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dearaur0ra · 1 month ago

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josh washington x reader oc (name used is lily monroe)

notes: au, meaning josh does not follow through with his prank, but it is mentioned in future. female reader, michaels younger sister, (18 in present tense). this story will be realistic in the sense that majority of the plot was josh’s prank, so much of it will be adjusted. new plot will be original, by me. edit: i posted the raw draft instead of the edited! if you were the few that have saw it, no you didn’t!

—

2013

he was enamoured by you. every breath, every movement, even when you didn’t know what you were doing. this moment is one of the many josh can recall, when you were perfect.

your deep hazel hair brushed against your elbows as your hips swayed to the music, encapturing josh’s full attention. jess tugged you into a clumsy, drunken dance, your eyes creased with laughter, brimming with a joy that filled the room.

josh couldn’t hold back a smile, watching you gleam. something about the way you moved set you apart. you were so different from your other friends, never asking for the attention, you just got it. you had that way about you, even if he thought it was clique, you really did light up every room you were in.

‘it’s the small things that count’, you’d say, whenever he’d ask about it. glass half full you were, and he loved you for it.

laughing, jess pulled you down with her in a heap of giggles. your ribs ached, and tears brimmed in your eyes, but moments like these were worth every second. jess, too out of breath to speak, simply pointed at you, her laughter contagious. you mirrored her actions, erupting with even more laughter.

minutes had passed, before the pair of you calmed down. “whew, i thought that’d never end.” jess sighs, rolling over on her side to face you.

“i need a drink.” you snicker, pushing yourself off the carpet to make your way to the kitchen, leaving jess in her own carpet world.

a quick glance out the window displays the worsening weather, it’s snowy blaze coating the windows. northern alberta is notorious for this, you guess. you just didn’t think it would be this bad tonight. though it does make you sincerely grateful for the lodge.

josh turns back to the conversation at hand when he spots you approaching, in fear of being accused of watching you. beth will nag him about this later, since she seems to be the only one who knows how he feels.

“-he did! i’m not lying!” emily exaggerates, practically throwing herself across the kitchen in dramatization. you chuckle, pulling a white barstool out from beside josh to sit.

“hey.” he greets with a lopsided grin, raising his bottle in salute. your afraid to even ask what sort of alcohol concoction him and mike created this time.

“hay, is for horses.” you snicker in your drunken state.

god, the look he gave you. you wish you could frame it. the way his dishevelled hair fell over his forehead, his plaid shirt with sleeves rolled up just above his elbows. he smiled at you, bottle tilted against his lip, threatening to spill at any moment, as his eyes lingering on you just a second too long before darting away.

“ladies and gentleman, we got ourselves a comedian in our midsts.” he joked to no one in particular, the others too engaged in emily’s story to listen.

you give him a playful side eye, trying your hardest to hold your composure. a smile threatens to overturn your lips, but you hold out. “pass me that beer will you?” you ask politely, pointing at an unopened can to his far left.

with little protest he does as you say, handing you the can. you thank him, and crack it open at the top. he watches you, his gaze softer now as you sip the warm foam pooling around the can, “thanks for coming again lils." he thanks quietly, his voice sincere.

you nearly choke on the foam, surprised by the sudden shift in his mood. you clear your throat, laughing. “of course. wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

he pats your back twice, the way he does to chris. except he moves his hand to the base of your neck, rubbing it gently. “you mean the world to me lily.” he murmurs, drawing his hand away to rest on the island once again. the absence burns the skin of your neck,

“your too sweet josh.” you laugh, indecisive on which way to approach him kindly. he’s drunk, really drunk. his words could mean nothing. he groans, resting his head on his hands atop the counter.

he mumbles something inaudible, closing his eyes at the touch of your hand as you reach for the bottle in his own. you pull it away from him, sniffing the top.

you take a swig, wincing at the strong taste. it mixes with the faint beer that lingers in your mouth, a dangerous game considering the array of drinks you’ve had tonight.

it’s just one night, you think.

the bottle is an eighth full, and the two you down in almost ten minutes. in that time the group dissipated, leaving just you, sleeping chris, and josh in the kitchen.

the two of you talk about nothing memorable, just conversation. he jokes, you laugh, he laughs. a speaker plays quietly in the background, as the house seems to quiet as everyone migrated back to the living room in the next room.

it’s serene, this moment shared between the two of you. and sleeping chris, you guess, but it seems to always be that way. one doesn’t come without the other.

