our universe

- C H O I C E S -

Her lips were blue.

That was all Teddy could think when they pulled her out of the lake.

Juniper's lips were blue.

She wasn't moving. Juniper wasn't moving.

Juniper was always moving. Always. She tapped her fingers and wrinkled her nose and rolled over in her sleep. She ran like a gazelle and laughed with her whole body and tripped every two steps. Juniper was always moving.

And now Juniper was still.

Unmoving.

Limp.

Lifeless.

Juniper was lifeless.

And Teddy was numb.

Everywhere people were moving, rushing, running. Screaming, yelling, crying in fear. All around Teddy people moved, racing to the scene. James and Harry and Vanessa and Cali. Rory and Leo and Charlie. Professor McGonagall. There was a stretcher. All around him was chaos. Everyone was moving.

Everyone except Junie.

Those lips he'd once kissed with such care were blue as her veins. The lips that spoke and teased and laughed that wonderful laugh he loved so much. Her beautiful green eyes were closed, lashes he'd admired for hours damp and sticking to her pale, clammy skin.

He'd never kiss her again. He'd never hear her laugh. The blush of her cheeks when he teased her.

Juniper wasn't moving.

Teddy reached out, in a daze, as they carried Juniper frantically up to the school. He felt the brush of her fingertips when he did, and for a moment his heart spiked with hope. Hope that she might squeeze his hand. Hope that she would spring up, revived, giggling and telling him she fooled him. Making fun of him for falling for it and worrying so much. That it was all just a prank. Hope that she would show some sign that she knew Teddy was there.

But Juniper was cold to the touch.

Everything faded away, Teddy's head sent into tailspin. People ran into him while he stood stock still in the middle of the rain. He couldn't hear anything, like he was underwater. But Juniper was the one who had drowned.

Say something! Teddy wanted to shout at her. Wake up! Wake up! Please don't-

"Teddy!" A voice, very far away.

Teddy felt someone shaking him, a pair of hands guiding him forward.

"Teddy!"

"Teddy!" Rory snapped her fingers in front of his face, taking him firmly by the arm. Her expression was pained, grave as Teddy had ever seen it. "We have to go to the infirmary, James said that they're- she might-" Rory couldn't finish her sentence, but Teddy knew what she meant, and let the girl drag him to the castle.

Thunder rumbled overhead, the air sticky with dread. She might die. Junie might be dead. Gone.

What if she was gone?

It was his fault. She needed to know he was sorry, she needed to know that he- she might die and Teddy never got to tell her-

"Teddy-" James hugged him with such force it nearly knocked him over, his usually bright eyed and cocky best friend looking worried and drawn. The black haired boy clapped him on the back solemnly, "She's in here."

Rory flew into James' arms when he released Teddy, and he embraced her gently, lacing their fingers together. They drew on each other's strength.

Teddy opened the double doors to the infirmary, eyes locked on the bed at the far end of the room. Juniper lay there, motionless, raven hair splayed out on the pillow like a midnight halo. She looked so tiny. Well- she was tiny- but Juniper had always been larger than life.