3rd Person POV
"I know a lot of things have changed around here lately, but in my opinion, that's a sign of growth." Dr Saltzman says in the assembly room. The students in the room were spaced out but Hope and Sadie sit next to each other. Sadie listens...ish. "And despite our growing pains, I like to think our student body has never been more... united."
"There's, like, nine of us here." Hope whispers to Cleo across the aisle
"Which means your voice carries, Hope." Dr Saltzman tells her. "But despite our spotty assembly attendance, which I will address, we now have 30 students enrolled. Which officially... makes us a school in the Commonwealth of Virginia. And, more than that, a home!"
"Woo-hoo." Sadie whispers sarcastically to Hope
"You alright?" Hope questions
"Yeah." Sadie sighs. "I'm...I'm just tired." She says
"Didn't sleep well?" Hope asks
"Do I ever?" Sadie counters
"And-and more to that, uh, sense of community... I give you Elizabeth Saltzman." Dr Saltzman speaks while the two were conversing
Lizzie walks up to the podium. "I know I'm not the only one who misses the way things used to be around here." She says. "That doesn't mean that our way of life needs to change. The simple math is fewer students equals less tuition. Which is why... the smoothie bar has been shuttered, the pool closed, and all of our dances and trips have been canceled. But... I have a way to turn that all around, with your help." She shoots a look at Wade who brings up a poster. "Our first... hopefully last... Salvatore School Fundraiser Month." She introduces the poster. "Over the next four weeks, we will be hosting a series of events. A car wash, a bake sale. And I am well aware that that is only two ideas, so any recommendations are welcome." Cleo raises her hand as Sadie grabs her water bottle next to her, opening it to take a sip. "That's the spirit, Cleo." Lizzie says, calling on her
"Hope and I can make art and host an auction." Cleo suggests to which Sadie chokes on her water
"That's awesome." Sadie says with a small laugh while trying to catch her breath
"Um, mm, I retract that offer." Hope says, standing up
"Too late. Art auction approved." Lizzie tells her to which Hope flops down in her seat again. "Now, if some of our more tenured students could follow your example, we'll have this place back to normal in no time."
"Sorry to interrupt." Josie says, walking into the room with a man next to her and a clipboard. "I was on my way to school and you need to sign for this."
"What is it?" Dr Saltzman questions, taking the clipboard from the man
"Something from Town Hall." The man says as Dr Saltzman signs the paper. The man leaves the room
Dr Saltzman looks at the paper and reads. "Why did he sign if he didn't know what it was?" Sadie whispers her question to no one in particular but Hope next to her shrugs
"It's a property tax lien." Dr Saltzman says. "That we have seven days to pay?!"
"How much?" Lizzie questions
"It's $91,000." Dr Saltzman says
"Holy shit." Sadie whispers
"Or the bank gets the school." Dr Saltzman says
"Over my dead body." Lizzie says, turning back to the group in the seats in front of her. "Screw Fundraiser Month. Welcome to Fundraiser Day. We're gonna do all of it at once, right now. What are you staring at? Let's go!"
***
"Alright, Nightshade, up up." Lizzie says, bursting in through Sadie's door and walking into the room
Sadie sits up in her bed, rubbing her eyes. "Ugh, what time is it?"
"Half past I need you to come up with an idea to make us money." Lizzie tells her, pacing across the room. "I need everyone to show up with their ideas so that we can have an amazing fundraiser day and make tons of money so that we can save this school!" She exclaims, stopping in her place and looking over at Sadie who is still rubbing her eyes. "Come on, Nightshade, wake up and work with me here."
"Lizzie, I'm trying." Sadie tells her, pulling her hands away from her eyes. "But you're talking at hyperspeed and I just woke up from a nap. I didn't catch any of that."
Lizzie sighs, sitting down on Sadie's bed next to her. "We need to save the school." Lizzie says. "To do that, we need to raise money."
"I'm with you there." Sadie tells her
"Good." Lizzie says. "The other part was just me wondering if you had anything to contribute to making us money. You know, kinda like how Hope and Cleo are selling their art. Do you have any talents?"
"Um, ouch." Sadie says
"Sorry." Lizzie says. "I mean, do you have any talents that can make us money?"
"I don't think so." Sadie tells her. "I'm a pretty boring person."
"Hey, you're not boring." Lizzie tells her
"I'm literally in my room taking a nap instead of socializing." Sadie says, gesturing to herself. "It's 2pm and I'm already in my PJs for the night."
