Secrecy (Hosie)

Part 37: Recognition

"Raf, you still have a few days to finish that report, don't stress about it. I can help you with it later if you want?"
A few of the students sit on the bleachers in the gym during their break, Hope, Raf, Josie, and Lizzie.
Raf pulled out his textbooks and laptop to write more of his paper while they wait for their next activity to start. They've completed a total of 5 bonding exercises thus far, and they're all actually having a great time.

Raf furrows his eyebrows at Hope, "I thought you weren't allowing any of us to come to your house?"

"I meant that I could help you over the phone or something."

Raf gives her a small nod, knowing Hope is obviously an expert on his topic anyway, since he chose to write about the Original hybrid.
He knows Hope still doesn't want them around her because of the monsters and Triad, "Y'know, maybe you should do some kind of security installments at your house to put your mind more at ease. You could do something like security cameras, or even a panic room—"

Josie watches as Hope eyes slightly narrow at Raf in a glare. If she were looking at anyone outside of their group, they would probably begin trembling in fear, "I don't panic."

Raf opens his mouth to respond when Rebekah approaches the bleachers, "Hope, Rafael, would you two mind terribly if I asked for your help with carrying these boxes to the next group."

"Not at all," Raf assures her as he sets his stuff to the side, and he rises to his feet with Hope, "We'll be right back guys."

Josie and Lizzie nod at them as they leave the gym, carrying the boxes with them.
After a moment, Landon approaches Lizzie and Josie, "Where'd Raf and Hope go?"

Josie wants to roll her eyes at his persistence, but she tries to give him a polite answer instead, "They're helping Ms. Mikaelson move some boxes. They'll be back in a minute."

Landon nods and proceeds to join them on the bleachers, and it takes every bone in Josie's body not to scoff at him.
He peers down at Raf's opened textbook next to him, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion as he looks over the page, "Why is there a picture of Mr. Marshall in Raf's textbook?"

Josie and Lizzie look at him like he's grown three heads.
Josie looks down at the image on the page, it's a portrait of the Mikaelson siblings lining a staircase.
She shakes her head slowly,
"No, Landon. That's not..." Josie's words fade out as she continues to look over the picture. Why can't she come up with a rebuttal?

"I think your moppet brain must be a little discombobulated."

Leave it to Lizzie to throw out warrantless insults.
Landon points at Elijah Mikaelson in the picture, trying to get a closer look, "I mean, I only met him once, and it was years ago...so I could be wrong."

Lizzie rolls her eyes, "Figures."

Josie looks up to scan Landon's expression, and she thinks that Landon is 100% confident in his memory. And for whatever reason, she can't find it within herself to tell him he's wrong.

But he has to be wrong, right? Because the man he's pointing to is definitely not 'Mr. Marshall.' He's Elijah Mikaelson.

After a moment, Landon looks away from the book, shaking his head and dismissing his thoughts, but there's still confusion in his eyes, matching Josie.

Landon sighs as he stands up from the bleachers, "I'm gonna head back to the others, see you two over there in a bit."

Josie gives him a nod as he leaves them, her eyes then catch Hope and Raf reentering the gym with Rebekah.
Raf walks over the the bleachers as Hope and Rebekah talk with Emma.