Sweet Victory
Disclaimer: I do not own the Owl House and make no profit from this story of any kind.
Part 1
The morning had treated Boscha well so far. She had gotten a good night's rest, waking up feeling awesome. Her mom had left for work earlier than usual, which meant she had the house to herself and didn't have any annoying distractions to deal with. A definite bonus. After taking some time to wash up and dress, she had gotten in a little quality time with her pets before leaving for her morning workout.
Her workout lasted a little longer than usual. The weather was too nice for her to not enjoy it and she wasn't in a hurry to get to class anyways. She even planned to stop by the local Scarbucks for a drink before finally making her way to Hexside. If she showed up late, no one would do anything. It was one of the perks of being the Captain of the Banshees.
When she got to Scarbucks, she found a long line of people already there. She passed the time waiting on Penstagram, idly scrolling through anything posted that morning. The line moved slowly, but she didn't care. It wasn't like she was in a hurry or anything. There wouldn't be a class worth attending until almost lunch time.
Boscha finally got her turn to order after however many minutes in line. She hadn't bothered to keep track of the time since she had been too invested in Penstagram. There had been a big game between her favorite Pro-Grudgby team, the Tarrasques, and their rivals, the Bulettes, and she was looking at some clips.
Never taking her eyes from her Penstagram, Boscha placed her order and stepped aside to wait. It took longer than she was normally willing to tolerate, but she was still too absorbed in watching the Grudgby clips to notice. She took her moth-scale smoothie and left, finally bound for Hexside.
When she finally set foot in the school a little while later, she heard the bell screaming. She checked the time to figure out what class she was supposed to go to and was annoyed to find it was one of her Potions Track classes. And not just any of them, but the one that the human attended. Her mood went south fast after realizing that.
Cursing her rotten timing, Boscha slowly traipsed to the classroom. The idea to just cut class crossed her mind, but that wasn't her style. Showing up late was one thing, but she wasn't about to skip a class just to avoid the human. It would make her look weak, even if only to herself. And it was mainly only a pain to deal with because of how bad the human was at making potions. Boscha couldn't even find it funny with how easily the human could screw up at potion making.
Just as she reached the door to the classroom, she heard someone running in the hall. She got a bad feeling and turned to find none other than the human speeding towards her. Boscha had no idea why she was running, but she was also not paying attention to where she was going, looking over her shoulder for some reason.
That's when the locker appeared. It didn't take long for Boscha to piece together what had happened. The human had provoked her locker, because of course she'd manage that somehow. And now she was running from it and leading the enraged thing towards her. Boscha stared in alarm, frozen for a moment before trying to get out of the way. Unfortunately, she moved just a moment too late and she got tackled by the human, knocking them both to the floor.
Boscha grunted as she hit the floor, the human landing on top of her. Then she felt her blood boil and the only thing that kept her from setting a flame to the human's scrawny body was the locker looming over them. Focusing on the higher priority, Boscha got ready to cast her fire spell on the locker first. She'd get the human afterwards.
Before she had the chance to spin a spell circle, Boscha saw a pair of vines encircle the locker, snaring it tightly. Its eye widened and then it was dragged backwards. Boscha tried to look and see what had happened, but couldn't get a good angle while pinned down. She once again felt the temptation to set fire to the human's backside, but the human was finally moving.
"Thanks Willow!" She called out, sitting up and waving to someone behind her. Then she noticed Boscha and smiled nervously down at her. "Oh… hey…"
"Get. Off. Me. Now." Boscha growled through clenched teeth.
Luz hurried to scramble off Boscha, offering a hand to help the other girl up. But she quickly regretted her gesture, as Boscha grabbed her wrist with a fierce grip. After she got to her feet, Boscha pushed Luz up against the wall, not letting go of her wrist which she pinned to the human's back. With her other hand, Boscha got ready to cast her spell.
"You're going to wish that locker ate you, human." Boscha snarled.
"And you're going to regret it if you do anything to her."
