Lizzie - Chapter 7

Author's Note

Hi everyone, it’s been a while.

This year has been a struggle for me. A lot of truly shitty things have happened. Thankfully, we’re nearing an end. And while our earth’s relative position to the sun matters not in the grand scheme of things, it is still a bit of a mental reset for me. 2022 is coming to a close. And I hope that it will be a better year for everyone.

Anyways, enough rambling. Even though I had plenty of reasons, I still feel bad disappointing anyone who been eagerly waiting for Lizzie’s story to continue.

As I mentioned previously, chapter 6 was the end to the first arc in Lizzie’s story, which means chapter 7 starts off on a completely different tune. I’ve honestly been agonizing over this fact the last couple of days as I was wrapping up this chapter. I’m truly afraid that because this chapter heads off in a different direction, it alienates what people enjoyed about Lizzie in the earlier chapters. I also acknowledge that there are very few AB-related themes in this (and the next) chapter. Again, something I expect was a core reason a lot of you read the story. All of this is compounded by the fact you all have been waiting half a year for the continuation.

I guess in summary, I’m very afraid of disappointing you, my dear readers.

If you find yourself feeling this way, please do let me know. At the same time, I hope that you will trust me when I say that these chapters, while they may feel a bit of a step back, they lay crucial groundwork for the remainder of the story (which should hopefully seem obvious as you read through). I’ve also mentioned since the beginning that I wanted this story to be “story-first” with the AB-related themes as the sprinkles. I guess this chapter really pushes that boundary.

I promise things will ramp up again soon, particularly, if you miss the rest of the family, don’t fret, because they will be back in chapter 9. I also promise that these chapters are the only lull in the story, and I think all of the remaining chapters should contain themes that interested you in Lizzie in the first place.

There are a few more characters introduced. I’ve updated the Who’s Who blog post on my site if you’d like to check the updated list.

As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and I hope to hear from you in the comments.

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“Thanks for the ride, see ya Friday!” Lizzie called as she leaped from the car.

“Not so fast, your luggage is still in the back!” Philip called out. Lizzie turned around, and skipped over to the trunk.

“Did you remember your phone and extra cash?” Jennifer asked, as she unloaded the suitcase from the back.

“Yes mom.”

“How about your toothbrush, meds, and extra clothes?”

“Yes, yes, and… yes.” Lizzie said, rolling her eyes.

“And did you remember to bring spare goodnights and pajamas this time?”

“Mom!” Lizzie’s eyes darted around. Thankfully, no one was in earshot. “Yes, I did bring them this time, I promise,” she whined, hoping her mom would just let her go.

“Alright, your mom and I will let you go. Have fun on your trip but promise you’ll be safe, okay soldier?”

“Yes sir, General Cooper!” Lizzie said with a mock salute.

“Now, while your friends aren’t around, give your mom and I a quick hug.”

“Fine,” Lizzie groaned, but fell into her father’s arms. Philip pulled Jennifer in as well and the three held a quick embrace.

“Make sure to message us when you arrive, and every night,” Jennifer called out as Lizzie turned to leave.

“I’m not going away forever, it’s only for two nights mom,” Lizzie said. “But I will,” she quickly added. The last thing she wanted was to get into an argument.

With a wave, she skipped toward the school bus parked in front of the school. Several of her classmates were already there, chatting amongst themselves in groups. She stopped by a group of three girls in her grade. They chatted on last night’s episode of a trending k-drama.

Lizzie tried to join, but having not watched, she had little to contribute. When the others also made no intention of shifting the topic, Lizzie silently left.

The adults always claimed that cliques didn’t exist anymore. That children nowadays got along with everyone. But Lizzie knew better. Perhaps it wasn’t as one-dimensional as before, where individuals were classified as emos, nerds, or jocks. But there were always groups. People hung out with those that they had similar interests with, and for the most part, ignored the others.

Lizzie strolled by a couple other groups. Some, she wasn’t willing to be associated with. Others, the opposite. These little cliques each had their place in this unsaid social hierarchy. There were no written rules, yet everyone knew them.

At the tip of said hierarchy were people like Marco and Madison, standing by the front entrance. Marco was dressed in a grey hoodie with a long black coat. His dark brown hair was styled up in a faux hawk. It was no wonder most girls considered him the hottest boy in the choir.

