Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The large study hall of the Salvatore School was filled with students chatting away, while all Josie wanted to do was have some peace and quiet. That turned out to be impossible because Lizzie was feeling particularly chatty today. Not that Josie didn’t enjoy her twin sister’s conversation, but the brunette hadn’t had a lot of sleep and couldn’t focus on her sister’s newest rant.

In fact, she caught herself zoning out, not even really listening to the words that were coming in her diction nonstop. It wasn’t the nicest thing to do but Josie knew her sister well enough to know that it wasn’t earthshattering important news what Lizzie was complaining about.

However, she reengaged into the conversation and looked up from her book, facing her blonde twin sitting next to her on the comfortable couch when she heard a somewhat familiar voice.

“Hey Jojo.”

The big, brown eyes looked and saw Penelope Park walking, uttering those surprising words. Josie was stunned but reacted as best as she could.

“H-Hi,” she replied before the girl wearing a darker version of their school uniform passed them completely.

“What the hell was that?” Lizzie scoffed obviously just as surprised. “Why is Penelope Park talking to you?”

“She just said Hi,” Josie downplayed their quick exchange when it was unusual indeed.

“She called you Jojo,” Lizzie emphasized the nickname which Josie had never heard before either. “And why is she staring at you now?” The taller sister added, making Josie turn around to find a pair of hazel eyes definitely meeting hers before quickly turning back around.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Lizzie locked eyes with her twin again. “Penelope is cute. She’s popular and a witch so she wouldn’t be a bad catch if she wasn’t you know, evil.”

“What makes you say that?” Josie wondered.

“Oh please, dearest sister. Everyone knows she’s devious.”

“Maybe she’s just confident and doesn’t apologize for what she wants,” the brunette countered to her own surprise.

“Do you like her?” The shock and slight disdain were distinguishable in Lizzie’s voice.

“No,” Josie shrugged lightly. “I don’t know her. That’s why I don’t want to make a judgment call.”

“Which is exactly why someone like Penelope Park would you eat you alive,” the blonde girl tried to argue her point.

“Let’s just go to class,” Josie suggested, not interested in deepening the conversation when there was no need for it. In her head, there was no way Penelope would become a topic again since it was a simple greeting nothing more.

As they got up, Josie couldn’t help but look back once more to find that the raven-haired girl was gone. Just as Josie expected. They all had the same class next, but their interaction had always been minimal. Penelope had a bigger circle of friends whereas Josie spent most of her time with Lizzie.

Taking her usual seat next to her twin, she heard some mumblings in the classroom but couldn’t figure out why.

“Hello again,” the same, smooth voice that had greeted her just a few minutes ago reappeared as Josie whipped around to see Penelope taking the seat to her right.

“Hey,” she returned slightly confused. Lizzie was to her left and rolled her eyes. Alicia, who was usually sitting to Josie’s right came up to them, but when seeing Penelope in her seat, didn’t say a word and simply switched seats. It was clear that the young witch with long, dark locks had a certain power that went beyond magic.

“You don’t mind, right?” Penelope asked with a little smirk on her lips.

“No,” Josie answered honestly. “Why the change though?” She questioned carefully.

“Why not?”

“There isn’t a reason why you’re changing seats in the middle of semester?” Josie found herself intrigued and smiled gently.

“Oh, I always have a reason,” Penelope said mysteriously and offered a more wicked version of a smile.

“You…want to be closer to the blackboard?” The brunette girl took a guess.

“No, my eyesight is perfect,” Penelope responded and focused the piercing, hazel eyes intently on Josie’s, making the twin’s heart beat a little quicker than before. “But I do want to be closer.”

Josie’ heartrate was definitely kicking into a new gear now. Although her mind told her that there was no way that Penelope was flirting with her, her body couldn’t fight the reaction. The brown eyes went wide, and her mouth went dry while being stared down intensely. However, the was a soft smile on Penelope’s lips that made the exchange more tender than expected.

“Good morning, Penelope,” Lizzie interrupted, clearly annoyed and trying to break up the conversation.

“Good morning, Lizzie,” Penelope replied sweetly and tore her eyes off Josie. “How are you?”

“Just wonderful,” the sarcasm was thick in her answer.

“So happy to hear that.”

Josie felt the tension sitting in between the two of them and was relieved to hear the teacher starting to talk. Facing him, she tried to gather her thoughts but couldn’t shake the feeling of excitement whenever she dared to sit back and steal a little glance to her right. It wasn’t until the class was over that she locked eyes with Penelope again.

“See you tomorrow, Jojo,” the dark-haired witch smiled.

“It’ Josie,” Lizzie cut in harshly this time and earned a disapproving look from her twin.

“See you, Penelope,” Josie made sure to let the other student know that she wasn’t agreeing with Lizzie by ignoring the rude comment and returning a warm smile. As soon as she was gone, Josie faced her sister. “Can you please stop? I don’t know what your vendetta against her is, but I don’t want to spend the rest of the semester being sandwiched in between your snarky comments.”

“She’s totally playing you,” Lizzie shook her head.

“I don’t want to argue about this,” Josie sighed loudly. “Who cares if she’s being nice to me? We had one conversation and I’m sure that’s all there is to it.”

“If you say so,” the blonde was obviously not convinced but agreed not argue which was fine by Josie.

-

The next morning, Josie was sitting in the same seat as yesterday and even though the rational part of her attempted to take over, there was a little part of her that couldn’t wait for Penelope to arrive. Perhaps it was silly and even a bit naïve, but she couldn’t fight it. She had even decided to wear a little makeup today and had spent more time getting ready for class than ever before.

It wasn’t every day for Josie that someone took an interest in her, no matter how minor it would be to someone else. Although she would never say it out loud, she felt overlooked a lot of the time. She had accepted the fact that Lizzie was the more visible twin, but it felt nice to be noticed. Even if it was just a greeting, a little smile or a new nickname.

