Chapter 15: Know Her Differently

One Sunday night.

Willow groans and writhes against her bed.

Beads of sweat drip down her face as she struggles to wake up…

'Wake up!'

She bangs her head against the metal frame of her bed, eliciting a small 'thud!'. Her eyes open to her dark bedroom, with only the silhouette of a wilting plant on her window reflecting at her.

She sighs a shaky breath, and as she rubs her tired eyes, she eases herself back onto her bed. She mutters to herself, "Again…?"

She tosses and turns, attempting to comfort herself with her blanket… But it was no use. Defeated, she puts on her fluffy slippers and walks downstairs.

In the dead of night, as she grabs a pitcher and a glass, the door creaks behind her.

And she flinches.

"Woah it's just me," Charles, her father, says.

She looks back at him as she pours herself a cup of water. "H-hey pops. I'm going back to bed. Don't worry."

"I hope you're not staying up late. I heard you leave your room yesterday too…"

She sips from the glass cup. The flow of water, along with her inherent drowsiness, drowns out his words. With no word understood, she mumbles. "Mhm…"

She walks past him towards the stairs. She hears him speaking, but she's just too tired to listen.

Why does she keep dreaming of…

It's been three days since these nightmares started. And yet, she still barely remembered...

Who was it…?

Willow settles back into her bed, and as she places her head on the soft pillow, she notices the picture frame beside her. A family photo, with her fathers hugging her when she was just a toddler.

Who was she hugging then…?

She hugs a pillow tighter, and nuzzles her face deeper into it as she attempts to recall that feeling.

"I'll figure it out someway…" She mutters to herself as she pulls herself to sleep once again.

That morning, Willow hugs her fathers tightly before going to school. She made her way through the halls, mentally scolding herself for arriving much later than she's hoping to arrive. But of course, Luz sees her from across the hall, and greets her. Willow hugs her immediately.

"Aaw what's this? Feeling sentimental?" Luz says.

"Maybe…"

Gus walks up behind them. "Hey guys wh—" Willow picks him up. He notices the bags under her eyes and asks, "Woah hey are you okay?!"

She puts him down, and with a bit more pep in her voice, she replies a hearty, "Yup!"

She quickly walks away before causing any more suspicion from the both of them, leaving them confused. She shuffles through the various students in the hall, and as she passes Amity she hugs her immediately.

"Huh?!" Amity exclaims.

She lingers for a second before putting her down. "Dang, I thought for sure it would've been one of you…"

"Uhm… Can you explain?"

Willow then proceeds to spew a bunch of word vomit, and Amity barely understands. "Oracle Room…? Dreams? Hugging...?"

Willow sighs. She really isn't making any sense… "Yes…"

"Hm…" Amity hums, and places her fingers on her chin, thinking. "Maybe you should ask Luz? She is taking oracle classes."

"Why didn't I think of that!?"

Think, Willow! Think!

Willow smacks her head lightly, and the sudden shock wakes her up just a bit. Gosh… She really needs to sleep…

As the two go back and forth, between Amity asking Willow questions and Willow being unable to give any coherent answer, Principal Bump approaches them.

"Ah, Willow Park," Bump says. "I've been looking for you!"

"UH!" She yelps out. "Good morning Principal Bump."

"Glad to see your grades are improving!" He laughs a wholesome laugh to himself, much to Willow's tired confusion. "Oh, and someone asked me to return this to you." Bump hands her a cowl, and she remembers what happened last week with Boscha…

"Oh… Thank you, sir!"

"No problem. Anyways, keep up those grades and you'll be back into the plant track soon enough." He says. "Now run along now, we wouldn't want you to be late for your attendance."

Willow sighs. "Yes sir…"

Willow passes her locker on the way to her classroom. As she places her gently folded cowl in, she catches a small whiff of lavender. It seems Boscha was nice enough to wash it before returning…?

Sheesh… Boscha's been doing so much for her this past month… And what does she repay her with? Accidentally getting stuck in the middle of a storm? Classic. How considerate of you, Willow.

She makes her way down the hall, looking for any sign of Luz. But of course, conveniently, there was nothing.

That's okay… She could probably just ask later…

She nears her homeroom, and from beyond the doorframe she recognizes–

"Boscha!"

Boscha groans. She gives Willow a look before she hisses out, "What?"

"N-nothing!" Willow says. "Just glad you took the day off on Friday, hehe."

She did look sick last week… It's surprising Boscha even wanted to continue tutoring her that day.

Boscha tsks. "'Course you are."

She grumpily shoves her cheek into her palm and huffs.

"Well, you seem a little tense…"

"Yeah? No shit."

