A month into their new relationship, Josie feels like she's on top of the world.
Being with Penelope is new, and fun, and exciting. When they're around other people, Penelope is cold and distant, playing her role in their act of being mortal enemies. When they're alone, however, the real Penelope springs to life- the girl that holds Josie like she is the most valuable thing in the world. The person who murmurs to Josie how beautiful she looks, who is sensitive and loving. The secretiveness of their relationship is frustrating, yet thrilling. As much as Josie wishes she could hold Penelope's hand in public, to scream from the rooftops that Penelope is hers and she is Penelope's, she knows that doing so would be dangerous. So, she bears the sharp looks in the halls, the scornful laughs targeted in her direction, and the chorus of amused laughter that normally follows. She bears the burden of Penelope's harassment, reminding herself that the Penelope she knows and loves would never say such things. It was all simply an act, and as hard as it was, Josie had to simply play along.
Two months into her relationship with Penelope, Josie is content.
The anticipation of summer break in only a few short weeks relaxes her, relieves the stress of finals enough that Josie no longer feels like she's losing her mind. The best part is that, though Josie and Penelope will be apart for the summer, they will only be separated by a few hours difference. Penelope's family's home in Belgium, they'd discovered, was only a day's trip away from her mother's house. This information had excited the couple, and their plans to meet up during the break kept Josie motivated to make it through the last dreaded weeks of the school year. With arrangements set for the coming months, the only thing left to do was turn in the last of her projects, take her dreaded final exam, and prepare to spend three uninterrupted months with her sister, mom, and girlfriend (Josie was unsure if she'd ever get completely used to using that title on Penelope, but she liked it anyway.)
The second to last day of the school year happens to land on their three month anniversary, and Josie decides she wants to do something special for Penelope. She begs Hope for her aunt Rebekah's pie recipe, places Penelope's favorite order for pick up at the Mystic Grill, and makes up an excuse that Josie would be studying late in the library, and not to wait up for her to get back. With all her bases covered, the only thing left to do is to let Penelope in on her surprise. With a bundle of wrapped Daffodils in her hands- Penelope's favorite flowers- and the anticipations to see Penelope's face light up at Josie's attempt of romance, she nervously heads to her girlfriend's room. It only takes a few moments to reach Penelope's room, but it takes less than a second for Josie to stop in her tracks upon hearing the heated conversation behind closed doors. Josie knows it's rude and an invasion of Penelope's privacy to listen in, so she spins around to walk back to her room, telling herself she would come back in a little while when Penelope was free. At least, that had been her intentions; But as soon as Josie heard her name be spoken, all rational thought completely disappeared. Josie stepped closer to the door, siphoning the lock on the door to creak in open just enough that she could peek inside.
Locked in a standstill were Penelope and the girl Josie hated more than anyone else in the Salvatore School- Rose Sycamore. Though she couldn't see Rose's face, she could see Penelope's- there was anger in her girlfriend's eyes, but behind that hurt also shone through. Whatever it was that Rose was saying, it was affecting Penelope deeply. "What I do in my free time isn't any of your business!", Penelope growled, pointing an accusatory finger at the redhead. "I'm your leader, not the other way around. I don't take your commands." Rose laughed, changing her stance as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You really think you would keep your reputation when everyone finds out that, of all people, Josie Saltzman wormed her way into your heart?", Rose threatened, her words causing a flicker of fear to pass in Penelope's features. Rose must have also noticed it because her stature grew more confident, her words laced with more venom. "I knew it; Wait until everyone here's how weak the mighty Park coven heir really is." "Josie doesn't mean anything, okay? I was just toying with her because she makes herself such an easy target.", Penelope explains, her eyes growing colder than Josie's ever seen. "She's just desperate and naive, and I thought it was funny. That's it. She's nothing to me."
Josie steps back, dropping the flowers on the floor in front of Penelope's door. The sound echoes throughout the hallway and the movement within Penelope's room ceases. Josie turns on her heel and flees down the hallway, just making it out of sight before she hears Penelope's door open. Tears run freely down Josie's cheeks and her chest burns as she processes Penelope's words. The realization hits her like a bullet, hurts just the same- Lizzie was right. Penelope had simply been playing with her feelings, preying on her insecurities for her own twisted enjoyment. It had only been a game to Penelope; Josie had never meant anything to the raven-haired witch. The notion brings Josie to her knees, makes her feel like she's about to be sick. Penelope never loved her; It was all simply an act.
Josie rises shakily to her feet once Penelope's door closes again, races down the hall, and as far away from Penelope's room as she can manage. Her thoughts are foggy, and she wanders through the halls in a daze. Josie is lost, she realizes; Far away from the witches dorms, she's made her way to the first place she'd thought of: room 1249 on the vampire wing of the school. Josie hesitates to knock because she and Jade haven't even spoken since Josie told her that she and Penelope were dating. She doesn't know where she and the blonde stand, but at the current moment Josie can't bring herself to care. She's tired and burdened with emotion, unsure if she can even make the walk back to her own room in her operative state. So, she knocks on the door with two quick raps against the wood, and seconds later, the door squeaks open, and Jade appears from behind it.
And Josie doesn't know why, but the sight of the blonde breaks her, and Jade has to scramble to grab hold of Josie before she comes crashing to the ground. The confusion in her features is replaced with rapid concern, and she scoops Josie up in her arms as if she is the most fragile thing in the world. She carries Josie inside, ignoring a bewildered Wendy's inquisitive glance, and then Josie is lying in Jade's bed, quiet sobs wracking her body. Jade settles herself in her own bed before pulling Josie closer, running her fingers through the smaller girl's hair as she cries the pain out of her heart. The comfort of Jade's firm hold is appreciated, and Josie uses it as the anchor to ground her to the present, even as it feels her world is crashing down around her. Josie knows Jade is confused, and once she's ready to speak again she definitely owes the girl an explanation, but Josie is relieved that the blonde asks no questions, simply lets Josie feel. And it's then and there that Josie decides she's made the right decision because being in Jade's arms is probably one of the safest places Josie will ever know.
Once her sobs quiet down to weary sniffles, Josie simply lays against Jade's chest, listening to the clock on Jade's nightstand tick down the seconds. Though the initial shock of Penelope's words have worn off, the hurt is still there, and it's overwhelming. Makes Josie want to scream, or set something on fire- set herself on fire- just to feel something different. The rawness of it clouds Josie's emotions, and it makes her next actions a blur.
She doesn't know who initiated the first kiss- could have been her, could have been Jade; Josie is unsure- but the familiarity of the action ignites something within Josie. The pain is still ravenous, but the harder she kisses Jade, the rougher she presses her body against Jade's, it numbs. Her senses are overwhelmed by the blonde- she feels Jade's tentative hands against her body, tastes Jade's minty mouthwash, smells Jade's perfume and it is all so overwhelming and not enough at the same time. Their kisses aren't tentative and sweet, but rushed and rough and exactly what Josie needs. For a little while, Josie forgets that her heart is shattered; She forgets Penelope's laugh and her soft words, and she ignores the emptiness in her heart. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knows what she's doing is wrong, but Jade tastes like revenge and Josie's addicted to how good it feels.
And when Jade brings her to that treacherous high, Josie finds herself praying that she never comes back down.
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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...
