A/N: For the People who's ship I DIDN'T choose, PLEASE don't kill me! hides in a corner in fear
Ch. 5 Choose!
Josie was excited. Today was graduation day, she was valedictorian of the summer class, tomorrow she was going to college, and that was it. She was caught up.
Before the graduation, Josie made a stop at Vaughn's to celebrate. This is where she made her mistake.
"Hey Josie! Happy Graduation Day!" Vaughn said as Josie came by.
Josie hugged Vaughn and stepped inside his house.
"So, excited?" laughed Vaughn, them both sitting on the couch.
"Duh, tomorrow I go to college," she laughed.
"I feel so bad I'm not going to the same college as you four, but at least I'm going to ISU, a few miles away," Vaughn admitted, while scooting closer to Josie on the couch.
Josie knew, at that moment, as Vaughn scooted closer to her on the couch, that something was wrong. Her heart was beating at an almost-normal pace, just a little bit over.
"Yeah," she said idly. Vaughn grinned and leaned in to kiss her.
Josie broke the kiss almost as soon as it had been formed.
"Josie—what?" Vaughn was acting more confused than usual, as Josie stood up.
"I Can't Choose," Josie was screaming, running her hands through her hair frantically. "You or Lucas! Why can't I decide! It was such an easy question before my year's disappearance, so easy, it was you! Now--"
Vaughn was fuming, "I was under the impression…"
"So was I!" Josie screamed, "what's wrong with me?"
Vaughn screamed, "you're falling out of love with me and falling in love with Lucas, that's what's wrong! I can even tell, the way you look at him! This is how a heart breaks, Josie!" Vaughn was steady but starting to shake, and Josie wondered how much more he could take. Tears spilled out of both their eyes.
"It started… what you call 'falling out of love'… when you didn't trust me, you trusted my father more than me. I understand that you wanted to find your mom, I really do, but that shook me, Vaughn! And Lucas… he didn't give up… I was touched…"
"Neither did I!"
"Yes, but Corrine describes what Lucas was doing as 'persistence to the point of annoyance'…"
"So I wasn't annoying! I realized when you were gone that I loved you, Josie! Does that even matter?" his voice was hoarse and husky; he was trying to get Josie to change her mind by that way.
Josie looked up at him sorrowfully, "Yes it does, Vaughn. But… the Janitor told me in the timelines when I pick the wrong one, that boy dies. And somehow… I think… I have this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that if I pick you, I'm condemning you to death… I don't have that feeling with Lucas! I have to go with my gut, Vaughn! I don't want you to die!"
"What if the wrong one's Lucas?" Vaughn sighed, he felt worse about yelling at Josie upon finding out about this.
Josie was crying, "I don't know! I have to go with my gut, Vaughn! Can't you understand this?"
Vaughn slowly nodded, "yeah, I do. That still doesn't change the fact that I'm hurt beyond repair."
"I'm genuinely sorry," Josie sighed. To make him feel better, Josie leaned up to kiss him for a final time, but Vaughn stopped her.
"Don't… don't tempt me, Josie." And with that, Vaughn was gone.
Tears still streaming down her face, Josie walked back over to the school. Her mom was there, chatting with Z.
Despite the fact that I'm broken, Josie thought, I can't help but think my mom and Z are about the same age, they would have fun together. "Yeah, Z would be good for my mom!" she whispered so they couldn't hear. And even though she was crying, she gave a furtive smile at Z, who blushed.
Hugging herself as she walked, she bumped into someone…
"Corrine!" Josie laughed/ hiccoughed. "You're back early!"
Corrine laughed and nodded, "Yeah, I figured since you didn't miss my graduation, I shouldn't miss yours. Hey Josie, have you been crying?" Corrine said suddenly.
Josie nodded, "I'll explain later. Hey Marshall!" she called at Marshall, who just walked over a placed a protective arm around Corrine.
"Hey Jose!" Marshall grinned, "All ready?"
"Duh!" Josie laughed as Lucas came over.
"Josie, the ceremony's about to start… hey Marshall and Corrine, had fun?"
"Totally!" Corrine grinned.
"Cool… we'll talk about it after graduation, come on Josie!" Lucas called and Josie followed.
