Ice frozen dreams turned golden

Chapter 2

This one-shot takes place right after Taylor picks up Lizzie from the social worker's office. I was highly inspired by All Too Well as "Taylor's Version" had just come out back then.

Also, it features Thea's and Lizzie's first-ever sleepover!!

****

„I'll just talk to the social worker, and then we can go home, okay?" Taylor asked, and Lizzie looked up from her shoes that she had been eying to avoid Taylor's gaze.

She had thought she had lost all hope, but Taylor saying "home" had lightened up something in her heart again. Home, as like I can stay with you she wanted to ask, but she didn't dare to ask that question. For now, the little sparkle in her heart was enough for her.

When they had arrived at their house and parked the car in the garage, Taylor hold the door open for her.

"I want you to feel at home here," Taylor said, and the sparkle in Lizzie's heart grew even a little bit more. If she was honest with herself, she had considered Thea's house home for the longest time. It was the place that contained most of her happy childhood memories. It was the place, where she had learned what love meant, what family and friendship meant. She had learned that love shouldn't hurt, that families didn't tear each other down, and that friendship could overcome everything.

Lizzie smiled as she walked through the door Taylor still held open for her. The air was cold, but something about it felt like home somehow. She could still remember her first-ever sleepover at Thea's house and how nervous she had been.

****

"Are you still friends with this Thea?" Lizzie's mom asked one day at dinner. The girl carefully nodded her head.

"Yes, Ma'am," she whispered but didn't dare to look into her mom's eyes. Lizzie knew her mom didn't really approve of her friend - especially since Thea had started skating at the same club and all parents were talking about the new little adorable ice princess. 

Her mom didn't like that Thea was getting all the attention Lizzie should have gotten.

"I'm really surprised that this girl is still friends with you. She must be even dumber than I thought she would be. Who in their right mind would like to be friends with you?"

Lizzie bit her tongue to hold herself back. She didn't like her mom talking badly about her friend but knew it wouldn't be wise to talk back. 

And sometimes she herself wondered why exactly Thea was friends with her. She didn't have anything to offer the girl - no fancy toys or stuffed animals, no lunches she could share.

Her mom interrupted her thoughts. "Anyways. I'm away for the weekend. Do you think you could ask this Thea if you could sleepover at her place for the weekend?"

Lizzie's eyes grew big, and she tried really hard not to look up at her mom in surprise. Her mom didn't really like it when she locked eyes with her.

"I will definitely ask, Ma'am," she said, and in her excitement, she noticed that she had stumbled over her words. Lizzie froze and immediately corrected herself, but she knew that no mistake would be left unpunished.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," she tried to save the situation, but her mom had already grabbed one of her wrists hard from the other side of the table.

"How hard can it be to talk properly?" She said furiously, and her grip around Lizzie's wrist got tighter and tighter.

The girl bit her lip to not cry out in pain. "I'm so sorry. It was an accident, Ma'am" She apologized again, trying to sound as American as possible. Her mom's nails were cutting into her flesh, and Lizzie was really close to crying now, even though she knew her mom hated that.