Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Luz traveled through the crowds of painfully slow shoppers and stalls containing various trinkets and antiques. She had impatiently waited for this the entire summer and it had finally arrived.

Every August a large market came to Connecticut. It had all kinds of items, ranging from clothes, food and even furniture at times. But in between the stuff people usually came for were the things Luz wanted. 

Books, gadgets, and in principle anything someone else disregarded or didn't want anymore. That meant that it wasn't too expensive either, which was only in Luz's favor. She kept them like treasures in her room, all of her finds were important in one way or another to her. 

Luz peeked inside her bag. Thus far she had only bought a few crystals and a stuffed animal for her little sister, and yet sundown was approaching at a rapid pace. When Eda took her last year Luz’s backpack was so full that by the end of the day her back was hurting from the weight. But unfortunately, her mentor had been sick for the past few days. She urged Luz to go without her anyway, so she did.

Luz sighed, wondering if she should go home. Goosebumps were starting to show on her skin from the wind that kept getting colder and her legs felt sore.

If her expectations hadn't been so high she would have been satisfied with the things she got but…

In the corner of her eye, she could see a booth dressed in purple at the very end of the rows of shops. The person was selling jewelry, seemingly both homemade and not. She noticed a particular item, calling for Luz.  

Her heart raced, and all the energy that had been drained throughout the uneventful day came back. She ran over to the lone stall, making the woman look up from her phone. She watched Luz with interest, her head leaning against her hand. 

The necklace was in a little purple box, tied with white lace. The round glass crescent moon was scratchless, to her joy. Luz could almost always tell if something was fake, learned from both her mentor and years in fandom communities. She knew that this was the real deal, no doubt about it in her mind.

Her day has gone from bad to insanely lucky, all thanks to an old discontinued necklace from her favorite book series.

In Luz's humble opinion, The Good Witch Azura books were the greatest thing humanity had ever created. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to agree with her (very correct) opinion. All forums had been abandoned for longer than she had even been alive for. Luz hadn’t honestly even met anyone else who had ever heard of the series before, and all her desperate attempts at getting her friends to read more than one page were always swiftly shut down. 

If it was difficult for the teen to obtain the whole book series then it might as well have been impossible to obtain actual merchandise. Up until now, Luz had resorted to making the things she wanted herself. It had worked well enough, but the desire to own something real never disappeared.

She had seen the necklace a few times on eBay before, but like the other discontinued pieces, it was always out of her price range. Luz realized then that the jewelry in front of her would probably cost more money than she had brought with her.

Bargaining was definitely not her strong suit. But that didn't mean that Luz couldn't at least try, right?

“How much for the Hecate necklace? She asked, her voice surprisingly calmer than she felt.

The older woman examined her up and down, startled by her question.  

“You know what this is?” 

Luz nodded. Part of her was desperate to chat with someone who knew what the hell she was talking about but she restrained herself from doing so. She was on a mission for that necklace after all. 

“It's yours, take it.” The woman slid the box towards Luz.

Luz's eyes darted between her and the box. She had been prepared to argue about the price, even plead but not that she would be given it for free. 

“…Seriously?” Luz stared at her, stunned.

The woman's gaze shifted away from Luz. Her eyes were unfocused, her mind somewhere that Luz couldn't reach. Then she turned towards the younger girl again with a slight smile that was visible on her face.

“I won't read it so it’ll just gather dust with me and I'd rather give it to someone who’ll appreciate it than a stranger with no clue. Just promise that you'll take good care of it, alright?”

Luz couldn't pinpoint why, but her words sounded heavy. Not sadness exactly, but something similar.

Still, she nodded frantically repeating the same thank yous to the woman over and over again until the word sounded unnatural to say. 

The woman had said that it was free, but Luz still felt pangs of guilt for merely taking such a rare collector's item. In the corner of the booth, there was a selection of homemade bracelets with colors in various shades. They were quite beautiful, and clearly created with love and dedication. 

They weren't terribly expensive either, 5 dollars per piece. She chose to buy a gold-colored bracelet and handed the woman her payment. In return, the woman smiled again and thanked Luz. 

And that was that. Their short but sweet conversation ended abruptly with a quick goodbye, and they proceeded to go back to their own separate lives.

When Luz had heard that the woman wasn't a fan like she was the brunette did feel let down, but she didn't allow herself to get overly sad about it. The lady had no reason to do what she did, and yet the box was in her hands. Her gratitude was stronger than her temporary disappointment after all.

Luz decided to get back home since she was now carrying precious cargo. She knew very well that thieves thrived in places like this and she was not willing to give the universe a chance to change it’s mind.

The whole way back her cheeks were hurting from smiling uncontrollably and strangers watched her with furrowed eyebrows but Luz didn't- couldn't get herself to care.

Maybe it was her optimism or naivety but the approaching school year didn't sound as bad anymore. How could it with a start like this? 

Chapter Text

Despite it being super early it was still hot enough for T-shirts and shorts. The sisters hadn't really talked since their mom had taken pictures of them for their respective first days back in school. Vee had been extra quiet this morning, so Luz had decided to wait until her younger sister felt like speaking.  

”I could have walked to school by myself. You didn’t have to wake up extra early for me.” Vee said softly, her eyes plastered to the dirt road. 

“And miss walking to school with my favorite little sister? Not a chance!”

Vee's anxiety had improved tremendously over the years, with the help of her therapist. But with changes to her usual routine, it tended to get worse. 

Her heightened anxiety gave Luz a glimpse back into the past.

One summer evening when Luz was 10 Vee arrived and from that point on she became a permanent piece of the Noceda household. Her mom was vague with the fine details, but she had explained to Luz that Vee was a distant cousin who needed a place to stay. Despite the fact that Luz hadn't even heard of this mystery cousin before it was apparent that Vee had gone through something terrible.  

The younger girl was so scared and barely peeped a word, always wanting to be invisible. It took a long time before trust could be formed between them, but Luz would do it all over again if she needed to. Vee wasn't just a person existing in her house, but someone she was proud to call a sibling. Blood related or not. 

Vee clutched her backpack straps tight enough to make her hands shake. Her wary eyes looked up at Luz’s.

“But..” 

“I promise. Even if I didn't I'm meeting up with my friends a bit earlier, remember?”

She nodded, recalling their conversation from the night before. 

“How’s Masha been by the way?” Luz asked. 

Vee perked up at the mention of her friend. Her grip on the backpack straps loosened and her shoulders relaxed. Luz knew that words alone couldn't convince Vee’s mind that she was not (and never would be) annoyed by her, but at the very least Luz could try to distract her into thinking about something else. 

Luz was happy that her sister had such good friends, especially Masha. When Vee recalled what they did on a sleepover or told Luz a funny joke one of them had said she always had a smile on her face.

A few minutes later they were standing in front of Vee’s middle school. 

“Don't be afraid to call me, okay?”

Luz said before saying goodbye. She wasn't worried anymore, Vee didn't look as if she was about to have a panic attack or anything. However, she would rather not leave anything unsaid. 

“I'll be okay. Have a good day- oh and say hi to Gus from me!” 

Vee disappeared into the building, whilst Luz remained outside. She had more than enough time but picked up her pace anyway. 
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Luz felt a buzz inside her pocket. Unsurprisingly It was a message from their group chat. Luz sent a quick reply to Willow asking when everyone would arrive and put her phone back in it’s place.

Over their summer break they had barely been able to hang out together as a group. Someone was always traveling or busy for whatever reason. Luz was looking forward to having similar schedules as her friends. She really missed seeing everyone on a daily basis. 

Luz wasn't able to finish the song playing in her headphones before arriving at her destination. Last year the school looked so daunting. She felt less like a person and more like an ant standing next to it, now it looked painfully ordinary. 

“You got this, it'll be fine.” She muttered to herself before walking towards the large doors.

The school was still fairly empty, you could walk through the halls without being trampled or shoved to the side.

Luz couldn't recognize most students that were already there. She guessed that the majority were freshmen who had been too nervous about arriving late that they arrived too early instead. She faintly remembered her first day last year. She had practiced conversations in front of the mirror for hours just so that she wouldn't be the weird girl at school. In the end, all of that worrying was unnecessary. She's got her friends to thank for that. 

Speaking of friends…

A younger boy tackled her into a hug, resulting in both of them falling to the floor. Luz opened her eyes and beamed at the boy and the two others who were standing in front of her. 

“It’s been too long!” Gus exclaimed. His voice sounded somewhat deeper than the last time they spoke, but Luz might have been imagining it. 

“I missed you guys too!” She said in a high-pitched squeal.

Luz stood up and gave Willow a tight squeeze, her familiar floral perfume engulfing her. 

She left Willow’s embrace and saw her fully for the first time in weeks. Willow had explained before that her summer breaks usually consisted of her dads's cabin in the countryside. Willow’s skin was tanner, likely due to the time she spent in their cabin's garden. Luz had seen the pictures Willow had sent, the girl did certainly not play around when it came to plants. 

Hunter was standing behind Willow, smiling. They shared a half-hug before Hunter pulled himself away. When they first started hanging out Luz thought that Hunter simply didn’t like her that much because of his off-standish demeanor, but now she had learned that was not the case. Luz felt quite touched that she was one of the people that he felt comfortable around.

“Did you bring it?” Hunter asked Luz.

“Oh yeah, show us!” Willow added.

Luz’s hand reached to take out the necklace that was partially hidden underneath her shirt.

Okay, maybe it was a disaster waiting to happen to carry one of her most cherished possessions around the hellscape which is a public school, but Luz couldn't help it! It deserved to be worn, not hidden away in a drawer. 

“It's so pretty, How did you get it for free?”

Gus stared into the reflective crescent moon. Out of all her friends, he was usually the most enthusiastic. Asking questions and generally taking a deeper interest than most. Not that Hunter and Willow didn't care, he just shared similar hobbies to hers.

Before Luz could begin the bell rang loudly, snapping them all back into reality. Just a few minutes ago the hallway was dead, now it was packed with students who were being ushered into their respective classrooms by tired teachers.

Last year they had been lucky to share most of their classes together, but such fortune was not extended to the next year.

The group was split into pairs and they had to say goodbye to Willow and Hunter. When Luz was alone with Gus she had intended to answer his question but found herself unable to think of a good answer. Luckily, Gus had already begun talking about something else so Luz chose to ignore it. 

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Luz walked slowly on an empty street, practically dragging her backpack on the ground.

It had only been a few measly hours and she was already counting down the days until their next holiday.

Luz had forgotten how dull school really was. The stupid teacher kept dragging out his words like he was just waiting for her to die of boredom, and she couldn't even complain about it since everyone else looked fine. 

Luz had planned on going home directly but “accidentally” walked to a familiar pawnshop. If anyone would know how she felt, it would be Eda. 

The older woman was hunched over on a table, sorting through a stack of old CDs. She looked up when Luz opened the door, her shiny gold tooth showing through her smile.