"That doesn't make you boring." Lizzie says before turning her head. "Wait a sec...are you having trouble sleeping again?"
Sadie sighs. "Maybe." She says
"What's going on?" Lizzie asks
"I dunno." Sadie says with a shrug. "Probably just the stress of potentially losing the school aka our home."
"Yeah..." Lizzie whispers, looking down. "It's...it's pretty stressful." She whispers. Then, after a moment she shakes her head as if pulling herself out of it. "Can't dwell on that right now, we have work to do." She says, standing up from Sadie's bed. "I'm gonna throw you out on the carwash with Jed and Wade, okay?" She says before leaving the room
"Wait, what?" Sadie asks
***
Kaleb is sitting in his bright red car as Jed and Wade get the supplies ready to wash the car. Sadie leans on the back of the car, watching the two boys
Jed roughly puts a bucket of soapy water on the back of the car as Kaleb steps out. "Dude, do not do my baby like that." Kaleb says. "And watch the rough side of the sponge."
"Sponges don't have rough sides, you–" Jed tries, annoyed
"Good, honest friend, who would never hook up with another man's girl." Kaleb says, leaving Jed speechless. "Keep scrubbing." He looks past Jed at Sadie who is looking around at the empty event area outside. "Hey, Nightshade." He calls to her, snapping his fingers. Sadie looks over at him. "Get off my car."
Sadie rolls her eyes, standing up straight and turning towards the car with her arms crossed
Jed tosses a sponge to her which hits her arm and falls to the ground. "Well, you look happy." He sarcastically remarks, starting to scrub the car. "You alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Sadie mumbles, picking up the sponge from the ground and holding it in her hand
"You sure?" Jed asks. "You know you can talk to me, right? I can try and help you out with whatever's wrong. I mean, that's my job as your alpha."
"I know." Sadie says. "I'll talk about it later."
"Why not now?" Jed asks
"Cause, uh, he's not in our pack." Sadie says, nodding over at Wade
Jed stops scrubbing the car with the sponge. "Did something happen with the other wolves?" He asks, focusing on Sadie
"No." Sadie tells him. "No I just...look, I'm tired, okay? That's pretty much it."
"Alright." Jed says. "Well, you let me know if that changes, okay?"
"Okay." Sadie agrees
A rainbow appears in the sky. Sadie looks up, noticing and turning her head in confusion. She looks over at Kaleb who gives her a look before she points to her bracelet, reminding him that she doesn't have magic. Kaleb leaves the area
***
Sadie, Wade, and Jed are sitting in a circle, bored. The three had finished Kaleb's car (making sure to be extra careful so Kaleb didn't kill them) and the place was still empty
"Got any twos?" Sadie asks after looking at the cards in her hands
"Go fish." Wade tells her and Sadie grabs another card from the deck
Jed, who wasn't really playing the game, sits up straight, looking around. "Did you hear something?" He asks, locking eyes with Sadie
"Like I've been telling all of the vampires and the werewolves at this school, I don't have supernatural hearing 'cause I'm a freaking fairy." Wade says. He takes a deep breath. "Sorry, man. That was a surprisingly deep resentment I've... obviously been repressing." Wade apologizes
"Shut up for a second." Sadie says, putting her cards down on the ground and looking around
"You hear it too?" Jed asks
"Yeah, I do." Sadie says. "And it's getting louder." She says, turning around and looking towards the entrance of the school
"What are you guys hearing?" Wade asks
"Cars." Sadie says, looking back at the two boys
"Voices." Jed adds. "Lots of them." He says, standing up to which Jed and Sadie follow suit
"If you build it, they will come." Wade says
Cars start pulling into the school. A lot of cars
"Okay, fire up the hose, Wade." Jed orders. "Put the kitchen on high alert. Tell Hope and Cleo to start cranking out that art. We're in business, baby." He says
The groups at Fundraiser Day start working hard. Jed, Wade, and Sadie wash the cars, Lizzie and Kaleb work the auction, MG from the kitchen brings out pastries. It was all going great
The event area is still swarming with people when Hope walks out of the school with Cleo behind her
Sadie sees her friend. "Be right back." She tells Jed and Wade, tossing her towel to Wade. She makes her way over to Hope. "Hey." She greets
"Hey." Hope greets back, but her eyes were scanning the area
"You okay?" Sadie asks
"I need to find Lizzie." Hope says, still looking around
"I'll take you to her." Sadie says, motioning for Hope to follow. The group of three walks past the cars and towards the area where Lizzie is
"You having fun washing the cars?" Hope questions
"It's actually kinda relaxing." Sadie tells her as they walk on the grass
"There is no way I'm pulling the plug until we fix everything." They hear Lizzie's voice say as they near her
"Okay, I will unless you tell Hope–" Kaleb starts
"Tell me what?" Hope questions, pulling to a stop behind the group
"Just that another Lizzie Saltzman-planned event has blossomed into a smashing success." Lizzie says
"Speaking of smashing, um, some woman just tried to shank me for not selling her my art." Hope says
"That sounds like a tough negotiation." Lizzie says
"Not really." Cleo speaks up. "She was willing to give us the $91,000."
