Honestly, a baby duck could take me in a fight. 

Not that I’d ever fight ducks. Or babies. 

“I know you’re the new kid, but that’s not a good excuse to put on this stupid act. You’re not the first witch at school to try to get close with the headmaster’s kid. I can’t get you any special privileges.”

“Whoa. I’m not—” 

“And I can’t help fix a failing grade.”

“David! I don’t want that.”

“Then what is it? What do you want from me?” 

“Nothing!” My voice cracked and a blush seeped up from my neck and stained the rest of my face and ears. “I just… I just want to be your friend.”

That only deepened David’s scowl. “No, you don’t. Nobody does.”

“I do. And don’t get so cocky.” I pointed a warning finger at David, letting my confidence build back up. If this guy thinks he can intimidate me, he was dead wrong. I’ve ridden dragons with a meaner scowl. “You’d be lucky to be friends with me. Consider it an honor that I’m even trying.”

“Whatever.” David rolled his eyes again, obviously relying on a crutch. 

He took another step forward when a pair of voices stopped us both. One, I recognized as the Headmaster’s baritone, the way it boomed and reverberated in my bones. I was too new to have already caused trouble at school, but the way the Headmaster spoke made me feel a twinge of unease and guilt for everything I had ever done wrong. Every failed test and every failed presentation took a stab at my resolve all over again. 

I couldn’t imagine living with that. 

The Headmaster said, “I’ve had it with that boy. He’s making a mockery of the school on purpose.”

“Stop it, Hyrum,” a woman spoke. “He’s gone through a lot. It’s no wonder he fell behind.”

“Fell behind? Is sitting in detention every day falling behind? Is turning in blank tests falling behind? He’s a Hale, Judith. David is holding himself back on purpose. If he doesn’t get his act together, I will send him to a boarding school that won’t allow him to coast on his name alone.”

“Hyrum. Imagined being fifteen and losing both your parents at once. You lost your brother,” Judith whispered, her voice softer than velvet and sadder than rain. “But he lost his father. Try to understand.”

“David looks just like him.”

“I know.”

I glanced at David as his face twisted into what some might write off as anger or hate, but I could see the trickle of tears forming in the corners of his dark almost black eyes. 

Tilting his head to meet David’s gaze, I smiled softly. “You have to be my friend...”

David looked up as he fought with all his might to keep his tears from falling. He shook from the unreleased pressure. A single loose brick kept that dam together. My hand itched to remove that brick and release all of David’s emotions so they could rush out in a tidal wave and then, he’d achieve an ounce of relief. 

“Because all that emptiness that you feel right now…” I timidly lifted my hand and pressed it over David’s thrumming heart. “I’ll fill it. I’ll fill it with joy if that’s what you want.” I took back my hand. “But I do want to know. Why are you holding back?”

Whatever anger that had melted froze over again behind David’s eyes. His edges stiffened, wrapping him in thorns sharp enough to cut me to shreds. “I’m not holding back. What they said is true. I’m falling behind.”

“I know you already have your Familiar.”

David blinked. His eyes scanned me as if for the first time, which made me smile in satisfaction. 

Yes. My heart thumped. Notice me. 

Familiars were important in our world. They were an extension of a witch’s soul when our magic was too powerful for our mortal bodies. Only witches with powerful Familiars could succeed in creating truly formidable spells. 

Most witches didn’t conjure Familiars until they were in college. 

David and I were only fifteen. 

I quirked my brow. “He’s bonded to you, like a tattoo, right? I’ve never seen that before. It’s really cool.”

David glanced at the door where his aunt and uncle were still talking. Taking a step closer to me, I swallowed a yelp and he whispered, “You saw him?”

“He sticks his tongue out at me in class.” 

“Traitor,” David snapped at his arm and the little snake wriggled out of his sleeve and curled around his wrist. Its form wavered until its head popped out of David’s skin, all brown scales with yellowish crossbars and golden blinking eyes. For a snake, it was as cute as a puppy dog. 

“I don’t think they should love you based on your merit…” I explained, raising my fingers to the little snake on David’s wrist. The snake bowed its head and allowed me to pet him, which made me grin wider. “But you’re only punishing yourself in the end. Maybe you don’t want to be the spitting image of your uncle. I wouldn’t either. He kind of sucks—” David snorted, and a hand flew over his mouth, which just added gasoline to the fire burning in my stomach. “Don’t be great because of them. Do it to spite them. Become great because you can, and I’ll help. I’ll stand by the side lines and cheer for you, David. Not because you’re a Hale, but because I think you can be awesome.” 

I looked up at David’s dumbfounded expression. With a laugh, I stood straight and rested my hands on my hips. “I sound smart, don’t I? Now you’ll never call me stupid again.”

“Sorry about that. I—I didn’t mean it.” 

“It’s okay. Just promise to be my friend until we die and come back as ghosts. Have I told you that I’m definitely going to come back as a ghost? I just know it.”

“You’re so weird.” 

And then, David laughed. 

Laughed and smiled with all teeth and crinkled up eyes and the kind of dimples that forced me to take a breath. David said, “Fine! Let’s be friends. Friends forever.”

“Promise?” I offered my pinky.

He played along, locking his finger with mine. “Promise.” 

In that moment, an odd feeling pooled in my stomach. I didn’t know it at the time but promising to be David’s best friend forever was something I’d regret nine years later.