Chapter Text
My love was as cruel as the cities I lived in, Everyone looked worse in the light
Hope Mikaelson sat on a bus stop bench, mascara streaking down her cheeks. Once again, she found herself ensnared in the same painful cycle: falling in love only to have her heart shattered. Landon Kirby was the latest culprit in this familiar tale, leaving her feeling destined for solitude. Haunting flashbacks of mere hours ago flooded her mind, the image of Landon intertwined with her best friend Penelope in his bed refusing to fade.
Hours Earlier -
Hope watched the soup bubble before her, a gesture of care for her ailing boyfriend, Landon. Despite his illness causing their date to be canceled, she sought to comfort him with homemade soup. With the concoction ready, she ascended to his room, lightly knocking on the door, receiving no response.
"He must be asleep," she thought, stepping back until a groan from within compelled her concern.
Worried, Hope unleashed her power, blowing the door from its hinges to check on him. What met her gaze was a scene straight from her nightmares: Landon lay on his back, Penelope atop him. Shocked and devastated, Hope dropped the bowl, its contents spilling onto the floor, as both figures turned to her in horror.
"Hope..." Landon's plea hung in the air as he hastily covered himself.
Rage surged within Hope, causing the lights to flicker ominously before exploding in a burst of fury. Without a word, she turned on her heel, storming down the hall, consumed by a whirlwind of emotion.
When Hope's bus approached, she wasted no time in boarding. There was nothing left for her at that school.
*
Alaric Saltzman had anticipated this day eagerly, longing to welcome Hope Mikaelson into the school he had founded for his daughters. The Salvatore School was his vision for aiding supernaturals, and Hope, as a tribrid of three distinct species — a Witch, a Werewolf, and a Vampire, though her vampire side had yet to be activated — held particular significance to this mission.
As Hope entered the headmaster's office, Alaric greeted her warmly. "Welcome to the Salvatore School for the Supernatural," he said with a smile, though he noted the sadness and boredom etched on her face.
"Do you give this spiel to all your students?" she inquired, her tone devoid of enthusiasm.
"Yes, though judging by your reaction, perhaps some adjustments are in order," he mused. Hope let out a sigh and made a move towards the door.
"I'll spare you the pleasantries... Just show me to my room, and I'll spare you and everyone else the trouble," she declared, her demeanor resigned.
"Unfortunately, that is not how this works. Someone will need to show you around eventually" Alaric insists.
"Tomorrow then? I've had a rough day"
*
"Josie, I need a favor," Alaric says, halting his daughter in the hallway. Concern lines his face, evident to Josie.
"What's wrong, Dad?" she asks, mirroring his worry, her own co-dependency surfacing.
"Hope Mikaelson arrived yesterday, and it seems like she's struggling with something... I need you to take her under your wing and show her around," he requests.
"Of course, Dad. Can you give me more details?" Josie inquires.
"I'm not entirely sure. She appeared quite distant," he replies, uncertainty clouding his tone.
Josie eventually finds her way to Hope's room and hesitantly knocks on the door, unsure of what awaits on the other side. When Hope finally opens the door, she meets Josie's gaze and suppresses the emotions stirring within her. There's something about Josie that ignites a longing in Hope, but she quickly pushes it aside. No matter how captivating Josie may be, Hope knows she can't allow herself to feel anything.
Josie gazes at the disheveled figure before her—Hope's hair unkempt, her eyes tired, yet there's an undeniable allure about her. Despite Hope's current state, Josie feels an inexplicable pull towards her. Perhaps it's her own tendencies towards co-dependency, but she finds herself instantly drawn to Hope.
"Good morning," Josie coos, offering a warm smile. "I'm Josie Saltzman, your tour guide." Hope's gaze flickers over Josie's figure, and a flush of embarrassment floods her cheeks at her own appearance. She instinctively retreats slightly behind the door.
"Hey... um... I'm just going to... uh get ready," Hope stammers nervously before swiftly closing the door. "Stop it, Hope, she's just a random girl, and you just got out of a relationship," she scolds herself silently. Yet, despite her inner admonishments, thoughts of Josie's chocolate brown eyes and infectious smile linger in her mind.
When Hope finishes getting ready, she stares at her reflection in the mirror and makes a solemn vow to herself: she will never allow herself to get close to anyone again. All it brings is heartbreak and pain, and Josie Saltzman will not be an exception, no matter how strongly Hope is drawn to her. With a steely resolve, Hope opens the door again, her demeanor now firm and guarded. She had allowed Josie to catch her off guard once, but she wouldn't let it happen again.
"Let's get this over with," Hope says curtly as she strides past Josie and down the hall. Josie is taken aback by the sudden change in Hope's attitude within mere minutes.
"Okay..." Josie responds nervously, quickening her pace to catch up with Hope. "Should we start at the entrance?" she suggests.
"Seen it," Hope replies dismissively.
"Come on, Hope, it's important to go through everything," Josie insists, her tone pleading. She lets out a small sigh. "My father requested that I show you around, and honestly, you look like you could use a friend," Josie adds gently. Hope's guard momentarily drops at Josie's words, but it quickly resurfaces, and she feels a surge of anger.
"Why can't you Saltzmans just leave me alone?" Hope retorts bitterly.
"Because, believe it or not, I do not give up on people easily," Josie responds firmly. Before Hope can say anything, Josie strides towards the front entrance. "Here is the front entrance, and over there is the common area," she explains, gesturing towards the room across from the entrance. "A lot of memories are made here, but most importantly, we can't forget the history of this building. Stefan and Damon Salvatore lived here," Josie continues, her voice steady and calming. Despite herself, Hope finds solace in Josie's words, though she's still fiercely resisting Josie's kindness.
"I've heard of them," Hope says softly. "Stefan sacrificed himself so that Damon could live, brotherly love and all that." She admired the Salvatore brothers quite a lot, finding their loyalty and dedication to family admirable, something her own family values deeply.
"Yes, exactly," Josie confirms. "My mother, Caroline Forbes, was married to Stefan, but he died on their wedding day."
"That's depressing," Hope comments, her emotional wall rising once again. Josie frowns but decides to press on.
For the remainder of the tour, Hope struggles to resist the urge to befriend Josie. She resents Josie's persistence, feeling frustrated by her relentless attempts to break through her defences.
At the end of the tour, Hope and Josie settle down in the common room. Hope gazes into the fire, lost in thought. "Something happened to you?" Josie wonders aloud, breaking the silence. Hope's sudden glare catches Josie off guard. "I mean, you're very closed off. Not open to new friendships."
"Aren't you insightful," Hope replies, rolling her eyes.
"Don't shut me out, Hope. I'm just trying to be a friend," Josie pleads, her tone gentle yet earnest.
"I barely know you, and I don't want to know you," Hope snaps before abruptly storming off, leaving Josie alone in the common room, feeling a mixture of disappointment and determination.
*
"How did your tour with Hope Mikaelson go?" Lizzie asks her sister.
"She's a tough egg to crack, Liz... But she's hurting, I can feel it," Josie replies, marveling at her own empathetic abilities.
"Come on, Jo, you don't need to fix everyone," Lizzie says, lying down next to her sister in bed and turning to face her.
"I know," Josie admits, letting out a sigh. "There's something about her, though. I can't figure it out, but I need to know her and I need to help her. The amount of pain she's in right now must be unimaginable."
"You don't even know what she's going through. How do you know?"
"I just do. I can't explain it," Josie replies, a sense of determination in her voice.