So season two has provided me with far more ideas than I would have expected. Here is another story I came up with, inspired by the events of Ep5: Through the Looking Glass Ruins. If you have yet to see the episode, then SPOILER WARNING. This will also be diverging from the canon storyline and leading into a series of stories later on down the road.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Owl House and make no profit from this story.
Selective Reading
Amity woke up extra early that morning, wanting to get out of the house as soon as possible. She had gotten quite the earful the night before when her mother had seen her hair. It had only gotten worse when she had refused to wash out the dye and switch back to green. The end result, she had been grounded for her disobedience.
She was surprised by how little the punishment had fazed her. Although it also came with extra schoolwork. But that just meant she could try to spend more time in her study room at the library. As long as she had a record of the time that she spent working/studying at the library, she'd be allowed to go there. The best part was that there wasn't anything that could be done if her friends happened to stop by, not that her mother needed to know. Point for Amity.
As she readied herself for the day in the bathroom, Amity took a moment to admire her new do in the mirror. It hadn't even been a day so she wasn't quite used to the purple yet. She had become so accustomed to the green that she had almost started to believe that it was her natural hair color. Not that it hadn't been nice, but she definitely liked this color better. Luz had liked it too.
A blush came to Amity's face. That was the other thing. She had done something that had both surprised and confused herself quite a bit. Just yesterday, she had kissed Luz on the cheek. What really left her stunned was that she had no idea why. It had been completely spontaneous and the shocked look on Luz's face had made her worry. Things were going to be fairly awkward the next time she confronted the human girl. She just hoped she hadn't made things weird between them.
There was a soft knock, followed by the door opening a tiny bit. Before Amity could protest the intrusion, a ray of magic light entered the bathroom. It bent and separated, shaping into light blue letters which read 'Mom is coming'. Amity wrapped up her morning rituals and hurried back to her room to grab her things. Then she put on a pair of winged boots that she had gotten back during her Grudgby days.
By the time she had gotten her boots on and opened her bedroom window, her mother had arrived. As Odalia let herself into her daughter's room, she was greeted by the sight of Amity sitting on the window sill. One of her legs was dangling outside and the other was resting on the sill as she was getting ready to take off. The sound of her mother gasping in shock gained Amity's attention. Their eyes met, Odalia's shock quickly giving way to anger.
"Young lady, just what do you think you're doing?!" Odalia practically bellowed.
"I'm going to the library to start my shift early." Amity replied. "I am allowed to go to work, right?"
"Not like that you're not! Get down from there this instant and use the front door like a civilized witch!"
A smirk came to Amity's face. "I don't feel like being civilized right now." She said, giving her mother a wave. "Byeee!"
Before her mother had a chance to do or say anything, Amity swung her other leg out of the window and jumped. She enjoyed freefalling for a few seconds before she took flight and left the manor behind her. The sound of her mother hollering at her met her ears and then began to fade as she soared over the tree tops.
As she continued to race through the air, Amity started to giggle. She just couldn't help herself, she was having too much fun. The sensation of freedom that came with flying was exhilarating. Plus she discovered her traveling time had been reduced drastically, the library already coming into her field of view. Until she got her staff, these boots would be her footwear of choice.
Amity spent the better part of the morning working books around the shelves. There was an upcoming book sale and many books were being set aside, making it so a lot of rearranging was needed. There was a lot of going back and forth with her book cart as she brought the required titles to a room in the back to be held until the date of the sale. Oddly enough she didn't mind the tedium that came with the work. She had spotted a few titles which caught her interest too, making note of them in her mind so she could look for them when the time came to buy.
At some point Amity was visited by her siblings. She could already tell by the looks on their faces that something was up. Something which she suspected would include bad news regarding her impulsive little stunt that morning. After taking a moment to inform the other librarians that she was going to take her break, she stepped outside with Edric and Emira. They went into one of the recesses out front of the library to talk, Amity leaning against the wall.
"Okay, so just what did mother dearest want you to tell me?" She asked them.
"Mittens, she is so mad with you right now!" Emira answered. "She said that if you know what's good for you, you'll have a very good apology ready tonight for when she gets home from work!"
