"You're kidding!", Josie exclaimed, covering her mouth in surprise. "You were the student they found breaking into the potions lab?!" "I had no other choice!", Penelope cried, putting her hands over her face in guilt. "I wasn't going to let someone else find that love potion- which ended up being way more trouble than it was worth, by the way. I didn't even end up using it cause I found out my crush had a girlfriend anyway." "Ouch", Josie sympathized, feeling the second-hand embarrassment for younger Penelope. "That's...rough; I'm so sorry." "It's okay- not like it matters now. He turned out to be a cheater anyway. I guess I dodged a bullet.", Penelope explained before turning her attention to Josie. "Okay, your turn, Saltzman: truth or dare?" Josie thought for a moment before answering. "I guess I'll pick truth?", she answered hesitantly, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering nervously as she waited for Penelope's question.
Penelope scooted closer to Josie, her mood taking on a more serious tone. "What is the real reason that you don't want to date Jade?", Penelope asked, her eyes following Josie's as they're gaze fell to the ground. When Josie hesitating in answering, Penelope did something unexpected- she squeezed Josie's hand in support. "It's okay, Josie.", Penelope assured her gently. "You can talk to me about it, you know. I'm not gonna, like, judge you or anything." "I don't know, Penelope", she lied, swallowing hard after the bitter words left her mouth. "I guess...I just like someone else." "I knew it!", Penelope exclaimed, clearly proud of herself. "Who is it? Is it Hope? Oh my god, it's Hope, right? I could see you two as a couple." "It's not Hope!", Josie yelled, her voice shaky and her eyes glossed over with unshed tears. "It doesn't matter who it is, because she'd never feel the same way about me. So, please, just leave it alone." Penelope quieted, contemplating Josie's disturbed reaction to her questioning. Josie snapped out of her staring contest against Penelope, standing from her place on the floor. "I don't think I want to play anymore."
Josie expected Penelope to say something in reaction to her outburst- to maybe tease her, or pry the answer out of her, or even demand to know the answer Josie was keeping from her- but, instead, Penelope stayed in quiet contemplation. An awkward tension filled the air around them, making Josie unnerved and expectant. Just as the rigid silence verged on being unbearable, Penelope got up from her space on the floor, facing Josie, who was now seated at her desk. "Why is it that you never give yourself the credit you deserve?", Penelope asked, cautiously stepping closer to Josie. The question left Josie without an answer, but Penelope didn't appear to be expecting one. "You're an extraordinary person, Josie, and yet you treat yourself like you're expendable, replaceable; Unimportant." Penelope sighed, pausing to let Josie take in her words. "You're so used to counting yourself out that you don't see what's right in front of you. That people love you, Josie, and not because they have to, but because they want to." Penelope wiped at her eyes, drying the tears threatening to spill over. "That's why I used to be so jealous of you, Josie. You have people who genuinely, unconditionally embrace you. I never had that; I had parents that were forced to care for me, siblings who snubbed my existence, and friends that were only nice to me because they feared me. Seeing you, with all of this attention and support, and taking it for granted? It angered me. So, I started trying to take that from you so you would appreciate it more."
"That was wrong of me- I know that now. Instead of making you more aware of the people who love you, I made you believe they didn't exist.", Penelope continued, placing her head in her hands shamefully. "You weren't taking all that love for granted, you just couldn't feel it. You were- well, you felt just like I did." Penelope hesitated, swallowing hard before speaking again. "No one should feel that way- no one deserves that kind of suffering. But you, especially, don't deserve to feel like you're alone, lost in a world that is lying at your fingertips." Once Penelope's speech had ended, Josie sat quietly, unable to produce words that could explain the thoughts racing through her mind. Penelope had been jealous of her? Penelope was admitting her mistakes? And, most surprisingly, she was remorseful for them? It felt as if everything Josie was certain she knew about Penelope, was only what Penelope had projected, what she had wanted Josie to see. Now, staring at the exposed witch, Josie could see exactly who Penelope truly was- a vulnerable girl simply trying to protect herself from a world and a population she had never felt attached to. So why, Josie wondered, did Penelope consider her to be any different?
