I’m a pretty patient person. Back in Lindsborg, I was known as the Queen of Jumpscares. When our school would put on its annual Haunted House fundraiser, I would dress up in a huge white gown, paint my face white, and lie in a plastic coffin for an hour. People who entered the haunted house thought I was just a plastic doll. Then I would jump out of my coffin and scare the living out of everyone. I made Zeke pee his pants once. True story.

But when it comes to things I really care about- or things that may or may not determine if I survive- I tend to get a little... restless.

In this case, it’s both. If we don’t find this library, we won’t be able to learn more about magic. Unfortunately, I still haven’t found out Taehyung’s schedule. He’ll be home for three days in a row, and then be gone the next day. Parties are sometimes here but sometimes not; other times, even when Taehyung isn’t here, Andrews may be around.

Even creating magical objects in the lab hasn’t been enough to take my mind off the library. It took me a day to make amulets for Dev, Lucy, and Tom, and four more days to finally figure out how to fashion a magical knife.

“I just wish we had something to test it on,” I murmured, absentmindedly flipping it from side to side. “How do we know if this is really magical?”

Then Dev wordlessly took the knife, walked over to a sheet of aluminum in the storage unit of the lab, and sliced it in half.

Anyway, my... eagerness to continue learning about magic is why Lucy, Dev, Tom, and I are in a room on the 2nd floor, peering through the door as the seniors’ laughters echoes from the living room downstairs.

“This is so risky,” Dev grouses. “If we get caught, we’re dead meat.”

“It’ll be fine,” I whisper. “They’re busy talking to each other. We can search in peace.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Here, let’s go.”

The four of us quietly tiptoe to the staircase. The conversation downstairs becomes more and more audible.

“So where did Cloe, Sasha, Yasmin, and Jade go?” Evan asks in an amused voice.

Snickers and knowing laughs fill the air. Lucy and I exchange a wide-eyed look.

“Some guy probably got the best of them,” Yoongi drawls.

“It was only a matter of time,” Laila snorts.

Relief floods my senses. They don’t suspect anything. Good.

But seriously? They could be at least a little more concerned about their friends. I shake my head in disgust.

“Maybe it’ll open if we use magic or something,” Tom mumbles. He fishes his amulet, which is hanging off a long gold chain, out of his shirt and presses it against the wall. Nothing happens.

“Let me look for a trap door,” Lucy whisper.

Suddenly, we hear Mackenzie say, “Taehyung, your little housemate must be really happy they’re gone.”

We freeze.

“Who cares?” Taehyung utters.

“You were such a douche to her last Saturday,” Namjoon laughs. “Even I felt a little bad.”

“Please. She was being an annoying little brat.”

“Here’s the real question,” Laila says humorously. “Have you slept with her yet? I’m sure she’s tried.”

“Hey, she’s pretty cute,” Evan says. “I’m sure I could bring out her ty side.”

I feel my friends bristle as the group dissolves into laughter.

“Oh, sure,” Taehyung snorts. “I’d be attracted to that.”

“They’re disgusting,” Lucy spits. Dev looks like he’s in half a mind to go downstairs and sock them all in the face.

“Ignore them,” Tom murmurs, turning me away from the direction of the living room.

“ him,” I hiss, my fists clenched by my side. My head feels like it is about to explode with anger. “I want to shove my fist in his face so badly. I could do it while he’s asleep-,”

“Yeah, and he’d probably incinerate you,” Dev points out.

“I don’t care. , he doesn’t deserve to have magic.” I angrily kick the wall in anger. “God, I wish this stupid ing library would just appear!”

And just like that, a black door materializes in front of us.

My jaw drops.

“Are you serious?” I whisper. “Wha- how did that happen?”

“Maybe you said a magic word or something!” Tom says excitedly.

“What? ? Stupid? Or was it kicking the wall?”

“Don’t question it,” Dev says. “Let’s go!”

