#v ✘ it was beauty killed the beast | actiongrrl

[joshinyou-a]

➠ spooky shit for @actiongrrl

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·. As the car came to a halt within the white lines and the engine idled, Josh looked out the passenger side window. Beyond the parking lot lay the the permanently docked ship-turned-hotel, The Queen Mary. Its massive figure was a hulking monument to the rich history of the southern California locale. Despite the midday sun that shone unhindered in a bright blue sky, he couldn't help but feel a shiver of dread as he looked at the circular windows that lined the side. Like the open eyes of a corpse. Lifeless but filled with the memory of what once was.

Drawing in a breath, Josh turned his attention back to his blonde companion, hitting his knees with a finality that ended the road trip. "You still sure you wanna do this?" he asked, blue eyes glittering with mischievousness. "The Days Inn down the road didn't look so bad." He knew that the supernatural terrified Sam, but he also knew that she wanted to face her fear. He had made a silent promise to himself to be there for every step and help her in what ever way she needed.

[joshinyou]

「 tag drop 」

[joshinyou]

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·. The soft giggle might have been muffled, but it was still music to Josh's ears. He may not have much shame, but the reason was because anything he could do was worth seeing even a moment of happiness in those green eyes. He wondered if Sam would ever figure out how much she meant to him. Part of him was afraid of that very thing, knowing that she didn't deserve the chaos that was his broken mind. "Seriously? And how'd you finagle that from Cody?" he asked, giving no inkling to the deeper thoughts in his head.

−−−¨༺ Sam stared at Josh in a mix of amusement at his antics, and abject horror at the dance moves. If there was anything she admired about Josh, it sure was the fact that he really didn't have any shame. The blonde covered her mouth to giggle into her hand so it wasn't extremely obvious that she was laughing at him outright. "My brother owes me tickets to their concert if they ever tour again, actually."

[joshinyou-a]

➠ @actiongrrl

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·.  "Sammy!" Josh greeted as soon as her front door opened. "Whatever plans you have tonight, cancel them. It's movie night and I am finally gonna give you a proper education! Look, I got DVD's and popcorn," he added as he lifted a bag in his hand. "Super retro of me, right?" he added with a sarcastic wink.

[joshinyou-a]

HALLOWMEME

➠ @actiongrrl asked: “ Look at how big that pumpkin is! “

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·. Turning to look in the indicated direction, Josh's view was taken up by a pumpkin display that featured a ginormous orange pumpkin. According to the plaque, it was the largest one that the farm had grown that year which is what warranted the special display. The sun was bright, partially shielded from his thick, black Ray-Bans, though the breeze was cool, promising the coming of autumn. Today, of course, was a very special day. As his eyes settled on Sammy, he smiled to himself. This was their first official date after the long dance they'd been doing for nearly a year. The blonde was beautiful and it made his heart race in both excitement and anxiety. Surely it was only a matter of time before he fucked this up as he fucked up all good things, right?

Reaching out to take her hand, Josh pulled Sam towards him until this hips gently collided. "I know I promised I'd buy you a pumpkin, but I just don't think I can get that one that back to the truck," he teased, wrapping an arm around her waist.

[joshinyou-a]

➠ @actiongrrl

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·. It had been a few months since the disappearance of Hannah and Beth Washington. Life had been turned entirely upside down and Josh felt as though he were being pulled into a rip current and pummeled by waves. Drowning and drowning without even knowing which way was up. His parents didn't pay much attention to him. Melinda lived every day in such shock that she could barely get out of bed while Bob refused to even look at him. Whether it was because his resemblance to the twins was uncannily painful or his father blamed him for what happened, it didn't matter to Josh. He'd been left to his own devices and sought out solace in the form of Chris, Ashley, and unexpectedly, Sam. Every waking moment he tried to fill at least at one of their sides.

Night was difficult, though. At night, he was alone, and that's when the nightmares would begin. They were unrelenting, often driving him to wake up in sweat soaked sheets, screaming himself hoarse. Frightened and oh so desperate for one night of peaceful sleep, he eventually made the decision to cut back on his medication. He knew that vivid dreams were a side effect and hoped to curb that. The moment he was sleeping again, he told himself he'd get back on it. No harm done. Dr. Hill wouldn't even know.

