The Girl Scouts of Heartbreak

The sun sagged lower in the sky, pouring gold through the trees and setting the glade aglow. Hours had passed, and still Joey was gone.

Juniper shifted on the mossy rock she had claimed, stretching her back until her sleek pink sports bra bit into her ribs. Her legs still ached from the long hike, her body sore from the night before. She still couldn’t believe all of that had happened in just one night. It already felt like a memory from another life.

Next to her, Indira sat cross-legged on the grass, her denim shorts hiked up her thighs, a broken twig splintering in her hands. Serena lay nearby, sprawled out and unbothered-looking, though her messy ponytail and faintly dazed eyes betrayed the exhaustion beneath. Even with the tension thick in the air, both girls carried the look of women secure in Joey's affection. Joey lingered in their hearts, it was obvious to Juniper. Because he lingered in her own as well.

At the edge of the clearing, where shadows had begun to gather, Steve stood rigid with arms folded, gaze locked on the spot where Joey and Elorae had vanished. His jaw was clenched, his posture unyielding. He hadn't moved in hours.

Juniper broke the silence first, her voice too loud in the stillness. "Okay, but—seriously. What the hell was that? Did anyone else feel it? Like the air got plugged into a socket?"

Serena gave a dry laugh, rubbing her arms. "I thought my hair was going to stand on end. And then—" she snapped her fingers, "poof. Gone."

Indira's brow furrowed. "It had to be magic," she said softly, staring at her hands like the answer might be written there. "Nothing else makes sense."

"Magic," Juniper repeated, rolling the word around. She didn't like how it felt—too childish, too impossible—but what else could it be? The ache in her chest told her it had been real.

Indira looked up, eyes wide. "If magic is real… what does that mean? About everything? About reality? About—"

"It means Joey's even more special than we thought," Serena interrupted, her tone quiet but firm. "And we already thought he was the most special thing on the planet. It's not freaky, it's just special."

Juniper smirked, leaning back on her hands, letting her competitive streak sharpen the edges of her voice. "Exactly. If anybody's going to just vanish into thin air, it's my brother. He's not normal. Not like us. He's the guy three girls fall into bed with in the same night, and none of us are clawing each other's eyes out. That doesn't happen unless he's… him."

That cracked the tension. Serena snorted. Indira turned pink and ducked her head.

"Yeah," Serena teased, sing-song. "Not like anyone here is head-over-heels for him."

Juniper stuck her tongue out. "Whatever. You're just jealous that we're related. He's special, so I'm special, too. I will now accept your gifts and praises. The line starts on the left."

Their laughter spilled into the glade, giddy and shaky, like girls at a sleepover. But the silence pressed back in too quickly, heavy and unnatural, reminding them where they were.

Juniper's smile faltered. "I miss him," she admitted suddenly. The words came out sharper than she meant, like a wound opening. "I miss him so bad it hurts. And not just because he, you know, vanished. Like, I have to go back to school tomorrow. I don't know how I'm going to do that."

Indira nodded, eyes glistening. Serena didn't speak, but she sat up and let her hand creep over Juniper's, warm and steady.

From the edge of the glade, Steve finally spoke. His voice was low, unshakable. "I will not leave her."

The girls turned. He still hadn't moved, his eyes fixed on that empty patch of air. "Elorae is my empress. My queen. If she returns, I will be here. If she never does… I will still be here. I will die before I abandon her."

Something in the raw devotion of his words made Juniper's throat tighten.

Serena pushed herself upright, brushing grass from her legs. "That's… noble, Steve. Really. But we're exhausted. We were up all night. We need rest. We'll come back tomorrow. With food. Blankets. Whatever we need. I can call in sick at work. We'll wait as long as it takes."

Indira added quickly, "We're not giving up. Never. But Joey deserves us strong when he comes back."

Juniper jumped in, her tone brisk, covering the ache inside her chest. "Yeah. He's our man. Maybe I can call the school, buy myself some more time. And when he shows up—because he will—he's not gonna want us half-dead under a tree. He's going to want us ready."

Steve didn't even blink. "Then go. I will remain."

For a long moment, no one spoke. The forest itself seemed to hold its breath.

Finally, Serena nodded, decisive. "Maybe we can come back tonight. I have some camping equipment..." She glanced at Juniper, then Indira. Her expression was fierce.

"We have some tents at home, too. Sleeping bags, cooking equipment," Juniper added.

"Flashlights?" Indira asked, a nervous twinge in her voice. "I've never camped before."

"We have everything," Juniper's voice was firm. "Steve, we'll be back with what we need. We can wait together."

They gathered their things in silence, stealing glances at the glade as if Joey might reappear at any second.

Juniper lingered last, sneakers dragging against the dirt. She wanted to stay, to scratch her nails into the ground until he returned. But Serena was right. Indira was right. He needed them ready. And to be ready, they'd have to get supplies.

She **** a grin at Steve. "Don't you dare move."

His reply was solemn. "I won't."

Then the girls turned, stepping into the trees together, the clearing swallowed behind them. The sun slipped lower, shadows stretching long. Joey's absence throbbed inside Juniper like a wound—but beneath it all was certainty.

He was special. He would come back.

He had to.