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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 TWENTY.
[20] . I'll Never Give Up Hope.
【 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 ONE】
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❝ ᴍʏ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴏᴏ ʜɪɢʜ ❞
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A TON OF THINGS HAS happened in the last six months. The first two months were nothing but confusing and full of mixed emotions. Alaric was voted off as headmaster and transferred to another school to become Principle at Mystic Falls High. There was still no word from my father about coming back. Raf was still stuck in his wolf form, which none of us remembered how he even got there. I got the remainder of my grace back when Malivore was magically destroyed by who knows what.
The power that came with the Grace was strong, at first, I had trouble controlling myself, but now everything is under control. I have my episodes here and there, but that's only because I can't fully control it without proper help. Alaric has been helping me with training, and we've bonded over time. He was trying to make up for my father leaving which helped a lot. In return, I decided to transfer to Mystic Falls High with him, and also because the twins asked me to look after him.
Landon and I had also bonded more and got along. We found out he wasn't my brother, but that didn't stop me from treating him like one.
Everything seemed to have been going well, but I still feel like a big part of me is missing. I feel hopeless.
Oh, and I'm sort of with Josie.
NO ONE'S POV
June-
"What are you writing in there?" Josie questioned
"Nothing important," Lucas replied as he closed his notepad. "How was your chat with Lizzie?"
"The same like always except this time she's met some Swedish dude," Josie said with a chuckle.
"Of course."
"How are things with you and Landon? Have you guys figured out why you guys can't remember what happened to the Malivore pit?" Josie asks as she took a seat next to the boy.
Lucas shook his head. "We're working on it. But everything is still a blur. Weirdly, I can't remember."
"Don't stress yourself." Josie sighed, running her fingers through his hair. "You'll figure this all out."
"I hope so. But I won't give up, I'll never give up hope. I've got to help get Raf back." Lucas says as he stands up and grabs Josie's hand. "Come on. We're going out for dinner."
July
Lucas was currently with Landon and werewolf Rafael. Trying his best to keep the two boys company as he set up his movie date with Josie for later.
"So I should probably tell you I moved rooms last month," Landon announces to the wolf. "Ours was getting painted, and I figured I'd move back in once you were, you know, you again. But if for any reason, you become you while I'm out, like, looking for ways to help you become you, I just didn't want you to go back and see that I wasn't in our room anymore and think that I bailed on you, because I would never do that, obviously."
Rafael let out low growls
"Lucas is dating, Josie," Landon adds as well. "I don't think that was important but you should be up to date."
Lucas snorted before lighting up a sparkler. "Happy Fourth of July, boys."
"Happy Fourth," Landon repeats.
After a moment the three ended up going their separate ways. Lucas had to meet with Josie and Alaric since the man needed to talk to the couple about Malivore.
Right now the three were walking downtown speaking about Alaric's failures.
"No matter what path I go down, it seems like a dead-end," Alaric explains. "I mean you were outside with all the demons, but there were at least two other people with Landon the night Malivore was destroyed."
"If there was, I would've remembered, Ric," Lucas informs the man. "I created Malivore, and I remember anyone or thing that goes and comes out that pit."
"But I don't understand that, because whoever was there left Fibers, footprints, hair—I mean it could've been one of the demons." Alaric shrugs. "But that would just make less sense."
Lucas sighed. "Listen, Ric. Nothing went into Malivore."
Alaric sighed
Josie took this time to get information from her father. "So dad, I was hoping we could talk about the ascendant, what it has to do with the Merge."
Alaric narrowed his eyes. "Wait, is that Landon right there?" the man says walking away.
Lucas let out a snort, earning a glare from Josie.
"Come on, you sour patch." Lucas chuckles as he took her hand.
The four talked about Rafael and Malivore. Landon explained how he and Lucas had read almost every book in town, in search of a solution to get Rafael back.
"We keep hitting dead end after dead end." Landon sighs
"Join the club," Josie says
"Hey," Alaric says offendedly
Josie then turned towards the Phoenix. "Landon, can you ask my dad why he won't give me answers to my very simple questions on how my sister and I can survive past the age of 22?"
"It's because your dad doesn't have any answers he's able to give you. That's why, sweetheart." Alaric replies with a tight smile.
The witch seemed unimpressed. "Able to or willing?"
Lucas and Landon both awkwardly watched the father and daughter argue with each other.
"Look, there is nothing about the Ascendant you need to know." Alaric huffs
"Then why do you flinch every time I bring it up?"
Alaric rolled his eyes. "Because it has nothing to do with the Merge, Josette, so let's just drop it, okay?"
With that, it got silent, and awkward quickly.
Lucas cleared his throat. "Well, um, I'm gonna head back to campus."
"What about the fireworks?" Alaric questioned
"I'll watch them from campus."
"I'll come with you. I'm suddenly not in the mood to celebrate anything, much less independence." Josie shades her father with a look.
The two walked away and made their way back to the school. Josie went to her dorm to change into different clothing, while Lucas did very much stupid things.
Every time he closed his eyes he'd see a vision of someone. He wasn't able to put his finger on who. The thing was, now that he had his Grace he was able to die and see these visions of his life, of his future.