“Good morning, Jojo.” Suddenly torn from her thoughts, she looked up and saw Penelope approaching her confidently as always. “Good morning, Lizzie,” she added in a friendly tone and showed civility by greeting both of them.

“Morning,” the blonde mumbled but didn’t look up from her notebook.

“Good morning,” Josie returned and watched as Penelope sat down next to her. The slightly older girl was wearing her signature cape with the school logo that must have been custom made. No one else had one. It was the epitome of why Penelope stood out and there was an admiration on Josie’s end for that kind of self-assurance.

She didn’t notice that she was staring at the girl next to her until her eyes met the hazel ones. Shifting uncomfortably, Josie felt busted.

“You look particularly beautiful today.”

Josie gulped. Not only were those words flattering coming from anyone, the way Penelope said them in such a natural, genuine and comfortable voice, sprinkled with a hint of flirtation was enough to make Josie’s mind go blank. All she was able to do was laugh it off mildly.

“Thanks,” she finally got out at least one word. “Something different.”

“Different looks good on you, too,” Penelope replied. “Are you wearing blush today or is that just your reaction to me relentlessly complimenting you?”

“Both,” Josie giggled mildly and felt her cheeks burning up even more.

“You can’t say more than two words today?” The darker-haired girl was clearly amused which was evidenced by the grin on her face.

“I guess, I’m not used to it,” Josie explained her reaction before finally looking at Penelope again because she had regained her composure; not all of it but most of it.

“The makeup or the compliments?” Penelope asked.

“Again, both.”

“I can help you with the latter,” she offered with a smirk. “I have no problem pointing out how gorgeous you are any chance I get. Maybe that will help with getting used to it.”

“Like exposure therapy,” Josie countered quickly and chuckled.

“Exactly,” Penelope was clearly enjoying the banter and chuckled as well. “I’m just doing my part as a good citizen. Helping everywhere I can.”

“Not all superheroes wear capes, but in your case, they do,” Josie managed to make another witty remark and felt her heart jump when Penelope laughed joyfully.

“Touché, Jojo,” Penelope acknowledged the smart comeback and there was blatant admiration in the hazel eyes.

The conversation ended there because class was starting but it was best to end on a high note. Whatever was happening between her and Penelope, Josie couldn’t deny that it felt good. Unfortunately, they didn’t have class together the next day. It was strange, but Josie was already missing it. She wouldn’t mind going to more class if that meant more interaction with Penelope.

Her wish was about to be granted when she heard: “Hey Jojo. Hi Lizzie.”

They were sitting at lunch when Penelope joined their table, to the obvious dismay of the blonde twin.

“How are you, girls? Are you excited for the funfair this weekend?”

“Oh, cut the crap, Penelope,” Lizzie said annoyed before Josie was able to say anything.

“Excuse me?”

“What do you want from Josie?” Lizzie blurted out. “We all know you always have an ulterior motive so spit it out. Because I can’t handle you being all over her just to get what you want. Do you need a favor from our Dad? Or help with some twisted dark magic?”

“Maybe you can’t understand that concept, but I just want to be nice to your twin sister?” Penelope returned with a little dig.

“Bullshit.”

“You said, you always have a reason,” Josie interjected quietly and saw both pair of lighter eyes focusing on her. Maybe she shouldn’t but believing Lizzie was all she had ever done. There had to be a reason why Lizzie was so against this, right? And Penelope had admitted to always having a motivation behind her actions. While Josie enjoyed spending time with her, she didn’t want to end up being used.

“You want the reason?” Penelope asked surprisingly and Josie nodded. “I wanted to talk to you because I wanted to see if you’d be willing to go on a date with me?”

Josie could feel her jaw noticeably dropping a bit. Even Lizzie was silent now. Granted, Josie had felt a little flirtatious vibe, but Penelope flirted with everyone. She hadn’t allowed herself to believe that there was genuine interest because…why would there be? No one had ever taken a romantic interested in Josie. Especially not when they also knew Lizzie. Josie was speechless.

“It’s totally okay if you’re not into that-“ Penelope said because Josie wasn’t responding.

“No, I’m into it,” Josie blurted out, making the other witch chuckle. “I mean…I would…go on a date with you.”

“How about we go to the funfair tomorrow? I’ll pick you up at six?” The girl with hazel eyes didn’t hesitate and smiled contently.

“Okay,” was all Josie was able to say but reciprocated the smile.

“Okay,” Penelope repeated with a nod. “See you then, Jojo.”

And just like that, she disappeared again, leaving Josie completely stunned. What had just happened? Had she just agreed to go on her first date ever? With Penelope Park? Someone she never would have imagined even knew who she was? Still, with all the nerves already acting up, she couldn’t stop smiling. Until she looked up and saw her twin sister’s disapproving look. Even though Lizzie didn’t say anything, it was obvious that she wasn’t thrilled about this.

Josie hated conflict; especially between her and Lizzie. She was hoping that the two of them could sort it out soon.

-

For the past two hours, Josie had been debating cancelling the entire date. She was nervous. What if she ended up making a fool of herself? Too many horror scenarios of things that could go wrong were running through her mind. It wasn’t until Lizzie finally snapped out of her mood and agreed to help Josie get ready that she felt better. Having the support of her twin meant everything.

Although Lizzie was still skeptical, she didn’t want Josie’s first date ever to fail. It was a milestone in a teen’s life and while the blonde could be selfish, she genuinely wanted the best for her sister. So, they talked and managed to get Josie ready to where she felt comfortable. She didn’t want to get too dolled up, but she enjoyed making an effort to look and feel good.