“do you remember-,” he slurs, barely holding it together through quiet laughter. “-when mike and i tried to paint your room for you?”

how could you ever forget?

“what the fuck mike! your fucking insane!” you gape, throwing your hands up in disbelief. your furniture is collectively pushed to the center of the room, speckled with tiny splatters of pale dripped paint.

mikes face winces, “it could be worse?” he reasons, glancing around the room.

one job. he had one job. and he brought his stupid friend with him for it. “i can’t believe you guys.” you scoff in disbelief.

josh glances at you confused, as if he hadn’t done it.

“look lily i’m sorry, but i’m not exactly an artist.”

“clearly.” you state the obvious, rolling your eyes. you catch notice of something half-hidden behind the streaky pale wall above your bed frame. josh and mikes names sloppily scrawled underneath. “are those-?”

they burst out in laughter, josh falling to the ground. they hadn’t intended to make it visible, but they’re happy it is. “you gotta admit-,” mike chokes on his laughter, “this shits kinda funny.”

you laugh, and laugh. soon the regret you get trusting them diminished, and was replaced with this ridiculous laughter.

you giggle, reminiscing in the memory. michael was an asshole, yes, but he was still your brother. even if you didn’t get along well, he’s still a damn good one.

“-oh we did such a shitty job too, mike kept saying how you were gonna kill him the entire time.” josh laughs.

“with good reason! don’t you remember the streaks?”

for a moment, he just looked at you, his eyes hazy but full of warmth, like he was storing every detail of your face. your eyes seemed to twinkle in the dim light, and the urge to close the distance between you was overwhelming, but he hesitated, un-wanting to risk what you had.

neither do you. your friendship, after all, was safe-uncomplicated.

you bury your head into his neck, your smile still eminent. he feels your heat radiating on the cold skin of his neck, and your hand that grips the bulk of his arm. “i forgive you guys though.” you sigh.

“yeah, you better.” he chuckled below you, the laughter vibrating against at your head.

“josh?” you question.

“lily?” he mocks.

“i’m tired.”

—

“oh my god! i can’t believe you actually did this!” emily whispers in a breathless rush, her eyes wide with excitement as she glances back at the dimly lit room, careful not to wake anyone.

“don’t you guys think this is a little bit cruel?” sam frowns, trying to catch jessica’s eye for backup. she knows it's just a prank, but could hannah handle it?

jessica, already set on her mission, rolls her eyes. “oh come on, she deserves it!"

sam’s lips thin in a thoughtful line as she sighs, “its not her fault she has a huge crush on mike.”

“hannahs been making moves on him.” jess hisses, barely hiding her irritation. “i'm just looking out for my girl em.” she motions to emily, who smirks in silent agreement.

as the rest of the group sneaks toward the guest room, sam lingers near the kitchen, stealing a quick look around in case hannah might be nearby. her conscience tugs at her, but she knows she’s outnumbered. she gives in with a small shake of her head, trailing after the group but slowing her steps before heading up the stairs in search of hannah.

mike leads the way to the spare bedroom, the one with an old quilt and that slightly odd creak in the floorboards. he positions himself in the center, shooting jess a look that she takes as a go-ahead to set the prank into motion. jess and emily duck behind the bed, barely containing their giggles as they press themselves down low.

