JUNO (sabrina carpenter x you)

chapter 13

Y/N's POV

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"No, because you're totally cheating," Sabrina grumbled from across the circle, her narrowed eyes fixed on the final Uno card I had just placed in the center of the deck. She was glaring at me, her full hand still clutched in her fingers, a mix of disbelief and playfulness flashing across her face. I couldn't help but flash a smug grin, leaning back on my hands, propping myself up against the cool floor of the tour bus, completely at ease.

"I'm just that good, I guess..." I hummed, drawing the words out with feigned nonchalance. The smugness on my lips was palpable, but I wasn't entirely without sympathy. Sabrina's inability to win a single round so far was slowly cracking her usual cool composure, and it was cute. She huffed lowly, her lips forming a pout that did nothing to conceal the mischievous spark that had begun to grow in her eyes.

As much as she tried to suppress it, Sabrina's grin started creeping onto her face, a twinkle of playful mischief lighting up her expression. Her frustration was evident, but it couldn't entirely hide the amusement.

It was around 2 AM, the kind of hour when even the moon seemed like it was ready to call it quits, and yet, here we were. The five of us—me, Sabrina, Paloma, Laurie, and Sarah—sat cross-legged in a circle on the floor of Sabrina's tour bus, the only source of light the faint glow from the overhead bulbs and the occasional flicker of streetlights outside. The chaos of the day had settled into a quiet calm, and for once, it felt like we had nowhere to be. We had settled into this spontaneous Uno marathon as a way to unwind, and somehow, I'd found myself on a solid winning streak.

"Fuck no. Rematch. Effective immediately," Laurie groaned from across the circle, taking a dramatic swig from her Truly, her face scrunching up slightly as the tart seltzer hit her taste buds. She started gathering the discarded cards in a heap, clearly frustrated at how she'd lost yet again. The grumbling under her breath only made me grin wider.

"I second that," Paloma chimed in with an exaggerated nod of agreement, reaching for the pile of cards and taking them from Laurie to shuffle them again. "Ain't no way you've won four times in a row," she added, her tone light and teasing, but there was no hiding the hint of competitive fire in her voice. She wasn't about to let me get away with another easy win, and I could see it in the way her eyes narrowed in determination.

I chuckled, leaning back and stretching my legs in front of me, enjoying the camaraderie as much as I was enjoying my winning streak. The game was far from over, but the atmosphere was light-hearted, filled with teasing remarks and laughter, the kind of easy tension that only exists when friends are comfortably in their element.

I could feel Sabrina's eyes on me, a steady, almost palpable weight pressing down on my forehead. It was as if she was drilling a hole straight through me, and for a split second, I found myself too shy to look up. I fought the urge to squirm under her gaze, but eventually, I couldn't resist. I glanced up, and when our eyes met, her full lips curved into a goofy, closed-mouth smile, a hint of mischief dancing behind her gaze.

"May I help you, Carpenter?" I asked, my voice teasing, even though I was trying to play it cool. I raised an eyebrow, my gaze fixed on hers, a challenge simmering beneath my words.

"Mm, no," she drawled, her voice light, playful, almost languid as she stretched the words out. "Just thinking 'bout how you're gonna lose this next round."

I kept my brow raised, and the corners of my mouth twitched upward in a smirk, though I was determined to keep my cool. "We'll see about that, pretty."

At that, Sabrina's grin broke wide, and I saw her teeth flash in the soft light as she looked down at her lap. Her fingers fidgeted idly with something—maybe her cards, maybe nothing at all—and then she glanced back up at me. Her face was a picture of cocky amusement, the playful challenge clear in her eyes.