บท 10: Goodnight
A whole day has passed in the Salvatore Boarding School, with the night arriving and encompassing the sky as the students now were free to do what they want. Some were hanging out around town, others were talking in the hall or simply enjoying the rest of the day in their rooms.
The day was peaceful, with the classes going on normally and no problems surging among the students besides the normal intrigues of teenagers.
As for John, right now he was enjoying the books lent to him by Freya Mikaelson, reading them in Hope's room. Instead of reading them alone in his room, the boy had come to decide to spend his time in the company of his friend.
The books lent to him by Freya had proven to be more useful than the ones from the school. The source of their knowledge was direct, as many of them were written by witches from past centuries or enthusiasts of the supernatural world. Normal humans who knew about the other side of the world they lived in, who recorded what they knew about it whilst keeping this secret. There were some examples of this kind throughout the series, like Father Kieran and even Mystic Falls' Founding Families.
The one book he was reading right now was about the many Witch Covens found across history. And the one chapter he was reading right now had a greater number of pages than the other covens, with more details about it than the others, showing the importance given by the author to this coven.
The Bennett Witches. Keepers of Balance and loved by Nature. Was the title of the chapter, with it having pages and more pages about the history and feats of the Bennett witches across the centuries.
The author seemed to have a great amount of resources, as he learned about things not known to many, such as how a Bennett witch was the one who created the Brotherhood of the Five, a society of five vampire hunters with the mission to exterminate all vampires, or how he successfully connected the Bennett bloodline to Qetsiyah.
"How exactly did your family acquire these books?" John asked.
"Most probably my father or one of my uncles killed the owners and took everything away." Hope replied, not drifting her eyes away from the phone.
John nodded in understanding at her words. Klaus and the others probably didn't read these books. If they did, they probably would know about the Immortals way sooner or even about the cure. He thought, flipping the pages as the knowledge in them entered his mind.
As time continued to pass, the sound of typing grew louder and louder until, for a single moment, John was sure he heard a phone call which was immediately shut off by Hope.
"Want me to give you some privacy?" John asked, putting the book on the desk.
"You don't have to worry. It's just my aunt annoying me." Hope replied, sitting up on her bed.
"Then I definitely should give you and your family some space to talk, right?" John said, starting to pack up his things.
Hope, however, when seeing her aunt call her again, thought of something else. "Come here." She suddenly said.
"What?"
"Come here." She tapped her bed. "Didn't you want to meet my family? Now it's the time."
"You know what, I think-"
"Ikeas." Hope said with a light tone, her magic extending to grasp over John, who flew to her side before Hope accepted the call from her aunt.
On Hope's phone screen appeared the image of a beautiful refined young woman with crystal blue eyes, white blonde hair and pale skin. Immediately, it was possible to see this woman shared certain features with Freya, a small nose and high cheekbones were just some of them.
At the moment the woman noticed John, she smiled brightly, an indication of her joyful personality.
"I presume you are the boy my sister mentioned earlier. John, correct?" She said, speaking with an English accent not as accentuated as the one from those living in Britain, but it was still present nonetheless.
Wooter. A random thought came to John's mind, but he immediately dispersed it before introducing himself. "Hi, my name is John, John Neo." He said. "I presume you are Hope's aunt, Rebekah Mikaelson, right?"
"It seems my dear niece even told you about all of our family. My, what a cutie." Rebekah said in a teasing tone, looking directly at Hope, who rolled her eyes at her aunt's words.
"Now that you've met him, I think that's it for today." Hope said, rushing to press the call off button.
"Why the rush, little one? Let me talk more with your friend. You never introduced us to anyone from your school these past few years." Rebekah said, her words stopping Hope.
"Kind of hard to do it when I don't know where you are most of the time. Not to mention how I don't have many friends. You know, the perk of being a Mikaelson." Hope's reply came with a tonality of sarcasm and a little bit of a verbal jab at Rebekah.
However, it seemed her words didn't faze much the 1.000 years-old vampire, who let out a small exhale before changing her focus to John. "But it doesn't seem to work with our little boy here. Tell me, John. Aren't you afraid of the Mikaelsons? You know, our family's reputation is not quite the good one." She said calmly, not like she was tarnishing her own family name.
John shook his head. "No. I think 1.000 years is enough time for anyone to do something bad. You guys just crossed the line a little." He said.
"You are not entirely wrong."
"Also, the charms of your niece surpass the cons." John said, a light smile following his words.
"Stop it." With controlled strength, Hope pushed John away.