"Wow, I had no idea that Hope was so talented." Lizzie says. "I'm sure it was an isolated incident. So... back to making art." She says, trying to shoo Hope away
"You're not pissed at me for turning down that much money?" Hope questions, turning her head. "Now you must be up to something."
Someone yells from behind and the group turns to look. Two people get in a fight and one is knocked to the ground
"Two... isolated incidents." Lizzie says as more people in the event area start to fight with each other
"Get ready for a third unless you tell me what's going on." Hope tells her
***
Lizzie leads Hope and Sadie into the werewolf dungeon where a...creature is in one of the cells
"Holy shit." Sadie says, weirded out by the creature. "Am I hallucinating from lack of sleep?" She questions, looking at Lizzie
"Is that what I think it is?" Hope questions
"Yep. It's a leprechaun, all right." Lizzie says. "Don't worry, he's harmless. Though he does make people act a little wacky."
"That's not what I mean... it's a monster." Hope says. "A Malivore monster."
"Yeah, that's making us rich." Lizzie tells her. "So what's the problem?"
"The problem is that it's here, which means a portal to the prison world must be open." Hope says
"Oh, yeah, that." Lizzie says as the leprechaun begins to laugh. Lizzie turns and leaves the dungeon as Hope storms out after her
Sadie looks at the leprechaun in the cell. The leprechaun looks at her. "You're really...weird looking." She says. The leprechaun begins to cackle again. "And...freaky." She says before running out of the room to chase after Hope and Lizzie
"How could you?" Hope questions Lizzie as Sadie catches up. "How could you keep a Malivore monster a secret from me?"
"I'm sorry." Lizzie says sarcastically. "Did I miss that wee-little badge he's wearing that says, 'Hi, Malivore sent me'?"
"I'm serious, Lizzie." Hope tells her
"So am I, Hope!" Lizzie exclaims. "Our school is in trouble. So forgive me for prioritizing that over your emotional needs for once."
"My emotional needs?" Hope scoffs. "My emotional needs?!" She yells, grabbing a metal axe from the knight armour in the corner
"Uh oh." Sadie says, putting her hands up in defense and taking a few steps away
"Hope, wait!" Lizzie yells
Kaleb speeds into the room. "No." He tells Hope, stopping her from slamming the axe into Lizzie. "Hey, hey, hey, I know we've all thought about it, but don't kill Lizzie."
"You're jumping to conclusions." Lizzie says. "Okay, what if he was just some random monster who happened to walk by right when we needed him?"
"When have we ever been that lucky?" Hope spits. "That's not a pun." She tells Kaleb
"Okay. Ladies, the leprechaun's making everyone a little wacky." Kaleb says. "How about we all just take a second to breathe?"
"Not now, Kaleb!" Hope and Lizzie yell at the same time
"Yeah, I don't think you're helping very much." Sadie tells Kaleb
"I don't see you doing anything." Kaleb counters
"Right now I'm trying not to get killed." Sadie says. "Then, I make sure they don't kill each other."
"Okay, I'll leave." Kaleb says. "But not until you tell me your plan for that axe." He tells Hope
"My plan is what yours should've been all along." Hope says. "To get answers out of that thing and then kill it. So I suggest that you two shut down Fundraiser Day, unless you want to tell all those people out there that that's a leprechaun screaming. Any objections?" No one says anything. "Then that's the only good decision that you've made all day." She says, taking the axe and leaving the room
***
Cleo walks into the werewolf dungeon where Hope is cleaning blood off her axe. Hope is in the cell with the leprechaun and Sadie is leaning against the wall outside the cell, watching...but mainly making sure her friend is okay
"My God, you are torturing it." Cleo gasps, walking into the room
"Relax." Hope tells her. "It's not what it seems."
