Chapter Text
“Josie, seriously, did you just bring us to a strip club?”
“What?! No!”
“What’s with the song then?”
“I told you it’s a rock theme bar!”
Lizzie sighed deeply, trying to show her sister how much annoyed she was about doing this. She couldn’t believe that she’d agreed to coming to this place, but her twin wouldn’t shut up about her new crush, who she’d met in a party two weeks ago or so. Josie had been burning her ear for these weeks by now about Penelope and she’d begged her and MG to come with her to see this crush’s performance on stage.
It seemed this Penelope was part of a rock band; she was part of the chorus and played the electric guitar. It was such a cliché she couldn’t believe Josie fell for it, but her sister had a thing for music since she loved to sing too. That was how she met Penelope in the party; there was a karaoke and Josie sang a song – as soon as she was off stage, Penelope was in front of her already introducing herself.
In truth, part of Lizzie was happy because Josie was happy; she’d been stressing less about college and was even kinder and more positive than she already was. Lizzie, on the other hand, couldn’t say the same; she was going nuts over the next semester and the hard subjects she was going to have to do. That was mainly why she knew she shouldn’t be here and should be at home studying to prepare herself, but Josie and MG plotted against her and convinced her into taking a bit of fresh air.
It was Christmas break after all.
Lizzie sat down along with her friend and sister on a small table near the small stage that was in the back of the bar.
It looked like a pretty huge bar, one she didn’t know that even existed in Mystic Falls. She’d grown up here and had been in almost every bar that there was, but not this one.
“How come I didn’t know this bar?” MG only shrugged; he didn’t want to be here either but he was much more subtle than her and also, supporting Josie. She looked to her sister, seeing the brunette was moving her head everywhere, as if she was trying to find someone. “Josie!”
Josie groaned and rested her back on her chair. “I told you, Liz, this is new. Pen told me her friend bought this place a month ago, when they moved into town. They’re from New Orleans, remember?”
“Right. Forgive me I forgot about your crush’s life when I have one hundred pages about Freud to remember as soon as I get back to class.”
“No school talking tonight, okay?” MG intervened. “And it’s not like you haven’t read the book already.”
“But I need to read it again! I don’t remember anything!”
MG rolled his eyes. “Liar.”
Lizzie was about to keep protesting about it but Josie took hold of her arm, strongly squeezing it in excitement. “There, she’s there! They’re going to play now!”
Both Lizzie and MG followed Josie’s gaze, seeing four people had stepped on the stage and the lights all around the bar went lower, mainly focusing on them. Lizzie narrowed her eyes to properly see them, but all she could see was that there were two boys and two girls. She could only recognize Penelope, given Josie had showed her through her Instagram for the past two weeks.
She watched as Penelope spotted them and waved a hand to Josie’s way, which her sister obviously returned, all happily. It seemed there was Penelope and another boy as chorus with electric guitars, a drummer boy and the main singer girl.
A song started to sound through the place, one that Lizzie recognized.
I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known,
Don’t know where it goes, but it’s home to me, and I walk alone,
Lizzie’s lips parted in a bit of surprise to hear the good singing – she was expecting her ears to bleed, but the singer knew how to sing, luckily for her. Now the light was on the singer as Lizzie could see her clearly; it was a very… pretty girl, with long, black hair and blue eyes that she could see even from that distance. She had to smile to notice that the girl was the shortest one out of bandmates.
I walk this empty street, on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, where the city sleeps and I’m the only one and I walk alone,
I walk alone, I walk alone,
I walk alone, I walk a –
Well, maybe it wasn’t that bad of idea to come with her sister to here.
The bar wasn’t that hideous anymore. She liked the song – rock wasn’t her favorite but she had a good taste… and as her eyes scanned the singer up and down, she knew she had good taste in many things.
I’m walking down the line that divides me somewhere in my mind,
On the borderline of the edge, and where I walk alone,
Lizzie forced herself to close her mouth when she saw the singer looking straight to her. The warmth on her ears and cheeks was quick to creep up to see the girl’s gaze moving up and down over her body; Lizzie felt the need to uncross her bare legs to sit straighter and closer to the table. When she looked back at the singer, a smirk was rising on her lips as she kept holding the microphone close to her mouth.
My shadow’s the only one that walks beside me, my shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating,
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me,
‘Till then, I walk alone,
The singer kept her eyes on her, and Lizzie would be damned if she was the one supposed to break eye contact first. But the singer wasn’t giving up, even arching an eyebrow to her as if daring her.