So he now had a stone tied around his waist as he was at the dock. Lucas breathed in heavily before jumping into the lake and drowning himself. And once again he saw the visions. It weirdly brought him peace and he wasn't sure why. After a moment he came back to reality and as he got out of the water there was fire all around him.
He could hear the fireworks pop and whistle in the distance.
"I changed my mind about the fireworks," Josie said with an upset look on her face, as her arms were crossed over her chest.
Lucas sighed as he stood up knowing Josie was about to lecture him. "It's not a big deal."
"Who do you think you're talking to?" Josie scoffed at him. "My sister is the queen of self-harm. I know it when I see it."
"I'm not harming myself because I can't be harmed."
Josie walked up towards him. "So you think because you've got your Grace back that you're unkillable? hurting yourself doesn't make anything better. It never does!"
The Nephilim ignored the witch as he walked past her.
"Lucas." She groans
Lucas scoffed. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I should start focusing on other people's problems instead of my own."
"That's now what I'm doing," Josie argued
"That's a lie, Jo." Lucas shot
"How do you know?"
"Because your thoughts are saying otherwise. And you're a bad liar." Lucas replies
Josie sighed. "Okay. What are we supposed to do?"
"You tell me," Lucas says dropping his hands to his side. "Because, to be honest with you, I'm kind of at a loss."
A small smile appeared on Josie's face. "Maybe we should both stop worrying so much about dying. Start living a little? Go back to having the fun like we use to when you first came to the school."
Lucas nodded. "Alright, Jojo."
August- Last day of summer
Josie and Lucas had been having the time of their lives with each other. For once they were at peace and not arguing, or thinking about their death. The two had been having movie date nights almost every night, along with dates and hangouts every day.
They got along well, they filled in the missing holes in each other's life. They were each other's best friends.
"Songwriting? I can't take it anymore." Lizzie says
The couple had been telling Lizzie about everything they've done while she was gone.
"Somewhere in Belgium, Penelope Park's black heart just exploded." Lizzie continued. "You and the boyking?"
"I'm right here, Elizabeth." Lucas huffed
"I know." Lizzie smiled sheepishly.
"Relax. We're just friends." Josie informs her twin.
Lizzie scoffed. "You are not friends. You're a montage."
"It's been—fun," Josie says with a huge smile on her face. "It's been, like, actual fun."
"You know what's actual-actual fun? Mom and I taking the speed train to Rome for the weekend." Lizzie brags. "So get your asses across the pond."
"Love you," Josie smirks before sending Lizzie away.
Lucas snorted. "Now that wasn't nice."
"She'll be fine," Josie says before grabbing the boy's hand. "So what do you want to?"
"I actually need to talk to you about something."
"Oh boy." Josie whispers
Lucas chuckled. "I didn't murder anyone don't worry." he paused. "I just wanted to let you know, I wasn't trying to, like, self-destruct or anything on the fourth."
"Hm, could've fooled me." Josie sighs
"Well, okay, maybe it started like that. I don't know. But, when I leave earth or close my eyes," Lucas says thinking back. "I see—images. Memories, maybe. There's something buried in my brain, and when I die or go full Nephilim, I get a glimpse of it, but—maybe it's nothing." he sighs.
Josie narrowed her eyes. "No answer is more important than making sure that you don't accidentally find out your Grace came with side effects."
"I know," Lucas says softly before furrowing his brows. "Are you happy?"
"What do you mean?" Josie says with a smile on her face.
"I mean since we started hanging out—I think I'm finally starting to get happy-ish." Lucas shrugged
Josie grinned. "I'm definitely happy-ish. I just don't know if I can be fully happy until I know that Lizzie and I are gonna survive past the merge."
Lucas hummed. "Yeah. Look, I don't want to cause problems but your dad is lying to you about the ascendant."
"How do you know?"
"When we were talking about it on the Fourth, I went into his mind and I didn't really get an answer but he kept repeating to himself to not say anything," Lucas explained. "And while he was talking about the ascendant his heart began to beat rapidly."
Josie let out a small scoff. "I knew it. I'll see you later for movie night. I'm going to go find him."
"Oh boy." Lucas sighed before nodding as he watched Josie walk away.
Lucas began to set up for their movie night, it was a nightly thing. He was happy when he was around her. But his happiness quickly faded when he received a note from his father. After about an hour later Josie came back.
"You started without me," Josie said with a smile, that was washed away with a frown. "What happened?"
Lucas cleared his throat as he wiped his tears. "I got this in the mail," he says handing a letter to the witch. "It's from father, he says he's not returning at all. And he has no intentions to do so. I offered to go over there now that I had my Grace but he told me no—I expected him to be here, to help me. But I guess my expectations were too high." he says as he stood up. "I knew this was going to happen. I mean it's been over a thousand years over there, he's the king of Hell. Of course, he wouldn't come back."
Josie frowned as she looked at the ground. "Luc, look at how far you came. Your dad loves you, I mean that's why he went back. Because he wanted you to live your life, because he saw that you have someone who can help you be happy-ish." she says with a small smile.
Lucas smiled before leaning in and kissing Josie.
But he couldn't help but wonder what was missing.