Mrs. Kranstien's point of view in the world. People think it's a bad thing to be really religious, and it's mainly because of women like her. She's bigoted, she's homophobic, and most of all, she's racist. Case in point, she once told me that she thought we were related to Lin-Manuel Miranda."

"...Did she really?"

"She sure did."

"...How would she even come to that conclusion?"

"I don't know! But she thought it was true. Which is why it...it stings knowing that you would take her word on something."

That definitely didn't make Camila feel any better.

"I'm sorry, mija. I really am. And trust me, I do not like that woman either. But I'd be lying if I'd say that she didn't have a point. I meant it when I said that you can tell me anything, and I will take your word with whatever you say. But lately, it feels like you're keeping secrets from me, and the last thing I want is for you to lie about something I should know."

But Luz remained quiet.

"Look, if you really want to invite your friends over, I'd be more than happy to meet them. But don't do it because you think I don't trust you. Because I do. And nobody, not even Mrs. Kranstien, will make me think that I can't."

"...Do you really want to meet my friends?" Luz asked hesitantly.

"At least one of them," Camila compromised, "But again, only if you want to invite them over."

"One of them, huh?"

"Mm-hm."

"...Ok. I guess I could call one of them and invite them over for dinner tomorrow. Maybe even hang out and chat while you're at work."

Camila smiled.

"That would be lovely. Which one are you going to invite?"

But Luz, on her part, took a deep breath as she stared straight ahead.

Meanwhile, At Blight Manor.

11/29

So, it's been a crazy two weeks since stealing Luz's jacket. In that time, I found out she was bi, became her friend, got her number, drove her to and from school, and even shared a bed with her as she made out with my hair.

At this point, I think it's safe to say that shit has gotten real between us. Because it's like the more time I spend with Luz, the harder I fall for her.

Nowadays, it feels like it would be easier to tell her how I feel, yet the idea alone becomes all the more terrifying.

Because I feel like it would be less weird to tell her the truth, but at the same time, we're in a good spot right now. What if saying I have a crush on her might cause Luz to run away? She’s the closest friend I have ever had since Willow, and the last thing I want is to fuck up another friendship.

Amity let out an annoyed sigh as she sat at her desk, tapping a pencil against her diary as she thought about what to write next.

Ring-ring! Ring-ring!

Just then, her attention got stolen away from her diary over to the crystal ball, letting Amity know that someone was trying to face-time her. And the name she saw nearly made her heart drop.

'AzuraFan4Life is calling,' she read, 'Luz is calling.'

Immediately, Amity shut her diary and pulled the crystal ball in front of her. Using its reflective surface to quickly check to see that she still looked good, Amity answered the call.

"Hey," Luz said once Amity answered.

"Hi...what are you wearing?" she couldn’t help but notice Luz's outfit.

"I just came back from church, alright?" the human explained, "So, sorry if you don't like my outfit."

"No, I didn't say that. You look...nice."

'In fact, I kind of like how you look dressed--FOCUS!'

"So, um, why are you calling?" Amity asked. But Luz hesitated to answer. In fact, she downright looked nervous to respond.

"Do you...Are you free tomorrow night?"

Amity's pulse quickened its pace.

'Holy shit,' she thought, 'Is going to do what I think she's going to do.'

"Uh, yeah, I am."

"Cool," but it seemed like it was kind of the answer Luz didn't want to hear, "So, um, here's the thing: My mom is starting to doubt that I actually hang out with friends when I head out to do shit, and now she wants to meet one of them. So, could you do me a solid and...come over tomorrow? And, you know, have dinner with us?"

The rich witchling felt a slight disappointment.

'Ok, so this isn't about a date. It's just about having dinner with Luz and her mom and--AND HOLY SHIT THAT'S WAY WORSE!'

"You want me to have dinner with you and your mom?" she asked with a calm demeanor, despite the pounding in her chest.

"Don't say it like that," Luz cringed, "Because it sounds less like I'm introducing my mom to a friend and more like I'm introducing my new fiancee or some shit."

"HA! Yeah! We don't want that, do we?"

Amity could already tell that her face went red. Which means she needs to change the subject. Fast.

"So, um, uh--" she cleared her throat, "Why are you asking me, exactly. Not saying that I don't want to go. It's just that you have two other friends you could ask. Why not them?"

"There are three reasons for that," Luz explained, "Reason number one is that Willow and Gus are kind of last resort options. If I ask Willow, then that means I owe her a favor in the future, and nobody wants that. And I can't ask Gus because not only will he be hyper fixated on every little thing we have in the house, but also because he's a terrible liar.

"Reason number two: I figured that you're used to impressing adults with how much of a kissass you are in school. No offense."

"Offense is fully taken."

"And reason number three is the fact that you owe me big time for taking care of your drunk ass last Friday. I'd figure it's probably for the best to check to see that you're at least ok with it."

'She had to go for the guilt trip,' Amity thought, feeling uncertain. Because on the one hand, the thought of meeting Luz's mom was more borderline terrifying than admitting Amity’s crush. But, on the other hand, Luz did have an excellent point.

"Alright," she conceded, "I'll be there."

"Great," Luz sighed with relief, "We can drive over after school tomorrow. My mom has a long shift, so we'll just be hanging out while we wait for her to come home."

"...So we're just going to be spending some time waiting...alone...in a big house with nobody else around?"

"...Basically, yeah," Luz shrugged, "See you then. Oh! By the way, and I know it goes without saying, but try to do something that hides those ears. Because the last thing I need to do is explain why my new friend looks like an elf from  Lord of the Rings."

With that, Luz hung up, leaving Amity to sit still as a statue at her desk. Eventually, she slowly dragged her diary over, picked up a pencil, and began to calmly write.

So Luz, literally right now, just asked me to come over to hang out at her house, completely unsupervised, as we wait to have dinner with her mom. Current mood: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Chapter Text

"You little jackass!"

Luz turned away from her locker to see Boscha stomping over. It was the end of the school day, and Luz was already beyond stressed about having Amity over to her house. The last thing that anyone needs, least of all her, is to deal with Boscha's bullshit.

"Little?" Luz said with an annoyed tilt to her head. "Bitch, I am absolutely taller than you!"

"Not the point!" Boscha yelled once she finally got up to Luz, "Because here's the thing: You draw on my face, I'll be annoyed. You rip my scroll in half, I'll be pissed off. But make people think I have a crush on FUCKING, Matt!? That is something I should kill you for!"

"...I didn't draw on your face."

"YOU--" But Boscha stopped herself to take a deep, calming breath before looking back at Luz with murder in her eyes, "That slimy, greasy, weasely little weasel has been hitting on me ALL DAY! And it's all because of you posting on social media that I like him. I mean, what the FUCK did I do to deserve that?!"

"...Do you really want me to answer that?"

"That's it," the tri-clops took off her backpack and held it out to her side. "SKARA!"

Almost instantly, seemingly out of nowhere, Skara showed up to Boscha's left and allowed the backpack to plop into her arms.

"C'mon, girl..." Luz couldn't help but feel disappointed, especially when Skara looked away as if she was disappointed in herself too. But Boscha stole Luz's attention by snapping her fingers in the human's face.

"Hey, don't focus on her. Focus on me," Boscha said, "Because we're doing this."

"...Doing what?"

"This," the psycho then raised her fists and planted her feet. "C'mon. Put 'em up."

"...yeah, no."

"What's wrong? You scared?"

"Oh definitely not," Luz shook her head, "Trust me, I'd be more than happy to punch that pretty face of yours. I've dreamed of it, in fact...many times...one might say, too many times."

"Definitely sounds like too many."

"Shut up, Skara!" Boscha shouted

"Sorry, ma'am."

"And it's also shit like that that would make me more than happy to wipe the floor with you," Luz continued, "But the thing is, we're going to have to reschedule because I can't fight today. I'm having dinner with my mom tonight, and the last thing that I need--and she needs--is for me to show up all bloody and bruised or being late because I got detention. And I especially don't want that since Amity is already waiting for me in the parking lot and--"

"Woah, Woah, Woah, whoa," Boscha got out of her fighting stance, "Why is Amity waiting on you?"

'Aw, shit."

"Uh, well," Luz stuttered as she figured out how to phrase her next sentence. Figuring that she can't back out now, it was probably best to stick with the truth. "You see, Amity...gives me rides to and from school. Since it's winter and I'd freeze to death if I'd walk."

"...Are you stealing my girl?!"

"Alright," Luz assumed the heat on her cheeks were from anger, "I don't know what type of fumes you're huffing and puffing while mixing potions, but there are a couple of things I should clear up. Because A: Amity is not your girl. She isn't anybody's girl, and I doubt she was ever yours, to begin with. And B: Even if she was 'someone's girl,' I wouldn't be stealing her because I don't even like Amity that way."

'At least, I hope that's not what that feeling in my gut means when I see her.'

"Then why was she all over you at the party?" Skara asked, prompting Luz to glare at the shorter girl.

"She was what?!" Boscha screeched.

"Thank you, Skara."

"Sorry."

"And to be clear," Luz went on, "the only reason she acted like that was because of you being the asshole who got her drunk in the first place. So all the times she got all lovey-dovey with me is really your fault."

"...Ok, you know what, this just got real," Boscha swiped her backpack out of Skara's arms, "This got so real that it's not even worth a fight in a school hallway. This is some back of a building's parking lot level of shit. Because Ams is mine--"

"Not true."

"--And I'm not going to let some round-eared loser think she can take her away from me."

"...That round-eared bit...was that racist?"

"Does it piss you off?"

"Obviously."

"Then, yes. Yes, it was."

Skara gasped.

"Clearly, it wasn't," Boscha muttered.

"Oh, ok."

"In that case," Luz put on a fake polite smile, "I will see you tomorrow at the parking lot of your choosing. But not today, because I have a dinner date with your girl to prepare for. See you, bitch."

While flipping Boscha off with both fingers, Luz backed away from the Queen Wannabee, eventually turning on her heel so she could see where she was going.

"...She clearly made it sound more like a date to piss you off more," Skara explained.

"Shut UP, Skara!"

"Sorry, ma'am."

Meanwhile...

Amity looked at herself in the rearview mirror, going off the mental checklist of her looks.

'Hair? Good. Mascara? Perfect. Teeth? Pearly white. Ears?'

Amity rubbed a finger around the illusion-casted ears.

'They even feel round...'

Tap! Tap! Tap!

"At this point, you could just come in," Amity said without looking away, "It's been unlocked the last dozen times you checked, so why wouldn't it be now?"

"Because the one time I don't check is the time that it'll be locked," Luz snapped back once she got inside. Amity genuinely felt a little shocked by Luz's reaction. They have been good for quite some time that acting that harsh with each other has become a rarity.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Luz pinched the bridge of her nose, "Yeah, sorry. It's just that I had a conversation with your ex-girlfriend."

"Ah," Amity nodded, immediately getting it, "What did she want?"

"She was just pissed by all the shit I pulled on her. Even wanted to fight me because of it all."

"Please tell me you punched her teeth in."

"Unfortunately, no."

"Damn it," Amity started her car.

"Hey, trust me, I wanted to," Luz looked over, "But since we're having dinner with my mom...I don't...think..."

As Amity pulled out of the parking lot, she glanced over at Luz, who looked surprised about something.

"You good?"

"Huh?" Luz snapped out of whatever stupor she was in, "Oh, yeah, sorry. I was just caught off guard by your ears."

"Oh," Amity subconsciously lifted a hand up to touch one of her ears, "They're not bad, are they?"

"They're perfect, actually. How did you do that? When did you do that? Because I know for a fact that they were still pointy this morning."

"Well, at first I thought about wearing my hair in a way where my ears would be hidden," Amity explained, "But after running into your friend Agustus between classes, I asked him if he knew any illusion spells that could change my ears. He then drew something on the back of them, and the next thing I know, I look human."

"Minus the giant hair and golden eyes, of course."

"Shit, really?!"

"Hey, it's fine," Luz reassured her friend, "Honestly, you're not too distinct from most humans, anyway. Now, if you looked like someone like Boscha, then we'd have a problem."

"Good," Amity sighed, but something was still nagging in the back of her mind. "Hey, um, what have you told your mom about me."

"Nothing too discriminating," Luz shrugged, "I just said that you were this rich white girl who hated me, and I hated back. After finally having a decent conversation with each other, we became fast friends, and you even give me rides to and from school at times. That's pretty much all I told her about you, and it's all she really needs to know."

Something tore deep inside Amity as she drove through an exit to the human neighborhoods.

"Again, I never hated you," she confessed.

"And again, you could have fooled me. Seriously, the first thing you said to me was to go up my own ass and take a left after I asked you directions. What else was I supposed to think."

"Yeah, but that was...conditioning."

"...Conditioning?" Luz tilted her head in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"...Everything that I said to you that day was just from my parents teaching me how to act as a Blight. Our family motto is to 'be assertive, be strong, and stand above those who are beneath us.'"

"That's a shitty motto."

"It really is," Amity nodded, "I didn't mean a single word of what I said to you. The truth is that I...I...I kind of hoped we would have been...friendly sooner."

'And maybe a bit more than just friendly,' she kept to herself.

"Really?" Now Luz sounded shocked.

"Don't get me wrong, there were days when you just drove me crazy."

'While you were also driving me crazy.'

"But overall, I always kind of liked you. I just never said anything because if I did..."

Amity's hand instinctively rubbed her neck.

"Then my parents would not be happy."

It became silent after that. Amity assumed that meant the conversation was over. Until--

"Then why now?"

"Hm?"

"I can tell that it's pretty clear that your parents won't do anything good once they find out we're friends," Luz pointed out, "So what changed between you stealing my jacket and returning it? All I've got to work off of is that you found out about the bi flag and nothing else."

Amity gripped tight on the steering wheel.

"Can we...Can we just...table that for another time?" she eventually asked, "Please?"

"...Fine. I'll save that for later. But I still don't know why you're risking it. I mean, won't your parents freak out if they eventually learn that we're friends?"

"And won't your mom freak out when she learns that you're going to a magic school for witches?"

"I don't know why you're bringing that up. Especially since the only way she'll find out is if someone from school tells her."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Oooooh!" It finally clicked in Luz's brain, "Gotcha."

"Yeah, something tells me that my parents won't care about school gossip."

"Mmhm...but what about Boscha? Isn't her family close with yours?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, what if she tells them."

"Trust me, she wouldn't. Boscha knows what my parents might do to me if they find out, and there's no way she would willingly put me in that position."

"You really believe that?"

"Hey, Boscha may be an asshole, but even she has her limits."

Luz still didn't seem entirely convinced, but she seemed to just let it go. At least, she let it go in favor to ask another question that came to mind.

"What would your parents do if they--"

"Table it!" Amity ordered immediately, her heart racing faster than usual. It was definitely enough to keep Luz quiet for the rest of the drive.

***

"Couple of things you should know before my mom shows up," Luz said once Amity pulled up by the curb, "When she's around, don't swear, don't take the lord's name in vain, and tone down the sarcasm by a lot."

"What's a lot?" Amity asked, putting the car in park.

"You know my levels of sarcasm?"

"Uh-huh?"

"With my mom, I only use, like, one percent of it."

"Wow, aren't you an angel."

"You see, that's the right amount that should be good with my mom," Luz told her friend, "She's not really a fan of being rude and snarky. She can handle a quick remark from time to time, but for the most part, I try to keep it under control when I'm near her."

"I get that," Amity nodded, "I'm pretty much the same way with my parents."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Except I use, like, none of my sarcasm. Because that isn't proper for a Blight."

"Hm...Can I say something?"

"Sure."

"Your parents suck."

Amity laughed hard at that absolute statement of fact.

"Yeah," she said, "They sure do."

Luz grinned.

"So, you got any homework you have to do?"

"Yeah, but I can just do that when I get home. How about you?"

"Eh, nothing that isn't due tomorrow, at least," Luz shrugged, "I guess that means we can just hang out in the living room and watch T.V."

"Question."

"Imagine a crystal ball that's large, flat, and hung up against the wall. That's what a T.V. is."

"...Question receded."

"Figured as much," Luz then got out of the car and headed up to her front door, Amity not too far behind. Pulling out her keys, Luz unlocked the entrance, and the two of them walked into the shithole that was the Noceda residence. In fairness, the inside wasn't all that bad. But bills and takeout menus littered the coffee table, the wallpaper was definitely too old now, and the last present that Papi left on one of the walls was still very noticeable.

"Why is there a hole--"

"Table it."

"Got it," Amity immediately understood as she looked around, probably taking in all the little differences that a human home has to a witch's. Luz didn't really care as she walked over to the couch and plopped her butt right on it.

"By the way, all we can afford is cable and barely afford Netflix," Luz explained as she picked up the remote, "So, whatever we watch is going to be pretty limited if that's ok."

But Amity didn't answer. Curious, Luz glanced over to see the rich girl standing in place, practically frozen.

"...You can sit over here, you know," Luz said.

"Yeah, I knew that," Amity squeaked, slowly making her way to the couch and sat down at the far end of it. It was almost as if she didn't want to be anywhere near Luz.

"What? Are you afraid I'm gonna bite? Granted, that would be a legit possibility five months ago. But now? It's like...less likely that I would do that. So what gives?"

"I...I don't want to intrude on your personal space."

"...The other night, I spooned you and made out with the back of your head the morning after. I'm pretty sure you're owed a little breach in my personal bubble."

"...Touche."

At that, Amity did scooch over, but no further than a cushion away from Luz. Deciding that's as far as her friend would willingly go, Luz rolled her eyes and went ahead on finding a movie for them to watch.

A Little Over An Hour Later

Amity nervously drummed her fingers on her knees, barely paying attention to the movie playing on the black mirror that Luz called a "tee-vee." Every now and again, Amity would tune back into what was playing, but for the most part, she still felt overwhelmed by being in Luz's house.

The cute pictures of a young Luz on the walls, the charmingly rustic look of the whole place, and the fact that Luz's sent was everywhere was just too much for Amity's poor gay heart. Not to mention the fact that twenty minutes into the movie, Luz eventually took matters into her own hands and scooched even closer to Amity, meaning they were about a tee-vee ree-moat length away from each other. Which certainly didn't help things.

