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Luz stood outside of Blight manor, standing in front of the fancy front door. She had been here plenty of times since she started dating Amity but walking up to the front door always made her anxious. She felt like the house, or the gardeners were judging her. Even when she was inside, she would sometimes see or feel the house staff judging her. Then Amity would cuddle her and make her feel better. Usually, all Luz had to deal with, is the looks from the house staff and the twins teasing but today was the New Year's Eve party. And that meant Luz would have to mingle with other rich people and people of high society. She had finally convinced Amity's parents that she was good enough, and now she was going to have to do it again with multiple people.
That's why Amity asked if Luz wanted to come over earlier, so they could cuddle for a few hours before the party. Unfortunately, her phone died on the way here, so the Latina couldn't tell Amity she arrived, so she was stuck with the gamble on who would answer it. She rang the doorbell and hoped Amity or the twins would answer the door. The door opened a few moments later, revealing a tall thin man in a suit.
"Hello. Can I help you?" The older man asked.
"I'm here to see Amity," Luz said.
"Ms. Blight is busy setting up for the party." The man said. "May I ask who you are?"
"I'm Luz." The Latina said. "I'm Amity's girlfriend."
"I see. Well if you are here for the party, you will have to come back later. Like I said before, Ms. Blight is very busy." Said the butler.
Amity came down the stairs and looked to see who was in the doorway when her eyes lit up. "Lulu!"
The Blight ran to the door and hugged Luz. "It's okay, Francisco, you can let her in."
Francisco arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Ms. Blight? You are very busy."
"I asked her to come early," Amity said.
"Very well, Ms. Blight." He stepped aside and let Luz in, then walked down the hall.
Amity sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "Sorry about Francisco. He's new."
"It's okay," Luz said, stepping inside the mansion and taking off her shoes.
"Why didn't you tell me you were here?"
"My phone died on the car ride over here," Luz said, a little embarrassed. "Which reminds me, can I use your charger?"
"Sure," Amity said.
Luz gave her girlfriend her phone and walked to the couch while Amity plugged it in. After asking one of the staff to get something, she joined Luz on the sofa and put her arm around her. The Latina gave her a kiss before placing her head on Amity's shoulder.
"This was a great idea. Thanks for asking me to come early." Luz said.
Amity kissed the side of her head. "No problem Lulu."
"Are you sure I'm not bothering you?" Luz asked. "I would hate for you not to finish because of me."
"You're not bothering me. Besides, this downtime with you is for me as well." Amity said. "It's been crazy the last few days. I feel like a chicken running around with its head cut off."
"Well, let me help secure your pretty head," Luz said.
Luz touched Amity's neck and flicked her wrists as if she was tightening something. She put her hand on Amity's head and lightly pushed down. "There you go. Now your head won't fly off anymore."
Amity giggled at her girlfriend's quirkiness. Things like that made Amity fall in love with Luz, as they never failed to make her smile. "Thank you, sweetie."
Amity turned on the tv and changed the channel to Kids Baking Championship. The two girls sat on the couch for a while, cuddling while they watched tv. A few minutes later, a woman with pink hair came over with a tray holding two mugs of hot cocoa.
"Thank you, Marie," Amity said, taking the mugs and handing one to Luz.
"Your welcome, Ms. Blight," Marie said. "Hello, Luz. Always a pleasure to see you."
Luz happily took the drink. "Hi, Marie, and thank you."
"Will that be all?" Marie asked.
"Yes. That will be all." Amity said.
Marie bowed, picked up the tray, and walked away. The two girls spent the next few hours cuddling on the couch, laughing, talking, and drinking cocoa. And as time went on, both girls slowly relaxed. Well, Luz more than Amity, as every so often, a butler or maid would ask Amity what to do with a decoration or where a box of decoration went or where to set them up. A small girl slowly made her way to the couple.
