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Two weeks.
It had been two whole weeks since Landon had broken up with Hope, leaving Josie to pick up the pieces.
The brunette was basically living at Hope’s house considering the amount of time she spent there taking care of the auburn-haired girl, and she worried that she was being a bother to Klaus and Hayley. She remembers casually mentioning it to Hope a few days ago when they were studying for a test, to which the latter had rolled her eyes.
“You’ve been coming over for years, you’re basically their second child.” Hope pops a grape into her mouth, obnoxiously chewing with her mouth open. Josie shoots her a glare, signaling for her to stop.
The two of them were sprawled on her bed, a fruit platter in between them that Hayley had prepared earlier. Opened textbooks were strewn around them, though they hadn’t done much studying. In Josie’s defense, she had walked into the room to see Hope crying again, and immediately rushed to comfort the auburn-haired girl.
Josie pouts. “But still, I don’t want to annoy them.”
Hope scoffs in return. “Trust me, they literally beg me to invite you over.” She playfully throws a blueberry at the brunette, which lands directly on her nose before it drops down onto her textbook.
She scrunches up her nose, and nods reluctantly. “Okay.”
Despite that Hope acted as if the breakup didn’t affect her, Josie could see right through her facade, from the way her smile seemed forced and how her eyes were dimmer than usual.
Josie hated it.
Every time Josie passed Landon Kirby in the halls, she resisted the urge to stick her foot out and trip him. (Although one time she actually did.)
The only time Hope looked genuinely happy was when she was with the brunette, and Josie would be lying if she said that her heart didn’t flutter when the Mikaelson girl would burst out laughing at some lame joke she said, or when Hope’s lips would curl into a big grin every morning when Josie would approach her locker with cups of coffee in her hands.
The Saltzman girl is practically buzzing when Saturday approaches, and she rapidly knocks on the front door of the Mikaelson’s house. Not long after, the door slowly creeks open, revealing a sleepy Hope.
“Josie?” She whispers, her voice rough and groggy from having just been woken up. “What are you doing here.”
“Can’t explain, it’s a surprise.” She responds back in the same tone. It’s still slightly dark out, the sun just barely beginning to rise. She eyes Hope from head-to-toe, and can’t help the small smile that spreads across her face at the sight of the fuzzy yellow socks that she had gotten the auburn-haired girl last Christmas.
Hope groans. “It’s barely six.”
“Just trust me, it’ll be fun.” The expression on Josie’s face is hopeful.
“But my parents-”
Josie cuts her off before she can finish her sentence. “They already know, I told them ahead of time. And I already packed your bag since we’re staying there overnight.” Half of Hope’s closet was basically at her house, and vice versa, as it wasn’t uncommon for the two of them to sleepover.
That causes the auburn-haired girl to raise an eyebrow. “So you’ve been planning this for a while?” There’s a teasing lilt to her voice that causes Josie to blush under her gaze. She can feel piercing blue eyes staring at her, but she refuses to look up and meet them.
“Maybe.” The brunette mumbles. “Just get dressed and come back down when you’re ready.” Before Hope can notice her reddening cheeks, she turns around, heading back into the car that she and Lizzie shared.
The blonde Saltzman twin had graciously allowed Josie to use it for the weekend upon hearing the brunette’s plan, saying something along the lines of “you’re so whipped,” to which Josie ignored.
Josie anxiously taps her fingers against the steering wheel as she waits for Hope, taking deep breaths as bad scenarios begin to cloud her head. What if Hope doesn’t like it?
Before she can get too caught up in her thoughts, a gentle knock brings Josie back into reality, and she turns her head to see Hope through the window, gesturing to let her in.
She quickly unlocks the door, and Hope swiftly gets in, buckling her seatbelt. The auburn-haired girl dramatically makes the motion of putting on a helmet and securing it tightly, causing Josie to roll her eyes.
“Seriously?” She responds, trying to keep a straight face.