Awkwardly, they fall into a moment of silence… Which Willow doesn't appreciate. Boscha may have been nice enough to return her cowl, but she still seems a little upset. Maybe she should just thank her later…

~•✽──────✿──────✽•~

Recess comes, and Boscha hurries to her locker. She shoves her hand into the locker's mouth having no time for bullshit.

'I swear to Titan. If anyone sees me drinking this damn potion I'm never showing my face here ever again.

"Hello," Willow says.

Boscha jumps. "TITAN! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"

"Hh– Never mind. You look busy. Sorry."

Willow quickly leaves, and Boscha lets out a groan of utter annoyance. She quickly drinks part of her potion, because Titan knows people will just be nosy fucks. She heads back to her homeroom before anyone can see. Recess isn't good for anything. What is she gonna? Eat by herself in the cafeteria and look dumb? No thanks, she already does that during Lunch.

As she goes back into pris– err… detention. She sits down, thankful the teacher's being an ass somewhere else.

Willow forces a small smile at her, which irritates Boscha enough for her to let out a small growl. She really isn't in the mood.

"O-okay…" Willow says. She smacks the small vine emerging anxiously behind her. Luckily, it seems Boscha didn't notice.

As they let another boring hour pass by them with Boscha aggressively tapping her fist against the table to the point of bruising her knuckles, Willow attempts another pathetic interaction.

"Uh-uhm," She stammers.

Boscha quirks an eyebrow at her. Intimidated, another vine emerges, and Boscha notices. She squeezes on the thorny vine enough for it to crumble in her palm. Despite being absolutely irritated about the past week—or month— she keeps her voice low. Just enough to prove a point.

"Are you trying to intimidate me?"

"Oh no no no! That's not it at all!" Willow attempts to call off the plants, but her shaky hands fight back her flow of magic. She scolds herself internally for letting her emotions get the better of her.

"Aagh! Sorry! Sorry!" Willow exclaims. "I-I wasn't aware I was the one intimidating you."

She attempts to laugh away her anxiety.

Irritated, Boscha spits out, "So you're saying you can't control it?"

Willow's heartbeat skyrockets. A shiver creeps up her spine, and she struggles to form any coherent sentences.

"You can't control these powers you were oh-so-luckily born with? Is that it?"

"What… What are you implyi–"

"Do you expect me to believe your act? You want to attack me, don't you? Because you think I'm weak. You think you can let my guard down by being all nice and considerate. Well no. I've fallen for that shit twice, and I'm not letting it happen again."

Willow squeaks, "No, listen. I'm just–"

In a fit of irritation, Boscha grabs Willow by the cowl. "I had to work all my life just to be seen as equal to you people. People like you get on my nerves the most."

Those words strike Willow as odd. 'Equal?'

Boscha grunts forcefully. In shame, she utters, "Quit acting weak when you're not. You're lucky you were even born this way…"

Boscha lowers her meekly. Willow didn't fully understand what Boscha meant… But… her voice was enough to make her feel sorry for her… That look… The way her eyes glistened as she spoke… She's holding herself back… She's hiding sadness under that guise of anger, and Willow's performed this same act many times before…

She sighs. "You're right…"

Willow gently clasps Boscha's hands.

"I am powerful…" She says. "But so what? I don't even know what I'm doing, unlike you."

"…What?"

Boscha's listening for once. This is her chance.

"You're right, I have the magic, but I feel like I've only been a waste. You on the other hand?" Willow smiles.

"You're the type of person who I feel like could probably change the world. And me…?"

Willow glances off bashfully.

"It takes me days of beating myself up just to tell people what I feel sometimes…"

Boscha hesitates, she ponders what Willow's intentions could be. But Willow was the hardest person to ever read because…

It's hard to tell if she really is lying to her.

Boscha shakes her head. "Are you serious…?"

Willow nods. "Mhm. You've taught me a lot, thank you."

And just like that, the bell screams, and Boscha notices Willow's still holding her. "Uhm."

"OH right!" Willow quickly lets go. "Sorry I know it must feel weird thinking I was gonna hurt you and then I just–"

"Ah no no it's fine." Boscha pulls up the hood of her cowl, hiding the small smile forming.

Willow summons a small flower. "You're pretty cool. I can see why Skara's friends with you."

'…She thinks I'm cool…? After all that?'

"Oh please! You're just flattering me!" Boscha chuckles to herself awkwardly, brushing off Willow's praise as totally not a big deal. But still, she's unable to wipe that small goofy smile off her face. She stands up quickly, not wanting to make herself appear any more vulnerable than she already was, and rushes through the door. "Anyways, I'm gonna go byeee"

Willow smiles comfortably to herself. "Heh. What a dork."

Author's Notes

Okay so I did some math, and I'm estimating this fic will end up being around 40 chapters. Eheh. Also, I'm gonna completely ignore Season 2 for the sake of not losing my mind.