It's August 28th, approaching 2 in the morning, and Josie feels a sense of detachment, as if a part of her died a year ago at camp. And since then, she's been lost in daydreams, imagining alternate realities and pondering what could have been, especially with how unreal everything felt when the bottle landed on her. The atmosphere is charged with uncertainty as Josie's gaze falls upon Isabel. Unable to decipher the emotions flickering across Isabel's face, Josie's nerves are further heightened by the surrounding "ooohs and ahhhs" of the onlookers. Is it the enigmatic expression on Isabel's face or the anticipation of the crowd that sends shivers down Josie's spine? Caught between longing and apprehension. Josie is jolted out of her thoughts as PJ and a stranger she doesn't recognize slap her on the back, breaking the spell of introspection. Everyone around her seems to buzz with excitement, their energy palpable in the air. But amidst the fervor, Josie notices a stark contrast: Isabel, typically the center of attention, appears subdued.
With a curt smile, Isabel rises from her seat, and Josie instinctively follows suit, mirroring her movements. The sudden rush of adrenaline leaves Josie feeling lightheaded, a mixture of nerves and anticipation swirling within her. It's as if everything is conspiring against her tonight, each moment a test of her resolve and composure. Yet, despite the obstacles in her path,
She follows behind Isabel, her fingers fidgeting nervously with her belt as they make their way through the crowd. The truth is, Josie had always been content with admiring Isabel from afar, never daring to entertain the possibility of their paths crossing. She had resigned herself to the idea that Isabel would never know of her existence, and that was perfectly fine by her.
But as the lights flicker from red to purple, and the bass from the speakers pulses through the floor, something shifts within Josie. The anticipation in the air is palpable, crackling with electric energy that sends a thrill down her spine. And then, in a moment that feels both surreal and inevitable, Isabel is already at the closet door, holding it open for Josie with a silent invitation.
With hesitant steps, Josie follows, her heart pounding in her chest as she crosses the threshold into the unknown. In that fleeting moment, surrounded by the pulsating beat of the music and the intoxicating scent of anticipation.
The anticipation lingers in the closet as Josie and Isabel find themselves alone in the small space, the silence between them heavy with unspoken words and untold truths. For a moment, they simply stand there, each lost in their own thoughts, until Isabel breaks the silence with a soft apology.
"I'm sorry you had to come in here with me," Isabel murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper.
"No, I'm sorry. Like, more sorry than you. I'm sure there's someone else yo-" Josie says immediately in reply.
But Isabel cuts her off gently, her words washing over Josie like a balm. "I don't mind. I'm perfectly fine with you."
Surprised by Isabel's sincerity, Josie stares down at her, a rush of emotions flooding her senses. Without hesitation, she slides down the wall and joins Isabel on the floor.
Once on the floor, Josie extends her hand towards Isabel and introduces herself, "I'm Josie." However, Isabel stares at her hand, causing Josie to feel a twinge of unease, ready to retract her hand before Isabel breaks into laughter.
"I know your name. I mean, we've only been in the same class since, what, third grade?" Isabel remarks, her tone light and teasing.
Feeling sheepish, Josie withdraws her hand and awkwardly rubs the back of her neck. "Right," she agrees, her smile slightly embarrassed.
Isabel raises an eyebrow at Josie's response. "Unless... you introduced yourself to me because you don't remember me and thought that was the best way to get my name?" she suggests with a playful grin.
Quick to reassure her, Josie shakes her head. "No, no, I know you. Isabel... Isabel Lee," she confirms, a hint of relief in her voice.
Isabel's smile widens at Josie's recognition. "Right, Josie... Josie Marks," she echoes.
Josie hopes she's doing well at hiding the surprise on her face, the shock at Isabel's knowledge that they've been in the same class since the third grade, or the fact that Isabel even knows her last name. She never imagined Isabel would even recognize her existence, and now, thinking back, she realizes she shouldn't have jumped to that conclusion based on Brittany not remembering PJ or Josie for that matter. "That was extremely dumb," Josie thinks to herself.
Lost in her thoughts, Josie misses Isabel's expectant gaze until she hears her say, "Huh?"
