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Assistant: Title: wilted petals
        Author: orphan_account orphan_account 
        Chapter: 15/20 
        Summary: After a horrific week, Josie isn’t sure how to go on living. Her dad is in a coma, Landon is dead, and Hope? Hope is nowhere to be found. That is, until the tribrid appears one night and leaves with Josie’s life. She wakes up miles away from the school and everyone that she knows, plagued by a newfound thirst for blood and an old need to figure out Hope Mikaelson.
        Contents: Chapter 15
    

    


      
        
          
          (See the end of the chapter for  notes.)
          
      
  

  
  
    
    Josie goes to find Cleo later that evening, feeling guilty for the other night. She isn’t at dinner, so Josie assumes she’s still resting in bed and brings along a sandwich. Kaleb is the one who comes to the door. He’s wearing the same top from last night, though it looks like he’s traded his bl@@dy jeans for more comfortable sweats. His expression is skeptical, but not hostile, as he greets her. “Josie.” He nods. “Wasn’t expecting to see you.” “I noticed Cleo wasn’t at dinner. I brought her some food.” She holds up her left hand, but his eyes stray to her right, where she’s clutching a muddy plant. “Oh, this is—“ He holds up a hand. “I don’t need to get involved in your witch business. Come in.” “Thanks.” She steps past him. Inside, the air tastes slightly stale, but it’s lacking the distinct smell of fresh blood that Josie thinks might accompany a serious injury. The room is clean, too, though she doubts Cleo has been contributing much to the upkeep right now. Said girl is buried firmly underneath the covers, taking a much needed nap. Josie assumes that Kaleb has been cleaning up in here for her, and smiles at the thought. She’s glad that they cleared up their apparent relationship issues. “How’s it going?” He asks. “Not too bad.” She keeps her voice lowered, so as to not disturb Cleo. “Just enjoying the weekend.” “Yeah, school is definitely going to kick my ass.” She chuckles lightly, feeling his eyes on her. “Sorry, I thought you’d be with Hope.” “Yeah, well…” Josie shrugs. There’s an empty hollow of longing that already aches in her chest, though it’s been less than a day. She wonders if it’s the sire bond or if she just can’t resist wanting Hope that badly. “How’s Cleo doing?” “She is fine.” Cleo responds from the bed, startling the both of them. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” Josie apologizes, approaching the bed. Cleo sits up and inspects her. “You are covered in dirt.” Cleo says, matter of fact. “Please refrain from sitting on my duvet.” “Fair.” Josie giggles, a tiny sound. Her attempts to right her wrongs have not gone particularly well today, and she has little hope for this one. “I brought you a turkey on rye and some Savagan.” She doesn’t explain the plant’s uses, figuring that Cleo already knows. Cleo does seem to, taking it from her with a visible appreciation. “I didn't know we grew this here.” “We don’t. Finch and I had to take a walk into the forest for it.” She saved some for herself, but most of it is for Cleo. “Thank you, Josie.” Cleo smiles genuinely. “This is very kind.” Fortunately, Cleo’s gratitude seems earnest, and the two of them are able to chat with ease for a few minutes before Josie decides to give her some more time to rest. Kaleb catches her out in the hall, closing the door and leaning against it. “Hey, that was cool of you.” “Just trying to make amends.” “Right.” He glances past her briefly, then his voice lowers significantly. “Are you busy?” “Uh…” Josie says, feeling weird about the whole thing. He’s watching her like they’re in on some big secret. Finally, she shrugs. “No. I guess not. Why?” “Come on.” He turns and walks down the hall. After a moment of hesitation, Josie follows him past several doors and into his room. She shuffles inside, looking around with interest. He’s made good use of the small space. The bed is shoved against the left wall, so the right side is free for his belongings. She spots a miniature speaker, a ratty football, some weights, and an impressive collection of records. However, what really catches her eye is the fridge tucked behind his bed, held together by a padlock. “Nice room.” She comments, thinking how strange it is to be in here, and how much stranger it is that she never has been before. “Thanks.” Kaleb glances at her. “Careful of the rug while you’re all muddy.” “Right. Look, I’ve got