That's when the voices started.

It had been a week since he made the decision to get some sleep. No. Maybe it was two. Josh couldn't keep it straight. Not only had the nightmares stopped, but so had sleeping altogether. Yet his mind felt sharp and perfectly in tune with the world around him. Taking his medication again only numb him to the clues he was receiving. To the messages he felt that only he was keen enough to interpret. No, he needed his mind alert if he was going to solve the mystery the voices lead him into.

He'd also need help. In the past few months, he had grown rather close to Sam. She missed Hannah almost as much as he did. There were times that they'd spend hours talking about everything, and that's what prompted him to seek her out in this time of need. It was near one in the morning and he found himself at her bedroom window, gently knocking on it so as not to wake her dad and brother. "Sam? Psst. Sammy? I need your help," he whispered.

[joshinyou-a]

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·.  Rain continued to patter against the windows, filling the silence between them with a steady, white noise. It was a dumb question in a silly game, and yet, the slight blush on her pale cheeks said otherwise. It's not as though Josh had actually asked Sam out on a date, but in that moment, his heart was beating as rapidly as though he had. The truth was, he'd developed a crush on the blonde as they grew closer in mourning after his sisters disappeared. It was something that he tried to quell, especially in the wake of the onslaught of guilt over what he'd done to her. There wasn't a world that existed in which he deserved her, he thought.

Yet there she was, those wide green eyes staring down at him, telling him that she'd chose him. Just like that, the small crush that he tried to ignore came back in full force. "But... why?" Josh couldn't help but ask. "Dude's like Mike exist. Or even Matt. There's no way they aren't above me on your rankings. You know the rules, Sammy. Lying only gets your phone fucked with."

−−−¨༺ Sam leaned back on her hands, watching Josh mostly to gauge his reactions. Or, at the present, lack of one. While there was the brief silence as he thought about his answer, the blond couldn't help but wonder and think a little deeper. Was this question just fodder for him to tease her with? Was it more? And why was she so preoccupied with the potential that it was more? Absent-mindedly, she pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth, holding it there as she waited for Josh to answer.

−−− "Something you miss," she repeated with a nod and tilting her head up to look at him from down her nose. Part of Sam expected him to have something nostalgic to answer with so when Josh mentioned a movie, she couldn't contain her laughter. It was so... Well, Josh. "I've never seen either Resurrection or any of Rob Zombie's. So I'll take your word for.... Things.." she trailed off when Josh abruptly cut himself off and looked like he had somehow froze.

−−− "Josh?" she prompted quietly, brows furrowed together as she leaned in closer. Sam even waved in front of his line of vision for good measure. Reaching out to give him a gentle poke to try and recalibrate him, Josh finally spoke. "Yes?" the blonde answered, sounding just as confused as he looked.

[joshinyou-a]

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·.  It took a moment before recognition dawned on Josh. The clothes that came out of Sam's closet were his own. That actually pulled the semblance of a smirk from his otherwise numb expression. The two had known each other for long that it shouldn't be that surprising that she'd have a change of his clothes. It was the welcome that turned wide blue eyes away from the garments in his hands to girl in front of him. The words were innocuous, seemingly commonplace, yet Josh could feel his heart warm as though he'd just heard the most reassuring declaration in the world. For the first time that night, he actually felt safe. "Thanks," he whispered. The smile his lips refused to show was seen clearly in his eyes.

Not wanting to drip anymore water on her floor, Josh took the clothes and the towel and went to the small bathroom just next door. He quickly changed and dried off before returning. His movements were quiet, not wanting to alert anyone else in the house. Creeping into Sam's room, he gently shut the door behind him. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he was beginning to feel a little more like himself. "I wondered where my Third Eye Blind shirt went," he said as he plucked at the graphic on the front of the tee. Finally meeting her eyes, an overwhelming sense of fear struck him. Was he bothering her? Should he even be there? Walking all that way in the rain in his pj's suddenly felt so dumb. "I'm sorry."