The boy purposefully exaggerated his reaction, his body moving further away before abruptly returning, letting his shoulder hit hers.
His antics drew a soft chuckle from the girl.
The interaction between both youngsters was observed by the old vampire. Their presentation of their friendship brought a certain joy to the blond woman.
But beyond joy, she also felt relief. Because through the phone, seeing her niece throwing her pillow on his face, she could see the loneliness she was always exhaling slowly departing.
A loneliness that she knew better than most that she and the rest of them were guilty, but one that they would carry to ensure she was safe. A promise all of them made to Klaus and Elijah.
"It seems you got a fine friend, little one." Rebekah said, drawing their attention. "John, ensure my niece doesn't stay lonely while we are away." She looked at the boy.
"You can count me on that." John affirmed his answer with a salute.
"Good." Rebekah nodded.
The three of them kept talking, the conversation lingering around common things as school and hobbies.
The talk lasted for about 30 minutes until all three of them heard a sound coming from beyond the room Rebekah was staying in, a knock on her door.
"It seems I will have to go now," Rebekah said, rising from the bed she was lying on all this time. "I will prepare what you asked, sweetheart. Don't you worry about it. As for you John, I am counting on you here." She said, referring to the relationship of both of them. "Bye, remember to study and behave well. Don't start the end of the world or anything."
Can't promise nothing. John thought. After all, he had many ideas that were a little too dangerous.
"See you soon, aunt Rebekah." Hope said. Her voice was softer compared to the beginning of the conversation. The interaction with her family mellowed down her humor.
"Bye." John said.
Right after, Hope pressed the button to shut off the call.
"It was nice meeting your aunt." John, sitting on the bed's right edge, said as he crossed his left leg. "She was… joyful to talk." He added.
"You are saying that because you liked that you had the opportunity to tease me, didn't you?" She said, supporting her elbows over the pillow on her nap.
"Well, can't say it wasn't enjoyable." John threw his back on the bed, grabbing a pillow and putting it under his head.
"You really behave as you wish, right?" Hope said after looking at how the boy was behaving, as if this was his own room.
"Well, you brought me to your bed." John said, reminding her of the fact she used a spell to put him on her bed. "And also, it's a first for me too to be so extroverted. I think I also changed a little in the past few days."
"Explain." Hope turned to him, keeping the pillow over her thighs.
"Before I… awakened, I wasn't exactly the most social person in the world. I had a little bit of difficulty starting a friendship or relation with someone and a little more difficulty deepening it." John said, stretching his legs. "But ever since I awakened, it was not only my physique that changed, I think. For someone who always thought to be a normal mortal, suddenly acquiring the ability to do what I do, my mentality changed."
"For good, right?" Hope asked.
The boy's lips smiled at his friend's apprehension. "If it was not for this change, maybe I wouldn't be so upfront about you and interacting with everyone so well." John said.
"Then it's good." Hope said.
John nodded, agreeing with her. But there was a sudden change in his expression, which Hope noticed and knew what it meant.
"What's going through your mind?" She asked, approaching him.
"I just thought that there were certain moments before I went through the awakening that my personality was similar to this one." John said.
"When?"
"When I spent a few years in Brazil." John replied.
"Why were you in Brazil for so long?"
"Well, I am half-brazilian." John said it like it was an obvious thing. "I mean, technically I am not of any nationality. But since my family spent one year in the USA and then one year in Brazil, I consider myself half-american and half-brazilian."
Hope heard all of it with a surprised expression. "And why didn't you tell me any of this all this time?"
"Didn't see the opportunity." John shrugged. "And it doesn't change things much." He added.
Seeing him so uncaring about it, Hope let out a sigh. She was silent for some time until she thought of another question. "Why did you move every year?" She asked.
"Have no idea. My family just liked it here and there." John said, completely honest about it. However, immediately after he finished answering, a thought started to consume his mind.
Maybe the all time moving was something meant to prepare me for future travels? Constant travels, have to get used to different places, different cultures. Always be prepared to meet new people and new ideas. John thought, the idea becoming more plausible by every second he thought about it. That would explain even we not staying in the same state every time we travel. With huge countries like the USA and Brazil, every state is a different culture, but they always have their similarities. Like every universe in all existence.
"Tell me something in portuguese." Hope said, breaking John's thought process.
Better not make the joke that she knows Brazil speaks Portuguese instead of "brazilian". John thought. "What do you want me to tell you?" He asked
"I don't know, It can be anything."
"Okay." John said, thinking a little before something came to his mind. "Você é linda pra caralho (You're fucking beautiful)."
"What did you say?" Hope asked.