to shower, and I don’t want to miss dinner, so…” “You won’t miss dinner.” He rolls his eyes, fiddling with the lock. Josie sighs and wanders around the room curiously, taking in the details. She stops on a Louis Armstrong poster. “Jazz fan?” “Yeah.” “Hope listens to his music sometimes.” She murmurs, a flicker of a smile touching her lips. “Mhmm.” Kaleb hums, and she gets the sense that he’s not really listening to her. The lock clicks open and he makes a triumphant sound. “A-ha! Come here, but be quiet.” He taps his ear. “Everyone’s always nosing into other people’s business around here.” “No kidding.” All quips fall off of her tongue as she peers inside. The fridge is fully stocked with blood bags, more than she can count from a single glance. The smell that wafts up from it is clean and sharp and human. Josie turns to him incredulously. “You’ve been stealing from the hospital—“ “What do you not understand about quiet?” Kaleb stresses the final word, holding a finger to his lips, and Josie quiets. “Sorry.” “No harm, no foul.” He crouches and rummages through the fridge while Josie shifts from foot to foot. “Can you keep a secret?” “Yes.” Josie answers, quick. Too quick. She can already feel an itch growing right inside of her throat. She needs that blood. Still, Kaleb hesitates. “Not going to snitch on me to your mom, are you?” “Like I tell her anything.” She rolls her eyes and makes grabby hands for the bag. The first drop has her body melting into the floor with relief. The second has her gulping it down without pause. Kaleb watches her apprehensively. “D@mn, girl. Slow down. The stock’s not limitless.” “How did you…” Josie gestures to the fridge, mouth a little preoccupied. “It’s not from the hospital. A girl I used to hang with doesn’t mind offering up a vein. She’s a Twilight freak, even let me feed from her a couple times. You probably saw her around Mystic Falls High. You know, Heather?” “Cheerleader Heather?” She looks up, a bit mystified. Heather is the prettiest girl she’s ever seen in person, second only to Hope. MG used to gawk at her during math class. “That’s the one. We went to middle school together.” “Lucky you.” “Lucky me.” He repeats. “Speaking of cheerleaders,” Josie begins, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. “Are you up for football on Friday?” He grins at her. “I’m always up for a game.” “Great, ‘cause my mom’s been pestering me about it.” For a second she looks around awkwardly, unsure of where to discard the empty bag, but luckily Kaleb plucks it from her fingers. “Thanks. What do I owe you?” He waves her off. “It’s nothing. I just noticed you struggling, and it was cool earlier, what you did for Cleo, so.” She smiles a little in relief. “Don’t go telling people about this, alright?” Kaleb makes a ‘lips sealed’ gesture. “Got it.” Josie feels lighter already, no longer as hungry and soothed by the knowledge that not all of her friends hate her. Heading back, Josie pauses as she passes Hope’s room. She’d asked for space, for time to work through things with her friends and family, but the idea of falling asleep beside Hope is so, so tempting. She figures that everything else on her to-do list can be pushed to tomorrow. Josie tugs her sleeves down over her knuckles, an action that softens her knock. She waits outside for a minute, head cocked in an effort to hear if Hope is in there or not. There is no noise from inside and she knocks once more before pressing the door open a crack. Hope is lying on her side, eyes shut, snoring softly into a pillow. The trickle of light that leaks in through the hall allows Josie to see that Hope’s shirt is riding up high over her ribs, that her hair falls in a sleep-tousled stream over the sheets and her legs are pale and bare. Josie closes the door quickly, heart stuttering fast, feeling a bit like a creep, a bit disappointed that Hope is out for the night, but mostly warm in a way that takes her back to childhood crushes and lazy days spent in motel rooms. She leaves, wobbling a little as she does it. / / Hearing the door shut behind Josie, Hope opens her eyes. / / Josie lies in bed and Hope does as well, but it’s different, hollow without the other. Both think about their nights on the road so hard that the ache stretches between them, moving through solid walls and doors, like an invisible string. Hope dreams that Josie stays, slips into bed beside her, and lulls her into a quiet sleep with the warmth of her words and the soft press of her mouth. Josie dreams that Hope gives her a