—

hannah's heart hammered with anticipation, as she slips quietly down the hall toward mike’s room. she clutches the small candle in her hand, its flame casting a soft glow around her, illuminating the nervousness that radiates from her face. she glances down at the shirt she picked out just for tonight—the one mike once complimented—and hopes it’s enough to show him how she feels.

she pauses just outside the door, her hands trembling slightly, and takes a deep breath. she’s been dreaming of this moment for so long. “mike?” she calls softly, her voice nearly a whisper. she opens the door, not realizing she’s walking into a setup.

“mike?” she repeats, stepping inside, her candle casting flickers on the walls. and there he is, stepping forward with a hesitant smile that’s a little too forced.

“hey hannah.”

—

meanwhile, back in the dim, cozy kitchen, you stir on the sofa nearby, buried under the soft weight of your favorite blanket. josh had tucked you in without waking you, then began his own hazy stumble to the arm chair. the cabin’s quiet hum of silence and faint crackling from the dying fire makes you want to drift back to sleep, but your pulled awake by the sound of soft murmurs in the kitchen.

you watch through half-lidded eyes as beth tidies up, before quickly falling back asleep. beth takes her usual quiet inventory of the empty bottles and scattered cans, always being the responsible one. beth mutters to herself as she clears a stray cup, shooting a playful glare in josh’s direction where he snores, slouched uncomfortably in the lone armchair across the room. a smirk curls her lips as she whispers to herself, “my brother, the romantic.” she barely suppresses a chuckle.

moving toward the kitchen, beth pauses as she spots a small, hastily scrawled note on the counter. it’s addressed to hannah, detailing a meeting spot. she squints, sighing. “what did our naive sister get herself into this time?” she mutters, ignoring the note as she sets down her collection of cans and bottles. "ugh, intervention time."

that’s when she sees hannah, moving quickly past the window, her figure disappearing into the snow-lit darkness. alarm flashes across beth’s face as she realizes what’s happening.

“josh!” she calls out, her tone urgent, but all she gets in return is a drowsy stir from him.

without a second thought, she grabs her jacket and dashes out the door, her worry for her sister propelling her through the icy wind. as she shouts hannah’s name, the rest of the group congregates outside on the lodge steps, unsure what to do.

“what’s going on? where’s my sister going?” beth demands, her gaze slicing through the group.

jess rolls her eyes and waves dismissively. “shes fine. she just can't take a joke.”

“it was just a prank han!" emily calls out.

"what did you do?" beth interrogates the group.

"we were just messing around beth, wasn’t anything serious..." Mike defends.

"you jerks!" beth spits out, turning to chase after her sister who delves further into the woods.

“so… should we go after her?” mike asks, voice uneasy.

sam crosses her arms, her stare piercing. “you know what? I think your the last person she wants to see right now mike.”

—

2014

could you have done more?

the thought gnaws at you, an unrelenting ache, even though you’re not guilty. you feel it, really feel it, in a way that pulls at your conscience. it’s hard to imagine how josh carries the weight of it. but beneath his collected front, you sense that he’s not okay. he just hides it well.

his once-lively home, filled with laughter and bickering, now stands silent. his parents barely talk, and when they do, it’s only whispers. he misses his sisters. and though he doesn’t say it, he blames himself for everything.

that night, he should have sent you to bed. you were already drunk, and he was just as bad off. if he’d passed on that last drink, he could’ve walked you up himself. maybe he would’ve caught mike before anything happened, and maybe his sisters would still be home.

now, josh just wants everyone to have a good time. it’s his way of honoring them, trying to erase the nightmare of the last year. only the best intentions in mind.

sam rewatches his invitation video, his voice echoing in her earbuds, the faint, repetitive sound barely audible as you lean over her shoulder, noticing josh’s familiar face on the screen.

“it’ll be nice to see everyone again, don’t you think?” you ask, as sam pulls her earbuds out with a faint nod.

“it’ll be weird for sure,” sam replies, voice laced with apprehension as the bus rattles over a patch of rough road. she’s worried about josh, especially since he can be hard to read.

