We'll Go Down In History

Chapter 21

Hope's pov

Sunlight. Sunlight streams down all over me. We're standing in the forest right outside the Salvatore School. Sure enough, I can make out the figure of our school in the distance.

"Guys? Hey- get up, we made it!" I say with a huge smile on my face. I pull Lizzie and Josie up onto their feet as they look around in awe.

 "We're back," Lizzie says in wonder. 

"We're back," I nod, pulling both twins into a hug as I do so.

"Hope- what are you wearing?" Josie laughs.

I glance down, and see that I'm wearing an expensive black fur jacket. Rings with large gemstones hammered into them line my fingers. 

"And what the hell is this?" Lizzie says, as she lifts up the hem of my jacket to reveal an array of small knives and daggers.

"Who cares?" I laugh. "Come on- race you back to the school!"

We run towards the Salvatore School as fast as our feet will allow us. Despite being exhausted to the point where none of us can feel our legs, we keep running with happiness and hope in our hearts. 

We made it. We finally made it...

We near the front entrance to the school, where about a dozen students sit around chatting together. 

When we arrive in front of them, they immediately go silent. Everyone stares at us- or rather, they stare at me. But I guess that's to be expected when you smell like you haven't showered in an entire week.

"Pedro," Lizzie smiles at the little boy sitting on one of the steps, "Do you know where our dad is? Can you tell us where Dr Saltzman is?" 

Instead of answering, Pedro continues to stare at me with wide, open eyes.

"Lizzie? Josie?" Ric's voice calls out from inside the school. Racing footsteps are heard as the doors fly open. 

"Thank god you're okay," Ric sighs, as he looks at his daughters, "Your mother and I were worried sick that you had maybe run into... Hope," Ric says, as he suddenly notices my presence.

I give a little wave, then falter when I see the cold look that has overtaken Ric's expression. 

"Caroline?" Ric calls into the building. Two seconds later, Caroline Forbes appears at the doorstep, just a few feet away from me and the twins.

"Hope," Caroline says in a kind voice, though her expression is serious and slightly wary, "Does your aunt know you're here?" 

As she says this, Ric gets all the other students back into the school.

"Which aunt?" I ask with a frown. Then I shake my head. "Of course they know I'm here at the school. Where else would I be?" I say.

Caroline stares at me, her jaw having softly dropped when I said the words, 'which aunt'. She takes in a deep breath in an attempt to regain her calm and poised attitude.

"Mom! I can't believe you're here," Lizzie says excitedly. 

Either she hasn't noticed the tension in the air, or she's choosing to ignore it nonetheless. Both Lizzie and Josie run towards Caroline and give their mom a tight hug. Caroline halfheartedly returns the embrace as she stares at me with concern.

"Hope... I'm going to go contact your aunt, alright?" Caroline says to me in a slow voice, as if I'm some kind of pitiful puppy that needs rescuing. "But first, please tell me no one got hurt."

I frown at these words. "Um- no, Lizzie and Josie are fine. Everyone's okay," I say to her, unsure if I understood her question correctly.

Caroline lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank god," she breathes, before turning to the twins. "Girls? Would you mind waiting for me in your room, please?"