𝟙.𝟝: 𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕖

—Narrator's perspective—

Arabella opened the sliding door, letting Hope get inside before she can. She closed the door behind, looking at the people inside the room with all who in which looked shocked to see Hope.

"Sorry we're late." Hope hummed and went besides Arabella with a sigh.

"Hold up. Who voted for her?" Kaleb questioned, specifically to the tribrid who entered unannounced.

"I ran unopposed. Bella's here because Dr. Saltzman trusts her judgment." Hope explained and sat down, gesturing the vampire to sit down besides her which she did, no questions asked.

Emma brought her hand up and spoke in a foreign language. "We're here to discuss if Landon should be allowed to stay at the school. My vote, on behalf of the lower school, is to err on the side of inclusion. We exist to help kids like him." She placed the stone on one side of the weight, it going to the right. "Which is what I'm going to go do now. I have a search party out looking for Jed. As you've all seen, violence leads to more violence. Kaleb, Arabella, You two can vote seperate. If you'll excuse me." She finished and left the room, leaving the room for them to talk.

"All right, who wants to start?" Kaleb asked, looking around the circle of students in question.

Hope was the first, "Landon has to go." She spoke out of the blue and everyone looked at her, Rafael being the only one who is mad.

"Never thought I'd be saying this, but... Hope's right. Humans refuse to make a place for us in their world. We start letting them in, It's only matter of time before they take this place from us, too." Kaleb finished, picking up a stone from the table and placing it opposite from where Emma placed hers. "Landon goes."

"Landon is my brother. He's the only reason I'm alive. He can't go back to human life knowing that magic and dragons exist. We took his whole crappy life from him. Be awful selfish of us not to give him one to replace it." Raf grabbed the stone, setting it from where Emma made her decision, countering the one Kaleb placed his. "That's two-one."

"Doesn't matter how much we want him to stay. Look what one mad wolf did to him. Earlier, I asked him if he felt safe here. He said yes. He was lying. This place is dangerous for him and even he knows it."

"I will protect him." Rafael spoke quickly.

Hope shook her head, "And where were you an hour ago? That's the point. If he stays, it's on all of us. It is all of our responsibility to protect him. Can we honestly say we believe every one of us can handle that kind of a responsibility?" Hope placed her stone with Kaleb's, making the vote tie and with Josie to break it.

The witch looked at Raf, guilt ridden and turned to Arabella to help but she shook her head, saying she should be the one to choose.

"Josie. Please." Raf pleaded, looking at her for helped.

"Since Landon walked through those doors, my sister, my father and I have almost died. We don't really know what Landon is, so we can't really say if we know if he's dangerous or not. Raf this isn't about who's friends with who or who you like. This school is family, and I am not putting my family in danger again." Josie finished, placing her vote on letting Landon leave making Rafael sigh.

"That leaves Arabella. She can still tie the decision if she lets Landon stay." Kaleb informed and everyone looked at her.

Arabella exhaled defeatedly. "It's not our interest to take Landon in when he keeps getting himself into trouble. As much as I want him to stay, he's not safe here. He's biggest bet is to stay far away from this school." She finished and placed the stone down to the left, anchoring their decision final. "Sorry, Raf."

Rafael stood up harshly and pushed the chair behind him, angry. "Raf." Hope warned and Kaleb stood up alarmed, looking at the wolf in warning.

"Raf stop." Josie called out and he scoffed unbelievably, looking at the witch.

"You know what, I'm done with both of y'all." He left the room in anger, leaving the rest of the council alarmed.

Arabella stood up and quickly left, feeling too guilty that she made the decision of Rafael losing a brother. She's done enough to make such huge decisions, it wasn't even her place to make it but yet there she was, making a call.

She walked inside the gym, seeing Lizzie with a punching bag and an anger to replenish. "Looks like both of us had a rough day."

"Save it. I'm having the worst day." Lizzie said without taking her eyes off the punching bag, weakly attacking it with her strength.

"It's sweet of her not to want to hurt the punching bag." Penelope suddenly appeared besides Arabella who rolled her eyes by her appearance.

"You want to take its place?" Lizzie replied angrily and definitely not in the mood for another assault.

"Don't blame me. It's the rest of the witches who knew how bad you'd be at that job." She walked towards the blonde, taunting mostly.

Arabella turned her heel, leaving the supposed place that will unleash her wrath. She sighed heavily and had her palm on her eyes to her walk back to the bedroom.

"What did I ever do to make you hate me so much?" Lizzie asked and stepped forward to her in frustration.

"It's not about you." Penelope replied and the blonde could only look at her in confusion. "Shocking, I know. It's about how you treat Josie."

"I love Josie." The witch answered, disbelief that Penelope could even think about the reversal.

