Without Me

Chapter 20

Lizzie could hear the sound of all the students in the dining hall before she had even gone down the hallway. It made her want to turn around immediately. But her stomach growled and reminded her why she was headed down there in the first place.

She picked through the breakfast selection, going for the pastries and the Belgian waffles. Those were always her favorite, apart from the elusive smoothie bar. Lizzie was busy admiring the way the syrup filled the holes in her waffle and didn't notice the girl who had stepped up behind her until the plate went flying back onto her sweatshirt. Lizzie's jaw went slack as she looked up at Josie who was laughing at the mess.

"Oh that is … sloppy," Josie giggled. Penelope laughed so hard next to her that she looked like she was about to pass out. "But I guess you like it sloppy, don't you, new girl?"

Lizzie tried to step around them but Josie blocked her path.

"That's why you're hanging around my ex-boyfriend, isn't it? Sloppy seconds are your thing. Landon -"

"Shut up!" 

Josie went flying backwards over the heads of the onlooking witches, and the room seemed to freeze in time. Everyone's wide eyes watched Josie soar as her arms grasped at the air desperately. Lizzie's blood ran cold as Josie landed on a table and all the eyes turned to her.

Penelope stepped forward, hands forming an offensive spell before Lizzie even had time to react to her own spell she'd accidentally cast.

"Silencio!" Hope appeared from nowhere, sealing Penelope's lips shut before the other witch could cast her spell.

"What is going on in here?"

Lizzie followed the shout back to her father, standing angrily in the doorway with Dorian and Emma just over his shoulders.

Josie sat up on the table, tears in her eyes and food covering her. "Daddy …" she wailed. 

She struggled to get off the table, and Alaric rushed to help her. Lizzie blinked back hot tears as she watched. Her father's eyes were furious as he finally looked at her. 

"My office. Now. All of you."

He closed the door behind them loudly, hands on his hips as he stared at the four girls. He couldn't even speak, he was so angry. There was a tense silence that went on way too long.

It was Josie who finally spoke. "Daddy, she attacked me."

"I didn't mean to! It was an accident!" Lizzie jumped to the defense. "I -"

"Josie started it," Hope said calmly, pointing to the brunette siphoner. Josie turned to scowl at her.

"Like you can trust a Mikaelson to tell the truth," she sneered.

"Enough!" Alaric slammed his hands on his desk. 

Hope marched around his desk and started pulling open drawers.

Alaric watched her in disbelief. "Hope!"

She stood up triumphantly, waving the glass ball through the air. "My name is Hope Mikaelson," she said. Sure enough, the ball glowed blue. "I'm a human." The peaceful blue turned into a violent red. "Josie started it." They all watched as the ball shifted back into blue. 

Alaric raised his eyebrows at his daughter.

"Give that to me." Josie held out a hand impatiently, and Hope handed it over. "My name is Josette Saltzman." Blue. "I'm a human." Red. "Lizzie started it." Blue. Hope looked taken aback and a little angry.

"How?" Alaric asked, looking between the two of them.

"Hope didn't see the whole thing. Lizzie started it," Josie insisted.

"It's my turn." Lizzie stuck out her hand. Josie aggressively pressed it into her palm. "My name is -" Lizzie choked on the realization. She coughed a little, trying to disguise it. "My name is Lizzie." Blue. "I'm a human." Red. "I saw the whole thing, and Josie started it." Bright blue.

The four of them whirled around to look at Penelope.

"What?" she looked between all of them.

"Your turn." Lizzie slowly handed her the orb.

"Fine. My name is Penelope Park." Blue. "I'm a human." Red. "Lizzie started it."

Red.

The room fell silent. 

"Pen …" The look of betrayal on Josie's face was undeniable.

"Alright." Alaric rubbed at his face. "You -" He pointed to Hope. "- go to class. You -" He pointed at Penelope. "- Emma's office. You -" He pointed at Josie. "- go to your room."

Lizzie waited for him to point to her and send her away, but instead everyone begrudgingly left his office and he closed the door behind them. He kept his back to Lizzie, staring down at the ball in his hand.

"Tell me your name again," he said.

"Lizzie."

The ball glowed blue. He wasn't satisfied.

"Your full name."

Lizzie didn't answer. The silence dragged on. He finally turned to look at her.

"Your full name, please."

Lizzie felt so small and helpless. "I can't tell you that."

"It's not Lizzie Potter."

"No, it's not." 

That ball glowed blue, and Lizzie closed her eyes, ashamed to be caught in her lie.

"If you can't tell me your full name, then I can't let you stay here."

It didn't come as a surprise. She wasn't shocked. She wasn't hurt. She knew this was coming. She had just been waiting for the moment it came ever since she destroyed the kitchen.

"I understand."

"If you're hiding your identity, I have no way of knowing what else you could be hiding."

"I get it." Lizzie wished he would just get it over with.

"I … I can get a spot at Mystic Falls High," he said, settling into his chair on the other side of his desk. "And I have a place in town you can crash at."

"What?" Now Lizzie was surprised.

"Well I can't just toss you out in the world." Alaric set his elbows on his desk and folded his hands. "I don't think you're hiding anything bad. But I've also been fooled before, and I can't risk these kids based on a feeling. So pack your things, Lizzie."