her sister's girl | hizzie & hosie

3

The next few months faded into a sunny blur. Late nights in June with MG, movie nights with Hope and Josie. They were so cute it was disgusting, at least according to Lizzie. There wasn't a second of the day where they weren't together. It was exhausting, really. At one point, Hope took Lizzie's spot on the trip to France to see Caroline. Lizzie wanted to throw up. Josie insisted on sending pictures of Hope and Josie at the Eiffel Tower, Hope and Josie with Caroline, Hope and Josie eating a baguette. Suddenly, the whole school was in love with them. There was even an official ship name (hosie), and a hashtag with over 500 posts.

Of course, Lizzie had had her own summer with MG. It was beautiful. He was romantic, kind, sweet and funny, one night in July he even rented out an entire restaurant just for them to have dinner alone. She liked him, she really did. She was sure that love was around the corner, she would love him soon enough.

Eventually, August rolled around, along with everything that came with it. Packing a week in advance, overbearing sentimentality from everyone you've ever met, a lot of tears. Lizzie lay static in bed, unwilling to get up. Unwilling to believe it was real. Instead, she lay still and drifted into a memory from a week or two ago.

Just before college prep began, Josie decided it was a good idea to hold a girls only movie night. She invited all the relevant people; Alyssa, Jade, Hope and Lizzie. The group text went out at 8:04, and by 8:05, Lizzie was indignantly banging on Josie's door.

'Um? Hello? I am NOT going to a movie night with Hope.' Lizzie berated.

'Come on Lizzie, she's my girlfriend. You could be civil, you know.' Josie replied.

'God knows she's better than Penelope but come on? I don't want my Mean Girls interrupted by you two making out. It's gross.'

'You sound like a homophobe.' Josie laughed as she ushered Lizzie back out the door. 'Now go away. I'm tryna send Hope a picture.'

Lizzie grunted disgustedly. 'Didn't need to know that, thanks!'

When 7:30 finally rolled around, sure enough, there sat Hope Mikaelson. The moment Lizzie walked in, she pulled Josie aside and began shout-whispering in her ear.

'You cannot be serious. If you were bringing her I should've brought MG? At least i could drown out your gross make out noises that way.' Lizzie shout-whispered, irate enough that her face blushed bright red but not serious enough for Josie to take her as such.

'I can hear you.' Hope remarked lightly. Josie just giggled and moved back to her place next to Hope. Since Jade and Alyssa were already sat and on their phones, the choice for Lizzie's seat came down to besides Hope or on the floor. And by some cruel twist of fate, Lizzie was wearing cream sweats that would disappear in the dark dust coating the floor.

Soon enough, as the night grew darker, Lizzie felt her eyes drooping. Tiredness took her over, and she felt herself instinctively lie to the side, feeling soft hair under her cheek and smelling strawberries uniquely combined with roses. Lizzie was too tired to consciously realise it was Hope's shoulder, but she knew well enough to know that it happened, even though Hope was long gone by the time she woke up.

A voice snapped Lizzie back to the present. 'Lizzie? You awake?' The soft whisper of her twin drifted across the room. Lizzie folded the pillow over her ears and slowly rolled on her side. 'Ugh. I don't wanna go.'

'Come on. You're lucky, I don't get to go for another week.' Josie reprimanded.

'How are you excited for this?' Lizzie suddenly sat up from her bed.

'How are you not? New people, no more Mystic Falls pricks putting salt in our lattes at the grill? Of course, i'll be away from Hope but i can't have it all i guess.' She sighed gently while ushering Lizzie up from her restful state.

'We have to go soon. Can i ask you a favour though?'

'Sure.'

'Would you just watch over Hope? She's been anxious all morning and i don't want her to crash.' Josie admitted, fiddling with the silver talisman around her neck.

'Of course.' She replied reassuringly.

The next few hours morphed into a dash of last minute packing, tearful goodbyes and hugs. Once it all was over with, Hope, Lizzie and Caroline bundled themselves into the minivan.

'Can't Josie come?' Lizzie asked anxiously.

'I'm sorry girls, I just don't think we have space. With all your stuff crammed in here, i don't even know how we'll manage.' Caroline confessed, obviously irritated by the constant barrage of stuff falling on her from the piled up passengers seat. A long, tear-filled goodbye was the result of Hope finding out Josie wasn't coming, as well as an even longer, slightly less tearful goodbye for Josie and Lizzie. And so, the trio set off on their lengthy journey.

By the end of it, Lizzie could barely count how many games of I Spy they played. She had narrowed it down to over 20 and below 30. By the end of it, Lizzie had replayed her playlist 10 times. That meant a LOT of Taylor Swift. It was exhausting. But the company could've been worse, and at least Hope made good conversation. And finally, after long last, the minivan pulled into a parking lot near their dorm.

'What room?' Lizzie asked as they stepped out the van.

'44' Hope replied, reading from the email recently sent to her phone.

'Oh god. I'm 44. I cannot see your face every day for the next 2 years i swear to god i won't.' Lizzie groaned in mock horror.

'Shut up you love me.' Hope teased back, a glint shining in her eyes.