"Maybe not to you." Cleo says. She looks at Sadie. "How can you just stand here watching this?" She questions to which Sadie just shrugs. "I suppose everyone around here thinks killing monsters is normal. But to me, every creature... supernatural, human or otherwise... deserves to be treated with respect."
The leprechaun speaks some gibberish. "See? He's fine." Hope tells Cleo. "Like I'm trying to tell you, I'm not torturing him."
"I will believe you when you drop the axe." Cleo tells her
"My translation spells are not working on him, so if we're lucky, he will lead me straight to whatever portal he came out of." Hope says, opening up the cell door
"What are you doing?" Cleo asks
"Letting him go." Hope says. "Fly free, little butterfly." She tells the leprechaun and he super speeds out of the room
***
Hope, Sadie, and Cleo are in the middle of the woods. Hope is pouring the leprechaun's blood on a map to try and do a locator spell
"None of this would be necessary if Alyssa Chang hadn't broken the ascendant." Hope says. "If my time at the Salvatore School has taught me anything... when in doubt, do a locator spell. Sequitur." She chants and the blood on the map begins to move. Hope picks the map up and the group of three begin to walk
"How do you know the leprechaun will lead us back to the portal?" Cleo asks
"Because that's the way it's always been." Sadie says with a shrug
"After he gets what he wants." Hope adds
"True." Sadie says
"Wait." Cleo says. "He wants something?"
"Malivore monsters always want something." Hope tells her. "If he can reach our world as a monster, then I imagine I can reach his the same way."
"Why would you want to do something so drastic?" Cleo asks. She then stops and sighs. "Landon." She says, causing the other two girls to stop walking
"I knew when I couldn't sell his bust that I'm not ready to let him go." Hope says. "I can't rule out that he's not in Malivore, not without going there first. And I can only do that through the prison world, with this thing called an ascendant, which got destroyed. But if I can just find the portal..."
"Hope, I understand you are grieving, but why would Landon be in Malivore?" Cleo asks. "He's not a monster."
"Well, he's a Phoenix." Hope says. "Was a Phoenix." Cleo turns her head, still not understanding
"Did she mention that Malivore's his dad?" Sadie questions
"That was what I was missing." Hope says. "I know that this is all really overwhelming. You don't have to help if you don't want to."
"What are friends for?" Cleo says. "Lizzie and Kaleb said leprechauns are attracted to wealth, right?" She says, looking at the map and seeing that the blood trail stopped at the bank
***
The trio makes their way towards a parking garage with Cleo holding the map
"He's in here, but...Why a parking garage?" Cleo questions
"The leprechaun's attracted to wealth, so... there may be a Lamborghini in here." Hope suggests
"Should we split up?" Cleo suggests. "Or is that against monster-hunting rules?"
"No, it's actually a great idea." Hope says. "You're a monster hunter now?"
"Were you a sculptor before this morning?" Cleo counters
"Point taken." Hope says. "Okay. We'll split up, but we need him alive to bring us to the portal. So if you run into any trouble, just..." Hope trails off, looking at Sadie
Sadie shrugs her shoulders. "Scream?" She suggests
"Scream it is." Hope says, breaking off from the two and going up the stairs
"Alright, I'll take downstairs." Sadie tells Cleo. "Good luck." She tells her, making her way towards the stairs and heading down
The trio starts searching, each on a different level. Sadie looks around for the leprechaun, making sure her senses were on high alert
She clamps her hands over her ears upon hearing car alarms blaring on the floor above her. After a moment, they stop and she pulls her hands away. "That hurt." She whispers, rubbing at her ears
She then quiets herself, hearing the slightest faintest sound she has heard so many times before. "Sades." The sound whispers. It was a voice. Hope's voice. "Please tell me you've got your listening ears on. I've got a truck up here that's crashed into another car. No sign of the leprechaun but it looks suspicious. If you've got nothing down there, come back me up just in case."