"You're different because, unlike every other selfish, obnoxious, evil person in this fucked up world, you're pure. You're a giver and not a taker.", Penelope explained, picking at the polish on her nails. "Even when I gave you so many reasons to hate me, and even though I tried so hard to hide it, you found the good in me. Good I didn't even know existed until I met you. You are peace, and you are safe, and you're the most incredible person I've ever met." Penelope laughed bitterly, throwing her hands up in the air. "I couldn't have hated you even if I tried- and I did. But instead, you planted this warmth in my heart and now every time I look at you all I want to do is kiss you and force you to see you like I do." Penelope's eyes widened, her hand going up to cover her mouth once she'd registered what she'd admitted. Josie's focus snapped to Penelope, an equally shocked expression on her face. Penelope hastened to explain herself, but Josie stopped her. Her voice had been so minute and insecure that Penelope had to ask her to say it again. Josie complied, pushing her tone to be less timid and bolder instead.
"So why haven't you?", Josie asked, a hint of challenge in her voice. She stood from her desk seat, standing as straight as she could in front of the opposing witch. "I thought Penelope Park got what she wanted when she wanted it." Penelope's visage blanked as she processed Josie's words, but once she convinced herself that she had heard Josie right, the notorious smirk and mischievous glint in her eyes returned. "I do.", Penelope stated assuredly, shortening to distance between herself and Josie with a few curt steps. "I always get what I want; And what I want, right now, is you." "So what are you waiting for?", Josie asked, her body trembling with nerves but her concentration on Penelope's eyes firm. "Take what you want." Penelope didn't need to be told twice; the second the words left Josie's lips she was pulling the brunette flush towards her body, making Josie gasp. Penelope's sight darted between Josie's eyes and her lips for a few breathless seconds before Josie could barely feel the ghost of Penelope's lips against hers. She closed her eyes, anticipating the moment they finally met.
A pounding on the door broke the girl's apart, and Penelope pushed Josie away in surprise, causing Josie to cry out as the hardwood of the desk made contact with her lower back. Penelope murmured an apology, which Josie waved away. "Go get the door!", she whispered, rubbing her back to soothe the worsening pain. Penelope rushed to the door, struggling to pull open the knob before realizing the door was locked on the outside. "I know you're in there!", Lizzie hollered, pounding on the door yet again. "You're the only person left in quarantine; Well, you and the dark witch herself. It's almost like she disappeared- if only we were so lucky." Penelope rolled her eyes, shooting a stern look at Josie when she heard quiet snickering coming from her direction. "First of all, I prefer evil temptress.", Penelope corrected her, grinning when she faintly heard Lizzie cursing to herself on the door. "Second, your dad locked us in here from the outside, so we can open the door even if we were willing to tolerate you right now." "Tolerate me? You're in my damn room!", Lizzie yelled as the door began to glow a deep orange color. Seconds later, the door flung open, nearly slamming into Penelope in the process. Lizzie marched into the room, turning her attention between the injured Josie and the seemingly annoyed Penelope with curious eyes.
"What the hell did you do to her?", Lizzie scolded harshly, pointing at Penelope accusingly. "I didn't do anything! You're the one that interrupted us!", Penelope yelled back, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "She didn't just injure herself, and we all know you have no problems hurting innocent people.", Lizzie growled, creeping closer to Penelope with her hands balled into tight fists. "So you better start explaining yourself, Park." Penelope turned to Josie, who stayed quiet in her sister's presence. She sighed in disbelief, making Josie feel more distressed than she already had. "You know what? I was just leaving anyway.", Penelope stated, collecting her things from Josie's room. "I'll see you later, Josie." Josie cried out Penelope's name in an attempt to stop her, but the fiery witch was already out the door. "What did you do that for?", Josie scolded her sister, moving tentatively to her bed. She winced as she sat down, stopping Lizzie from her late attempt to help Josie. "You should be glad I cleansed our room of the she-devil.", Lizzie exclaimed, shaking her head incredulity. "Why was she even here? You can't be friendly to her, Josie; I refuse to let her turn my twin into another one of her evil little minions." Josie sighed, flipping her light off and turning away from Lizzie. "Are you seriously just going to ignore me, Josie?", Lizzie scoffed, her voice laced with annoyance. Josie stayed silent, and moments later she heard Lizzie exit the room. She breathed a sigh of relief, allowing her pent up stress to release through her tears. Only a few short months ago, Josie would have agreed with Lizzie.; Now, however, she knew better. Penelope wasn't evil, or malicious.
Penelope was as they all were- unmistakably human.
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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...
