Old Soul, Young Heart

Chapter Twelve, Here.

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It's dusk with a clear dark sky above, and several brilliant stars scattered across the atmosphere. The temperature is fairly humid with hardly any distinguishable noises around, which is considerably odd. The lake is completely still, the crickets are silent, and the shining of the current full moon is ominous. It's been one week since the riddance of the Ouija board, and honestly the last of anything seemingly strange or haunting happening with or near the lake house. There haven't been any more storms, the electricity is normal, although as for Eden—she appears even more distressed now than she had been previously. Albeit, still full of guilt and anguish regarding her friend's unworthy death. Meanwhile, her brother is taking the situation rather...lightly.

Jacob precariously invited Maya and Josh to accompany him and Eden to the cemetery roughly forty-eight hours following the mischief of the Ouija board, and they were pretty reluctant to go to say the least as they should be. After all, they don't know Claudia and at this rate, will never be given the chance. If not for their untimely encounter with Eden in the woods, they would still be oblivious to all the knowledge they now have. Ignorance is bliss, although unfortunately not for them.

The siblings rode in one car, while Josh and Maya followed in another, and the both of them immediately regretting their decision the second they reached the cemetery gates. Maya remembers tightly clutching onto her boyfriend's hand, nervously squeezing his palm, and sensing Josh's gaze as he stared at her worriedly. Maya hasn't been to a graveyard since the passing of her grandmother—the location obviously bringing back uncomfortable memories. Regardless, it didn't stop Josh from wanting to comfort her.

He quickly leaned in to kiss the side of her head, and Maya's cheeks were instantly hot. She eventually made eye contact with him, weak at the knees by him winking at her. Josh wanted to give her reassurance, to promise to keep her safe, and to stay by her side the entire time they were there. Maya put all her trust into him that night as she would anytime, and Josh didn't disappoint. He made sure they were close to one another, while merely supplying support to the twins during a clearly difficult time in their life. Needless to say, Josh would stand with Maya directly in front of him, able to see over her head, and having his arms gently around her neck as she holds his hands from the front. Both their heartbeats were steady the longer they remained next to each other, and soon managing to get through the rest of evening on a good note. Now a week later, and their vacation is finally feeling like one.

They've done all they could within the timespan given to them, and it's still not over. From going to a drive-in movie to witnessing a beautiful sunset while overlooking a cliff, the trip has been nothing short of romantic especially now with the end of all the distractions. The couple can't get enough of snuggling and kissing one another, although mutually agreeing to keep the passion to themselves, and out of sight of other people. Easier said than done. And as they continue to enjoy each other's company by laying in a hammock together (because the lake house just wouldn't be complete without one) and looking up at the sky, they're starting to get the feeling that they never want to leave.

Maya's head is resting comfortably on Josh's chest while his arms are softly cradling her body, neither one of them saying a word as they simply revel in the moment. Maya adores the light rising and falling of Josh's chest as he breathes, and soon looking down at his face to notice his eyes are closed. She's unsure if he's sleeping or just relaxing, but either way, she can't resist the moment. Maya pulls her cell phone out of her pocket, navigating to the Camera app, and snapping a quick photo of her sleeping beauty because even guys can look cute when they're resting.

The shutter causes Josh to stir until finally squinting his eyes open. He smirks as Maya is the first sight he sees, and subsequently moaning as he stretches. They haven't been near the lake since the night of the storm, and Josh couldn't be happier as he no longer has to worry about Maya mistakenly falling in or worse. He would much rather spend their nights like this, and Maya evidently feeling the same way. "Another picture? How many is that now,"

"You don't want to know." The blonde's smile is telling, and Josh chuckles. He's certain Maya has at least a hundred photos of him by now, and it's not like he's complaining. A girl that admires his face as much as she does is something to appreciate and if it keeps her happy, then he will never protest. She lays back down on his chest, hearing as Josh exhales. It's another brief moment of quietude, Maya truly full of ecstasy as the thought of Josh being her boyfriend still feels surreal. "So, what happens now…" She asks, and Josh is perplexed.

He furrows his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"We're leaving soon, aren't we?" Maya insinuates. "This doesn't just end once we're back home, does it?"

The question genuinely surprises Josh, sitting up to look at Maya more distinctly and she does the same. He thought it was obvious how much he wants to be with her even when they return home but now that he considers it, he does understand her skepticism. He looks deeply into her eyes, searching her pale blue irises for any ounce of doubt before finally intertwining their fingers. Josh takes a second to gather his thoughts, wanting to say the right thing. "You're worried," he says more as a statement than a question, and Maya doesn't respond. Instead, merely bowing her head, and Josh promptly lifts her chin. She hasn't looked this doubtful in a long time, Josh desperate to change her mood to something more cheerful. "I like you, Maya and I have for a long time."