Sadie nods (even though Hope wasn't there to see her nod). She makes her way to the stairs, running up but then she hears a scream. "Cleo..." Sadie whispers, looking up the stairs. She starts running, making her way onto the floor Cleo was
Sadie runs to Cleo and slows down upon seeing a familiar face. "Dr Saltzman?" Sadie questions, slowing her run and stopping next to Cleo
"Oh, great, you're here too." Dr Saltzman says, looking around
"Hope took top floor." Sadie quickly debriefs. "We're looking for–"
"A leprechaun." Dr Saltzman finishes
"How did you know?" Cleo asks
"Security guard at the bank saw it, along with something else he probably wished he hadn't." Dr Saltzman says
A coin hits the ground. Dr Saltzman walks over to investigate, putting his hand up to tell the other two girls to stay back
"Above you!" Cleo shouts as the leprechaun drops down onto Dr Saltzman
The leprechaun starts choking Dr Saltzman. Cleo stands next to Sadie, biting her lip and seeming to be in distress. She also seemed to not be thinking of making a move. So Sadie took over
Sadie rushes forwards, hitting the leprechaun away from Dr Saltzman. The leprechaun jumps onto Sadie's arm, pulling her charm bracelet off
"No!" Sadie screeches, rushing over for the bracelet as the leprechaun throws it in his mouth and swallows it. "No!" Sadie screams again, her eyes flashing another color in anger as she throws her hand...but obviously nothing happens because she doesn't have magic
The leprechaun jumps onto a car and kicks Sadie in the head and she falls to the ground. Dr Saltzman tries to fight the leprechaun again but he is kicked too
Sadie looks up to see Cleo throw her hand forward and shout a chant. The leprechaun is raised into the air
"Cleo, no!" Hope yells
"Take cover." Dr Saltzman says. "He's gonna blow." He says as the leprechaun gets bigger and bigger and bigger. Cleo and Hope hide behind cars. Then, green goo splatters everywhere along with money and jewelry. Sadie covers her face but the rest of her body is covered
"Ew." Sadie groans, flopping down on the ground
"You girls all right?" Dr Saltzman asks. Cleo and Hope nod. Dr Saltzman looks over to see Sadie holding her thumbs up to show that she was alright. He nods before wiping goo from his head and leaving
"I think I need to take 10 showers." Sadie groans on the ground, pushing herself up a little
Hope helps Sadie off the ground before sending a glare at Cleo
***
Hope is counting money in her room. Sadie is sitting on the bed with wet hair and new clothes on, wiping off the last of the green goo on her charm bracelet
"I guess it is true, money cannot buy happiness, because you are clearly still mad at me." Cleo says, walking into the room
"I told you I wanted the leprechaun alive." Hope tells Cleo
"And the last thing I wanted to do was kill him." Cleo says. "But it hurt Dr. Saltzman, it hurt Sadie, and I panicked. I didn't know he was going to explode like that."
"I understand." Hope says. "Saving someone is more important than anything else." Sadie pauses on cleaning her bracelet, dropping her hands for a moment and staring off into space
"That was meant to help you." Cleo says as Hope stares at the sculpture of Landon. "But it is not good enough because your obsession with Landon is all-consuming. You do not have room in your life for anything else. In the few days I have known you, you have not asked me a single thing about my life."
"You're right. I'm sorry." Hope says and Sadie tunes back in. "Earlier you mentioned that you had been blocked. What happened?"
"Something terrible." Cleo says. "It is why I hate violence. My sisters were murdered. I am the only one of us left."
"That's awful, Cleo." Hope whispers and Sadie gives Cleo her full attention
"I have accepted that there was nothing I could do to save them." Cleo says. "I have figured out how to live without them, to move on."
"Let me guess. Now it's my turn?" Hope says
"I thought that is what you wanted." Cleo tells her
"That was before I knew that there was a portal; a way that I might be able to reach Landon." Hope says. "I'm not gonna stop until I've exhausted every possibility. So you can take that bust away. I'm gonna find the real him."
"I see now that this will not end until you do." Cleo says, grabbing the sculpture of Landon and leaving the room
"You know..." Sadie starts and Hope looks over. "...I support you 100 percent and I will do anything to help you get Landon back...." She whispers. "...but at the same time, Cleo killing that leprechaun got my charm bracelet back. And if it was just any other bracelet I wouldn't have cared but not only is this the bracelet with my magic in it...it's the bracelet that was my sister's..."
Hope nods with a small sad smile, going back to counting the money from the leprechaun when she freezes
"What is it?" Sadie asks, noticing her friend's change in body language
"It's..." Hope whispers, grabbing the object. She holds it up. It's the ascendant
Hope storms out of the room and Sadie jumps off the bed, running after her. "Hope, wait!" She exclaims, running after the girl who was on a hunt for MG
Hope storms into the kitchen with the ascendant. "How could you?" She questions MG, her voice watery
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Hope you all enjoyed that chapter!! Remember to vote and comment!! Next chapter up NEXT MONDAY
-MC