Chapter Text
Josie doesn’t fully know what she is doing here, not really. She never intended to be at a house party tonight, she had an eight page paper due the next day that she hadn’t even started on and a blog post due later that night.
And yet she was just now walking into Extra Cosmic Jungle Place at midnight, following her sister like a lost little puppy.
It wasn’t her fault that Lizzie was persuasive, and Josie was a desperate loser. One, “But what if you meet someone cute,” from Lizzie while she was watching a rom com and Josie eagerly put down her books and went and got ready. Because if college didn’t exist to lure a bunch of hopeful young adults into bad decisions then what did it even exist for?
So technically Josie knows exactly what she’s doing here. She’s getting drunk and hoping for something great.
Lizzie leads her to the kitchen where a group of people she vaguely recognizes are hanging out leaning on the counters. MG lights up when Lizzie walks in and greets the two excitedly, “Well if it isn’t my very favorite twins. Lizzie you’ve done it, the impossible. Josie has finally left her room.”
“Ha ha, super funny,” Josie says. She helps herself to some jungle juice, pouring a second cup and handing it to her sister.
Lizzie smirks and takes a sip, “I’m a woman of many talents,” she says then settles her glance on MG’s friends. “MG, don’t be rude, introduce us.”
MG lights up at his name out of Lizzie’s lips, “These are my friends from speech comm. Landon and Rafael. Gents this is Lizzie and her twin…”
The curly haired boy, Landon cuts him off, slightly tipsy. “I know who you are,” he declares to Josie. “You’re Park’s new girl!”
Lizzie looks at Josie, confused. Josie’s face must be the exact same as the blonde’s, twin expressions of bewilderment. “I’m sorry, who?”
Landon looks intensely confused, like he’s trying to speak a language he’s never heard before, “Park. I’m sure it’s you.”
“You little hoe Josette, you’ve been seeing someone and you haven’t told me,” Lizzie accuses, overwhelmingly impressed. MG grins, proud of Josie.
The tall girl just snorts. “I don’t know any Park’s and I am definitely not anyone’s girl.”
“I could have sworn, but my mistake then,” Landon says, still confused.
Rafael slings an arm around Landon’s shoulders, slapping him on the chest. “My boy Landon seems to have had more to drink than he let on. Anyway, does anyone want to play pong?” He asks. Josie agrees while Landon wanders off to catch up with his upperclassman brother. Lizzie stays behind to flirt some more with MG. She always did love boys who were obtainable, and MG is overly so.
Josie follows Raf to a plastic table, already covered with cups. They find opponents in Kaleb and Jed, two boys who Raf knows from football. They reach out to shake Josie’s hand politely.
“Hey I’m Josie. So nice to meet the people whose asses I’m about to use to clean the floor.” Raf laughs loudly and Josie grins, cheekily.
Jed shoots a playful glare her way while Kaleb lets out a whistle. “I can see how you and Park would get along,” Kaleb says, already distracted by arranging the cups on their side of the table. He dunks the ping pong ball in a cup of water a few times, as if the amount moisture on the ball has anything to do with anything.
“Excuse me?” Josie asks, stunned.
“It’s just no offense but Park is usually interested in girls a bit less put together than you. But if you ask me, you’re much better for her. She needs someone who’s going to challenge her or whatever,” Kaleb says distractedly.
For the second time that night Josie is utterly confused.
“Who the fuck is Park?” Josie demands. Kaleb reacts, bewildered.
“Your girlfriend I thought. Are you not Peevs’ new girl? My b, I thought that was why you were here.” Kaleb explains, quickly.
“I don’t know anyone named Peevs or Park but would you believe that you’re the second person to ask me that tonight?” Josie asks a bit confused, a bit intrigued.
She really feels at this point as if maybe she should meet this mysterious Park. If an entire friend group thought they would make a good match, well who was Josie to argue?
Jed snorts. “I believe it. You’re exactly who I picture Peevs’ type to be. She tries to act all badass but I’m sure she would take one look at you and turn into a puddle of mush.” He shoots and sinks the cup. Josie distractedly drinks. Jed makes a whipping noise, “She’s a sucker for pretty girls and puppy dog eyes.”
“Please don’t take my idiot friend for a creep. He’s not trying to hit on you, he has a boyfriend, he’s just a dumbass like that,” Rafael apologizes. Josie smiles, endeared by how dumb and light hearted this group of boys is.
She wonders how Park fits into all of this. If she’s the same way, If she’s more quiet or less quiet than the bumbling crew of boys before her. She wonders if she would think she’s cute.
