"Are you alright, sweetheart?", Caroline implored, snapping Josie out of her daydream. Josie blinked once, then twice, before nodding her head unsurely. She picked up the cup of tea from her mother's kitchen table, holding it in her sweating palms. Caroline eyed her daughter suspiciously, closing her laptop and setting it aside to give Josie her full attention. "What's going on, sweetheart? You've been acting strangely ever since you arrived, you declined going with me and Lizzie to the art museum, and now it's like you are staring right through whatever it is you're looking at.", Caroline told, her observations making Josie wriggle in her seat uncomfortably. "The sooner you get whatever it is bothering you off your chest, you will truly enjoy the limited time we have together before you have to return to school. So, tell me what's on your mind kiddo." Josie stilled, questioning if she could trust her mother with the knowledge she did not yet understand herself.
Josie had spent the beginning of the break keeping her thoughts of Penelope concealed, telling herself that her feelings for the snarky, charming witch could wait to be determined after she returned to the Salvatore school. Penelope, however, had taken up more real estate in Josie's mind than she'd expected, popping into her thoughts like a subliminal message at the most inopportune of times. Josie had hoped that her inner turmoil hadn't been apparent, and for Lizzie, at least, it was. Josie cursed to herself; She should have expected that hiding her emotions from her mother would be more difficult. Then again, a part of Josie was relieved that her mother had challenged her, and the words tumbled out of her before Josie could have enough time to think them over. She started at the beginning- Observing Penelope at the party, to becoming her sparring partner, to spending that first night with Penelope in her dorm room. She spoke about Jade, and how- while she liked the blonde a great deal- she couldn't be with her without yearning to be with Penelope more. She recalled being stuck in quarantine with Penelope, and their conversation leading to their near kiss. Caroline simply listened as her daughter purged the thoughts in her mind, waiting until Josie had mentally exhausted herself before sharing her insight.
"It seems that you and Penelope have some mutual feelings.", Caroline stated, taking a sip from her lukewarm cup of tea. "Do you believe that they are worth exploring?" Josie sighed, collecting her thoughts before speaking again. "I like Penelope, mom, and if it was just about having feelings for her, of course I'd want to work out being with her." Josie swallowed hard, shaking her head slightly. "But it's not. There's so much more to it. For one, Penelope has a reputation to uphold, one that's very important to her. Being with me would destroy her image. Secondly, Penelope and I are so...different. She's loud and outspoken, and she's unapologetically herself. I'm the complete opposite of those things." "Who says that you and Penelope have to be similar people?", Caroline questioned, tilting her head curiously. "Some of my best relationships were with people that we're polarly opposite of me. Even now, Stefan and I have many differing qualities; That doesn't make me love him any less. It just gives more for me to admire about him."
"Is that so?", the man in question asked, leaning over to kiss Caroline on the cheek. "I never knew that before." Caroline laughed, playfully swatting Stefan in the shoulder. "Oh, hush you. I was just giving Josie some examples of opposites that attract. She's having herself a bit of girl trouble." "Mom!", Josie explained, hiding her face in embarrassment from her stepfather. "Oh my god." "Well, I'm not to wise on that topic, but if girl trouble turns to "trouble" trouble, we've got you back, kiddo." "Thanks, Stefan", Josie replied, her cheeks still flushed red with humiliation. Stefan nodded, kissing Caroline one more time before disappearing into the adjacent room. Caroline watched him leave, smiling broadly, before turning back to her daughter with a content gleam in her eyes. "I can't tell you how your relationship with Penelope will work out, sweetheart, but I can assure you this without an inkling of doubt."
"Love is always worth the risk."
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...