“he only has the best intentions in mind.” you shrug, glancing at her. “i know it’s a big ask, but if we could try to make it good for him… i think he needs it.” you say, thinking of your last conversation with josh a few months ago.

“yeah, you’re right. if not for us, for him.” she nods, trying to shake the unease from her thoughts.

you manage a small laugh, patting her shoulder gently. “that’s the spirit!”

—

the icy breeze hits your cheeks in a blush as you step off the bus, clutching your jacket tight against the cold.

your boots crunch against the snowed path, with sam’s echoing just behind. the landscape feels hauntingly familiar, even as darkness settles over it.

the two of you reach the blackwood entrance gate, though one of the letters has broken off and now dangles loosely. noticing a note pinned to the gate, you lean closer.

the gates busted! climb over

-chris

“ugh, really?” you grumble, turning to sam with the note held up in your hand. “you up for a climb?”

—

the cable car station looks empty, its walls marked with graffiti and faded posters. despite the worn state, the view is still breathtaking. across the way, blinking red lights pierce the gathering dark, casting an eerie glow on the mountain.

“door’s locked!” sam calls, pulling you out of your thoughts.

“guess we need to find chris,” you sigh, moving toward a bench with a bag carelessly left on top. “chris!” you shout, hoping to spot him somewhere nearby.

“his bag’s here, but he’s not,” sam remarks, picking up the bag and noticing his phone poking out of a front pocket. she chuckles to herself. “you’re not in there, are you?”

you hesitate, glancing around the empty area. “maybe we shouldn’t snoop,” you suggest.

“yeah, you’re right,” she agrees, tucking the phone back.

“hey! you guys made it!” chris’s voice calls out from behind, startling you slightly. he looks at you both with a grin. “where’s mike?”

you shift uncomfortably, unsure whether to spill the news about jessica. “he came with someone else,” you reply, keeping it simple.

“oh?” chris raises an eyebrow, looking puzzled. usually, where one monroe went, the other followed. “anyway, i found something amazing! but i’m not gonna tell you what it is.”

“what?” sam inquires, watching as he slings his bag over his shoulder, clearly eager.

“you gotta see it for yourselves. c’mon, it’s this way.” he gestures for you to follow, excitement lighting up his face. “it’s gonna blow your mind.”

“alright, chris,” you laugh softly, taking in the scattered remnants around the old range and station.

“ta-da!” he announces, revealing the shooting range. “pretty rad, right?”

“yeah—” sam’s voice carries a hint of sarcasm.

“it’s… something?” you try to sound positive, though it doesn’t come out that way.

chris rolls his eyes, clearly unimpressed with your reactions. “come on! look at these beauties.” he gestures to the guns lined up on the counter.

“uh, beauties isn’t the first word that comes to mind.” sam’s gaze shifts uneasily over the range. “why is this even here?”

“have you met josh’s dad?” you laugh lightly, recalling bob washington’s peculiar hobbies.

“yeah?” sam looks back, confused.

“he thinks he’s like grizzly adams,” chris adds with a chuckle. “wanna give it a go?” he asks, pointing to sam.

she shakes her head. “go on, grizzly.”

—

in the cable car, the three of you sit quietly. the car jerks slightly as it passes over a roller. breaking the silence, you offer, “i can clean that cut up for you when we get there if you’d like?” pointing to the scratch on sam’s forehead.

“i’d appreciate that, thanks,” she says, though her eyes are still on chris, irritation evident. you assume some rabid crow got freaked when chris fired the gun, causing it to fly down at sam.

chris clears his throat. “did i ever tell you how josh and i met?” he asks, breaking the tension.

“no, please, tell us,” you respond dryly, having heard the story countless times.

“so, third grade, right? josh sat in the back, i sat up front. didn’t even know each other existed.”

“but then this kid next to josh started strap snapping this girl’s bra, so the teacher made him move to the front… where i was.”

“okay? so?” sam asks, barely containing a sigh.

“so, i got moved to the back.”

