Being stuck at college during the winter break – Without Lizzie – was... refreshing to say the least. Of course Josie missed her sister, but being apart from each other was good for their relationship, and truly, Josie couldn't stand another minute of her sister's own Penelope Park roast.
She missed her ex, it still left a sour taste in her tongue whenever she called her that on her daily facetimes with Lizzie, but alas, there was virtually nothing Josie could do to get her back, and if there was something, she was way too late, thirty days late to be exactly. So Josie got on with her life, did she cry herself to sleep on the first week? Very much so, but the pain in her heart got smaller, quieter, and slowly the brunette could see herself getting better, all alone this time, who would've thought huh.
"Seriously Jo, I don't get why you refused to come to Switzerland to see mom, do you know how many hot guys I had to pass?" Lizzie sighed, disappointed "Mom's been all sad and mopey thinking she did something wrong, can't you just hop on the first plane and come here already?" Her sister pleaded, an exasperated look on her face.
"I'm sorry Liz" Josie took a strand of her bangs away from her eyes, she really needed to get a haircut "You'll just have to put up with mom for a few more weeks" the brunette said, while looking for a clipper to put her bangs back in place, getting quickly frustrated "Tell her I'll call her later okay?"
"Why don't you cut your hair already" Lizzie asked her sister pointedly "And who still gets bangs Josie, you're not 12 for Christ's sake, it's like you're trying to look like a Myracle baby doll" her sister sassed "Oh look, mom's here" Lizzie said before Josie got any chance to protest about her hair "Bye Jo! Cut your hair like a normal human being and get out of your dorm room, you look paler than Sebastian" Lizzie waved goodbye through the phone screen and then ended the call.
"Well if she insists" Josie muttered to herself, getting her wallet from her desk and putting on a pair of sneakers, quietly leaving her bedroom.
Turns out that finding a hair salon open on a holiday season in such a short notice was almost impossible, Josie found out the hard way, after going to the only three places in town to find them all closed
"Freaking Lizzie" the girl complained, getting grumpier by the minute, with a bright pink clipper holding her bangs back, as if getting dumped wasn't already enough, she had to go around town looking like a twelve year old. It wasn't Josie's fault, really, and it wasn't like she could just buy a pair of scissors and cut her own hair inside her poorly lit dorm room.
Or could she?
And like a divine intervention Josie found herself in front of an empty drugstore ready to entertain an incredibly stupid thought, she could just blame Lizzie later, she thought, also it wasn't a vanity haircut, it was just to get her damn bangs away from her face so she could finally see without needing stupid hair clippers. So Josie would cut her own hair at home, she needed the change, and if it turned out horribly she could always grow it back before Lizzie came back.
"Hi, can I help you?" The petite girl behind the counter asked Josie, who looked deep in thought, she was pretty, auburn haired with big deep blue eyes, looking kindly at Josie, who currently looked like a maniac on a mission, a very important one, but still.
"Yeah, hi" Josie stuttered, suddenly shyly "I'm sorry, do you have scissors?" The taller girl asked, blushing slightly, and if the cashier noticed, she was polite enough to not indicate, brushing it off with a kind smile.
"You mean like doctor scissors? Hair scissors? If you need the ones for paper you should probably check on the Officemax down the street" the girl offered, Hope, Josie read her name on her nametag. Pretty name, she thought to herself, pretty girl.
"I need a, um" Josie mumbled, waving her hands around her face "A haircut" she admitted, looking down.
"Bad breakup?" The girl (Hope) asked, kindly smiling at Josie, who looked sad (was it that obvious?) "Oh! I'm not judging" the girl quickly added, noticing the frown taking over Josie's face "I got a perm on mine" she admitted, in a whisper, as if the old lady at the hair product section could hear her "I looked like those ladies from the music videos from the 80's" she laughed quietly to herself, making Josie crack a smile, was she flirting with her?
"I don't think I could rock the Prince look" Was Josie flirting back? "I bet you looked cute" She was definitely flirting, smiling proudly at herself when the cashier got a pale shade of pink on her cheeks, putting a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"You would look like a superstar" Hope said with a calm smile to her face "They're right down the second hall" the girl supplied, earning a confused look from Josie "The scissors" she simply offered.
"Oh right" The brunette said, already walking towards the hall, suddenly turning around facing the cashier "Hey" she called Hope, who looked at her with a questioning yet amused expression "Do you happen, by any chance, to know how to cut someone's bangs?" Josie asked, feeling bold.
"Well that depends" The cashier answered with a shy smile "Does that someone has a name?" She questioned.
"Oh right" Josie muttered to herself "I'm Josie" she offered with a cheeky smile "And I'm guessing you go by Hope?"
"Hope Mikaelson, cashier by day and I guess professional hairdresser by night" she teased "My shift ends at 7" Hope said, already writing down her number on a piece of paper and offering it to Josie, brushing her fingers slightly on Josie's knuckles "Can you pick me up, Jo?"
Instead of answering, the brunette just walked to the second aisle, picking up a pair of scissors and throwing a twenty dollar bill on the counter.
"I'll see you at 7" Josie flirted easily, Penelope being the furthest thing from her mind.
The next day Josie woke up to the quiet buzzing of her cellphone, and an arm thrown across her stomach. Knowing the buzzing wouldn't stop and that it was probably Lizzie, the girl lazily pressed the green button, gracing herself with her sister's face staring down at her.
"Good morning Josie" Lizzie greeted her sister "Cute bangs, are you sleeping naked now? Is that a hickey on your neck? I swear to got if you got back together with the she-devil I will personally pilot the plane back there to kick your ass, Josie" The blonde girl bombarded her sister loudly, making Josie roll her eyes.
"Who's that" a raspy voice lazily asked, Hope, who gripped Josie's midriff tighter and mumbled a quiet "Go back to sleep", looking up with a hazy smile directed at Josie "Your bangs look cute, I outdid myself" The auburn haired girl complimented Josie, making the girl softly smile, forgetting for a minute that her sister was on her phone.
"YOU FUCKED YOUR HAIRDRESSER?"