The First Step

[Wednesday, 23/01/2030, Salvatore Boarding School | Hope's PoV]

"Good morning, Hope." Ms. Tigg welcomed me in her office, sitting on her usual chair where she guides all the therapeutic sessions. 

"Good morning, Ms. Tigg." I said, sitting down on the armchair reserved to her patients, basically all the school staff and students.

When you live in the world we live, it's not uncommon for people to have traumatic events. The young vampires losing their control and killing many or the werewolves feeling guilty for the death they caused which triggered their curse. Even witches who did horrible things when not keeping their power in check. That's why someone like Ms. Tigg was in the school. Because everyone who lives in our kind of world needs someone like her.

"How was your last week, Hope?" She asked, crossing her legs over one another.

"It was… enjoyable." I said, finding the word I thought it would fit the best. 

"And what changed from this week to the previous one, the one that you said to be an 'awful and boring' week. Why is your week now an 'enjoyable' one?" Ms. Tigg asked, even though she probably knew the answer herself. "Could it be the new handsome student?" 

"That obvious, hm?" I said, adjusting my position in the armchair.

"Yes, it is." She replied. "I haven't seen you this happy in a long time, Hope. And I prefer to see you this way. But let me ask you, what is different in him for you to decide to accept him in your life?" 

Her question was… hard to answer. 

"Honestly, I myself don't know most of the time." I said, my eyes lingering around the room while I try to think of words to express myself. "That day… when I met him for the first time. He looked at me with an intensity I didn't know anyone could look at someone who they didn't know before." The scene replayed in my mind. When he still hid his true eyes. That gaze, for some reason, got me more curious than I wish to admit.

"I felt something and I tried to ignore it. When Dr. Saltzman asked me to tour him around the school, I tried to keep my distance. To make myself look like someone who didn't wish to interact." I said, looking straight at Ms. Tigg. 

"It didn't work, did it?" She asked.

"No…" I shook my head, smiling at the memories of that day. "The wall I usually built around myself cracked when he asked me what is my thing. And then he asked me what I was, and everything fell apart." I said, now smiling at myself for how easily I told him things that morning.

"And what exactly led you to be so open to him? What is it that you felt comfortable to share things about you with him?" Ms. Tigg asked in her English accent. 

For her question, I didn't have an immediate answer. 

"I, I don't know." I said, raising my arms just to let them fall over my thighs. "I just… felt that he would understand. Or hoping that he would start to avoid me when I showed him the introductory page of my father's story." 

"Did it work?" She asked with her head tilting to the side.

"No." I breathed out after answering her. "He continued to try to approach me. No matter what I said, he understood me. He praised me in the correct moments and we laughed when he called me a 'werewitchre'." I laughed at the nickname, with Ms. Tigg following along.

"He didn't judge me when I told him I went out to the woods to turn into a wolf to run from my problems. He took me to the sky and showed me a view I didn't expect to be so beautiful despite it being the same thing I look at all days. He showed his true eyes to me before anyone else. The most beautiful eyes I had ever seen in this world. He shared with me his questions he had about this world, presenting to me his passion about the secrets and unanswered questions of the world we live in. And I shared my passion with him as well. And the same way I told him part of my secrets, he told me his. Telling me things he didn't share with anyone else until now…" I talked about the things I shared with him the last few days. A collection of happy days that I didn't believe to be possible after what happened two years ago.

"It seems you are happy." Miss Tigg said, taking me out of my memories of the past few days.

"I am." I stated. Mostly surprised at this than anything. 

"Good." Miss Tigg said, writing a few things in her notebook.

For some time, I looked at her doing this while a question I wished to ask got stuck in my throat. Probably from my nervousness to ask something like this.

"If you have any questions, Hope, you can ask me. I am here to listen." She said, lifting her head to face me.

Thinking of the right words, I decided to ask her. "Is it common to feel attracted to someone this fast?" I asked, and then continued my question. "I mean, I have known him for less than a week, but it seems like such a long time. Ever since I first looked at him, I thought it was strange, this feeling I felt when he stared at me. It's like…"

"Like love at first sight?" She completed my phrase with a mischievous smile. 