−−−¨༺ Sam loudly snorted at Josh rolling his eyes before she made sure the window was properly shut, and then promptly exited her room. After a few moments the blonde reappeared with a towel that she handed to Josh for him to dry off with before she gave him some dry clothes to change into. "Okay," she answered with a sigh, shoulders deep in her closet. A shirt and some old sweat pants procured, she returned back to where Josh was standing, eying him carefully. There was a lot that she could ask, or a lot that she could try and get out of him but in this moment it may not have been worth it. If he wanted her to know, he'd say something.

−−− "Okay, so, don't judge me. Just be thankful you're getting it back," came a preface as she handed sweatpants, and a shirt to Josh. One that he would definitely recognise and she had stolen a couple of years prior. But the air remained serious, and she matched the vibe. He came to her in a time of need and it wasn't the same as before, but there was still the vulnerability between them. She knew how he felt about his parents. And while Bob and Melinda were nice to her, she didn't have them as parents. From what she heard, she didn't want them as parents, either. "I'm sorry," she answered quietly, backing up to sit on her bed. "I'm glad you came here, though. You're welcome to stay as long as you want."

[joshinyou]

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·. There was nothing embarrassing about having a single leaf in your hair when you’re out hiking, but Josh couldn’t help but smile at the blush that colored Sam’s freckled cheeks. “Nope. No bugs. Bug free,” he answered before dropping his expression into one of concern. His blue eyes were locked onto a point in the blonde tresses. “Unless… do you count spiders… as bugs? It’s really an arachnid, not a bug…technically…” He let her fret over it for just a moment before a laugh fought its way past his lips. “Eh? Eh? I’m just joshin’ you.” It was the dumbest dad joke but his favorite line to use because it never failed to garner an eye roll.

The air turned serious when she mentioned her dad. Josh couldn’t imagine the adjustment they all had to make, but he had to hand to Mr. Giddings: the guy took it in stride. So to speak. “You dragged me away from a three day streak in bed and got me out of the House of Depression. I should be the one thanking you.” He continued walking by her side, reveling in the sound the trees made as the wind blew. “But Sammy. Really? Hiking alone? Don’t you know how many serial killers prowl forests? The odds are stacked against you, statistically speaking. A woman, wandering around alone, looking illegally good in those yoga pants.” He shot her a smirk.

|| @joshinyou survived the night...

pluck, sender plucks something out of receiver's hair.

−−−¨༺ Sam curiously turned to face Josh who was holding a leaf that he seemingly had pulled out of her hair. Which was- "That's embarrassing," the blonde answered with a slight laugh. One must've fallen onto her head and she didn't realize it. Or, perhaps, when her hair caught on a branch because she forgot to bring a scrunchy and was now on a hike with her hair down; That was more trouble than she wanted. "I know I like nature but that's a tad more than I bargained for. Please just don't say there are any bugs," she answered once more, glancing down at the hair that hung down in front of her shoulders. Raking her fingers through long blonde hair absent-mindedly she looked at the scenery about them with a content smile. "Hey, thanks for coming with me. I used to hike with my dad but since he can't really hike anymore, I tend to go alone," ignoring that, that wasn't safe, "So. I appreciate this."

[joshinyou-a]

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·. Sam's hand felt so small and warm in his. Josh couldn't help the pang of guilt he felt, knowing that he was relishing the moment of her touch while she was only holding his hand because she was scared witless. Even so, Josh was resolved to do anything to put her at ease. He absolutely believed in ghosts. If the creatures of the mountain existed, then simple ghosts didn't seem so far fetched. However, the jury was still out for him on whether the Queen Mary was a poltergeist magnet or just another tourist trap with a gimmick.

It didn't get past Josh that the pair was simply standing in the middle of the room, making no move to set their bags down, still holding hands and barely moving a muscle. It wasn't until he saw her head move that Josh looked over at her. It was the first time since entering the hotel that Sam had caught his gaze. Those green eyes always had an enthralling effect on him. He could swim in those turquoise depths for hours. After a moment, he blinked and came back to reality, realizing she had asked him a question.

"Oh I've got Brother Bear," he assured her. Not his first choice of film, but he remembered how much she and Hannah loved watching that movie. Finally letting go of her hand (and hating himself for doing so), Josh shrugged out of his backpack and set it on the bed. Unzipping it, he fished out his laptop as he spoke. "Brother Bear, Balto, that Spirit horse one. I got you, girl!"

