ROSES AND FLAMES - Five Hargreeves

𝟮𝟮. his arrival

The 60's were treating Josie well, being able to adapt to the timeline was the easiest part, treating it like any other mission for the last year. Being cooped up in the house was the only downside, sometimes getting the chance to go to town and be able to eat dinner at a local diner.

After lots of thinking, Marlene had enrolled josie into grade 11, just to make sure the girl would be safe enough to be around other sixteen year olds, not catching her. Josie had to change her name, becoming Julia Sinclair, adapting to the name quicker than she thought.

It wasn't suspicious how Josie was getting all A's in the subjects she was enrolled in, soon going into the advanced classes, nailing everything there. As much as she hated it, josie cursed her old sixteen year old self when she was actually in high school, using whatever she was taught into killing people— especially the physics of it.

Marlene wasn't so bad as josie thought, being able to have a friend and sister at the same time, sharing thoughts and secrets, movie nights that would end up sleeping on the couch and hurt her neck. What Josie hated the most, was being away from five.

For the first few nights, Josie felt homesick, worried if Five was ever going to find her— or any of the other siblings. It had already been a year now for Josie, and she was soon giving out hope on someone she's waited for, for five years now.

After demolishing the boys in her PE class, Josie felt her body ache from the way she made sure her team won in volleyball, swearing off anyone that said otherwise; leaving the teacher with upset boys about how a girl shouldn't be playing like that.

It didn't matter for Josie, changing into her denim flared jeans and white and red stripe shirt, fixing her shoes as the bell rang, making her way to Calculus.

Heading towards her desk, Josie dropped her bag down and sitting beside a boy, named Benjy. The two had exchanged awkward looks to each other the whole semester, not really speaking to one another.

Josie did find him cute for a while, until Marlene had reminded her she's 32 and not an actual teenager anymore, it was like her brain was playing tricks on her at that point.

What confused her the most, was the fact she was still growing, her hair was longer, height was taller, and skinnier, messing up with the way she was thinking too, almost dumbing herself down; but that effect didn't last long when she was reminded in the locker room.

"Have you ever talked to Michelle?" Benjy spoke; startling Josie from her thoughts, clearing her throat and paying attention to the boy. "Which one? B, or L?" Josies eyes widened at that, forgetting the common names at the school, trying to not scare Benjy.

"L, I know she's on the cheerleading team; and I'm on the soccer team, I think she likes athletic boys." His accent was thick, matching his low voice. Josie thought about it, both slightly turning to the blonde girl in a high pony tail, reading her book quietly, doing it effortlessly.

Josie shrugged her shoulders, remembering the last time she tried to play match maker with Marlene, she ended up going on a date with a bartender, not having a very pleasant night after that.

"Just go with your gut, maybe go to their dances and she'll maybe do the same with yours." Josie plainly said, opening her binder when her teacher came around with last weeks test, becoming a little nervous to know her mark.

As much as she enjoyed the thrills of test, she hated the aftermath, knowing her high could be plummeted with the grade she'll be given. "Are you like naturally smart? I mean you have the brains of a thirty year old." Benjy said, soon receiving his test to be a B.

Being handed her test back, Josie tried to not smile, knowing she was going to get an A on this class regardless, patting Benjy on the shoulder before she felt something in her stomach hurt a little, clenching her stomach as she held it.