𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐋², jack champion

046, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐝

046, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐝
irl

THIRD PERSON +
december 14, 2024

Juniper's morning began in silence.

She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, with a lingering ache in her chest that hadn't subsided since last night. She'd waited so long for Jack to reply to her messages, hoping for some kind of explanation, but each minute that passed without a notification had only deepened her frustration. By the time her exhaustion took over, Vinnie had already taken her phone from her, insisting she needed sleep more than she needed to stare at an empty screen.

Now, it was early afternoon, and the Los Angeles sun was streaming through the kitchen windows, casting warm beams of light across the countertops. Juniper was slicing tomatoes while Vinnie FaceTimed Jenna and Mason, balancing the phone against a nearby fruit bowl as he chatted away with them. The casual banter helped mask the tension lingering in the air, but Juniper could still feel the weight of her unread messages and unanswered questions.

Vinnie held his phone up so Jenna and Mason's faces filled the screen. "Alright, so what's on the menu today?" Jenna asked, a teasing grin on her face. "Chef Juni and her sous chef Vinnie?"

"More like Chef Vinnie and his very sleepy assistant," Juniper mumbled with a small smile, nudging Vinnie playfully. "I'm a zombie today."

"Hey, you needed it," Vinnie pointed out, glancing at her with a smug grin. "And you actually slept, so you're welcome."

"Fine, fine," Juniper conceded, giving a slight eye roll that didn't quite mask the exhaustion in her expression.

Juniper moved to stir the pasta in the pot, the smell of garlic and tomatoes filling the kitchen. Vinnie leaned back against the counter beside her, Jenna and Mason's voices continued to echo through the kitchen, bouncing off the high ceilings and mixing with the gentle sizzle of the pan.

"So, is this the plan for the rest of the day?" Jenna asked, her face taking up most of the screen as she leaned in. "A chill day cooking?"

"Yeah, we're keeping it low-key," Vinnie replied, flashing a grin. "Juniper's convinced me to make pasta from scratch, which... not gonna lie, is a lot more work than I thought it'd be."

Juniper snorted, glancing up at him. "You were the one who wanted to try it, remember?"

"Okay, okay," he laughed. "But I didn't realise it would take this long. I have a newfound respect for Italian grandmas."

Mason's face appeared beside Jenna's, eyebrows raised. "Are we just gonna ignore the fact that Vinnie's a whole culinary genius now? What's next? French cuisine?"

Juniper chuckled, but her gaze drifted to her phone on the counter. She hadn't checked it since last night, and the temptation to pick it up, just for a moment, was gnawing at her. Although, Jack's silence had been louder than any words he could have said.

"Hey, can you grab my phone for a sec?" she asked, nodding toward it.

"Oh, uh... I was actually thinking we should add some basil to the sauce," Vinnie blurted, walking over to the spice rack.

Mason immediately chimed in on FaceTime. "Yeah! Basil would add, like, that perfect touch."

Juniper narrowed her eyes at the screen. "Since when are you a basil enthusiast, Mason?"