Boscha was up bright and early for school the next day. The night before was a disaster after being publicly humiliated by not only the human but her own mother on top of it all. Once Hana returned home that evening she had again tried to speak to Boscha about the matter but, as with many other times before, she was shot down by her daughter. Through it all, Hana kept her firm stance on calling out the girl's unacceptable behavior towards others and kept her punishment in place.
The only good thing that Boscha got from all of this is that being sent home allowed her more than enough time to brew up the two potions before her mother returned. Among the ingredients she required for the romance reaper was a hair sample from the two people she wanted to infect and she had ample time to collect those. She opened the vial and planted both a hair from Amity and the human inside of it and watched as they dissolved into the purple liquid. The potion yielded only a small amount but it was all she needed. She took the vial and attached an atomizer to it and put it up the right sleeve of her school uniform. Boscha knew she'd have to get close to use it but luckily she'd also only need to spray one of the two to do it. Either one only needed to make physical contact with the other to spread it and that wouldn't be difficult.
The compliance potion would have to wait as it required several more hours to settle to have the desired, long lasting effect. That would have to wait for another day as it would need to be consumed for it to work properly. The girl planned on offering an "apology" to her old friends before slipping it into the drinks she would offer them afterwards. She'd have them wrapped around her little finger forever after that.
Boscha couldn't help but wonder what would happen with the others; Celine, Nyala and Eileen. "They were really only placeholders until this all worked out anyway." She thought to herself. And once Amity was finished with the human, she'd scoop her back up and the old crew would be back together. It all worked out and yet, something didn't feel right and the triclops didn't like whatever was stirring inside her one bit. Shaking her head, she was able to push it down inside of her and focus on the task at hand.
"Boscha..." She stopped at the door and turned to the kitchen just off to her right where her mother was seated with her slightly picked at breakfast. The girl said nothing as her mother took in a deep breath. "I need to talk to you. You're upset and I understand but I just don't like leaving things the way they are."
The girl's brow furrowed as she opened her mouth. "You mean when you embarrassed me in front of my team and everyone at the market?"
"That wasn't my intention, but you escalated that situation. I had to do something." Hana responded.
"You had to take the human's side?"
"Luz is a nice girl. She just offered to help me." Hana attempted to explain.
"The human is nothing but trouble!" Boscha shouted. "She's the reason my friends abandoned me, the reason for everything that's gone wrong with my life!"
Hana calmly shook her head. "No, this is all my fault." Boscha became silent for a moment as she looked to her mother with wide eyes. "Ever since you were a little girl, I pushed you to be the best, to always try to outdo everyone else."
"Yeah, and do you not see how great I am?" Boscha interceded.
"Yes, I do." Hana admitted with a slight nod of acknowledgment. "You've got a room full of trophies and awards. People stop you on the street to get your autograph or just simply acknowledge that they exist. You're the envy of nearly every child in Bonesborough. I know because I've been there and I pushed you to go there too."
The girl gave her mother a confused look as she listened. "I know you think I've changed, and I have and it's for the better. It's all because one day I saw that all those things I strove for, everything I had and competed to get my whole life just didn't matter. What mattered was being a good mother to you and helping you to grow into a better person. I just wish I could have seen my mistakes earlier."
Boscha clinched her teeth and balled her fists in anger. "So everything I've done, everything I am is just a mistake to you? What, are you ashamed of me, is that it?! Forget this!" Boscha turned back to the door and went to leave.
"Sweetie, no. That's not what I meant at all." Hana tried to deescalate the situation which was once again becoming tense. She got up from her seat and walked across to Boscha. "I just want to help you to do the right things in your life so that you don't end up... like I did; To have everything and still have nothing all at once. Perhaps I haven't been showing it in the best of ways but I do want to help you through everything that's going on. Please, don't shut me out." She placed a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder as the girl was still faced away from her.
"Now I've got to leave on a business trip later today. I met some people yesterday who might be interested in selling some of my products and I'll be gone for about a week or so. Why don't you come with me? I'll get you an absence from school. It'll be just like those trips when you were younger and we can get a chance to really talk more. Please." The woman's gentle voice was accompanied by her warm smile that Boscha could tell was there even if she was not looking at her.
