Vee was not surprised when she saw Camila waiting in the kitchen for her, a cup of hot chocolate already prepared for her on the table. She was aware that her eyes were bloodshot from crying, yet she was too emotionally drained to even attempt to hide them. She could have tried to disguise the signs of her distress, but her mind was too cloudy to think straight, so she simply sat down and took a cautious sip of the steaming beverage.
Hot chocolate was a guilty pleasure of hers, one that Camila had restricted her access to after she tried to drink it exclusively for a week. It had only taken Camila two days before the hot chocolate powder was put onto the top shelf, and Vee learned to ask for it more sparingly. So, for Camila to make it for her without even asking was yet another sign that she truly cared for Vee. Camila sat down beside her and hugged her close in a tender embrace. Vee put her hot chocolate back down and leaned against Camila, her eyes downcast as she felt empty despite the warm hug. She knew that no amount of hot chocolate would make her feel any better when she herself was the problem.
"Mija, you know that I'm always here for you, right?" Camila asked with a hint of urgency, holding Vee's hand tightly in her own. "Whatever you need, whenever you need it, I'll be there."
"I know," Vee replied in a whisper, attempting to put on a brave face but failing miserably. "I just couldn't handle being there. I didn't mean to cause a scene."
"Willow feels terrible for bringing up your past," Camila said soothingly, though Vee still felt a sharp pang of guilt for making her friend feel bad. She had tried to be a good daughter, but she had failed and it had proven to her that she was inadequate.
"She shouldn't feel bad," Vee murmured, wiping at her eyes in a futile attempt to dry them. "I just lost it over something that should've been simple."
"It's okay," Camila said, her hand now softly rubbing Vee's back. "You made the right choice to step away. I'm proud of you for being strong."
"I wasn't strong enough," Vee said bitterly, her voice heavy with disappointment. "If I was, I would've been able to answer her like an adult, instead of flying off the handle like a child. They are all stressed out and I'm just adding to it."
"Mija," Camila said firmly, taking both of Vee's hands in her own. "You know that I'm here for you, right? No matter what, I'll always be there. You don't have to be strong all the time, sometimes it's okay to be weak."
Vee just silently nodded, unwilling to trust her voice to respond.
"Now, how about we indulge in lunch? " Camila released her hold on Vee as she stood up, rummaging through the fridge. "I believe I have some bacon in here, if you'd like."
"You know that's my favourite," Vee said, trying to restrain herself from inhaling the savoury scent of the meat. She had recently discovered Luz's disdain for it, and she felt a twinge of bitterness as she realised it was yet another clear example of how she could never truly replace Luz. She pushed away the negative thoughts and attempted to maintain the facade of happiness.
"I know it's your favourite, I thought it might lift your spirits." Camila said with a kind smile as she lit the burner under the pan. The sizzling of the meat filled the room and Vee could feel her mouth watering at the thought of the meal. "Do you want your eggs scrambled?"
"That's Luz's preference, I like mine sunny-side up," Vee corrected her, Feeling guilty to bring up yet another difference between herself and Luz, especially when she knew that she should just be thankful that Camila was being nice to her at all.
"Of course," Camila nodded, focusing on the task at hand as she cooked. However Vee noticed that the amount of food being cooked was really only enough for one.
"Um, Camila, what are the others going to have for lunch?" Vee asked awkwardly as she slithered over, frowning as she saw that Camila had not even pulled out any more food.
"They are probably going to be back for a late lunch at the rate they are going," Camila responded with a shrug. "It's nice to see Luz so passionate again, but I wish she would let herself relax."
"It sounds like you're enjoying having her back," Vee ventured nervously.
"I thought that I would be confusing you two more, but even when transformed it was wonderful to know that I know which of my mija's are before me," Camila smiled as her gaze drifted into the distance as she let herself reminisce about all that had happened. "Even when you took on her form, the two of you are both unique in your own ways, and it has been nice to be reminded of that.
"I'm sorry, I keep getting things wrong," Vee muttered under her breath, feeling her mood plummet even further. She knew that it wasn't Camila's fault, but she couldn't help but feel like she was constantly being reminded of how different she was from Luz. Reminded of how poorly she was measuring up to the real daughter.
