Academy of Blood and Magic

11🖤

"So my school's having a homecoming," I said as Brandon drove us out of the parking lot.

He slid a glance at me. "You want to go?"

"To this school? No. At your school? Yes."

He frowned. "Why don't you want to go to East Haven's dance?"

I shot him a dubious look. "You're kidding me, right?"

"You said Tristan and those other idiots aren't messing with you anymore, right? Let's go there and have fun."

"They might not be bothering me anymore, not in person, but I'm basically outcast by everyone else there."

"Outcasted?" He shot me a sharp look. "Are you serious?"

"No one will talk to me or have anything to do with me. I'm basically ignored. I don't mean to whine or complain -"

"No, you don't sound like that at all. You mean no one even speaks to you?"

"Not since I've started. That's okay, though. I'm here to study magic, not make friends, and you won't be able to come anyway. Students who don't go there aren't allowed to go, and I want to go with you."

"Seriously, they shouldn't be treating you like that."

"At least they're not shoving spitballs down my backpack again. And eyes on the road!"

He cursed and swerved the car to the right, nearly veering off the lane. I pressed my hand to my chest as my heart pounded wildly from the near-death experience.

"Jeez, Brand," I said shakily. "Don't try to kill us. I know you're practically indestructible but I'm not."

"Sorry," he said with a nervous chuckle.

"I'm fine, Brandon, I promise. I can handle myself."

The humor immediately vanished from his face. "I can't stand how people are treating you there. Are you sure you don't just want to come back to school with me?"

I stared at him like he grew two heads. "I worked way too hard to get in. And like I said -"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you're there to study magic and to be successful, you're not there to make friends, but you're miserable. I can see it in your eyes. You haven't even been there two weeks and it's draining you. And don't you dare tell me not to worry, 'cause that's stupid as hell and you know that. I'm your boyfriend and I love you."

"I love you too, and let's just move away from this, okay? Let's focus on the positive. I signed up for that competition, and we're going to the homecoming dance," I said brightly. "We always loved going, remember?"

A ghost of a smile spread over his face. "Yeah, I remember." He laughed quietly. "Remember when Mrs. Lorich caught those freshmen in the corner making out and she nearly had a heart attack?"

"To be fair, they were starting to take their clothes off and Mrs. Lorich was in her eighties and a prude."

His mood lifted and we continued to talk about the upcoming homecoming dance. It was going to be in the same week as my school's, on the same Friday, which worked perfectly.

We talked about our past homecoming dances and other shenanigans that took place when we went to the same school. As we talked, I felt a sharp pang of loneliness that came out of nowhere. I suddenly missed my old school with a passion and thought back to all the times I'd walk down the halls to my classes, Brandon by my side the whole time.

A feeling of regret also overcame me. I longingly thought back to my old school, of all the old memories, of the familiarity, the sense of belonging. For a brief second, I wondered if I made a mistake getting into East Haven, that perhaps I should've just stayed at my old school.