The Witch in the Woods

The beginning of the school new year at GallU should have brought a sense of renewal, but instead, things seemed as chaotic as ever. Classes resumed, and the town buzzed with students returning from their holidays, ready to dive into the semester. Lua, Alinda, and Kelly were hanging out at the cafeteria, catching up on their time back home, swapping stories about the holidays, and trying to find some sense of normalcy amidst the swirling tension.

“Yeah, that’s how Gael and I accidentally found the fox. Now she just won’t leave, no matter what we try,” Lua explained to Kelly and Ali, her tone light. “She kept hanging around the cabin, so I decided, why not let her in? If she wants to stay, she’s welcome.”

“I can’t wait to meet her! What’s her name?” Ali asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Actually, I was hoping you two could help me come up with one,” Lua said with a smile. But the mood shifted suddenly as Brett walked by their table, casting a shadow over the moment. Lua instinctively stood up, sensing the tension between them. “I should go,” she muttered, feeling uneasy.

“No, stay,” Ali urged, sensing something off with Brett’s arrival.

“It’s okay,” Brett said, his eyes on Alinda. “I just need to talk to you for a minute.”

Alinda, still shaken by the strange flirtation she’d noticed between Brett and Evelyn on New Year’s, brushed him off. “Can we talk later? I’m busy right now.”

Brett’s expression hardened. “It’s important,” he pressed, his voice serious.

Lua, attempting to ease the awkwardness, stood up. “Ali, go ahead. We’ll catch up at the cabin later,” she said, turning to Brett. “Do you want to sit down?”

But Brett snapped. “You don’t have to control everything we do, Lua. We can make our own decisions,” he lashed out, anger lacing his words. He turned to Alinda, “Aren’t you tired of having her dictate every move in your life?”

Kelly gasped, shocked by his sudden outburst. “Oh my God! Where is this even coming from?” she demanded.

Ignoring her, Brett turned back to Lua, his voice dripping with bitterness. “Maybe you should just accept defeat and leave. No one wants you around anymore.”

His harsh words hung in the air, freezing the entire cafeteria. Kelly’s face drained of color, while Alinda, always the fiercest protector, jumped to her feet. Her voice trembled with fury as she shot back, “THIS,” she said, pointing at Lua, “is my friend. Our friend. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Brett, but Lua’s not going anywhere. We stand by her. We’re family, Brett, and I love you—but this behavior? It’s not right, and I won’t stand for it.”

Brett’s face flickered with doubt, but Alinda wasn’t done. “Lua does more for GallU than most people here, while you’re acting like a child! She’s from the AMAZON, Brett! She needs to be close to the woods to stay connected to her roots!”

Lua, caught off guard, interjected softly, “Well, I didn’t actually live in the jungle—it’s a city near the Amazon rainforest in a state called Amazonas.”

“REGARDLESS!” Alinda shot back, undeterred. “This is your home, Lua, and you’re not going anywhere!”

Brett shifted, guilt flickering in his eyes before he muttered, “Come on, Hunter, back me up here. We know about your intentions —your little plan. Don’t think for a second I’m going to let you walk all over me.”

Lua blinked in shock. “What are you talking about? What plan?”

She turned to Hunter, who stood frozen, speechless. Collin quickly stepped in, wrapping an arm around Hunter’s shoulders and guiding him out of the cafeteria, shielding him from the escalating situation.

“Brett, you don’t realize how serious your accusations are,” Lua said, her voice shaking. “Accusing someone of curses, and even… murder?”

“Murder?” Brett looked bewildered, his anger suddenly replaced by confusion. “Wait, no—I never said anything about murder. Who told you that?”

Ali spoke up cautiously. “Well, Justin kind of implied it at the cabin the other day…”

Brett’s eyes flared as he turned to Justin. “Dude? Seriously?”

Justin stammered, “Uh, I assumed that’s what you meant…”

Brett threw his hands up in frustration. “I’m done here. I’m not the one who should be explaining myself right now.” His eyes locked with Lua’s for a brief, tense moment before he turned back to Alinda. “We’ll talk later.”

Without another word, he stormed off, leaving a stunned silence in his wake.

After a moment of stunned silence, Alinda and Kelly immediately wrapped Lua in a tight hug, their warmth and love melting some of the tension. “We’ve got your back,” Kelly whispered. “Things will get better. They have to.”

As they all prepared to leave, Ryder appeared at the entrance, catching Lua’s eye. “I’ll walk you back to the cabin,” he offered gently, sensing her need for comfort. Lua nodded, grateful for his quiet presence. As they walked through the halls of the university toward the exit, she recounted the heated and strange argument with Brett, her voice still shaky from the confrontation. Ryder listened intently, offering consoling words as they made their way through the cold evening air, the tension of the day slowly easing with each step.

As Lua and Ryder walked through the halls of the central campus, they unexpectedly crossed paths with Peter. His gaze immediately locked onto Lua, noticing the tear tracks on her cheeks, her red eyes, and the way Ryder gently held her hand, offering comfort. The sight of Ryder pressing a soft kiss to her lips sent a wave of unexpected nausea through Peter. His stomach twisted, not just from seeing Lua with someone else, but because it was Ryder—a man he had known for years.

Peter walked past them, trying to play it cool, nodding slightly in acknowledgment. Yet, the sight unsettled him in a way he hadn’t anticipated. Lua, noticing him, couldn’t let him walk away without saying something. “Peter,” she called out softly, her voice thick with emotion. “I’ve been trying to reach you. I called, but couldn’t get through.” She stepped back slightly from Ryder, creating just enough space between them that Ryder noticed. The subtle shift in her posture did not go unnoticed by Peter either. He stopped, hesitating, his eyes filled with a weariness Lua recognized all too well.

“I really want to know how you are,” Lua continued, her voice trembling with concern. Ryder, standing beside her, tensed slightly, sensing the connection she seemed to feel with Peter—a connection he couldn’t quite understand, but certainly didn’t like.

Peter sighed deeply, the weight of everything bearing down on him. “It’s been tough,” he admitted, his voice low and broken. “I’ve been away. I just got back.” He tried to sound casual, but the tension between them hung thick in the air. Ryder reached out, taking Lua’s hand again, his grip firm as if trying to remind her of his presence, grounding her in the moment. Peter’s eyes flicked toward their intertwined hands, his heart sinking deeper.

“I should go,” Peter said suddenly, backing away. “Sorry.” Before either of them could respond, he turned and walked off into the hallway, leaving Lua standing there, while Ryder’s hand tightened protectively around hers.

As Peter walked away, a flood of emotions washed over him. Throughout the difficult days of mourning his father, Lua had never been far from his thoughts. He knew she had been trying to reach out, but every time the phone rang, he had been too emotionally raw to answer, too consumed by his own grief and vulnerability to let anyone, even Lua, into his life. He had shut her out, retreating into the sadness that had consumed him.

And it wasn’t just his grief. There was Abigail, too. He had been in a relationship with her, a complicated one, and in a moment of weakness, he had even allowed himself to get entangled with Kelly—one of Lua’s closest friends. It had all been a messy, tangled web that he couldn’t seem to escape from. But seeing Lua now, with Ryder at her side, a pang of regret gnawed at him. Maybe there had been something real between him and Lua, something he had never given a chance to explore. And now, that chance was gone.

If I ever had a shot, it’s gone now, Peter thought bitterly, his steps quickening as he tried to outrun the realization. And to Scotty, of all people! The irony of losing Lua to Ryder, a man he had known for so long, stung in a way he hadn’t expected.