Chapter Text
JOSIE
Students stared shamelessly at Josie as she approached the commons area with her twin. She had expected an upswing of gaping she would have to endure after all the drama surrounded her and Lizzie this term, but she did not enjoy the sensation of standing in a very literal bright spotlight. She shielded her eyes, tapping Lizzie on the shoulder.
“What’s this for?” She gestured to the overhead light producing a strong narrow beam of light directly at her. “And the tables, chairs, and uh is that a helium tank?”
“Miss Mystic Falls is in two days, remember?” said Lizzie brightly.
“Oh.” The realization hit Josie like a brick. “We’re still going stag right?”
The pinky promise they made when they were thirteen flashed across her mind. Even though Lizzie was kidding then by the way she laughed, Josie remembered letting out a sigh of relief, knowing that there was no way she could find a date for Miss Mystic Falls, seeing as everyone she liked held an obvious torch for her twin.
The world had a pretty good sense of humor. This she realized now when she remembered thirteen-year-old Lizzie giving her word.
“Of course, I don’t even want to join the pageant.” Lizzie held her pinky finger and like an idiot, Josie believed every word her twin said. “And it’s not like taking Hope as my date is an option.”
Now, Lizzie looked like a deer caught in the headlights. She looked guilty; her eyes were fixated on the wall behind Josie.
“I can’t, Jo. I promised Hope I’ll be her date.” Lizzie said softly. “I’ll see you later okay?”
“Right,” said Josie.
She felt a strange twinge of annoyance as Lizzie walked away, her long blonde hair swaying behind her. Josie watched from afar as Lizzie made a beeline towards Hope, startling the red-haired girl with a fierce hug. Josie had become so used to her twin’s presence over the last few days, just her and Lizzie binge-watching Gossip Girl in their room, that she had almost forgotten that her twin… had been secretly dating her best friend for almost four months now.
Hope whirled and kissed Lizzie passionately. It felt like a punch in the gut. Then Josie blinked and looked around: she was surrounded by people watching her intently, waiting for her reaction.
“Josie!” said a familiar voice from behind her.
“MG,” said Josie in relief, turning to see the curly-haired boy clutching a thick binder to his chest. The large letters on the front announced Candidates for Miss Mystic Falls. “Do you need me for something?”
“I’m just going to confirm if you still want to help me be the coordinator for the event,” said MG shortly.
Just then, Lizzie giggled loudly. Josie instinctively turned around and found her best friend playfully fastening a corsage on her twin’s hand. Red clouded her vision.
“Josie?”
“Sorry–I–”
People ended their tasks to get a better look at the couple. Hope giggled when Lizzie draped a sash on her shoulder and it seemed to increase the intensity of the gazes from the onlookers. Someone exclaimed that Hope was the best pageant contender, and with Lizzie in tow, they could get anything they want. Smirking slightly, Lizzie kissed her girlfriend full on the mouth.
The couple looked so smug. It was all too much. Josie wanted to die on the spot.
Every bit of bitter thought that Josie had for the past months seemed to bubble up, pouring out of her; her frustration for not realizing that her twin and her best friend held a torch for each other, the hurt that Lizzie and Hope did not even bother to tell her about them dating until she caught them kissing in the library, and her fury after knowing that everyone had known she was being except her.
All of these feelings she buried resurfaced and the next thing she knew she was blurting out:
“I’m joining the pageant.”
She conjured up in her mind looking at her twin and her best friend rubbing that Miss Mystic Falls crown to their faces. She exhaled, it felt more than good.
It felt cathartic.
“As a candidate?” said MG, looking very surprised. “Oh. Okay.”
Josie laughed uncomfortably.
“I’ve always wanted to join, you know?”
“Right,” said MG, scribbling and crossing out plans on his binder. “And your date is?”
“How about we keep it as a surprise?” said Josie, but her mind was racing.
Josie didn’t know anyone who would want to go as her date. Rafael popped on her mind, but she easily dismissed the idea knowing Lizzie would realize right away that taking the boy was nothing but her way to settle a score. She wasn’t that petty. She wasn’t that pathetic. No, she wouldn’t ask her twin’s ex to be her date…no matter how desperate and angry she felt.
Who would go out with her though?
“You could ask me,” said MG sympathetically, as though reading her mind.
“I already have a date silly,” Josie faked-giggled, then cringed inside. “Trust me, when you see my date…She’s perfect.”
“She?” MG stood straight, interested. “Just make sure that she shows up for the formal dinner later.”
