{1.01 | This is the Part Where You Run| part 1}
With her head leaned back, Elara let out a huff.
It was her first time in the transitional spaces (werewolf dungeons), and she hated every minute of it. The stone was cold against her skin, the air was tight and dusty, and she could hear every single sound in the cellar. Shoes scuffing across the stone, water dripping into buckets, the ruffling of sheets. Each sound pricked her ears like a needle. The approaching full moon wasn't helping her foul mood, either.
Elara had spent a better part of her first month at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted dreading the next full moon. It was full of distractions. Adjusting to a new school-- a supernatural one-- making a friend, learning how to blend in made it easy to ignore her impending doom. After her first transition, she never wanted to experience the pain again, even with the wolves' encouragement.
The werewolves at the school were decent people-- save a few of them-- and weren't awful to hang around with, but Elara didn't like the pack mentality. The desire to stay with the wolves and the wolves only. To top it off, she didn't like Jed, the alpha. He was a douche who couldn't take no for an answer.
Her head lifted at the sound of someone tapping on the metal door. She saw a taller girl with long brown hair, wearing a blue pajama set.
"Hey, Jo," Elara greeted softly.
"Hey," she breathed out, smiling.
Josie Saltzman was, undoubtedly, Elara's closest friend at the school. They weren't necessarily best friends, but they were on the path towards it. Elara didn't care to tell Josie about her life before the school, but the Saltzman twin didn't push. The two met a few days after Elara first arrived, during her class for History of Light Magic.
"How's it going?" Josie asked, lowering herself to sit on the ground.
A scoff left her lips. "How do you think?" Elara snarked. "I have to sit here, in a dark, small space, and wait for the inevitable breaking of every singly bone in my body. I'm fantastic."
"Well, at least you won't be alone while you do it."
"You don't have to do that. I wasn't alone last time, and it still sucked."
Josie frowned. "Right. Well, I'm aware, but at least this time you have a friend."
Seeing Josie's expression, Elara let out a soft sigh. How could she be rude to that face? "Sorry." She wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them against her chest. "The moon is putting me on edge."
"It's okay," Josie mumbled. She was used to Elara's temper, having witnessed it on several occasions. They remained in silence for a moment before she spoke again. "I hear that we're getting a new student tomorrow. Apparently, he's a werewolf."
"Really?"
Josie hummed. "That's where my dad and Hope went tonight, somewhere in Atlanta. He seemed like he was in a hurry."
"Well, that makes it two for two." She laughed softly. A month had passed since then, yet it felt like yesterday Elara went through the pain of the transition. "What do you want to bet it's another foster kid?"
"You know I don't gamble."
"I do," she joked.
Josie smiled. She drummed her fingers against the floor for a moment, searching for something else to talk about, then she tilted her head to the side. "So, can you tell when the moon's coming up?"
Elara shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe in a few minutes? My head is hurting too much to focus on that."
"But are you able to tell when? Like a moon timer?" Josie asked.
"Kinda," Elara answered. "It's like the closer it gets the more... intense everything feels."
"That's cool. And everything feels heightened?"
Elara raised a brow. "Why are you asking me so many questions? Didn't you grow up learning about this stuff?"
"Well, yeah," Josie answered, shifting closer to the door. "But it wasn't like I was close enough to a werewolf to ask them personal questions."
"Slow down there, Saltzman, or I'll think you're only friends with me because of my brain," Elara joked-- mostly. She still doubted their friendship existed, but that was simply her response to acts of kindness.
Josie's jaw dropped, offended. "You know that's not true! Plus, the questions are providing a nice distraction, no?"
Elara grinned. "I know. I'm just messing with you. Yes, everything is heightened. I can hear a mouse squeaking in the other room, and I can smell the strawberry ChapStick in your pocket."
"I don't even have my ChapStick-" Josie said, reaching into her pants pocket. She pulled out a small, thin red tube, and her jaw dropped slightly in surprise. "Oh. I guess you're right."
"See? Heightened senses."
Elara was grateful for Josie's help. Simply sitting down there with her helped ease some of her tension. Josie shouldn't have come to the cellar. She put everyone else first, and Elara didn't. The least she could do was show her appreciation.