Despite the cold winter weather, Madison was wearing a green dress that ended a bit before her knees. The black stockings surely provided insufficient warmth. Her outfit was topped with a slick leather jacket and a festive scarf.

Lizzie looked down at her own outfit. White sweater, black jeans, with a denim jacket on top. The outfit she’d meticulously prepared suddenly didn’t feel as perfect as it had in the morning.

As per usual, the two were surrounded by the other popular kids, most of whom weren’t even in choir, but were probably here to send their best friends off. Even amongst them, Madison seemed to shine, like her polished black boots in the early morning sun.

The group chatted loudly, as Lizzie quietly rolled her suitcase past. She continued drifting between groups. Thankfully, just as it was beginning to feel awkward, Ms. Taylor appeared, and began directing people toward the bus.

“Two per row please,” Lizzie plopped her suitcase and hopped onto the bus, taking her seat near the front. The bus quickly filled, with most of the seats filling. Most of them, except the one beside hers.

Lizzie sighed, she couldn’t wait to be in the same school as Ivie again next year. It wasn’t that she didn’t have any friends, it’s just that most of them were closer with others than they were with her.

Whatever. Lizzie pulled out her Switch, plopping in her earbuds as the bus began their journey. It wasn’t like she really minded that much anyways.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” Lizzie jerked her head around, excited for a second, only to see Anna’s mom, one of the chaperones.

“Oh, sure Ms. Johnson.”

The bus ride was long, and halfway through, Lizzie felt tired, but she forced herself to stay awake. Since Thanksgiving a week prior, it felt like her wetting had been getting progressively worse. More often than not, she would wake up to a soaked goodnite. She’d even leaked once more after returning home. A fact she’d hidden from her parents by secretly changing the sheets.

She had made sure to always pee before bed, but because she would feel thirsty at night, she always left a glass of water by her bedside. Of course, that didn’t help her problem. But drinking water was healthy and everyone else her age could drink water at night without issue. It truly wasn’t fair.

It was almost noon when they arrived. The bus pulled under a wooden sign held between two tall posts. Charlotte’s Cabin Resort, it read. Lizzie leapt off of the bus, leaning back in a long stretch. Off to both sides were roads that led to rows upon rows of cabins. The students chatted amongst themselves as they picked up their luggage.

“Can I get everyone’s attention?” Ms. Taylor’s voice easily carried above the chatter. “Here are the sleeping arrangements for tonight,” she held up a sheet of paper. “You’ve been split into rooms of two. Each cabin has three rooms so that’s six to a cabin. It’s half past eleven right now, so you have thirty minutes to settle in before lunch, which will be served back here at the main cabin.”

The students streamed toward the sheet, eager to find who they were rooming with. Lizzie on the other hand, sat back, browsing her phone, trying to seem disinterested as she waited for the crowd to disperse. She secretly hoped that she would be rooming with one of the people she talked to more. Perhaps Anna, Melissa, or even Selina. As long as it wasn’t Morgan, the thought of rooming with that nosy girl made Lizzie shudder.

After most of her classmates had dispersed, Lizzie leaned in to check the sheet. She scanned for her name. Melissa and Morgan were off in the second cabin. Selina was in the fifth. Eventually, she found her name on the last cabin, number twelve. She would be in room number two, and her roommate was…

***

“Hey roomie, I’m Madison!” The girl waved as Lizzie entered the room. She was sitting on her bed, the contents of her luggage sprawled around her.

“Hey,” Lizzie replied with a shy wave.

“Elizabeth right? I hope you don’t mind that I took the bed by the window, we can always trade if you’d like.”

“Yeah, but uhh… you can call me Lizzie. And yes. I mean no, it’s fine. This bed is fine.” Lizzie quickly pulled her luggage over and sat on the bed. She mentally facepalmed. All you had to do was answer one simple question.

Lizzie stood, “I’m going to check out the rest of the cabin. I’ll catch up with you later.” She slipped out the door, hoping Madison didn’t notice her face burning up.

