#g2c1p2

Dani took the stairs two at a time, and in their bedroom, pulled out the dusty box of high school relics. Rifling through the collection of junk, they found what they were looking for. 

They stuck their head around Jewel’s door, begging her to put the boy out of his misery, before racing outside.

It took only moments to swap the tapes, and Dani tried their best to impart some words of wisdom to the flailing, slightly hopeless teen.

Beau paused, taking a moment to piece his ego back together and plaster a nonchalant smile on his face before he turned to his waiting friends.

He would have preferred it if they were laughing. Their sympathetic grimaces confirmed they’d heard it all, and it really was as bad as Beau thought.

“Sorry, dude,” Kit muttered as the disappointed boy joined them.

Jewel stared at him, and Beau couldn’t read her expression as he waited for an answer. Confusion, and maybe… Was that a little hurt?

“No.”

The ground fell away underneath him, sending him into freefall. Watcher, he hoped the boys couldn’t hear. “No?”

“You did it wrong. That’s not how humans do it.”

“Do what?”

“Ask each other out. I’ve seen all the movies. You’re s’posed to give me flowers, or stand outside my bedroom with a boombox, or–”

“What movies are you watchin’?!”

Austin was a perfectly normal teenage boy.

He liked all the things that teenage boys do. Music. His skateboard. Gaming until dawn turned the sky silver, then gold, then bright, blinding blue.

He was never short on time; all of his hobbies fueled by a burgeoning caffeine addiction and the acceptance that he’d rather be anywhere but his bed.

This was bad. 

If they tried to summon The Wraith again, there was no telling what would happen, especially here, with all these people. If it spoke to him… He couldn’t let his darkest secret be revealed like that.

Maddie caught his eye. He didn’t need to hear to know what she said.

He’s watching us.

Elle turned to look at him, shock and guilt etching lines of worry across her face.

At once, everything was too loud. Too hot. Too crowded.

Austin gasped for air, but there was none, his chest growing tight as panic caught him in its unbreakable grip.

Austin grunted as Beau left in search of better company. His attention was still firmly on the three spellcasters in the corner.

Something about the way they were leaning in, whispering to one another, set his teeth on edge. It looked suspiciously like plotting, and that often ended badly for Austin.

He couldn’t hear her, but whatever she was saying must have been fascinating. Maddie stared at her cousin, wide-eyed, and a wild giggle from Chiyo sent Austin spiralling.

Well, that was utterly humiliating.

Elle’s cheeks burned as she pushed past, urgently putting as much distance between herself and Scottie as possible. She silently prayed no one had seen, but doubted she’d be so lucky.

The girls were still dancing, oblivious. She rushed to their sides.

“Why’s Elle talkin’ to Scottie Pepper?” Beau asked, completely bemused.

Austin hummed. He’d been too busy keeping an eye on Chiyo and Maddie to notice. “Dunno,” he muttered, his mind still a million miles away. “Think they had a project, or somethin’.”

“Are they friends?”

“What? No, ‘course not.”

Beau looked between Austin and Kit; the former chewing distractedly on his polished nails, the latter sat miserably, stealing occasional glances at Autumn, totally clueless to the fact that his date was now deep in conversation with one of Cade’s friends.

A pause as Autumn tried to place where she’d seen Isla before, then recognition wiped away any hint of a lingering smile.

Her jaw tightened, the venomous expression at odds with her angelic costume, and her walls flew up. She turned her back and walked straight into Cade’s waiting arms.

“What the fuck,” Beau giggled nervously.

Isla’s brow arched as she glanced at Kit. She’d seen the whole thing. “Someone you know?”

“Not really,” Kit muttered, taking another generous swig of his beer.

“Well, are you gonna get me a drink?”

“Uhh–”