“and…?” sam prompts, waving for him to finish.

“that’s how we met. friends ever since.”

“a match made in heaven,” you chuckle softly.

chris grins. “if it weren’t for jeanie simmonds hitting puberty three years early and wearing a low cut shirt that showed off her training bra that day… you guys could be here with some other guy right now! boom, butterfly effect.”

—

“whoa, drama.” chris deadpans as he hands a note back to jess.

“nope. pretty clear cut, actually. em’s out, i’m in,” jess responds, flipping her hair with a smirk.

you glance around. “where’s mike, anyway?”

“he said he’d be right back,” jess replies with forced cheerfulness.

“alright, alright, let’s just get to the lodge already. i’m done with this nature junk,” chris groans, already trudging up the path.

you hesitate. “you sure you don’t wanna come back with us?”

“no, i’ll wait here,” jess says, firmly.

“o-kay,” you reply, sighing slightly as you turn to follow chris.

—

ashley peers through the lenses of a binocular stand, scanning the distance. “oh…” her voice trails off as she catches a glimpse of mike and emily standing close, too close for comfort.

“whoa, hello, someone’s getting a little friendly…” she mutters under her breath, shifting uncomfortably. “someone needs to check the expiration date on their breakup.”

just as she lowers the lenses, matt’s face appears in the viewfinder, startling her. she jumps back.

“whoa! hey, sorry, ash. i didn’t mean to scare you!” matt laughs awkwardly.

“jeez, matt!” she lets out a nervous laugh, still unsettled.

he reaches out, placing a hand on her shoulder. “really sorry, ash.”

she shrugs him off. “it’s fine, it’s fine…”

“you see anything juicy?” matt asks, glancing at the binoculars.

ashley’s mind races. “uh…”

“lemme check it out,” he says, moving toward the viewer.

“it’s kinda busted. nothing interesting to see.” she laughs, avoiding his gaze.

“what? really? i bet i could see a bear chomping on a fox or something,” matt says, half-joking.

“no, really matt… it’s not worth it, i’m getting kind of a headache just from looking through it so, no” she insists, feigning a laugh.

“uh sure, if you say so.” matt sighs, turning away to head back to the lodge. ashley quickly follows to gather with the rest of the group in front of the lodge.

—

"man, i feel like this mountain gets bigger every time i climb it," chris mutters, short of breath.

"oh yeah? feels the same to me."

you turn toward the voice. josh. "oh, come on. you grew up here. it probably feels like it’s shrinking."

"i guess that’s true," josh chuckles, crossing his arms. he glances up, catching your gaze. you smile, giving him a gentle wave.

"when are you gonna install some cell towers up here? i’m getting withdrawals already," chris grumbles, holding up his phone, desperate for a signal.

"you got a spare million lying around, and i’ll fix you right up," josh jokes, raising his brows, shifting his gaze from you to chris.

"funny you should say that," chris sighs. "ah, i think i left it in my other jacket."

josh grins. "oops." he turns, leading the group up to the porch. he waves to the others waiting on the stairs. "hey, gang! you guys make it up here okay?"

matt stands at the sight of josh. "coulda done with some bellboys, but hey, can’t get everything."

"yeah, it was pretty easy. a little creepy, though. i mean, it’s just really weird being back here," ashley adds, seated on the steps.

josh nods, waving you and chris to follow him up the steps as the others linger below. "yo, yo, yo! we gonna get things moving here or what?" chris asks excitedly, catching up with josh and you at the front door.

"yeah, man!" josh replies with a similar enthusiasm.

"so, matt and emily are a thing now?" chris inquires.

josh chuckles. "so it seems."

“what’s mike think of that?”

“i got a feeling mike’s already got his hands full, you know what i mean,” josh hints.

“-of jessica,” you scoff.

chris raises an eyebrow at you, puzzled. "huh," he murmurs, looking at josh, who’s fiddling with the front door.

“dammit! this freaking thing,” josh mutters, twisting the doorknob.