bl@@dy-lipped kiss, where she can only see starlight, hands firm on her hips and lips rough on her mouth. Both wake up crying out for each other. / / “You were having a s@x dream.” Her sister’s grating voice cuts through the fog of sleep, and the first few blinks of her eyes reveal Lizzie’s face hanging over her. Josie wrinkles her nose in annoyance and rolls over, pressing her flushed face into the mattress. “I was not.” “You were.” “Was not.” She murmurs, soft and uncaring, too sleepy to take notice of their banter finally resuming. “Well, you were moaning.” Lizzie continues, and Josie would normally protest, but she’s still half-dead to the world. “Was it about Finch?” “Stay out of my business, Lizzie.” A pause. “Was it about Hope?” Turns out, Josie does have enough energy to sit up and glare at her sister. “Why does it even matter? God, you’re so annoying.” “Thanks.” Is all Lizzie says before disappearing into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. It’s only when she’s hitting snooze on her alarm clock, minutes later, that she realizes that she snapped at Lizzie again, when she’s been trying to get on her good side. “Ugh.” Josie groans into her pillow, frustrated with herself for already scr@w@ng something up. A slight stretch of her legs reveals that Lizzie, while irritating, wasn’t entirely wrong about her dream. But, the details of it are hazy now, nothing but a dull throb in the pit of her stomach, and blurry hands and lips that could have belonged to anyone. It was most likely Finch, she reasons. The bed feels empty without her girlfriend there, but she thinks it might feel empty with her. It’s clear to her now that whatever heat their relationship held is dwindling quickly, slipping away from her the way that everything does. If her track record with dating has any say in the matter, Finch will probably dump her soon. The blow of her thoughts is softened by sleep, making them drift meaninglessly into the back of her consciousness, placed in a box marked firmly for later. Now, she lets her eyes drift shut once again, succumbing to the comfort of her bed and the white noise Lizzie’s muffled rustling provides. She clings to the bits and pieces left of her dream: the flush on her neck, the sticky-hot quality of her skin, the unknown figure looming over her. She sighs into her pillow, a soft, secret sound. She hasn’t felt so wholly adored by anyone since… since… “Bathroom’s all yours.” The door hits the opposing wall with a force that creates a loud smack. Lizzie steps out, wet hair wrapped in a teetering towel. Josie groans as Lizzie shakes out her hair like a dog and (purposefully) splashes her in the face. “You’re talking to me now?” “Mom will blame me if you’re late for class, so under fear of punishment, yes, I’m talking to you.” A second later, the sheets are ripped off of Josie’s body and she’s rudely exposed to the cold. “That means get up!” In the shower, Josie shaves her legs and puts on perfume, something she’s left out of her morning routine lately. It hadn’t seemed necessary with everything going on and no one around to see her, but now the students are back. Now it’s time to fall back into normalcy, if she can just figure out how. She dresses in a simple blouse and jeans, plus a smattering of lip gloss and mascara. She can’t be bothered to do much else. Getting out of the room proves difficult with Lizzie determined to antagonize her. She worries that they won’t make it down to breakfast with the amount of time Lizzie spends on her hair, but then Lizzie is dragging her out into the hall and steering her down the stairs. The two sisters go, slipping and sliding, into the dining hall. “I wish we never shared a womb!” “I wish I ate you in the womb!” “Girls.” Caroline wears the practiced, agitated expression of a parent when she catches them. “Peace and love, okay?” Caroline and Bonnie are sharing a table. Their mom has a steaming cup of coffee in front of her and Bonnie has some slightly runny-looking eggs on her plate. “When did Mom get into all that hippy cr@p?” Lizzie complains as they walk away, and Josie has to hide her snort of laughter. It’s just late enough that the line for food is short, most of the students already seated with their meals. MG gets up when he sees Lizzie and slips his arms around her from behind, giving her a kiss that is so sickeningly sweet that Josie has to look away. Fortunately, it’s easy to distract herself with the hustle and bustle of the morning. It’s loud in here in a way that it hasn’t been in weeks, the