Chapter 2
It felt like a punch to the gut.
Understatement of the century.
It felt like Josie had personally reached into Hope’s chest, yanked her heart out, and stomped it into the forest floor.
Of course, she had expected something like this might happen. She knew that nobody remembered her. Life goes on, whether she’s there or not. But to speculate about it from the confines of Malivore and to see it playing out in front of her- those were two entirely different things.
Not even an hour ago, she was professing her love to Simu-Josie, promising that she would do whatever it took to bring her memories back. But now that she was here, now that she had the real Josie in front of her…
There was no guarantee that she could bring Josie’s memories back. And even if she could, she might still choose Landon over her. It all just seemed too complicated, too confusing, too painful for everyone involved.
If Josie was happy, who was Hope to stand in the way of that? She took one final look at the girl she had fallen so hard for, as if trying to commit every detail to memory, then quickly turned on her heel and left before she could do something selfish.
Hope wandered through the forest, tears that she couldn’t be bothered to suppress rolling down her cheeks and the image of the girl she loved making out with her trashy ex-boyfriend burned into the back of her eyelids. She realized that she did not, in fact, have any destination in mind. After all, she no longer attended the Salvatore School, and her family had no clue that she had ever existed.
She decided to take the bus back to Georgia, to see what damage she had managed to inflict on Malivore and determine her next course of action. There was no reason to abandon her quest to defeat Malivore, especially since that was what had landed her in this predicament in the first place. Why give up now, when she had absolutely nothing to lose?
She arrived at the bus stop rather quickly, taking a seat on the bench, gazing down the road at the Salvatore School. Her home for the last decade. She supposed this was goodbye to that, too.
She felt that she should be numb to loss at this point. After all, she had lost so many important people even before Malivore, this shouldn’t be anything new. But instead of getting easier every time, it weighed on her a little more heavily every time a loved one was ripped away from her, like everybody who left took a piece of her heart with them, the void in her chest growing each time.
The bus approached, it’s headlights nearly blinding Hope. She glanced one last time at the school, then got to her feet and started towards the bus.
The bus that was now…on it’s side, barreling towards her? It came to a screeching halt, and out stepped a giant green beast.
“You have got to be kidding me.” She muttered to herself.
She ran at the beast-she was going to assume it was a troll for the time being-and launched herself at it’s chest, the impact knocking it to the ground. Oh dear god, this thing smelled awful. While Hope was occupied with dry-heaving onto the pavement, the troll picked her up with a single hand and flung her into a tree like it was nothing. The girl had barely registered what had happened, just that she was tumbling through the air and then…darkness.
When Hope came to, she was met with blinding sunlight and a splitting headache. Fucking troll.
She pulled herself to her feet and stumbled into the street, taking notice of the splotches of purple blood trailing from the road to the woods. Looks like fighting Malivore would stay close to home, at least for the time being.
Hope followed the purple trail through the trees until she eventually came upon a familiar structure. Mystic Falls High School. Perfect.
She wandered into the school, then traced the trail to a janitor’s closet. She looked around to ensure that nobody was watching, then muttered a quick “Dissera portus.” Flinging the previously locked door wide open. Empty. Dammit.
“Aren’t you a little short for a janitor?” A voice inquired from behind Hope. Her heart stopped. She whipped around to find herself face to face with a tall brunette boy clutching his backpack.
“Nice to know I’m not the only one trying to hide out on the first day of school.” The boy remarked.
The first day of school. Oh god. It wasn’t even summer break yet when she jumped into Malivore. She had been gone for…months. She noticed the boy in front of her giving her a strange look, and realized that she hadn’t responded at all to anything he’d said.
“Oh, no, I wasn’t hiding. I was, um, I was looking for the principal’s office.” In the closet clearly marked ‘Janitorial’. Nice one, Hope.
The skeptical look on the boy’s face revealed a similar thought process, but he chose not to comment. Instead, he gestured past Hope, pointing out the principal that Hope had supposedly been looking for. Hope turned to face him, racking her brain for a plausible story to explain her unannounced arrival to the school, when she found herself before none other than Alaric Saltzman.
Hope felt a smile creep onto her face as she regarded the man who had helped her so much over the years, the man who had become a father figure to her. It was everything she could do not to run to him, to throw her arms around him and tell him everything. To let him fix this for her. She knew that wasn’t an option, though. He’d convince her to stay, find a way to restore everyone’s memories, and do everything else Hope had vowed to herself not to do in fear of causing the people she loved any more pain. The only way she’d ever be able to bring herself to leave was to stay strong and stay silent.
And then it hit her: she was at Mystic Falls High, not Salvatore. What the hell was Dr. Saltzman doing here?
Dr. Saltzman cleared his throat, and Hope realized that she had gotten lost in her head again, leaving the man in front of her to stare at her oddly.
“Hi.” She blurted out, awkwardly.
“Hello.” He responded in an equally awkward manner.
