Hopeful Thinking

Chapter 1

It was the last week of school and Dysley gave them a thirty-page paper. Hope couldn't have been more excited. He thought about asking Lightning to help him, but she was way to busy with graduation. So instead him, Serah, and Vanille all got together to help each other.

He and Vanille had grown a lot closer over the course of year. He was waiting for the right moment to ask her to be his girlfriend. He would have asked already, but he couldn't be sure if she felt the same way. He asked several of his friends and they all told him she most certainly does…after they laughed about it. He decided that on a really nice sunny day he'd take her out for ice cream, to the same place they went to in the fall, and ask he then.

But first he had to pass English. Thanks to getting an A on one of his papers Hope realized he should be able to squeak by with a low D. Meaning no summer school for him. He'd be the only one in history that didn't fail Dysley's class. He'll be a legend. Hope smiled to himself at the thought. Serah brought him back down to earth.

"Hope, snap out of it! We need to work on this."

"Hm?" Hope looked at her, confused. "Oh, sorry."

He didn't see it at first, but Hope eventually learned if Serah was in a bad enough mood she could act exactly like her sister. Of course he also learned this the hard way.

A few weeks ago he was sitting with her during study hall. They were talking about something they learned in class that angered Serah. Hope made a joke and said it wasn't something worth getting upset about. As if someone had flipped a switch Serah's expression turned into a steely glare and Hope could have sworn he was looking at Lightning. In fact, Serah snapped at him in a way that Lightning would on her best days. Meaning bad for Hope.

At least it wasn't Lightning on her worst day, right? Not that Hope would have still been alive if it was.

They wound up working late and Hope's mom wound up frantically calling him wondering where he was. As it turned out he had forgotten to say where he was going after school. He quickly gathered up his things and said goodbye to Serah and Vanille. They'll have to work on the paper more tomorrow.

Hope went upstairs to Lightning's room. He hadn't seen her all day, but he knew she was in there. He knocked on the door and opened it. Lightning was sitting at her desk with her back to him. She had a mountain of books and papers surrounding her. Her head rested on her arm as she poured over the material in preparation for finals. "Oh…" Hope didn't realize she would still be studying. He started to back out of the room when Lightning stopped him.

"Yes, Hope?" She turned the music off and looked up at him, smiley slightly despite how tired she looked.

"Oh…uh…well I need to get going and I was gonna ask if you could give me a ride, but since you're busy-"

"Its no problem." Lightning assured him and stood up. "I need to take a break anyway.

"Oh! Thank you."

Lightning nodded and grabbed her car keys. They headed down stairs and out the door to her car. Once they started moving Hope looked at her and asked,

"Excited for graduation?"

Lightning smiled. "Yeah. I am."

"Have any plans for the summer?"

"Vacation with my family. I sure Rygdea will force me and Rosch into going somewhere too. Why?"

"Just wondering."

"We'll have to do something together."

"Ok!" Hope didn't want to admit how much he was hoping Lightning would spend some time with him over the summer. They talked a lot, yet they never really hung out or did anything. Hope knew he would really miss her once she went of to college, so it was important to him that they had a chance to have fun before she left.

Lightning smiled to herself. She could tell Hope was trying to conceal his excitement. They parted ways upon arriving at Hope's place. Hope lied down on his bed and smiled happily. He looked at the pictures by his bed. He had several of him and Vanille from when they went to the zoo together. She had told him that she always wanted to go, but no one would ever take her. They wound up having a lot of fun.

He also had a picture from several months ago. It was a group shot of him with all of his friends when they went out to eat. This was before him and Vanille became such good friends. Snow, Serah, Rosch, Rygdea, Vanille, and Lightning. They got the waiter to take the picture. They were all laughing as Snow made a ridiculous pose. Well, everyone except Lightning. She didn't even look up for the picture. She just kept eating. Hope remembered how timid, but happy he was to sit next to her that day.

Hope failed the research paper. The entire class did. To make matters worse Dysley claimed that Hope never got an A on any paper, so he failed anyway. So much for being a legend.

Dysley handed them all papers informing them that they would have to attend summer school. Everyone got one. Hope sunk in his seat. Serah just sighed and put the paper in her bag. Vanille thought it was funny. "Look at it this way everyone! We get to spend two weeks together!" No one else shared her enthusiasm.

Hope passed around the letter at lunch. "Holy shit!" Rygdea yelled. "This is more brutal than the one my class got." he passed it to Rosch who read aloud,

"Due to your incapability to follow simple instructions and complete basic assignments effectively I believe summer school is in your best interest. While it is my firm belief you do not take school seriously, or perhaps you just posses an inferior mind and no amount of schooling will help you, I have decided to give you another chance…" Rosch trailed off and looked up at the others. He gave the letter back to Hope.

"What. A. Dick." Rygdea sighed.

Lightning didn't comment. She just sat there staring at the table. Rygdea looked at her. "Nothing from you?"

"Its not right." she muttered. "Someone needs to say something."

"SHHH!" Everyone at the table hushed her. "Don't start! Remember what happened the last time a kid went against Dysley? You're way to close to graduation."

"You don't think I know that?" Lightning snapped. "I'll graduate, then say something."

"No." Rosch put in. "He's the devil or something. He'll find a way to ruin your life. If not, what about your sister? How do you know he won't take it out on her?"

"Because... I'm gonna get him fired." From the look in her eyes everyone knew she meant it and there was nothing any of them could say to convince her of otherwise.