"It's just a friendly outing, just a friendly outing, you've done this before, YOU CAN DO THIS!"
Amity Blight was doing her best to motivate herself for what was perhaps the most stressful event of her recent life. She was pacing her room, Elvin the Abomination sitting peacefully and listening to her as she breathed deeply over and over again, trying to drown out the pounding of her own heart.
This was a regular occurence; what wasn't regular was that Amity was stressing over a friendly outing, and with Luz Noceda of all people.
Amity couldn't help but smile for just a moment as the name flashed through her mind; while the two still had their tendency to conflict over little things (what with Luz always finding a way to make things needlessly complicated and Amity herself having anger issues), they were fighting less and less. In fact, 4 weeks since that fateful day where they had finally become friends, and the two were doing remarkably well, at least according to Amity.
And the fights WERE little: teeny things like Amity rubbing in sometimes her natural talent, or Luz accidentally spilling soda all over Amity's uniform. The fights would last a minute or two, mostly driven by Amity, she had to admit, but they would soon resolve with the two girls apologizing profusely and laughing it off.
A lot of laughing, actually. Amity had never laughed or smiled so much her whole life. In fact, Luz was the brightest part of her days, with her once a week visits. The human had made her so happy, she was thinking of surprising her with tutor sessions to jump start her magical improvement!
And today was another surprise of sorts: Luz had not expected Amity to be so fast with taking a "playdate" of sorts outside, and neither was Amity. But Amity couldn't help it; Luz had given her so much in so little time, and Amity really wanted to take her out to the figure skating rink near Hexside.
Amity froze and gasped. "Take out…", she mouthed the words carefully, before blushing profusely. Had she used those words? Did Luz think it was a date? And if it was, (which she didn't mind too much, mind you), what if Amity blew a fuse again? Sure, tiny fuses, fuses Luz said did nothing to ruin their days together…
But Amity couldn't take that chance. Date or not, Luz deserved better than the angry jerky Amity. She deserved the so called "real" Amity, the one Luz claimed was her kind side.
Amity wasn't so sure of that, but that was probably her low self esteem, she reasoned.
"All this walking around and thinking isn't taking me anywhere! Ugh! I have to go to Luz and take her, I'm gonna be late!"
Amity had no time to waste, she had to get this right, she couldn't wait!
…Luz deserved it. And, Amity REALLY wanted to have a fun day with her sort of best friend, after an awful week of disappointing teachers and…
"Mittens, where you at?"
Amity growled, turning red already from rage. Emric and Edira were always getting on her nerves, but this week was really something else: it had been prank hell, and Amity couldn't say a single word to her parents!
"Not that they ever listen…", Amity muttered, before answering "I'm… In the toilet!"
"That oughta distract them!", Amity thought, proud of herself and smiling haughtily, before turning to the mirror.
Her regular school uniform was still on, but Amity had decided to add a winter coat over it for the rink, a blue one that looked like the sky. She also had mittens ("Ha ha", she sarcastically thought), and black winter boots, with figure skates hiding in her backpack.
"I… Don't look as ugly as usual?", Amity tried to reason, before turning to a second opinion.
"Elvin, tell me honestly: Do I look good enough for Luz?"
Elvin moaned and groaned as usual, reaching over to Amity and smiling with his pained facial expression. "She's… Your… Friend…"
Amity couldn't help but smile. "She is, isn't she?"
There was no need to worry about clothes, Luz was no Boscha! She would never think such things!
Amity could trust Luz! She could trust herself to not ruin this!
…Right?
Suddenly, the door flew wide open and Amity hissed like a cat, as Edric and Emira entered and began to tease her, quizzical looks on their faces. "Well, well, well, what do we have here, Edric?", Emira fake asked, fake concern on her fake face.
"Why, my dear Emira, I believe that our mittens on a… DATE?", he asked, the two laughing and jeering the very red and very angry Amity, who stormed up to them and prodded their chests.
"It is not a date! I am… I am just taking a walk to the ice rink!", Amity lied, hoping they'd buy it, but Amity was never that good at lying, ESPECIALLY when she was embarrassed.
"On your own? With TWO pairs of skating shoes?", Edric asked, and Emira cast an illusion spell to look like Luz, making a dumb face.
"Oh, Amity! Kiss me! Kiss me!", Emira made kissy noises, and Edric laughed out loud, slapping his knee.
