Hope Collins understood emotions like the back of her hand. She liked to call herself an empath. So, it was astonishing to her as to how she could love and hate a person at the same time. Both these were on the extreme sides of a scale. They attracted the same amount of energy but, that didn't mean the same type of energy. One was positive and the other was negative.

To distract herself from all the confusion going on inside her head, Hope started pacing around her room. That helped her divert her worry towards something else. Like how her feet were hurting from all that walking around.

Sighing, she finally slumped down on her bed. Just then her eyes fell on Elena walking around quickly on his tiny legs. As if sensing her despondent air, he walked towards her and crawled on her feet.

She gently picked him up in her hands and tapped her fingers on his shell. "Hey, little bud. Is it possible to like and dislike the same person without knowing that they are the same people?"

Elena simply rubbed his adorable, little face on her palm.

"Oh? That's what you think? You think that I don't hate him?" Suddenly realizing something, she heaved a deep sigh. "These are just my thoughts and not you actually trying to tell me something." A small chuckle escaped her lips.

"Remember how Gast - Dylan. I mean, Dylan told me that I have such wild imagination? Do you think that I am overreacting, El? I mean every time I think that he's Dylan, I just wanna scream out really loud in his face! Urgh," she said, trying to rein in her anger.

"But then I also think that he's… really changed, you know. Like-like, I remember talking to him about his past self and not even once did I get the feeling that he's the same belligerent person I have the image of stored in my head. In fact, quite on the contrary, he talked to me like he owns up to his mistakes and that's what makes a human a human," she continued talking to Elena or more like herself because he was busy doing his ramp walk or more like turtle walk on her palm as if it was a stage. They could invent a turtle walk, it would be an instant hit. Or maybe, she was just being biased.

"The energy he exudes while chatting, it's all happy and good. Nothing arrogant or whatever. Yes, people make mistakes but I believe instead of finding excuses or reasons to justify their behavior, apologizing is a better answer. And that he did." She heaved another heavy sigh before putting Elena back on the floor. She traipsed away like Hope was on fire.

"I don't know why you're so mad at me, Ellie. I mean there are some people who think that Don, the crow might feed on you and it scared me, okay? But I hate that you're being mean to me now!" Hope pouted for an added effect. She could have sworn that Elena threw her a dry look.

"What! Fine, then. I get it, you've known your best pal for a year now but I am a mother too." Another dry look. "Okay, fine, then. Tomorrow, I'll let you guys have your play date but remember the ground rules. No making fun of Ugly, the stupid pigeon, okay?"

Elena, in his own sense of triumphant moment, walked quickly towards Hope again and hugged her ankle with his tiny hands. "Aww, I know, momma's the best, baby." She picked him up again. "So, what do you think? Should I forgive Dylan?"

There was a silent pause between them wherein they stood staring at each other. "Are you being overprotective now?"

As if just now realizing her monologue with Elena, Hope started laughing at her own theatrics. For a few minutes, her apartment was chiming with her tinkling laughter which then subsided into small chuckles.

There was still a small smile lingering on her lips by the time she calmed down. "I think we can make him suffer a little. Whatcha think, El?" She smirked knowingly. "We can go on ignoring him for a week more. Surely, that wouldn't hurt him as much."

Maybe she could prove a little that Hope, after all, did have a mean bone in her. With that thought in mind, she listened to her new favorite song for the umpteenth time. 'I Lived' was surely a gem that she was glad Gaston dedicated to her.

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