"Yeah, she kinda took out some of her anger out on us." Edric added. "I don't like being yelled at for anything. Much less something you did, little sister."
"Well I'm sorry our mom had a conniption fit and directed it at the two of you." Amity replied. "I just didn't want to deal with her this morning so I decided to… take a different route to work. What's she going to do about it anyway? Ground me for even longer? Have me do even more schoolwork?"
"She's going to have your bedroom window barred shut." Edric told her.
"What?!" Amity asked in complete shock. "You cannot be serious!"
"I'm afraid it's true." Emira said sympathetically. "She's also having Dad create a special abomination to stand guard outside of your room from now on."
For a moment, Amity stood still, stunned into silence. Then all at once she felt her rage well up and burst forth like an erupting volcano. She let out an outraged cry, startling her siblings. As she vented, she clawed at her lavender locks as if trying to scratch the worst itch imaginable. When she finished, she almost looked crazed, her hair a mess, her teeth clenched shut and her eyes boiling with anger.
"That's great!" She spat bitterly. "I've been starting to feel like a prisoner at home, so why not go the whole distance?!"
"Easy there, Mittens." Edric said, holding up his hands. "I know this seems like the worst thing Mom has ever done… Well, okay, so maybe it is the worst thing she's ever done to you. But we all know she's capable of doing worse."
"That's not helping me, Edric." Amity replied before taking a deep breath and fixing her hair. "But I get what you're trying to do. You're right. I need to calm down and think about how to handle this rationally."
"You can start by not pushing any more of Mom's buttons." Edric suggested.
"If she stops testing my patience then I'll stop testing hers." Amity replied. "Edric, Emira, I need you to help me with something. Teach me how to do some of your illusion spells. Invisibility and making copies of myself to be specific."
The twins hesitated, exchanging fearful glances. Amity could already tell what their answer was going to be. She had honestly suspected she was taking a shot in the dark. But she hadn't expected her siblings to look so intimidated by the idea.
"Amity… " Edric began, his tone somber. "We can't. When Mom yelled at us before, she made it very clear that we aren't supposed to help you in any way. Not unless she gives us the say so."
"Please!" Amity implored. "I know I'm asking a lot, but I won't ask you for anything else after this!"
"I'm sorry." Edric replied. "But Emira and I aren't even allowed to talk to you without her permission now or we'll be grounded."
"What?! That's completely ridiculous! Is she out of her mind?!"
Edric let out a heavy sigh. "I think she's still pretty pissed off about how you stood up to her at the private sale the other day. Plus the little incident at the sale before that."
"Of course she's still mad about that." Amity grumbled. "Well when I get home, I'll talk to her. She has no right to treat you two poorly just because she's upset with me!"
"Don't! Amity, please don't!" Emira suddenly said, her voice cracking a little. "Mom is so mad already. Please don't do anything to make her angrier!"
"Emira, why do you sound so upset?" Amity asked, her eyes full of concern.
"Mom really laid into her when she was yelling at us." Edric explained, placing one hand onto his twin's shoulder. "During her tirade she made a comment about how she hated your hair now and Emira… well…"
"I said I thought it looked nice." Emira continued. "That was all. I didn't say I thought she was wrong or anything like that and she shrieked at me like a psychotic banshee."
"She sorta figured out it was Emira who dyed your hair." Edric added, his brow furrowing a bit. "Mom started using some really nasty words after that. Words that a mother shouldn't ever call her daughter."
Amity's eyes widened, a twisting feeling in her gut making her start to feel a bit numb. She looked more closely at Emira, seeing that the older girl was struggling to hold back tears. When she noticed Amity was staring at her, Emira quickly wiped the moisture from her eyes and forced a small smile.
"It's fine. They were just words." She said. "I'm just worried that Mom is going to say much worse things to you."
"Let her try. I won't tolerate it." Amity replied. Then she stepped in and gave Emira a hug. "I'm just so sorry that you had to be treated that way because of me." She ended the embrace and stepped back again, a very serious expression on her face. "I take back my earlier request. Neither of you have to do anything to help me. In fact, I want you to do your best to treat me as poorly as possible if it will help keep Mom from doing the same to you!"
