Young Writers Society

~1156 words (I don't know why I'm still including word count since I'm no longer in the LMS contest)

A/N: I realize that this chapter is suuuuuuper dialogue-heavy and they're not really doing anything else except for talking. Sorry. Hopefully in future revisions that gets fixed? haha

Grey and Strix crept back though the thankfully still-silent house, not speaking until they were a good block away.

“Well of all the people I thought I would meet in that house,” Grey said, “you were the last person I was expecting. In a way I’m glad you were there though. Ever since our first meeting, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to find you again so I could apologize.”

“Really? I think that’s kind of dumb but okay,” Strix said.

“I’m also really surprised how easily you forgave me.”

“Grey, this ruby means more to me than holding a grudge, and I’m not the type to hold a grudge anyway. Especially not for something I know isn’t really your fault. It’s not your fault society hates witches.”

Grey shot her a somewhat disbelieving look. “So you’re not still holding it against me?”

“Of course I’m not. I’m a woman of my word! Why would I even continue to hold a grudge after I told you I forgave you? What would be the purpose? Just seems like a waste of energy to me. What I’m confused about is why you handed over this ruby so willingly. Even if you can’t tap into its powerful potential as a focusing talisman, it’s still worth more than the house you stole it from.”

“Well I couldn’t exactly just saunter down to my local pawn shop and sell it there. If I sold it anywhere, it would be immediately publicized, traced back to me, and I’d have been hanged for sure. I just wanted it to be displayed and admired and not hidden away.” Grey paused for a moment. “Now that I’m trying to explain it to you, it sounds really weird.”

“To me it sounds like you had some crazy idea that this would somehow impress Ivy,” Strix said. She arched her eyebrow and looked at Grey from the corner of her eye. “Am I wrong.”

Grey just answered with a groan.

“I know I don’t know her at all whatsoever, but I wonder if you think you know her better than you do. Maybe you’ve just built up an idea of who she is and what she’d like, and that isn’t who she really is. How long have you known her?”

Grey felt his face grow warm. “I don’t know. Maybe three weeks? Four?” Grey wrinkled his brow. “Has it really only been that long?”

“Three or four weeks?” Strix asked incredulously. “What in the world prompted you to think this was okay?”

Grey groaned again, running his hand through his hair. “Tommy.”

“Tommy?”

“Tommy.”

“No further explanations?”

“Ugh. You’d understand if you met him. He’s my friend I guess?”

“Well if he’s behind your stupid decisions, may I suggest you distance yourself from him? It sounds like you don’t even like him.”

“Well we sort of work together in a way. And also he’s one of my only friends. He was my only friend until I met Ivy and Nikki. But now I’ve gone and royally screwed things up with Ivy so I’m kinda back to square one.”

“What are you talking about, Grey? I’m your friend now. Especially if it means you won’t harass women anymore. You need a voice of reason in your life. This Tommy guy sounds like a bad influence.”

Grey didn’t know what to say. He just nodded in agreement.

“I mean, as long as you don’t pull that kind of stuff on me.” Strix stopped walking, so Grey did too, still stunned at Strix’s directness. She looked him right in the eye and said, “I’ll tell you straight up front like maybe Ivy was too intimidated to do, but I like you as a friend Grey. Keep it at that and don’t pull any crap.”

“Okay. I won’t.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah. No offense or anything, but I don’t know if I’d feel comfortable dating a witch anyway.”

“Non-taken. I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t want to date a non-witch.” She shrugged.

“Fair enough. So did you mean it?”

“What? I mean, yes, I mean everything I say, but I am curious what you’re referring to.”

He could feel himself blushing again. “When you said you’d be my friend.”

“Yeah of course I meant that. I mean, we’re friends already right? Maybe not good friends, but friends nonetheless!”

“I guess it’s just rare for me.” Grey opened his mouth as if to say more, but he decided he didn’t need to look even more pathetic by crying, which might happen if he said anything else.

“And you said you worked for a secret society, right?” She began walking again, and Grey followed. He realized they’d long since passed his turn to go home, but he didn’t want to cut off the conversation yet.

“Yeah. Are you interested in joining?”

“I don’t know. Maybe? I’m busy a lot and I get tired from training since becoming more powerful is my primary goal right now. When do you meet?”

“I mean, I told Nikki and Ivy Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, but it’s really a daily thing, so honestly you could drop by absolutely whenever and it would be fine. You know where it is right?”

“Yeah, I watched you as an owl.”

“That’s kind of creepy.”

“Hey we were almost to your place anyway, it’s not like I followed you home or anything. And I needed to see where I could find you in the future because you owed me a favor and you never know when you’ll need to call in a favor.”

“Fair enough.” They walked along in silence for a little while, and Grey thought about the favor Ruby (quick author’s note: I realize that there are now two “rubies” in this story, so I think I’m going to have to change her name) had promised him. Strix had shown him that favors were not something to be taken lightly, and could be used very advantageously.

“So, that’s a cool thing on your arm. What is it?”

Grey explained the functions and how it worked, and the topic eventually worked its way around to what Grey did at the Workshop. Before Grey knew it, Strix had stopped in front of a small, crooked-looking house. Suddenly Grey realized he was in Hazel’s Hill.

“Yeah so I gotta go now,” Strix said, shifting from foot to foot. “But this has been an… interesting night.”

“You can say that again,” Grey said with a laugh. “I’m really glad I got to see you again, and…” he felt a blush rise yet again to his cheeks, “that you’re willing to think of me as a friend. Sorry again for like, everything.”

“Stop apologizing! And it’s no issue. Everyone needs more friends, and I’m happy to be one. See you later, Grey.”

“Bye!” Grey smiled at Strix and turned around. Hopefully he’d be able to find his way out of Hazel’s Hill without her help.