Eventually, the singer gave up first, moving her eyes towards Penelope as she stopped singing for a moment and let the other girl have her solo with the electric guitar. Lizzie had to roll her eyes, because even though Penelope was good at it, it was so obvious she was showing off for Josie.
And it was working. There was nothing but delight on her sister’s face as she watched the performance.
But Lizzie’s attention was back at the singer when she kept singing the chorus. It lasted a few seconds more before the singer stepped back from the microphone and stood next to Penelope, singing along with her.
She blinked to realize the song stopped and everyone started clapping. Lizzie didn’t have time to see where the band was going once they walked off stage, because a waitress blocked her view.
MG ordered a dark beer as the twins ordered two martinis.
Once the girl was off sight, she sighed to realize the band wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
Wait. Why did she care anyway?
“I think I fell in love.”
Josie and Lizzie snapped their heads towards MG for the new confession.
“With who?” Her brunette sister raised an eyebrow. “It better not be with Penelope, MG.”
Or the singer, Lizzie thought for a second. She wanted to slap herself – okay, the girl was pretty… and pretty hot and had a good voice, but that was it.
There was no need to go there.
“Of course not,” MG frowned offended. “The other boy that was playing the electric guitar. He’s cute.”
Josie nodded in agreement as Lizzie did, trusting in her twin’s judgment since she hadn’t focused on anyone that wasn’t the singer. “Well, I can ask Pen for his number for you, if you want. So… Lizzie, what did you think of her?”
Lizzie turned back to her sister, eyes widening, a sudden panic rising inside her to think that her sister had caught her staring at the singer the whole performance. “Who?”
“Penelope! Did you see how she plays? She’s so amazing, isn’t she?”
“Ah, yeah,” Lizzie shrugged. “She’s fine.”
“Fine? Didn’t you hear her? She was so awesome on her solo and –”
“Speaking about me, JoJo?”
They all turned to see Penelope walking up towards them with a smirk, but Lizzie couldn’t concentrate on her, but the girl right next to her, one smirk alike on her face – the same one that she’d been giving to Lizzie the whole performance.
Play it cool, Saltzman.
“Oh, hi Pen!” Josie stood up to greet the other girl with a hug. “You were pretty amazing up there… I mean, all of you, actually. You too, Hope.”
Lizzie raised her eyebrow.
Hope… it was such a sweet name for someone that… didn’t exactly look so sweet. Now Lizzie could see her better and appreciate the black panty hose on her legs, the tight, black skirt and the black turtleneck with cleavage she was wearing.
She blinked and looked away quickly, embarrassed that her mind had registered that. Biting the inside of her cheek, she prayed internally that her red face didn’t sell her out.
Josie turned back to her and MG. “Oh so Pen, and guys, this is MG, my friend, and my sister, Lizzie.”
Lizzie decided to keep her eyes on Penelope, ignoring the way Hope’s gaze was burning her. “Twins, actually. Fraternal, obvs.”
Penelope chuckled. “Yeah, I knew that. Nice to meet you guys. Josie told me all about you.”
“Oh and she told us all about you, for sure.”
Josie glared at her, her cheeks reddening. Well, at least she wasn’t alone now. “Lizzie!”
Penelope smirked at that but eventually nodded towards the girl standing next to her and – now Lizzie noticed – the other two boys next to Hope. “These are my friends. Hope, Ethan and Landon. So, have you guys ordered anything already?”
Penelope took the free chair next to Josie, the curly black haired boy – Landon, she thought – sat next to her and the remaining boy, Ethan, sat next to him and to MG’s other side. Hope, on the other hand, walked all around the table to get a chair from the empty table behind them and put it right between her and MG, sitting next to her.
Lizzie kept her attention on Josie and Penelope, though she felt stupid – what the hell was wrong with her? It wasn’t like it was the first time she was a bit taken back by a girl’s beauty. But maybe it was the fact that this Hope’s gaze was on her all the time – she wasn’t even subtle about it.
She was grateful for the boy Ethan speaking up. “So do you guys like rock, too?”
MG nodded quickly. “Pretty much.”
Lizzie frowned at him, dignity much, MG? She was sure she’d never heard him listening to rock.