rooms filled with chattering students and thumping feet. She quickly becomes aware of all the eyes following her movements as she sorts through the fruit bowl. Kaleb was right about there being ears everywhere. Word travels fast at the Salvatore School, and Josie can only imagine the gossip her peers have dreamt up over the last couple weeks. “No, I heard they broke up…” “I mean, everyone hooks up in motel rooms…” “I heard Alaric died.” “…shut up! Hope would probably slaughter us if she heard us talking about Josie…” Josie rolls her eyes at first, but it becomes more irritating by the second. She can barely think with all of the overlapping voices clogging her ears. She tries to block out the noise, but that just results in her losing focus and completely zoning out. She clicks back into reality when she feels a hand on her arm. Hope. “Hope! Hi.” Josie finds herself speaking entirely too loudly for some unknown reason. “Hey.” Hope eyes her curiously for a second, then her interest seems to wane. She gently nudges Josie to the side with her hip to get at the apples. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to block you.” Josie says quickly. Hope shrugs. “You’re fine.” “I didn’t think you’d be down here. I was actually going to bring you something.” “That’s sweet, Jo.” Hope smiles warmly, and some of the creeping nerves Josie had been feeling drain away. “Since you’re here, do you want to eat together?” “I can’t, sorry.” Hope replies, looking apologetic. “My family’s saving me a seat.” “Oh.” She looks at her feet, then shakes her head, burying the disappointment. “No, yeah, that’s good. You should get some time in with them before they leave.” “Yeah.” Hope says shortly. There’s a stilted pause between them. “I’ll see you at the assembly then.” Feeling a little awkward, Josie walks away. She trudges slowly through the dining hall, scanning the crowd for her friends. She spots her sister rather quickly, but the rest of the group is scattered. Finch, Jed, and his pack are all sitting together at one of the long tables, and Cleo has charmed Kaleb into sitting with the witches. MG and Lizzie are sectioned off in the corner, trading soft words and even softer smiles. With a small sigh of dismay, Josie resolves to join Caroline and Bonnie for breakfast. She feels like a bit of a loser, separated from her friends and sitting with her mom. “Josie.” Bonnie seems pleasantly surprised. “I didn’t think you’d be joining us.” “I figured we haven’t had a lot of time to catch up, so.” Josie shrugs, dodging their attention. Her family’s concern feels so suffocating these days. “Well, you’re always welcome.” Caroline smiles. “I feel like we haven’t really had a chance to talk lately. You know I’m never too busy for you, right?” “I know, Mom.” She plays with her fork, avoiding her mom’s insistent stare. Josie stabs some pasta and puts it in her mouth once their eyes stray from her, chewing thoughtfully. She takes small sips from her blood bag between bites, focusing on rolling it over her tongue, feeling the thinness of it, so different from human blood. She tells herself it’s enough. More than once, her gaze wanders towards where the Mikaelsons are gathered. She heaves a soundless, exasperated sigh when she sees Hope’s back is to her, unsure of why she feels so needy or what she wants or why it suddenly seems as if the distance between them is more than a few feet. “I’ll be back.” Josie tells them, standing up. Caroline lifts her head, two hands on her mug. “Got a pasta craving?” “Something like that.” / / “Good morning everyone.” Caroline’s voice carries across the hall. Quiet murmurs ripple through the crowd before falling completely silent. It’s strange to have the school full again. Hope can already feel the copious amount of eyes tracking her movements while she sits, pulled to the front row by her relatives. Staying in her room had seemed like her best bet at avoiding the attention, but Freya wanted her down for breakfast, so she’d complied. She’d figured she owed Freya a lot more than a meal. Besides, being alone in her room for so long was beginning to feel a lot like hiding. The only real problem is Josie. Her run in with Lizzie was enough to remind her of why she should keep her distance, but Josie is so d@mn difficult to ignore. Hope can already feel guilt creeping up on her after lying to Josie about not being able to sit with her at breakfast. “I want to welcome you all back. I know we’ve faced some trying times, but I hope that you’ve been able to find some good