Wicked Ones ♛ MAL [✓]

➣ fourteen.

014. | NO GOODBYES

"Freddy, where are you taking me?" Mal asked with a laugh, struggling to keep up with me as I led her through the forest.

"Like I said, I have a surprise," I said.

I kept going, walking at brisk pace until we reached our destination: the enchanted lake where Ben and Mal had their "first date". Only this time, I had used some of my magic to arrange vines around the columns of the ruins, and little flecks of light floated around in the air like fireflies. Underneath one of the columns was a small picnic, with a basket full of strawberries dipped in purple chocolate and green caramel apples.

"Oh my god, Freddy!" Mal said. "You did all this?"

I nodded. "Do you like it?"

"Do I like it?" Mal spun around to take it all in. "Does an ogre like cheese puffs?"

I couldn't help but laugh at her excitement. Then she turned to me with the genuine, dimpled smile that I had grown to love so much.

"This is amazing, Freddy," Mal said. "And this is exactly what I needed right now."

I smiled. "I'm glad. Now, come on. Let's enjoy ourselves."

We sat down by the basket and began to eat, talking about our fondest memories together and laughing at the silly ones. It was fun, relaxing and serene, relieving us of some of the stress that we'd been experiencing lately.

After we'd finished, I turned to Mal and gave her a sly smile.

"What?" Mal asked.

I leaned forward, shoving her head playfully and causing her to fall over to the side with a huff of surprise. She sat up, then gave me a playful glare before doing the same to me. However, I simply laughed as I went down, then sat up and shook my head at her. 

"Someone's feeling playful today," Mal said. 

I shook my head. "Not really playful. Mostly just happy." 

"Well I like you happy," Mal told me. "And I got you something, too."

She sat up, reaching for her bag and rummaging through it. But suddenly her mom's spellbook fell out of it, falling on the soft grass with a soft thud.

"Mal, I thought you had donated this to the museum," I said, picking up the book and flipping through it. But then my heart sunk when I saw what she had bookmarked. Blonde spell. Remembrance spell. Cooking spell. Everything I thought she'd learned on her own had actually been the result of a spell.

"Are you serious?" I asked, tossing the book to the ground. "I thought you were seriously making an effort to fit in!"

"I was!" Mal said in her own defense. "But it was so hard, and you won't believe all the pressure I've been under!"

"No, I won't, because you never tell me!" I thrust my hands down to my sides. "Every time I ask you what's wrong, you say you'll tell me later - but you actually mean never! You don't tell me anything anymore, so I can't help you!"

"Why do you care?!" Mal snapped. "It's not like they're your problems, anyway!"

"Because I'm your girlfriend, for goodness sake!" I shouted. "That's what I'm supposed to do!"