Plus, the funfair wasn’t the place to overdo it. Perhaps there would be other occasions where she would be able to do it. Josie started daydreaming about school dances while actually having a date – and that date being Penelope. The thought alone made her heart race. She was a romantic at heart and all the cheesy notions people had about teenage love were still foreign but exciting to her.

They heard a knock on the door and Josie took a deep breath, knowing it was Penelope who was on time to pick her up. She walked up to the door and found her fellow Salvatore School student greeting her with the warmest smile.

“Hi Jojo,” she said gently.

“Hey,” Josie replied quietly and admired the girl in front of her.

Obviously, Josie hadn’t been the only one who had made an effort. Penelope always wore makeup at school, but she had accentuated her eyes more than usual, making them even more striking. Her hair was flowing in long waves falling over her shoulders. It was strange to see Penelope not in her uniform but casual clothes. Black boots, matching skinny jeans, T-Shirt and blue denim jacket almost made her look like a different person.

“Wow, you look amazing,” Penelope suddenly uttered the words that had been on her mind.

Josie had straightened her hair and gone with an outfit that she felt comfortable but confident in. She wore her favorite dress that wasn’t too fancy. The warm crème color with red stripes was definitely a contrast to Penelope’s look but she didn’t seem to mind at all.

“So, do you,” Josie offered immediately.

“Have her home by curfew,” Lizzie opened up the door more so she could see Penelope but put on a smile this time. “Have fun,” she said genuinely much to Josie’s delight.

“Thank you,” Penelope answered just as sincerely. “And don’t worry. I’ll have her back by then.”

Astonishingly, it was very easy and not awkward at all. Josie’s fear of messing up had been completely unfounded. Penelope was a great conversationalist and they were able to talk effortlessly. For the most part it wasn’t too deep, but it was a first date and neither seemed to mind the careless and fun atmosphere they had going.

The funfair had several things to offer but Josie pointed out that she wasn’t good with rides that entailed too much motion – which was basically every ride. They ended playing games and eating candy while enjoying the other one’s company. Everything else didn’t matter.

They were playing a game where you had to throw the ball and knock out several cans. Most people failed and there was clearly something that wasn’t completely fair. Josie had already thrown two balls and barely hit anything. As Penelope handed her the last ball, she could feel the difference without siphoning it, the magic was that palpable. She realized that the dark-haired witch was possibly a lot more powerful than she had expected.

Throwing the ball, all the cans dropped in a way that wasn’t natural. She won a teddy bear and accepted the prize so it wouldn’t be obvious but as soon as they were out of earshot, Josie spoke up.

“Why did you do that?” She asked. “You know we’re not supposed to use our powers in public.”

“Come on. Those games are rigged and unfair anyway,” Penelope responded with a shrug. “It’s not like I’m ripping off innocent people. Plus, I really wanted you to have that teddy bear,” she added sweetly.

“Maybe so, but there is a no exposure policy and I don’t want anyone to get suspicious. My dad worked too hard for the school,” the siphon-witch sighed.

“I’m sorry,” Penelope instantly regretted her decision when she saw how worried Josie was. The mood had changed and that had been the least thing Penelope had wanted. “You’re right. If I would have known how strongly you felt about it, I never would have done it. But I should have known, and I won’t do it again.”

Looking at Penelope, Josie could tell she was being sincere. Therefore, she didn’t see a need to continue the upset and smiled at her date.

“Maybe Lizzie was right about something she said,” Josie responded quietly.

“That I’m a bad influence?” The expression on Penelope’s face revealed disappointment. Disappointment of letting Josie down and perhaps living down to the expectation others had of her. It was the first time that Josie saw a little crack of vulnerability.

“No,” the younger girl quickly shook her head. “That you are very persuasive,” she clarified while her lips formed a shy smile to reassure the other witch that they were okay.

“Am I?” Penelope’s face lit up again.

“It makes me wonder if…you couldn’t be persuasive with other people as well,” Josie voiced and part of her was surprised how honest she was about her concerns with Penelope. She wasn’t the most direct person but there was a sense of comfortability that allowed her to open up. And apparently Penelope immediately understood what the concern was.

“Maybe I could,” Penelope said but made sure to lock eyes with Josie for the next part. “But I don’t want to. I’m here with you and there is no one else I’d want to be here with. I know I shouldn’t be saying it this early, but I really like you, Josie. You’re smart, witty, kind, gifted, powerful, stunning obviously and probably the most interesting person in that school. The craziest part is that you have no clue how special you are. But I’m determined to make you realize how incredible you are. If that’s all that comes of this, then I’m okay with that. Persuasive or not, I don’t ever want you feel like I’m pressuring you into something that isn’t what you truly want. I know what I want; to be here with you and see where it goes. Nowhere else with no one else.”

Once more, the twin found herself rendered speechless by how open and honest Penelope was. All the little doubts that may had been planted by Lizzie and the reputation Penelope held were diminishing with every second they spent together. The part of Josie that couldn’t understand why the other witch had chosen her of all people, wasn’t stronger than the part of her that genuinely believed what Penelope was saying. She had no reason not to believe her.

“You realize you just made my point about you being persuasive, right?” Josie teased at first and saw Penelope smiling. “But…I want to be here too. With you. And you’re not pressuring me at all. I’m sorry if I got too upset before- “

“No, don’t apologize,” Penelope interrupted gently. “I’m glad you told me that something was bothering you. I just hope you accept my apology.”

“I already have,” the girl with light brown hair gave back softly. “But I might have thought of something that I truly want.”

“I’m all ears,” Penelope’s excitement was evident.

“I um…I want you to hold my hand,” Josie surprised herself with that request but her approach of being honest about her wants and needs paid off with Penelope. Not only that, she genuinely felt great voicing her true desires and getting a positive response from someone who seemed endlessly supportive.