−−−¨༺ "Oh," was all Sam replied with, still death gripping Josh and still staring straight ahead and not quite processing what he was saying. Truthfully, she was too busy still going through every scenario she could possibly think of. But as her thoughts swirled, the blonde turned her head back to bury in Josh's shoulder. "This would be amazing if it wasn't haunted. But it's haunted so it's less amazing," she muttered. The snapshot vibe of the hotel was enchanting, all the vintage furnishings straight from the golden age but everything inside helped to detract from that. Maybe they could take some historical tour to really see all of it. "It's decorated in an Art Deco style. Do you want to know how you can tell?" she asked, giving a little pause but not waiting for a definitive answer, "Art Deco is when it looks like it was made by Dwarves, and Art Nouveau is when it looks like it was made by Elves."

−−− It was the moment of truth, and when the door was opened, Sam went rigid for a moment, as if a ghost were going to be right there greeting them. And as she opened a single eye, and then the other, it was a typical room. Old pictures of the Queen Mary depicted on the wall at the end of their bed. Pictures of some guests in other places. Slowly, she turned her head so that she was looking out more instead of looking directly at Josh's arm and he was right. It looked perfectly ordinary. Too ordinary. "To be determined," she answered, still figuring out exactly how she was feeling. And despite the fact they should have been getting settled, she didn't drop Josh's hand and certainly didn't stray too far from his side because being alone in these situations were the absolute worst thing (Because anything could happen). "Do you have Brother Bear?" Sam looked up at Josh for the first time since they had started their journey to the room.

[joshinyou-a]

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·. Josh was fully expecting a smart quip or at least a playful shove at his joke. Instead, he was met with a seemingly serious question about his sleeping apparel. "What? No," he replied, shaking his head. That's when he tilted his head and caught the look of determination on her face. Sam looked absolutely terrified, as though someone were going to jump out from behind the large planter to their left at any moment. It reminded him of the time Chris had pranked them in his basement. She clung to his arm then, and Josh was reminded of how good that made him feel. Not for the fact that Sam was scared, but because she saw him as a protector. Despite how that night ended, he was sure that he'd throw himself in danger to save her at any given chance.

In the elevator, he heard her spouting off factoids and wondered if that was her coping mechanism. There was something endearing about it -- giving trivia facts in the face of danger. It felt so... so Sammy. He held her hand strong in comfort, eventually leading her out of the elevator and to their room.

Upon opening the door, they were greeted with a seemingly typical looking hotel room. The bed appeared plush and comfortable, pushed against the far side of the room by the window. Across from the bed, there was a little seating area with couches. Josh had a feeling that would end up being his bed. "Doesn't look spooky to me," he commented, trying to bolster Sam's resolve. "Except maybe that pillar in the middle of the room. I know I'm gonna walk into that thing at least three times." Giving the blonde's hand a little shake, he craned his neck to try to get a look at his companion. "How you feeling? I got a laptop chock full of comedies and rom coms, and a credit card that's aching to deliver us half the kitchen worth's of junk food. We have this place turned into slumber party central in no time."

−−−¨༺ Sam didn't notice the look from the receptionist, at this point her forehead was resting on Josh's arm as her gaze was glued to the floor. At this point, she was scrolling through every worst-case scenario that could happen. Worst; She got possessed and ended up like Regan from the Exorcist. Best; It's literally a normal room with nothing going on and a lovely view of the harbor. And, of course, a myriad of scenarios that fell somewhere in between the spectrum of things. A huge part of her wanted to walk away before even checking things out. Maybe sleep in Josh's car and they could fake camp or something.

−−− As Josh began to carefully lead them forward, Sam moved so that her temple was now resting on his arm with her jaw set and gaze firmly affixed forward. "Huh?" she muttered out, not quite getting the joke as he told it. "Do you sleep naked?" There was an intense focus, making sure not to stray for a moment to look at anything else. It was almost like if she did, every creepy crawly and every ghost in the place would come out of the woodworks just to bother her. Which was dumb, the ghosts had much better things to do than terrorize Sam Giddings, and she sincerely hoped that would stay the case. "I hope they have creme brulee," she said, adding to the absent-minded thoughts.

