𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘌𝘐𝘎𝘏𝘛

(the cursed witch, act one)

"DID YOU HAVE A LOBOTOMY?" NINA ASKED EDWARD WHEN SHE SAT DOWN IN THE SEAT NEXT TO HIM AFTER SENDING A QUICK TIGHT-LIPPED GRIN TO MR. BANNER AS SHE WALKED PAST HIM.

Edward looked up from his books that he had been flipping through the pages of. "What?"

It was their last class of the day – something both of them were extremely happy about.

"I asked if you had gotten a lobotomy," Nina replied, her tone sounding as if it were the most obvious thing on the planet.

He shook his head, "I can't say that I have, no." Clearing his throat, he glanced at her, "Why do you ask?"

"Are you bipolar then?" She asked, ignoring his question. "It's alright if you are. I mean, it would make a lot more sense if you were–"

"I'm not bipolar. What are you talking about?"

"If you must ask," She sighed, "Your personality changes every hour. First period, you look like you want to kill me, second period we're BFFs, lunch you're back to hating me, third we don't talk, fourth, now, you have this really off putting look on your face and it's freaking me out."

"I'm smiling, Nina."

"Exactly."

His grin widened slightly, "What's so wrong with my smile? Do I make you uncomfortable, Nina?"

The witch's heart skipped a beat. I wouldn't say uncomfortable, she thought to herself.

"I said off putting. Not uncomfortable. You don't have that much effect on me."

She was lying through her teeth. It was obvious to the boy that sat beside her with a smirk widening with every second as her heart pounded in her chest. He didn't have to hear her thoughts to know what she was feeling.

Edward hummed, "I see." His hand inched closer to hers. He could feel the heat radiating from her skin, just as much as she could sense the cold from his. Nina was sure that if she let herself get distracted, she would grab his hand.

The last time his skin had touched hers was weeks ago. The same feeling of calm washed over her, just from his hand being inches away from her own.

She breathed out softly as she pulled her gaze away from him.

He smiled as he looked away. She was so easy to tease.

"Are you going to be a dick again tomorrow morning?" She asked suddenly, still not looking at him.

"I'll try not to be," He said with a quiet laugh. Her use of language was something he wasn't entirely used to. "No promises. Though I hope you know it's better this way."

"What do you mean?"

"It's better if we're not friends. I would say trust me, but I'm having trouble believing that you'll listen."

Nina let out a breathy laugh. "You probably should have figured that out earlier, Eeyore. You could have saved yourself a lot of regret if you did."

"Regret?" He asked, shocked by the words that had flown from her mouth. "Regret for what?"

"For not just letting that stupid van squish me."

He was astonished. He stared at her in disbelief. When he finally spoke, he almost sounded mad. "You think I regret saving your life?"

"I know you do," Nina argued.

"You don't know anything." He was definitely mad.

She turned her head sharply away from him, clenching her jaw against all the wild accusations she wanted to hurl at him.

Glancing back at the clock, she gathered her books together, then stood and walked to the door the second the bell had rung.

The door banged quietly as she left, being the first student to leave.

Edward sighed as she left, though his forlorn look was replaced with a look of disgust when Mike walked past him. "What did you do to piss her off that much, man? I've never seen her that mad."

He glared at him, but Mike didn't stop. "But hey, maybe I'll have a chance now that she hates you."

Edward briefly considered killing him. Though when the thought of Carlisle filled his mind, the disappointed look he knew he would receive, he held himself back.

He stood, standing three inches taller than the blonde, "She'll never even look your way, Mike."

Nina had met Bella on her way out of the building. The awkward brunette had been leaning against the staircase, kicking pebbles and avoiding eye contact as she stared at her toes.

"My favourite human," Nina exclaimed, earning strange looks as she reached Bella who had instantly looked up at the sound of her voice, a smile blooming on her lips as her posture straightened.

When Nina got closer, Bella whispered, "My favourite witch."

Wrapping her arm around the brunette's shoulder, she led her down the stairs, helping her avoid the icy patches.

"My mom's not gonna be home tonight," Nina spoke as they walked across the parking lot. "I was thinking Harry Potter marathon. Oh and you could teach me how to make that soup you were telling me about."

"I thought you were banned from using the stove?"

Nina nodded, "Right. You can make the soup and I can supervise while getting the movies ready?"