"Excuse me, Ms. Blight." Said the maid. "I don't mean to disturb you as I can your busy. But there seems to be a disagreement on where the candles, plastic balls, and garland go. Also, we need your approval on the final decorations."She knew better than to bother Amity when she was hanging and cuddling with Luz, but she drew the short straw.
Amity sighed. "Okay. Show me the rooms." She kissed Luz and got up. "I'll be back in a little bit."
Amity followed the maid, leaving Luz alone. Luz was okay with being alone in the mansion, but the longer she was, the more awkward and out of place she felt. Even when she was with Amity or the twins, she still felt like she didn't belong, but at least felt safe with them. Luz grabbed her mug and drank some of her cocoa while she waited. She just hoped none of the staff asked why she is here alone, as that had happened before. Some of them still aren't used to Luz. Fifteen minutes later, Amity came back and flopped down on the couch. She put her arm around Luz, who snuggled against her chest.
"Sorry that took so long." The Blight said.
"It's okay," Luz said.
"Did any of the staff give a hard time?" Amity asked.
"No, thank god," Luz said. She smiled, knowing that Amity hated anyone making fun of or insulting Luz. Even her own staff.
"You ready for the party?" Amity asked.
"Yes and no." The Latina said. "Yes, because I love parties and have never been to a fancy one before. No, because I'm nervous about interacting with fancy and popular people."
Amity looked at her girlfriend. "Your dating me and are friends with Boscha, Skara, and the other girls. Their families are just as wealthy and influential as mine. Plus, you know my parents."
"Yes, but it took months for them to like me." Luz looked away from the green-haired girl. "Your parents finally liked me a week ago. These are people I've probably never met before."
"Just be yourself, sweetie. That's how you got me and all of your friends."
"Yeah. I've been told the exact opposite." Luz said. "You'll find friends, Luz. You just need to drop all of your childish and weird behaviors. Once you do this, you will fit in a lot better."
"Who the hell said that?!" Amity asked, a little louder than she meant to.
"Oh, school counselor, the principal, a good part of the students, and some of the teachers," Luz said, counting on her fingers.
"We'll all of those people are wrong and stupid. You are perfect just the way you are." Amity gave Luz a kiss.
"Thanks, baby," Luz said.
"Anytime," Amity said. "You're going to be fine, and if they don't like you, then that's their fault. Boscha and the girls are coming, so you will have some friends here while I'm helping play host. Not to mention Willow will also be here."
Luz gave Amity a kiss before putting her head back on her chest. "I love you."
"I love you too," Amity said.
A few hours later, the party is in full swing. People are laughing, talking, and eating. Luz had been doing better than she thought she would, considering she was in a fancy party full of people she didn't know. She made small talk with different people, but that's as much as she did before her nerves got to her, and she excused herself. She searched for a friendly face and found Willow moments, later talking to a young girl. After debating on whether to go up to her, she made her way over to Willow.
"Hey, Willow," Luz said sheepishly. "Sorry to interrupt your conversation; I just need to be around someone I know."
"Oh, it's no problem, Luz," Willow said. "I was just talking to Ava here about gardening methods. Luz, this is Ava. We are in the gardening club together."
"Hexside has a gardening club?" Luz asked curiously.
"Yeah, but it's not that well known," Willow said, taking a sip of her punch.
"So, Amity's girlfriend," Ava said. "I've heard a lot about you."
"Hi there," Luz said. "What did you hear?"
"All the good things, I promise." Said the young girl. "Your sweet, kind, and you really love Azura. You're a great girlfriend to Amity, and you're her voice of reason."
Luz smiled. "So, um, is your family influential or rich?"
Ava shook her head. "No. My mom owns a small catering company, and my dad is a computer specialist for Amity's fathers' company. So, nothing special. As for how I got an invite to the party, I helped Amity study for her history midterm."
"How are you liking the party?" The green-haired girl asked.
"It's great," Luz said. "I haven't been to a lot of parties, especially fancy ones like this."
Ava took a sip of her punch. "So back to the topic of Azura, it's nice to meet another fan."
