Chapter 6: Keep Distance

A serpent-like skeleton emerges from the lava. It's bones rattle and shake.

Boscha throws a rock at it.

It hisses. Lava spews out of its mouth.

Willow pushes Boscha out of the way. Willow uses the roots of the tree to bridge their way to it.

They walked into another room, it looked exactly the same. There was a bridge beneath an opening. Light was coming from it.

"If you're not gonna help just stay here and don't mess anything up. Got it?"

"I get it I get it, I'm bad you're good." Boscha said, almost mocking Willow.

"Why do you have to turn everything into an argument?!"

"As if you're not trying to!"

"I'm not! I swear I'm not!"

"Right! Like you taking everything away from me was just all coincidence!" Boscha said. "But if you're so smart, you get out by yourself! I'm gonna go find my scroll!"

"Fine!"

Willow runs over to the other side. The bridge is long and narrow, and one wrong move can mean death for her. She attempts to jump and grab the edge. Her glasses fall off, and she accidentally steps on them causing her to slip. She grabs onto the bridge.

"HELP!" Willow yells.

The demon emerges from the hole they entered from.

The demon spits lava at Willow, it hits her hands. She struggles to hold onto the bridge.

"HEY DUMMY OVER HERE!"

The demon turns its attention to the loud repeating sound.

"HEY DUMMY OVER HERE!" It repeats in the exact same tone, the demon slithers away to look for it.

A loud scream echoes throughout the cavern, followed by a crack and a loud thud.

"Boscha?!" Willow was drenched in sweat. Her hands were slipping. She scratches and claws at the stone bridge, but her fingers were too weak from the burns.

Boscha sprints towards Willow, she grabs her wrists.

They run. Boscha grabs onto the ledge. Willow hoists her up. Boscha lifts her up with her.

The demon lurks below them. The bridge crumbles as it bursts through it.

Willow casts a spell circle, plants emerge from the ground, she covers the hole. The demon spits lava at them once again, burning the plants. Boscha burns the roots covering the exit. They both run outside, the cave collapses behind them.

The two are dripping with sweat. They're exhausted.

Boscha starts power walking up the mountain stairs.

Willow follows behind her.

Boscha sneakers clack against the stone stairs as she tries to go up faster. A sob escapes her throat.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Willow said.

"Leave me alone."

Willow grabs Boscha's wrist. "Are you hurt? I can draw a healing glyph—"

"No It's just… forget it."

Boscha runs up the stairs. She inhales through her mouth. She's struggling to breathe.

"I lost my scroll, I lost my dumb jacket." Boscha mumbles under her breath."I don't… I don't have anything anymore."

"Hmm… You still have your flower right? That's one thing?"

She huffs. Boscha's elbows tense up in annoyance. "Wh… What's your deal?"

"Excuse me?"

Boscha looks up at Willow, her eyebrows furrowed. She looked almost frustrated, though, tears were welling up in her eyes.

"I thought you hated me? Why are you following me? Can't a girl sulk in peace?"

"I'm comforting you…?"

"Listen, Park, I'm not getting any comfort from being pestered by you of all people."

Boscha walks up to the railing, she focuses on the purple sky.

Willow places her hand on Boscha's shoulder.

"DO YOU FUCKING MIND?!"

Without a word, Willow holds out a handkerchief. Boscha looks at it, and pushes it away. She gestures for Willow to go away, but Willow was stubborn. She stood there, watching her.

"Are you only here for the flower or something? If so it's gone."

Willow's eyes peered back at her. She was smiling.

"What can I do to get you to leave me alone?"

She said nothing, Willow's eyes went over Boscha's head.

Boscha grunts. "Why are you so keen on annoying me? Is this a game to you?"

People were passing by them, mumbling. She hears someone laughing.

Boscha leans forward. A flower falls from her head. She catches it. Willow hides her giggle behind her burned hands. Boscha blushes at her foolishness.

"Ugh. You're too cute for me to hate you."

"What?" Willow's face was red.

"I meant that in like, a cute puppy kind of way and not— Y'know what? Forget it."

Boscha carefully places the flower behind Willow's ear. Boscha's light blue eyes seemed to glow under the moonlight. Though in retrospect, Willow couldn't see anything else without her glasses.

"Uh?" Willow said. "So you still don't believe you're cursed?"

"With a 'tragic love life'? Relationships are already tragic to begin with. I'd like to see the 'curse' try. Heh." Boscha's eyes dart away. She's smiling.

~•✽──────✿──────✽•~

[Later]

"There you are!" Luz runs up to Willow, embracing her tightly. "And you got a flower! Did anything spectacular happen?"

"I uh. Not much really." Willow said. "You?"

She knew what she was insinuating, and Luz knew, and literally everyone knew.

"Well uhh…"

Willow notices Amity holding Luz's hand. She's hiding her red face under her indigo scarf.

Gus's eyes bounce back and forth between Willow and Amity with a huge grin on his face.

She mouths towards Gus, 'Was it good?'

Gus gives Willow two thumbs up and mouths back a simple 'yes!'

Damn it, Boscha! You made me miss the lumity moment!

~• ──── ✿ ──── •~

Author's Note
I had a lot of fun writing this chapter :]
Also haha funny curse go brr. That totally isn't gonna be brought up *nervous laughter*