puppy love } { of socialization and friendship struggles

[theloophole]

Hope: [Hope returns from her summer in New Orleans sad and distant, and the new school year at the Salvatore Boarding School doesn't make that better as Lizzie and Josie Saltzman do not consider her one of their favorite people. So she ends up spending a lot of time in her room, especially when her mother is back in New Orleans, dealing with being the Crescent Alpha, drawing pictures and trying not to feel as alone as she does]

Ben: [he's noticed that Hope has been hiding in her room a lot, but he has been helping his cousin Baal adjust to school. Once Baal is working on his math homework - math is a universal language - he will slip out of his room and head to Hope's. He checks to make sure no one is coming, and then knocks their secret knock.]

Hope: [her head snaps up and she makes her way over to open the door and let him in quickly, closing the door behind him] Is everything okay?

Ben: Yeah, totally. Is everything okay with you?

Hope: Yeah. Fine. I was just working on my homework. [liar liar pants on fire]

Ben: You usually have your homework done by now.

Hope: Yeah, well, I had a lot of homework. [good job. you can totally tell her father is the boogeyman]

Ben: [looks over at her bed] You're doing homework in your sketch pad? [and his dad is a super awesome spy]

Hope: [she shrugs, before going to sit on her bed] I had ... art class?

Ben: [goes to sit by her] Why are you acting weird?

Hope: [she pulls her knees into her chest and rests her cheek against them] I thought going to school would be different.

Ben: Different?

Hope: I thought it would be nice.

Ben: [tilts his head a bit, because school hasn't been bad] How is it not nice to you?

Hope: Josie and Lizzie hate me.

Ben: Josie and Lizzie don't like anyone that isn't Josie or Lizzie

Hope: Yeah, but everyone else wants to be on their good side because their parents run the school so it means everyone else hates me too.

Ben: I don't hate you. Baal doesn't either. We're the awesome trio, and no one's changing that.

Hope: I know. But ... I want girl friends too. [which she knows sounds bad but every girl is supposed to have a girl best friend]

Ben: Oh. [rubs the back of his neck] I can't really help you there.

Hope: [sighs] I love that you guys are my friends. I do. But I thought being school was supposed to be fun, and if I went to school with kids like me than I wouldn't have to hide. And they make me so mad.

Ben: Well, have you told them to stop being jerks?

Hope: I don't know what I did wrong!

Ben: Then ask?

Hope: I tried! They won't tell me. [she sighs] I just want to do good. So I don't let my family down but they won't give me a chance.

Ben: Do you want me to talk to them?

Hope: [shakes her head] No. I just want them to leave me alone.

Ben: Well, just ignore them. They're stupid and if they don't think you're upset by what they say, then they will get bored.

Hope: [she nods, because it makes sense. but she is upset and she doesn't know how to hide that]

Ben: My dad said he got picked on a lot when he was in school. So he used to make jokes back at people.

Hope: My dad just ... hurts people.

Ben: Well, that's probably not a good idea.

Hope: I don't want to be like my dad. But I've got both his and my mother's temper.

Ben: My uncle Derek had anger issues. He learned to meditate.

Hope: Aunt Freya says that's good for witchcraft.

Ben: Have you tried it before?

Hope: A little bit.

Ben: Well, maybe you can think of something to meditate on when they are being jerks to keep you from showing them you're upset?

Hope: Maybe. [sighs] I just wish things were different.

Ben: They will be. Once they stop being idiots and realize how awesome you are.

Hope: [and that makes her smile a little] Thanks.

Ben: It's the truth.

Hope: I'm glad you're here. This would have been worse if I was alone.

Ben: I don't think I'd like being alone here either. I mean, I like that mom and dad are happy here, but it's different.

Hope: Different how?

Ben: I was just getting used to us all living together, and now I live here and they live there.

Hope: But you can go home anytime. You just have to tell your mom.

Ben: But then you'll be alone.

Hope: I'll be okay. I can always call Aunt Freya to come see me.

Ben: Nope, you're stuck with me. Deal. [smirks]

Hope: [smiles a bit at that, before inching closer to rest her head against his shoulder] I'm really glad you and Baal are here.

Ben: [and she gets a one armed hug in return, keeping her close] So, what were you drawing?

Hope: [pulls up her sketchpad to show him] A butterfly for my Mom.

Ben: Nice! I'm still totally jealous of how good you draw.

Hope: I got it from my dad. [a beat] I miss him.

Ben: I know how that is. Has he called you?

Hope: He wrote me a letter.

Ben: Did it come with money? Anytime I get a letter it always has money in it.

Hope: No?

Ben: Oh. Well, what'd it say?

Hope: That he loves me and he wants to know about school and stuff.

Ben: Well, that's good. Maybe you can video call him soon to tell him.

Hope: Yeah, maybe.

Ben: I could always pretend to be him. Though i don't know if I can do his accent.

Hope: [she laughs] Its okay. I'd rather you just be you.

Ben: [laughs too] Good. I like being me.

Hope: I just know I'm not going to be able to see him for a really long time. It sucks.

Ben: Yeah. I didn't see my dad for the first six years of my life. And then it was a lot of back and forth. My mom always told me to remember that it wasn't because of me he wasn't there.

Hope: Yeah, but unfortunately in my dad's case it is because of me.

Ben: No, it's because some witch was an asshat and put that thing in you. That wasn't your fault.

Hope: Yeah, but he has to stay away to protect me.

Ben: But it won't be forever. Your aunt is going to figure out how to make it better.

Hope: I hope so.

Ben: [trying to imitate Klaus. badly] But the offer to be him still stands.

Hope: [bursts into giggles] You are really bad at that accent.

Ben: [rubs the back of his head] It's hard!

Hope: I know. But I'd still rather you be you.