smirked, adjusting her position. "And this? This is the content people are gonna beg us to feed them."

Bailey's eyes widened dramatically. "Oh my god. We're actually in the industry now."

"Damn," Harper muttered, tossing her head back. "Nyrie's my co-star." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, and speaking of Nyrie..." Bailey grinned mischievously. "Something's totally going on between her and Griffin."

Harper rolled her eyes again. "You think?"

"He's a player," Cici said bluntly. "Move on."

"Or," Ariana countered, tilting her head, "you could just talk to him, Harper."

"Hell no."

"Hell yes," Ariana shot back. "You guys were literally the only stable relationship. You're meant for each other, and maybe-just maybe-if you talk to him, he'll realize what an asshole he's being."

Harper hesitated, picking at the sleeve of her hoodie. "I don't know... What if it doesn't work?"

Silence. The girls exchanged glances before shrugging in unison.

"Fine, fine," Bailey said nonchalantly, flipping her hair. "We can date."

"Oh god," Harper said softly, smiling.

Bailey grinned, and the laughter started up again-soft at first, then bubbling over into full chaos.

Just then, Cici's phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her joggers, glanced at the screen, and-without a word-smiled, biting back a giggle before tucking it away again.

Harper raised a brow. "Emery?"

Cici nodded, blushing.

Ariana gasped dramatically and threw herself into Cici's lap. "You guys are so cute," she gushed.

Cici absentmindedly ran her nails along Ariana's side. "Yeah, but... we're kinda doing long distance now." Her voice softened. "I'm scared. What if it doesn't work out?"

A beat of silence stretched between them, until-

"I mean..." Bailey shrugged. "I'm cool with a poly relationship."

"Bailey Moody," Harper said, shaking her head with a grin.

And just like that, the room burst into laughter all over again.

**********

Harper walked up the stairs, her heart pounding harder with each step. She wasn't sure why she felt nervous-this was Griffin, her boyfriend. Or... her friend. She wasn't even sure anymore.

It was late. After much debate, she'd finally decided to take Ariana's advice and tell Griffin how she felt. There was a real chance this could end things between them-Griffin hated being accused of anything-but the girls were right. She needed answers. So, she'd driven to the Tremont, and now here she was, standing outside his room, staring at the door like it held all the answers.

Inhale after, she pushed it open.

Griffin was at his desk, guitar resting in his hands as his fingers absently strummed. His damp curls clung to his forehead, and he was shirtless, wearing nothing but joggers. He appeared as if he had just emerged from the shower, the faint scent of his cologne still lingering in the air.

He glanced up, his lips curving into a grin. "Hey, mama." He set his guitar down, stretching lazily as he turned toward her.

Harper's stomach twisted at the nickname. God, she had missed that.

"Hey," she said, leaving the door ajar behind her. "Can I talk to you?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course." Griffin stood, making his way over, and together they sank onto his bed.

Harper inhaled sharply, steadying herself. "Griffin... I've been thinking, and you and Nyrie-"

"I know," he interrupted softly. "I was wrong."

Harper blinked, caught off guard.

Griffin exhaled, shaking his head. "I swear, me and Nyrie are just friends. I've been private and... kind of a jerk about it, and I'm sorry. I didn't want you to be mad that I became friends with your rival, but I handled it all wrong. I should've been honest with you. I hate that I made you feel this way. I'm truly sorry, lovey."

Lovey.

The tension in Harper's chest eased just a little. She hadn't heard that all day, and God, it felt good.

"Just promise me nothing's gonna happen between you two," she said, searching his face.

"I promise, Harper."

Her lips quirked into a small smile, and Griffin smirked in return.

"I've missed you," he murmured, his fingers trailing up her thigh, slow and deliberate.

Harper's breath hitched, her eyes flickering to his touch as warmth spread through her chest.

"My good girl," he murmured, his fingers grazing her lips.

Harper's lips instinctively closed around one of Griffin's fingers. She slowly sucked while circling the finger with her tongue, her eyes never leaving his stare. Griffin's breath hitched, and a smirk spread across his face.

He leaned in, his breath teasing against her skin, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why don't you go shut the door, lovey? I think we both owe each other a treat."

**********

Wyatt sat in his trailer, rummaging through the box he'd brought in, looking for something to help make the space feel like his own. The moonlight streamed through the small window, casting a soft glow across the room. It was quiet except for the sound of him shifting through the contents of the box, trying to decide where everything should go. Just like Aiko had said, he'd gotten his mom to drive him over to the production office so he could get started decorating. He was planning on hitting Amazon for more stuff soon, but he was eager to begin.

