Hosie~ One Shots

Body Switch

It had been a normal day at the Salvatore School, or as normal as things could get when you're surrounded by witches, vampires, and other supernatural beings. Josie and Lizzie Saltzman had been practicing a simple spell in their shared room. Lizzie, as usual, wanted to experiment with something more advanced, while Josie preferred to stick to the basics. But when Lizzie insisted on trying a particularly tricky spell, neither of them anticipated the disastrous outcome.

One minute they were standing across from each other, their wands raised, and the next, everything went black.

When they finally woke up, both girls found themselves sprawled out on the floor. The room was spinning slightly, their heads pounding from the spell gone wrong. Josie was the first to sit up, rubbing her temples as she groaned.

"What the hell happened?" she mumbled, her voice sounding... off.

Lizzie blinked, still disoriented. "I feel... weird. Do you feel weird?" she asked, her hand already reaching for her phone on the floor next to her. She caught a glimpse of Josie and screamed.

Josie whipped her head around, her own scream escaping her lips as she saw Lizzie's face staring back at her. "What the—?!" She scrambled to her feet, then realized with dawning horror that the body she was scrambling with was Lizzie's. "Oh my god, we... we..."

"Swapped bodies!" Lizzie—now in Josie's body—finished for her. "This can't be happening! How did this happen?!"

Josie stared at her own body in shock. "This is your fault, Lizzie! You wanted to try that stupid spell!"

Lizzie's face, now belonging to Josie, contorted with frustration. "How was I supposed to know it would do this?! This is a nightmare!" She flailed dramatically. "I can't be stuck like you! I have plans! And you... you... look at me!"

The two stood facing each other, panic rising as they tried to make sense of the disaster.

Hours later, Lizzie, still trapped in Josie's body, had been sent on damage control. They had decided to meet Alaric to get his help reversing the spell, but in the meantime, Lizzie had gone to the dock to clear her head. Of course, Josie would have been more level-headed about things, but Lizzie was nothing if not impulsive. She needed air, space, and time to think.

But then, Hope Mikaelson appeared.

"Josie!" Hope called, jogging towards Lizzie with a soft smile on her face.

Lizzie groaned internally, her heart sinking. Of all people, Hope had to show up now. "Oh, uh, hey," she said awkwardly, trying to mimic Josie's shy demeanor but failing miserably.

Hope slowed to a stop in front of Lizzie—well, Josie's body. "I've been looking for you," she said, a soft lilt to her voice that Lizzie hadn't heard before. "I, um... I needed to talk to you."

Lizzie blinked, trying to figure out what was going on. "Oh? About what?"

Hope looked down at her feet for a moment, then back up, her intense blue eyes locking with Lizzie's. "I've been thinking a lot lately, and... I guess I've been afraid to say this for a long time, but I can't keep it in anymore." She took a breath, stepping closer. "Josie, I love you. I always have. And... I need to know if you feel the same."

Lizzie's mouth fell open, and for a split second, she forgot she was in Josie's body. Hope was confessing her feelings to her—well, not to her, to Josie. This was a disaster waiting to happen. She tried to speak, to think of something, but words completely failed her as Hope reached out, gently cupping her—Josie's—cheek.

"Do you?" Hope asked softly, her thumb stroking Josie's skin in a way that made Lizzie freeze. "Do you feel the same way?"

Lizzie's brain short-circuited. Her heart was pounding, her skin tingling in a way she had never expected, and it wasn't even her body. She couldn't deal with this. She had no idea how to handle this situation like Josie would.