Daughter of a Witch

AU - Unexpected Turns

It was a cloudy Friday afternoon, and Y/n was sitting in her high school English class, trying to focus on the novel they were analyzing. The sound of Agatha's steady voice filled the room as she explained the themes of loss and redemption in The Great Gatsby. Y/n's mind wandered slightly, though, as she remembered the request she'd received that morning—to tutor Jessica, a troubled girl in her class who seemed to view school as more of an inconvenience than anything else.

Jessica's sharp wit and biting sarcasm often made the other students laugh, but it left Y/n curious. There was something about how Jessica carried herself as if she were pushing the world away before it could reject her. Y/n couldn't help but wonder if there was more to her than the tough exterior, and maybe, just maybe, tutoring her could be a way to find out.

That evening, Y/n met Jessica at her aunt's café. Jessica's aunt, a cheerful woman in her fifties, waved at Y/n as she walked in and gestured to Jessica's table. Jessica's dark hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, and she wore a leather jacket over her school uniform.

"Hey," Jessica greeted, smirking as Y/n sat down. "Didn't think you'd actually show."

"I'm a woman of my word," Y/n replied, pulling out her notes and textbooks.

Y/n tried her best to keep Jessica focused on algebra for the first twenty minutes. Jessica leaned back in her chair, twirling her pencil and occasionally making snarky remarks about the problems.

"Okay, so if x equals seven, what's y?" Y/n asked, pointing at the equation.

Jessica tilted her head, a teasing grin spreading across her face. "Why do I care what y is? Honestly, x and y need to work out their issues independently."

Y/n sighed, fighting back a smile. "Jessica, you can't sass your way through algebra."

"Sure, I can," Jessica shot back. She leaned closer, her tone playful. "Besides, isn't it more fun when I sass you? Admit it—you'd be bored without me."

"Fun isn't exactly how I'd describe this," Y/n replied, flipping through her notebook. She glanced up at Jessica, her voice firm but light. "Now, focus. What's y?"

Jessica sighed dramatically, picking up her pencil. "Fine, fine. Y is... whatever you want it to be. You're the boss."

"That's not how math works." Y/n rolled her eyes, though her lips twitched with amusement.

Jessica leaned on her elbow, studying Y/n with a mischievous glint in her eye. "You're really serious about this, huh? It's kind of cute."

Y/n felt her cheeks warm. "It's called tutoring, Jessica. Maybe try it sometime."

Jessica laughed, her gaze softening as she watched Y/n. "Alright, alright. I'll behave. For now."

They managed to get through another problem before Jessica started fidgeting again. She finally set her pencil down and leaned back. "You know, we should get ice cream after this."

Y/n raised an eyebrow. "Ice cream? We've barely made it through one chapter."

"Exactly! That's why we need a break," Jessica said, her enthusiasm infectious. "It'll make us more productive when we come back. And I know this amazing little place down the street. My treat."

Y/n hesitated, glancing at her notes. "I don't know..."

Jessica gave her a mock pleading look, her hands clasped together. "Come on, Y/n. Don't make me beg."

Y/n sighed, closing her notebook. "Fine. But only because you're paying."

Jessica's grin widened. "Deal. Let's go."