Boscha groaned while she worked on stretching out her leg. It was maybe half a dozen hours ago that the stupid boot she’d been forced to wear was finally taken off. Whatever magic had infected her was thankfully gone finally so now it was just time to take it easy. Light use for a few days and maybe back to Grudgby practice in two weeks depending on how it felt.

Or, for her, back to the field once the moon was up. Coach hadn’t removed her access to the equipment after all so she could get a ball to play with anytime she wanted. If she had others to play with she might break out more but for tonight she was letting herself relax some. Of course, for her that mostly meant that she wasn’t wearing her uniform and didn’t have the field active. She was still going to be doing some of her most intense drills to put her through her paces. She just would be able to enjoy the light, cold, night’s breeze to slip through her open letterman jacket while she moved.

She lightly kicked the ball she had out against her wounded knee before catching it with her other leg. In another two bounces, she had it under enough control to be bouncing it back and forth between her thighs. The shocks against her leg were causing a little discomfort but nothing she couldn’t work through if she needed to.

She then bounced it against her head a few times while she closed her eyes. It was good to be on the court again like this. Even practicing something that even she had to be careful about if she didn’t want to hurt herself was soothing to her. It was like this anytime she had to take a break and usually had her more irritable during the winter when people would tell her she couldn’t use the field. There was a Winter mode for a reason, even if the league discontinued it because they deemed it too dangerous. And yet black holes were okay. She never did really get the heads of the game but so long as they didn’t suddenly say she couldn’t play, she’d listen. Or, listen during a game. She would tell them to go screw themselves as much as she wanted while privately training.

She then bounced it a bit higher with a smirk. Her knees bent as her hands slipped behind her back and grabbed each other. She spent one moment double checking where the ball was before shutting her eyes. A breath in, a breath out, a breath i- Boscha’s feet cut her off as she sprung up. She arched backwards in her jump and kicked her good leg forward as hard as she could to help her spin around. Or, more accurately, to smash the Grudgby ball as hard as she could.

It wasn’t at the goal though. She liked the trick but it was too well telegraphed. Everyone expected it to go for the goal. No, it was either commonly aimed at another player’s legs or the goal post at the back, or one of her teammates for what usually ended up being a surprisingly effective pass. Her anger helped trick people too since why else would she put so much effort in just for someone else to take the credit? As such, she turned on her heel the second her foot hit the ground and began striding with the other so she could catch the ball when it bounced back to actually get the goal.

However, instead of the bang of the ball trying to dent the metal of the goal post, there was this weird schlorping sound. Then the sound of sneakers sliding along the concrete of the field before a lighter thud against the goal post. If she was in proper practice, and especially if she was in a match, none of it would throw Boscha off but instead the shock of what had interrupted her trick caused her to throw herself off balance.

Then again, “What are you doing here, Amity?”

Amity wheezed slightly as she peeled herself off of the goal post. She had summoned an abomination between her and Boscha to try and slow down the ball but it had been a couple years since she tried to catch one of Boscha’s kicks at full force. “Wondering how we almost beat you right now.”

“You think I took that match seriously?” She then hopped onto her feet before stretching herself out. “I’d always planned to win how I did. I knew it’d piss off Luz more if she thought I was coming up with some bullshit rule than if I simply smoked her. Though,” she said with a growl, “whatever dumb magic seemed to warp reality every few seconds didn’t help my team. I asked Coach if it was some new setting but he had no idea what I was talking about…”

Amity smiled momentarily before tossing the ball back at Boscha. “I wish that made less sense.” She then stretched out her back as she added, “Willow says that whatever this ‘montage’ thing we did with Luz’s effects only seemed to last until the match was over. She even tried the Thorn Vault again and got launched into a wall instead of running along it.”

“Good.” Boscha spin the ball on one of her fingers as she remembered the dumb trick and scowled slightly. “I still have no idea why you gave her that stupid play. Anyone other than you or I and Coach would have you kicked off for being so reckless. It was a heck of a way to quit though.”

Amity glanced away as she grabbed her arm. “Uh, I actually left because I realized how stupid I’d been just to win a game. At least with abominations I didn’t accidentally hurt people when I get too excited. As for the stunt, it might, you know, be from Azura…”

Boscha grabbed the ball in both of her hands as she stared into the middle distance. After a few seconds of processing, she threw the ball as hard as she could at the far goal post. It was obvious from how it ricocheted back to Boscha that she could have made a goal but it was easier like this to keep playing during practice. “I really need to get used to the fact that you’ve been a bleeding hearted nerd longer than I thought possible.”

