You seem different, Hope." She lifted her head up to Emma, whom was sitting across from her, clipboard perched against her lap. Her brow lifted.
"Different, how?" Alaric had said something similar not too long ago. She had brushed it off without much thought but now she was intrigued.
"You seem...happy." Emma decided, with a thoughtful expression.
She snorted, "I am not happy."
A smile tugged at Emma's lips, as she sat a little straighter. "Oh, really? You're not?"
"No."
"Well, why not?" Hope regarded her as if she was stupid.
"You know why." She said slowly. "You know what happened to my family- the insane things that keeps happening here-"
"And yet, I've never seen you smile so much in all of the years that I've known you." Hope paused, not having a retort for that. Maybe, she had been smiling a lot and maybe she actually did feel a little happier these days but it didn't mean she wanted to talk to a school counselor about it, even if it was Emma. "You know, I also couldn't help but notice-
"You can't seem to help but notice everything, Emma." She smiles falsely.
Emma's smile is more genuine. "It's my job, Hope." There is a moment of silence between them before Emma's starting again. "Rafael."
She ignored the quick shutter that went through her and schooled her features to appear casual. "What about him?" She asks, crossing her arms. She didn't like the way Emma was staring at her. Like she knew it all and more.
"You two seem to spend a lot of time together."
"We're friends. You did say I needed friends once, remember?" Emma nodded slowly.
"Yes, I remember, and you've made excellent progress. I truly am proud of you. However, I think it might help to discuss Landon-"
"I don't want to talk about Landon." She says firmly.
"Okay then, let's talk about Rafael."
"There's nothing to talk about. I told you, he's my friend- end of story."
Emma stared at her for a while before sighing, setting her clipboard on the end table next to her. "You know, Hope. Before, when we started your sessions and you weren't opening up- I knew it was because you were afraid. You were afraid to let people in because of all the hurt and lost you've experienced at such a young age." Hope looked away. "But with time, you came around, allowed yourself to have friends, a love, we even talked about her father." She leaned forward with a pensive expression. "But you're closing up again and I don't think it's for the same reasons as before. Look, I won't push you. Whatever's going on is something you need to figure out on your own."
Hope felt relief flood through her but didn't dare show it. "So, we're done?"
Emma nodded, "you're free to go, Hope." She rose from the chair, heading to the door all but ready to bolt when her name was called. "Hope?" She turned. "I'm glad you have someone-something that's making you happy these days. It's quite lovely to see."
Hope couldn't stop the small smile that crept up on her, so she just slipped out the door without another word, leaving a smirking Emma in her wake.
(break)
Hope watched in amusement as Rafael picked over the lasagna on his lunch tray with a grimace. "Raf, Miss Griswold won't die if you don't get the lasagna one Thursday." She says, already tearing her burger in half. Rafael shook his head, dropping his fork with a sigh.
"You don't understand, Hope. She gets excited every time she sees me. She says I'm the only one out of the entire school who gets her lasagna and that's only because-"
"You were the new kid, who didn't know any better." She laughs with a knowing look.
"Yeah." He smiles. "So, I'm stuck with Thursday lasagnas." She rolls her eyes, handing him half of her burger. They're fingers brushed. They're eyes met shyly as they slowly pull away. She opened her mouth to say something but movement in the corner of her eye and sudden hushed voices caught her attention. She turned to see all eyes on a girl and a boy walking through the lunchroom. She didn't recognize them.
"Who are they?"
"New kids, just transferred here yesterday."
She cocked a brow, turning to him. "You didn't tell me about that."
He looked sheepish, making her smile curiously. "I was going to tell you last night but we kind of got distracted."
Hope bit her lip, feeling herself blush. "Right." They never talked about when they hooked up. They just did it. She looked back at the newcomers to see them being waved over by the vampires. Hm. Vampires. However, the girl stopped short when her gaze fell in line with them. She smirked, grabbing her brother, pulling them in the direction of Hope and Rafael. Her brow creased. "Are they coming over...here?"
Rafael looked confused as well. "Looks like it."
When they reached the table the girl coolly sat her tray down with her brother trailing behind with an apologetic smile.
Rafael glanced at Hope. "Uh, no offense but vamps usually eat lunch with other vamps."
The girl shrugged, putting a straw in her water bottle. "I don't like boring status quo and you look like fun." Hope cocked an eyebrow at her not being subtle.
The boy laughed to ease the small tension, sticking his hand out to Rafael. "Hey man, I'm Ethan. This unfortunately is my twin sister, Maya."
She bumped her shoulders with his. "Bite me."
Rafael shook his hand with a nod. "Rafael." The twins looked to her expectantly.
Hope raised her hand slightly with a small wave. "Hope."
Ethan smiled, "nice to meet you guys."
"So Rafael, Hope...what kind of trouble do you like to get into?"
"I've had enough trouble to last the rest of my high school career." Hope said wryly.
Maya eyed her with intrigue. "Interesting."
"Where are you guys from?" Rafael asked, taking a bite of his burger.
"West Coast." Ethan said, popping a fry into his mouth. "So what's the deal on this place? School for supernaturals? How does that really work?"
"Somehow it does."
"Our mom wouldn't shut up about this place. Mystic Falls this, Mystic Falls that. She couldn't wait to ship us out here. Out of sight, out of mind." Hope squinted her eyes.
"Maya, bringing up our drunken mom isn't how you make friends." Ethan reminded her good naturedly.
"Sorry, I'm a little rusty on the whole making friends thing." She looked around. "I know this is the South but seriously what's with the whole segregation thing." Rafael looked at her weirdly. "You know the whole, vamps sit with vamps- all the witches are together, werewolves…well that's expected."
"There are sometimes, tensions between people so the headmaster suggests everyone to sit with their kind to avoid conflict, it's not a real requirement."
"Good." Maya smirk, staring at him. "I like this company."
Hope could almost taste a sarcastic retort on her tongue but the shape of a certain someone's body came into view. A certain someone who wasn't supposed to be back for another two weeks.
She leaned towards Rafael with a frown. "Is that?"
"Landon." The boy in question smiled when he spotted them, offering an awkward wave. Hope internally screamed. The last thing she wanted to deal with was Landon. Seeing the apprehensive look on Rafael's face made it worse and she could feel the comfortable bubble they've been hiding in slowly popping.
She could feel the blissful feelings that had taken residence inside her evaporating as more complicated ones took root.
Why was happiness always so fleeting?