JUNIPER'S POV:
"We should never do this again," Hiram starts off as I toss the wipe I used on myself into the waste bin. I turn to face him, raising a brow.
"Sex?" I question, and he scoffs.
"No, and you know what I am talking about," he says. I shrug as I walk up to him, resting slightly on the table. "I slipped up today, June, and anything can happen. We are not even sure yet, and..."
"I told you I was in my safe zone, or is there another reason you insist?" He shakes his head as I ask, but my gaze doesn't leave him because I think there is more.
"Then what is the problem?" He opens his mouth to speak, but I quickly answer, "You fear I will trap you with a baby, giving you an actual responsibility. Is that what you fear?" I question, and he sighs, getting up from the seat.
He zips his pants.
"That is not the reason, Juniper," he says in a calm tone, which for some reason gets me angry.
"Then what is it?" My voice comes out harsh.
"You are in your third year of school, and you have another full year to go. Do you want to get pregnant?" he asks. I keep mute, causing him to scoff and walk away.
I stand there for a moment, taking in his words, which suddenly makes my heart race. My period was two weeks ago, and now that he's mentioned it, I cannot help but panic. He is in the bathroom washing up, but I do not wait for him. I mutter a quick bye, then I rush out of the room, texting Rhea on my way. She is out shopping for what to wear tonight.
"Get me emergency pills, please. I need it ASAP!"
"Okay."
"June!" I hear him call out my name, but I am already jumping down the stairs with my bag flying in the air. When I get to the ground floor, I look up to see he is still on the second floor.
"You are doing it again!" He groans, but I do not stop for him, and I make my way out the door.
**
"Are you crazy, June?" Rhea asks the moment I tell her what went down. I keep mute.
"Men like Hiram are probably fertile. He is like this celebrity hot bods that keeps baby mamas all around. You have to protect yourself, girl." Her eyes are non-judging but concerned.
"I know, I know. Did you get them?" I ask, and she nods, sliding her hand into her pocket and taking out the packet of the drug. I open it at once, taking out the sachet and popping the pills.
I throw them into my mouth, downing them with a glass of water on her table. Then I sit on the bed.
"You are going to feel a bit dizzy, but hopefully it will wear off before we need to go," she says, and I nod.
My phone beeps at that moment, and it is a message from Hiram.
"Why do you keep doing this? Running from a confrontation and doing something drastic?" I sigh at his text, then I throw myself head-down on the bed.
My phone vibrates in my hand again.
"June, are you there?" I groan, tossing the phone away, then I try to shut my eyes, ignoring it vibrating on the bed.
He says he doesn't want commitment, and telling him this will probably freak him out. I just have to hope the pill works.
**
The next time I open my eyes, the entire place is dark. Rhea walks into the room with a loud speaker booming with music, which almost destroys my eardrums.
"Come on, June. Let's get dressed!" she announces, jumping on the bed and almost sending my body flying.
I let out a groan, then I sit up on the bed. My hand slowly searches for my phone, and when I find it, I see I have missed calls from Hiram and multiple texts.
"I am sorry for whatever it is that I said."
"You are my responsibility, June, and that doesn't scare me anymore because I love you so much."
"I am trying so hard to stop myself from coming to get you. Please, just send a text back."
"Fine, you do not want to text back, then I am done texting."
His texts make me happy. He undoubtedly cares for me, but I still fear he will snap under pressure, and I do not want to put that pressure on him. My life has a lot of pressure already, and adding one more wouldn't hurt.
"Come on!" Rhea says, grabbing my hand and pulling me off the bed. She wriggles her body, grinding her shoulders with mine as she dances, then she turns to me, swinging her dress around my neck, roping me to her.
I loosen up at once, and soon the music takes over, allowing me to swing and sway my body in rhythm. We get dressed on the go, and after about two hours, we are finally ready. Grabbing my phone from the bed, I check the time to see that it is ten at night.
"We better get going," I say to Rhea, who is still checking herself in the mirror. She has on a short bodycon gown that accentuates her curves, and she looks great.
The birthday boy is her friend, Lyon. He has a crush on Rhea, which she always tries to deny, but I think deep down she knows, and she is trying to get lucky tonight.
"Come on, I am sure Lyon already loves it," I say to her, and she rolls her eyes.
"This isn't for him!" she protests, and I nod my head.
"I hear you, and that is why you got the color blue after he said blue is his best color." She rolls her eyes when I say this, then she walks away to grab her purse.
I catch a glance of myself in the mirror with my strapless polka-dot, flare mini gown. A thought crosses my mind, and I pull out my phone at once, taking a picture and sending it to Hiram. My phone blows up in seconds.
"Going for a party," I reply to his text, then I shut my phone with a smile hanging on my lips, making my way out of the room to join Rhea.
After a hundred texts from Hiram and about thirty minutes later, we arrive at the venue, which is a small club in town. We make our way into the club, with the neon lights capturing our faces and more ear-draining music, and, of course, the smell of alcohol, weed, and other kinds of drugs lingering in the air. There are different people around. I spot a group in a corner snorting some substance from the table and screaming at the top of their voices.
"The party is great?" someone asks, and we turn to see Lyon behind us, his black eyes glistening like the night sky under the neon lights.
Rhea glances at him without a word, and I elbow her gently.
"Yea... yea. Everyone is having fun," she evens out her stutter. "Happy birthday, Lyon," she says, and a server passes by. He grabs two drinks, handing the glasses to the both of us, before taking one for himself.
"To..." Rhea begins, and he clinks his glass with hers, completing the words, "Twenty-four."
"To twenty-four," she says, then she clinks her glass with mine, downing the entire content at once, while I take time to sip mine, trying not to choke on the fact that she is trying not to die in his presence.
"You look great in that outfit," Lyon says to her as soon as she pulls the glass away from her face. Then he takes it from her, placing it on the tray of the next server that passes by.
"Thanks," she says shyly. I stifle a cough, taking my leave because I do not want to be a cock-blocker.
I walk over to the counter in the bar, then I sit on the stool, placing my purse on the counter. I pull out my phone, checking Hiram's text.
"June, where are you?"
I take a quick pic, sending it to him with the caption, "At an actual club this time."
Then I take more pictures of people, and I start to make a video. I grab a random girl walking by, putting her in my video.
"Can you see? It is real."
He reads the text, and he doesn't reply. Then I sigh, placing my phone face down, grabbing my drink and downing it. In that moment, Rhea puts a hand across my neck.
"June!" she exclaims in a high-pitched tone, riding over the music.
"Hey," I reply flatly, and she takes off her hand, leaning with her back against the counter.
"Hiram?" she asks, and I glance at her. "You haven't replied to him yet?" she asks, and I shake my head.
"I am replying, but not to what he wants. Just texting him random things like my video at the club, and really, I do not even know why I am doing this to him."
"You are trying to push his buttons, girl," she says, slapping my shoulder lightly. "That is evil, and I like it. But not for him. Do not push him too much, because his poor twenty-nine-year-old heart cannot take it. Now, come on," she says, grabbing my hand and pulling me up from the seat.
"Lyon says he needs a moment, so in the meantime lets dance." I grab my phone, sliding it into my purse as we head to the dance floor.