−−− As the elevator came into sight and they moved ever closer to stepping on, the death grip on his wrist slunk down to the man's hands, lacing their fingers together... And then death gripping his hand. "Did you know Disney owned the ship briefly?" Sam asked, eyes fully closed as the elevator moved to it's destination. "Tried to turn it into some theatrical haunted attraction. Guess it sort of ended up that way in the end anyhow."

[joshinyou-a]

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·.  The only response either Josh or Sam got from the receptionist was a knowing, almost mischievous smirk, before her attention was taken up by other patrons. Josh could feel the death grip on his wrist and her fear seemed to put a damper on the fact that she fine with sharing a bed. Under any other circumstance, his heart would be doing backflips at the notion. Instead, the only thing he felt was worry for the blonde. The whole point of this endeavor was to help Sam get over her fears, and he was determined to see it through. He had a few tricks up his sleeve to help, and was sure that it didn't matter how special the room was.

"Damn. Guess I'll actually have to wear pj's to sleep," he teased her as they began to walk down the hall towards the elevator. He hoped that the humor would help distract her from their surroundings. Truth told, the surroundings were actually spectacular. It was as though they were transported to the 1940's. Everything was preserved with impeccable detail. When they passed by the restaurant, savory smells wafted by. "Mmm, I bet room service here is fire," he thought out loud.

Reaching the elevator, Josh got in and pressed the button for their floor. He quickly pulled his phone from his back pocket and searched 'Queen Mary room B340'. The results normally would have made him dance with glee, but suddenly he felt a knot of guilt in the pit of his stomach. Every headline to links claimed that it was the most haunted room on the ship. He quickly put his phone away, hoping that Sam didn't see that.

−−−¨༺ "No, no sinking," she answered with a good-natured laugh. "But, did you know that the ship line who made this ship has others? So you can actually go on a Trans-Atlantic crossing if you're really jonesing for it," Sam explained with a smile. However, as she explained, the blonde sort of trailed after Josh as the pair walked up to the front-desk with apprehension bubbling under her skin.

−−− However, things couldn't be easy as it seemed their room got messed up. And that was enough to distract Sam and send her into giggles. There was something about Josh and his reactions that were vastly amusing.

−−− Trying to stifle her laughs, the blonde turned away from the both of them and covered her mouth with her hand (As if that would be helpful at all). A matter of if there wasn't bad luck, there would be no luck. But it wasn't until the desk clerk mentioned the word 'special' that Sam tuned back in, head whipping around to look at the woman and then to Josh in turn. "Special? Special how?" she asked, voice stuttering and eyes wide. Hand moved to Josh's wrist and other hand moved to his arm for the feeling of some sort of grounding.

−−− "Special like it's a suite? Or special like-" she cut herself off, looking desperately at Josh. "Special like someone d-died? Special like haunted?" she bombarded him with quietly hissed questions and panicked looks. There was no real need to answer any of her questions because there wasn't anything that could be done to fix things. And Sam wasn't about to walk out of the hotel with her tail between her legs- There was a matter of pride and the face that Josh had already spent the money for the both of them to be there that kept her moving ahead.

−−− Once more she followed Josh, now holding a death grip on his wrist and still holding his arm. "I- No. No, it's okay. We can share. It's fine."

[joshinyou-a]

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·.  It was the compliment that had Josh looking over at Sam with a smirk. This whole endeavor was merely a trial in helping a friend overcome their fears. ...right? Certainly 'wooing' had nothing to do with it. Yet as pale blue eyes met that gorgeous green gaze, Josh knew it his heart that he'd been hoping to woo Sammy for years. If asked, he'd say he didn't deserve her and therefore wouldn't pursue her, but deep down, he dreamt of sweeping the blonde off her feet.

Josh snorted a laugh at her comparison to the Titanic. "Yeah, but this one never sank. I think we're ahead of the game, personally." His shoulder nudged her lightly as they walked, the familiarity of their stances, their closeness, enough to warm him to the core.

