Wolf Woes

Chapter 8: Big Date and Even Bigger Secrets (pt 1)

"No," Lizzie demanded. She carefully tucked her robes back into the box and sat on her bed across from Josie. "Whatever it is just say it."

Josie took a deep breath. "It's about Hope."

"Oh, well that's good then, because I have a few things of my own to say about her," Lizzie said. "As much fun as I regrettable say I had with her today, I think a few ground rules should be made. You may be able to ignore what she did, but I can't, and I really don't like having her around all the time."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," sighed Josie as she sat up straight. She took a deep breath. "I did something, something that you are going to hate me for."

"I could never hate you Josie," Lizzie chuckled dryly.

"You might, once you hear what I have to say," Josie demurred.

"Well, just tell me," Lizzie demanded lightly.

"It's about your first episode. The one that happened because of the fire in Hope's dorm room." Josie took another deep breath. "You were convinced Hope started the fire on purpose, but she didn't."

"How do you know that? Did she tell you that, because you may trust her, but I don't," Lizzie snarked.

"Hope didn't tell me anything, Lizzie, because she doesn't know," Josie replied. "She's not the one who started the fire, I am."

"What are you talking about?" Lizzie asked.

"I slipped a note underneath Hope's door, and I regretted it, but by the time I went back to get it, I couldn't get into her room. So, I did a fire spell underneath the door to burn the note, but it spread. Hope never meant to ruin our vacation."

Lizzie suddenly grew angry, not because her sister was the reason she missed out on a week alone with their parents, but because she knew where this was leading to. "So, she didn't start the fire, Josie. That doesn't absolve her for telling people about my episode," she growled.

Josie gave her a guilty look. "Your right, it doesn't absolve her of her guilt, but only because she was never guilty to begin with."

Confusion overwhelmed her. "What?"

"Hope never knew about your episode. In fact, she didn't even know you were bipolar until I told her a couple of weeks ago."

"But... but you told me..."

"I lied," Josie jumped in.

Lizzie felt like her mind had cracked open and leaked out every emotion in the spectrum into her body at once. It made her head fuzzy. She struggled to rein it all back in, to focus on just one emotion. "Why?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I... it's just... "Josie stammered, unsure of how to explain it. "All my life, whenever I liked someone, you would go after them and you would always win."

"You had a crush on Hope?"

"Yes... I was afraid that if you knew the truth, I would never have a shot with her, so when you noticed my obsession with Hope, I blurted out that she was telling everyone about your episode. I didn't mean for it to come out, but it did, and then I couldn't take it back."

"So, no one knew about me being bipolar? No one was talking about my episode?"

Josie looked down in shame. "No."

Lizzie was shocked by what her sister had said. And despite knowing Josie wasn't the type to maliciously do anything to hurt her, it still hurt like hell. It hurt that she had done this, and she was angry with her.