Hiiii, so this chapter was going to be up earlier but I ended up rewriting the entire thing. This chapter is finally some what kick starting the actual plot, so enjoy!

It was strange, to say the least.

Lizzie was walking in front of her, pointing out different rooms while giving some history to each one.

It made Hope smile, seeing how much Lizzie adored being able to show people around the school.

Hope will admit she was having trouble focusing on what Lizzie was saying, mesmerized by the passion in her voice as she gave some history to the magic in mystic falls.

They walked around the entire school, seeing each room. From the Library to the kitchen. To begin with, Hope felt like she was trying to force a smile. Then it just started happening naturally.

Lizzie had lightened the mood by telling funny stories that happened in certain rooms, Hope was there for most of them but it still made her laugh.

"Oh, down here is one of my favorite rooms, THE MAIN HALL!" she exclaimed loudly, before clamping her hands over her mouth, remembering everyone else was still asleep.

Hope chuckled at her forgetfulness, which was new. Hope didn't know why but seeing Lizzie like this made her forget how much pain she was in.

"So, this year the school held Miss Mystic Falls, which is like the biggest competition around." Lizzie got sidetracked, going into detail about how she organized Miss Mystic.

Hopes mood dropped slightly when Lizzie got to the end of the story.

"As for who won, I- I actually don't remember." Lizzie stopped walking when she realized that small detail was missing from her brain.

Lowering her head and frowning. "I was going to run, follow in my mother's footsteps, but there was a slight problem between one of the judges and me."

Hope had to stop herself from laughing out loud at that. Remembering that day in her head.

"That bitch Dana's sabotage-" Lizzie was so adamant in her hate for Dana, Hope honestly thought she'd forgotten she died because of her attitude. "She's dead Lizzie," She said quietly, hoping no one outside the door would hear them talking about her, "Correction, that DEAD bitch Dana's sabotage"

"Anyways- Hayley? Hayley? are you even listening to my story" She was pouting at this point and Hope couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her, which made Lizzie pout more.

"Sorry, Liz. I'm just distracted is all," Hope replied casually, not realizing what she'd said.

"Liz?" Lizzie asked, tilting her head to the side and waiting for Hopes reply.

'Shit' Hope wanted to hit her head against a wall 'real casual hope, call the girl you just met a nickname that also happens to be her dead grandma's name, which you shouldn't know because you're a stranger'

"Uh, sorry. Just kind of slipped out." Hope awkwardly smiled, which had Lizzie giggling this time.

"It's fine, usually I would hate someone calling me that because it reminds me of someone, but I like Liz as your nickname for me," She said, before turning on her heel and strolling out the hall

"You coming or not slowpoke?" Hope just stood still in the middle of the hall.

Everything was confusing her, but this side to Lizzie was even more confusing. The playful giggly side that Hope had never seen let alone had aimed at her.

When Hope had first seen Lizzie this morning, she could tell she was struggling, but now she seemed fine.

Her bright smile restored on her beautiful face. 'wait… beautiful? I mean obviously she's beautiful but when had hope ever called her beautiful or acknowledged it or-'

"HAYLEY, COME ON, THEY'RE SERVING PANCAKES FOR THE EARLY RISERS!"

Lizzie's shout snapped her out of her train of thought, she took off running after her. Pancakes from cafeteria were delicious.

Lizzie stood at the door of the cafeteria, waiting for Hayley to catch up. When she saw her running down the hall she laughed.

At this point, Lizzie's laughing and loud voice had probably woken half the school if not all. Though she couldn't bring herself to care.

When Hayley finally caught up they grabbed themselves some breakfast and Lizzie decided to go and sit on the outside balcony, overlooking the forest.

Now that the sun had come up, the day was getting warmer.

Once both girls had sat down and started eating Lizzie spoke up,

"So I just realized I got so carried away with my boring history of the school that I never actually asked you about yourself which is completely ridiculous since you probably already know a lot about me since I never shut up and-"

Lizzie stopped when she noticed the smirk on Hayley's face, "and I'm rambling, actually there's another thing I do a lot, I get carried away really easily and then people can barely ever get me to even stop and-"

"breath?" Hayley suggested, half finishing her sentence and half actually telling her to stop and take a breathe.

