Time After Time (Book 2)

Chapter 9

The new school year has begun as Hope is moving her things back into her room. Some students stare as she walks past but that's nothing new. She spots Landon walking to his room and smiles at him. He faintly smiles back before turning the corner. MG nods at her as she smiles back. She walks a little further and spots Lizzie making out with someone. Sebastian? She shrugs it off and pushes the door to her room open. She's a bit confused when she sees someone already settling in. As she looks around the room, one side is fully decorated while the other, which she assumed was her side, was empty. Alyssa Chang comes out after she finished getting ready. "Oh, it's just you." "Alyssa? What's all this?" Hope asks her. "I moved in when you were forgotten or whatever. Your side's over there." She points to the small corner of the room. "I usually have a single." Hope tells her. "Which is what I had until this exact moment. I go to bed at 10 so no late night visitors. Especially little Josie, since I heard you two were back together. I don't need to hear what you two teen mom's get up to late at night. And I don't want ants, so no eating in the room." She grabs her perfume and walks out, spraying herself as she passes Hope. "Later roomie." Hope coughs at the invasion in her nose. She scoffs before setting her things down and setting things up.

About an hour later, she's looking at her new schedule and seems confused. "Practical Magic, where the hell is that?" She walks around for another ten minutes, trying to find her classes. Alaric opens the office door and checks his watch. "You're late for class." He tells her. "Or are you lost?" "Both, apparently everything changed when I was gone. Where's the spell lab?" She asks. "No idea. I'm a little out of the loop myself. Maybe try asking the twins?" She shakes her head. They got up early this morning to train and I haven't seen them since. But at least I'm glad they're able to find their way around better than I can right now." Hope sighs. "Well, I usually like to stride confidently and nod a bit in hopes that people don't figure out that I don't really know what's going on half the time. But speaking of being out of the loop, Lizzie and Josie are avoiding me. Why? What's up?" Hope chuckles. "I wouldn't know, things have been kind of awkward between me and Josie lately. I mean, yeah we love each other, we always will but we're kind of trying to take things a little slow lately. Not to mention that Landon's been avoiding me." "Yeah well, knowing that you and Josie are together again and seeing it are two very different things." Alaric tells her. "I just wish that there was something I could do." Hope sighs. "You just have to give her some time, you know? Give them both some time. Things will go back to normal soon enough, I hope." "Yeah." Hope mumbles. Alaric looks up at the where they stopped. "Spell lab." "Oh." Hope walks in and apologizes to the teacher before sitting down.

Josie quietly opens the door to the headmaster's office and sneaks in. She walks over to the bookcase and double checks that no one was around before grabbing the hourglass with black magic inside and carefully placing it inside her bag. She goes to leave when the door opens and Alaric walks in. "Hey Jo. What's up?" He asks her. "Hey, um I got you some brownies. Um, I have to run though. I love you." She quickly leaves. "I love you too." She walks past Sebastian and eyes him for a moment before running into her kids. "Whoa Ma." Marshall quickly catches her. "Where's the fire?" He chuckles. "Sorry, shouldn't have asked that, huh?" He scratches the back of his head. Josie looks at him confused for a moment before realizing he's referring to the fire a few years ago that she started in her wife's room. "It's in the past, kids. It's fine, your mom and I are fine." She smiles at them both. "Are you sure about that? Cause I saw you avoid her this morning." Andrea sighs. "How would you know if I did or not?" Josie asks them. They raise their eyebrows at her, and for a split second, all she saw was Hope. "Oh right, you're affected by what we do and don't do." Josie sighs. "Look, I'll talk to your mother ok? Just, get to class." She messes with Marshall's hair before walking away. "If we can find any of our classes!" They shouted behind her. She heads to the main hall and runs into Landon. "Hey!" "Hi! What's up?" He asks her. "The usual. Getting rid of magical evidence before my dad overreacts." "Sure. Anyways, I'll see you later." Landon grabs Sebastian's arm and walks away. "Is this what they call teen drama?" "Shut up!" "Ok, bye?" Josie waves before she smiles at Hope as she walks up and hugs her. "Hey, I missed you this morning." Hope sighs. "Landon didn't leave cause of me, right?" She asks her. "I hope not." Josie smiles. "Um, you're all moved in?" Hope nods. "Yeah. Um, Alyssa Change generously gave me back 20% of my room. Plenty of space for the nine things I still own. But at least I have space to put up our photos and photos of the twins. That's all that matters." She glances and watch as Landon and Sebastian turn the corner. "What's going on?" She nods at the two of them. "Uh, my dad is having Landon test Sebastian to see if he can stay at that the school." Josie nods. Hope sighs. "I'll see if he needs back up then?" "Probably a good idea. Or get the twins, three is better than one right?" Hope smiles and nods. "Right. I'll see you later?" Josie nods and kisses her cheek. "I'll see you later. I love you." She starts heading to her class. "I love you!" Hope shouts back as she heads to the twins class.