Feelings - A Hosie Story

Chapter 33 - "It just feels so real"

Hope pulls Josie into her room after the training. The door closes tightly behind them. Josie seems confused at first, but then Hope pushes up her sleeve, and then she knows exactly what's going on.

"Is this because of training today?" Josie questions. She sees Hope moving over to the bed and follows her.

"No better time to start than now. We don't want you getting hurt again, or worse, right?" Hope sits, giving Josie as long as she needs to answer.

"It just feels so real all of a sudden. Like it could happen and I could die."

"Hey, remember this is just a precaution. I will do everything I can to stop that from happening, but if it does...and you become a heretic, I'll be right by your side to help you. Okay?"

"Okay." Josie nods.

Hope grabs a cup off of her desk. Gently, she creates a small cut on her wrist, allowing a few drops of blood to trickle down into the cup before it heals.

"Still amazes me how quickly you heal." It seems to be far quicker than any other supernatural species with similar abilities. Although that would make sense, Josie thinks, because, in many ways, there is nobody else like Hope. There's nobody to compare her to.

"You and me both." She laughs, and Josie does too. They look at each other, then at the cup, then back at each other.

"I know this was your idea, but you can back out. I know I sort of pulled you aside just now, but I don't want you to feel like this is something you have to do.

"I'm sure." Josie takes the cup, glancing down at the swirling pool of red that could very well become her daily appetite if something happens.

Deep breaths.

Think of it like cranberry juice, she tells herself. Warm and disgusting cranberry juice.

Josie brings it to her lips, she takes another deep breath and tips the cup so that its content starts to pour into her mouth. It's not like she'd expected it to taste nice, but the second it hits her tongue she struggles not to throw it up. All ideas she'd made up in her mind to make it feel better to fly out the window as the metallic liquid finds its way to her stomach. It's bitter and thick and it tickles her throat in the worst possible way, but she reminds herself of why she'd wanted to do it in the first place; to stop the school from going through yet another tragedy, another loss. To avoid the pain it would cause the people she loves. To avoid the agony it would force on Hope - losing yet another person she cares about. Even more so now that she's a full tribrid with eternity ahead of her.

"That...wasn't that bad." Josie lies, wiping the corners of her mouth. "I'm sure I'll get used to it."

"Y'know, even without listening to your heartbeat, I can say that you're a terrible liar." Hope takes the cup, setting it down and out of the way. Hope places a quick peck on her girlfriend's lips. She smiles at the pendant still sitting around Josie's neck comfortably. It holds great value for both of them. It helps Josie find her voice, and it helped Hope find Josie when she was in danger. It protected her...

And maybe it can do so again.

Hope clutches her hand around the metal. She closes her eyes, digging through her mind for the perfect spell.

"What are you doing?" Josie asks yet with no reply. Soon, Hope is chanting words to a spell that Josie doesn't recognize. When it's done, Hope lets go of the necklace and smiles at her. "What did you do?"

"Well, you ran out of magic today, and when I looked at the necklace it gave me an idea. I thought, why not let it protect you even more by putting a bunch of magic into it."

Josie's heart leaps inside its cage, desperate to break free. Hope's so thoughtful and kind, and she's come a long way from the girl that she was when she started at this school. They both have. Maybe that's because of their family and friends and even their teachers, but more than anything it is because of each other. They help each other, they improve each other, and they protect each other, no matter what.

"It should be enough to last you weeks, and with any luck, it'll last until this whole thing is over," Hope explains further. Josie chuckles softly, which as time goes on, is becoming one of Hope's favorite sounds.

"What?"

"It's just...between the blood and this, y-you've put so much magic into it and you don't appear even the tiniest bit weaker. It's like none of it has even affected you." She takes a peek at Hope's clock by the side of her bed.

"Now we should really get going to lunch."