The cabin had a large main room that joined the three bedrooms. A large green couch sat in front of the fireplace, which was currently unlit. Lizzie strolled across the wooden floors to the kitchenette, where she found a small stove top, a microwave oven, and even a mini refrigerator. The two bathrooms stood on opposite sides. Inside the showers she found little cute bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

Out the back was a wide deck. Several patio chairs were sprawled about, overlooking a massive lake. Lizzie leaned against the wooden railings and admired the view, the noon sun caused the water to glisten. The early winter breeze brought the chilly, but fresh aroma of nature. A happy contrast to the stale air from the bus. Lizzie untied her ponytail, letting her hair flow in the wind.

“Isn’t the view here just great?” Madison appeared from beside her, also leaning onto the railing. She rested her head on her hands. Her wavy copper hair, which had been tied in a bun earlier, now shimmered as it fluttered freely in the wind.

“Have you been here before?” Lizzie asked.

“Yeah, a bunch of us came last year in May. I thought you were there?”

“I wasn’t in— I had a family trip and couldn’t make it,” Lizzie corrected herself. There was no need to let Madison know she hadn’t been cool enough to get invited.

“Oops, silly me. That makes sense, but you totally missed out. You should join us next time though!”

“Sorry to interrupt your lovely chat,” Anna called out from behind them, “but it’s time for lunch and unless you feel like washing the dishes, you don’t wanna be late.”

The main cabin was already filled with chatter when the girls arrived. After lining up, their trays were filled with two sandwiches, a soup, and a small bowl of fruit. A juice box topped off the assortment. It wasn’t gourmet by any means, but Lizzie didn’t mind as she sat together with some other girls and began eating.

“So, what do you all think about the cabins?”

“I like it, it’s quite nice,” Lizzie spoke absentmindedly, only to be met with silence.

“Really? I, for one, think it’s old and dusty,” Morgan said, taking a seat down in the table next to them.

“Yeah, I agree, and have you seen the ugly couches?” Another girl echoed.

“Exactly! They look a hundred years old! I even saw a few ants crawling around the stairs out back. Gross.”

“Ew.” Several girls echoed the sentiment.

“So what do you like about it?” Morgan asked. All eyes suddenly shifted to Lizzie.

“I… uhh… It’s…” She sputtered.

“The view of course!” Madison cut in. “And don’t tell me y’all are afraid of a few ants, we’re in nature! Besides, the rooms aren’t bad at all, they might be a bit old, but they got that homey vibe, don’t they?” Madison replied. Immediately, several of the girls nodded, backtracking their earlier sentiment.

“Well, it still doesn’t beat Brentwood’s choir getting to go to the Four Seasons downtown for their retreat,” Morgan said. As always, looking to spark discourse. Fortunately, the conversation quickly moved onto other topics. The girls gossiped, but Lizzie remained silent. She could still feel the heat on her cheeks as she nibbled away at her sandwich.

A bit after lunch, the choir joined in main event room. The room was a large gym, but had a theater stage off to one side. Atop the stage were risers on which the choir set up. They rehearsed their songs, voices reverberating throughout the gym in beautiful harmony. Ms. Taylor guided the students in a gentle but expert manner, pointing out minute details that helped the squad sing in unison.

After a couple hours, the choir took a quick break before splitting off into sectionals. The other altos were buzzing about as Lizzie stepped into the room. “Alright ladies, let’s settle down now.” Their guest teacher, Ms. Stevens was the conductor of the local choir. She had been listening in on their practice earlier, and helped the girls practice a few difficult notes.

“Very nice everyone, however this part here still needs a little work.” Ms. Stevens pointed out. “I want everyone to go through this part solo, listen carefully to the piano and let’s bash these notes out. Let me see…” She pointed to Lizzie, “you, what was your name again?”

“Lizzie.” Lizzie could feel her heart begin to race.

“Lizzie, can you get us started? Starting at I am a thousand. On 4.” Lizzie nodded. “1… 2…” Lizzie prepared herself for the countdown. “3… 4…” Ms. Stevens motioned for her to begin as she hit the keys on the piano. Lizzie opened her mouth, but her voice remained silent.

“Is everything alright, Lizzie?” she asked.

“Yes. Sorry. I just wasn’t ready.”

“Let’s try again, 3… 4…” Lizzie opened her mouth, willing herself to sing, but her body refused, her vocal cords paralyzed.

The music stopped. Snickering could be heard from behind. “I…” Lizzie began.

“That’s alright Lizzie, I apologize for putting you on the spot. Perhaps I can get a volunteer to go first and we can circle back to you later.”

“I can go!” Madison volunteered.