“is it iced?” you ask, leaning closer.

“what else?” josh shrugs.

“maybe there’s another way in?”

“there’s a million ways in. they’re just all locked,” josh sighs.

“there’s gotta be, like, a window or something we can get open or something,” chris suggests, glancing along the side of the lodge.

“wait a second, are you suggesting we break in?” josh asks, peering at chris over his shoulder.

chris scoffs. “i don’t think it’s technically breaking in if you own the place, right?”

“hey, not if i don’t report you,” josh teases.

“uh…” chris stammers, unsure if josh is serious.

“lead the way, cochise!” josh points down the steps.

without hesitation, chris heads down the steps, with you and josh trailing behind. chris pauses to greet ashley, as you and josh continue alongside the lodge.

josh pats your back gently. “nice to see you, lily,” he chuckles, pulling his hand away.

“you too, joshua,” you reply with a smile.

he grins. “hey, maybe later i can give you a proper greeting alone, yeah?” he suggests, a hint of mischief in his tone.

“in your dreams, josh,” you scoff, crossing your arms.

“every. single. night,” he winks.

—

“are you sure this is safe?” you ask, staring up at the window.

“never know until we try,” josh says.

“take my bag, will you?” you ask, handing it over. josh takes it from you, smirking as chris taps his wrist impatiently.

“we’re waiting,” chris quips.

“i got it, jeez.” you hoist yourself up, sliding one leg through the window. josh whistles at the view of you awkwardly maneuvering through.

“dude!” chris chides, smacking josh’s arm.

you pull your other leg over, slipping and landing on a workbench with a loud thud. josh clambers up to the window to check on you.

“all good,” you groan, pulling yourself to your feet with another wince.

“should’ve paid more attention in climbing class!” chris shouts.

josh gives him a look. "you mean gym?"

“yeah, with the ropes and stuff.” chris responds.

suddenly, the single light bulb shatters, raining glass towards the concrete floor. you flinch at the noise, shivering in the new darkness. “uh, josh…”

“i got a light for you,” he says, tossing you a lighter. you thank him quickly. “woah, lils, i just got an awesome idea.”

“here we go…” you start. josh’s ‘awesome ideas’ rarely end well.

“no, no, no,” he insists. “okay, so i’m pretty sure there’s deodorant in one of the bathrooms. you could use that with the lighter.” he grins, proud of himself.

“i’m lost. what’s a stick of deodorant gonna do?”

“spray on. it’s a can.”

“oh, i get it.”

“flamethrower!” josh says excitedly.

chris joins josh at the window. “just like we do with the little army dudes!”

“yeah, just like the ones we melted!” josh laughs, giving chris a high five. “bye-bye, frozen lock.” you roll your eyes, laughing. “alright, so you got this?”

“mhm.” you hum, turning on you heels.

josh salutes. “godspeed, pilgrim!” he says in that ridiculous voice of his.

you giggle, giving a mock salute before heading toward the garage. once they think you're out of earshot, the boys continue their conversation.

“so, ashley was looking pretty hot today, right?” josh asks, nudging chris. “don’t you just wanna rip that parka right off her and make some snow angels?”

“hey, cut it out, man,” chris replies, clearly uncomfortable.

“relax, just checking to see if there’s some blood flowin’ down there,” josh teases.

“tsk, yeah,” chris chuckles, albeit awkwardly.

“listen, dude, look around you. look at these beautiful mountains. do you see any parents? could you imagine a more perfect, ripe scenario, dripping with erotic possibilities? you and ashley, alone at last! you’ve laid all the groundwork, been a perfect gentleman. now, you come in for the kill!”

chris sighs in defeat. “maybe you’re right.”

josh chuckles. “you’re a hunter, bro. no fear. no mercy. she won’t even know what hit her!”

chris laughs at josh’s absurdity, giving you your cue to leave.

giggling to yourself, you head out into the hallway.

stone pillars support the upper floor, giving the lodge a rustic charm. the walls and floors are polished logs, a testament to the washingtons’ taste.

