𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐋², jack champion

008, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤

008, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤
irl
(gossip girl fans will get the
title😝)

THIRD PERSON +
july 28, 2024

Eight days had passed since Juniper had returned to Los Angeles, and the fresh start she had been hoping for felt further away with each passing day.

At first, there was a flicker of hope.

Being in L.A. was supposed to help her distance herself from the painful memories of Jack that were inescapable in New York. But now, sitting alone in her home, it was clear that she hadn't escaped anything.

Instead, she had become a shell of herself, slowly slipping into isolation. She hated the way she felt—like a shadow of the person she once was.

Every room in her house seemed to hold a memory of Jack, and no matter where she turned, he was there, haunting her. Memories flooded her mind constantly—how he would surprise her with coffee when she was working late in the studio, the way he laughed at her terrible jokes, the warmth of his arms around her at the end of a long day.

It was all there, inescapable.

And it hurt more than anything she had ever experienced before.

This grief felt endless, a relentless weight she couldn't lift off her chest. She couldn't bring herself to text her friends back, not even Jenna, who had always been her rock.

The messages piled up, but Juniper couldn't find the energy to respond. She knew she was pushing everyone away, and that only made the guilt heavier. But what was she supposed to say? How could she explain the depth of the pain she was feeling?

Meanwhile, Jenna was growing increasingly worried. It wasn't like Juniper to go dark like this, not to her.

At first, Jenna had chalked it up to Juniper needing space after the breakup—something Jenna fully understood—but when three days passed without a word, Jenna knew something was wrong. And with filming for Wednesday season two in full swing, Jenna was stuck in Romania, unable to hop on a plane to Los Angeles and check on her best friend.

She had to do something, though. So, she called Vinnie.

Vinnie had been out with his friends—Jack, Noah, Troy, and Jordan—when his phone rang.

Seeing Jenna's name flash on the screen, he excused himself from the group, stepping outside to take the call. Jenna wasted no time explaining her concerns, her voice laced with worry.

"I haven't heard from her in days, Vinnie. She's shutting everyone out, and I can't just fly over there right now. Can you please check on her?"

Vinnie's heart sank. He knew Juniper had been struggling, but hearing Jenna's concern solidified that it was worse than he thought.

"I'm on my way," he assured Jenna before hanging up.

Without hesitation, he said his goodbyes to his friends, explaining that Juniper needed him, and within minutes, he was on the road.

The drive to Juniper's house only took fifteen minutes, but the weight of Jenna's words lingered in his mind. He knew what it was like to spiral, to feel overwhelmed by everything, and he hated the thought of Juniper going through it alone.

As Vinnie pulled into Juniper's gated community, the familiar sight of her home came into view. He rang the doorbell, waiting anxiously.

After a short moment, he heard the sound of shuffling footsteps, and the door cracked open.