"Thank you, Jo." she shifted her body to face Josie, leaning her shoulder against the wall. "For coming down here."
"Anytime, Lara."
Elara found it strange. She wasn't a friend kind of person, yet here Josie was, acting like a friend. She had friends before, of course. There was Felix, but he was gone. There were a few people from her old school, but she lost contact after leaving Charleston. It was hard to without a cellphone. There was Hope--
But Hope wasn't Elara's friend. They were roommates, yes, but aside from occasional conversation about class work they hardly spoke. Hope always seemed to avoid her.
"You should go," Elara spoke, breaking the silence. "I don't think you'll like the next part of the night."
"Are you sure?" Josie asked. "I don't want you to be alone--"
"I'll be fine," the werewolf interrupted, sending a reassuring smile. "Promise."
Josie nodded, hesitantly standing up. "I'll be back in the morning with your uniform. Lizzie signed us up to give the new recruit a tour."
Elara raised a brow. "'Us?'"
"Yeah. She figured it'd help him not get sucked into the exclusive mindset of the pack since it'll be a classic witch welcome and you're not in the pack." She turned to walk away, but paused, looking back at Elara. "I'll be back in the morning."
Reassuring. That was Josie's way. Always reassuring everyone around her.
Elara couldn't stop herself from smiling. "You said that, already."
"Right, well." Josie folded her hands together. "Goodnight, Elara."
As the hair stood up on the back of her neck, Elara lifted her hand in a small wave. "Goodnight, Josie."
~-~-~
Elara stood behind Josie and Lizzie, fixing the red tie on her uniform. She only wore half of her uniform, opting out of wearing the blazer and skirt-- instead slacks. After the full moon, she woke up burning up, practically sweating, and the discomfort had not vanished.
She debated skipping it entirely, but after Josie's kindness the night before, she felt like she owed her, and she hated feeling like she owed someone something.
A dark jeep pulled up next to them-- the very jeep that brought Elara to the school-- and stopped. Alaric and Hope climbed out of the front, and two boys climbed out the back.
Two?
Elara and Josie exchanged a glance. She sent her a small shrug as if she read her mind.
"Welcome to the Salvatore School," Lizzie began, staring at the taller, dark-skinned teenager with the same look she had given Elara when she first arrived: infatuation. Apparently, there was something fascinating about new kids. "We're your tour guides."
As the twins introduced themselves, Elara glanced at Hope, who shifted her gaze from the recruits to her. Their eyes met, and Elara quickly looked away, instead looking at the tall teenager.
He was tall and well-built-- quite a bit taller than the twins and Elara-- and had dark hair. He watched the girls skeptically, but not as skeptically as the shorter teenager right next to him. Black curls sat on his head, like a mop, and he wore a black leather jacket with a hood. They hadn't been expecting two new recruits.
She blinked, realizing the twins had stopped speaking. "Elara. Not related to either of them."
"Rafael," Alaric said, looking at the taller teen. "Why don't you go ahead with the girls while I talk to Landon."
Josie skipped over to Rafael, gently taking him by the arm while Lizzie hooked her arm through his other one. Elara stayed where she was, hands in her pockets.
She looked over at "Landon," her eyes meeting his. He hadn't taken his eyes off of Hope since they arrived, but after she spoke, his stare gravitated towards her. It was weird, like a lot of things in Elara's life.
"Morning, Hope," the twins said in unison.
"Morning, girls," Hope responded, nodding at the twins, then nodding at the werewolf. "Elara."
"Mornin'," she mumbled.
"More like despair," Lizzie (not so subtly) whispered.
Elara glanced at Hope, and, again, their eyes met. What was with people and staring at her?
"I heard that," Hope remarked, directed towards Lizzie.
"No, you didn't."
"Didn't have to."
"Everyone, behave." Alaric interrupted their bickering.
The twins spoke in unison as they walked towards the school. "Love you, dad!" Josie looked at Elara over her shoulder with a smile, an expectant look on her face.
"So.." Alaric started, then he noticed Elara's presence. "Shouldn't you be with them?"
Elara blinked and realized she'd spaced out. "Right, sorry." She cleared her throat, turning away. "Bye!"
She chased after the twins, quickly catching up to them.
The four entered the building as the twins began to explain the school and the dynamics of its students. She walked next to Josie, who had her arm hooked through Elara's.