Josie distractedly takes a shot and misses. Raf sinks his and the boys drink.
“I’m sorry, I’m just telling the truth,” Jed sheepishly explains. Josie shoots him a smile to show that no harm was done, even if she is momentarily having a crisis over the mysterious girl aforementioned.
A boy comes up behind Jed, wrapping his arm’s around the tall football player’s waste as he talks. “Speak of the devil.”
Josie waves awkwardly. Rafael clarifies, “Ryan, Landon’s brother, Jed’s boyfriend.”
“You must be Parks’s new girl friend,” The curly haired boy smiles. Josie drops her drink and the three boys laugh.
“You know, I’m beginning to think you and Peevs just have to meet,” says Kaleb, endlessly amused.
Josie rolls her eyes, a little drunk and a little sick of the teasing. “At this point I feel like we’ve had a whole epic romance already. What’s the point in ruining it with an awkward first meeting?”
Kaleb grins, “She’ll be here in an hour and then you’ll totally get it.”
Raf laughs, delighted at the opportunity to join in the matchmaking fun. “I bet she’s exactly your type Jo.”
Josie rolls her eyes, “You guys hardly know me and you’re all drunk.”
“Call it a wing man’s intuition,” Kaleb quips. He sinks the last cup. Josie groans and her and Rafael drink, sore losers.
“I think I’ll pass on this one. Now please excuse me as I pursue more alcohol and the preservation of whatever sliver of pride I still have remaining,” Josie bids them farewell, needing a moment to recompose herself.
The boys all laugh as she leaves them behind, flustered. She hears Ryan stage whisper behind her, “I like her. A lot. Almost as much as Ms. Park will,” and Josie smiles to herself.
Josie finds her way back to the kitchen where she finds her sister making out with MG. She snags another cup of jungle juice, then makes her way to another part of the party.
She stumbles upon Nia from her film class who offers her a joint. She sits with that group for a while, smoking and talking and laughing. One of Nia’s friends lean over to ask if she’s P’s infamous new girlfriend. At this point Josie just feels sorry for whoever the mystery girl’s actual girlfriend is.
She shakes her head and sighs, “Nope. Not me,” then takes her last hit, leaving the room.
In line for the bathroom someone tells her she’s lucky for snagging a Park. Josie is too exhausted to even correct them. It seems everyone here thinks she’s someone else and it’s getting a bit ridiculous.
She decides it is time to turn the towel in. Finding someone to take home seems impossible to do at a party where everyone thinks she’s spoken for, and Josie doesn’t want to stay around for the part of the party where everyone will ask her why she isn’t spending time with the girlfriend she evidently has who definitely belongs to someone else. It reads as a very awkward situation to get herself into.
She finds her sister, thankfully pulled away from MG a little, and checks to make sure she’s good to get home. On her way out she runs into Rafael, Kaleb, and Jed dancing like idiots to Sunday Candy on the make shift dance floor.
Josie gets swept into it for a second, dancing along with them, reveling in the feeling of being a drunk dumb ass with her drunk dumb ass new friends.
“I’m heading out,” She yells over the music.
“Noooo!” The boys all complain at the same time, trying to get her to stay.
“You have to stay for Penelope, she’s almost here!” Jed yells.
“I have a paper, but maybe next time,” She shoots them a sad smile, trying to let them down easy. She knows how sad even the slightest inconvenience can seem to a drunk person.
It’s Kaleb who accepts defeat first. “I’m holding you to that,” He lightly threatens. He gives her a warm hug, followed by Raf, Jed, and Ryan. They all look fondly at Josie, as only drunk people do when they adopt a new friend at a house party.
“Let’s actually hang out,” Kaleb insists. Josie nods and holds up her pinky, locking it with the new, sweet boy’s. She waves to the other three and pushes her way out of the crowd, just as Ms. Jackson by Outkast starts playing.
On the porch, Josie orders a lyft to a chorus of a bunch of drunk college students screaming out the high pitched “OOOs.” As she waits for her driver she looks up to find a gaggle of girls approaching up the side walk. They pass by her, into the party.
Josie’s eyes lock onto a pair of green ones so pretty her drunk brain swims. The girl they belong to winks slyly as she passes into the party.
Josie almost cancels her lyft, turns around and follows the girl into the party. She truly almost does. If she was slightly more drunk she would have, but at this point it would cost her a fee, and college students just don’t do fees. So she climbs into the back of Rob’s red Nissan and tries to picture exactly what Park whatever-her-name-is could look like.
The next morning she wakes up with a killer hangover, a half written paper, and a very murky memory of maybe at one point playing some beer pong with some new friends.