Face buried in her hands, Lizzie chided herself. She hated solos, in fact, Ms. Taylor had offered her two small solo parts in the past, both of which Lizzie had declined. It felt better to sing with the group, where she wouldn’t stand out to the crowd. But this was different, there was no crowd, it was only her peers. Rationally speaking, there was nothing to be afraid of. She knew that, yet it hadn’t stopped her from freezing up.

Madison stood up in front of her and began singing. Her voice fluttered through the room. It wasn’t perfect. A few of her notes were slightly off key, and she rushed a bit near the end. Ms. Stevens pointed the mistakes out, but Madison remained unfazed.

While she was decent, Madison was far from the best singer in the choir. So how was she standing up in front of the choir singing without hesitation? Madison smiled as they practiced a couple more times until she hit the notes perfectly. The conductor thanked her for volunteering before moving onto the next person.

Eventually, it was Lizzie’s turn again. Not wanting to embarrass herself again, Lizzie closed her eyes. This time picturing she was back home alone in the shower. She sang. Her voice started off shaky, but as the song picked up momentum, Lizzie felt herself swaying to the rhythm.

“That was wonderful!” Ms. Stevens said as Lizzie concluded the segment. “You have a great voice, there’s no need to be so shy.”

“Thanks Ms. Stevens.”

“Now, the only thing I would watch out for is the jump on measure twenty-eight, let’s try that again.” Lizzie nodded. Having already proven she could do it, the next attempt was a piece of cake.

After the altos’ practice session concluded, a few of the girls stopped by to watch the tenors’ practice.

“Wow, look at Marco, isn’t he great?” A girl asked, her eyes glimmering.

“Just look at his eyes.” Several girls nodded in agreement.

“Oh my god, meanwhile look at Nathan, he looks like a stick standing beside him,” one of the girls whispered. Nathan was the tallest person in their grade, easily half a head taller than most of the other boys, but he also had a very slim build.

“The guy stands out like a sore thumb. They said he eats eggplant every day.”

“Ew, gross. And look those glasses.” Several girls murmured in agreement.

Lizzie shook her head. What was wrong with eggplant? Sure, Nathan was tall, but he was actually really kind and smart. He had completely carried their history project a few months ago. Besides, she thought his glasses suited him and were kinda cute. Lizzie felt like she should say something, but not wanting to become the next target, she instead decided to just leave and head toward the dining area.

Dinner was a scrumptious spaghetti and meatballs with fresh garlic bread and caesar salad. After eating, the students hung out in the dining area for a while, chatting and playing card games. Lizzie’s phone kept her mostly occupied, although she did listen in to the others chat. What she was really waiting for was for the first person to leave. Once they did, Lizzie quickly snuck out as well.

Back at the cabin, she wasted no time stepping into the shower, making sure to put on her goodnites and jammies before any of the others got back. She smiled as she put on her favorite pajamas: a black two-piece set decorated with white skulls.

By the time Madison and the others returned, Lizzie was already lying on the bed, reading a book. Madison walked in and out a few times. Eventually, Anna’s mom came around, shutting off the lights and telling everyone in the cabin that it was time for bed.

“Hey Lizzie,” Madison peeked her head back in through the door. “We’re going to make a campfire, want to come?”

“I was getting ready to sleep,” Lizzie said.

“Oh come on, don’t be a party pooper.”

“But don’t we have to wake up early tomorrow? Plus, Ms. Johnson said it was lights out. Aren’t we going to get in trouble?”

“Don’t worry, Anna’s mom is super chill. Besides, we won’t stay out long. Everyone’s going, come on.” Madison pouted. “There will be marshmallows!”

“I already changed though,”

“Don’t worry, so did I.” Madison walked through the door to reveal her dark blue pajamas. They were a simple, but nice looking two piece set. The material looked warm and comfortable for the weather.

“I…” Lizzie had run out of excuses, and for one reason or another, she didn’t want to leave a bad impression on Madison. “Fine, but just for a bit.” She hopped out of bed and put on a thick winter coat. Madison stopped for a second, before smiling, grabbing Lizzie’s hand as they left the cabin.

The two joined up with the others as they walked through the woods until they reached a small clearing, where a small campfire flicked in the night. The night air was filled with chatter and laughter as they joined the group of around twenty people. Lizzie immediately noticed that very few people wore pajamas, most people preferring some casual loungewear. But she felt more comfortable knowing Madison was wearing sleepwear as well.

