Mermaid

The Fight

The annoying Twin- 11:15 am- Josette
The annoying Twin- 11:17 am- You've been in Satan's lair all morning. Is she holding you hostage or something?
The annoying Twin- 11:22 am- Come home, Josie.
The annoying Twin- 11:34 am- Josie!!
The annoying Twin- 11:43 am- If you don't get your ass home right now, I'm going to come to get you.
The annoying Twin- 11:43 am- Well, Hope will come to get you because she's the only one with a license
The annoying Twin- 11:44 am- But you know what I mean
The annoying Twin- 11:49 am- Josie!
My other half- 11:52 am- Calm down, Lizzie. Penelope just dropped me off.
My other half- Can you unlock the door? I left my keys last night.

"Well, it's about fucking time Josette.", Lizzie scolded her, staring at the car with tinted windows sitting in their driveway. "Hello to you too.", Josie grumbled, turning to wave goodbye to Penelope before entering the house. "I was just with Penelope; She made breakfast, and I helped her clean up from the party. I'm sorry I didn't call, but you already knew where I was." Lizzie huffed in annoyance, crossing her arms across her chest. "I don't even know why you spent the night there. I mean, I know they say 'keep your enemies close', but that's a little too close Jo." Josie sighed heavily, hanging her coat in the hall closet. "Maybe Penelope's not the enemy, Liz.", she said, and Lizzie's jaw dropped open. "She's your biggest competition, Josie!", she exclaimed, shaking her head at her sister. "She's always been a bitch- to you, to me, to our whole goddamn team- and suddenly you're, what, friends with her?" Josie stopped walking, her hands closing into fists. "She's no good, Josie. She doesn't care about you- she just wants to make you seem weak." Josie turned around slowly, and Lizzie could see the fire in her eyes. She stepped back in shock- in the sixteen years they had co-existed, she had never seen her sister so mad. She realized that she had struck the wrong cord.

  "Yes, Lizzie, she is my friend. She's nice to me. She understands me, something you don't know how to do!", she yelled, and Lizzie swallowed her words down hard. "We're not in the water right now, okay? I'm sorry you don't know how to distinguish competition and real-life since all you ever do is compete with everyone!" Tears welled up in Lizzie's eyes, but now that Josie had started speaking freely, it was impossible to stop her. "I'm always the third wheel between you and Hope. I always feel like the odd one out. Now I have something with someone- a relationship that is my own- and you want to play concerned sister!" "I'm not playing conc-" "God, Elizabeth! You don't even let me speak!", Josie exclaimed, stopping Lizzie in her thoughts. "You don't care about me. You just care about yourself." Lizzie wrapped her arms around herself, feeling like a scolded child. She knew there was some truth in Josie's words, but she never expected to hear them from her sister. She roughly wiped a tear away from her eyes. Josie's features softened, and she stepped forward on instinct to comfort Lizzie. The blonde-haired twin pulled away. "No, Josie. I- I can't even look at you right now." "Lizzie, I'm sorry.", Josie said, and while her voice was dripping with sincerity, Lizzie was too upset to listen to her. She walked away from Josie, running to her room and closing the door behind her.

Josie hit her fist against the wall, leaning against it as she tried to collect her thoughts. Where had all that come from? she wondered. She had had fights with Lizzie over the years, but never one as explosive as what just occurred. She was ashamed of herself for the way she had made Lizzie feel. She knew that Lizzie would tell Hope, and she knew what side her best friend would pick. She felt so alone, still filled with pent up anger, and the guilt that fighting with Lizzie had brought her. She sighed, retreating to her bedroom and closing the door behind her with a soft thump. She didn't know what to do, so she went to the one person she knew would understand.

Josie- 12:22 pm- I feel like shit
Mermaid- 12:23 pm- What happened, baby? Are you okay?
Josie- 12:25 pm- I fought with my sister. I said some horrible things to her, and I just feel awful about it.
Mermaid- 12:26 pm- Hey, everyone says things they don't mean, Jojo. I'm sure you've had fights before, right?
Josie- 12:29 pm- Not like this. I called her self centered and a horrible sister.
Mermaid- 12:31pm- Ouch. That's...not the best.
Mermaid- 12:32 pm- But did you mean them?
Josie- 12:33 pm- No, of course not. I just...my life and Lizzie's have always been intertwined. Her friends are my friends. We hang out at the same places. I just...I want something of my own, and she seems to have a problem with that.
Mermaid- 12:35 pm- Change is never easy, Jojo. You've been dependent on each other your whole lives. It's a big adjustment.
Josie- 12:36 pm- I just wish I could take it all back. God, I'm a horrible person, aren't I?
Mermaid- 12:36 pm- You made an error in judgment, Josie. That doesn't make you evil, or a bad person.
Mermaid- 12:28 pm- Give her some time to chill, and talk to her when you're both calm.
Mermaid- 12:31 pm- She's your sister; She loves you. Everything is going to be okay. Trust me.
Josie- 12:34pm- I do trust you. (Message not sent)
Josie- 12:35pm- i really hope you're right
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Hope- 3:17pm- Can we talk, Jo?
Josie- 3:18 pm- I'm busy, Hope.
Hope- 3:19 pm- Well, get unbusy. I'm outside your front door, and I don't want to climb up that tree again.
Hope- 3:19 pm- But I will if I have to.
Josie- 3:21 pm- okay, okay. I'm coming down now.

  Josie opened the door, coming face to face with Hope. The girl looked concerned, a worried look on her face. She embraced Josie as soon as the door was fully open, surprising the girl. Josie pulled away, looking at Hope confused. "I thought you were here to yell at me." Hope smiled sadly. "No, Josie. I came because I don't think you should be alone right now; And frankly, neither does Lizzie." Josie sighed, walking through the hallway and to the living room. She sat down on the couch, nervously playing with the sleeve of her sweater. "I'm surprised she even cares; She should hate me for what I said." "Josie, stop.", Hope said sternly, putting her hand over Josie's. "Lizzie doesn't hate you. Once she calmed down, she looked a little proud." 

  Josie looked up at her in confusion. "But I said such horrible things." "You spoke your truth, Josie. You made her look at what she was doing, and she feels horrible about how she's been treating you. I do too." Hope bit her lip nervously. "Do you truly feel like a third wheel with us?" "Well, sometimes.", Josie mumbled, not looking Hope in her eyes. "Sometimes I feel like everyone just sees me as Lizzie's sister- the other twin. It's like I'm her shadow." "I'm sorry, Josie. I never wanted you to feel that way.", Hope apologized, holding Josie's hands in her own. "I love you, okay? I love both of you, just as much as the other. You're my family." Josie smiled at Hope's words, her head still down. Hope put her hand under Josie's chin, gently tilting her head up to look at her. "I mean it, Jo. I love you for the amazing, sweet, and loving person that you are. Not as Lizzie's sister- but as Josette Parker Saltzman."

Josie shifted next to hope, leaning her head on her shoulder. "I know you love me, Hope.", she admitted, looking down at their joined hands. "But it's nice that you care enough to say it." "Of course I care, Jo. I always have", Hope said, running her hands through the girl's hair. "And I always will."