Bewitched || P. Jackson

𝔻ances are always doomed

Nicki slipped between the mini cliches of girls, beelining for Bianca and Nico. She didn't look too out of place, compared to the other teenagers. Her hair was pulled into a half ponytail, her waves falling haphazardly over her shoulders as she moved. She was wearing her slightly worn blue jeans paired with a grey top that was mostly hidden beneath her leather aviator jacket.

Well, maybe the jacket made her look out of place, just a little. Compared to the spaghetti tops and colourful trousers most girls were wearing. The same ones Nicki's dad point-blank refused to buy her. "Trust me, you'll thank me when you're older" was all he ever said on it.

Someone grabbing Nicki's arm startled her, her vision blurring as she spun to face them. The bright, excited eyes of the boy Nicki sat beside in English met Nicki's dark green. Nicki laughed quietly as Grover frowned at her.

"I thought you said you were going home for Christmas? You okay?" Nicki nodded, a smile slipping onto her lips subconsciously.

"I'm great, just didn't want to leave Bianca and Nico alone at the dance." Grover's eyes widened ever so slightly. He released Nicki's arm from his grasp with a nod. "That reminds me! I had my dad mail me some Christmas presents so I could give you guys them."

"You don't celebrate Christmas, Nicki." Grover's face held more confusion than it had when trying to figure out Shakesphere's hidden meaning behind The Merchant of Venice.

"In the sense of religion no but as an excuse for family time and presents, yes. Are you turning down my grandmother's enchilada recipe?"

"You got it?!" Nicki laughed loudly at his excitement, nodding enthusiastically at her friend. Before he could express his excitement, however, his body stiffened.

Nicki glanced around awkwardly before poking his shoulder. "Grover? You okay?"

"Yeah... I- sorry." The teenager watched in silent confusion as Grover turned tail and dashed away from her into the crowd on the other side of the hall.

"Weird," Nicki muttered to herself, continuing to navigate the mini clusters of teenagers, going ham with the relaxation of their uniform rules. Just as she passed the food table, someone poured themselves a cup of punch, which Nicki swiftly lifted out of their hand.

The sweet fruity taste filled Nicki's mouth. She had gathered quite a distance from the table before the boy noticed his drink had been stolen. Ignoring the confused shouts, Nicki swung herself over a small metal railing and landed on the bench above where Nico and Bianca were engaged in a heated argument.

"Bia, leave him alone. He can play Mythomagic with me, you can go have fun." Bianca's glare softened at Nicki's appearance but didn't disappear completely. "Punch?"

"What's in it?" Nicki shrugged. Bianca sighed, fidgeting with her floppy green cap. "Give." Nicki held her cup out to Bianca, scrunching up her face under the girl's critical glare. Bianca sniffed the cup suspiciously before taking a tentative sip.

"I'm not drugging you!"

"That's exactly what someone who was drugging me would say!"

Nicki ran a hand through the loose bottom half of her hair, as it fanned over her shoulders. Rick Springfield was pounding in her brain as the 'DJ' (Mr Cambridge the maths teacher) took requests for music. "It's punch, Bia, drink the damn thing."

Nicki wrapped her arm around Nico's shoulder, pulling him against her with a small smile as he shuffled his Mythomagic cards with extreme precision. The scruffy haired boy looked up at his sister, who was staring into the gym, nursing Nicki's cup. "Did you bring any punch for me?"