Her heart was beating madly. Lucas had trimmed his hair, and got contacts… Josie thought he looked really cute. No, not cute. Hot. Holy C.
"Well, good luck Josie… have you been crying?" Lucas asked confusedly.
Josie was about to say, "I'll explain later," when all her confused emotions broke down. Leaning on Lucas, she continued to cry in his shoulder. Lucas was surprised, but comforted her unknown pain.
"Shh… you've got to go up there… tell me later, ok?" Lucas asked. Nodding, Josie whipped her eyes and left a confused Lucas behind her.
"And so, our class is an odd one. Made up of the failures, the pulled, and the ones disappeared like me, I'm positive this won't be a setback. We'll do well, us final graduates of Black Hole High. Good bye, Blake Holsey High."
Whoops were let out, hats thrown in the air, and Josie stepped off the podium grinning. We're all here… my mom, Z, Marshall, Corrine, Lucas… even Vaughn showed up, even though he looks like he had been heavily crying, had a death wish for Lucas, and wouldn't even look at me. Josie hugged her mom, then invited Z to their party, and grabbed her stuff.
"What depresses me, Josie, is that you're just going to college tomorrow," her mom admitted as they drove to the restaurant.
"I'm sorry Mom," Josie sighed, "but I'll come home as soon as possible, I promise. Anyway, you'll have Z to keep you company," Josie laughed.
Her Mom blushed, "just because he gave me his address and number…"
"Means that he likes you. Trust me, I know Z," Josie grinned, "talk to him tonight, okay?"
"Fine Josie," her mom laughed, "I was going to anyway. And if you must know, we met and sort of grew close over your disappearance anyway, he had just moved is all."
"Oh," Josie said, surprised. Go Z!
"That's why I came by the school the day you came back, I was visiting him…"
"Oh!" Josie said, even more surprised.
"Well, we're here. I expect you want to meet your friends?" she asked.
"Yeah…" Josie admitted before stepping out of the car and running inside.
Corrine and Marshall were waiting, talking in hushed voices. Corrine looked upset.
"Yes Marshall, every night… and they're becoming more detailed… I'm scared!" Corrine gasped.
"Well obviously I know they're every night… but are they more often than that?"
"No… they start when I fall asleep and end after I wake up and see you're ok…"
Marshall nodded," I have to admit; these dreams are starting to scare me too… hey Josie!" Marshall squeaked, seeing Josie right behind Corrine.
"Yeah… what dreams is Corrine having?" Josie asked.
Corrine turned around, "Uh… I've been having this dream where Marshall is driving home and a drunk driver swerves in front of him, and they get in this horrible crash… and its more detailed and more lifelike every night, its getting really freaky… I don't want to not be in a room with him at night, I'd be so scared…"
Josie looked worried too, "Corrine, despite the fact I don't think you're psychic, I do think this is weird… Marshall, watch out when driving…"
"I am!" Marshall cried, holding up his arms as if accepting defeat, "I'm being super careful!"
Josie nodded, but she still was pale as Lucas came up behind them.
"Telling her abut the dreams?" Lucas asked while they both nodded. Jose leaned over behind her and clutched Lucas' hand in fear.
Marshall looked surprised, Corrine too, but they were nothing compared to Lucas. He looked like he had just died and gone to heaven.
Josie turned around, "I think I want to tell Lucas first why I was crying. In private," and the look on Lucas' face intensified.
Marshall and Corrine exchanged confused glances before nodding. Josie and Lucas left to the outside area.
"So um, Josie, why, um, were you, um, crying?" Lucas stammered.
"Ok, so this is going to take a lot of explaining. It started, really, when I realized that I liked Vaughn less and you, um, more…" Lucas felt his entire face turn red, "and then, when I asked the Janitor who I should pick, he told me if I picked the wrong one that boy would die, so I decided to go with my gut…" Lucas had a look of dawning apprehension on his face, "and so I went over to Vaughn's and I really realized that he would be the one to die, I felt if I chose him I'd be condemning him to death, and I don't feel that with you, so I told hi, and we fought. He said that I was 'falling out of love with him and in love with you' and it got ugly," Josie inhaled, looking anywhere but at Lucas.
Before she knew what he was doing, Lucas took Josie up in his arms and kissed her.
(1,569 Words) J/V Shippers, PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!