JUNO (sabrina carpenter x you)

chapter 14

Sabrina's POV

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The door to the tour bus clicked softly, the sound barely reaching my ears over the hum of my TikTok feed. I pulled my eyes away from the mindless scroll of my For You Page, instinctively looking up with a smile as I anticipated seeing Y/N walk in.

Only...she didn't.

Instead, Paloma stepped through first, followed closely by Laurie, who kept glancing back over her shoulder toward the gas station with a furrowed brow. It was almost as though she was waiting for something—or someone. The door swung closed behind them, and Laurie brushed past Paloma with a quick motion, hurrying over to the small table in our makeshift kitchen to drop her collection of snacks and food items. She paused for a moment, her eyes briefly lingering on the large window that looked out at the parking lot.

Then, she turned to me, the soft curve of a smile playing on her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes. There was something in that smile that made my stomach twist, a subtle shift in the air that made me uneasy.

"Y/N/N wanted me to give this to you," Laurie said, her voice oddly rushed as she handed me a coffee cup. It was warm, the steam rising from it, but I noticed her hand was slightly unsteady as she passed it over. I raised an eyebrow, a twinge of concern creeping into me.

"Where is she?" My question was more strained and concerned than I intended, my eyes not leaving her face as I waited for an answer. Laurie gave a tight-lipped smile, her gaze flicking away as she gestured toward the window with a small tilt of her head.

"On the phone," she replied quickly, her voice clipped and oddly tense, almost as if she was trying to downplay something. The brunette was visibly angry about something, and the quickness of her words didn't settle right with me. My frown deepened, and a growing knot of anxiety formed in my stomach.

There's something she's not telling me.

I set the coffee down on the nearby counter, the unease crawling up my spine. Without thinking, I stood up, moving toward Laurie, my voice coming out higher and more urgent than I wanted it to.

"What's wrong?" The words felt tight in my throat as I looked at her, my gaze searching her face for any sign, any flicker of truth that might slip through. Laurie shifted slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the question, and the silence that followed made the tension between us feel even thicker.

"Don't worry about it, Sab." Laurie's voice was low, quieter than usual, almost like she was trying to keep herself composed. She was doing a terrible job of it, though—her words felt strained, like she was trying to reassure me even though she wasn't sure she believed it herself. "I'll be back, okay? I just... I've gotta do something."

I barely had time to register her words before she turned and walked out the door, her footsteps quick and purposeful. My body instinctively moved toward the window as she made her way toward the Wawa entrance, my stomach twisting tighter with every step she took away from the bus. I pressed my palms against the cool glass, my breath fogging it as I leaned closer, eyes searching for any sign of Y/N. And then, I saw her.

A sharp, cold wave of dread hit me all at once.

There, sitting on the curb by a few cars, was Y/N. Her posture was completely defeated, shoulders slumped as she cradled her head in her hands. A cigarette dangled loosely between her fingers, and a full pack lay discarded beside her on the concrete, as if she'd tossed it carelessly after grabbing one. My heart dropped into my stomach at the sight—she looked so small, so lost.