Chapter Text
It took Josie a full week of classes before she’d figured out how to reach out to Penelope.
Part of her wanted to wait for her best friend to reach out first, knowing that she needed space, but after talking with Lizzie, MG, and Hope about it, she decided that she should wave the white flag first. Penelope needed time away from her, and that was fine, but Josie needed her to know that everything was forgiven. That she was welcome back into Josie’s life.
Josie spent all of Thursday evening planning her move. It started by opening up an older music notebook and using her composing program on her computer to formally type up a song she’d written in her sophomore year of high school.
She made a few changes, improving upon it, and by the time she printed it out on Thursday night, it was close to perfect.
It was the first song Josie had written after a couple of months of composer’s block after Hope had moved. The thing that had finally broken her block had been homecoming—surprisingly. At first, she’d been in a miserable mood as the date of the dance approached, but her newest friend at the time, Penelope, had been determined to cheer her up. She’d organized a big group dinner and outing for the dance, including Lizzie, MG, Kaleb, Jed, Ben and her and Josie. Jed and Penelope had pooled some cash from their parents to rent a small party bus, and it had actually been a lot of fun.
It was so different from Josie’s first experience at homecoming that it had been a sort of wake-up call for her. Like the first sign that her life could really continue on without Hope in it. So she’d gone home that night and starting writing a new song in a brand new notebook.
It wasn’t about Penelope, per se, but Josie associated the music with that night at homecoming, and her appreciation toward the girl who was quickly becoming her new best friend. And, of course, she’d never actually played the song before, and Penelope had never heard her play anything. So it seemed fitting that this be the song she played first for her best friend.
She’d put together a whole plan, getting Lizzie and MG in on it. Originally, she’d wanted Hope’s help, but she figured that Penelope would appreciate it less if Hope’s girlfriend was involved. Plus, there was already the whole matter of admitting to Penelope that she was back with Hope.
Neither Penelope nor Josie had classes on Fridays, but Josie came to campus just before lunch time. She was getting ready at the plaza when she got a text from the raven haired girl for the first time in almost a week.
Penelope – Are you going to tell me why Lizzie is dragging me out of my dorm right now, or are you really going to make this a surprise?
Josie – I do have a surprise for you, but… so we’re completely transparent, this is me telling you that regardless of everything that’s happened, you are still my best friend. I want you to take all of the time you need apart from me, but first, I just want to show you that I’m serious when I say that once you’re ready to be friends again, nothing has to change between us.
She didn’t get a response, but she knew that Penelope would be here in a matter of minutes, so Josie just pocketed her phone.
She was seated at the purple piano at the plaza, only a little nervous due to the people walking around campus around her. In front of her was her newly printed sheet music. The title stared up at her. “Penelope’s Song” is what she’d decided to call it. She’d never named any of her songs in the past, but now she was starting to like the idea of going back and officially typing up the music and giving them all names.
It wasn’t too long before Josie saw Lizzie, MG, and Penelope arriving at the plaza, the latter already raising her eyebrows at Josie sitting at the piano.
“Well, I didn’t exactly expect this,” Penelope admitted, looking hesitantly at Josie. “I guess this means you and Hope are back together, huh? If you’re finally ready to play.”
Josie let out a breath. “We are… but that’s not why I’m ready to play, Penelope. You tried telling me for so long that I shouldn’t let what happened between me and Hope keep me from playing. You weren’t the only one to tell me that, but you always tried so hard to get me back into it. You always understood how important it was to me, and that made it important to you, and I want you to know how much I appreciate that.
“It wasn’t Hope that made me want to play again. It was me, finally realizing that I wasn’t broken and destined to be in pain forever. And you were the first person who really made me realize that I could move on with my life. I originally wrote this song after homecoming sophomore year, and I wanted to play it for you… if that’s okay?”
Penelope twisted her lips hesitantly, but Josie noticed that her eyes were watery. And finally, her best friend nodded. “Sure.”
Josie took a deep breath, opening the key cover of the piano and resting her fingers over the starting notes. For a moment, she was frozen in time, only aware of her own heartbeat as she stared down at the keys beneath her fingers.
Then, she sucked in a deep breath, and began.
And despite being years out of practice, she didn’t mess up more than twice in the whole time that she played the song.
She didn’t even notice the way that passersby stopped to listen to her playing, or the way that tears leaked out of not only Penelope’s eyes, but also Lizzie’s. She definitely didn’t notice that a certain auburn haired girl had just walked out of the SU with a to-go box of salad, only to stop in her tracks when she noticed Josie playing across the plaza.
She was too lost in the feeling of playing the piano, her heart filling with joy as if the music refueled it, to notice anything around her until her fingers stilled after playing the final notes.
