SUMMER OF 2O14, JUNE 21st.
📍 THE WHEELER'S BACKYARD.

Zephani's inner seven year old child would've never expected it to end this way.

"Pew, pew!" The Noel girl giggled, firing water from her water-gun at her best friend, Junior Wheeler. He gasped dramatically with a look of pure shock painted onto his youthful features as he glanced down at his now soaked clothes which were sticking to his skin.

He squinted slightly, eyeing Zephani as if he was preying on her. "You are so dead!" He─barely─threatened, his voice slipping out a crack in the process. "You are so dead!" the girl mocked in a high pitched tone, raising her hands up into a 'don't shoot' position. Her lips curled into a smug smirk which had left almost immediately once water hit the surface of her clothes. Her jaw had dropped even more dramatically than Junior's gasp.

The cheeky young girl with the ability to act out emotions really well couldn't miss this perfect opportunity. She dropped to her knees before burying her delicate face into her hands and choked out a sob, water-gun still in her hand.

Junior, being the age he was at the time, immediately thought she was truly upset. He dropped his toy in a heart-beat, running over. He kneeled down to her level, wrapping his arms around the girl. "I'm sorry, Zee." he apologised quickly, an aching pit of guilt forming in his stomach.

The Wheeler boy had been taught from a very young age to not hurt a girl's feelings, or anybody's for that matter. He was afraid that if Zephani's parents told his mother and father that Junior had made their little girl cry, he would be in big trouble, but the boy had zero idea of how to comfort her. "D-do you want me to get your mommy?" asked the boy, despite the wave of fear washing over him.

"No," she sniffed, "I need you to get.." Junior listened intently. "Get what?" The Noel girl smirked to herself. "Deez nuts!" she suddenly exclaimed, shooting him with water before he could even react to what she had just said.

Junior crossed his arms, "Not funny, Zephani." He huffed, a look of supposed anger on his face. "Okay, buddy, how about you leave the acting to me." she joked, pointing to herself.

"Jun Jun? Zeph?" Bree Wheeler called out, poking her head out of the back door in an attempt to spot the pair.

"Over here!" Junior exclaimed, a smile plastered onto his face. "Jun Jun, what did I tell you? No playing with water, you'll get sick." scowled Bree. "Sorry.." he apologised quietly, glancing down at his awkwardly planted feet in the grass.

She smiled sympathetically in response, "It's okay. Just promise you'll ask me first next time?" She reached for his pinky with her own. "Promise." He smiled, linking their fingers. "Oh dear, even Zeph is drenched." It was now her turn to look down at her feet. Bree sighed, "Come inside you too. Let's get you both dry."

TUESDAY, 2021, JANUARY 1st.
📍 THE WHEELER'S HOUSE.

First day's back at Perry Middle School for Zephani always seemed to be strange in some way, but this year was particularly odd. She had approached Junior to speak with him in the hallway but he either didn't hear her, or was ignoring her because there was no response. At all.

It looked to be that things would remain that way until she had gotten a text from him after school. Junior had asked her to come over to his house to talk. Now he wants to talk?  the girl thought, rolling her eyes as she read over his message once more. Sighing, she knew that she didn't have it in her to deny his request. Hopefully whatever he wanted to discuss with her would put her mind at ease. 

She skated down the smooth pavement leading to the Wheelers' home, halting to a stop just outside of the gates. Junior had been sitting on the front porch, eyes glued down to his phone. She sat down awkwardly beside him as he continued to fail at acknowledging her presence.

She cleared her throat which broke the silence poisoning the atmosphere around the two. "Hey," the boy finally says, slipping his phone into his front pocket. There were many things the redhead wanted to say, but the most she was able to let out was a soft, "Hi."  

Silence. Again. Curse you, Junior Wheeler.

"Is everything okay? I don't know if you knew but I tried talking to you today at school, but you.." she trailed off, wondering what to say next. "..ignored me just to then go to Lexy." 

"About that. Look," Junior began, finally shifting his body to face Zephani. "Lexy doesn't want me around you from now on. She thinks you're getting in the way of our relationship. She threatened to break up with me if I continue talking to you and I like her; a lot."

"Well you're not going to actually listen to her, will you?" What he had confessed was a lot to take in and Zephani didn't quite understand what he was trying to imply.. at all.

The boy had stared straight at her for a few seconds, allowing her to catch on. "Oh." She mumbled, finally understanding. "Yeah." Junior muttered.

Zephani stood up as she contemplated what to say next. "Can't you try sort this out with her?" Even if Junior wanted to stay with Lexy, she wasn't going to get in between that, but that didn't change the fact that Junior is her best friend. Or was now.

"I tried," was all he replied with, glancing up at her. He continued, "but Lexy makes me happy! Isn't that a good thing? Stop being so goddamn selfish."

"I was there for your miserable ass whenever you weren't on good terms with Lexy and I get labelled as the selfish one? Fuck you and your girlfriend."

Junior looked taken aback as he caught the necklace she had thrown at him. It was the same one that he had gifted her on her 8th birthday. "Fuck you too!" he shouted after her, making sure that she heard him even if she had already left.

miwa speaks
this was and still is so cringe 😭😭
but it's slightly better now! I think

psd on the manip is emotional by kisami89
on deviantart. also why did I forget how to make
manip gifs omfg. I was looking for a tut to jog my
memory BUT I STILL DON'T KNOW HOW