finding wanda: a tale of discovery and trust

"a new friend"

It's been a few days since I last saw Wanda. I had been on a school camp trip for tree days, including the day after leaving her with Steve. Every night, when I tried to sleep, her green eyes would linger in my mind.

As I strolled down the baking aisle, my gaze landed on a familiar sight: a pack of chocolate chip cookies. The same ones my mom and I used to bake together, long ago. I used to complain about her lack of visits, but now she doesn't even come on the holidays anymore. Wish I knew better.

With a heavy sigh, I added the cookies to my basket, feeling a mix of nostalgia and longing. Suddenly, a tap on my shoulder startled me. Spinning around, I found myself face to face with a familiar figure, Wanda, dressed in her 'undercover' clothes; black attire, sneakers, and a hoodie.

This time, however, her hair was loose and she wore sunglasses.I stood there, a bit taken aback, wondering what she was doing here.

"Wanda," I said in disbelief , my eyes widening in surprise. Wanda looked around, before removing her sunglasses. "Hello, darling," she replied with a tender smile.

"What are you doing here? Are you even suppose to be here? What about Steve?" I asked. my mind still trying to process her unexpected appearance. Wanda chuckled softly and placed a finger on her lip. "Yn, don't be so loud and its all safe,"

Despite her calm expression, I couldn't help but feel a bit concerned., especially with Steve's words echoing in my mind. Confused and still concerned about the consequences of being seen together.

I raised an eyebrow and questioned, "Are you sure it's safe? What if Steve finds out you're here?" Wanda's smile only widened, as she reached out and now placed her fingers on my lips. "Yn, please calm down," she giggled, amused by how concerned I was.

She looked down in my basket. "Ahh I see you like to bake,". She smiled at me.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to admit the truth. "I used to bake as a child," I confessed, a hint of nostalgia in my voice. My mother and I often spent hours in the kitchen together, creating sweet treats. But now, as I stood in front of the baking aisle, I realized I had lost touch with those fond memories.

Wanda observed me intently, her perceptive eyes piercing through the facade. I couldn't hide the truth from her.

“Yeah, I used to enjoy baking, but im not sure if I still would," I confessed with a small smilew while looking down.

Wanda gently lifted my chin with her fingers, her touch sending shivers down my spine. Her voice was soothing as she spoke. "That's alright, sweetheart," she reassured me. "I can teach you, if you'd like," she offered.

As I looked into her eyes, a rush of emotions flooded through me. I couldn't quite understand what I was feeling, but one thing was clear: I trusted her.
Even with the fear of messing up, I nodded. "I would like to," I smiled back, accepting the offer.

Wanda replaced her sunglasses and started walking towards the exit, giving me instructions to meet her outside. Leaving me alone in the aisle, I watched as she approached the counter to pay for her coffee, careful not to be noticed.
With a sense of excitement and a hint of worry, I began making my way to the store exit.

Back at the hotel, Wanda and I began our baking. She had laid out all the necessary supplies. As she glanced at my lengthy hair, she asked, "May I?" with a touch of hesitation.
I nodded, a smile playing on my lips. "Sure, go ahead," I replied, feeling a sense of intimacy as she pulled my hair back into a ponytail.

I couldn't help but think back to our previous encounter. It seemed like everything was sorted out. Still, I couldn't forget how Steve looked at wanda. Hoping he wouldn't bother her to much as it comes to me being with her, I sighed.
"Steve won't be a problem hun, dont worry," Wanda reassured me. I looked at her. The mind reading was still a thing I had to get used to.

Meanwhile, my baking skills I once learned, had let me down. Wanda couldn't hide her amusement at my attempts. I shot her a sharp gaze as I heard her giggle. She quickly covered her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter.

However, it was obvious that she nearly couldn't  hold back her laughter. Feeling the frustration build within me, I rolled my eyes before attempting to refocus my efforts. As Wanda chuckled again, I got frustrated.

"Heya, grumpy miss," Wanda called out with a playful tone. Turning towards her, I was met with a cloud of flour that she had thrown at me.
My mounth widened.

"Oh, you're definitely going to regret that," i said, before grabbing a handful of flour and tossing it back at her. Causing her to fake a sarcastic gasp of shock and returning a handful with a smirk.

After tossing flour back and forth for what seemed like an eternity, I eventually couldn't catch my breath from laughing.  We took a moment to clean up the mess we had made. Wanda then carefully placed the cookies in the oven, watching as they began to rise.

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, her smile soft and warm. "You know, you have an absolutely adorable laugh." Her compliment caught me off guard, and I couldn't help but smile in response. In that moment, I realized just how much I needed this moment with her and how much I enjoyed simply being in Wanda's presence.

By the time it was night, I sat downstairs eating the cookies Wanda and I baked together. "Oeh cookies," lucas said as he snatched one without hesitation. I rolled my eyes. Looking back at the moments with wanda, I chuckled. Somehow Wanda made me feel good. "What you're smiling about?," lucas asked in his annoying tone, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I shrugged my shoulders and went upstairs.

As I prepared for sleep, my dad arrived home. As he made his way up to my room, his gaze fell upon the cookies that Wanda and I had baked together. His first words upon seeing them, "You made that?" Upsetted me.

He didn't even greeted me or said goodnight.
Which was nothing new. "It's good to see you too, Dad." I muttered.
He looked at me, seeming annoyed. "You really need to grow up, yn. You're almost 17 now." With that, he turned and headed back downstairs.

He was right. My birthday was coming up soon. The more I thought about it, the less excited I became. Other then feeling alone, feeling special was just a wish, since I hadn't felt like that on my birthdays for years now.

With that, I turned off the lights and closed my eyes. As I closed my eyes,  the image of Wanda came to  my mind. A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips. A sense of peace washed over me. With a contented sigh, I allowed myself to drift off into a peaceful sleep.

feeling a newfound warmth in my heart as I thought about the witch who had made her way into my life. A new friend.