in the darkness.” Caroline goes on, and Hope snorts. What good? “As you all know, classes will be resuming today. They’ll proceed normally throughout the week, except for those who are participating in the game on Friday. You’ll be missing your last class.” Right, the game. Hope isn’t particularly pumped about playing this year. She wonders if she can just skip it. “Hopefully we’ll bring home a win this year.” Caroline claps her hands together, as overly cheerful as always. Alaric hadn’t allowed them to do anything other than lose pitifully, but Caroline could be following a new policy. “Go team!” Everyone stares back at her. “Kill me now…” Hope hears Lizzie whisper, probably to MG. Caroline clears her throat. “On a more serious note, I’ve received a call from Sheriff Donovan about some missing blood bags at the hospital. I know that some of you might have, shall we say, let loose during the break, but while school is in session, the policy is strictly animal blood. If you’re struggling with blood cravings, we have counselors you can speak to, and my door is always open. Don’t make a decision that could get you or someone else hurt.” A chorus of murmuring spreads throughout the crowd, most of it gossip. It’s common for vampires to steal the occasional blood bag, and there are definitely rumors about who feeds on who, but it’s small potatoes. No one really takes enough for it to be brought up, so this must have been a large supply. Hope generally doesn’t keep up with that sort of stuff, but for some reason she tunes in now. Maybe it’s because she turned recently, and doesn’t plan on living off of animal blood (especially after she almost gagged on it during breakfast). She spares a glance behind her, watching some of the vampires whisper hurriedly amongst themselves. A few seconds later she spots Josie, sitting a row away with her lip held between her teeth. Josie’s eyes snap up and immediately attach to Hope’s, and it’s only because Hope has memorized her that she notices the panic in them. It’s almost imperceptible, but Josie’s skin is slightly paler, half of her mouth darkened and raw from repeated biting. Hope tilts her head in a silent question that Josie refuses to answer, instead looking away. Josie stares stiffly off to the side, jaw clenched and cheeks blooming with pink. Hope continues watching her unabashedly. Josie, of course, knows she’s looking, but avoids her stare until Hope finally gives in and faces the front again. Something about the entire interaction rubs her the wrong way. She feels sick inside, suddenly, at the possibility that she’s turned Josie into some kind of ripper. “I don’t want to make you late.” Caroline is finishing up. “So, with that, let’s push through and have a great rest of the year everybody.” As the crowd disperses, Hope spins around, but Josie is nowhere to be found. Great. Hope sighs. Now who’s avoiding who? “Hope.” She turns to see Caroline standing in front of her. “Can I have a word?” In Caroline’s office, Hope sits with her legs crossed at the ankles and her shoulders hunched. She’s pretty sure she knows what she’s here for. She should have expected it after the assembly, that Caroline would believe it was her. A newly turned tribrid is a prime suspect, after all. That doesn’t stop Hope from being on edge because of it. “Would you like a cup?” Caroline offers, kindly enough. The faint, gurgling sound of the coffee machine plays behind her. “No, thank you.” “Really? Nothing to drink? Juice, tea, water…” She watches Hope closely. “Bourbon?” Slightly taken aback, Hope sputters for a moment, losing her usual indifference. “Uh…” “Kidding.” Caroline smiles. “You just seem so tense. I’m not going to bite.” As if to prove this, she leans a smidge closer, but it’s a lousy promise from a vampire. “You know, the last time I saw you, you looked a lot more carefree.” “Well, that was a long time ago.” Hope shrugs. “Things change.” “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, actually. How are you doing?” “Not too excited about having to return to trigonometry.” “Understandable, but I meant more of how are you coping with everything? The last few days have been a lot. It’s important that I check in with you.” Hope absentmindedly twists a ring on her finger. “I’m fine.” Caroline watches her for a second longer, and when she seems to realize she’s not getting any more than that, she sighs. “Hope, I feel I should tell you that your family and I have come to the decision that you’ll be required to attend weekly therapy