The admittance causes butterflies to flutter in Maya's stomach, despite already knowing this. She'll never get tired of hearing him say it. "So, you're not embarrassed?"

"Why would I be?" Josh replies, openly confused. He knows he might've displayed the notion of such when they were teenagers, but they're older now, and his mindset is entirely different than it was back then. Maya is absolutely attractive in more ways than one, truthfully unable to fathom letting such a good thing get away. "I'm lucky to be with someone beautiful, clever, thoughtful, and carefree. Tess was maybe only half of those things at most, and I wouldn't dare leave you to go back to her."

Maya momentarily smirks as the smile soon vanishes. Josh really is saying all the right things, which is just one of the many reasons why she likes him so much. "Then I'll ask again…what happens now?" she says. "Will we tell everyone immediately…will things between us now still continue when we get home?" Maya interrogates, referencing to the kisses, the cuddling, the sleepovers, and the dates.

Josh nods prior to pecking her nose. "I don't see why not," he assures, bringing a permanent smile to Maya's face. "In fact, I want you to come with me somewhere." Josh urges, and pulling Maya up from the hammock. He eagerly guides them back through the house, and outside to the front yard where his car is parked.

It's almost ten o'clock at night, Maya clearly without a clue of where Josh could be taking her. "Are we seriously going somewhere right now?"

"Yup." Josh says casually, while helping Maya into the passenger seat, and running around the other side of the car. He starts the engine, and briefly looking over at Maya before beginning to back the car up. "I hope you don't mind, but there's something I want to show you." He explains, and Maya simply shrugs. As long as she's with him, she doesn't care what they do.

"Will I be impressed?" she responds with a playful tone in her voice, and Josh laughs.

He's blushing, although she can't see it within the dimness of the car. "I guess we'll find out." Josh drives, getting farther away from the lake house, and more into town with each minute to pass by. This trip won't be complete in his eyes unless they visit somewhere in particular, anxious to witness Maya's reaction once they get there. And when they stop in the parking lot of the building, Maya's eyes are wide and expressive; Josh apparently always with something extra up his sleeve. "You can close your mouth now," he teases, and Maya turns her head to look at him.

"Why are we here?"

Josh shrugs, there being no particular reason. "Would you rather be somewhere else?" he asks, sensing slight disappointment exuding from the blonde until she shakes her head, denying his accusation.

She smiles. "Not at all." Maya confirms and within seconds, is she following Josh to the front entrance where he graciously holds the door open, allowing her to walk inside first. Beyond them is the classic scene of a nineteen-fifty's diner with everything you could imagine. From the table booths, long counter with plenty of stools, a jukebox in the far-left corner, vintage pennants hanging on the wall, and the traditional black and white tile floors. Maya is awestruck as she gawks at the sight, breathless on what to say next. "Josh,"

"Cool, right?" Josh says as he casually stands beside her with his hands in his pockets. "I remember coming with my friend during one of my visits here. I had plans to bring Tess, but unfortunately never could because she hates traveling. It's fine, though because I knew you would appreciate it more, anyway."

Josh can feel Maya looking at him, and turns his head to see the stern expression on her face. He doesn't know what she's thinking, wondering if he possibly made a mistake by mentioning his ex. However, when Maya suddenly stands up on her toes to reach his lips and plant a kiss, Josh is immediately content. "I'm ready to order if you are." She replies, and Josh doesn't hesitate.

He guides them over to the front counter where the owner is, ready to take their order which consists of a hotdog for her, a cheeseburger for him, and a bowl of French fries to share.

The restaurant is fairly empty with only four other customers along with themselves, all of them enjoying the music emanating from the jukebox that's currently playing an Elvis Presley hit. Maya finishes her hotdog before taking a sip of her soda, and staring at Josh the entire time, who's busy watching a pair of best friends clumsily dancing in the middle of the floor. She eventually gazes at them as well, imagining the friends as Riley and herself. "It must have been cool growing up in the fifties." She says to herself, but Josh still catches wind of it.

He looks across the table at her. "You think so?" Josh says, and Maya eagerly nods her head.

"The clothes…the music…the cars," Maya states, making sure to put emphasis on the word, and Josh bashfully diverts his gaze. "It actually gives me an idea."

"For a painting?" Josh says hopefully, but Maya doesn't respond. Needless to say, her sly way of dodging the question is all the confirmation Josh needs. Albeit, it's no question the blonde has many talents, but her knack for painting is and always will be Josh's favorite trait of hers. Afterwards, distracted when their waitress appears next to their table.

