The Grey Wolf [TWILIGHT/LEGACIES]

9

A QUICK AUTHOR'S NOTE:

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On the next morning, Hope and Renesmee were taking a stroll down the path to go to the river. The hybrid was holding a book of poetry she had to read for school. She had been thinking lately about dropping out of the public high school she attended in order to spend more time with Hope. She thought it would be best to wait for the grey wolf to shift back to its human form. And from there, they would decide what to do. They had many years in front of them to do anything their forever young hearts desired.

It wasn't like the two of them (or immortals) had to stay at school for the rest of their existence. It privileged them in a way - they could see the world change, but they never would. For some, it was a blessing. For others, such as auntie Rosalie, it was a curse.

If Hope showed her human form soon, the two of them could travel around and see new places perhaps? A hybrid and a wolf against the world.

Renesmee looked forward to the day she would get to see her friend's human form. She wondered what Hope looked like. Was she tall or short? Did she have deep eyes? Or did freckles and moles cover her entire body from head to toe?

While Renesmee could agree that one's appearance didn't matter, as long as one had a kind heart. But in this case, the hybrid girl couldn't help but be curious. And how could she not be? Anyone in her shoes would see her point, hopefully. No pun intended.

"I don't want to go to school anymore," Renesmee confessed when they sat down under a large tree. The beautiful view of the Quillayte river was right in front of them.

At this moment, Hope wished she was in human form to convince her friend not to give up on her education. Sure, both of them would live long, but that didn't mean either of them had to turn their backs on living a life that was as normal as possible. Besides, if Renesmee stopped attending school, wouldn't her family be concerned about her?

The hybrid exhaled before continuing, "I know my family will be disappointed, but I feel like I'm wasting my time here."

The more Renesmee spoke about herself, the more Hope was convinced that it would be best if she soon shifted back to her human form. It was clear that Renesmee needed support and simply being in animal form would help no one. Especially the two of them.

"Have you ever been to school, Hope?", the hybrid suddenly asked. She was curious about the wolf's human life. Perhaps asking more about it would encourage Hope to try being more human-like again.

The wolf blinked once for yes. Memories filled its head - both happy and sad. The animal found itself missing principal Saltzman and his two daughters, although Lizzie had never liked her. Hope would never find out why. It was too late. Everyone had forgotten that Hope Andrea Mikaelson had ever existed.

And partly, it was a good thing.

The wolf imagined at some point it would forget about them the same way they had forgotten about it. If that happened, at least everybody could move on with their merry lives.

Hearing how Renesmee wanted to drop out of school saddened the wolf. While it understood that the hybrid wanted to spend more time with it and didn't seem to be interested in her education for the moment, the wolf wondered whether the hybrid had anyone to convince her to give school another chance.

Renesmee's eyes filled with tears that she attempted to blink away. "It's not like I have any friends there. Everyone thinks I am a snob because of my family. No one treats me as if I was a normal girl," she began, but then stopped herself. Indeed, she wasn't a normal girl. But at school, wasn't she supposed to be treated like such?

She then let out a sigh. "Maybe I deserve it. I'm not normal, after all. Why do I expect such silly things? No one will ever treat me the way everybody else gets treated and I suppose I deserve it! Oh, if only I wasn't so strange!"

Hope hated listening to Renesmee whining and blaming herself for something that wasn't her fault. Of course, the animal wasn't in its human form, and all it could do was to nuzzle its nose in her hair or lick her face to comfort her. Nothing else. Not yet.

"At least you're here," she smiled at the wolf, petting it, "And now we gotta get to work!"

Renesmee opened the book she had brought and began to read softly the first poem that she had to study for her upcoming exam. Hope could listen to her new friend's voice all day long. It was soothing and smooth, almost as if it was velvet. It almost reminded the wolf of its birth mother's voice. Oh, how she missed her family! But her parents were dead. And the rest of her relatives had forgotten about her existence. Sometimes, the wolf regretted having jumped and having practically risked its life.

But sometimes drastic decisions and sacrifices lead to good things as well. In Hope's case, it was a fresh start. A chance to change the future.

By the time Renesmee was finished reading the entire book of poetry in a loud voice, the wolf had already closed its eyes. The hybrid couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. She then stroke the wolf's fur and laid her head to rest next to Hope.

Little did Renesmee know Hope hadn't fallen asleep. Instead, the animal was thinking about its life from now on. It couldn't go on living as a wolf throughout the rest of its life. At some point, it would have to shift back to its human form and move on.

Hope had begun to gain the courage to shift into her human form. She could feel that she would be completely ready soon. She simply needed to plan how to surprise everyone.