The sound of Willow's voice, coming at her with that bold tone, irked Boscha a lot. She was suddenly no longer interested in putting the human in her place. Boscha turned around, letting go of Luz and fully putting her attention on Willow. The other witch was standing with her arms crossed, glaring at Boscha. If Boscha hadn't already been in a bad mood, that look would have put her in one. She detested how Willow had grown confident enough to stand up to her lately and she didn't plan to back down.
"Shouldn't you be playing with dirt in your class, Leaf-girl?"
"Don't you have your own class right now?" Willow countered. "Or did you just stop by school today because you were in the area?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. Except it was nice to not have to see you in history this morning and I thought maybe the rest of the day would be as nice. But here you are, being you."
Boscha scowled. "And here you are, pretending you're hot stuff. Go ahead and act tough all you want. I know what you're really like, little half-a-witch!"
Willow stepped up to Boscha, looking her right in the eyes. Their faces were very close and Luz could almost see sparks flying between their locked gazes. Boscha raised her hands to push Willow away, but Willow was ready for her. She caught Boscha's hands midair, gripping them tightly. In response, Boscha twisted her arms to try and get free but Willow held firm. So Boscha closed her fingers and started to squeeze Willow's hands in return.
The next few moments were tense. Luz watched her friend face off against the bully, neither yielding to the other. She couldn't tell what was going to happen with the way things were going. And she was also secretly enjoying the witch-drama.
A sound cut through the silent tension, gaining attention of all three teens. Someone was clearing their throat, loudly and exaggeratedly. They all turned to see the teacher of the Potions Track, Mrs. Aminder, standing just outside her classroom and looking down at them sternly.
"In case you ladies weren't aware, classes are in session." She said, focusing her attention on Boscha and Willow. "You can show your affection for one another after school."
"What?!" Willow and Boscha exclaimed in unison, finally stepping away from each other.
"We are not!" Boscha exclaimed.
"I would never!" Willow stated.
"That's enough, I don't want to hear excuses." Mrs. Aminder cut in. "Now, you should run along to class, Miss Park. I'm sure that your teacher is wondering where you are."
"Yes, Ma'am."
Willow began heading down the hall to get back to the Plant Track classroom. She waved to Luz on the way, getting a wave back from her. Luz watched her friend leave and then started for the classroom, making sure to kept a safe distance from Boscha. However, she didn't stay far enough from her teacher, who stuck out her arm to block Luz's path.
"And just what kept you from getting to class on time?"
Luz let out a sheepish laugh. "I was having trouble getting books from my stubborn locker again. It was starting to frustrate me, so I kinda shoved my hands in to grab my books. But I think I grabbed the dangly thingy in my locker's throat by mistake… so it attacked me."
Mrs. Aminder sighed, letting her arm down. "Well, it looks like you didn't lose either of your hands, so count yourself fortunate. But you are still late and I will be sending you along with Miss Trilochana to get the big cauldrons from Professor Hermonculus's classroom. We'll be needing them for our class project this week."
"Why do I have to help the human?!" Boscha complained.
"You were fooling around in the hallway instead of attending class." Mrs. Aminder curtly replied. "The cauldrons need to be moved by cart, so it would be quicker for two to do it anyways. I was going to have the cauldrons delivered by Professor Hermonculus's students and their abominations, but I'll be letting him know that will no longer be necessary. And since both of you were late to class, you can work together for the project. Now hurry along, otherwise you'll have to use your free period today to make up for lost time."
She returned to her classroom, leaving Luz and Boscha in the hallway. Boscha was fuming, Luz able to feel the other teen's ire radiating like a bonfire. To her relief though, Boscha just stormed off instead of venting her anger through violent means. Luz hesitated a moment, but then went to follow Boscha, making sure to let the witch have her space.
On their way to get the big cauldrons, Luz could hear Boscha grumbling to herself angrily. She didn't catch everything that Boscha was saying, but she could hear enough to know Boscha was talking about her. And some of the bits she did hear were anything but flattering.
