Secrecy (Hosie)

Part 15: Intel

Hope is finishing packing up the van Dr. Saltzman got for their trip. Rather than traveling to Fort Valley, Georgia as the Oneiroi insisted to Alaric, they decided to visit an abandoned Triad data facility in a town called Maple Hollows. Dorian was able to find it for them.

"Shotgun!" Kaleb makes his way into the front passenger seat of the car, before anyone can argue.

"Hope, you're sitting by me. I've got this new magazine, and you have to help me pick out something for mine and Jo's birthday party." Lizzie is already flipping through pages.

Josie gives her sister a confused look, "Lizzie, that party isn't for a while. Why are you already looking for a dress?"

"Dear sister, it's very important to have every detail of the night planned far in advance. Not that I would expect you to understand that." Lizzie looks to Josie, slightly judgmental.

Josie opens her mouth to fire back at her, when Hope steps between them, resting a hand on Josie's hip, "Okay, I'll sit in the middle. Where's MG and Cleo?"

"Right here!" MG comes running up to them, a few comic books in his hands. Cleo follows right behind him. The two of them get into the furthest-back seats. Lizzie, Hope, and Josie find their seats in the middle row. Alaric and Kaleb sit in the front.

"Whoop, road trip!"

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"Okay, I give up. We've been at this for 2 hours, and none of these dresses are right."

Hope and Lizzie have been flipping through the pages of her magazine, examining each and every dress, but none of them are as exquisite as Lizzie would like.

Josie stopped trying to help a long time ago. Her head rests on Hope's shoulder, ear plugs in her ears, eyes closed. She gets carsick easily so she's trying to relax as much as possible. It also helps that Hope has been holding her hand the whole time, rubbing circles over its back side with her thumb. She takes her ear plugs out, thinking she is relaxed enough to rejoin the conversation.

"Wait, I have an idea," Hope pulls out her phone, going to her camera roll. She scrolls for a moment before landing on the photo she's  looking for. She turns her phone toward Lizzie, "What do you think of this one?"

Josie watches as Lizzie's jaw drops to the floor, she audibly gasps, "Hope, this is literally the most elegant gown I have ever seen. How the hell do you even own something like this?"

Josie looks between them confused, and Lizzie takes Hope's phone, turning it toward Josie for her to see. Josie's eyes pop out of their sockets. It's a beautiful pale blue jeweled dress.

"My aunt used to be kind of obsessed with ball gowns and top tier parties. This dress is at the manor in Mystic Falls. You can wear it to your party if you want."

"This is perfect. Thank you, Hope."

Hope gives her a smile before turning her gaze to Josie, "You feeling better, love?"

Josie nods, "Yeah, how much longer till we're there?"

Hope looks toward the GPS, "Um, like an hour maybe."

Alaric looks in the rear view mirror, "Great, now that you're all up and awake, let's run through some of the material for your exams coming up. Hope, you're first, Capital of Indiana?"

"I learned that in like, 8th grade."

"Great, then you should know it."

"I never said I absorbed the information I was taught." Lizzie chuckles at that.