Bella nodded softly, smiling at the girl beside her, "Sounds great. I'll text Charlie and tell him I won't be home till late."

When Nina looked up at Bella's truck, her heart almost stopped. A tall, dark figure leaned against the side of her truck. After a second of thought, she recognized it to be Kit.

"Kit," She smiled, tugging Bella with her as they reached the orange truck.

"Hey, Nina. Bella," He greeted with a smile.

Bella stared at him for a second, nodding slowly before looking away and unlocking the truck before getting inside.

"What's up?" Nina asked, silently cursing at Bella for leaving her alone.

"Uh, I was just wondering... if you would go to the spring dance with me? " His voice broke on the last word.

"I thought it was girls' choice," Nina said, too startled to be diplomatic.

"Well, yeah," he admitted, a blush forming on his face.

Nina glanced at Bella but the girl only grinned and held her thumbs up as though she were encouraging her to say yes. She would have rolled her eyes if she weren't so startled.

"I can't," She said suddenly.

"Oh," Kit muttered. "Why?"

"I'm gay."

Kit's eyes widened, "Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry, Nina. That's cool. Very cool. I'm sorry."

In Nina's peripheral vision, she saw Bella facepalm.

As Kit awkwardly walked away, Nina heard a low chuckle come from behind her. Edward was walking past the front of Bella's truck, looking straight forward, his lips pressed together.

Yanking the door open, she jumped inside, slamming it loudly behind her. "Start the fucking truck, Bella," She told the girl, hiding her face in her hands as she listened to her friend giggle beside her.

Putting her laughs aside, Bella nodded and revved the engine deafeningly and reversed out into the aisle. Edward was in his car already, two spaces down, sliding out smoothly in front of them, cutting them off. He stopped there — to wait for his family; Nina could see the four of them walking their way, but still by the cafeteria.

Nina considered telling Bella to take out the rear of his shiny Volvo, but there were too many witnesses. She glanced in the rearview mirror. A line was beginning to form. Directly behind them, Tyler Crowley was in his recently acquired used Sentra, waving. She was too aggravated to acknowledge him.

While the two girls were sitting there, looking everywhere but at the car in front of them, Nina heard a knock on her window. She looked over; it was Tyler. Bella glanced back in her rearview mirror, confused. His car was still running, the door left open.

Against everything she wanted to do in that moment, she cranked the window down. It was stiff. I got it halfway down, then gave up.

"I'm sorry, Tyler, I'm stuck behind Cullen," Bella apologized, seeing Nina was already pissed off.

"Oh, I know — I just wanted to ask Nina something while we're trapped here." He grinned. This could not be happening. "Will you ask me to the spring dance?" he continued.

Nina breathed out sharply, "I like women, Tyler." Her voice sounded a little sharp. She had to remember it wasn't his fault that Edward and Kit had already used up her quota of patience for the day.

"Yeah, Kit said that," he admitted.

"Then why —" He shrugged. "I was hoping you were just letting him down easy."

Okay, it was completely his fault. "Sorry, Tyler," She said, working to hide her irritation. "You're just not really my type."

"That's cool. We still have prom."

Before Nina could respond, he was walking back to his car. She could feel the shock on her face. Looking forward she saw Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper all sliding into the Volvo.

In his rearview mirror, Edward's eyes were on her. He was unquestionably shaking with laughter, as if he'd heard every word Tyler had said.

"Run him over, Bella."

"I can't go to jail, Nia. My dad won't let me outside."

"One little bump, Bells. It won't hurt them. It'll just... wreck that stupid glossy silver paint job."

Bella's foot inched toward the gas pedal, but they were already in his car and Edward was speeding away.

"Next time?" Bella asked, providing her friend a small smile.

"Yeah," Nina nodded.

As Bella drove them out of the parking lot and down the main street, she took a quick glance at her friend. "Are you actually gay?"

"No– well, I'm bisexual. But it was the only thing I could think of on short notice. Kit could have given me a warning."

Bella laughed loudly as she continued to drive home.

When they reached the witch's home, Bella instantly began to ransack her fridge while Nina slumped against the island, holding her face in her hands once more as she thought over everything that had happened.

Her head was spinning, trying to analyze every word Edward had spoken that day. What did he mean, it was better if they weren't friends?

Her stomach twisted as she realized what he must have meant. He must see how absorbed she was by him; he must not want to lead her on... so they couldn't even be friends... because he wasn't interested in her at all.

