Juniper
“Hey everyone” I looked up from my food to see a pretty girl with jet black long hair. She was obviously putting on makeup and I wondered how long it took her every morning to completely prep up her face like that. She was quite skinny but with curves in the right places and her uniform wasn’t like mine. It looked customized to suit her taste which added to her appearance. Her eyes finally wandered towards me noticing where I sat with confusion and slight disgust seen on her face. “Who are you? And why’re you sitting here?” She snapped with a demeaning look on her face clearly directed at me. “Rude much.” I muttered noticing the amused looks on everyone’s faces as Archer tried stifling is laugh. “Excuse me?” She said with a full scowl on her face clearly not liking that I might’ve stood up to her or just me in general. “You didn’t have to be rude to me, first impression matters you know” I answered standing on business and not letting her walk all over me. I might not know her but I could tell she was one of the mean girls in school and had this notion that she’s better than everyone else. I couldn’t let her walk all over me on my first day of school. I certainly had my pride too. “Do I look like I care? Or that I want to know you? I can tell you’re the new girl and let me tell you something you definitely don’t want to get on my bad side. It won’t end well for you” she seethed threatening me. Who’s this bitch?! Trying to threaten me. “First off my name is Juniper, and I really don’t even care enough to get on any side of you. You’re literally quite nothing to me and also your attitude stinks.” “You know what bitch, I’m going to teach you a lesson..” “I’d like to see you try. Step closer to me and I’ll tear your face and I’m very sure you wouldn’t want anything bad to ruin your perfect face now doll. Would you?” I said giving her a coy smile as I watched her anger heighten more but she couldn’t hurt me. She didn’t have the balls. I could tell she was all bark and no bite. “Don’t dare me bitch! You don’t know who you’re messing with. I can ruin you with just a snap of my fingers” she yelled out in anger. “Oh please, you’re all bark and no bite. Woof woof!” I said throwing her bait, loving how my words were getting to her. As much as I was a calm and nice person, I detest people who think they’re better than everyone else. The ones who treat others like crap and think they can get away with doing anything. I will always stand for myself or anyone else being bullied. “You bitch! I’m gonna fuck you up and that your trash smelling skank mouth!” She screamed coming at me for a fight causing a huge scene. I stood up immediately taking her hand in mine before she could hit me holding it in a very tight grip. “Let me go!” She screamed in pain as I pushed her away from me. “Never ever try to hit me again, I won’t stand for it.” I said calmly sitting back down on my seat ignoring the bewildered looks from everyone around in the cafeteria and on our table. She screamed in anger and frustration not wanting to stay any longer since everyone started looking and laughing at her like she’s crazy. Which I think she might be. “Fuck, Fuck, Fuckkkk! Juniper that was awesome. No one has ever stood up to Ciara like that. Damn girl!” Ivan exclaimed looking at me with pride in his eyes. The whole cafeteria was surprised at my outburst, no one expected that I had a little bit of fire in me. Archer just kept on staring at me in shock.Juniper The hallway was nearly empty, the echo of slamming lockers and rushed footsteps fading as most students headed home. My own locker door creaked as I shoved my books inside, hands trembling too much to fit them neatly. My chest still felt raw, like my heart had been scraped open, and no amount of Jasmine’s soft words seemed to ease the sting. “Juni…” Jasmine said gently, her hand brushing my shoulder. “Grayson’s just… angry. He’ll come around, you know that.” I shook my head, biting my lip until it hurt. “You didn’t see his face, Jas. He looked at me like I betrayed him. Like I wasn’t—” My voice cracked, and I slammed my locker shut before I could completely fall apart. “Like I wasn’t his anymore.” Before Jasmine could respond, a sharp, cruel laugh cut through the hall. “Well, well,” Ciara’s voice drawled, every syllable dripping with venom. “Look who’s been knocked off her pedestal.” I froze, my spine stiffening as she sauntered up, arms folded, her perfect hair swaying
