𝟑𝟓 , 𝒅𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒂

✯☾✯

It had taken Isaac a while to get Lizzie to sit down properly and pay attention to the movie they were supposed to be watching.

It was every two minutes, the girl would figit or get up and potter around the Brown's sitting room.

It wasn't an unusual occurrence as Isaac knew Lizzie couldn't sit still anyhow. He was aware of her fast paced brain and how it sometimes moved a mile a minute.

He'd trapped her, practically laying on top of her as she squirmed.

"Okay, i'll be still. Like a statue. I give in." Lizzie caved, attempting to haul the large weight laying across her onto the floor as the lights flickered in the room.

Isaac hummed, lifting himself off his girlfriend and collapsing beside her on the couch.

Before the pixie had time to reajust herself, she was pulled back into a large pair of arms in a more comfortable position.

"Stay." He ordered firmly, turning his eyes back to the small television screen playing La La Land.

The pair had barely refocused before a very annoying scratching sound alerted them.

"I really don't like that cat." Isaac whined as Lizzie shifted off of the sofa.

"She's my baby, you'll have to like her." Lizzie reprimanded, ignoring Isaac's groans and focusing on the intensifying scratches.

Mimi slashed at the foot of the door viciously, desperate mewls escaping her mouth as she attacked the wood.

"Mimi!" Lizzie gasped, "What in the cosmic calamity?"

Mimi's fur stood up on end, like sharp spikes.

The sheer fear of the unknown swarmed the room, alerting Isaac's supernatural senses.

He slowly stood up as Lizzie tried to calm the cat, confusion written on his brow.

"Open the door, L," Isaac spoke gently.

Lizzie looked back at him, crouched on the floor beside her rabid pet.

"Let her out."

Lizzie did so, clicking open the door. Mimi jumped, jolting faster than Lizzie had ever seen her move and sprinting out of eye sight.

The fear, the utter terror Isaac had felt spitting from Mimi was noticeable to say the least. But what was she so scared of? And should they be too?

✯☾✯

It seemed school for Lizzie had changed dramatically since freshman year. There was no longer the crippling anxiety that surrounded it, no longer sickeningly terrified at even the thought.

Still, it was school. So, of course there would be some sort of bad blood. But, Lizzie had friends. Real ones that would look after, that she looked forward to seeing.

And that was enough to set both Lizzie's and Andrew's mind at ease.

She liked to wander, 'space walk' as she called it, but, it seemed most of the time she blended into that mindless action, it was in the school hallways.

She sort of glided, a tube of smarties in her right hand and a her folder for shop class in the other, held against her chest, clad in a lilac knitted sweater, for support.

In her happily blissful state, Lizzie failed to notice the two boys, taller than she could comprehend, surveying the massing sea of students.

They were looking for the weakest link, the bottom of the food chain within the McCall pack.

And, they just so happened to find it in the certain socially unaware girl, eyes unfocused but smiling as she walked.

At first glance she seemed to fit the portfolio of what the boys were looking for perfectly.

She was small. 'Just over five foot', one of them observed. She wore a snug sweater and dark jeans, a pair of mismatched socks beneath her battered converse.

Her face was kind and promising, an innocent prosper of hope. The small creases drawn out on each corner of her mouth proved smiling was an action she took up often.

The taller of the boys turned to the other, who was eyeing the rainbow hair clips in Lizzie's curled hair, as if to say 'She's part of this pack?'.

The boys knew they could waste no more time deliberating and approached the girl.

Lizzie blinked as two large bodies blocked her away. She glanced up and became convinced she was seeing double.

Two identical boys. Carbon copies. Twins.

They grinned at her in a somewhat trustworthy manner. Trustworthy enough for Lizzie at least.

"Mariposas!" Lizzie exclaimed, and giggled at the boys confused faces. "That means 'how are you'.... i think."

Her brow furrowed. She'd only remembered a set amount of words from her middle school spanish lessons.

How are you? I love you. What time is it? Holy shit. I like your hat. Butterflies.

"I'm Ethan, this is Aiden." Ethan introduced himself and his brother.

"That's nice," Lizzie popped another smartie into her mouth.

Ethan and Aiden exchanged looks, clearly expecting more.