Amity could have blown up in that spot, she was almost crying! "Thank Azura no one saw that but me!"
Pushing between them to get out of the way, Amity growled back "You two are crazy if you think I like her like that!"
Amity, of course, tried to ignore that little voice inside her that wondered if perhaps that would be so bad. Luz WAS pretty, after all.
And caring. And kind. And a great cook!
"And funny…", Amity half giggled half sighed as she thought of her friend fondly, the mansion way behind her, the town of Bonesborough all she could see. Soon she would arrive at the rink, and knowing Luz, she was either already there, or just late, so she picked up her step.
Snow was not the most common fixture on the Boiling Isles, so Amity always appreciated it when it came. Snow was soft, and peaceful, and it listened when you talked about your problems, and it never judged.
Amity knew Luz was all those things too… But she couldn't help but worry. One small slip, one jerky act, and she surely would make them rivals again!
Amity truly didn't know what she wanted, but she definitely knew she still wanted to be friends at the very least! She couldn't ruin this!
"Hey gurrl!", a voice rang out, and Amity knew that one thing was definitely ruined: Her mood.
She sighed and went into an aloof snob mode, not because she wanted to do that, but because it was the Amity Boshca expected, and perhaps it was the Amity that could get Boscha to butt out.
Boscha, however, saw this as a good chance for some gossip, especially on that human girl. "Amity, GET THIS! I was just going to my hideout when Rhonda sent me this JUICY rumor on Penstagram!"
"Ugh, Penstagram.", Amity thought, rolling her eyes. She had deleted the service a long time ago, but it hadn't helped, Boscha found it "cool" that Amity ignored her messages. What a waste of time…
"It's about that human, what's her name… Luz?", Bosca started, and Amity suddenly turned as white as a ghost (which for Amity's standards, wasn't a big change).
She let out a yipe, before quickly reverting to a nonchalant position, pretending she wasn't screaming inwardly. "Well… What is the… "Stupid" human up to?"
It hurt to say that, but Amity HAD to keep up airs! If she revealed her true feelings about Luz ("Not those kind!" she blushed), she could lose her! She was just being responsible!
Boscha snickered and elbowed Amity humorously. "Classic Amity! Well, anyway, there's this rumor that she's up to her arms in loooooove! I guess even ugly humans can have a girlfriend!"
Amity would have choked on a drink if she had one. Her face turned as red as a tomato and she tried not to spontaneously combust as Boscha laughed merrily. "Well… Who is the "unlucky" girl?"
"Who else? That half-a-witch Willow!"
Relieved that it wasn't her, Amity let out a sigh of relief before fake "tittering" over the human. "Oh, how… Rich! A… A "loser" with a "loser"!"
Insulting Luz and Willow, despite her problems with the latter, sucked, but at least she had been able to keep her act up. Boscha soon parted with Amity, saying she was going to hang out with their other "friends", and gave her a fake hug that sucked the soul out of Amity's feelings, but not as much as the realization that she was a tiny bit jealous. Sure, she knew that Luz wasn't ACTUALLY dating Willow!
"If she was, she would have told me ALL about it!", Amity thought, stifling a giggle from the thought of Luz's excitability, a trait that was slowly growing on her.
But still… The idea that Luz would date someone else…
Amity stomped her foot and gritted her teeth. "I'm being ridiculous! I… I don't like her like that!"
She was still blushing however as she finally began reaching the rink. Her guilt was also reaching her. Why did she pretend? Why did she say those things? She didn't mean them, but she was still saying mean things about Luz behind her back! No, no, she couldn't be guilty, it would ruin the fun! Would it?
"Why do these things have to be so complicated?!", Amity half grumbled half sighed. She was so sad, and angry, yet excited and happy. It was so confusing!
Approaching the rink, Amity was sure that Luz would be late, and that she'd have to wait alone by the side, but lo and behold, Luz was standing suddenly a few meters away, waving like crazy and jumping from one foot to the next. "HIIIII AMITYYYYY!", she called, her face red but from the cold or from Amity one couldn't tell.
Amity's bad feelings all suddenly melted like ice cubes in the warm sun, and she warmly greeted her friend. Suddenly it all felt so simple: There was Luz, what need was there to worry?
Stepping up to her, a smirk on her face, Amity put on airs, her nose shooting up into the sky, the beginnings of a genuine smile creeping onto her face. "Why, fancy seeing you here, human! I assume you've come to mingle with someone like me, for some insane reason!"