"Okay, slow down there, little sister." Edric said. "I get what you're trying to do, but we aren't going to act like Mom. We'll keep our distance from you when she's around, but that's it."
"And while we can't do a lot, we still plan to do things to help you when we can." Emira added. "Little things like sneaking you snacks or sending messages to your friends. Maybe we can even tell a little white lie here or there."
"At least until Mom cools down a bit. Then maybe we can do more." Edric mentioned. "I'm sorry to say you're probably going to be grounded until you're at least fifty, knowing our mother."
Amity smirked. "Sounds like what she'd do alright. Oh well, I only have myself to blame. Thanks you two. I appreciate the offer, but I'll try my best not to ask much from you." She said, giving each of them a quick hug. "Now hurry and get going. You wouldn't want to keep the authoritarian we call 'Mom' waiting."
The twins left, leaving Amity alone in the recess. She watched them go and once they were out of sight she leaned back against the wall. Her face twisted into a grimace and she sank down to the ground, hugging her knees to her chest. She let her head rest on her knees and she sharply inhaled air as she fought back the urge to cry out again. It made her feel so angry, and a little sick, to know the trouble she had caused for her siblings.
After taking a little time to sit and sulk, Amity raised her head again. She shakily got back up onto her feet and smoothed the wrinkles out of her clothes. Her break was almost over and she needed to head back inside the library. Maybe if she was lucky there'd be enough work left to do so she could stay a little late that day. Anything to hold off the inevitable confrontation with her mother. The idea was already filling her with dread.
Before she could take a step closer to the front doors, Amity caught sight of Willow and Gus. They were on their way up and waved when they saw her. Amity waved back and they came over to join her, Willow looking around for a moment in confusion. A frown came to her face and she let out a sigh.
"Luz, quit hiding already." She said.
With a sudden gasp for air, Luz appeared from nowhere. She caught her breath and then looked at Amity, both of them starting to blush. With a nervous laugh and a timid wave, Luz ducked behind Willow for cover. Willow quickly stepped away, exposing Luz again. Gus then stepped behind Luz and gently pushed her towards Amity. As the distance between them shrank, Luz grew more anxious and began fidgeting with her hands.
"H-hi Amity." She said, looking down at her feet. "How are you?"
"I'm alright, I guess." Amity replied. "How about you?"
"Well… you know… I um… um… I…"
"Just tell her already!" Willow and Gus both shouted at the same time.
"Okay! Okay! You don't need to raise your voices." Luz replied. She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. "Amity… I have something to tell you about what happened yesterday."
Amity felt her heart start to sink. "I understand." She said softly. "Luz, I'm sorry. I know it was sudden, but I wasn't thinking. I was just so touched you went through all that trouble just to get me my job back. I wasn't trying to make things weird between us."
"You didn't make things weird!" Luz said. "I… I was just… I never would have thought you'd do that. But hey, I guess if you were just showing me how grateful you were then it's fine. I mean, what's a little peck on the cheek between friends? Heh, in some human cultures that's actually a way to say 'hello'. A little smooch on each cheek."
Willow pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head slowly. "Luz, tell her or I'll do it for you."
"I... I'm getting to it!" Luz replied nervously. "Amity… I really didn't mind the kiss. I liked it. I liked it a lot. It's just that it surprised me so I didn't know what to do, you know? The truth is that… that I have a crush on you! I've had it since that night where you saved me from the Abomiton!"
"What?" Amity whispered, her eyes widening. "You do?"
Luz nodded. "Uh-huh. It's been a little difficult to be around you since then because I can't stop thinking about you and being close to you gives me butterflies in my stomach. And when you kissed me yesterday…" She trailed off blushing and placing her fingertips where Amity's lips had made contact. "I thought I was dreaming."
"You have a crush on me." Amity said, in a state of disbelief. "Y-you really like me that way."
As Luz's words sunk in, Amity's face went through many shades of pink to red. It was a wonder she hadn't passed out from the heat of her own skin. Willow, Gus and Luz could practically see steam coming out of the flustered witch's ears. An idea came to Luz and she pulled out and ice glyph, holding it out for Amity.