Of course he isn't interested in me, she thought tiredly, her eyes stinging — a delayed reaction to the onions Bella was cutting. Nina wasn't interesting. And he was. Interesting... and brilliant... and mysterious... and perfect... and beautiful... and possibly able to lift full-sized vans with one hand.

Well, that was fine. She could leave him alone. She would leave him alone. She would get through her self-imposed sentence in purgatory, and then hopefully some school in England, or possibly Switzerland, would offer her a scholarship.

"You're thinking too hard," Bella spoke suddenly, making the witch look up, humming softly at the brunette.

"Mike told me about what happened. He heard what Edward said. It's not because you're undeserving of love, Nina. It just means that he is a complete idiot," Bella explained as she slowly cut a carrot into small pieces before placing them in the pot that was already filled with onions and garlic.

"It doesn't make any sense," Nina complained. "One minute he likes me, the next he acts like I'm the bane of his existence."

"Did you just quote bridgerton?"

"Yes. That is besides the point. He is so annoying but he is so nice to look at, and his voice is nice and even though he talks like someone in a different tax bracket I still crave to hear his voice every morning. I have a problem. I must be sick or something. I've never felt like this. Maybe I need a lobotomy..."

Bella set down the knife and gently placed her hand on Nina's shoulder, "You just have a crush on him, hun. Nothing wrong with that."

"There is everything wrong with that," Nina groaned, leaning into Bella's arm.

"Name one thing wrong with it."

Nina's gaze moved up to the girl, "I'm a witch. A witch that can't even use magic and will probably set him on fire the second he kissed me."

"So you think about him kissing you?" Bella asked, smirking at the girl.

A deep red blush formed across the girl's face. "I didn't say that."

"It was implied–"

"What was implied?" A woman's voice cut in, making them both look at the entryway. Natalie stood with a grin on her face as she walked inside the kitchen, "Hi, Bella. It's nice to see you again."

Bella smiled, "Nice to see you too, Miss. Evans. And we were just talking about Nina's new crush–"

"Bella!"

Natalie grinned as she sat beside her daughter, "Do tell. Who is this boy that has caught my daughter's heart?"

"Edward," Bella replied, practically making heart-eyes as she looked between the mother and daughter.

"That sweet boy that brought you back from the hospital?" She asked, smiling. "I knew I saw something."

Nina scoffed, "You saw nothing because there is nothing." The blush on her face told them otherwise.

"Mhm," Bella replied. "Sure."

The young witch sighed, "Enough about that. Mom, I just wanted to let you know that Bella and I are going to Seattle for the day a week from Saturday... if that's okay?"

"Why?" Natalie asked, sounding surprised.

"Well... Bella wants to get some books — the library here is pretty limited — and maybe look at some clothes and go to a movie."

"Will it just be the two of you?" She asked, and Nina couldn't tell if she was suspicious she had a secret boyfriend or just worried about car trouble. "Will Edward be coming?"

Nina sighed, shaking her head at her mother.

"No, but that's a great idea," Bella spoke. "Maybe I'll invite him."

"Like hell you will."

"Seattle is a big city — you could get lost," she fretted.

"Relax Miss. Evans, Phoenix is five times the size of Seattle — and I can read a map, don't worry about it."

Natalie nodded. "Isn't that the weekend of the dance though?" She asked after a moment of thought.

Before Nina could answer, Bella did for her. "We can't go because Nina told everyone that she's a lesbian."

"I thought you were bi, sweetie?"

"I am," Nina reassured.

"Then why...?"

"She kept getting asked out and you know how Nina gets when she's nervous–"

"Says the first thing that comes to mind to get out of it?"

"Yes!"

Nina stood suddenly, "I'm going to bed!"

Natalie and Bella's giggles were the last thing she heard before she shut the door of her bedroom, effectively silencing the women.

The next morning, when Bella pulled into the parking lot, Nina had told her to deliberately park as far as possible from the silver Volvo. She didn't want to put herself in the path of too much temptation and end up owing him a new car.

"I'll meet you in physics? I've gotta meet Angela before. English project." Bella asked as she locked the truck.

"Sure," Nina replied as she leaned against the door.

Pulling her backpack off her shoulder, she unzipped it before pulling out her biology homework that she had forgotten about.

