Toxic

Wait, What?

The Sunday night that the twins returned was odd for Hope. She could see Alaric's car as he pulled in front of the school after picking them up from the airport.

Hope didn't go to greet them.

She merely watched from her once again pristine window as they unloaded their luggage and entered the place they called home.

They ran into each other at breakfast the next morning.

"Hope," Josie smiled and hugged the girl. "I missed you while I was gone. I'm surprised you didn't want to come see me when I texted you that I was back at school."

"My phone's busted," Hope's brows furrowed at Josie's attitude.

"What happened to your hand?" Josie motioned to the bandages wrapped around Hope's palm.

"It's nothing," Hope didn't want to go into details about the whole phone incident. "I thought you'd be more mad at me."

"Yeah, I'm furious that your phone is broken and you never got my text," Josie joked. "'Don't worry. It's cool, I totally get it."

"Right...?" Hope was still very confused.

"I mean, I thought you'd be more mad I never texted over the weekend," Josie continued. "It was this whole thing. Lizzie stole my phone and didn't give it back until we landed back in Mystic Falls."

"Wait, what?" Hope's eyes widened.

"I know right, how rude of her. We nearly got into a huge fight over it."

"Not that. You haven't had your phone this whole weekend?"

"Nope, totally unplugged."

Hope's eyes glowed yellow.

"Then who's been texting me?"

Josie stormed into her shared room with Lizzie.

"What the hell! You broke into my phone and pretended to be me so you could split me and Hope up?"

"I wouldn't say I broke into your phone," Lizzie brushed it off.

"Lizzie! I have a passcode!" Josie yelled.

"And it just so happens to be our birthday," Lizzie wore a guilty look.

"I can't believe you right now! You had no right. What happens between me and Hope is our business."

"Protecting my sister from her abusive girlfriend? I think I have every right. You have to leave her."

"I can't. If I could have, I would have by now," Josie admitted.

"What, is Hope threatening you or something?" Lizzie asked in a low voice.

"No, it's not like that. I mean, she quiets the dark side within me. A couple months ago, I started getting really bad anger spells. I was just so full of rage and hurt, until one day I started hanging out with Hope."

"Why didn't you tell me this? I could've helped."

"You were so happy that you and MG were finally a thing. I didn't want to ruin that by making you worry about me."

"You can tell me anything."

"Hope has helped me deal with my darkness. I owe it to her to help her deal with hers, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."