“Let’s go, Jojo,” Penelope smiled widely and offered her hand. Without hesitating, Josie took the other girls’ hand and felt butterflies all over stomach by the simple touch of their fingers intertwining.

“Why Jojo, though?” She asked with amusement as they began walking hand in hand.

“You don’t like it?”

“I do,” Josie admitted. “No one has ever called me that before.”

“I had to get your attention somehow,” Penelope revealed with a smirk.

“Right,” Josie laughed. “Like you need any more attention,” she continued teasing.

“I wasn’t getting it from the person that I wanted to get it from,” the girl wearing a denim jacket countered.

“How could I have known that you wanted to peak my interested of all people,” Josie explained her side of things.

“The sooner you realize how special you are, the quicker you’ll understand where I’m coming from,” Penelope answered smiling.

This time Josie didn’t argue. Maybe she didn’t understand yet, but Penelope’s insistence on Josie being special in her eyes was enough for now.

They could have spent all night talking, holding hands and having fun, but the curfew was approaching too fast for either of their liking. Nonetheless, Penelope didn’t want to prove Lizzie right by getting Josie into trouble and made sure they were back in time. Still holding hands, they approached the door to Josie’s room. The younger one could feel her heart beating faster by the second. Coming to a stop in front of her room, she recalled the endless romantic movies where the couple always ended up kissing goodnight.

For the first time she wished she wasn’t holding Penelope’s hand because she was afraid of her palm sweating. Facing her date of the night, Josie’s pulse was going through the roof. She saw Penelope’s eyes focusing on her lips for a millisecond before coming back up to meet her gaze.

“I had a lot of fun,” Penelope spoke up quietly, almost whispering.

“Me too,” Josie concurred with a nod, terribly nervous of doing the wrong thing and possibly messing up one of the best nights of her life at the end.

“We should do it again. Soon,” Penelope added and saw Josie only nodding, unable to say anything else.

Josie saw Penelope coming closer and her heart must have skipped a beat. Just before closing her eyes, she noticed the other girl tilted her head slightly. Next thing she knew, she felt a pair of soft lips kissing her cheek with such tenderness that she could have melted right there. It was over too quickly but Josie was overcome with a sensation of warmth that wasn’t just physical. Opening her eyes again to see the hazel-colored ones filled with affection was almost too much to handle.

“Goodnight, Jojo,” Penelope whispered with a little smile.

“Goodnight,” Josie returned barely audible before watching the other student walk off.

Taking a very deep breath, she unlocked the door and walked inside. Lizzie wasn’t there but Josie didn’t even notice. The brunette twin let herself fall onto her bed, smiling from ear to ear because she couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had happened tonight.

“You’re back!” Lizzie startled her sister, barging into the room, massaging the rest of her moisturizer into her fair skin. “You look…happy. How was it?” She made an effort to be open-minded and sat down on the edge of Josie’s bed.

“Honestly,” Josie took another deep breath. “It was really good.”

“Please don’t tell me she felt you up,” Lizzie couldn’t hide her preconceived notions for too long.

“What? No!” Josie immediately protested. “She was very sweet, actually.”

“Sweet?” The blonde repeated in disbelief.

“Yes, sweet. We talked a lot, played some games, ate candy and held hands. She gave me a kiss on the cheek but that was it,” Josie didn’t keep secrets from Lizzie and happily divulged the information.

“That’s…surprising.”

“Once you get to know her more, I’m sure you’re going to like her too,” the overjoyed girl suggested. “She’s not at all what people perceive her to be. There is this genuine quality to her that…is hard to explain. When she says something, you can’t help but take it in because there is such conviction in it. And she’s so smart and can basically talk about any topic. But she can be playful too- “

“Oh, dear God,” Lizzie interrupted with a loud sigh.

“What?” Josie looked at her sister confused.

“You’re falling for Penelope Park,” the blonde said and while Josie’s first instinct was to argue, she couldn’t. The sheer elation of the night was still too strong to do anything other than smile. “Fine,” Lizzie groaned. “Anyone who can make my sister smile like that, gets a fair shot from me.”

Josie hugged Lizzie, pushing her on the bed with them laughing.

“But if she hurts you-“ Lizzie wanted to get in but found her twin using her hand to cover Lizzie’s mouth. Nodding gently, she agreed to keep the negative thoughts and comments to herself. After all, Josie hadn’t looked this happy in a while; maybe ever.

-

After a seemingly perfect first date on Friday, Josie didn’t hear from Penelope the next day. The brunette didn’t want to be overbearing but it was unusual that Penelope was nowhere to be found at school either. Although it was the weekend, most students spent their time on school grounds because it was the only place where they could be themselves.

Another day passed without any signs of the dark-haired witch; Josie began to wonder if something had happened. She gathered all of her courage and asked some of Penelope’s friends if they had seen her. None of them gave her a real answer. It was almost like Penelope had instructed them not to say anything. The doubts that had disappeared after their date were beginning to creep up again. Why was she avoiding Josie?

Josie walked past Penelope’s room and contemplated simply going in. She had never been to her room and wasn’t sure she wanted the truth at this point. What if Lizzie had been right and all Penelope wanted was to make sure she could persuade Josie into going out with her for her own ego purposes? Still standing in front of the door, she knocked before her fear talked her out it.

“Come in!” Penelope’s voice answered much to Josie’s surprise.

Carefully opening the door, Josie peaked her head inside and got a glimpse of Penelope in her bed. As soon as the hazel eyes noticed Josie, the older girl pulled up the covers to hide herself.

“You have to get out, Jojo. I’m a mess and it’s too early for you to see me like this,” Penelope said, her voice hoarse and cracking.

“Are you sick?” Josie was instantly worried and disregarded Penelope’s words to leave out of concern.

“It’s not a pretty sight, so you should go,” the dark-haired girl reiterated, showing one of the few moments of insecurity.

