"Bye Pat, have a nice day!" Virgil called, opening the front door.

"Bye kiddo! Don't kill anyone!" Patton replied from upstairs. He was still preparing for work, running behind a little more than usual.

"No promises," Virgil warned before leaving. He'd prefer to teleport to school, but there was always the chance of someone seeing him appear out of thin air, so he only did that when he was running really late. Virgil pulled his headphones up over his ears, turning on some Fall Out Boy. He really leaned into the emo stereotype. It kept people from approaching him, plus the music and fashion were great.

Virgil's high school wasn't too far away. It was a ten-minute walk on a good day, and the coffee shop where he worked was another three minutes from there. Speaking of which, he had to head over there after his afternoon classes to work a shift and meet up with the fey who'd contacted him for the potion. . .

Since it was risky to publicly advertise magic-using services, Virgil had gotten himself a job at a local magic cafe. Witches and fey hung out there all the time, ordering lattes with a shot of charisma or water with lemon and confidence. The building was completely invisible to humans, making it the perfect place to subtly advertise his potions. Besides slipping magic into drinks, Virgil sold proper potions to any magical being who was willing to pay.

Virgil adjusted his black gloves, pulling them on a little tighter. Most people who noticed them just thought he was a germaphobe. Truth was, Virgil had enchanted the gloves the way wands were enchanted, making it so that he could use them instead of waving around a stick like most witches. The fact that he didn't actually have to touch anyone was an added bonus.

Virgil arrived at school, heading directly to his locker. Despite being a quiet recluse most of the time, he actually had a couple of friends. One of them, Remy, came running toward him.

"Hey bitch," Remy smiled, tackling Virgil with a tight hug. Virgil pushed him off halfheartedly.

"Good morning to you too, Remy," Virgil said. Remy was a fellow witch, but he preferred spells over potions. He was also much more extroverted and loud than Virgil, but he didn't mind. Having loud friends just meant he didn't have to do the talking himself.

"How'd the new potion go?" Remy asked as Virgil opened his locker, pulling a couple of things out.

Virgil's eyes lit up as he began talking. "It's not really a new potion, just a variation on the recipe. It also changes the flavour, which is really great for people who are tired of the regular one. It's still a fairly basic recipe and it doesn't take long to make, and it doesn't change the overall effect. But, uh, to answer your question, it went well."

"I didn't ask for an essay," Remy grumbled under his breath, but he was smiling all the same. Though he acted like a bitch toward everyone, he liked hearing Virgil talk passionately about something for a change. "So you're meeting up at the coffee shop after school?" Virgil nodded.

"Want to come? I might be able to get you something for free," Virgil smirked. Remy's eyes lit up.

"Free coffee? Hell yeah. I'll be there by three," he smiled. The bell rang and the two ran off in opposite directions after a quick goodbye.

---

Roman barely made it to school on time, even after running halfway there. He'd have flown, but he didn't have the time or patience to cast an invisibility spell. Besides, they were finicky and he could have gotten stuck invisible for much longer than he wanted to.

Rushing into the building, Roman nearly knocked over someone standing in front of his locker.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" He asked, helping the person to steady themself. They turned to face him with a smile and he relaxed. "Oh, it's just you. Hey, Mal," he smiled.

"What, it only matters if someone other than me gets knocked over? You don't care about my wellbeing?" Mal teased, smiling.

"No, no, I'm just glad I didn't knock over some stranger who would hate me for it."

"What's to say I don't hate you for it?"

Roman gave Mal a look and they both started laughing. They'd put up with him years already; if they hated people for knocking them over, their friendship would have long since ended.

"It's good to see you, Mal."

"You too, Ro."

Mal stayed with Roman as he got his things for class, chatting with him about his plans after school. They were the one who had told him about the witch who was selling potions. Mal, unlike Roman, was a witch and was unable to stop time. Unfortunately, they also were very busy and constantly tired. They'd found someone who made a potion that could give them the energy they needed to get through the day. They mixed it with a drink in the morning and it combatted their constant exhaustion, making them a much more productive person. When Roman had mentioned his writer's block, they'd immediately gotten him in touch with the witch.

"Should I come along with you after school?" They asked, leaning against the locker next to Roman's.

"If you want," Roman said. "It'd be nice to have some company."

"Alright, then. Meet me by the library after school and we can walk there together," Mal said with a smile.

"Okay. I should go now, the bell's about to ring," Roman said, giving them a quick hug and running off to class.