Cristof
I wake up to the sound of my alarm blaring in my ear. Rubbing my eyes, I check my phone for any messages from Dane and Jack. As expected, they had already texted me, reminding me of our plan to meet the girls for breakfast at the cafeteria.
I quickly get dressed and make my way to the cafeteria, feeling a sense of unease in the pit of my stomach. The recent events have left me on edge, and I can't help but worry about Holli, Abbi, and Gracie.
As I walk in, I spot Dane and Jack already sitting at a table with the girls. They all look up and wave as I make my way over. I take a seat beside Holli, noticing the bags under her eyes and the exhaustion on her face.
"Hey, guys," I say, trying to sound cheerful. "How did you sleep?"
Abbi and Gracie both shrug, but Holli looks up at me with tired eyes. "Not great," she admits. "I kept having nightmares about that evil snowman."
I feel a pang of guilt in my chest. If only we had been there to protect them last night, maybe Holli wouldn't be so exhausted. "I'm sorry," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "We should have been there."
Dane and Jack nod in agreement, both looking equally frustrated. "We won't let anything happen to you guys again," Dane says firmly.
Abbi smiles weakly, but Gracie looks up at us with determination in her eyes. "We can't just sit around waiting for something else to happen," she says. "We need to figure out what's going on and stop it."
I nod, feeling a renewed sense of determination. "You're right," I say. "We need to be proactive about this."
As we continue discussing our plan of action, I can't shake the feeling that we need reinforcements. The dark magic seems to be growing stronger by the day, and I don't think we can handle it on our own.
"Guys," I say, my voice hushed. "I think we need to call in some backup. This is getting too dangerous for us to handle alone."
Dane and Jack nod in agreement, but Holli's expression darkens. "What? You think we can't take care of ourselves?" she says, her voice low and angry.
I hold up my hands in a placating gesture. "No, that's not what I'm saying. I just think we could use some extra help."
Holli shakes her head, her eyes flashing with anger. "I don't need anyone to protect me. I can take care of myself."
I sigh, feeling frustrated. "I know you can, Holli. But this isn't just about you. It's about all of us. We need to do everything we can to make sure everyone is safe."
Holli glares at me, her jaw clenched. "I don't want to hear it, Cristof," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm leaving."
She stands abruptly, grabbing her bag and storming out of the cafeteria. The other students at nearby tables stare at her in surprise as she leaves.
Abbi and Gracie stand, looking worried, but I hold up a hand to stop them. "Let her go," I say, my voice calm. "She needs some time to cool off."
The two girls sit back down, but their worry is clear. I can tell they want to go after Holli, but I think it's better to give her some space for now.
As we sit there in awkward silence, I can't help but feel a sense of unease. The dark magic may be the most immediate threat, but the tension between us is a problem too. I just hope we can resolve things before it's too late.
Dane looks at me, his expression serious. "If we do call in reinforcements, who would we call?" he asks.
I pause, considering the question. "I don't know yet," I admit. "But we need to start looking. We can't handle this on our own."
Jack nods in agreement, but his expression is grim. "Don't forget, if Baba Yaga or Zelda get wind of what's happening, Abbi, Gracie, and Holli could get kicked out of school. Is that what you want?" he says, his voice tinged with venom.
I'm taken aback by the intensity of his words. "Of course not," I say quickly. "That's the last thing I want to happen. But we can't just ignore this. Holli was attacked last night and had to fend off an evil snowman by herself. What if she had failed? She might be dead right now. Is that what you want?"
Jack sighs, running a hand through his hair. "No, of course not," he says. "But we need to be careful. We can't risk getting kicked out of school."
I nod, understanding his point. "I know. But we can't just sit around waiting for something else to happen. We need to be proactive."
As we continue to discuss our options, I can't help but feel frustrated. It seems like every solution comes with a new set of problems. But I refuse to let that stop us from doing what we need to do.
Suddenly, my thoughts are interrupted as Holli storms back into the cafeteria. She makes a beeline for our table, her eyes fixed on me.