“You know I don’t care about that,” Josie said softly and walked up to the bed. Slowly sitting down on the edge, she was hoping not to cross any boundaries. “I was worried about you. Now I feel bad for not reaching out earlier. What happened?”

“Don’t feel bad,” Penelope sighed. “I was glad you didn’t. The last thing I wanted was to ruin the good thing we have going.”

“Do you really think I’m that shallow that I would let that affect me and how I feel about you?” The twin asked in a soft tone and smiled. “Come on, please,” the gentle plea was met with a loud sigh from Penelope. But it worked. The raven-haired girl slowly put down the blanket that she had been hiding behind and revealed herself.

Josie kept smiling and was endeared yet concerned. Penelope’s eyes were bloodshot, dark circles under them, and her skin was paler than normal. The usual spark in the hazel eyes was gone. They looked drained and tired. Although Josie didn’t want to suspect the worst, she was worried Penelope might have used dark magic and was also suffering from some side-effects. But she wasn’t sure if Penelope’s coven had the same reaction of painful consequences. Josie thought it was only her and Lizzie who did.

“Alicia and I tried some concocting this potion,” Penelope spoke up, obviously realizing how worried Josie looked. “I had a feeling she had done something wrong, but I didn’t want to offend her. She’s still trying to figure her powers out, so I volunteered to try it. Instead of added energy, she completely drained mine. I’ve been throwing up all weekend…I guess, my body is trying to get out the rest of it as quickly as possible. Can you see why I didn’t want you around me?”

Relieved about Penelope’s explanation, Josie offered a sympathetic smile.

“You could have just told me that,” the brunette said gently. “I would have told you that you have a misguided sense of loyalty towards your friends, but I would have understood,” she added teasingly.

“Because you don’t know anything about misguided loyalty, Saltzman twin,” Penelope teased right back, and they shared a little laugh. In doing that, Josie noticed the other student pressing down on her stomach in efforts to reduce her obvious pain.

“Give me your hand,” Josie held out her own and saw Penelope not hesitating to follow her instruction.

Josie closed her eyes, and siphoned Penelope’s magic which was still astoundingly strong for being affected by a draining potion. Her other hand carefully placed itself on Penelope’s stomach before Josie tried a spell that she had learned on her own. It had taken a lot practice but she spoke the syllables slowly and with concentration so it wouldn’t go wrong.

Slowly opening her eyes again, she was met with the pair of hazel ones in complete awe. Penelope looked down on her stomach and back up.

“The pain is gone,” she said clearly impressed.

“It’s a pain reduction spell,” Josie explained coyly. “It doesn’t really heal you, but you don’t feel the symptoms that strongly. Unfortunately, I can’t do the healing spells yet. They need a little more practice.”

“You never cease to amaze me, Jojo,” Penelope answered with a smile, the pain relief already lifting her spirits.

“It was nothing,” the other girl tried to downplay her spell.

“It was definitely something,” Penelope disagreed. “Not to mention that power is super sexy,” she added, her smile morphing into a smirk.

“Penelope,” Josie rolled her eyes to hide her flustered state while her cheeks were turning red. It was only then that she realized her hand was still comfortably positioned on Penelope’s stomach. Carefully withdrawing, she met the other girl’s eyes.

“I didn’t mind,” Penelope nearly whispered, the blend of sweetness and seduction in her voice only flustering Josie even more.

“You should probably get some rest,” the twin changed the subject quickly because her emotions were on overload.

“Sure,” the dark-haired girl chuckled, completely enamored with Josie’s reaction it seemed. “Thank you, Jojo. I mean it.”

“You’re welcome,” Josie replied gently and got up from the bed. “Get well soon.”

“I might not be in class tomorrow if I don’t feel better,” Penelope explained. “I hope you won’t miss me too much,” she snickered.

“Two classes sitting next to each other and you think I won’t manage without you already?” Josie continued their banter. “The potion might have gone to your head as well.”

“Says the girl whose cheeks are on fire after touching my stomach,” Penelope countered.

“I thought you didn’t mind?” Josie tried holding back a smile and kinked an eyebrow.

“I didn’t,” the older student smiled. “But I can see how that and siphoning my strong powers can overwhelm someone.”

“You really think that you have that strong of an effect on me?” Josie kept up their teasing.

“I know I do,” Penelope said firmly and focused the hazel eyes intently on the girl looking back. Josie swallowed lightly, the determination and intensity in the brown-green color in Penelope’s eyes paralyzing her for a moment. It took her a second to snap out of it. “Don’t worry, Jojo. You have the same effect on me, too.”

Exchanging little smiles, Josie exhaled loudly to calm her pulse. They left the conversation there and Josie was mostly relieved that their connection hadn’t been a fluke. After not hearing from her date for almost two days, she was content knowing there wasn’t an issue pertaining to them. And although she hadn’t admitted it before, she was hoping to see Penelope tomorrow in class.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Penelope was still out sick, but Josie didn’t want to disturb the other girl in her process of recovering. It wasn’t until almost bedtime that Josie decided to check in on Penelope. However, the door was locked, and no one answered. Perhaps she was asleep already. Josie made another quick stop to the kitchen. Looking out the window, she saw someone sitting by a little bonfire outside. Someone that looked an awful lot like the girl she had been looking for.

Picking up an apple, Josie made her way to the outside area of the school and her assumption was confirmed. Penelope was sitting on the ground, her back leaned against a big tree trunk that was normally meant to be the seat. She looked a lot better than the night before; almost back to normal expect for a little drained still.

“Jojo,” Penelope said surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“I was about to ask you the same question,” Josie answered and didn’t hesitate to sit down next to her classmate.

“I needed to get some fresh air after being cooped up in my room all weekend,” Penelope explained before eyeing the brunette next to her. “You look cute,” she added with a smile.