you pause, looking at the family portrait. the twins. your heart aches. "god."

you make your way down the hallway, then turn left into the entrance. with no flamethrower yet, you wander into the grand main room.

furniture is covered in sheets, the space looking abandoned. the massive staircase casts shadows in the lighter's glow, and you stare in awe, still astonished by the lodge’s grandeur.

climbing the stairs, you head to the best bathroom. so many memories come flooding back—lounging in bikinis with beth and jessica, sharing a hot bath, gossiping. good times.

you open a cabinet beneath the counter and spot the deodorant can. as you reach for it, a rodent scurries out, startling you.

“jesus christ!” you gasp, pressing a hand to your chest. catching your breath, you grab the can and head downstairs.

—

everyone gathers in the grand room, placing their bags down as you shrug off your jacket. Ashley's voice breaks the quiet, “oh my god, it’s so good to be inside. even if it’s still kinda freezing in here.” her gaze sweeps the room, taking it all in.

josh moves toward the fireplace, “i’ll get a fire going.” he offers, and you find a spot on the middle couch, pulling off the dusted cover to fold it up before sitting.

matt steps further into the room, “this place barely looks any different.”

“nobody’s been up here.” josh voice carries as he kneels to work on the fireplace.

ashley's curiosity piques, “even with all the police coming in and out?”

“not a lot of action up here lately.” chris chimes in, glancing at josh, who only shakes his head.

“nope.” josh says in response.

suddenly, mike strides into the room, his arms raised high. “what’s up, party people!” he shouts, his loud greeting feels out of place, almost jarring.

“he-ey!” jessica adds, stepping out from behind him with a cheerful wave. you'll never admit it, but you like mike better with jessica. she’s a lot less controlling than em.

everyone echoes casual greeting to them in return, “make yourself at home, bro.” josh says to mike.

“will do.” michael says happily. he follows jessica to the couch in which you occupy, and take it as a sign to move. you make your way to josh, to ask if he needs any assistance.

josh gives you a small smileas he points out what to do next with the fire, he keeps his voice low as emily enters the room to join the group. her eyes land sharply on mike and jessica sitting close together, “oh my god, that is so gross,” she snaps, her voice dripping with disdain. “are you trying to swallow his face whole?”

mike pulls back a little, "em-."

“seriously, can she be any more obvious? no one wants in on your territory, honey.” emily taunts, crossing her arms in disapproval.

jessica stiffens but then stands, crossing the room to meet emily's stance.“excuse me, did you say something?”

“oh? did you not hear me? was your sluttiness too loud?” em bites, closing in on the distance between her and jess.

“sounds like someone’s upset she didn’t make the cut.” jessica grins in pride.

emily looks at jessica in disgust, “yeah, it’s all a big cattle call with that dream boat. congrats! your top cow!”

jessica moves closer, “cuts real deep calling miss homecoming a cow.”

matt steps in, “em, come on-,”

“shut up matt.” she quickly shuts him down.

“stay out of it you dumb oaf!” jessica adds, pointing at matt.

“hey! watch it.” emily barks back, almost possesive.

the tension stretches unbearably, everyone frozen in their spots, pretending not to notice but unable to ignore the tension thickening the air.

“oh! your the only one who can put him down? no one else can play with your toys?” jessica taunts.

emily’s expression is pure fury, “you’re such a bitch.”

jessica shrugs, her tone condescending, “whatever. i don’t give a crap what you think.” she turns back toward mike.

emily's voice follows her, bitter. “atleast i can think. 4.0 bitch. honour roll. suck on that when you're trying to sleep your way into a job.”

“who needs grades when you got all the natural advantages you can handle?” jessica laughs, displaying her body.

“oh please-,” em scoffs.