"If you have something to say to me, just say it to my face."
Boscha turned her head, casting her fiery gaze on Luz. "I hate you."
"Yeesh, tell me something I don't know." Luz mumbled.
"Okay, how about I tell you to keep away from me when we get back to class. I cannot believe I'm stuck with you as a potions partner!"
"But… how will I help with the project?" Luz asked.
"Easy, you won't. I'll do all the work."
"And I'll get in trouble if I don't help!" Luz exclaimed, running a little ahead and turning to stand in front of Boscha. "Would it really be so bad for us to work together for a little while?"
"Human, you suck at making potions. It will be easier to work by myself than to work with you!"
"In case you didn't know, I am also the student of the Owl Lady. And she makes potions to sell as a self-employed witch!"
Boscha scoffed. "No wonder you're such a failure. I mean, just look at that stupid uniform of yours."
"How does my uniform make me a failure?! I'm on every track in school!"
"Exactly. You failed to decide what to do with yourself. If you try to learn everything, all you'll do is become mediocre at everything. And that's if you can even manage that. Those weird spell papers you use don't let you do much."
Luz's face flushed red with anger. "They let me do plenty! And I can become great at anything if I try hard enough! I bet I can even do better than you at potions!"
For a moment Boscha's eyes widened. She stared at Luz, stunned by the declaration. Then she snorted, a laugh escaping her shortly after. More laughter followed, the sound of Boscha's voice carrying all the way down the hall. It didn't take long for Boscha's amusement to fade, the girl wiping a mirthful tear from her third eye as it finally stopped.
"That was a good one. For a second there, it actually seemed like you believed that."
"I do believe it and I'm willing to prove it too!" Luz challenged.
"Please, you wouldn't stand a chance against me. Forget potions, I bet you couldn't even make a decent smoothie."
"Well, if you're so confident, then let's see who could make the best drink! Go ahead and name your terms!"
Boscha smirked and stepped up to Luz, looking down on her with a sinister smirk. "Big mistake, human. You are so going to regret this." She said venomously. "Because I already know exactly what the winner should get…"
- - - - -T- - - - -O- - - - -H- - - - -
Later that day, Boscha was busy at work in the classroom, standing in front of a cauldron. The potion she was concocting was one she had made many, many times before. A little something she learned to whip up for herself and her teammates prior to practices or games on the Grudgby field. It was so good that she didn't have a doubt in her mind that she'd win her little wager against Luz.
The cauldron bubbled, the pink liquid within reaching the boiling point. Boscha added a spoonful of powdered minotaur horn, along with some juice from a freshly squeezed Toadfruit. After stirring the new ingredients in, she sampled her concoction and smiled to herself. It was ready.
Putting on a pair of oven mitts, Boscha placed the lid onto the cauldron, lifted it up and left the potions classroom. With confidence in her stride, she made her way to the cafeteria. Standing just outside the open doors were Skara, Amelia, and Cat. Seeing her friends and teammates waiting for her boosted Boscha's already high self-esteem.
"Hello ladies." She greeted. "Ready to see me show that little human up? My Victory Brew is gonna blow the judges out of the water. This is easily my best batch yet."
The other three witches all winced a little at the mention of her 'Victory Brew'. They all quickly exchanged glances, as if expecting someone to step forward and say something. Boscha picked up on their less than supportive reactions and narrowed her eyes at them.
"What?"
"Um, well…." Skara began. "The thing is, Boscha, we were kinda hoping to talk you out of this whole deal that you made with Luz."
"Yeah, not that we don't have faith in you or anything." Cat added. "It's just that…."
"The drink she made is amazing!" Amelia blurted out, throwing her hands into the air. "She did something called a 'focus group' with some other students and they're all talking about it!"
Boscha scoffed. "So what? I don't care if some other losers like her garbage water. It doesn't mean a thing. I still have this in the bag. You girls all know how amazing my brew is, so you know nothing could be better."
