Lovesick Witches

Unrequited Love

"You seem pretty quiet, Ana," said Mildred as we hung out in the library that night after school. 

"Yeah," I said, "I'm thinking." 

"Thinking about what?" asked Enid. 

"What Ethel could be up to," I replied as I scrunched my nose in concentration. 

"I'm sure it won't be that bad," said Maud. "All she wants is to be HB's favourite. She's jealous of you so she's just looking for attention. Typical Ethel. Who cares if she succeeds? Being the teacher's pet isn't even good, anyway." 

"I suppose," I said. 

"Hi guys!" said a cheerful voice coming up behind us. I turned around to see Beatrice and Sybil there. 

"Oh, hi Sybil, hi Beatrice," I said with a smile as I broke away from my trail of thought. 

"What are you guys up to?" asked Sybil as her and Beatrice joined us at the table. 

"Ana is trying to work out Ethel's plan," Mildred explained. 

"Plan?" said Sybil. 

"Yes," I answered. "I've been having extra study sessions with Miss Hardbroom to catch up with what I missed whilst I was at Pentangle's, but Ethel found out and now she is jealous and is trying to get HB on her side." 

"Oh." Sybil said with a frown. "Sounds like something Ethel would do." 

Sometimes I couldn't believe that Sybil was Ethel's sister. They couldn't have been more different. Sybil was always such a sweet and kind girl. She wasn't pushy, nor selfish, unlike Ethel. She was quite shy and a very loyal friend. 

"But it doesn't really matter, does it?" said Beatrice. "I mean, there are many other teachers who can help you study if Ethel gets her way." 

"That's what I said too," Enid agreed. "I honestly don't know why you like HB so much, Ana. I think she's a total monster." 

Hearing those hurtful words about my lovely Hecate come out of my friend's mouth felt like a spear piercing through my soul. But I didn't reply. Enid was one of my best friends and I sort of understood where she was coming from if she didn't know Hecate very well. 

"Umm, guys," another small voice creeped up behind us. 

"What are you doing here, Clarice?" Beatrice said as we turned around to see who it was. 

"Can I talk to you, Beatrice? Sybil?" she asked timidly. 

"I'm surprised you're not with Ethel," Beatrice snapped back. 

"Please just hear me out," replied Clarice. 

Beatrice agreed and Clarice sat down at our table. 

"I'm sorry Beatrice. I'm sorry Sybil. I should never have gone with Ethel. She was helping me prepare for the head girl competition, but then she just dumped me." 

"She dumps everyone," Enid butted in. "She's a selfish bitch." 

"But what I've realised," Clarice continued, "is that I've had no fun since leaving you guys. You are my best friends and I've been so sad and lonely without you. I thought that going with Ethel would guarantee me being head girl." 

Mildred raised her eyebrows in offence. "And who is head girl, Clarice? Ethel? Or is it someone else?" 

"Sorry Mildred," Clarice said. "You are a much better witch than Ethel anyway. I should have stuck with you. But anyway... I've pulled out of the competition." 

"Really?" said Sybil in shock. "I thought being head girl was what you've always wanted!" 

"I thought it was," Clarice said. "But now I realise that my friends are the thing most important to me and that even if I was head girl, I wouldn't be happy without you guys. Beatrice, you should be head girl. I will help you and we can work together to make sure you beat Fenella. But I don't care about the head girl competition anymore. I just want to be your friend again. Nothing is right without you guys. I'm so sorry for leaving. Please, will you forgive me?" 

Clarice's eyes widened as she pleaded her friends to forgive her. Sybil and Beatrice glanced at each other, and then back at Clarice. 

"Of course we forgive you," said Beatrice. "I've hated not being friends with you, too." 

And with that, the three girls hugged. It gave me a lovely sense of joy to see them all friends again, so I smiled, gladly. 

After that little episode, I resumed to trying to figure out Ethel's plan. The more I thought about this, the more I realised that I simply could not loose Hecate again. 

My life without her just wouldn't be right. Hecate Hardbroom meant the world to me and I didn't know whether I would want to be in a world without her. She was the sweetest, most kind and caring person I had ever met. She was intelligent, determined, strong, adorable and absolutely beautiful. And those were only some of her incredible qualities. I had developed an emotional attachment for that woman and my feelings for her were uncontrollably intense. 

Everything about her was perfect. I was so scared. I was so incredibly scared of what Ethel would do to break us up because Hecate Hardbroom was my life and all I cared about and I loved her and couldn't loose her again. 

Holy... 

Love. I loved her. 

I had fallen in love with my potions teacher. 

I couldn't let Ethel win. I had to talk to Hecate. I had to tell her what had been going on involving Ethel because I couldn't be broken apart from her. I had to tell Hecate that I loved her. 

As I started to stand up to run to the potions lab, my thoughts took a turn, preventing me from doing so. 

I sat back down and followed this new thought trail. 

I was being impulsive. I had just discovered that I loved Miss Hardbroom. I had also just discovered that I couldn't live without her. If I told her that I loved her, I would risk ruining our relationship. She didn't love me back. I knew she didn't. She couldn't. So if I told her that I loved her, I could potentially destroy our relationship. We would have to break up. She couldn't know that I loved her because if she did, there would be no way she would want to stay in my life. 

Unrequited love. Of course I had to be that person. 

Hecate would never love me back. We still couldn't be together. She was a teacher and I was going to leave school in a few months' time anyway. Meaning that I possibly wouldn't ever see her again. I had to make the most of our relationship whilst it lasted and therefore, confessing the depths of my love for her would NOT be a good idea. Chances were, she would just discard me from her life entirely. 

Hecate was the most important thing to me so I couldn't risk damaging our relationship. I wouldn't say anything to her. I would just have to go back to my original plan to stop Ethel from breaking us up.