“you couldn’t buy a moldy loaf of bread with your skanky ass!” jessica snaps back, a sneer in her voice.

emily only scoffs in response, “are you serious? do you think that’s insulting?”

jess spins around to face mike, pointing at em. “that bitch is on crack or something!”

you and josh glance at each other, in an ‘are you seeing this?’ sort of look. the room is filled with a tension that demolishes the little excitement there once was.

“jessica, you need to shut your mouth okay?” matt steps in, attempting to diffuse the situation.

“no.” jessica waves an accusing finger at him. “your the one who needs to keep your nose out of other people’s business.”

“i’m about to get right up in your business you bitch.” emily threats, stepping closer to jess.

josh gives you a knowing look, both in silent agreement.

“are we about to get real? because i’m down to get real.” jessica challenges, practically nose-to-nose with emily

“stop it!” josh intervenes, raising his voice to be louder than the two girls. “this is not why we came up here, this is not helping.”

he steps further into the room. “this is not what i wanted. if we can’t get along for ten minutes, maybe we need a little bit of a break, right?”

josh points at mike, “mike, why don’t you check out the guest cabin. the one i told you about?” josh suggests, giving mike and jess an out.

“yeah,” mike agrees, “yeah alright.” he approaches jessica with an outstretched helping hand, “wanna go do that?”

she nods, “any place without that whore.” she insults a last time, before taking his hand in her own, and following him to the door.

“it’s right up the trail.” josh points out as the couple exits the lodge, onto the outside deck.

“phew!” matt sighs, pulling his hands atop his head to do a mock explosion. “glad that’s over.” he adds, turning to face josh and i at the fireplace.

“yeah,” you respond, bending back down to the unlit fire.

matt approaches closer, “so josh, uh, should we get this fire going?”

you and josh glare in unison, as if the two of you hadn’t already been trying. “working on it.” you reply.

“um matt! where’s my bag?” emily shouts from the main entrance.

“huh?” matt replies, turning to face emily.

“my bag? the little bag with the pink pattern! the one i got on rodeo! matt! are you listening?” emily asks, but leaves little wiggle room for a response. “oh my god, don’t you remember? next to the italian shoe place where i got the stilettos and you knocked over the rack while you were drooling all over the girl at the counter?”

you sigh, barely holding in a groan. the evening has barely begun, and you’re already over it. if only josh’s breakup with emily hadn’t caused this mess, maybe things could have been… a bit more peaceful. it’s selfish, but you can’t help but think it.

you tune out the bickering, turning to josh. “you hungry?” you whisper, eyes on the fire.

josh glances up, his grin breaking the tension, “starving.”

“once we get this set up, i’ll make us a snack,” you offer, your tone hopeful.

“sounds like a dream, cupcake,” he teases, grinning as he turns back to the fire. you roll your eyes and playfully swat at him, though his silly nickname somehow makes the night feel a little warmer.

finally, as matt reluctantly follows emily out to search for her bag, the fire catches, filling the grand room with a warm, flickering glow.

“wanna go give mike the keys?” josh nods toward the door where mike and jess had left, and you nod, standing to follow him.

when josh twists the door open, jess and mike are still waiting on the porch. “hey! pornstars! you’re gonna need these,” josh calls out, tossing mike the keys.

“pornstars?” jess’s brow raises.

josh grins, “i’d pay to see it.” he snickers, ignoring your playful shove as you grimace in mock disgust.

“sorry to kick you out like that,” josh apologizes, a slight shiver in his voice.

“no worries, man,” mike shrugs it off.

“oh i’m sure you’ll find a way to entertain yourselves.” josh hints with a continuous nod.

“you guys have fun with the peanut gallery.” jess giggles. josh mimics shooting himself, his hands mocking a spray of blood out the other side.

josh turns to leave, “oh, almost forgot. gotta fire up the generator so you can see where your going.” josh points down the dark path. “it’s dark out there.” he taunts, pushing you back inside playfully.

“alright, roger that.” you hear michael say before josh closes the door.

“snacks?” you offer, putting on your most convincing plead.

“hell yeah.”

—

next -> soon!

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