But when it comes to scaring away the boys, I’ve always got your back.”
“Good to know.”
“Goddess, I thought those boys would never leave.” Professor Broome files out the door with an armload of brightly-colored bottles of soap bubbles and wands, Professor Maddox following behind with a case of champagne and something that looks a lot like a saber.
“What’s all that?” I ask.
“Bubbles, of course,” Broome replies, her eyes sparkling. “For the stars-and-moon ceremony.”
I grin, shaking my head. “And we need an ancient weapon for the stars-and-moon ceremony because…?”
“Oh, that’s not for the ceremony,” Maddox says. “That’s for popping off champagne corks like a fucking pirate.” She squints one eye at me. “Arrrrgh!”
“This night just got a whole lot extra,” Isla says, “and I am here for it.”
“Let’s get it poppin’!” Maddox waggles her eyebrows, cracking up at her own corny joke as she unboxes the first bottle of champagne and removes the foil and outer seal. Then, holding the bottle in her left hand with the cork side pointing toward the backyard, she grips the saber in her right hand, tells us all to get ready, and zings the blade up the side, popping the top clean off—cork, glass, and all.
White foam spills out the top, and she let’s out a whoop, the rest of us cheering and clapping at the whole damn spectacle, already fighting over who gets to pop the next bottle.
It’s the perfect, dick-free kickoff to the first official Witch-’N-Bitch at the new house, and just what I need to help me forget about the bad news, the Dark Arcana, and all the dicks in my life, just for a little while.
Girl time, live and uncut.
The bubbly flows for hours, the barbecue surpassing all expectations, the laughter loud enough to wake the dead. When the moon is high in the sky, and we’re just drunk enough to stop asking questions, Broome busts out her version of bubbly, ordering us all to strip down to our underwear, drop our fears and limiting beliefs on the deck, and take a bottle of soap bubbles out into the backyard.
Giggling like little girls, we do as she asks, marching in a half-naked line out back, forming a circle beneath the sky.
The moonlight shines down on us all, casting us in a silver-blue glow that looks like magick, filling me with hope and wonder on a night when I thought I’d almost lost both.
Professor Broome says a quick blessing over the moon, inviting us to set our intentions for the weeks ahead. Then, when we’re ready, we open up our bubbles, take a collective breath, and blow our rainbow, soap-bubble wishes up to the stars.
I love everything about it. The warm air on my skin as we dance around in our underwear, blowing bubbles until we’re dizzy. The sound of the true, unabashed laughter that comes from dropping all pretenses and just being completely silly. The feeling of lightness in my heart. The pure magick of it all.
“My turn with the saber!” I shout, suddenly inspired, charging back up to the deck and grabbing a fresh bottle. With everyone cheering me on, I whip the blade across the glass, popping off the top in a spray of foam and laughter, foam dripping down my arms and onto my bare stomach.
“Why do you look like you’re about to sacrifice someone in a barbaric ritual?” Baz asks, looming in the open doorway behind me.
I whip around to face him, bottle still in hand, and his eyes go wide, his gaze trailing down over my bra to the foam dripping from my fingers.
“And holy shit,” he says, lowering his voice. “Why the fuck am I so turned on right now? I’m pretty sure I just came. Only a little, but still.”
I flash a smirk. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to piss off a half-naked witch with a saber?”
“Apparently I skipped that class. Are you gonna wear that outfit to bed later?”
I swing the saber between us, then touch the tip to his crotch, arching an eyebrow.
“DFZ. Right.” He raises his hands in surrender. “Going back in the house now. Please don’t hurt me.”
“Good boy.”
He flashes one last devilish grin. “But seriously, about that outfit…”
“Go!”
Boy chased off once again, I rejoin the girls, who’ve all taken up residence in the lounge chairs spread across the deck.
We sing along with the music, talk about our favorite Tarot cards, and Professor Maddox even shares a few funny memories about the trouble she and Mom used to get