“I’m preparing myself, I don’t want to die if you crash the car.” Hope says in a “duh” tone.
“Hey.” She looks at her accusingly, and pokes a finger at her side. “I’m not even that bad at driving.”
“Says the person who drove into my mailbox when you were trying to park in my driveway.” Hope teases. “You’re just lucky there weren’t any dents.”
Josie distinctively remembers freaking out after the incident, and groans. “Don’t even remind me, I’m still embarrassed.”
“It was pretty funny.” An amused smile appears on Hope’s face, before her eyes begin drooping.
Josie immediately notices this. “You should get some sleep. It’s gonna be awhile until we get there.”
Hope is reluctant. “Are you sure? I don’t want to sleep the entire car ride and bore you.”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” The brunette looks at her straight in the eyes, showing how genuine she is. For a few seconds, the two of them simply stare at each other, enjoying the quietness of the early morning in each other’s presence.
Eventually Josie looks away, feeling strange under Hope’s intense gaze, and finally starts the car, pulling out of Hope’s driveway.
Not long after, the brunette hears soft snores next to her, and can’t help but stare at the Mikaelson at every chance she gets. Hope looks so peaceful, and a sudden urge to protect her from all the dangers in the world surges through Josie.
A honk brings Josie out of her trance, and she realizes that the light had long turned green. Normally, she’d be embarrassed, but she’s more concerned about waking up Hope than anything else.
Thankfully, when she glances back at the auburn-haired girl, her eyes are still closed and she continues softly snoring.
Josie sighs in relief, and decides to put on music to distract herself from the sleeping girl next to her. Maybe Hope was right about that safety helmet.
A few hours pass when Hope wakes up. The brunette doesn’t notice at first until Hope gently pokes her in the cheek, causing her to abruptly turn to her side. She’s honestly lucky they are barely any other cars on the highway that she could potentially crash into.
“Hi.” Hope greets with a soft smile on her face once she gets Josie’s attention.
Josie reciprocates the smile. “Hi.”
A few seconds pass as Hope looks around, taking in her surroundings. They’re surrounded by nothing but acres and acres of just plain fields. “How long until we get to this mystery place.”
“It shouldn’t be too long. An hour at most.”
Hope nods, before realizing what song is playing quietly on the speakers. She bumps her shoulders with Josie. “Getaway car, seriously?”
The brunette doesn’t answer her, but instead begins singing loudly as she turns the volume on full blast. Hope covers her ears from the sudden change in the volume, but nonetheless laughs at Josie’s carefree manner.
From the driver’s seat, Josie sees Hope roll down the windows to the car, sticking her head fully out. Her eyes are closed, and a content smile rests on her face. The wind hits her wildly, causing strands of auburn hair to fly all over her face.
Josie engraves the sight into her memory, wanting to retain this moment forever.
Soon enough, buildings come into view, and it takes Hope a few moments to finally realize where they are.
“Jo, are we where I think we are?” The excitement in her voice is evident.
Josie can’t help the grin that spreads across her face, and she attempts to keep her voice even. “Maybe.”
It’s confirmed once they pass a welcome sign revealing the town that they were in, and Josie looks over to see the biggest smile on Hope’s face.
Scorton’s Creek is just a few hours away from Mystic Falls and probably just as boring, but there was just something about the small town that drew everyone in. Or perhaps it was just the nostalgia that both Hope and Josie had from spending every summer there as kids.
“What are we doing here?” Hope asks.
Josie shrugs. “I just thought you needed a little getaway for the weekend.” The brunette doesn’t specifically mention the breakup, but Hope knows exactly what she’s talking about.
Thankfully, the Mikaelson doesn’t bring it up. “Well, thank you.” She says sincerely.
Josie can feel her eyes on her, but chooses to stay focused on the road as she drives into the town square. “Anytime.”
At the heart of Scorton’s Creek sits a giant fountain, and Josie remembers how she and Hope used to chase each other around it. Lizzie opted to stay on the sidelines, not wanting to potentially get wet.