Week two of summer break is going just swimmingly for Penelope. She has extended stay, she can smoke in her dorm room whenever she wants, no classes, no job yet, no worries. She is living the ultimate life.
When Hope invites her to go to her family’s lake house for the day she thinks her life could not get any better.
Being randomly placed with Hope had been a blessing in disguise. Penelope never thought she would be friends with a loner ex-emo kid and yet they lived together incredibly well. Penelope valued someone who could be just as bitchy as her and who could laugh at herself as well.
It was fun being a secret dork with Hope Mikaelson.
The only catch was meeting Hope’s new girl… toy. Girlfriend? Penelope wasn’t really sure. Hope was very noncommittal about the whole thing. From what she could understand the whole thing was very casual. Not that Hope talked about it very much, she wasn’t big on feelings.
The whole thing was shaping up to be pretty awkward.
But she was looking forward to working on her tan and taking a swim and possibly paddle boating. Who knows?
At 11:00 am sharp Penelope is ready to go and her and Hope head out. When they get to Hope’s black jeep, a pretty girl with a pouty face is leaning against it.
Penelope’s sure she’s seen her before, in the campus store perhaps. Their school was small enough where everyone looked vaguely familiar but something tugged inside Penelope looking at this girl. She just couldn’t pinpoint what.
Hope leans in to give Josie a peck on the lips, then she turns to her roommate with a small smile, “Penelope this is Josie, Josie, my roommate Penelope.” Josie offers an awkward hand. Penelope finds it all strangely formal and awkward, so she schools her face into a mocking serious one and stiffly shakes the taller girls hand.
“A pleasure, Josette, it’s not often you get to meet the woman who has charmed the elusive Hope Mikaelson.”
Hope rolls her eyes as Josie grins. “Don’t be weird, Park,” she complains, “just get in the car.”
The ride down is pretty uneventful. Hope blasts Queen and the three of them scream sing on the hour long drive it takes to get to the lake. The doors are off the jeep and the air is warm. Penelope feels content in a way she hasn’t since school started. Without the weight of any type of pressure she feels sort of more free or something. Being in that car feels like they’ve been there a thousand times.
When they pull up to the lake, Hope goes inside to change. Penelope and Josie, who wear their suits under their clothes, stand awkwardly, waiting for their only link to come back.
Penelope was never good at awkward silences.
“So how are you liking Salvatore?”
Josie nods, immediately ready to give the most genuine answer, “I like it. My dad’s a professor here so I didn’t really have an option but I don’t know. I like it well enough.”
Penelope nods, “what’s your major?”
“Bio. You?”
“Journalism.”
“So you’re nosey then?” And Penelope is taking aback by the girl’s teasing. She seemed almost too… wholesome for it.
“Oh, ridiculously so. But I also think copy editing wasn’t cut throat enough for my parents. So that’s why,” Penelope explains.
Josie smiles, “Copy editing? Penelope the copy editor?”
“Yeah. What’s wrong with that?” Penelope challenges.
“Nothing. It just sounds like something a grandmother would do.” Josie laughs. For some reason Penelope likes it when Josie teases. There’s no real bite behind it.
“Yeah well Josie the Scientist sounds like a feminist children’s book.” Josie snorts and the sound warms Penelope’s heart.
“What ever you say…” Josie mimes pushing glasses up her face and shaking a cane, “Penelope the copy editor.”
“That’s the old Penelope. It’s more…” Penelope mimes turning on a tascam, “This is Penelope and this has been the scoop,” she says in a newscaster voice. Josie laughs a full laugh and Penelope feels her heart stutter for a quick, forgettable second. She continues on. “So tell me, Josie, what’s your deepest, darkest secret?”
“Off the record?” Josie asks. Penelope nods, delighting in the way the taller girl plays along.
“I killed the president of the United States of America.”
Penelope’s jaw drops. “Now come on. You have to let me write that scoop!”
“Sorry, It was off the record.” Josie smiles sweetly.
“But what if he deserved it?” Penelope asks.
“Aren’t you supposed to be free of bias?” Josie wonders, fixing Penelope with an accusing stare.
Penelope just shrugs. “I’m still learning,” she justifies.
The raven haired girl could do this all day. Her banter with Josie easier than breathing. Penelope looks up and sees Hope walking back towards them.
With a jolt she realizes she’s disappointed at the interruption. With a second jolt she realizes Hope isn’t alone, and with a third, she notices who accompanies her.
“Landon?”
Josie turns around, looking visually as surprised as Penelope feels.
