W*tch

Chapter 3: Wicked Witch of the West

NOVA

After a good twenty minutes of sweeping the stands, lost in my thoughts, I finally came to a decision: my previous actions might have been a bit too harsh. I resolved that when I next saw Zoey, I would explain myself and offer an apology. Should I apologize to my sister? Probably. Was I actually going to? That required a bit more consideration.

As I finished my reflection, the stands were spotless, even the remnants of coffee spills were mopped up. Surprisingly, I felt a hint of satisfaction. I wasn't just cleaning; I was procrastinating. Today was a dead day at the rink, and my shift was almost over. The quiet allowed me to escape into my thoughts, which was a welcome break from the usual chaos.

"V!" A voice called from near the operations door. A part of me wanted to ignore it, knowing exactly who it would be and dreading the encounter. It was Hayden. I swear he'd started working here at the same time as me, solely to drive me insane. Still, I knew I had to indulge him; otherwise, he'd never leave me alone.

"Just because my name has a 'V' in it doesn't mean you can use it," I said as I approached. He had this annoying habit of acting as though we were best friends, always trying to engage me in conversation. Zoey often caught us in the hall and would shoot little heart gestures my way, but I'd never felt that spark everyone talked about. It baffled me. Maybe it was all the romantic movies I'd seen that skewed my expectations of what a crush should feel like.

Hayden flashed a smirk that was undeniably cute. I had to admit, there was something about him—sandy brown hair that definitely needed a haircut, but somehow it suited him. His muscles were the kind that could turn heads, and every girl seemed to swoon. But despite the external allure, I still saw him as nothing more than an annoying boy. "Oh, don't take away my happiness," he said, feigning hurt.

I rolled my eyes, feeling my defenses shoot up. "Why are you here?" I asked, half-exasperated.

"I was at the gym with one of my buddies and figured I'd come say hi," he replied, his voice overflowing with an optimism that was almost irritating. He had that telltale shine about him—definitely fresh from a shower.

"Oh, that's cool," I said, trying to feign interest. "But I really have to get back to work. I'm trying to leave soon."

Before I could turn away, he grabbed my wrist. I looked down, relieved to see that my skin wasn't falling off my bones, but I'd never admit that I didn't entirely hate his touch.

"Before you leave, I wanted to ask you something." He looked genuinely anxious, and I tried to summon a concerned expression. I didn't hate Hayden, but I certainly dismissed him often. There was a difference, even if Zoey would argue otherwise.

"Yeah?" I said, hoping if I played along, it might earn me some brownie points with Zoey later. Maybe then she wouldn't give me that long talk about being nicer.

He took a deep breath, centering himself. "Do you want to hang out later?" His smile was filled with an anticipation that suggested he was bracing himself for disappointment.

I hesitated, a wave of awkwardness washing over me. "I guess."

His eyes widened in surprise, and I immediately felt a twinge of regret at how pleased he looked. "What do you want to do?" he asked, his voice bubbling with joy.

"Just come over or something. We can watch a movie," I suggested, knowing full well that Zoey might swing by too, which would give me a buffer to avoid any awkward moments.

"Okay!" he exclaimed, excitement radiating off him. "I can bring some caramel corn!"

I stared at him in disbelief. How did he know about our tradition? Zoey and I always got caramel corn for movie nights. I must have mentioned it in passing, but it still caught me off guard.