sessions, starting next month. We think it’s best for everyone.” “Everyone?” Irritation nips at her. “You decided this without me?” “Don’t look at it as a punishment. There are several other students in the same situation as you.” Hope scoffs. No one is in the same situation as me. “So, I don’t get a choice?” “Everyone gets a choice, Hope.” Caroline’s voice is level, calm. “All that matters is what you do with it. You can choose to resist or you can choose to try to integrate yourself back into a normal life in a positive way.” Hope grits her teeth and doesn’t respond, her eyes caught on a faint mark on the wall. She’s entirely unprepared for how quickly her annoyance grows into rage. She’s struggled with her anger before, but not like this. “…I spoke to your aunts, and they think this will be really good for you. And I’m inclined to agree…” Hope bounces her knee, worried that if she doesn’t distract herself she’ll end up lunging across the table and grabbing Caroline by the throat. “Hope?” Something occurs to her suddenly. “You said there are others in my situation. Does that mean Josie’s being forced into therapy, too?” Caroline looks a little shifty. “I can’t tell you that.” “Right.” Hope stands up. She figures she should be happy that Caroline is so concerned with Josie’s privacy. “I wouldn’t want to be late, so.” “Wait.” She spins around. She can’t be sure but she thinks that Caroline seems a bit anxious. “Make sure to look after yourself, okay?” Hope pauses. She’s not used to receiving concern from anyone who isn’t Josie or related to her. “Okay.” Her first class of the day is History of Magic, a fact that is both comforting and irritating to her. She’s glad her first class is an easy one, but she’s not too keen on returning to the watchful eyes and gossiping mouths of her peers. One of the benefits of being away from the school was the ability to live entirely anonymously for once. Now that luxury has been taken away from her. Sometimes, she wishes she was back on the road with Josie. The teacher is late, so the students are crowded around the door in chattering clumps. Hope spots Lizzie standing with MG, her hand hooked around the back of his neck. She wisely decides to steer clear of them. She’s in no way intimidated by Lizzie, but she also isn’t interested in starting another fight. If she was honest, their last interaction had hurt her feelings more than she expected it to. She hadn’t had it in herself to care when her humanity was off, but now she mourns the friendship that she destroyed. Minutes later, the teacher arrives, muttering apologies about his tardiness while he unlocks the door. Hope steals a seat in the back row immediately. She sees a few people twist around to look at her, but she ignores them, holding herself rigidly, chin tilted proudly and back straight. As if she hasn’t spent the last couple of days repeatedly breaking and piecing herself back together. The final bell is about to ring when Finch slips through the door. Her eyes automatically trace the lines of seats and her face falls once she notices the only empty spot is next to Hope. Hope isn’t too pleased either. Finch lingers on her feet for a moment, as if hoping that another chair will magically free up, before finally sitting. For the first half of class, they work silently, copying the teacher’s notes down without issue. But, Hope can feel Finch shooting her thinly-veiled glares every couple of minutes. “Problem?” She asks finally, when the teacher’s back is turned. “Yeah.” Finch answers, rather bluntly. Wolves aren’t great at passive aggressiveness. “I don’t like you. I don’t like how you treat Josie. And I don’t like how she acts when she’s with you.” “I think Josie can speak for herself.” Hope says, and with a little bit of bite, she adds, “She knows who she wants.” Finch frowns. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “It means that if there’s trouble in paradise with you two, that’s not my problem. Maybe she doesn’t like you as much as you think.” Hope shrugs as if it’s all irrelevant. “Maybe she just got bored of you.” Hope returns her attention to her notes, quickly jotting down some of the ones she’s missed. She’s got her pen lifted to write another line when a hand grips her wrist and pulls her away from the page. “You seriously think Josie cares about you? I’ve heard all about you, Hope Mikaelson.” Finch hisses, her mouth curling around the name with contempt. “You can’t even make a friend without brain washing or threatening them first. The only reason Josie