A Bit of Love

Chapter 2

"It's says here," I pointed at the book. "After the water boils, we let the twigs and bay leaf simmer inside the container." I said and looked up at Sofia who put the said ingredients inside the beaker with the boiling water, under which is the small continuous fire. 

"For how long?," she asked and I glanced and the book again. "5 minutes," I said and sat on the stool as my back hunched. "Do you have a timer?," Sofia asked and I just lolled my head to the side. "Do we really need to, it's five minutes, let's just feel it when we feel it." I said and relaxed my head on the marble table.

Sofia kept looking at the simmering twigs and leaf. "Relax Sof, it's a truth potion, what's the worse that could happen?," I assured her. She sighed and let herself relax on the stool. 

I noticed her dress as it fluffed up when she sat. It's been 5 years since we met and violet is still her favorite color. To say that she owned violet would be a close truth. Her bag, her shoes, well all excluding her amulet that turned pink. It was violet a few years back, but I don't know exactly what happened. But no matter what changed, she hasn't, she may have changed but for the better.

5 years I've known Sofia, and I may have hated her at first, but I can't deny that deep down— at that time— that I wanted to be close to her. She's like a magnet, and when you stick you never want to let go. She's comfortable. She is Sofia.

She is the same old Sofia, and that's something that I admire her for.

"I think it's ready," a voice echoed in the room and bounced into my head ruining my train of thoughts. "Huh?," I said and looked at Sofia who was holding tiny tongs in her right hand. She raised her eyebrow, probably waiting for my approval. I nodded quickly and pushed my hair back. I stood up and straightened my outer coat from the bottom. 

I went close to Sofia's side looking at the flask while Sofia prudently removed the twigs and leaf outside the beaker. She put it on a damp towel on the side. "I read the book while you were brooding," she said and I scrunched my eyebrows in annoyance.

"I don't brood"

She hummed in response along with a right shoulder shrug. I just rolled my eyes. "So, it says that we should just put the other ingredients in the simmered water, simple as that."

I grabbed the left out ingredients and put them in the simmered water. Sofia got a glass rod and mixed it all together. The water turned from a blurry brown to a short of yellow and pink-ish solution.

"That's it," Sofia spoke in her high-pitched tone along with a victorious hum. 

"How do we know that it works?," I asked still looking at the concoction in front of us. Sofia turned her head and commanded me, "Get a ladle."

"What?," I asked, my voice laced with concern and shock. "You're not thinking that we should taste it?"

"I'm not asking us to taste it," she responded and I exhaled in relief. "I'm think that I should taste it," emphasizing the I in her response. My eyes widened and I quickly opposed her," No!"

"What do you mean no?"

"Think logically Sofia"

"It's a truth potion," she pointed to the beaker.

"Sofia," I warned her and I squinted my eyes in warning.

She lifted her head high and quickly grabbed the beaker and drank it before I even stopped her. The air quickly became thin and my breath stopped as I waited for Sofia's reaction to the potion. Sofia is going to be the death of me. After a few seconds of silence I decided to speak first.

"Sof?," I called her.

I grabbed the beaker from her hands and carefully put it on the cold marble table. I grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly. "So?," I asked her again.

"I don't feel anything honestly," she answered and I sighed again, reassured that Sofia was alright. "Maybe we did it wrong?," I said and looked at her. I removed my hands from her shoulders and put them on my hips as I straightened up.

"May—," she said, almost fainting, she grabbed support from the nearest stool. "Sofia," I rushed to her and supported her back. "Sofia, are you alright? Should I call someone?," I waited for her to answer.

This is wrong, I knew I should've stopped her. Sometimes Sofia is just headstrong, but sometimes illogical decisions can lead to harm. In short, me, I'm going to get killed, they'll say that I was taking advantage of Sofia. Everything will be ruined and I won't get to see Sofia again. No.

"Wait here Sofia, I'll just look at the potions book again," I said and quickly opened the pages searching to see if we did something wrong. I keep flipping the page that we followed seeing if we missed a step or forgot and ingredient. I then started to look from the top of the page, until I saw it.

In the top there was a corned of a piece of paper sticking out. It was the Truth Potions title. I peeled the thin piece of paper slowly as my eyes slowly widened at the true title of the potion.

Love Potion.

No, no, no, no, no. This can't be happening. I looked at Sofia again and she was leaning on the table with her chin resting on her palm. Her eyes ogling at me.

"Have I ever told you that you look fantastic in that coat?," she said and I responded with a horrified expression.

No.