He throws open the door and hurries inside, Tom right behind him. I hear their gasps of awe as they gape at the vast amount of books in the room. I am about to follow them through the door when Lucy hisses, “Joo!”

I turn around. Jin is heading for the front door, coat in hand, as Jimin follows behind him. Lucy and I are literally standing in the middle of the staircase, positioned so that if they turn right, we are in plain view.

.

The library door closes and disappears. Lucy and I press ourselves flat against the wall.

“Hey, don’t leave,” Jimin tells Jin. “Our pizza’s almost here.”

“I have things to do,” Jin says in a quiet voice.

“Jin. What is it really?”

“I just don’t want to be here.”

Jimin purses his lips. “So it’s that.”

Jin’s jaw tightens. Jimin sighs.

“Jin, you know how they are. I know they’re being s, but they’re just-,”

“Attacking the weak just really isn’t my style,” Jin says, cutting him off. “This isn’t fun.”

Lucy and I exchange a surprised look. Is he talking about... me?

Jimin groans. “Jin, you can’t-,”

And then my phone loudly buzzes.

The noise causes Jin and Jimin to turn. My heart sinks down to the floor as they see me and Lucy standing in the stairway.

“Lucy?” Jimin says astonishedly.

Jin gives me an unreadable look, and then says, “I’m going.”

“Wait-,” Jimin says, but Jin has already left. The door slams shut.

“We’re ed,” Lucy says in between gritted teeth.

I check my phone.

Dev: WHER E EH IS THE DOOR HELP HELP HELP HELP HELP

“I’m so sorry,” I grimace.

“So,” Jimin says, walking up the stairs to us. He is looking at Lucy with a mischievous grin. “What are you doing here, my little student council vice president?”

Lucy rolls her eyes, the nervous look on her face replaced with pure annoyance. “Oh, shut up, Jimin.”

“That’s no way to talk to your president!” Jimin gasps, slapping a hand on his chest in mock anger. “Or your senior mentor, for that matter.”

“That doesn’t count! I know you rigged it so that you’d be my mentor!”

He grins, lowering his face so that it is right above hers. “That’s a blasphemous accusation. Got any proof to back it up?”

“You’re such a jerk,” Lucy mutters, jerking her head away. Her cheeks are noticeably red.

Jimin sighs, leaning back on the wall. We make eye contact.

“Hey, Joo,” he says rather cautiously.

“Don’t call me Joo,” I snap.

He shrugs. “Blame it on Lucy. She calls you Joo when she talks about you, so I caught on.”

“You talk about me?” I ask her confusedly.

“No!” she exclaims indignantly. “I mean, I say things like, I’m going to lunch with Joo, or Joo and I are going to work on calculus after this.”

“See? It’s her fault.” Jimin says.

I cross my arms. “Sorry, but only friends can call me Joo. Not elitist .”

A flash of guilt crosses his face.

“Look, I’m sorry about them,” he sighs, jerking his head in the direction of the living room. “They’re a piece of work. If it’s... any consolation, I’m not the only one who thinks Taehyung’s out of line.”

“Yeah, I could see Jin thought that, too.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry you have to deal with him. Joo.”

“Don’t call me that.” I rub my temples. “Ugh, whatever. If you aren’t actually going to do anything to help me, then I don’t need to hear your excuses. Just don’t tell Taehyung that Lucy was here.”

The cheeky smile is back on Jimin’s face. “On one condition.”

“What?” Lucy says in a tone full of vitriol.

He taps Lucy’s nose. “You have to come to my lacrosse games.”

“No way in hell,” she utters, shoving him away.

“Why not?! Don’t you want to support me?”

“No.”

“Aww, come on! I’ve done so much for you!”

“Really. Like what?”

“Do you know how long it took to convince Coach to let me skip practice twice a week for student council? I had to beg for so long-,”

“It’s not like you do any work anyway.”

“That hurts.” He pouts. “You’re going to miss me next week when I’m not in the student council room after school-,”

“Wait.” I narrow my eyes. “You have lacrosse practice after school?”