didn’t run away is because you kept her prisoner.” Hope opens her mouth, wanting to wipe that look off of Finch’s face, to tell her that she’s wrong, that she doesn’t know a single thing about her and Josie. She wants to tell Finch about all the hours Josie spent trying to get her back, about how Josie was prepared to run away with her, about how sometimes she catches Josie watching her with a quiet certainty, and how in those moments she’s so sure that Josie would follow her to the ends of the earth. But, she doesn’t. She doesn’t, because of all the other moments, the ones where she doubts every word out of Josie’s mouth, where she has to hold those words up to the light and test their authenticity against the sire bond. Secretly, she fears that Josie will pick up on what everyone else has already realized and run screaming. Instead, Hope pulls her wrist out of Finch’s grip without much effort. “Put your hand on me again and I’ll rip it off.” The rest of class passes uneventfully. / / Class is more eventful than Josie would like it to be. She’s in the middle of diligently copying down her notes when a couple girls sitting in front of her spin around to face her, eyes wide. “Is it true you and Hope hooked up?” The one with thickly rimmed glasses asks. Josie blushes down to the roots of her hair. “What?” “Don’t be so insensitive.” The other girl elbows her friend in the side. “Hope, like, killed her dad.” “She did not.” Josie snaps. “And my dad is not dead.” “Oh.” They share a quick glance. “So, you did hook up, then?” “No.” Josie hisses, still slightly taken aback. As an afterthought, she adds, “And stop gossiping about Hope.” / / The rest of her day is no better. Several times, she finds herself pinned underneath the attention of some nosy underclassman, picking at her for details. Other people simply resort to staring at her. She can’t decide which is worse. To add insult to injury, she’s pretty sure she’s being ignored by three of the people she’d actually like to speak to. Lizzie, for obvious reasons, will barely look at her, and makes a point of being busy with MG. Finch has more or less melted into the walls, like she sometimes tends to do. And Hope is nowhere to be found, until… On her way to the dining hall, Josie hears rhythmic thumping coming from the gym. If she wasn’t a vampire, she would dismiss the sound as one of the wolves releasing some steam on the punching bag and be on her way, but things are different now. She hears the heavy breathing and the distinctly feminine grunts, and for some reason her mind takes all these details and connects them to Hope. It’s dinner time, so the gym is empty aside from the two of them. Inside, Hope is hitting one of the heavy duty bags, spelled to withstand a supernatural punch. Still, it swings pretty dangerously with each blow Hope delivers. Josie watches her for a moment, (not for the first time) in awe of Hope’s strength. “It’s creepy to stare, you know.” Hope calls out, without turning around. Josie opens her mouth, planning to lie about coming in here for a workout, but she still can’t lie to Hope. Instead, what comes out is: “You’re not going to dinner?” “I’m not hungry.” Hope answers. As Josie draws closer, Hope turns to face her, and her gaze is more intense than Josie expected. “What about you? Not eating?” Josie shrugs. “I’m not particularly hungry either.” Hope seems skeptical. “Animal blood not hitting the spot?” In the privacy of her own mind, she thinks that she needs to find a way to ask Hope to let her lie without sounding too suspicious, because this is becoming a bit of an inconvenience. Instead of answering the question, Josie looks around for something to change the subject, eyes falling on Hope. She’s wearing a black tank top and a matching pair of leggings. Josie watches a drop of sweat work its way down her neck, collecting in the dip of her collarbone. “Give me a fighting lesson?” She asks, coming up with it on the spot. Hope bites her lip, then shakes her head. “No. I have to meet up with Freya about something, so…” About something? Josie scoffs internally. Hope is surprisingly bad at lying. A little hurt, but still just as determined, Josie sighs in a dejected manner, letting her shoulders drop. “Hope…” She pouts, stepping forward. “Please.” Hope continues to chew her lip, undecided. Slowly, so as not to startle her, Josie gently takes Hope’s hands. “C’mon.” She teases lightly. “What, are you scared I’ll beat you in a fight?” At that, Hope rolls her eyes. “I don’t think I have to worry about