My Childhood Friend Called Me Slow, So This Witch Stopped Waiting

When I was seven, Lucas Mercer was attacked by a two-headed hound.

To save him, I took the bite meant for his neck. The hound bit me in the shoulder, and I passed out right there.

My life was never in danger, but those huge, gaping jaws left me badly traumatized.

Ever since then, I'd been hesitant and slow, always a little lost.

I was scared to go anywhere near monsters, and I always felt my elemental magic simply wasn't strong enough.

Aldridge Academy trained ice and fire wizards by the dozen. It wasn't the place for me.

So I chose a potions academy instead.

Soon, Lucas and I would be on two different continents.

Just thinking about it made my eyes sting.

Just as my tears were about to fall, my phone lit up.

It was a text from Lucas.

[We're done with the show. The graduation ball's tonight, so hurry up and get to the flying-bus stop. Don't waste time polishing your broom.]

That only made me feel worse.

When we were little, Lucas's family was poor. His broom was a battered secondhand thing.

I used to secretly switch brooms with him. I'd polish his old one until it gleamed, then pretend I'd polished the wrong one by mistake and had no choice but to ride his.

Was he just in such a rush to get me to the graduation ball that he'd forgotten all that?

The year we started school, Lucas had promised me that at the graduation ball, when I was 18 and all grown up, I'd be the witch every eye was on.

He'd even practiced a spell that could fill a room with starlight, just for that night.

So I set down my broom and ran for the flying-bus stop.

I could already see the bus pulling in, but I tripped on the steps, and my knee scraped painfully across the ground.

I was in too much of a hurry to care about the cut. I scrambled back up.

I shouted, "Lucas, wait for me—"

But Emily hooked her arm through Lucas's and pulled him onto the bus.

They didn't even look back.

I stood frozen, staring after them as they pulled away.

My phone lit up. [Wendy, you're way too slow. Emily's worried about being late, so I'm going ahead with her.]

[Just catch the next bus. Worst case, you'll have to fly over on your own.]

I stared at the texts, and suddenly I could feel every bit of the pain in my knee.

This wasn't the first time.

They were always telling me to hurry, but every single time, they left right before I got there.

When we went boating on the lake, I reached the dock out of breath, only to find their boat already gone.

At Ermine Hill, I was only halfway up when they were already at the top, taking pictures.

But was I really just a little too late every time?

Why was I always the one watching them walk away?

I couldn't figure it out. All I knew was that I was on the verge of tears.

Just then, the station attendant handed me a photo. "You're friends with that couple who just left, right? The boy dropped this."

It was one of those magic photos everyone was crazy about lately, the kind where the people in it actually moved.

In the photo, Lucas and Emily were standing incredibly close together.

Emily was laughing as she reached for the candy in his hand, while Lucas turned sideways to keep it from her.

Their shoulders were practically touching.

My heart slowly sank.

Still, what Lucas had told me just yesterday echoed in my mind.

"Haven't you always wanted to try one of those new magic photos?

"I'll take you to get one tomorrow."