Luz, knowing this game by now, let out a haughty laugh, waving an imaginary fan. "I'll have you know, Blight, that I, the great witch Luzura, am in no mingling mood! I have come to see a good friend of mine, and "gracefully" fall on my butt over and over again!", Luz replied, before booping Amity's nose.
Amity could only ever play that game for so long: each time, Luz managed to make her laugh, breaking through her icy, even her pretend icy exterior with that sunny disposition that promised her all would be ok.
…Maybe it really would be.
Amity finally broke and laughed, Luz smiling and stifling a giggle too. "Dork…", Amity said, with all the love in the world.
Luz just grinned, blushing a bit, and the two sat down next to each other, getting their skates on. Amity made a tidy and neat tie, in seconds flat, fast, efficient, perfect.
Luz was still struggling with hers, so Amity had to help. "How do you get on without me?", Amity teased, mostly humorously, but she did wonder. Luz came off as such a disaster sometimes it was a wonder she was still alive.
Luz laughed and remarked "I'm skilled in… Different things.", she teased, waving a picnic basket under Amity's nose. Where she hid it, who knew, but Amity didn't care, and showed uncharacteristic excitement. She had tried some of Luz's cooking over the past few weeks, and the girl had some culinary skills out of this world! (literally!)
Amity's grin spread a lot faster than usual and she said "Ooh what is it?"
Luz laughed and playfully kept the basket away, a warm blush spreading on her face. She couldn't believe she lived in a world where people liked what she made for them. "Ah, ah, ah! We skate first, then we eat! I'm super excited to see how you make skating look easy!"
With that line uttered, Amity suddenly got very nervous and anxious. You see, there was a small matter Amity had been hiding, a small matter she hadn't really considered, a little out of ego and a little out of so desperately wanting this time with Luz.
For, you see…
Amity didn't know how to skate.
Of course, Amity didn't see this as an obstacle. While she DID believe in hard work, she was sure (read: desperately hopeful) that her raw natural talent and learning skills would guide her enough before she could REALLY learn how.
She also didn't want to ruin the dat… the day, THE DAY, by telling Luz that. This was the plan, she wasn't going to rain on the parade.
Skating boots on, the two stood a while longer catching up before they hit the rink. Luz, leaning on the side of the rink, a medium sized icy ledge, smiled brightly as she gushed over one of their favorite moments in the fifth Azura book. "And remember when she and Hecate have to dance their way out? OMG!", Luz squeed and shook her hands in glee.
Amity giggled, she loved seeing Luz like that, and she enthusiastically nodded. "I LOVED it too! The symbolism of how if they just worked together, they could accomplish anything!"
Then they blushed and sighed in appreciation. "They better get together in the next one."
While Luz laughed, Amity quickly said "Jinx, you owe me a soda!"
POOF! A soda can was thrown at Amity from the lunch box, and she just caught it as she fell down onto the snow. "Your wish is my command!", Luz winked, and Amity hoped it was the cold that gave her the blush.
Standing up, Amity looked over at the ice rink and got… Nervous. She REALLY didn't want to look like a fool, especially in front of Luz. She was AMITY BLIGHT, she couldn't pratfall like a klutz!
Then again… Luz wasn't the kind to make fun, AND she was probably less skilled, no definitely less skilled!
Amity couldn't stop the haughty grin on her face. A little of that old ego came rushing in. "Even if I DO look dumb, Luz will automatically be dumber! Plus, with my quick learning skills, I could teach her!"
Amity tried to ignore the pounding of her heart at the thought of holding Luz close to her and whispering advice, the smell of her hair wafting in, the feel of her smooth skin telling her that it would be all right, and instead she took a blind, confident step towards the rink, absolutely sure of her prowess…
And she slipped and fell on her butt.
Thankfully it didn't hurt, but she still felt sheepish as she did. Looking up with a red face, she saw Luz suddenly zoom over her and preform a perfect spin before leaning over to her and handing her her graceful and soft hand GOD it always felt so warm, which was so strange for Amity.
Amity, now ever redder, asked "HOW… HOW DID YOU DO THAT?". She was embarrassed, a little jealous and grumpy, but mostly shocked and impressed.
Luz, continuing to spin like crazy, said while spinning "Mmmmmmmmy Moooooommmmmm mmmaaaaadddddddee meeeeeeeee siiiiiiiiiiign upppppppppp it'ssssssssss theeee oooooooonly ooooooooone IIIIIIIIII LIIIIIIIIIIIKED!", Luz screamed, before falling on Amity, which somehow increased the blush.