When they reached the front desk, a chipper woman in an old timey bell hop style uniform greeted them with a smile. Josh gave his name since he'd booked the reservation. "Ah yes, Mr. Washington," she announced as she clicked away at the computer. Josh shot Sam a look of comical irritation at the formality. "Single for one night."

The smile Josh wore fell as he met her gaze. "Single? There's two of us," he immediately said, gesturing between himself and Sam as though it were perfectly obvious.

"Yes, sir. Single is in reference to the bed. It's a queen sized and I'm sure you two will find it most accommodating," the receptionist said with a well rehearsed smile.

"One bed? No, it was supposed two. Can you just change it to a double? Doesn't have to be fancy," Josh replied as he impatiently tapped his credit card on the surface of the counter.

The receptionist looked unfazed, more than willing to comply. She typed in a few commands, but all too suddenly, her smile vanished. "I'm sorry, sir, but we're completely booked. It's a very popular time of year for us. But I assure you that your room is very special. B340," she announced, as though that was supposed to mean something. When she was met with only blank stares, she continued, "You can call concierge and have them bring you a roll away. Enjoy your stay, Mr. Washington." She held out the key with a polite smile that said that was the end of the negotiation.

"Uh. Okaaay," Josh said as he took the key, then he turned to Sam, moving out of the way as the next patrons went to the counter. "Rock, paper, scissors over the bed?" he teased, holding the key up.

−−−¨༺ Sam laughed to herself at the new title given in jest. Encyclopedia she was not, but she did her research on the venue which led to curiosity on the actual difference between ship and boat, and then down other rabbit holes. "Boats are about 15-30 feet long and are typically used in calm water areas," she explained. Then she admitted, "I looked stuff up before we came because I didn't want to be like... Rude to the ship or sound like a dumbass." There was a tinge of red to her cheeks as she spoke, clearly very bashful at the idea. But as soon as she was done speaking, the actual entering into the ship was done and over with. The hard first step was over.

−−− The reveal of the lobby was nothing short of awesome in the real sense of the word. Eyes wide, Sam followed after Josh looking about and taking everything in. "Damn, Josh, you sure know how to woo a girl," she replied, smiling. It wasn't hard not to think about how the ship looked in her heyday and the people inside of it. "Did you know this is bigger than the Titanic? But oh my god this feels like the closest I'll ever be to being on it," she nearly squealed. There was a near giddy quality about her now, imagining all sorts of possibilities and scenarios of what could be. And none of the ghosts- Not right away at first.

[joshinyou-a]

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·.  Feeling the small hand squeeze his let Josh know know deep Sam's apprehension went. The elevator wasn't exactly comforting, he realized, but thankfully it was a short trip. "Alright Miss Encyclopedia. Then what's the definition of a boat?" It's not like Josh really cared so passionately about the difference of ships and boats, but he hoped that in expertly recalling the answer, as she just did for the definition of 'ship', it would distract her from their current state. At least long enough for the elevator to arrive.

When the doors dinged and opened, they were met with the stark white floor and railings of the upper deck. Just ahead were two open doors that led into the luxurious lobby of the famed Queen Mary. "See? Just like any old musty hotel," Josh said brightly as he led her forward. Though everything looked old in an otherworldly way, the presence of tourists and hotel workers dispelled any images of a haunted house. Even with the advertisements of Dark Harbor hung around the room.

−−−¨༺ A huge, wicked smile took over her features as Josh relented. She knew he likely would have, but it was nice to feel like maybe she had some pull over him. A say in what could go on. "Then I have been sufficiently warned," she replied in an overly sweet manner, as she swung their clasped hands as they walked. Until the night time hours were upon them, they could have fun- And feel like they were on Spooky Island all the while. The carnival was about to be her saving grace- That and the excitement from being on the ship in general.

−−− Sam shot Josh a look, partially smug and partially questioning. "A ship is a large commercial transport that carries cargo, or passengers and requires a professional crew to operate," she listed, making sure to drive her point home. And the second victory at him being unable to fight back about his second claim. Her smirk dropped when the elevator doors opened, Josh taking the initiative to walk in and she followed a few steps behind. At this point, she had been squeezing his hand for a semblance of comfort and reassurance. "Oh god," she muttered, trying to even her breathing.