“So, um, my family just moved here, uh, yesterday. It was kind of a last-minute, unplanned thing? And this is the only school in Mystic Falls, so I was wondering if I could, like…sign up?” She rambled. Ric looked down at the floor, trying to conceal the complete and utter confusion written all over his face, then raised his head up to Hope with a reassuring smile.
“Of course. Um, follow me to my office and I can see what I can do about enrolling you in the school.” He gestured down the hall in the direction he had just come from. Hope nodded slightly, then followed him. He took a seat at his desk and collected a few forms as Hope sat down across the desk from him. He glanced at the girl in front of him, then back down to the papers in his hand.
“Don’t you have a, uh… a parent, or, like, a guardian who could be helping you out with this?” He inquired.
The question really shouldn’t have hit Hope as hard as it did. She felt her eyes burn and a lump form in her throat, but she took a deep breath and did her best to maintain a steady voice and a casual, pleasant smile.
“Oh, my parents were just busy settling into their new jobs. They knew I didn’t mind taking care of this.” Hope lied. Alaric raised an inquisitive eyebrow, but handed the papers over without comment.
Name:
Hope would be fine. It wasn’t an uncommon name, and it’s not like he remembered her anyway. So, Hope it is. Hope…
Not Mikaelson. That last name was distinctive enough, especially since he knew the Mikaelsons personally. He would surely make the connection at some point or another.
Marshall was inconspicuous enough. She was, once again, Hope Marshall.
Date of birth:
Again, she didn’t see any reason not to use her own. 5/2/2012. Easy.
Address:
Fuck. Ric had lived in Mystic Falls for, like, 20 years, she wouldn’t be able to get away with making up an address. Too risky. She left it blank for the time being, explaining that, since the move was so abrupt, they would be staying in a hotel for the time being. That seems believable, right? Ric didn’t question it, not aloud, at least.
Parents’ names and contact information:
She jotted down the first old-white-people names that came to mind: Tom and Kathleen Marshall. Whatever. But contact information…
“Dr. Saltzman?” She asked in a voice that she didn’t intend to sound as small and unsure as it ended up being.
“Yes, uh…”
“Hope.” She interjected.
“Hope.” He echoed back to her, a vague look of what Hope thought might be recognition in his eye. Maybe not. Wishful thinking.
“Is it okay if I just give you my contact information? My parents are so busy right now, and I really don’t mind handling all of this.” She explained in a poorly masked anxious ramble.
“That’s alright, I suppose.” Ric responded, his eyebrows knit together in… what is that? Confusion? Concern? Hope just nodded and scribbled down her information.
“Hope?” The man began, hesitantly. She raised her head in acknowledgement. “I’ve got two daughters, and I know when they’re not telling me something.” Hope’s vision blurred with anxiety, her heart rate picking up, preparing excuses in her head for the interrogation that she was certain was to come. But instead…
“So, you know, if there’s, uh, anything going wrong at home, you know, if you’re in any trouble and you need to talk, just know I’m here to help, okay?” He said, in a genuine, albeit awkward, tone.
Once again, tears threatened to spill down Hope’s cheeks, and she ducked her head, attempting to regain her composure.
“I’m fine.” She replied, trying her best to put a smile on her face, hoping and praying that her eyes didn’t betray her. She handed the paperwork to the man in front of her, refusing to make eye contact, then hurried out of the room before she could give herself away.
Once she made it to the hallway, she all but ran to the nearest bathroom, throwing the door open and finding her way to the sink. She braced herself against the sink as sharp sobs began to rack her body, the empty feeling in her chest the strongest and most overwhelming it had ever been. She cried for her mom, she cried for her dad. She cried for Alaric and her friends and her old life. But most of all, she cried for Josie. The image of her kissing Landon played through her mind for what felt like the millionth time that morning, and she barely contained the wail of anguish threatening to erupt from her.
She noticed some tear-blurred movement in the mirror, and scrambled to wipe her eyes and make herself somewhat presentable. Her vision focused in on a girl in a pastel purple jacket and absolutely flawless makeup. Hope ducked her head, embarrassed to be so disheveled in front of someone so well put-together.
And she really was well put-together. Her outfit was immaculate; the colors accentuated her smooth, tanned skin, and her slightly cropped shirt showed off a perfectly toned stomach. Her makeup was bold but not overbearing, and her hair was pinned into place flawlessly.
Hope realized that she wasn’t even crying anymore, she was just standing there like an idiot, staring at the girl. She was still struggling to breathe, but for a different reason now, a reason that Hope couldn’t really put her finger on at the moment. She was probably just nervous because the girl was so much prettier than her. That’s all.
“Boy problems?” The girl asked, interrupting Hope’s train of thought.
“Something like that.” Hope mumbled under her breath, the image of Josie with Landon still fresh in her mind.
“Girl problems?” She tried. Hope just gave a dry chuckle and looked away.
“Yeah, I know how that is. Say no more, we’ll fix you up and make her jealous.” She said, slinging her backpack off of her shoulders and onto the sinks. “I have an extra shirt in my locker, and I’ve got hairspray, lip gloss, and new eyeliner.” She placed the supplies between her and Hope, then turned to face the girl.
