holding on • jenzie

7 ⇝ flustered & annoyed

» I'm not an early bird or night owl, I'm just some kind of permanently exhausted pigeon. «

「 In which Mackenzie eavesdrops. 」

Dedicated to: jenziesdiary because you are probably the kindest person i've met in the fandom. (one of the poeple anyway lol) thank you for supporting me. xox

A/N ~ ITS MY BIRTHDAY! TODAY I TURN FIFTEEN, WOOT HOOT ;)

also, go add my updates book to your library if you like my random personality ;)

POV: Mackenzie Ziegler
DATE: 5 January 2026

•••

"Miss Ziegler! Miss!"

I awake with a start, my eyes flying open and my pencil skidding across a blank page. Wincing at the harsh white light flooding the room, I slump back into my hands with a sigh.

"How long have I been out for?"

"About half an hour Miss." My assistant, Belle, informs me.

"It feels like it was just seconds." I groan. "And anyway Belle, I told you to call me Mackenzie."

"Sorry Mis– Mackenzie, but I think you should go home. It is not worth being at work if you aren't well; and you are so clearly fatigued." Belle's british accent does make a more pronounced entrance when she's stressed or upset, something that's clearly happening right now.

I glare at the line my pencil made as if it could jump off the page and beat me bloody. "Are you sure?" I ask, rubbing my temples.

"No work can be done when you've slept very little." She says firmly.

"How could you tell?" I chuckle, my faint attempt at a joke causing her to smile wistfully.

She walks to the doorway, swinging her slim hips and giving me a sympathetic look. "Your eyes."

I frown, confused.

"They're red, and puffy, despite the concealer you applied this morning. Mackenzie, it's okay to be broken. I know Brandon meant a great deal to you."

We stay in the same places for a while, her in the doorway and me at my desk chair. For those few seconds, she's not just Belle, my assistant, she's a friend; someone who's had a similar experience before.

Then she leaves.

"Belle!" I call out. "Belle."

But she's gone. And so is our moment.

•••

Lauren picks me up half an hour later, and I slip my sunglasses on as I walk out the back entrance to meet her. No one, including Lauren, needs to know that I had a meltdown in the bathroom.

"Are you okay?" Lauren rambles in a way of greeting as she opens the car door for me, blonde hair wild and swinging.

I wave away her concern with a sigh and a wave of my hand, my voice barely surpassing a whisper. "I'm just really, really tired."