She chewed on her bottom lip as she stared at the papers. She flipped a pen between her fingers, though she more so fumbled as it soon fell into a puddle by her feet.

As she bent to get it, a white hand flashed out and grabbed it before she could. She jerked upright. Edward Cullen was right next to her, leaning casually against Bella's truck.

"How do you do that?" Nina asked breathlessly.

"Do what?" He held her pen out as he spoke. When she reached for it, he dropped it into her palm.

"Appear out of thin air."

"Nina, it's not my fault if you are exceptionally unobservant." His voice was quiet as usual — smooth like velvet.

She scowled at his perfect face. His eyes were light again today, a deep, golden honey color. She looked back at her papers, writing down a quick answer to the 17th question as her anger from the day before reappeared.

"Why the traffic jam last night?" She asked, still looking away. "I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don't exist, not irritating me to death."

"That was for Tyler 's sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance." He snickered.

"Dick" She muttered. It felt like the heat of her anger should physically burn him, but he only seemed more amused. "And I'm not pretending you don't exist," he continued.

"So you are trying to irritate me to death? Since Tyler 's van didn't do the job?"

Anger flashed in his golden eyes. His lips pressed into a hard line, all signs of humor gone. "You're crazy, Nina," He said, his low voice cold.

Her annoyance only deepened as she quickly put her papers back into her bag before she started to walk away from him.

"Wait," he called.

Nina kept walking, her shoes slowly getting wet as she walked through the puddles.But he was next to her, easily keeping pace. "I'm sorry, that was rude," He said as they walked.

She rolled her eyes, a silent scoff leaving her lips.

I'm not saying it isn't true," He continued, "but it was rude to say it, anyway."

"Why won't you leave me alone?" Nina grumbled, tired of his mood swings.

"I wanted to ask you something, but you sidetracked me," Edward chuckled. He seemed to have recovered his good humor.

Nina grabbed onto the railing as she walked up to the school doors, raindrops sliding past her palm as she dragged her hand. "You really love to piss me off, don't you?"

"You're doing it again."

"What do you want then? You gonna ask where I prefer to be buried when you kill me?"

Edward chuckled at her antics, "I was wondering if, a week from Saturday — you know, the day of the spring dance—" She cut him off. "Are you trying to be funny?"

She stopped in her tracks, back against the railing as she stared up at him with a hard glare. His eyes were wickedly amused as he stared down at her. "Will you please allow me to finish?"

"I'd rather you didn't."

Ignoring her, he continued, "I heard what you said to Tyler. Wanted to know if it was true."

Nina breathed out softly, "If you're asking whether I'm straight or not I really don't see how that's any of your business, Cullen."

He grinned at her, "What are you doing that weekend then? Are you going with Bella?"

"I'm going to Seattle. Yes, with Bella. No, not because she's my girlfriend. Though even if she was, I wouldn't tell you."

"Do you want a ride?"

That was unexpected.

"What?"

"Do you want a ride to Seattle?"

"You want to drive Bella and I to Seattle? Why would you do that?"

"Well, I was planning to go to Seattle in the next few weeks, and, to be honest, I'm not sure if that truck can make it."

Nina rolled her eyes again. She seemed to be doing that a lot more since she had met him. "Bella's truck works just fine, thank you very much for your concern."

She went to walk again but he stopped her. "But can her truck make it there on one tank of gas?"

"I don't see why it matters to you." Stupid, shiny Volvo owner.

"The wasting of finite resources is everyone's business."

If only I had a gun. That would be a good use of 'finite resources'.

"Honestly, Edward. I can't keep up with you. I thought you didn't want to be my friend."

"I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be."

"Oh, thanks, now that's all cleared up," She muttered as she started walking again, finding herself under the shelter of the cafeteria roof.

"It would be more... prudent for you not to be my friend," he explained. "But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Nina." His eyes were intense as he uttered that last sentence, his voice deep.

For a moment, Nina couldn't remember how to breathe.

"Will you go with me to Seattle?" He asked once again.

Nina nodded slowly. She knew he was right, logistically. She hated to admit that.

He smiled briefly, and then his face became serious. "You really should stay away from me," He warned. "I'll see you in class." He turned abruptly and walked back the way we'd come.

"What the fuck?" Nina whispered as she watched him walk back out into the downpour of rain. "Fucking wierdo."