Amity glanced over to Luz at some point, who was now texting on her phone. Amity fully tuned out the movie by now as she couldn't help but stare at the human, who didn't have a clue...right up until she glanced back, which then led to Amity quickly whipping her head to watch the film again.

'Smooth.'

"Hey."

Hesitantly, Amity glanced over at Luz again. Who had put her full attention into the girl in front of her.

"Do you wanna make out?"

"WHAT?!"

Luz jumped at Amity's screech.

"...I said, ‘do you want take out?’" she repeated, lifting up her phone, "My mom just said she's going to be a while and isn't in a cooking mood. So she wants to know if you're cool if she picks up some chimichurri sandwiches on the way home."

"Oh. Oh! Yeah, that's fine," Amity could feel her face grow hotter by the second.

"Ok?" Luz texted a reply to her mom, "...What did you think I said, anyway?"

"..."

"It must have been something bad to make you react as if I called you the c-word."

"...So this movie is interesting!" Suddenly, all Amity's attention went to the tee-vee, "My favorite character would have to be that, uh, that girl with the...dyed hair and...giant hammer--What did you say this movie is called again?"

Luz opened her mouth to say something, but a small ping! from her phone distracted her for a bit.

"My mom wants to know if you have any allergies," she said.

"I do not."

"Got it," Luz sent her reply, "Now, as for what you thought I said--"

"Table it for later."

'So I can have time to think of a proper excuse.'

"...Alright."

Luz went back to watching the movie for another minute, looked at her wrist for some reason, and then stared right back at Amity.

"It's now later."

"Luz--"

"Look, if it's something embarrassing, don't worry about it," Luz waved off her friend's concern, "Your brain just misinterpreted what I said. It's no big deal. I'm just wondering what you thought I asked that got you all hot and bothered."

'She called me hot--FOCUS!'

"You really won't judge?" Amity asked for clarification.

"Can't be any more embarrassing than what I did on Saturday."

'I guess that's true.'

"Well," Amity nervously fiddled with the hem of her dress, "I thought that...that you asked if...I wanted to...make...out..."

She glanced over, and, sure enough, a blush was beginning to form on Luz's cheeks.

"...Oh," the human said.

"But it's like you said!" Amity quickly exclaimed, "My brain just misinterpreted the words! It's not like you would ever ask me to do that, right?"

"...Of course not."

"...You hesitated?"

"Hm?"

"I said that you would never ask me to do that, and you hesitated when saying no. Why did you hesitate?"

"I didn't hesitate."

"Yes, you did."

"Pretty sure I didn't."

"Well, I'm definitely sure that you did."

"Well, if I did, then that's because, um..."

"...Because, um, what?"

"..."

"..."

"...So this movie, huh?" Luz looked back at the screen, "It's, uh, Scott Pilgrim, by the way. Just to answer your question...from earlier...about what movie this is..."

And thus came the thickest, most awkward silence between them. Understandably enough, Luz now had no problems with sitting as far away from Amity as possible.

"...How long until your mom gets home, again?"

"Should be another two hours."

"Damn it."

"Yeah."

Another Two Hours Later.

Camila locked her car and walked up to the front door, a bag filled with hot food in hand. Once up to the door, she went to unlock it, only to be startled when the front door suddenly opened, with Luz standing on the other side with a wicked grin.

"Hola mami!" she said, "Heard you pull in. Do you need help?"

"Um...No. No, I should be good," Camila began to walk past her daughter, feeling concerned about her nervous behavior. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, it's just been...a long couple of hours."

"How so?"

"No reason!" Luz said alongside someone else. It was then that Camila took notice of the girl sitting on their couch. More specifically, she took note of the girl's hair.

"Uh, Anyways!" Luz pointed at the girl, "Mom, this is Amity. Amity, this is my mom: Camila Noceda."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Amity then stood up and held out her hand.

"It's nice to meet you too," Camila used her free hand to shake Amity's, only to look over at Luz. "A esta chica le vendría bien un corte de pelo."

"¿Yo se, verdad?" Luz nodded, leaving Amity all the more confused.

"What did she say?" she asked.

"I said that you look lovely," Camila lied, "Now, are you girls hungry?"

***

It almost felt surreal to Amity as she sat with Luz and her mom at the dinner table. In fact, she couldn't help but notice all the ways that Luz acted differently around her mom. She didn't slouch, she smiled more, and most of her jokes were light-hearted instead of cynical. At school, Luz always acted like she was done with the rest of the world's bullshit. Here, she seemed...happy.

"Amity?"

"Hm?"

"Are you ok, dear?" Camila asked, "You've barely touched your food."

"Oh! Sorry," Amity took another bite of her sandwich.

"I think I know the problem..."

"You do?"

"Si," Camila nodded, "Luz told me that your family is quite wealthy. So I take it that means there are not that many fast-food nights when butlers prepare your meals for you."

The words seemed like an insult, but the cheeky smile on Camila's face told Amity that it was all just playful teasing. Something she rarely got from, well, anyone.

"I mean, you're not too far off," Amity confessed, "My mother refuses for my siblings and me to order out. Even on days when she and father are out of town."

"Oh. Well, your mother seems...lovely."

"Yeah, she's a major bi--"

Luz cleared her throat.

"Bi-bu-ba-bad-BAD person!" Amity stuttered, "She is a, uh, bad person...is what I meant to say."

Camila blinked.

"Got it."

"Amity also likes Azura," Luz chimed in. Clearly wanting to change the subject.

"Oh, that's lovely," Camila smiled, "You see, Luz was obsessed with those books not too long ago. On her last day of high school, freshman year, she accidentally released several snakes on her classmates due to getting carried away with her book report on that series."

"That...somehow doesn't surprise me," Amity commented.

"I take it that Luz still causes her fair share of trouble?"

'You have no idea.'

"Not really," Amity chose to say, "But she does give a feral vibe every once in a while that I absolutely believe that whole snake thing."

"Hey, I'll have you know that I was an angel back then," Luz defended, "Right, mom?"

"You sure were, mija," Camila nodded, "In fact, you still are. Don't let anybody say any different. To me, you'll always be that sweet girl who made a huge mess because she tried to style her own hair."

"I won't lie, I would love to have seen how that turned out," Amity then gave a pointed look at Luz, "Especially with all of the comments I get about my own hair."

Luz said nothing and instead playfully stuck her tongue out.

"Actually, I do have a photo of that day in an album somewhere," Camila added, "I could go find it and prove to you how innocent Luz was."

Now Luz's face went pale as Amity's brightened with glee.

"No, she doesn't!"

"Yes, I do!"

The poor human glared at the rich girl.

"No. You don't."

"Yes. I do."

"Right then," Camila finished her sandwich and got out of her seat, "You two sit tight. I'm going to go find that album."

Once her mother was out of the room, Luz scooched over to Amity with murder in her eyes.

"I would like to point out that you still owe me, like, five more favors from what happened last Friday," she whispered-growled, "So I would like to cash in one of them for you to not look at my baby pictures."

"And I would like to point out that you saw me at my lowest last Friday," Amity said with a smarmy smile, "Which means I'm at least owed some middle ground."

"...I hate you."

"Sure you do."

***

"This might just be the best night of my life," Amity confessed while skipping to her car. Luz was right behind her, scowling the whole way as she walked Amity back to her car as a "gracious host" would.

"Uh-huh, sure. But if any of those pictures get out to the public, I will--"

"Oh, calm down, you big baby. It's not like I took any pictures on my scroll. I couldn't with your mom sitting, like, right next to me."

"I...guess that's a good point."

"Of course it is," Amity smirked, opening her car, "See you tomorr--Oh, wait! Before I go..."

Amity reached into the back seat, took out the fifth Azura book, and handed it to Luz.

"I finished it," the witch explained, "You can have it back now."

"Oh, cool," Luz took the book back, "So...what were your thoughts on Malengale?"

"They were...pretty cool," Amity shrugged out of indifference. Luz was about to leave it at that. But as she pulled out a loose piece of paper, she immediately smirked once she found the perfect payback.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Luz asked, holding a piece of self-insert fanart of Amity and Malengale.

"That's nothing!" Amity exclaimed as she tore the piece of paper out of Luz's hands, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into her car. Luz couldn't help but chuckle at the display when an idea popped into her head.

"Wait right here for a sec," she said. Turning back to the door, Luz ran back inside, bolted up the stairs, and speed-walked to her room after her mom said not to run in the house. When she finally got in her room, Luz went over to her bed, crouched down, and pulled out a box that held her entire collection of Azura books in it. 

Swapping the fifth book for the sixth one, Luz left her room, walked back down the stairs this time, and went outside to see that Amity opted to sit in her car rather than wait in the freezing winter air. Which is totally understandable.

Once Luz got up to the driver's side window, she tapped it to get Amity's attention, who then rolled it down. Luz then handed over the sixth book, to which Amity slowly took it with a confused expression covering her face.

"There's six?" she asked.

"Seven, actually," Luz explained, "The eighth, and last, one comes out next year, and you better believe I'm helping you catch up by then. Because if I go another day without talking about this series with someone else, I'm going to lose it. Especially since book seven is so good! "

Amity smiled, tossing the book in the back seat.

"Thanks, Luz. I really appreciate that."

"No problem," Luz patted the top of Amity's car, "Drive safe."

"Will do."

Luz took a step back so Amity could pull out. Yet, the human still stood outside as she watched her friend drive away, waving goodbye the whole time.

'There's that weird feeling again,' she thought as a tingling sensation formed throughout her gut. It wasn't the first time that day when Luz felt this.

She felt it when seeing Amity's human ears, when Amity admitted that she always wanted to be friendly, and especially when Amity thought Luz wanted to make out.

'...Wait...do I--'

Luz shook her head.

"No, no, no no no," she said to herself, "There's no way. There's just no way! I'm sure this is just some...indirect way of Boscha's words getting to your brain."

Luz turned around to go back inside. 

"By tomorrow, you'll laugh about how ridiculous a thought like that is."

At Midnight.

Ever since turning in at nine, Luz could not for the life of her go to sleep.

Why?

Because her head was filled with nothing but thoughts of golden eyes, wild green hair, and a smirk that became all the more attractive, the more she thought about it.

"...Goddammit."

Chapter Text

It hit Luz how draining the day was going to be the second she walked out the door and immediately wanted to just pass out and sleep like the dead...more so than usual. Because she couldn’t stop thinking of a certain someone last night, it took Luz until 4:00 AM until she finally went to sleep, only to then be woken up by her alarm at 6:00 AM. Needless to say, she doubts she’ll stay up long.

Despite that, she kept walking down the sidewalk in a way that felt all too familiar and routine. And once she spotted Amity's car, alarm bells that remained silent for weeks started going off in Luz's head as she came up to it. Because out of all the times Luz was forced to sit in a confined space with Amity for a few minutes, it never bothered the human. But now that Luz knows she has a crush on the girl? She felt much more awake, the butterflies started fluttering, and the self-conscious nerves started coming in full force.

'Please don't think I look like shit. Please don't think I look like shit. Please don't think I look like shit,' was all Luz could think while knocking on the passenger window.

"I know that you know it's unlocked," Amity claimed through the other side, "Seriously, you're just messing with me at this point, right?"

"Maybe I am, maybe I’m not," Luz shrugged as she got in, "The best part is that you'll never know."

"I hate how true that is," Amity put her car in drive, "So, why do you look like crap this morning?"

'Damn it!'

"I had trouble sleeping. It's no big deal."

"What? Are you scared of your fight with Boscha or something?"

"Crap..." Luz groaned, "I completely forgot about that."

"Well, you might be the only one in that regard."

"What do you mean?"

"Apparently, ever since school ended yesterday, Boscha has been posting about how she's going to, and I quote, 'Take care of the human problem in our school.' And in true high school fashion, the news about that spread faster than wildfire."

"So what you're saying is that the whole school knows that I'm going to wipe the floor with--" Luz's witty remark got cut off by a yawn, "--that two-bit bitch."

"I wouldn't get too cocky," Amity warned, "Especially since you've had like, I assume, an hour of sleep?"

"Two hours, thank you very much. And it's fine. I got History today, so I'll just sit in the back, take a power nap, and then ask Gus for his notes after school. That's a fool-proof plan right there if you ask me."

"Another option is that you call off the fight and kick Boscha's ass another day."

"And let her get away thinking she scared me?" Luz asked incredulously, "No way. I'd sooner have my own ass kicked."

"Good, because no offense, but as a person who once kicked your ass on the daily--"

"Debatable."

"--I can guarantee you're going to lose. Besides, you don't have to be afraid about the whole school thinking you chickened out. I'm sure that no one beyond our class knows."

***

"No one beyond our class, huh?" was all Luz could say as she took notice that the halls of Hexide were practically covered with fliers that advertised the fight, each of them with a photoshopped image of Boscha holding Luz's head like a trophy.

"I've been wrong before," Amity confessed, looking over to her friend who stared at the witch, eyes filled with bewilderment. "...What?"

"You just admitted that you were wrong about something."

"...You're not going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Not in your life!"

"Ms. The Human!"

Both girls looked down the hall to see none other than co-principal Clawthorne stomping her way towards them.

"Hey, Lilith," Luz waved.

"It's Miss Clawthorne, to you," Lilith held up one of the fliers, "And what is it that I hear about a fight?"

"Hey, this time, that isn't my fault. You can go ahead and blame Boscha for that one."

"Even if that is true, I still will not tolerate a fight," Lilith read the poster, "Especially one happening at...Oh, wait, it's not happening on school grounds. Nevermind. Best of luck to you then. But be sure not to cause any major injuries to your opponent. She's our star grudgby player, and I will not hesitate in expelling you for taking that away from us."

The co-principal then placed the flier into Luz's hands and walked away.

"...Thanks," Luz called back, reading the flier for herself, "...What the hell is the Covention Center?"

Amity whistled in response.

"Wow, she must have really flexed her wealth to get that," she said, leaning over to read the flier as well.

"Yeah, but what is it?"

"You'll find out at 4:00 PM, apparently. Unless you want to call it off."

"Not happening."

"In that case, I'll drive you there," Amity said as she walked away, "Because win or lose, there is no way in hell I'm missing this."

***

In the last few hours, Luz has been bouncing back and forth between not giving a shit about the fight and nearly shitting herself over it. And the lack of confidence she has been getting from her friends didn't help either.

"Hey, Luz!"

Speaking of which...

Luz looked over her shoulder to see Gus and Willow running over to her from down the hall. Or, at least, Gus was running. Willow looked as though she couldn't go beyond a saunter.

"Luz, we've heard about the fight," Gus pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil, "And since then, I've been working hard at planning your funeral. Now, I want to make it as authentic as possible, and I gotta ask: Do humans really burn their corpses during the services?"

"...You just described a Viking funeral...which, to be fair, is how I actually want my funeral to go, but that won't be necessary. Because I'm not going to die."

"Sure you won't. Now, as for your floral arrangement..."

"I already took care of that," Willow chimed in once she walked up, "The carnations, daffodils, and roses are all grown and ready to go."

"Thanks for the confidence, guys," Luz sarcastically noted, returning on her trek to her locker.

"To be fair, you're the dumbass who decided to go up against Boscha," Willow pointed out, "It's not our fault that we're preparing for the worst."

"When we first met, you told me that Amity was the meanest girl on campus. I've been in plenty of scraps with her, and I've turned out fine every single time."

"Yeah, scraps. Not full-on fistfights. Besides, for whatever reason, Amity was clearly going easy on you."

"She gave me bloody noses, scratches, and bite marks every time! Fighting her is the equivalent of wrestling a feral tiger. How is that going easy on me?"

"Are you still alive?"

"Yeah?"

"Then she was going easy on you."

"That argument is sound," Gus nodded, "Especially since you look a little sleepy."

"I'm sleepy because I got two hours of sleep last night--Which I'll remedy after a power nap in History," Luz mentioned quickly after seeing the surprised looks on her friends' faces. "Speaking of History, Gus, I'm gonna need to borrow your notes after class."

"You got it, buddy."

"Pretty sure you're gonna need a power nap for a fight with Boscha," Willow said, "If fighting Amity is like wrestling with a tiger--Whatever that is--Then fighting Boscha is equal to wrestling a slitherbeast."

"I've fought those too," Luz affirmed, "They're big and strong, but dumb as hell. So you're right. Fighting Boscha should be the same thing."

"Excuse me."

The trio jumped at the new voice and turned around to see none other than Skara standing firmly behind them.

"...Uh...hi?" Luz awkwardly waved.

"Hello," Skara greeted back, "I'm here to let you know that Boscha said that there doesn't have to be a fight anymore. Just as long as you stop hanging out with Amity and stealing her away from Boscha."

Recent feelings aside, Luz flared up at the bullshit request Skara offered for her.

"Tell Boscha that's not happening, and I will promptly punch her teeth in for thinking that Amity is something--someone--that belongs to anyone. Because she isn't."

"In that case, as her best friend, I have to tell that she will destroy you."

"Whatever."

"And as her best friend, I probably shouldn't tell you to go for any of her weak spots."

"..." Luz shared a curious look with Gus and Willow, who shrugged. "What weak spots?"

"Well, as her best friend, I shouldn't tell you that Boscha suffered a lot of injuries from playing grudgby," Skara explained, "Like the fact that her right arm hasn't healed right and she prefers punching with her left. Or the fact that she's still recovering from breaking her left leg and that if you kick the back of it hard enough, she'll crumble."

"...It's too bad that you didn't say any of that," Luz played along, "Because that would all be incredibly useful. And I would have to ask why you would tell me that in the first place."

"Hypothetically speaking, if I did tell you all of that--which I didn't--it would probably be because I'm still a little mad that she destroyed my house for the sake of getting Amity back. And that I'm just as sick as you are that Boscha wastes so much time trying to win back a girl that is clearly not interested."

"In that case, I really hate that you didn't tell me any of that stuff. Because then I would have thanked you for the advice."

"And I would have said, 'You're welcome,'" Skara looked left, right, and hugged Luz for a fraction of a second to then scamper off to who knows where.

"...So are you making it your goal to befriend every person I hate or is this just all a coincidence?" Willow asked sarcastically, earning an eye-roll from Luz.

