𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 ━━ HOPE MIKAELSON.

13

"HEY, LIZZIE. WHAT'S UP?" Jaxon asked, having answered his phone when Lizzie called a few seconds ago. Hope, Jaxon and Rafael were walking in the woods to where Landon was. "No, I can't come." He spoke after Lizzie's request asking him to come to the game, "I'm actually busy right now."

"Doing what?" Lizzie asked, realisation hitting her, "don't tell me you've gone with Hope, dad and Rafael—"

"—I have." He replied earning a loud sigh from Lizzie, "you told me that you would be here to support our team."

"Look," Jaxon ran a hand through his hair, "this is far more important than some stupid fucked up game."

"Stupid game?" Lizzie repeated with a scoff, "okay, yeah I see how it is."

Jaxon rolled his eyes at his adoptive sister's dramatics, "bye."

"Wait wha—" Lizzie's voice was cut off by the 'beep' when Jaxon disconnected the call, not in the mood to deal with her.

He slid his phone back in his pocket and walked towards Rafael and Hope. The latter was pretending that she wasn't listening in to his conversation and he knew that but he said nothing about it.

"What exactly happened on that bus?" Rafael asked to which Hope replied, "no one knows. It's like something incinerated it from the inside."

"Look, whatever he did," Rafael said, "I know there's a good explanation."

Jaxon rolled his eyes, looking at the werewolf, "fine then explain to us why you'd burn a bus full of people."

"I—" Rafael paused, looking at Hope and Jaxon who were both shooting him expecting looks. "—I don't know.... we don't even have proof that Landon's the one who did it. He's the most loyal friend I've ever had. He was there for me on the worst day of my life. After my girlfriend died..." Rafael further explained, "he's the only thing that kept me going. So let me get that knife back for you two then we all can hear him out, okay?"

"Appreciate the passion, but making you should exert some of it making new friends." Hope said to which Jaxon hummed.

Rafael scoffed, growing frustrated, "so I can be as popular and well liked as you?" Hope paused in her walk and turned to face the guy who smirked, "yeah, I've been at the school for two days and I've already heard all about Hope Mikaelson and her sunny disposition." He then looked at Jaxon, "and let's not forget about Jaxon, the son of Hades, half–god, half–werewolf. I hope you know what the students think of you. They think that you're going to kill them someday— all of them."

"I know what they think, dumbass." Jaxon rolled his eyes, "and I don't care. Maybe it's true..." He smirked at Rafael's baffled expression. 

The werewolf quickly maintained himself, "look... I'll get you two the stupid, not–stupid knife and the answers you want. I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Jaxon muttered just as Hope narrowed her eyes at Rafael, "and why should we believe you?"

"Because I don't lie." Rafael responded earning a humourless chuckle from Jaxon, "everybody lies."

"I'm not lying," Rafael clarified, "just... Give me a chance, alright? Just one chance before you two jump at Landon."

Hope and Jaxon exchanged a look before Hope sighed, "he's in the root cellar. You have five minutes to do this your way."

"Three," Jaxon corrected, "three minutes."

"Fine, three." Hope nodded at Rafael who shot them both a confused look, "wait, the headmaster said don't engage."

"Well, the headmaster's not here." Jaxon said, raising his brows, "Do you wanna do this or not? One minute's up."

"But—" Rafael was cut off by Hope, "—two minutes fifty nine, two minutes fifty eight... " And then Rafael rushed to the root cellar while the two stayed behind and waited for around ten seconds before going as well.

They walked in just in time to hear Landon say, "That wasn't me."

"Then who was it?" Hope asked making the two boys look at her and Jaxon.

"You said three minutes!" Rafael said, looking at them. Hope rolled her eyes, "like Jax said, people lie." She looked at Landon. Before she could do anything, Jaxon narrowed his eyes at Landon who flew to the wall, his back making contact with it resulting in a loud groan from him. His own hands flew to his own neck and grasped it as if someone was choking him. It didn't take long for them to realise who was doing it. "I'm going to end you."

Rafael looked desperately at Hope, "do something! He's going to kill him!"

"Where's the knife?" Jaxon questioned, eyes fixed on the boy.

"I don't know!" Landon gasped, taking deep breaths, "I don't have it! I must've lost it when I ran."

"After you burnt the bus?" Hope asked, holding her hand forward making Landon shake his head, "that wasn't me, I swear! I barely made it out alive."

"Guys, come on." Rafael pleaded which fell deaf ears when Jaxon said, "then who the hell was it?"

"There was this girl..."