CHAPTER EIGHT
The Aquilo boy found himself standing in the Salvatore school's kitchen with Penelope Park in the middle of the night. Now, how the two ended up here started with them both waking up hungry but found nothing edible in their rooms.
"So, Adrian" The brunette witch faced her friend with two glasses of lemonade, handing him one, "How's Hope?"
The boy shrugged, accepting the sugary drink, "I wouldn't know. I haven't seen her since—"
"Since you two almost kissed in the closet?" Penelope smirked.
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WE DID NOT KISS!
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Adrian sighed, setting his glass down on the counter beside him, "We didn't almost kiss and we weren't about to kiss either"
"Mhm"
The door opened and the teens turned to see who joined them only to find Elizabeth Saltzman standing in the doorway with a displeased look.
"Oh" The brunette witch sighed, "It's you"
"Ugh" The blonde squinted her eyes at Penelope in annoyance and anger, "Of course you two are up at the demon hour"
"Actually, Lizzie—"
"Save it" Having spent the whole day in family counseling, Lizzie was hungry but with the two brunettes in the kitchen, she wasn't going to stay there longer than she needed to. She grabbed an apple before storming out of the kitchen, letting the door slam shut behind her.
The two brunettes looked at each other with puzzled looks, "What crawled up her ass and died?"
Penelope shrugged, "Probably that drink you threw at her a few weeks ago"
Adrian nodded slowly, "You think I should talk to her? Formally apologize?"
"Oh, God no" The female sat her glass down and jumped off the counter she sat on top of, "No, no, no, keep going, keep ignoring her, keep on not giving her a chance. Adrian, this is the first time this has happened to her. She thinks that everyone wants to be her friend or date her but she doesn't realize that she's one lonely single desperate bitch with a hint of bipolar disorder, control issues, and low self-esteem. I mean she's your classic mean girl"
The Aquilo boy chuckled at his friend's hard words, "Harsh much?"
"It's the truth" Penelope placed a hand on the male's shoulder, "I told you this many times already, Lizzie Saltzman needs to be taught a lesson and if no one wants to teach her then I will"
Adrian, taking the female's words in, couldn't help but wonder how she was going to teach Lizzie until it clicked. He glanced over at her skeptically, "Does your plan involve using me to teach her?"
"No. At least... not yet"
✶
As always, when lunchtime came around, Owen and Adrian would hustle into the grand hall and find Penelope on the steps with her witches to then take her and pull her away with the boys. The three stood in line for their food with plates in hand, the Aquilo boy scanned the room for a table and a specific person. Once he found said person, the boy decided to cut in line to get his food quicker and sit down at the table before the person left the grand hall.
The trio approached a table in the corner of the hall where Hope Mikaelson sat. She looked up, confused as to why they were all there. Recently, it had been just her and Adrian but his friends had started to hang out with the girl too.
With a grin plastered on his face, the brunet boy sat down in front of the auburn-haired girl. She sighed and closed the book she had been reading to give the boy her attention, "What?" Hope furrowed her brows at the boy when he wouldn't answer her, "Please wipe that grin off your face"
Adrian cocked a brow, the grin still playing on his lips, "What grin?"
"The one that indicates that you're about to do something stupid" The boy only nodded at this and the girl decided to not say anything further for she knew that he was about to tell her why and what he was there for.
Grabbing the tribrid's hand, the Aquilo boy's expression turned into one of those sad puppy faces, "Come with me to a party"
"'Hi, Hope, I came by to check if you were alive after I just left you in the woods'" Hope spoke, in an attempt to mimic the boy, "And thanks, by the way, for leaving me in the woods"
"You got back home, didn't you?" The female glared at Adrian but soon nodded. The boy smiled, patting the auburn-haired girl's shoulder, "Then you're welcome, now come with me to a party"
"Who's throwing it?"
"That's the problem" Owen spoke, "It's a wolf initiation party to celebrate the newcomers and welcome them into the pack but everyone's invited"
"I don't get it" Hope said, "What's the problem?"
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JED.
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"Jed is throwing it" Penelope answered.
"Oh" The auburn-haired girl faced the Aquilo boy once again, "Then you shouldn't go"
"Like hell" Adrian dropped the cutlery on his plate, "I'm gonna go and I'm gonna enjoy every single part of it"
"Then you're going on your own" Hope expressed, "Cause I don't want to see him kick your ass"
The brunet scoffed, "Then don't"
The tribrid let out a chuckle when the boy rose from the table with his tray in hand, "Adrian... You can't be angry at me for not wanting to see you get beat up"
The boy's expression hardened, "Why do you just assume that it's going to happen? Why do you assume that we're gonna fight?"