Her smile is as bubbly as her personality, while aiming to give them good customer service. She's carefully holding a tray of milkshakes in her hands, and setting them down before taking the rest of their leftovers. Josh immediately furrows his eyebrows. "Uh, sorry but, we didn't order these?" he clarifies, but it doesn't seem to matter—the waitress clearly happy to give it to them.

"It's on the house. Compliments of the owner." The waitress says, and Maya and Josh don't protest, while briefly glancing at one another. She leaves the couple alone yet again as they indulge in the tasteful milkshakes, Josh plainly drinking right of the glass, while Maya uses her straw.

"Thank you." She looks at Josh passionately. "If it were up to me, I would never want to leave." She says, voicing what she's been thinking all this time, and Josh is seen severely choking on his shake.

He takes a minute to compose himself, aware of the concern looks from not only the blonde but from nearby patrons as well—truthfully feeling like the public humiliation of pissing on himself all over again. Nevertheless, Josh merely shocked to know Maya's been thinking the same thing as him. They both know they'll have to go back home eventually, and Josh finally understands now why Maya was asking him what now. Admittedly, they won't be as close once returning home because it won't be just about them anymore. Soon they'll have to deal with work and family and friends, and Josh is honestly dreading when that happens.

Maya arches an eyebrow the second he awkwardly clears his throat. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Josh says unconvincingly, and as the words leave his mouth, the sound of a bell above the diner door dings, indicating the entering of someone new.

Maya and Josh both look toward the entrance to see Jacob, and the second he spots them, he comes walking over with a friendly smirk. He's without Eden, which slightly concerns them, but they're not going to make it their business. They're over that now. "Hey, I didn't know you two knew about this place. Are you on a date?"

"Yeah. We are actually." Josh desperately tries to conceal his annoyance, Jacob obviously showing up at the worst possible time. "What about you?"

"I'm just picking up something to eat for Eden and I. Nights like these, we usually skip dinner, but I'm sure she has to be hungry by now. I know I am."

"How is she?" Maya asks, haven't not seen her since their escapade to the cemetery.

Jacob fidgets around uncomfortably. "She's…getting there." He says uneasily, and the couple look at him curiously. Lately, Eden stays locked up in her room all day; Jacob feeling as if he's mostly to blame. He sighs. "She'll never be okay about the situation, but I'm still doing whatever I can to help her cope with it. Although, Eden might honestly need therapy. I wish she would consider it, anyway."

It's an awkward silence as Maya and Josh exchange glances, and Jacob sighs again. "Well, I'll leave you two alone." He starts to walk away and once he's far enough from the table, they don't waste a minute talking behind his back.

Maya's countenance reads skepticism as she looks across the table at Josh. "There's something going on with them,"

"Yeah, maybe." Josh replies, and glancing behind him at Jacob, who's absently waiting for his order. He's glaring down at his cell phone, while occupying one of the stools at the front counter. Jacob then looks up just as a waitress is trying to give him something, which looks to be a flyer for an upcoming event. He smiles with a slight nod of his head, the two mumbling incoherent words to one another. Josh then faces forward again once the same girl starts to come toward their table, feigning obliviousness.

It's a different waitress from their original one, and her boobs are just as perky as her smile, thanks to the help of her push-up bra. She has dark ebony hair that's straightened, and tied high into a ponytail. Her name tag says, Miranda, and she gazes first at Maya before directing her attention to Josh. "Hope you guys are having a nice evening," she says genuinely. "Just a reminder, we're closing in less than an hour, but I also wanted to give you this."

It's the same piece of paper she gave to Jacob, advertising the announcement of a party happening at the diner to celebrate the Fourth of July that's in just a couple of days. "Everyone is welcome, and we're encouraging people to dress with a nineteen-fifties style if possible. If not, that's okay too. There will be music, food, and a dance competition to hopefully win two hundred dollars. The only catch is, you need a partner. Hope to see you guys there," Miranda concludes, and Josh thanks her prior to her walking away.

He looks back at his girlfriend after skimming the page over. "What do you say? Want to do it?" Josh asks, although the answer is already obvious without her even having to say it.

"Put your dancing shoes on, Boing." Maya winks with a mischievous smirk as the thought of winning cash was all the motivation she needed, and although they weren't sure if Jacob and Eden would be attending, it would probably be best if they didn't.

The couple eventually pay for their meal, making certain to leave a tip, and deciding to take a stroll down the sidewalk before going back home. Their hands are intertwined, admiring the other's company, while walking under the dimly lit streetlights. There's very few people and cars on the street, rendering the area adequately quiet. Maya then immediately stiff as the soft melody of music in the distance flows through her ears, and Josh is curious to know what's suddenly got her attention. "What's wrong?"