Surrounding the fountain are wide sidewalks, with stores of all kind lining the streets. Josie manages to find a parking spot a few blocks away from the square.
As soon as she parks, she quickly exits out of the car, leaving Hope confused. The confusion soon leaves her face once Josie rushes over to the other side of the car, opening it for the auburn-haired girl.
“I could’ve done it myself.” Hope rolls her eyes, but sends her a thankful smile.
“I know.” She says smugly.
They begin walking towards the square, the streets bustling with people despite the small population of the town. Josie jumps slightly whenever Hope’s hand accidentally brushes up against hers, and eventually Hope interlocks them together.
Startled, Josie turns to the shorter girl, but the latter isn’t looking back, and instead facing forward with a slight smile on her face.
Hope walks with a certain pep in her step, swaying their conjoined hands back and forth. Josie finds it to be adorable. They take their time walking, enjoying the beautiful views and the liveliness of the town.
When the two reach the square, Josie breaks the peaceful silence between them. “So what do you want to do?”
“Everything.”
And they do just that. They have lunch at a simple and slightly run-down burger joint that they always went to as kids, but the food is just as good as they remember. They walk around the square and enter any store that interests them. Josie buys a book from a small bookstore in the corner, where she has memories of reading to Hope on the floor as the auburn-haired girl rests her head on her shoulder.
Hope offers to pay for their ice cream, but Josie insists that she should, quickly handing the cashier at the ice cream shop her card before Hope can even pull out her wallet. The man behind the counter compliments them, saying how cute of a couple they looked, to which Hope and Josie both look away, a blush rising on both of their cheeks. The brunette stutters out a “Thank you” before they walk out of the store.
When it’s well after dark, the two finally get back to the car, and Josie begins driving to the motel. They don’t say much on the way there, too tired from the day’s activities.
Checking in goes smoothly, and as soon as they’re inside the room Hope flops down on the bed, and Josie chuckles.
“You look like starfish right now.”
“At least I’m a comfortable starfish.” Hope’s voice is muffled by the blankets.
There’s only one queen-sized bed in the center of the room, but neither Hope nor Josie minded sharing the same bed. They always did whenever they would sleep over at each other’s houses.
They seemed to arrive at the right time, because soon enough it begins raining. The small water droplets can be heard hitting the ceiling, producing a melodic rhythm.
They take turns showering, and cuddle up together as Josie turns on the television. A random rom-com is playing, but the brunette doesn’t pay much attention to it. Hope’s head is laying gently on her shoulder, and every time she breathes out Josie can feel it tingle on her neck.
Their legs are tangled together under the sheets, and Josie busies herself by playing with the baby hairs on the back of Hope’s neck. Every once in a while Hope looks up, meeting Josie’s warm brown eyes, before turning her attention back towards the movie.
The movie ends too quickly for Josie’s liking, wanting to stay in Hope’s arms forever. The brunette pouts when the shorter girl untangles herself and stretches, and Hope once again rolls her eyes when she notices this.
“Relax, I’m going to close the lights.”
Josie nods, watching Hope do so as she shuts off the TV. Once the room is completely dark, Hope climbs back into bed. For a few moments, the two of them lay next to each other, staring at the blank white ceiling.
When Josie moves around to lay on her side, Hope reciprocates the action so that they’re facing each other. Despite the darkness of the room, Hope’s eyes are bright and shining. The only sound that can be heard is the faint pitter patter of the rain.
Just as they’re about to fall asleep, Josie breaks the comfortable silence. “Hope?” She asks, unsure if the auburn-haired girl had fallen asleep.
“Mhm?” Hope makes a sound of acknowledgement.
Josie takes a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for what she’s about to say. “I think I like you.”
She holds her breath, waiting in anticipation. The rain that was once calming only makes her more anxious.
It feels like an eternity until Hope responds. “I think I like you too.”