Sometimes Hope wondered if this was how her life would have been had she never been sent away.  Parties to celebrate everything she did.  First steps.  First words. First underage drink.  Well... she hardly thought she would be rewarded for that one, but the theme remained the same.  Were they doing this to try to win her over?  A welcome home party - practically a ball - all to get her to thank them and forgive them for ever sending her off in the first place?  Well it wasn't going to happen, even if the party was a nice gesture.  Hope snagged a glass of something stronger than the cola she was drinking, mixing it into her soda before taking a seat off to the side.  People kept coming up to her, looking at her like she was a bit of artwork or a puzzle.  It was hellishly annoying.  "If you've come to gawk, do it from over there, hmm?  Because I swear I'm going to bite the next person who does."  She all but growled at the man she'd never met.