“We do!” Josie answered Ethan with enthusiasm as Lizzie scoffed; she wasn’t lying as much as MG, because it was true that Josie liked pretty much everything, but rock wasn’t her thing. She was just trying to impress Penelope. “Well, I like light rock more, and Lizzie isn’t really into it, she’s more of Taylor Swift.”
Lizzie’s eyes grew big to her sister as Josie recognized the death-glare in a second, realizing what she’d just said. It wasn’t like there was something wrong with liking – well, obsessing – over Taylor Swift, but the fact that she told that to people that loved rock…
Everyone was aware of the way the rock fans used to dismiss Taylor Swift.
She could have thrown her to the wolves, for all she cared now. There was no difference.
Penelope chuckled, Landon shrugged, Ethan smirked and she heard an actual laugh from the girl next to her – it would have been cute, if it wasn’t for the fact that she was laughing of her.
“Taylor Swift? Seriously?”
Lizzie glared at Hope, properly looking at her – since the performance – for first time. She hated that her glare wasn’t enough to wipe off the smirk of the girl’s face. She absolutely hated that the first words she spoke to her were these ones.
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Nothing,” Hope shrugged, her smirk only rising. “But aren’t you like, twenty-two or something?” Lizzie clenched her jaw, ready to start her rant. It’d be useless; she’d gotten herself into an argument with someone at a party once when she was drunk, and even if all her points were valid, the guy – that was so into rock – wouldn’t change his mind. “Ah right, she has a song about being twenty-two, doesn’t she?”
Lizzie arched an eyebrow. “So you’ve listened to it.”
“I haven’t,” Hope quickly said. “But I’ve heard of it… it’s impossible to miss it when you turn twenty-two.”
“I’m not seeing your point, though,” Lizzie fought back, slightly shrugging. “You just sang Green Day.”
It was her turn to smirk as the one on Hope’s face faded off. “You’re seriously not comparing Green Day to Taylor Swift.”
“I’m just saying. Isn’t Green Day for like, emo teenagers?” She stood up and looked back to Josie before Hope could answer to that. “I’m going to get our drinks. The service is horrible here.”
She didn’t understand the horrified look her twin gave her before she turned on her heels and walked towards the bar counter. She called for the same waitress that took their orders once, twice… on the third the clueless girl saw her and approached her to reassure her she’d get their drinks in a minute.
Lizzie tapped her fingers on the wooden counter, glancing over her shoulder to see that the group was now talking to each other, except for Hope, who was – again – nothing subtle to be staring at her, the arrogant smirk back on her lips.
She made sure that she saw her rolling her eyes before turning back to the bar counter. She should have known that there was going to be something wrong with the pretty singer; she probably was as pretty as arrogant – no.
She was definitely more arrogant than pretty.
Lizzie looked back at the waitress that was now staring at the two empty glass of martini in front of her, as if the alcohol was going to materialize there by magic.
“Do you even know how to make a martini?”
A shadow appeared next to her. “You’ll have to forgive Annie, it’s her first day,” Hope’s voice said. The girl’s green eyes widened to see the brunette next to her.
“Oh I’m so sorry, Hope! I just can’t find Luke and she really wants her drinks now and –”
“It’s okay, Annie. Just go look for Luke and go on with the other tables. Tell him I said I’m paying him to work, not to smoke his whole pack of cigarettes.”
Lizzie saw as the girl, Annie, quickly nodded and disappeared behind the door. She stared at where the girl had run off and looked back at Hope, remembering her sister’s words just minutes ago.
“I told you, Liz, this is new. Pen told me her friend bought this place a month ago, when they moved into town. They’re from New Orleans, remember?”
Hope was Penelope’s friend. She owned this place.
Oh.
She remembered her words about the place’s service.
Why didn’t Josie remind her? She seriously doubted about her twin’s love sometimes.
Still, Lizzie wouldn’t back down. It wasn’t like she was lying… or that Hope didn’t deserve it… but she didn’t actually want to get the girl into trouble with her boss, who seemed to be the very same brunette next to her.
“She’s doing pretty well for a first day anyway.”
“I know, she’s not in trouble,” Hope said as if reading her thoughts. Lizzie side-eyed her, seeing she’d held out her hand for her. “I think we should start over. Hope Mikaelson.”
Lizzie considered it for a moment, because even if she was offering her hand in a friendly way, the smug smirk and daring raised eyebrow were still on. But she wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction to know that she was even annoyed by her.
