I Hate That I Love You

Chapter 2

'I guarantee you that by the end of the week, you're going to be begging me to come back.'

Lizzie had no idea what Hope meant by this, but it was clear that this was a threat. She thought about telling her dad, but that conversation would quickly lead to another, and soon, everyone would end up knowing that Lizzie and Hope had been... Well... Sleeping together.

And Lizzie really didn't want that to happen.

So instead, she went about her daily routine as usual. Attending classes, eating lunch, hanging out with the other witches by the grand staircase...

"Lizzie? Lizzie!" Penelope snapped.

Lizzie blinked a couple of times, and realized that Penelope, Josie, and MG were all staring at her.

"What's wrong with you? Something huge must be going on, for you to be ignoring me, of all people," Penelope said.

"I- It's nothing," Lizzie hastily said.

"You sure?" MG asked. "Because Penelope just called you a mop-headed freak, and you just... Sat there. Doing absolutely nothing."

"I need to tell you guys something," Lizzie said, ignoring MG's words. "It's important."

"Okay, what is it?" Josie asked.

"It's hard to explain, but... But just- Stay away from Hope Mikaelson for the time being, okay? In fact, stay away from the Mikaelson Academy in general. For the next week, at least," Lizzie said.

Penelope raised an eyebrow. "Who are you, and what have you done with our beloved hot-headed Lizzie Saltzman?" she asked in a half joking, half serious kind of voice.

"I mean it, you guys," Lizzie said. "For the sake of your own safety... Just stay away."

MG and Josie both nodded, giving Lizzie small smiles as they did so. Penelope, on the other hand-

"Fine," Penelope groaned. "But only because I was planning on doing just that anyway. Don't go around thinking I'm going to listen to anything else you say, Elizabeth," she spat.

*****

Lizzie half expected Hope to come marching up to the front gates of the Salvatore School with an army of evil supernaturals in tow, but no such thing happened. In fact, for an entire five days, everything was perfectly peaceful.

Too peaceful.

"Superhero movies?" Lizzie said to Ethan. "You like superhero movies?"

"Don't judge me," Ethan laughed. "They're cool. I mean, think about it. Having super-speed or super-strength or magical abilities?"

They were on their third date now, having ice cream in the middle of town square.

"I can only imagine," Lizzie said, finishing her ice cream and throwing the paper cup into the trash can next to her.

"So, my sister Maya is having some friends over later tonight. If you're into that kind of thing," Ethan said.

"A party? Cool," Lizzie said.

"Yeah, just don't be offended if the kids point or stare. All of our friends are from Mystic Falls High, and they think the Salvatore School kids are a bunch of rich assholes," Ethan grinned.

"Fair. Since us Salvatore School kids think you Mystic Falls High people are a bunch of simpletons- I believe 'primitive weaklings' is the word Penelope used," Lizzie smirked right back.

Ethan laughed, then paused. "Wait- was that a joke or not? Because I can't tell."

"I'll be here at seven tonight," Lizzie grinned.