✅️Her Life Means Everything

A Family Dress

Throwing my head back I couldn't stop laughing at Alaric's news this morning. He called me and Klaus into his office explaining that the school needed to keep up the image of being a normal boarding school. But the result I found rather amusing in my opinion. "So you're telling me you forgot that you agreed to host the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant. How is that even possible, Ric?"

"I'm glad you find this amusing, Maddie. But my mind has been elsewhere trying to figure out why monsters that aren't supposed to exist are coming for our school." He glared at me his hands intertwined together on top of the desk.

Klaus raised a glass of blood to his lips taking a small drink with a teasing smirk. "Come now, love. The only thing you'll have to concern yourself with is looking ravishing in a dress."

"Nik stop." I waved my hand feeling embarrassed even though vampires couldn't technically blush.

Alaric rose to his feet heading for the door and we got to our feet following him outside. After we had gathered all the students into the main hall he delivered his news for the day.
"I have some news. Many of you, like me, have forgotten that we are hosting this year's Miss Mystic Falls Pageant." The students all grumbled under their breaths about the situation and clearly Alaric wasn't too happy either. "Trust me, I know. But the rotation is set in stone. So, let's take the opportunity to maintain our image as a normal school for the rich and awful. As usual, anything remotely magical, enchanted, vampire, wolf or witch-related must be kept tucked away, hidden, and under lock and key. Now... with your chore assignments."

Walking through the hallways of the school I sneaked around the corner closing the door behind me sighing in relief. Pulling out a small blood bag I started drinking it down, not used to not having access to blood all the time. One of the reasons this padgett is silly to me. Leaning my head back into the door I only opened my eyes hearing Nikola scoff from around the corner. "She's dead, Lizzie."

"Correction: that dead bitch Dana's sabotage. Costing me the crown from beyond the grave." Lizzie rolled her eyes as I leaned against the doorframe just watching the girls. Josie was standing there quietly. "The head judge is her mother. The town pharmacist. There is always next year for me. But that does not mean that we here at the Salvatore School shouldn't bring home the title and stick it to those townies. So, I have studied all of the stats and advanced metrics, and I have chosen a replacement."

Sipping from my blood bag I was curious to know who she picked to take her place. Lizzie was so much like my twin it was a little hilarious and creepy sometimes in my opinion. "And who have you given that honor to, Elizabeth?"

"Nikola Mikaelson." The blonde siphon's face light up at my question staring directly at my eldest child.

Nikola's face changes where I see a smile appear. "Oh Lizzie, that's great-"

"Nikola honey, you don't have to participate in this if you don't want to. I didn't and it wasn't a big deal." I cut her off, finishing off the rest of my blood bag and tossing it into a trash can.

She turned slightly in my direction flipping her hair over her shoulders. Her eyes locked deeply onto mine. "I want to compete, mom. Like you said, we should try and live normal lives. If this is a thing the town does then I'll try it."

"Okay then. Let's go see Lizzie's plan." I nodded parting my lips for a second following the girls up to her room. Hope was around the school helping the others get everything set up for later in the evening.

Lizzie came back over to the two of us dropping down a large green folder that I recognized all too well. "This is the fiercest competition in the land. My mother's research. She used it to prepare for Miss Mystic Falls the year that she won. It's effective, but her methods? Quaint at best."