"I'm Lizzie," The pixie finally continued after she'd chewed her chocolate. "Smartie?"

The twins practically flinched at the offer and out stretched tube. Both declined, politely though. That should be noticed. They showed no hostility towards the girl. She just had that effect.

"Lizzie, do you know where the track team meets?" Aiden spoke for the first time, his voice clearer than Ethan's. Lizzie couldn't understand how she picked up on that.

She nodded vigorously, "It's straight done this hallway, left through chem and into the Phys Ed hallway," She paused, "I'll just take you."

Lizzie set off walking at set pace, beckoning to be followed.

"Do you not have a lesson right now?" Ethan questioned, each twin on either side of Lizzie.

The girl shrugged, smiling still, "Listen, if you're new, my boyfriend's on the team, he'll help you out."

"And what's you're boyfriends name?"

"Isaac Lahey." Lizzie looked up at them proudly.

A knowing smirk was passed that Lizzie didn't catch, prompting a need in the twins to mess with the pack more.

"Nice bracelet." A hand caught her wrist. Who's? Lizzie didn't know.

"Thank you!" She rolled it off her thin wrist, allowing a closer look. "I got it in a yard sale. Pretty, huh?"

Aiden fondled the bracelet carefully between his fingers, stroking the blue beads.

"Elizabeth!" A sharp voice called from behind, spewing authority and ignorance. A teacher.

"I know for a fact you're meant to be in Miss Douglas' math class right now."

Lizzie winced, quickly sending a wave at the stern looking woman behind her before turning back to the twins. "I'm so sorry, it's left and then out those red double doors."

Another sweet smile and she darted off towards the impatient teacher.

✯☾✯

Unfortunately for Lizzie, her failed bunk had landed her a lunch time detention. Nothing new there.

It did, however, act as a deterrent despite the fact she had Chemistry with Mr Harris second period which was saying something.

"Settle down. Settle- Elizabeth, no. Kayla take the bunsen burner off her."

Mr Harris glared at his class with nothing but utter disappointment.

"All right," He sighed and turned to the chalkboard, "Since inertia is a subject of which you all know plenty, why don't we start with 'momentum'?"

Kayla threw an almost pained look towards Lizzie and she giggled lightly, resting her chin on her palm in preparation for what was likely to be a boring lesson.

"Danny..." Mr Harris spoke, "What do we know about monument?"

Danny looked slightly surprised about being called on but answered practically perfectly anyways.

"It's the product of mass and velocity. The more massive something is, the faster it's going."

The class and Danny's explanation was interrupted as Isaac called out, foot tapping against the floor agitatedly.

"Mr Harris, can i use the bathroom, please?"

Harris reluctantly allowed the boy to go but with a firm face, especially after Scott stood in an attempt to follow Isaac.

"One at a time." Mr Harris declined.

Lizzie herself had not picked up on the fact something was going on, a shared responsibility of her lack of supernatural hearing and her ability to not process social queues.

"But, i really have to go," Scott pushed almost desperately. "Like, medical emergency have to go."

"Mr McCall, if your bladder suddenly exploded and urine began to pour from every orifice...I would still respond, 'one at a time'."

Harris' need to reprimand students using only sass was something many of his colleagues admired. He had the talent to silence most with his sharp term. Remarkably praised for some but not the bored teens occupying his classroom.

"Is that enough hyperbole for you, or would you like me to come up with something more vivid?"

"No. No. That's pretty good." Scott muttered, taking his seat once again.

A loud bang from the hallway prompted everyone from their seats and follow Mr Harris to the door of the classroom.

Specks of blood trailed across the reflective floor in the hallway, spilling from the nose of one of the twins Lizzie had met earlier. Isaac stood beside the fallen boy looking positively baffled.

"What's going on?" Harris demanded, students spreading out around the scene.

"Uh, he just...he just came at me." The boy, now in the comforting embrace of Danny, stuttered out.

Isaac briskly shook his head at Lizzie and Scott, attempting to spell out what happened.

"Should I heal?" Lizzie whispered, making a move towards the injured boy.

"Nope." Scott took hold of her wrist and wrapped his arms around her in a restraint.