Amity put her hands on her hips as she raised an eyebrow. “Is that anyway to talk to your captain?”

Boscha smirked back before putting a foot on her ball before giving Amity a mocking bow. “Ah, yes, Captain Blight. I’m so happy to have you back. Are we going to get another mysterious donation for new equipment then?”

Amity groaned as she slapped her palm to her forehead. “Please don’t remind me. Even worse was that father only offered when I was considering dropping it because I was wondering out loud about how it would look on my record to colleges.”

Boscha didn’t think before she yelled, “We were ten!”

Amity threw her hands up as she yelled, “College is important!”

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before they both just broke out into a fit of laughter. Boscha lazily kicked the ball towards Amity as she continued to chortle before wiping at one of her eyes. “How did I never notice you were such a nerd?”

Amity walked closer before lightly nudging Boscha’s side and covered her mouth while she tried to talk through her giggles. “Because I’m your nerd?”

That only got Boscha to laugh louder before she ruffled Amity’s hair. “Careful. People might get the wrong idea you know.”

Amity rolled her eyes before crossing her arms. “Anyone who thinks you and I are a thing is an idiot.”

They both then glanced away for a second as for some reason the statement hurt, even if for less than second. Boscha waved the pain away though as she just enjoyed having her best friend back like this. Uncomplicated, fun, but with a nice bit of new snark that hadn’t been there before. One that seemed to enjoy Boscha’s own fun outside of just how it hurt others. “Now, what are you doing here? And no dodging it this time or,” she said as she kicked her ball into her hands, “you’ll be dodging this until you tell me.”

Amity cocked her hip to the side as she smirked at her friend. “That sounds like a threat you’d give Luz.”

Boscha closed one of her eyes as she said, “Two.”

Amity paled for a moment. Before her change of heart, she’d easily call Boscha’s bluff because she knew the mean girl would never be brave enough to touch a Blight. Ever since she’d admitted how their relationship had been before though, Boscha seemed a lot less… restrained. That usually ended up in ways where she tried to give her a stroke like in the pizzeria but she didn’t want to push it. “Okay, okay. Someone told me you ran out of the house and that I should maybe follow.”

Boscha rolled her eyes as she began to casually dribble next to her. “I’ve been stuck on crutches for almost a week now. Sorry that I wanted to move properly.”

“And before then?”

Boscha’s hand stopped and so the ball finally fell away from her. She then narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never left to do this before.”

Amity sighed as she looked away. “Sorry, Boscha, but who told me isn’t one I expect to lie about this sort of stuff.” She then raised a hand and waved towards the woods. The glint of a metal pole responded before any hint of a stranger there disappeared.”

Boscha scooped up the ball before yelling, “Hey, why don’t you come out here, stalker?”

Amity stepped closer and put a hand on Boscha’s shoulder. “Calm down. I promise you that she hasn’t been stopping by the house because of you or me. It’s simply something she has to do.” She then fidgeted for a second before putting her other hand on Boscha’s open shoulder. “Besides, we’re supposed to be more open with each other so isn’t it better that I know you haven’t been sleeping?”

Boscha paused at the question before opening her mouth. Closing it. Opening it again. And then closing it because Amity came in and gave her a tight hug. The rough girl didn’t know how to respond but her bestie took care of that for her.

“You don’t need to explain it. And if they tell me again, I’ll ignore it. However,” Amity said as she raised her head to look Boscha in the eye and bring a flare of red to the bully’s cheeks, “I want to remind you that I’m here. Not even that I’m here to listen. I know you don’t like to talk. It’s not your style. But if you want someone to help you burn some stress or the like, then just let me know.”

Boscha’s arms stayed awkwardly at her sides before she sighed and hugged Amity back. She couldn’t tell her that part of why she kept running off was that she just didn’t feel right in the manor. She’d made a spot under the house to hide in for that reason specifically. So if she needed to not feel like she was somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be, she could run away. Here though? In her best friend’s arms?

Boscha gave Amity a tight squeeze before whispering, “I… I know this might be embarrassing but would you be okay if I came and slept with you from time to time. I don’t want to expl-”

Amity put a finger over her friend’s lips before she stepped back. “I’m the one who described you living with me as just a really long sleepover and it’s not like I ever kicked you out of my bed back then if you managed to get it first.”