While Luz got up and kept skating, Amity felt horrible, wishing the ground could swallow her up.
"Oh no! I'm gonna ruin everything AND look like a fool! I… I…"
Amity looked at Luz. She was smiling. She was happy.
She couldn't ruin that.
Getting up carefully, shivering and shaking, she said "Luz, um…"
Suddenly, her stomach rumbled a bit. She had forgotten to eat again thanks to schoolwork, but this time it would work for her advantage. She sighed in relief and made a baby face at Luz ("She couldn't resist those!", she thought).
"Luuuuuuuzzz… Can we eat first, pwease?", Amity asked, proud of her quick thinking. She could have been an actress!
Luz, of course, squeed and immediately agreed to the idea, and after Amity hung onto Luz as she walked her out ("She smells like lemons, and earth… And home", Amity thought, and she smiled a little to herself, appreciating her friend VERY PLATONICALLY), the two approached a picnic table near the rink, one with wooden seats that were covered in snow. The weather was cold, but Amity felt quite warm as she sat, as she looked at Luz unpack the lunch.
Luz hummed to herself, Amity took out her homework to quickly catch up on some study work (never a bad time for it!), and the two were sharing a box of homemade cookies, Luz wanting the main lunch to be a surprise.
Amity had rolled her eyes, but she accepted the cookies happily, familiar by now with Luz's cooking. Each cookie felt like a hug from her friend, and every few moments the two would suddenly share an Azura anecdote.
Amity wondered how she had ever lived without this.
"You know what I love?", Luz asked, bouncing on the chair, and Amity silently smiled to herself, loving the enthusiasm.
"What?", Amity asked, and she grabbed another cookie.
Luz, mouth full, exclaimed "That in Book 1, you can already see the foreshadowing for Azucate!"
"Hecazura, but yes, I agree, it is RAMP with foreshadowing!", Amity replied, getting a little geeky. She got all excited, eyes aglow, and Luz wished she could stare into those eyes forever. "The effective use of them brushing hands, their most powerful tool, accidentally, and that causing a spark that stops the troll, that proves that if they worked together…"
"THEY CAN STOP ANY PROBLEM!", Luz shouted, cookie chunks flying onto the table, and Amity burst laughing, struggling to say "Exactly!"
The two girls giggled, and reached for the final cookie at the same time.
Do I really have to tell you what happens? ;)
"…"
The blushes were at peak level, their hands almost automatically interlacing, before going apart, Amity trying to silence the sudden desire to kiss Luz as a thank you for the cookies, Luz trying to ignore the want to comment on Amity's pretty fingers and how they felt so soft.
Amity looked at the cookie, and thought of how much she wanted it. She was still hungry, and she had been taught as a Blight to take what you want and make sure you get it.
And then she looked at Luz.
"Take it."
Luz shook her head, touched. "No, I couldn't…"
Amity suddenly cast a spell, making Luz's jaw fall on the table and stay open, and Amity placed the cookie in her mouth. "I INSIST."
The spell released and Luz chewed slowly and appreciatively. Somehow, it tasted better when Amity gave it to her. Huh.
"…You HAVE to teach me that one!"
Amity shrugged, not too enthusiastic on that idea. "I mean, I don't know, I'm very busy with my studies as is." She didn't want to have to teach Luz as well.
She then added, a little quietly. "Besides, knowing you, you'd learn it easily. You're… You're very talented."
Luz would have perhaps kissed Amity on the cheek if common sense hadn't stopped her. That and the realization that Amity hadn't drunk her soda yet.
"Amity, you need a jaw opening spell too?", she teased, pointing at the soda with finger guns.
Amity chuckled and grabbed the soda can, and haughtily teased "Whatever would I be without you?"
"Well, I know I'd be lonely."
Silence suddenly rose, and Amity failed to believe this. She turned slightly aggressive, but it mostly self directed. "Don't be ridiculous, Luz! You could never be alone! Look at all your friends! The convict witch, that dog thing, Willow, Augustus… Even the owl door thing likes you, despite you frying up all his brethren!"
"We don't do that…", Luz mumbled, and Amity kept on, exasperated. How could someone so amazing be so dumb? "Who wouldn't want to be your friend?"
