Chapter 2

I'd been so excited about taking that photo with Lucas.

I'd gotten up three hours early to do my makeup, and I'd tried on four different sets of dress robes.

I'd even practiced smiling in secret, trying to find a way to look natural in the picture.

But in the end, I wasn't the one who took that photo with Lucas.

The picture in my hand kept playing on a loop.

And there I stood outside the picture, like a hollow scarecrow.

The attendant leaned over to look at the photo, then glanced at me. "Those two really do make a cute couple."

A lump formed in my throat. I nodded awkwardly.

Lucas sent another text.

[Hurry up, Wendy. You're the last one. The whole class is here.]

Clutching my phone, I climbed onto my broom and flew to the party, my chest aching.

On the way, the wind dried my tears.

It wasn't until I walked into the banquet hall that I realized plenty of our classmates weren't even there yet.

Lucas and Emily were squeezed together in a corner, sharing a pair of earbuds as they listened to the same song.

"The Sweet Trio is officially all here!"

Someone spotted me as I walked in and called out to them.

That was when Lucas finally turned around and waved me over, as if nothing had happened.

"Wendy, hurry up and come here. You've gotta hear this song."

At the sound of his voice, I picked up my pace, afraid he'd get tired of waiting.

Someone behind me laughed and teased us.

"So now that you've graduated, the Sweet Trio's gonna split up, right?"

I was about to say yes, we were, but before I could, Lucas took my hand.

A second later, he took Emily's hand with his other one.

"Split up? No way. Wendy is slower than everyone else at casting even a simple spell, and she's so timid.

"Without me and Emily around, who's gonna take care of her?"

Emily's whole face lit up with a smile.

"Wendy's worked so hard to get into Aldridge with us, you know."

Lucas turned to look at me.

My heart heavy, I looked down to avoid meeting his eyes.

Aldridge wanted students with lightning-fast reflexes who could summon the elements in an instant to deal with monsters.

I'd wanted to stay with Lucas, so all I could do was practice like crazy.

Every day before dawn, I trained in an empty classroom, swinging my wand at training orbs that zipped all over the place.

I kept at it until my magic went haywire.

I even took a short-acting speed potion once, just to make my casting a little faster.

It cost me. I lost control of my magic and blacked out on the spot.

But all that effort only made my PTSD worse.

So in the end, I chose a potions academy after all.

My spellcasting was slow, but I was careful. That made me better at blending potions than most witches and wizards.

An advanced potion I'd brewed all on my own qualified me to apply to Starglow Academy of Potions.

But remembering everything I'd once done for Lucas made my chest feel heavy.

"Okay, so," someone said, slapping the table, "we've graduated now. Lucas, you've gotta tell us already.

"In your little Sweet Trio, who's actually with who?"

"You mean, who's the third wheel?"

Lucas froze for a second, then looked at me without thinking.

The next moment, the whole banquet hall burst out laughing.

"Isn't it obvious? Wendy's just part of the lovebirds' little game, right?"

"I told you guys ages ago, but you didn't believe me! A bet's a bet. Pay up!"

"Lucas, we called it, didn't we? So when did you confess to Emily? Come on, tell us everything!"

Without meaning to, I looked down.

The moment Lucas said it out loud, all the years I'd spent liking him would turn into a joke.