Hope was up with the sun, like she was most mornings, not even needing the sound of her alarm to get out of bed. Her older brother often joked she was likely a Disney Princess in another life because no normal person woke up that happy, and he had a point. The redhead rose each day eager and excited to tackle whatever challenges came her way, head on. This morning especially, she was looking forward to the day ahead. Spirit Week was by far one of her favorite BHHS traditions, which made sense because Halloween was her favorite holiday, and each day was like a mini version of it.
She sat on her bed scrolling through her phone (since she had been ready for a while already) and over the sound of her
music she heard a familiar car horn sound, signaling that it was time to get a move on. Hope loved nothing more than carpooling with her cousins to school, as it was quality time they got to spend together each day, no matter how busy she was with extracurriculars. Not to mention, it was also extremely convenient as they lived right across the street from each other.
“Hope!” Her mother yelled up from downstairs, as if she didn’t think her daughter heard the obnoxious honking outside.
“Yeah, I’m going!” The redhead called down before grabbing her things, turning off the lights, and shutting her bedroom door behind her. She tore down the stairs in a hurry, not wanting to keep her cousin waiting for too long, but quickly popped into the kitchen to grab a granola bar. The girl moved quickly, darting in and out of the pantry and making a break for the front door.
“Not so fast,” A voice tutted, stopping Hope in her tracks.
Savannah Wells leaned casually up against the island, savoring her morning cup of coffee poured from the pot her husband had brewed for her before he left for work. Hope was often told she was the spitting image of her mother; the woman was now in her late 40’s but still somehow managed to look ageless and youthful.
“Can you please double check with Michael today what time he’s coming to pick you up tomorrow for the dance? I texted Joy to ask but she doesn’t know either and I want to make sure we have enough time for pictures.” “Okay, I will.” Hope nodded and turned to leave, but hesitated. Without missing another beat, she ran over to her mother and gave her a kiss on the cheek goodbye.
“Love you! See you tonight.”In a flash of red curls, she was out the door, running towards Helen’s car and sliding inside nimbly.
“~Good morning!” She chimed in a sing-song voice, all too cheerfully.
The same routine as usual. Helen Wells, the goth bitch of her class, who was the daughter of Riley Wells, a beloved teacher of her school, and cousin to Little Miss Sunshine, spent a couple hours finding the perfect look to stand out from the crowd. Within those same hours, she had a long beauty routine, making sure her skin smelt like cherry, crushed pistachio and whipped vanilla. Most importantly though? Her make up was on fleek.
Today, however, was the day everyone would dress like her because their school had edgy colors and she was the literal queen of edge. Since it was October, she decided to take her aesthetic to the next level spirit week, using it as her opportunity to cosplay as goth characters people knew in mainstream media. PJ day, she was Shego, because let's be real, PJs are best when watching cartoons. Tuesday she was dressed as Sam Manson from Danny Phantom, transferring her main outfit to look sporty. Who doesn’t like a goth bitch in their jersey? Wednesday she was Wednesday Addams dressed as an Indian from Addams Family Values because before there were cowboys, there were Indians. Thursday she was Raven from Teen Titans, but she made the look: hippie goth. Once again, who doesn’t like a goth in loose clothing, especially one who is the daughter of a supremely powerful and dangerous inter-dimensional demon? Obviously, Helen knew exactly what she was doing and knew how to make the boys, and girls, and everything in between go wild. Finally, today, she chose to be Katherine, from Vampire Diaries. A seductive, evil, and venomous
vampire. Red eyes, a dress that would make Mo moan in excitement, sharp nails to kill, and fangs that were meant for biting. Now add her hearse that her grandpa Jareth gave her? She was a dark goddess, a walking nightmare, and a bitch in hot red stilettos. A dame to kill for and a dame to die by. The Queen of Hell.
Usually she took so long to get ready that her brother would head out first, and she’d have very little time to eat anything. She’d rush downstairs, grab her things, and say ‘Love you dad, bye dad’ before rushing to her car and pulling out of the driveway, just to drive into another one, straight ahead, that belonged to her Uncle Trevor and Aunty Sav. It was freshman year when she stopped wanting affection from her fathers and while she knew it broke their hearts, she just had enough going on and didn’t want to seem needy for her dads. Plus, she didn’t always smell like her perfume and the last thing she needed was them to ask questions.