In a moment of rare clarity and weakness, Amity suddenly added "…You're kind. And you're a good friend. If anyone would be alone without the other it would… It would be me."
"Nonsense!", Luz suddenly answered, and it made Amity jump, just as she was taking a sip of her soda. Luz was practically sitting on the table, pointing at Amity's nose, the green haired witch blushing. "You are SUPER AWESOME! Who WOULDN'T want to be YOUR friend?"
Amity crossed her arms, and half angrily half sadly said "Well, unless you count fictional characters, I was pretty lonely. Willow wanted to, and I hurt her. So I guess that answers it."
"…Well, I do too."
"I know! I know…"
Amity sighed and took another sip of her soda. "…Thank you. I… I never had anyone to talk Azura with before. Or anyone who I could tell about these… These feelings."
Amity grumbled. "I hate feeling like this."
Luz smiled encouragingly. "Well, then, you can tell me about all these things! I would listen, I promise!"
"…You don't think it's weird?", Amity asked, afraid and somehow still shocked.
"DUDE. I LOVE AZURA!", Luz enthused, and she waved her arms in the air. She then winked. "I would have dyed my hair too if it wasn't for my mom!"
"HOW DID YOU KNOW?!", Amity suddenly shouted, and then, one eye open, she timidly asked "…Does it look nice?"
"…It looks beautiful."
Luz killed the addition "like you" cause she didn't need THAT on her mind, and Amity blushed profusely. She really could be herself, huh?
…What an odd concept.
Amity downed the rest of her drink, ignoring the odd feeling in her stomach, and she resumed her studies. She had to learn how to summon a rainstorm (which was easy) during a different weather pattern (a lot harder), so she focused all her attention on it. Her quill danced on the page as she explained how she would perform the spell, and what exact calculations she would make, and as all this happened, she didn't notice Luz look over her shoulder, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
She loved magic, and she loved seeing Amity work.
She tapped her shoulder, and Amity jumped before settling back to her work. "What's this assignment for?"
"Weather magic. Summoning rainstorm.", Amity answered simply, before turning up to Luz. "Simple spell, but hard when there's a different weather pattern."
"I see!", Luz said, and she quietly watched Amity work.
Amity kept scratching her quill, before the odd feeling resumed. She wondered what it was.
"Why do you write with such small letters though?", Luz wondered, struggling to read the paper.
Amity smiled with a small brag. "Cursive. The Amity Blight of writing styles."
"Ah! So I'm comic sans?"
"…Huh?"
"Doesn't matter! I never liked cursive."
Amity couldn't help but laugh. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"
"Because I'm the funny one and you're the fancy one!", Luz joked, and the two girls laughed, when suddenly, Amity felt the odd feeling return, and an air current passed up her throat.
"What the…", she wondered, before suddenly…
"BUURP!"
You could search through an infinite amount of infinities, and it wouldn't be enough, for no one had blushed harder than Amity Blight in that particular moment. She had done the second most disgusting thing her body could do, and she was thankful it was from the upper end. She wanted to die, to die and never live to see the embarssment. HOW COULD SHE DO THIS? "Poor Luz!", Amity thought, and she went to her knees, relieved that her parents weren't there to punish her.
"Luz, I am SO SORRY! I DON'T KNOW WHAT GOT INTO ME! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I DO NOT WANT TO LOSE YOUR FRIENDSHIP, BUT I DON'T BLAME YOU IF YOU LEAVE ME TO DIE HERE FOREVER!"
Amity opened her eyes in fear, having closed them, and all she saw was a dumfounded Luz, who seemed confused by it all, before suddenly frowning. "Oh no! It's over!", Amity thought, and she could have begun crying.
"You should be sorry, Amity.", Luz declared ominously.
"I know, I know, I am a monster…", Amity said, before she heard an even louder "BRAAAAAP!" from Luz, who cheekily grinned.
"That was weak!"
Amity was dumbstruck, and Luz rolled on the floor laughing, wiping her tears from her massive belly laugh.
Amity was still on her knees, still shocked however. "I… I… I don't get it."
Luz, standing back up, grabbed Amity and laughed. "Amity, you are the only person I know who could consider burping in front of someone as the death of a friendship! Amity, I… I would never do that. You know that, right?"
The more she thought about it, the sillier it became. If this was true, how closed up was she?
"I… I guess?"
