Chapter Text
“Tomorrow night, meet me on the Grudgby field. Alone. Sunset.”
Those words had haunted Skara all night. They had come right after Skara had finally gotten on the Grudgby team shot. A sign to Amity that theoretically Boscha and her could get along but, more importantly to Skara, made sure the blemish of having been kicked off was gone. She would be in the year book as part of the undefeated Banshees. So why only now did Bocha call her out?
What Skara had missed was what almost everyone had missed. That Bria and her team had managed to hurt Boscha during the game and shattered her ribs during the start of the final quarter. Without her berserk potion, Boscha had shown her dedication and grit and played through the pain. No one but Luz noticed though and almost just as few had even tried to make sure she was okay. When it came time for the victory speeches, Skara had been all too happy to start bragging about helping Boscha with her strategies and making sure they could go right to the top! She had to claim such strategies after all since she didn’t play during their final game.
And no one ever asked twice about if that was true. It was the last straw and why Skara was now screaming,
“I’M GOING TO DIE, AMITY!”
Amity looked at Skara with a deadpan stare and thin lips. Boscha was admittedly being oddly dramatic for her but that didn’t mean she was going to do anything so drastic. Or, she hoped. Boscha wasn’t above hurting someone who annoyed her and she suspected the whole ‘Terrified to hurt you’ thing only extended to her. Skara though? “Don’t worry so much. She probably had a reason to want to talk to you like that. Maybe she just wants to help you brush up on some skills one on one?”
Skara groaned as she pulled on her cheeks before looking at Luz who was weirdly pale. “Luz! Please talk some sense into her! We both know the sort of girl that Boscha is. If she wanted to just chat, she’d have said so! Or hell, just started kicking me after the game to get some practice started or something.”
Luz chuckled nervously as she remembered her and Boscha quiet moment after the game in the locker room. The brief moment that Boscha had been willing to actually accept a hug because she’d been in so much pain and needed someone to just comfort her for a moment. Luz was still pretty sure that she was the only one who even knew Boscha’s ribs had been broken though and she wasn’t about to tell Skara that. Not when she understood Boscha enough to know she wouldn’t want word of it getting out. It also was probably why Boscha didn’t just talk to Skara: She needed to go make some healing potions or something before she collapsed. That was their little secret though, so, “Come on, don’t be like that! Boscha might be a bit extreme sometimes but it’s not like she’s killed anyone.”
“Yet.”
All three turned to see Willow walking up before Skara tackled her and squeezed her tight. “Finally someone who gets it!” She then whimpered as she gave Willow puppy dog eyes. “Give it to me straight? Am I screwed?”
Willow stood a little taller and stuck her nose in the air as she said, “Not if me and Gertrude have anything to say about it. In fact, I convinced a couple other of the plant girls to help me set some stuff up around the field so all you have to do is get off of the stone and you’ll be safe and sound.”
Skara let out a sigh of relief as she began thanking her girlfriend so much for being willing to keep her alive. Amity instead just tilted her head before saying, “You know, if you actually listened to Boscha, you two might get along better. You know, instead of already planning to have help tonight?”
Skara glared at Amity for a moment before smacking the table as she said, “We both know better than anyone what listening to her leads to! It leads to ostracizing people who could be our friends, hurting people just for kicks and not giving a shit about anyone. I’m sorry that I’m not going to risk her trying to just remake our group like that.”
Amity opened her mouth before closing it. Her mind couldn’t help but wander. To the sleepover. To how Boscha cared for her during her memory loss. How she wasn’t willing to hit her. Sure, it was her but… That was also the problem, wasn’t it? When she properly thought about what Skara said, Amity remembered the years she spent making Willow’s life hell. How she tried to Luz as not worth existing just because she made her look bad. Boscha might be a bully but had she ever tried murdering someone like she had? Even glancing at Willow, she could tell she was biting her tongue, even if only slightly.
Luz wasn’t quite so paralyzed by memories. Hers emboldened her as she remembered her drives with Boscha, how Boscha accepted her and Amity with only the warning to take care of Amity, and how she’d even gone as far as letting a parasite dig into her brain despite it telling her to be nicer to her. That didn’t even go into how much Boscha helped her with plans for taking down Cluz. “Hey, don’t say that about her! Amity here is proof that people can change after all so why not Boscha?”
Skara, Willow, and a couple of the people around them in the cafeteria, simply said in unison, “Because it’s Boscha.”