Like clockwork, she found herself dressed to impress, in her hearse, waiting for the brightest person in her life and oddly enough, best friend (by blood) to come prancing out the door. Amy Kwon was also her best friend but that was more like soul sisters that were each other's ride or die. Someone she met and was like yeah, you’re my bitch. Hope was her cousin she grew up with and couldn’t help but want to look out for her. Before there was Amy, there was Hope. And Troy, of course, but ew, her brother could fuck off and do his own thing.
“You’re chipper, as always,” Helen responded to her cousin who nestled herself into her seat, as the passenger princess. Glancing in her side mirror, she could see her father, the sex therapist one, coming out of the door. She grumbled,
“Here we go again.” Bringing her window down, she called out,
“Dad, it’s fine! We can just get a burger or something.”“You name me one burger place between here and school that’s as nutritious as my homemade meals,” Mason responded, pout out in full force as he leaned down to her window and thrust the bags past her towards Hope.
“They’re made with love, Hellie! That’s the most important ingredient! Hi there Hope baby I put some snacks in there for you too,” He added, grinning at his niece. His husband’s family was his too after all, and he had to take care of family.
Hope gave Helen a once over, her jaw popping open at her cousin’s choice of outfit for the last day of spirit week.
“You look HOT! I wish I could pull off a vampire look like you can. Maybe I’ll have to borrow that for Halloween…” She trailed off and began to look around the car, clearly searching for something.
“Speaking of borrow-” The redhead started, but was interrupted by Helen calling out to her dad who was racing down the driveway trying to catch them before they left. Hope gladly accepted the bags of food as they were handed to her, offering her Uncle a bright smile in return.
“Thanks Uncle Mason! You’re the best.”“I do my best to be my best!” He replied with a dopey grin at the girl. His smartwatch started blaring on his wrist and the father of two shot up in response, only to hit the back of his head on the inside of his daughter’s car from when he’d leaned in.
“OWWwww Dammit!” He whined, rubbing the wounded spot harshly. His watch continued to ring, alerting him of his first patients having entered the virtual waiting room for their session, and he looked frantically between the two Wells girls and the window to his home office.
“Okay! Love you two, I’ve gotta go but there’s three bags there! Troy left so early this morning and he didn’t take it either,” the blonde man huffed in disappointment, looking like a kicked puppy. Before she could react, Mason finished his interaction by laying a quick kiss to the side of his daughter’s head, careful of the exceptionally done makeup on her face, and ran back toward the house while yelling over his shoulder,
“Bye Hellcat, kick ass today at school baby I love you!!”“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he gets it. Bye, love you!” Hope called out to her Uncle as he retreated to his office, turning to her cousin and laughing at the affection ambush.
“Anyway, as I was about to say, did you bring them?”“Yeah, backseat,” Helen replied, watching her father through the rearview mirror. She was glad Hope did all the talking. Less effort for her if her cousin did the back and forth with her dad. Thankfully they were saved by one of his client appointments. It was too early to entertain him, especially when he always seemed to want affection and validation nowadays. She loved her dad but she certainly had enough going on. He didn’t need to worry about her, she could take care of herself.
Even if she got up early to do her makeup, making sure it was on fleek, Helen Wells was not a morning person. She thrived at night and became her most creative when the city of fallen angels was asleep. Her cousin was the opposite and had so much bounce in her step. Whimsical, carefree, and walking on sunshine: those were a few descriptors that Helen would use for her dear Hope. Their family either flourished under the sun or under the moon and it seemed that the two girls in a black hearse were a different side of the same coin. Once she directed Hope to the backseat, Helen revved up her engine and backed out of the driveway.
While turning the car, she brusquely probed,
“Got any plans this weekend? Like going to the dance with Mikey or something? Seems like something you’d do. Go to the dance with your best friend.” This wouldn’t be the first time Helen tried to get Hope to cave and spill the tea. She wanted to see if there was more to her relationship with the tall, handsome, blonde boy next door than she was giving. There was no way they didn’t have something. In Helen’s head, she had already made up her mind: they were totally fucking.