"Cristof," she says, her voice tight with anger. "We need to talk."
I nod, standing up to follow her. "Of course," I say to the others. "We'll catch up with you later."
As we make our way out of the cafeteria, I can feel the tension between us. But I'm determined to work things out. We can't let this divide us, not when there's so much at stake.
* * *
I follow Holli out of the cafeteria, feeling a sense of trepidation. We walk in silence for a few minutes until we reach the gazebo at the edge of the campus.
Holli turns to me and says…
"Sonitus prohibere,
Gazebo includere,
Bulla silentium,
Hoc loco protegat."
A few minutes later, the gazebo is encased in a soundproof bubble, so that no one can hear our conversation.
"What's going on, Holli?" I ask, feeling a sense of unease.
Holli takes a deep breath, her eyes flashing with anger. "I can't believe you, Cristof," she says, her voice tight with emotion. "You're talking about calling in reinforcements, putting us all in danger of getting kicked out of school, and you didn't even bother to talk to us about it first."
I start to apologize, but she cuts me off. "Do you even care about us, Cristof? About me?" she says, her voice rising with each word.
"Of course, I do," I say, feeling frustrated. "That's why I'm so worried. We need to do everything we can to make sure you're safe."
Holli shakes her head, her eyes filled with hurt. "You don't get it, do you? I can take care of myself. I don't need you to protect me."
I stare at her in disbelief. "What are you talking about, Holli? You were attacked last night. You had to fend off an evil snowman by yourself. What if you had failed? What if you were dead right now?"
Holli's expression softens, and I can see the fear in her eyes. "I know," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "But we can't just call-in reinforcements without thinking it through. We can't risk getting kicked out of school."
I take a step closer to her, feeling a surge of emotion. "Holli, I'm not doing this because I don't trust you. I'm doing it because I'm worried about you. Because I care about you."
Holli tries to deny it, but I can see the chemistry between us, the way she looks at me when she thinks I'm not paying attention. I can't resist any longer, and I grab her, pulling her close and kissing her passionately.
My heart pounded in my chest as she leaned in closer, her warm breath mingling with mine. Our eyes locked, and I felt a surge of electricity pass between us. As her lips brushed against mine, I felt a jolt of pleasure shoot through my body.
The kiss was soft and gentle at first, but soon it became more urgent, more desperate. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to me as our lips met again and again. My fingers tangled in her hair, and I deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with my tongue.
I could feel her responding, her body pressed tightly against mine. The heat between us was intense, and I could hardly contain myself as the kiss continued. For a moment, nothing else mattered, and I lost myself in the sensation of her lips on mine.
As we separate, we're both breathing hard, staring at each other in shock. "I'm sorry," I say, my voice hoarse. "I shouldn't have done that."
Holli shakes her head, her eyes wide. "No, it's okay," she says. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time."
Holli and I stand in the gazebo, both of us still stunned by the kiss. For a moment, we just stare at each other, neither of us sure what to say next.
Finally, Holli clears her throat, breaking the silence. "So, what's the plan?" she asks, her voice sounding a little shaky.
I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "Well, I have a few powerful friends who owe me a favor after they lost in a poker game," I say, trying to sound confident. "I was thinking we could reach out to them and see if they could help us."
Holli looks skeptical, but she's willing to hear me out. "And how exactly could they help us?" she asks.
I explain that all witches have familiars, and that these cats could pretend to be their familiars, but really be there to protect her and the girls from the dark magic. "They're powerful familiars in their own right. They can protect you from harm and give it back tenfold." I say. "They could help us in ways that you can't even imagine."
Holli hesitates for a moment, but then nods. "Okay, I guess that could work," she says reluctantly. "But we have to be careful. We can't let anyone find out what we're doing."
I nod in agreement, feeling relieved that she's on board. "Don't worry, I'll handle everything," I say, my voice full of confidence. "I'll call them immediately and see when they can come to the academy."
As we make our way back to the cafeteria, I can feel the tension between us starting to ease. We still have a lot of work to do, a lot of things to figure out, but at least we're working together.