"I assure you that it's all just a coincidence. And it pays off now that I know the best way to kick Boscha's ass at the Covention center...whatever the hell that is."

After School, At the Covention Center

"...I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't this," Luz commented as she stood inside a battle arena as Hexide students chanted the word "FIGHT!" over and over in the stands.

At one end of the arena stood Luz with Gus, Willow, and Amity, who were there for 'moral support.' At the other end stood Boscha's posse, but oddly enough, no Boscha.

"What are the odds that she chickened out first?" Luz asked.

"Not high," Amity shrugged, "I'm sure Boscha is trying to be fashionably late or setting up her grand entrance. Most likely the ladder."

"So is no one going to question that she's part of the group now?" Willow spoke up, pointing at Amity.

"I could leave if that's what you want," Amity snarked back, "Seriously, I could head home right now if that would make you more comfortable."

"It would, actually."

"Please don't," Luz begged, "You're my ride home."

"She gives you rides, too?"

"It's a recent thing," Amity explained, facing Luz again with a smirk, "And is that really all I am to you? A ride?"

"You know that's not true."

"Do I, though?"

"Aw, zip it," but Amity still chuckled, letting a warm feeling spread through Luz's body. 

Neither girl was aware of the curious look Willow gave them.

Just then, an entrance to the arena lit up with fire at both sides as epic music suddenly blared from nowhere as Boscha stepped out with the smarmiest grin Luz had ever seen.

"Told you," Amity nudged the human.

"Yup, you sure did."

"Welcome, everybody!" Boscha announced to the crowd, "Now I'm sure you all have somewhere you need to be and something better you have to do, but don't worry. I won't waste your time. Because this fight is going to end as quickly as it begins. Unless..."

Boscha made a point to look straight at Luz.

"There doesn't have to be a fight, and the human wants to cry back home to her mommy now?"

"Oh, I'm definitely going to enjoy this," Luz grumbled.

"Break a spine, Luz!" Gus said chirpily, earning bewildered looks from all three girls. "...What? That's a human saying, isn't it? It means good luck."

"...Your version is better," was all Luz said before walking towards Boscha. And as both girls met up at the arena's center, Luz stood firm in front of the triclops, arms crossed and expression emotionless.

"By the way, all of this--" Luz gestured to the arena, "--is a bit much for a fistfight. Seriously, how much money did you spend to make this happen?"

"Not a cent," Boscha bragged, "You see, people have a hard time saying no to me."

"Hm. I know what you're doing, by the way."

"What are you talking about?"

"The fact that you're trying to get me to back out. Because if I didn't know any better, I'd say nearly every student from Hexide is watching us right now. Meaning the entire school is going to be talking about this fight for weeks. Or, at least, depending on who loses. Because if I lose, who gives a shit? I'm just a loser human that most people ignore anyway.

"But if you lose, well, let's look at the facts: You're the star captain of the grudgby team, you're the most popular person in school, and the person that everybody is scared of daily. How would it look if a pathetic human just wiped the floor with you? Worse, what would people think if you backed out now of all times? I don't know about you, but I would say that it would cost every little bit of power that you worked so hard to get. Wouldn't you agree?"

But Boscha didn't need to say anything. Her cocky smirk dripping into a scowl was all the confirmation Luz needed.

"That's what I thought," Now it was Luz's turn to smirk, "Look, I'll back out and bite the bullet of the whole school thinking that the big bad bitch--that's you--scared me off. But only on one condition."

"Which is?" Boscha growled.

"You give up trying to win Amity back. Because she doesn't want you anymore and has every right to be with whoever she wants. If it's me or someone else, you have to accept that it’s her choice."

"...You're really that confident that you'll win, huh?"

"Sure am," Luz said, stifling a yawn. Turns out the power nap wasn't as successful as she hoped.

"Fine. Then you won't mind a little wager."

"Wager?"

"The first one to get knocked down and not get up, or even call it quits at any point, loses. When I win, then Amity is mine, and you stop hanging out with her. And if by some miracle that you win, then you get... whatever the hell humans want. I assume it's dog treats?"

"...How about this: If I win, not only do you apologize to Amity for treating her like a trophy to be won, but you also stop these pathetic attempts to get her back."

"So is that a deal?"

"It sure is," Luz stuck her hand out for Boscha to shake but was soon surprised as the witch drew a spell circle around the human's hand before grasping it.

"Before we agree, here are some ground rules. No magic, no biting, no scratching, no hair pulling, and definitely no hitting this whole situation," Boscha gestured to her face, "Got it?"

"...Ok," was all Luz could think of to say as she was still taken aback by what was happening.

"Great!" Boscha let go of Luz's hand, and the spell circle dissipated once she did, "The everlasting oath is now complete. Which means there's no going back now."

"Uh-huh...I don't know what that means, so here's a question: What happens when I break that oath?"

"Oh, trust me, you won't break it. Now, are you ready to eat dirt, human?"

"Born ready," Luz said, regaining her confidence, "In fact, you can have the first punch."

Boscha raised an eyebrow.

"Really? You sure you want that?"

"Of course. That is unless you're too scared of breaking a nail--"

SMACK!

The entire stadium went 'Ooooh,' due to Boscha sucker-punching Luz so hard that the human immediately went down and into the dirt. Needless to say, Luz was very much awake now.

"JESUS CHRIST!" She shouted as she slowly stood up, nursing the now bruising cheek that Boscha hit. "What the shit do they feed you rich girls?! Also, what happened to no hitting the face?! That was my face! You said no hitting the face!"

"Oh, no, I meant my face," Boscha reiterated, "My face is off-limits. Yours is free real estate."

"...Ok. Alright," Luz then shrugged off her jacket and tossed it behind her, hoping that one of her friends would at least catch it, "Now, this shit just got real. And for that 'free real estate' remark, let me respond with this:"

She tried to sucker-punch Boscha back. But as Luz's fist was about to make contact, she...froze. 

No, Luz didn't freeze, but her fist stopped just a centimeter from Boscha's face. Almost as if something was holding her back.

"Uh, what?"

"Told you that you won't break the oath," Boscha said with a mischievous grin, winding a punch of her own. This time, Luz was slightly more prepared, having enough time to plant her feet so that the jab, in the exact same spot, did nothing but cause Luz to stagger back a few feet. Quickly shaking it off, Luz charged right back at Boscha, going for one body shot, then another, only for Boscha to block both. By the third punch, she caught Luz's fist and punched her in the gut, knocking the wind out of Luz and causing her to buckle down onto her knees.

"Want to give up now?"

"In...your...dreams..." Luz gasped, getting up and going in for another punch. Only for Boscha to once again catch it, grab Luz by the collar, and judo-flipped her onto the ground. Pinning the human with a forearm to the chest and a knee to the gut.

"What the hell are you? Part ninja?!" was all she could think to ask.

"My dad signed me up for self-defense classes," Boscha explained, "He said that when you're as rich and beautiful as me, people are either going to mug you or rape you. So it really paid off. Anything your dad does for you?"

"He taught me this:" Luz then spat a loogie, nailing a bullseye at the middle eye on the triclop's face, who then jumped back a bit in response.

"GAH! You gross fucker!" she shrieked.

"Hey, you said nothing about spitting," Luz said between laughter, "And it's not like I hit you in the--"

But Luz's remark was cut short as Boscha sat right on top of Luz and punched her hard in the face. And punched her again. And again. And continue punching Luz over and over in a blind fury. Leaving everyone speechless over what was happening before them.

Finally, Boscha stopped with one last punch and stood above Luz, whose face was bloody, bruised, and swollen. And she couldn't tell if the blood she tasted came from her mouth or from it leaking off somewhere else on her face.

"If you know what's good for you, you will stay down!" Boscha shouted. Luz tried to get up, but the second she did, Boscha immediately kicked her in the side.

"I said STAY DOWN!"

"You didn't have to literally kick her while she's down!"

"Shut up, Skara!" Boscha stepped across Luz to shout at her 'friend.' "Whose side are you on, anyway!"

While Boscha was distracted by that, Luz looked over at her own friends. 

Willow scowled with her fists clenched, looking like she was about ready to jump in to kick Boscha's ass for Luz.

Gus was cheering for Luz to get up. At least, she thinks that's what he was doing. A sudden ringing in Luz's ear currently made it hard to decipher what anybody was saying if they weren't close enough.

And then there was Amity, who held Luz's jacket tight to her heart, eyes wide and complexion pale.

That's when it hit Luz: If she loses, she'll be forced by some magic bullshit to never see Amity again. All these weeks of getting close and building...whatever the hell their relationship is building towards would have been for nothing. Worse yet, Amity will be left with Boscha, who would treat the green-haired witch with as much dignity and respect as Boscha treats her friends.

It was the mix of fear and anger from that thought that gave Luz just enough adrenaline she needed to turn towards Boscha and kicked her hard in the left leg.

"AW, SHIT!" Just as Skara said, Boscha crumbled to the floor. Seeing her chance, Luz got up and tackled Boscha from behind, wrestling around with her until it ended with Luz flat on her back, trapping the bully in a chokehold. Boscha tried to get out of it, but Luz stayed firm with her grip.

"I'm not giving up yet, bitch!" Luz said, taking her time to spit out a bit of blood in her mouth, "And for the record: My dad may not have signed me up for self-defense classes, but he definitely taught me a thing or two whether I liked it or not. So good luck getting out of this without biting, scratching, or magic."

Without any other option, Boscha began elbowing, kicking, and even punching Luz wherever she could. Every time she did, though, Luz would tighten her hold, and soon enough, Boscha's hits started leaving less of a hard impact.

"Here's a new dilemma," Luz growled, "What's more embarrassing? Getting choked out by a human, or finally calling it quits and giving up to a human? Your choice!"

"..." reluctantly, Boscha tapped out, resulting in Luz ending her chokehold and kicking Boscha off of her, who then gasped and sputtered for air.

"LUZ NOCEDA FOR THE WIN, MOTHER FUCKERS!" she cheered as the adrenaline started wearing off, "Suck on that one, bitch!"

"You only got lucky, you--"

"Up-bup-bup-bup-bup-bup! Before you continue with that horseshit, I believe you owe someone an apology."

Luz then pointed over at Amity, who looked as though an entire weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Getting the message, Boscha stood up, brushed the dirt off her, and looked straight at her ex.

"...I'm sorry."

"For what?" Luz prompted.

"You--" Boscha took a deep, calming breath and continued, "I'm sorry for treating you like a trophy to be won."

"And?"

"AND--And...I will stop trying to win you back. Because if you really want to be with that--" she pointed at Luz, "--then clearly your tastes aren't good enough for me. C'mon, girls! Let's get out of here."

Boscha began to head towards an exit, but instead of following her, her posse immediately ran over towards Luz. This stunned...well, pretty much everybody.

"Hey," the tall girl with green hair lifted a hand towards Luz, "You need a hand?"

"...Sure?" Luz grabbed the other girl's hand, still a little surprised.

"Uh, EXCUSE ME?!"

"Shut up, Boscha!" Skara shouted. The expression on Boscha's face was a mix of shock and anger. It didn't take long for the anger to take over as she faced the exit again and stomped out of the arena.

"Sorry about all of this," said Skara, "Are you ok?"

"...I...I've been worse?"

"Just so you know," Willow walked up and slapped Luz on the back, "I now have way more respect for you than I already do. That image of you choking out Boscha will forever stay with me. I just wish I took a picture of it."

"Don't worry, I got it," Gus said as he showed the group the photo he took on his scroll, "I make it a point to keep records of every awesome thing that Luz does. Which is a lot."

"'Preciate it, buddy."

"A-hem."

All attention now went to Amity, who held out Luz's jacket for the human to grab.

"I believe this belongs to you," she said.

"Uh...yeah," Luz took her jacket, taking note of how shakey Amity's hands were, "Um, thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"Hey, um, my face," Luz presented to the group, "On a scale from one to ten--"

"It'd be a negative nine."

"Thank you, Willow."

"I can take care of that," Cat chimed in, drawing a spell circle. Once it was complete, a bright blue glow filled Luz's face, and soon enough, she felt...nothing. No pain, no throbbing. Even the taste of blood was gone.

"Uh, what did you do?"

"I'm from the healing track," Cat explained, "I healed you."

"...You what?"

"It's true. Look," Skara took out a pocket mirror and handed it to Luz. Sure enough, every little cut and bruise that Luz expected to see just...didn't exist. It was as if she was never in a fight, to begin with.

"...Ok, seriously, we need to figure out a way to integrate witches back into human society," Luz said, stupefied, "Because this shit would be incredibly useful for people with something like cancer."

"...What's a cancer?"

"MY POINT EXACTLY!"

***

"Remind me to bring someone from the healing track along the next time I get into a fight," Luz said as she looked at herself in the rearview mirror in the car, "This saves so much time from coming up with an excuse for my mom about why I look like a wreck."

"Uh-huh, sure," Amity nodded along, but she wasn't really listening. On top of paying attention to the road, her mind wandered to the fight. Things got way too close back there. Amity wasn't worried about being Boscha's because Amity didn't accept that deal. Nothing would force her to go through with it.

What scared Amity, however, was the fact that a life without Luz was almost her reality. Everything that Amity has been working towards in the last few weeks would have come to an abrupt end, and Luz would live on without knowing how Amity feels.

And that was just the wake-up call she needed.

'No more waiting,' she thought, 'You need to tell her. Now.'

"Uh, Amity?"

"Hm?"

"You just drove past my house."

"Oh, shit!" Amity started pulling into an empty driveway and pulled back out to the direction of Luz's home, "Sorry. I was just...thinking."

"Uh-huh?" was all Luz said as Amity pulled in front of her home.

"Well, here we are."

"Yup. Here we are."

And despite being parked in front of her house, Luz made no effort to leave.

"..."

"..."

"...Luz, I--"

"You were--"

Both girls stopped talking as soon as they began, blinking in surprise.

"Um...you can go first," Luz allowed.

"Oh, no, you can say what you need to say...if you want."

'Coward.'

"Um, Ok. Well, I just wanted to say that you were right. I should have backed out of that fight with Boscha."

That caught Amity's interest.

"If I knew she was going to do that everlasting oath shit, I would have immediately refused," Luz continued, "Especially when considering I would have to stop hanging out with you. Because...because these last few days, awkwardness aside, has been pretty fun. And I don't want it to end. You're actually...pretty cool to hang out with."

"...Ok."

"So, um, what were you going to say?"

"...Are you free this Saturday?"

Luz seemed even more surprised.

"Am I what?"

"This Saturday," Amity repeated, "Are you free, or is there something you have to do?"

"...I should be free. But why are you asking?"

'Because I have a gigantic crush on you, and I want to take you out on a date so we can make out and shit,' was what Amity wanted to say.

"Because I owe you one for making Boscha back off, and I want to take you for lunch to...pay you back," is what she actually said.

"Lunch?"

"Yup."

"Just the two of us?"

"Mm-mm."

"And no one else?"

"Is that a no?"

"No! I mean--I just--I don't...I don't know why you have to take me to lunch to pay me back."

"Would you rather I take you to dinner?" Amity phrased that question as a joke, but internally, she was kind of hoping Luz would want that.

"...I guess I could do lunch," Luz said after a while, "Do I...have to dress fancy or anything?"

Amity's heart pounded in her chest.

"You can dress casually. If you want."

"Cool. Um..." Luz opened the passenger door and stepped out, "I’ll see you Saturday then."

"Can't wait," Amity said a little too fast. Her friend shot finger guns in response, closed the door, and slowly walked up to her home. Not even waiting to see if Luz would look back, Amity put her car in drive and got out of there.

'Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit...'

***

Camila was over at the stove, salting the stew when she heard the front door open then close.

"Hola, mija!" she called, "Where have you been?"

"With friends," Luz responded.

"Ok. Well, dinner should be ready in a few minutes. We're having beef stew tonight."

"Cool. Hey, mom?"

"Yes, mija?"

"If a person asks you to have lunch with them, just the two of you, what would you think that means?"

"I assume that means a person wants to date you."

"Cool. Anyways, I'm gonna go to bed now. Goodnight."

"You’re what?"

THWUMP!

Startled by the noise, Camila turned around to see that Luz had fallen face-first onto the living room floor.

"...Luz?"

"Hm?" Luz mumbled.

"Are you ok?"

"Mm-hm."

Chapter Text

Amity laughed at a joke Luz had made.

"You are so funny!"

"Eh," Luz shrugged while twirling her spaghetti, "I have my moments."

"You certainly do."

Luz and Amity sat at a table near the center of a fancy restaurant. Luz couldn't really remember the name, but judging how expensive the water was, it's not like she'd be willing to come back for another time. No matter how good this date was going.

"I'm glad we did this," Amity sighed, laying her hand out onto the table, "This has been a ton of fun."

Those words spread this fierce warmness throughout Luz's, well, everything.

"Yeah," she nodded, reaching to hold Amity's hand, "Yeah, it has."

And once Luz held Amity's hand to give it a squeeze, she felt shocked when the richer girl ripped her hand out of Luz's grasp.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Amity asked with an angry tone to her voice.

"Um," Luz blinked, "I was just--"

"Wait. Did you think this was a date?!" Now, Amity looked disgusted, which whipped away all the warmness Luz felt earlier.

"Uh, er, um, a-a little bit?" was all she could supply.

"You seriously thought that I would ever date you ?" Amity stood up, and for some reason, Luz stood up too.

"No! Yes? Maybe?"

"Are you kidding!" Amity marched forward, making Luz back away in response, "I am the most intelligent, most beautiful, and most talented person on the planet. I could literally get any girl that I want. So why would I ever want to date a gross, pathetic, and stupid loser like you!"

She then gave Luz a hard shove, causing the human to fall deep down a dark void beneath her.

***

Luz sat bolt right, breathing heavily as the remnants of her nightmare still clung to her brain. She went to wipe the sweat off her brow, only to feel something stuck to her forehead. Pulling it off, Luz figured that it was a post-it. Because it was pitch-black in the room she was in, she pulled out her phone to use as a light source to read the note.

You passed out on the floor and slept like the dead soon after. Nothing that I did would wake you up, so I decided to just let you rest. 