“Hey kiddo, I didn't expect to see you today-” 

Luz put her head down on the checkout counter with a loud sigh. She hoped that Eda could somehow know what was wrong without having to use words. unfortunately, Eda had not learned telepathy yet.

“…I'll get you something to drink, okay?” She put her work to the side and went into the break room, leaving Luz alone in the storefront. Well, almost alone. 

She felt something (or rather someone) near her ankles, his fur brushing against her skin. 

King looked drowsy, but happy to see her. Luz realized that she had accidentally awoken King from one his beloved naps. As Luz was not a monster she went down to pet him. King looked up at her with the amount of cuteness only a dog could possess, making her heart melt. 

Luz only worked at Eda’s store on weekends, but she would happily go every day if she could. The shop was small, but filled with life. Luz talked to people she would ordinarily never know otherwise, learned about history and there was always something new to see. 

But the absolute best part of it all? Meeting Eda Clawthorne. 

Luz loved her Mamá more than anything, and nobody could ever come close to replacing her. That being said, Luz could express herself more freely than she could at home. Nobody wants to share absolutely everything about their lives with their parents, so it was nice to be able to talk to somebody else.

Eda was exactly the type of person Luz wanted to become. She was so self-assured and never let society dictate how she should live her life. Not once had Eda made her feel too weird to be around since the older woman was also considered to be odd. 

Eda came back and placed two glasses of apple juice on the table, then she looked expectantly at Luz.

“Well- It's just…I like learning. I should like school but..” 

“I don't know. It's looks so easy for everyone else, why is it hard for me?” 

Eda nodded along, and waited until Luz finished talking.

“Places like schools are built with one specific audience in mind, and that leaves the rest to fend for themselves. There's nothing wrong with you, the system is just the worst.” Eda began, 

“but it won't last forever. Look at me, I dropped out and I turned out alright!…Don't tell Camilla that I said that.” She added as an afterthought. 

A chuckle escaped from Luz. After all this time Eda was still nervous about her mom. Luz truly didn't know why, her mom adored Eda.

“What I'm getting at is that you're a smart kid Luz, and school is only one small part of your life. You'll get through this, I know it.” 

Luz searched Eda’s face for any indication that she was lying but found nothing. Maybe If Eda believed in Luz then she could do the same for herself. At least try to. 

“Thanks, Eda.”

She ruffled the girl's dark hair and went back to organize the CDS. Luz moved to stand beside her and began helping, despite not being asked to. 

Chapter Text

Luz shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Most of her classmates had already left for lunch except for a straggler talking to Mr. Hermon. Luz’s stomach growled in protest, but she couldn't leave just yet. 

Luz was 99% sure that she hadn't done anything bad enough for a one-on-one talk with her teacher. Not anything she was aware of anyway. 

The teacher closed the door after the last student left, causing a deafening silence in the room. Mr. Hermon turned towards Luz, the intense eye contact giving her the urge to look away.

“I wanted to chat with you about your latest essay.”

He took out a piece of paper and placed it in front of her. Written in red was her grade, a C-. 

Luz blinked a few times. Maybe it was a trick of the lights? She had spent the past week researching this topic, so the mediocre grade felt like she'd been slapped. 

“It’s like you don’t understand the questions so you come up with answers that has nothing to do with the subject at hand! Do you see where I’m getting at?” 

Luz sunk into her seat. Her answers made perfect sense to her…but then again, she was not a teacher with a degree. Mr. Hermon sighed loudly and took back the paper. 

“If your topic were about the correct subject manner then you would have gotten a very high grade. You are very articulate so I don't believe you are doing this out of laziness.” He continued, 

“That's why I won't give you a failing grade for this assignment. However, if this happens again I'll have no choice.” 

Luz straightened her back. Hundreds of different scenarios ran through her head, but none ended well for her. 

He listed a few different options for her, but none were very helpful. All of his suggestions boiled down to reading the questions more thoroughly, like she wasn't already doing that.

Luz mumbled a thank you and walked the hallway to the cafeteria. It had only been a few weeks since school started, how did she screw up this badly? Visions of her mom seeing an F on her assignments intruded her mind, like a leech that wouldn't pull away. She needed to fix this before that would happen. 

How exactly she planned on doing this was still a work in progress. Maybe consulting the internet would work? That has never ended badly for anyone! 

Luz spotted her friends eating at one of the group tables, and their lunchboxes were already half empty. Willow smiled warmly at her and patted the seat next to hers. 

Lunch, 45 minutes of their day where they could all catch up without interruptions. It was an unspoken rule of theirs that everyone would get a chance to say (or complain) about something currently happening in their lives whilst everyone else listened. 

So, she congratulated Hunter when he told them that he had gotten praise for his essay about wolves, sympathized with Gus when he complained about an older teacher who treated him like a child, and listened to Willow’s stressful morning.

Luz had distracted herself so well from her own problems that she had completely forgotten that she was also expected to talk. 

“Just the usual. Art, writing, anime.” Luz picked at the remains of her wilting salad. 

Gus squinted his eyes and hummed, unimpressed. 

“Uh-huh. Nothing at all. Weren't you late today? You never told us about that.” 

Luz raised her hands, admitting defeat. It wasn't really a secret, but the whole mess made her cheeks glow red. 

“I'm kind of failing history? Unless I figure out a way to study better, I guess.” Luz told them as nonchalantly as she could, but it wasn’t enough to look convincing. 

Willow brought one hand to her shoulder and squeezed slightly, almost as if to say: ‘It’s gonna be alright’. Luz unknowingly leaned into Willow’s touch.

“I had him last year, he's absolutely incompetent at teaching. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if half of your class weren’t in the same shoes as you.” Hunter stated and Gus nodded along aggressively in agreement. 

“He's right, don't beat yourself up over it! You just had bad luck, that's all.” 

Her friend's encouragement made her heart feel a little lighter. But the truth is that Luz was still failing, and no amount of justification could undo that. 

All hope was definitely not lost yet though. Now that Luz knew that two of her friends had survived the course It meant that she might get some actual good advice. 

She asked the boys and in return, they bombarded her with every tip they could come up with.

What stood out to her the most was the mention of a library. Luz didn't know their school had one, and she had certainly never seen it before. Willow and Gus looked equally as confused until Hunter explained. 

“It's old and doesn't get enough funding from the school…at at least that's what the librarian complained about. That's why most people don't know it exists, so it's perfect if you wanna study somewhere quiet. I went a few times last year.” 

The countless times she had attempted to study at home hadn't gone so well. There was always something more interesting to do or someone to talk to. But maybe if she was somewhere else and far away from all distractions it would be a different story.

Luz felt a surge of newfound motivation and thanked them by gifting half of her sour candy. 
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She ended up having to ask the school's receptionist for directions. It was closer by than she thought it was, hidden away in a hallway that the teachers primarily used. 

The door looked like any other, except for the small scratched-out label with “library” written In the corner. Luz turned the knob and saw a woman hunched over a desk typing away on a stationary computer made before Luz was born. 

Books, loose papers, and stained coffee mugs were placed in separate piles on her tiny desk, creating the illusion of a neat environment. The librarian either didn't notice that Luz had walked in or was just simply not bothered enough to say anything. 

Luz fidgeted with her hands, still by the door. Standing there was like intruding in on a stranger's house. She began to reach for the doorknob, abandoning the mission. 

She reached for her mug and jumped when she saw Luz. The librarian recovered quickly, cleared her throat, and adjusted her glasses. 

”My apologies, I didn’t see you there. Are you looking for a book?” 

Luz introduced herself and explained that she was just looking for a place to study. The woman looked slightly disappointed by her response but didn’t comment on it further. She showed Luz a secluded part of the the library where the work desks were. The air was stale and the library looked dusty. Hunter had been right, nobody was there and hadn't been for a while. 

“I’ll be working on my computer close by. Just so that you are aware I’m not always here as I have other tasks as well. But don't let that stop you from studying here.”

“Thank you miss…?” 

“You may call me Lilith. I'm not too keen on using last names.” 

Miss Lilith walked back, leaving Luz by herself. Luz took out her notes and books from her backpack and sat down. 

- 

Luz glanced down at her phone. It had only been 3 minutes since she previously checked the time. 

Okay, studying wasn’t going too well. 45 minutes later she had only just finished going over the first few pages of her notes. It made Luz want to toss the notebook out of the nearest window.

Luz didn't understand why, she had removed all possible distractions yet no progress was being made. 

Should she just go home? No, It didn't feel right to give up so easily. Not only that, but the library had a certain feel to it. There was something about the quiet- or calm that made her want to stay. 

Luz could faintly hear something, or rather someone flipping pages in a book. It couldn't have been Miss Lilith as she hadn't come back since leaving Luz there. 

Luz stood up and pushed her things to the side. She wasn't getting anywhere with this anyway.

Luz peeked through one of the open spaces on a bookcase, careful to not make a sound. 

It was a girl. She was sitting on the wooden floor with her legs close to her chest and her face mere centimeters away from her book. Luz couldn't see anything as her face was concealed by dyed blonde hair and brown roots.

Curiosity made Luz lean over more, leading to a book being pushed off the ledge and falling with a loud thud. Luz’s heart stopped. 

The girl's attention shifted quickly from her own reading to the fallen book, and at last to the source of the noise.

Their eyes met. The girl just stared at Luz for a few long seconds, dazed until the fog gradually disappeared from her eyes. 

Her lips parted but no words came out, so Luz decided to take this moment to apologize. 

“I'm sorry for being a total creep, I was just surprised to see anyone here. I thought that I was alone.” She laughed nervously and placed both her hands in her hoodie’s pocket.

The girl still said nothing and the room somehow became more quiet than before. Luz switched tactics and left the hiding spot to properly greet her.

“I'm Luz Noceda! And you are..?” 

She examined the stretched-out hand like Luz was hiding a knife somewhere. Surprisingly the girl accepted her handshake, albeit with extreme caution.

Luz almost flinched away when their hands touched. Her hand was freezing cold. Luz resisted the urge to shudder when she let go.

“My name is Amity.”

Amity. The name didn't ring a bell, a freshman perhaps? Luz glanced over to a pile of books on the floor beside her. It was mostly educational which Luz had no interest in, but amongst the pile was one book she could recognize from anywhere. 

Amity had begun asking a question, but Luz couldn’t wait a second longer and sat down next to her.

“You like The Good Witch Azura too?!” 

Amity looked stunned like this was the last thing she ever anticipated Luz to say. The blonde nodded, and Luz's smile widened. Luz had so much she wanted to talk about! What book was Amity's favorite? Did she like the B-plot in book 3? Was Azura also her favorite character- 

It seemed like Luz had been incredibly loud in the short time she’d met Amity because Miss Lilith was now standing in front of them. Her arms were crossed and she wore a frown, effectively shutting Luz up. 

“Luz, if you want to stay in the library you have to be quiet. Some people- well, I need to work.” 

