Without Me

Chapter 8

"Careful."

That was the first whisper Lizzie heard as a witch yanked her friend to the side of the hallway, glaring at Lizzie as she walked past. Lizzie stared back at them, confused. They scrambled away to the nearest classroom, giggling the entire way. 

She was sure she'd imagined it. They must've been laughing at something else, running away from something else.

But then it happened again. And again.

Everyone she passed in the hallways was giving her weird looks and darting out of the way. 

One brave witch stepped into her path. "We don't want you here."

"Okay …?" Lizzie looked between the witch and the group she'd ventured from, waiting for an explanation.

"What she means to say -" Penelope said, stepping up and placing her hand on the witch's shoulder. "- is that freaks like you shouldn't be in this school. This is supposed to be a safe space. For us."

"What?" Lizzie's eyes roamed around the room to all the faces staring at her. 

"Come on, Peez." Josie saddled up next to her girlfriend, smiling cruelly at Lizzie. "Don't bother fraternizing with the crazies."

Penelope burst into giggles, and Josie just smirked at Lizzie and tossed a pigtail as she led her laughing girlfriend away. Penelope wasn't the only one laughing. As Lizzie spun around, she saw all the students who had gathered were laughing as well. 

She did the only thing she could do. 

She ran.

All the way back to her and Hope's room, grateful to find it empty. She didn't have the energy to destroy anything, but that didn't mean she didn't want to. That balloon was still blowing up in her head - there was just no needle to pop it with. Lizzie collapsed on her bed and clutched at her skull, trying to keep her sobs down.

Of course everyone would find out about her episode. Josie had done that when she remembered Lizzie too. If she would do it to her own twin, of course she would do it to a stranger. Why did Lizzie think it would be any different now that she was forgotten? How could she have been so naive?

But now that meant everyone knew she was crazy. Whatever shot she had at being normal, whatever glimmer of hope she had of starting over and being a brand new Lizzie Saltzman - sorry, a brand new Lizzie Potter - was dashed again. The irony was almost painful. It seemed like she was doomed to be Crazy Lizzie, laughing stock of the Salvatore School.

Except this time, she wasn't the headmaster's daughter. The students weren't forced into talking behind her back in whispers. They were free to say exactly how they felt to her face. 

She had to leave. There wasn't anything for her here anymore. Her one chance at a happy life was ripped out of her hands on the first day.

She didn't have a bag, so she stole one of Hope's, resigning herself to being that one crazy roommate who stole her bag and left after a single day in Hope's mind. It wasn't like she had much to shove in the bag anyway. She stole the crystal Lizzie had given to Hope oh-so long ago, the necklace Lizzie had given her for her birthday, and some clothes.

Lizzie carried the bag down the hallway, dragging her hand along the wall paper and siphoning magic as she went. It was class time again, and the hallways were mostly cleared. It looked like she could make a clean escape. Until -

"Nice bag."

Lizzie whirled around, locking eyes with Landon. Her gaze dropped to his side where he held his own, identical bag. Of course she'd steal the matching set Hope and Landon got when they were dating. 

"Where you headed?" Landon asked, stepping up to the same level as her. 

"Oh, I … I'm leaving." 

Landon tilted his head. "That didn't really answer my question."

Lizzie looked back at his bag. "Where are you going?"

"I asked you first."

Lizzie gathered up all her height like she was going to argue with him, and then she rolled her eyes and sighed. "Anywhere but here. I'm not one to stay where I'm not wanted."

The corners of Landon's mouth turned down as he nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds like we're headed to the same place."

"What are you talking about?"

"'Anywhere but here.' That's where I'm going too." He opened the front door and gestured for Lizzie to walk through first. She just stared at him. "Well, are you coming?"