The muffled sounds of the city hummed in the background as Juju Watkins leaned back in her car seat, the soft leather cradling her. The late afternoon sun reflected through the windshield, casting a warm glow over everything, but it did little to ease the storm brewing in her mind. Her best friend, India Otto, sat in the passenger seat, her legs crossed, tapping her fingers rhythmically against her knee.
"Okay, spill it," Otto said, her voice steady but inviting, as she turned to face Juju. "What's on your mind?"
Juju sighed, twirling her fingers through different strands of her curls--a rare sighting of Juju's hair not in a bun-- the frustration evident in her movements. "It's Salem," she finally admitted, the name hanging in the air like a weight.
"Ah," Otto leaned forward, her curiosity piqued. "What's the deal about that situation?"
"I don't even know," Juju huffed, staring out at the empty parking lot of her local In-N-Out . "I mean, she's honestly really amazing. Like she's super talented, funny, really pretty, and just overall too fucking good for me." She threw her head back against the headrest with a slight groan. "But I can't tell if I'm actually into her or if it's just the idea of being with her."
Otto nodded slowly, processing Juju's words. "That's a very common dilemma, so I get it. It's a lot of pressure, especially being in the spotlight and everybody's always in your damn business. Everyone expects you to have it all figured out, but you're literally only nineteen."
"Exactly." Juju's voice rose. "I feel like I'm supposed to know what I want. I should be all about basketball and school, but here I am, tangled up in these feelings." She bit her lip, a hint of vulnerability breaking through her usual temperament.
"Listen, Ju," Otto said gently, her tone shifting, "it's okay to feel confused. It's a part of the growing process. Just ... don't keep leading Salem on if you're not sure. It's not fair to her."
"Yeah, I know," Juju sighed again, the weight of Otto's words settling heavily in the air. "But what if I'm wasting my chance with her? Like what if I don't figure out what I want in time and she moves on?"