Looking around, it was painfully obvious however that hers were definitely on the childish end, with most pajamas being simple colors and patterns rather than cartoons. Lizzie curled up on a log, wrapping her jacket tight around herself.

“Here, have some marshmallows,” Anna said, handing them each a stick along with a bag of marshmallows.

The girls roasted their marshmallows as they gossiped, shared scary stories, and joked around. Lizzie remained mostly quiet, but smiled as she enjoyed the friendly conversation. After a while, Madison dragged Lizzie off to the side with a few girls near the water. There was another small fire going.

“Let’s play a game.” Someone suggested.

“Truth or dare?” Everyone agreed. Lizzie had been perfectly content nibbling on marshmallows, but now she couldn’t really back off.

“Who wants to go first?”

“Oh me, me,” Anna said.

“Truth or dare?” Morgan asked.

“Dare.”

“I dare you to scream penis at the boys over there.” A couple of girls giggled at the request.

“I…”

“No backing out!”

“Fine.” Anna paused for a bit. “PENIS!” She yelled.

“PENIS!” the reply from the boys was instant. The girls burst into giggles.

“Okay, Morgan, you’re next, truth or dare?” Anna asked.

“Truth, I got nothing to hide.”

“Which male teacher do you think is the hottest?”

Morgan’s confident posture changed, as she stuttered to come up with a response.

“I… uhh...”

“I thought you had nothing to hide?” Anna taunted.

“Mr. Hayman,” she practically whispered. Lizzie couldn’t help but chuckle a bit along with several other girls. She could almost see the steam coming out of Morgan’s ears.

“Alright, Lizzie, truth or dare.” Somehow Lizzie had known Morgan would pick on her next.

“Truth, I guess?” Lizzie said.

“What’s a fact nobody at school knows about you?”

“I,” Lizzie froze in a cold sweat. A secret, any secret. She could say anything, even a lie. But the goodnite in her crotch suddenly felt itchy, causing her to squirm in her seat. Drawing all of her thoughts toward her one darkest secret. Everyone was staring at her, she needed to say something.

“I… I’ve played in a chess tournament before…” Lizzie blurted out.

“Boring…” Morgan said, “Also, nerd much?” A few others murmured in agreement.

“Hey, she answered your question just fine,” Madison cut in, immediately silencing the crowd. Lizzie thanked her with a smile.

“Yeah, ask stupid questions, get stupid answers,” Anna chimed in.

“Your turn to ask anyone,” Madison turned to her, returning the smile.

The game continued on for a while. Lizzie decided to do only dares for the remainder of the night. She had to do some mildly embarrassing things, like pretending to be a mime for one minute. She was also dared to secretly throw a marshmallow at one of the boys, who obviously retaliated immediately. All in all, it was good fun. By the time the girls made it back to the cabin, it was already past midnight, Lizzie was beyond exhausted and quickly fell asleep.

***

Lizzie awoke the next morning to a damp feeling between her legs. Thankfully, it was the crack of dawn and on the opposite end of the room, Madison was still sleeping soundly.

As quietly as possible, Lizzie grabbed her clothes and headed to the shower. She was careful to wrap her used goodnite in two bags. A ziplock to prevent leaking and a small opaque garbage bag for anonymity. The bag was disposed in the big garbage at the front of the cabin before Lizzie returned to the room.

“Hey, you’re up early.” Madison said, stretching and rubbing her eyes as Lizzie entered the room.

“Yeah, I uh, felt a bit sweaty from last night so I hopped into the shower.”

“Good idea, Imma do the same.” Madison grabbed a few things from her suitcase and left.

Lizzie went by the window to look at the view. She noticed Madison had forgotten to close her luggage. She was about to leave it alone when something caught the corner of her eye. There was a ziplock bag peeking out from underneath her clothes. It was mostly covered, but the light purple flowers were enough for Lizzie.

It was unmistakeable. There, sitting in Madison’s luggage, was a ziplock of goodnites.

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Thanks for taking the time to read the latest chapter. Please do let me know what you thought in the comments. And, if you previously really enjoyed Lizzie as a story, but disliked this chapter, I hope you have the patience and stay until chapter 9.