So she took the hand and intended to shake it, but stopped for a moment to register how soft the girl’s skin was.
One would think Hope-arrogant-Mikaelson wouldn’t have such a sweet name, or soft skin, or ocean blue eyes…
Lizzie blinked and shook the hand. “Lizzie Saltzman.”
“Saltzman,” Hope repeated it in a whisper, Lizzie’s eyes falling to her lips for a second to see her tongue slightly licking them. She forced herself to look up at Hope’s eyes, swearing she could see a spark in them. “I like it.”
Lizzie moved her hand away and turned back to the bar counter, ignoring Hope’s gaze on her. She saw the waitress, Annie, coming out from the back with a blonde man next to her – Luke, probably. The man started to make her drinks, thank god.
“So… we’re going to play another song now. Rock, obviously. I was thinking of another Green Day’s one, but thought better of it and yeah, maybe a bit too emo for a Friday night. Do you have anything in mind?”
Lizzie turned back to her, arching an eyebrow to her. “Are you already going to dedicate me a song, Mikaelson? Damn you’re whipped.”
She expected the smirk to fall from Hope’s lips, not to grow wider. “You wish, gorgeous. I was just trying to see if you could have good taste in music or not.”
Lizzie bit the inside of her cheek. “Name’s Lizzie, thank you very much. And indeed, I do have good taste in music. You’ve just heard it, I like Taylor Swift,” she gritted her teeth to see Hope’s smirk turning into a playful grin as if she was trying to hold back a laugh. “And I like many other genres and artists but I’m not about to share them with you. You’re not worthy.”
“Ouch, that hurt,” Hope’s mouth dramatically opened in fake hurt. “Maybe you’re right. I’m not worthy of it… yet.”
Annie appeared right in front of them across the bar counter, handing her the two martinis and the small bottle of dark beer. Lizzie reached into the pocket of her jacket for her money, but Hope shook her head.
“It’s on the house.”
“I can pay for our drinks.”
“You don’t have to,” Lizzie was about to take her money out anyway, but one nod of Hope’s head sent Annie off. The blonde groaned and glared at her. “Just so you see I’m a little bit worthy.”
“Ah, you’re so charming, Hope Mikaelson, my heart can’t take it.”
Lizzie took the two martinis with both hands and realized she couldn’t carry the dark beer very well. Before she could think of something, Hope took the bottle and nodded towards their table.
“Charming, isn’t it?”
Lizzie contained herself from rolling her eyes once again as she stormed back to the table. They were all on their own little world talking with each other; Penelope and Josie, Landon and Ethan as MG listened to them attentively.
Lizzie sat back on her chair and handed her sister her martini, even if her twin didn’t even look at it. Hope set the bottle of beer on the table and nodded to her friends.
“Hey guys, time for another song.”
They all looked at her and it was Landon the one that spoke up, “Which one now?”
Hope eyed her for a moment before looking back at him. “Come on, I’ll tell you.”
The group all got up and walked back to the stage without second thoughts. Josie and Lizzie took sips of their martinis; the brunette with a sickening sweet smile on face.
MG slightly elbowed Lizzie. “So what was that with Hope?”
“What?”
Josie widened her eyes at her. “You and Hope?”
“It’s nothing. She’s clearly trying to make me fall under her charm, which she doesn’t have. She’s so arrogant. I’m never coming back to here again.”
Her sister giggled before drinking again. “Pen warned me… that she’d flirt with you. She said that’s just Hope – she likes something, she takes it.”
“Whoa, thank you, Josette. But I’m not just something that can be taken,” Josie’s eyes grew big to realize her choice of words. “And before you say anything, you knew that was going to happen and you made me come here for it?”
“I didn’t know! I invited you before she said that to me. She told me that when I said I’d be coming with you. And that’s not what I meant, Lizzie. I knew you wouldn’t fall for it. Quite the contrary, actually, I thought she’d fall for you.”
MG chuckled. “Are you already marrying her off to Hope, Josie?”
“Not a chance,” Lizzie didn’t give time to her sister to answer. “You have to appreciate how much I love you, dear sister, that I came here for you and I’m putting up with this, but I’m never going to hang out with Penelope’s friends again, understood?”
The lights went lower again, focusing only on the stage. Lizzie recognized the music that started sounding; she had to admit that had Hope been nicer, she would have recommended that band for their next song, but of course she wasn’t going to tell her anything.