As they sat down to eat, Vee couldn't bring herself to enjoy the meal. The bacon, usually her favourite, tasted like ash in her mouth and she could barely choke down a few bites. Camila chatted cheerfully, but Vee couldn't bring herself to join in the conversation. She felt like she was suffocating, trapped in a life that wasn't her own that no longer had space for her.
Camila and Luz both had tried to make her feel like she could stay, but it felt like everything was forcing her away, and she knew that she was the problem, not Luz or Camila. She just didn't know how to fix herself.
"Vee, you're being quieter than normal," Camila gently prodded, "is there anything you want to talk with me about?"
"I'm just feeling a bit tired. I think I'm going to take a nap," Vee murmured, unable to take it any longer. Camila gave her a gentle smile and let her leave without a word to stop her, and Vee was grateful for the understanding. She retreated to her room, feeling more lost and alone than ever before. She knew that there was a small chance that Camila genuinely cared for her, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she would never truly belong in this world. She was a constant reminder of what was lost, and she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever find her place in this world.
As she stepped into Luz's bedroom, her gaze fell upon the laptop resting atop the desk, its happy cat screensaver animating in a display of obvious wasted electricity. Vee had switched it off a week after being taken in, yet Luz had not waited a day before powering it back on. Moving to the beds, Vee sighed and sat before the laptop. She carefully assumed Luz's form, allowing the laptop to recognise her and log in. Her frown deepened as she saw that Luz had already changed the background back to a fantasy drawing.
Uncomfortable at using Luz's laptop now that she was back, Vee opened the web browser and began planning her next move. She knew her time in the Noceda residence could very well be coming to an end, and she had to find a way to stay afloat if it all did go away. The Reality Check camp had been rather clear about finding ways to financially support oneself and reduce your burden on your family, and Vee knew that a job would be the best way to either make herself useful, or give herself some sort of fallback when things inevitably fell apart.
Groaning, Vee clicked on a few tabs for local jobs, searching for anything suitable that wouldn't ask any awkward questions. As she scoured through the job listings, Vee couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom. Every minute she spent in the household was another minute where she drifted further and further away from the others, and she didn't know how much further the divide could grow before she had to leave. She didn't want things to change, but they already had with Luz's return.
With each passing moment, Vee's despair grew. The job listings seemed to mock her, as she realised that almost none of them were within her reach. When things inevitably fell apart she knew that moving far away would be harder than hiding nearby, it would hurt but Gravesfield was also the only place she had ever known. She couldn't leave Camila alone. Vee wondered if she could take on a new form and live nearby so she could at least know that Camila and Luz were okay, even if they no longer wanted her, but she also knew that she was leading herself down a bad path. She felt trapped, with no good options left.
Vee slammed the laptop shut, her heart heavy with hopelessness. She couldn't bear to keep searching for something that didn't exist. With Luz shoving herself between Vee and Camila, Vee could easily see that she likely only had a few days before her time in the Noceda household was over, and the thought of leaving Camila behind was tearing her apart. She didn't know what her future held, but she knew one thing for sure: it was going to be a lonely one without Camila by her side. Though, really, had she ever had Camila by her side? Camila had wanted to be near her daughter, and Vee had never been that.
Pushing the laptop away with a violent shove, Vee closed her eyes, resting her head in her own crossed arms on the desk. The weight of her failures and the endless sea of uncertainty was crushing her, leaving her feeling lost and adrift in the face of her impending future. Lost in her own misery, Vee failed to hear the bedroom door open behind her.
"Hey Luz, I was wondering where you were," Amity's voice, sudden and unexpected, jolted Vee back to attention with a start. Lifting her head, she saw Amity standing beside her, a concerned look etched on her face. Vee's eyes widened in horror as Amity moved closer, her arms outstretched as if to embrace her.
"What the-?" Vee stammered, her mind racing as she realised that she was still in Luz's form. Amity leaned in closer. Before anything untoward could happen, Vee sat upright, pushing Amity away with a force born of panic and desperation. "Oh, sorry. I'm not Luz. I was just borrowing her laptop."