“That’s tonight?!” piped Josie. “I uh –thought—the committee moved it tomorrow.”
“Well we didn’t,” said MG. He patted her shoulder, heaving a comforting sigh. “All this drama made you distracted, huh? Please tell your date that she’s needed for tonight. Okay?”
“Sure,” mumbled Josie as soon MG made his way back to the foyer. The thought of finding a date before nightfall sent her heart running wild. “All I need to do is find a date.”
The execution of this idea, however, came to nothing: the pickings were pretty slim. The pool was down to the kinds of girls who saw her as the ‘not eccentric’ Saltzman twin. No matter how pissed she was at Lizzie, she wasn’t exactly the kind of person who would go that low just to hurt her. Salvatore Boarding School wasn’t exactly packed with her type anyway, but then again she had to find somebody. She didn’t want to take back her lie and be the only pageant girl without a date.
As panic coursed through her, she pulled out the students’ file and started flipping through the pages one by one; looking for anyone who was good looking enough to be eye-candy and smart enough not to reveal she was called in to play a part in a secret vendetta. First, she looked through the seniors but none of them fit the bill. The juniors were a no-go since she knew she didn't have much of a chance with them either.
Landon Kirby, who suddenly materialized behind her, sighed loudly on her ear. He was supposed to help MG double-check the list of students coming from Mystic Falls High, but Josie had an inkling he didn’t want to spend time watching his ex-girlfriend neck Lizzie in the library.
“If you want, I’d go with you,” he said, finally sat on the desk beside her.
“I already have a date.”
“Honestly, Josie. You and I both know why you’re doing this,” Landon whispered conspiratorially, looking between bookshelves to check for possible eavesdroppers. “Take me as your date.”
Josie considered it for a moment. But then again, Landon was foolish enough to transfer to a private school just to spend more time with Hope. Looked at how that turned out. So, she figured, he didn’t exactly fit the ‘smart’ category.
“Lizzie’s going to think that I’m using you to hurt her and Hope,” muttered back Josie. There was no need to lie since Landon seemed like the last person who’d talk to Lizzie and Hope.
“Isn’t that the point?” asked Landon, scratching his head.
“The point is Landon,” Josie fumed irritably. “I have to do this discreetly. Otherwise, Lizzie’s going to outright know I still hate her for not telling me that they’ve been secretly dating for months. Taking you as my date is a big red flag.”
Landon looked disappointed.
“At least let me help you or something,” pleaded Landon.
Josie flipped through the pages once more and sighed.
“Do you know anyone willing to piss off our school’s new power couple?”
Landon paused. Then like a madman, he started to laugh.
“Not from this school.”
“What are you suggesting?”
He riffled the pages of his binder, until finally tearing off one. Still amused, he brandished a student’s file in front of her eyes.
“I have the perfect candidate.”
Josie saw the picture, exhaled for just a second, then cursed under her breath for even thinking about it. She slowly realized that there wasn’t anyone left and ticked all of her desired qualities…except for the girl in the file. The picture seemed to smirk up at her, an arrogant, mocking smile playing on her thin mouth.
“She’d say yes,” said Landon, grinning. “You know she would.”
Josie closed her eyes. Penelope Park? No way. Absolutely not. Lizzie would roast her alive.
“I’ll give you her number just in case.”
Josie gulped heavily. “I’ll think about it.”
Despite the very obvious plan of Lizzie to make amends for ditching her in front of everyone, Josie was in no mood to spend time with her twin. She spent the rest of her morning in the kitchen as much as possible along with everyone else. Salvatore was hardly less crowded now that students who weren’t participating in the pageant were given free time, but it seemed to become rowdier too, as the remaining students were breaking down the betting odds on who would likely be crowned as the new Miss Mystic Falls.
Jed Park had a great success creating a betting pool, and for the first couple of early morning hours, people kept wagering on Hope. By ten o’clock, everyone already knew that Josie joined into the pageant fray. Josie learned that anyone smiling at her should be approached extreme caution, in case they were those students who had taken a liking for bombarding her with silly pageant questions. She made a mental note never to talk so much to the freshmen in the future. She still hadn’t forgotten that they ambushed her in the loo just to ask her strategy for winning the pageant.
“Jo!” Lizzie appeared right next to her, cornering her in the common’s area. Hope was hovering behind her, biting her lip. “Who are you going to the pageant with?”
Lizzie kept springing the same question on her, hoping to startle her into an honest answer by asking it when she least expected it.
Josie frowned and said, “I’m not telling you. It’s a surprise, remember?”