"I don't know if it's love. I know that I like to talk to him, listen to his voice or just be in his presence. I like how his eyes literally glow when he laughs or when he simply shows to me his curiosity about something he learned…" I suddenly stopped, my mind went blank at a realization. "I like him, right?" 

"You think?" Ms. Tigg said with a smirk. 

"But, isn't it too…"

"Fast?" She said, closing her notebook. "Hope, let me tell you something. Love and interest are not necessarily something that require time to be built. Sometimes, it's just spontaneous and immediate. You just need a little sparkle to ignite it." 

Ms. Tigg's words resonate in my mind, reminding me of that first day. That staring contest. That was the sparkle, right? I asked myself, knowing the answer.

Seeing me so quiet, Ms. Tigg smiled at me. "I think that's it for today, Hope. Same hour next week?" She asked me, receiving a nod as answer.

As I left her office, I couldn't get Miss Tigg's words out of my head. Interest didn't need to be built by time, sometimes it only happened instantly. I repeated these words in my mind until I met him, seeing him sitting on the hall's armchair whilst holding a pen. 

And just seeing him there soothed my heart, as if his presence was a calming spell that calmed any problems in the world.

Yeah, I like him… I thought before walking towards him. 

[3rd Person PoV]

"What are you doing?" Turning around, John could see Hope approaching him. With every step she took, the sound of her boots hitting the wooden floor resonated across the hall, with her long and warm brown hair swinging alongside the rhythm of her body.

Listening to her question, John raised the pen in the air. "Penelope Park gave me this pen."

"And?" Hope asked, not seeing the problem in it. "She gave everyone in the school the same pen during the Christmas party held over by the school. Even I got one."

"Then I have to say she probably gave everyone in the school an enchanted pen." John said, drawing out an inquisitive gaze from Hope. "Let's say that in the entire school, Penelope was not exactly the warmest person I met. I could even sense a little bit of animosity from her when I am close to her. You know, empathic powers. Then, just now, she approached me and handed me this pen, saying it is a gift from her. And, well, I didn't believe in her wholeheartedly and decided to take a closer look in the pen. And, not much to my surprise, I noticed a huge amount of power in it, casted in a certain structure I am not familiar with." He tossed the pen upwards, catching it when it fell on his hand.

 "Let me see it." Hope said, taking the pen from John's and. She released her magical power into the pen, and when she noticed the spell structure in the pen, she almost destroyed it with her strength. "What a bitch." She said after a while.

"I guess you know what this spell is, right?" John said.

"I have an idea." Hope said, handing back the pen. "But I need to confirm something. Follow me." Standing up, Hope started to walk to her room.

Walking up the stairs and reaching her room, Hope went to her desk and found the pen Penelope distributed to everyone during Christmas. 

"It's also enchanted." Hope whispered as she took hold of the pen. 

"And what exactly does this spell do?" John asked, putting on his act of not knowing anything about it although he did.

"My guess? A spell that somehow gives her the knowledge of everything we write with these pens." Hope said, her face expressing how she was pissed about this despite trying to hide it. "Remember when the information of your species spread out around school?" 

"Yes, only Dr. Saltzman and you knew about that. So, let me guess, Dr. Saltzman wrote about me and she immediately knew about it." 

Hope nodded. "Exactly." She said, getting away from the desk before walking out of her room. 

"Where are you going?" John asked.

"I will have a little chat with Penelope. You go to classes, I will accompany you soon." Hope said, having a not so gentle smile.

May God save you, Penelope. John thought, leaving the room and closing the door behind him before heading to class. 

[Scene Break]

Later, at the night of the same day, John was called by Hope to her room. 

"Hi." John said, entering the room as he closed the door behind him. He saw Hope in loose clothes that did not attempt to hide certain parts of her body as she sat on her own bed.

"Come here." Hope said, tapping the spot beside her. 

"I heard that you basically dragged Penelope out of the gymnasium. Tell me it was not literally." John said, approaching the bed.

"No. But I needed to say a few words to make her a little willing to follow me." Hope said as she took a blue leathered-covered notebook from her bedside table.