Startled, Josie snaps back to the present, meeting Isabel's smile with a sheepish one of her own. "Sorry, I missed that. What did you say?" Josie asks, hoping to cover up her momentary lapse in attention.
Isabel's smile widens as she repeats herself, "I said I didn't take you to be a party girl."
"I party," Josie says, her words coming out lamely.
"You party?" Isabel repeats teasingly, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes.
Josie regrets her choice of words but decides to stick with it. "Yes," she confirms, trying to sound more confident.
Isabel snickers a little before "So, where have you been this summer?"
"Partying," Josie replies plainly, but her tone makes it sound more like a question, uncertain of how Isabel will react to her admission.
Isabel hums in response to Josie's admission, and Josie can't shake the feeling that Isabel somehow anticipated her answer. But then, Isabel remains silent, leaving Josie feeling uneasy in the quiet that follows.
Desperate to fill the void, Josie blurts out quickly, "I haven't been partying." Her words tumble out in a rush, as if she's trying to backtrack on her previous statement.
Isabel remains quiet, prompting Josie to continue speaking. "And I'm not a party girl, you're right," Josie admits, hoping to clarify her earlier remark. Isabel nods in understanding, encouraging Josie to elaborate.
"I don't think I'm good at it or supposed to be here, or like understand the customs of it," Josie confesses, feeling a wave of vulnerability wash over her. Isabel furrows her eyebrows in confusion at Josie's words. "The customs?" she questions, seeking clarification.
Josie nods in response, meeting Isabel's gaze earnestly. "Like, what do you mean?" Isabel asks, turning to face Josie with genuine curiosity.
Josie fidgets with her hands, feeling the weight of Isabel's gaze as she exhales deeply. "Like, this," Josie manages to say, her voice barely above a whisper. Isabel simply stares at Josie after her confession, and Josie can't help but feel like she said something stupid, something she shouldn't have. So she looks back at her hands, trying to hide her embarrassment.
But then, to Josie's surprise, Isabel reaches out and gently places her hand on top of Josie's. The unexpected touch sends a jolt of electricity through Josie's body, and she can feel her heart racing in her chest. And then, out of nowhere, Isabel asks, "Can I kiss you?"
Josie's eyes widen in disbelief, feeling like they're as big as fucking saucers. She opens her mouth to respond, but no words come out, her voice lost in the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. Isabel looks at her with confusion, and Josie can sense her about to pull away, about to change her mind. So Josie starts to nod her head frantically, hoping to convey her consent without speaking.
Isabel laughs, but it's a nervous sound, tinged with uncertainty. Josie feels a pang of self-doubt at the thought that Isabel might be nervous, wondering if she's making a fool of herself. But in that moment, all Josie can think about is how much she wants this, how much she wants Isabel, and she silently prays that Isabel won't change her mind.
Josie watches as Isabel moves to sit up on her knees, her hands gently cradling Josie's face between them. Their eyes lock, and Josie can feel her heart pounding in her chest as Isabel leans in slowly, so achingly slow that every second feels like an eternity.
And then it's happening. Isabel's lips meet Josie's, soft and warm and everything Josie had ever imagined and more. It's different from how Josie had practiced on her thumb and index finger, different from how she had practiced on her mirror, and certainly different from the orange PJ had suggested she practice on. But it's better. So much better.
Just as Josie starts to get comfortable and brings her hand up to run through Isabel's hair, the door to the closet swings open, and the noise of the party floods in, accompanied by cheers and laughter from the crowd. Josie's heart sinks as she sees Jeff and the football team standing in the corner, their presence a stark reminder of the reality outside the closet.
She turns to look back at Isabel, hoping for some reassurance or acknowledgment, but Isabel's gaze remains fixed on the ground, her attention already drifting away from Josie. Without a word, Isabel gets up and seamlessly blends into the crowd, immediately huddling up with the other cheerleaders as if Josie never existed.
It hurts Josie more than she cares to admit, the way Isabel just ignores her, and when she hears a cheerleader whisper, "He totally saw!" Josie's frustration boils over. With a sharp intake of breath, she storms out of the closet and out of the party, not even stopping when PJ tries to grab her arm and hold her back.