Josie didn’t even go to Mystic Falls High, but whatever. She’s just gonna go with it. In all honesty, Hope wasn’t really paying attention to what the girl was saying. She was lost in her own head.
That was the first time she had ever acknowledged not being straight to anyone. (Anyone that isn’t a hologram, that is.) And it was no big deal. The other girl had just kept talking. Life just went on.
Hope was pulled back to reality when the other girl introduced herself as Maya.
“Hope.” She replied.
“I’m gonna go grab that shirt for you, I’ll be right back.” Maya explained, moving towards the door.
“Okay, cool! Great!” Hope nearly yelled. Oh god. Why was she acting like an idiot? Fake-first-day-of-school jitters, she supposed.
Speaking of fake first days of school, she had completely lost track of the entire reason she was here, subjecting herself to all of this misery. She still had a troll to kill.
Maya pushed her way through the bathroom door, tossing a balled-up shirt her way. Hope muttered a quick, “thanks”, then slipped into a stall to change.
“So, weird question,” Hope called through the stall as she pulled her shirt over her head. “By any chance, have you noticed a terrible smell coming from somewhere inside the school?” Might as well find out what Maya knows. She needs all the help she can get if she wants to find the troll before it causes any serious damage. She heard Maya chuckle through the stall.
“I think everyone has. The boys locker room is…especially ripe today.” Maya commented. Boys locker room. Noted.
Hope emerged from the stall, tossing her shirt onto the sink and smoothing out the one that Maya had lent her.
“Oh cute, I love it.” Maya remarked, then held out a denim jacket. “Put this on, too.” Hope accepted the jacket, sliding it on awkwardly. Maya stepped towards her, pulling Hope’s hair in front of her shoulders. “Your hair is gorgeous, and the denim really brings the auburn out.” Maya gushed, playing with a strand of Hope’s hair.
“Oh, thank you.” The tribrid replied, her voice coming out quite a bit squeakier than she expected.
“And now, we mess it up.” Maya proclaims.
“Wait, what?” Hope is completely lost. Maya grabs the hairspray and begins to spritz Hope’s hair.
“If you want a girl to want you, you dress up cute and flirt a little. But if you want a girl to go for you, you gotta make her think she has competition. It’s the only way she’ll ever make a move.” Maya explains. “So, we’re gonna mess your hair up and smudge your lipgloss a little. That way, the girl thinks you’ve been hooking up with someone else.”
“Got it.” Hope mumbled, distracted by the other girl’s proximity to her. Maya’s breath was tickling her face, and she could smell her perfume, even through the cloud of hairspray that lingered around their heads. Hope had spent so long in Malivore, she was just unused to human contact. She was just a bit overwhelmed, that’s all. The feeling in her stomach was anxiety, anxiety over everything that was going on. Isn’t it weird how much anxiety can feel like butterflies sometimes?
She felt Maya thread her fingers through her hair, dragging them up the base of her scalp, and inhaled sharply before she even realized what had happened. The other girl proceeded to comb her fingers through her hair, fluffing it up a bit. She reached to the back of Hope’s head and grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling it firmly but gently. Hope had to bite down on her lip to keep a moan from escaping her mouth at the unexpected action.
Having your hair played with just feels good, nothing weird.
Maya stepped back to get a good look at Hope’s hair.
“Alright, looks good. Makeup time.” She grabbed her eyeliner off the sink and turned back to Hope.
“Sit.” She said, gesturing to the counter. Hope hopped up onto the cool tile, and Maya uncapped her eyeliner. The dark haired girl stepped towards her, and her legs parted on instinct. She stepped between Hope’s legs and cupped her chin, and Hope’s eyes fluttered shut. Because Maya was doing her eyeliner. So she needed to shut them. Right. Why was she making this weird? It wasn’t weird.
“Open.” Maya mumbled, once she had finished on her top lids. She began carefully tracing Hope’s waterline, biting her lower lip in concentration. She couldn’t rip her eyes away.
Unfortunately, Maya seemed to notice, and a small smirk spread across her face as she capped her eyeliner. The tribrid was blushing furiously, but the dark-haired girl was kind enough to pretend not to notice.
She spread lip gloss across Hope’s lips, then mimed blotting her lips, indicating for the redhead to do the same. Once the lipgloss had been sufficiently dispersed, Maya dragged her thumb across Hope’s bottom lip, smearing pink ever so slightly onto the tribrid’s skin.
Dear god, Hope felt like her entire body was on fire. And as if this wasn’t all bad enough, Maya stepped back once again, this time raking her eyes up and down her entire body.
“You look stunning. The eyeliner really brings out your eyes.” The tribrid just sputtered in response.
“I can’t imagine there’s a single girl who wouldn’t throw themselves at you once they see you like this.” Maya added. As Hope exited the bathroom, she found herself wondering if Maya was included in that statement.
Fuck.
Maybe she was a little attracted to Maya.
That was a good thing though, right? If she focused on Maya, she could get over Josie. That seems doable, right?
Now, where the hell is the boys’ locker room?