I only have the strength to carry you onto the couch. Which is slightly more comfortable than the floor.

There are leftovers in the fridge in case you wake up hungry in the middle of the night.

Te quiero,

Mami.

Luz looked around at her surroundings, and sure enough, she was sitting on the living room couch with a blanket over her instead of in her own bed, where it is comfy.

But where she was didn't matter at the moment. Because it just occurred to Luz that she had a nightmare about a misunderstanding of her lunch date with Amity. And the thought of the other girl rejecting her terrified Luz down to her core.

"Ah, fuck me," Luz groaned, knowing full well that Saturday was not going to be a fun time for her.

That Morning...

Luz stepped out of her home--cleaned up, and ready for school--and started walking down the block to the car she already knew was there.

And just like yesterday, the butterflies started hitting Luz at full force.

"Ok, Luz," she muttered to herself, "All you gotta do is ask Amity if Saturday's a date or if she really is just trying to pay you back. It's not an unreasonable question to ask...unless, of course, she isn't into you. In which case, you'll then be forced into a confined space with her for the next few minutes, stirring in this supreme awkwardness over how you misunderstood a simple kind gesture--You know what? Maybe just save that question until the end of the day."

Once she got up to the passenger-side door, Luz went to tap on the window.

"It's unlocked!" Amity said from the other side, just before Luz's knuckle could make contact. Taking the hint, Luz opened the door and got in.

"I'm telling you," she said, "The one time I don't check is going to  be the time it's still locked."

"Noted," Amity reversed the car out of the curb she was parked at, "So, now that you've successfully destroyed Boscha, did you manage to get some sleep last night?"

"You'll be happy to know that I am a helluva lot more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning. Mostly because I passed out onto the floor almost immediately after getting home," Luz explained. And that's when an idea popped into her head. "Although I'll admit, things get a little foggy around that time. So, just to clarify, you asked me to have lunch with you on Saturday, right?"

'It's not awkward if you don't directly ask if it's a date,' Luz thought to herself, not even noticing Amity gripping firmly onto the steering wheel.

"Yes," Amity confirmed while holding back the strain in her voice, "I did ask you to have lunch with me."

"Cool, cool," Luz twiddled her thumbs, "And, why do you want to do that again?"

"...To thank you for getting Boscha off my back."

"...You hesitated."

"I'm focussing on the road," Amity supplied with a defensive tone, "Excuse me for caring about road safety."

'That does sound right...but she could also be lying through her teeth...' Luz slumped back in her seat, having no clue about what to do with her current situation. 'Face it, girl. You're going to need some help.'

A Few Hours Later

"You know, I did a pretty good job cheering Luz on yesterday," Gus claimed as he ate his lunch right beside Willow, "After all, it was my cheers that motivated Luz to get up and win against Boscha."

"I'm sure it was," Willow played along.

"Which got me thinking: What if I joined the Hexide cheer-squad. Because if I can motivate a human to beat Boscha in a fight, imagine what my cheering powers can do for the Banshees!"

"Mm-hm."

"I even got the flags ready for such a job! So, what do you think? Should I do it?"

"I think you should do whatever makes you happy."

"Aw, how nice," Gus cooed.

"Also, if any boys ever make fun of you for being a male cheerleader, promptly kick them between the legs. It's every man's off button."

"...Slightly less nice, but well appreciated," he still smiled regardless, prompting a genuine grin from Willow.

"Hey, friends," Luz greeted, joining Gus and Willow at their table.

"S'up," Willow nodded.

"Hi, Luz! Question: Me being a male cheerleader. Yay or nay?"

"I think it's absolutely a 'yay,' but we can talk about that later," Luz said as she sat down, "For right now: Earmuffs."

"Aw, what?" Gus whined, "C'mon!"

"No complaining. Earmuffs."

"But I'm younger than you two by two years. I can totally handle grown-up talk."

"Earmuffs!"

Gus groaned, reluctantly covering his ears, closing his eyes, and humming to himself to further block out any noise.

"So," Willow turned to her friend, "What 'grown-up' stuff you want to talk about?"

"Actually," Luz sighed, "I want to get your advice on something. Mostly because you're the only person I can talk to about it with things being slightly less uncomfortable."

"Shoot."

"You see...I have a question involving Amity."

"I don't give a shit that you're dating her." Willow said plainly.

"You see--Wha-wha-wha-wha-What? What? I'm sorry, what? Just...Fucking what?!" Luz exclaimed, completely caught off guard.

"Hey, don't get me wrong," Willow continued, "I would much rather see you date almost anybody else in this school. But if--for whatever reason--Amity is the person you really want to be with, I won't say anything about it. The heart wants what the heart wants. Who am I to judge?"

"...We're not dating."

Willow blinked.

"You're not?"

"No."

"...You're not?!"

"NO!" Luz shouted much louder than intended, "Why would you even think that we were?"

"Uh, how about the way you two were acting with each other yesterday?" the plant witch pointed out, "You know, with the way that you two were giving each other googly eyes and having this playful banter?"

"First off, I don't know what you're talking about when you say 'googly eyes.' Second, what do you mean by playful banter? Our banter's the same it's always been."

"Except for the fact that you two usually trade cuss words every five seconds through your usual 'banter.'"

"Alright, fair point," Luz conceded, "But we're not dating! We're just...friends."

"If you were really just friends, then why did Amity have a death grip on your jacket throughout your fight with Boscha?"

"Because...Actually, I don't know what the hell was up with that. But we're not dating!"

"So, you don't like her?"

"I mean...well...I-I-I didn't say that," Luz stuttered, a blush beginning to form in the process, "The thing is that I do like her. I just...I can’t...Look, we're just not dating each other, alright?"

"And is that what you need my advice on? To know how to ask her out?"

"Technically no," Luz shrugged, "Really, I just want an outsider's opinion on something that happened yesterday."

"Like?"

"Like, she asked if I want to have lunch with her this Saturday. As a way of paying me back, you know?"

"So, basically, she asked you out on a date," Willow affirmed.

"Yeah, but what if it isn't a date, though?"

"Sounds like a date to me."

Startled by the new voice, Luz jumped in her seat to then turn around. What she was, well, definitely unexpected.

Because standing before her was Skara, Cat, and the beanpole with the green hair, each of them shuffling their feet awkwardly.

"Um...hi?" Luz waved, "Out of curiosity, how much of that did you hear?"

"No more than someone asking you out," the beanpole said.

"Cool. New question: Why are you all here?"

"Well, we usually sit with Boscha," Cat explained, "But, after helping you yesterday..."

All heads turned toward the other end of the cafeteria, where Boscha was sitting all by herself. Glaring daggers at them all and twisting her fork into her lunch in a threatening way.

"Yeah, she's a little miffed at us for now," Skara said, facing Luz with a smile, "It's it ok if we sit with you for a couple of days?"

"Uh..." Luz looked at Willow, who offered nothing but a confused shrug, "I guess?"

"Thank you!" Skara chirped, she and Cat sitting at either side of Luz. As for the beanpole, she went to sit at Willow's right due to Gus at her left.

"Hi," she extended her hand to Willow, "My name's Amelia."

"...I know. We have a Plant homeroom together."

"Oh..." Amelia snapped her fingers, "That's where I know you from! Oh, man, that was driving me crazy for a while. Like how last week, I was binging this sweet show on my crystal ball, and there was this one actor I swear that I've seen before. And I'm watching and watching, trying to figure out where I know them from, and it hits me: They were the main villain from another show that I watched! Wild, right?"

"...I immediately regret this," Willow said to Luz.

"Yeah, same here," Luz looked to Skara, "Please tell me this is a temporary scenario."

"Uh, rude," Skara scowled, "I mean, c'mon, we're not that bad."

"You assholes called me Half-A-Witch Willow for the last ten years that I've known you!" Willow exclaimed.

"Technically, most of that was Boscha," Cat defended.

"Technically, you can take that excuse straight to hell with you!"

"Alright, let's chill out," Luz stepped in, "Look, Skara's right. In comparison to Queen Wannabee over there, these three are incredibly pleasant. So lets at least give them a chance."

"Yeah, we can be useful!" Skara claimed, "For instance, we can help with this dating problem of yours."

"On second thought, maybe you really should piss off."

"No, no, really! We have tons of experience in this area...I mean, not to assume you that neither of you has ever been on any dates."

"Ugh, not really," Luz groaned, "My only romance experience is kissing a guy behind an outhouse at Reality Check Camp."

"Reality Check Camp?"

"Don't ask."

"As for me," Willow spoke up, "Not a lot of people tend to be interested in dating a half-a-witch."

"Alright, damn, we're sorry!" Skara "apologized."

"Well, then, we can be of some assistance," Cat added, "For instance, how did he ask you?"

Luz still felt hesitant. On the one hand, Boscha's ex-posse are the last people the human wanted to talk about her love life with. But on the other hand, she'd be lying if she didn't already know more perspectives could be beneficial.

"Well, they just asked me if I wanted to have lunch on Saturday," Luz explained, keeping Amity's gender a secret, thanking any and every being that they somehow didn’t know it was a girl. "Because apparently, they want to pay me back for...stuff."

"No, no," Cat shook her head, "That's what they asked you. I'm asking 'how.'"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, what was their inflection or tone? Did they seem happy and nice, cool and charming, or nervous and jittery?"

"Trust her. Kat definitely has experience with that last one," Skara chimed in, "Her man was so shy about asking her to grom two years ago that you swear he was about to puke."

"It's true. I mean, I love him, but it's true."

"Well..." Luz thought back to yesterday, "I guess they were a little nervous when asking me."

"Then congratulations!" Cat cheered, "That means it's a date. Because why else would this person act like that?"

"To be fair, that's how they've been acting recently."

"How so?"

"Ok, recently, it's like they get freaked out over every little thing. When asking me something, this person becomes hesitant and stuttery. When I say something small and insignificant, they wig out as if I slapped them. They have never acted this before, and I have no idea why they are now."

Skara gasped, making Luz feel extra confused.

"What?"

"If what you're saying is true, then do you realize what this means?!" the shorter girl asked, her eyes sparkling.

"...clearly not."

"It means that not only do you clearly have a date this Saturday, but you also have a date with a person who has a crush on you!"

"...¿Yo que?"

"Actually, and I hate to admit this, but Skara has a point," Willow joined in, "From what I saw yesterday, it is pretty clear that 'this person' has it bad for you."

"...No," Luz denied with a shake of her head, "No no no nononono NO! No. There is no way that Am--This person! There is no way that this person has a crush on me."

"How can you tell?" Cat asked.

"Trust me. They don't."

'The same girl who used to beat the shit out of you could not be the same person who has a crush on you,' Luz kept to herself.

"But if they don't have a crush on you, then why would they ask you out on a date?"

"That's the thing, though," Luz pointed out, "What if it isn't a date?"

"Luz," Willow spoke, "Not only did we establish that it's obviously a date, but anybody can tell you that it is. Especially people who have zero romantic experience. Watch."

She then tapped Gus on the shoulder, who finally stopped humming, uncovered his ears, and opened his eyes. He looked relieved to be out of earmuff mode for all of two seconds once he became shocked by the new people at their table.

"...Why are--"

"Because Boscha's pissed at them," Willow answered before Gus could finish his question.

"Gotcha," he nodded, "Does that mean grown-up talk is over?"

"Yup. Because now we've transitioned into girl talk."

"...Can I go back to earmuff mode?"

"No. First, you have to answer a hypothetical."

"Which is?"

"Let's say that a person asks you to have lunch with them as a way of saying thank you. What does that mean?"

Gus shrugged.

"Sounds like a date."

"BAM!" Willow shouted to Luz.

"Yeah, it sounds like I date, and I get that," Luz said, annoyance filtering in her tone, "But hear me out: What if we're just all overthinking this, and it really is just a person being nice?"

"Ok...but what if you're the one who's overthinking it?" Willow asked simply, "You see, it goes both ways."

"Actually, I see where she's coming from," Amelia nodded, "You see, this one time I had a crush on a girl named Vanessa. She was pretty sweet, chill, and was always nice to me. But it felt like she was being a little too nice at times if you get what I'm saying."

"Amelia."

"Like this one time when we were sharing a bag of Hex Mix, and she handed me the bag saying that she wasn't that hungry anymore. But the way she said it made it sound a little like she cared deeply about me and my nutrition."

"Amelia."

"Or that time when she wanted to binge That's Clearly Crow but agreed with my choice to watch The Spelled Life of Jack and Brady . For nostalgia's sake, of course. Because while they're campy and corny, they're still a huge part of our childhoods and--"

"AMELIA!" Luz shouted.

"Yeah, Luz?" Amelia asked with a chipper attitude.

"No offense, but what the hell does this have to do with my point?"

"Oh, right! Well, one day, she asked if I wanted to spend time with her at the fair, which I thought was pretty romantic. But there are times when people do that as friends, so this entire time I kept thinking back and forth about whether it's a date or not. I kept like this until we were on the Scare-is Wheel, and I finally asked if it was. That's when she told me that it wasn't, which made the ride back down incredibly awkward...and the walk back home...Yeah, we stopped being friends after that."

"...So your point is?"

"My point is that all you have to do is ask this person if it's a date or not. And if they say no, then you can definitely be sure that it isn't."

"There were several ways that could have been shortened down, but Amelia's right," Willow said, "If you're so worried about if it's a date or not, then just ask if it is."

"There's just one problem to that," Luz pointed out.

"Which is?"

"I don't want to."

"Pussy."

"It's not just that!" Luz defended, "The thing is, there have been so many awkward moments between us that I don't want to add more to the pile. Y'know?"

"Shit's gonna get awkward whether you do or don't ask them," Willow argued, "It's for the best that ask for clarification and get it over with. All you need to figure out is if you want to do it before or after the 'date.'"

"I recommend you do it before," Amelia mentioned, "But if you're going to do it after, at least wait until either of you get home first. Makes walking back a lot less embarrassing."

"Noted," Luz sighed.

***

Once the bell screamed to signify that class was over, Viney walked out of Healing 101 and started her walk to her locker to swap her Healing books and notes for her Beast Keeping ones.

"Um, Viney?"

Looking over her shoulder, Viney saw none other than Emira's sister, Amity, following close behind.

"Oh, hey Amity," the half-healer greeted. "How's the head?"

"A lot better. But can I talk to you?"

"We're talking right now," Viney winked, prompting an eye-roll from Amity.

"Cute," she snarked, "But seriously, I want some advice, and you're the only person I can go to that won't make fun of me for it."

"Probably accurate. So what do you need?"

"Well," Amity fiddled with her hands, keeping her eyes off Viney, "Yesterday, it hit me how close I was to not having Luz in my life anymore."

"Yeah, I saw that," Viney nodded, remembering the fight in brutal detail. Emphasis on brutal.

"And as I drove Luz back to her house," Amity continued, "I finally decided that enough was enough and that if I keep stalling, then I'll lose her forever."

"Sounds about right."

"Which is why I finally decided to ask her out to lunch, with the full intention of it being a date...only to chicken out at the last second and told Luz that it was to thank her for getting Boscha off my back."

It was silent for a spell between the two witches, making Amity's anxiety spike a couple notches.

Then suddenly, bits of water started spritzing onto her face. Looking over, Amity saw that it was because Viney was using a spray bottle on her.

"Bad," she said between spritzes, "Bad Blight."

"What the hell?!" Amity hissed, "Why do you even have that?!"

"I take Beast Keeping," Viney explained as she pocketed her spray bottle, "It comes in handy, so I just keep it on me at all times. Now, back to your dumbassery..."

"Hey, try to look at this from my point of view, alright?" the younger witch growled, "You never had to deal with Luz and her dumb smirk or her...cute round ears and those...those gorgeous brown eyes that are so warm and soft and make you feel all ooey-gooey like a warm chocolate cookie and--"

Viney started spritzing Amity again.

"GAH! Sorry," Amity said, snapping out of it, "Anyways, what I'm getting at is that I can't help but be a dumbass around Luz. I mean, you just saw what happened when I was just thinking about her. Imagine how bad it gets when she's right in front of me."

"So you want me to tell you how to talk to Luz?"

"No, I already accepted that I'm incapable of doing that. What I need is advice on how to make it clear that it's a date on Saturday."

"Well, one option is that you tell her it's a date."

"Mm-hm, mm-hm," Amity nodded, "...What's option two?"

Viney let loose an aggravated sigh.

"Why are you Bights all disasters," she mumbled before speaking clearly to Amity, "Alright, here's the wuss version of what you could do: Take Luz to the most romantic place you can think of. While you're there, drop loads of hints that you're into her and wait for her to reciprocate. If she does, then congratulations. You got yourself a new girlfriend."

"And if she doesn't reciprocate?"

"Then she's probably not into you. At least not yet!" Viney tacked that last bit on once Amity looked heartbroken at the idea, "It just means that you have to fight a little harder at winning her over."

"And you're sure that will work?"

"It worked on me when your sister tried the same thing...once she finally had courage, of course. By the way, if you think you're bad, Em once said I had 'nice fingers' when flirting with me once."

"...I'm going to remember that the next time she teases me."

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't," Viney chuckled, patting the younger witch on the back.

After School

"Here's your stop," Amity said as she pulled in front of Luz's house. She was a helluva lot more focused today than yesterday, but the anxiety bubbling inside Amity still felt present as Luz didn’t make a move to leave the car.

"Yup," Luz nodded, "Here's my stop."

"...So, you could leave."

"Yeah...But, um, I have a question. About Saturday..."

Amity's beating heart went back into overtime.

"What is it?" she squeaked.

"Well, um..." Luz fiddled in her seat, and Amity swore she saw a tint of color to the human's cheeks for half a second, "I was wondering--And I'm cool with whatever answer you give me. But...this Saturday...I'm wondering if...Is it...I--"

"Are you ok?" Amity couldn't help but ask.

'She's never acted like this before...' she thought.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Luz lied through her teeth with a nervous chuckle, "I just want to know if...if...if we're going somewhere expensive! That's it! Because, y'know, I want to get the heads up on whether or not I should stick to the bread when ordering my food."

