𝟙.𝟞: 𝕄𝕠𝕞𝕓𝕚𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕥

—Narrator's perspective—

Arabella was sat on the chair in front of Alaric, her begging him to convince Caroline on going here. She was too much mad at Caroline for missing her daughters sweet 16 especially at a year like this.

"Care you dragged me in Mystic Falls atleast go here for their birthday! Or else I'm going to have to fly all the way to wherever you are and drag you by the hair!" She warned, Alaric's phone on the desk while it was on speaker phone.

"I appreciate the enthusiasm of you dragging me by my lovely hair but I can't. I am this close on my research." She whined on the other line, feeling awful that she had to miss Jo's and Lizzie's 16th birthday. "Look, I have to go. Just tell them I'm sorry and send my regards."

Before Arabella could even answer her, Caroling hung up. The Vampire scoffed and turned to Ric. "You weren't saying anything!"

"I'm pretty sure you covered it." He patted her shoulder and took the phone, closing it shut. "We still have to find what monster is next."

"Ric? Luna?"

They both turned their heads to the door, Arabella could have sworn she just witnessed a miracle when she's seeing Josette Laughlin by the door wearing a bloody wedding down.

"Please tell me I'm not seeing what I think I'm seeing." She groaned, looking equally as shock as the human besides her.

"Dorian!" Alaric shouted and scrambled to get his crossbow behind the desk. He locked it in and pointed it at Jo.

Arabella unexpectedly sped in front of Jo. "Are you kidding? That's your wife— Fiancée— Whatever." She looked over at Jo who raised her hands up.

"Are you okay— Whoa, whoa." Dorian came in rushing through the doors, also had his hands up when he saw Alaric with a crossbow.

"Ric, if you could just put down the crossbow. My freak-out level is about 11 right now." Jo was breathing heavily in nervousness behind a very confused Arabella who didn't know what to do.

"You know her?" Dorian asked the both of them.

Arabella nodded and Alaric answered for them. "I know who she's supposed to be." He spoke and Dorian asked who. "The love of my life."

"Hold up. Hold up." Dorian urged and walked to Ric who is very sensitive about seeing his dead wife.

"Okay okay let's just settle down and put the damn crossbow down pocahantas." Arabella said to him and brought her hand up to the crossbow and pulling it downwards before things get messy.

"Listen to Luna and Dorian— Are you Dorian? I'm Jo." She put her hands up in surrender when Arabella was besides Alaric already.

Dorian flabbergasted, "You're his dead wife? I mean— I mean, Fiancée. I mean uh... You don't think she's actually...?"

"No I don't." Alaric whispered harshly and looked at Jo.

"Did you see how she got here?" He asked and Jo answered in front of them.

"I was sort of, um... yanked awake and then I was just here." Though the explanation was too fabricated and doesn't make sense, the people in front of her didn't seem to take it lightly.

"Nothing suspicious about that." Alaric chuckled sarcastically and pointed the crossbow once more. At this point, Arabella gave up and let him do whatever.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Dorian asked Ric who nodded.

"Kill her now before she attacks?" He answered and pointed the weapon again.

Arabella and Jo looked at him in disbelief. "Wait, what?" They said in unison.

"I was more, 'Let's interrogate her'. Because if she's the next monster, then maybe she would know more than the dryad did." He pointed out and Ric put down his weapon and sighed, knowing Dorian had a point.

"Okay, but no one sees her. Especially today. I need Emma and Arabella, you go and distract Lizzie and Josie." He said and the girl was about to refuse when he warned her. "I'll get you when we have more answers. Right now, I need you to go."

Arabella huffed and sped out the room in frustration like a little kid.

☘︎︎

"Obviously, nothing's gonna come out of it. I mean, it's not like we discussed on what we saw when she told me 'no'." Hope shrugged, thinking about what it's like to he with Arabella. "Oh, and have you seen how she talks? I swear it's like she's killing me with her accent— and her eyes, how does one have purple anyways? It's like she's already perfect even before she was born because it's genetic in her coven— Oh, my god. Who am I right now?" She looked down defeated like making Emma laugh lightly.

"A normal teenager? Though I do love hearing you talk about something as simple as having a crush on a girl who likes you as well." They got interrupted when her phone buzzed on the coffee table and she picked it up, standing as well. "You do not need a counselor, Hope. You need a friend."

Hope huffed and leaned on the chair, eyes catching the familiar blonde that was walking towards Josie's and Lizzie's room in panic. She smiled softly when she saw her, how adorable.

"Jo! Lizzie. Happy birthday." Arabella greeted when her head peaked out the door, coming inside to see them.