“Thanks,” Josie replied. “You look a lot better than yesterday. Are you feeling better?”

“I caved and talked to Emma,” the shorter of the two girls confessed. “Obviously she was upset that I was messing with potions that we hadn’t been taught yet, but she somehow reversed it. Maybe you can put in a good word with your Dad, so the punishment won’t be too severe.”

“Is the powerful Penelope Park asking me for a favor?” Josie teased before laughing gently. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Instead of answering, Penelope looked down and reached for Josie’s hand. Interlacing their fingers softly, the simple intimacy of feeling their palms resting comfortably against each other was palpable. Josie felt Penelope’s thumb gently stroking her skin, causing goosebumps all over arm.

“Who knew you would be such a softie,” Josie whispered affectionately.

“Everyone has an untold story, Jojo,” Penelope’s voice was gentle but serious. Her eyes still focused on their hands before slowly coming up to meet the brown ones. “I wonder what yours is.”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Josie breathed, taken aback by the seriousness the conversation had taken on. She hadn’t seen Penelope this deep in thought and almost brooding. It displayed yet another side to the multifaceted witch that portrayed herself in a one-dimensional manner to most people at school. There was clearly a shift in the mood and Josie wondered if Penelope was okay. Before she able to ask, the older one spoke up.

“I’m envious of the relationship you have with your Dad,” Penelope said, leaving Josie astonished again. “Mine’s not in the picture and he hasn’t been for a long time. He just left one day. No conversation. No phone-call. Not even a note.”

Watching her, Josie saw the hazel eyes focusing on their hands. It was shocking to hear what Penelope revealed about her family dynamic, but Josie listened intently, elated the other girl felt comfortable enough to open up.

“A few months ago,” Penelope continued. “I did a locator spell and went to see him. He has a whole new family. Children and everything. I couldn’t bring myself to face him. Partly because I didn’t want to ruin another family…and partly because I was afraid of what I would do to him. He devasted my Mom. I think that’s why she sent me here. She couldn’t take care of me anymore. The worst part is…I didn’t tell her about looking for him, let alone finding him. But I’d rather feel like shit for keeping it from her, than destroying her all over again.”

The brunette twin had goosebumps all over her body listening to Penelope. No one had ever been this vulnerable with her. Coming from someone who had constructed such an impenetrable persona, the reveal felt even more intense. Josie noticed a little shimmer in the hazel eyes, tears welling up in the sockets but being held back.

It was instinctual and there was no thinking beforehand, otherwise it probably wouldn’t have happened, but Josie leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Penelope’s cheek. Penelope’s lips formed a little smile, happy with the affection and reassurance given by the twin. Listening to her instincts, Josie inched closer, putting her free hand on Penelope’s arm while resting her head on the raven-haired girl’s shoulder.

Josie had never been this close to someone; expect for Lizzie but that was obviously different. The comfort she was able to give and receive in return felt natural and easy. Letting Penelope’s words sink in while both of them watched the fire, Josie took a deep breath.

“I’m scared I’ll never find out who I truly am,” Josie began telling her own story in a quiet voice. And even though she couldn’t see Penelope, she knew she was listening just as intensely. “I always define myself by how others see me; by what I can do for them. As much as I love her…I envy Lizzie for being able to know what she wants and taking whatever that is. But a little part of me resents her at the same time although I know it’s not her fault.”

“The truth is that I don’t really know what I want,” Josie resumed. “And even worse…I’m afraid to find out. What if the person I am deep down isn’t someone I like?” Voicing that deep-seated fear choked Josie right up. She couldn’t believe she had just said all of that. Her insecurity showed its ugly head when her first thought was that Penelope might not want to be around her anymore.

“That’s impossible,” Penelope answered gently after Josie hadn’t continued. “There is no way you’re not going to like who you are deep down.”

“You don’t know that,” Josie responded, lifting her head from Penelope’s shoulder to face her, revealing a sad smile on her lips.

“Don’t be afraid,” Penelope whispered softly, using her free hand to stroke Josie’s cheek as a sign of comfort. “We all have our demons, Jojo. That’s why we’re here after all. But they don’t define us. Facing them head on is nothing to be afraid of because we have to at some point. Everyone has hurdles to jump. Ours might be higher than others but we have abilities to jump over them regardless. It’s not about how many hurdles are in your way, but how much courage you have to jump them every time. Even if you fall and trip along the way. It’s about how many times you get up again to prove to yourself that you’re more powerful than those issues. And I know for sure that the person you are, without everyone else’s influence, is even more striking and stunning than you are already.”

There was an indescribable feeling building up inside of Josie as she heard what Penelope said about her. She had never felt that seen by anyone. While it scared her, it was fulfilling beyond her wildest imaginations. Penelope was disarming her emotionally at a rate Josie didn’t think possible. Being so raw with someone was thrilling, nearly addicting. She thought of her twin sister’s words: She was falling for Penelope Park. Hard and fast. Beyond her control and Josie was willingly doing it.

Her rational mind told her to slow down, but her emotional heart yearned for that kind of support, comfort and affection. Penelope’s passion was palpable and contagious. To a point where Josie couldn’t hold back because she didn’t want to. When she saw Penelope leaning in closer, there was no hesitation.

Contrary to the night of their date, the situation wasn’t as nerve-wracking as standing in front of the door at the end of the night.  The natural build-up of the situation and the intense bonding of their conversation was the perfect circumstance for this moment. Josie was definitely still nervous, but she wasn’t worried about doing something wrong. It felt right.

The anticipation was killing her. With both girls closing their eyes, their lips merely inches away from each other, Josie felt Penelope’s uneven breath hitting her skin. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who was nervous. Penelope’s hand remained on her cheek, gently pulling her in closer until their lips finally met. It was tender and soft but meaningful. Josie forgot to breath for a moment. Her mind was encompassed by how fulfilled she felt.

