I set the last cardboard box down to match its twenty some odd identical twins laid out on the dorm carpet. Sweat trailed down my face, the reddish-brown of my bangs sticking to my far too warm forehead. I grabbed my tee-shirt to wipe it off, but then it lay limp and damp against my stomach. A groan escaped out of my throat. That wasn't even the last of them.

"What's the matter? Something wrong with the room?"

I turned to find Dustin in the doorframe, although he looked more like a box with legs, hugging itself with the sleeves of a rich purple jacket. He hobbled into the living room, his foot shaking rapidly beneath him as he rocked forward.

"Dustin!" I shouted, hurrying over to him. The scars on my hands felt hot and taunt as I took the package from him, but I'd take that before I let him hit the floor. "What are you doing? I said nothing over fifteen pounds!"

"I followed it for most of them. It was just the last one, and I figured I'd save you the trip downstairs." He shrugged, making his way over to the pink sheets of his bed. I watched his right foot drag behind him at an awkward angle until he slowly rested it on the blanched, off-white carpet.

"You shouldn't even be going up steps! You should've taken the elevator." I placed the box on the floor next to him, staring into his grey eyes. There was a slight distance to them, like always, but behind that was the steely annoyance that I'd come to accept he had sometimes.

"Sheesh. You sound like Gwen. I'll be fine." He sighed, shaking his blond hair free of the violet hood of his jacket. He raised his eyebrows at me, face blank, but my Empathy picked up the tense tug of frustration in his chest. Behind that was a pool of magik– out of reach– but I could still feel it, my synesthesia connecting it to a single flavor from there. Some days, his was soft and sweet, like a fortune cookie, but right now it was crispy and bold, like a chicken pot pie. Not that I particularly cared which it was at the moment. Dustin was my best friend either way.

"You know it's been years, right?" His voice cut through my thoughts, still calm, quiet, just not the same way it was when his energy tasted differently.

Years. I didn't answer him right away, instead biting at my lip. I mean, of course I knew that. The Insurrection had been in 2089, my sophomore year of highschool. Now it was 2091, a week before college, and yet... I could still feel it. The gun in my hands, the sound of the shot, and blood. So much blood. My fingers trembled.

"Crow."

I jumped, looking up at him. I was standing in an empty room, with beige carpet, white walls, and Dustin watching me warily from a lone couch. So why had it felt any different? A headache pounded at my temples, and I rubbed at my face, trying to clear it. "What?"

A small smirk pulled at his lips. "I'll be fine, all right? I appreciate the concern, but really, don't worry about it. I'm a Sophomore, I did this last year, and I didn't write to the administration to share a room with you because I needed help. I did it because I thought it would be fun to have a roommate for once."

"Didn't you have one last year?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Half his face twitched in a wince. "He... didn't stay long. Or the other ones." Then he shook his head, the smile returning. "But this will be different. We're best buds, and I'm planning on this year being better than the last. Unless you also want to ditch me?"
A hollow laugh pulled out of my chest. "Not a chance."

"All right." He pushed himself off the couch, resting a hand on my shoulder. "Then let's get the rest of the stuff, and I'll show you around campus. Deal?"

I nodded, giving him a smile of my own. "Deal."

☾☆☽

It wasn't my first time around the place. I'd taken a tour of EAC a few months back, with an overly enthusiastic guide and a gaggle of soon-to-be students exploring the halls... but I couldn't exactly say I'd paid much attention. Besides, why would I take the opinion of someone paid to talk about the college when I could get the opinion of someone who paid to go?

I pushed open the door out of the dorms, stepping out into the warm outdoors with Dustin right behind me. "All right," he began, turning to me. "Where to first?"

"You tell me." I shrugged, casting a look around. The rounded, glassy walls of the college towered above us, tinted slightly from the solar panels embedded in them. There were three main buildings, but they all looked the same, at least from here. "I just know where my classes are. Somewhat. Everything else is..." I waved my hand around to gesture at it. "This."

