I Hate That I Love You

Chapter 11

Maya Machado looked around the halls of the Mikaelson Academy. This place was larger than anything she had seen in her life before.

Looking around, she saw that all the kids from her school were doing the same thing as her. Gawking with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

"If I could have your attention, please," a woman said.

Maya looked at the tall blonde woman standing on the elevated platform in front of them.

"My name is Professor Freya Mikaelson. I'm the headmistress of the Mikaelson Academy for the Elite and Superior," the woman began. "Unfortunate circumstances have brought you all here. Now, I just want to let you know that I am prepared to offer you this school and all that it has to give, for as long as you should need it." She paused, then continued with a small sigh. "However, not all of my students agree with me on this. And since I'm sure none of you want any trouble for as long as you are all here, I highly advise you not to go around starting arguments with them. Just stick to your own friend groups, and we should all be fine."

Professor Mikaelson dismissed them quite quickly afterwards. Clutching her class schedule in one hand, and a map of the school in the other, Maya stood up and headed for the exit.

On her way out, she bumped into someone.

"Finch?" Maya said in disbelief.

"Maya," Finch said awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?" Maya asked. "Wait- Do you go here?"

"Maybe?" Finch mumbled. "I started attending here a week ago."

"Okay," Maya said, blinking a couple of times at her ex-girlfriend. Maya was trying to come up with an excuse to leave this awkward conversation, when a red haired girl walked up to the two of them.

"Finch," the girl smiled. She wrapped her arm around Finch's shoulder and gripped Finch tightly. 

Too tightly.

"Didn't I tell you to go wait with the others?" the girl said.

Finch glared at the girl for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. Whatever, Hope," Finch marched away.

Maya glanced at the girl named Hope. Hope was wearing the same haughty expression that Maya wore herself whenever she strutted around the hallways of Mystic Falls High. Clearly, Hope considered herself to be the queen of this school.

"And who are you?" Hope asked, looking Maya up and down.

"Maya Machado," Maya replied.

"Machado?" Hope raised an eyebrow. "You're famous, aren't you? Your family name's been all over the news, lately. 'Murder at the Machado house', am I right?"

"It wasn't a murder," Maya snapped. "It was a horrible accident."

"I'm sure it was," Hope said, smiling as if she knew something that Maya didn't.

"Who are you, anyway?" Maya scowled.

"Hope," Hope extended a hand forward. "Hope Mikaelson."

Mikaelson? So this was the famed girl this entire school had been built for?

"Hope," Maya said, frowning at the strange gleam in Hope's eyes. Maya observed the way Hope was standing- Her two legs were both firmly rooted onto the ground, as if to prevent herself from toppling over. And her hips were swaying at just the slightest amount...

"Are you drunk?" Maya said in disbelief.

Hope grinned. "I don't get 'drunk', sweetheart. I'm Hope Mikaelson," she slurred, as if that was supposed to mean anything.