When Josie woke up in the morning, she was not surprised to find that Penelope had left. She'd expected it, or at least part of her had; If someone caught Penelope leaving Josie's room- the room of a girl she was supposed to despise- they would make assumptions. Those assumptions would turn to rumors, and those rumors could ruin the reputation that Penelope Park had worked so hard to build for herself. Behind her cold, selfish facade, Josie knew that deep down, Penelope cared about what other people thought about her; Had known it even before she saw the evidence of it for herself. Penelope hid behind her position in the hierarchy in the Salvatore school social order- it was sacred to her. That wasn't going to change just because she spent one night with the person she hated because she was drunk and lonely. What was unexpected, however, was a note laying on her nightstand, propped up with bottled water and a shiny red apple. Josie took the letter, unfolding it carefully to read the message inside.
Hey, Josie. Sorry I had to leave so early- morning class. Thanks for letting me stay here last night. I left you an apple as a thank you. See you at sparring practice. - Penelope.
Josie smiled at the note, folding it carefully and hiding it between the pages of her journal on the nightstand- a place she knew Lizzie wouldn't find it. Josie liked this neutral, passive Penelope, but she knew that her sister would not comprehend the changes that Josie was slowly seeing in the girl; And that was very much okay with Josie. Whether Josie wanted to admit it or not, she was developing a soft spot for the younger girl; Whether this was a good or bad thing she had yet to decide, but she knew that she wasn't ready to broadcast that information to the rest of the world. Though Josie had seen glimpses underneath it, Penelope held up a tough defense, a guard to protect her from enduring whatever trauma had built it. Penelope didn't trust her, and Josie wasn't ready to trust her either after the years of torment she had suffered at Penelope's hands. So, for now, they kept each other at arm's length, not quite enemies anymore but assuredly not friends. It was a push-and-pull with Penelope, but at least Josie understood where the girl's aggression came from a little bit more; In turn, Josie liked to think she perceived her fascination with the charming yet abrasive witch a little more, too.
Josie spent the beginning of the morning studying, enjoying the peaceful quiet that was often a rarity while sharing a room. She ignored the commotion outside, turning up the volume of the current song playing to block it out. Her pen never left the paper, Josie's concentration focused and her mind sharp, and to her delight, Josie caught up on her work in only a couple of hours. Pleased, she packed up her books, eager to turn in her work, and finally have the burden of it off her conscience. She had just exited the room and barely closed the door behind her when she first began to realize something was amiss among the students. Clustered together, they were all huddled together, whispering amongst themselves in hushed voices. As Josie passed, their attention flickered to her, exchanging looks that Josie could not decipher. She chalked it up to the regular high school drama that not even the Salvatore school was immune to and chose to ignore it. That is until she ran straight into Hope, whose frantic expression turned to relief when she recognized who had just body checked her in the middle of the crowded hallway.
"Oh, thank god.", Hope muttered, grabbing Josie's arm and beginning to drag her down the hall. "I've been looking for you for almost an hour." "Why didn't you just check my room?" Josie asked, slightly amused. "I was just studying." "Okay, I am a lot of things in a stressful situation, Josette.", Hope said, rolling her eyes. "Clear-minded doesn't happen to be one of those things." Josie pulled away, the smile on her face fading away. Hope turned to face her, annoyance written on her face. "Wait, what is going on, Hope?" she asked, biting her lip nervously. "Is it Lizzie? Did she have another episode?" Hope sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "No, it's not Lizzie; I haven't even seen her since last night.", she admitted. "Look, I'll explain everything, but right now, we need to get to the infirmary." "No," Josie stated, refusing to walk any further. "Tell me what is going on, Hope. Who is hurt?" Hope opened her mouth to explain, but didn't have the chance before Josie overheard two students next to them, piecing the situation together for herself.
"Rose Sycamore just got her ass handed to her by Penelope Park."
YOU ARE READING
This Love (Calling My Name)
Fanfiction"My, my, my Josie; Don't you know that it is rude not to acknowledge someone when they are talking to you?", Penelope scolded in a brash tone that succeeded in capturing Josie's full attention. "There- that's much better. Wouldn't want anyone thinki...
