She Gives Me Butterflies - Amity x Luz Grom AU

In the Flap of a Wing

The Butterfly Effect. It's the idea that even small actions can spur big changes in the system of one's life. Seemingly inconsequential choices have the potential to create a ripple effect that grows and affects the outcomes of infinite possible realities. Similar to Newton's Third Law which states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, we see examples of the Butterfly Effect every day. If I hadn't stopped to send that text, that owl poop would have landed right on my head and I would have missed my job interview. If I hadn't brought an extra nickel, I wouldn't have bought coffee for the pretty chick behind me who would later become my girlfriend. If Amity hadn't given Luz that tiny slip of paper, where would we be now?

AMITY'S POV:

By this point, I had been friends with Luz for a while now. I know we got off on the wrong foot, what with me... uh... trying to get her dissected and all, but now it seemed like we were getting along alright. We were actually friends. As we got closer and I gained her trust, I started to notice little things about her. I became infatuated with the dimples that formed on her cheeks when she smiled. I watched her throw away her own trash and then pick up and discard the various cans and candy wrappers left behind by students with less compassion than her. I always liked the way she introduced those that were close to her. It was never just "Meet Willow". It was always, "Meet my dear friend, Willow." It was these small indications of who she was that made me feel that much more safe and comfortable around her.

In the days leading up to Grom, I only grew more fond of her. I gave her kind looks, I made her pies, I channeled every positive emotion I had into something I could gift to her. She consumed my thoughts in a way nothing ever had before. The only thing that kept me from telling her how I felt was the overwhelming fear in the back of my mind that she wouldn't reciprocate my admiration. As I dreamt, my anxiety and self-consciousness worked together to produce movies in which she aggressively rejected me. Each time, I would watch Dream Luz rip up my Grom invitation and walk away as I stood there, utterly humiliated. I tried to tell myself that I was overthinking. I needed to trust our relationship and follow my heart, but I still could not overcome my greatest fear.

Amidst the gromposals and general feeling of young love in the atmosphere, I shyly went about my normal school day. I held a pink slip of paper in my pocket during each class, a pink slip which read, "Luz, will you go to Grom with me?" with two boxes for two possible responses, yes and no. I clutched the slip tightly throughout the day and kept it close to my person at all times. Every time I saw Luz at Hexside, my heart and head entered a heated debate about whether or not I should present it to her. My head was undefeated. Luz never found out.

Luz ended up getting picked to be grom queen and I decided to stay home. By not going to Grom, I saved myself from humiliation. Right? Skipping is even harder when you live less than a block from your school. Sitting in my room, I could hear the music blaring from the gym a few blocks away. I instinctively shoved my hands in my pockets and felt something. That stupid piece of paper. I pulled it from my jeans, ripped it in two, and fell back on my bed. As I drifted off to sleep, I imagined Luz and me dancing to each muffled song, swaying and finding the rhythm together. Even in this half-asleep state, I could feel her warmth.

She still gives me butterflies.

We faded into black as my eyes shut gently.