Luz's eyes grew wide. "You're a fan of Azura too?"
"I just started the series," Ava said. "But I may have read the first two books in a week."
"Dang. That's dedication." The Latina said, chuckling. "If I had a glass right now, I would say cheers to that."
Ava smiled. "Can I give you my number so we can continue to talk about this?"
"Oh, uh, sure," Luz said, handing the girl her phone. She wasn't expecting to make a new friend at the party, much less meet another Azura fan and get their number.
A few moments later, Ava handed Luz back her phone. "I texted my phone. Now I have someone else to talk about Azura with."
"Always a pleasure to meet another fan," Luz said, smiling.
Over the next half hour, the three girls talked about everything from midterms to movies, because as Luz found out, Ava is a huge movie buff. A few minutes later, Willow's phone goes off. She groans as she looked at the text.
"Ava, we need to school some people on gardening," Willow said, rolling her eyes. "Someone near the snack table is saying that weeds are bad and do nothing good for the environment."
"Lead the way. We need to correct this asap." Ava said. "It was nice meeting you, Luz."
"Can you at least tell me where Boscha is, so I'm not alone?" Luz asked, a little more whiney than she meant.
"Last time I saw her, she was at the punch bowl," Willow said, pointing to a table behind them.
Willow and Ava walked away to the snacks leaving Luz alone. But at least she made a new friend, which is more than she was expecting. Her phone suddenly went off, and she smiled when she saw Amity's text.
'How's the party, babe? Are you doing okay?'
'It's going good. I haven't embarrassed myself yet. In fact, I made a new friend.'
Amity's text came back moments later. 'That's amazing. I knew you could do it. What's their name?'
'Ava. She's also a fan of Azura.'
'Oh, you met Ava. Yeah, she's a great person.' Another text from Amity came a few moments later. 'Also, I didn't know she was a fan of Azura. Maybe we should invite her to join the club.'
'That sounds like a great idea Amity.'
'I have to go back to hosting, but I'll find you before the party is over. Text me if you have any problems. Love you, Luz.'
'Love you to Amity.'
Luz put her phone away and made her way over to the punch bowl. Her heart sank a little when she didn't Boscha or any of the girls there. Since she was here, she might as well get something to drink. Grabbing a cup, she filled it with the punch and sipped it as she looked at the crowd. Six months ago, she had been an outcast in every sense of the word. Her only friends were drawn, and her mother. Now she was at a party full of rich and influential people, was dating a beautiful girl, and had friends who care and love her. Even if some of those friendships took a while. Sometimes Luz felt like she was in a dream and that any moment the world would say, Yeah, the last six months have been a joke. Your still an outcast, even at your new school.'
"Wow, it looks like they'll let anyone in these parties now." A voice said.
The voice made Luz's blood run cold as she knew who that voice belonged to. She hadn't seen or talked to this person in months, but she knew exactly who it was. You don't forget your tormentors that easily. Luz sent a quick text to Amity and then turned around, coming face to face with three girls.
"And here I thought this party was for wealthy and famous people. Not weird girl kissing outcasts." The blonde said.
"I was invited, and I'm not an outcast," Luz said.
"We can clearly see that." Said a blue-haired girl. "The question is why and who would invite you. Once an outcast, always an outcast."
"Amity invited me. And I've changed. I have friends." Luz said, trying to sound as confident as possible.
The girls laughed, and the sound was like daggers in her heart. "It's so sad that you think someone would actually care about you." The blonde said. "These 'friends' of yours don't care about you. And Amity invited you as a charity case. She couldn't care less if you were here."
Luz had to fight the urge not to believe her words. She had proved everyone wrong. She built a reputation. She made friends, she even got a girlfriend. Yet as Luz stood face to face with the girls who made her life hell at her last school, she started to think if they were right. Shaking her head to get rid of her doubts, she looked at the girls.
"They do care about me, and they are real. Look, I even have pictures." Luz said. She pulled out her phone, only for it to be yanked away.