Once more Boscha witnessed her friends give a not so encouraging response. They all looked off in other directions and either shuffled their feet or rubbed one of their arms awkwardly. Boscha could feel her patience with them getting thinner and struggled not to use a venomous tone when she spoke.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to hide something from me. You all like my Victory Brew, don't you?"
"Um… well, it's not that we don't like it…" Skara answered hesitantly. "It's just that there's this flavor…"
"It's more of an aftertaste." Cat added.
"Yeah, exactly." Skara agreed with a nod. "And the thing about that is… it uh…"
"It tastes like feet!" Amelia exclaimed with a small shudder.
Skara and Cat both nodded in agreement, looking a bit abashed. Boscha frowned at them and continued towards the doorway, turning her nose up at the others as she passed by.
"I don't know how you know what feet taste like, but that is not how my Victory Brew tastes. Just for that, I'm not going to share my prize with any of you!"
"What was the prize for this little contest of yours again?" Cat asked.
"The loser has to do any one thing the winner asks of her." Skara explained. "So, what are you going to ask Luz to do if you win?"
"When I win, I'm making that weirdo human build us a new hangout." Boscha told them. "It will make the one we used to have look like an abandoned old shack."
"I thought it was an abandoned old shack." Amelia noted.
"Won't that take Luz forever to do?" Skara asked, looking a little troubled by the idea.
"I know. That's the best part." Boscha answered, letting out a mean-spirited giggle. "I was going to have her make each of us our own personalized rooms, but now that will be just me. Try not to be too jealous when you see how awesome my room is when it's done."
She went into the cafeteria, where eight others were waiting for her. Luz, along with Gus, Willow and Amity were all standing by one of the tables where three judges were waiting. Principal Bump, Mrs. Aminder, and Alador Blight were seated, Odalia Blight hovering near her husband's side. The moment Boscha laid eyes on the judges, she immediately sensed something was off.
"Hey! Why is Amity's dad here?" She asked, glaring at Luz. "You trying to stack the odds in your favor, human?!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Luz said calmly.
"I'll bet that you don't!" Boscha spat, turning her gaze to the judges' table again. "Principal Bump, Luz is trying to cheat! She has her girlfriend's daddy here to give her an advantage!"
"That's not the case at all." Bump replied. "I asked Alador to be a judge today as his… er, brilliance will be invaluable in determining a winner. You have my word as Principal that he won't be playing favorites."
"Lucky for the human." Odalia muttered.
She gave Luz a short yet disdainful glance, prompting Luz to smile nervously and wave. Amity stepped closer to Luz and held her hand, then placing a peck on Luz's cheek. Odalia scowled as her daughter gave her a rebellious little smirk. Boscha wrinkled her nose at the display and then approached the judges' table where she set her cauldron down.
"Whatever. Even if Mr. Blight took your side, it wouldn't make a difference." She said confidently. "This contest is as good as mine. So, ready to live up to your name and Luz?"
"Wow. I've never heard that one before." Luz deadpanned. "And my name is pronounced 'loose'."
She stepped up to the table as well, setting down a large, plastic, purple pitcher with a lid. Boscha lifted the lid from her cauldron, the brew inside having cooled from boiling to just simmering. The judges all leaned forward for a closer look at the pink liquid, each of them seemingly intrigued. Luz took the lid off her pitcher, getting a similar reaction from the three adults.
"Interesting." Bump stated, sitting upright again. "Before we sample the drinks you've made, why don't you tell us a little about them? Boscha, you may go first."
"Thank you, Principal Bump. I'd be happy to." Boscha said proudly. "I prepared a special brew I make for the Banshees before each Grudgby game. It is a highly nutritious potion that gives a boost of energy and keeps you hydrated no matter how hard you play."
"Putting your potion-making skills to use outside the classroom I see." Bump noted. "Very practical of you, Boscha. And what have you prepared for us, Luz?"