Another One Bites The Dust by Queen started playing and so did Penelope and Ethan’s electric guitars, along with Landon’s drums as Hope stood in front of the microphone.
Hope didn’t look at her at first as she started with the song; she focused on her friends, on everyone around them but her… not until she got to the chorus and she locked eyes with her, staring intently into hers.
And another one gone, and another one gone, another ones bites the dust,
Hey, I’m gonna get you too,
Another one bites the dust,
Lizzie raised an eyebrow to see the smug smirk back on Hope’s lips – she was so enjoying this… and she was so wrong about it. She could read between the lines; she was not going to bite the dust with her. While singing the first song, Lizzie could have imagined it… now?
It was never happening.
If she was a flirter and an arrogant, and took everything she liked, so be it.
Not with her.
Lizzie couldn’t believe her sister.
She’d wanted to put it a stop as soon as Josie suggested for them to go to a nightclub that she loved – liar, because that was one of Lizzie’s favorite; Josie didn’t like going out in the nights that much – and everyone agreed to it.
She had enough of spending time with Penelope and her friends, or more precisely, Hope Mikaelson.
When they were at her bar, after the band finished their song, they came to the table with them, and she was glad that Landon liked Star Wars because she did too, so she had something to talk about with him and completely ignore Hope sitting next to her, with her intense blue stare on her all the time. She’d make some comments about the movies or whatever in the between, clearly trying to get her attention, but Lizzie would ignore her every time and focus on Landon.
She’d thought she’d succeeded in making it clear to Hope she wouldn’t fall for it like everyone did, but then Josie suggested the nightclub, and when she tried to talk her out of it –
“Maybe we should head home already, Jo. It’s like one in the morning. We can do it another day and –”
“Already chickening out, Saltzman?”
Lizzie knew that if her eyes were daggers Hope would be long dead by now. She despised the way everyone made sure to say an “oooooh” for Hope’s comment, and there was no way that she’d give her the satisfaction to win, even if that was her whole goal.
So there they were – or specifically, she was. The nightclub was so full of people by the time they arrived, but they managed to find an empty spot to be and just dance – Lizzie had made sure to have MG by her side all the time since Josie was in her own world with Penelope. Luckily for her, Hope’s attention wasn’t on her, but on Landon and Ethan.
She told MG she was going to the bathroom for just a moment – it was five minutes, really. But when she came back to the spot, no one was there. It wasn’t the first time that this would happen when she was with friends, but it annoyed her all the same, because she was just here because of her sister and Hope Mikaelson’s stupid dare.
So Lizzie walked towards the bar counter, almost crashing into someone on the way there. She was about to apologize when she saw who it was.
“Oh it’s just you.”
Hope smirked up. “Were you expecting someone else?”
Rolling her eyes, she leaned against the bar counter, eyes moving everywhere between the dark to try to see if she caught sight of her sister and best friend. “Where is everyone?”
“Landon was tired so he left,” Hope shrugged and leaned back on the counter too, right next to her. “Ethan and MG said they were going to the bathroom at the same time – suspicious, if you ask me, but well. I wasn’t going to stay there with the lovebirds, so…”
Lizzie had to agree with her on that – Josie and Penelope were glued to each other all throughout the night, it was sickening. But she wasn’t going to agree out loud with Hope, no.
“But they weren’t there when I came back.”
“Penelope must have gotten the courage to go somewhere more private,” Lizzie side-eyed her for a moment, seeing her rolling her eyes at that. “I’ve never seen her so nervous and gentle with anyone but your sister. She’s so gone.”
Lizzie scoffed. “She better not hurt Josie or else…”
She saw the way Hope’s lips curved up, but not into a smirk this time, it was more like… a grin. A soft one. “There’s so much music here, I saw there’s a small patio in the back, you wanna go there?”
Lizzie tried to, but she couldn’t help herself. “Are you getting the courage to ask me to go somewhere more private, Mikaelson?”
She just wanted to get to Hope for once, like she’d been doing to her ever since they met hours ago, but of course she should’ve thought better of it, because the soft grin that was on Hope’s lips became a smirk as she arched an eyebrow to her way.
“And if I was?”
Lizzie immediately felt how warm her cheeks were getting, but she was grateful that there wasn’t so much light inside there for Hope to actually see that.
She was always so confident and anyone that knew her would agree that she had game, so why the hell was she left speechless, blushing like a fourteen year old at every flirty thing Hope Mikaelson said to her?