Her eyes were only on Luz, never once at Amity. It was a little odd, but to be fair she was the one being loud. Luz nodded and apologized earnestly. The librarian's gaze softened and her grimace faded away.  

“It’s alright. If you need to make another call you can just step outside for a moment, okay?” 

A sudden look of confusion crossed Luz’s face. Surely she wasn't just ignoring the other student in the room? Miss Lilith must not have noticed Luz’s confusion because she left once again. The brunette turned to look at Amity who was fiddling with her skirt. 

“That was kind of rude. Does she always do that?” 

Amity's avoided Luz's eyes. She was confused herself but for vastly different reasons.

“I thought you knew.”

“Knew what?” Luz repeated. 

 
Amity hesitated for a moment, then spoke again.  

“I'm a ghost.” 

…

Luz processed the information and then laughed, hard. It was just so random, especially since Luz didn't take her for the type who jokes that way. But when Luz looked at Amity there was no trace of a smile. 

“Come on, what's the real reason?” Luz said, still smiling. She might just be bad at making jokes. 

“I'm serious.” 

Luz frowned, getting tired of this back-and-forth. Did Amity really think she was stupid? “Right. Why don't you prove it then?” 

Amity stood up, agitated. Then, she walked through a bookshelf without looking away from Luz once.

Luz blinked. And then blinked again.  

She looked at Amity, then back at the bookshelf, then back at Amity again. The world spun and her body felt a hundred times hotter than before. 

Amity noticed the change and took a step towards Luz. She didn't give Amity a chance to walk any closer though. 

Luz ran, only stopping when she could no longer see the school behind her. She stood still, taking deep breaths until her heart settled down. But just when Luz thought it was all over a wave of nausea overtook her, and she hurled into a bush.

Chapter Text

Luz swirled the stew in a continuous, slow motion with her spoon. Last time Luz had it she ate two portions, but today she couldn’t bring herself to take one bite. 

The hours between running home to sitting down with her family for dinner passed in a blur. Vee and her mom's voices were far, far away when her mind was so preoccupied with questions and the persistent image of that girl. 

Had Luz really seen a ghost today or was it all an elaborate prank? Or maybe it was just a huge misunderstanding? Or maybe she was jUST GOING CRAZY AND- 

“Mija, how was school today?” Her mom smiled warmly, but Luz caught a glint of concern in her eyes. 

Luz stuttered until she came up with something cohesive enough to say. 

“Well- It’s uh, good I guess? That's at least what my teachers said.” 

Luz wanted to become invisible when she saw how her mom's eyes sparkled. She could have said literally anything else, yet she chose to say the one thing that was false. 

“How exciting! I'm glad the school year is going so well for you two.” 

Vee smiled half-heartedly and changed the topic, much to Luz’s relief.  

She began picking at the stew again, but made an effort to at the very least listen to them talk. 

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The TV played quietly in the background as Luz brushed her teeth. The thoughts she tried so hard to forget earlier took advantage of the fact that she was alone and tired. 

How did she not realize that anything was wrong? It was painfully obvious now that she was staring at her own reflection. 

There wasn't a loose strand of hair nor a speck of dirt on Amity's clothes, even though she had been sitting on the dusty floor with even dustier books. It was like the girl was frozen in time, unchanging no matter the circumstances. 

Luz felt a chill go down her spine. Being a ghost meant that she was- 

“Hey.” 

Her heart stopped racing when she saw that it was just Vee. Luz spat the toothpaste out. 

“Hey, do you need to use the bathroom?” 

The younger girl shook her head and fidgeted with her hands. 

“Is everything like, cool with you?” 

“Yeah- Totally! Just getting ready for bed and…all that fun stuff.” 

She couldn't tell anyone about what happened, not even Vee. If Luz was the only person who could see ghosts, then she would just look bananas! 

Vee’s eyebrows were furrowed, but she didn't push the subject matter any further. 

“If you say so. You can talk to me if anything is wrong though. Goodnight.” 

Luz’s smile fell when Vee walked away. This could not continue. 

Reason number one was that all of her stuff was still lying there, as she did not remember to take it back when she was running in terror. 

But more importantly, to save any amount of sanity that still remained. Pretending everything was perfectly normal hadn't exactly worked well so far. 

And anyhow, Amity didn’t seem like an evil ghost. All of Luz’s horror movie knowledge said that she was safe to go back.

…

Probably. 
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Luz dragged herself through the day with each class feeling longer than the last. But as soon as she stood in front of the door it felt too sudden. 

Luz went inside slowly, like a hungry wolf was waiting for her on the other side.

Miss Lilith’s desk was empty and the computer screen was pitch black. The sight was both soothing and nerve-racking.  

Luz went back to the spot where she had first met Amity, but was met with nothing. Actually, the whole library seemed deathly silent. No shuffling feet or even a book page turned. 

So maybe it was all a prank in the end! Luz would have been fuming, had she not been so done with it all. 

Luz spotted the discarded schoolbag and went to get it. But as Luz collected her notebooks she felt a finger poking her shoulder.

“I didn't think you'd come back after that dramatic exit.” 

Luz spun around, face to face Amity again. Anything that was planned to be said earlier had been completely forgotten because she only had one thing on her mind. 

“You're a ghost.”

Amity nodded, giving Luz the courage to continue questioning. 

“Who are you?”

”…I don’t know.” 

“How can you not know that??” 

”I don’t know Luz.”

So much for figuring stuff out. Luz tried again, asking her what she did know. 

“I’ve been here since…forever I guess. I don’t remember much of anything really. Nobody has been able to see me. Well, until you came along.” 

Amity had kept the same level of eye contact with Luz, until then. The last part intrigued her, as it brought up a very important question. 

“How can I even see you?”

The ghost scoffed like this was the most stupid thing she'd ever heard before. 

“How would I know that when I can't even remember my last name?” 

Luz's cheeks grew red in embarrassment. Teenagers don't get less snarky, even when they're dead.

“I don't know if you've realized but this isn't exactly an everyday thing for me either! I just went here to not fail my stupid class…” Luz defended herself. 

Amity opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself. Instead, she made a hand motion for Luz to follow after her. 

The blonde stopped in front of a bookshelf. Amity took out a thick book, and yet the bookshelf remained unchanged. She had somehow turned one book into two. Just one more mystery to add to the growing collection. 

Amity skimmed through the contents lightning-quick, then closed the book with a slam. 

“My first guess was that you were a psychic, but your reaction to me was enough to discredit my theory.” 

Luz didn't argue. She hadn't experienced anything paranormal until now. Well, maybe except for the 3 AM YouTube challenges she used to watch as a kid.

“Then do you know what's going on?”

“No,” Amity answered truthfully. 

…

……

Amity peeked inside the book again like there would be a secret chapter that she couldn’t seeit earlier.

Luz noticed that she had begun fidgeting with her necklace. After wearing the thing outside once it became a crucial part of her routine. Luz sometimes worried herself sick that it would break but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to take it off.

Luz was so lost in the repetitive motion that she didn't see how Amity's eyes widened when she saw the moon charm. 

The book fell with a loud thud, but Amity didn’t even spare a glance down. Luz let go of the jewelry, now solely focused on the girl in front of her. 

Luz attempted to say something, but she might as well been speaking to a wall. Amity was staring so intensely at it, and her legs shook so violently that she could no longer stand. 

Luz sat down next to her. Amity's breathing quickened at a rapid rate, with no signs of slowing down. 

Luz felt frozen at first, unable to think until a useful memory came back to her. 

She remembered what her mom used to do when she and Vee had a panic attack. Luz spoke in a gentle tone, encouraging Amity to copy her breathing. Slow…and controlled. 

The room was quieter a few minutes later. Amity looked normal again, like it never even happened. 

”I-…i remember. That necklace was mine, I bought it at a book fair.” 

Amity held a hand close to her chest as if she could feel the necklace that had once belonged to her.

“Before, I couldn't remember why those books were so important but now I do.”

Luz expected her to explain further but was met with disappointment. She inspected the necklace again and decided to experiment. 

Luz carefully took it off and placed it on the table. The brunette flinched when the image of Amity disappeared in a second.

Luz could almost believe that she'd conjured up the ghost in a daydream. But the moment Luz wrapped the jewelry around her neck she became visible again.

“I think that this is the reason I can see you! Sentimental value, I should have guessed.” 

Amity nodded in agreement. She chose her next words very carefully.

“Before today, I couldn't remember a single thing about myself until you came along. As lame as it sounds, I think you're the only one who can help me get my memories back.” 

“Wait- what?” 

Amity anxiously glanced at the door and moved to stand In front of Luz. Seeing her like that made Luz realize how tired she must have been. Just how long had she been here, aimlessly wandering around? 

“I wouldn't ask you for a favor, I can help you too.” She continued,

“I'm good at studying, like strangely good. If you help me with this then I'll make sure you never fail a single class…Deal?” 

The offer was absurd but also tempting. Not only to solve her current school issues but also because of Amity herself.

Luz could clearly never go back to what her life used to be like now that she knew that ghosts were REAL. Luz’s yearning to learn more and maybe witness something that she’d only seen in her imagination proved to be impossible to ignore. 

“You have a deal.” 

Chapter Text

Luz suppressed a yawn from leaving her mouth. The only customer who had shown up was an elderly man who needed directions to the nearest pharmacy, and that had been 2 hours ago. 

Some days she’d hear the door open continuously, but sometimes it was like this. The afternoon had been quiet enough that Eda felt okay about leaving Luz in charge whilst she took care of something, taking King for a walk with her. 

She looked up at the antique clock hanging on the wall. 30 minutes had gone by, and her mentor would most likely be back soon. But In the meantime…

Luz opened her phone to look at her notes app. It looked the same as when she made them after leaving the library on Friday.

What does Amity remember??

- Name 

- GWA Book series 

- Studying (?)

- ??????

After Luz agreed to help she’d asked what the blonde even expected her to do. Amity’s response wasn’t exactly insightful.

“Find out important stuff and show it to me. It worked with the necklace didn't it?”

With a twinge of exasperation, Luz asked why Amity couldn’t just do it herself if it was that simple (which she really ought to have asked earlier.) To her, it looked like Amity could do most things normally enough.

That was when Amity quietly revealed that she physically couldn't leave the library. Every time that she had attempted to leave it always ended with the sensation of scorching, unbearable pain. Luz’s annoyance evaporated after that. 

Luz must have spent 2 hours that very same day searching every combination of words that could have had anything to do with Amity, but nothing came from it. Not even a single mention of a student's death in Gravesfield High. 

Luz didn't want to return empty-handed on Monday, so she'd have to keep searching. 

Her only lead right now was the woman who gave her the necklace, but Luz never even got her name nor did she know how to find her again. Even so, she typed it down. 

Leads:

Mystery Lady who gave me the necklace. Who was she? And what’s the connection to Amity???