"Because we both know what Jed is like" Hope answered, "He sees potential in you. Potential for you to be an alpha. He knows that you're better than him at this and he's waiting for you to challenge him"
"Then I will"
"No!" The three friends shot up from their seats, objecting to the idea of going off to find Jed and starting a fight.
Penelope sat down with a sigh and extending a hand to keep Adrian from walking away to find the alpha, "Okay, look, I can't even believe I'm saying this but why don't you try being his friend?"
Adrian, along with everyone else, furrowed his brows, confused as to why Penelope would suggest that when she knew that a conversation between the males usually broke out in a fight, "But being his friend would mean joining the pack"
"Then why don't you?"
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BECAUSE IM NOT THAT DUMB.
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✶
The Aquilo boy and his friends were all at a party in the middle of the woods. Yes, the party that Jed, the pack alpha, had thrown and they were enjoying themselves. Adrian sat on the steps of the abandoned mill beside his friends with a bottle of beer in his hand. He had gotten to the party an hour ago and successfully dodged Jed and his boys, he intended to keep it that way.
Mg leaned back against the railing, taking a drink from his blue solo cup, "Have you guys noticed that things that end with an 'ie' are always cute?"
"Yeah" Owen nodded, "Like cutie, sweetie, cookie—"
"Hopie," Adrian added and the teens all faced him. He met Hope's gaze and found her just shaking her head at how dorky he was.
"Die" Kaleb, a vampire that Mg brought with him to the party, replied.
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DUDE.
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The auburn-haired girl faced the vampire with a disturbed expression spread across her face, "Please leave"
The blond male wolf let out a heavy sigh, throwing his head back, "That was so sad" He took a swig of his beer, "Alexa, play despacito"
"Someone take Owen home, he's drunk"
Adrian returned his attention to his friends, his eyes landing on the only girl in the group, "So how do you guys answer the phone?"
"Hello?" Mg spoke.
"Yo, it's Kaleb, what's up?" Kaleb recited.
Hope sighed when the teens faced her, expecting her to be the next one to speak, "No, he's dead. This is his daughter"
Owen pointed at the tribrid, taking another sip of his drink, "That's also sad. Alexa, you know what to do"
"Guys!"
The teenagers all turned around to see Penelope making her way past the partying teens to get over to her friends. She entered the old mill and took a seat beside Adrian, taking the beer bottle out of his hand and chugging the drink by herself, "You guys will not believe what I just saw. There was a fucking cockroach in the witch hall"
Just as the brunette finished, the Saltzman twins walked towards the direction of the mill, not missing the opportunity to glare and scowl at Penelope and Hope when they were close enough, "Oh no" The Park girl spoke when Lizzie stopped in front of the group seated on the stairs, "Look, the cockroach followed me here"
"Penelope Park" The blonde spat, "My arch nemesis"
The auburn-haired girl, who sat on Adrian's left side, furrowed her brows, "I thought I was your arch-nemesis"
Elizabeth scowled at the tribrid, "Not everything is about you, Hope"
Hope nodded, "And not everything is about you, Lizzie" The girl shifted in her seat, "You know, you don't actually have to be a bitch all the time... Why don't you attempt to make some friends?"
Lizzie squinted her eyes at the Mikaelson girl, "I already have all the friends I want, what else would I require?"
Penelope shrugged, "I mean..." She took a swig of her drink, "Some brain cells would be nice"
The group of teens burst out laughing which did not sit well with the blonde who only crossed her arms, eyes never leaving Hope whom she glared at.
"Look Lizzie" The auburn-haired girl stood up, "I know that you don't like me, that you're not happy about your dad helping me, and... I know what it feels like to have an absentee parent and all. I've been in your shoes and—"
"Gucci?" Lizzie pursed her lips, "I don't think so"
Penelope scoffed, "You literally wear Fucci" She glanced up at the Saltzman witch, "Has it ever crossed your mind that not everyone wants to be Lizzie Saltzman?"
"Well, not everyone can be, honey" The blonde smiled smugly.
The other two witches looked at each other, both of them having enough of Lizzie for a whole week, "Oh, Lizzie-bear, isn't it past your bedtime?"
"Isn't it time you go back to hell? I'm sure Satan misses you"
✶
Adrian sat on the docks with a lit cigarette between his lips that he held in between his fingers. The moonbeams kissing the water whilst the crickets chirped in the background. He had left the party when he heard that Jed was on his way to find him.
"Is it just me or do people around this school have a knack for deteriorating their lung capacity and letting tumors infect their bronchioles?"