Hope sighed in relief,
“You’re the best, Hellie.” The redhead nimbly maneuvered over the center console into the back of the hearse, spotting a canvas tote propped up on one of the seats. Opening the bag and looking inside, she grinned,
“Can you believe I don’t own anything black?” She asked, rhetorically, as they both already knew the answer. Even though Hope theoretically could have worn red and still remained spirited for Homecoming, she rarely did so since she felt it clashed with her vibrant locks. So, she often raided her built-in bestie’s closet, which had an abundance of options in the black variety. Hope pulled the clothes that her cousin was letting her borrow for the day out of the bag, inspecting what she had selected for her this time- a simple pair of black jeans and a cropped polo tank that would show off her midriff.
One of the perks of Helen driving a hearse? Tinted back windows, which meant Hope could change without fear of anyone seeing her. The redhead began to strip as the vehicle started to move, grasping the hem of the tee shirt she was wearing and pulling it over her head.
“Spiff and I aren’t going together, silly. He’s just driving me there.”The Wells’ and O’Connor’s weren’t just friends, they were family. Hope’s father and Michael’s father grew up together and had been best friends for their entire lives. Once they settled down and started their own families, it was only fitting that their children be just as close. Raised in the same neighborhood, the four children were practically inseparable, Hope and Michael especially. They were the same age, born only a few weeks apart, and did just about everything together. High school may have changed a few things - they ran in very different circles and had vastly different schedules- but their friendship never wavered.
“No one asked me to go, and I guess Michael couldn’t pick who he wanted to take between his many, many flings.”“Why don’t you ask—” Him. “ —someone? or are you waiting for your Disney prince to sweep you off your feet?” Helen teased, rolling her window down a crack. As she drove, she brought her sunvisor down to check her makeup. With her left hand, she held onto the steering wheel and with the other she used it to grab her phone. Her phone was already connected to her radio by bluetooth and unfortunately (or fortunately) for Hope, Helen Wells absolutely needed music while she drove. She kept the volume low enough so they could talk.
The Sacrament by Him resounded through her speakers. Another distinction that separated her from her cousin, their music taste.
Subsequently, the raven haired girl opened her center console and took out her cool tone lipstick to touch up her lips. Helen glanced at the road briefly, making sure she was not swerving or coming up behind anyone. She smoothly applied her lipstick, nonchalantly. She drove with little care in the world, focusing on the main thing that mattered to her: herself. Afterwards, she grabbed the cover and closed her lipstick tube, dexterous and nimble, just how she was in bed.
“Like baby, we’re seniors and you’re still a virgin.” From lipstick to cigarettes, Helen kept herself busy, one way or another. She wasn’t one to sit still as she drove. Although her mask hid it well, her mind was running a mile a minute. Keeping her console open, she grabbed a cigarette out of her pack of Camel Turkish-Domestic Blend and placed it in her mouth. She wasn’t going to roll her window completely down until Hope was done changing but this was her car and she was going to smoke. Her car, her rules. Hope knew the deal.
At this point in their drive the gothic goddess had already taken a couple of turns and now she was slowing down to a red stoplight. In quick motions she grabbed her black luxury electric lighter (it had a dragon on it). When she lit her cancer stick, her shoulders relaxed. Placing her lighter down and closing the center console, she leaned in her seat. Breathing the smoke in, letting it sit in her throat, having craved the taste, she enjoyed a moment of peace. This was the calm before the storm. School was a nightmare and she knew she’d hate today just how she hated everyday.
Exhaling in relief, Helen directed her smoke out of the window. What was it like to be a virgin? She wouldn’t remember. She wasn’t a nympho; she just knew what most people wanted wasn’t her. It was her body. Sex was good, especially if you were a good teacher and weren’t afraid to tell your lover what you wanted. Sex could be great if there was a proper line of communication. Usually there wasn’t and most of her peers couldn’t help but let her down. She was a good teacher and sex was one of her greatest skills. Some people didn’t like to listen and it was their loss in the end because she wasn’t the one disappointing people in bed. They were.
