YOU WILL BE MY DOWNFALL
"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US?"
In the dining hall was Ashley. She sat alone eating breakfast, waiting for Penelope and Isabela, texting them to hurry up.
"Hi."
She faced to the right at the boy, "Hey?"
"I'm Ethan."
"Ashley." She looked away from him to continue to stare at her phone, this time texting Maze. Since the Demon had to leave last night to take Trixie home.
"I heard you're new, and I thought you might not have any friends yet." He rubbed the back of his neck. "So, I was thinking... maybe we could hang out... together."
The Vampire looked up from her phone to face him again. "Who said I didn't have friends?"
"I- I just thought that you didn't. I- I mean you were just here alone," Ethan stuttered.
"That's sweet," She reassured, trying to make him less nervous. "But my friends are just taking their sweet ass time getting out of bed."
"Oh," He sighed. "Well, we could still go out, and catch a movie maybe?"
"Are you trying to ask me out?" Ashley laughed.
"Depends... how am I doing?" Ethan questioned.
The Vampire pretends to think. "Uh, I'll give you... one star."
"That bad huh," He chuckled.
"You seem sweet, but-" She stopped talking for a moment. "How do I say this? ...It's not you, it's me."
"What?" Ethan asked.
"Okay, I'll just say it. I'm-"
"Gay," Penelope interrupted, putting her tray on the table, and sitting down across from the Vampire. "She's a lesbian."
Ashley pointed at the witch. "Yeah, what she said."
Ethan looked surprised. "Oh, um... sorry. I- I think I'm just gonna go." He quickly left.
The Vampire laughed. "Thanks for the help, but how'd you know?"
"You're gay and it's showing," The Witch shrugged. "If you're hiding it, you're not doing a very good job at it. The closest door you're hiding behind is see-through, in fact, it's glass."
Ashley was at a loss for words.
"Plus, we gays got to stick together." The Witch added.
"Does that mean Isa-"
"Isa's straighter than a line," Penelope laughed, cutting off the Vampire. "Speaking of, did you realize who that was?"
"Who? Ethan?" Ashley asked. "What about him?"
"That was Ethan, like Ethan Ethan," The Witch answered.
"You act like saying his name twice is going to help me get what you mean," the Vampire said.
Penelope rolled her eyes. "We were just talking about him yesterday. He's Ethan, as in Isa's ex Ethan."
"Oh, right. I guess I forgot about that," Ashley shrugged. "It's not like I was gonna go out with him anyways."
Isabela walked up to the table and sat down next to Penelope. "Go out with who?"
"Ethan," The Vampire answered. She saw the worry in her friend's eyes. "Don't worry I said 'no'. He's not my type... actually any boy isn't my type," She smiled.
The Werewolf looked relieved. "I- I wasn't worried, I would've been fine with you saying 'yes'... if you were straight."
Ashley shook her head. "I don't think I would've said 'yes' if I was."
"Say yes to what?" The blue-eyed girl cut in, as she sat next to Ashley.
The Vampire smiled. "Is everyone just dropping in the conversation now? Who's next? The Saltzman twins?"
"I only came to ask you if-"
Ashley cut off Hope. "If I could talk." She rolled her eyes. "Honesty, I think you should just let that go. It's in the past now, get over it. Plus, I'm busy today."
"Oh really? Why are you busy this time?" The Tribrid lifted an eyebrow.
"I'm-" She looked at the Witch and Werewolf for help.
"She's teaching me how to drive," Penelope answered. "I mean us, she teaching us how to drive." She pointed between herself and Isabela.
The Werewolf nodded in agreement.
"Fine," Hope smiled, "Then you wouldn't mind if I join you."
"Actually, I do mind," Ashley said.
"Me too," Isabela spoke. "Ash's car is small, I had to sit on Penelope's lap last time. There's no we're all going to fit."
"I'll talk to Dr. Saltzman about letting us use one of the vans," The Tribrid suggested.
Penelope leaned across the table toward the blue-eyed girl. "You want to make Ashley's life a living Hell, don't you?"
"No, I just want to talk to her. She keeps avoiding me," Hope answered as she stood up. The Witch raised her eyebrow. "Okay, maybe a little." She walked away.
"Bitch," Ashley whispered.
The Tribrid turned around. "What was that?"
"Oh, nothing, just saying you're a ray of sunshine," The Vampire smiled.
Hope hummed in disbelief. "See you guys outside in ten." She walked off.
Ashley crossed her arms. "This is going to be fun."
"I don't think I want to go anymore," Isabela admitted.
"You're going," Penelope stated. "I said 'us', that we're going to learn how to drive."
"Yeah, but Hope is going," The Werewolf spoke. "Meaning that she and Ash are probably going to argue."
"Exactly!" The Witch shouted. "You can't leave me alone with them!"