Luz put her phone back in it’s place when she saw two familiar people outside from the window. King ran inside when the door opened to play with his favorite dog toy, ignoring everyone else in favor of Francois (as Eda affectionately named it.) 

“I didn’t know you went to see them, Eda!”

Raine smiled warmly at her, unable to see how red Eda’s face had become behind them. “Hello Luz, it’s been a while.” 

Eda snapped out of it. “Hey! I just so happened to walk by their music studio. Accidentally.” 

“Right. Accidentally.” Raine smirked, and Eda gave them a playful push on the shoulder. 

“How’s the concert going?” Luz asked, whilst subconsciously leaning away from her chair.

Luz had met Raine for the first time not too long ago, but on that day they were simply a stranger who returned a pretty guitar to Eda. Afterward, her mentor explained who the musician was. Or more accurately, what they used to be to Eda. 

Since then she had learned various things about them through sporadic conversations. Like how Raine owns and teaches at music studio. Or that Eda and Raine went to high school together. 

“It’s going well! The kids are very nervous but so excited. It’ll be a first-time thing for many of them.” 

”Are you planning to play anything this time?” Luz asked.

Raine rubbed the back of their neck and laughed nervously. Eda jumped back into the conversation. 

”Nah, Rainestorm isn’t really a performer anymore. Not with that stage fright at least~” She teased and swung an arm around their shoulder. 

“You’re one to talk!” They pointed out, grinning.

Sometimes Luz has the strong urge to take a picture and force them to really look at each other through her eyes.

The brunette opened her phone again and saw that her shift had ended 5 minutes ago. Normally she’d help to clean up the store afterward, but Eda insisted that she’d done more than enough by working alone for a while. 

Luz said her goodbyes and immediately headed in the opposite direction towards Willow’s house. 

.

.

.

Luz passed the volleyball to Willow and then watched as she hit the ball hard onto the pavement. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness a while ago, so she could see Willow’s frown. 

”Do you think my form was off? ” 

Luz went and picked up the ball. She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. 

“It seemed fine to me. You are way overthinking this.” 

Last year they tried out for the volleyball team together, but only one of them qualified in the end. Luz didn’t really mind, she only went because of how nervous Willow was to be alone. That quickly changed after only a single week on the team. 

“I know, I know. It’s just that the school year team pictures are so soon and I want to earn my place in that room, you know? There's just so many talented people on the team and I’m..”

Luz quickly placed a hand on her friend’s mouth.

”No more talking down on yourself Willow! Didn't your captain say that you were one of the best?” 

She looked embarrassed for a moment but conceded.

“She did say that. Why am I stressing so much over this??” She complained. 

The question suggested that she was asking herself. Willow apologized for making Luz practice with her, but she shrugged it off. She has never wanted to be someplace else when they hung out, including now.

Willow tossed the ball back into the storage wrap, and then they went back inside together. 

Willows dad’s were working late so it was just the two girls in the house. Willow went to grab two cups of water whilst Luz grumbled about having shoes with laces on. Luz stopped, recalling what her bestfriend said earlier.

School year pictures.

Her mom would always pay for copies of the images, even after they both insisted that it was highly unnecessary. It didn’t matter if it was a bad hair day or a visual representation of an embarrassing phase, her mom still kept them in a fancy photo album like treasure. And her infectious smile overshadowed their temporary embarrassment enough to allow it. 

Although, It was quite fun to look back at her younger self every once in a while. 

‘Look back?’

The words were stuck in her mind like glue. She repeated them like a mantra, until it made sense. 

Look back…

Did Amity have picture day photos?

.

.

.

With a heave, Luz placed the tall stack of books on the table. Amity looked at her with furrowed brows. 

“I thought we were gonna study today?”

They had decided earlier to meet up for a study session atleast once a week, but Luz’s heart was already set.

“We will, but this is so much more exciting.”

She had gone to the receptionist's desk and asked to look through all their older yearbooks. The woman reluctantly handed them to Luz after she lied that it was for a school project, but not without a continuous string of warnings of what would happen if they did not return in the most pristine condition. 

She hadn't bothered to take the previous 5 years with her as it would be highly unlikely that Luz wouldn't have already been aware of it if she died at that time, but even so it would take a while to look through everything. 

Amity’s hand immediately reached for a book after the explanation, so Luz copied her.

She flipped through page after page, book after book. Luz had to scratch her eyes to stop seeing blurry faces. The background chatter outside had eventually stopped and the sky color went down a shade of blue.

Luz looked up at Amity occasionally. She was leaning slightly forward and using her finger to look through each individual face. If Amity was human Luz would surely be able to hear her heart race.

But even as they saw the picture's quality decrease and the fashion change they did not find a face like Amity’s. All the way back to the early nineties, and nothing to show for it.

Luz tried to apologize, but Amity shaked her head. 

“We shouldn’t have gotten our hopes up so early on. It’s okay, really.” Amity said in a quiet voice. 

She gave the useless books one last glance before turning over to Luz. 

“I still need to fulfill my end of the bargain. Shall we get started?” 

Luz agreed, but after a few minutes she began to doubt that this “help” would be of any use to her at all. It was the same as Mr. Hermon’s lessons with the only difference being that a smart ghost was the one teaching.

After studying Luz with her gold eyes, she questioned if reading was difficult. Being forced to admit this to teachers made Luz want to turn invisible, so she’d avoided telling her about it. But the girl simply nodded thoughtfully along, and put the textbook to the side. 

Suddenly, Amity spoke in a language that Luz could understand. They actually talked about the questions instead of just reading the answers. Luz was somehow actually enjoying discussing the things she detested reading about.

In one afternoon Biology became a little easier. 

“How did you do that? How did you make it so…easy?” She asked, astonished. 

Amity looked caught off guard by the question. She scratched the back of her neck. “It just seemed right.” 

Luz rested her head against the table, relishing in last bit of sunshine from the window before it disappeared for the day. 

“Why did you decide to help me Luz?” 

She could say that it was because of the deal, but that simply wasn’t true. Even without Amity’s support she’d find a way to survive, albeit not exactly thriving whilst doing so. 

“Because I wanted to.”

Amity’s gazed out the window. “I see.”

.

.

.

Her arms ached after she’d handed back the borrowed items to the receptionist. The woman analyzed them, one by one. 

“Good, it all came back in one piece. Unless you’ve got something to hide?” 

Luz shaked her head, annoyed. Didn’t she have eyes? 

Nonetheless, the receptionist seemed satisfied enough to stop looking for clues of misconduct. 

The woman went to place the books back on a shelf behind her. “Did you find what you needed?” 

Luz sighed. “No, I didn’t.” 

“You know, the local library has some of the oldest yearbooks from different places around the area, including this one since Gravesfield High has been around for a long time. They might have what your looking for.” 


…Huh?

Chapter Text

Slowly, the leaves began to turn different hues of orange, red, and yellow. Finally, fake fall was over and the real one would begin. 

Luz had dragged herself out of the warm bed and into the cold outdoors to do some INTENSE detective work…that was going to the library. The initial drowsiness had worn off and been replaced by an electrifying feeling. 

It didn't work out last time, but it hadn't been for absolutely nothing! The secretary she originally disliked had given her that hope. 

Thankfully the only people inside were old people and a few children that had been dragged there to do something besides playing on their iPads. Regretfully, she passed by all the interesting sections (but made a mental note to check out the brand-new novel of an author she liked.) 

The non-fiction area had three different rows, but thanks to the alphabetized system the thing she needed was relatively easy to catch.

She came to a halt at the recognizable yellow Gravesfield High photo albums. Bingo. Thankfully Luz had already read through most of them so only a small chunk remained. The second her headphones came on she was in the zone.

So much so that she needed to flip back a page to see that she’d almost missed her. 

It was almost exactly the same as now, maybe a little more blurry. Unlike most of the people in the photo, there was no smile on her face. Not in the “I'm too cool for this” way, more so that she didn't look ready. The eyebags explained it.

There was a faded date on the side of the spine. Her hand stopped moving when she read it.

Shit. That's not good.

Luz opened the one from a year before and there she was again, but as a freshman. Amity wore a nervous smile and stood as tall as she could for the photo. Quite the difference.

Three of the books stood side by side. The first year, the second, and the third. There was no sign of a teenage girl with dyed hair and tired eyes in the third book. 

A pit was forming in Luz's stomach. Everything was becoming more and more real in a way she didn't like. At first, it felt like a fun game or book plot or something but seeing this, seeing proof that Amity was something other than what she is now…

Deep breaths…

Luz took hundreds of pictures of the pages and quietly left. 

She’d arrived home shortly after and almost stumbled on the huge plastic bags that laid in piles. Her mom appeared from a corner, Wiping away sweat from her forehead. 

“Mamá, do you need some help?” She asked. Camilla gratefully accepted and handed over another pair of gloves.

The three of them had begun gardening various plants when school was officially over. Months later, the plants were starting to reach the end of their lifespans. The vegetables had stopped giving for a while now.

She pulled out wilted flowers from the soil. A stupid thought came into her brain, so Luz pushed it into a little box and threw it under a bed. Not today.

Camila looked over at her daughter a few times, her mouth opening but then closing. Thankfully, there wasn't much left to do so it ended just as quickly as it started.

Afterward, Luz sprinted upstairs, shut the bedroom door, and blasted music game soundtracks in her headphones until Vee came home. 

.

.

.

Amity always travels through time in a daze. She’d blink once and the sky would be dark again. Her head was always full of cotton and her vision is always blurred. That's how it has always been. 

But everything changed drastically when she arrived. Suddenly, Amity was agonizingly aware of the clock's slow tick tick ticks and the quietness of it all. She'd read the same books, but be fully aware of every breath and sound. It left a hollow feeling in her heart, but it also made her feel present. 

The feeling was less intrusive when Luz was there as a distraction. It's easy to forget how nice it feels to talk to someone.

The blonde stopped looking out of one of the windows at the sound of the door opening and closing. There was a clear absence of the smile Amity was starting to get used to seeing. Luz walked towards her as slow as an zombie.

”What’s wrong?” Amity questioned. 

”I- Well..it’s hard to explain. I think you just have to see.” Luz then quickly added, “I don’t think you’re gonna like this…” 

Amity knew that she should probably say something like, ”what’s going on?” Or ”do I really want to see whatever you’re acting this weird about?” But the anticipation of brand-new, shiny information was to exciting to ignore. 

Luz took out a rectangular box. The sudden light emanating was startling for a moment, but then her eyes adjusted. Once more, the world around her seemed to disappear like smoke.

She was no longer in the library, no longer really her. It was someone from a different time, just out of reach but close enough to touch with her fingertips.

…

Amity opened her locker and began to quickly put everything back inside her bag. She pretended that the noise from the corridor was blocking her ability to hear XXXX’s noisy complaints.

“Come on Amity! You haven't slept over in weeks. It'll be SO much less lame with you there.” 