Amity jumped back, her arms flailing as she released the hug that Vee had been unintentionally enjoying. "Sorry!"
"You don't need to apologise," Vee's voice was heavy with guilt as she spoke. "I'm the one stealing your girlfriend's face. I'm the one who should be sorry." She quickly shifted back to her basilisk form, trying to rid herself of the guilt and shame that was consuming her, but it was to no avail.
"No, it's fine." Amity's apology was tinged with uncertainty, and a fairly strong blush of embarrassment. "I should've noticed that you hadn't even transformed your eyes fully."
"It's not your fault, it's mine," Vee's response was filled with a sense of dread. She knew Amity would not change her mind. Amity was almost as stubborn as Luz when she made up her mind. "I'm trying to limit being Luz, it's now her life to live. It's just that I didn't know the password on the laptop, so I had to use the camera face login thingy. Normally, I try to avoid being her."
"I thought you two had some sort of agreement to share?" Amity asked, her voice now serious and filled with concern.
"Not really. She wanted me to look after her life while she was stuck on the Isles, but we didn't really discuss what would happen after that," Vee told Amity with a shrug, feeling a growing sense of unease. "Now that she's back, I'm not sure where I fit in or what my future holds."
"Well, what do you want for your future?" Amity pressed, her gaze intense.
"I'm not sure what you mean," Vee responded with a raised eyebrow, feeling a sense of dread rising within her. "Luz never really told me what to do when she actually came home."
"Don't you want to keep the life you've built here?" Amity challenged, her voice growing louder. "Luz was surprised to see how many friends you've made while pretending to be her."
"Yeah, she wasn't very popular when I first got here," Vee reminisced on the first awkward week of being Luz. "But it was fun to try and improve her social life, even though I can't be friends with them as a basilisk."
"Luz would never want to take away your friends," Amity disagreed, leaning in closer and putting her arm over Vee's shoulders.
"They aren't my friends any more, they are kind of Luz's now," Vee sighed, feeling a sense of loss as she looked away from Amity to stare out the window.
"By this point it sounds to me like it is as much your life as it is Luz's," Amity pointed out. "Are you sure that she isn't fine with sharing?"
"I'm sure Luz would love to have me constantly intrude on her life," Vee shot back sarcastically, she could feel a war of guilt and anger building inside her.
"Then she should have never asked you to pretend to be her," Amity argued. "It's fine for you to want to keep what you have."
"She never asked me to take over her life, I just took it!" Vee exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion. "I've taken her life and made it my own, without a second thought to how it would affect her. I'm nothing but a thief, a fraud, and I don't deserve to even be in this room, let alone share in Luz's life."
"But you were trying to help her," Amity argued, her voice filled with concern.
"It's not enough," Vee replied, her voice filled with despair. She knew that it was a bad idea to vent her problems at Amity, but she just couldn't stop herself. "I've taken so much from her and now that she's back, I have to give it all back. I have to give her back her life, her identity. But the thought of letting go...I don't know what I should do."
"You can't keep shouldering all this guilt alone," Amity reassured her, reaching out and gently taking Vee's hand. "We'll figure it out together. But you have to understand, Luz chose to let you continue to share her life. You were trying to help her."
But Vee could only shake her head, her guilt and self-doubt eating at her. "I don't know if I was."
"Vee, you still helped her," Amity urged. "You can't let this guilt consume you. Luz needed you to keep her life running, and now we get to be there for you."
"I don't know if I can keep this up," Vee muttered, her voice trembling with exhaustion. She met Amity's gaze, and allowed herself to be pulled into a comforting embrace. She clung to Amity, relishing in the warmth and closeness that filled her. Despite her scaled body pressed against Amity, she could see no signs of discomfort. She knew that she should stop clinging to Amity and let the witch have her own personal space, but she just couldn't let go. She needed this.
"You don't have to face this alone," Amity vowed, her voice filled with determination. "We'll find a way to untangle this mess together." She continued to rub Vee's back, offering her support and comfort. Vee closed her eyes, letting the warmth and comfort of Amity's embrace wash over her. She felt her body begin to relax, the tension and stress that had been building within her dissipating with each passing moment. For the first time in what felt like a week, Vee felt like she could finally let go of her worries and just be. Or at least she could push them away long enough to feel a little happy.
