Just Like Fire | J. Saltzman - Legacies [2]

O N E

August

With a duffle bag thrown over his shoulder, Teddy crosses the small street, checking both ways. Night surrounds him, the stars hidden behind low clouds hanging in the air. The coolness of the breeze hits his skin differently than before; it feels like a cold shiver constantly racking his body.

He glances at the girl with tears in her eyes already sitting at the bus station. "Hey," he says as he steps onto the sidewalk. The girl's eyes open wide as she stares at him. "Is this seat taken?"

She quickly moves her stuff off of the seat. "No. You can sit." As he plops onto the bench, she says, "I mean, obviously you can sit down. It's not like I'm allowing you or anything, just moving..." She clears her throat as she adjusts in her seat.

Teddy suppresses a smile. "Are you ok?" He asks, eyeing the drying tears on her cheeks. Her eyes, lined with redness, bounce around the street, avoiding his gaze as much as she can. "I don't mean to pry or anything. You just seem sad."

"No, it's ok," she replies with a sigh. A smile tugs at her lips as she lets out a scoff. "Boyfriend problems. Saw him kissing another girl."

"Ugh, we hate a cheater," Teddy chuckles as he leans back against the bus station. He inhales deeply, letting his chest puff out, as he scratches at the stubble dotting his face "You break up with him?"

She shakes her head. "It's not his fault. Not really. I left a while ago to try and save the people I care about." She wipes a finger under her eye, collecting a wetness both know is there. "They all forgot about me."

"That's funny." Teddy glances down at her. "Sometimes, I wish I could forget about all the shit that's happened in the past few months."

She frowns, turning to face him. "What do you mean? What happened?" The urgency in her tone catches him off guard. When she sees the walls go up, she slouches, her shoulders hunching over her chest. "You don't have to tell me anything. I mean, you were nice enough to let me talk, I thought, maybe—"

"Short version?" His chest tightens as he runs his hand against the scruff building on his chin. She clamps her mouth shut as she brings her leg onto the bench. "My sister is really sick, and I don't know how to fix her." The girl's heart beats faster. "We can't find the right medicine to wake her up. And the one person I thought would be helping is out having movie nights with a gremlin." He shakes his head. "I have been going back every weekend for the entire summer, but I can't keep doing this. I can't keep seeing her lying lifeless on a bed. And soon enough, I have to go back to school, and my parents will have to do this alone. I don't know if my dad can handle it, to be honest."

The girl leans back against the plastic wall. Lights illuminate the road as the sound of shifting gears echoes through the crisp air.

"I guess we both got to rant tonight." Teddy runs his hands down his knees as he stands. "Look, the bus is here. I'm Teddy, by the way."

The girl shakes her head. "Stella's sick?" She mutters to herself.

With a frown, Teddy asks, "What did you say your name was again?"

Before the girl can reply, a loud crack echoes through the night. Both of them turn to the bus as it flops to its side; the girl steps into the middle of the street as the smoke clears.

A large creature behind the bus roars. Teddy races out to the girl to stare at the green-skinned monster. "It looks like a crappy Hulk," he says with a shake of the head.

"Oh, crap."

~~~~~

Leaves crunch under his boots as Teddy walks through the trees, the fresh forest air cooling the sweat beading his forehead. Beside him, the girl has her head down, nostrils flaring every few seconds as they happen upon another splotch of purple blood. Glancing over at her, he says, "You never told me your name."

She pauses, letting her blue eyes leave the soil to meet his gaze. "I'm not important."

"I don't believe that." The girl looks around for an escape; Teddy grabs her arm before she can run. "You know my sister's name. Who are you?"

She gulps. "We have a troll to find—"

Teddy shakes his head. "The way you fought...it was familiar. I knew how to fight with you. You know Stella. You know the Salvatore School." He narrows his eyes. "You fell into the pit."

She rips her arm back. "We don't have time for this, T. There is a troll running around the woods. We have to find it." She begins walking again.

"We're not done talking about this," Teddy says as he jogs up to her. "Who are you?"

"Hope Marshall," she snaps after a moment. "My name is Hope Marshall. And, honestly, even if I tell you what the hell is going on, none of it matters. So can we please just—?" She motions to the woods. "And you can tell me what's wrong with Stella."

"Why should I trust you?" Teddy asks. They resume their walk, Teddy's hands deep in his pockets.

Hope sighs. "You shouldn't trust anyone. But you're gonna have to, so might as well, right?"

Teddy clenches his jaw, glancing at her face. "You know Malivore?" He asks; she grimaces. "I guess that's a yes. My sister was shot with a bullet full of it. She can't heal."

With a frown, Hope shakes her head. "If she's been infected, how is she still alive? I mean, it's been... How long has it been?"

"Well, school starts next week."

"Three months," she breathes. "Oh my god, it's been three months." Her hand instinctively finds his. "How is she still alive?"

"My mom," he replies, looking down at their interlocked hands. "She cast this sleep spell. Put her in a chambre to stop the pain and the spread of it until she could find a cure."

Hope stops as her heart beats a little faster. "Give me two minutes," she says, backing away from a confused Teddy. "I gotta do something."

"What?" Teddy throws his hands into the air. "We gotta find this troll! Where are you going?"

She sends him a smirk. "You just have to trust me, T!" She disappears into the darkness.

"Hope!" He calls out. "Hope! Get your ass back here! Hope!" His eyes glow yellow as he sniffs the air. "Where'd you go?" He mutters, stepping in the direction she disappeared.

"Boo."

Teddy growls at Hope's voice in his ear. He turns with a glare resting on his face to find her grinning behind him. "What the hell?" He exclaims.

"You should answer your phone," she says.

"My phone? It's not—"

It begins to ring.

Teddy blinks once before he takes the phone out of his pocket. "Dad?" He answers, his eyes glues to Hope's childish grin.

"She healed."

Derek Hale's breathless voice comes through broken. Teddy stops breathing. "What?"

"She healed."

"Dad? What happened? She can't just be—"

"I don't understand it." Derek lets out a watered-down chuckle. "I left to get some coffee. When I came back, the wound was gone."

Teddy's lips tug upwards as he feels the air fill his lungs. "She's ok?"

"She's ok. Get home. We're gonna wake her up."

He nods, hanging up the phone. "I-I don't know what you did, but—" When he looks up, he is alone in the forest. "Hope?" He calls out, panic rising in his gut. "Hope?!" Even her scent disappears. He laughs, running a hand through his greasy hair. "Thank you."

First chapter! Thoughts?

Hope you enjoyed!

-L