"Oh! Oh, no, don't worry about that," the richer girl reassured her friend, "It's like I said: I'm just paying you back. Meaning that I'm paying for the meal too."

"Uh-huh..."

"But that also doesn't mean that you pick the most expensive thing on the menu," Amity joked, trying to lighten the mood, "I may be rich, but I'm not exactly running a charity."

"Got it..." Luz said, half-listening before looking over to give Amity her full undivided attention, "By the way, this place you're taking me to, is it like a fancy restaurant, or are we talking about some fast-food chain?"

"Uh, because of you, Boscha turned heel and practically ran when I saw her in the hallway. You better believe that I'm treating your ass this Saturday."

Again, Amity's tone was lighthearted, but it still didn't take with Luz, who looked...confused?

"Right," was all she said while unbuckling her seatbelt, "Well, in that case, I'll see you on Saturday. Or, actually, I'll be seeing you on Thursday and Friday, but it's Saturday when we'll--You know what, I'm just gonna go."

With that, Luz got up and left Amity's car, sprinting towards her house and leaving the other girl feeling really confused.

"What the hell was that about?" she thought out loud. Then, just for a moment, Amity's heartbeat began to quicken again as one idea came to her.

"Does Luz--" but she shook her head before that thought could go any further, "Nope. Nope. Don't get your hopes up."

Amity then started the car and pulled away from Luz's home.

"Besides, you'll find out how she really feels on Saturday."

Chapter Text

Luz paced in her room, fiddling with her crystal ball while dressed in a blue blouse and jeans. Being out in the open with a magic item was a risky act for sure, especially since her mom could burst into the room at any minute. But right now, Luz had other things on her mind.

"Ok, so she's taking you out for lunch, which means it's a date," she said to herself, "But it really could just be that Amity is being nice. So it isn't a date. But who takes someone out to lunch as a thank you. You thank a person with a gift or some shit. Not with a possible romantic outing. BUT it is different given that she has a history with Boscha, and I basically did the equivalent of pulling a literal bitch-sized thorn out of her side...But--"

Luz didn't even get to finish her own thought as she interrupted herself with a long, dragged-out groan.

"How did my life become a shitty teen-romance story," she mumbled.

Ring ring! Ring ring!

The second she heard the ringing, Luz fumbled with her crystal ball, barely catching the thing in time before it could shatter on the floor. Taking the deepest, calming breath she could, Luz pressed the answer call button and was met with the face of Amity Blight.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey, what's up, girl!"

'Real it back.'

"I mean," Luz cleared her throat, "How's it going."

"Um, pretty good?" Amity said, seemingly weirded out, "Are you ready."

"Uh-huh. Are you?"

"Well, we'd agree that I'd call as soon as I'm outside your door, so..."

"Right," Luz snapped her fingers, "You know, that makes a lot of sense now that you mention it. I'll, um, uh, be right down there in a second."

"Ok. See you then."

"You bet," with that, Luz ended the call and lightly pressed the crystal ball against her forehead.

"Ok," she breathed, "Right now, you're about to go on a maybe-date with an awesome girl you have a crush on. It's no big deal. You can do this...Oh, who are you kidding? You're totally screwed."

***

While waiting for Luz, Amity looked in her rearview mirror. Because A, she wanted to make sure everything was perfect, from her hair to her makeup. And B, she had to give herself a pep talk.

"Ok, you can do this," she said, "You knew this was gonna happen, and you had three days to mentally and physically prepare yourself on going on a date with Luz...Oh my Titan, you're going on a date with Luz!"

"No!" Amity snapped herself out of it, "Don't panic. You did that enough when getting ready, and it's a miracle that you even got here on time. Just remember that you're having lunch. Stop thinking about how it's a date...mainly because you never clarified that it is a date, and Luz might not even know that it is.

"But that's fine! Just do what Viney says and make it clear that this is a date. And don't screw this up! Do you hear me? Don't. Screw. This. UP!"

"What are you doing?"

Amity's heart stopped once hearing that voice she's all too familiar with. Looking to her right, she saw Luz, wearing her coat and staring at the rich girl out of confusion.

'...The ONE TIME she doesn't knock first!'

"How much of that did you see?" Amity asked right away, her face feeling hotter by the second.

"I only showed up to you telling your mirror not to screw things up. Care to explain that, by the way?"

"I could explain it. Or, we could just ignore that it ever happened, and I'll let it slide the next time I catch you doing something embarrassing."

"...Deal," Luz nodded as she got in, shutting the passenger door behind her. Amity shifted gears soon after and started pulling out of the curb she parked next to.

"Hope you got your appetite ready because you got a helluva meal coming your way."

'Titan, that sounded corny, didn't it?' Amity couldn't help but think to herself.

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Luz shrugged, "It all depends on the food they got there. By the way, are we heading to a human restaurant or a witch one?"

"Pretty sure I'd get questionable looks if I took you to a human restaurant."

"Fair enough."

"But I promise that the food there isn't going to be too weird for you."

'At least, I hope to Titan that it isn't.'

"That's good to hear, I guess. But where we're going isn't too fancy, is it?"

"Trust me. It's totally casual."

***

"...You and I have a very different idea of what casual means," Luz commented once she took note of the fine dining establishment that Amity took her to. It wasn't a majorly fancy restaurant, to be fair, but it still looked like one of those places that Luz's mom's "wealthier" friends took them to when wanting to treat the Noceda ladies.

It was also a place that made Luz feel a little underdressed when looking at the other passing patrons. Especially Amity, who was currently wearing a beautiful mauve dress that made Luz's heart practically flutter.

"Hey, the Titan's Heart isn't that big of a deal," Amity defended, "Out of all the places I know, this is easily the least fancy while also providing great service."

"Still, I feel like a diner would be ten times more easygoing than this," Luz said, "What? Do witches not have those."

"We do. But..." the richer girl let out a sigh, "Look, I just want to treat you out for what you've done for me, alright? Maybe a diner would be more appropriate, but I really want to do this for you. Because...because you're worth it."

A pink hue started to dust Amity's cheeks, and Luz would be lying if she didn't feel her own cheeks grow warm from the sentiment.

"...I mean, I've got no problem with eating at this place," she relented, "It's just that a place like this is a little outside of what I'm more used to. But if this is what you picked, then so be it. Just keep in mind that it's your money that you're wasting."

Amity's cheeks got a little pinker, but the smile that grew on her face was still a positive development.

"Glad to hear it," she held out her hand, "Now can we please eat? I'm starting to get peckish."

But the human didn't even move a muscle as she stared at the other girl's hand, pulse-quickening just by the thought of holding it. Amity looked at her hand as well, her cheeks going from pink to red as she quickly tore her hand back to her side. The both of them then choose to ignore that slight incident as they walked up to the restaurant's host, who lit up with glee once he saw the young Blight.

"Ah, Miss Blight," he greeted her chipperly, "It is good to see you again. And I see you have brought--"

It was then that he took notice of what exactly Luz is. Resulting in his smile disappearing in the process.

"--a most unusual guest," he finished. Luz had half a mind to show him how "unusual" she can be. But given that she was on a maybe-date with Amity, it's probably for the best to keep herself together. For now.

"It's good to see you too, Lumière," Amity held up a couple of snails for the man, "I hope there's a table for two available for me and my guest."

Lumière smiled.

"But of course, Miss Blight."

"Also," Amity pulled out a little extra money, "I hope that this gathering with me and my associate doesn't get to my parents if you understand."

"I'm already forgetting it as we speak," he said while pocketing the blatant bribe given to him. "Follow me, please."

As they followed the host, Luz leaned close to Amity.

"So, it doesn't bother you to basically show off your wealth, like that?" she whispered.

"Are you complaining?"

"Oh, not at all. I'm just saying, the next time you want to show off how you're rich, at least send some money towards the poor and helpless, ya know?"

Amity lightly chuckled.

"Noted."

"Here we are," Lumière announced, "The perfect table for two."

But Luz couldn't help but notice that their "perfect table" was far from everyone else. In fact, it was in a dark corner in the back of the restaurant. As for Amity, she seemed delighted about it.

"This will do very nicely, Lumière. Thank you."

"It's always a pleasure, Miss Blight," he said with a bow, walking away to leave both girls to their table.

"You are aware that he's keeping us in the back, right?" Luz asked while taking a seat, "This is basically the place you send people, so others don't have to look at them."

"Which is why it's perfect," Amity explained, sitting down at her own seat, "You see, I don't...I don't want many people knowing about this."

"Oh..."

"And it's not that I'm embarrassed to be seen with you!" the witch quickly added, "Really, it's not! It's just..."

"You're scared that your parents will know your friends with me," Luz supplied, already knowing the answer. Amity's shy nod was all the confirmation she needed. "Hey, I get it. I don't even want to think about how my mom would react to half the shit I get away with you all."

"Us all?"

"You, Eda, Willow, Gus, King, basically everyone at school. Even if she's cool with the bi thing, finding out that I do witchcraft, which every religious person considers a sin, would definitely kick me to the curb for sure."

"That sucks."

"So does having your parents force you to stop being friends with someone just because they're not rich," Luz mentioned without thinking, earning a curious look from Amity. She was about to comment about it, but that's when Lumière came back.

"Some water for the young ladies," he said while putting down two cups of water and handing both girls a menu, "And here are your menus. I'll send a waiter over once you've had the time to look them over."

"Thank you," Amity said to their host, turning her attention back to Luz once he left, "What do you mean about my parents forcing me to stop being friends with someone?"

"Oh, uh," Now, Luz seemed nervous, "Remember that night you got shitfaced?"

"Oh, Titan..." Amity preemptively cringed at whatever Luz was about to say.

"Yeah, well, when you had me...spoon you, you also asked me to promise not to hate you when your parents found out about our friendship and then forced us apart. You then said the same thing happened to you and Willow when you were kids. Which, I mean, that's just the worst."

"Yeah, it really was," the look on Amity's face made it clear that it was not a fun memory she wanted to relive. "...What did you say? When I asked you to promise not to hate me, I mean."

"I said that I promised I won't."

"Really?"

"Don't sound too surprised," Luz grinned, "Believe it or not, you're actually not the worst to hang out with."

"Not the worst, huh?" Amity grinned back, "Gee, how courteous of you."

"You know what I mean."

"Do I, though?"

"Yeah, I mean, compared to Gus and Willow, you're...uh..."

"I'm what?"

"You know. You're...You wanna help me out here?"

"Nah, I think I'm just gonna let you dig yourself deeper into this hole you've made," Amity quipped, "It's much for fun that way."

"And, I take it back. You are the worst."

But Luz clearly didn't mean what she said, primarily since hearing Amity laugh at her comment spread a warm feeling through the human's heart in a way that made her smile like an absolute idiot.

'This is good,' she thought, 'This is banter. You can do banter. Banter is good and ten times better than awkward pauses. Keep it up.'

Luz then finally opened her menu, figuring that it's about time she should decide what to eat. But she immediately ran into a problem.

"Ok, I have no idea what any of this is," she told her maybe-date. "As long as you promise not to intentionally poison me, do you think you could do me a solid and pick out something I might like?"

Amity rolled her eyes in response.

"Yes, I can pick something out for you," she said while opening her own menu, "Although I don't know why you'd think I'd poison you. Especially since I'm going through all this just to thank you."

"Hey, excuse a girl for being cautious. For all I know, this whole friend thing might have actually been a long play for you to finish me once and for all."

"..."

"...That's not actually--"

"No."

"Ok, cool. Just checking."

***

Amity figured that a blood lettuce salad would have been just perfect for Luz. Although, that didn't stop the human from poking and prodding her food with a fork. Amity didn't understand why, though. After all, the dark red color meant an especially ripe head of blood lettuce made up the meal.

"You seriously don't believe I'm poisoning you, do you?" Amity asked, taking a bite of her own salad.

"Yes and no. Because while I do think it's poisoned, I don't fully think that you're the one who did."

"Than who would?"

"Hey, I saw the looks that waiter gave me when he saw my ears. For all I know, he might have slipped something in when giving it to us."

"If that's the case, then I'll avenge your death," Amity said with another eye-roll that afternoon, "Now, can you please eat the salad I paid for."

While still uncertain about her meal, Luz slowly and reluctantly lowered her fork into a single leaf. Lifting it up to her mouth, she then took the tiniest bite possible, only for her eyes to lit up with surprise.

"I thought you said this was a salad."

"It is."

"Then why does it taste like meat?"

"That's the blood lettuce," Amity explained, "It has the illusion of tasting like meat while still counting as a vegetable. Nutrients and all."

"No shit," Luz took a much bigger bite this time, "Man, this is just another thing humans would kill to have."

"I'm sure you assholes would still find a way to ruin it through mass production. Like you always do."

"Fair," Luz shrugged, earning a chuckle from Amity.

"So, I saw that Skara and the others have been hanging out with you lately," the witch said, steering toward a new topic. "What is that about."

"Hell if I know! At first, it seemed like they wanted someone to sit with at lunch because Boscha is pissed with them. But now, they're constantly showing up at my locker and asking me what we're going to do today and how they're going to do it. It's like dealing with literal mindless sheep, to the point where I had to force Skara not to do my homework for me and just do whatever the hell she wants to do."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah! And it's not just them. The entire school is suddenly doing what I ask. I don't know if it's out of respect or fear, but it's definitely annoying. And I don't know why they're doing it in the first place."

"I do," Amity mentioned with a shrug, "It's simple pack-mentality. Boscha was considered to be in charge, but after you took her down, all that fear and respect people had for her had been swapped over to you. Meaning that you're now the alpha bitch on campus."

"...Not gonna lie: For some reason, I kinda like being called the alpha bitch," Luz said with a mouth full of blood lettuce. "Almost as much as I love this salad because holy hell is it delicious!"

"I knew you would like it," Amity smiled triumphantly, "But don't fill yourself up too much. You should at least save some room for dessert."

"Isn't dessert more of a dinner thing?"

"Maybe. But I'd be damned if you don't try the chocolate-lava cake. It's to die for. Literally. One time, two people nearly killed each other trying to get the last slice that the place had."

"A delicious meal topped with chocolate? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to seduce me."

Those words alone would have been enough to make Amity's heart go wild. But the wink Luz gave her afterward made the now red-faced witch drop her fork in surprise.

'Was that...was that flirting?' she mentally asked herself. 'No, no. It couldn't have been...could it?'

"Uh, you good?" Luz asked, clearly noticing the state the other girl was in.

"Huh? Oh, yeah! I'm fine! Totally fine!"

Amity then picked her fork and started scarfing down more of her own salad. Primarily to prevent herself from saying anything dumb. Like usual. Luz must have decided to leave it alone, as the next few minutes were left in awkward silence. Which became far too familiar lately for Amity's liking.

"...This chocolate-lava cake," the human finally spoke up, "It's not expensive, is it?"

"It shouldn't matter. I'm treating you, remember?"

"Still, you shouldn't waste your money on--"

"Stop," Amity steeled every nerve, knowing full well where Luz was going with that sentence. And having none of it. "I'm wasting zero money today. Every last shell is worth it. You are worth it."

"But--"

"It's my money. I will spend it in any way that I want. So why does it matter to you?"

"Because...never mind," Luz went back to poking and prodding her food, "It's stupid."

"It's clearly not stupid if you're making such a big deal out of it."

"It's just...Look, you've seen my house. My mom and I aren't poor, but we're not exactly the wealthiest family you would meet if you know what I mean. We scrape by, but there are days when we're just barely making ends meet. And ever since my dad left, my mom's been working extra hard to meet that quota. I offered to get a job too, but she always tells me not to focus on that and instead pay attention to school and just being a kid.

"Still, when it comes to things I want, instead of things that I need , I make sure to pay it all by myself. Movies, books, slushies. Hell, even my jacket was the first thing I ever bought with my own cash."

"Is that why you made such a big deal of me stealing it?"

"Pretty much."

"How do you buy that stuff anyway when you don't have a job?"

"I find my own ways to get cash. Whether it's by finding dollars on the sidewalks, doing odd jobs around the neighborhood, and maybe taking money out of wallets from muggers who didn't expect a teen girl to know magic."

Amity's jaw dropped at that last one.

"Don't look at me like that," Luz said indignantly, "They started it."

"...I could--"

"If you offer me money, I'm gonna punch you in the mouth. Because A, your money's no good for humans. And B, I hate--no--I despise the idea of being a charity case."

"That wasn't my intention."

"But it's what it feels like. And I know you mean well, really, I do. But when you go entire days having no cash, it becomes...Alright, I know it's unfair. Like you said, it's your money, and you get to use it however you want. But it becomes frustrating seeing you spend it without thinking twice about the cost.

"Call it pride, call it jealousy, call it in whatever the hell you want to call it. By the end of the day, I just can't stand people spending shit loads of money, amounts that I'll never have, for things that don't matter."

Amity was unsure what to say at this point. The truth was, she never really thought about how expensive anything that she bought was. She just saw a number and figured that her parents' wealth could be enough to take care of it. But looking at how Luz was upset by all of it, it was an eye-opening experience for sure.

"...Well, I'm still gonna buy you that chocolate-lava cake," Amity decided, "It might be pricey, but as I said, it's worth it."

"Whatever," Luz grumbled.

"But..." now the richer girl seemed nervous again, "If it'll make you feel better, we could always...split one. That way, the bill won't be too hefty."

Luz curiously looked at Amity, weighing the options presented.

"...Aw, screw it," she sighed with a grin, "Sure, we'll split one. But only because of you upselling the hell out of that dessert. Which better be as good as it sounds."

"Trust me," Amity grinned back, "You won't be disappointed."

***

"You know, I'm really hoping my mom isn't planning a hefty dinner," Luz patted her full stomach as she and Amity were getting close to the human's home. "Especially since someone was really adamant about getting dessert." 

"Judging by how quickly you scarfed your half down, you're not one to complain."

"I don't think my mom would understand that when I explain why I can't eat another bite tonight. Thanks again for not poisoning me, by the way."

"No problem. And speaking of your mom, what did you tell her that you were going to do today?"

"I just went with the truth. I mean, there's nothing too weird about having lunch with a friend."

But the second the words came out of Luz's mouth, Amity felt the cold press of realization fall onto her.