Luz suddenly wrapped her hands around Amity, giving her one of her warmest hugs. Amity slowly hugged back, Luz's hands making soothing circles on her back. Her tense shoulders and back relaxed. It felt so…
"Relaxing?", Amity wondered, and Luz smiled and whispered "It's ok. I like you. All of you."
"…Every little bit?"
"Mhhmm."
Amity melted into the hug. It felt nice…
Being loved.
After a while, the two realized how long they were hugging (and that maybe they were enjoying it a little too much) and they withdrew, blushes on their faces.
"…I'm just very cold.", Amity lied.
"Samesies!", Luz lied too.
Looking back, they saw the rink, and Amity face palmed, annoyed with her forgetfulness. "For Azura's sake, I can't believe I forgot what we came here for!"
"Yeah, come on! Let's not waste any time!", Luz said, and she raced down to strap on her shoes again. Amity was about to, when she remembered her lack of skating skills. She froze and bit her nails through her mittens. Could she really do this? It would be SO embarrassing, and a Blight could NOT show weakness, in any area!
"Well, Luz just SAID you can!", her heart reminded, but her brain was quick to shut her down.
"Amity Blight, you will not make a fool of yourself!", her brain ordered, and Amity wasn't sure what to do at all. She felt so exasperated, but luckily (or unluckily) Luz suddenly walked to her and said "You comin', Amity?"
Amity sighed, a small smile on her lips. Might as well try. Besides, Luz wouldn't EVER make fun of her. Maybe…
Maybe she could try and be weak.
Strapping on her boots, Amity timidly stepped onto the rink, Luz already skating and laughing, making ridiculous jumps and sneaking looks at Amity, hoping she was looking.
Amity flashed a thumbs up, and Luz could have died. Amity, meanwhile, slowly and carefully stepped forwards. It was frightening, and Amity hated it. She was supposed to be THE BEST.
She breathed slowly. "I can do this. I can do this. I can do this."
She was AMITY BLIGHT. She was the top student! She was… No, she IS the hardest working student at Hexside!
Amity roused up all her confidence and she slid just a tiny bit, her skates staying balanced. It was small progress, but her ego inflated massively. "Would you look at that! I AM naturally talented!"
Luz affectionately rolled her eyes, but she was happy to see Amity smile, even haughtily.
"I can't believe I thought this was so hard! I've got this in the bag!", Amity thought, feeling proud. Finally, all her hard work was paying off, and she was truly the be…
"Woah, woah, woah!", Amity said, as she immediately began to wobble and shake, dizziness making her shriek. The ice looked painful, and failure even more so.
Luz, concerned, skated towards her to see if she was ok and to support her, and Amity started to get angry at herself. "NO NO COME ON I'M NOT A FAILURE!"
But alas, even Amity Blight isn't perfect. With a crash, she landed on her face, and felt her cheeks warm up. She looked like a joke. SHE WAS A JOKE.
A hand reached towards her. "Leave me alone! I hate this! I'm supposed to be better than this! Ugh!"
Luz smiled warmly. "Amity… It's ok to make mistakes!"
"NOT FOR ME!"
Amity began to feel really upset, and her face got redder and redder. She forcefully stood up, only to fall again.
"ARGH!"
She screamed and she shouted and she stood up over and over again, only to fall over and over again. She was getting angrier and angrier, and she didn't know what to do! Why, why did she have to be such a screw up?!
"WHY CAN'T I DO THIS?! WHY?! WHY?!"
After 10 whole minutes of this, Amity was hurting all over, and she was getting really mad. Luz, a little afraid, but very concerned, placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, as she just managed to stay balanced. "Amity… What's important is that we have fun, no?"
"How can it be fun if I'm not good enough for you?", Amity let slip, frowning sadly, heart hurting.
Luz, scrunching up her face in confusion, asked "What?"
"OOOHHHH!", a voice went, and Luz and Amity turned to find 3 VERY unwelcome face.
Boscha couldn't decide if she wanted to laugh or throw up, and Edric and Emira were laughing up a storm as they watched the act. "I told you they were dating!", Edric told Boscha, nudging her with his elbow.
Amity turned a bright angry red, and Luz got very flustered and embarrassed, and she hid behind Amity.
"I know, but it's GROSS! Like, eww! I didn't take Amity for a dork lover!", Boscha insulted, and the Blight siblings seemed ready to flip out a scroll and record the act.
