IN ANOTHER LIFE , josie saltzman ✔️

- 9. A friend, a twin, a witch

"Why are you so weird lately?" A female voice asked curiously behind me as I walked through the hallway of the school. I turned around to the voice, feeling caught. "I don't know what you're talking about." I said and smirked at Penelope. "Of course. You're not weird and you don't avoid me, right?" I raised an eyebrow. Penelope walked up to me. "I don't avoid you. I don't have a reason to." I said and lied. "Oh, look, it's satan and the princess." Lizzie spoke as she and Josie came around the corner. Lizzie said the words 'the princess' somewhat nice and so I didn't take it as an insult. She was wearing the ring Sophia gave her. From the look the blonde gave me I assumed that she'd knew about Josie and me. And I was glad about it. "This kind of ugly jewelry is so two hundred years ago." Penelope taunted and I turned around to her, flashing my eyes. "You know, that was a gift from my mother. And that two hundred years old ugly piece of jewelry is a royal heirloom that's been in my bloodline for generations. You want to know why I avoided you? Maybe I'm sick of your games." I snarled and then turned around and left for the lake where I sat down on the grass.

I sighed and closed my eyes. Then I brushed my fingers through my hair and four minutes later I heard soft steps behind me. A person sat down next to me and I felt a pair of eyes watching me. "You didn't had to defend me. Why- Why did you?" Lizzie asked and I turned my head to her, sending her a warm smile. "Like I said I was sick of her games." I whispered and then she sighed. "She hates me because she thinks I took Josie from her when they were together. She said I don't let Josie have time for a relationship, that I just suck up all her energy, time and love." I shook my head for a moment before looking at her again. "Penelope is still in love with her. She wants to make you feel bad because in reality Penelope lost Josie and she's not gonna get her back." I stated and got quieter in the end. "Because you two are soulmates?" Lizzie asked and I chuckled. "What? No..." I whispered. Lizzie glared at me and I frowned. "Maybe." I whispered and then sighed. "Look, Josie is her own person. I'm not gonna force her to be with me because of this bond. If she doesn't want that, then... it's fine." My voice broke at the end and Lizzie realized that. "But Josie said that she'd have like no chance, that this is gonna make her see you differently. She already does." I looked confused at her. "We had a really long talk and I realized that I was terrible to her. I'm gonna change that." Lizzie said and I smiled, nodding. "There you are. I searched the whole school for the two of you." A soft voice said behind us and I smiled at myself before turning around to see Josie. "Thank you for what you did in there." Josie whispered and then sat down on Lizzie's other side. "Where is Dad? I haven't seen him all day." Lizzie asked her twin and I cut in. "Oh, you don't know? Hope left me a letter that they went to find Landon Kirby. It was  kind of an emergency, I guess. They rushed off in the middle of the night." I answered and Lizzie sighed before glaring at the lake. She opened her mouth to say something but then just got up and took a deep breath. "Great!" She said and I frowned for a moment, not wanting her to explode right now. "I'll be in my room, trying to calm down from the fact that Dad is off to another rescue mission with Hope." she said and then went off.

I went silent and Josie slowly began to sat closer to me while I looked out on the lake. "I'm sorry." Josie suddenly whispered and I frowned before turning to face her. "Why? You didn't do anything wrong." I whispered confused and Josie sighed before she spoke. "I told Penelope. About us- this. Whatever it is." I closed my eyes for a second, wishing she hadn't said it. "Oh, great." I mumbled and then opened my eyes to look down. "How did she react?" I asked and Josie sighed again. I read her face carefully while she spoke. "She, um... She had this- this look on her face as if she didn't believe a word I was saying and then there was nothing. She just turned around and left." Josie said and I sighed heavily.

I got up and then turned to leave but her voice stopped me. "Why us?" She asked quietly and was also on her feet. I turned around to her, looking at her in confusion. "You never liked me and we were never friends and now we are this..." Josie said and I just stared at her. "Do you think I have a say in all this?  Josie, I..." I got sad and mad at her for numerous things before I pulled out a blue and green-ish magic ball that represented my soul. "If you don't want this at all then say the words and it's done." I whispered, my voice was breaking while I spoke. "What?" She whispered, confused. "Say the words and I'll kill it!" I suddenly yelled and Josie stepped forward carefully. "Put it back, Amaya. Please, don't do this. Just put your magic back." She said calming and I looked directly in her eyes while she came forward.

I put my magic slowly back into me and it faded when it touched my skin again. Then Josie took my hands and held them. "I will hurt you. I always hurt people." I whispered and my eyes glowed again. She looked into them and shook her head. "No, no... No, you could never hurt me. And you won't. I know that." She whispered and I looked into her brown warm eyes. "I've hurt people before. I've killed. I'm-" Josie cut me off by putting her hands on each of the sides of my face.

I looked anywhere but her face. I couldn't look at her. Not now. "I'm not going to leave you now. Okay? You're stuck with me, Rose!" Josie said and I looked up when she said my middle name. "Everybody leaves eventually." I whispered and Josie shook her head. "We're in this together." She whispered and then I leaned forward to kiss her but stopped in my tracks and pulled myself away.

With my revilas senses I heard a car pulling into the entrance of the school. I smiled  shortly at Josie. "Your dad's back." I said and then turned around to go back into the school where I headed into my room.