Josephine pulled into the parking lot of Westover High in record time and slammed her Red Volvo shifter into the parked position. She grabbed her gym bag and jumped out of car, starting a brisk jog towards the entrance to the gymnasium where she knew practice would be starting soon. Josephine saw Naomi's silver Honda parked in the corner lot to her left and alternated her path away from the gym entrance, making a v-line for the small vehicle. She thanked the heavens the Honda was here at all; this at least meant the two kidnappers were at practice and hadn’t driven off somewhere to have their way with Jake. 

Josephine jogged up to the silver sedan and quickly peered inside through the windows, part of her praying she'd see a tiny 4 inch man staring back at her in one of the seats like a scared puppy who was left inside the car while their owner did some quick shopping. Josephines prayers were short lived as she looked through the glass. There was no sign of Jake, nor  was Katelyns gym bag anywhere to be seen. They had him. Josephine felt another nervous shudder course through her body as she looked through the glass and thought of her cousin. Josephine could see sweat dripping off her body in the reflection of the car window, her pink athletic top showing a large stain near her breasts and armpits from where she’d perspired. Her mind briefly flashed back to the memory of Jake on their first night together, resting peacefully between her breasts following an unfortunate misunderstanding. Josephine found herself crying suddenly, wishing Jake was here with her now. She couldn’t explain her feelings.

Emotions were on overdrive in Josephine’s brain. She had developed such strong feelings towards Jake now and it broke her heart that he was potentially scared out of his mind, his life being in the hands of her sadistic cousin and/or that little asian bitch. Josephine felt her anger coming back. She wiped hot tears away from her eyes and cheek and swore aloud to herself.  "I swear if those cunts harm one hair on his head" she said through gritted teeth. She honestly didn't know what she would do. She knew she could take on almost every other girl in that gym, save for her cousin. She hoped to God it didn't come to that. She never imagined she would get into a fist fight with a member of her family but Katelyn was different. Somehow, she knew this day would come eventually. Josephine thought back to her cousin and the history between them both.

The two of them had been as close as sisters growing up in elementary school. Times were simple back then. Neither she or Katelyn had hit their growth spurts yet and hadn't displayed any interests in sports, much less volleyball. Middle school had started well enough, but that all changed one fateful winter Friday in 7th grade. Katelyn had received a call that her mother had been involved in a motor-vehicle accident. A drunk driver had driven his lifted Ford F-250 through a stop light into the drivers side door of her mothers tiny Mazda at 90 miles an hour while she was on her way to work; the impact killing her instantly. The damage to both the car and Katelyn's mother had been so severe that they couldn't have an open casket at the funeral. The last time Katelyn and her father saw her mother’s face was the morning before her father took her school. Josephine felt pangs of sympathy as she remembered the sound of her cousins screams and sobbing when the teachers came by the class, taking them to the couch in the principles office away from their friends to deliver them the terrible news. Josephine had lost her only Aunt that day, and Katelyn her mother. 

That winter Katelyn’s personality began to change, starting with a hatred towards all men, even her father, whom she blamed for being there for her enough following her mother’s death. Her rapid growth spurt during the 8th and 9th grades only amplified her boldness, distrust and abuse towards the opposite sex. "Men are cowards Jo"  Katelyn had told her freshman year after her latest boy toy had dumped her, claiming she was a horny chemically unbalanced psycho. Josephine had defended her cousin against others bad mouthing her so many times. She knew they didn't understand what she had been through; but lately, Katelyn had been crossing the line.  Josephine missed her Aunt and hated the transformation Katelyn had gone through without a motherly figure in her life but her mood swings and ability to hurt others without thinking was second to none. Josephine's own Mother had tried to be there for Katelyn, but she was constantly pushed away; much like her Josephine’s own Father, Katelyn's old man constantly worked and was hardly around to give her the attention she needed. All Katelyn had in life was the sport of volleyball and the people around her. She didn't even have her own car. This sympathy was the only thing that kept Josephine from cutting ties with her 6'6 cousin, but Jake changed all that. Jake was to sweet and kind a person to deserve any kind of negative treatment. Josephines own guilt gnawed away at her for the multiple occasions she had treated Jake like he was less than human. She wished she could take it all back, redo the last 24 hours differently. She decided to use her guilt as fuel for the battle to come. She would make things right and show Jake just how much she loved him. She gritted her teeth as she made her way to the tall gymnasium doors.  Josephine was ready to confront the kidnappers and if Jake was hurt, it would be a full on WWIII between them.

