Legacy Diaries

Hope's Diary Entry No. 2

The Cafeteria
Hope's Diary Entry

Here I was, the daughter of Niklaus Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall-Kenner, invisible from everyone while I stared at the newbie werewolf who terrified me into 'freezing in terror' from a good distance as he enjoyed a meal with his pack like he was a real Alpha.

I couldn't believe that I could face the first ever seen dragon in modern age and kill it with no problem, but I couldn't face a teenage boy who has only seen one full moon as a werewolf, and my father and my uncle sacrificed themselves to save me. Was I really so pathetic? I was a tribrid-in-waiting, for goodness sake. When the hell did I become so weak?

The answer came in the form of a flashback to my kiss with Landon and then to me listening to Emma and trying to reach out to Rafael. I was reminded of the reasons why I didn't let anyone in and why it was better to be alone. Rafael brought up my insecurities about whether or not I was worthy of my father's sacrifice and the fear he made me feel towards him told me that I wasn't worthy.

I couldn't let that stand and there was only one way for me to reclaim my pride and confidence, and that was to issue a challenge to the 'Alpha' of the Salvatore Boarding School Pack and put Rafael Waithe in his place. All I had to do was walk up to him and challenge him in front of everyone, and that was what I would have done had Lizzie not showed up with Josie.

The werewolves must have smelled them coming because they rose to their feet and stood between the twins and Rafael, Jed leading the protective wall. The cafeteria went quiet really quickly and fixed its eyes on the interaction.

"Do you mind?" Lizzie asked with her head held high, more than likely enjoying the attention. "I'm here to see my date."

"Your date?" Jed replied with his own question, before looking at Josie, and so did I because Rafael was actually her date.

"Our date, actually," Lizzie amended.

This confused and surprised me more than the idea of Lizzie getting Josie to give up Rafael to be her date. Speaking of the 'Alpha', he seemed confused.

"Raf," Lizzie addressed the confused werewolf and looked at the wall of werewolves preventing her from reaching him.

"Don't worry, guys," Rafael said, standing up. "I've got this."

With that, he parted the wall and placed a hand on Jed's shoulder.

"Remember what I told you," he reminded Jed the 'Second-in-command', and said second-in-command backed down, allowing the 'Alpha' to focus on the twins. "Let's go somewhere less... (he looked around and everyone suddenly found other things interesting) crowded."

"Let's," Lizzie responded with a smile, linking her arm with Rafael's, who, if I wasn't mistaken, looked at Josie with some discomfort and hesitation before they headed in my direction with Josie following behind like a third wheel.

Curious, I followed them to the closest classroom after they walked past me. While Josie took a moment to herself outside the classroom after Lizzie and Rafael entered, I slipped in and I was glad that I did because the moment she closed the door behind her, she powered up and then lit the sage in the room to activate the privacy spell that was placed in every classroom to prevent cheating with outside help during tests and exams.

"What's going on?" Rafael asked, unlinking his arm from Lizzie's, moving to get both sisters in his line of sight while looking at the sage cautiously, guard up.

"I activated the privacy spell so that no one can hear us," Josie answered, probably having noticed his wariness.

"Did you know that Josie told our Dad that you're her date?" Lizzie went straight to the point.

"I was there," Rafael replied, his guard still up. "You got what you wanted after all, but didn't we agree that we wouldn't tell anyone about what happened last night?"

"You called off our deal and Josie told me about the kiss and I told her about us so we could forgive each other and start on a new page," Lizzie responded defensively. "I didn't know that she would attack you like she did and get you to be her date."

"Did you want me to tell Dad that the reason I attacked Rafael was because he had sex with you to hurt me after we kissed because I voted 'no' to Landon staying here?" Josie came with her own defense with shocking revelations. "I didn't know that he was your date because you told me that..."

"It doesn't matter what I told you!" Lizzie interrupted her. "You knew that we had sex but you still told Dad that he's your date."

"To cover for you like I always do!" Josie replied while Rafael rubbed his temples, probably regretting getting involved with the Saltzman twins.

"I didn't ask you to cover for me!" Lizzie pointed out, as if she didn't always need Josie to clean up her mess for her.

"It's what I've always done. It's what I always do." Josie retorted, sounding tired. "And Rafael couldn't come up with a cover, so I did."

"And now we have to share him," Lizzie said, her displeasure at sharing very audible.

"I'm not some toy to be shared!" Rafael entered the picture, reminding the sisters of his presence. "And I didn't sleep with Lizzie to get back at you, Josie. My beef is with you, not Lizzie. That just happened. I asked you to be honest with me. I asked you if this place was worth keeping Landon here, and you told me that it was, that we were all in this together, and then you made my efforts to keep Landon here worthless.

"Your 'we look out for each other' doesn't apply for him to you because you don't know his curse and you blame everything on him when he found that knife in this school. He didn't bring it here, he found it here and tried to take it away from here, but Hope and your father brought it back here even though they knew a freakin' dragon was after it!"

Halfway through his monologue, Rafael started pacing, getting worked up. I was tempted to retaliate when he blamed me and Doctor Saltzman for the recent monster attacks, but his question held my hand.

"Do you know what Landon said while we were away?" He asked, looking at the twins as he stopped pacing. "He said that it was like the knife wanted him to take it. For all we know, it might have known that creatures we've only heard of from myths and legends were after it and that it wasn't safe here, but none of you wanted to listen to him, especially Hope, and you sided with her."

