Damage Control

Chapter Eighteen

Camping with a bunch of tennagers is so cliche that Hope would have rather stuck a stick in her eyeball than attend. That is exactly what she was thinking that morning after Dr. Saltzman and Mrs. Salvatore told her that attendance was mandatory. On her walk to the bus there were a thousand different things that went through her mind, mainly ways she could avoid everyone. Now she was glad she was forced to come.

Sure the late night campfire songs, the roasting of smores, and the so called scary stories would make anyone roll their eyes, but tonight it was different. Hope sat on one of the logs that the vampires set up around the large bonfire. An hour ago she sat on the same log and she kissed Josie Saltzman. The same girl who greeted her with her twin sister when she arrived at the Salvatore school so many years ago. The same one she always watched in secret, seeing the way she cared about others, how she would do anything for her sister, the same sister that Hope had practically hated since the moment they met. It had been an odd two years between the three of them, but she would have never thought that she would have kissed Josie, and that she would like it.

Said girl was now sitting across the fire from her, wedged between her sister and her mother, her father on the other side of the fire, near Hope, to break up all the kids. Hope couldn't help but continuously catch Josie's eye, it was contagious. They would smile at each other for only a moment before they would have to look away. Hope got a few suspicious looks from Lizzie but she ignored her.

Before the sun went down they set up the tents. Hope did lose the challenge but Caroline fairly granted her permission to share a tent since she helped Josie. She was surprised when she got a few offers from the other kids, but naturally she chose to bunk with the twins. The same decision was now giving her butterflies, considering lights out was soon.

Hope and Lizzie argued the whole time about how to set up the tent. Hope had camped before with the Crescent pack, although tents were not usually used, she had set one up before. Josie had to sit on a stool and run interference between them, it must have been tiring for her. Hope wondered how much energy it would be for Josie being in the middle, she should try to be nicer to Lizzie.

Hope couldn't sleep. Of course it had a little to do with the fact Josie was sleeping in the same tiny tent with her, but with Lizzie between them it was easier to forget. However, the fact there were three of them occupying a two person tent is what made it harder for her to sleep.

It was around two in the morning when she slipped from the tent. The night air kissed her face and the scent of the forest greeted her. The campy was silent, save for the few people she could hear snoring.

Hope didn't get far before she heard a shuffle behind her. Josie didn't get far from the tent with her hurt leg. Hope felt a smile rise on her lips, she had been doing that a lot lately because of Josie. Hope sprinted back over to her. "What are you doing?" She whispered.

Josie gave a small smile, she was leaning on her makeshift crutch, a stick MG picked out for her in the woods. "You should know to use the buddy system." She joked playfully.

Hope crossed her arms. "I was just going to go for a walk." She did consider wolfing out, but she wasn't sure how the adults would react if they found out.

Josie took another small step. "Well then let's go."

Hope shook her head. "You're not going to get far on that foot."

Josie took a large step. "I'm good."

Hope tried to contain her laughter, they had been speaking in whispers but she knew there were people with super hearing in this camp. "Okay a small walk for the crippled girl." Hope was fully smiling now as she walked over and looped her arm with Josie's, leading her into the woods.

"This is breathtaking." They had stopped not too far in the forest. Hope laid out the blanket she stole from the bus and she and Josie were now sitting on it, looking at the stars.

They were using a fallen tree as a back rest as they looked for the shapes of the constellations. "I miss doing this." She said more to herself, when Josie gave her a look she elaborated. "I used to do this with my mother's pack." A calmness settled in her, like being home.

"Do you miss being with them?" Josie continued to whisper even though they were far enough from camp that no one would hear them... probably.

Hope shrugged. "I was a kid when I knew them, things have probably changed a lot since my mom was alpha but yes I miss them." Silence settled around them once again, but Hope could tell Josie wanted to say more with all her moving around. "What are you thinking?" She asked looking over at her, her lips turning up again.

Josie's lips lifted as well. "I was thinking that I don't think I've ever seen you smile so much, and that your eyes sparkle when you do." She gave a laugh. "Sorry was that weird?"

Hope reached out and moved a strand of hair off Josie's face. "No, your eyes get lighter when you smile."

Josie's smile dropped slightly, expression getting more serious. "Can I ask you something?" Hope nodded slowly, wondering where this was going. "At the risk of sounding too clingy, I am just overly cautious, what exactly is this?" Before Hope could even think to respond she rushed on. "I mean I know it hasn't been long since Landon and I don't expect you to be ready for anything new. But we were enemies then spell partners then friends, then not really friends because you threw yourself into Malivoire, then things were awkward, then we were friends again, then Dark Josie..."

"Breath Jo." Hope said while taking her hand.

Josie took a long breath in and let it out slowly. "I just want to know if we are friends... more than friends, friends that kissed...complicated?"

Hope's smile grew so big she couldn't help but laugh at Josie's flustered face. "Well you're right, it hasn't been long since Landon, and it still hurts, but this is not nothing and it is clearly more than a friendship." She thought about it a moment longer. "How about we just see where it goes." She wasn't sure if those were the words Josie wanted to hear, but Josie nodded. "I want this Jo, and I don't want to screw it up. I want this to be me and you doing what makes us happy..." she felt heat rise in her cheeks with her next words. "You make me happy."

Josie leaned in slowly and pressed her lips to Hope's, cupping her face gently. "Here is to happiness." Hope laced her fingers with Josie's, the stars were forgotten about.