✨ A Little Bit of Magic || READER X RAY || The Promised Neverland

✨ Chapter Twenty Six

"Three days, y/n! Three days until the party!" Emma jumped up and down, her left elbow grazing against mine as we slowly walked to hydro class. The whole school seemed to be in a bit of a buzz, girls whispering about their costumes and upperclassmen boys scheming about how they'd sneak drinks into their dorms. I wonder if Zack was part of that crowd, y'know? Those alcohol smuggling feens of the sport's teams. I imagined his innocent smile and shook the thought away. Heh, he wouldn't.

"Hey, Emma! y/n!" I met the glimmering obsidian black eyes of the boy who'd just invaded my thoughts. Speak of the devil. "Z-Zack!" I smiled while Emma rushed to his side. "We were just talking about the ball! Are you finally gonna tell us what your costume is?" God, that soft sly grin. It could make my heart explode. He nodded his head no, placing a finger over his lips. "You'll have to find out in three days, Emma." A dejected Emma dragged her way back to my side, Zack's black eyes now resting on us both. "And you, y/n? Do tell what magical creature you'll be at the great gala." My best friend's warm fingers squeezed my shoulders tightly. "She's not telling! If you don't she won't either!" Zack broke into a soft laugh, his right hand ruffling my hair. He was... a little warmer than Emma. Just a little bit. I could get used to this. He gazed at me warmly, replying with an "I guess that's fair." A hoard of girls had started to accumulate on the sidelines, glaring at Emma and I but giving Zack these looks of pure love and adoration. He seemed to notice too, grimacing as he took a step back. "Then, I'll see you guys at lunch! Bye!" He pulled his headband down, quickly sprinting away with the pack of fan girls. Really, truly- They looked like a pack of thirsty carnivores. My right hand had frozen mid wave, without me noticing.

I found myself being irked less and less by the actions of Zack's fans and Gilliam's bullying. Maybe I was getting used to it? Maybe my love for Zack was just stronger than their hate? Haha, that's kinda cringey. But I don't really care. "Here comes the cheap whore!" A familiar blond bitch would be waiting outside the library every day after my tutoring with Ray. I wish I could say her insults were as unique as her incredibly long and neon nails. I'm a bit impressed with how many ways she can phrase the word 'whore'. "Is that what you say when you look in the mirror?" Ray had replied once. We'd always just walk past her and that posse of not very intimidating cheerleaders, but he'd clapped back in my place. "Why, you-" She'd hissed back, stomping towards the two of us. Ray raised his wand rather amusedly, small white sparkles imitating a telephone line extending from the tip of his wand. "I have Zack on speed dial, bitch. Try me-" He winked at me with his right eye, a loud pound echoing in my chest. "No, try us."

"Earth to y/n! Hello? y/n?" "...Yeah? What?" I muttered softly, still recalling the events of Ray's retaliation. "Class is over, it's lunch time, silly." Suddenly, the light beige colors of Grace Field's classrooms had started to settle in my field of vision. Class... Class? Oh right! Class! I was in hydro this entire time! "Daydreaming about Zack again!" Norman chuckled, opening the door for Emma and I. The corners of my mouth turned upwards without my consent. "No, actually. I was thinking about Ray." My two friends gave me a sort of deadpan glare. "Really?" They replied in an unamused unison. Why- Why are they looking at me like that- I guess my confusion was sprawled across my face, as the two continued their sentence. "A new one? Already? And Ray too?" "A new what?" I scoffed, looking for a piece of gum in my pockets. Emma said this part on her own. "A crush, stupid! You seriously have a crush on Ray?" I nearly choked on my own spit. "Gak- W-What the fuck, Emma?" She slapped my shoulder, nearly shouting her words. "What do you mean what the fuck? Why else would you daydream about a guy?! You obviously like him-" "Oh, drama." A new voice had sent all three of us to the ceiling, Norman who had been listening quietly in the same shock. A black haired boy with uneven bangs was standing right behind us. "Yo." He chuckled, stepping to our side. I felt my cheeks grow hot with embarrassment, wondering just how much he had heard. I don't- I don't have a crush on this weirdo idiot! He gave me a confused glance with that one silver eye, making my heart skip a beat. Or two. Or three. "Don't worry, stupid. I just got here. I was giving the professor some extra credit work." Ray could read me like a book. And I don't know if I liked that. "But if you want to tell me about the drama, I won't stop you-" I punched his shoulder, another wave of a tomato red blushing washing over my face. "Sh- Shut up!" I cried, running ahead.

I don't think I could get used to this. Well, Ray I mean. For the longest time he'd been gone, completely absent from my life. And here he was today, laughing, joking, studying with us like nothing had ever happened. Every day I felt a new type of emotion with him. And just his stupid face and his stupid emo cyclops haircut made my heart ache. I was happy Ray was back. I thought about it every day. This stupid smart idiot... Ugh! I swear to god I'll kill him!