[joshinyou-a]

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·.  There was a world that Josh hoped existed in which the answer would be him, but not a world that he believed to be real. Truthfully, he wasn't sure what to expect, but his name wasn't even on the list. It would be probably be Mike, he reasoned, since it seemed that every girl liked Mike. Most guys, too. That was why when the blonde quickly uttered the monosyllabic word, it didn't register. At first.

With an exhale, he glanced up at the ceiling, giving the question thought. "Something I miss...." His lips were pursed in thought, then he met her gaze as he truthfully responded with, "I miss the days when the worst movie in the Halloween franchise was Resurrection. Those sweet, innocent days before Zombie came in and-"

Blue eyes widened and his mouth hung open, frozen mid sentence. You. The simple word finally broke through his stream of consciousness and his mind did gymnastics as it back tracked to piece together its significance.

"...me?" Josh looked confused. "Out of our whole friend group, you'd go on a date with me?"

−−−¨༺ Green eyes narrowed slightly at Josh as he dismissed her answer. As she knew that he would. It was worth the attempt, however because he was right- It was a damn good answer. “It’s what you get for not being specific, actually,” she pointed out with a shrug. And here was the thing about Sam, especially when it came to Social Suicide, that made her boring; She was honest. That honesty made it easy for everyone else to tease her, but it made it hard to hold things over her head. And yeah, there were secrets she had, sure. Of course. But those came more from her not talking about deeper things and hatred of vulnerability than it did from a place of dishonesty.

−−− She chewed on that for a bit despite the permission to have her turn. Josh was right that it was a cop out answer. And her pickings were limited- Chris was one of her best friends, but she wouldn’t want to go on a date with him. There was Matt, but they weren’t close in that way. She was close with Mike in that sort of way, but anything involving Mike almost felt like betrayal. Same with Josh; Whom she wouldn’t mind going on said world saving date with for much less. “You.” It was a little sudden and out of context. Sam moved so that she was sitting on her hip instead of legs drawn up to her chest. “Okay, what’s something you miss that isn’t the obvious? Because I miss them, too.”

[joshinyou-a]

.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·.  Not the puppy dog eyes. Sammy had mastered that art long ago, and never seemed afraid to use it as her not-so-secret weapon. Green eyes, beautiful in any light, would become absolutely heart wrenching at a moment's notice. Which was funny considering the fact that she was employing this technic to convince Josh to do something he'd definitely love to do. "Far be it from me to keep you from the fun," he replied. "But you can't say I didn't warn you." He smirked mischievously, taking all the seriousness out of the threat.

It wasn't until Sam called him out that Josh frowned. "Ok, first of all, I'm pretty sure a boat and a ship are the same thing. And second of all..." He had nothing to back up his claim. "Damn, I'm gonna have to work on that, huh?" The elevator that would take them up to the lobby dinged, and the doors opened. Josh led Sam inside, still holding her hand. The warmth was comforting, and despite the fact that their fingers weren't interlaced, keeping it a very innocent and friendly gesture, he felt a jolt of excitement run through him.

−−−¨༺ "Yeah," she affirmed, looking over at the activities that were set up to celebrate. The festival definitely looked fun, and Sam even made a point to look at Josh and give him some puppy-dog eyes. Her best pleading face to convince him to go with her. "I mean, it looks fun for the most part," she answered, though unsure exactly how she would react in a haunt. While they usually didn't bother her, after what she experienced on the mountain? She couldn't be sure anymore. One last glance at the Halloween carnival before the blonde moved over next to Josh to follow his lead and head to the boat. The incoming moment of truth. Ryan Bergara could do it and dammit, so could she.

−−− Letting out a small snort and a nod, she knew that he was right. But in cases such as this, overthinking was all that she could do. Glancing down at the outstretched hand, Sam took Josh's offer of comfort with a grateful smile. "It's a ship- Technically. So you're doubly wrong." It was intended to be light, she could tell that much, but there was still a very serious and honest undertone to his voice. Side eyeing Josh as the pair walked, making sure he knew that he had said a faux pas of sorts. "Scariest thing is still the ghost crew, sorry, you can't compete."