“Relax,” Hope shook her head, gesturing to the small patio with her hand. “I just hate how loud the music is here.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
Lizzie walked out to the patio; she had to agree with Hope on that too when the loud music slowly faded away. She stopped to try to catch somewhere to sit – all the benches were occupied with people making out with each other, some of them almost eating each other’s faces off.
She kind of forgot that everyone came to the patio to make out – so gross.
Her eyes quickly scanned the room, relieved that Josie wasn’t among the people. Her sister knew better, thank god.
Lizzie was a bit surprised when she felt a strong hand taking her elbow, but gently directing her towards something. There was a small, empty bench in the corner – enough for her to sit down, with Hope right next to her, her leg brushing against hers.
Clearing up her throat, she tried not to think about it and instead focused on something else to talk about.
“Forgot to tell you everyone comes here to devour each other’s faces.”
Hope laughed, making Lizzie fully look at her; it wasn’t annoying this time, much like when she’d laughed of her about Taylor Swift. “Yeah, small detail. It’s fine. I’ve seen worse.” Hope kept her eyes on her, but it wasn’t like before either. It was like she was studying her if anything. “So… Penelope said Josie’s major is Communications and yours is… Psychology, right?”
Lizzie raised an eyebrow. So Penelope had been talking nonstop about Josie to Hope just like her sister had done with her. Good to know she wasn’t alone on that one.
“Yeah. I’m probably graduating next year.”
She waited for the regular jokes about studying psychology; could she be their therapist? Could she know about this so very random dream that they had? Or worse – spilling their traumas right in front of her because they assumed she was going to be a therapist and could solve their lives with some magical words in five minutes.
But Hope didn’t say any of that, she only nodded, genuinely interested by it. “That’s cool. I once thought about studying that, but it was too complicated at one point that I didn’t feel like it, so.”
Lizzie was suddenly really curious about this girl that was trying to look so rough and careless just minutes before and was now casually telling her about what she didn’t want to study, as if she was actually trying to have a serious conversation.
“So you’re not studying anything?”
Hope shook her head and leaned back on the bench, giving a gentle shrug. “Don’t feel like it yet. I’m good with music… and painting. So one day, maybe I’ll go for something related to that.”
Lizzie frowned, a sudden thought crossing her mind. “But wait. You own that new bar; you don’t have a major in anything yet… are you like a drug-dealer or something?”
Hope chuckled once again, and now not only it didn’t annoy her, but it made her want to smile as well. “Do I look like a drug-dealer?” Lizzie raised an eyebrow, ready to answer it. “No, don’t say it. And no. I’m not a drug-dealer. My family is just… kinda rich.”
“Oh.”
Hope said it with such ease that she knew it was probably true, more if she remembered that she owned a bar after recently moving to here from New Orleans. And her arrogance… it seemed Hope was the stereotypical rich girl that had a rock band supported by her rich parents.
No doubt Penelope told Josie that whatever Hope liked, she’d take it.
Lizzie was about to tease her about that, when MG and Ethan appeared right in front of them.
“Oh, hey, we’ve been looking for you,” MG quickly told Lizzie, a foolish grin on his face. She wanted to roll her eyes; he couldn’t be more obvious about his crush on Ethan. “Just to tell you I’m going home, Ethan is going to walk me there. You good, right? Cause Josie took off with Penelope.”
Lizzie stood up, eyes widening. “She did what?! But she has our car’s keys!”
MG shrugged. “Yeah, we just crossed them on their way out. That’s why I’m walking back home.”
“Well okay, I’ll go with –” her mouth closed to see the way MG gave her a pointed look, merely glancing over to Ethan behind him. She groaned; her sister leaving without telling her and her best friend ditching her for his new crush. “Yeah, right. I’ll stay a little bit more.”
The huge smile was back on MG’s lips as he hugged her tight. “Cool! See you, Liz! Nice to meet you, Hope!”
Ethan gave a quick hug to Hope and a nod to Lizzie before both boys turned around and disappeared from their sight.
Lizzie scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest; her house was like fifteen minutes away from here if she walked to it. She couldn’t believe Josie would just take their car and leave her like that.
“I can take you home if you want.”
Lizzie’s head snapped towards Hope, almost forgetting she was there. But then she remembered; she and Josie had come to here in their car with MG, Landon and Ethan used Landon’s car, and Hope and Penelope took Hope’s… motorcycle. No way she was going to ride that.