Boscha stood still for a moment before fiercely jerking her shoulder away from her mother's touch. Hana accepted this and took in a deep breath in defeat. "Or you can stay here if that's what you really want. You're still grounded. No scroll, no grudgby or any other activities. You will go to school and come right back home. I've purchased an abomaton to collect you at the end of every day until I get back. Understood?"
"Whatever. You've already made a fool of me once." The girl said before opening the door and exiting the home and taking off on her palisman, leaving a teary-eyed Hana to watch. Boscha was furious as she flew off to school. "I can't believe her. She defends that human, she calls me out in front of everyone and then she has the nerve to treat me like I'm some snot nosed little kid."
As they flew, Maya chimed in with a series of concerned chirps and clicks. "No Maya, I don't. I'm done with her. Besides I have more important things to focus on." She looked back down to her right sleeve where the potion was hidden. The palisman again chimed in, further frustrating her owner. "They have this coming. I don't care what they may have, they took everything from me and now I'm going to return the favor."
To Boscha's surprise, her staff began to jerk up and down in the air as she reaffirmed her grip. "Maya, what's gotten into you? Stop it this instant!" The two fought for control until Maya had led them down into the trees below, causing Boscha to crash into the mud and leaves on the forest floor with the palisman transforming and sticking the landing safely. She quickly regretted her choice as Boscha arose, covered in a thick layer of mud, grass and leaves, her hair an utter mess and her eyes filled with rage. "You are in so much trouble when we get..." She stopped as she found that the palisman was holding the vial of potion in her claws.
"Give me that." Boscha said in a low growl as she took a step toward Maya, the crab retreating as she did so. "Give it to me! Now!" She yelled holding out a demanding hand. The palisman began to click and chirp furiously for almost a minute as her angered owner had finally had enough. "You don't know anything! You're just a stupid piece of wood!"
Maya shrunk back and looked to Boscha with despair as she dropped the vial and slowly began to leave. The gravity of what she had just said finally hit the girl as she watched the small crab scurry away. "Maya... I didn't mean that. Don't go." She leaned down near her and offered a hand. "Please. Partner?" The palisman looked to her for a moment and the two looked into each others eyes, the short wordless exchange letting Boscha know just how much she had messed up before Maya slowly vanished into the underbrush. The girl slowly retracted her arm and balled her hand into a fist before turning and picking up the vial. It was still a long way to get to school and she still had something to accomplish.
To say Boscha was a sight upon enter the doors of Hexside covered in earthy materials was an understatement. Though everyone around was whispering about it, they weren't nearly brave, or foolish enough to comment on her appearance. Even her own team was hesitant to talk to her in her current state. The girl was excused for a brief period in her first class to get cleaned up. Fortunately she always had a back up uniform for after practice stashed in her locker and went into the girl's room to change. She also fixed her hair as best she could, combing out as much dirt and debris as she could. Despite doing her best, it still just resembled organized chaos even when she attempted to tie her hair in its usual knot. Looking in the mirror she also wished she had a pair of sunglasses to cover over her red puffy eyes but there was little she could do about it now.
Her sole focus on her target filled her thoughts for the next few hours even as her teammates and teachers voiced their concern for her. It was just before lunch when she spotted the human walking down the hall, alone. No Amity, no half-a-witch Willow, no one. "Human?!" Her shout caught Luz's attention as she turned to see the triclops glaring her way, her brow furrowed as her eyes were intensely trained on her. "You and I have unfinished business and this time my mom isn't here to save you."
The human girl looked to her worriedly and put her hands up defensively. "Boscha,"
"No! Shut up!" Boscha yelled, silencing any attempt at dialogue by Luz as the students around them looked on. "Ever since you've been here you have ruined everything for me. You stole my best friend, you humiliated me, and then you turned my own family against me. Well I've had it. I challenge you to a duel, right here, right now!"
