For Good | Hale- TO/TW [8]

29 | Total Stranger

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She can hear her mom: "Carter, you have a choice. Will you keep our secret or not?"

She can hear Carter, sniffling and crying: "I won't tell anyone."

"Good. Now get out of my home."

Stella stops listening as her own sobs overpower her. She enters her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Stella slides down the door, putting her head in her hands. She promised she wouldn't let her emotions get the best of her. But it was Carter.

Carter made her heart flutter and die. Carter made her lose a sense of what she is, who she is. Carter made her normal—a normal girl with friends and a partner. But that's overall because of ...because...

A soft knock sounds at the door. Stella doesn't answer. It barely registers in her ears.

"Stella?" Her brother's voice echoes.

She does not attempt to stifle her sobs.

"Stella, please don't cry." Teddy's voice cracks. "I know you're not ok."

Stella picks her head up. She feels compelled to explain. He is on the verge of tears, she knows it. She can hear it in his voice.

"She cheated on me," she says, her breath ragged and uneven.

A soft thud sounds, as if Teddy leaned his head on the door. "Why didn't you tell us?" He asks.

"I don't wanna talk about it," she whispers, burying her head in her hands once more.

"Stella—"

"I said I don't want to talk!" She screams. Her magic stirs within her like a breathing dragon. She hears Teddy yelp, causing her to glance up. The doorknob to her room is glowing red. "Leave me alone," she says. "Just go."

She can imagine he is shaking his head. "I can't just leave you like—"

"I said go! Leave me alone!"

She knows they won't stay away for long. That's how it is in the Hale family. They cannot stand it when one of them is in pain or sad. They cannot stand it when someone hurts their family. But Stella cannot deal with them. She can't.

As she cries, she manages to recite a spell. A spell that would take her away. She climbs into her bed and grabs a pillow. She can feel her consciousness slipping away as another knock echoes through the room.

When she opens her eyes again, she is relieved to find herself far away from her family and Carter. Her knees buckle, and she falls onto Hope's bed at the Salvatore Boarding School. It is the one place where no one knows about her—who she is, who she dated, why they broke up. Her relief almost overpowers all other instincts. Almost.

She hears a noise behind her. Stella stills, her sobs quieting. In the blink of an eye, she jumps to face the intruder, flames flickering in her hands. She sees a brunette at Hope's desk, frozen with her hands over stacked books. "Who the hell are you?" Stella demands.

"Calm down, are you crazy?" The girl exclaims, her eyes wide as she stares at the flames. "Do you wanna burn the school down?"

Stella narrows her red-rimmed eyes as she pushes her hand forward. "You do not want to fuck with me right now. What are you doing in Hope's room?"

The girl fumbles for a response. "Um...Studying?"

Stella shakes her head, sniffling. "Try again. You're snooping? Aren't you?"

The girl drops her hand to the desk. Stella swears it starts to glow red. "You caught me. But I have a better question. Who the hell are you?"

"You're in my cousin's room," Stella replies. "You're one of the siphoners, right?"

The girl does not reply.

Stella drops her hands, letting the fire fizzle out. "I don't mean to cause trouble," she says as she sits on the bed. "I just needed a place to go without my family after me."

The girl's hand stops glowing. "Oh," she says. "I get that."

A moment of silence passes. Thoughts flood back into Stella's head. Thoughts of her family and Carter. Tears spring back to her eyes.

As Stella tries to wipe her tears, the girl takes a tentative step forward. "My mom told me about you. Stella, right? I'm Josie."

Stella rolls her eyes. "Look, I really just wanted to be alone, so..."

Josie nods as she moves to the door. "Do you mind not telling Hope? She's already pissed at me for missing class a few times, and—"

"Sure, fine," Stella snaps, but her shaking body makes the words come out jumbled and broken. "Whatever. Why should I care?"

Josie turns to go. The moment the brunette's eyes are gone, Stella buries her head in her hands and lets the sobs flow. The pain of Carter's betrayal is all-too-fresh in her mind. All she can think about is how she felt when she found out what Carter did.

She does not notice when arms wrap around her. The sobbing continues, but Stella curls into the unfamiliar embrace. It is comforting, someone holding her without any reason behind it.

"My twin sister did this when I broke up with my girlfriend," Josie says. The girl's arms are wrapped around Stella, a hand holding her head, the other around her waist. "It was bound to end—she's literally Satan's incarnate—but I still liked her. But she hurt me. And I couldn't think straight. I spent the night crying, but Lizzie didn't leave my side. She wouldn't. So, we'll stay like this, at least until you stop crying. I don't like seeing people hurt."

Stella clings to Josie's uniform, her hands warm. She can feel Josie flinch under her hold, but the girl's embrace does not falter.

"She was scared," Stella cries, her voice breaking with every syllable. "I saw it in her eyes—she was scared of me."

Josie runs her hand down Stella's hair, holding her tighter. Stella's tears soak Josie's blazer, but neither girl cares.

"She thought I was a monster. She thought what she did was nothing compared to what I can do." The shaking becomes worse. "I don't know what to do anymore."

Stella picks up her head, clarity swimming in her eyes. Horror dawns on her face. "I am so sorry," she whispers. "You don't even know me."

Josie's eyes are sad, but somehow, she understands. The siphoner says, "Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on. I don't mind."

Stella nods. She raises a hand to wipe away the tears, but Josie blocks her. "There is nothing to be ashamed of, Stella," she says. "If you need someone to listen, I'm here."

Stella stares for a moment into Josie's brown eyes. They are like the trunks of great trees, light bouncing off them. "You'd listen to a total stranger?" Stella asks.

Josie nods. "Until my next class."

Stella makes a face.

Josie laughs, a small smile stretching her lips. "I tend to care too much. It's sort of my problem."

Stella mirrors Josie's smile. Somehow, the Hale girl feels normal. She feels like the world around her has finally stopped spinning. She can focus on what is right in front of her.

She scoots away, leaning her back against the wall. Josie does the same. They look at each other in silence before Stella begins. 

Can anyone guess what I'm considering? *insert evil smirk*

Hope you enjoyed!

-L