Dustin snorted. "Mind if I go ahead and show you your favorite spot then?"

"My favorite spot?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "I haven't even seen it yet."

"And I know my best friend, unless you want to make a bet?" There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he fished a hand into his pocket to pull out a bright red lollipop. He put it in his mouth before stuffing his hands back into his pocket. "We have a whole walk across the place for you to decide."

Across the entire campus? Ugh. I felt bad complaining to the guy with a limp when the only thing wrong with my legs was that they were attached to a guy who hated exercise, but then again, maybe I could kill two birds with one stone. "Nah, I got a better idea," I told him, tugging a backpack strap off my shoulder.

I set the thick, brown bag onto the ground. I hardly went anywhere without it now, but it wasn't usually filled with school supplies. Even now, my laptop only took up a single compartment while the rest of them held potion after potion, some green, some red, some gold.

Reaching for the latter, I slid out a single, glass bottle, popping off the cork. Already, I could taste the chicken noodle soup-like flavor of the potion's magik, although I knew it wouldn't match the bitter, citrusy tang of the actual liquid. I chugged it, feeling the magik course through my system: warm, tingly, like static in my veins. My spirit became easier to sense in my chest, more powerful. I focused on it, reaching a hand up to the sky.

Dustin only stared at me. "What are you doing?"

"Getting my broom. I didn't get my license for nothing," I answered, frowning in concentration. I pictured it, still propped up against the wall of the dorm, wooden handle stained a deep red, the bristles only slightly frayed... Now to imagine it raising up, hovering through the air, all the way to my hand.

"I feel like you're out of range, just a bit."

I shushed him, focusing harder. A cool sensation flowed through my hand, feeling taunt like a rubber band. It was loosening though, drawing closer, closer...

"Watch out."

I heard Dustin's half-hearted warning a little too late, and the brunt force of the broom smacked into my face, a hot ache spreading over my nose as I toppled to the ground. The broom hovered two feet above where I lay glaring at it. Another point for inanimate objects, Crow Morrais, zero.

I grumbled, rubbing at my smarting face while my other hand accepted Dustin's offer to pull me up. My face grew even more hot as he continued to watch me struggle with a blank face, trying to grab at the broom and wrestle it into a flat position to sit on, but what else did he want from me? I got it, didn't I?

Eventually, I was able to ease one leg over it, letting the broom sit right between them. I scooted up a bit, leaving room for Dustin to climb on behind me. It barely sunk under his practically nonexistent weight, but I adjusted my hold on the magik just in case. "Ready?"

"Yep. It's straightforward and on the right." He pointed a single hand past my shoulder.

"And you're still not going to tell me what it is?" I asked, feeling the ground fall out from under my feet. Wind breezed past us as we rose up, the light feeling of weightlessness taking over until we were just above the rounded buildings.

"I'll point it out when we get closer, though I think you'll get the idea."

I could barely hear Dustin mumbling over the sound of air in my ears, so I chose to nod, looking at the world around me.

Granted, I owned a car, but something about being up here, able to see out for miles in all directions, people reduced to dots below you, the open sky... and most importantly, no New Jersey traffic. There was something calming about being above it all, soaring and just being... free.

I closed my eyes, taking it in. For a moment, my mind relaxed a bit, thinking of nothing, doing nothing, just trying to enjoy the empty, lucid feeling. I held onto it, letting everything else fall away.

Elliot is never going to know what it feels like to ride a broom.

I flinched, eyes snapping open as it all came crashing back: the guilt, the memories, the feeling of holding a gun in my hands, aiming it at a single, old man. A chill ran down my mind, making me shiver.

I'd killed someone, in cold blood. I shouldn't be here, casually exploring around a campus with my best friend. I shouldn't be asked to go to interviews, or called a hero on the news for taking down a cult.

