Hope jumps up, drenched in sweat.
"Hey, you okay?" Josie whispers, barely audible.
"It was a dream?" she turns to the taller girl. The brunette is cuddled in a chair next to the window with a book in her hands. Hope moves her eyes from Josies and down to the book in her lap. Josies follow suit.
"You were sleeping when I got here" a blush falls over her face "I didn't want to wake you".
Of course Hope didn't care if Josie was in her room, she did give her a key. She was more concerned with Josie being safe at that moment.
"you're safe..." she whispered. It was more of a personal confirmation than any real addition to the conversation.
"Yes? Why would I not be?" Josie quirked an eyebrow.
"Nightmare. You were gone." Hope scanned her room. Nothing was out of place. She focused her eyes on the pictures on her desk, trying to calm her heartbeat. Josie dog-eared the page in her book and gently set it next to her.
"They're happening again? Hope, We have to tell dad."
"No. I'm fine." Hope snapped. She caught Josies glare just before it softened.
"Last time they came to life. We still don't know how or why," she practically begged Hope to tell someone.
"This won't happen. We weren't even in school. it was a house I'd never been in" she wasn't lying, but she didn't dare tell Josie about the very realistic flashback of Alaric and Mila.
Josie lifted herself off of the couch and shuffled over to Hopes bed. Squatting down to eye level with Hope, she reached for her hand.
"Please, if it gets realistic, in even the smallest way, promise you'll tell Emma or my dad?"
"Anything you want" Hope half-smiled as she took a deep breath.
Josies face lit up, and she leaned in for a hug.
A few hours later, Hope is lying on her back on the floor, snapping her fingers and making bits of ice fly from a cup on her desk into her mouth. Josie is cuddled up by the window with a new book, the one from earlier already finished. It's comfortable, like it always has been. The two of them just sharing space and existing silently.
Theres a knock on the door and Hope tilts her head to swing it open.
"Hello to my two favorite ladies," Lizzie walks in carrying a couple of shopping bags.
"Evening Liz" The two older girls respond in harmony.
"So, theres a party tonight. Its out at the mill and we are all going. No but's" she smiles. Josie looks up from her book for the first time in who knows how long.
"Lizzie, dear sister, why do you always insist on going to wolf parties?"
"...because, dear sister, they are the best ones. And its not like we can go to the parties in Mystic Falls." she huffs. Hope, still laying on the floor, flips from her back to her stomach.
"I'm in"
Both sisters turn towards Hope, surprised to say the least.
"See Josie, now you're stuck going. Thanks Hope!" Lizzie leans down to high five the tribrid as she walks towards the door.
"Going back to our room now, I'll see you in an hour!" her voice fading as she makes her way down the hall. Josie moves from the chair down to floor, folding her book closed.
"Why would you do that? I thought we were on the same side!" she laughs. Hope shrugs.
"Might be fun. Plus you're cute when you're drunk" Hope lightly taps Josie on the forehead. Josie scrunches her nose, letting her head fall into her crossed arms.
