The last of the leaf golems exploded back into a pile of leaves as Limit punched it. Gadget’s leafblower roared to life, reversing and dragging the leaves into the machine’s belly, with a few of Fold’s paper cranes caught up as unfortunate collateral.

  Luc stopped funneling magic into the leafblower and sagged, an exhausted grin on her face as the drone zoomed in for a close up. She still hadn’t gotten used to constantly having the drone around, but did her best to look appealing, or whatever.

  Marie had doubled down on filming everything this past week, presumably in preparation for the mage academy talk at the end of the week. Luc had her doubts about it actually mattering, but there really was no arguing with Marie about it, and it wasn’t like she didn’t benefit from it. Whether she attended the mage’s talk or not, something she still hadn’t decided, every view their videos got was money in her pocket.

  Fold, Maisey’s magical girl persona, waved the drone over and let it alight on her open hand. “Another flawless performance by Limit, Gadget, and Fold,” she said, holding the camera up in front of her face as if she was vlogging.

  From off camera, Luc rolled her eyes. Their performance had been far from flawless. Really, it had taken three times as long as it should have, but mostly because leaves were absolutely horrid to kill. Even if you busted up the golems, they’d just reform into new ones, which had led to Luc borrowing someone’s leafblower and temporarily altering it.

  She’d have to fix it and bring it back in the morning, once she was certain all the leaf golems were dead.

  “Aren’t my girlfriends just the coolest?” Maisey said, a shit eating grin stretching across her face.

  Marie groaned, ignoring Maisey as she talked at the drone. “That took way longer than I expected,” she said, stifling a yawn. “I’m starving. I can’t believe I missed dinner.”

  “Why don’t we go out for something?” Luc suggested, her heartbeat quickening. They’d gone out twice before. Once, when Marie tried to bribe her with ice cream, and then when Luc paid her back so she wouldn’t be in debt to the girl. Things were different now, however. Luc had her own place, her own money, and she wasn’t about to let Marie wield all the power. “My treat.”

  Marie’s face lit up, and Luc’s stomach did a little flip. She still couldn’t quite let her guard down, knowing that none of this was serious, but seeing Marie happy always made her stomach flutter. “Really?”

  “Ooh, where are we going?” Maisey asked, cutting Luc off before she could say anything and turning the camera to face them.

  “I didn’t hear Luc invite you,” Marie said. She smiled, but there was a bite to her words. A shiver ran down Luc’s spine.

  Maisey gasped dramatically and turned to the camera, reminding Luc that it was in fact still rolling. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes again or demand that Maisey stop filming. This was all a part of the game, after all.

  “I can’t believe my girlfriends are abandoning me.”

  “Maybe your girlfriends are upset you crashed their date,” Marie said, walking over to take back her camera.

  “It was very rude of you not to invite me,” Maisey said. “You’re just lucky I showed up in time to help.”

  She danced backwards as Marie reached for the camera, keeping just out of reach.

  Luc walked over before the two could actually start fighting, easily sneaking up and grabbing the camera from Maisey.

  “Maybe I just wanted to give everyone quality time,” Luc said, tipping up on her toes to put herself on eye level with Maisey. “Can’t have anyone getting jealous, now can I?”

  She kissed the girl on the cheek, and Marie snatched the drone from her hands, quickly shutting it off.

  Maisey started giggling as Luc took a step back, heat flooding across her cheeks. Why did I do that?

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “You kissed me,” Maisey said. Her fingers brushed against her cheeks, over the spot Luc had just kissed. Her lips tingled at the memory and Luc quickly looked away, debating slamming her head into a wall. There were plenty of other things she could have done to distract Maisey and play into their ruse that didn’t involve kissing her, even on the cheek.

  “On the cheek,” Luc said.

  Marie’s eyes were wide as she pointed at Maisey. “You kissed her!”

  “On the cheek!” Luc exclaimed, throwing up her hands. “For the camera! I thought we talked about this.”

  Marie opened her mouth then shut it again, crossing her arms over her chest. “So are we going out or what?”

