𝐀𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞

1-23

JAZMIN

April 17, 2020

"I hate these long ass flights," I grumble as we all step out of the airport. My slight frown turned into a full mug when I spotted the paparazzi in front of us. "Famous people can't even travel in peace. That's bullshit."

I stepped aside to let Bashar's security circle him and Eva. They walked ahead of us and stepped inside the car first. I held on to Areum's hand as Leon and August walked behind us. Gi decided she would go back to London since she was a bit behind on her studies.

"You think Sage landed yet?" I asked, glancing at Leon. He shook his head, "Her flight was like 6 hours longer than hours. She's still up there."

After two weeks in Greece, we were finally back in New York. I loved our trip but I missed my home. It felt good to be back.

An hour or so later, we all trudged inside Bashar's condo. Eva fell asleep in the car, so Bashar carried her to his room, leaving the rest of us to get situated.

"You wonna go home?" August asked from beside me. "No, I need sleep. I didn't nap on the plane, so I'm feeling tired," I explained. He nodded, falling face-first on the wide couch. Smiling, I curled up beside him, and we fell asleep just like that.

—————
April 18, 2020

"You have to drizzle it on top so it looks nice. Yea, just like that."

I woke up to muffled voices. Opening my eyes, I realized Leon and Areum were in the kitchen. I stood up and saw them fussing over what looked like a mini buffet. "Oh! Good morning, Jazzy. You want breakfast?" Areum asked, a spatula in her hand.

"Breakfast? Isn't it like the middle of the night?"

Leon grinned, showing me his phone screen. "It's 9 in the morning. Y'all was knocked out."

I frowned while taking in the kitchen. The counters were filled with dish after dish, and based on the open stove, more food would soon join them. "And you two spent the time cooking?"

"Not really. I couldn't sleep so I cooked. It's a stress reliever. Leon got here like two hours ago."

I looked at them weird because who spends that much time continuously cooking? The food looked good, though, so I wouldn't complain.

After waking August up, I took a short shower, cleansing myself of yesterday's dirt. I found Eva wrapped around Bashar in the hallway. I smirked at them, winking at Eva before walking away. They're so cute.

Soon enough, we were all seated together as we ate. Everything I ate tasted luxurious. Even the pancake in my mouth tasted like a cloud. "I'd pay to eat this shit. If you ever get tired of photography, open a restaurant," I told Areum.

She laughed, typing on her laptop as she ate a bowl of oats decorated with fruits. I hated oats, but it looked so good, I tried it. It was heaven in a bowl.

"I'm surprised you didn't go with Gi," August voiced. Areum nodded, her fingers never pausing on her keyboard, "Yea, I miss her already. But, I actually have a client in Long Island. She was very sweet, so I relented and told her I'd fly in. I get to meet her tomorrow."

"Aw, I should've scheduled a shoot over here. I just know I've missed some campaigns over the past two weeks," Eva pouted.

As August filled Bashar in on all the meetings he had rescheduled and performances he had for the rest of the month, I smiled. My friends stayed booked and busy.

Glancing at my phone, I reminded myself that I had more than a few assignments to complete and a few classes to catch up on. While a vacation was nice, adult responsibilities always crashed upon me once all the fun was over.