"Would this help?" She asked. "You look like you're starting to overheat a little."
Amity's eyes shifted down the glyph in Luz's hand, then back up to meet Luz's eyes. For a moment she was completely still. Then the corners of her mouth curled up a little and a giggle escaped her. Several more followed, her blush gradually fading from her face along with her worries. Luz blushed and smiled, putting the glyph away and allowing herself to be entranced by the beautiful sight before her eyes.
Nearly a minute later, Amity's giggling slowed to a stop. She let out a relaxed sigh and gazed at Luz, smiling softly. Luz tried to relax now that her feelings were out, but she couldn't seem to keep herself from fidgeting with her hands again. Her heart was pounding while she awaited Amity's response, each passing second causing her tension to grow. Willow picked up on this and loudly cleared her throat.
"Isn't there something you need to tell Luz, Amity?" She asked encouragingly. "Something you've wanted to tell her for a while?"
"Huh? What are you talking about, Willow?" Luz asked.
"Oh, you'll see." Willow said, a knowing smile on her face.
Luz returned her attention to Amity, curiosity in her eyes. Amity took a moment to adore the expression on Luz's face, her smile growing just a tiny bit. She took a step closer to Luz, extending her hands out to the human. After only a moment of hesitation, Luz placed her hands into Amity's and marveled at how soft her skin felt.
"It makes me so happy to know how you feel about me, Luz. Because the truth is that I've also had a crush on you for so very long now. Since before Grom night, since before you started to attend Hexside, possibly even before I knew you were enrolling at Hexside. Somehow you managed to sneak into my heart and it frightened me a little at first. But now, it gives me this indescribably wonderful feeling whenever I'm around you. I'm so grateful that you came into my life, Luz."
"I-I'm grateful you came into my life too, Amity." Luz replied, blushing heavily.
"What are we?" Gus whispered to Willow. "Chopped slivers?"
Willow elbowed Gus with her good arm. She then tilted her head slightly to the side a couple times, gesturing to him they should let Amity and Luz have a little more space. Luz was looking down her their hands, a goofy smile on her face. The anxiety had finally faded away, slowly being replaced by a feeling of contentment.
"So… does this mean we can go out on a date sometime soon?" Luz asked.
Amity's smile fell. "I'm sorry." She said, her gaze drifting downwards. "I can't. My mom grounded me yesterday. As it is, the only reason I'm here is because it gets me extra credit. I may even have to do some homeschooling for a while."
"I won't even get to see you at school?" Luz asked, starting to look dispirited. "For how long?"
"That is all up to my mother. I may have made things worse for myself this morning when I disobeyed her again. When I go home today, I'll have to be very careful to avoid stirring the cauldron any more than I already have."
"No fair." Luz pouted. "I was really hoping we could go out! Or at least walk home from school together… or do homework together… or..."
"We can do homework together. It could be a study-date, right here in the library." Amity suggested. "We can spend plenty of time together if we do that."
"Yes please!" Luz said, nodding eagerly. "Maybe we can even do one today?"
"Maybe it would be better to wait a little." Amity replied, glancing at their friends. "I wouldn't want to make Willow or Gus feel left out. Or did they just tag along for moral support?"
"I actually came to get a book or two." Gus said.
"Me too." Luz said, gasping as if she suddenly remembered something. "I've got some very important research to do, so I should really go inside and start looking stuff up."
She turned to leave, but didn't get very far. Willow had drawn a magic circle to call forth a large vine which snared Luz around her middle. Luz let out a yelp as she found herself being suddenly being lifted up from the ground and brought back to where she had been only seconds ago.
"There was something else you wanted to ask her, Luz." Willow said, making the vine set Luz down. "We talked about this."
"Yeah. It's not a big deal." Gus added. "She didn't even ask you and you didn't mind."
Willow elbowed Gus again. "Let them have their moment."
"What are they talking about?" Amity asked, raising one eyebrow a little.
Luz smiled nervously, starting to poke her fingers together. "Well… um… I was just thinking…"
"Yes?"
