𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐋², jack champion

011, 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐤 𝐢'𝐦 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞

011, 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐤 𝐢'𝐦 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞
irl + social media
(double update for today!!)

THIRD PERSON +
august 9, 2024

It was August ninth, and with just three days left before Juniper was due to leave for London to wrap up the last leg of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, she had finally started to find her footing again.

The past few weeks had been a slow but steady return to herself. After isolating for what felt like an eternity, Juniper had spent nearly every day in the company of Vinnie Hacker and his friends, a group that welcomed her into their fold without hesitation.

They didn't ask about Jack. They didn't ask about the breakup. They didn't push her to talk about anything unless she wanted to. That's what Juniper appreciated most—she could just exist with them, as if she hadn't been broken into a million pieces, as if she wasn't still piecing herself together.

She was getting ready for another day of doing absolutely nothing—just lounging around her house—when there was a knock at her door.

Opening it, she found Vinnie standing on her porch, his signature goofy grin in place, holding out a large iced vanilla latte from her favorite coffee shop.

The sight of him instantly brightened her mood.

"Vinnie! Oh my god, you didn't have to!" she squealed, practically launching herself at him in a hug before grabbing the coffee.

"Well, I know how you get without your caffeine fix," Vinnie teased, stepping inside her home.

Juniper laughed as she took a long sip, savoring the sweetness. "You're a lifesaver."

As Vinnie made himself comfortable, he looked over at her, eyes gleaming with mischief. "So, got any plans today?"

"Not really, just planned on being a couch potato and maybe binge-watch Criminal Minds for the millionth time," she replied, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Why, what's up?"

Vinnie raised an eyebrow. "Well, me and a few of the guys were heading down to Venice Beach. Figured you might want to join us? It's a nice day out, and... you know, vitamin D and all that."

Juniper's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Venice Beach. She had hung out with Vinnie and his friends at smaller, more private gatherings, but going somewhere so public? Her first real public appearance since disappearing from the world... since him? The idea made her stomach knot with anxiety.

She bit her lip, hesitant. "I don't know, Vin. Venice Beach? That's... a lot of people."

Vinnie, sensing her reluctance, softened his tone. "Hey, I get it. But I promise we'll find a quieter spot. Besides, you've been doing so great lately. I think it'd be fun—and if it gets too much, we can always dip out. No pressure."

Juniper considered it for a moment. It had been so long since she'd gone out in public, and truthfully, she missed the normality of it. She missed just being around people without the weight of the world—or Jack—on her mind. And Vinnie's earnest expression made it hard to say no.

Finally, she relented. "Okay, fine. But you owe me if this goes south."

Vinnie grinned. "Deal. Now, go get changed. We'll swing by to pick up Jordan and Maddy on the way."

Juniper rolled her eyes playfully but couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips.

She hurried upstairs and rifled through her closet, finally settling on a golden yellow strappy bikini underneath a white baby tee with the word Brazil printed across the front. She paired it with some denim shorts and slid on her sandals. As she pulled her hair up into a claw clip, she felt a flicker of nervous excitement. This was new, this was different—and she was doing it.