𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄¹, jack champion

045, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠

045, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠
irl + social media

THIRD PERSON +
september 26, 2023 (11:57pm)

Jack felt a twinge of déjà vu wash over him as he stood by Mason, taking in the scene in front of him. The bass-heavy rhythm of Chase Atlantic's 'Friends,' reverberated through the room, the sultry beat setting the tone for the wild atmosphere that had taken over Jenna's apartment. He squinted in the dim light and spotted Juniper, her arms up, swaying to the music on top of the table near the makeshift dance floor. Jenna was right beside her, and Millie, Louis, and Arthur were down below, laughing and dancing around them, egging them on.

For a moment, Jack just stood there, watching her. Juniper's hair was wild, her face flushed from the alcohol, and she was clearly deep into the party mood. Her carefree energy contrasted sharply with the Juniper he'd been trying to connect with for the last week.

It was like she was someone else entirely in these moments—a version of her that he hadn't seen in a long time. She was smiling, genuinely smiling, in a way he hadn't seen since Venice. And it hurt, just a little, that the only time she seemed at peace lately was when she was far away from him, with her friends, buried in distractions.

Mason nudged him, noticing Jack's sudden tension. "You good, man?"

Jack sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know. She's just... been off lately, y'know? Distant. And now this..." He motioned to Juniper, who was currently laughing as Jenna spun her around, their arms entwined as they danced to the rhythm. "I don't even know how to get through to her anymore."

Mason followed his gaze, watching the scene unfold. "She's just blowing off steam, man. You know how it is. The album, the stress. And you two—maybe she's just trying to let loose, not think about it for a while."

Jack's jaw tightened. "Yeah, Dev and Jas said the same, but I've barely spoken to her all night. And Venice... it felt like we were getting somewhere, like we were finally reconnecting. Then we got back here, and it's like she's slipping away again."

Mason didn't have much to say to that. Instead, he gave Jack a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Talk to her when she's sobered up. Right now, she's having fun. Let her have tonight."

Jack nodded but couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him as he glanced back at the table. Juniper was still dancing, her hips moving sensually to the music, her teeth biting down on her lip, drawing cheers from the group around her.

Louis and Arthur, standing on either side, were clapping along, hyping her and Jenna up. He trusted Juniper, of course, but something about seeing Arthur there, eyes lingering on her for a beat too long, sent a flicker of jealousy up his spine.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and muttered, "I'll catch up with her later."

Meanwhile, back on the table, Juniper was in her element. The alcohol buzzed through her veins, the worries and stresses of the past week melting away with each sway of her hips. She could feel the eyes on her—the crowd watching her and Jenna let loose as they screamed along to the lyrics of 'Friends,' their phones out, recording snippets of their carefree dancing. But she didn't care. For once, she wasn't worried about appearances, about being "Juniper Wren, the Successful Pop Star." Right now, she was just Juniper, celebrating with her best friends.

Jenna giggled beside her, leaning in close to say something, but the music drowned out her words. Juniper laughed, shaking her head as she leaned into Jenna's shoulder for balance. She caught sight of Arthur below, smirking up at her with a drink in his hand, and Louis, who was trying to show off some awkward dance moves to Millie, much to her amusement.