“Yeah, starting next week, we have practice every day from 4 to 6,” Jimin tells me. “It’s ‘cause the season’s starting and-,”

“When does the season end?”

“Hmm... our last game’s in February, I think? Maybe late January. Why?”

My lips curl up into a wide smile. That means Taehyung won’t get home until 6... which means Dev, Lucy, Tom, and I will have two hours every day to stay in the library without the fear of him finding us. I mentally perform a passionate victory dance, chanting, Yes! Yes! Yes!

“No reason,” I say.

“Anyway, is that a deal, Lucy?” Jimin says.

She glowers at him. “I’ll come to... some games.”

“Will you wear my jersey on game days?”

“Well, if do, I’ll be ripped apart by your screaming fangirls. Hard pass.”

Jimin gasps in fake surprise. “What? I have fangirls?”

“You’re so full of it,” Lucy growls, and he grins as she pushes away. “Bye.”

“See you at school,” he calls, and then heads back to the living room. Lucy watches him go with a fond look on her face.

Man. I’m never not surprised by how Jimin can make Lucy- Lucy, the cold, aloof girl who once fell down the 2nd floor stairs and only uttered a stoic, “I’m fine”- so expressive. In the span of their conversation, I saw her go from frustrated to flustered to furious. After a few moments of silently watching her smile to herself, I clear my throat.

“So,” I say. “You and Jimin?”

Her happy expression disappears, replaced by her usual stony demeanor.

“That’s ridiculous,” she says. “Why would you think that would ever happen?”

“Are you kidding? You two are so obviously into each other.”

“I don’t like him, Joo.” Lucy’s voice is low, intense. “He’s a sorcerer. Him and his friends are horrible, horrible people. I would never do that to you or Dev.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “Dev? Wait, why him?”

She winces, as if she has said something she was not supposed to. “Or Tom,” she quickly adds. “I meant all of you.”

I scrutinize her between narrowed eyes.

“Whatever you say,” I finally utter.

“Okay, now how do we get to the library again?” Lucy says, turning back around to the wall.

“. What did I say again?”

“Uhh.... you cursed out Taehyung, and said you wished the stupid library would just appear.”

“Okay.” I clench my fists. “ that obnoxious motherer. I wish the stupid library would appear.”

Just like that, the door materializes again.

“I think the door appears when you say you wish it would appear,” Lucy points out. “You don’t have to insult Taehyung to find it.”

“Oh, please. I enjoy insulting him.” I open the door. “Stay out here. I’ll try materializing the door from the other side. If it doesn’t work, open it up and we’ll figure something else out.”   

When I enter the room, I am immediately tackled by Tom and Dev.

“Pardon my French, but what the heck?!” Tom shrieks. “The door disappeared!”

“Yeah, it does that,” I mutter.

“I almost ing had a heart attack!” Dev yells in a voice two octaves higher than his own. “This stupid house can go and-,”

“Okay, okay!” I turn to the wall. “Taehyung is a jackass. Door, please appear.”

The door shimmers into focus. Dev and Tom gape at it with dazed expressions.

“That’s it?” Dev asks faintly. “That’s all it took? Asking for it to appear?”

“Yup.” I open the door. “Lucy, come on in.”

We immediately head to the shelves and pull out every book we can find that is written in English. Most of the novels are in a strange, foreign language I cannot place.

“I think it’s called... Taalik,” Tom says after we have spent about two hours reading. “I’ve looked through this book’s account of its language tree and it looks like a Proto-Indo-European language.”

Lucy’s eyebrows shoot up. “Whoa. Are you serious? That means people tens of thousands of years ago knew about magic.”

“That’s amazing,” I breathe. “Again, this is literally advanced quantum physics.”

“This is insane,” Dev says, shaking his head. “According to this book, all these ancient civilizations near the Indus River, Huang He River, Tigris-Euphrates River, Nile River... they were all able to become incredibly advanced because magic was found near those places. For example, I’m reading about Harappa and Mohenjo Daro, which were near the Indus River. Somehow, magical residue was found in the lands near the river, and the people learned how to use it to develop their cities.”