"You mean, you don't hear that?" Josh shakes his head in response to the question, feeling when Maya tightens her grip on him. Anxious to follow the noise, she drags Josh behind her down the sidewalk before finally crossing the street. They head straight into a clearing—a quaint park to be exact—and soon finding where the mysterious music is coming from.

There's a guy probably twenty-five-years-old, sitting on top of a bench, and playing an acoustic song with his guitar. He's wearing skinny jeans with pointed toe boots, and a button up flannel with a plain T-shirt underneath. He doesn't seem to notice their presence as he continues to play, and Maya's hand eventually slips out of Josh's as she walks even closer to him. Meanwhile, Josh is bewildered, unaware of Maya's apparent appreciation for the musical arts and when the guy finishes, she doesn't hesitate to applaud.

How Maya heard him playing all the way from where they were is beyond him, but Josh isn't going to question it. Just another thing he's learning about his girlfriend.

The guy smiles kindly at them. "How you doing? You guys lost or something?"

"No, not exactly. We're, uh…" Josh stammers sheepishly, and looking at the back of the blonde's head. He watches as she goes to sit on the bench near the guy's feet, and looking up at him but mainly his guitar.

He cocks an eyebrow, while Josh swallows the lump in his throat, not understanding what this is about. He doesn't want to admit to truthfully being jealous by the way Maya seems to be all over this strange guy they don't even know. Meanwhile, Maya's cheeks are rosy as she smiles skittishly. "That's a genuine vintage dreadnought acoustic guitar…" She murmurs as her stare never leaves sight of the instrument.

"Uh, yeah. It is." The guy says reluctantly, yet simultaneously impressed. "Do you play?" he says expectantly, and Maya instantly grows stiff.

"Not really. I mean, yes…Sort of."

"Well?" The guy tries to hand her the guitar, and Maya's eyes widen.

It's been years since she's played, and in front of Josh, no less, who's currently standing with his arms crossed, wondering what she's going to do. Maya eventually takes the guitar with a shaky hand, and positioning it on her lap. She instinctively starts to tune it, and mumbling quietly, while refusing to look up. "So, I guess I'm doing this…" She teases. "I am a little rusty, so don't laugh whatever you do," Maya admits, and a smile instantly appears on Josh's face. She then takes a deep breath, and clearing her mind before beginning to play.

Josh's eyes are glued to her the entire time she plays, watchful of every strum she makes, every gesture, and every glance in his direction. The song has no lyrics, but Josh can still decipher it as a love song most likely about him…about them.

Maya remembers enlisting the help of the Texan cowboy himself to teach her to play guitar when unfortunately getting stuck with an instrument she didn't want during music class. He would teach her some days after school when he didn't have practice either in the music room or Topanga's, and all the constant practicing ultimately leading up to this moment. She's slightly coy to be playing a song she wrote for a boy she previously couldn't be with for multiple reasons, but the only thing that matters is that she's with him now.

Elsewhere, the guy casually leans over to whisper into Josh's ear amid Maya's playing. "She yours?" he asks, and Josh looks at him dubiously.

"Yeah,"

"Well, I'd hold onto that if I were you." The guy advises, but he isn't saying anything new.

Josh already knows how special Maya is, hoping to stay with her for long as possible. "Trust me, I know." And just as the words leave his mouth, a text message notification goes off on Josh's phone. He's perplexed on whom could be trying to contact him now, but slyly fishing his phone out of his pocket nonetheless, while Maya isn't looking.

It's a text message from an unknown number, and Josh's eyes nearly seem to pop out of their sockets as he reads what has been sent to him.

PLEASE REVIEW, I love reading your feedback!

That was Chapter Twelve, which I hope you guys enjoyed. Overall, I wanted this chapter to be a little more lighthearted for Joshaya after everything that's happened, but still keeping things interesting with the cryptic text message at the end. Chapter Fourteen is next on my agenda as I recently finished (rewriting) Chapter Thirteen, although I don't know when I plan to post it. We'll see.

Recap:

1. Maya wants confirmation from Josh that things will still be the same once they return home.

2. Josh takes Maya to a late night 1950's themed diner. I like the 50's...obviously, lol.

3. Maya meets a musician in the park, and plays a song for Josh. I don't know how this idea came about, but I thought it would be nice if Maya kind of "serenaded" Josh since it's usually always the guy singing to the girl.

4. Josh gets a strange text message.

Thanks to everyone that read, reviewed, and followed. Much appreciation!