Out in the night air, Josiah paused on the sidewalk, breathing in the cold. It felt like his lungs could finally fill again. He stood still for a moment, his body humming with a strange energy.

Should he just... show up at Leslie's house?

His feet moved before he could think, guiding him toward the square. Leslie was one of the only kids at school whose family didn't live in the Grove. Her and her mom had moved into one of those crappy old houses in the woods at the beginning of the school year. Josiah was also one of the only kids at school who didn't live in the Grove, but his family lived in a mansion.

His stomach squirmed—like it was alive, or full of worms. He didn't deserve Leslie. He was just a dumb, privileged Nepo Baby. She was a fighter. She had nothing. She had no one. And she still head her held up higher than he knew how to.

As he approached the square, Josiah's pace slowed. The fountain in the middle gurgled softly, the only sound cutting through the stillness. And then he saw her.

Leslie, sitting on one of the benches by the fountain, alone, her face barely visible under the flickering streetlight. She was hunched over, arms wrapped around herself, as if warding off the cold—or the world. She had earbuds in.

Josiah froze, not sure what to say, how to explain himself. What the hell was she doing there... so close to the Grove? To Tyler's? Had she been this nearby all night—while he had been thinking about her without knowing why?

Had she been this close to the party when "Love Spiders" had told him to go to her? 

Leslie glanced up. Her eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed into something sharp and angry.

"Of course," she muttered, standing abruptly. "Of fucking course." She took out her earbuds.

"Leslie, wait—" Josiah started, taking a step toward her, but she held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks.

"What do you want, Josiah? Come to finish what Emily started? Maybe throw a few insults my way? Or did she send you here to spy on me for fun?" Her voice was edged with bitterness, raw and defensive. Her words cut deeper than Emily's ever could. Because she was right to hate him.

"No," he said quickly, shaking his head. "I—I don't know why I'm here. There was a party in the Grove but I just... I couldn't stay."

She let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "That's rich, coming from the guy who always stands by while his girlfriend makes my life hell."

"I know," he muttered. "I know, okay? I'm sorry. I'm fucking sorry. I just— I don't know how to fix it."

"Fix it?" Leslie scoffed, her voice thick with disbelief. "You can't fix it, Josiah. You are it. You're part of the problem. You stand there, watching, like a pet rock, and you never say anything. You let her rip me to shreds every day!"

"I know," he said again, his voice cracking. "I know. I'm a coward. I—I fucking hate it. But it's not that simple."

Leslie stood there, her arms crossed tight over her chest, glaring at him, like she was trying to decide whether to walk away or stay. For a second, it felt like she might leave. He wouldn't blame her.

But then her posture shifted, and her eyes softened, just a little. She looked at him with... could it be... softness?

"It's never that simple, is it?" she said added knowingly. It wasn't sarcastic. It wasn't a dig. She was empathizing.

Empathizing? With... him? Now he knew for sure he would never deserve her.

With a heart like that? No chance.

"I don't want to be part of it anymore," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm done with Emily. I don't know how to cut it off yet, but... I'm going to figure it out."

Leslie blinked, her eyes flicking up to meet his. "Is that supposed to mean something to me?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "But I needed to say it. I've needed to say it for a while."Leslie let out a long breath. Silence hung between them.

"What are you doing out here, anyway?" he asked after a moment.

She shrugged, looking away. "Needed to clear my head. This town... it makes you feel like you can't breathe, you know?"

"Yeah," he said. "I know."

Another long pause. Neither of them moved.

Neither of them wanted to.

"Look," Josiah said, shifting awkwardly. "This is probably the dumbest idea ever, but... do you want to get milkshakes or something? At Pam's? We can talk. Or not. I don't care. I just... don't want to go back to that party."

Leslie blinked, clearly surprised by the offer. For a second, Josiah thought she might laugh in his face or tell him to go to hell. But instead, she reminded him—with her words—that not everyone was an "Emily."

"You really want to be seen with a crazy, forest-dwelling, 'pedo's-bitch' at Pam's?" she asked, her tone half-joking, half-suspicious.

"I really don't give a shit what anyone thinks right now," Josiah said. Then he blinked and added, "Emily called you a 'pedo's-bitch?'"

Leslie nodded. "You weren't around. Maybe she knew she couldn't get away with saying it if you were in earshot."

Josiah hoped that he was "man enough" for Leslie's suggestion to be true.

But he had his doubts.

Leslie stared at him for another second, then nodded slowly. "Okay. You're on. Let's go get milkshakes."

As Leslie started off toward Pam's, Josiah hesitated. He was afraid his legs would be too cowardly to go where his brain told them to. But then he followed her. 

Maybe Josiah had the courage to change, after all.

That's chapter 2! Do you think Josiah will actually break things off with Emily? Why or why not? What will happen at Pam's? What happened between Old Sam and Leslie after she took his hand? Will we ever learn why Emily hates Leslie so much? 

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Thank you for reading.

-K.R.H.