Amity was struggling to take all this. She couldn't let anyone destroy their friendship, if she let the world know her parents would never let her be with Luz! She… She had to do something!
Her knuckles turned white and her heart beat like a drum as the laughs, the mocking, her want to be friends with Luz and her fear of being an imperfect jerk all collided and Amity…
Massively fucked up.
"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND! SHE'S NOT EVEN MY FRIEND! SHE'S JUST SOME STUPID HUMAN, AND I'M NOT A FAILURE SO… SO YOU BETTER GO AWAY RIGHT NOW, YOU JERKS! I'M… I'M AMITY BLIGHT! I AM GOOD ENOUGH!"
Amity calmed down, before suddenly realizing what she said. She didn't really mean it, she was just afraid, and she wanted Boscha, Edric and Emira to leave, but as they laughed evilly and said "Well, we're not the only ones who are leaving!"
"…What?", Amity asked, her voice weak, when she turned and saw Luz walk sadly away, her tears could be heard from there.
"...Oh no. Luz! Wait!"
She hadn't mean it! She hadn't! She just… She had to keep it a secret! She had to keep her image! She didn't hate Luz!
"No need. I'm going home. I don't want to embarrass you.", Luz said, not in a malicious tone, but in a truly genuine and shameful voice. Amity wanted to slap herself, but she didn't have time!
She tried to pursue, but she fell down on her face, cold ice making her nose even redder. She didn't know what to do! She couldn't reach in time! She'd just fall over and over, like she deserved…
And then it struck Amity.
"Luz! WAIT!", Amity shouted, and she fell down.
Luz turned around, wet tears surrounding her red eyes, but she was startled to see Amity slowly but surely fall down closer and closer to her , her face begging for forgiveness.
"I'm sorry! I know it looks bad, but I didn't mean it! Not really! I was just…"
She bit her lip, shamefully. "I was just so afraid! I'm supposed to be perfect, but I kept being weak and weird and stupid today! I was so afraid I would blow a fuse like always and ruin today, and I didn't want to because I… Because you mean so much to me! You're my best friend, and you're so good to me!"
"…WHY CAN'T I BE GOOD FOR YOU?! WHY CAN'T I JUST ACCEPT THAT YOU LIKE ME?! THAT I CAN BE ME NEXT TO YOU?!"
"I'm sorry I said all those things! I just didn't want my parents to find out! I didn't want to lose you! But I let my stupid ego get in the way! Please…"
Amity sobbed, as she fell one last time next to Luz.
"…I'd rather be a failure than live a day without you, you wonderful dork."
The snow started to fall around them, and Luz, who was crying harder now, said "…I thought I was the one who ruined today."
Amity looked up in clear doubt, shock, and confusion. How can someone so amazing be so blind sometimes?
"What? It was clearly me! I'm horrible! What does this have to do with you?!"
Luz got sheepish and sad, and she held her arm protectively. "I was trying so hard today, with my cooking and my skating, so I'll be good enough for you."
Amity, getting a little outraged, stood up and shouted "Luz, what kind of nonsense is this? YOU ALREADY ARE!"
"…Really?"
Amity suddenly realized that Luz truly thought this, and that their positions were reversed. She knew what she felt, and she knew it would make her seem weak…
But she cared about Luz more.
"…Yes."
The hug was long and passionate, and Luz nuzzled into Amity, who stroked Luz's hair. Amity's ears twitched for a moment in delight at the sight of Luz smiling again, and she felt like she could sing when the girl began giggling.
"So, can we like, stop being so dramatic and just be friends?"
Amity had to laugh too. They did have a tendency to make these things WAY too difficult.
"Ok. But um…"
Amity roused up her courage and swallowed her gulp. "…I don't know… How to skate?"
Luz simply smiled mischeciously and said "I had a feeling. Mind if I teach you?"
"A lot… But please do.", Amity answered truthfully.
Luz held out her hands. Amity held back.
Luz held her close. Amity felt alive.
Luz began to guide her slowly through the rink. Amity gazed fearfully at the ice.
"Trust me.", Luz whispered. Amity did so.
She always would.
They slowly began to drift apart, but they kept holding hands as they slowly and surely circled the rink.
Amity stopped closing her eyes and opened them.
She was doing it.
Smiling and laughing, she looked at Luz, who was doing the same.
It clicked in Amity's heart, and she smiled warmly, blushing, her soul dancing in the air.
She was free.
They were free.
It was going to be ok.