“I guess it’s a positive thing you’re such a good, little girl. I’m sure it makes your dad proud he hasn’t lost his princess to some fucker.”Hope continued to change in the back of the hearse, peeling off her leggings and tugging on the pair of jeans. It took some additional effort to get them over her thighs and hips, they were so tight that they left nothing to the imagination; neither did the cutouts where the pockets should have been. Skinny jeans were not the norm for the redhead; most of the clothing she thrifted tended to be baggier and looser, more free. In fact, most of the time she opted to wear skirts or dresses, foregoing pants altogether.
She shook her head at her cousin’s teasing, carefully manipulating the provided tank top over her defined curls without separating or ruffling them.
“I really don’t need to go with anyone, I promise! I’m fine on my own. Trust me, I’m not waiting around for Charming to show up when he feels so inclined.” The shirt was almost as tight as the pants, hugging her chest, the v-neck revealing some (thankfully) tasteful cleavage.
“Sure, Hel, say it a bit louder. Hope’s a virgin, whoop-dee-doo! Not all of us can be as tantalizing as you, you know.”The hearse started moving again.
Of course, deep down, Hope wanted a romance just like her parents. They were high school sweethearts, one might even say soulmates, if you believed in that sort of thing. Picture perfect- the kind of couple that’s featured in the frame when you buy it at the store. They met her mother’s junior year, her dad’s senior year, and instantly clicked. He even gave her a promise ring when he went off to college; they were a timeless, old-school love story. The redhead would be lying if she didn’t say she yearned for the same thing. But she was far too busy to date, and even if she did in fact meet someone, she’d run into the issue of bringing them home to face her father… her police officer father. Definitely a mood killer.
Fully dressed,
Hope climbed back into the passenger's seat, rolling down the windows to let out the remainder of Helen’s cigarette smoke that had been circulating the cabin.
“Like he would ever let that happen,” She laughed,
“I love my dad, but I truly fear the day I have to introduce my future boyfriend to him. I don’t think he’ll take it well.”Helen flicked her cigarette out the window. Her cousin’s words went in one ear and out the other. It was the same-o, same-o. Nothing seemed to change and they were already in their senior year. Car rides with the sweet cinnamon roll was part of the routine, which also included Helen only partly listening, picking and choosing what she wanted to hear. Hope feared to take risks and get out of her comfort zone and that was likely due to the mere fact that Uncle Trev was a cop. If they switched parents, Helen would see that as a challenge.
Sure, Hel, say it a bit louder. Helen sadistically smirked.
Hope should know better. Be careful what you say around the Hellcat; your words might come back to bite you in the ass. With both windows down and the school fastly approaching, Helen pushed the pedal to the metal, going over the speed limit, no longer caring about the law. With her powerful, well-trained and robust voice, Helen tactlessly hollered,
“MY COUSIN IS A VIRGIN. SOMEBODY COME GET HER!”The redhead’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head, her cheeks rapidly turning the color of her tresses. Slowly, oh so slowly, she craned her head at her cousin in pure disbelief, her jaw slack and mouth popped open.
“You did not just do that, you did not just-” Realization hit, and Hope exploded in a fit of panic.
“HELEN!” The girl rushed to roll up the windows, praying they’d close faster, before burying her face in her hands and attempting to disappear altogether. She hoped the hearse would swallow her whole and carry her casket far,
far away from prying eyes and ears.
“I can’t believe you right now!” She shrieked,
“Some of us are not as comfortable with their sexuality as you are, Hel. Not all of us have sex therapist fathers who have been handing out condoms on Halloween since the early aughts!” “How many redlights do you think we can ride past without us getting hit or a cop pulling us over?” Helen’s eyes sparked with excitement as she immediately undid Hope’s hard work of bringing the windows up, locking them afterwards when they were halfway down. She was enjoying herself too much. They were now going down a long, busy street with multiple stoplights. Their school was near the end of this, after another right turn and one more left. They could cut ten minutes down to five, if they didn’t stop and obey the law.
“If you don’t want to die, I want you to scream something. First thing that comes to mind. I will stop when you let go. Oh, look, first stoplight.” She raced through it, a blue sedan stepping on its brakes and profusely honking.
