"Jenna, when is...when's the funeral?" Hope breathed into the phone, eyes screwed shut and fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. She could not believe that she has had to utter those words. She should not be asking her aunt's sister when she would have to attend the funeral of said aunt and her husband, Hope's uncle.

"Tomorrow, but Hope you don't-"

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Give my love to Jeremy and Elena." She hung up, her breath already hitching and eyes 's only been two days. Jenna's voice over the phone mirrored her aunt's too much for her to handle. She looked up at the receptionist in her school's office and smiled softly at the sympathetic look she was given. Her mom was talking the principal into letting her take her finals early so she could go stay with Jenna and the Gilberts. Hope's mother walked out of the principal's office with papers in her hands and a small triumphant grin on her lips.

"You can take your finals today or-"

"I'll take them now." Her mother nodded and handed her the tests that would suffice as her finals. Hope took a deep breath and walked down the hall to the school's library. She sat at one of the tables and began to take the tests.

Six hours and two mechanical pencils later, she was done. She walked back to the office and handed the secretary her tests. She smiled and left, her mother following her out.

"Hope, Jeff is going to let you borrow the Explorer so you can drive to Mystic Falls." She said on the way home. Hope's head lifted from the car window, her eyes glaring hard at her mother while she drove.

"You're not going?" She asked, her voice hard and raw. Her mother shook her head, biting her lip. Hope nodded and returned to looking out the window. Her hair fell in her face, and she was grateful for the coverage it gave her and the ability to hide her tears.

"Jeff had Jenny pack your bags, so when we get home you can just look over the things you don't have so you can get on the rode." Her mother whispered, scared that if she spoke any louder that the girl sitting next to her was going to fall to pieces. She had never seen Hope so broken up, and she was scared that her daughter may never recover from this. She understood how close she had been to Miranda and Grayson, knew that they offered her a way into her father's side of the family and a better look at where she came from, and to who she could possibly become. She felt her daughter's pain and only hoped that she would be able to recover.

"I'll tell him to thank her, she's probably already at Candy's."She murmured as they pulled up to the house. Jenny was her eight year old half sister, Jeff and her mother had her two years into their relationship. Hope grabbed her over-sized black satchel and followed her mother to the door. She didn't acknowledge Jeff or her younger brother as she made her way to her room at the back of the four bedroom, two bath, ranch style home.

She sighed and leaned her head against the door after hearing it click into place. She looked up at the silvery/purple walls and let her eyes soak up the place she's called her own since she was nine. Three of the walls were bare, save for one large picture window that overlooked the backyard and nearby woods. Twinkle lights were strung over the top of it, and falling down the sides and joining the heavy, dark purple curtains framing the window. The wall her desk rested on was covered with pictures she had printed off her Tumblr blog of her favorite bands, quotes, drawings, and people she admired. A dark silver wrought iron day bed rested on the far wall, nestled between the wall and her bookcase that was chock full of books ranging from fiction, to history, to philosophy, to journals she had kept through the years. On the wall opposite her picture window, a long dresser and separate vanity sat side by side.

She grabbed the large suitcase from next to her desk and flung it up on the bed, unzipping it and taking everything out. Jenny had taken all the clothes she didn't like to wear and stuffed them into a suitcase haphazardly. Hope zoomed around the room, grabbing the clothes and shoes she would need (everything her step-sister didn't pack), and neatly packed them into the suitcase on her bed. She emptied her backpack of her school things-Diana would empty her locker for her and bring her things back to the house while she was gone-and packed her laptop, her journal, jewelry, makeup, her grandmother's quilt, and her three favorite books: Tess of the D'urbervilles, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Go Ask Alice.

She took a deep breath as she looked around her room. She grabbed her favorite pen and stuck it in her purse. She reached underneath her bed and brought out a shoe box. She set it gingerly on the bed and opened it, grabbing the picture she kept of her mom and dad she took from he mother's chest of drawers and the small Beanie Baby dog she had since she was young. The toy flopped in her tight grasp and she brought it to her face, her cheek resting on its head while a few tears escaped her eyes.

"Are you ready to go, Hope?" Her mother called from the door. Hope stuffed the toy and picture into her purse and slid the shoe box underneath her bed. She stood up and grabbed the suitcase and backpack from the bed. She caught her own glance in the mirror and couldn't help the flash of disgust that crossed her face. She pulled her hoodie down farther and brushed off the yoga pants she wore. She tugged on the suitcase and past her mother. She stopped in the living room and swung up her younger brother in a hug. The four year old squealed as he hugged her back, kissing her cheek sloppily. She whispered in his ear to be good and she kissed his forehead, closing her eyes and committing his scent to memory. He smelled of cherries and innocence.

"Bye Jeff, and thank you for letting me borrow the Explorer." She said as she gave her step-father a one armed hug. He nodded and kissed the side of her head, then gave her his keys. She looked at her mother and kissed her cheek, muttered an "I love you" and walked out of the door. She threw her suitcase into the cherry red 2005 Explorer that Jeff had just acquired and set her backpack into the passenger seat. She started the car and with one last look, pulled out of her driveway and started her two hour drive to Mystic Falls.

Yay, the second chapter is done! Please review and tell me how I did, what I can improve on, etc.

I really do appreciate them:)