XXXX looked up to XXXX and frowned, but brushed the comment off. “Pleaseee? Don't be boring!” 

The weight of her backpack almost made her fall backwards. She could already feel the impending ache in her arm. “Guys, no. Our math quiz is next week! How am i gonna memorize every equation if I laze around?”

XXXX huffed in annoyance. ”ONE night! It's not gonna be the end of the world. You act like you haven't even started yet.” 

Amity gripped the handle on the bag tighter. They weren't wrong. Amity could just study double the amount of time on another day, no big deal. After a quiet “yes” XXXX made a point to squeal in joy. Amity shut the locker closed. 

…

Amity gasped and her eyesight returned back to the room. Luz was sat in front of her, a meter away. The girl sprung into action at the realization of Amity's return. 

“How are you feeling?”

How is Amity feeling? That is a very good question. 

“I saw some girls. I think they were my friends,” You don't usually have sleepovers with strangers after all. 

Using a finger she pointed at the screen, which was now on the floor. The first one she saw was in the first row, looking at her nails and the other girl was posing for the camera. Amity glanced at herself properly this time. The alive version was looking into her new self with an unreadable expression. What did i do to you? Don’t blame me for this.

Luz was fidgeting, looking anywhere else but in front of her. 

“What’s up with you?” Amity asked for the second time now.

No answer, so now it had been said three times. Luz carefully raised a question. “What year do you think it is?”

A sinister feeling crept in, but she gave an honest answer. 1974, possibly 1975. The librarian's computer looked different, and so did Luz’s device. 

There was hesitation, and then it was said like ripping off a bandaid. “It’s 2024!”

What. 

What.

2024.

50 years. 

Amity had been dead for 50 years. 

SHE’D BEEN DEAD FOR 50 YEARS?????

There MUST have been some indication on Luz’s face that suggested it was a cruel joke or a trick but all that could be seen was melancholy. Laughter erupted from her throat, and then there was something warm running down her cheeks. The action felt wrong, but she couldn't stop no matter how hard she tried.

What was worse, living through every excruciating second of loneliness or not being really there at all? Amity certainly didn't know. 

There was no,“it'll be okay, it's not so bad” offered, instead she got the warmth of a hug as an antibiotic. Luz held her carefully like she was made of glass. The brunette would pull away in a heartbeat if it had been requested, but Amity said nothing. 

After a few minutes, the embrace ended. The tears had dried up and only emptiness remained. What was Amity sad over anyways? It wasn't like she had anyone to mourn except a forgotten life. Maybe only the friends that had no names. 

“50 years,” the blonde began “Christ.”

A drop of sweat ran down Luz’s face. “Im sorry-” 

Amity interrupted. “No, don't be. It’s not your fault.” 

There was another second of guilt, but then it was replaced by a realization. Luz walked closer with the brightest smile she could muster then. 

“You haven't seen the Good Witch Azura movie from the 80’s!” 

Amity asked what that meant, But instead of an answer, she got dragged to one of the tiny sofas scattered around. Luz hid her gadget and tapped at the screen, then proudly showcased Amity what she'd apparently missed. She jumped forward and screamed, “It’s Hecate!” 

Red quickly spread over her face seconds after. But it stopped when Luz's energy matched hers.

The movie had a terrible budget, was over the top, and was definitely made for children but neither one of them would have it any other way. Luz watched her reactions closely and Amity couldn't stop her excitement from showing.

When the end credits started rolling they discussed every little detail and plot difference from the books. Amity didn't know it, but she had desperately craved this conversation with someone, and so did Luz. Maybe even more so. Finally, someone would listen and care.

After, when Luz began to walk out of the door she reluctantly brought up the one thing that had been ignored. The vision. 

“I think the next step is to figure out who the people I talked to were.” She crossed her arms, “It feels right.” 

“Yeah, your right. I'll start looking soon…And uh…” Luz began, “I really liked talking to you, about Azura and stuff.”

Until that moment Luz had been someone she did not know what to think of. In the short time they've spent together, it had been mostly transactional. Information for help, and vice versa. But now..

Well, it was still not entirely known. But hopefully calling them sort of friends wouldn't be wrong. 

Chapter Text

Music played softly in the background whilst the teens sorted through a box of old junk. Lately, that’s all Luz has been doing. Just searching, searching, and even more searching. With a side of searching.

“Gus, don't you think we have enough stuff for now?” Hunter exclaimed, after accidentally brushing his hands against cobwebs one too many times. 

Eda had given Gus a big box of old miscellaneous stuff for free a few days ago. After seeing the excitement on his face she didn't have the heart to tell the younger boy that Eda was going to throw that stuff out anyways. 

“As the president of the history appreciation society, the exhibition has to be flawless!” He looked like he'd eaten a lemon whole
“Mattholomule will make fun of me again if I slack off…” 

“Why does that guy's opinion matter to you so much anyway?” 

Luz zoned out when Gus went into a long ramble about his many meetings with the foul-mouthed boy. It was almost comical how quickly Matt became his sworn enemy in well…everything. 

It only stopped once Hunter suddenly screeched and flailed his arm around like a madman. A black dot fell from the sleeve, and Luz quickly swooped in to save the poor guy from getting squished. 

“Dude, are you afraid of SPIDERS?” The creature was safely cupped in her hands, and it tickled when it crawled around. 

“N-no! I just don't appreciate being touched by an unhygienic…thing!” He stammered through a response, his ears growing more red by the minute.  

“Awww, he's just a little guy though! Couldn't hurt you even if it tried~” 

The older boy muttered a “whatever..” and then she opened a window to let it out. The spider crawled off into the sunset, is what she’d like to imagine. In reality, it was a cloudy afternoon with a chance of rain. 

“Luz, are you still coming over after school today?” Willow asked. 

Her mind went blank. When did they talk about that? Nothing came up no matter how many memories she ran through in her head. 

“You said you wanted to help plan the volleyball team's bake sale?” Willow added after a moment. 

Oh right, that did happen. But…they’ve finally reached some sort of clue, and Luz can just feel how close they are to something huge. She’s itching with anticipation, stopping now felt impossible. 

”I’m REALLY sorry, but I kinda promised Vee that I’d help her with a biology project. It’s tomorrow and a two hands kinda job, you know?” 

She felt a pit in her stomach when Willows's smile faltered slightly, then everything was back to normal. Too late to change her words now, she guesses. Gus stared at her with an unknown expression, having keenly listened to all of it. 

“No worries, stuff happens. Tell Vee good luck for me!” 

It took everything in her not to crumple in that moment. Willow was way too nice. 

“Sorry that I can't help you either. But Hunter will be there, right?” Gus pointed out. 

The blonde boy had been fairly quiet and looked up at the mention of his own name. “Yeah! I'll be there.”

“Looking forward to it,” she did a thumbs-up in his direction.

The girl and boy gave a small smile to each other, as a silent confirmation. . They'll be okay without her.

“Did you join an after-school club, Luz?” Gus suddenly asked. So much for believing that it all was over. Luz shook her head adamantly.

“Why’d you ask?” 

“No reason. Just curious,” Gus then said nonchalantly.

Note to self. Be more careful in the future, especially around him. 

.

When back inside the library she was met with Miss Lilith again. Since their first encounter, the woman hadn’t returned at all. 

Miss Lilith pushed her dark hair aside, paying little to no attention to Luz’s presence. “Hello, again. Are you going to study more today?” 

“…Yeah, I have some homework.” 

“Try to keep it down this time alright? I’ve got a lot of work on my hands today.” 

Luz nodded in agreement. Lilith didn’t seem like the type of person you’d want as an enemy. The librarian pushed her glasses up.

”It’s nice to see someone so enthusiastic about books. I fear this will make me sound like an old lady but it’s certainly less common nowadays,” she continued.

”Even if you are a bit…rowdy. A lot like someone I know now that I think about it,” her eyes glistened a bit as the words left her lips. 

Then, the look disappeared and they went their separate ways. Luz looked back once, at Miss Lilith’s scrunched-up face and the small wistful sigh that left her lips before turning back and leaving her alone. 

Amity was leaning against a wall, lost in thought. Her fingers mindlessly drummed on the plaid skirt. Once Luz entered her vision she stopped.

The girls huddled closely together on the floor, their shoulders almost touching. The class picture stared back at them, annoyingly unwilling to share it’s secrets. 

“Nothing?” 

Amity shook her head, her lips pursed into a frown.

“…What’s wrong with my brain? It shouldn't be this hard to remember my own friends.”

Luz shifted her own body so that they were facing eachother. ”Hey, even if it takes time we’ll figure it out eventually, right?” Luz adds. “It’ll be just like when Villainous Lucy zapped Azura’s memories of Hecate!” 

Amity ran her fingers through her hair, a small smile showing itself. “Right…it would make our lives a whole lot easier though.” 

But just as Amity was about to throw in the towel, she noticed a tiny, inconspicuous detail. She brought her body closer to the screen in response. Luz was confused but zoomed in on the picture. The girl posing was now the center of attention. 

“Do you see that brooch? There's some sort of logo on it but..” The trail of thought ends.

There was something sparkly on the student's shirt but no matter how much you tried to zoom in only a few letters were visible. 

G, M, and I were the legible ones. They were picking at straws but…

“If we figure out where that comes from then maybe we can learn who she is!” 

Amity didn't immediately call her delusional as most would have. Instead, she entertained the idea in her mind. 

“True, but now what?”

.
.
.

“Edaaaaa!”

Eda looked down at the scene of Luz panting loudly, trying to get the air back in her lungs.

“Kid, I thought I said you didn't have to bring back the box,” she noticed moments later that Luz wasn't holding anything. “Or is there something else you wanna talk about?” 

She knew exactly what to do when they'd first discovered the little mystery. If anyone would know about something totally niche and unknown it would 100% be Eda. From the first moment she’d stepped into the shop that fact had made itself abundantly clear.

”Do you know what this is?” 

Luz pushed the phone in her face. After a few, careful moments of thinking Eda spoke up.

”I seriously have no clue what that is, it just looks like a yellow blob.”

Her shoulders dropped. It should have been expected but…

If Eda didn't know what it was then who would? Maybe Reddit…but that site scared the shit out of her. 

Raine came out of the break room, looking like a kid who got caught in the cookie jar. 

“Luz! I was dropping by to-” they saw her face. “Are you alright?”

She just nodded, so Eda had to answer in her stead. “Everything is fine, we're just trying to figure out what this brooch is. Maybe you can help Rainestorm.” 

Raine took a peek and in an instant, their hand went over their mouth. Both Girls looked curiously up at them.

”Where did you find this?” 

After hearing the (heavily remixed) explanation, the musician told their story as well. 

“That’s Miss Skara, my old music teacher. Seeing as this was taken in 1974 and in that school, I am positive that it’s her. Besides, I could never mistake that smile.” They continued, and pointed at the pin.

“That’s the old “Gravesfield Music Studios” badge that every student got…actually, I have one somewhere at home as well. We updated the design a while back though.” 

