Longing

Chapter 2

"Are you going to tell me why you physically dragged me in here, Hope?" Maya asked from her spot on the floor, resting her back against the side of Hope's bed. Hope was laying face up on the bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about her encounter with the brunette. She lifted her head a bit to peak at Maya, only to see the other girl giving her a pointed look, right eyebrow raised and all.

Hope signed, "I talked to Josie in Chemistry." She put her head back down and pointed her gaze back toward the ceiling.

"That's why you're making me skip my favorite class right now? Hope, what the hell?" Maya groaned as she rolled to her stomach on the floor, burying her face in her arms.

"Maya, lunch isn't a class. And it was weird this time. Josie- she seemed almost as nervous as me. She said at least ten more words than our annual average." At this, Maya sat up again. Criss-cross applesauce, but still sitting up.

"Well, what did you guys talk about?" Maya asked, stretching her neck only to find Hope still starring at the ceiling, only now with furrowed eyebrows.

"I got called out in class for not paying attention-" Hope's explanation is halted by a poorly hidden snort. "What?" she asks with a scowl.

"Just kinda funny that a teacher thinks you would even have the ability to pay attention while in the same room as Josie." Maya answers with a huff, as if it were obvious. Hope's face reddens at the accusation, which gives Maya the confirmation she honestly didn't need. Maya joins Hope on the bed. She sits against the headboard and waits for Hope to stop looking at her as if she just told her Santa Claus isn't real.

Hope shifts on the bed a bit, joining Maya against the headboard shoulder to shoulder. She clears her throat slightly before saying, "I'm not sure I know what you mean by that," while twisting one of the rings on her fingers.

"Hope, how long are we going to act like you aren't completely obsessed with her?" Maya fires back, getting sick of Hope's somehow increase in brooding. Maya didn't think someone could possibly hibernate as much as Hope did without physically turning into a bear.

"What? I'm not. I just- she's really nice to everyone, and confident... oh! and she's really smart too. Actually what's really cool about her is-"

"Hope." Maya says gently, just to keep Hope from talking herself to death. "You do know we're not in middle school anymore, right? Having feelings for someone isn't embarrassing or something to make fun off." Maya puts her arm around Hope as an attempt to comfort, though it's never been her strong suit.

"But Maya, I can't. Not for her." Hope says almost certainly, slightly shaking her head back and forth. She takes a shaky breathe before she continues, "I'd rather continue my blissful ignorance, Maya."

Maya is very confused and mildly concerned. She removes her arm that had been dangling on Hope's shoulder and rests her hands in her lap. "May I ask why? Is there like... something wrong with her? Did she do something to you?"

Hope whips her head in Maya's directions fast enough to give herself whiplash, "Of course not!" Maya's eye's widen at the slight outburst. "Maya, I don't know how to say this without sounding absolutely pathetic... but having feelings for her would be such a waste of time." Hope turns her head back toward the end of the bed, "She would never give me the time of day. She's too- I don't know." Perfect. Hope shakes her head, her left hand coming up to rub her eyebrows.

"Sorry to break it to you, Hope, but the heart wants what the heart wants"

Hope responds to that with a mild elbow-to-the-rib.

"Ow! Okay. You're in distress, I deserved that." Maya concludes. She suddenly hops off of the bed, speed walks to Hope's desk, grabs a couple loose pieces of paper and a pen, and hops back onto the bed. Hope simply raises an eyebrow in Maya's direction. "Gimme a minute." Maya answers the silent question. Hope watches as Maya uncaps the pen and begins writing something on the first page.

Hope leans over a tad and reads:

HOPE MIKAELSON'S GUIDE TO NOT BEING A NERVOUS WRECK AROUND JOSIE SATZMAN

"Maya, no." Hope demands, as if ordering a dog to do a trick. Maya only smirks and hunches over the paper to protect it. "What the hell is wrong with you? You're literally the one that said we're not in middle school!"

"Well maybe you should learn how to talk to pretty girls, then I wouldn't have to teach you" Maya giggles as she scrolls the papers up and slides them into her backpack. "Well now that we've decide how we're going to work on you're lack of vitamin Josie, we should probably find some way to fix that mad lack of self respect."

"Uh- Maya! You- you can't just say things like that." Hope stutters then grumbles. Hope knows Maya's all about tough love, but it doesn't make the love any less tough. "What makes you think Josie would even want to spend time with me? Like friend wise?" Hope questions almost shyly, not wanting to get her hopes up.

"Dude. Again with the self respect. I outta beat some love into you with my fists if you don't quit talking like that," Maya responds with narrow eyes, and raised fists. She sighs when Hope responds with a tight lipped smile. "Okay. Come here. Let's hug it out for a minute before I have to sprint to the kitchen since someone decided to steal my favorite class period."

"For the last time; lunch is not a class, Maya." Hope chuckles as she is embraced by the warmth of Maya.

Damn, I am beyond touch starved.

"Alright, Hope. I'll see you later?"

"Come by whenever." Hope grins, until she remembers, "just don't let anyone see that god awful 'guide' or whatever you're making, please."

Maya smiles bright. Bright enough to scare Hope. "I'll only show..." she begins walking out into the hall and Hope feels like she's being blackmailed. She can feel her heart rate increasing. Maya turns back to Hope with the same devilish grin and shouts, "Maybe..." another couple steps down the hall, "just Ethan!" and sprints away.

Hope curses her short legs, she never had a chance at catching up to Maya in time.