Because the truth was that the date was incredible! They talked, they laughed, and Amity was ninety percent sure that Luz flirted with her. It was by far one of the best dates that Amity has ever been on.

The issue was that Luz still might not think it was a date. Sure, Amity's still to blame for it, but she also believes her intentions were pretty clear about what the lunch was really about.

For Titan's sake, Amity took Luz to the Titan's Heart: The number one romantic spot for witches filled with nothing but couples as they ate. They even shared a chocolate-lava cake! A chocolate-lava cake! There's no way a person can perceive that as platonic!

Still, Viney's warning that Luz might not be into Amity, despite any apparent intentions, rang out in the Blight's head.

"Alright, this is my stop," Luz spoke once Amity pulled up to her house, "Appreciated the ride and the lunch. Maybe I should kick Boscha's ass more often if it means I get this level of treatment."

"Mm-hm...Hey, Luz?"

"Yeah?"

The green-haired witch nervously fiddled with the steering wheel and looking anywhere but the human next to her.

"I, um, I...really had a fun time today."

"...Yeah?"

"And not just today, but every time we hang out, too. You're...you're probably the closest relationship I've had in a while. And days like this, I...I really appreciate you being around."

Now, Amity looked at Luz, who was staring back at her with eyes wide and her cheeks a little pink.

"Luz? Are you alright?"

"...Was this a date?"

Amity could practically hear her heart shatter. Despite all the efforts to make the afternoon as romantic as possible, Luz still had to ask if it was still a date.

"I mean, this is just out of morbid curiosity, at this point," Luz continued, "Because the entire time, this one voice has been screaming at me about how 'it's a date! It's a date!' But at the same time, this other voice is shouting, 'no, it's not! No, it's not!' So, for the sake of my own sanity, could you please tell me whether or not this was a date? Please?"

'She's just asking for clarification,' Amity's own inner voice reasoned, 'This could still mean that she's into you. Just tell her it was a date. Tell her it was a date. Tell her--'

"Nope!" she squeaked, "Not a date."

'YOU FFFRRRAAAUUUGGGHHH!' her inner voice screamed.

Luz blinked.

"Not a date?"

"Not a date," Amity confirmed with a forced smile, "Why would it be? Especially since I never even told you otherwise."

Luz gave a forced smile of her own.

"You know, that makes a lot of sense," she said, pounding a fist into her knee soon after, "It makes. A lot. Of sense."

"It does?"

"Yup! Because, you know, we've been friends for a little over a month despite being at each other's throats since the beginning. Why on Earth would we start dating now?"

Amity's grip tightened on the steering wheel.

"Fair point. Fair, fair point."

The silence that followed was the thickest and most awkward between the two girls.

"...I'm gonna go," Luz said, stepping out of the car.

"Me too," Amity shifted gears, "I'll pick you up on Monday."

"See you then."

With that, Luz closed the passenger door behind her and started walking to her house as Amity pulled out from the curb a little too fast.

***

Amity pulled into the family garage in Blight manor, shutting her car off after parking it. But she made no effort to exit the vehicle.

Instead, she just sat there.

Silently.

Bitterly.

...

And then slammed her head onto the car horn with a HONK!

And again with another HONK!

HONK!

HONK!

HONK!

"God."

HONK!

"Fucking!"

HONK!

***

"DAMMIT!" Luz screeched into her pillow, "FUCK!"

Hurling the pillow away, Luz pressed both of her hands into her face, groaning as loud and as dragged out as possible.

"Are you ok, mija?" Camila called from downstairs.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Luz oh so clearly lied. 

Because she wasn't fine.

She was pissed.

She was beyond pissed.

And was also beyond ready to say 'I told you so,' to Willow's face on Monday morning.

But most of all, Luz was hurt.

Hurt that the fact that her first real date wasn't even a date at all.

And she doesn't even know how to process that.

Chapter Text

Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep! Beep bee--WHAM!

Luz would be the first to admit that she didn't mean to hit her alarm that hard. The loud groan that she made, however, was definitely intentional.

She was never that fond of Mondays, to begin with. But this one, in particular, was a day she'd been dreading more than usual.

Because it would be the first day since that not-date on Saturday that Luz would see Amity's stupid, beautiful face again.

An Hour Later

Amity had a headache.

Maybe it was because of the hour she spent slamming her head against the steering on Saturday. And the extra ten minutes of doing the same thing today.

Or, perhaps it was because of the mix of stress and anger she felt about seeing that dense yet gorgeous human again.

Judging how worse it got by just waiting for Luz, Amity was more than willing to pick the ladder.

When her crush finally did get to the witch's car, Luz flopped in her seat, crossed her arms, and had a mopier expression than usual. Amity was in a similar boat as she set the car in drive and pulled out of her spot on the curb. Which might as well be reserved for her at this point.

And that's how things went.

Amity drove, Luz sat.

Both were bitter.

Both were uncomfortable.

Both were silent.

"...Amity," Luz said, "About Saturday."

"I have a headache," Amity stated, "So if it's alright with you, I'd rather we'd spend the rest of this drive in silence."

"...Deal."

And that's how it continued. Amity was driving, Luz was sitting, and both were in bitter and uncomfortable silence.

***

The loud SLAM! Willow heard from the locker next to her made the plant witch jump at least a foot off the ground. Looking to her left, she saw her best friend, face pressed against a locker, moaning like the school spirit when the team loses a match.

"...So, how did the date go?"

Luz only moaned louder.

"That bad, huh?"

The explanation Willow got was indistinguishable as Luz mumbled it into the locker.

"What?"

"I said that it wasn't even a date," Luz said, tilting her head slightly for her now shocked friend to hear.

"...What?"

"It wasn't even a date."

"...WHAT?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Now Luz faced Willow, the human's expression being one of faux concern, "Am I still not being clear enough? Here, let me make it better."

She cleared her throat.

"IT WASN'T EVEN A DATE, GOD DAMNIT!" Luz shouted loud enough for some students at the other end of the school to hear.

"I heard you the first time," Willow explained, "I just can't believe it."

"I can! All last week, you kept saying that I'm an idiot for doubting that it was a date. Well, guess what?! I wasn't an idiot, she really was just thanking me, and you were wrong about the whole thing!"

Luz kicked the locker out of frustration.

"OW!" she yelled.

"Alright, calm down," Willow comforted her friend, trying her best to avoid any and all of her usual sarcasm, "So it wasn't a date. It's not that big of a deal."

"It is, though! Do you know that after all this time we've been buddy-buddy, the car ride over here was the first one ever spent in complete silence? Because it was. And I hated it! There were days when I enjoyed that she wouldn't say a word to me, but on the way here, I would have given anything for her to say...something! Anything. But she didn't. And it's all because I had to open my big, stupid mouth."

"Luz--"

"If I said nothing, things would have been fine," the human slumped against the lockers, "I could have just gone along with it all and kept a pretty great friendship. Instead, I pulled a 'me' and ruined everything."

"Ok, first off, don't use yourself as a verb for ruining things," Willow told Luz, leaning against the locker as well, "Second, you didn't ruin anything, doofus. Sure, things are awkward between the two of you now, but it will pass."

"How can you know that?"

"Because, unlike you, I don't overanalyze every little thing when it comes to relationships."

"Well, excuse me for living my whole life thinking people hated me and being a little hesitant at the idea that someone at least tolerates me."

"You weren't like that with me."

"Yeah, but that's because I had zero romantic interest in you...no offense."

"Offense fully taken, but I understand," Willow shrugged, "Do you want my advice, though?"

"Why not."

"I think you should tell Amity how you feel about her."

"And why the hell should I do that?!" Luz's manic energy came back in full force, "Things are awkward enough already! You seriously want me to shovel more shit onto that pile?"

"Look, I may have been wrong about it being a date, but I'm positive that Amity likes you in the way you like her. Even Boscha's lap dogs picked up on it, and they didn't even know who you were talking about. If you tell her how you feel, then not only would she understand, but who knows, maybe go on an actual date this time."

"...Yeah, I'm still not doing that."

"Because?"

"Because the thought of doing it makes my heart feel like it's going to explode," Luz explained simply, "Generally, I prefer not doing shit that does that, thank you very much."

"Luz," Willow put both of her hands on Luz's shoulders to get the human's full, undivided attention. "What I told you is the most rational solution to deal with your problem. Because I'm not crazy, and I know that it's better to rip the bandaid off now instead of thinking up all these crazy consequences beforehand. You want irrational advice, then talk to someone irrational."

Later, in the Janitor's Closet

"Of course I'd be willing to help you out, kid!" Eda slapped her apprentice on the back, "It's about time you came to me, by the way. To tell you the truth, it felt like you were kinda avoiding me for a while there."

"I wouldn't blame her!"

"Zip it, King!"

"Yeah, sorry," Luz seemed sheepish as she apologized, "It's just been a long couple of weeks for me, you know."

"Life is treating you with a double dose of teen angst, ain't it?"

"Pretty much."

"Yeesh. Usually, I'd ignore any bit of that. But seeing how it's you, I'm willing to make an exception and lend you an ear."

"You're not really going to--"

"No, I'm not literally going to lend you an ear," Eda explained, knowing full well where her human was going, "So what's up?"

"And please tell me it's not boy troubles," King begged from his corner of the closet, "Because if it is, I'm out of here."

"Technically, it is."

"And I'm out of here."

"You stay put, you overgrown gopher!" Eda threatened, "If I have to listen to it, then so do you."

"Why?!"

"Because misery loves company, that's why."

"Actually, it's not a boy I'm having trouble with?" Luz confessed, catching Eda off guard by how nervous the human girl was.

"What do you mean? What's wrong?"

"Well, you see, I'm...I'm..." Luz took a deep breath and slowly let it all out. "I'm bisexual."

"...And?" Eda probed.

"And nothing. I'm bisexual, and the reason it's not a boy I'm dealing with is that it's...a girl."

"...that's it?"

Luz blinked.

"Yeah?"

"Jeez, kid!" Eda sighed with relief, "You got me thinkin' that something really awful is gettin' to ya."

"So, you don't mind that I'm bi?"

"Why the hell would I? No one around these parts gives two shits about that type of thing."

"Oh...right," Luz slapped herself on the forehead, "Right. Sorry. I'm still not used to that whole...mentality."

"Ah, it's ok, kiddo," Eda gave an affectionate noogie to her human, "Just know that while you're here, none of that horse crap you get from humans will ever affect you. Understand?"

"I guess..."

"Now," the witch's grin went from affectionate to snarky, "Who's the lucky girl? Or should I say, unlucky girl? Seeing how you're the one who's got the hots for her. Ha!"

"Real funny," Luz rolled her eyes, "The girl is Amity."

"Woah, the Blight kid?" Eda was floored.

"Yup."

"How the heck did that happen?" King asked, "I thought you hated her? Didn't you once say last month that you couldn't stand her aggravating, naggy voice anymore?"

Luz cringed at that memory, her cheeks getting warm just by thinking about it.

"Yeah, well, things have changed a lot these last few weeks."

"No kidding," Eda commented, "If we're gonna help you out, we have to know the whole story."

"Minus the mushy parts!" King added.

"Yeah, you're gonna want the condensed version," Luz told them, "Especially since class will start in about--"

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" the bell screamed.

"...Right now."

In response, Eda walked over to one of her shelves, opened up a box, and refiled through the small sheets of paper inside. After examining two of them, she handed the sheets over for Luz.

"Do you want mushroom foot or molding uvula?"

"...I guess mushroom foot isn't too bad," the human shrugged, taking the doctor's note from her mentor.

"Good choice," Eda twirled her finger, creating a spell circle and causing two empty milk crates to levitate behind her and Luz. Taking a hint, Luz sat down, figuring out the best way to begin.

"Well, I guess it all started with my jacket," she said, "After gym class, I took a shower to wash the sweat and stink off. When I returned to my stuff, I found out my jacket was stolen. It wasn't until after school did I learn that not only did Amity have it, but she was also wearing it..."

Five Chapters Later

"And she was wasted! Stereotypical drunk toddler and everything. It was annoying as shit to deal with, sure, but damn it if it wasn't also adorable to look back at and laugh on..."

Three Chapters After That

"At that moment, I realized I had a choice: I could either tell Amity that I had a dream about making out with her, or I ignore her question about wanting to kiss her altogether and force us both to sit in uncomfortable silence until my mom came home...That was the longest two hours of my life..."

Current Chapter

"And then Willow told me to ask someone else for advice. I came here, you asked me to tell the whole story, and I did. That was the entire thing, beginning to end."

"Wow," King said, "That was surprisingly easy to follow."

"Really? Because I feel like it got a little convoluted at times."

"Nah, it's actually pretty engaging. You're a good storyteller."

"Oh. Uh, thanks, I guess."

"Alright, alright, that's enough ego-stroking for one day," Eda said to them both. "So, you want advice on how to win this rich girl over, huh?"

"Yup. I have no experience with winning anybody over. Let alone a girl. I was kind of hoping you would know what to do."

"Have you tried being direct," King suggested, "Like, you know, a functional living organism?"

"She can't do that!" Eda protested.

"Yeah, I can't do that...Wait," Luz finally picked up on what Eda said, "You actually agree that I shouldn't just walk up to her and say how I feel?"

"Kid, if I learned anything from that story of yours, it's that you're chicken-shit when it comes to communicating. You walk up to that girl to confess your feelings, and all that's gonna come out is this: Uh, um, uh, buh, puh-p-pretty, you, uh, hi, uh--Like a frickin' cartoon character who acts like they haven't seen a girl in their life. Uh, um, uh--"

"Alright, alright. I get it!" Luz groaned, much to Eda's enjoyment.

"Aw, don't beat yourself up too hard, Luz. You're only human. Lucky for you, you've got the smoothest gal in all of the lands. Boys, girls. Not a single one of them got out of witnessing my charm."

"What was that about ego-stroking?"

"Shove it, King," the witch spat at her roommate before turning attention back to her apprentice, "Now, you want this girl to date you, right?"

Luz nodded.

"Well, then here's what you do: Ask her out without asking her out."

"...You mind clarifying that for me?"

"It's simple," Eda stood from her milk crate to pace around Luz, "You've still got a few favors saved up after that whole drunk toddler routine, don't you?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, then what you do is ask her for a favor, but make it seem like something that could be similar to a date. All you gotta do is be subtle. Say something like: 'Hey, I had a really shitty day today. Do you think you could help make me feel better?' Or: 'Hey, there's this neat but expensive play premiering next week. You think you could float a few extra bucks for it?'"

"Not to exaggerate, but I would literally make out with Satan's little herpe before I willingly ask Amity to buy anything for me."

"'Satan's little herpe?'"

"Mattholomule."

"Ah," Eda understood immediately, "Well, it doesn't have to be those things specifically. It just has to be circumstances that can be somewhat romantic. That way, once you're used to being in situations like that with her, you'll finally gain the courage to say how you really feel. Plus, as a bonus, Amity will start to fall for you through all of this that when you finally do tell her, her response will be, 'It's about damn time.'"

"You really think that would work?"

"Hey, ask some of my exes if you really doubt me...except not really because I had to fake my death to get away from half of them. But you get the picture!"

"...I don't know," Luz sighed, "It's just...I have no idea how I could ask her to go out with me without making it obvious it's a date."

"Hm..." Eda stroked her chin in thought, then snapped her fingers when a plan came to mind, "Finals week is coming up, right?"

"Yeah. And thanks to someone signing me up for every track, I have finals for every single class in this school!"

"What looney signed you up for all of that?!"

"You! You are that looney!"

"...Oh yeah. I am, aren't I...Ah well," Eda slapped Luz on the back. "That hard work is good for you anyways. Helps make the brain more of an actual muscle. But let's table that for now. Because I wanna know: Do you have any classes that you're struggling with?"

"Not really. Learning magic is simple enough. It's the history and rune spelling that's a God damned nightmare."

"And you say that Amity is the smartest girl you know?"

"Yeah, but does that have to do with-- Oh..."

After School

While driving Luz home, Amity would occasionally glance over to the human girl that haunts her dreams. Every now and again, she would catch Luz looking like she wanted to say something, but she kept backing down in an instant. 

And Amity hated it.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you this morning," she finally spoke, snapping the human out of her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"You were trying to talk to me, and I shot you down because of my own personal shit. It's not fair of me to treat you that way. Especially since you had nothing to do with what was wrong."

'Well, you did,' Amity thought, 'But you don't need to know that.'

"Oh, no, it's fine," Luz shook her head, "I already know how it's my fault, anyway."

Amity's heart sped up.

"You do?"

"Yeah. I shouldn't have assumed it was a date on Saturday. Maybe then things wouldn't be so weird now."

Now, Amity felt a mix of relief and disappointment wash over her.

"Yeah. Maybe."

And they sat again in silence.

Painful silence.

"...I didn't see you in class today," Amity commented, "Which is odd, seeing how I drove you to school and back."

"Oh, uh, Eda needed to talk to me," Luz brushed off the concern, "She also gave me a forged doctor's note to explain why I was gone."

"'Doctor's note?'"

"Doctors, healers, whatever you guys have to deal with the sick and injured."

"Gotcha," Amity nodded, "What does the note say you have?"

"Mushroom feet--Which isn't true! Just in case you're worried. It's just a thing that I'll say I had and lie about having a speedy recovery for when I turn it in tomorrow."

"...You do realize that school cameras had to have seen you walking around the halls today, and that mushroom foot requires a week of constant care before being fully healed from it, right?"

"...I'll get detention for a week if I turn in that note, won't I?"

"Try a month."

"Damn it, Eda!" Luz pressed her palms against her face. Amity chuckled at the sight of it.

"I love this," she confessed, "I know it's weird, seeing how I've only been driving you around for a couple of weeks now, but I love these conversations we have. It actually felt...off driving to school without talking to you once."

"I know, right?!" Luz was quick to jump on, "You're actually really cool to talk to nowadays. At this point, it's crazy to think that there was a time I couldn't stand being in the same room with you. Uh, no offense!"

"None taken. I was a bit of a bitch to you, anyway."

"I wouldn't say a bit. More like--"

"Watch it," Amity warned, making it Luz's turn to chuckle.