My gaze flicked down to my hands, shakily holding onto the broom, coated in scars. How had it felt, getting a bullet through the chest? Bleeding out until there was nothing left? Had it been too hot, too warm? Sticky? My hands felt sticky, coated in red that wasn't there. A sound roared in my ears, but it wasn't the wind this time. It was a girl, barely fifteen, taking in a deep, whistling breath, trying her hardest to look at me, talk to me for the last time.

"Crow? Crow! You're going to fly right past it."

"What?" I jumped a bit, trying to see. Sure enough, we were hovering right above a shorter, flatter building, neon signs and holograms decorating the outside.

My heart was beating in my ears, a sudden exhaustion pulling at my thoughts directly opposing the spike of anxiety in my chest, but I pushed past it, reaching for the magik there. Soon I'd backed up to the front of the building, making my way to the ground.

Dustin craned his head forward, silver eyes boring into me like they could stare directly into my soul. "... are you all right?"

"What? Yeah," I assured him, my own hazel flicking to the steadily approaching building, the signs on the front finally close enough to read. It was a list of places to get food, ranging from a chicken place, to pizza, a salad bar...

"Really? The student center? Are you trying to say something?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

Although it didn't take a genius to point out I was a bit on the stockier side, the joke took his mind off of whatever look he'd caught on my face, and he dropped the issue, choosing to smirk at me instead. "Like I said, I know you well. Besides-" he continued, pushing himself off the broom and brushing his grey jeans down. "I meant one in particular. It'll be my treat after getting everything upstairs."

"All right." I breathed out a sigh of relief the second he turned away, sliding off the broom and releasing the cool, solid feeling of my magik. Already, the tight, achy panic I'd felt was subsiding, my brain wandering to wonder what place he had in mind. Go figure, not even a week into college life, and free food was enough motivation for me. I would have chuckled, but I didn't feel up to it, settling for a shrug. "Just let me park the broom."

"Sure thing."

Not too far from the food court next to a simple bike rack was a broom lot. A holographic, blue door coated the entrance. I walked up to it, finding the white square of a chip reader right next to it. Soon, I'd pulled my clip card out of my wallet, paying the single dollar fee, and it opened, letting me inside. A good number of other brooms sat in the box, all with a metal rod threaded through a hole in their handles.

"This place must be popular," I muttered to myself as I lined up my own broom in one of the boxy slots along the wall, tapping my card against yet another square. A beep went off as it read my ID and payment, a switch releasing to send a metal pole through my own handle, locking it in place until I needed it.

Finished, I went to head out when a large, white billboard caught my eye. I doubled back from the door to shoot it another glance. This place doesn't have weird regulations, right? It's just a normal broom lot?

Instead of a list of hours or something though, the board was coated in pictures of people's faces, all around my age. They smiled at the camera, some marked as Witches, most Human... none of them really having anything in common save for the single, giant label above all of them:

"Have you seen this person?"

The rest was a slew of dates, info, time missing, and a phone number to call if I spotted any of them. Guilt wafted through me, but I didn't recognize any of what I assumed had been students and other people in the area, and even if I had, faces never stuck with me. I never remembered stuff like that. So, with nothing else to do, I left the room, the holographic door lighting up once again to close it off.

"That took you a while," Dustin pointed out as I caught up to him, finally leading the way to the student center. "Was there an issue with the lock or something?"

"Nah." I shook my head. "There was just a missing person list in there and I looked at it for a sec. That's all."

"Ah yeah. That." Dustin nodded, reaching to hold open the door for me. The inside was bigger than I expected, the room opening up to form an entire cafeteria, although I was more reminded of a mall the more I took in. Sure, there were trays and lines where someone could get food, much like highschool, but there were also other places, with brands and logos I recognized from home. "Yeah, there's been a couple rumors and stuff like that going around. Last year the college sent out a warning to everyone after one girl was taken but... it's not like most people our age listen to stuff like that."

He tugged the lollipop out of his mouth, using it to gesture to a single sign, a logo of a cupcake hanging over what looked like the most stereotypical, girly bakery I'd ever seen. "Anyways, this is the place."