Grayson The water was the only thing that made sense right now. Stroke after stroke, I cut through it like I could outswim the image of Juniper with Archer’s mouth on hers. But no matter how deep I dove, no matter how long I held my breath until my lungs burned, it was still there— branded in my skull, taunting me. Her lips. His hands. Her silence. I slammed into the pool wall harder than I meant to, the sting shooting up my arm, but I welcomed the pain. It kept me from drowning in the storm inside my head. “Jesus, Gray,” Ivan’s voice echoed across the empty pool hall. “Trying to kill yourself or what?” I ignored him, pushing off again, my body cutting through the water in another furious lap. The chlorine stung my eyes, but I didn’t care. By the time I finally surfaced, Ivan was crouched at the edge of the pool, his elbows on his knees, watching me with that calm, steady look he always had. The look that made you feel like he saw too much. “You’re gonna tear yourself apart
Grayson The lounge was quieter than usual, a low hum of voices blending with the faint crackle of the fireplace. I was halfway through answering a text from my father when her perfume hit me — sharp, sweet, and suffocating. “Gray.” My jaw tightened before I even looked up. Ciara. She stood there like she owned the place, hair perfect, lips painted that same shade of red she used to wear when she wanted me distracted. I hadn’t seen her in weeks, not since I caught her tangled up with some other guy in the back of her car. “What do you want?” I asked flatly, already irritated. She tilted her head, fake innocence dripping off her voice. “Just checking in. You’ve been… busy. With her.” Juniper. She didn’t even have to say her name. The venom in her tone was enough. I slipped my phone into my pocket and stood, towering over her. “If you came here to run your mouth, don’t. I don’t have the patience.” But Ciara only smirked, stepping closer. “Funny, you look like a man who’s about t
Juniper I slid into my seat in Literature, still trying to shake off the way Grayson had kissed me in the hallway like he was drowning. My lips still tingled, my chest still tight. I told myself to focus, to bury myself in the lesson. But fate, of course, had other plans. Because Archer sat two rows over — and right beside him, his twin sister Sophia. Sophia was effortlessly beautiful in that Daleton kind of way: sleek dark hair, piercing eyes, and a smirk that could slice through anyone. She was Archer in feminine form, which made her twice as dangerous. The moment I caught her glancing between me and her brother, my stomach sank. “Juniper,” Sophia sing-songed across the table once the teacher stepped out for a moment. “Tell me the truth. Are you and my dear brother secretly dating?” My pen froze mid-word. Heat rushed to my face as the class perked up, some heads turning. “What? No! Of course not,” I blurted, too quickly. Archer leaned back in his chair, that lazy grin stretch
Juniper The library smelled of old paper and lemon polish, quiet except for the scratch of pens and the occasional shuffle of pages. Midterms had everyone buried in books, myself included. But no matter how hard I stared at the notes in front of me, the words blurred together. Because my mind wasn’t on history dates or formulas. It was on Archer. And Grayson. “Earth to Juniper,” Jasmine whispered, snapping her fingers in front of my face. Her braids swung as she tilted her head, giving me that look — the one that said she wasn’t fooled. “You’re not even here right now. Spill.” I groaned softly, dropping my pen. “I can’t, Jas. It’s… complicated.” Her brows lifted. “Complicated as in you’re caught between the two hottest Daleton boys and don’t know which one to choose? Yeah, sounds real complicated.” I shot her a look, but my cheeks burned anyway. “It’s not like that.” “Juniper,” she said firmly, leaning in. “They’re both circling you like wolves. Grayson with his dark, broodin
Grayson The lounge was our spot. Leather couches, the faint hum of music from Ivan’s phone, and the lazy sprawl of bodies after practice. It was where we could be loud, stupid, and just… us. But not tonight. Not for me. Because every time I leaned back, closed my eyes, tried to unwind, her face was there. Juniper. Her soft voice at lunch, her trembling hand in mine, the way Archer couldn’t stop looking at her. “Man, you’re wound tight as hell,” Ivan said, tossing a football up in the air. “You’re gonna give yourself a heart attack before senior year’s even over.” I grunted, not in the mood. Archer smirked from his corner, stretched out like he owned the place. “Maybe he’s wound tight because of Juju.” My eyes snapped open. “What did you just call her?” He tilted his head, grin widening. “Juju. What? I’ve called her that since forever. She doesn’t mind.” My jaw clenched. “Her name’s Juniper.” “Yeah, your Juniper,” Archer said, sitting forward now, his tone dipping sharp. “But