JUNE 1978

Juniper laid awake in her bed before the sun had even peeked above the horizon. Her mind stuck to the tingling of her lips. Her judgement had been impaired the night before, so she had barely been thinking when she kissed one of her best friends. She didn't regret it, though. Not one bit.

The sky was getting brighter now, and Juniper could just barely make out the hands on the clock hanging on her wall. It was only five-thirty. There was no use trying to go back to sleep, she knew that. Archie filled her thoughts, and she found it difficult to tear her mind away from him. 

June rolled out of the secure warmth of her sheets and trekked down the hall to the bathroom to prepare herself for the day.

I look like a fucking zombie. She scowled at her reflection in the mirror and attempted to make herself look more presentable. Maybe she could get extra hours at the cafe. She didn't have school, anyway, so it would have been nice to make some cash.

Upon exiting the bathroom, June was stopped by her mother's entrancing voice.

"What are you doing up so early?"

Juniper swallowed, shrugging the question off, and continued on the walk to her door. "Couldn't sleep," she answered simply.

Lily pressed further, the slap of her slippers against the floor echoing through the otherwise silent house while she followed her daughter into her room. "Something on your mind?"

"No," June lied. "I just didn't feel tired."

"I'm your mother, Juniper," Lily snorted. "I know when you're lying."

June watched with skeptical eyes as Lily cocked her head to the side and the tousled golden bun atop her head fell with the movement. "Or maybe... someone is on your mind."

June resisted the urge to roll her eyes, turning to her closet to fish out something to wear. "God, Mom, you're just like Lucy."

Lily replied in monotone. "Good, maybe I can gossip with her about how you and Archie are too scared to date."

Lily smirked triumphantly as June's blushing cheeks gave away her thoughts. "Can we talk about something else?"

Juniper's voice was tender and sweet, not annoyed and embarrassed like it usually was when her mother brought the boy up, and Lily didn't overlook it. "Did something happen between you two? Something good?"

Juniper decided on a denim skirt and an off-the-shoulder top. "We kissed," she admitted reluctantly.

"Cute," Lily laughed, thankfully not gushing about how her baby had a boyfriend.

June didn't have a boyfriend. She and Archie weren't dating. At least, not officially. Juniper decided that she wouldn't have minded being his girlfriend. Besides, it wasn't like there was anything that kept her from dating him.

≛

"Donna," the boy hissed as he nudged his friend. "Donna, wake up!"

The redhead jumped, promptly hitting her head on the roof of the van before groggily turning to him. "What now, Kelso?"

Michael nodded at the busy street in front of them and a grin spread across her glossed lips. "Wow, I can't believe we're here!"

They had finally made it to California. After hours of driving, bickering, and rocking out to whatever was on the radio, the van was finally parked on the side of a street on the sunny west coast.

"It's hotter than I expected," Donna exhaled, fanning at her face. "I guess I should have expected it, though. It is summer."

A coy grin appeared on Michael's features. "If you want to take your top off to cool down, feel free."

"Get bent, Kelso!" Donna chuckled, smacking his arm. "Let's get something to eat. There's a cafe down the block."

The pair clambered out of the car and stretched before slinking into the cafe. After deciding on their order, Michael sauntered up to the counter, where two rather attractive baristas were quietly arguing with each other.

"It totally means something!" the dark-skinned girl chortled. "Now you guys can-"

"Hello!" the blonde smiled, turning her attention to him. "What can I do for you?"

"Uh, could I have two strawberry smoothies?" Michael made eye contact with the blondie and noticed that the smile fell from her lips. The girl seemed transfixed on him and he felt slightly uncomfortable under her studious gaze, although he didn't let it show. She probably just thought he was hot. Yeah, that's what it was. I'm a pretty hot guy.

When she didn't respond, her friend poked her. "J? Stop drooling and give him his fucking smoothies."

The blonde in front of him finally spoke. "Michael?"

Michael laughed nervously, completely baffled as to how this random girl knew his name. "Do I know you or something?"

"It's me," she breathed. "Juniper Clark."

Michael attached the name to the image and suddenly recognized her. "Buggy?"

"Yeah!"

"Oh my God, Buggy!"