Naomi was  in the middle of the gym floor tightening the tensioning screws on the Volleyball net pole when she heard a loud sound and saw Josephine burst through the gym entrance, the large metal doors banging against the walls loudly. Josephine’s eyes scanned the gym quickly, searching for her two targets amongst the group of 20 girls, not seeing Katelyn, but quickly identifying Naomi and locking eyes with the short asian freshman. Naomi saw Josephine quickly approaching her with an expression she had never seen on the tall senior and put down her side of the net. "H-Hey Josephine I'm glad you could make it! Feeling any better?" She said nervously. Josephine looked pissed. Naomi swallowed as the almost half foot taller form of Josephine Rimefrost stopped just inches away from her and started her down. Josephine looked around to see all the other girls staring at the two of them. She couldn’t do this here. She directed her attention back to the freshman in front of her. "Come with me now.." she said as she grabbed Naomi's wrist and quickly pulled her away from the rest of the team towards the hallway. Naomi was in shock but followed obediently, her jaw tight with discomfort as Josephine had her thin wrist in a death grip.

As soon as the two volleyball players were through the double doors of the main gym and out of sight from the rest of the team, Josephine released her grip on Naomi, who rubbed her sore wrist with a nervous frown. "Josephine w-what gives?…Why did you pull me out here and where your sho-" Naomi wasn't able to finish her sentence before she felt a smack across her face and her body get pinned hard against the concrete wall. "Where is he!?" Josephine asked, her words laced with venom. Naomi was in shock, she had never been hit before and never in a million years expected her first slap to come from someone like Josephine. Naomi was in shock and was trying to process what just happened as she looked up at her terrifying teammate. "W-Who? W-What are you talking about!!?" She called up hurriedly. Josephine leaned down and responded with another smack, a bit harder this time. The shock of the first hit had worn off and Naomi fully felt this one, her eye's welling up with tears, her left cheek a bright red. She looked up into the hateful eyes of Josephine. She had no idea why she was doing this. "P-Please...I d-don't know what you’re t-talking about.'' Josephine raised her hand again just to see the shorter asian girl's knees give and her crumple to the ground beneath her. "Please s-stop!!! I-I don't know anything!" Naomi begged. Josephine looked down at the pathetic freshman. "Where is Katelyn!?" She asked in a loud voice. She didn’t care if the girls in the gym heard her. Those two slaps felt good to get and out and she was more than willing to dish out a third. 

Naomi didn’t waste time. "L-Locker Room! I swear!" Naomi cried up. Josephine eyed her suspiciously. "Did she have anybody with her?" Josephine asked.  "No?…” Naomi responded. Katelyn with a guy? She never saw Katelyn with a man except during school hours, and even then it was usually because they were forced to be there. Josephine lifted her foot and planted her heel into the nook above Naomi’s collar bone, applying pressure. Naomi wanted to cry out from the pain. “I’m telling the truth!! J-just her gym bag I promise!" Naomi said through tears. Josephine brought her bare foot up and rested it on the wall next to Naomi's bruised cheek. Looking into her eyes coldly. "If you have him…..If I find out you're lying and had a hand in this, I'll stomp your face in till it's unrecognizable." She threatened the innocent girl coldly. Josephine shoved her face away with her dirty foot and ran down the hallway, turning a corner towards the locker rooms, leaving the terrified and confused freshman alone in the hallway. 

Naomi was shook. She had no idea what just happened. More importantly why Josephine of all people had hurt her. Before today she had pegged her as was one of the sweetest people on the team. She most've lost something super important. What the hell what she even talking about? And have him?  What did that even mean?  A pet perhaps?  "No she said anyone, meaning a human." Naomi said, remembering Josephines questions. How could she take a person? Naomi stood to her feet slowly. Her face stung and she could see the dirt from Josephines heel on her white practice shirt.  “Boys” Naomi thought. She couldn’t believe someone as attractive and popular as Josephine thought a boy would be interested in her. She didn't even have anyone she liked. “Well except for one”. Naomi smiled to herself with a wince, as she thought back to her freshman orientation. There was this short senior, even shorter than her. She remembered his kind voice leading her through the halls showing her where everything was. He told jokes and made her feel comfortable. He was super smart and super fit! She had seen him reaching for the top of his locker in the halls one day and caught sight of his abs under his baggy clothes. She wanted to approach him right then but she could never work up the courage to talk to him, even though he was technically 5 inches shorter than her. When it came to guys, Naomi was the most unconfident person at school and she knew it. She shook her head and purged her thoughts about the sweet senior named Jake from her mind as she stood back to her full height. There was more pressing things on her mind. She was going to figure out what the hell was going on with this “guy” Josephine had attacked her over and get this whole mess straightened out. Naomi swallowed her pride and faked confidence as she slowly and quietly made her way down the hall towards the locker rooms.