"Hey, give that back!"
The blonde girl held Luz's phone up and dangled it above her head. "Make me, freak."
"Stop calling me that," Luz said. "I have a name."
"No one cares." Said the blue-haired girl.
"I think this phone needs a bath." Said the blonde girl. "Don't you agree girls?"
The two girls behind the blonde nod. All of a sudden, someone takes the Latina's phone away and hands it back to Luz. "Thanks, Boscha," Luz said, putting away her phone.
"No problem." The pink-haired girl said before staring at the trio. "Hello, Catherine."
Catherine scoffed. "You used to be so great, Boscha. Now you've gone soft and friends with 'her.'" She pointed to Luz.
"Actually, my life is better now that I'm friends with Luz," Boscha said, crossing her arms. "Happens when you remove the stick from your butt and actually be nice to people."
Catherine glared at the pink-haired girl. "What did you just say to me?"
"Did I stutter?" Boscha smirked.
A low growl came deep from the blonde's throat. "I still don't know why you're protecting her. She doesn't even belong here."
"Luz has a right to be here just like everyone else," Boscha said, crossing her arms. "She was invited by Amity personally."
It was at this moment that Amity walked up. "Sorry I took a while getting here. What's wrong?" Amity looked at the situation. "What's going on here?"
"These girls are bullying Luz," Boscha said. "Had to snatch her phone away from Catherine and give it back to her."
"I'm just trying to tell her what everyone is thinking here," Catherine said.
"And what would that be?" Amity asked.
"That she needs to go, and no one wants her here," Catherine said, a wicked smile appearing on her face.
Amity wanted to bitch slap her for saying that, but she resisted as she didn't want to cause a scene at the party. "I invited her, personally." She said. "So please back off and stop bothering her."
"Or what, Amity?" Catherine said, stepping towards Amity. "She's a charity case. That's why you invited her. So why don't you tell her to leave, drop this fake friendship, and go into the new year, the right way."
Amity glared at the blonde, a low growl coming deep from within her throat. "I tried to ask politely, but now you've pissed me off. Back off from my girlfriend. She is not a charity case. I will not have you insult my girlfriend, in front of me, in my house. The only thing that doesn't belong here is you, and your lackey's behind you. Now back off from my girlfriend and leave her alone, or I will show you what a pissed off Blight can do."
Catherine looked like she just got slapped in the face. No one had told her off like that, so she wasn't sure what to do. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Eventually, she let out a little laugh. "You can't be serious."
"I'm very serious," Amity said. "Mess with or bully her again, and I will kick you three out of the party. Now get."
With one last growl, Catherine and her goons walked away. As soon as Amity turned to the scared Latina. "Are you okay, Luz?" Amity asked.
"Yeah," Luz said, trying to hide how scared she is.
"Oh, come here, Lulu." Amity wrapped Luz in a hug, who gladly hugged her back. Amity stroked Luz's hair. "It's okay. Those mean girls are gone."
"Thanks for helping girls," Luz said.
"Anytime," Boscha said.
"That's what girlfriends are for, sweetie," Amity said. "We protect and comfort each other. I don't care what anybody says about you. I love you, Luz, and you belong here."
"I love you too." The Latina said.
"How about I stay with you for the rest of the night," Amity said.
"I'd like that," Luz said.
For the next two hours, Luz and Amity spent the rest of the night drinking, laughing, and eating. Amity introduced Luz to several different people, and they also talked to Ava about Azura. They mentioned they had an Azura book club that was just the two of them and invited Ava to join, which she happily accepted. Five minutes before midnight, one of the servants turned on the giant tv, showing the ball drop. A few minutes later, everybody was watching the tv as the ball dropped.
"5,4,3,2,1" Everybody said.
When the clock struck midnight, everybody cheered. Amity looked Luz in the eyes and pulled her in for a gentle New Year's kiss.
"Happy New Year," Amity said.
"Happy New Year, baby," Luz said.