“Hey! Look who I found,” Hope explains cheerfully, “you guys know Landon right? His mom has a house a few plots over.”
And Penelope almost rolls her eyes. Because she knew this. Knew that Hope and Landon had grown up together. And knew that the two have been crushing on each other ever since.
Josie, bless her heart, is not privy to all this information. Penelope watches as brown eyes practically light up.
“You’re Rafael’s friend, right?” Josie asks, excited to be making this connection. “I think we met at a party one time.”
Landon scrunches his face up in confusion. Then his eyes light up. “Yes! You’re the girl with the scary twin,” Landon remembers.
Penelope holds her breath but Josie just laughs, “Sure did,” she confirms. Bold move on Landon’s part to lead with that, Penelope thinks to herself.
“I hardly remember that night but I do remember Kaleb saying over and over again that he liked you and that he knew other people who certainly would too.”
Josie’s smile lights up her face and Penelope is momentarily distracted by how beautiful she is. She scolds herself for thinking that about her roommates kind of girlfriend.
“I hardly remember that night either but I remember finding all of you guys lovely,” Josie says sincerely. Landon’s face lights up.
“It is so great that you all know each other. Especially because Landon just offered to give us a ride on his boat,” Hope says. And Penelope almost rolls her eyes. Mikaelson was a major dumbass if she thought a day on a boat with her life long crush and current fling was a good idea. Apparently Penelope was the only one with any brains of the four though. The other three were on board with the idea immediately.
Hope stares at her, waiting for a confirmation. Penelope immediately glances to Josie’s eager face. She’s somehow powerless against it.
And that was a bit weird to be feeling with a girl she just met huh? Even if Josie was pretty in a wholesome way and surprisingly funny and cute when she laughed, was Penelope even allowed to think any of that? Was it against some sort of room mate code to want to protect Josie from going into a situation that may hurt her? To want to go on the boat just to spend more time with Josie in the first place?
“Peevs?” Hope asks, pulling Penelope out of her thoughts.
And against her better judgement Penelope nods. “Yeah, sure. Let’s get on a fucking boat,” she says.
The excitement on Josie’s face… on all of their faces Penelope corrects internally, makes her agreement completely worth it.
Josie isn’t an idiot. She’s actually fairly bright, all things considered. She graduated high school eight of her class and was in the National Honor Society. Therefore, she can tell that Hope has feelings for Landon.
She should probably be offended at the way the red head sits up at the steering wheel with the curly haired boy, laughing at every awkward joke he makes.
Another girl in Josie’s position would probably feel heartbroken, devastated that their sort of something was chatting up someone else. But surprisingly Josie feels none of that.
She just feels content. Sitting at the back of the boat joking around with her sort of something’s roommate makes her feel content.
“I’m telling you, Holes is the most quotable movie of all time,” Penelope states, dead serious and Josie laughs. “I am not kidding.”
And Josie doesn’t know much about Penelope, she just met her today, but she knows that that statement from her mouth was hilarious. “I know you’re not kidding, that’s why it’s funny.”
“Why?” Penelope asks, a twinkle in her eye.
“You don’t look like that type of girl.”
“The type of girl who likes Holes?” Josie nods. “Well then what type of girl do I look like?” Penelope asks. Josie swallows down the feeling that rises in her throat at the glint in Penelope’s stare.
“You look like the kind of girl whose favorite movie is The Departed. Maybe Dead Poet’s Society,” Josie explains. Penelope snorts at that.
“Oh Captain, My Captain, has nothing on Holes.”
Josie rolls her eyes, grin never leaving her face. “Give me one quote from Holes that’s memorable.”
Penelope looks downright offended. She puts on a southern accent, and as serious as can be says, “I’m tired of this Grandpa, Well that’s just too damn bad!” And it’s all rather goofy. And Josie finds that magical.
She can’t help the way her smile grows as Penelope goes on to explain how the movie is great but it still doesn’t even do the book justice. The taller girl finds her self wrapped up in a glimmer in green eyes. In the way Penelope throws her heart into discussing a children’s book and movie.
“Holes is pretty good,” She admits after a twenty minute argument. Penelope’s face scrunches up in confusion.
“Pretty good? Jo, pretty good? It is high key iconic!”
And the loud laughs from the front of the boat don’t succeed in making her heart sink the way that they would otherwise.
Something about the girl sitting next to her and the way the can chat like they’ve known each other for lifetimes makes Josie not really think about what her date is doing at the front of the boat.
She doesn’t really notice anything beyond green eyes and progressively worse arguments at all.