"I was actually going to say that you weren't as bad as you thought," she said between her laughs. "Trust me, I've dealt with bigger bitches than you--Not to say you're a bitch now! You're...awesome. You're really, really awesome to hang out with. And, I mean that."

Amity smiled at that sentiment, trying as hard as she could to fight against the blush that inevitably shined on her cheeks.

"You're awesome to hang out with, too," she said, pulling up to the curb, "Anyways, this is your stop."

"Already?" Luz looked out the window, and, sure enough, there was her house down the block. "Damn..."

"Yeah, damn..." Amity muttered before speaking clearly to her crush, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow. This time with a lot more talking. I promise."

"Cool, cool. But, um, is it ok if I cash in another one of my favors."

"As long as you remember that I'm not a genie that grants your every wish."

"Funny. But, seriously though, finals week is coming up soon. And, seeing how you're a genius, I was wondering..." Luz seemed bashful for a second, "Maybe you could, I don't know, help me study?"

"But you only have me for one class."

"Not the magic stuff. That shit's easy. I was thinking that maybe you could help me with runes or witch history. You know, the other stuff."

"I don't know, I am pretty busy with my own--"

"And, if it could help, we could also study abomination magic. Together. In between the other stuff."

Amity blinked.

"You really want me to study with you."

"I mean, who's a better person to ask?"

"...Alright. I guess I could help you."

"You will?" there was a spark of hope in Luz's eyes that Amity didn't dwell on.

"Yeah, but just so you know: If you're gonna study with me, you have to take it seriously. This means no jokes, no whining about it being too hard, and definitely no distracting me with your..."

Amity clamped her mouth shut, her eyes wide and cheeks growing redder than before.

"...My what?" Luz asked with a confused tilt to her head.

"Nothing!" Amity then cleared her throat, pushing back the blush. "I'll take you to the library after school tomorrow. And remember: You know what you've signed up for when asking for my help to study."

"Or at least I'll find out," Luz got out of the car and gave a shy wave, "See you tomorrow. And then some. Seriously, I can't wait."

Luz shut the door behind her, but as Amity watched her go into the house, the rich witch couldn't help but ponder on the human's words.

"Why the hell would she be excited about studying?"

Ultimately, Amity shrugged it off, started her car, and began her own journey home.

Chapter Text

It was Saturday.

Usually, Luz would be chilling out to give herself some rest and relaxation after an entire week filled with studying, homework, and other miscellaneous bullshit that school forces her to do.

And what was she doing instead?

Vacuuming her living room so that the place would look perfect for when Amity got there.

Feeling her phone buzz in her pocket, Luz took a break to pull out her phone and saw that she got a text from her mom.

(MOM 10:15 AM) It might be a late shift tonight. 

(MOM 10:15 AM) Meaning either fend or wait until I come home with takeout.

(10:15 AM) Got it

(10:16 AM) Amity's going to be here for a while btw

(10:16 AM) She's been helping me study

(MOM 10:16 AM) The two of you aren't going to the library anymore?

(10:17 AM) No, I convinced her to just meet me here for today. Save money on gas and all that.

(10:17 AM) Is that ok?

(MOM 10:17 AM) Of course.

(MOM 10:17 AM) Have fun.

(10:18 AM) With studying? Yeah, it'll be a blast ;)

(MOM 10:18 AM) 🙄 Te queiro.

(10:18 AM) Love you too.

Pocketing her phone, Luz went back to finishing up the living room.

She still had the kitchen table to wipe down.

***

Amity pulled into the driveway at 11:00 AM. Before getting out, she looked in the mirror to give herself--what else--a pep talk.

"Listen: You have been doing perfectly fine all week. You have been focused, and you've kept Luz focused during all of these study dates--NOPE! Not dates! These are sessions. And you will treat them as such. Who cares if you're now switching from a library filled with several students cramming to Luz’s house where it's just the two of you...alone...for several hours...IT'S NOT A DATE!"

Amity got out of the car, coat donned with schoolbag in hand, and marched over to the door.

"Just keep telling yourself that: It's not a date. You're just studying. It's not a date. You're just studying. It's not a date. You're just studying..."

She rang the doorbell and waited patiently.

"...But Titan, I wish it was a date."

At a surprisingly quick pace, Luz opened the door for her guest and leaned against the frame with a nervous smile.

"Hey, Amity," she squeaked.

"Hi, Luz."

"I see you made your ears all...circle-y."

"Also known as round, and yeah, I did," Amity brushed some of her hair behind said rounded ears, "I figured it's best not to risk your mom seeing me look all witch-like."

"Fair enough, fair enough," Luz nodded while stepping aside, "You ready to study?"

"I should ask you that, especially with how you're...so..."

But Amity was quick to be at a loss for words, what with how clean Luz’s house was. It wasn't as impressive by conventional standards, but it was still better than the last time Amity visited.

"Did you clean up?" the question slipped out of her mouth.

"Uh, yeah, I did. Didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable with how messy this shithole is."

"You didn't have to do that."

"I know. But I wanted to. Couldn't do anything about the hole, though. Sorry about that."

"Am I ever going to learn the story behind that?"

"Most likely not."

"Alright, but, still, this is really unnecessary."

"Maybe," Luz shrugged, "But you're worth it."

Amity couldn't fight her sudden blush even if she wanted to.

'It's not a date. It's not a date. It's not a date,' Amity's brain kept telling her.

"I'm going to go set up in the kitchen," she said, maybe a little too quick while shrugging off her coat and briskly walking past her crush.

"Oh, right. I'll, uh," Luz headed for the stairs, "I'll go ahead and get my notes."

"Uh-huh. Sounds great!" Amity shouted from the kitchen as she started pulling her stuff out of the schoolbag and sorting it all onto the table. After looking over her shoulder to make sure Luz really did go upstairs, she began to steady her breathing.

"It's not a date," she muttered to herself, "It's not a date. It's not a date. You might be spending the day alone together in the house she spent who knows how long cleaning all for you, but it. Is. Not. A date...so stop wanting it to be one."

***

Luz pressed her face onto the table, loudly groaning as she did so.

"Stop complaining," Amity told her, "You knew what you were getting into when asking for my help. So stop being a baby."

"Yeah, but the past few days, we've been studying for two to three hours until you drove me back home," the human pointed out, sounding seemingly exhausted, "Right now, we've been studying nonstop since eleven-thirty. It's now five. Meaning that I'm allowed to act like a baby for at least ten minutes."

"I gave you a lunch break."

"Having you quiz me while I eat a ham sandwich is not a break. It's multitasking at best and insanely picky at its worst."

"You want to pass, don't you?" Amity challenged.

"Yeah, but I feel like with how hardcore we've been lately, there's no way that I'll fail."

"Oh really? Then you won't mind another pop quiz, then?"

"You know what, fine," Luz sat up and gave the other girl her full, undivided but annoyed attention. "Go ahead. Quiz me."

"Alright. Who was the witch that established that witches and humans remain separate, and when?"

"Caroline Matchwick in 1692 after seeing her sister burned by the stake during the Salem Witch Trials."

"Ok," Amity wrote down runes on two separate pieces of paper and held them up for Luz, "Which of these sets of runes spell out 'Victor.'"

"...The one on the left."

"Correct," Amity set aside the papers, "And who was the first witch to ever use magic."

"...Is it Emperor Belos?"

"No, he controlled magic. Also, it was a trick question. No one knows who the first person who used magic is, as it would be the equivalent of asking who was the first person to ever make fire. It's literally impossible to know."

"So I got two out of three right," Luz brushed off the critique, "Big deal. That's perfectly passable in my book."

"It's rounded to sixty-seven percent. That's basically a D."

"And a D is a passing grade."

"That can give you no future."

"Alright, fair enough. But even you have to admit that a five in a half-hour long study session is insane."

"How? We've been studying for five hours all week. An extra thirty minutes shouldn't be too bad."

"...We've been studying for two hours all week."

"Yeah, two hours in the library and three more at home to then go to sleep at a nice and early nine o’clock to keep the brain well-rested and refreshed."

"..."

"...Have you not been following the study plan I gave you?!" Amity asked indignantly.

"I thought you were fucking with me about that!"

"Why would I fuck with you when it comes to studying?!"

"Well, why do you spend five hours a day studying? Haven't you taken a break once? Like, a real break?"

"Of course I do! It's between driving from the library to your house and back home once we finish a session at five. That's a forty-five-minute break right there."

"Yeah, but when you're driving, you have to pay attention to every little thing at once, keeping your brain active. Haven't you ever taken any time to turn your brain off and enjoy yourself?"

"...Does sleep count?"

"If you have to ask, then clearly it doesn't."

"Well, then excuse me for not being normal, I guess!" Amity huffed. As for Luz, she checked the time and knew what needed to be done. She started shutting every single notebook and shoved Amity's textbooks in her book bag along with any and every flashcard.

"What are you doing?" the other girl asked.

"You have to leave at six," Luz explained, "It's now five fifteen. You are taking your forty-five-minute break, and this time, you are going to actually relax that brain of yours."

"But finals--"

"With what we've done so far, I'm confident that we'll both pass beyond our best at this point. Especially you. So please, for yourself, take the time to just chill, the hell, out."

Amity drummed her fingers on the kitchen table, uncertain of what to do. Or rather, unsure if she should do what she needs to do.

"...What would I even do in the next forty-five minutes?" she eventually asked.

"It's forty-two, now. And for one: We could talk?"

"About what?"

"Whatever you want. As long as it isn't about school or your dickweed parents. Just talk about something that can help you stay calm."

"...Well, I guess there's one thing I want to know about," Amity started fiddling with her pencil.

"Shoot."

"Can you...tell me more about what I did when I got drunk a few nights ago? Please?"

"And how is that supposed to calm you down, exactly?"

"Because ever since that night, I can't shake this feeling that I said or did something really stupid. I know that you haven't told me everything, and it would make me feel a whole lot better if you got it all out there."

"Or it could make you feel worse."

"Yeah, but I hate living in the unknown, you know? It might be embarrassing, but it beats going crazy overthinking about all these little scenarios of what I could have done. So, as my...friend, I would honestly appreciate it if you told me more of the truth."

Luz still seemed unsure.

"...Is that really what you want?"

Amity nodded.

"...Fine," the human sighed, "But don't say I didn't try to convince you otherwise."

"Oh, Titan..." the witch groaned, "Was it really that bad?"

"Well, look at it this way: In about...let's say ten years from now, when you're reminiscing about the good ol' days, you'll look back at that night and just laugh."

"So it was that bad, then?"

"Yup," Luz sat up straight to tell the story, "As far as I can tell, it all began when this jerkoff started flirting with me. I tried to make him get lost, but he only got scared off when you stumbled into the rescue and flopped an arm around me, telling him that we were a couple. I caught on quickly to your plan and played along until he finally walked away."

'Oh, I hope that's really what Drunk Me was thinking,' Amity thought.

"Go on," she said.

"When I figured out you were drunk, I tried to make sure you would stop drinking the spiked punch. But then you pissed off somewhere, and I would have followed you, but I had to deal with the fact that Boscha has been recording the whole thing. When I finally found you again, you were standing on top of a table and announcing how you were 'Queen of the Universe' or some shit. You were lucky that I knew for a fact that you wouldn't last long up there in high heels. Because the second you tripped over your own feet, I was right there to catch you."

"Well, aren't you a hero?"

"You know, you said almost the exact same thing when I set you down...right before you kissed me."

Amity snapped her pencil in half.

"...I did what?" she asked, her heart racing.

"Now, before you freak out, it wasn't a romantic kiss on the lips or anything. Not even close. In fact, it was more like a, uh...a wet smack on my cheek."

"...I did WHAT?!"

"Hey, you wanted to know all the details. You literally asked for it."

"You're right," Amity pinched the bridge of her nose, "You are definitely right..."

'At least I didn't kiss her on the lips,' she kept to herself, 'That would be devastating.'

"So what else happened?" Amity groaned out.

"After realizing how drunk you really were, I decided to get you home as soon as possible, even tricking you into thinking there was an even better party at your house. But for whatever reason, you refused to go unless I was going to be there too."

"Of course I did," Amity muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing! Please continue."

"Alright? So, after telling everyone to suck it, you gave me your keys, and I started driving you back to your place. That's when I started calling your brother and sister so they can take care of you, but as you can tell from the morning after, that didn't happen. It was also around the time I was getting sick of Drunk Amity's shit. Because you were so out of it that when I told you to take off your heels, you thought I meant your actual heels."

"To be fair, you can blame Boscha for that. She was the one who spiked the punch."

"Oh, I did blame her for it. I even asked you why you would date someone who would do something so...so..."

"Bitchy?"

"I was gonna say reckless and stupid, but yeah, 'bitchy' works," Luz shrugged, "You told me the real reason you dated in the first place, which seemed pretty cold to me, but whatever. And you were pretty quick to brush off Boscha trying to 'win you back,' saying that it doesn't matter because you're working on dating someone and--"

"WHAT DID I SAY?!"

Luz jumped a foot in her chair.

"...You said that you're working on getting a new girlfriend?"

"Word by word!" Amity demanded, totally freaked out, "What was my exact phrasing?!"

"That you were working on it, and that's it!"

"But what does that mean?!"

"I don't know! You said it!" but that's when it clicked for Luz, "Wait, are you working on--"

"No!"

"...A little too quick on the draw there, don't you think?"

“Well, that’s just, I mean, you can’t, um…I guess...there is someone that I've been trying to...ask out."

"Is it anyone I know?"

Here's what Amity wanted to say:

"Yes. It's you. It's always been you. Now please shut up and go out with me so we can live happily ever after and then some."

Here's what she actually said:

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because, well...I don't know," Luz sighed, her own cheeks growing bright. “But, like, isn't knowing each other's crushes a friend thing?"

"Yeah, but would you even do with that information?"

"I don't know? Maybe I could...help you?"

"Help me?"

"Yeah, like give you advice or some shit."

"No offense, but what exactly do you know about dating?"

"Hey, I've read...stuff. I can totally help you woo this girl."

“‘Woo’ her?”

“Hey, it could happen!”

"Please. You couldn't even 'woo' me."

'Which is a blatant lie, but at least it'll get her off my back.'

But the look on Luz's face wasn't that of someone willing to back down. If anything, it was someone who had an idea.

"I could try."

Amity's heart stopped.

"You could what?"

"I'll try flirting with you for five minutes. If I can win you over, you'll have to admit that I can be helpful with relationship advice. And, also, tell me who you're crushing on. 'Cause, you know, that could help."

"Yeah, no, that's not happening."

"Why," Luz looked cocky, "Are you scared that I'm going to make you fall in love with me?"

'Yes,' Amity thought.

"No," Amity lied, "It's because this is stupid, pointless, and I will not entertain it for even a second."

"So you really are scared, huh?"

"...You're not dropping this, are you?"

"Not unless you tell me who it is now."

"Fine," Amity put on her own challenging expression, "Do your best. Because there's no way that it will work."

'I can fake it for five minutes, right?'

Accepting the challenge, Luz took a moment to lean back and made a show about putting herself in the mindset while also stretching her limbs for some reason. After finishing that foolishness, Luz leaned her head against her hand and stared at the girl opposite to her, eyebrow raised and smirk set.

It was at that moment that Amity knew how completely screwed she was.

"Hola hermosa," the human spoke, "¿Qué haces en esta maravillosa noche?"

"What are you doing?" Amity squeaked.

"Talking in Spanish. My uncle said that if there's one thing American white people love, it's people speaking in Spanish. Seriously, I can do nothing but insult you, and you would think that I'm spouting poetic bullshit."

"There is no way that would work."

But Luz's eyebrow getting raised higher meant that she wasn't going to leave that lying down.

"Tu cabello es como un excremento casi todo verde pero con algunos trozos de marrón mezclados," she continued, "Y tus ojos son tan amarillos como orina fresca en la taza del inodoro."

"...Those were insults, right?"

"That depends," Luz leaned in close, "Is it working?"

"Pfft! As if!" Amity laughed nervously, fully aware of how red her face must be if Luz's smirk growing wider was any indication.

"Really?" she asked with faux confusion, "Well, in that case, I might just have to turn it up a notch."

Luz then moved her chair close to Amity, leaving them only a foot apart. The next thing the witch knew, her crush then lifted her hand forward and cupped Amity's cheek, causing the youngest Blight's heart to feel as though it was beating faster than the speed of sound.

"Tu voz es tan chillona que suena como cuchillos raspando un plato de vidrio," Luz said in a fake charming voice, "Es un dolor de cabeza lidiar con tus constantes notas y cuestionarios, y es una locura aguantar tus horarios y reglas locas. Y tu risa...tu risa..."

Suddenly, Luz's expression became a lot less cocky and her tone a lot softer.

"Tu risa es como literalmente música para mis oídos, porque que suena como un coro de ángeles cuando la escucho," she said, seemingly entranced by...Amity wasn't even sure what. "Y eres la persona más hermosa que he conocido, por dentro y por fuera. Físicamente, eres como algo creado por el mismo paraíso. Pero por dentro eres inteligente, divertida y sorprendentemente cariñosa. No sé qué diablos hice para que quisieras ser mi amiga, pero no quiero que esto termine nunca. Y yo...yo..."

Luz trailed off on whatever she was saying, and Amity will admit, it was certainly hard to keep her cool at the moment. Or, at least, harder than usual. The fact that Luz's face was so very close to Amity's didn't make things any easier.

Almost subconsciously, her eyes went to the lips of the human in front of her.

'I could just lean in and--NOPE! Shut it down!'

Trying her best to clear her mind and calm her heart, Amity looked back up at Luz's eyes.

What she didn't expect, however, was that the human before was also looking down. She was staring at Amity's lips.

Very slowly, Luz's eyes looked upward, staring straight back at Amity.

'I should probably push her away.'

Luz began to lean in closer.

And closer.

'I really should push her away.'

Soon, Luz's face was all Amity could see, and her eyes fluttered closed on instinct.

'I really really should push her away.'

All Amity could hear was her heartbeat.

All she could smell was Luz's scent.

And all she could feel was the soft breath grazing Amity's own lips.

She just needs to lean in just a little bit--

"Mija, I'm home!"