Luz growled slightly as she wished she had a response but she didn’t really. Any story she had to tell about the tough girl still included her insulting someone, actively antagonizing them or even how she still cursed more than literally anyone she knew. She didn’t even know if Boscha liked… Well, tolerated her. She knew better than to hope to jump any gulf larger than that. Only Amity got to stay there after all. Maybe… Maybe if Boscha was here? “Where is Boscha anyways?”
Skara flinched as she looked over her shoulder before groaning. “Probably planning my demise. What else?”
“I already said she wouldn’t do that!”
Boscha smirked at hearing Luz shouting before turning her back and leaving the doorway of the cafeteria.
======+++++======
“Edric, Emira, I need illusions!”
The twins raised an eyebrow at each other as they looked at the visitor to the Blight manor before snorting and laughing together. Then Emira winked at Skara before saying, “Uh, sorry, but you can’t affor-”
“SHHHHHH!” Skara looked around her like some scared rabbit before hissing out, “Keep your voices down! If Boscha heard you after all, she’d know I was trying to get help for tonight and just take me out right here, right now!”
That was more intriguing for the two. After all, this sounded like a potential blast, maybe even literally if nothing else, and Ed smirked as he said, “Oh, I actually think that’s Boscha coming up the path ri-”
Skara vanished in a puff of smoke as she hid behind the twins. They both burst out laughing as Boscha wasn’t even home right now. She’d briefly gotten back to change and grab a couple things but then said she had to go out and run some errands. That didn’t mean that they had to tell Skara that though. They could just enjoy how hilarious it was to watch the bard squirm.
And squirm she did, at least until she peaked around Ed and Em. Once she saw that her executioner was in fact not on the way, she stood up straight with her arms straight at her sides and her hands curled into fists. Her face was red as she fumed before she yelled, “That’s not funny! She’s going to kill me!”
Emira scoffed at it before putting her fingertips on her collarbone as she looked down at the terrified girl. “And that’s our problem because?”
“BECAUSE YOU NEED TO CONVINCE AMITY TO DO SOMETHING! Everyone knows that if there’s one person who Boscha listens to, it’s her! Heck,” Skara said as she grabbed the twins’ hands and made both of them make a circle in the air, “just make me look and sound like her! That way I can call this off and see tomorrow!”
That only got more laughs out of them while Cluz sighed. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a couple snails to hand on Boscha while the last bits of her hand healed now that she could get her refill from Emira and Edric. Boscha just continued to smile before she headed out to get something nice for dinner with the extra cash now in her pocket.
=======+++++======
For the first time in the entire day, Skara felt secure. There was still plenty to be afraid of. As far as she knew, no one without a power glyph could even try to compete with Boscha physically. Her fire magic was also plenty potent enough to burn anyone alive, even without being what she was best at. Grudgby also demanded someone be able to adapt so it was hard to just throw a single curveball and catch her off guard. Not when it was her job to be ready to deal with anything the arena threw at her.
But that’s why she didn’t have just one curveball. She had a power glyph thanks to Matt to make sure that she could outrun Boscha. She had a couple of the potion kids give her potions to make her resist fire and even had Professor Sarah admit that she had nothing to worry from any potions Boscha might have been brewing at school. The beast tamers had two spectral panthers phase shifted out of existence to release on Boscha when she started her assault. Mixed with Willow’s plants and they’d easily outnumber any thugs Boscha might have threatened into helping her. Amity might not have been willing to help her but the abomination kids had a giant cauldron behind the bleachers to create a true monstrosity to deal with Boscha too if she somehow got off the field. Even illusions would be helping her as Gus was ready to hide everyone from view at a moment’s notice. Then there was her, standing proud for any bard who had had their music mocked by Boscha.
So sure, Boscha was more talented and terrifying her but Skara had always been the social core of their friend group. Had been the one to make all the connections they’d depended on and now they were all here, ready to deal with the one who’d hurt them so badly. Who had terrorized the school next to Amity for so many years.
Boscha thought that she was in control by bringing them here but she was wrong. They weren’t on the Grudgby field. This was a battle on the plain of politics and Skara had won that long ago. All she had to do now was watch the beautiful, orange blaze of the setting sun paint the skies.
And wait as it turned red.
And then into dark purples.
And finally into a nice, soft black as the last rays of the sun started to set.
Skara was a twitchy mess at this point. Her legs were burning. Most of the students who had come to support her were out of their hiding spots and playing games or on their phones as they sat bored. She’d even been asked a few times if she was sure she’d heard Boscha right and her brain was buzzing at the thought she was wrong. That Boscha was coming. Or, worse, she had heard it right and Boscha had done all of this just to make her look like a fool.
