lockwood's legacy [josie saltzman][on hiatus]

chapter 21

"I think it's time I told you all the truth"

(The next two chapters are a little not in line with the show's timeline etc, but will go back to the episodes afterwards!)

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"You weren't gonna say goodbye?"

Penelope Park sighed as she turned back around to look at Josie, noticing how the girl's eyebrows were furrowed as she stared across at the other witch. Her hand gripped a little tighter on the handle of her suitcase, the urge to just drop it and run to the other girl forever lingering in her stomach.

"I did, in my letter," Penelope replied, her voice staying as steady as she could keep it. "Which I'm guessing you finally read." 

Josie smiled sheepishly, the guilt seeping in her. She knew that Penelope leaving couldn't likely be stopped now, but she regretted not having just opened the letter sooner. Yeah, Georgie was Josie's heart holder at the moment but Penelope had been her first proper love.

"Belgium?" 

"My mom got a job. And there's a great witch-only school, so I don't have to deal with wolves or vamps or Lizzie," Penelope joked, her smile faltering for a moment. "Or fight off competition for your heart, which I'd lose, by the way."

Josie opened her mouth, almost to argue with the second point but as no words fell from her lips, both of them knew it was true. Georgie was Josie's new epic love, and despite their history, Penelope just couldn't compete with the hybrid.

"You know, for weeks, I have been hoping that you would give me one reason to stay. Instead, you gave me a thousand reasons to go. Losing on purpose, always putting yourself second. My heart can't take it, and I will not wait around and watch what happens to you next," Penelope continued, a bitter look crossing her face for a moment as she studied Josie standing there in her Miss Mystic Falls dress.

Josie blinked in confusion at her, scrunching her eyebrows as she shook away tears.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know the pens I was using to spy? This ...records all of it. It's basically a log of everything written down at the Salvatore School. And I want you to read what your dad wrote about something called the Merge," Penelope informed her as she thrust the book into Josie's hands, her eyes picking up the movement of a familiar dark haired girl turning into the corridor. "One day, you will understand why I did everything I did. I love you, Jo-Jo. I love you with all of my obnoxious, selfish, evil heart. It's because I love you that I even got you a parting gift, even though it breaks my heart in two."

"A parting gift?" Josie asked, not sure what she meant, since she had literally just given her the book. Josie's eyes furrowed as she noticed Penelope look over her shoulder at something, a small smile resting on the witch's face almost with a knowing look.