Luz gestured to the pitcher, smiling at the judges. "I've made a smoothie using a fruit that is from the human realm. I recently discovered that it also grows here, in the demon realm. And they are huge here! Check this baby out!"
She waved Willow forward, who brought up a bag and handed it to her. From the bag, Luz pulled out a guava fruit the size of her head. The judges all stared at the green fruit with mixed reactions. Both Mrs. Aminder and Principal Bump were fascinated as it wasn't anything they had seen before. Alador on the other hand, seemed less than impressed.
"It doesn't look all that appetizing. Where did you even find that?"
"I came across it while working on a boat. I've been doing it to earn some spending money." Luz explained. "And since I was such a good little sailor, the captain let me take some. After tasting it myself, I can't say it's exactly like the ones back home. You gotta boil them before you can cut them up. But it's still pretty good. So, I figured I'd make a drink out of it for everyone."
"Please." Boscha scoffed. "You boiled some water and tossed fruit into it. Not that impressive, if you ask me."
"Oh? And just how did you make your drink, Boscha?" Amity asked, raising one eyebrow.
"I started by boiling some water. Then I added…." Boscha drifted off, a look of realization coming to her face. She saw Amity smirking at her smugly and offered a scowl in return. "Shut up!"
"Alright, enough of that." Principal Bump ordered. "Let's get on with this. We'll sample Boscha's beverage first."
Alador snapped his fingers, an abomination approached, carrying a tray with a ladle and a stack of cups. Boscha filled three cups to give to the judges and then did four more to hand out to Luz and her group. Amity made a face and shook her head, holding up one hand to refuse the potion. Boscha frowned and kept that cup for herself while Luz, Gus, and Willow all accepted the ones handed to them.
"Oh, um… thanks?" Luz said.
"It's the least I can do." Boscha replied. "This way you can enjoy a taste of victory. My victory, that is."
"We'll see about that." Amity said. "I've tried your brew before and I was in the focus group for Luz's smoothie. I feel very confident when I say... Luz! Don't drink that."
Luz paused mid-sip and smiled at her girlfriend. "But it's only fair I try it when she's going to try mine."
"I am not." Boscha said flatly.
"You will once you see how much everyone else likes it." Luz countered before taking a sip of Boscha's brew. She spat it out the next second, looking like she was ready to gag. "¡Tan asqueroso! It tastes like a wet gym sock!"
"No, it doesn't!" Boscha said, an angry blush on her face. "What do you know anyway?! You're just a human! The judges will love it!"
The three judges started to evaluate Boscha's entry. Principal Bump and the Mrs. Aminder both drank from their cups while Alador took a more meticulous approach. He swirled the liquid in the cup, getting a measure of how thick it was. The study went on for longer than necessary as Alador entranced himself while playing with the cup.
At the same time, both Willow and Gus were sipping from their own cups. Gus had barely let the drink touch his tongue before pulling the cup away, looking mildly disgusted. Willow however didn't seem quite as bothered, pausing only momentarily to let it sit on her tongue before drinking the rest. After she finished it, Gus offered her his own, as did Luz. Both were welcomed by Willow, who took them and quickly licked her lips before enjoying more of the beverage.
"Well at least one of you has good taste." Boscha observed, briefly glancing at Willow before focusing on the judges' table again.
Bump took another sip from his cup, smacking his lips lightly as he continued his evaluation. Alador had proceeded to sniffing the contents of his cup, a spark of interest coming into his eyes. Mrs. Aminder by this time had finished hers and set the cup down, folding her hands afterwards.
"It's quite good, Boscha." She said. "The flavor is robust and it goes down smoothly. A very well-crafted potion. If this were class, you'd get an 'A' for your efforts."
"Yes, it certainly is well made." Bump noted. "However, there is this aftertaste that is rather… unpleasant."
"Told ya it tasted like a gym sock." Luz said bluntly.
"No, I wouldn't say that." Bump continued. "It certainly has a mustiness to it. But I can feel the effects already, so it does get points for efficiency. Excellent work, Boscha."