"This is gonna be tougher than I thought," Wyatt muttered to himself, flipping through the box. But before he could get too caught up in the chaos of organizing, a knock at the door startled him.

"Cici?" Wyatt called out, assuming it was his friend. He knew she was there, setting up her own trailer.

"Nah," a voice responded, and before he could ask anything further, the door opened. A girl stepped inside, looking around with a curious glance. "Have you seen my charger?" she asked, her voice smooth and casual.

Wyatt froze, his words caught in his throat as he looked at her. She had long, wavy hair that cascaded from dark roots to golden blonde tips, like sunlight spilling down her back. Her skin was a perfect, sun-kissed tan, glowing with an effortless warmth. Her cheeks carried a natural flush, giving her an almost ethereal beauty. Her eyes-light brown and framed by thick lashes-held an undeniable intensity, pulling his gaze in like a magnet. And her lips, full and naturally shaped, only added to the perfect picture she painted.

"Dude?" she asked, noticing the way Wyatt was staring.

"Yeah, uh, no... uh, yeah, no, I haven't seen a charger," Wyatt stammered, still a little thrown off by her presence.

"Shit!" the girl muttered under her breath, scanning the room in frustration.

Wyatt couldn't help but keep studying her-something about her made it hard for his brain to focus.

"You kinda look like Mr. Aiko," he blurted out before he could stop himself.

The girl stopped what she was doing and raised an eyebrow, her gaze landing on him.

"No offense," Wyatt added quickly, realizing how weird that sounded.

She chuckled, her smile softening her features. "None taken," she said.

"That's my dad," she added, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips.

Wyatt's eyes widened slightly, a little relieved. "Oh. Got it," he said, nodding.

"What's your name?" she asked, her tone curious.

"Wyatt," he replied, still a little off-balance. "Yours?"

"Babe," she said with a casual shrug.

Wyatt blinked, a little taken aback. "Dang. That... must suck?"

She shrugged again, not looking fazed. "Honestly, it has its perks," she said, her voice low. "Like when there's a really fine guy I like, and I want to see what it's like when he calls me a pet name. Kinda like you," she added with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Wyatt smiled softly, his nerves easing a little. "Thanks, Babe," he said, leaning into the playful banter.

Babe chuckled, and Wyatt found himself smiling again. Her laugh was light, sweet, and almost disarming.

"How often is your dad on set?" Wyatt asked, trying to keep his voice steady. He was still a little shaken by the unexpected meeting, but he was doing his best to stay cool.

"Every day," Babe replied casually, her arms crossed as she leaned against the doorframe.

"Well, then I guess it looks like I'll be seeing you around a lot," Wyatt said with a grin, unable to help the excitement creeping into his tone.

"Guess so, redhead," she teased, her lips curving into a playful smile.

"Can I get your socials?" Wyatt asked, his voice just a little more eager than he'd intended.

Babe raised an eyebrow, but then she shrugged nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal. She grabbed a pen from the cup on the desk and snatched a sticky note. In a quick, fluid motion, she wrote something down, tearing it off and handing it to him with a mischievous smile.

"BABE!" a voice suddenly shouted from outside, loud and impatient.

"I'M COMING, G!" she shouted back, her voice full of the same playful energy.

She sighed dramatically, as if she were reluctantly leaving a good conversation, but there was still a spark in her eyes. "Got to go," she said with a wink, "See you later, redhead." She gave him a quick, flirtatious glance before turning and heading toward the door.

Wyatt stood there, watching her walk away with a grin that he couldn't wipe off his face. He felt a strange rush of excitement, his heart racing just from the brief interaction. As the door shut behind her, he looked down at the sticky note in his hand, the words written in neat, confident handwriting.

"Babe," he murmured to himself, his excitement growing.

Cici sat at her makeup station, lining up a row of lip glosses with careful precision. It wasn't really necessary-she knew the makeup team would have everything covered-but for a reality show, quick touch-ups were inevitable. Better to be prepared.

A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She glanced up, a smile already forming as she stood and made her way over.

When she swung the door open, Austin Barett stood there with his usual easy grin.

"Austin Moon!" she greeted, stepping aside to let him in.

"Cici's Pizza," he shot back without missing a beat.

She laughed, shaking her head as he strolled in, his gaze sweeping across the trailer.

"Heard you guys got your trailers," he said, plopping down onto the small couch. "Wanted to check them out."

Cici hummed, twisting the cap of a gloss shut. "Not bad, right?"

Austin leaned back, hands behind his head. "Not bad at all."

For a moment, the space settled into a comfortable quiet. Cici went back to her little task of organizing, and Austin watched, his presence filling the trailer like a steady anchor.

Then, in a softer voice, he asked, "You still going to therapy while filming?"