It finally became too much as she screamed, “Where are you, you bi-”
“Sorry! Dinner took me longer than I expected. You would not imagine how many nice places won’t let kids in for no reason. Real assholes, I’d say.”
The entirety of the bleachers vanished for a second as Gus tried to make everyone disappear before he adjusted his illusion. That didn’t quite silence the gasping and scrambling of the kids who dove for hiding spots, and especially those who hurt themselves in the process. Eventually it did though and all eyes turned to the treeline.
There Boscha strode out in a loose t-shirt and shorts. They were workout clothes, or casual clothes… Or fighting clothes. Clothes one didn’t care about getting messy or damaged. The sort you’d just throw away after getting blood on them. Her stride fit the casual clothes as she kind of meandered towards the field but was certainly in no rush. If not for the big grin on her face, she’d look bored.
That just made Skara’s blood boil more as she shouted, “Do you know how late you are? I’ve been waiting here for at least an hour! More probably! I know you don’t care but-”
“You’re right.” Boscha said as she stepped onto the stone of the Grudgby field. “I don’t care.” She then pretended to check the time by looking at her bare wrist before saying, “Honestly got that done faster than I expected. Anyways, I’ll head out then.”
Skara blinked before her hurt pride and rage got the better of her and she shouted, “You don’t get to just leave like that! What sort of statement even is that? ‘I don’t care.’ Bullshit! You wouldn’t have called me out here if you didn’t?”
Boscha stood still for a moment with her back turned to Skara. Kids on the sides of the field could see her taking a long, slow breath in and then turn her head to look over her shoulder to look at Skara. Her tone sounded utterly and absolutely disinterested in anything going on as she asked, “Why not?”
Skara shook with rage for a moment before stomping towards Boscha. She still kept one hand in her pocket though where she kept the power glyph, just in case she needed it. Boscha might actually be trying to make her angry enough because she knew Skara wasn’t stupid enough to actually come here alone. She wouldn’t be caught off guard though. “Because why else would you even do it?”
Boscha looked up and away as she thought before smirking and saying, “Because it was a lot of fun to watch you freak out all day about just a simple meeting?”
“YOU WERE GOING TO KILL-”
Skara blinked. When she opened her eyes, Boscha was directly in front of her. Looming over her. Her eyes shone with raging hellfire. They promised her absolute disappearance from all forms of existence. A deep, burning hate that made it clear what she intended to do. “Wh-”
An ear splitting scream rang through the night, only to be cut off by Boscha’s sharp, harsh tone breaking it as she yelled, “I didn’t fucking touch her, assholes!”
Everyone froze. Even the plants and the beasts that had started moving waited as they indeed all noted that Boscha’s hands were in her pockets. They had been the entire time so far. Not just that but Skara wasn’t exactly out of breath like if she’d been sucker punched by Boscha. Instead, she was scrambling to get distance from her and Boscha as she got back to her feet. The rough girl didn’t move from her spot though. Instead, with a cold stare, she asked finished her question. “Who told you that?”
Skara blinked a few times before asking bluntly, “What?”
Boscha rubbed her forehead and cursed under her breath, “Are you fucking-” She then pressed her fingers into her temple as she asked again, “Who told you that?”
There was dead silence as the question hung in the air. Skara opened her mouth but this was one the very rare moments when the bard didn’t have anything to say. Boscha sure did though as she started walking towards Skara as a sharp, annoyed edge crept further and further into her voice. “I sure fucking didn’t. I just told you to meet me tonight. In fact, I seem to remember,” as she looked around at the dozen or so kids who were there, “that I explicitly asked you to come alone. That was it. I didn’t say fuck all past that.”
Skara swallowed hard as she pressed the power glyph into her palm. In her pocket, Boscha wouldn’t see it and she’d have the upper hand when the bitch blew up. It would be any second now after all and Skara wasn’t about to back down. Not when she wanted to make it clear where they stood. “No one is that stupid, Boscha. You don’t talk to people after all. When you’re not bossing them around like you did to Amity and the rest of us, you’re dunking kids into toilets, stealing lunch money and who knows what else from the people you’ve silenced! So I wasn’t about to just be another one of your voiceless victims.”
Boscha shut her eyes for a moment before a pair of tears ran down her face as she whispered, “I sure wish that had been how it was. My life would have been a lot fucking easier then.”
Skara wasn’t about to stop though. Not now that she had gotten a nick out of Boscha. “Oh, you mean like how you need to listen to Amity now? How you actually have to care about people again? In fact,” Skara said as she pressed what she saw as her advantage, “I bet you wanted to try and use our team photo to say that you were done proving to Amity that we could get along and give me a lesson of how things would actually be. To try and warp the promise I ma-”
“You are assuming I give a shit about what Amity thinks.”