But eventually, Vee had to reluctantly break away from the hug. She looked back at Amity, feeling a renewed sense of determination through the bitterness. "Thanks for being there to help me,"she uttered, a hint of appreciation in her voice. "I suppose I'd better let you get back to the others, I'm sure Luz is missing her girlfriend."
"Wait, you already know that Luz and I are dating?" Amity's face contorted with horror at the thought that Vee wasn't totally in the dark. "We haven't even told Luz's mother yet!"
"You two are not as subtle as you think." Vee replied with a laugh. "Maybe don't make out while I'm trying to sleep if you don't want people to find out."
"You were awake for that?" Amity's blush deepened as she remembered the night before. Her eyes narrowed in determination. "You have to promise me you won't tell anyone."
"I'd be surprised if Camila hasn't already worked it out," Vee chuckled before freezing at the glare that Amity was shooting at her. "But sure, I can play dumb if you want."
"Good, Luz was saying that not everyone over here accepts two girls being together," Amity sighed, "so she wants to make sure her mother is okay with it before we say anything. I think she's already working on a presentation or video for it."
"You and Luz have nothing to worry about," Vee assured her. "Camila thought Masha and I were dating for a while. I wasn't the best at understanding social conventions when I first got here, so I get why she thought that." She rolled her eyes. "But, either way, if she was okay with the possibility of me and an enby, I'm sure you two will be fine."
A wave of relief washed over Amity, yet Vee could still detect a lingering trace of tension in her eyes. "Lus promised to take me on a proper human date without any of this mess, do you think it'll happen?" Amity asked with a sigh of hope, though the question wasn't directed at Vee.
"It sounds like you both deserve a chance to relax," Vee mused, yet she could see that Amity's tension still lingered. "Speaking of, how are you holding up with everything that has happened in the Boiling Isles? The weight of it all must be overwhelming."
"I don't know if I've even properly processed it yet," Amity admitted with a small shrug, her voice filled with pain. "I'm just trying to take it one day at a time and avoid thinking too much about what could be happening over there. Luz is taking it all pretty hard, though."
"Yeah, she seems to see herself as personally responsible," Vee replied with a frown, her heart heavy with empathy. "Do you know any way I can help her or you? I can't just stand by and watch you two suffer."
"I'm not sure," Amity replied, shaking her head. "But knowing that you and Camila are here for her, that you both care, it means a lot. It will help her more than you know."
"It doesn't feel like enough," Vee admitted, struggling to keep the weight of her guilt and inadequacy out of her voice.
"It never feels like enough," Amity said, her voice heavy with empathy. "But we'll do what we can to help them, and for now, let's focus on taking care of ourselves and each other."
As Amity left the room, Vee couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness. She had finally been able to open up about her struggles, but it only served to remind her of how insignificant they were in comparison to what Amity and her friends were going through. She couldn't even imagine the fear and uncertainty they must be feeling about the safety of their loved ones in the Boiling Isles. With a heavy heart, Vee reached for the laptop again. She knew that dwelling on her own problems wouldn't do anyone any good. Instead, she decided to focus on finding a solution to the mess that she had created. She needed to find her own future, even if she had no idea what it was supposed to be.
Vee sequestered herself in the bedroom for the remainder of the afternoon, her determination to forge a future for herself intensifying. She was painfully aware that the family's finances had become increasingly strained with the addition of five extra mouths to feed and that Camila's job paid decently, but the costs of life were still mounting. As she scanned through the job listings, her heart sank at the still limited options available to her. But one job caught her eye, the Historical Society had a new job posting. But the thought of working there brought up a wave of pain and she quickly looked away. She knew she would never be able to work there, it was already hard enough to walk past it when she was in town.
Just as she was about to close the browser, she saw the job listings update one last time. Her eyes fixated on a new job that had just been added, a cafe job that was local. Excitement surged through her, but her heart dropped as she read the small print. They were looking for a multilingual staff member, specifically someone who spoke Spanish.