"Let me guess, that's where everything written by the pens goes to?" John guessed as he sat beside Hope, none of the two bothering with the proximity of each one of them.

"Exactly." Hope nodded, opening the notebook. Right from the first page, it was obvious to notice more than one handwriting. 

"How exactly did you get it from her?" John asked.

"I told her to give it to me or I would tell Dr. Saltzman about it. And considering the invasion of privacy and her defiance of the school's rules of use of magic, she probably would be suspended or expelled, so…" She didn't need to say more.

John smiled at her words. "I liked it." He said, passing the pages as they read the secrets of the other students. 

They read as Alyssa Chang said she would love to have MG over her all night long. Even though she was having sex with Jed some times. Theo, one of the werewolves, saying how he preferred to be free during the full moon than shackled in chains. And even a few words from Josie retelling her inner desires when seeing John and Hope that night.

"By doing this, we are not exactly better than Penelope, right?" Hope asked, turning to him.

"After reading everything, we destroy the spell and everything would probably be fine." John said, not taking his eyes off the book. His inner self desiring to read more about the gossip of the school.

However, when reading a certain few words, his demeanor changed to a more serious one. 

"What is it?" Hope asked, noticing the change in his mood.

"These words are written by Dr. Saltzman." John pointed at a few lines in the book. They said something along the lines: Caroline couldn't find any hint to break the Gemini Coven's Curse in South America. She will be back by the end of the month before going to Africa. 

"What is the Gemini Coven's Curse?" Hope asked.

"I don't know. There is none of it in the books I read." John said, partially telling the truth as the curse of the twins born in the Gemini Coven was never mentioned in any book he read. "Wasn't Headmistress Forbes outside recruiting students?" 

"I thought so as well, but it doesn't seem so." Hope said, passing the pages to see if she finds any more information about this curse, but she found nothing. "There is no other mention of it here." 

"Strange… I don't remember seeing anything wrong with Josie when seeing her thoroughly." John said, and this was true because he really couldn't remember anything out of place in her body. "Do you have any idea?" 

Hope shook her head. "No, but my aunt may have. I will call her tomorrow and ask her if she has any books with more details about the Gemini Coven." She said, closing the book before putting it aside. 

"Do you think Josie and Lizzie know? I mean, they don't behave as if afflicted by a curse. At least not one that makes their mom go around the globe in search of a cure." John said, laying his back on the headboard of the bed. "From what I know about curses, they must be triggered, correct?" 

"Not necessarily." Hope replied. "But I think so in this case. I never saw Josie or Lizzie suffer from some magical curse, so they probably didn't trigger it or Dr. Saltzman and Miss Forbes found a way for it to not affect them." She also laid her back on the headboard, with them sitting side by side.

"I probably would have noticed if Josie was under a spell to surpass some curse or if she was wearing some enchanted artifact. But considering I didn't notice any curse on her, I can say my eyes and other senses are apparently not as almighty as I thought, so there is the possibility." He said, frowning at the possibility of his own arrogance neglecting such important things. "But let's consider they are not under a spell or an artifact to soothe the curse. It seems the curse is not affecting them right now, but it inevitably will since Miss Forbes is desperately searching for a cure to it. What exactly triggers a curse?" 

"Kill someone." 

"Dr. Saltzman would prefer to get his hands dirty a thousand times before any of the girls killed a single rabbit." John said, with Hope agreeing with him. 

"Time?" Hope suggested.

"How exactly?" John asked, turning to her.

"Well, it's not exactly a requirement only for curses, but it's quite common in the witch community certain events and rituals take place after some time." She explained.

"Hmm…" Thinking about it, John nodded. "That would be fit. Maybe I couldn't see anything because the curse is not meant to activate right now? And if there is something that inevitably reaches for everyone is time. So that would explain the rush of Miss Forbes in trying to find something to break the curse. She wants to find it before a certain date." 

"It's probably a sooner date than we imagine as Miss Forbes has spent less and less time in the schools during the last years." Hope said, remembering how she started to see Caroline less since she enrolled at the school.

"Probably not this year, or Dr. Saltzman would have abandoned his role and would join Miss Forbes in the search. So, I think not too soon nor too late. Maybe in the next 10 to 20 years?" 