"Could you brush your bangs back for just a second?"
Amity did as asked, looking slightly confused by the request. Luz swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat and stepped closer to Amity. Then she stood up on her tip toes and placed her lips on Amity's forehead. The contact was brief, but the effect was profound. Amity had been so caught off guard she wasn't even able to blush right away. Although when she did, she swooned a little bit, making Luz giggle.
"That's kinda how I felt yesterday." She said, smirking kittenishly. "Glad I got to repay the favor."
"M-me too." Amity replied, still a little stunned. A few seconds later, she had managed to regain her composure. "Um, anyway… you said you needed to do some research. Is it anything I can help you with?"
"Uh-huh." Luz replied with a nod. "I need to find some books on caring for small animals. So I can do my best to look after Booker."
"Who?"
"The echo-mouse. That's what I'm calling him."
"Aww, that's cute. And I know just the book for you." Amity replied, then turning her attention to Gus. "What about you, Gus? What books are you looking for today?"
"I need something on construction magic that can help with a restoration project." Gus answered.
"Are you switching tracks at school after all?" Luz inquired.
"No, they're for Mattholomule. He and I have a mutual friend who we promised to help out. His home needs some fixing up." Gus told her. "I still plan to stick to illusion magic. I'm too good at it to give it up for anything else."
Amity let out a gasp. "That's right! You are on the Illusion Track at school! I almost completely forgot!"
"Wow, really?" Gus asked, his shoulders slumping a little. "You've been hanging out with us for how long now?"
"The two of you really haven't spent a lot of one-on-one time together, have you?" Luz observed.
"No, but we can start now." Amity said, stepping forward and clasping her hands together. "Augustus, I really need to ask a big favor of you. I want to learn two illusion spells as soon as possible. Could you teach me how to make copies of myself and also how to turn myself invisible?"
"Um, okay. Didn't expect that. Well… I can do the first but not the second. The invisibility spell is pretty tricky. I haven't gotten the hang of it yet."
"But… Luz was invisible just a little while ago." Amity pointed out. "Wasn't that you using your illusion magic?"
"Nope. That one was all me." Luz answered. "I figured it out sometime last week."
"You found a new glyph?" Amity asked in awe. "One for invisibility?"
"It's more of a combination of glyphs. Here, let me show you."
Luz pulled out two scraps of paper from her pocket, handing one over to Amity. She then showed Amity how to draw the combo for her invisibility spell. Amity mimicked her drawing perfectly and watched as Luz held up her paper to demonstrate what to do next.
"One important note before you use it." Luz told her. "The spell only works and lasts for as long as you hold your breath. Still haven't figured out why though. But…"
She took a deep breath and activated the combo. Amity watched her vanish completely in no time flat, her eyes widening slightly at how efficiently the spell worked. Her eyes darted back and forth, trying to figure out where Luz would reappear. Then she suddenly felt something poke her back, making her jump a little. Luz walked her invisible fingers up Amity's back, sending a small shiver down the witch's spine. Unable to contain herself, Luz let out her breath as she allowed herself a giggle.
"You can't argue with the results! Now you give it a try!"
Amity activated the glyph combo and disappeared. Luz waited patiently for the spell to end, unaware that Amity was at that moment waving one hand directly in front of her face. Amity stepped over to Willow and Gus, doing the same to them and getting no reaction at all. She walked around all three of her friends, checking to see if their eyes were following her. Stopping in front of Luz, Amity got her face as close as possible to the other girl's. Slowly, she let out her breath, giving Luz a startle when she suddenly popped up directly in front of her.
"Sorry." Amity said, giving a sheepish smile. "But I was just making sure you really couldn't tell where I was."
"I had no idea!" Luz replied. "So, what do you think of the combo?"
The smile on Amity's face grew. "It's exactly what I need! Thank you so much, you beautiful, clever human!"
She pulled Luz in close and peppered her cheek with a few quick little smooches. Luz's face started to glow and she felt her knees buckling a little from the attention. Amity let Luz lean against her for a moment, adoring Luz's reaction. After Luz had enough time to recover, the group of friends went into the library.
