xp_logs | Jay & Amanda

Early Tuesday afternoon, after History of Rock class, Jay corners Amanda and asks her a whoppingly huge favor. She turns it out, and Jay feels like a loser.

He was probably about to ask a really dumb thing. Really really dumb. Probably the dumbest thing he'd ever ask. "Amanda," Jay called to the British girl as she left History of Rock Class. He sprinted to catch up with her. "Y'all got a minute?"

"Um, yeah... Next class is Arabic, an' that doesn't start for a half-hour..." Amanda paused, confused. Jay had spoken to her all of... well, never actually. "Look, if it's 'bout those smart-arse remarks 'bout country music, you said just as bad 'bout punk. So we're even, right?"

"What? Oh no, I don't care none 'bout that." She was probably going to think him severely damaged in the head, but . . . "Listen, y'all're a witch right? Ah mean, Ah know ya are. Ah uh, Ah kinda want a spell."

"A spell?" Amanda blinked. Not what she'd been expecting at all - her classmates tended only to show an interest in the magic when they needed Healing or something to help them sleep. "Well, I dunno... depends on what kind of spell you want, an' why - magic's tricky, there's these rules that tend t' bite me in the arse if I go muckin' 'round with it too much." There was an empty classroom close by – jerking her head in the direction of it, she suggested: "Why don't you step into me office an' we'll talk?"

Jay followed her in and waited for her to close the door before he continued. "Ah've heard talk thatcha've got lots of power. And Ah don't really know nuthin' 'bout magic 'sides Harry Potter, but Ah was wonderin' iffn ya could, er, communicate, Ah guess, over very long distances."

Okay, she was going to let the Dread Name slip past, since this was obviously important enough to Jay for him to speak to her. "There's spells that can do that, yeah," she said, perching herself on the teacher's desk and letting her legs swing as she considered him. "But then again there's this amazin' modern device called a phone. Unless yer person you want t' talk to is further than that?"

"Yeah, a lot further." Jay knew he was going to have to clarify himself eventually, despite his discomfort. With a sigh, he resigned himself. "Like, between life and death."

"Life an'...?" Amanda's feet paused in their swinging, and she swallowed. "Jay, yer talkin' serious magic here. Really serious stuff. Major consequences an' all the rest of it."

Jay sighed and looked at Amanda intently. "Ah know. But it's important. Ah-Ah lost someone really special ta me before Ah came here, and Ah can't stop thinkin' about 'em. We just need ta speak one last time. Ya can do that kinda stuff, can't ya?"

"Well..." Amanda hesitated. She had done it once, but that was for a bloody good reason, not wanting a last snog with a dead boyfriend. "I'm sorry, Jay. There is a spell, yeah, but I don't have that kind of power," she temporised. Okay, slight fib, but this really wasn't a good idea.

"Ah'll pay you," Jay just-about pleaded. "This isn't just some stupid request because Ah'm obsessed or anythin'. The person Ah loved killed himself for me, and Ah didn't even get ta tell him good-bye. Please, Amanda."

"'S not about money, Jay!" Amanda retorted, a little stung he'd even offer that. "Look, I'm sorry you didn't get t' say goodbye an' all, but this spell... It's serious fuckin' shite, an' if somethin' went wrong... fuck, I don't want t' even think 'bout what would happen." She gave him a pleading look. "Don't ask me t' do this, Jay. I can't."

Jay sighed and looked away, feeling dejected. Well, he tried. Maybe he was meant to never speak with Kev again. Maybe fate was that cruel. "Sorry for askin', then. Just forget Ah even brought it up. And don't tell anyone Ah asked. Don't need no one thinkin' Ah'm some huge freak."

"I won't tell - an' yer not a freak, Jay. I'm sorry I can't help you, but I don't think yer a freak." Amanda's tone had real sympathy in it.

Jay nodded wordlessly and picked up his bookbag. "Thanks. See ya 'round." Leaving the room without another word, he headed down the hall for his next class.

Amanda watched him go, and sighed. "Harry Bleedin' Potter's got a lot t' bloody well answer for," she muttered to herself, before gathering up her own books and doing the same.