“I’d like to have a very long life, thank you very much.”
Hope scoffed. “I didn’t drink anything and I’ve been riding motorcycles as long as I can remember, so you’re safe.”
“Pf. Where were your parents then?” Hope glared at her for that, but didn’t comment on it as she looked away. “Anyway, I’ve never been on one of those and I’d rather not start now.”
“So you’ll walk all the way to your house?”
“Of course.”
Lizzie bit the inside of her cheek once they were outside the nightclub and the chill air hit her. She hugged to herself, unable to stop her teeth from chattering – it wasn’t this cold hours ago, but then again, it was probably already four in the morning or so. In winter.
Josie owed her one so much.
“Here,” Lizzie looked to her right to see a leather black jacket in Hope’s hand; the one she was just using. “I have another one in my motorcycle, it’s fine.”
Lizzie resultantly took it, eyes moving to Hope’s arms for a second to see they were kinda toned – get it together, Elizabeth. She swallowed and looked away, putting on the jacket and finding it fit her perfectly, even if she thought that wouldn’t be the case with Hope being smaller than her.
Lizzie kept hugging herself for more warmth, trying her best to ignore the nice aroma on Hope’s jacket, like… jasmines. She only watched as Hope walked away from her towards her black motorcycle on the sidewalk, pulling up the seat to take out another dark leather jacket from it and put it on.
She wanted to groan; it wasn’t fair that everything seemed to look so good on her. Hope turning around to look at her, finishing with her jacket and flipping her long, pretty dark hair back had her staring again – she’d met so many beautiful girls… but Hope Mikaelson was something else.
“So? You still set on that idea of walking by yourself?” Lizzie was ready for a of course but Hope kept on. “If not for you, then have pity on me. There’s no way I’m letting you walk alone this late, so I’ll have to go with you, then come back here for my motorcycle and finally get home.”
Lizzie hated her that she had her with this one. Not that she cared so much about Hope, more like the idea of any girl walking alone at night.
It had nothing to do with Hope’s flirty comments, or gorgeous smirk, or soft smile, or ocean blue eyes, or her giving her jacket because she was cold, or –
God damn, Saltzman.
“Fine. You better be good at riding this deathly thing or you will know me, Mikaelson. I have a major to finish.”
Hope rolled her eyes and took out a black helmet from inside the seat. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
Lizzie walked over to her and put on the helmet; it was a bit too big for her so she had to adjust it to her face. She had to look like a smashed potato, and only confirmed it when Hope finished putting on hers – still looking so unfairly pretty – and glanced over at her, fighting back a laugh.
“Shut up.”
This was so embarrassing. If Josie had burned her ear with Penelope the last two weeks, she’d have to put up with her about Hope from now on.
“What? You look cute.”
“I said shut up. Can we get this over with?”
Hope jumped up on the motorcycle’s seat with ease, hands already on the handlebars as Lizzie struggled to sit behind her. Once she did, verifying that she was secure there, she cleared her throat to know what to do next; she’d never been on a motorcycle before, but everyone knew that you had to hold on to the driver… still, she was debating to herself whether holding on to Hope would be better than falling off in the middle of the ride.
“I don’t bite, you know?”
“I doubt that.”
Hope glanced over her shoulder, and even with the black helmet she was wearing, she could see the smug grin on. “I don’t bite while driving.”
Lizzie groaned loudly to make her point known before moving closer to Hope and wrapping her arms around her middle, but now it was her time to smirk to feel the way Hope lightly tensed in her embrace.
“Everything okay?” She innocently asked.
Hope cleared her throat for a second. “… yeah. Sure.”
Lizzie wanted to giggle when she shifted even closer to Hope and wrapped her arms tighter – just for the fun of it – and sensed the brunette tensing a bit more.
It took Hope a few seconds to turn on the deathly thing and ride away – Lizzie forgot all about flirting and manners, holding on to Hope for dear life, closing her eyes with fierce all the way… even if Hope wasn’t going that fast.
But she tried to focus on something else; on the way that Hope felt so tiny with her arms around her, on the warmth that her back gave her, also protecting her from the chilly air as she buried her face there, occasionally moving it up only to give directions to Hope to her house.
It felt like forever when Hope finally stopped and Lizzie looked up to see her house’s front yard.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Lizzie jumped out of the seat. “Considering we didn’t die? Sure.” She tried to unzip the helmet’s lock but it wasn’t opening up. “What the hell – this is stuck!”