Once they were inside, they started with Gus's request. Amity found him a few books for intermediate construction spells that would hopefully prove useful. In exchange, Gus wrote down some instructions on casting a beginner level illusion spell for Amity to practice in her free time.
With his objective completed, Gus left to go meet up with Mattholomule. Amity then led Willow and Luz to the Beast-Keeping section where Amity found Luz a guide on small mythical mammal care. Luz gave Amity a peck on the cheek and hurried off to find an available table to start reading and taking notes.
"She is so cute when she's studying." Amity quietly noted to herself before turning her full attention to Willow. "What about you? Did you need help with anything today?"
"Not really. I just needed to get out of the house." Willow replied, gently lifting her casted arm. "My papa has been hovering by me almost every minute in case I need anything. I was feeling smothered with how much he was doting on me."
"I envy that." Amity said in return. "If my mother could even be half as loving as either of your fathers, I'd be so much happier at home. You would not believe what I have waiting for me at home when I go back after work."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Willow offered. "I don't really have anything else going on at the moment."
"Only if you don't mind talking while I work."
The two began moving through the rows of bookshelves within the library. Amity began explaining the situation she had just put herself into at home while she kept her hands busy with the many books. Willow didn't really know what to tell her friend. She never would have guessed, not even in her wildest dreams, that Amity's mother would go so far. In the end all she could do was keep listening until Amity had finished.
A silence grew between the two friends as Amity finished her current task. After she moved the last of the books out back, she rejoined Willow and the two sat at one of the tables. Willow tried to think of something she could say, but nothing came to mind. What could she even say? I'm sorry things are so bad for you right now? Too bland. Maybe you can talk things out with your mother? Not likely. She would have a better chance of convincing Amity to pack her things and move out of Blight Manor.
"I wish I could just run away…" Amity sighed, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.
Willow was completely at a loss for words after hearing that. Amity seemed to be trapped between one bad decision or another and Willow still couldn't figure out what to tell her. Sure, the thought had crossed her mind, but she wasn't being serious. It was a bit frightening if Willow were to be honest with herself. She silently hoped that her friend didn't really want to take such a big risk.
Amity noticed the conflicted look on Willow's face and sat up. She managed to smile in hopes it would get rid of the awkwardness starting to form between them. It hadn't been her intention to drag Willow down with her when she started to complain about her morning. But it had just felt so good to talk to someone, she had gone through every last detail. In hindsight, she had to admit it was a lot to take in, even for a good friend.
"But hey… what can you do?" Amity said, trying her best to sound nonchalant. "It's not like any of us got to choose our parents. I'll just need to accept the consequences for my actions."
"If you say so." Willow replied, sounding somewhat unconvinced. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"I'll be just fine." Amity told her. "If I just keep my head down and speak only when spoken to, I should be able to get through my punishment just fine. Although… if you can find the time, I'd appreciate it if you, Gus and Luz would stop by to keep me company while I'm working."
"Oh? All three of us? Not just Luz? Are you sure?" Willow inquired, adopting an almost teasing tone and letting out a small giggle. "Don't worry. We'll be sure to come right over after school tomorrow."
"Thanks." Amity said, standing back up. "That means more to me than you could know. Now if you'll excuse me, I should get back to work. It's almost time for me to read stories to the little witchlings."
"I think I'll stick around until it's time for you to go home. If you need me, I'll be here with a good romance novel."
Willow got up from her seat and went off to start browsing for something to read. Amity began heading towards the Kids' Corner to set things up for story time. But just before she got there, she encountered her fellow staff member, Gary. The older witch gestured to her to walk with him and she followed. He led her to a large ornate door, the one that led into the office of the master librarian, Malphas.
"The master librarian wants to have a word with you." Gary told her. "He says it's very important. Something to do with what occurred yesterday afternoon."
A seed of worry sprouted inside of Amity's gut. She had been so distracted with her friends that her recent firing and rehiring had slipped her mind. She couldn't even begin to imagine what was in store for her when she stepped into Malphas's office. Nevertheless, a part of her knew that it wasn't as if she could decline the request. Not if she wanted to reestablish good standing with her boss.