“Damn. Are you serious?”

Dev shakes his head. “Yeah. This is all so- just, I can’t explain how- nuts this is.”

“I know,” Lucy says in a low voice. “This goes against everything we’ve ever been taught.”

“Actually, no,” I say. “This all kinda makes sense. Like... it correlates with everything we’ve learned. For example, we know that Harappa and Mohenjo Daro disappeared. That book-,” I point to the novel Dev is reading. “-supports that. And historians don’t know why they disappeared, right?”

“Yeah. Some said it was because they migrated east, or the river dried up, or there was a sickness,” Tom pipes up.

“Mhm. So that book is offering an alternate reason to a fact we already know. It’s the same with all the science stuff. Everything I’ve read has checked out with real scientific discoveries.”

“It’s like the real explanations for all these things have been hidden from us,” Tom says.

"Or history fanfiction," Dev snorts. I shrug. 

“Dev has a point, though. Why would they hide this stuff?” Lucy asks. “If everyone knew about magic, there could have been so many more advancements and discoveries. Can you think of how many more cures for diseases could have been found? And new medical advancements?”

“I don’t know,” Tom says slowly. “This book says the Indus River Valley civilizations disappeared because the magic got out of control. There were power struggles, people who weren’t qualified were trying to use magic...,”

“It’s bad enough that sorcerers and other magical beings can use magic,” I scoff. “Look how much damage they’re wreaking.”

Tom’s eyes widen. “Wait, have any of you guys read something about how magical beings came about? Like, were they born into the world? Because if magic is how Joo describes it, which has to do with electron configurations and stuff, how would sorcerer families exist? How could this be hereditary?”

“And how did Taehyung make the room freezing cold?” Dev demands.

I furrow my eyebrows in thought. “That’s a really good point. We’ll keep reading.”

“Our priority right now should be figuring out how to make more powerful magical objects,” Lucy points out.

“I’ve looked through, like, three books, and all of them either list out these complex reactions that require an advanced lab, or require the essence of a powerful magical creature or object,” I tell her wearily. “We don’t have either.”

“The essence of a powerful magical creature...,” Tom rubs his chin. “How do you get their essence?”

“Uhh...,” I grab a book from the pile on the floor and flip back to the page I bookmarked. “I mean, some of these recipes call for the claw of a dragon... the tentacle of a kraken... the blood of a sorcerer-,”

I look up with wide eyes. Judging by the looks on my friends’ faces, they’re thinking exactly what I’m thinking.

“But how?” Lucy whispers.

“Wait.” I grab MOE and flip to a dog-eared page. Lucy, Tom, and Dev watch in anticipation as I pore over its text, frowning in concentration.

“Okay,” I say slowly. “I think... I think I know how." 

The three of them stare at me in confusion. 

And then Lucy's jaw drops. 

"No. No way. You're crazy." 

Dev's eyes widen in shock. "You ing idiot. Please tell me you're not thinking what I think you're thinking." 

"Someone brief me in?" Tom pleads. 

I give them a ballsy smirk, hiding how anxious I am about this plan. 

"Alright. Here's what I'll do." 

A/N: LMAO IM SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE!! y'all. holy . This semester was a BLAST. I HATED college last semester and holy this semester is amazing and theres jsut so much i want to tell y'all lmao but idw ramble. YA girl still has her 4.0 hahaAhahaahahahahahhaha waiting for the next three years to THAT up

anyway guys please save me lmao im WWOOFing on a farm in maine right now (if u dont know what that is, its basically where you help out on an organic farm in exchange for food/room/board/learning about organic farming and ) and it ing i've been literally weeding 7 hours a day for 4 days straight. i'm not exaggerating. i started on monday. and all they've made me do is weed since tuesday. its saturday night. me. im here for 1 more week. i want to die.