"Ha! In your face human!" Boscha exclaimed. "Two judges down, one to go. This little contest is as good as mine!"
"Now Boscha, we still haven't judged Luz's drink yet." Bump said, turning his head to look at Alador. "Mr. Blight, if you would be so kind, what is your input on Boscha's potion?"
Alador dipped the tip of his finger into the liquid and then placed it into his mouth. He then took a sip from the cup, followed by a second, longer sip. After a few seconds, he made a face and stuck out his tongue in disgust.
"Blech! This stuff has a foul aftertaste alright! Abomination goo doesn't taste this bad!"
"How would you..." Mrs. Aminder began.
"Don't ask." Principal Bump interrupted, holding up one hand.
"Please don't." Odalia added, grimacing a little.
"Okay, now it's my turn!" Luz chirped, stepping up to the judges' table and pouring her smoothie into clean cups and placing a straw in each one. "Could I interest you in some, Mrs. Blight?"
"Absolutely not." Odalia replied curtly.
Luz shrugged and went to offer some to Boscha and her group. Boscha made her turn away with an icy glare however and Luz returned to her own friends to offer them some. Willow politely refused, leaving only Gus and Amity to take a cup. The two eagerly began drinking, Amity situating herself as close to Luz as possible and letting herself be embraced by her girlfriend while she sipped on her straw.
The judges went about tasting Luz's drink very much the same as they had done with Boscha's. Mrs. Aminder seemed to dislike it immediately. She put her cup back down and pushed it as far away as possible without sending it over the edge of the table.
"Ugh, this is much too sweet. And too cold. This would never get a passing grade in my class!"
"Like I said before. In. Your. Face." Boscha said, leering at Luz.
"With all due respect ma'am." Amity said, stepping closer to the judges' table. "The purpose of this contest was to determine the best drink. It didn't need to be a potion."
"Well regardless, I still find that Boscha's was the better between the two."
Boscha pumped her fist, a victorious expression on her face. Things were going just as she expected. She knew there was no way that the human was going to win. It was only a matter of time before the other judges gave the same result.
Principal Bump sipped on his, letting out a soft 'mmm' in approval. Beside him Alador was doing the same, his eyes half-lidded in contentment. They both finished emptying their cups and then turned to face Luz, holding them out towards her.
"Is there more?" Alador asked, almost sounding impatient.
"I would also like a refill." Bump added. "That was very refreshing!"
Luz stepped up to the table and poured more of her smoothie into their cups, giving Boscha a quick look so she could stick out her tongue. Boscha growled softly, clenching her teeth so hard it strained her jaw. If not for all the adults present, she would have given Luz a far ruder gesture in return. Instead, she just silently fumed while she watched the human smile at her before turning her attention back to the judges.
"So, I take it that you wanting refills means that you like my smoothie?"
"Oh absolutely." Bump replied. "In fact, I may just have this added to the lunch menu. That is if we can get those human fruits for the cafeteria."
"That can be arranged." Luz told him. "I'll talk with the captain about it. I'm sure he'd be happy to make a deal."
"Hey! That's not fair!" Boscha protested, pointing accusingly at Luz. "You can't bribe the judges!"
"I'd hardly call it a bribe, Boscha." Principal Bump said. "I made my decision before I asked about getting the fruit. Your potion was without question very good. But I can't help but favor Luz's over yours. It's so different from anything I've enjoyed before, and the flavor is otherworldly. Quite literally in this case."
"But… but…" Boscha began, her confidence fading. She stepped over to Amity's father, looking him in the eyes. "Mr. Blight! You're a creative person. Can you really say that slop the human made is better than my potion?"
Alador sipped from his cup again. "Actually, yes, I can. And not just because of the flavor alone. The consistency and cold temperature make a considerable difference as well. Energy potions like yours can be made and sold in any apothecary. But this is something new and Luz saw the potential it had. Luz, the sailors you got this fruit from, what were they doing with it?"