Something felt off, and she couldn't explain what it was exactly. She felt on edge, like something could go wrong at any moment, and she wasn't sure why, but the feeling emerged after she looked at Landon. He looked as anxious as she felt.
Weird.
"Elara here isn't in the pack." Lizzie said, snapping Elara out of her thoughts. "She's all about inclusivity, just like us. That is why we volunteered to be your tour guides. To give you a good witch welcome before your hairier brethren corrupt you. No offense, Elara."
Elara gave a thin-lipped smile to the blonde Saltzman. "Some taken."
Josie pointed towards the classroom they were approaching, changing the subject. The tension between her twin and her best friend was overwhelming to most. "That is our librarian, Mr. Williams. He's subbing for our Chemistry of Magic teacher who accidentally incinerated himself last week in hellfire."
"Burned all the hair off his body but didn't leave a scar," Lizzie added.
"Can't believe I missed that," Elara mumbled. Josie shot her a look, elbowing her softly in the ribs.
The four watched as Dorian wrote something on the board before gesturing to one of the students. She was pretty, intimidating, but pretty, with curly black hair and a nose ring.
"She who shall not be named," Lizzie said.
"Talking about her gives her power," Josie mumbled, fixing her arm in Elara's.
Rafael's brows knitted together. "Who are you talking about?"
"Josie's evil ex," Elara answered, receiving another jab to her ribs. "What, am I wrong?
Josie's jaw clenched as she said nothing, staring at Penelope. Penelope turned, looking at the group and winked before casting a spell.
The glowing ball burst into a cloud of smoke, and Elara scrunched her nose at the foul smell. Stink spells were awful.
Lizzie groaned. "Come on. We'll show you the turret. It's where the seniors go to smoke."
Rafael chuckled. "What do they smoke, eye of newt?"
"Weed," Josie answered with a grin.
~*~
The tour went on for what felt like ages. Elara was glad she didn't have to go to her morning classes, but at the same time she didn't want to be part of the welcoming committee. She had no time to recuperate after the full moon, the effects still lingering.
Eventually, they made their way to the Wickery field, a place to showcase some of the more active activities the school provided.
Elara walked behind the trio, trying to stay outside of the game field. The bleachers were a bit too close to the boundary for her liking.
"Alyssa Change made a broom fly in physics last year," Lizzie began, "but Rick Rogers fell 30 feet during practice, so real-life Quidditch remains an elusive pipe dream."
"Yet another reference to Harry Potter," Elara joked. "You'd be surprised at how many kids think the Salvatore School is a New England version of Hogwarts. We don't have ghosts, though."
Rafael shot her a small grin. He didn't seem so bad. Like she had been before, he was learning so much in such a short time and being forced to accept his new life. Hell, she had been at the school for a month and still felt like it wasn't real.
Lizzie chimed in, pointing towards the field. "It's called Wickery."
The whistle blew as Josie walked away from the group, glancing back at Elara. The blonde werewolf nodded, following behind her towards the other bleachers. Lizzie had the tour handled, and if Elara was being honest, she was tired of playing the role of happy-go student.
Josie sat next to a teenage boy with curly black hair and brown skin. He was cute, but more so in a nerdy type of way. Elara sat down, sending MG a small smile.
MG eyed the new werewolf that sat in the other bleachers. "Giving up dibs on the new guy so quickly?"
"It's not a competition," Josie answered. "Plus, I'm still nursing a wounded soul."
"Hmm. Penelope Park," MG pointed out.
Elara reached behind Josie and smacked MG on the shoulder. "Hey, rude."
MG sent Elara a confused look as Josie rolled her eyes. "We don't mention her name anymore, remember?"
The vampire chuckled. "Sorry."
The crowd cheered as the whistle blew again, for what reason Elara had no idea. Josie had tried to explain the rules to Elara, but the magic aspect still confused her.
"Do you think he'll go for her?" MG suddenly asked.
"Oh, you lovesick fool," Elara mumbled, turning her attention back to the confusing Wickery game.
She felt the Saltzman twin gently bump her shoulder. "Probably," Josie answered. "They usually do."
Elara repeated what her friend said. "Usually."
MG made eye contact with Elara, his brows lifting ever so slightly. "Okay."