It was obvious that Penelope was more experienced. However, she was careful and considerate in order not to overwhelm Josie. Pulling away, she rested her forehead against the twin’s forehead, prolonging the moment of shared intimacy. Their eyes met for a second before the shorter girl was surprised to find Josie initiating another kiss. Closing her eyes, she felt Josie’s lips pressing against her own with a little more pressure than before. Reciprocating in the same manner, they shared a few more kisses before the bell signaling bedtime rang.

Although neither of them wanted to stop, they had to. Getting up, they walked inside holding hands, seeing the looks from other students as they publicly displayed their relationship. Josie felt shy at first, but Penelope’s confidence reassured her that this wasn’t something to be ashamed of or shy about. In fact, she couldn’t wait to see where all of it would go.

-

The next day, Penelope still wasn’t in class. Josie assumed that she hadn’t been cleared yet and still had to recover. Her worry was quickly overshadowed by concern for the other person in her life that she cared deeply about. Lizzie had a bad day; a really bad day.

Josie spent all day with her twin, trying to make sure she felt supported and at ease. She had done it so often by now that it was second nature to her. It still required a lot of energy and strength, but she did so willingly. She couldn’t stand seeing the people she loved hurting. Giving up her time to make sure her twin sister felt better seemed like a little sacrifice.

There was a knock on the door in the evening, and Josie quickly walked over to open it. Standing in the hallway was Penelope who looked healthy again. Instantly smiling, the butterflies in her stomach returned.

“Hey Jojo,” Penelope greeted in her typical fashion. “I was wondering if you wanted to hang out?”

“I would love to but…” Josie hesitated and didn’t open the door fully. “Lizzie really needs me tonight. She isn’t feeling well, and I don’t want to leave her alone. Can we reschedule?”

“Yeah, of course,” the other witch said sympathetically. “Tell her I hope she feels better soon.”

“I will,” the brunette answered shortly before she heard Lizzie’s aggravated voice behind her. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Bye.”

Quickly shutting the door, she hated brushing Penelope off like this, but Lizzie was in no condition to be around other people. Let alone someone she harbored negative feelings for. Josie ended up taking care of the blonde as best as she could until Lizzie had fallen asleep. It was past bedtime, but Josie had barely eaten anything all day.

Quietly getting out of bed, she decided to sneak out for a little midnight snack. Reaching the kitchen, she was surprised to find Penelope and MG there. MG was one of the vampires at school and a close friend. The sight of two of her favorite people together brightened her mood instantaneously.

“Hey you two,” Josie greeted and walked over to them.

“Jo!” MG exclaimed happily and put down the bag of blood he was feeding from for a moment.

Approaching the dark-haired witch, she saw Penelope holding out her hand and took it. Next thing she knew, she was being pulled closer and met with a kiss that was unexpected, yet perfect. Blushing slightly after pulling away, she saw MG looking at them in complete and utter shock.

“Wait,” the vampire shook his head. “This is real?! I heard everyone talking about it at school today, but I thought it was a joke.”

“Why would that be a joke?” Penelope returned angrily, the hazel eyes piercing through MG which took Josie by surprise.

“Whoa, chill, Peez,” MG threw up his hands in surrender. “I guess…I just didn’t see it coming.”

“Neither did I, to be fair,” Josie stood up for her friend and squeezed Penelope’s hand, appeasing the other girl swiftly.

“I think y’all have to do that again though because I don’t quite believe it yet,” the boy teased and wiggled his eyebrows.

“You’re drooling,” Penelope smirked whereas MG simply laughed. “I’m serious. You have blood running down the side of your mouth.”

They all ended up laughing as MG wiped his mouth and found red liquid all over it.

“I’ll be right back,” Penelope excused herself for a moment, leaving the two friends by themselves.

“Penelope Park? Really?” MG immediately asked once the witch had left the kitchen.

“She’s not at all what people think of her,” Josie wanted to be annoyed at yet another person questioning her judgment, but she was too happy.

“Sure about that?” The young vampire asked. “You saw how she almost ripped my head off just now?”

“Maybe you shouldn’t assume that our connection was a joke and she wouldn’t have to be upset,” Josie returned.

“Oohh, you’re on her side,” MG said teasingly. “She has you whipped already.”

Josie threw one of the dish cloths at her friend but couldn’t deny the obvious bond between her and Penelope.

“I’m not here to judge, but she is a lot to handle,” MG replied with concern.

“Coming from the guy who is obsessed with a certain twin sister of mine?” Josie shot back while kinking an eyebrow knowingly.

“Can’t argue that,” MG laughed and drank the rest of his blood portion.

“Time to leave, MG,” Penelope’s voice returned. “I need some alone time with Josie.”

“I can be quiet and just watch. You won’t even know that I’m here,” the boy grinned at both witches.

“Now,” Penelope emphasized in a playful way this time.

“Damn, Peez,” MG sighed but followed her orders because he didn’t want to impede on their alone time. “No need to get all territorial. Sure you’re not a werewolf, too?”

“Bye, MG,” both girls said as the vampire left the kitchen and left them to themselves.

“You look a lot better,” Josie noted while leaning against the kitchen counter. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah, I’m cleared to come back to class tomorrow,” Penelope revealed while slowly approaching Josie. “How’s Lizzie?”

“She’s asleep,” Josie kept her answer short and saw the other girl taking both of her hands into her own. Those little signs of affection were just as exciting every time. “But I’m glad you’re coming back to class tomorrow.”

“Did you miss me?” The dark-haired witch asked in a low voice while simultaneously putting Josie’s arms around her waist, closing the distance between their bodies.