The boy turned around to see Hope Mikaelson standing a few feet away from the docks. The boy chuckled, turning back to face the lake, "Well damn, Hope, no one is forcing you to smoke"
The tribrid walked closer, inspecting the boy's face from far away as the moonlight hit his skin perfectly, highlighting his features, "You look like shit"
"So do you" The boy fired back.
The auburn-haired girl smirked, "I'll take that as a compliment"
Adrian shrugged, putting the cigarette between his lips again and inhaling deeply before exhaling, "Take it however you want it"
Hope snorted and the teens broke out in laughter when they both heard it.
The boy dipped his cigarette in the water to snuff it out. He stared out at the lake but his eyes soon wandered back to the girl a few times when an idea suddenly crossed his mind, "Hey, how about a late-night swim?"
"Now?" The tribrid faced the boy, "But the water is cold"
"Come on, please, just a quick dip" The male pleaded.
Hope looked hesitant, "I— i don't know, Adrian. I mean, we don't even have anything to jump in with. If we go with our clothes, we'll be walking home soaking wet and get a urine infection"
Adrian rose from the docks, "Well, you could take my shirt"
The girl wore an unreadable expression, "Why would I— Okay, you know what? Let's do it"
"Wait, really?"
Hope nodded and the boy turned around, immediately pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it at the girl, the cool wind hitting his skin. Before he could face her again, a force of power shoved him into the water.
The auburn-haired girl, now with the boy's shirt covering her, burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. When Adrian resurfaced, he didn't look happy at all, "Oh, come on" Hope laughed, "You have to admit, that was fun"
Playfully rolling his eyes, the boy swam closer to the docks and held his hand out for the tribrid to take so he could help her into the water. Hope lowered herself with her legs out in front of her, already in the water. But before she could jump in, the boy grabbed her hand and pulled her down into the water. The two swam around, enjoying the cool water that turned warm once their bodies got used to the temperature. There had never been a more perfect time to jump in for a midnight swim.
"So, what's Lizzie Saltzman's deal with you anyway?"
Hope sighed, "Only God knows"
The Aquilo boy shook his head, "No, only Lizzie knows"
The tribrid nodded, "That's true"
"Wanna know what I think?" Adrian swam closer to the girl, "I think she's jealous of you"
The auburn-haired girl let out a light scoff, "Why would she be jealous of me?"
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WHY NOT?
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"Why wouldn't she? You're stealing her daughter and father time"
Hope shook her head, "I'm not. I— No, I haven't even had the chance to train with Dr. Saltzman because of you"
Adrian furrowed his brows, "Because of me? What did I do?"
The part witch shrugged, swimming away from the boy, "You just crave a lot of my attention"
The wolf chuckled, "If anything, you crave mine. You're always at my door first thing in the morning"
"Oh, sure" Hope playfully rolled her eyes, "Cause I have nothing better to do, right?"
The boy shrugged, "I still think that she's jealous of you. She might be well-liked and popular but that's only because she has something people want... the recognition, the popularity, etcetera. You're not like that and that's why some people would rather be friends with you than with her. You don't crave attention, you don't crave to be popular or loved"
Hope nodded slowly, her eyes crinkled, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth, "Sounds like you've been walking around with this on your mind for a while"
Adrian smiled, admiring the girl, her auburn hair looked like a darker brown when drenched with water but the moonlight still shone on it. She was speaking to him but not a word or an 'uh hm' left his mouth. He watched her, the way her lips moved and the way her hair fell over and covered her eyes which forced her to flip the strands back but they just fell over again. Reaching up, the boy tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear, "Wouldn't it be funny if we kissed?"
"What?"
"Sorry my friend took my phone"
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IDIOT.
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"This is a verbal conversation, idiot. And you don't have friends" The girl grinned when the boy glared at her playfully.
Hope reached into the water to splash large quantities of it towards the boy's face but immediately stopped and fell quiet when Adrian gripped her wrists gently. At first, her instincts kicked in and Hope was about to get out of the water and leave but then again, she didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay there for a while longer.
Adrian, who was as close as ever to the girl, held her hand in his, gently playing with it. Hope closed her eyes for a moment, carefully planning out her next move. When she opened her eyes again, the girl wrapped her arms around the male's neck, "Please, don't make me regret this"
The Aquilo boy furrowed his brows, "Wait, w—"
With her hold on him, the tribrid pressed her lips against the brunet's. He cupped her face in his hands, kissing her back. Hope's mouth lingering on his for a few moments before she finally pulled away. The two wolf borns stared at each other in silence, both left speechless after the kiss.
"Is it weird that I now have this urge to do something completely stupid?"
"I must be rubbing off on you"