"Okay, we're not that bad," The Vampire defended. "She just seems on edge all the time, and it gets annoying."
"Well, that's what happens when you're a hero," Isabela shrugged. "You're always on edge."
"She's saved everyone's ass multiple times," Penelope added.
Ashley looked at the two girls in front of her with a confused face.
"For example, she jump into a pile of mud that erased everyone's memories of her, just to save the school," The Werewolf informed.
"Remember when I said she killed her boyfriend?" The Witch questioned. "That was also to save the school."
"And no one thought to help her?" The Vampire asked.
"Everyone tried," Penelope defended. "But she'd just push us away, or if we do help, she does all the dangerous stuff."
"So, maybe try being easy on her," Isabela suggested.
"We'll see," Ashley shrugged as she stood up. "I'm going to get ready." She walked away.
"This is going to be a long car ride," The Werewolf spoke.
The Witch hummed in agreement.
__________
"What about 'see you guys in ten' do you not understand?" Hope questioned.
Ashley rolled her eyes. "We're here now, aren't we?"
Penelope walked over to the Tribrid and held out her hand. "Keys."
Hope sighed and gave her the keys to the van.
The Witch skipped to the driver's seat, while Ashley sat in the front passenger seat. Sat in the back seats were Isabela and Hope.
The Vampire quickly put on her seat belt, and everyone did the same.
"Check your mirrors," Ashley instructed. "Make sure you can see out of all of them."
The Witch nodded, signaling she can see.
"Okay, start the car and put it in the drive," The Vampire says. "Then, lightly press on the gas."
"Lightly, got it." Penelope did as she was told, but when pressing the gas, she accidentally pressed it too hard and then hit the brakes.
Isabela flew forward and hit her face on the back of Ashley's seat.
"Sorry, sorry," The Witch apologized.
"It's fine, go again," The Vampire said. "This time go easy on the gas."
This time Penelope step on the gas slowly and made it out of the school gates.
"Good, good," Ashley smiled. "We're just going to The Grill and back then you and Isabela will switch."
"That's it?" The Witch questioned.
"Yes," The Vampire answered. "I don't want to die today."
"You're a Vampire," Isabela spoke from the back. "You're already dead."
"Fair." Ashley tilted her head thinking. "Then let me rephrase, I don't want to die a second time today."
"Speaking of," Hope said. "How'd you get to the other side of the room using vamp speed without anyone noticing?"
The Vampire shrugged. "Maybe I'm just faster than everyone else."
The Tribrid rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt that. How'd you do it?"
Ashley ignored her question.
"I only keep asking because I need to make sure you're not a threat," Hope says.
The Vampire turned back to face her. "I am not a threat." She then faced forward again. "Problem solved."
"That's not good enough." The Tribrid crossed her arms.
"My word isn't good enough?" She turned back again, "Then what the hell do you want, Hope?"
"I don't know!" She yelled. "I just met you, I don't know if I can trust you."
"Then, why'd you let me in on your plan when Ken attacks us," Ashley asked.
"Don't feel special, everyone knows about that," Hope says. "We just needed your knowledge of the Gods."
"Oh really, maybe-"
"Guys!" Isabela cut off Ashley. "Maybe have this conversation at school, you're distracting Pen."
"Stay out of this!" Hope fired.
"Don't talk to her like that!" The Vampire yelled.
"Watch out!" The Werewolf yelled.
Ashley quickly faced forward to see a golden retriever on the road. "Hit the brakes!"
Instead of hitting the brakes, Penelope turned the wheel, and this time they were about to hit a light pole.
"Brake! Brake!" Hope shouted.
Just in time, the Witch stopped the car in time. Everyone let out a breath of relief.
The dog ran to the side of the car and started barking.
"I think I'm getting cussed out," Penelope said, which caused everyone to laugh.
"Can you blame him?" The Vampire said. "You almost ran him over."
A man with blue eyes and a leather jacket ran toward them. "Sorry!" He waved to the girls and walked away with the dog.
"Look after your dog next time!" Ashley shouted at him.
Hope hit her shoulder, causing her to look back. "That's Damon Salvatore."
"And I care because?" The Vampire questioned.
"The school is named after him and his brother," Penelope informed.
"And the school was their house," Isabela added.
"I don't care," Ashley huffed. "All I know is he owes us something for not killing his dog and almost killing us."
"Can we go back to the school now?" The Werewolf asked.
"I thought you wanted to drive?" The Vampire questioned.
"After that, I don't think I want to anymore," Isabela answered.
"Agreed," The Tribrid said.
"Alright then, Penelope take us back," Ashley said.
"I want no arguing this time," The Witch stated.
The vampire looked back to Hope, who nodded. "Okay, no arguing." She faced forward.
Penelope started the car and drove back to the school. The car ride was quiet, no one spoke a word.