Tears sting Josie's eyes as she pushes through the crowd, her heart heavy with disappointment and rejection. PJ drove them here so she doesn't know where she's going, but all she knows is that she can't stay here.
———————————————————————
In the midst of the party, PJ finds herself confused, her thoughts swirling as she tries to make sense of everything that just happened with Josie and Isabel. Her confusion only deepens when Brittany approaches her, her expression as stoic as ever.
PJ makes a move to lean against the wall, clearing her throat before speaking. "Hey, Brittany," she begins, her voice slightly uncertain.
"Hi, PJ," Brittany replies in her usual plain manner.
"Now it's a real party. Do you want to—" PJ's sentence is cut off abruptly as Brittany interrupts her, holding out a piece of paper.
"Make sure Josie gets this," Brittany says, her tone impassive as she hands PJ the paper.
"What the hell?" PJ mutters under her breath as she takes the paper into her hand. At first glance, it appears blank, but when she turns it over, she sees a number written on it, with Isabel's name scrawled at the bottom.
PJ's heart skips a beat as she realizes what the number means. "Can I get your number then?" she blurts out, but Brittany is already walking away, giving no sign that she heard PJ's question. PJ watches her go, feeling a mixture of frustration and intrigue swirling inside her.
"Fucking Josie." Pj says stuffing the paper into her pocket.
———————————————————————
When PJ steps outside, she sees Josie sitting on the steps with her head in her lap. The door clicks shut behind PJ, but Josie doesn't budge from her position, much to PJ's confusion.
"What the hell are you moping about? Your dream girl literally just took you into a closet and kissed you," PJ says, gently kicking at Josie's side.
Josie groans in response, her words muffled by her position.
"What?" PJ questions, frustration evident in her tone.
Reluctantly, Josie lifts her head and turns to face PJ. "Only because Jeff was there," she explains.
PJ nods slowly, a look of understanding dawning on her face. "Oh," she says simply.
Josie rolls her eyes at PJ's response and adds, "Yeah... I want to go home."
"Okay," PJ says simply, walking down the steps in front of Josie. She extends her hand towards Josie, silently offering to help her up.
Josie looks up at PJ, surprised by her friend's willingness to leave the party so readily. She hadn't expected PJ to agree so easily, but she's not exactly in the mood to argue or beg either. With a sigh, Josie reaches out and takes PJ's hand, allowing her friend to pull her up off the steps.
They walk to PJ's car in silence, their shoulders bumping against each other occasionally as they navigate through the night. Neither of them says anything, but the quiet between them is comfortable, filled with an unspoken understanding and solidarity.
As they reach PJ's car, Josie climbs into the passenger seat while PJ takes her place behind the wheel. The engine roars to life, and they pull away from the party, leaving the noise and chaos behind them.
When PJ slows down in front of Josie's house, Josie shakes her head, a hint of curiosity in her expression. "I'm sorry, did you talk to Brittany tonight?" she asks, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
PJ smirks a little, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Not in the way I planned but—"
Before PJ can finish her sentence, Josie interrupts with a chuckle. "The conversations don't ever really go as planned, do they? I mean, she's always deviating from whatever plot you draw up."
Rolling her eyes, PJ starts again, determined to get her point across. "BUT, she walked up to me and gave me this," she says, scrambling through her pockets for a piece of paper.
Josie's eyes widen in shock when she sees it. "She gave you her number?" she exclaims, unable to hide her surprise.
PJ grimaces, her expression turning sour. "No, because the heavens are cruel and unfair. She gave me Isabel's," she admits reluctantly.
Josie's jaw drops at this unexpected revelation, her mind racing with a flurry of thoughts and emotions. She stares at PJ blankly, trying to process the information she's just been given.
———————————————————————
No, Josie wishes she died at camp 'cause it would've saved her from the confusion, the aggravation, and all-around hurt that is Isabel Lee 'cause it's August 28 at 2:53 in the morning, and Josie has school tomorrow, or well, today.