"That you should stop watching culinary shows like a gra-!" John's words stopped midway as a pillow was thrown on his face.
"You are an idiot."
"Your idiotic companion." John took off the pillow from his face. "I just said you are fucking beautiful." He said.
"Ah…" Hope was out of reaction for a moment, just silently staring at the boy. "You are kind of handsome too." She said, tucking her hair behind her ear, from shyness or nervousness.
"Thanks." He answered with a pleasant smile directed at her, followed by the same silence which lingers between them during these situations.
This time, John was the first to break it by putting his hand over her tight, using her as support to rise from the bed. "I think I will go to my room. See you tomorrow?"
"Hmh." Was all Hope replied, followed by a nod.
"Okay, then. Goodnight." John said, approaching Hope's face, kissing her cheeky slightly before walking to the door. "Bye."
"Bye." Hope replied with a smile.
Outside her room, John closed the door and just stood there for a moment with a single thought in his mind. Fuck! That was cringe! He thought, looking to his side only to see Josie standing there.
"Hi, Josie." He waved at her with a smile.
"Hi…" She waved back, looking at him and then at the door constantly. "What were you doing in Hope's room?"
"Reading my books. Her room is more comfortable." John replied.
"And where are the books?" She asked, seeing no book with him.
Looking at his hands, John frowned at his own situation. I am starting to doubt my own eidetic memory. He said to himself. "One second, please." Turning around, John entered Hope's room once again.
"I forgot these." John said, trying to ignore Hope's stare. "Have a good night."
"You too." Hope replied before he closed the door.
Outside of Hope's room again, John came face to face with Josie once again. "Now I am with my books."
"I can see that." Josie said. "It seems you and Hope are bonding quite well."
"She is not that bad to deal with as people think. Like all of us, she is just a teenager." John explained, walking a few steps away from the door. "Now, could you tell me what you are doing here, Josie? From what I know, your room is on the floor below."
"And how exactly would you know that?" She asked, turning her face very slightly to the side, lifting her chin a little, with an expectant smile on her face.
"Do you really want to know?" John asked, receiving a nod from her. "Okay. I basically memorized all the smells from everyone in the school. So, every time I walk on that stair, I can distinguish among the hundreds of different smells clinging to it and know where it stops. And since you are the second person to mostly walk with me, I just know that your smell generally stops at the floor below, not going higher." He explained, detailing how one of his enhanced senses worked.
"Wow… That's…" Josie couldn't find the right words to express her.
"Strange?" John tried to help.
"A little. But incredible as well." She said, approaching him. Now, both of them were just two steps away from one another. "And the reason I came here is to see if you can help me with something."
"What is it?" He asked, not denying or confirming his help.
"I just want to know if you will go to the party this friday?" Josie asked, a little shy.
"Party? Which party?" John asked, not knowing what she meant.
"Every last Friday of the month, we have a tradition to throw a party at the old mill, a destroyed building in the woods a few miles away from the school." Josie explained, putting her hands behind her back. "And I wanted you to know if you'll go. Thankfully I did it, since you didn't even know of it."
Listening to her, John remembered the party displayed in the first episode of Legacies and didn't know what to answer.
Truthfully admitting, he was probably the least person in the entire school to like to party. At least the kind of party he thought it to be. He was more of the guy that calls a few friends over to watch a movie or a series with lots of food and on the comfort of a huge sofa.
However, he also saw this as an opportunity to interact more with the people from the school. To try to create bonds and strengthen relationships.
"I can't promise you I will dance, though. But I will try to go." John said.
His answer made Josie's lips part in a beautiful bright smile of happiness and joy. "I am counting on you to show up." She said, turning around in the stairs direction. "Goodnight, John. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Josie." John waved back, also walking to his room.
Inside his bedroom, John quickly took off his clothes and took a good long shower to refresh his body. One of the perks of the school's highest dorm, personal showers.
After ending the bath and drying himself, John wore a black shorts and jumped on his bed, his face meeting the comfortable pillow on it.
"It's strange. I don't need sleep but there isn't a day I don't wish to end my day with a good long sleep. Maybe that's because I am used to the sentiment of refreshment it brings." John said to himself, covering himself with his bed sheet.
Goodnight to myself. John thought, quickly falling asleep right after.
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This chapter was to get some more information and background to the characters. I am trying to do it to the best possible before the original plot begins. Well, "original" since I changed a few things. You know, things to make justice to certain beings and characters. Give me your power stones and comment if you find a grammatical mistake or if you have any doubt. Thanks for the support and everything! - Author
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