Vee's heart raced, her Spanish was not great. Camila had tried to teach her some terminology over the last few weeks, but she had never really focused on it. She had been more concerned with trying to learn about Luz in her attempts to better emulate Camila's daughter. But she knew that she was a quick learner, so maybe she could ask Camila for some lessons so that she could pass as good enough for the job. This could be her chance, to finally help out her family, she couldn't let it slip away. She knew that taking the average coffee or breakfast order wouldn't require her to be an expert in the language. Relieved to finally have a plan, Vee made a note of the job and closed Luz's laptop with a sense of determination.
Vee descended the stairs, her guilt slowly building with each step. As she entered the kitchen, she saw Camila, diligently tending to cleaning up the aftermath of their lunch. Gus was elbow-deep in dirty dishes, and Vee felt a pang of remorse for not having joined him sooner. Vee's guilt intensified as she realised that she should have been there to help, but her mood had been so dark that she knew she would have only been a burden. She approached Camila, her heart heavy with regret and uncertainty. Vee hesitated for a moment, not wanting to interrupt, but Camila caught sight of her and smiled.
"Hey, Vee. How are you holding up?" Camila asked, concern etched on her face. Gus also paused in his cleaning and turned to look at her with a similar expression.
"I've been better, but Amity and I did have a chat about some things," Vee admitted, feeling a lump form in her throat as she thought about all of the weight on her shoulders. "I just feel like I should do more to help out, especially with everything that's happening in the Boiling Isles. How are you two holding up?"
"It's okay," Gus sighed as he turned back to the sink and continued cleaning. "I'm just trying to not think too much about it."
Camila gave Gus a gentle pat on the back before turning her attention to Vee. "Everyone just needs a little time, Vee." she said, her voice filled with a motherly warmth.
Vee nodded, feeling a sense of comfort wash over her. "I understand that," she said, "but I still feel like I should be doing more. Is there anything I can do to help around the house? I don't want to just sit around feeling useless."
"I know you do, cariño," Camila said, her voice softening as she placed a comforting hand on Vee's shoulder. "But you need to remember that you're still just a child. You're not alone in this, we'll figure it out together."
"Actually," Vee began, seizing the opportunity, "I was wondering if you could help me with something? You and Luz both like to use Spanish, and I was hoping you could teach me a little better."
"Of course," Camila replied, her face lighting up at the suggestion. "You never know when it could come in handy to be multilingual."
Gus interjected with a gleeful expression, "Can I learn the human language too?"
"Yes," Camila answered with delight, "I believe I still have Luz's subscription active for that owl app."
Vee frowned at the interruption, not pleased to have to share her time with Gus, but unable to articulate why. Camila gave her a reassuring smile, "It's alright, cariño. There's enough time for both of you to learn. I'm sure you'll both pick it up quickly."
Three hours later it was with a heavy heart that Vee curled up in Luz's room, surrounded by the familiar objects of her borrowed life. The owl language app opened on Camila's tablet, it had thankfully not taken much convincing for Vee to get private time with it. Gus had been too engrossed in learning about the human world from the television to join her, and she didn't want to know what Amity and Luz were up to. But as she delved into the language lessons, a wave of loneliness washed over her. She had gone from a life of solitude, to a life with just Camila, and now she was suddenly sharing Luz's room with three others. It was nearly impossible to find any moment of privacy. At first, Vee had pretended that everything was fine, but as the second day passed, she couldn't shake off the feeling of constant unease around her new roommates. It wasn't that they were doing anything in particular to annoy her, but the constant presence was overwhelming.
However, the worst part was the realisation that she had never felt as alone as she did watching Luz and her friends talk and have fun together, while she stood on the sidelines, trying to feign that everything was alright. But it wasn't, and now she was forced to listen to a demonic owl teach her Spanish phrases as she yearned for a purpose. She missed having Camila to herself, but she hated that selfish thought even more.
The only silver lining was that the process of learning Spanish was surprisingly easy for her, much easier than she anticipated. She wondered if it was some hidden Basilisk magic at play, but either way, she could feel herself progressing through the exercises with ease. Vee just had to make sure to dedicate enough time to learn, and she was already making progress. Unfortunately, Vee was only able to put in a few solid hours of learning before Camila called them all down for dinner.
