CYBER // JOSIE
It was Monday, because of course it was. My life couldn't be anymore complicated, so why not add Mondays to the mix?
It was way too bright for my attitude, but I guess it measured up to Texas standards. Still, this place had a few letdowns. I've yet to see a single tumbleweed since we settled here.
The closest this thing comes to what I pictured in my head is The Round-Up, and I prefer to avoid it since that's where Jaxon has chosen to make his nest.
We walked through the school's doors after getting off the bus and made our way through the halls.
"Do you ever use your locker?" Hartley asked curiously.
I frowned and met Amy's eyes. She rolled her own eyes and simply shook her head. I guess I'd just go with it. I side-eyed Hartley and answered as civilly to the best of my ability. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"
"Just checking. People used to leave notes in the lockers of people they like. Nobody does that anymore."
Great. She's still hung up on Jaxon. I sighed and slowly opened my eyes to the girl. "Hartley—"
That's when I felt the hand on my arm. I quickly shut up and let Amy speak. "Wait, you're telling me nobody's left a note in your locker? Me and Josie do it all the time."
I resisted smiling. That would cause this to end too soon. "Yeah, just yesterday Amy circled yes for 'will you go out on a date with me?' !"
"Really?" Hartley asked hopelessly.
Amy smirked. "Nobody from planet Earth does that. I don't think they ever have."
"No, Ames, I'm pretty sure you're the problem. Because I do it all the time. You're telling me you haven't found a single one?" I exclaimed, feigning shock. Then my features slumped into a grin.
We finally approached the subject of this whole conversation, my locker, and I opened it up. Yeah, I've gotten a lot better at it since our first day. Now all I have to worry about is Jaxon using his powers at his games! At least he isn't using them at school...
"I think it's heartwarming. In fact, I'd find it romantic if someone was so interested in me they'd go through all the trouble of-"
I was distracted by a sheet of paper falling out once I got the door open. Hartley was still going on while I ignored her to pick up whatever fell.
Before standing back up, I realized it wasn't a regular assignment or an index card for a class. It was way worse. It was...
A note.
'Josie' the folded sheet read. Oh, she didn't. Unless she's an alien, she wouldn't.
I mentally promised to read it later and stuck it in the back pocket of my baggy jeans.
Then I stood up, grabbed my algebra binder, and shut my locker.
"What do you guys have first?" Hartley asked.
"Algebra," I answered simply, picking up my binder a little to show her. "Ames?" I asked, glancing at my girl— my friend, for the sake of North, as we walked.
"Skipping," she replied with a tight smile. "Care to join me?"
I wish I could say yes... but I do well in my class. And not just because I could upload every bit of data from Desmos to my brain.
"And by that look on your face, I can tell that's a no."
I chuckled lightly, dropping my gaze a little, before looking into her eyes. "It's just that there's a unit test next week. I have to be there so I don't miss anything."
"Mm," Amy hummed, looking me up and down. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make my cheeks a little hot. "I'd be upset, but I find your drive kinda hot."
All I could do was smile and look away, because I did not need to have her catching me flustered.
"Harls?"
"I have a study right now! That's why I was asking you guys because I wanted to spend time with you."
Golly me. I have to miss out on Hartley's superhero obsession and charitable Sunshine Club ideas?! What a shame.
"Okay great. And we'll walk Josie to class since we're not going to ours."
"Hey, this is my class, Amy. I don't skip," Hartley needlessly said in her defense.
I rolled my eyes. As if anyone expected anything different from her.
Eventually we were outside of Mrs. Reed's algebra class. Everyone was just getting inside, along with me. But I stopped to give Amy a hug, and then was kind of guilted into falling into Hartley's embrace as well.
I finally went inside to my seat in the very back. There I watched as the rest of the desks filled up. Namely a certain somebody who fell right into the seat beside me, a soft grunt escaping his lips.
"Hey," he said, looking at me with this knowing expression, almost smugly.
I raised an eyebrow in confusion and looked away. I've only talked to him like once, and apparently we are in the same class, but that doesn't change anything. We're hardly acquaintances, and I'm happy to just be his peer. Hot or not hot.
Mrs. Reed came through the door and immediately grabbed a dry-erase marker. Then she began writing on the board, prompting the entire class, including me, to take out our notebooks.
I was in the middle of scribbling the word 'imaginary' when I heard him.
"It's pretty obvious I'm right," he stated.
Hell no. We have a test coming up. I do not need distractions.
So I finished writing the word and then moved on to copying down the powers of 'i' and what they evaluated to.
Since he managed to grab my attention, I could see his blank notebook out of the corner of my eye. I almost shook my head before realizing I don't care.
It was harder to ignore his desk and him when he talked again.
"By the way you're ignoring me, it kind of seems like you're mad because I'm right," he whispered again.
My eyes tightened as I clenched my pencil. Right now I was wishing it was a pen so that all my scribbling would amount to something; I'd get to shock his ass with it. At least I saw it in a show once.
"Which makes sense. I'd be too if—"
I sucked in a deep breath and let it out in the form of words, "I don't care about whatever test score you got, I'm sure I got twice as high."
As long as he didn't get a 100%. Then again we wouldn't be having this conversation if he did get a 100%.
His face contorted in confusion, his head cocking to the side. "Test scores? What test scores?"
I sighed lowly before finally turning in my chair to face him. My arms fell onto my knees as my chest leaned down. "Then what the hell are you talking about?"
Gordon's head turned to look at me, his chin hitting his left shoulder. "I can't say it in here. I thought you would've seen it," he said in a hushed whisper, looking even disappointed in me.
