Shadows Within

TWELVE

From the moment she could remember, Elizabeth Saltzman's dream was to be Miss Mystic Falls just like her mother. There was no way she was ever going to give that up just because her sisters were going against her. If anything, it was even more reason to show them exactly what she was capable of. Now, ten years old Elizabeth Saltzman's dream date included a fancy dress, her mother watching over her and one Jed Lockwood. She wasn't going to let her pride be in the way of her childhood dream. Which was why Lizzie had stopped Jed mid practice and promptly informed him, "You are going to be my date for Miss Mystic Falls."

Jed frowned deeply to his brow, obviously very much confused. "I am?" He stalked after her as she turned on her heel to head for her room to select a dress. "Wait — Lizzie! You can't just spring that on me and leave! What do you mean I am going to be your date — would you fucking stop walking and actually answer me?"

Lizzie sighed deeply under her breath, turning to face her former friend with her arms crossed across her chest. "Listen. I intend to fulfill every part of my childhood plan to be Miss Mystic Falls, including having you as my partner. I don't care if we haven't spoken a civil word to one another in ages. My day is going to turn out exactly the way I have planned it when I was a child. You are not going to ruin this for me. Understand?" With that, she stalked away, leaving a very bewildered looking Jed Lockwood behind.

"Look, I know you've said that we really shouldn't be together or something like that, but be my date for Miss Mystic Falls competition? I can't imagine going with anybody else." Hope wrote on her phone and quickly pressed send before she could think better of it and breathed heavily under her breath, letting an excited cry out as she looked at the dress Lizzie had presented in front of her.

"It's beautiful." She held the material in her hands, practically jumping with excitement. "Thank you, Lizzie." She lifted her head to look at her friend, "Are you quite sure you don't want to wear this?"

Lizzie shook her head. "I have the dress my mother wore for her Miss Mystic Falls competition."

"And you're going with Jed?" Hope asked uncertainly, wondering if that was such a good idea.

Lizzie gave her a warning glare. "Don't even start. Believe me, I don't like it much myself. But I have every intention of fulfilling my childhood dream. And sadly for me, Jed Lockwood had a very prominent role in it when I was ten." She said, looking like she was slowly slipping into memory before she pulled herself off it. "Though, I would be happy to know that I am not the only one who is going with somebody they wouldn't have gone with if the circumstances were any different. You won't guess who Josie is going with."

Rather dramatically, Hope gasped. "No way!" She let out a disbelieving laugh. "Penelope Park?"

Lizzie merely hummed understandingly in the reply. "Yep." She said. "She's going with Miss Satan."

Hope stared confusingly at her best friend. "But why?" She asked. "Wasn't she telling us just now how much she loathed Penelope? Now, they're best buddies?"

Lizzie shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't have any room to judge. She's not the only person going to the competition with her ex, remember?"

She stared, finally feeling the courage to ask. "Why did you guys break up anyway?"

Lizzie's smile was somewhat bitter and regretful when she spoke. "He hurt me." She whispered. "And I hurt him right back. Things were said that couldn't be taken back and I just, couldn't stand feeling that way anymore. So, I broke it up with him."

Hope nodded her head thoughtfully. "Maybe it's the chance to fix that. Maybe you can't be lovers anymore, but that doesn't mean you can't be friends. I remember you two from before — you, Jed and Penelope were inseparable together. To be truthfully honest, a part of me was always jealous of you three."