The question made her hands still for just a second.

Austin was the only one who knew. The only one she had trusted with that part of herself.

Cici had schizophrenia. A condition that affected how she thought, felt, and understood the world. Sometimes, her brain tricked her into thinking she was in danger when she was actually safe, causing her to panic or react in ways others wouldn't understand.

For example, in an episode, she might walk into a room and feel like everyone was staring at her, whispering about her, or even planning to hurt her-even though none of that was happening. Her mind would misinterpret the situation, making her believe something was off when everything was fine.

Then there were the hallucinations. Sometimes, she would hear things that weren't real-voices telling her she was in danger when no one was speaking.

It was scary.

And when she had told Austin, it had meant so much that he didn't shy away. He hadn't looked at her differently, hadn't acted like she was fragile. He had just... listened.

But now, it felt like his responsibility to make sure she was okay, especially in a high-stress environment like the show

"I don't think so," she admitted, keeping her focus on the tubes of gloss in front of her.

Austin frowned slightly. "Cici..."

"I'll be busy," she said, forcing a small shrug. "But I'll try."

He studied her for a beat, then raised an eyebrow. "You better."

Cici smirked, mimicking his tone. "YoU bEtTeR."

Austin rolled his eyes, chuckling. "You're so annoying."

"And yet, you're still here."

"Regretting it by the second."

Her phone buzzed before she could fire back. She glanced down, and her face lit up.

"Oh! It's Emery-I gotta go."

She was already standing, grabbing her bag without hesitation.

Austin sat up slightly, blinking at how fast she moved. "Wait, I just got here-"

"Can you lock up my trailer?" she asked, already heading toward the door.

Austin exhaled, amused but a little exasperated. "Sure."

"Thanks, bye, Aus!"

The door shut behind her before he could even say bye back.

Silence settled in.

Austin stared at the closed door for a long moment, the warmth of her presence fading too quickly. The trailer felt... emptier.

He leaned back, exhaling as he let the stillness sink in.

And just like that, she was gone.

***********

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MESSAGES

JANUARY 30TH 2025

11: 09 PM

wyatt

hey babe its wyatt

babe 🤍

heyyy redhead

wyatt

you know, most people just call me wyatt

babe 🤍

yeah but most people are boring.

wyatt

oh real

babe 🤍

what school do you go to??

wyatt

used to go to sulphur springs high but im getting transferred to supreme arts high school

babe 🤍

no fucking way

babe 🤍

i got transferred too

wyatt

so i get to see babe aiko everyday

babe 🤍

guess sooo

wyatt

worried you'll get sick of me?

babe 🤍

more worried you'll get sick of meee

wyatt

that face? never

babe 🤍

omg

babe 🤍

i have to finish my homework now

wyatt

this late?

babe 🤍

yeah and i have to finish my sciene project, and history essay

wyatt

your a hot mess

babe 🤍

at least im hot tf????

babe 🤍

night redhead 💗

wyatt

not my name, hot mess 💗

babe 🤍

lmao

*********

Griffin slid his spoon out of his mouth, lazily licking off the last bit of ice cream as he leaned back in his chair. It was late-past midnight, maybe closer to one-but here they were, camped out in their usual late-night spot, a small ice cream and sweets shop that had practically become tradition.

Last time, it was Whataburger. Tonight, it was sugar.

The neon glow from the shop's sign bathed their table in soft pink and blue hues, the quiet hum of a streetlamp buzzing faintly in the background. The place was nearly empty, just a couple of stragglers finishing up their own midnight cravings.

Across from him, Tate watched closely, eyes narrowing. Griffin was off tonight-stirring his ice cream more than eating it, jaw set, gaze distant.

Tate smirked. "Did you take her to pound town before you got here?"

Griffin huffed out a chuckle, finally taking a bite. "Let's just say my bed frame's on life support."

The group erupted into laughter, the sound echoing in the near-empty shop.

"I'm surprised," Tristan said, shaking his head as he leaned back. "Thought there was something going on with you and Nyrie."

The comment landed heavier than expected.

Griffin's spoon stilled in his cup, hovering just above the melting ice cream. There was a pause-just long enough for his hesitation to be noticeable-before he took another slow bite.

"Yeah... no."

Dakota raised a brow, tilting her head. "Well, as long as you and Harper are-"

"We almost kissed."

The words left Griffin's mouth before he could stop them.

Silence.

A thick, weighty kind of silence.

Tate's smirk faded. "Harper?"

Griffin rolled his eyes. "No, dumbass. Nyrie. I almost kissed Nyrie." He exhaled sharply, shaking his head as if trying to physically shake off the memory. "It was at Nationals."

"Damn,"