At the sound of his voice, a short, stout girl popped up from behind the counter. Her black pixie cut and clothes were a complete clash to the bakery's aesthetic, save for the two streaks of blue and pink in her bangs. Despite the gothic look to her though, she gave us a huge smile, waving us over eagerly. "Welcome back! I see you've brought a friend with you this time."

"Yeah!" He gave her a nod, gesturing to me. "This is Crow. Crow, Odette. She works here on the weekends."

"Uhhh... hi." I gave her an awkward wave, once again questioning why Dustin had to socialize with everyone under the sun... and moon... and clouds, for that matter. At least she seemed nice as she propped her elbows up on the counter, long, painted nails tapping along her chubby cheeks.

"Hi! So nice to meet the counterpart this psychopath constantly talks about." The black lipstick on her face split into a grin, one that only stretched further as Dustin coughed next to me, like he was embarrassed.

I side eyed him. "What do you mean, constantly talking about me? About what?"

It wasn't that I was worried that Dustin would say anything bad about me. I knew he didn't have it in him. No, it was the opposite. Back at home was bad enough with the constant bombardment of praise. "Hero", "Role model", "The Witch the world needs"... Like I hadn't done anything wrong.

I took a deep breath before it could become erratic again. This was supposed to be an entire new state, new school, everything. I didn't need him spreading rumors here too, well-intentioned or not, so it was better to nip it in the bud now, before it grew thorns.

Odette only waved a lazy hand. "Just about how much you'd love this place, how you would be here next semester, what he thinks you'd like, really anything while he pours energy drinks into his coffee like a wacko. Speaking of..." Her blue eyes darted to the shelves behind her. "I'll grab your usual, and you-" She pointed at me. "Pick what you want. I've a bet to win."

"... a bet?"

"Yep! Dustin and I had an argument last week about what you'd pick when you got here. Granted, I've never met ya, but I know what my best sellers are. So go on, pick one."

I just turned to Dustin, eyebrow raised. "You made a literal bet?"

He shrugged. "It was her suggestion. Besides, like I said ten minutes ago, I know my best friend. Why would I turn down free money?"

"That's what you think," Odette said before sauntering off to flick a switch on a machine, grab a cup, hop on one foot to reach for sugar on too high of a shelf... A flavor like sour, blue raspberry candy hit me as she flicked her wrist, levitating the jar towards her.

Then my gaze dropped to the glass counter, filled with assorted pastries. There were the usual cupcakes, cookies, and– my personal favorite– brownies, but that wasn't what caught my eye. Instead I craned my neck closer, trying to read the little white signs labeling each one: 'Motivation', 'Serenity', 'Wake up!'

"What's with the names?" I asked Dustin, pointing at a brownie filled with red specks of something, sitting next to a tag marked, 'Keep Going'.

He smiled, although the mischievous look to his face was returning. "Why? Is that the one you want?"

"I-" I glanced back at the desert. It felt almost ominous with Dustin not answering, sitting there... being a brownie with what looked like cranberries in it. "I guess so? What does it mean?"

He chuckled lightly to himself. "Well for one, it means I win the bet. Ten dollars, Odette."

The Witch headed back over, a pout on her face as she handed him the cup, her hands digging in the pocket of her blue, plaid skirt to angrily pull out her phone. Two seconds later, and I could hear Dustin's buzzing in his pocket, letting him know the money had been sent.

"Two-" he continued, reaching to pull out his own clip card, He tapped it on the square sticker on the counter. "This is Odette's shop, and let's just say she was... inspired by you."

"What?" I raised an eyebrow at her, as she handed Dustin the coffee cup and the brownie I'd picked in a small, brown bag. I looked over the shop again. Each treat, from the baskets on the shelves to the glass cases in the back was marked with a word, a saying, an emotion that someone could feel. Want. "You don't mean..."

"Yeppers!" Odette propped herself back up on the countertop, kicking up a single leg behind her as she giggled. "Let's just say that you won't be known as the last apothecary for long!"