There was scattered applause from around the plaza, but Josie looked up at her best friend first and foremost, smiling hopefully.
Before she knew it, Penelope was rushing over to her, and she stood up to allow herself to be swept into a tight hug. “That was beautiful, Jo,” Penelope whispered, “thank you.”
“I hope you know how much I care about and appreciate you,” Josie murmured to her best friend. “And I’m sorry I can’t make you happy the way you want me to. But I’m always going to be here for you, okay?”
“Thank you.” They pulled apart slowly, and only then did Josie notice that Hope had approached the piano. Her eyes were shining with tears as well, a smile on her face.
Penelope noticed her approaching and shifted awkwardly away from Josie. Hope’s eyes followed the movement, her expression surprisingly soft as she looked at Penelope. “Hey,” she greeted carefully, glancing between the two of them like she didn’t know who to address first. Josie gave her a smile, and Hope took a step closer to Penelope. “I know you’re not my biggest fan, Penelope… but you’re a great friend to Josie, and there are no hard feelings on my end for anything that happened this past few months. But I totally get it if you’re still not happy with me.”
Penelope let out a long breath. “I’ll get there,” she said, looking between Josie and Hope. “I just need some time.”
“And like I said,” Josie reminded her, “I want you to take as much as you need, okay?”
Penelope nodded. “Thanks.”
Josie grabbed the sheet music off of the piano and handed it to her best friend. “It has lyrics, too, but I don’t always like to sing them. So… you can keep this, if you want.”
Penelope took the sheet music, sparing it a single glance before nodding. Her eyes were still wet with tears. “I’ll read it later. I think… I think I should get back to my dorm. But thank you, Jo. Really.”
Josie nodded, and let her best friend walk away even though it hurt. She understood that she needed time.
Once Penelope was gone, Lizzie, MG, and Hope all immediately bombarded her with compliments to her playing. Josie’s cheeks were warm and pink by the time she finally got them to stop, and then they all sat down to eat some lunch together.
As they were finishing up, Hope opened her backpack and pulled out a few sheets of music, sliding them across the table to Josie. “So, when do I get to hear this, then?”
Josie blushed, this time out of shyness since Lizzie and MG were peering at the music curiously, as she looked down at ‘The Incomplete Song.’ “Today,” she decided, “but not here. Do you want to come over?”
Hope sat up a little straighter, her excitement at finally getting to visit Josie’s home again obvious. “Yeah, definitely.”
“Can I use the car?” Josie asked Lizzie, who nodded with a smirk.
“MG and I have plans at his place anyway. His parents are out of town this weekend…”
MG grinned and Josie laughed, cringing a little but realizing that she couldn’t even make fun of her sister anymore. Not when she was back in a relationship and was undoubtedly going to be just as gross and relationship-y as her now.
So after they finished lunch, Josie led Hope back to the car and drove them both back to her house.
As they drove past the house that had once belonged to the Mikaelsons, Hope let out a breath, staring out the window at it. “Wow. It looks exactly the same.”
“It does.”
Hope crinkled her nose. “It’s weird. This is the first house I’ve ever come back and seen after moving out and… it just reminds me of my dad.”
“Do you guys still talk?” Josie wondered, parking her car in front of her house. They would be the only ones home right now, since her dad was still working on campus.
“Technically, yeah, but in practice, not really. He prefers to tell my mom the reasons why he doesn’t have time to call or text.” Hope heaved a sigh. “But the longer it goes on, the less I care. He never treated me how I deserve to be treated, and it’s his fault that don’t even know how to feel like I belong somewhere.”
Josie reached across the center console to rest a hand on Hope’s shoulder. “You don’t have to belong in a specific place,” she told her girlfriend, “not when you have people that you belong with.”
Hope’s cheeks tinted pink as she smiled, and then the two of them got out of the car and headed into the house.
The upright piano in the living room was dusty, and Hope shrugged her jacket off as soon as she noticed, using its fabric to wipe the piano down determinedly. Then she took out the sheet music and positioned it on the music stand as Josie sat down.
“I can’t wait to hear it,” Hope said excitedly, reaching out to squeeze Josie’s hand.
“Would you… would you want to sing while I play?” Josie breathed out, realizing how long it had been since she heard her girlfriend sing. “I know you’re not doing choir anymore, but—”
“But I haven’t forgotten how to read music,” Hope promised her with a soft smile. “Of course I’ll sing. There are few things I love more than singing while you play.”
Josie bit down on her lower lip, before abandoning the piano for a moment to press her lips against Hope’s, pulling her down into the kiss. Hope kissed her back just as deeply, and any of Josie’s remaining nerves about playing the piano finally melted away.
So she sat up straighter, placed her fingers atop of the keys, and sucked in a deep breath.
And then, she played.