Josie angrily gets up, fluffs her pillow, and tries to sleep on her other side, hoping to find some comfort and escape from her turbulent thoughts.
As Josie struggles to find sleep, suddenly it's 7 in the morning, and the reality of having to get ready for school hits her like a ton of bricks.
As Josie prepares for school, she quickly goes through her morning routine—showering, brushing her teeth, and untwisting her hair. Rummaging through her drawers for an outfit, she hastily picks one and gets ready to pick up PJ.
When PJ steps outside, she gives Josie a once-over and remarks, "What the fuck happened to color-coordinated outfits, Josie?"
"Shit sorry, I didn't get any sleep last night," Josie replies, exhaustion evident in her voice as she rubs her hands over her face.
Rolling her eyes, PJ sighs, "Fine, I guess I'll go change," and starts to turn back to her house. But before she can take another step, Josie looks up and says, "No, there's no time, we have to go now."
PJ scoffs but gets into the car without another word. The ride to school is silent, but Josie doesn't mind. She's not really in the mood for conversation anyway.
As Josie and PJ enter the school building, Josie isn't surprised when Hazel jumps into their conversation out of nowhere. She's learned to expect that from her.
"Josie, it's like I haven't seen you all summer," Hazel says, running her finger through her hair.
Josie sighs in expectation of that exact sentence and when PJ adds, "Exactly."
"Crazy, when I believe I spent too much time with both of you," Josie retorts with a hint of sarcasm.
When they get to their lockers, Josie is shocked to find that there's nothing written on them. "Huh," she says, looking around in confusion.
PJ and Josie exchange a puzzled glance before PJ speaks up, "Hazel, can you open my locker?"
"Sure thing!" Hazel replies eagerly, placing her books on the floor.
PJ and Josie step aside as Hazel opens the locker, but there's nothing inside. Nothing at all.
"Thanks, Hazel?" PJ says, her tone tinged with disbelief, while Josie cautiously opens her own locker, finding it empty as well.
"Maybe they forgot," Josie suggests, trying to make sense of the situation.
PJ laughs. "No, dumbass, I was right. Junior year is where everything matters so much that nothing does. No one has time to tag lockers right now."
As they walk through the halls and see tagged lockers, PJ adds, "My point stands, but maybe they did forget..."
They stand in front of Mr. G's class, contemplating the familiarity of the situation.
"It's odd that before we even check our rosters, we know this is our home room and that we'll all have the same classes anyway," PJ remarks, voicing the thought that's been lingering in the back of their minds.
"That's how it's always been," Hazel shrugs, accepting the routine without question.
They walk into the classroom to see Mr. G reading a book titled "The 51 Questions That Changed My Life," but everybody knows what he's actually reading.
They catch up with Annie, whom they haven't seen since she tried to convince their parents to send them to that weird Christian camp that lasted the whole summer. They talk until the bell rings, and then Mr. G gets up to talk about what homeroom stands for and what they'll learn.
Then, Isabel walks in, followed by Brittany, Stella, Rebecca, Tim, and Jeff. Josie can't stop looking at Isabel, but Isabel is acting like she can't help but look anywhere else, and it hurts.
"You're late," Mr. G says sternly.
"Coach explicitly told us to be late," Tim explains, with Jeff nodding in agreement.
Mr. G rolls his eyes. "Anyway..." he continues talking, but Josie isn't listening. She's watching as Jeff sits directly behind Isabel and hugs her from behind. Josie looks away, feeling angry.
It wouldn't surprise her in the slightest if they're back together. It was unavoidable, really. It was going to happen either way, and Josie hates that even more.
Josie is sure the anger is radiating off her in waves, and she can't quell it no matter how much she taps her foot.
"We'll start with this girl and that girl," Mr. G announces. Josie looks up, confused, and then turns back to look at PJ, who has a grimace on her face.
"Huh?" is all Josie manages to say, and the class erupts in laughter.
"Get up and tell us how you spent your summer and how that shows good citizenship," Mr. G instructs.
Josie furrows her eyebrows in confusion, but before PJ can respond, the bell rings. Mr. G claps his hands together and declares, "I don't care anymore, everyone out."