Luz immediately pushed Amity away so hard that the other girl ended up falling to the floor. Accidentally, of course.

Camila ran in quick to see what happened, to which her daughter started spouting out as many excuses as she could. But Amity couldn't hear a word of it.

Because it happened.

It was a fraction of a fraction of a second, and it was more of graze at most, but it happened.

She felt it.

Luz kissed her.

LUZ KISSED HER...while practicing her flirting. 

Meaning that it's a very real possibility that she got carried away at the moment.

Amity slapped herself on the forehead when that realization came to her.

"Right, Amity?"

"Huh?" She looked up to see both Luz and her mother looking down at the poor girl.

"You're not hurt, right?" Luz said expectantly, making it clear how she wanted Amity to answer.

"Oh, yeah, I'm A-Ok!" she exclaimed much louder than necessary, getting up and grabbing her school bag and her coat. "Anyways, I'm going to head out now! Thanks for inviting me! Bye!"

By speed walking as fast as she could, Amity went out the door and headed toward her car, dropping her keys several times in the process due to how shakey her hands were at the moment.

"Amity, wait!" Luz shouted somewhere from behind.

"I can't hear you! I'm too busy leaving!" At long last, Amity unlocked her car and got in. Unfortunately, it had to take her three tries to put the key into the ignition, thus giving Luz the time she needed to knock on the window to get the rich witch's attention.

"Amity, please!" Luz shouted through the glass, "Just talk to me for a second."

Weighing her options, Amity decided that driving off and risking running over her crush's foot was a bad idea. So she rolled the window down instead. Albeit reluctantly.

"Look," Luz leaned into the car, "About what just happened--"

"No need to explain! I mean, you were just getting lost in the moment, right?"

'Please say no. Please say no. Please say no. Please, in the name of the Titan, SAY NO!'

"...Yup!" Luz smiled wide, "That sure is what happens!"

'GOD DAMN YOU!'

"Great!" Amity forced her own smile, "That's just frickin' GREAT!"

Luz was no longer smiling.

"It doesn't sound great."

"How 'bout that!" Amity forced her car into reverse, "Anyways, I think that's enough studying for finals. You got two of three random questions right. You got this."

"But--"

"Goodbye, Luz!" Luz then jumped back as Amity peeled out of the driveway and drove to Blight Manor as fast as her car would let her.

For the first time in months, she actually didn't want to be anywhere near Luz at the moment.

***

Camila just picked back up the chair Amity fell out of when she heard the Luz come back in through the front door. Grabbing the takeout bags she brought home, Camila walked into the living room to see her daughter pouting like crazy.

"Is everything ok, mija?"

"Mm-hm..."

"...I got Thai food," Camila offered one of the bags for Luz, "It's been a while since we've had that, right?"

"Thanks," Luz grabbed the bag and headed for the stairs.

"How did the studying go?"

"Went great. I'm going to go die in my room now. Goodnight."

"...Goodnight?"

'What the heck did I miss?' Camila couldn't help but think to herself.

Chapter Text

Luz pressed her face flat against the cafeteria table, gently moaning as if the air was being let out of her body.

"I think she's dying," Gus commented as he leaned closer to his friend.

"She's not dying," Willow said, "She's just whining. Like a little baby, I might add."

"Hm. Hey, Luz?" Gus gently nudged the human, "Are you alright?"

Luz responded by moaning slightly louder.

"C'mon, would you give it a rest already?" Willow urged, "You've been mopey and dopey all week, and while it was sad at first, it's really starting to get annoying."

"Yeah, she's not wrong," Gus nodded, "Especially since you've somehow got worse as the week goes by. Is it finals? Are they beating you down that badly?"

"It's not a finals thing," Luz finally said clearly, "It's an Amity thing."

"Since when does Amity make you act like this? Usually, she makes you mad, not sad."

"Well, things have changed."

"Yeah, didn't you hear, Gus?" Willow asked with faux enthusiasm, "Luz and Amity are apparently best friends now! Making you and me pretty much irrelevant."

"Oh, I'm sure that last part isn't true," Gus shrugged off Willow's comment with a smile, "Right, Luz?"

"Actually, it kind of is."

"...Ouch."

"Sorry," Luz abashedly rubbed the back of her neck, "It's just that the last few weeks have been a non-stop barrage of bullshit I would have never expected from the first day I got to Hexide. And yet, here I am. Cringing over how much I'm an idiot after my latest fuck up with Amity."

"Why? What happened?"

"Earmuffs."

"Oh, come on!" Gus protested, "I don't want to do earmuffs! It's demeaning!"

"Earmuffs!" Luz furtherly insisted, earning a glare from her youngest friend. Slowly and very much unhappily, Gus relucted, covered his ears, and started humming.

"Alright," Willow sighed, "What stupid thing did you do this time?"

"...I almost kissed Amity."

"You WHAT?!"

Luz was quick to shoosh the plant witch, especially when her shout gained the attention of nearly every eye of the cafeteria.

"Could you keep it down!" she whisper-screamed, "Yes, I almost kissed her. But it was...sort of an accident."

"How do you sort of accidentally kiss somebody?!" Willow whisper-screamed back.

"Because we were doing this dumb thing where I would fake-flirt with her. I got too caught up in the act, and the next thing I knew, I was leaning in for a kiss. If my mom hadn't stepped in, something definitely would have happened. And judging by how Amity reacted to almost kissing, I don't even want to think about what would happen if we actually did."

"Why were you fake-flirting with her in the first place?"

"Because I wanted to prove that I can woo somebody. If I did, Amity would tell me about this girl she has a crush on. Oh, and by the way, she is totally crushing on somebody else. So, you know, that's another theory of yours that got flushed down the toilet."

"What makes you think the girl isn't you?"

"Because why the hell would she be acting all distant lately if she had a crush on me? I mean, if you liked me that way, and I did something like that with you, would you refuse to acknowledge it or tell me outright how you really feel?"

"I'd tell you outright because I'm not an idiot. But also, you don't know for sure what the reason is that she's being distant. I mean, haven't you at least tried talking to her?"

"Of course I tried! All week I've been trying to break the ice and get to something close to a conversation. But every time we're in the car, she just keeps quiet and ignores me."

"She still gives you rides despite all this?"

"Yeah, we're coming up on winter break, and it's below freezing. She wouldn't just let me walk in that because, of course, she's just perfect like that!"

Luz accentuated her point by slamming her head onto the table again, moaning the same way she did earlier.

"Alright, alright," Willow tried to get through to her friend, "Let's just go back on talking to Amity. Maybe if we figure out how to get a conversation started with her, you can both at least move on from your bullshit."

"Good luck with that," Luz groaned, "I've literally tried every conversation starter in the book. From asking about her day to talking about the weather, nothing got through."

"Ok, but have you ever actually talked about the almost-kiss?"

"No, because there's a problem with that."

"Which is?"

"I don't want to do it."

"...Are you actively trying to sabotage your own love life?"

"First off, nobody said anything about love," Luz sat up, "Second, given how messed up things are, I can't just step out the gate with something like that. I got to ease my way into it."

"And how's that working out for you?"

"Not great."

Willow made a face.

"...Yeah, I know. But I'd like to see you act all brave in front of someone you're crushing hard on."

"She has a point," a new voice added, making both girls jump. Taking their attention away from each other, Luz and Willow looked to see that Skara was standing a foot away from the table, smiling happily.

"...How long have you been standing there?" Luz asked.

"Just now," Skara stated as she sat next to the human, "The other girls and I were sitting at our own table, as you requested, and we couldn't help but notice that you're dealing with some stuff."

"Pretty sure the whole cafeteria noticed it," Willow snarked, "And yet, you don't see them coming over and cutting in, do you?"

"Yeah, but not everybody in the cafeteria is friends with you, right?"

"And who's fault is that?"

"Right..." Skara turned her attention back to Luz, "But, yeah, you did have a point earlier. Dealing with crushes is hard. I should know. I've had my fair share of crushes that got pretty awkward at times."

"Uh-huh," Luz nodded, totally uninterested, "Got it. Still don't know why you're inserting yourself into the conversation, though."

"Because I can help through my experience. Seriously, whatever you need, I'll be here to give you advice on whatever. Or if advice isn't doing it for you, you can practice being around your crush through me."

"Practice?"

"Yeah, I'm there with all of the stuff you need to work on. Like asking someone out, flirting, dating, kissing--"

"No, I don't need--Wait, what?"

"What?"

"...Choosing to ignore that. Because I don't need your help. That's usually something I go to Gus and Willow for."

"And even then, she blatantly ignores everything we say anyway," Willow commented.

"She's not wrong," Luz agrees, "So thanks, but we're not really that close of friends for whatever the hell you just offered."

"What are you talking about?" Skara almost sounded hurt, "We're friends."

"We haven't even hung out once."

"We hang out plenty of times."

"You and the other two following me around like a group of lost puppies isn't hanging out. It's...alright, I don't really know what it is, but it's definitely not what you think it is."

"Hm..." Skara thought for a bit, "So, if we hung out, we would be friends, and you would take my advice?"

"I guess?"

"Great!" Skara stood up with a smile and headed back to her table, "See you later."

"...Should I be worried about that?" Luz asked Willow.

"Probably."

"Great."

"Can I please stop doing Earmuffs now?" Gus loudly asked.

After School

Amity looked directly ahead at the road, her grip firm on the steering wheel. The witch's mouth was tightly shut as she ignored the human sitting in the passenger seat, to the point of refusing to even glance at her.

"So," she heard Luz speak, "Good thing finals are done now, huh? No more studying for a couple more weeks."

Amity didn't say anything.

"And, hey, you wanna know something crazy?" her passenger continued, "The last question, on my history final, was the trick question you asked me the other day. I saw that, and I immediately thought back to Saturday and went, 'Hey, I know this.' Crazy, right?"

Amity often thought back to that day as well. It always hurt when she did.

At long last, Luz's home came into view. As Amity pulled up to her usual spot on the curb, she patiently waited for Luz to get out and leave.

She was actually hopeful of not having Luz in her car anymore.

How things have changed after one single incident.

Unfortunately, Luz wasn't dead set on leaving just yet.

"...Amity," she said, "About Saturday--"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, too bad. Because I feel like we have to."

But Amity remained silent. Luz might want to talk, but that doesn't mean she can force Amity to.

"...Look," the human sighed, "I'm really sorry about what I did. I shouldn't have flirted with you, and I definitely shouldn't have tried to kiss you. It's just...I'm just...I'm a fucking idiot when it comes to relationships. Up until my first day at Hexide, I never had real friends before. Then I met Gus, Willow, and you, and it's like...half the time, I don't know what I'm doing. And when that happens, I do stupid shit like try to kiss a friend and having her hate me all over again. It sucks and...and I don't want that. So, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being a shitty friend."

"...How many times do I have to say that I never hated you," Amity finally spoke, briefly shocking Luz for a second.

"I mean," she cleared her throat, "Even if you didn't then, you still do now."

"No, Luz," Amity shook her head, "I don't even hate you now. I'm mad, yes, but...I'll get over it. I just need time, alright?"

"...Alright," Luz nodded, "Alright. Well, when you think you've had enough time, just let me know. Please? Because we've got all winter break to ourselves. Gus already has an itinerary for how me, him, and Willow can spend time together throughout all of it. And I was kind of hoping you would be a part of at least some of that. Again, whenever you're ready. Take all the time you need."

"Actually, I'll be pretty busy during most of the winter break. My parents plan this annual ball on the twenty-fifth, and the days leading up to that are dedicated to preparation and all that other horse shit I'm sick of doing. Even when I do get a break from it all, I'm not even allowed to leave the mansion. According to mom, I can't risk being gone too long and missing out on important tasks. So, that's going to be fun to deal with."

"Oh. Um, sorry to hear that. It really sucks to know you have to deal with this."

"...But what if it's a good thing, though?" Amity confessed, making Luz extra shocked.

"What?"

"Maybe we could use this time apart from each other. Take the time to...figure out this relationship."

"...What is our relationship?"

"That's something you could ask yourself between now and the twenty-sixth."

Luz got the hint. Amity could see it in the downcast expression on the human's face. And when Luz solemnly walked out of the car and up to her house, a part of Amity wanted to take everything she said back.

But she knew that she was right. They needed time off.

***

Camila opened the oven for tonight's roast when she heard the front door open as well.

"Hola, mija!" she said from the kitchen, sliding the roast in the oven, "How were finals?"

However, Camila didn't hear her daughter speak. She heard footsteps going up the stairs, but no more than that. Letting curiosity get the better of her, Camila turned around and looked into the living room. Only to see that Luz wasn't there.

"Mija?" Camila called again as she headed for the stairs. Once at the top, she went to Luz's room, and sure enough, her daughter was lying on top of her bed, face pressed into her pillow.

"Luz?"

Luz moaned into her pillow.

"...I take it that means finals wiped you out, huh?" Camila joked. But the follow-up moans Luz did make it clear she wasn't in a joking mood.

The poor girl has been like this all week. Camila blamed it on stressing over finals, but Luz has never been this upset over a test before. In fact, Camila hasn't seen someone so mopey since her sister...

'Oh!' she finally clued in to what was wrong and smiled a gentle smile in response.

Making her way over to the bed, she sat down at the end of it.

"So," Camila said, "What's his name?"

"Hm?" Luz flipped over, giving her mother a curious look. "What are you talking about?"

"This person you clearly have a crush on."

Luz's eyes went wide with panic.

"Wha--I--That's not--I don't--"

"Mija, please," the older Noceda raised her hand for silence, "I'm a mother and an older sister. I know boy problems when I see them."

"Boy problems?"

"Yeah, and trust me, you're acting exactly like your tía. I was always pretty helpful to her. Maybe I can help you too."

But Luz seemed to be in deep thought, almost unsure of something.

"Or, at the very least, talk to me about him," Camila suggested instead, "Sometimes, it's better to talk things through."

"...His name...His name is...is Amile," Luz slowly confessed.

"Amile," Camila tested out the name, smugly smiling as she did, "Sounds quite the handsome boy."

"Hehe, yeah," Luz nervously fiddled with her comforter, "Handsome. But, you know, looks aren't the main reason why I like...Amile. He's smart, pretty funny at times, and miraculously likes most things I like. Best of all, talking to he-- him is, like...the easiest thing in the world. We banter and joke around for a bit, and the next thing I know, an entire hour passed."

"Sounds like Amile's pretty special."

"Yeah. He is," Luz smiled fondly, but only for a second as a crestfallen expression took form. "But ever since it clicked that I have a crush on...Amile, our relationship went from really easy to really complicated."

"How so?"

"Well, above all else, I keep screwing things up between us. Either it's because I say or do something stupid, I always end up driving a bigger wedge between us. Just today, Amile told me that the fact that I won't see him until the twenty-sixth is a good thing. Saying we should take the time to consider our relationship, whatever the hell that means...Also, sorry for swearing."

"It's ok, cariño. And as for what Amile means, I'm sure he just needs some space. You haven't been overbearing, have you?"

"...Not intentionally?" Luz seemed slightly panicked again, "Oh, man, is that really the reason?! I was just budging too much?!"

"It's a plausible explanation, but it's most likely isn't true," Camila reassured, "That's something you'll have to ask on the twenty-sixth. For now, all you can do is respect that Amile needs time for himself. You would want the same thing if the positions were reversed, wouldn't you?"

"I guess...but talking to him is going to be so hard to deal with."

"You said it was easy, though."

"It used to be! But now it's like I can't even figure out the right words to say anymore. It's even worse when it comes to saying how I really feel because I can't force myself to spit it out. It's like...like pulling out a splinter. Yes, I know I should do it, and I'll feel a lot better afterward, but knowing the pain that comes from it is so intimidating that I force myself to leave it in."

"Ok. But keeping that analogy in mind, you do realize that you have to eventually pull the splinter out, right?"

"I know. I know. But I wish there was a way that I could just, I don't know, ease it out?"

"Sorry, Luz, but that's not really an option in this case," Camila explained in a nurturing manner, "Some of the best advice your abuela ever gave me is that it's better to be straightforward with someone you like."

"If I had a penny for every time I heard that..."

"Well, to be fair, you hear it for a good reason. When it comes to romance, both men and women are idiots. Men are so thick-headed that you have to be as blatant as possible to give feelings across. And women, well, we're too stubborn to accept that maybe hinting at our intentions isn't the best-case scenario. It's a never-ending cycle of dancing around this unspoken truth that results in nobody getting together. A problem easily avoided if people just talk to each other."

"Maybe..."

"Hey, trust me, I speak from experience. There was this one boy who your tía was absolutely in love with, and she would always flirt and hint about how she feels whenever she was around him. And one day, when the boy finally asked her about it, you want to know what she did? She denied all of it."

That got Luz's attention.

"Wait, what?"

"Yup. She could have easily said yes, but no, your tía decided to act like an idiota."

"But what if he was asking for clarification? Like, to see if she actually liked him?"

"That's exactly what I told her. But she responded by saying that her crush wouldn't have asked if he didn't feel the same way."

"That's stupid! He could have easily felt the same way! He just--" But Luz's face went from angry to blank, as it seemed like she finally found the missing piece of the world's most impossible puzzle, "He just probably wanted to see if they were on the same page..."

"Let me guess," her mother smirked, "You were in the same position as your tía, weren't you."

"Actually, looking back, I might have been on both sides of this scenario."

Camila blinked in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yup. There was one situation where I wanted clarification and another where I denied anything that I was trying. And if...if Amile is the reverse of that, then our relationship might be a lot less complicated than I thought."

"...Oh."

"Yeah," Luz flopped back down on her bed, hands covering her face as she mumbled, "I am a frickin' idiot..."

"No, Luz," Camila gently denied, "You're not an idiot. You're just..."

"..."

"..."

"...You've got nothing, do you?"

"Yeah, no. Sorry."

Luz groaned in response.

"But look on the bright side," Camila smiled as she got up, "At least you now know what to talk about on the twenty-sixth."

"Uh-huh. Sure. Thanks," Luz got out when her mom walked out the door. But what Camila didn't hear was when the younger Noceda quietly grumbled, "But how the hell am I going to get it out."