Kelly and I used to be best friends. Used to be. I didn&#8217;t like how she changed as we grew up. By the time we were going to college, we had grown apart. Her image, her popularity, her looks, her attitude&#8230;it had all become so self-centered. For Kelly, people were there to be used to her advantage.<br /><br /> I left her alone, content to drift away from her, and focused on my own studies in magical arts. I was struggling with elemental spells. I was marginally better at channeling rituals. But I found great success in protective charms and redirection. Too much success, in fact; I became known around the school for my prowess, which brought Kelly&#8217;s attention back to me.<br /><br />She found me today. She stopped me when we were both alone. She started to blame me for her own poor school performance and claimed I failed her and abandoned her. I couldn&#8217;t get a word in with her - she ranted and raved at me, working herself up emotionally. Before I was sure it was happening, Kelly was pulling out her wand. She pointed it at my face. The tip of the wand lit up.<br /><br />As she shot her spell, I casted a rebounding shield. Kelly&#8217;s spell clashed with my barrier in a flash of light. When the magical sparks dissipated a second later, I saw what Kelly tried to do to me. My spell had bounced hers back at herself and gave Kelly her own medicine.<br /><br />At first I was shocked Kelly was headless. Her beheaded body just stood there. Her fingers twitched until she dropped her wand.<br /><br />Then I was worried. Kelly swayed in place. She grabbed the railing beside her by chance. She used her empty hand to inspect her hollowed collar. Kelly&#8217;s head was gone, as was her neck. What would she do? What should *I* do?<br /><br />But that&#8217;s when I got mad. She tried to behead me! Her head was banished to who-knows-where or obliterated *because she wanted to do that to me.*<br /><br />Freshly decapitated Kelly was oblivious to my mood journey. In fact, she seemed oblivious to how necessary her missing head was. She let her free hand drop down. She held the railing in a casual grip. Her headless body stood and swayed, unaware of her self-inflicted status.