Hesitantly, Amity reached out to grasp the door handle. She knocked and waited for permission to enter before opening the door. Within she found Malphas behind a large desk, a stack of papers on either side of him. He looked up briefly from the form he was currently looking over and then returned his attention to it, running one clawed finger slowly across the paper.
"Amity, please have a seat." He said, continuing reviewing the form. "I'll be just a few seconds."
"Yes sir." Amity replied, taking the empty chair across from him.
"Ugh, none of that 'sir' stuff. It harshes my mellow. You know you can just call me Malphas." He told her, finishing up with the form and setting it into the pile on his right. "Now, I'm sure you already know why I've asked you here."
"I do." Amity said letting her head hang a little. "And I'm very, very sorry for what I did. I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway. It just that I really wanted to help my friend. She didn't even know to look in the Forbidden Stacks, it was all my idea!"
"Whoa, easy there kiddo. I'm not trying to judge." Malphas replied. "Your friend explained everything to me yesterday when she demanded to give you your job back."
"Demanded?" Amity repeated, shrinking back slightly. "I am so sorry about her! She can be stubborn and foolish and…"
"Amity, chill." Malphas instructed. "I'll admit I was totally shocked when she just, like, barged into my office. But it's all good now." He said, allowing himself a chuckle. "She even said she'd do whatever it took to get you your job back. So I just found a couple of chores I had been putting off to give her. To be honest, I was kinda thinking of giving you your job back anyways."
"You were?" Amity asked incredulously.
"Oh, totally. In fact it's, like, kinda ironic that you snuck into the stacks when you did. I've been considering letting you borrow a book from there for a little while now. I was even planning to tell you yesterday before your shift ended."
"What? Do you really mean that?"
"Absolutely. You know me, I'm not the type to go around pulling someone's cowl over their eyes. With all that you've done around here, I feel like you've earned it. Ignoring that little boo-boo, your record is totally flawless. So, like, the offer still stands if you want."
"That's… I… thank you!" Amity managed to get out, almost overcome with elation. "I'd love to be allowed such a great privilege! I didn't even know you let people do that!"
"Well you could've just asked me, duh." Malphas replied with another soft chuckle. "I'm not trying to hoard all those books for myself you know. I have tons of people requesting to borrow them." He said, gesturing to the stacks of forms on his desk. "Oh, and I went ahead and filled out most of the form for you already. All it needs is a signature before I can send it in."
He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out the form. After taking a quick look to make sure he hadn't missed anything, he held it out to Amity who eagerly accepted it with a big smile. She took out a pen and went to sign the line at the bottom, but Malphas used his magic to levitate the pen from her grip.
"Slow your roll. You're still a minor, so like, you need your parents to sign that for you. After that there's a waiting period of two business days. Total drag, am I right? But then you can pick out any book you like."
Amity felt her elation wither like a flower caught in the boiling rain. Malphas's words echoed in her head, almost hauntingly. She looked down at the paper, seeing the words 'Parent/guardian signature' right where she had almost signed her own name. Before the reality of the matter could fully set in, Maplhas reached out with his ethereal hands to open the door for her.
"Alright, I don't want to keep you. It's about time to read to the little ones. You know how cranky they can get if you make them wait."
Slowly, Amity stood and turned to leave the room. As she crossed the threshold, Malphas went to return to the stacks of forms on his desk and began closing the door. He paused however and looked back up at Amity for a moment.
"Oh and by the way, I love the new hair. You are rocking that look."
The door shut, leaving Amity standing outside the office, frozen in shock. Her eyes went down to the form again, locking on the blank line at the bottom. She felt like some sort of higher power was mocking her. Or maybe it was karma for getting her siblings into trouble. Either way, Amity had to acknowledge that now she would have to really try to atone for angering her mother.
Amity felt something building up inside of her. A sickening pressure starting at her diaphragm and working upwards as she expelled all the air from her lungs. The sound of her frustrated cry echoed throughout the building and spooked some birds which had perched themselves on the roof.
It was the first time she had ever been shushed at the library.
End of part 1.