Penelope rolled her eyes, "Did you think to ask her if she wanted to run for the council before you assumed you'd win? You've left her with no room for herself. She spends all of her energy taking care of you. She doesn't have time for a relationship because you are a black hole of time and energy and love, just sucking it all up. Never giving any of it back. Oh, she won't ever burn your world down. So I will do it for her." Before leaving, she softly chuckled and left Lizzie with only her negative thoughts.

After, Arabella was sitting on top of the roof, her back slightly arched so she can watch the clouds move even though it was night. She was too frustrated to even bother on hiding her figure if someone sees her. People will if they have a sharp enough eye to see her wallowing in her thoughts, at the very front of the roof of the school.

She tapped her fingers on her head, her hugging her knees while she had her hands on her head in guilt. Arabella actually wanted to let Landon stay, but the thought of him getting hurt because of her world was too frightening.

The Vampire looked as if she was just thinking when Hope noticed her from where she was. "Are you thinking about jumping? If so that would be a failure." She spoke loudly earning a look from Arabella.

"The thought crossed my mind." Arabella joked and Hope smiled, looking up while the other looked down. "Want me to come get you? You looked like you had a rough night." When Hope nodded, she jumped down with a light grunt and picked up Hope when she was back in the roof in under 5 seconds.

"I dropped Landon on the bus stop." She informed and Arabella sighed defeatedly. "He also tried to kiss me." Also confessed in a more literal tone making the girl besides her look at her in surprise.

Arabella felt the tiniest bit of pain which awfully confused her. "That's great, right? You told me you liked him."

"Yeah that's the thing." Hope clicked her tongue and sighed. "I didn't kiss him back." The reply made Arabella even more confused.

"Okay you're spinning my head— Why didn't you?" Even though she was happily celebrating on the inside, she wanted to know if Hope was okay with all that happened.

"I don't know." Hope groaned and laid her back on the roof, eyes staring on the stars. "There's also someone who's been making me a little confused." She confessed, looking over Arabella with affection.

Arabella turned her head, looking at Hope. "You're awfully getting around." She joked making the tribrid chuckle. "Well, who is he?"

"She. And I'm not going to tell you. It's ridiculous and you'll make fun of me." Hope genuinely smiled, looking at the girl's eyes directly.

"Given the girl I fancy right now? Trust me, I am in no position to judge you." Arabella sighed and laid besides Hope, both staring on the constellations in peace.

"You like someone?" asked Hope, quite surprised and yet disappointed. There was something inside her heart, jealousy.

Arabella shrugged, "Took me a moment to realise but I'm certain I do. But, she likes somebody else so I don't think it will work." She whispered.

"Are you kidding?" Hope questioned in a louder tone and sat up looking at Arabella. "Who wouldn't want to be with you?" She asked.

"I mean... She's just too blind to notice that someone likes her for who she really is." Arabella hinted, sitting upwards too and looking at Hope.

However, Hope was too blind. "Yeah really." She scoffed and looked back down to the gates of the school. The reply made Arabella genuinely laugh, having to cover her mouth to stop herself at how dumbfounded Hope looks.

"What, why are you laughing?"

"Nothing you just... Nothing." She answered and Hope looked at her in disbelief, holding a ball that was glowing red, showing it to her. "Are you seriously gonna carry that around for the rest of your life?"

"Nice try, Dr. Saltzman told me to hold it until he comes back. So why did you laugh?" She asked and held the ball up to warn her. "Or how about, who is that girl you like?"

"Hope!" Arabella called out and laughed, knowing that they will get in another heated moment with Hope interrogating her. She really didn't mind. If she could, Arabella would tell Hope everything she wanted to know.

"Is it Josie?" She asked quickly and glanced at the ball.

"What? No!" Arabella defended too quickly and again, the lie detector glowed blue.

"Lizzie?"

"Ofcourse not!" Glowed blue, again.

"Oh god is it Penelope?"

"I am insulted that you think so but no." Arabella smiled, both looking at the ball in knowing that it's blue.

Hope squinted her eyes, "Is it me?" She sent a teasing smile which made Arabella open her mouth to answer but the lie detector was going to expose her. "Hey, you have to answer."

"This is ridiculous—"

"Bella!" Hope laughed, giving her a warning look to tell her. She was much eager and having a laugh at how flustered the vampire looks.

"No." She answered and they both looked at the supernatural lie detector and for a split second, her heart dropped when it went red.

Hope widen her eyes a bit and looked at Arabella, a splash of relief hit her. Then ofcourse, they were both quiet and only looking at each other in shock.

"Hey! What are you two doing up there?" Alaric's voice came at view, him looking up from besides his jeep. "Get down before either of you gets hurt."

Arabella stood up, holding Hope's waist when they jumped down making sure she wouldn't hurt herself. "You're back." She looked at Alaric who sighed and nodded.

While the Vampire and Alaric talked, Hope couldn't get herself to focus as she was only looking at Bella who managed to make her heart skip a beat without her knowing. It was like the liking she had for Landon was gone and now moved her focus to the girl besides her.

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