“Come on, Hope, stop being a pussy and SCREAM.” “Helen Wells! You’re kidding me right now!” Hope squealed as the car continued to coast, bringing her hand up instinctively to hold the handle above her seat. She kept her eyes pierced on the dark haired girl as they rolled down the street with no signs of stopping. The redhead loved her cousin, truly, but in moments like this she questioned her sanity and overall well being. Not desiring to have an untimely end or ending up an unsightly pile of debris, the redhead chose to scream at the top of her lungs, deciding in that moment to not be concerned in the slightest with those around them,
“FUCK, HELEN! I JUST WANT TO BE PUT FIRST!” Hope screamed, the first thing that came to her mind.
And she meant it. For so long, the girl has always put others before herself, and deep down she wanted someone to put her needs before their own. It definitely wasn’t what Helen was expecting to hear, but something about the situation, the anxiety it caused, forced her to speak.
The music turned down and the Undertaker, that’s what she called her baby, slowed a bit, going a normal, legal speed. Unlocking her windows, she brought them up and didn’t say anything in response. Not right away. She wanted Hope to think about what she had just said for a moment. She wanted her cousin to sit in her thoughts and let the weight of her words fill the atmosphere of her car. She loved her cousin, dearly, but sometimes it was like pulling teeth to get to the root of her emotions. Sure, Helen sometimes went about things… uniquely and perhaps a little batshit crazy but at least it got her best friend to talk. Helen knew how she was feeling before hearing it come out of Hope’s mouth — she grew up with the girl, she wasn’t that hard to read — but she wanted Hope to hear herself say those words.
She wanted Hope to be selfish.
I want to be put first. If she was being transparent, full disclosure, Helen wanted to take pages out of Hope’s book and do some good for others. Learn how to touch hearts and make them remember her name not because of her body, but because she was a decent human being that cared about things. Helen knew she was selfish and it had nothing to do with how her fathers raised her. It had everything to do with her anger. Freshman year taught her many valuable lessons and was a wake up call. Freshman year was the chapter that changed her forever. Freshman year sucked.
She wasn’t one to deep dive into her past. No one knew what she went through that year, it was irrelevant at this point, and she was determined to keep it that way. But she knew that year changed her, for better or for worse, past the point of no return. Helen promised herself that year no matter what, she would always put herself first. Before her friends, before her family, before anyone, Helen Wells was going to take care of HER. If that made her a selfish, fucking bitch, so be it, who cares what they had to say? This was her life. The person that she was always laying in bed with at night was herself. Rye a lot of times too but that’s beside the point. He didn’t like being alone and she got that. He was
her twink, so by nature, he was an extension of her and would always be welcomed into her bed like a teddy bear was for a child.
(Weird comparison, but you get what I mean.) Hope was the exact opposite and both her and the gorgeous redhead beside her leaned heavily one way or the other that it was: unhealthy. Hope needed to live and Helen needed to be still. Would they ever be able to achieve such challenging feats?
Only time could tell.
“So,” Helen spoke, breaking the silence and stopping at the last redlight, right before the turn that led to their school.
“You’re waiting for someone to put you first.”Hope peeled her clammy hand from the grab handle and attempted to slow her heartbeat and steady her breathing. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, audibly, as the car paused at the signal, a welcome reprieve from the chaos that had just ensued. She broke eye contact with her cousin, letting her gaze wander out her window, and wiped her sweaty palm on her jeans. It was out of character for the girl to admit such things, completely contradictory in fact, of her long term goals and aspirations.
She’d never dared to utter those words out loud, but she’d felt it for a while. The redhead had aspired to be selfless for as long as she could remember. Her work as a CNA and her dreams of joining the Peace Corps were all about serving others, and she loved knowing the profound impact she could make. But between the honors classes, the tutoring sessions and the volunteering, Hope wanted to be taken care of. Of course, her doting mother and father always had her back and supported her, but she wanted someone, not blood, to care just an ounce as much about her as she did about everyone else. It was something she struggled with, something she felt guilty about, and Helen’s unconventional methods had pulled those rogue thoughts straight to the surface.