“Skara”, It was a pretty name. Briefly, she wondered what the woman was like back when Amity was still alive. But the more pressing concern was ”Is she dead?”Fortunately, Luz didn't have to ask.

”She retired once I started, but I still have her email. I can give it to you if you’d like?”

The corners of her mouth curved into a smile. 

Chapter Text

The phone was right there so so close by, just in her backpack’s front pocket. Just one arm stretch away. It was a special kind of torture for Luz to not be able to do just that. 

What if Skara had responded, leaving a long heartfelt message that yes, she’d absolutely love to be interviewed for a school project and Luz would have no idea because she was stuck in CLASS. That means that Skara would probably get sick of waiting and change her mind. 

She tapped the pen against her hand, trying to zone back in. But can you really blame the girl for having other priorities??

Miss Jenkins made a loud “”ahem” sound, shutting up the louder students.

“Well class, we’ve been learning about chemical reactions for a few weeks now. I’d say it’s time for a little test, don’t you?” 

A choir of loud dissatisfaction filled the room. One boy even tried to debate his way out of it. 

“I know, I know. It’s not exactly fun but it is necessary. As long as you've been paying attention it'll be an absolute breeze. The quiz will be held in 3 weeks from now.”

It was strange. Normally Luz would feel a sensation similar to nausea after hearing the word “quiz.” Just thinking about the nights of staying up late, having it always in the back of her mind, and the mere date slowly but surely approaching gave her the chills. 

The feeling wasn't gone, it lingered like a bad cold but it wasn't like a sickness so horrible you could barely move. Weird.

The bell rang and everyone began leaving, complaining with their friends or looking excited for lunch. She looked at Gus who was still finishing writing up the last sentence for his notes. 

“You feel ready?” The question was more out of politeness if anything. As long as she'd known Gus he'd never ever gotten anything less than a B+, and those only appeared on his bad days.  

”Sure am! Just a little more revisioning and it'll be smoooooth sailing. What about you, wanna have a study sesh?” Gus swung the backpack over his shoulder as they started to walk out.

Luz loved spending time with Gus, but he was absolutely impossible to study with. The younger boy often used terms that left Luz feeling more confused than when she sat down in the first place, and she felt bad for making him slow down and stay at her pace. 

“Nah, don't worry about it. I think it'll actually go pretty well this time. I'll bedazzle Miss Jenkins with my vast knowledge of….decomposition?”

Luz saw a glint of something in Gus’s eyes for half a second, then he grinned.

“Wouldn’t wanna miss that in a million years years. You’ll knock her socks off!”

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.

.

Instead of entering a familiar scene, Luz saw a type of disarray she hadn't anticipated to ever find from the usual untouched look of the place. There was a fort of sorts in the middle. Books were piled high to form walls, and the world map from the wall had been taken down and used as a roof.

It heavily reminded Luz of the ones she and Vee used to make of cardboard, chairs, blankets, and whatever other useful items they could grasp with their tiny hands. More than hundreds of times they’d pretend that they were traveling through the vast galaxy in a high-tech spaceship and rescuing stuffed animals from harm's way. Sometimes, their mother would even help, keeping the illusion by pretending to be an alien and playing sci Fi music on loop.

Luz crouched down and knocked as lightly as she could on the wooden floor by the closed of entrance.

A pair of gold eyes peeked through, meeting hers. Amity scrambled to get out, her face as red as a tomato. 

“Luz! You weren't- you don't usually come by on Tuesdays…” Amity stammered. Luz could recognize that look anywhere, that was the face of someone who’d rather eat dirt than have this conversation. 

“S-sorry uh, I kinda needed to talk to you- but I can come back another time if you’d like? It’s fine by me either way.” 

Amity looked conflicted for a moment, but swallowed her embarrassment and let Luz inside. It was small, but cozy. In a corner was a few loose papers and a pile of colored pencils that Luz recognized from Miss Lillith’s desk. Amity shuffled backward, giving both of them space to breathe. 

Looking at Amity felt somewhat…uncanny. The darkness surrounding the two of them didn’t affect her, so it was like she was photoshopped in. 

“…God, this is so embarrassing. I kinda got a little bored so I decided to do this…If that makes any sense.” 

Luz nods. She couldn't imagine being in the same place, with only her own thoughts as company, day in and day out. She'd go crazy in a week! No, maybe three days. 

.

Luz mentally slapped herself for even thinking that way. For Amity it wasn't just a hypothetical you'd ask as a “would you rather?” How many times had she reread the same books, walked the same steps, and seen the same people over, and over, and over again?

“So….What did you wanna talk about?” 

Best to get the boring stuff out of the way first, she thought. Luz described her situation with the test as quickly as possible whilst Amity listened intently, nodded along, and raised a few questions in between. In the end, they agreed that she'd come by only to strictly study on Fridays and Mondays. Their ghostly shenanigans would have to be saved for another time, unfortunately. 

The entirety of Amity’s face brightened when Luz explained what she'd found out about the best friend, now known as Skara. Luz had expected a doubtful look with a question, but none were asked. All Amity said was that it just “felt right”.  

The excitement subdued and now there was nothing left to say. Luz hadn't taken her backpack along so…there really was no reason to stay any longer.

Luz stumbled through an awkward goodbye, but before she could leave the fort, a voice spoke in an unsure voice. “Do you…do you want to draw with me? I have some extra paper and um…” As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. “If not I 100% understand, it's not like Im going to force you to be here-” 

Luz didn't hesitate for a second when she turned right back around and sat down, with a wide grin on her face.  

“…I thought you'd never ask, I wanna show you all of my Azura headcannons!!”

Amity had no clue what that meant. But as she watched Luz sit down on her stomach and excitedly bring up which of Azuras outfits she liked the most, Amity realized that there was nothing she’d rather do than learn about it from her friend. 

Chapter Text

Luz’s heart lept out of her chest when the phone finally pinged with a new notification, and it wasn’t Genshin Impact this time! She dropped the pencil and quickly typed her password with practiced ease. Faintly, Luz could hear Amity’s line of questioning in the background but in that moment all that mattered was the email. 

Dear Luz, 

I'd love to help you out with your project, (all though I'm not sure how useful I’d be 🤣). How does tomorrow, 5 PM in Café Aroma sound to you?

Say hello to Raine for me! 

Sincerely, Skara. 

“Yes!!” Luz screamed, hands in the air. Amity’s obvious interest only intensified and she leaned closer to see, but just as quickly gave up and asked instead. The adrenaline wore down, and she answered with a grin. 

“Skara actually responded to my email!” 

Amity’s eyebrows raised at the name. But she didn't match the energy, and that's how Luz understood her small blunder. They were alike in many ways, like fangirling about cool characters and liking drawing. But sometimes Luz was quickly reminded when Amity would use slang nobody said anymore or how things like email seemed so typical to Luz, and yet it was foreign to her new friend. She tried to think of a decent description that could be relatable to Amity. 

“It’s like a digital letter. Do you remember when I said I messaged Skara? That's what I meant, and she answered just now.” 

Amity let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and abandoned the half-finished artwork to the side. Her voice had a slight tremble to it, and somewhere in Luz’s mind she felt the little urge to steady Amity’s hands.

“Sorry. It’s just so….how do you even explain it?”

Luz cracked another smile, and ran a hand through her short hair. “I would be pretty impressed if you could. I'm still wrapping my head around this whole thing.”  

Amity's arms found themselves around her own waist, like a self inflicted hug. “I hope I'm not burdening you with everything. I'll be okay If you ever want to stop, please never feel forced to stay.”

Luz nearly let out a scream of protest when she listened to Amity. This was literally the most interesting thing that's ever happened to Luz! (Or probably anyone for that matter…) Stopping now would be like saying no to the freaking lottery!

Not only that, she'd gained a friend in the process. Someone new who didn't judge her- or make her feel stupid when math was hard. 

It would be a fat lie to say that the temptation of making the deal in the first place wasn’t about the promise of mystery, but it was different now. Luz wanted to help Amity, not Amity the ghost. 

“No, I want to help you! What else are friends for?” 

Luz realized after that it was the first time either of them had said the words out loud. Amity’s eyes had a certain shine to them, and she responded with a soft “okay”.

After a moment, Luz ripped out a blank piece of paper from a notebook and two pencils. “Can you help me figure out some questions to ask her? You’re a lot better at thinking ahead than I am honestly.”

She hummed, and went into “serious Amity mode”, as Luz called liked to call it in her mind. The sheepish, apologetic look was wiped off her face like it never happened at all. 

Luz tried to follow along but by the end she stayed mainly on the sidelines,  putting in a word of thought every now and then. Amity looked like she was in a completely different planet, only focused on the task at hand. Even when she spoke, the words weren't actually directed at Luz. 

“And um…good luck.” 

Amity handed over the piece of paper. Her handwriting was gorgeous, each letter pristine and clean. Luz was almost jealous. 

They shared a nod and Luz crawled out of the fort. The fresh, colder air on the other side was extremely welcomed. 

Luz didn't know why she decided to unclip the necklace then. The fort disappeared, leaving behind an empty spot in the middle of the room. She looked down, and the paper Amity had spent all her energy on was blank.   

The room felt smaller and the once comfy hoodie was becoming way too itchy. The necklace returned back around her neck again, and everything went back as it should have been. 

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.
.


The café was comfortably quiet. Not empty enough to look like a weirdo sitting alone, but not full enough to feel suffocated. 

Her eyes were trailing back to the door every few seconds, as they had been for the last 10 minutes. Aaaaany second now. The paper felt heavy on her lap. Luz had to stop holding it because of the embarrassing amount of sweat on her hands.

Luz was so excited she could barely sit still. She was like a main character! A mysterious detective in the midst of solving a hard case…with only their wits as a weapon.

Luz still found it hard to believe that Skara actually said yes. The story she came up was believable, but if they changed shoes Luz would think it was sketchy as hell! She definitely got a lot help from Raine for the “credibility part”.

Whenever she envisioned Skara, it was the sunny girl in the yearbook picture she saw. So Luz almost totally ignored the older woman who walked in until it clicked that no, she wasn’t 15 anymore. Of course, the image and the real person were vastly different but some parts of her younger self were bound to stay. The dark brown complexion, light hair, and bright eyes. Luz tried to put on a calmer persona, and gave her a small wave.  

“You must be Luz Noceda, right? To be frank, It was a little surprising to me when I read your email. I felt a like a celebrity!” Skara’s laugh carried around the room like a birds song. 

‘If only you knew..’ Luz thought. She'd have to be both super clever and walk carefully here. Yes, Luz wanted to know everything but asking a bunch of questions about Amity, her dead friend felt very….sleazy. Both her and Amity had agreed that if they wouldn't want some stranger to start asking a bunch of invasive questions to them, then they won’t subject Skara to that. 