Which Boscha always did. Always. At least, when she was around. She wasn’t about to let Skara get to cuddle with her best friend if she had a chance to after all. She mostly just smiled though before summoning her phone and wrapping an arm around Amity and bringing their faces close to each other. “Think I can get a yawn.”

Amity glanced at her friend before saying, “I can’t just yawn on comm- Aaaaah.”

Boscha knew mentioning it would do it. After all, Amity must be tired from getting up for this, even if she hadn’t been forced to actually do anything. She tilted her head a little so they were mostly facing each other before giving her bestie a triplet of bedroom eyes and a soft smile before taking the picture. She then used magic to push her phone out a bit and take a better picture that showed the two were in proper clothes and on the Grudgby field.

Amity watched for a second as Boscha finished up her post. The serious girl then summoned her own phone to check what her old friend was up to. She had started following Boscha since the sleepover after all so it wasn’t that hard for her to do so. “About to sleep with THE Amity Blight after getting down and dirty with h- What the hell, Boscha?”

Boscha broke out in an uncontrollable fit of giggles before she flipped her phone around to Amity. On it was a prepped post showing the two on the field as it said, Titan, we’re fourteen guys. Maybe get your heads out of the gutter? Boscha then tucked her ball under one arm as she added, “I plan to post that once I get up so people will have time to check themselves.”

“It’s not going to stop the rumors people will make.”

“Then,” Boscha raised a fist in the air, “I’ll just shut them up with this.”

Amity groaned as she rubbed her temples. “Boscha, you need to stop looking for trouble. There’s no point to it.”

The angry girl paused before looking back at the treeline. “Well, sorry, but there’s one more bit of trouble I need to find before I can head to bed.” Her eyes then narrowed in on another glint of metal before she took off for the trees.

Her friend caught Amity mid yawn and that gave her a few second head start as the serious girl tried to put herself together enough to give chase. Boscha was more awake, observant, and faster than Amity though so just following the rough girl was hard enough. The stranger found trying to get away to be even harder though as they kept trying to slip behind things or double back but Boscha caught the trick every time. At least, until the rough girl tackled the stranger themselves.

Boscha grabbed the thick, ragged black cloak that the stranger had recently added to their wardrobe before flipping her over with a yank. “Okay, Amity says you’re safe but I want to know just who you are.”

The stranger struggled a little before pulling the cloak down from her face. They kept their mouth covered but their eyes were enough to loosen Boscha’s grip. After all, eyes was incorrect, not when there was nothing more than a mess of scars where one of them should be. The other was brown but with specks of glowing, blue energy. A rough cough escaped from the figure before they finally spoke. For Boscha, the voice was only slightly recognizable. After all, she’d heard Luz’s voice a lot less than anyone else, which was part of what the stranger was banking on right now. “I think Amity would prefer I describe myself as just another Blight abomination that needs stabilizing. It’s less complicated than the truth if we’re all honest.”

That only got Boscha to glare at the stranger harder. “And if I want to know the truth?”

The woman got weirdly quiet as the glow in her eye dimmed a bit. “The truth is that despite my name, you are the best thing I could have asked for right now. I promise. But we can’t talk about why here. Don’t worry though,” the stranger said as the sound of Amity crashing through the brush caught Boscha’s attention, “I’ll see about talking to you again sooner rather than later. Then I’ll give you your answers.”

Boscha scowled as her hand curled into a fist. She then looked at the stranger as Amity called out for her to stop. That was enough to get Boscha to let go and get up. “You’re lucky Amity likes you.”

Cluz sighed in relief as Boscha walked back to Amity. She even smiled when Amity helped calm Boscha by telling the bully that she hoped a good night’s sleep would help Boscha calm down. The bully wouldn’t forget about her of course. Boscha wasn’t like that, but if Amity asked her to then she’d at least pretend to now that she knew she could easily beat Cluz down.

Which was a problem now. Cluz groaned as she moved her hand back to her staff. It’d be hard to pick it up if she didn’t use it to lift herself up. Luckily, there were plenty of branches for her to hook it against to help pull herself up as one of her feet scrambled for purchase on the loose dirt. It took a few tries but she did eventually manage it. She then tugged at her cloak over where her missing arm was before beginning to use her staff to help her walk. After all, it had been a few weeks now since she’d lost use in one of her legs and she didn’t have everything she’d prefer to to deal with the problems.

She hoped she was right that Boscha could help her though. For Luz’s sake.