"You don’t have one, Saltzman!” shouted Jed, trailing behind them. Jed had developed a habit of springing whenever the three of them were in the vicinity, probably just to watch them bite each other’s heads off. “MG told me you didn’t put a name.”
Josie and Lizzie both whipped around irritably, but Hope waved to somebody over Jed’s shoulder and called, “Hello, Headmaster! Are you aware of the existence of a betting pool in the school right now?”
Jed looked wildly around for the headmaster, but no one was in sight. Josie took the chance to run up the staircase while Lizzie and Hope were still laughing heartily.
“Josie!” said Hope, catching up with her. She was frowning. “Do you really not have a date?”
“I do, okay?” fumed Josie. “And I already told you it’s a surprise.”
“Is he telling the truth?” Lizzie wrinkled her eyebrows. Josie noticed that it was a very different frown from the one she always had when things went south. Her current expression was all too familiar and more infuriating since it reminded Josie that her twin had a knack for deducing bullshit from a mile away. “Are… are you doing this just to spite us ?”
“I’m not,” hissed Josie. “Not everything is about the two of you.”
“Look, Josie. We’re sorry okay?” said Lizzie indignantly. “We didn’t tell that we’ve been dating for months because we know you’re going to act like this.”
“Act like what exactly?” retorted Josie.
“Lizzie,” interrupted Hope anxiously, stepping backward with her fingers over her mouth. “Don’t.”
“Act like a child.”
Josie felt her hands trembled. Hope looked like she wanted to bolt.
“We thought it’s all water under the bridge since you’re talking to me now,” Lizzie continued sourly. “but no, you just had to retaliate by joining the pageant.”
Josie went purple. She stared up at her sister, opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out.
“Don’t make a fool of yourself Jo, please.” Lizzie took a tentative step forward. “Hope and I have always wanted to join but we never told you because we know you’re not really into it.”
“Well then, I’ll just file that under the things I apparently didn’t know about my best friend and my sister!” shouted Josie tartly, storming off.
Lizzie flinched backward and then yelled back, “You better bring that imaginary date Josette! I so want to meet her.”
Josie recrossed the staircase, dead set on asking her twin’s arch-nemesis to be her date.
When Penelope Park finally answered her call, Josie thought at once that the girl was probably already pulled by other participants. Penelope had always been surrounded by mesmerized girls and it would probably a crime against humanity if the pageant girls didn’t consider her as their arm candy. She was, in all sense and purposes, the kind of girl who wouldn’t mind or avoid all the staring, which seemed to do nothing to her but only boost her already massively inflated ego.
“Josie Saltzman,” said Penelope. Her voice was smooth and soft, and absolutely not trying to hide the fact that she sounded thrilled. “This is such a nice surprise!”
Josie groaned loudly, cringing as her noise made its way over Penelope. She had no idea what to say, except maybe that Penelope’s…her only hope to not look like a fool in front of the whole school? She bumped her head onto the wall with a light thud, exhaling once more as she squirmed with self-pity and embarrassment.
“You sound like you’re in a verge of a mental breakdown,” said Penelope and Josie detected a hint of amusement in her voice as well.
“Landon already told you, did he?”
“Of course he did.” The words were all purr now and Josie hated herself for blushing. This was what Penelope was so good at: make everyone fluster without even trying. Josie was instantly reminded why she never spoke to the girl in the first place. “He said the basics but still I want to know everything.”
As it turned out, Penelope was a good listener. Josie expected Penelope to laugh or at least make fun of her. Penelope never did any of that. Penelope, however, did air ridiculous questions Josie suspected were intended to way to get a rise out of her.
“And now the fun part,” said Penelope, sounding like she was fighting to keep her smile contained. “So, how long have we been together?”
“We’re not dating!” said Josie, her stomach flutters anxiously at the intensity of the question. “You’re just a friend who agreed to go as my date for the pageant. That simple.”
“If you want to take a friend,” scoffed Penelope. “You should have asked MG.”
“Lizzie’s going to laugh at my face if I take MG.”
“Exactly,” said Penelope confidently, once again displaying her knack to infuriate Josie. “How about this? I asked you out during one of those days when you were too busy indulging yourself with ice cream--”
“I didn’t indulge myself with ice cream when they told me about their thing,” said Josie hotly.
“We live in the same town, Josie. I’m pretty sure that you’re Fell’s Ice Cream Parlour customer of the month. There’s no point in denying.”
“Fine,” hissed Josie as she tossed her hair out of her face. Part of her wanted to ask how Penelope knew that, then again it was Penelope Park. She was notorious for knowing every secret in Mystic Falls. “We’re dating. Happy?”