“Yes,” Josie whispered, not bantering this time but simply enjoying the moment they had. Gently locking her arms around Penelope’s waist, her breathing sped up. They were very close, and it was obvious what would follow. The older one cupped Josie’s face with both of her hands, gently and slowly in an attempt not to let the passion overwhelm them.

Both of them leaned in and met in the middle with their lips reuniting in a long-awaited moment of undisturbed intimacy. There was less nerves and hesitation as before. And also, less restraint. Josie felt Penelope’s lips capturing her bottom lip skillfully, trapping them longer than the times before. Reciprocating with the same amount of eagerness, their kisses increased quickly with longing as she felt Penelope’s tongue brushing against her bottom lip.

“Penelope,” Josie giggled breathlessly.

“Sorry, too much?” Penelope asked and bit her lower lip as if she was trying to control herself.

“No but…someone could walk in any second,” the twin explained her abrupt end of the kiss.

“Well,” the other girl chuckled. “We could go to my room.” As soon as she said it and saw Josie’s eyes widening like a deer in highlights, Penelope clarified. “Not like that. Just to do this,” she placed a soft kiss on Josie’s lips, “a little while longer.”

“It’s already past bedtime. If we get caught,” Josie worried but clearly not averse to the idea completely.

“You’re the headmaster’s daughter so you don’t really have to worry about it,” Penelope shrugged. “And I’ll take whatever punishment.”

Josie was torn but looking into the hazel eyes, the decision wasn’t that hard after all. They tried to be as stealthy as possible, sneaking around the school hallways before finally reaching Penelope’s room. The sound of their giggles filled up the room. Unlike most other students at the school, Penelope didn’t have a roommate. Another sign of the status the young witch held. She wanted her own space and no on dared to question it.

Now that they were alone, Josie felt giddy when Penelope couldn’t hold out any longer to kiss her again. Bumping into the bed behind them, Josie actually made the first move of sitting down and pulling the other one with her. Their kisses were heated and filled with undeniable urge to be as close as possible. It felt as if Josie didn’t have any oxygen left in her lungs but didn’t want to stop either in order to catch a breath.

Josie fell back, her back landing on the mattress but still holding onto Penelope and therefore pulling her down as well. She felt Penelope’s warm body on top her, all of her senses spiraling out of control. In an attempt to get some grip, she put her hand on Penelope’s lower back, not realizing the shirt had slid up so she ended up grasping naked skin.

The dark-haired girl didn’t seem to mind and tangled up her hand in Josie’s light brown strands. Their lips were constantly searching for the other ones’, nearly desperate not to let any moment go to waste. But then, Penelope withdrew and tilted her head lower to surprise Josie with a heated kiss on her neck. Josie’s breath hitched in the back of her throat, her hands instinctively grasping firmly, scratching the skin of Penelope’s lower back. The sensation accidently caused Josie to siphon that spot.

“Whoa,” Penelope gasped because she could feel the heat radiating from Josie’s hand on her back.

“Sorry,” Josie uttered completely breathless, making them both stop for a moment to regain their composure.

“All that uncontrollable power,” the girl on top whispered with a blend of admiration, desire and curiosity in her voice before taking a deep breath. “But we should probably stop before one of us accidently sets this place on fire.”

Laughing gently, Josie couldn’t deny that she was capable of doing so. Did Penelope know that? She couldn’t possibly know about that incident with Hope Mikaelson’s room. Or could she?

“Josie Saltzman! I know you’re in there, so open up. Now.”

The voice from outside of the room clearly belonged to Josie’s father, also the headmaster of the school. So much for being stealth. The girls looked at each other and shared a laugh before resigning to the fact that they were caught.

“At least we’ll see each other in class tomorrow,” Penelope offered as she walked the brunette to her door. Instead of an answer, Josie turned around and gave Penelope one last kiss for the night before the knocking on the door intensified. As she opened it, the disapproving look on her dad’s face was usually the worst expression she could imagine. But tonight, it wasn’t enough to make her feel guilty.

“Dr. Saltzman,” Penelope said politely, aware she was in trouble no matter what. Her lips were swollen and so were Josie’s. It didn’t take Einstein to figure what they had been doing. She only hoped he wasn’t going to be too hard on Josie. “I lost track of time. It was completely my fault.”

“Spare me. We’ll talk tomorrow, Penelope.”

“Sure thing,” the witch replied but smiled at Josie before the two of them walked off.

Having Penelope wanting to take the fall for her wasn’t necessary, but Josie appreciated it. Even if she hated disappointing her father, it wasn’t like she had done something horrible. She was a teenager after all. However, her father didn’t wait and immediately gave her a lecture once they reached the twins’ room.

“What are you doing, Josie?” Alaric Saltzman asked in disbelief. “I understand you might feel drawn to her, but this is dangerous territory.”

Josie was taken aback. Her dad wasn’t upset about her being out past bedtime, but because she was with Penelope?!

“Listen, I know you’re young and we all go through a bad boy or bad girl phase but- “

“It’s not a phase,” Josie interrupted angrily.

“I’m not done talking, Josette,” Alaric continued sternly. “You might think it’s fun and exciting, but Penelope is powerful. You have to be careful around others with that much potential danger.”

“Someone might say the same thing about me,” his daughter kept arguing.

“You couldn’t hurt a fly and we all know that,” the man responded but Josie shook her head. Everyone saw her as this demure, little girl who couldn’t tell what was good for her. It made her realize once more that Penelope was the only one who acknowledged her power and saw her as capable of making her own decisions.

Without realizing it, Alaric was only strengthening the bond between the two girls. Surely, he was worried. Perhaps for good reason. But Josie wasn’t willing to have another person stand in the way of doing what she wanted for the first time in her life, in spite of what everyone told her to do. She wanted to be with Penelope. Even if that meant risking heartbreak.