that.” “Hey!” Josie punches Hope’s shoulder. “Don’t be an ass.” Hope laughs. “I’m sorry.” “Nope.” Josie moves away from her, just an inch or two. “I’m insulted now. You owe me.” “Manipulative, aren’t you?” Hope says it in a way that Josie knows is only joking. “I worry I’m a bad influence on you.” “Then teach me something productive.” Almost unconsciously, Josie stands up straighter, trying to look worthy of being taught. She watches as Hope spares a glance at the door, then at her, before finally sighing. “Alright.” Hope gives in. Josie beams. Hope moves past her, heading to a small closet near the corner. “Give me a second to get you some gloves.” “But you’re not wearing gloves.” Josie observes. “Yeah, but I don’t want you hurting your fists.” Hope tosses some to her, and Josie catches them without protest, despite the fact that she knows she’d heal. “Okay, so, you’re going to want to put one leg back and keep your hands up, like this.” She helps adjust Josie’s arms for her. “One stays up here to block your face and throat, while the other should be lower to block your stomach.” “Like this?” She gets into position. “Yeah.” Hope leans over Josie’s shoulder, pressing her cheek against Josie’s. “Exactly.” Josie does a few punches, led by Hope’s instruction. “Good. Make sure to aim straight.” She feels slightly awkward, as she hasn’t spent a lot of time hitting the bag before, but once again, she’s pleasantly surprised by her new speed and strength. “So…” Hope begins as she steadies the bag for her. “How’s your mom settling into the headmistress gig?” Josie finds the question a little odd but answers anyway. “Good, I guess. It’s been a while, but she’s never had trouble getting into the flow of things.” “Yeah.” Hope comments airily. “Some speech she gave.” “I don’t know. Blood stealing is pretty old news.” Josie shrugs, keeping her response short. “Well, not according to that assembly.” She can feel Hope’s eyes on her. Josie sighs, turning away from the bag. “What do you want to ask me, Hope?” “You’re not having trouble with your cravings, are you?” “I’m not hoarding blood under my floorboards, if that’s what you’re asking.” Josie replies, which isn’t a lie. Hope stares at her for a long moment, as if she needs time to consider her words. Then, she nods towards the bag. “Are you going to keep going?” “Bossy.” Josie grumbles, but secretly she’s pleased. She throws a few more punches. After about a minute of this, she asks, voice deceptively casual, “Did you know people think we hooked up?” “What? Why?” She can’t quite get a read on Hope’s tone, but it sounds strained. “I don’t know.” Josie blushes slightly. “On the road, motel rooms…” She waits for Hope to respond and it feels like the longest second of her life. “Well. I guess that makes sense.” Hope concedes. “It does?” “It’s definitely one of the better rumors people have come up with about me.” Hope chuckles lightly, but her expression clears and she seems to panic once Josie turns to her, red-faced. “I didn’t mean…” “No. Right. Of course.” Josie is vividly aware of her skin burning. She returns her attention to the bag. “Am I doing it right?” Hope seems happy for the distraction. “Yeah.” After a little more practice, they go out into the hall together. “So, are you heading in for the night?” Hope questions, stretching so the muscles in her arms pull taut. Josie’s eyes track the action automatically. “I doubt I’ll get the chance.” Josie replies. Hope looks confused, scrunching up her eyebrows. “Lizzie’s still p@ss@d at me. I wouldn’t want to disrupt her nightly routine.” “You mean she’s p@ss@d at me.” Hope corrects with an air of guilt that’s quickly becoming familiar. “No, I meant what I said. Not everything’s your fault, you know.” Josie steps closer, reaching up and ever so gently stroking the stray hairs behind her ear. “You’ve got to stop putting so much weight on yourself.” Hope makes a small noise that lands somewhere between uncomfortable and surprised. “I know.” She moves backwards and Josie lets her hand drop. “I bought the books you recommended.” She offers up, with a hint of shyness. Josie smiles fondly, and when she speaks her voice is flushed with softness. “Yeah?” “Yeah. I…” Hope trails off, her gaze redirecting somewhere behind Josie. Josie turns to look and freezes at the sight of her mother approaching them. “Josie.” Caroline sounds more serious than necessary for a quiet Monday night. “I need to talk to you.”
  
  

    
      
        
        
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