"Just eating it to fight off scurvy or something, I guess." Luz answered with a shrug.
"I thought as much. They didn't see it for what it was worth either and passed it off as something mundane. I made that misconception myself earlier. This smoothie of yours may not have the same effects as a well brewed potion, but it still does something. When I drink it, I feel comfort. Almost like the kind I feel when I get to lay beside my wife in bed after a long day of hard work."
He reached out and took his wife's hand in his own, tracing his thumb over her knuckles. Luz let out an 'aww' as Odalia blushed lightly from her husband's words and touch. She then pulled her hand away and snatched the cup from Alador's hands, raising it so the straw was near her lips.
"It couldn't possibly be that good." She said, taking a sip. In the next moment, her eyes widened and she stared at the drink for a moment before slowly returning the cup to her husband. "I… I stand corrected. It's delicious."
Boscha was having a very hard time believing what was happening. She felt like someone was playing a practical joke on her. It just didn't make any sense to her. There had to be a reason for this, there had to be some kind of trick. Luz's gova-smoothie or whatever she called it, was not going to beat her Victory Brew.
"Give me that!" She barked at Gus, stealing his cup, and pulling out the straw. "I changed my mind. I will try it after all. But only so I can tell you that it's terrible myself."
She took a big sip, the concoction chilling her teeth and washing over her tongue with its sweetness. After she swallowed it and returned the cup to Gus, then turning to face Luz. The sweet flavor that lingered on her taste buds was quickly overtaken by bitterness as she had to come to terms with the situation.
"It wasn't terrible." She admitted. "It was kinda… good. I still like mine better, but I get why the judges like yours so much. You win, human."
Luz and her friends were stunned, as were Boscha's group. None of them had expected Boscha to admit defeat. After a moment, Luz hopped up and down, cheering as she tossed her hands up into the air. The judges got up from the table and made for the door now that their presence was no longer needed. Alador was stirring the remains of his smoothie with his straw, peering into the cup while he walked out the door.
"I wonder if I can somehow give abomination goo this flavor…." He mused.
"Wow, you really haven't changed after all of these years." Principal Bump noted, looking mildly concerned.
"He really hasn't." Odalia sadly agreed with a heavy sigh.
"Before you go, I just wanted to thank you!" Luz called before they were out of earshot, then turning her attention to those still in the room. "I'd also like to thank Captain Salty for letting me have some of the guava fruits. A big thank you to my friends for their support, especially my Am-Am, who was in the focus group. Oh, and Cat gets a thank you as well, since she was also in the focus group."
Boscha glared at Cat. "You helped her?!"
Cat smiled nervously. "All I did was give an opinion." She explained. "And she gave me a free smoothie. Who could say no to that?"
"I cannot believe you!" Boscha spat.
"Hey, leave her alone!" Amelia suddenly said, stepping forward and taking Cat's hand in her own. "You can be mad at me if you want. I wasn't in the focus group and I tried some of the smoothie. Cat shared with me and I loved it!"
Skara sighed and stepped forward as well. "I should get some of the blame too then. Willow offered to let me try some and I said yes."
"Traitors!" Boscha exclaimed, pointing at the three accusingly and narrowing her eyes. "You are all going to regret this! Just wait until our next Grudgby practice!"
Boscha felt someone tapping on her shoulder. She turned to find Luz behind her, holding out a folded piece of paper. After staring at it for a couple of seconds, Boscha took it from Luz, giving her a sour look.
"Let me guess. This is what you want me to do for you, right?"
"Yup." Luz replied, a mischievous smile on her face. "I put a lot of thought into it and have a list of all the details for what I want you to do."
"Lucky me." Boscha grumbled, unfolding the paper. She skimmed over what was written and then froze, her eyes widening in shock. "You have got to be kidding me!" She exclaimed, looking up at Luz. "You want me to take Leaf-girl out on a date?!"
End of part 1.