#( had to go with the lil schoogirl witch rivals LKAJSDKLFSDF )

[apaise]

❛ if i slip on the ice, it’s totally your fault. ❜ haley @ cleo

when cleo first pictured the winter wood exam, she imagined striding out of the forest triumphant, accomplishing all the obstacles in record time. never had she realized the exam was one for partners, and that it was conceivably, ridiculously plausible she’d end up paired with haley sousa of all people. even worse, that cleo would twist her ankle when they were fleeing artic wolves, and that she’d end up needing haley’s help just to walk.

the reality is laughably humbling as they stagger through the snow, crossing a frozen riverbank. when cleo slips on one of the rocks, it’s haley, not magicthat keeps cleo from falling flat on her face. seeing haley glimpse down at her, cleo almost wishes she had let her fall; it’d be less embarrassing than being rescued. she feels the snowflakes melting on her red-hot face as she looks back at the other, irreparably humiliated, ankle still throbbing. 

cleo’s about to choke out a begrudging thank you when haley speaks first, huffing a complaint. andwith just those few words, the balance in their dynamic is suddenly restored; they’re back to bickering as if it’s just another day in the classroom.  

❝ please, ❞ cleo rolls her eyes, combing back her damp hair with her free hand. ❝  you wouldn’t last two seconds in these woods without me. ❞ it’s big talk coming from someone who couldn’t walk two stepswithout her partner, yet . . .  haley had given cleo the grace to be herself, even when utterly dependent. it gives the witch a little burst of strength amidst the cold, and she intends to make full use of the gift. 

❝ you’d be wolf food right now. ❞