As Vee sat at the dinner table, surrounded by her newfound family, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Despite their attempts to be cheerful and engage in light-hearted conversation, it was clear that the others just had far too much of a history together. She tried to join in, but found herself struggling to keep up with the lively banter between Luz, Amity, Gus, and Willow. Even Hunter, who had been so distant and sullen the night before, seemed to have found some solace in their company.
Vee couldn't help but feel left out, as if she didn't quite belong in this new dynamic. She knew that it was selfish of her to want their attention when they were all still coping with the trauma of what had happened, but that didn't stop her from feeling it. Her feelings of isolation only intensified as she watched Hunter open up to Luz with ease, while she struggled to get more than one-word answers from him.
As dinner came to a close and the others continued their conversation, Vee couldn't take it anymore. She rushed through the rest of her meal, put her dish in the kitchen sink and headed back upstairs to Luz's room. She heard Camila call out to her, but she didn't stop to acknowledge it, feeling suffocated by the overwhelming emotions she couldn't shake.
Grabbing Camila's tablet, Vee curled up on the top bunk bed with a pair of headphones, her gaze fixed firmly on the wall. She adjusted the headphones to fit snugly over her ears, a feat made more difficult by her basilisk form. Finally, she settled in and opened the language learning app, her mind quickly becoming lost in a world of listening and mindless tapping.
Vee had barely completed half of the unit when she heard the others entering the small bedroom. Not wanting to be disturbed, she pulled the covers over her head and returned her focus to the app. Though she could hear someone trying to talk to her, she simply increased the audio a few notches, not in the mood to deal with anyone. However her efforts were thwarted as the covers were suddenly yanked from her grasp.
Startled, Vee found herself staring into the piercing eyes of Luz. "Luz!" she exclaimed, pulling off her headphones. "Why did you do that?"
"You were acting like you were ignoring us," Luz responded, her voice hard with accusation.
Vee let out a sigh, "Yeah, I was."
Luz's eyes widened in alarm as she clambered onto the bunk bed beside Vee. "Why? Did we do something to annoy you?" she asked, her voice laced with worry. "Amity said that you were a bit stressed today, and there was that thing with Willow. What's going on?"
Vee sighed and tried to push away Luz's concerns. She didn't want to just throw all of her problems onto Luz, so she instead just threw a minor issue her way. "It's nothing," she replied, her voice heavy with exhaustion. "I'm just getting used to having a lot of others around, you know?"
Luz was taken aback by Vee's words, her eyes growing wider in shock and guilt. "I'm so sorry, Vee. I forgot that you probably aren't that comfortable around witches." she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "If you want I can tell the others to give you your own space."
Vee let out a heavy sigh, feeling a mix of frustration and guilt. "It's okay, Luz. They are not an issue as I know that they aren't going to hurt me like the others did." she said, her tone softening. "Besides, I know you're all dealing with a lot right now. I just needed some time to myself, that's all. But please, don't think that you have to walk on eggshells around me."
"I'll always worry about you, Vee." Luz said, her voice filled with emotion as she moved closer to Vee and reached out her hand to take hers. "I know it must have been hard for you to keep up with my life when you probably want to live your own."
"It hasn't been that bad," Vee tried to argue, but she let Luz take her hand. She couldn't deny the truth of Luz's words. She sighed before lowering her voice to a mere mutter "I mean, anything would be better than being back in the Boiling Isles."
"Was covering for me really that bad?" Luz asked, her nose wrinkling in disbelief. Vee instantly regretted bringing up her bleak past in the Boiling Isles, knowing that comparing Luz's life to being caged and forced to consume the life force of rats under threat of punishment was not the best way to reassure her.
"I'm sorry," Vee stammered, trying to backtrack. "What I meant was that things were really bad for me in the Boiling Isles, and being here is like a dream come true. I'm more than happy to help Camila keep your life on track, especially when it gives me the chance to make friends for you. I just need some time to myself, okay?"