“Ecstatic,” purred Penelope. Josie’s irritation grew a fraction when it became apparent that Penelope was flirting at her. “Just one more question--”
“Yes we can hold hands and no we are not kissing in front of everyone,” said Josie quickly.
“How about kissing behind closed doors?”
“Penelope,” shot Josie. “There will no kissing involved.”
“This is a very boring fake relationship,” Penelope groaned.
Josie closed her eyes and mentally count to ten.
“Do you have more questions?”
Penelope paused, then chuckled under her breath, and went on, “Can I at least tell them that we already had our first kiss? I’m pretty sure Lizzie’s going to love hearing that.”
Josie choked and Penelope gave in then, laughing at the sound of her floundering over the phone.
“My sister would never ask that,” said Josie, scandalized.
Penelope hummed and then said, “I’m sure it will come up Jojo.”
Josie tried to ignore the way her heart skipped a beat at the mention of the pet name.
“Just come to the school later, okay? The judges need to see us together.” deflected Josie, raking her hand through her hair in frustration. She had never wielded little control of any conversation before. “Don’t be late.”
“Hold up, I’m still thinking if I want to go as your date or not.” Penelope was obviously teasing. There was no way in hell she’d pass up a chance to wreak havoc in Salvatore’s School. Much less ruin Lizzie’s night.
“Seriously?” asked Josie, covering her eyes with a hand. “You're playing hard to get?”
“Now now,” Penelope said playfully. “You’re the one who needs me, remember?”
“If I say please will you say yes?” Josie begged.
“Answer my question,” purred Penelope, persistent. The room seemed more suffocating than before. She could feel her stomach fluttering again, reminding herself to relax, and wishing that Penelope would stop talking to her like that. “And I’ll yes.”
Josie gulped heavily.
“You can tell my sister that we had our first kiss,” Josie groaned. Then out of nowhere, the dimmest part of her mind suggested something she knew would make her sister’s blood boil. “But tell her that I kissed you first.”
“Oh Josie, you’re bad,” said Penelope devilishly.
Josie slammed the phone down, pretending that Penelope’s words didn’t make her face burn.
There was a feeling of anticipation in the air that late afternoon. Nobody was very attentive in lessons, being much more interested in the arrival of the participants from various schools in Mystic Falls. When the bell rang, Josie ran into the entrance hall and lined up along with everyone in front of the school. She stood between MG and Landon in the front, saw Lizzie smirking at her, who was positively shivering with anticipation as she mouthed, I’m waiting for your date.
“I may or may not have hinted that you’re actually dating um… your date,” whispered Landon as he caught sight of Lizzie’s smug grin. “So everyone’s anticipating about that too.”
Josie, whose attention had been completely focused on finding Penelope in the incoming crowd, now noticed that many students were eagerly looking at her and back to Lizzie, probably excited from the likelihood of a throw down.
“Landon,” sighed Josie.
“I just wanted to see Lizzie’s reaction to that,” sputtered Landon. “I didn’t know that telling her is telling the whole school.”
Josie groaned. Yeah, Landon wasn’t smart.
“At least tell me that seeing her reaction was worth it or something.”
“She laughed at my face and called me an idiot.”
“Of course she did.”
Josie was starting to feel cold. She wished the students from Mystic Falls High would hurry up…
“They’re here!” yelled Pedro, pointing over the gate. “Mystic Falls’ students are here!”
All eyes were on Josie now. She could practically feel the penetrating gaze from her sister, holding her girlfriend’s hand who was watching the crowd impatiently. The front row of students drew backward as the clunky yellow bus careered inside— then, with a screeching halt that made MG jump backward on Landon’s feet, the bus rested off in front of the fountain. A second later, students had emerged and were now making a beeline in front of the headmaster.
While the headmasters exchanged pleasantries, Josie noticed that her dad beckoned forward one of the girls, then sought someone from the crowd. For a moment, Josie thought her dad was pointing at her until MG sprang to his feet and waved his binder around. The girl whirled and Josie caught a glimpse of piercing hazel eyes. She moved away from her schoolmates with a saunter of unshakable confidence.
Instead of acknowledging MG, Penelope Park stopped in front of her and then pecked her cheek. It was the gentlest, lightest of touches, yet Josie felt something course inside her like fire.
“Hey Jojo,” purred Penelope, a flirtatious smile dancing on her lips. “Ready to get this pageant started?”
Somewhere behind her, she heard Lizzie sputtered:
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”