She watched as Luz looked to the ground for a moment. Boscha smirked, knowing that she had Luz right where she wanted her. "No." Luz said simply. This response left the potion track student dumbfounded. This was the same girl who months ago challenged Amity, one of the best students at Hexside, to a duel before she even attended the school. "I won't fight you."
"What?! I just challenged you, in front of everyone here. You have to accept!" Boscha declared.
Luz simply shook her head. "No, I don't. Listen, Boscha. This is all a big misunderstanding. I wasn't trying to ruin anything for you I was just trying to help. Amity changed because she wanted to be a better person. When we played you in grudgby it was to help Willow defend herself from you. Yesterday, I bumped into your mom and I offered to lend her a hand."
Boscha's eyes widened as Luz continued. "We talked and she told me a lot about you and... I think I understand you now and everything you've gone through. I just want to say I'm sorry. It was never my intention to hurt you in any way. I don't want us to be enemies. Maybe we could start over, put all of this behind us and try being friends."
The three-eyed girl's right eye began to twitch furiously. "You don't understand anything, so don't try to pretend you know me. If you think that I'd ever be friends with someone like you, you're a bigger fool than my mother. 'Sorry' doesn't get me back my dignity. 'Sorry' doesn't get me back my friends. 'Sorry' doesn't fix anything!"
The human girl looked hurt and defeated before she opened her mouth. "Maybe it could if you tried." She said in a soft tone as Boscha had reached her limit and hurled a potion from her bag that exploded near Luz who, though a bit shaken at first, barely moved. This was a sharp contrast to every other student who either backed themselves against a wall or ran for cover.
"Fight me, human!" Boscha knew she had to goad the human into the fight for her plan to work and so began to shout insults. "What's the matter human, too scared? Worried what Blight will say if her pet human gets hurt. She always was pathetic, I guess hanging out with you just made it all the more apparent."
Luz's eyes and expression were not ones of anger however, but of pity at the girl across from her. "I know what you're doing and it won't work. I feel sorry for you Boscha. I believe that everyone can change and I hope one day that you can too." Luz shifted her foot as she motioned to leave.
The triclops hurled yet another potion that exploded near the human girl. "Fight me!" Boscha reiterated as the potion crafted a jagged icy pillar on Luz's left. This time the girl didn't move at all and just stared straight forward at the furious girl. She took in a deep breath, steeled her nerves and simply turned about face and began to walk away.
If there was ever one thing Boscha Hasdrubal hated more than anything else it was being ignored and brushed aside. "Don't you ever turn your back on me!" Boscha shouted as she grabbed a spherical potion from her bag and aimed it directly at Luz. Before she could let it fly from her hand she felt something seize her wrist mid-throw.
"Boscha, stop!" The pleading cry came from Skara who forcibly held back her old friend's attempt. "I know you're angry but this isn't right."
Boscha was having none of this and tried to shake the nuisance off of her. She'd just have to sort this out later, albeit with much more difficulty than she had planned. "She has this coming, Skara. Now let go!" The two wrestled for control of the liquid filled glass ball as everyone looked on.
Skara's grip tightened even more as the struggle intensified. "Not until you calm down."
Boscha finally found an angle to free herself and threw Skara away only to lose her grip on the potion as well. The sound of shattered glass as well as the scream of agony that followed echoed through the halls of the school as the girl seemed frozen at what had just happened. She could only look down and see that the green liquid had partially spilled on the ground, with the rest hitting Skara's right leg, burning through her leggings and injuring her leg. The gray haired girl clutched it tightly, gritting her teeth to hold back the pain.
"Skara?" Boscha could hardly grasp what had just happened before she rushed over to the girl. "Skara! Skara, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't meant it. I wasn't trying to..." Her frantic pleas were soon cut short as someone rushed over, pushing Boscha back.
"Get away!" Viney appeared as she got between the two, getting down on her knees and utilizing her healing skills to tend to the wounded girl. "You'll be okay." She reassured before giving a look of pure disgust to Boscha, who seemed to be in shock as she offered no resistance to the guards dragging her away. Her only concern as she was taken away was to the pained look on the face of her former friend.