an incredible spark

it's true

"I forgot to give your jacket back on Saturday."

Hope jumps up as she suddenly hears Josie's voice. She was so focused on getting the books for her first class from her locker that she didn't see the brunette approach her. Hope quickly gives Josie her attention, and a soft smile appears on her lips when she sees the shy one on the Saltzman girl's face. Josie is handing her the leather jacket, so Hope slowly reaches to take it, but then gently pushes it back into the brunette's hands.

"You should keep it." Hope's smile gets flirty without her noticing. "It looked good on you."

Josie frowns and immediately pushes the jacket back into Hope's hands.

"No, you should take it back."

Hope chuckles, but takes back her jacket. "Fine, I'll take it back. This way I can give it to you again if you need it."

As soon as she's done speaking, Hope turns back to her locker to put the jacket inside her bag. By doing so, she misses the blush that quickly covers Josie's cheeks after hearing her words. The brunette quickly looks away, trying her best to appear as normal as possible.

"I have something to ask you."

Hope quickly looks back at Josie, she really didn't expect those words to come out of the brunette's mouth. The Mikaelson girl gives Josie an encouraging smile.

"Yes?"

Josie clears her throat. "I told my mom about what happened on Saturday."

"What did you tell her?"

"That I had dinner with you and your family, and that you walked me back home. " Josie gives Hope a shy smile. "So, she suggested that I invite you over to have dinner with us."

Hope's smile quickly gets bigger. She slowly closes her locker before leaning against it. Blue meets brown, and in that moment a familiar feeling arises in Hope's stomach, some would call it butterflies. She hopes she doesn't look as giddy as she feels, and if so, she prays Josie won't notice it.

"Are you inviting me to dinner right now?" The auburn haired girl asks with a teasing smile. "Or are you just informing me of what your mother said?"

Josie's fingers get tighter around the straps of her backpack. She gently bites her lip, clearly debating her answer.

"I'm asking you." Josie takes a deep breath. "Hope, would you like to come over to my house and have dinner with my family and I?"

"Josie Saltzman, that would be an honor." Hope says with a blinding smile. "When would it be?"

The brunette nervously plays with the straps of her bags and gives the auburn haired girl a light shrug.

"Whenever you're free, I guess."

Hope places her index finger on her chin as she thinks aloud. "Well, I have cheer practice after school on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday night there's the football game, and I'm leaving for my dad's for the weekend since we're off next Monday."

"That leaves..." Josie pauses. "Tonight?"

"Yeah? Unless that's not possible. Then, we could do it another week."

"No!" Josie protests, quickly getting her phone out of the pocket of her jeans as she says it. "I'll text my mom right now, it should be fine."

There's a fond smile on Hope's face as she watches the brunette type away on her phone with a cute little concentration frown. It still kind of surprises the auburn haired girl to think that almost everything Josie does is cute. Except when she runs away, or obviously hides something, those are the parts Hope doesn't like.