Damage Control

Chapter Nineteen

Sneaking back into the tent without Lizzie noticing was not an easy task. Lizzie was sleeping in the middle of the tent, just as they left her. Hope helded Josie in, since she was hurt she needed more room to get in. She got down on her knees as Hope held open the flap as she slid forward and into her sleeping bag. Hope tensed when Lizzie shifted, her body rolled towards her twin, and Hope saw as Joise stopped breathing momentarily. Thankfully Lizzie only slid her arm over Josie and continued to breath heavily.

Hope gave it a minute before she tried getting in, making sure that Lizzie was still in a deep sleep. Hope took off her shoes and stepped into the small space, closing the zipper behind her. She crawled into her sleeping bag and zipped it up, all without Lizzie making any sort of movements. Hope let out a shuddering breath as she laid down, they were out of the clear. Josie's head poked up, with a smile on her lips she gave a quick thumbs up that Hope was trying very hard not to laugh at.

Hope let her muscles rest, letting the lull of sleep drag her under, it had been a very long day, she could hardly believe it was this morning she had been practicing with Caroline at the school. With a light heart for the first time in a long time, Hope drifted off, finding it hard to keep her eyes open any longer. However, something reached her into the depths of her slumber. "You two are so busted." Lizzie's voice whispered.

The morning felt heavy. Hope's eyes opened lazily, she couldn't tell if it was still too early for the sun or if the sky was just grey. The soft rhythmic tapping on the fabric of the tent told her it was probably the latter. Hope sat up, her eyes looking around, the tent was empty. She ruffled her hair and stretched out with a yawn. It had to be late enough if Lizzie was awake.

Hope opened the flap and was greeted by a depressing looking day, the shoes she had left outside the tent were damp as she slid them on. She found a good number of the students gathered under the wooden pavilion that belonged to the park they were staying in, joined by Dr. Saltzman and Caroline. Hope squeezed her arms over her chest to fight off the chill in the air as she walked over to join them.

Spotting the twins was easy enough. Hope slid onto the bench beside Josie, MG was taking up the spot next to Lizzie. Josie gave her a small smile as Hope joined them and Caroline passed her a warm cup of tea.

Dr. Saltzman clapped his hands together as a few more students joined them. "It looks like we are all here now." More hot tea was passed out. "Unfortunately it seems that the rain is going to affect the remaining events we had planned."

To Hope's surprise there were actually some people who seemed genuinely disappointed by this fact. "But," Caroline interjected. "We will be doing the obstacle course, the rain will add a collective challenge to it."

Josie raised her hand. "What about me?" Clearly she wasn't going to be doing anything with her leg the way it was.

Caroline gave her daughter a sympathetic look. "You will be taking over Hope's job from yesterday." Meaning she was going to be the water girl. "We will set you up a table."

Hope saw Josie's shoulders slump a bit, Hope pressed her leg lightly into Josie's to remind her that she was there, she didn't miss the soft look she got from the corner of Josie's eye. She did very much see the look Lizzie was giving them, the words she heard last night in her sleep returned to her 'You two are so busted' meaning Lizzie definitely thinks something is going on between them.

"Everyone get some breakfast, you are going to need it. The meet us across the field when you are done."Caroline said dragging Dr. Saltzman away.

The teens gathered in their groups of friends, eating the food that was provided, blood for the vamps and oatmeal for the rest of them. Hope grabbed a bowl for Josie as MG grabbed one for Lizzie, and when they returned Lizzie would not stop glaring at Hope, her eyes flicking between her and Josie.

Hope rolled her eyes and dropped her spoon. "Spit it out Lizzie." MG and Josie looked between them, as if they hadn't picked up on the mood.

Lizzie pursed her lips and dropped her spoon. "Where did you two sneak off to last night." Hope was expecting that, Josie looked up shocked, clearly she hadn't heard Lizzie last night. "You were gone for a few hours."

Hope could almost feel her swollen lips from last night, she and Josie lost track of time getting to know each other's lips. Sometimes being soft and loving, other moments were fast and hungry, by the end of it Hope could barely feel her lips. "We went for a walk." Hope said in between blinks. "Couldn't sleep."

Lizzie looked like she wasn't buying it. "You both went out for a two hour walk with my sister's leg the way it is?"

"Just drop it Lizzie." Joise said grumpily.

Lizzie's eyes honed in on her twin. "Care to shed some light Jo?" MG was starting to look very uncomfortable.

"If I wanted to shed light Lizzie I would." She sighed and dropped her gaze to her oatmeal.

"I am tired of you two hiding things from me." She actually sounded a bit offended. "I should know if something is going on."

"It was just spell practice Lizzie." Hope lied. "I couldn't sleep and I was going to wolf out," Not a lie. "Josie followed me out so I decided we could do some practice, we haven't done it in a few days." A lie laced with the truth, the best kind of lie.

Josie shot her a weary look, Hope knew Josie would rather come clean now, but they both knew how Lizzie would react to their news, and Hope wanted to keep this as theirs... at least for a little bit longer.

Lizzie still didn't look like she believed them but she picked up her spoon again. "Fine," She snapped. "But if we lose this event today because you two were up all night then I will be pissed."

"Understood." Hope said before pushing her oatmeal away, she was suddenly not hungry anymore.

Hope needed to get her head in the game and Lizzie off her back.