Everyone gets up and heads out the door. PJ mutters, "It doesn't matter what class he gets, he will never do it right."
"The next teacher is worse," Josie adds.
They enter Mrs. Panaretti's woodworking class, and she's already snapping orders, declaring, "I'll be the one seating you!" Since they arrived first, they have to wait for everyone else to pour in. They stand for five minutes until Mrs. Panaretti finally starts calling names.
"Josie Marks and Yasmine Gonzalez, here," she calls out. Josie moves to sit down as PJ scoffs. Mrs. Panaretti knew better than to seat Josie and PJ together; they're not popular with the student body, but teachers always seem to know them.
"PJ Waters and Hazel Callahan," Mrs. Panaretti continues. Hazel exclaims, "Yes!" and tries to high-five PJ, who just sighs deeply and heads to her seat.
"Isabel Lee and Tim," Mrs. Panaretti announces. At the same time, they all sneak into the line of students waiting to be seated. Mrs. Panaretti looks around after seeing no one moving. "Isabel Lee and Tim," she repeats, raising her voice a little.
"Oh," Isabel says, and she makes her way to her seat. Josie notices they're not close, but they're not that far either. If they wanted to see each other, they could, but if they didn't, they wouldn't.
"Brittany and Jeff," Mrs. Panaretti continues. For a moment, you'd think you can see Brittany look angry before she returns to looking bored again. Isabel laughs a little.
It wasn't loud, and most wouldn't hear it, but of course, Josie did. When Mrs. Panaretti is done seating everyone, if Josie wasn't so disappointed, she'd applaud her. Mrs. Panaretti managed to separate the right people and pair them with the right people to make sure no one speaks when they don't have to.
Josie looks over at Yasmine and quickly looks away when Yasmine catches her gaze. "Get to know your partners and get started," Mrs. Panaretti says as she goes to sit at her desk. The talking in the class seems to start hesitantly, but once it starts, it doesn't stop. However, Josie and Yasmine haven't started speaking at all, so Josie decides to look around. Isabel is drawing in her notebook while Tim is twiddling his thumbs. Brittany has her head down, while Jeff obnoxiously pops his gum and blows bubbles. Hazel seems excited, and at least it looks like PJ is listening.
Josie takes a deep breath and shifts in her seat, then gathers her courage and turns around to face Yasmine. "Soo, how many times have you had Panaretti?" she asks, hoping to break the ice and start a conversation.
Josie laughs along with Yasmine and nods. "Yeah, seriously. It's like a revolving door of the same teachers over and over again," she agrees.
"Well, they're just as desperate for new teachers as we are, though," Yasmine remarks. "did you hear Principal Meyers announce that Rockbridge High will pay for your college tuition if you go as an educator and come back to work here?"
Josie nods, a skeptical look on her face. "I did, but who in their right minds would do that?" she questions.
"Exactly," Yasmine agreed, pointing a finger at Josie.
"So, do you have any artistic talents?" Yasmine inquired.
Josie raised her eyebrows and hummed thoughtfully. "I can draw any 2D shapes... and my friend Hazel taught me how to draw a shark in middle school. My artistic talents stop there," she admitted with a chuckle.
Yasmine laughed in response. "Well, that's something, at least," she remarked.
Josie rubbed the back of her neck. "What about you?" she asked.
"Absolutely none. But I'm good with my hands, I think," Yasmine replied, making a movement to twirl the rings on her left hand. Josie instinctively looked down at them, intrigued. Just as Josie was about to respond, a bang came from the other side of the room. Josie locked eyes with Isabel, who just stared back before hitting Tim and saying, "Cut it out, Tim," causing him to say "Ow" in response. Josie's eyes lingered for a moment before she turned back around.
"Well, that'll be handy at least," Josie said with a chuckle, but Yasmine didn't say anything in return, so Josie stopped. And then the fire alarm went off.
"Why?" Mrs. Panaretti shouts, her voice echoing in the classroom. "Why are you all still sitting down? Get up!" Her command prompts everyone to quickly gather their things and rise from their seats. "Callahan, front and center, please," Mrs. Panaretti calls out, and Hazel obliges, even going as far as to make a mock salute. PJ scoffs audibly, expressing her disdain for the display.
