Chapter Text
“I wonder, why Luz is not yet home,” Amity muttered in the afternoon.
The five of them had returned to the Noceda residence about two hours ago – with snacks and all. But neither Luz, nor Camilla were back yet.
Vee went to them, as the witchlings were sitting in the living room once more. It was, after all, were three of them slept right now. While Amity and Luz were sleeping on the bunk bed in Luz' bedroom, and Vee slept in Camilla's room, the three others stayed on the sofa hideaway bed in the living room.
As Vee had planned, they had gotten some snacks. That was some nachos with a dip, as well as some chocolates. It had been the best Vee had thought of. Maybe they should eat some more ice cream later on.
“Well,” Vee said, “I think they have a lot to talk about.”
Amity turned around to her. There was doubt in her expression, as well as a certain insecurity. Then, she nodded. “I guess so.”
It was not, as if Vee was a specialist in family affairs. But she knew, Camilla and Luz cared about each other. She also knew, there were so many unsaid things between them, that needed to be talked about. Things, that were easier discussed in private. But she also got, that the four witchlings wanted to have their friend around at least. Someone they could rely on. Something familiar in an unfamiliar world.
That reminded her of her thought from earlier. “I wanted to show you something,” she said.
“Yeah?”
Vee picked up the remote and navigated through the TV's menu, to open up YouTube. It was unnecessary hard to type with the remote, but in the end, she managed to enter: “Rugby game”. And indeed, she found some British rugby recording from not too long ago.
“What is it?” Gus asked.
“Rugby,” Vee replied. “It is basically like Grudgeby, but without magic.” At least she assumed it to be. She had never seen a Grudgeby match after all. But she had heard stories.
So, she started the video and had the witchlings watch for a few minutes.
“This is a bit like Grudgeby,” Amity noted. “But more… boring.”
“Well, the humans sure seem to love it,” Gus said.
Indeed, they did. The game was happening in front of a large audience. Maybe not as large, as those football audiences at the Super Bowl, but indeed quite large. Humans really enjoyed flocking together. For sport events and for concerts and for many other things. Vee did not quite understand it as well. Sure, Bonesborrow had been a large city as well, but not as large as some places that existed in the human realm.
“I still don't get it,” Hunter murmured. “Why are humans like this?”
Vee turned towards him. “Like what?”
“So easily excited about basically nothing. So willing to put up with folks like that Clarissa girl.”
Willow harrumphed. “That girl has nothing on Boscha.”
“Boscha?” Hunter looked at her questioningly.
“Three-eyes,” Gus explained. “The one with the red hair.”
It took Hunter a moment to remember. “But she seemed nice.”
Three pairs of eyes gazed at him in disbelief. “She is the worst,” Willow and Gus said at once.
Now Hunter shot Vee a look, as if she could help him out. She couldn't, of course, as she had no idea, who Boscha was. Instead, she shrugged. “I think, Clarissa can be alright. She is playing rough with others, but I've heard, she struggles a lot at home. You see, her mother has married a new husband and she does not quite like that.”
“How do you know that?” Amity asked.
“People talk,” Vee said. “You just have to listen.” And listening was something, that Vee was fairly good at. It was, what had allowed her to blend into this world so easily. Maybe, actually, more easily than Luz. But that could not be right, could it?
As if her thoughts had summoned them, the front door of the house was opened. Camilla and Luz entered. Camilla was the first one, to look into the living room. Her smile was warm and soft, when she saw them. “How are you kids doing?”
“We are good, Mrs. Noceda,” Amity said, before hopefully glancing at the door.
A moment later, Luz entered the living room. It was obvious on the first gaze, that she had cried. Her eyes were red and swollen. Amity saw this, too. She went over, put her arms around her girlfriend and pulled her close. “Hey,” she whispered. “I missed you.”
It took Luz a moment, then she returned the embrace. She did not speak, but closed her eyes to enjoy the gesture.
Then Camilla entered as well. “I am sorry, we were gone for so long.”
“It's fine.” Gus stood up. “Vee has actually showed us the human realm.”
“The human realm?”
“I showed them around in town,” Vee explained. “Just for a while.”
“Oh.” Camilla's expression was worried. “Did anyone notice you? What about that Hopkins guy?”
Vee shook her head. “We were careful.” She went over to Camilla, taking her head and smiling. She did not want this woman to worry about her, to worry about anything more than she already had to worry about. She had been nothing but kind to her, ever since Vee had arrived. Even after learning that Vee was, well, Vee, she had only shown her kindness.
Only now Camilla realized something. “What happened to your appearance?”
“Gus gave me some magic,” she explained with a smile. “That way I could transform again.” Then she remembered something else. “I could actually go to school again.”
Camilla was surprised. She looked at Vee, then Luz, then the other four witchlings. “School,” she muttered. She rubbed the bridge of her nose with two fingers, before shaking her head. “We'll think about school tomorrow, okay?”
The expression on Luz face said, it was the last thing she wanted to think about. Yes, as they had already noted. School had not been kind to Luz. She had probably really hated it.
Vee nodded and smiled. “Yes. Tomorrow is fine.” Once more she went over to Luz, putting one hand onto her shoulder and smiling at her. The girl's gaze, however, was sad and fearful. She stared at the ground, trying to evade Vee's eyes.
So, the basilisk sighed. Luz needed some time. And the others did as well. There was nothing else to say.
It was Willow, who picked up on everything. She got out the big package of sweets. “Do you want some chocolate, Luz? They are actually pretty good.”
Luz took a deep breath, before forcing a smile onto her face. “Yes. Chocolate sounds nice.”
“We've actually been to the su-per-market,” he started to explain. “It is such an amazing place. So many things in one building. And the humans have the craziest food…” He went on like that, apparently bursting to tell someone about the things he had learned this day. And be it just to distract himself from missing his father, from worrying about everyone they had left behind on the Boiling Isles.
But Luz listened. She listened and smiled, even though her smile was not entirely honest.
Meanwhile Camilla put one hand onto Vee's shoulder and gestured for her to follow to the kitchen. The look in her eyes was soft, but also worried. “You should not have been so careless with them.”
Vee sighed. “I know. But they needed a distraction.” She gazed at the door to the living room. “I wanted to distract them.”
To her surprise, Camilla pulled her into a firm embrace. “You are a kind and thoughtful girl, Vee.” She sighed. “I am just worried that someone else is going to try and harm you again.”
“I know,” Vee whispered, enjoying the touch. Somehow, she felt safe when she was with Camilla. Somehow, she knew, that was, what a mother was supposed to feel like. When the embrace finally ended, she looked at the human woman. “What are we going to do about them?”
Camilla shook her head. “I don't know yet.” Once more her expression grew worried. “Maybe, we'll have to register them for school… Maybe…” She sighed. “I don't know yet.”
Vee nodded. It was not like she knew either. This world was complicated. It was so filled with humans and had its own rules. If they could not open a portal, if the witchlings had to stay in this world… Well, they had to find a way to deal with it. And hope that whatever human regulations had been created in this world, would allow them to keep together.
“Mom?” Luz peeked into the kitchen.
“Yes, mia?”
“Can I…” The girl sighed. “Can I have some hot chocolate? The way dad always made it?”
The expression on Camilla's face softened. “Of course, mia. Just wait a moment, yes?”