Juniper giggled as they embraced over the countertop. He hadn't heard that giggle in so long. He had thought he'd never see her again, and there she was in front of him, his Buggy in the flesh.

"I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you! You've..." he flushed as he pulled back. "You've changed."

"Alright, what the fuck is going on?" the other girl asked.

Juniper seemed to remember that she wasn't alone with him. "Sorry, Lucy. This is Michael. He was one of my friends back in Wisconsin."

The girl - Lucy - bit her lip and gave him a once-over. "Your friends are hot."

Michael smirked confidently at her. "Thanks."

"Really, Luce?" Juniper said, unimpressed.

"June, he's hot!" Lucy retorted. "And it's not like me and Archie are that bad-looking, anyway."

June rolled her eyes. "Grab the smoothies, would you?" After Lucy stuck her tongue out and disappeared into the kitchen, Juniper turned back to her old friend. "So, what brings you here?"

Michael hesitated for a moment. Did he really want to tell June about Jackie, the girl he had started dating not long after she left? "One of my friends moved to... New York. Pretty recently. It was kind of stressful, so, uh... me and Donna came here for a summer vacation."

Juniper raised an eyebrow. He was never a good liar. "Your friend, huh?"

"Yeah. My friend... Ana."

"Right."

"What the hell is taking so long?" Donna scowled, marching over but stopping in her tracks when she spotted Juniper. "June?"

Juniper smiled warmly. "Hi, Donna."

"Holy crap!" The redhead stretched over the counter and gave her a tight hug just as Lucy came back in from the kitchen.

June giddily pulled back. "Luce, this is Donna. Also one of my friends from Point Place."

Lucy sent Donna a wink. "Yeah, your friends are hot."

"Five dollars," Juniper counted out, ignoring the girl beside her.

Michael handed her a bill before handing the drinks to Donna. "Hey, do you think we could go out for lunch sometime? To catch up?"

Juniper beamed up at him. Wow, he's really gotten taller. "I'd love that."

His lip quirked up. "Cool."

The bell attached to a string on the door rang and all four heads turned toward the sound. Juniper's heart leapt to her throat when Archie stepped in, flashing a brilliant grin at her and Lucy.

"Slow day, huh?" he asked nonchalantly, glancing briefly at Michael and Donna.

"Yeah," Juniper said breathlessly.

Michael's eyes flitted curiously between the two of them. Was there something going on between them? Were they dating? Wait, he couldn't think like that. It was none of his business. Plus, even if they were dating, there wouldn't be anything wrong with that. Michael hadn't seen her since 1974, so-

His mind halted as he watched the new guy confidently cup June's cheek and plant a kiss onto her lips.

His Buggy- no, not his Buggy. Just Buggy.

Buggy seemed pleasantly surprised.

Lucy clapped loudly. "There it is, folks. June and Archie have kissed, it's confirmed!"

"Shut up, Luce," June murmured as she pulled away.

"Do you want to go out for lunch tomorrow? Like, on a date?" this Archie asked her.

Without hesitation, Juniper responded.

"Yes."

≛

Once again, June laid in her bed, unable to sleep, and only thinking about two boys.

She couldn't believe it. Michael Kelso was back. The boy she was friends with for over six years. The boy who made her feel comfortable in a new place. The boy who was her first love. He had found a way to see her after all these years. She still felt a chill down her spine every time he called her "Buggy", every time he gave her that stupid grin. It was as if none of the feelings she had felt for him four years ago had never left, like they'd just been lying dormant until it was time for them to explode and screw up her life again.

Juniper thought about his soft hair, his warm lips, how safe she always felt when she was in his arms. Could they ever have that again? Maybe, now that they'd reunited.

But did he have to come back into her life now? Almost immediately after June convinced herself that she had moved on, almost immediately after she kissed Archie, Michael came back to her.

Juniper was immeasurably guilty about her feelings, though she knew she couldn't do much about them. And why had she agreed to lunch with both of them? It made her seem like... like a whore or something!

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

June had just ignited a flame that shouldn't have been lit. She had just made things a hell of a lot more difficult.

≛

(not) brought to you by june being dumb

(not) brought to you by kelso coming back yeahhh

(not) brought to you by hello, i love you - the doors

brought to you by lissy <3