Josie lost sight of Yasmine as they exited the classroom, finding her way to PJ instead. "Of course that line leader foolery is something Hazel never grew out of," PJ remarks, to which Josie laughs. "You used to love it," Josie recalls. "Yeah, used to bring my whole point, she still loves it," PJ remarks. "If she called on you, you would've done it happily," Josie teases. "I really wouldn't have," PJ denies immediately. "Right," Josie says mockingly.
Josie starts to look around, but PJ grasps her shoulder. "Dude, they left as soon as the alarm went off," PJ says. "Of course," Josie says dejectedly, her disappointment evident in her tone. When they make it onto the field, there's still no sight of Isabel, Brittany, Jeff, or Tim for that matter, but she does see Yasmine grabbing her bike. "You're just going to leave?" Josie asks, her voice tinged with a mix of frustration and resignation. Yasmine jumps at the sudden question. "What the hell, man. Yes!" Yasmine says, her frustration matching Josie's. "You know how long this is going to take? It's the same way every time." Josie sighs deeply.
"Wanna come with me?" Yasmine asks, a hint of hope in her voice. Josie is silent at first, grappling with her emotions. "Come on, I'm sure it'd make both of us feel better if it didn't have to be awkward between us. We'll be working together for quite a while," Yasmine adds, trying to reassure Josie. Josie sighs again, feeling a mixture of reluctance and acceptance. "Okay, and go where?" Josie says, her voice betraying her uncertainty. "Around," Yasmine says as she starts to push her bike, and Josie follows, her steps heavy with the weight of unresolved tension.
As they walk behind the courtyard to avoid the risk of being seen, they start hearing laughter. "Looks like the mother and father of Rockbridge Falls High are back together," Yasmine whispers, bumping her shoulder with Josie. Josie tenses as they get closer and closer to them. When they're about to walk past, Josie decides she won't even look in Isabel's direction. She'll pretend she doesn't even know she's there, just like she thought Isabel did throughout their childhood, or just like Isabel actually started to do. And when she makes it past, she feels a hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn around.
"Oh, you guys are in our class, right?" Isabel says, then removes her hand and takes two steps back from Josie, which hurts too. She's touched her shoulder, but she's not even looking at her; she's looking at Yasmine. Yasmine hums. "We might be, but for our attendance's sake, let's go with no though."
Jeff chuckles at this, and Isabel smiles, but it's not one of her real smiles, Josie notices, and she feels bad. She has to tell herself that if Isabel didn't want to be out here with Jeff, she wouldn't be, just like how she decided she didn't want to be with Josie. And look at that, she's not. "So where are you guys going?" Isabel says, looking at Josie this time.
Josie starts to speak, but Yasmine links her arm with Josie's and says, "Around." Isabel laughs a little. "Around?" she says, looking straight at Josie. Josie feels confused and anxious, very anxious.
"A-round," Yasmine says, doubling down.
"Well, bye," Yasmine says, and spins on her heel. Josie keeps her eyes on Isabel for a while, who also doesn't look away, and then she turns around and follows after Yasmine. As soon as they're out of sight, Isabel has a straight face and sighs in frustration. "Let's go back to class, Jeff," Isabel says and stomps off in the direction of the courtyard.
"What? Why?" Jeff says, but still follows.
They've made it down the street from the school when Yasmine asks, "So what grade did they get together?"
"Fourth," Josie says.
"Wow," Yasmine says with a gasp.
Then Josie shakes her head. "Are you new or not? I really can't tell."
Yasmine laughs. "Well, yes, in the regard that everyone here has known everyone their whole lives, and no, since I came here freshman year."
"How come we're just meeting then?" Josie asks.
"Well, I mean, you're like one of those popular loner types, right?" Yasmine says.
Josie can't help but burst out laughing. "Oh my god. You really think so?"
Yasmine squints her eyes in confusion. "Yes, you only have like 2 friends, everyone knows you, a cheerleader just stopped to ask you where you were going, and you have the whole, like, streetwear style thing going on," Yasmine says.