He directed the last part at Josie.

"I sided with protecting my family," Josie retorted defensively.

"Don't forget the school was attacked while Landon and I weren't here," Rafael responded with a reminder. "You didn't really protect your family by sending Landon away, you helped Hope maintain the lonely girl thing she has going on and she made sure that Landon is as alone and as lonely as she is.

"Before I joined the Pack, I told you that after Cassie, I thought that Landon was the only pack I would ever have, that I didn't think I needed anyone else. After you made it clear that it isn't about who's friends with who or who you like, and after Landon left me behind, I realized something. I realized that you're right, it isn't about who's friends with who or who you like, it's about who sticks around no matter what.

"I lost a brother last night, but in my failed mission to get him accepted here, I gained something I didn't think I needed until I was all alone again last night: a pack that you and Hope gave me the opportunity to win over its loyalty and respect to cement my new Alpha status. Thank you for that.

"Like I told you in my letter, today is your birthday and birthdays are important to me, so today is a day of peace between us. I'll be the best date I can be for you tonight as a thank you for everything you've done for me since I arrived here."

"What about me?" Lizzie asked, getting herself back in the conversation.

"You wanted me to forgive Josie for voting against Landon staying here and make today the best day of her life," Rafael said, to my surprise, and Josie's too. "I've forgiven her. She kind of did me a favor, so I'm going to try my best to make today the best day of her life. You should ask someone else to be your date."

"I publicly announced you as my date," Lizzie pointed out, not pleased. "And told my Mom and Dad."

"Today is your birthday, Lizzie," Rafael replied. "You deserve a date who will give you all his attention and try his best to make today the best day of your life too."

"I don't want anyone else to be my date," Lizzie stated stubbornly. "It's my birthday and I won't settle for less than what I want and I'm not gonna be dateless like Despair Mikaelson."

Despair Mikaelson, really? I was happy until Rafael ended my happiness, and now I had him...

"Hope!" Rafael suddenly gave me a start, and for a moment, I thought that he saw me and heard my thoughts, but he was heading for the door. "I almost forgot. Sorry to cut this short (he wasn't sorry), but I have... a thing with Hope after break."

"You have a thing with Hope? / What thing?" Josie and Lizzie asked in unison, although the latter was actually demanding in her question.

"Yes," Rafael replied over his shoulder, opening the door, but Lizzie kept it closed telekinetically, causing him to turn to look at her and answer her question. "A thing."

"Here's a tip," Lizzie said, walking over to him. "To really make this day the best day of my life, don't walk out on me to be with Hope Mikaelson. I can share you with my sister, but not with Hope. She already gets enough attention from my Dad."

Wow. If she only knew, I haven't seen or spoken with her father much today, apart from when he called me, Josie and Rafael to his office and the Honor Council meeting with Caroline. Wait. Now that I thought about it, I couldn't help but wonder if Lizzie gave Doctor Saltzman the same 'tip' she gave Rafael.

Speaking of Rafael, he didn't look pleased with Lizzie.

"I am not..." he began with his fists clenched.

"You're not a toy to be shared," Josie interjected to complete his sentence, approaching him and her sister and skillfully got between them without actually being in the middle of them. "We know that, and Lizzie didn't mean it in that way. It's just...

"As you pointed out, Hope has a lonely girl thing going for her, but it's countered by our Dad spending more time with her than he does with anyone else. You walking out on us because you have a 'thing' with Hope hits too close to home."

Rafael softened, un-clenching his fists while my heart did the opposite. I never really thought about how Doctor Saltzman spending some time with me affected the twins until he jumped in front of me to protect me from the gargoyle without a second thought and my budding friendship with Josie ended before it really began because of that. Hearing her right now...

"I'm sorry," Rafael apologized softly.

"I'm sorry too," Lizzie also apologized. "Living under Hope's shadow is difficult."

She was one to talk.

"At least you have each other," Rafael pointed out, looking on the bright side. "Landon taught me to see the potential in the worst of situations and to make the best of whatever hand I'm dealt. We may not be blood, but he showed me the potential in the foster system and became the brother I never thought I would ever have.

"He became my family in the sense that is more than foster, and part of that was sharing whatever we had and supporting each other. Until he left me behind."

He took a deep breath in and exhaled with a shake of his head, resolve painting his features.

"Fine," he said. "I'll be your date too."

Lizzie's whole being lit up with a blinding smile that made Josie's frown all the more visible.

"But how is this gonna work?" asked Rafael, looking at both sisters.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out while you do your thing with Hope," Josie responded a little coolly, before walking past Rafael, heading for the door.

Before she opened it, she siphoned from the wall and put out the sage and then left.

"What 'thing' do you have with Hope when you should be in class?" Lizzie inquired.

"It doesn't matter," was the response she received. "I'll probably spend most of it distracted trying to figure out how this date thing is gonna work."

"I can help," she replied.

"Speaking of help," I had a feeling Rafael was about to change the topic. "Since our deal is off, that thing you gave me yesterday..."

I was right, but what 'thing' was he talking about?

"Keep it," Lizzie interrupted, to my annoyance. "You can't use it to protect Landon, but you can use it to protect yourself. Speaking of, I think we should do something to protect you from the pain inflicting spell. I'll come to your room tonight to see what we can do about it."

"Lizzie," Rafael began, but was silenced by a kiss to the lips by Lizzie before she headed for the door.

"Don't think about it!" she said over her shoulder, and then out she went.