The girl crossed her arms and continued to divert her gaze away from her cousin as they waited at the stoplight. She bit the inside of her cheek as she stared out the window, contemplating what had just occurred. Hope sighed, exasperated.
“Yes, I do.” She finally looked at Helen, letting a glimpse of displeasure flicker in her normally positive eye.
“Are you happy now?”“Ecstatic,” Helen sarcastically retorted, knowing she hit a nerve. She didn’t pity her cousin nor did she care that she put the passenger princess in a vulnerable place. In reality, the songstress wanted to set things in motion for the innocent bambino that was Hope Wells. Life wasn’t going to conveniently give her a prince charming to swoop her off her feet to take care of her and even if it did, their rare breeds. Rare breeds were still only human. Even prince charmings were deeply flawed. No one person could check every box that her cousin had on her ‘dream boyfriend’ prerequisite list. That’s why communication was key and would be essential for any successful relationship her cousin would pursue and any future endeavor her cousin would tackle. Helen anticipated this year would be different for Hope but the only person who could make it different was Hope. If she really wanted it to, her dreams could be more than just dreams. All she had to do was be a little selfish and chase this feeling, this deep desire to be loved and be loved in return. Finally, Helen entered the school gates and decided to drive Hope to the front (she’d park afterwards).
After shifting her car into park, Helen offered one last piece of advice,
“Hey Hope, I love you, I do, but bitch.” Okay maybe she wasn’t the best communicator, but she meant well and aimed to get her point across one way or another.
“How do you expect someone to take care of you if you are just wasting your time waiting? And don’t use your studies and all that extra shit as an excuse. You drown yourself in work and other people’s problems and what does little Hope get in the end?” Nothing, obviously.
“Late at night you wonder: why am I like this? Well, Tiger, that’s all you baby girl. You better start changing up how you do things because you only got one more year here. One more year to be a kid and fuck up without carrying the weight of being an adult. Don’t waste your last year being such a good girl. Like sheesh. Live a little. Take a page out of my book. See where it takes you.” Helen grabbed her phone to check her text messages, waiting for the emotional Wells to exit so she could park and smoke another cigarette. What? She had a problem. She’ll quit eventually. For sure, for sure. That day wasn’t today.
The more her cousin talked, the more upset Hope got. She may have had a solid point or two, but it was evident that Helen’s priorities and motivations were very different than hers, and that was what the dark haired girl was missing. Sure, she knew that packing her schedule to the brim probably wasn’t the healthiest thing in the world, but other than that she wouldn’t change a damn thing. Hope was sure of herself, she was confident, and it was unfair for Helen to assume that “living a little” would miraculously solve all of her problems. The redhead's deepest desire and dilemma, wanting a fraction of the compassion that she put out into the universe, was not going to come to fruition by making juvenile mistakes. Helen didn’t get that though, because she was too consumed in her own world to see it.
In the redhead’s eyes, she could have her cake and eat it too. She was a good student, a good friend, a good daughter, and an objectively good person. It was enough for her. And hopefully, one day, it’d be enough for someone else.
Hope bit her tongue, aiming to take the high road like she always did, but hurt still showed in her eyes. Arguing with her cousin right now was not going to solve anything, especially as they were parked right outside the school where prying eyes lurked, but that didn’t mean that she was going to let things slide easily.
“Don’t bother waiting for me at the end of the day, I’ll catch a ride with someone else.” Gathering the change of clothes from the backseat, her bag, and the snacks from her Uncle (plus Troy’s lunch because Hope
knew her cousin wouldn’t bother bringing it to him herself), she departed from the hearse, slamming the car door behind her. The redhead marched towards the school, cheeks flushed and eyes damp.
In that moment Hope wasn’t sunshine, she was a storm cloud.
As Hope marched, Helen was never one to give her cousin the last word. She was the Hellcat for a reason, and she loved bringing hell on Earth.
“I wasn’t planning to! But love how reliable you think I am. Bye baby girl, I’m sure the next time we talk there will be nothing exciting to talk about!” Helen honked her horn to bid the redhead adieu before driving off to park.
She wasn’t afraid of storms, especially ones named after Hope.
Hurricane Hope. GOD she couldn’t wait.
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