A sea of students wandered around the courtyard. Alone, at a picnic table, was Juniper. Her leg was bouncing up and down, and she sported a indie look for the day, with a black striped shirt and brown canyon jacket. Her cropped hair was tousled under a grey beanie, and round, purple sunglasses hung from her shirt. Her eyes were darting to and fro, looking for suspicious behavior as Jace and Austen instructed, but her mind was elsewhere.
She hadn't seen Sparrow since Friday.
He hadn't contacted her at all. No goodnight or good morning texts, no checking up on the anxiety ridden teen. Nothing.
Juniper truly did regret blowing him off, Sparrow had always come through for her and now she was being a brat about it. The whole day she'd been looking for him, wishing to apologize, but he was nowhere to be found. And Juniper certainly wasn't going to ask Erik.
Soft footfalls on the grass behind her made Juniper twist around briefly, then do a double take. It was Sparrow, in all his pink haired glory. "Hey Junebug," He starts in a soft voice, talking to her like she was a easily startled deer. He slides onto the bench in front of her. "How ya doin'?" He smiles gently at his friend.
"I've been okay," Juniper replies in an equally soft voice, shifting awkwardly and looking away. Her fingers twitched on the wood under her, and Sparrow reaches out hesitantly. He places his hand, palm up, his fingers brushing Juniper's. She stops, looking at the hand.
A peace offering.
When Juniper was stressed, she'd fiddle with things and when things got really bad, she'd rake her nails up and down her arms till she bled.
Juniper seized forward, her fingers dancing over Sparrow's in the way a squirrel would when investigating. A small smile blossoms on Sparrow's face. "I'm sorry," he coughs. "About Scarlet, you know. I was going to break the news gently, but Erik ruined it, I guess..." He trails off, looking for a reaction. "Wouldn't be the only thing he's ruined," Juniper insinuated under her breath. Sparrow didn't hear.
Lace was complaining to her "friends". Juniper watched as Lace stood and turned in circle, showing off the bruise on her leg. It was suspiciously huge. "How did that get there?" Sparrow questions, watching with Juniper. "I HATE CHEER PRACTICE. THAT BITCH," Lace yelled, pointing to a thicker girl drawing under a tree. "DROPPED ME AND MADE ME NEARLY BREAK MY FUCKING LEG!" She continued to rant, loud and clear for the whole school to hear. "Oh," Sparrow says. "I guess that's how it got there." He concludes. Juniper hums in agreement, moving on to another target.
Across the courtyard she saw Emma Drina, talking animatedly to Silus. Juniper furrowed her brow, she hadn't seen Silus at this school ever. Emma was clicking through her camera, showing off the photos, occasionally brushing against him flirtatiously.
Juniper didn't like it one bit.
———
Her head was hung over the toilet, stress making her small lunch reappear. It strained her throat, having to heave up so much bile. Juniper was often stressed, but often didn't know why.
Wiping her mouth wearily, Juniper stands and flushed the shitty school toilet with her foot. She pushes open the graffiti covered door, and begins to wash her hands. She scooped up handfuls if water to wash out her mouth.
And who decided to walk in?
Lace, the little bitch herself.
"Wow, Juniper, I know water clears up your skin, but you'll need a hell of a lot more than that, sweetie," Lace snickered. "Oh my god— bitch can you just leave me alone?" Juniper growls, fluffing up her hair in the mirror, and grabbing some chapstick to apply to her chapped lips.
She's unable to, however, because Lace the Bitch decided to slam her face into the mirror.
Juniper's face collided with the mirror, and she felt blood begin to drip down her nose. "Holy shit..." Juniper mutters, stumbling back, nearly tripping over her feet. Her mouth was open and her eyes were squeezed shut, hands cupped under her nose.
Lace grabs Juniper's hair, ruining the fluff she'd been working on previously, and says, "Maybe that'll make you think twice before you talk to me that way." Lace's tone was sarcastic and sickly sweet. For a final measure, Lace shoves Juniper backward and she falls into a puddle. Of piss or water, one would rather not know.
Lace saunters away, and Juniper tries not to cry. Peeking her eyes open, she finds herself alone.
And then she cried.
———
789 WORDS.
COMPLETED FEB. 3RD
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Pale
FantasyAt fourteen years of age and in the middle of her freshman year of high school, Juniper is about as normal as your average Joe. She gets C's and B's in school, isn't necessarily athletic, but can run if she needs to, and never really knew her father...
