𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐋², jack champion

036, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞

036, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞
irl + social media
(song for this chapter is
'the grudge' — olivia
rodrigo.)

THIRD PERSON +
december 4, 2024

Juniper couldn't shake the image of Jack's face from her mind. The rawness in his eyes when he'd looked at her in the coffee shop stayed with her, stubbornly surfacing again and again as she tried to concentrate on her VMAs rehearsal. The lyrics, the timing, the piano notes she played—all of it seemed blurred, as if some part of her was tethered to that fleeting moment in the cafe, unable to let go.

As her fingers danced across the piano, she found herself hesitating, her focus slipping. The conductor paused, concern crossing her face as the violinists stopped playing.

"You okay, Juni?" she asked, stepping closer. "You seem... distracted."

Juniper forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm good. Just... a lot going on."

The lady raised an eyebrow but let it drop, returning to the conductor podium. Juniper took a deep breath and pushed herself to concentrate, repeating the notes with newfound focus. She managed to get through the rehearsal, though the lingering ache in her chest refused to ease.

After rehearsals, she made her way back to her apartment, lost in thought as the city lights blurred by through the taxi cab window. She didn't realise how tense she was until she stepped inside her apartment and felt the stillness settle around her. It was a rare moment of quiet, but she wasn't sure she wanted it.

As she tossed her bag onto the couch, her phone buzzed with a call from Vinnie.

"Hey," she answered, trying to sound upbeat.

"Hey, Juni," he replied, his voice casual but warm. "I'm still at my friend's place, but I can head over if you need me."

She paused, the familiar sense of comfort in his voice almost tempting her to say yes. "No, no, I'm okay," she reassured him. "Stay with your friend—enjoy yourself. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Vinnie hesitated. "You sure? I can be there in like fifteen minutes."

She laughed softly. "I'm sure, Vin. Go have fun. I'm fine, really."

They said their goodbyes, and she set her phone down, looking around her apartment. She tried to busy herself, moving from room to room, arranging stray items, and organising papers. But her mind drifted back, restless, circling around memories she'd tried to bury.

Finally, she sank onto her couch, glancing absentmindedly at the photos on her shelf. Her eyes lingered on one in particular: a picture of her and Jack at her album release party. In the photo, they were laughing, arms slung around each other, holding up a large cardboard frame prop. Both of them were making ridiculous faces through the cutout, their expressions frozen in that moment of pure, uninhabited happiness.

Juniper reached out and picked up the frame, studying it closely. Her thumb traced over their smiling faces, and a familiar ache settled in her chest. She remembered how, in that moment, they'd been blissfully unaware of the storm that would follow.

All they'd known was each other, wrapped up in a bubble of shared dreams and laughter.

But then things had gone wrong—so quickly, so painfully. She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment it happened, but somewhere along the way, the trust they'd built had fractured, and he'd hurt her in ways she hadn't thought possible.