𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 ━━ HOPE MIKAELSON.

69

“I AM WITHDRAWING FROM miss mystic falls, effective immediately." Lizzie said as she walked past Penelope, Josie, Jaxon and Hope who were standing beside each other after being called by Lizzie herself.

"I thought you had something important to tell us," Hope said making Penelope look at her, "come for the underwhelming announcement, stay for the epic meltdown."

"Okay, wait, why are you quitting?" Josie asked to which Lizzie sighed, "a personal issue with one of the judges. A direct result of that bitch Dana's sabotage."

"She's dead, Lizzie," Hope said, unable to believe that Lizzie was talking that way of someone who's dead. Lizzie looked at her, "correction: that dead bitch Dana's sabotage. Costing me the crown from beyond the grave. The head judge is her mother. The town pharmacist."

"I could fix that problem." Jaxon suggested making all the girls look at him, saying at the same time, "no."

"You're not killing anybody today." Lizzie added resulting in Jaxon rolling his eyes, "why do you people always assume that I'm talking about killing someone?"

"Because that's what you're thinking right now," Penelope responded, raising her brows at her best friend, "am I not right?"

"I mean, I was but now I'm thinking of knocking her unconscious—" Jaxon was cut off by Lizzie, "no, she's head judge. We can't risk anything happening to her, they'll postpone the whole thing. Anyway, there is always next year for me. But that does not mean that we here at the Salvatore School shouldn't bring home the title and stick it to those townies. So, I have studied all of the stats and advanced metrics, and I have chosen a replacement," she looked at the tribrid, "Hope Mikaelson."

Jaxon began coughing making the others look at him. Hope raised her brows, "is there something you wish to say?"

"No," He shook his head, "I just choked on air. It's nothing, really. It happens very often... for no reason."

"Yeah sure," Hope rolled her eyes, turning to Lizzie, "what do I have to do?"

"Let's take this to my room," Lizzie said with a smile as she and Hope walked away while Jaxon turned to Josie and Penelope.

"Nobody's stopping you from participating, you know?" Jaxon asked Josie who looked at him with furrowed brows. He scoffed, "don't give me that face. I know you want to."

"But Lizzie—"

"—Seriously?" Penelope cut her off before saying with a final tone, "you're doing this. I don't care what you think but you are doing this."

"You heard her," Jaxon said when Josie looked up at him. Letting out a sigh, she finally smiled before nodding, "I guess I'm doing it."

Jaxon then left the room, not before receiving a not so subtle smile from Penelope which he returned with a smirk.

**

After a few minutes, Jaxon found himself walking in the main hall where the contestants were getting ready for the dance rehearsals.

"Just the guy I'm looking for!" Lizzie exclaimed, walking up to Jaxon with Hope beside him. He frowned, hoping that it was not what he thought it was that she wanted, "what the fuck do you want?"

"Language," she scolded, "there are people around. We wouldn't want them to know how absolutely mannerless you are, now would we?"

"Why would we not?" Jaxon asked back, "you should know that I don't really," he increased the tone of his voice a little to piss her off, "give a fuck about—" he was cut off when she slapped him in his arm, "—what people think about me."

"Stop it!" Lizzie hissed, "you're Hope's boyfriend so automatically, her escort."

"I'm her what now?" Instead of replying to Jaxon's question, Lizzie grabbed Hope's and Jaxon's hand and placed them in one another before saying, "don't mess this up!"

Just then, Vera cleared her throat, "Time for rehearsal." Jaxon rolled his eyes at Lizzie who gave him thumbs up with a grin on her face.

He led Hope to the middle of the room and they were facing each other as Vera spoke up again, "honour your partner." They did as they were told, "right hand around. Flirt with your eyes. Left hand around. Both hands."

Hope then bumped into a girl, she immediately apologized, "sorry." The girl turned to look at Hope, "with the time you spent not doing your hair, you could've at least practiced the dance a little."

Jaxon rolled his eyes at the girl, stepping towards her making her look at him, her jaw dropping a little. She instantly closed it when Jaxon spoke, "hey, do us a favour and fuck—" he was off by Hope who grabbed his hand and led him away from. "You deprive me of all the fun stuff."

"The fun stuff will come later." She said making him raise his brows in amusement as he twirled her around in their dance, "you're being very bold today."

"Is that a good thing?" She asked, placing her hand in his and the other one on his shoulder again. He nodded, "of course. It's kinda hot."

"Is it?" She questioned again, her eyes falling on Landon who was standing in the back of the room. He mouthed a ‘can we talk’ to her and Hope looked at Jaxon, "Landon wants to talk to me. Can you like, excuse me for a second?"

"Don't say a second when you're gonna take at least two minutes." He mumbled, letting go of her, "But sure, go ahead."

"I'll be right back," she said before walking towards Landon. Jaxon walked towards Lizzie and stood beside her as they both watched Hope and Landon talking.

"What are they talking about?" Lizzie asked making him look at her, faking a confused look, "what?"

"I know you're eavesdropping," she replied with a roll of her eyes, "and sharing is caring, dear brother."

"Well I don't care about you, dear sister," Jaxon shot back, still listening to Hope's and Landon's conversation which was about Roman.

"Ugh." She rolled her eyes, "fine, whatever." Just then, the glasses in the room began shaking and Jaxon knew that it was Hope who was doing it unintentionally at the conversation her and Landon were having about Roman.

"It's her, isn't it?" Lizzie asked earning a nod from the demigod. Exchanging a look, they both walked towards Hope and Landon. Jaxon placed a hand on Hope's shoulder, leaning down and whispered, "come with me."

Lizzie looked at Landon as Jaxon and Hope walked away, "you stay here."