The tension in the air could be cut like butter as Skara just stared at Boscha. Invoking Amity’s name had been the only thing she thought she could use to stop the demon. But now… “What do you mean? Are you and Amity not friends anymore?”
“Nope.” Boscha said as she breathed in slowly and sharp, narrow eyes looked down at Skara like she was nothing. “We’re still friends. However, if she cares about me trying to get along with some sniveling sack of worms that needs to be praised for every little thing it does, even the lies, I don’t know if we should be. If she thinks that someone who looks at me like I am one bad mood away from murdering them is someone I should want around, I don’t want her around. If she thinks she should scold me for the fact that I hate someone for being willing to turn literally everyone in the school against me, to the point where they’re ready to kill me just for you, then I don’t want to hear it.”
Boscha leaned in closer to Skara, looking her dead in the eyes before hissing out, “When I said I didn’t care, that was good news for you. The fact that I just want to have to not care about you because you clearly don’t give a single shit about me, is something you should have celebrated. After all, half a year ago, if I felt how I feel about you right now, I’d have broken every bone in your body and paraded you through the halls to make it clear that NO ONE gets to treat me like anything but the fucking best. Got it?”
Boscha then stood up and turned on her heel. She slowly strode back the way she came, her footsteps ringing against the stone. All Skara could hear was the pounding in her ears from her heart as it felt like it was ready to jump out of her chest. Good news? Celebrating? For the fact that this bitch didn’t care about her? Looked down at her and everyone around her? And everyone else was having to just watch her and take this.To just let herself be humiliated.
“It must be easy for someone who doesn’t like anyone to just drop people! To not care about others. What else should I expect of a heartless demon who couldn’t feel love even if the entire Isles adored her! So thank you SO MUCH for not breaking my bones, like that proves anything!”
Nothing came out of the rough girl as she simply stood. She looked up into the sky for a moment before a small smile slipped to her lips. She then looked back at Skara as she whispered wistfully, “You’re wrong. I don’t give a damn about the Isles after all. Not anymore. Now when I’d rather just a couple people actually get who I am.”
“That’s probably why I like Luz and I love Amity.”
Skara’s brain felt entirely fried at this point. She then saw a whole swarm of lights go into the air behind Boscha before they began to explode into bright bangs and flashes that formed hearts and sparks in the air. When she looked at where they were coming from, she saw the twins who were laughing while casting. There had been no way they had been about to miss this.
She couldn’t even get upset at them though. Not as one question lingered in Skara’s mind.
======+++++======
A question Amity didn’t hear as she paused the Penstagram video someone had tagged her in. The next week was going to be a giant headache of people asking all three of them what in the world Boscha meant by that. It was a pretty big statement to make after all, just like it had been when Boscha had first said it to Luz and her. That it was simply how strongly cared about Amity, especially since she didn’t like anyone. It had been a memory that had warmed Amity’s heart as she had considered just how she might try to convince Boscha to maybe love Luz too so the dreams she’d been having recently could come true.
But… Well, she’d only recently learned how much she’d missed of Boscha’s intentions. Of just how much she cared. It honestly made it weird to hear her say she loved her. A part of her jumped with joy just at the thought of it and it was the same part that was overjoyed to hear that she liked Luz. That they were taking a step in the right direction to make things be exactly what she wanted.
However, did she deserve that? She had questioned Boscha so many times these past months. Doubted her intentions. Doubted whether she was actually a good person. Doubted if Boscha could be more than the cruel, rough person that Skara saw her as. She had defended her back in the cafeteria but was that actually what she thought or was she just trying to do better so she didn’t feel so guilty for all she’d done to her best friend.
No. No. Amity could practically hear Boscha telling her not to overthink it. That if Boscha said she loved her, she loved her. Amity could do better to truly earn that, to make sure Boscha only ever smiled when she said that, but questioning Boscha’s intentions was exactly what she had to not do. Not if she actually believed Boscha was a good person. She’d always been straightforward with her so if there was a problem between them, Boscha would tell her.
Ri-
No. Not this time. She raised her phone and listened to Boscha confess her feelings one more time before closing it and putting it on her nightstand. Then she laid down with a soft smile on her lips. She would have plenty of time to make up for how terrible of a friend she’d been to her bestie after all. The first real step she could take?
Show her the sort of trust she deserved. The fact that her plans for Winter Break also worked out for her dreams was just a nice bonus.