"I don't know. Hard to guess when we are considering the twins' lives and fraternal love." Hope said, letting out a tired sigh. 

After this conversation, both stayed quiet for some time before Hope decided to ask. "We are going to help them, right?" 

"Well, I don't wish for a friend of mine to suffer from some curse. And although I didn't interact much with Lizzie these days at the school, I don't plan to see a girl like her suffer either." John said, putting his hand over Hope's. "As soon as we know what this curse is, we will help them accordingly." He smiled at her, a warm and reliable smile.

"Yeah." Hope agreed. 

When John was about to take his hand away from hers, Hope turned her hand upwards and held his. "Hey, do you want to watch a movie or something right now?"

Listening to her idea and looking at her hand briefly, John nodded. "What will we watch?" He asked.

"Do you want to choose the movie?" Hope said.

"Nope. You are the host, so you choose the movie." John said, putting his legs out of the bed. "And while you choose the movie, I will get us something from the kitchen. Anything you want?" He asked as he rose from the bed.

"Since I'm deciding what we'll watch, you will decide what we'll eat." She said, going to her desk and getting her notebook, turning it on before going back to bed.

"Okay. Then I'll go strike the school's fridge now." John said, leaving the room.

[Scene Break]

In the school's kitchen, John was looking through the school's fridge. Every time he spotted something he or Hope would like to eat, he threw it behind him, letting it float in the air as he exercised a little bit of his mind. 

"Also came here for food?" John suddenly asked, not needing to look up the fridge's door to see who was approaching. He recognized the person's presence, one of the few people he interacted with daily in the school.

"Just getting something to drink before going to bed." Dorian said. He was wearing similar clothes as John, loose pants and a t-shirt. The difference was that John was walking barefoot around the school, whilst Dorian had sleep socks on his foot. "Would you share why you are grabbing so much food? What the cafeteria provides isn't enough for you?" Dorian asked, looking at the amount of food floating. 

"I will watch a movie…" John said, grabbing a couple of sodas from the fridge. "With Hope in her room." He added.

Listening to his reply, Dorian reacted surprised, but then his lips formed a warm smile. "It seems your relationship has been progressing." He said, supporting himself on the cutting table nearby. "And as a professor, I must say that I am happy to see two students of mine finding comfort in one another."

"Do you have to say it like that?" John looked at Dorian, cringed.

Dorian just chuckled at that. "I am being honest, I am happy for you. For what you are doing with Hope." He said, grabbing one of the water bottles floating behind John. "Before you came to this school, she was… quieter, evaded people, and only talked with someone when necessary. But now, I hear her laugh in the corridors when she is with you, and I have seen her smile more in a day than last year." Dorian took a quick breath before continuing. "I am a professor, and I wish nothing more than to see my students happy. And for making one of them happy, I am thankful for you to come to this school." He said, his words carrying his sincerity.

As he listened to his words, John closed the fridge and turned around, laying his back on the door. "Can I ask you something?" He asked after a few moments of silence.

"Go ahead." Dorian nodded.

Taking a deep breath, John spoke out. "You, as a grown man, are probably more experienced with women than me." 

"Continue." Dorian said, nodding

"If you were in my situation, how would you progress?" John asked.

Faced with the question, Dorian remained quiet for some time, thinking in an answer. "Your progress is good already. You are going to spend a good few hours in her room late at night. When I was your age, I wasn't that good with girls." Dorian said, getting a laugh out of John. 

"Should I slow down?" John asked, a little uncertain of how to go through it.

"Honestly, my only advice is letting things flow. Let fate play its game. It's clear as day that both of you are interested in each other. Considering this, I wouldn't be surprised if things just happened." Dorian said, a hand holding his chin, putting up a thoughtful expression.

"Basically, continue how it is?" John asked.

Dorian nodded. "Exactly."

Letting out a breath, John nodded. "Okay then. I will go upstairs now."

With both walking outside of the kitchen, Dorian stopped before parting ways. "Relax. You are a good boy, John. It's for no reason a girl like Hope likes you. Just be yourself and everything will be fine."

"Thanks." John nodded. "Goodnight, Professor Williams."