Hope’s laugh sounded before Lizzie saw her sliding off the motorcycle’s seat and taking off her helmet as if it was nothing, her black hair falling on her shoulder, looking like some damn model all the way, while she just stood there with her face smashed inside the helmet.
Ridiculous.
Hope left her helmet on the seat and stepped closer to her. “Stay still,” Lizzie stood very still when Hope moved her hands up to her helmet, standing incredibly close to her – she was focused on unlocking the helmet, but all Lizzie could focus on was her full, pinky lips. They looked so soft… and so kissable that she wanted to – “There.”
Hope took the helmet out of her head as Lizzie took a moment to compose herself after those thoughts. She needed to get it together for god’s sake.
Looking back at the brunette in front of her, Hope put the two helmets together on the seat before leaning back on it, blue eyes staring at her in silence. Lizzie cleared her throat; this would be the perfect time to run into her house already, but of course – manners.
Even if Hope was the prettiest, most annoying girl she’d ever met.
“So… thanks for the ride.” She gave her a little nod, and decided to add, “I’ll be sure to tell Josie how nice her future girlfriend’s best friend was to me.”
Hope crossed her arms over her chest, head tilting a bit. “Like I won some points?”
“With Josie? Su –”
“With you.” Lizzie’s eyes snapped back to Hope, hating that little arrogant smirk back on her lips, but she didn’t have time to call her out on it because Hope was uncrossing her arms, reaching out for her, her hands taking the sides of her hip to bring her closer to her. And the worst thing was that Lizzie let her. “It felt like you knew what you were doing when you were holding on to me.”
Lizzie rolled her eyes but made no attempt to move away; if she wanted to play this game, so be it. She wasn’t going to back down. “Don’t flatter yourself. I didn’t want to fall to my death.”
Hope’s smirk grew a bit, as if she was finding all this so amusing. “Am I supposed to ignore the way you were staring at my lips too?”
Lizzie flushed, cursing herself inside for being so obvious. Still, she arched an eyebrow. “And am I supposed to ignore how much you’ve been hitting on me this night?”
Hope merely shrugged. “I never denied it,” Lizzie gulped slightly when Hope’s arms fully wrapped around her, bringing her even closer to her. “I just don’t see it bothering you that much.”
Lizzie didn’t realize how close they were till she felt their chests against one another, how she could feel Hope’s breath so close to her. She licked her bottom lip for a second, but enough for Hope’s eyes to fall on it.
“That’s your best way to get girls? Hitting on them all the time?”
Hope’s blue eyes looked back at hers, her smirk growing. “Only the prettiest ones.”
Lizzie knew it right there and then; she could stare at Hope’s pretty face for hours, but no matter how much that was, it’d never last – because all Hope had to do was part her lips and show that her arrogance was much bigger than her beauty.
It truly got under her skin.
But she leaned closer anyway, enough for her lips to almost brush Hope’s, seeing how she closed her eyes, ready to kiss her – hadn’t she moved her head away at last second; and her actually smiling to see a confused – and upset – frown on Hope’s face, for once.
“So cute of you to think I’d be another one on your list, Mikaelson.”
“What –” Lizzie moved her arms off of her and stepped back, taking the leather jacket off of her too. “Wait, you don’t have to –”
She threw the jacket to her as Hope caught it just in time, more confusion spreading all over her face. Lizzie loved the sight. “Oh, your charming ways didn’t work with me? I’m so sorry to disappoint, Hopey. But you’ll have to do so much more than this to have the pleasure of kissing me.”
Lizzie smiled widely, because now this was more like herself. Having the control. She turned around and stepped closer to her house’s front yard, but Hope’s voice stopped her.
“So you do want me to do more for it.” Lizzie slowly turned back to her; she hated that now she was the one frowning and Hope was once again, with that smug look on. “That’s fine. I won’t kiss you till you ask me to. I promise.”
Lizzie bit her tongue. “Promises can’t be broken, you know?”
Hope nodded, so sure of herself. “I know.”
“Good, because I’ll make sure you never break that one.”
The fact that Hope only kept smiling at her only infuriated her more, so she turned back to her house’s entrance and quickly walked to it.
She’d never met such annoying, so full of herself, girl.
She was never going to ask Hope Mikaelson to kiss her – ever.
Josie was going to pay so much for making her go to that bar.