"Isaac, what the hell did you do?" Harris raised his voice.

Isaac said nothing, practically scoffing in disbelief, leaving Scott with pieces to pick up.

✯☾✯

"Elizabeth," Harris grinned maliciously, "Can't say i'm surprised to see you here again. What's this, third lunch i a row?"

"Second actually-" Lizzie protested before Isaac steered her away from the teacher and towards an empty desk in front of Allison.

"Hi, Ali," Lizzie waved at the Argent girl happily.

"Elizabeth, you've been in so many of these. Surely you know the rules by now. Silence."

Lizzie diverted her piercing stare from Harris straight ahead towards the chalk board that had a bold 'LUNCH TIME DETENTION' scribbled on, dropping her head against Isaac's arm.

Harris grunted, before beginning to designate punishments pair by pair.

"The two of you will wash all the boards in this hall."

"Re shelving the library."

His long stretched out finger stopped abruptly at Lizzie and Isaac.

"There is no chance i'm keeping the two sides of you together."

Isaac's mouth dropped open, the only positive aspect, as he kept reminding himself, about earning a detention for something he didn't do was that Lizzie was with him, "But-"

"Don't wanna hear it, Lahey. Brown and Reynolds, you can clean my science equipment."

Lizzie sighed, squeezing Isaac's hand before standing from her seat.

"Let's go, Bruce, me and you again." She exclaimed, darting off in the direction of the sinks with the senior boy she was paired with last time.

"That leaves you two," Harris announced, gesturing between Allison and Isaac, "Restocking the janitors closet."

Everyone had their assigned jobs, Lizzie's forearms were submerged within soap suds as a disgruntled Isaac followed Allison out the room.

She waved him goodbye, bubbles flying off her hands and hitting poor Bruce.

Detention dragged like it always did but, Lizzie was well accustomed to that fact by now. The mundane routine, the ticking clock on the plain wall, and the predictable drone of the Harris' reprimands had become oddly comforting to her as this was really where she spent most of her time.

She wasn't a naughty kid, every teacher knew that but, there was something about her that caused these endless punishments.

At some point she found herself volunteering to retrieve more soap as she knew it was stored in the janitors closet. She hummed to herself as she wiped off her sodden hands, skipping quietly.

The door of the closet, when she reached it, was flung open, the vending machine twisted in an odd angle at the side of it.

Scott and Allison stood huddled in the door way.

"Hey, guys!" Lizzie greeted, sounding just as delighted to see them as she looked.

She slowed to a stop next to the ex couple, peering into the closet. Isaac was slumped against the wall, sweating and trying to catch his breath.

"What happened?" Lizzie questioned, quick to jump to the boys aid, crouching beside him and allowing Isaac to relax into her.

Talking for Isaac, Scott spoke, "Allison and Isaac were locked in."

"Oh." Lizzie realised, surprisingly managing to gather where Isaac's reactions were coming from. The enclosed space, the panic of not being able to get out. She felt the weight of his worries and vulnerability.

Rubbing Isaac's back, Lizzie pressed light kisses to his head, holding him as he pressed his face into her sweater, his breathing slowing. With every whispered reassurance, she sensed the tension in his shoulders slowly easing.

✯☾✯

"What are we doing out here, again?" Lizzie murmured against her knees. She sat, her legs pulled up to her chest, on the concrete floor of the school parking lot, a soft breeze whistling and weaving through her hair.

"It's part of the plan, remember the plan?" Isaac grunted as he pushed and poked at the controls of a motorcycle.

"Sure." Lizzie said, lost. She'd managed to gather as much as she could about what was going on, so much so, she knew her part in a plan Scott had come up with.

"Okay..." Isaac said sceptically, "Text Scott. Tell him we're ready."

Brushing herself off as she stood, Lizzie pulled her phone out, selecting the camera app.

"Smile!"

Isaac turned to see his girlfriend holding her phone horizontally and grinning, he pulled his lips out half-heartedly.

"I'm not very photogenic." He grumbled.

Lizzie laughed, tapping on her phone, "My lock screen says differently."

The message was sent and Lizzie placed a quick kiss on Isaac's forehead before wandering off and Isaac started up the bike.