"Students in the back. We're taking notes."
I looked up to find Mrs. Reed's bespectacled eyes on me.
Great. He just got me in trouble in the one class I actually care about slash the only class I am good at. (There's no way in hell I was taking computer science).
I slowly straightened in my seat before slouching against the back of my chair and folding my arms.
Then I saw how many new notes were added on the board and felt like giving up then and there, but whatever. I got to writing.
~laaaaterrr~
"Well did he continue to bother you?" Amy asked bitterly.
She, Hartley, and I were walking to the Sunshine Club since it was after school and we met regularly now.
Luna and Sam were there, and then obviously another bunch of nameless randoms.
Amy and I took our usual seats. It was great she was here because she really didn't have to be. After all she wasn't officially part of the club, but I guess after the fundraiser she got a sweet tooth for it. Hey, maybe that's me, I'm the sweet tooth... Onyx, what have I become?!
This was while Hartley walked past her chair in front of us and over to Luna and Sam who looked like great friends.
"Actually, we can't make it tomorrow," Luna's voice droned on. She motioned between her and Sam just by jerking her head towards the boy standing beside her.
"Wait, really? Why not?" Hartley asked.
Sam answered this time, "It's our date."
My eyes widened slightly. Okay, so maybe they're a little bit more than friends.
Amy must've caught it because I saw her place her phone, screen down on the table, and give me an amused look.
"Those two are dating?" I asked anyway.
"You didn't know?" she answered with a chuckle.
"I mean, they're polar opposites..."
Sam is Brendon Urie after, and Luna is Brendon Urie before. I don't think anyone could have seen this coming.
"People are allowed to date," she said quickly. Then I saw her frown slightly. "You know, if they ever get asked."
My mouth dropped as I stared at her. "Hey! Saturday, let's make it happen. You know where," I said, but I was still a little offended.
"Local 149?"
"That's not a real question is it?" My eyes narrowed slightly in mock accusation.
And behind Amy I saw him. Trudging in wearing his camouflage jacket like he was cosplaying as the hero Marines Man, not to be confused with Marine Man the villain. (They're actually rivals, and no one knows whose name came first).
"Gordon!" Hartley exclaimed excitedly. I rolled my eyes and picked up Amy's phone to start taking pictures of myself.
"Hartley. Hey, I was wondering if you'll be needing the gym anytime next week."
That was an intelligent question from an esteemed young man. Because why wouldn't members of the Sunshine Club be looking to get shredded in between cleaning up the beaches around Valley View?
Whatever builds character.
"Uh... no," Hartley answered suspiciously. "Why?"
"Military club's got a trainer coming in. Just like always, we'll be out at 5:00."
Apparently their meetings end half an hour after ours.
I looked up over my eyebrows, watching Gordon surreptitiously. All of a sudden he seemed to want to be around me. He walked over to where Amy and I were sat, and decided to move in front of the empty chair next to me. He leaned back on the table, somewhat blocking my view of Hartley.
"We won't be needing it, Gordon. It is free for the Military Club," Hartley reiterated happily with a smile.
I watched as Gordon's left hand raised off the table, and he shrugged. "Alright, great."
Good. Now he can leave.
Then he turned around. His hazel eyes were beating down on me as his eyebrows furrowed.
"Can we help you?" Amy bit out before I could.
For a moment I forgot she was there, but her voice comforted rather than startled me.
Gordon didn't look away from me, nor could I look away from him.
"There should have been something in your locker, Josie. Could be from math class if you're willing to help a friend out."
My heart sank just a little bit. Not from Amy. The letter was from Gordon, and it probably says something vastly different from what I'm expecting to read.
He walked out the classroom half a moment after saying that. And Amy made sure to question it.
"What does he mean by that? Are you a tutor or something?"
My face immediately contorted in disgust. "Ew. Do I look like Jake to you? Or Hartley, or one of those other idiots who wastes their time on others?"
Amy's lips curled into a smile, and she leaned in without warning as if she was going to kiss me. But she didn't.
Her voice came out in a whisper, "You're perfect."
I almost choked on my tongue, resulting in me having to bang on my chest. The last thing I saw was Amy's concerned face before my eyes closed and she was slapping my back.
"Goodness, Josie!"
My coughing fit finally stopped, and when I opened my eyes they took a moment to readjust to the light and colors. "I guess you just take my breath away."
But Amy didn't look amused. "Yeah, that's not a good thing."
I shrugged. What can I say?
"Are you okay now?"
I nodded. "If I'm not you'll just save me again, right?" I said sheepishly with a smile.
"Saving people's not really what I do," and then she got that far off look like she does whenever something obscure comes out her mouth. Her eyes refocused eventually, though. "But for you, always."
I smiled nervously, a little bit of confusion settling on me like it always does whenever something obscure comes out her mouth. "Good. I'm glad we came to that conclusion..."
"So... why did that guy say that?"
I lifted off my chair a little bit so I could take the note out of my back pocket. "You know, he probably thinks I'm single."
"Why would he think that?" Amy asked playfully, and the smile on her face was enough to make Captain Valor switch sides.
"Probably cuz I'm very against PDA."
"Want me to read it?" she asked helpfully, already reaching for the folded paper between my fingers.
"What if it's a bomb, Ames?"
"Really?"
Being a villain, I've seen my share of tragedies. Funny as they may be, I wouldn't relive one of those around Amy for anything. "You'd be surprised what people can make blow up."
I quickly opened the note I basically didn't care about just to quench my amusements.
My eyes immediately narrowed upon reading the singular sentence:
'I know who you are, Cyber,'