Josie laughs again. "I have two friends, nobody knows me, and the cheerleader asked if I was even in her class, and I've known her since the third grade. And I don't know what streetwear is exactly, but I don't think this is it."
"Bro, I've been an outsider in a school I've been going to for three years, and anytime I talk to anybody, I hear about something Josie Marks and PJ Waters have done. She totally knows you; I made eye contact with her like 10 times every time I looked in your direction in that one class. And it is; you're a damn walking mood board." Yasmine argues.
"No one knows us in a good way, so I know she knows me, but I also know that she doesn't want to. But to avoid explaining and unpacking any of this, I'm going to agree to disagree," Josie says, and Yasmine laughs.
Yasmine points to a little corner store and drops her bike on the side. "But to be dating someone since the fourth grade must be true love, right?" Yasmine says as they walk into the closed store.
"Right. They broke up every other week then too," Josie says bitterly, her tone tinged with resentment.
"Well, that's to be expected. It's elementary school," Yasmine defends, trying to inject some optimism.
"And now?" Josie says, her voice heavy with skepticism.
"Well, it must be hard trying to maintain a relationship with someone you've known for that long. It only makes sense for it to fizzle out sometimes," Yasmine shrugs, attempting to rationalize.
"But they always find their way back to each other. It's romantic," Yasmine continues, her voice tinged with a hint of admiration.
Josie looks down at her feet, feeling a mix of sadness and frustration.
"What do you think they talk about?" Yasmine says, curious.
Josie scoffs and says, "Him," her bitterness evident in her tone.
"What do you mean?" Yasmine asks, puzzled.
"Have you never had a conversation with Jeff? He's an arrogant dummy," Josie says, bewildered by Yasmine's question.
"And she's not?" Yasmine counters.
"No, how could you think so when you just had a conversation with her?" Josie responds, her disbelief evident.
"She might have just 'pretended' she didn't know we were in the same class for what reason exactly?" Yasmine says, raising a valid point.
Josie doesn't argue because then she'd have to talk about why she thinks Isabel pretended.
"Exactly," Yasmine says with a snap.
"She's actually really nice, ask anybody," Josie says, defending Isabel.
"Oh, I've heard. I think the whole nice thing is an act," Yasmine says as they walk around.
"Want an apple juice?" Yasmine offers.
"Yes, please," Josie accepts before quickly whipping out her phone and texting Isabel:
'You didn't have to pretend you didn't know me. I'm sure Jeff's guppy brain doesn't even remember me.'
Josie puts her phone back as Yasmine returns.
"Oh, my bad, you can sit there," Yasmine says, pointing to a bean bag, and then handing Josie an apple juice before sitting on the counter.
———————————————————————
Meanwhile, back in school, Isabel's phone buzzes, and when she sees it's a text message from Josie, she opens it immediately. However, she quickly puts her phone face down, feeling Ted peeking over her shoulder, and Mrs. Panaretti starts taking attendance again.
"Yasmine Gonzalez?" Mrs. Panaretti calls out, scanning the classroom for a response. Seeing no one, she notices Isabel's hand up.
"Yes, Ms..." Mrs. Panaretti pauses, then continues, "Lee?"
"While Jeff and I were lost, I think we saw Yasmine and her partner walking in the opposite direction of the courtyard... maybe they got lost too?" Isabel says, her voice tinged with a subtle hint of manipulation.
PJ gasps loudly, looking offended for her best friend, then quickly disguises it as a cough, realizing she didn't mean to be so loud.
"Sure, lost as juniors, huh? Their parents will be getting a phone call," Mrs. Panaretti says with a hint of sarcasm, and PJ shakes her head, feeling a mix of frustration and surprise towards Isabel's intentions.
As the bell rings, Jeff turns to Isabel with a puzzled expression. "Why'd you do that?" he asks, his tone tinged with disappointment.
Isabel lets out a heavy sigh. "Do what?" she feigns innocence, although she's well aware of what he's referring to.
"Tattle," Jeff clarifies, his frustration evident.