  Luc’s attention went to Maisey. While she’d been trying to ask Marie out, she couldn’t exactly ignore Maisey, especially since she was right here. Plus, it wasn’t like she would mind if Maisey tagged along.

  “Actually, I need to get home,” Maisey said with a casual shrug, as though she hadn’t just made a dramatic complaint about not being invited. Sometimes Luc just did not understand people. “I have to get up early tomorrow. I’ll take my date another time.”

  “Sure,” Luc said with a roll of her eyes. Tobias would probably have something to say about that, but that was none of her concern. “Marie?”

  Marie glared at Maisey long enough for Luc to wonder if she was taking all the joking the wrong way before shrugging. “Sure,” she said. “I’m starving.”

  They waved goodbye to Maisey before hopping into Luc’s car, starting the drive across town, looking for a place to stop and eat. Despite the late hour, Luc pulled into a full parking lot with a smile on her face, taking the first open parking spot she could find.

  The parking lot seemed to be filled with half the teens in the town, using the hoods of their cars as dining tables or camping out in their trunks as they ate admittedly shitty fast food and absolutely delicious milkshakes.

  Even with it being fast food, Luc didn’t go here often, and her stomach rumbled as they stepped through the front door.

  Marie raised her eyebrows skeptically as she scanned the tiny dining room, full of families with tiny kids and older couples doing their best to talk over the noise and banging music. She wasn’t someone who was used to this type of environment. Luc had to wonder if Ms. Private-Chef had ever eaten fast food.

  “Order for me?” Marie asked as they neared the front counter. “I have leaves in my hair that I need to get out.”

  Luc nodded and watched Marie dart off, weaving through the crowded space effortlessly until she disappeared into the bathroom.

  With her out of sight, Luc turned her attention back to the frankly overwhelming number of options on the menu. When it was her turn at the register, she ordered a selection she knew she liked and thought Marie would probably approve of, including a pair of milkshakes for them to share, and paid without looking at the price.

  She slipped to the side, waiting for their food and sipping on her milkshake when it came out.

  Marie joined her right as their food came out, hair carefully pulled back into a ponytail at the back of her head, curls spilling down her shoulders. Luc’s heart fluttered as the girl approached, and she offered up the milkshake she’d only taken a sip from.

  “It’s pomegranate,” she said, remembering how Marie tasted. She was certainly a fan of the flavor.

  Marie took a sip and nodded approvingly before grabbing their bags, helping Luc carry them back out to the car.

  They sat on the tailgate, staring out at the parking lot and the bright lights cutting off their view of the stars overhead.

  Luc stirred her milkshake as it hit her, the thought coming at her like a sledge hammer.

  She’d done it. She’d escaped her mother’s house, had her own apartment, a life she’d built from her own hard work and dedication. For the first time in a long while, she didn’t have someone else’s bills to pay. No rent to scrounge for. No late nights after fights where she had to go home hungry because she couldn’t afford to stop at a place like this and pick up something to eat.

  The laughter slipped from her mouth as emotions bubbled up in her chest, turning it into something wet and aching. Before she could stop it, tears slipped down her face, scalding hot as they dripped and landed on her hands.

  She screwed her eyes shut, caught somewhere between a laugh and a sob as her tears continued to fall. I did it, she thought, the words resounding like a victory bell. I made it out.

  The dream that had seemed impossible for so many years wasn’t only in her grasp—she’d crushed it. She made it out of Penny’s house and into her own place, one she’d earned on her own merit, not the pity of others. She had a job of her own, her own money that could go to her future, not back into her mother’s mistakes. She had options now, more than just sticking around here as a magical girl for her entire life. She could move to a bigger city and keep working there, or even try to get into Mage Academy like Marie wanted.

  “Are you okay?” Marie asked, her soft fingers snaking into Luc’s own.

  She nodded rapidly and opened her eyes, smiling up through tears at Marie’s concerned face.

  “I’m great,” she said, letting out another peel of laughter. “I’m really great.”

  Marie smiled and leaned down, brushing her lips against Luc’s forehead. The touch was soft and fleeting, and barely gone for a moment before their foreheads pressed together and Luc leaned into her gentle warmth.