“I’m really sorry about how super random this is, I promise I'll be really quick.” She emphasizes the word louder than the rest. The older woman simply brushed her apology off, and asked Luz to continue. 

“So…as I said before, this is for a project about what school life was like in the '70s. We could have chosen any time period but I felt like if I picked something too close to now it wouldn't be that easy to tell the differences, but if it's too far then I can't get an interview.” Luz realizes that she's been rambling, and gets back to the point.

“…. Aaaaanyways, I'll be typing down our conversation so that I won't forget anything.” Luz gestured to the laptop. “Let’s just get started!”

.

The first couple of questions were glorified icebreakers, at best. “What was your dream job when you were a teen?”, “What was your favorite subject?”, and so on.

Luz was very worried at first that Skara only came out of politeness, but those worries were squashed within minutes. Even if this was only a part of the lie, Luz still saw herself leaning forward to listen the same way she did with Eda’s childhood stories. Skara had a very bubbly personality and retold stories in a way that made Luz feel like an old friend of hers. 

“What was your personality back then like?” 

For just a second, Skara faltered. A moment of awkwardness that Luz just barely noticed in the way she looked down at the tea she'd bought. It wasn't something anticipated, especially because these were meant to be the easy questions. 

“Oh, very different. But that's to be expected as you get older and gain more life experience, wouldn't you agree?”  

Luz was super intrigued, but Skara had just given a vague response in return. She wrote it down, before turning her head up to the woman again. That was the last of the more gentle questions, so Luz had no choice but to continue on. 

“How was your social circle?” 

Skara took a second to respond, like she was thinking of the best way to phrase it.    

“I had a lot of friends, if I do say so myself.  But I only really hung out with two of them.” 

“And how did you meet them? Names too please- just for the writings sake.” Luz added as an afterthought.  

“Boscha and Amity. They were two girls I knew since I was a kid. Our parents practically forced us to go on playdates, so we were bound to become friends.” 

Luz’s heart sank a little when she realized that Skara had stopped talking, and was awaiting the next question. Prying is bad. That was something mom had to remind her over and over again throughout childhood when Vee moved in. But the hunger to learn was too great to resist, and soon enough Luz heard herself speak again. 

“Are you still close with them? 

Skaras's frown returned, but this time it was replaced by a strained smile. “I wouldn't say that. Boscha moved to Los Angeles a long time ago, the last time we wrote was 15 years ago. And Amity….bless her heart, she died a long time ago.” 

Luz did her best to fake a surprised and apologetic look, and Skara appeared to have bought it. The act wasn't entirely fake, at least the “apologetic” part. There was guilt about bothering Skara with old but bad memories. But the ends justified the means, right? 

“I'm really sorry, we don't have to talk about her if it makes you uncomfortable.” 

Skara didn't try and refute her, so the decision had been made and Luz wouldn't push the subject of “Amity” any further…But that didn't mean this all had to go to waste. She chose to put the piece of paper in her pocket. Luz was way better at improv anyway. 

“If you don't mind me asking, why did you and Boscha stop talking? Did you two just grow apart?” The question had nothing to do with the supposed “essay” she was writing, but Skara didn’t comment on it. 

She spoke in a softer tone. “Something like that. Our friendship wasn't worth keeping. It was superficial at best, and at worst hurtful. And when Amity was out of the picture, there was no point to it. She was our glue, you know? We did try keeping touch but we eventually went our separate ways.” 

Not worth keeping? Was there trouble in Amity’s friend group? And Amity as the “glue”….It was all typed down. In the corner of her eye she could see Skara peeking at the clock on her wrist. Unfortunately, it seemed like Luz could only really ask one more question before the senior awkwardly left.

“If there was one thing you could do differently in high school, what would it be?” 

Skara’s answer was instantaneous, Luz could barely finish talking before Skara begun.

“I wish I cared more. My grades, friends but mostly about myself. My memories are quite fuzzy, but I do recall feeling a strong sense of…boredom. I didn't care much for anything, and that caused me to lose sight of the world around me. Or perhaps I just didn't want to see it.” 

Skara looked at Luz, as if she was seeing her own reflection. 

“You’re young, so full of possibilities and life. Goodness, your life hasn't even begun! Try to care more, about both yourself and others. It'll do you good in the long run.” 

Chapter Text

Amity presses down the stray strands of hair that escapes her hairstyle, then puts the hair tie back on. A single blonde strand was still refusing to cooperate, so she pulls it out with a quick tug. Any lint that has accumulated in the day is brushed off with her hands. That reminds Amity that she needs to bring up the school's cleanliness issues with the student council….

She takes out the well-used lipstick from her bag and puts on a recoat of the light pink lipstick, lastly she checks her teeth for any remaining evidence from their school lunch or newly applied lipstick. 

She spins around, checks every angle.

With her head held high, Amity exits the girl's bathroom and returns to the chaos. The class had been dismissed earlier than usual so the girls had decided to take refuge on one of the benches. 

Amity's ears are bombarded with high-pitched disagreements and gasps of shock. The girls turn their heads towards her, eager to explain. 

“Amity, you don't really think that the XXXX was good right??” Boscha asks in an exasperated tone. Like she and Amity are sharing an entirely different conversation. 

The blonde people watches a couple of unrecognizable students walking past them. They are laughing so hard that one boy struggles to breathe. 

“The story was subpar at best, but the cinematography was beautiful.”

It isn't the answer either of the girls wants, but Skara sees her words as a win. 

“Seee?? It’s two against one!” She comments, triumph in her voice. 

Boscha looks between them and opens her mouth, but then closes it again. “She didn't even agree- oh, why even bother...” 

Boscha’s eyes go past them and light up, precisely like a lion who's just found it’s prey. She leans back, one leg over the other.  

“Look what the cat dragged in.”

The short girl's eyes are glued to the floor when she walks by them and she takes such long strides that you can almost call it jogging. The moment her locker opens, a few papers fall out from the mess that has been accumulating. She squeaks like a mouse and watches in panic as the papers fly all around the hallway. 

Amity almost does not process that she’s standing up before her eyes lock with Paulina. The world disappeared, and only they remained. But the bubble breaks, Amity picks up a sheet of paper and reads the content. She makes a “tsk” sound and plops the paper back in Paulina’s hands.  

“Paulina…what will we do with you? It’s only been a few weeks and your already beginning to fail! It's a little soon, even for you.” Amity's words are laced with a mix of pity and condensation. Paulina breaks eye contact, deciding that the ugly washed-out blue lockers are a better choice than her face.

Amity smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. 

“If you needed some advice, you could have come to me. I am the top student in our grade after all! And there's nothing to be embarrassed about, it's not like everyone isn't already used to it.”

Boscha has also stood up then, laughing like it was the wittiest joke in the world. Skara doesn't move from her seat, she plays with her nails. 

“Yeah, and if you’re always the worst then you’ll never feel any pressure of not succeeding!” Boscha adds, slinging a shoulder over Paulina.  

Paulina  takes a step back, the arm falling off her as she laughs weakly. “Yeah…maybe.”

After the papers are picked up she goes to leave, but takes one last look at her. The bile inside her throat is sour and burns, and now she’s the one staring into the stupid locker.  

Boscha nudges Amity’s shoulder. “She is SUCH a dork!”

Amity’s hands twitch with irritation and she brushes her off. “We’re going to be late for class.” 

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.

.

Luz smiled brightly when she noticed that Amity was starting to move again and the shine in her eyes was back. But Amity didn't share her sentiment. 

She stood up and paced around the room like a caged animal, Mary Jane's shoes clacking against the wooden floor. The vision was done, but Amity was still lost in her own world. The glimpses Luz saw of her face in the short times when she'd stayed still made her stomach churn with anxiety.

“Hellooo? What did you see?”

When Luz got no response, she asked again but in a gentler tone. “What did you see?”

Amity stood still then, and turned her head back towards her. One second, her legs began the motions of moving, then they were put still again. She’d open her mouth but then close it again. Not a single course of action could be taken without reluctance.

“Everything is groovy! Perfect really.” 

Luz pushed on, the lie so unconvincing that it almost made Luz feel insulted. “Come on, something is clearly upsetting you. Just tell me, I can help you!” 

When Amity's hands touched Luz's shoulders she almost shivered from how cold they felt. She was led towards the door, despite the objections and confusion. And as they turned to face each other, Luz didn't think Amitys complexion could get any lighter than it already was.

“Just go home for today, I need to be alone.” 

“Please, just talk to me!”

She repeated the same words again, this time with an edge to them. Luz’s eyes soften, and she says a weak goodbye before turning back and leaving Amity behind. 

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.
.

Luz’s head rested against the cool wood of her desk. An episode of an new anime was playing on the small phone screen, but she was only half listening to it. There was a lump in her stomach and a restlessness in her legs that hadn't gone away for hours. Has Luz said or done something lately that could've made Amity upset? Nothing in particular came to mind…maybe something she’d done by accident?

Luz was well aware that she was ruminating, but the irrational part of her brain couldn't be reasoned with. Amity very clearly saw something bad in her vision, and now didn't want to talk to Luz about it. But how can she possibly help if she doesn't even know what the issue is? So confusing…

There was a quiet knock on her door, so she instantly knew it was Vee. Her younger sister had a smile on her face, but there was a glint of worry in the way she was watching Luz’s facial expressions. 

“Mom wanted me to tell you that dinner is done.” 

Vee closed the door behind her, and for just a moment it almost felt like Luz was about to be scolded. 

“You look a little…upset today. What's up?”

Luz felt it in how tense her shoulders were, how her mind raced to find some kind of solution.

The sisters were the other ones' first confidant and best friend, Luz hid nothing from Vee…almost nothing. The guilt gnawed inside her heart. But even so, she couldn't tell her the full truth. But maybe, a sprinkle of it couldn't hurt…

“I made this new friend, and she's really awesome. She's smart, caring and we really click. But…” Luz hesitated, hints of her exasperation shining through her next words. 

“She’s hiding a secret from me, and I don't know why.” 

Vee sat down next to her. “I know it's pretty obvious, but did you try asking her about it?” 

“I did! She's just…she keeps dodging the question.” Luz answered, defensively. 

Vee hummed, contemplating Luz’s problem. 

“I can't say for sure since I don't know her, but it sounds like your friend is scared of how you’ll react. Maybe she's scared your going to treat her differently or something after, so she's keeping it a secret. Your friend might need the reassurance that it won't be like that?” 

Vee’s thought process made sense, even while Luz doesn’t think she comes across as unapproachable. Then again, it had only been around 2 months since they met. Maybe this is a way to show Amity that she’s a totally trustworthy friend and this experience will bring them even closer! 

Luz hugged her, firmly but not tightly. For a moment Vee stiffened up, before leaning into the embrace. She was so lucky to have such an amazing and wise sister be a part of her life. 


.