"I asked where they were going, and they said 'around.' God forbid something happens because they were being secretive for no reason at all," Isabel retorts, her voice tinged with annoyance as she walks off with Brittany.
PJ immediately texts Josie:
'ISABEL TOLD.
PRACTICE YOUR LIES RN'
———————————————————————
As the sun begins to set, Josie learns a few things about Yasmine—like how her uncle owns the store, she's a real astrology enthusiast, and that Josie likes her just a little bit.
"Thank you for keeping me company," Yasmine says warmly.
Josie chuckles. "Same," she replies.
Yasmine laughs. "I guess being awkward is like a personality trait of yours," she teases as they walk outside.
"It just might be," Josie quips, following her out.
"Well, bye," Josie says.
"Bye," Yasmine replies.
Josie unlocks her phone as she walks, finding herself irritated but not surprised that Isabel left her on read. She decides to respond.
"So eager to give me a taste of my own medicine then?" Josie texts.
Isabel reads it immediately and responds with, "What are you talking about?"
Josie replies, "Leaving me on read..."
Isabel quickly follows up, "I wasn't skipping, Josie. I was in class and couldn't respond to you at that moment."
Josie doesn't respond for a minute or two. Isabel texts again, "I'm really sorry, Josie."
"You saying that after every time we speak doesn't make me feel better, especially when it's because you're doing the same thing over and over again," Josie retorts.
Josie puts her phone in her pocket but when she gets to the front of her house and sees Isabel never texts back, she adds, "You'd think that'd be important to you when it's the only thing Jeff ever does to you."
Then Josie puts her phone on do not disturb.
As Josie makes it into the house, a shoe comes flying right down the steps, which she successfully ducks.
"What?" Josie says in confusion.
"No 'what'! Skipping? Josie, really?" Josie's mom says while rushing down the steps.
Josie decides on silence as her response. She can't deny it, as her mother obviously already knows, and admitting it somehow makes it worse.
"You can't speak?" Josie's mom continues.
Josie stays quiet.
"Okay, well, maybe you'll be able to speak better when you want the car back," Josie's mom says, holding out her hand. Josie realizes she's in trouble now as she hands the keys to her mom.
"Where's the car?" her mom asks.
"Huh?" Josie said, her heart pounding in her chest.
"You can't hear either? I'm not playing with you, girl," Josie's mom said, her voice tinged with frustration.
"At the school," Josie muttered, her gaze fixed on the floor.
Josie's mom laughed in exasperation. "You ain't ever getting these keys back. Go to your room," she said with a sigh.
Josie couldn't move fast enough. When she reached her room, she closed the door softly, feeling a mix of embarrassment and guilt weighing heavily on her. She turned her phone off and tucked it under her pillow, hoping to escape from the consequences, if only for a little while.
Josie kept her light on, her door cracked, and remained silent as she diligently worked on her homework. She didn't want to give her mother any reason to be upset with her. Despite the temptation, she didn't dare check her phone until 1 in the morning. When she finally did, she saw several messages from Isabel, but the last one cut deep. "You're a jerk," it read. Josie's heart sank as she realized the extent of the damage she had caused.
Josie couldn't shake off the guilt she felt for Isabel, but as soon as she read PJ's message, it put things into perspective.
"Told what?" Josie asked just to confirm.
"PJ replied, "Bro, you know what I'm doing right now. That you were skipping. Did you not get into trouble???"
"I did, she took the car keys," Josie replied.
"Fuck," PJ responded.
"Yup. I'm starting to think Isabel actually hates me or something," Josie confessed.
"If Isabel hates you, then what does Brittany love me? I wish," PJ joked, then added, "Fuck, geez, Josie. Now I'm like sad or something. I have to finish now for the dopamine rush. I'll see you tomorrow," PJ texted before signing off.
Josie sighed, feeling a mixture of emotions as she put her phone aside.
Josie finally decides to call it a night. With nothing holding her attention, she turns off the lights, settles into bed, and lets sleep embrace her. Tomorrow is another day, and she knows she'll need all the energy she can muster for whatever comes her way.