Making her Joyful Again || RF Julie x FEM reader || L1TTL3_R0TT3N

- Ch. 23: Don't Waste Wishes on Weeds -

! TW: abuse, violence !

[Several years ago...]

As a kid, Walden had a stutter. A bad one. Caused by his father and his neglect, Walden either spoke very little or not at all. 

But when he did speak, it was to her. To [Name]. Whether in the void or on the surface. They'd spend their free time wandering aimlessly, pretending to be scavengers or pirates.

 Since they had met when [Name] stumbled into Harold and Walden's lives, she brought nothing but joy. That was the effect she had on everyone.

But much like his father, Walden took advantage of her loyalty. By the time [Name] was starting high school and Walden was finishing his Sophmore year, they had never been more different.

The boy who used to trip over his words had become violent and bitter. The girl who once had a small circle of friends had become a local celebrity, known for her witchcraft abilities and otherworldly kindness.

But after a while, that ability dispersed and became nothing but a wilted memory.

After a long day and too much to drink, Walden was buried in his bedsheets with his mother's photo clung to his sweaty chest.

An unwelcome voice disturbed the drunk teenager.

"Hey, Wally! You won't believe what I grabbed on the way here." [Name] sat down on the edge of Walden's bed after appearing from the air itself. In her hand were two dandelions, the fuzz on their stems gently shifting from the air of the ceiling fan. 

"C-Cool." Walden stumbled out an answer. [Name] leaned down beside him, handing him one of the weeds. "We used to make wishes on these, remember?" She couldn't tear her eyes away from the beautiful parasite.

Walden rolled his eyes, twisting the stem in between his thumb and index finger. "It-It's just a w-weed." He grumbled, tossing the plant over his shoulder. [Name] looked at the dandelion as it landed on the floor, a discouraged feeling growing in her heart.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She placed the dandelion she held onto beside her head and placed her hand on Walden's shoulder. "You can talk to me, Wally."

He didn't know what, but something about her hand on his shoulder made him fume. "St-Stop calling me th-that. We're n-not kids an-anymore." He grabbed her wrist and tossed it back at her.

[Name], though her heart hurt when he got angry at her, knew how to handle his angry outbursts. She remembered his favorite spell of hers. 

She remembered Harold showing them the trick when they were still kids and recalled the gleam in Walden's eyes. She'd do anything to see that gleam again in her best friend.

She sat up briefly, drawing an 'x' symbol in the air and chanting an ancient language softly under her breath. Walden heard the soft whir of the spell as light illuminated the room. His head ached from the alcohol, so he grunted and shoved [Name] to break her focus.

It worked. As soon as the room lit up, it went dark again. [Name] yelped in surprise when he kicked her. "What the hell, Wally? I was trying to help." She furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at him with pain in her wrist where he kicked her.