Author Note: Are you ready?
The days flew by and before Emira knew it, it was Wednesday.
When she told Ed that she would be busy, he said he already had plans for that afternoon. That was good, since it would keep him out of her hair.
She was surprisingly nervous for the event, almost as nervous as she had been to show Viney the spell in the first place. She even double checked that morning that she had all three books in her bag, not wanting to accidentally forget one of them. Emira knew it was silly, but couldn't shake the nerves.
After her last class dismissed, Emira went to her locker to swap her textbooks for the library books. Ed was at his locker nearby, so she said goodbye to him before heading to the healing track classroom.
When she went in, she saw that this time Viney beat her there. The other teen had already opened her set of books and was taking notes as she usually did. She looked up when Emira entered, green eyes following her path.
Emira sat down next to her, taking the three books from the library out of her bag. They both said hello as Emira opened the first book. She had spent some time that weekend bookmarking each spot she wanted to show Viney. That way it would be easier to explain the spell to her.
"This is where I found the foundation of the spell." Emira said, pointing out a specific passage on the page. Viney leaned in close to look over her shoulder, reading the lines of text. Her arm brushed against Emira's, the touch warming Emira's cheeks. Viney didn't seem to notice; she was too focused on the book.
"So, the perception of increased power provides the base for the actual increase." Viney mused, leaning away to jot something in her notes. "I never would've thought of that."
"I wasn't sure if it would work when layered." Emira flipped to a later page, where she had marked another spot. "But this next part addressed that."
Viney was smiling as she leaned back over, pressing her arm even more firmly against Emira's to read the next passage. Her heart jumped despite her willing it to be cool. "Oh, yeah I see." Viney muttered, eyes moving over the text. When she moved away to write again in her notes, Emira released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Emira then switched the book for the next one, moving to show the next passage. She explained how she was able to combine theories to make it have an actual effect. Viney kept writing in her notes at each part, reading and then asking questions as she had them.
They worked on the spell for the next hour, using the books Emira brought along with the translation Viney had created for the healing book. By working together, they could combine their two types of magic and perhaps find a way to improve the spell.
Viney still wanted the spell to last for multiple uses, so after reviewing how the first enhancement worked they discussed if illusion magic could make that happen. Emira had seen something that might work for that in the third book, so she took that out and showed it to Viney. They started to do small trials on illusion spells, seeing if they could multiply the effects.
They kept talking and working until they were interrupted by a knock at the door. The janitor was there, already insisting that it was time to lock up. Emira wanted to protest, there was no way it was already time to go. In fact it barely felt like time had passed at all, but there wasn't anything that could be done about it. She had to pack up the books and leave the classroom. Viney put the healing book on the shelf and followed closely behind her.
Once they were in the hallway, the janitor locked the door and moved on to the next room. The two teens stood in the hallway, waiting for the other to speak.
Emira didn't want to leave, but she knew she probably should. Viney usually went to the secret passages after being locked out of the classroom, where Emira certainly would not be welcome. When Emira looked at her, Viney had her eyebrows scrunched as if she were thinking something over, hands held together in front of her body.
Emira sighed, and then accepted that their time for the day was done.
"Since we've been kicked out." Emira said, immediately drawing Viney's attention to her. "I guess it's time to head home." She turned half way, as if to start leaving. "We should do this again sometime; I learned a lot." She wanted to add, I enjoyed spending time with you, but quashed those words back in her mind. When Viney didn't respond, Emira waved and started to move away.
"Wait." With a force that one word shouldn't have been able to convey, Viney stopped her. Emira turned back, noticing how Viney's mouth was now set in a firm line. "I'm going to study in the room of shortcuts." A slight pink dusted her cheeks, eyes locked directly on Emira's. "Do you want to come?"
Even when Emira thought she was starting to figure Viney out, she found ways to surprise her. It felt like forever ago that she had been kicked out of the secret passage room, and now here she was being invited to it. Her heart felt warm, the feeling of contentment that came with it spreading through her body.
"Yeah, I do." Emira smiled, and a matching grin grew on Viney's face.
"Good." Viney nodded, gesturing for Emira to follow her. "I'll show you the way." She started to walk down the hallway, with Emira following behind.
They took a familiar route to the detention track room, which was already unlocked.
That was unexpected; Emira assumed it would be locked. "They keep this room unlocked for you?" She asked as she followed Viney inside, shutting the door behind her.
"Just an agreement between Principal Bump and us multi track kids." Viney replied cheekily, grabbing the chalk to draw on the chalk board. "We agreed to stay out of the shortcuts during school if he allowed us access after hours." She drew a square on the board, then a keyhole shape in the middle. It was the same shape that appeared all those weeks ago when Emira brute forced the door with magic.