"Have a goodnight, John."

After parting ways with Dorian, John went upstairs before arriving on the floor of Hope's room.

Entering the room, John could see the girl's reaction to the amount of food behind him. 

"I thought you were going to get only some food, not the entire fridge." Hope said through a small laugh. "Are you sure you are going to be able to eat all of this?" 

"Relax, this is nothing." John said, going to the side of the bed before lying on it. "If not for the fact most of my bodily functions work normally due to how I absorb too much energy from the environment, Dr. Saltzman would've expelled me from the amount of food I would need."

"What happens if you eat like a normal human?" Hope asked as she adjusted the pillows behind her. 

"Then I would only have the strength of a normal human. Or act as my normal self for a few seconds before my body passively starts to absorb energy so I can function normally." 

"And what if your body can't absorb anything?" Hope asked.

"Hibernation. My body would go into a state similar to the vampires after they don't feed on blood for entire days. And I would be kept like that until I could absorb any kind of energy." John said, putting on the bed blanket over his legs. "But that's not much possible considering energy is basically everywhere in the universe." 

"Thankfully." Hope said. Then she put a huge pillow over their legs to support the notebook so both of them could watch the movie without any problems. 

"Did you choose a good movie?" John asked.

"We will watch and see." Hope said, making some mystery. With a snap of her fingers, the room's lights turned off, with the only light illuminating the room coming from the notebook's screen and the moonlight through the windows.

As the movie began and went on, both teenagers watched it with relaxed expressions, enjoying the calm mood between them. 

At some point, Hope laid her head nearer to John, who noticed it and changed the position of his arm, letting her get closer as she let her head rest on his arm and her body closer to his.

Besides that, the further the two teenagers went during the movie was some skinship here and there, but nothing much. Each one of them holding back for their own reasons.

As the credits started to go up, both of them stared at each. A certain mood rose between them due to their positions as Hope had her head over his chest right now.

"What did you think of the movie?" Hope asked, staring at his golden eyes which resembled the sun.

"Good. But the company also made it better." John smiled at her, his fingers tracing her skin as they continued to stare at each other. 

"That's good." Hope said, also smiling at him. 

After some long seconds of silence between them when one runs out of something to say, Hope decided to express her thoughts. "I think you should go. It would be bad if someone saw you leaving my room in the morning." 

"I don't think it would be so bad." John smiled mischievously.

"Stop it." Hope said, hitting his chest slightly as she took off the blanket over her legs. "Come on, I will guide you to the door so you won't get lost." 

"Okay…" John replied, a little unhappy with it but agreeing nonetheless. 

Hope opened the door for the boy, who left and stopped outside. "I liked it. It was a good night." John said as he turned around. 

"Me too." Hope smiled in agreement, her smile having the power to melt down even the most cold-hearted men in the world.

"Want to repeat it any day soon?" He asked, expectation showing in his face.

Seeing his expression made Hope's smile change to one with her lips closed before she nodded. "I'd love to." She said, leaning her figure on the door.

"Okay, then I think I will see you in a few hours then." He said, turning around to go to his room.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Hope suddenly said, dragging the boy's attention.

Listening to her, John knew what she meant and approached her, lowering his head to kiss her cheek.

However, in the last moment, Hope turned her head abruptly, her lips capturing his. Both of them just moved their lips, sharing a simple kiss that sent shivers through their bodies.

Seconds later, Hope retreated her lips and looked at the flabbergasted expression of the boy she liked. The urge to laugh at him was suppressed by happiness and the fluttery sensation in her stomach from the excitement. "Goodnight." She said, closing the door in a hurry she tried to hide.

John, however, stood there for some time. Until he started to walk to his room aimlessly, opening the door and entering it.

Inside his room, John laid down on his bed, his limbs stretched in all directions and him staring at his own ceiling. 

Wow… It was all he could think.

———————————————————

Some progress, finally. Sometimes, I don't know if I am rushing things or taking things too slow. Probably the question everyone asks themselves when writing for the first time, but I am sincerely happy with how things are. I am expectant to show you all what I planned for this world's plot. Anyway, thanks for all your support and comments, that helps a lot. See you soon - Author.