Luz's expression softened, "I understand. But we do need to talk about you taking on my form. You were right. we can't really have two Luzs around."
Vee's heart sank, the thought of losing her ability to be Luz and interact with the world outside filled her with dread. She only felt like others wanted her when she was in Luz's form, the idea that she could never be Luz again was a bitter pill that she just couldn't swallow. She also knew that it was inevitable, but she wished she had more time. Feeling bitter and desperate to steer the conversation away from this topic, Vee tried to push back onto a safer topic, "What do you think about being friends with Masha?"
Luz looked surprised by the sudden change in subject but seemed to go along with it. "Masha? I don't know, I haven't really thought about it. But, they seem okay, I guess." But as she spoke, realisation dawned on her face. "Wait, does Masha know about the whole shapeshifting thing?"
Vee's expression hardened, feeling genuinely offended at the suggestion. "Of course they don't know," Vee retorted, her voice tinged with anger. "Camila is the only one who knows, and I wasn't even the one to tell her. Remember? I may not be all that good at shapeshifting, but I made sure that no one would know that I was stealing your form. I took the responsibility of managing your life seriously."
"Okay, I understand," Luz responded, raising her hands in mock surrender. "But we do need to work out what happens next with Masha and your other friends."
"What do you need to work out?" Vee responded with a sigh. "Either you become friends with them, or I break things off with them for you."
"Don't you want to remain friends with them?" Luz asked with a frown.
"Of course I do," Vee shot back. "But this is about your life, not mine. You're back in the human world, so now Masha is your friend, not mine. I got you a bunch of new friends, it's up to you if you want to keep them."
"I don't know, I feel like I shouldn't lie to them." Luz muttered, a frown growing on her face.
Vee let out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of guilt and responsibility bearing down on her. "I know, and that's what makes this so difficult. If I had been more careful, more thoughtful about taking on your life, I could have avoided all of this. But now, we're left to deal with the consequences of my actions."
Luz tried to offer comfort, "You didn't make a mess, you even got me to make friends!"
Vee scoffed, "It isn't like it's hard to make friends, Luz."
"For you maybe, but for me it is not so easy." Luz admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I still have no idea how the others ever became my friends, much less how I got Amity as my girlfriend. Sometimes I wonder if they're going to leave me, if this is all just temporary. "
"You don't believe that," Vee said firmly. "I've seen how you look at Amity."
Luz sighed, her voice softening. "No, I don't always think they're going to leave me. But sometimes that thought lingers, like a ghost of a thought that refuses to fade away. I know it's not true, but there's still a part of me that will never believe it. Do you ever feel like that? Like everyone is just tolerating you?"
Vee hesitated, her heart heavy with the weight of her own fears. She didn't want to admit that she had never felt truly accepted, that the only time she ever felt like she belonged was when she was wearing Luz's form. She suspected that even Camila didn't truly enjoy spending time with Vee in her basilisk form, and that woman had a heart of gold. "I can't say I've ever felt that way," Vee lied, her voice strained. "But you don't have to worry about others just tolerating you. I've made sure to surround you with real friends who genuinely want to be in your company."
"Genuine friends that like you, not me," Luz exclaimed, her face full of worry. "I can't bring myself to deceive them like that."
"I knew that would be your answer," Vee muttered, her throat tightening as she realised the burden of ending her friendships was hers to bear. "I'll need to borrow your form tomorrow and see what I can do."
"Is there nothing else we can do?" Luz implored, her voice desperate as she sought a way to make the situation right. "Can we not try the twin idea? That way you can keep your friends."
Vee sighed heavily, her voice heavy with resignation. She knew that they would get nowhere unless she laid down an ultimatum. "It's either you go out tomorrow and hang out with my friends, or I take on your form and make sure that they never bother you again. What will it be?"
Luz was clearly unhappy with being put on the spot, but Vee could see the determination in her eyes. "All right, I'll meet your friends tomorrow and see if they like the real me."
"The real Luz," Vee clarified, eliciting a strange look from Luz. "They need to meet the real Luz."
"Fine," Luz conceded, her voice strained as she rolled her eyes. "We'll see if your friends like the 'real Luz' tomorrow."