"Hey! Thank you." Josie smiled genuinely upon seeing her bestfriend. The brunette was meaning to ask her about something. "I'm meaning to ask you a favour, Ara."

"Yeah sure what is it?" She asked, leaning on the door while they watch as Lizzie scramble to pick between hairpins.

Jo started, "Care to be my date? As a friend in need, you have to say yes." She smiled gently, hoping she'd agree.

"Yeah ofcourse—"

"Woot, woot!" A voice appeared on the door making them turn their heads. "Happy birthday, witches." Penelope was standing there with two cupcakes in hand and a candle to fit.

"Oh, look. It's Satan in a crop top. Come to burn my world down?" Lizzie questioned and walked towards the witch outside the door.

"Retro, Princess Di before she got style, I dig it." Penelope teased and could have sworn saw Arabella hide a laugh.

Josie sighed and crossed her arms. "What do you want?"

"Oh, just to cheer you two up. You know, 'cause your mom's not coming." She informed earning a surprised look at the vampire and the twins asking her 'what?'. "Oh, I heard them cancel her pickup at the office. I thought you knew. oops." Penelope smiled innocently.

Lizzie waved her hand and the door closed. "Did you know?" She asked to the vampire who tried to rationalise but got kicked out the room when she couldn't answer them directly.

"Great..." Arabella mumbled before receiving a text message from Hope saying that they should meet in the gym. She internally groaned and turned her heel to go.

☘︎︎

"Got your text." Arabella arrived just in time to see Hope and Raf by the center of the gym. She looked at them weirdly when they were just standing there. "Was there a party other than the twin's birthday I didn't know about?"

Hope sighed in relief, "Can you teach Rafael how to dance? Aunt Rebekah wasn't too keen on teaching me how to."

"And you think I did? I basically whammy the beverage table to get away from Rebekah's schemes to dance." She joked and two of them laughed together.

"Wait you knew her aunt? The one who's been alive for thousands of years?" Rafael asked in shock and looked at the vampire who cleared her throat.

"That's a... longer story." Hope explained awkwardly and sent a sorry look to Arabella who laughed nodding. "Basically she was turned in 1830- something."

Arabella chuckled, "Besides the point. I do know a little about dancing. Especially since I have to watch Rebekah dance with multiple guys and ended up getting her heart broken in the process. Your hand on Hope's waist and hand in hand." She pointed with her arms crossed.

Once the two were casually dancing, Hope opened her mouth to start a conversation. "I can't believe you slept with Lizzie Saltzman." Arabella coughed and turned her gaze away from the two when she heard it.

"Look, I was mad and she was there. I didn't say I was proud of it." He replied which only made Hope scoff lowly. And for once again, Arabella found herself staring a little too long that may or may not cause her jealousy. "You're leading."

"You're officially a gigilo." Hope said, parting ways with him.

"Thanks for this. I guess I'll see you both at the party." Rafael was already walking away but stopped when she heard Hope disagree. "So, what, you're just gonna stay in your room alone while everybody else is out having fun?"

Hope nodded with her arms crossed from where she stood, "Yep, works for me."

"Bullcrap. Everybody needs a crew."

Arabella knowingly sighed and awkwardly shifted in her feet, having no choice but to listen to this happen. It's like dragon all over again.

"Kind of ironic coming from the reluctant alpha." She spat back, unfazed.

"Okay, well, the pack is one thing, but a crew is a crew. You know what? I had that in Landon until you sent him away."

Hope nodded in a sarcastic way. "We're back to that?"

"I'm just saying. It's one thing to be cool with being alone and then it's another to want to be the lonely girl on purpose." He fought back and Arabella looked as if she wanted to stop them but Hope beat her to it.

"As opposed to Mr. Good guy, who's taking a girl who you don't even like to her own party?" Hope stepped forward, eyeing him down.

"You know what, you're right. Lesson learned." Rafael said one last time before turning around and left. Well he was about to but a barrier was keeping him from leaving. "The hell?"

Arabella frowned and touched it, shocking turn of events, they're stuck in there. "Barrier spell. Fantastic." Hope snarked and looked over the Vampire.

"Sorry kids. Nothing personal, well, except Arabella who was taking Jojo as a date." Penelope appeared making Arabella scoff and turn around in frustration.

"Let us out of here, Penelope." Hope demanded, never missing the information the witch said about Josie taking Arabella as her date.

"You'll be free in an hour." She shrugged. "Plenty of time to practice that waltz." That said, she gave a wink to Arabella and left.

Arabella sighed and looked at Hope, knowing they're screwed.

☘︎︎