After a moment, Elara placed her chin on Josie's shoulder, letting out a sigh. She knew about MG's massive crush on Lizzie Saltzman. She could kind of see why, Lizzie was pretty and (could be) funny, but at the same time, MG was a sweetheart. Lizzie was the Queen of Mean.
MG would argue that he was Elara's friend, even if Elara said otherwise. He was like Josie, awkward, friendly, a bit of a pushover.
"Uh, oh," Josie uttered, tapping Elara's arm. Elara sat up swiftly, looking where Josie pointed.
The two watched as Rafael walked away from an upset Lizzie. That wasn't good. Elara wished she'd been listening to their conversation. At least then she'd know why Lizzie was upset.
"C'mon, we have to tell my dad." The two stood up and climbed down the bleachers, leaving behind an oblivious MG.
Elara let out a sigh. "I know where to find him."
The two quickly jogged towards the lake. When Lizzie was close to a meltdown, speed was key. They found Alaric on the docks with Hope, both dressed in workout clothes. She found out Hope trained with Alaric daily after seeing her there during one of her walks. Why she didn't train with someone else, like a vampire, she didn't know.
Her attention piqued on their conversation as she caught the end of it. "Attempt to make friends with your roommate, or anyone else here for that matter, and we could reevaluate this relationship."
Alaric did have a point. They were roommates. It would be beneficial for them to be on good terms.
"Dad?" Josie called, leaning against a tree. She drew Alaric's attention as he looked towards her. Elara stopped right behind her, a thin-lipped smile on her face. "Cleanup on aisle 'L.'"
Alaric let out a sigh, closing his water bottle. He trudged back towards the school, Josie on his heels, leaving behind Elara and her reluctant roommate.
The two made eye contact, and Hope rolled her eyes.
"What?"
"Nothing," Elara responded. "Roomie."
Hope pushed back the strands of her ponytail that had escaped her ponytail, huffing. "What do you want?"
"I have a question." Elara grasped her hands together, her curiosity getting the best of her. It was clear that Hope did not want to talk to her, but she rarely got a chance to know what was going on at the school.
Hope walked past her, their arms brushing each other. Elara felt the heat of Hope's skin through the thin fabric of her button-up. "No."
Elara followed, catching up and walking next to her back towards the school. She persisted. "What's with the human, er, Landon?"
"Nothing," Hope answered too quickly. "It's not important."
Elara raised her brows. She hadn't seen Hope flustered before, even if it was subtle "Well, I mean it is kind of important seeing as he's a human at a school for the supernatural. Did y'all compel him?"
The tribrid glanced at Elara out of the corner of her eye. She paused a moment before speaking. "MG tried. It didn't work."
"Didn't work? Is he secretly a witch-- or is it warlock--"
Hope didn't let her continue with her thought. "It didn't work because we think he consumed vervain. We're waiting for it to pass through while he remains out of the way. Why are you asking so many questions?"
"I like to know what's going on." Elara shrugged. "You're the best way to know that, even if you don't tell me whatever you and Dr. Saltzman get up to."
"And why should I do that? It's not like you tell me wherever you disappear to in the middle of the night. Every night."
The werewolf kept her expression steeled. Hope knew Elara woke up in the middle of the night, which also meant she had an idea about her nightmares.
She didn't like that.
"That's personal," Elara countered. "And my escapades don't affect the school, and they definitely don't affect you."
"No, but your insistence on trying to talk to me would make more sense if you weren't so closed off. Can't exactly bond with someone when you're halfway through the door."
Elara went silent. Hope was right, even if Elara didn't want to admit it. Her past wasn't something she was open about. It hurt too much, and she was nowhere near ready to talk about it with anyone, let alone Hope Mikaelson.
She paused in her step. They had made it to the driveway of the school, the sounds of students chattering echoing in the background. "You know what? Rain check."
With a thin-lipped smile on her face, Elara stepped away from Hope, showing her hands into the pocket of her pants. "I'll see you in the room then, Mikaelson."
[a.n. I went back and re-published it with a few changes to Elara and Hope's conversation. It seemed out of place and out of character for how I want their relationship to develop. Hopefully their dynamic makes a little more sense.
Thank you for reading!
~NYM]