HEATH

I crossed dimensions, I fight a mega demon, I—farted—fire, and I put chickens in Principal Bates' office, but I never had even a drop of bravery to tell her.

It's been months since the Good Ben back to his world. And we, four teenagers with nothing in common that happened to be gifted with elemental powers, were growing from a normal classmates that rarely greet each other to friends. Kinda best friends, actually. And it's all not because of the magic thing we all shared together. Maybe it was, but it's all about friendship now—for Luke and Jesse. As for Nicco, it started to be something else.

"Heath!" her crisp voice knocked my eardrums. She waved as she run towards me, still in her soccer uniform and her sport bag hanging on her left shoulder. Her thick, curly hair swinging loosely on its ponytail, looks a little bit messy and sweaty but still okay. And her eyes… they caught my sight the most. So bright, so cheerful, and when they are combined with that cute smile and her slightly chubby cheeks, that's a legit breath taker.

"Glad you can make it."

"I came as soon as I got your message." she dropped her bag, "Where's Luke and Jesse?"

"Still can't reach Jesse, but Luke is on the way."

Nicco walked into the circle I made, then sit cross-legged, grab a handful of dirt and stir it on her palm using her power, something she considered as a 'warm up' before doing the 'real' magic. I sit next to her, looking as she formed her dirt into a mini lizard, before make it surprisingly jumped on me.

"What the—!" I shriek when I feel that little, nasty thing crawled on my skin.

"You have such a cute girl scream!" she laughed while make her lizard crawled to the grass before turn it back into a lifeless, normal piece of dirt.

"I didn't—I was surprised."

"We all know you're a scaredy-cat."

"As if you're not."

"I'm not and you guys all know that... No, ADMIT that." she smiles proudly, which just makes her even cuter, and also makes my heart beats faster as I thought that she might be able to hear it. I've never felt this way to any girl, not even Brooklyn. I mean, I did love her, and the heart desire spell only worked with her hair which is a solid prove that I still fell for her, but not like this. Not this intense, not this happy and torturing at the same time, not this complicated and indescribable.

"There's something I want to tell you..." I mumbled. Again, by surprise, she answered when I thought that she couldn't catch my voice between the cold autumn breeze. She raises her eyebrows, waiting.

I take a deep breath. Even though I prefer to fight a demon than look directly into her eyes—no, kidding—I have to do it. Whatever the result is, I'll take it. Even when it means that she might punch me on the face. Earth on Fire, I can handle it, physically. Mentally, not so sure. Even though I know this isn't the best time, but I have to. I can't hold it much longer. I have to do it. It's now or never.

"Iloveyouwouldyouliketobemygirfriend?"

Her dark eyebrows changed into a frowned ones, "Come again?"

I gulped. With sweat that started to fall down my face, I say it as clear as I can, "I love you. And I mean, really, love you. More than just a friend, best friend, or magic training partner…"

Her beautiful face only shows a shock, nothing else. For a moment, there's only choking silence that makes me wanna run as far as possible from here, hiding somewhere underwater before I burn something in my backyard because of massive amount of nerves.

"Heath, I—" she look at me. A different stare, with a small amount of tears on it. I only have seen that kind of look when she admitted that she was cheating during Science test, and it does look so much worse knowing that that stare came right after I said that I love her. Her voice is a little bit cracked when she talked again, saying something that not surprise me but still hurt deep inside. Broke me immediately.

"I can't"