The next day, Luz almost slammed the doors open (and she was grateful Miss Lilith hadn’t seen that..) and saw her friend looking out of the window, like she sometimes did. But this time there was no quiet fascination in her eyes, just hunched shoulders and her head using the windowsill as support. Amity didn’t look surprised to see Luz again so soon. 

Luz looked out to watch the same thing Amity was. There were students filing out into the streets, ready to go home after a long day. A girl with pink streaks in her hair was glued to the phone in her hand, various blushing freshmen were ushering their parent to tune down the music blasting from their car, a friendgroup not so patiently waiting for a boy to tie his shoes…. 

Luz wondered for a moment if Amity had ever seen her like this when she was outside. 

“It’s not really a secret that I'm a little weird. And being a little weird I'm pretty open-minded about other folks' weirdness, ”Luz began slowly.

“I'm here to listen- IF you want me to. I promise I won’t freak out and I'll really listen….Can you please tell me?”

Amity bit down hard on her lip. There was a thick layer of apprehension in the air that made Luz’s resolve falter, just a little bit. But she shook it off just as quickly, there was no way Luz would let this little secret destroy their friendship! 

“I don't think I was a very good person.”

…

Amity described what she saw in her vision, and the more words spoken the more she felt she couldn't stop. No detail was left unsaid. Her voice was as steady as it could be, but her eyes looked everywhere but Luz. Amity looked like she wanted nobody to ever be able to see her face again.

And the listener, Luz kept her mouth shut even when there was a whirlwind of different feelings running through her heart. 

There just was no other way of looking at it, it was bullying. But Luz just couldn't wrap her head around the notion that Amity of all people could be THE bully. The same girl who was always so patient, helped Luz find a study method that didn't stink had made fun of someone for getting a bad grade? Not only that, but judging from the situation it definitely wasn't the first time. It made her head spin.  

“…I just don’t know what to do anymore. I really wanted to know who I am, but…” Amity’s grip on her skirt tightens, and her voice cracks. 

“I KNOW I’m being selfish and stupid but I just don’t want to know anymore about this! I don’t want to find out that I'm a horrible person who bullies others and see the other awful things I’ve done, I….” 

Amity’s lip quivers and she clenched her teeth.  She forced herself to take a breath, and bring the pitch of her voice back down. 

“I’m the one who’s in the wrong and yet I'm still making it all about me. I'm sorry.” 

On one hand, this whole revelation made Luz’s stomach churn. Luz Noceda was no stranger to bullies and even if it never became more than teasing or a snarky remark she knew how it made her people feel to be treated that way. It just wasn't something something that could be swept under the rug and forgotten about.. Even just thinking about the times Willow had confided in Luz about the bullying she experienced in middle school made her face red.

“…You were in the wrong. And that’s exactly why you can’t just go quit now.” Luz clenched her hands into fists and there was a flash of determination in her eyes. She continued, becoming more certain of herself with every new word. 

“Just because YOU hide away from it doesn't make it go away, and you owe it to Paulina to actually remember what you did to her!” 

Amity looks to the floor in shame, but she makes no effort to oppose her words. Luz’s voice takes on a gentler tone. 

“The fact that you're this sad about it has to mean something. You know what you did was bad, and that proves your not some evil villain with no remorse!” 

Luz hesitantly puts a hand on her shoulder. Amity’s body stiffened, before her shoulders dropped. 

“I know this is hard, but I believe in you Amity. You deserve to know.”

Amity appeared like a part of her wanted to flat-out say “no” again. But then she looked up. 

“…I really want to believe you're right. I want to know. I need to know. Your support means more than you know, even if I don't…” Amity doesn't finish the sentence. 

“..I saw Paulina’s locker number in my vision. 257, I believe. I don't think there's going to be anything there, but it could maybe be worth checking out?” 

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Luz had begun searching for the locker after their talk, but as Amity had suspected earlier, there was nothing interesting there. The lockers had of course been replaced, and even if they somehow hadn't been she didn't have the key to unlock it. Oh well.

She heard a familiar boyish voice behind her, and Luz felt like she'd been caught trying to steal out of the cookie jar. Gus was standing there with a suspicious, but intrigued glint in his eyes. Luz wanted to respond like normal, but Gus didn't give her the chance to even try. 

“What’s been going on with you lately?

Uh oh. 

Chapter Text

Luz was NOT silently freaking out, why would you even suggest that? No, she is feeling totally and 100% calm. You believe her, right?!

Cars racing by and birds tweeting filled the silence between the two students. She held the stale loaf of bread in one cold hand, and the other fidgeted with the moon necklace. The ducks in the pond raced for the small pieces of bread that Gus was throwing in, each ducking their heads down and trying to be the first one on the scene. 

In hindsight, Luz wasn’t exactly sure why she suggested speaking here, of all places. Was it to buy more time? Maybe. Gus had caught her off guard, not given her enough time to think of a good answer. The four of them used to come here often for picnics in the summertime, but they knew it was time to wrap it up for the season when their card games and food were starting to blow away from the harsh winds. 

Gus stood up from his crouched position, he threw the last piece of the loaf as hard as he could, to give the ducks in the back a chance to feast on the crumbs. 

“I’m gonna miss these little guys when they fly away, especially Spot. He almost let me pet him once.” 

“Ooo I remember! Too bad you sneezed…you were so close. You totally got it next year.” 

Gus sighed, looking wistfully at the particular duck floating further and further away. “That’s life…dreams of petting ducks go unfulfilled…”

Luz knows. Knows that Gus is waiting for her to talk, to stop tip-toeing around the subject. The worst part? Luz knows that she can lie again and Gus will accept it, even if he knows that she's being dishonest.  

Being a “liar” was a new, unfamiliar label to Luz. She was used to telling people she barely knew about her embarrassing childhood memories, not keeping the existence of ghosts to her closest friends faces. 

It would have been easy, Luz found it at this moment impossible to come up with another lie to Gus's innocent face. 

“So…I'm researching someone's death. Well- someone who used to go to this school a few decades ago. Her name is-was Amity.” 

Luz continued on, before Gus could ask any questions.  

“It’s been…hard to find information if I'm being honest. Like, it’s as if her whole existence has been erased! I have her name, the year she died and everything and I STILL can't find anything about her online! It’s bananas!”  

“Have you tried looking at Google’s news archive?”  

Gus was leaning against the fence, with that questioning tone in his voice. She paused her rambling, thinking about his words. Then she prodded him to explain more. 

“I don't know what era your talking about, but it must be pretty long ago if you can't find anything online. In those cases, you can use Google Archive to find old newspapers and stuff. My dad taught me about it, I use it sometimes for my club activities. It’s pretty useful!” 

It clicked in her head like puzzle pieces. She’d never have guessed that a site like that existed, but it was almost a laughably simple solution. Tension Luz didn't know she had in her shoulders lessened. Poor Gus looked a little confused as to why Luz thanked him about a hundred times. 

“I’m happy to help, what are friends for anyways? And since it'll probably be a TON of Info to sift through, you’ll probably need a helping hand from your favorite aspiring historian?” Then Gus quickly added, “only if you want me to, of course! I’m just super curious about this whole thing. I haven’t seen you this hyperfixated on something since Amphibia’s final episode.”

Luz felt…iffy about opening up the can of worms that was the ghost thing, but she gratefully said yes without stumbling over her words. Luz was no stranger to biting more than she could chew, but even she could tell that it would be a recipe for disaster if she attempted to do it all on her own. Even looking through the yearbooks a few weeks back took hours, and that operation would look pale in comparison to this. And above all, Gus had been so considerate of Luz’s feelings even when she was being confusing, and she couldn't find it in her to refuse. 

They two wasted no time and said their final goodbye to the ducks and began the journey to Gus’s place. Besides a short trip to the convenience store for snacks slowing them down, they were quick to get home before golden hour. 

.

”Why hello Emmeline, it’s nice to see your cute little face again!” Luz crouched down and looked into the reptiles warm enclosure. He blinked slowly at her, one eye at a time. They were totally best buds. 

Gus swung around in the chair, and booted up his laptop. Luz could barely keep up with how quickly he was typing. 

”So, just to be clear we’re looking for articles from 1974 about an Amity?” He asked, and she nodded back. She’d given him some background information on the walk home to catch him up on what she’d already tried and who Luz was even looking for in the first place. It almost felt illegal to say Amity’s name out loud without the girl here to prove her existence. 

”Sorry, no results for this search,” Gus repeated the text screen out loud. He raised his shoulders when she looked questionably at the screen. It felt like the computer was mocking her, as if she had been an idiot to expect a different response.

“Ookay, so maybe that was just too specific…” Luz muttered to herself, whilst leaning over. She clicked a few buttons, and simply looked for articles from Conneticuts newspapers in 1961. Now it was the total opposite from their first problem! It was an staggering high number, leaving her mouth agape. Thousands upon thousands, and it was all from one measly town. It didn't feel deal. With that many, they'd probably graduate before they'd finish reading them all. The biggest problem was that they didn't have a lot to go off if searching for Amity’s name was useless. She was a minor when she died, so maybe they would've kept her name anonymous? That's if her death even had anything to do with big news. 

“Maybe…try putting in our school's name?” 

It was the only thing Luz could come up with that they hadn't already tried. A number that was tangible enough, but not headache-inducing popped up on the computer. “78”. That works.

Gus swung out of the chair and hopped on his bed, taking out his phone. The many charms dangled as he typed. 

“I’ll pull up the same site on my phone, so it'll go faster. We’re just looking for anything and everything mentioning her, right?” 

Luz’s heart twisted in her chest till it hurt. Here Gus was, helping her and yet she still kept secrets. She doesn't deserve this.  

.

There was no noise, not any besides the TV’s muffled voices coming from downstairs. Her vision was becoming more blurry with every new sentence, and she had to reread to even comprehend the meaning. Luz had (stubbornly) decided that no matter how boring or unimportant it looked, she would read through every single article. Even if all it mentioned was an win in a football game, because what if, what if there was something of value in those words? What If Amity herself had been mentioned? She couldn't dissapoint both herself and her new friend by being lazy. 

She lifted her head and looked over at Gus’s screen. He’d been stuck on the same article since the last time she checked. Luz sighed wearily, knowing that a break was what they both desperately needed.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches could not sound more mouth-watering than now, after only drinking soda and eating chips for 2 hours. They sat in front of the tv, side by side. Luz leaned against the couch, and watched as the sun went down, quicker with every new day. Gus was munching on his sandwich, and then he finally asked Luz what had so obviously been on his mind this entire time. 

“Why are you even researching this anyways? You’re being suuper mysterious about all this. Should I be worried that you’re like a secret serial killer or something?” 

She knows Gus made an effort to lighten the question with a joke, but he couldn't hide the slight desperation in his tone. There was nothing Gus hated more than feeling like he'd been left in the dark.

Luz chewed on her sandwich, but she didn’t really taste anything. She wished her life was a multiple choice game, where there were right and wrong answers. But there was no green or red in her vision to help her. 

“…You trust me, don't you?”