She awkwardly smiled showing off all her teeth, causing Hayley to burst out laughing. Lizzie wanted to join in but at the same time wanted to jump off the balcony,

'God why am I being so awkward?'

Hope couldn't actually remember the last time she had laughed so much.

Once she'd finished she looked at Lizzie, who was still just sitting there crouched in her sit like she was trying to blend in.

Hope soon got lost in her eyes, the greyish blue sparkling with the rising sun, Hope felt a small smile creep on her face. Why had she never noticed how gorgeous Lizzie's eyes were?

Even then, when she fully looked she could see a storm raging behind the outer walls. All the emotions bubbling up, like they wanted to escape.

It was then that Hope realized why Lizzie was acting so happy, giving the tour had given her a distraction from the war she was fighting in her head.

Hope had barely blinked as she stared at her across the table, Lizzie seemed to be just as lost in her as she was.

The sudden clearing of a throat snapped her out of her trance.

For a second time that day she regretted turning around. Stood in the doorway to the balcony was Landon, the sunlight shining on his grey shit and dark hair. Eyes glimmering in the morning light.

Hopes breath caught in her throat as she sat completely frozen.

"Landon" Lizzie shouted, the sudden clearing of a throat snapping her out of her daze. She jumped up so quickly out of her seat that it crashed onto the floor behind her.

'oops, real subtle Lizzie, real subtle' she thought while mentally facepalming.

After staring at the seat now on the floor she flicked her head back around to Landon and Hayley who were now staring at her.

"Landon hi, hi Landon. What can uh, can I do something for you" she smiled, before realizing just what'd she said. The facepalm counter raising to 2.

"Actually I just wanted some fresh air, sorry if I'm interrupting something."

Lizzie looked back over to Hayley's seat to find her still staring in Landon's direction.

She sighed slightly "No, no, Landon you aren't interrupting. We were just taking a break from the new student tour. This is Hayley, she's the new student." gesturing to Hayley sitting at the table.

"Oh, it's lovely to meet you, Hayley was it? Nice to finally pass the new kid title to someone else" he said before smiling his dorkiest smile. Lizzie rolled her eyes, though she didn't really know why.

Hope's emotions were once again all over the place. Any happiness she'd felt that morning gone in an instant.

The sudden reminder that even if Lizzie was barely acting like it, she was, in fact, a stranger to everyone here.

She heard Lizzie saying her name, but it sounded like it was somewhere in the distance.

Memories of Landon and her playing in repeat in her head, making it hard to not let the fresh tears welling up in her eyes fall.

"I know all you want from me is the truth and the truth is I love you"

"I love you, Landon Kirby"

"I love you too, Hope Mikaelson"

As his lips met her in the sweetest kiss she'd known, years of keeping to herself and shutting down any emotions vanished. Any thought of shutting everyone out again to protect herself was wiped away. Landon had come into her life when she needed someone, and it turns out he was exactly who she needed.

"I- I-" It was too late, the tears were starting to roll down her cheeks, she stood quickly. Excusing herself from the two she ran through the door.

She didn't know where she was going, she couldn't go to her dorm, she couldn't really go anywhere.

So she just ran down the hall until she reached the large doors at the school opening. Flinging both large doors open in an instant she disappeared through them.

Unbeknown to her, Lizzie had been worried and followed her, wondering what was wrong.

When she reached the Salvatore school doors, Hope was already long gone.

Lizzie kept staring out of the large doors, wondering what in gods name had just happened. As she looked out towards the gates she felt the storm inside her getting stronger.

She returned to the balcony, Landon was already gone. She heard chatter behind her in the halls, meaning the rest of the students were beginning their day.

So she shut the balcony doors and faced the table that she had been sitting at a few minutes earlier.

Both breakfast plates and cups sat at the glass table and as silence swept over the place, Lizzie once again felt alone.

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