"Pretty good deal." Emira commented, watching as Viney touched the chalk to the keyhole. This caused the outline to glow white, and the door to pop open. Viney climbed in first with Emira close behind. It was a tight fit, just like it had been before.
They walked the few steps to the second door, which Viney pulled open. She moved to enter the room, but stopped midway through the door. She was looking up at something, though Emira couldn't tell what it was from behind her. The view from the hallway was too limiting.
"What's wrong?" Emira asked, which seemed to snap Viney out of her trance. She took a few steps forward, which allowed Emira to enter the room as well.
She looked up.
About one level up on the tower, with one of the passage doors wide open, stood Ed. He was throwing something through the door, from that distance it looked like it might be streamers.
Emira could not believe that he was here. How dare he sneak around and do this? She told him not to so many times, and yet here he was. Emira was practically seeing red, her temper flaring.
"Edric!" Emira called to him, leaving Viney on the ground level to scurry up the ramp to his level. He jumped at being called out and then warily watched her approach, looking like he might bolt through the door at any moment. "What are you doing here!?" She was too flustered to ask at a regular volume.
Ed brought one hand to the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh hey, wasn't expecting to run into you."
"Answer the question." Emira hissed back at him, pointing one finger at his chest.
Below them, Viney hadn't moved. Her head was tilted forward, eyes averted.
"Just setting up some streamers for tomorrow." Ed had his fake smile on in full, but couldn't diffuse Emira's anger with just that. "I thought it was fine, Mittens told me you were friends with her now." Emira narrowed her eyes to intensify her glare. "This was the goal, wasn't it?" His voice came up slightly in a defensive tone.
"Shut up." Emira actually poked him in the chest this time, once with each word. "We'll deal with this later." She shifted her finger to point out the still open door, holding the pose and making her directions clear.
"Spoilsport…" Ed muttered under his breath, then did as he was told and slipped out through the door. Emira slammed it shut behind him, the door emitting a loud bang.
She took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself. What nerve he had to sneak in here, to use the passages after she told him not to. So what if she and Viney were friends now, that didn't give him the right to do whatever he wanted. When she was done with him later, he'd have no rights left at all.
With a few more calming breaths, Emira turned to go back down the ramp. She saw that Viney was still standing in the same spot she stopped at before. Her hands had clenched into fists and, it was hard to tell, they looked like they were shaking.
When Emira reached the bottom of the ramp she walked towards Viney, now concerned. Viney's head was tilted down, eyes on the floor, and yes her hands were shaking.
Emira opened her mouth to tell her that Ed would never bother them again, but Viney cut her off.
"You used me." Her voice was low and hoarse, each word carrying raw emotion. They echoed through the large room, playing themselves multiple times in Emira's head in the silence that followed.
Emira gathered herself and took one step closer to her. "What do you…"
Viney's head snapped up, eyes flaring. "You know exactly what I mean." The words were sharp, biting. "Was this the only reason you spent time with me. The only reason you helped with the spell." She asked the questions more like statements, not wanting an answer at all, but Emira responded anyway.
"No, of course not." She insisted, trying and failing to keep her tone level. She closed the distance between them and placed one hand against Viney's trembling fist, gently and slowly.
Viney shook her touch off, stepping back and away. "Like I'd believe you." She scoffed. The sound felt like it pierced directly to Emira's heart. "All you do is take."
"Viney…" Emira tried to step closer again, but Viney only moved back. "It's not what you think." If she just explained that Ed didn't have permission of any kind, Viney would understand. If she could just explain how she felt, how even though it had started that way things had changed so much. How she never wanted to hurt Viney. How her heart was breaking in this moment.
Viney shook her head. "This was the goal, wasn't it." She mimicked Ed's low voice. Emira recoiled back, remembering him saying those same words a few minutes before. "I'm not stupid. When we met, I thought you were the type to cut corners. Lazy, arrogant, cruel." Her voice cracked on the word cruel. "I didn't want to be right." Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, which she roughly wiped away. "I even thought we could be…" She trailed off as another tear came, this time escaping to roll down her left cheek. "Nothing. We're nothing." The words carried venom, dark and malicious.
Emira reached towards her one last time, now her own hand trembling, but was shoved away.
"Get out." Viney pointed towards the exit leading to the detention track room.
"But, Viney…" Emira was sure her voice was shaking.
"Just leave." More tears were flowing now, Viney didn't seem to care to stop them. Emira could feel her own running down her cheeks.
She turned towards the exit, walking the few steps to it. When she looked back Viney had collapsed to sit on the ramp, head in her hands. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs. Emira yearned to comfort her, but she would just make it worse.
She had caused this after all.
Viney hadn't called her selfish, but that was word Emira would've used for herself. It fit well with all the rest.
Emira left the room. She almost fell out of the small square exit. When she reached the detention track room she had to stop. Her own eyes were too blurry to see properly out of.
If only she could stop crying.