This school was a fucking joke. An actual gargoyle came to life and just casually walked through the school and nearly turned Lizzie into stone? (Well, she's already a stone-hearted bitch so it probably wasn't hard for the rest of her body to catch up) Literally what the fuck?

Of course, it happens while the miraculous Hope Mikaelson and any one remotely competent are in Mystic Falls doing community service as punishment for using their powers at the game. (Seriously Dr Saltzman needed to chill the fuck out) How is it that everyone decent was on the football team except you? Well, there was also Alyssa, but that chick would probably lose all her powers than use them for something outside her interests. Again, stick, ass.

Somehow Lizzie was the one who warned the school about it, right before she gets her abdomen clawed apart by the monster. Classic Lizzie Saltzman to be ditching community service first chance she got. A vindictive part of you thinks she got what her ass deserved. Except she starts turning to stone, and okay you didn't like her but that went a bit far. You leave trying to fix Lizzie to Miss Tig because there's an entire school of children and a monster casually roaming through it. You help corral the upper years into their dorms and set up some boundary spells on the wings with the other witches.

You're about to head to your own room yourself, seeking comfort in the fact that Josie was all the way in Mystic Falls with Hope Mikaelson and definitely not anywhere near this insanity, when something grabs your hand. You already have a spell ready on your lips when you turn, only to realise it's Pedro.

"Pedro, what are you doing here? You're meant to be with the lower years in the library with Miss Tig!"

"I just wanted to make sure you were safe and… I was scared…"

You sigh and grab his hand more firmly. "It's okay kiddo, we're going to get through this. Dr Saltzman has it under control. Now let's go to the library because Miss Tig knows more than I do to keep you safe right now."

You make a note to brush up on defensive and offensive magic if monsters were going start making a regular appearance at this school. A gargoyle? The school was hardly Notre Dame!

The two of you slowly make your way toward the library, carefully peeking around corners and giving each other a thumbs up when the coast was clear. Your heart is thudding so loudly in your chest you irrationally fear the gargoyle can hear it.

You breathe a sigh of relief when you finally reach the library doors and thank god for clear windows so that Miss Tig can see you approach. Her eyes are wide and accusatory as she briefly lets down the boundary spell so you can enter.

"Miss Park what are you thinking?!"

Her voice is a quiet hiss that still feels like it echoes around the silence and you silently gesture to the boy half clinging to your leg.

"Pedro! I didn't realise you weren't with us! When did you- doesn't matter, both of you sit down and be quiet."

Pedro curls into your side the moment you sit down, face pressed into your sweater, and the other kids look like they want to do the same. You just sigh and put your arm up so they can all press close to you and hide their faces away. They're too young to be dealing with this and you can only curse Dr Saltzman again for letting this even happen. Not to mention how fucked it was that Lizzie was paralyzed and just lying on a table in front of them? Did no one in this school have any sense of what was normal?

You try to keep your breath even so the children don't start panicking when the gargoyle appears through the window at the end of the corridor, their faces still turned away. You slowly move your arm up to cover their heads so you can feel if they get the urge to turn and look for whatever reason as you exchange wide eyes with Miss Tig.

You see her mutter a spell under her breath and you can't help but hold yours as the monster slowly makes its way toward the doors. You don't see anything change and you reach out with your magic to see if her spell has done anything or if you need to jump in front of these kids when the gargoyle decides to burst through those door. You hope the children can't feel your heart racing.

You can feel a layer of something on top of the boundary spell and you really hope whatever Miss Tig has done will work.

It feels like you can't do anything but hope these days, despite your hands itching to act. You think of Hope Mikaelson in her tribid glory, under special tutelage from the headmaster, apparently stronger than any of them, enough for Alaric to take hunting for the monsters that haunt people's nightmares. There are some days you feel envy, and other days you remember what it cost her. You don't know when she'll ever stop running into monsters to run away from her grief.

In this moment Hope isn't here, it's just you and Miss Tig doing whatever you can to keep these kids safe. The back of your neck is starting to hurt from all the tension you're holding as your eyes follow the gargoyle as it moves down the corridor. Your jaw clenches tight when it stops on the other side of the door, head scanning the room, Miss Tig staring it down through the glass.

You think you might actually cry tears of relief when the gargoyle turns away to continue its journey through the school. Miss Tigg runs over to check on all of you and you only manage a silent nod when she asks if you're okay. Pedro still clings tightly to you and in that moment you really wish you could cling tight to comfort of your own.

It's sunset by the time Alaric comes around to collect you from the library, and once again the legendary Hope Mikaelson has saved the day. You wish you could smash down the jealously eating at you, because you haven't been the centre of attention for awhile but everything in you strives to be the perfect student, the perfect daughter, and to be perfect you had to be top of the food chain, which would never happen with Hope there.

You breathe out all your frustrations and you must have the biggest grumpy face because everyone avoids you like the plague for days.

Except for Pedro, who greets you with a cheerful smile whenever he sees you and you can't help but let it melt your icy exterior when you say hello back with the gentlest smile you can manage on your face.

This school was a joke, but you can't help but think about all the reasons you stay. (Josiejosiejosie) There aren't exactly a lot of supernatural schools to go to in the region and the Parks couldn't let their only daughter grow up a recluse. MG ends up being a comfortable friend to have, a quiet pillar of support that makes you think of nuclear bunkers you go to when the world is ending. Yeah, you'd definitely have MG at your side if the world ever ended.

You take everything you said about MG back when you find out he told everyone in school you stayed to protect the lower years with Miss Tig.

"It's really fucking hard to keep a badass persona that keeps people away if you tell them shit like that MG!"

"But I thought you should be really proud of what you did because that was brave as hell!"

You huff and turn away so he won't see the smile on your face, because yeah, you did like being the star in people's hero stories for once.

"I'm a badass bitch and don't you forget it," you say with a hard punch to his arm as you walk away.

"No one's questioning that! … Much?" he calls after you.

You seek Josie out, because despite everything between you, there is an inherent need to make sure she's okay. You know she must've come back with Hope when they realised something was wrong and you just, you need to know.

"Jojo," you breathe out when you finally see her.

She turns to look at you and immediately turns away again.

"What do you want?"

"Just... making sure you're okay."

"Yeah, well, I'm clearly fine, so you can leave now."

The words cut deeper than you want them to.

"Yeah… bye."

"Jo?"

Her eyes don't move from the words in front of her and there is no indication that she's heard you.

"Jo? Jo. Josie. Josette."

Her head snaps up and there's an adorable confused look on her face.

"Sorry, I was super into the book. What is it?"

"Just wanted to say that you look really cute."

She huffs and rolls her eyes, despite the smile growing on her face.

"Thanks, but did you need to say that right now? I was super into the scene!"

"Yep. It was monumentally important. It will always be monumentally important. You're cute and I need to tell you like right now."

She gives you a look that loses all its heat because of the smile playing at her lips before turning her eyes back to her book.

You manage to read another three sentences before you're back to staring at her out of the corner of your eye. It's four in the afternoon and the sun is bright through the windows of your room, lighting Josie's face from the side and accentuating her sharp cheekbones. It colour her hair a golden brown that reminds you of Christmas pastries and…

"Hey Jojo."

Her nose scrunches up and her eyebrows furrow together when she looks at you.

"Jojo?"

"Yeah, because it takes calling your name twice to get your attention."

She stares at the teasing half grin on your face before leaning in and wiping it off with a kiss.

"I like you, but I don't think that nickname is going to stick."

"Hmm, I think otherwise, Jojo"

You let her glare at you a little longer before it's your turn to kiss the frown off her face.