Chapter 5

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Hope was summoned to Alaric's office, Caroline was also here.

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Hope: So, you wanted to see me?

Alaric: Yes, it seems that MG smelled cologne, not his brand, all over Lizzie.

Hope: Well that's vampire smelling for you. If she's cheating on him, better he find out now.

Caroline: Lizzie says that some kids squirted her with water guns. I know when my daughter is lying, she wasn't this time.

Alaric: Why do you suppose some random children would squirt her?

Hope: Kids play with water guns, bystanders get wet.

Alaric: And put their father's cologne in it?

Hope: Maybe.

Caroline: And maybe someone compelled these kids to do it.

Hope: I'll be honest, I didn't compell any children to squirt Lizzie. I bribed them with candy, then I compelled them to forget after. I thought it was funny.

Caroline: You thought it was funny to try and break up Lizzie and MG.

Hope: Yes.

Caroline: We're worried about you Hope. When my mother died the pain was too much to handle. I turned off my humanity, and made some serious mistakes.

Hope: So you really think you can lecture me about turning my humanity off?

Caroline: Don't think of me as a role model, think of me as a cautionary tale.

Hope: I think I'm handling it well. Remember yesterday when you did that rip off of "American Idol."

Alaric: Yeah "Salvatore Idol."

Hope: Yeah I knew it was some stupid name. Anyway I told Pedro he had potential, that he had some talent. I knew that if I were brutally honest with a small child, I would regret it once I got my humanity back.

Alaric: And that alleged child molester who apparently jumped bail?

Hope: First off, not alleged, he was guilty, and not just of that one, she was just the first who reported him to the police. As for what happened to him, I plead the 5th.

Caroline: So you'd feel more guilt about being brutally honest about a child's singing, than killing that pervert?

Hope: Guilt is a very subjective thing. One person might steal a candy bar when they're six and feel guilty about it 70, 80 years later on their deathbed. Another person might sign orders authorizing genocide and not lose a moment of sleep over it. I take it you're both worried I'll graduate from harmless prank to murdering Lizzie.

Caroline: Of course I'm worried. You already stole Josie's letter.

Hope: Yeah, it is more fun to torment her. Whatever the letter says will cause her a certain amount of pain, but I can only play that card once.

Alaric: Lizzie was your friend, and despite how it ended Lizzie and Josie did love each other. Will you be able to live with the guilt of killing her?

Hope: I won't know that until after. I honestly don't know if I'm going to end up killing Lizzie, but for now, I do want her to live with the fear of if and when I come for her. Anything else, or can I go back to class.