"So," Jace started. "What's the scoop, fruit loop?" He says in an attempt to be 'hip'. "Firstly, never call me that again, Leggy, second, nothing because I didn't know what to look for," Juniper smirked as Austen banged her head against the table.
"You insufferable little butt," Austen murmured and gripped her fluffy hair. "That's fair..." Jace admitted abashedly. "We never did specify, what to look for."
"So tell me now—" Juniper says sassily, but is interrupted by Austen. "Why are you here so early today?" She growled, spying Juniper with a keen eye. "Did something happen?" She pondered aloud, a tint on a motherly undertone barely detectable. "Oh wow, so you do care," Juniper mocked in a dry tone. "It doesn't matter—"
"Does it have to do with that server boy?"
"What? No!"
"You're flustered."
Juniper sunk into the booth. "Oh shut your fuck," she whispered. "Silus didn't do anything." Austen raises an eyebrow and Jace giggled like a schoolgirl. "On a first name basis now, are we?" Juniper lets out a loud noise, somewhere between a threatening growl and an embarrassed whine, sounding a bit like:
"MYNAHHHHhhh."
Jace, being the awkward saint he is, changes the subject. "Maybe we could go over it tonight? Like, at McDonald's or something?" He offers. "You like McDonald's, right?" "I guess so..." Juniper mumbles into her legs, face red. The last person that made her blush at the very thought of them was Scarlet, and Juniper really didn't wanna think about her right now.
"I don't know if my mom would let me though," Juniper says after a beat of silence. Austen snorts, seeming much more oddly open than she was than when Juniper first met her, "Really? You're what, sixteen and still need to ask permission to go out at night?" She laughed.
"I'm fourteen, not sixteen." Juniper was used to being mistaken as older than she actually was, due to her maturity and manner of speaking. "So yeah, I do need to ask my mom to go out at night," Juniper huffed. "I should probably go home, to be honest," Juniper looked out the window, thumbing the material of her jacket.
"Don't let us keep you then,"
"Yeah, but you guys buy me coffee and I don't refuse free shit."
"Leave."
—
"Yo Momza!"
Juniper yelled as walked into the house. There was the sound of clattering pans, followed by a loud "Shit!" And more clattering. Juniper strolled causally into the kitchen. "Juniper," Violetta sighed, "Why the fuck ain't you at school?" Juniper laughed at her wording.
"Well, ya see, I got my face slammed into the school mirror by the head cheerleader, then this guy took a bunch of portfolio shots of me, so I got some coffee and drank it and came home," Juniper explained in a smart ass tone, rocking on the balls of her feet, hands tucked in the pockets of her jacket.
Violetta's face went from annoyed to concerned. "Was it this Lace girl again?" She asked, tilting up Juniper's head to inspect her nose. "You want anything special? What triggered it this time?" Violetta turned and began to rifle through the pantry for tea. "I told her, 'bitch, leave me alone,' 'cause she was mocking me about my acne, and then she smashed my nose and said something about thinking twice before I speak to her that way. I dunno." Juniper shrugs.
Violetta clucked her tongue. "I suppose there's nothing to be done, tea?" Violetta offered. "Please," Juniper accepted. "Oh, and didn't you say something about a boy?" Violetta teased.
"I just told you about how I got my face slammed into a mirror and you're concerned about me talking to a guy?"
"Let's hope my grandchildren don't turn out as sassy as their mother."
"Mom!" Juniper groaned and slapped a hand to her forehead. "Oh, yeah, I'm, uh going out tonight, with my friends." Juniper walks back into the living room to sit on the couch. "So you actually have friends?" Violetta says, suspicions high. "Yeah, they're dating, I think, this girl called Austen and this dude called Jace."
Violetta freezes. "Jace..." she whispered. Her heart thudded. Squeezing her eyes and fists, she lets out a deep breath. "The motherfucker that can only knock people up and leave them forever," she whispered with a silent laugh.
"That's fine sweetheart. I'll be taking the night shift tonight, so try to be home before 9:00 to make sure Tiny is okay. I don't want anything to happen to her."
—
754 WORDS.
COMPLETED FEB. 25TH
YOU ARE READING
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...
