𝓒𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓲𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚☕︎

Brooke's eyes fluttered open slowly, sunlight spilling softly through the half-drawn curtains.

The warmth beside her felt both surprising and comforting. She shifted her head slightly and found Jess still asleep, sprawled on his side, one arm draped casually over the blanket.

His hair was messy, sticking up in those usual rebellious spikes, even in sleep.

A small smile crept across Brooke's face. "Still here, huh?" she whispered, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead.

Jess stirred, his eyelids fluttering open. He blinked a few times, then gave her a lazy grin. "Yeah. Guess I'm not very good at leaving."

She nudged him playfully. "You were supposed to go home last night."

He yawned, stretching his arms wide. "Plans changed. You make a pretty good reason to stay."

Before either could say more, the bedroom door opened quietly.

Brooke glanced up to see Sienna stepping in, looking as calm and collected as ever, though a hint of amusement sparkled in her eyes.

"Well, good morning, you two," Sienna said, balancing a steaming mug of coffee in one hand. "Looks like someone decided to stay over."

Brooke sat up straighter, tugging the blanket around her shoulders. "I didn't kick him out."

Jess smiled sheepishly. "I didn't exactly plan on crashing here."

Sienna chuckled softly, setting the mug down on the nightstand. "You're always welcome. Breakfast will be ready soon if you're hungry."

Jess gave a quick nod. "Sounds perfect."

Sienna settled into a chair by the bed, watching the two of them with a knowing look. "So, how was the carnival last night? Brooke, did you have fun?"

Brooke glanced at Jess, then back to her mom. "It was great. Jess was... surprisingly into the games, even if he kept losing."

Jess raised an eyebrow, mock offended. "Hey, I was winning something at least once. I got you that duck penguin thing - Besides, it's the company that counts, right?"

Brooke smiled warmly, reaching for Jess's hand. "Yeah, the company was definitely the best part."

Sienna smiled, swirling the coffee in her mug. "Glad you two had a good time. Jess, you're a good influence on her."

Jess grinned. "I do my best."

The conversation drifted easily, talking about school, upcoming tests, and silly stories from their classes. The atmosphere was relaxed, comfortable, like family.

After a while, the smell of pancakes and bacon started to fill the air, and the three of them moved downstairs.

The kitchen was warm and cozy, filled with the sounds of sizzling food and cheerful banter.

Brooke grabbed a plate, piling on fluffy pancakes and crispy bacon, while Jess poured syrup over his stack.

"So," Jess said between bites, "do you think Sienna's going to make me a regular here now?"

Sienna laughed. "Only if you promise not to sleep through breakfast."

Brooke rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah, you better get used to early mornings, Jess."

They chatted about school projects and weekend plans, the easy back-and-forth like they'd known each other forever.

Suddenly, a loud, impatient pounding echoed through the house, startling everyone.

Sienna sighed and rose to open the door.

There stood Luke, his hair a little messier than usual, eyes wide and slightly frantic.

"Jess is here?" Luke asked, stepping inside and glancing quickly around.

Jess raised his hand with a grin. "Right here, Luke."

Luke's expression melted into relief. "Man, I've been looking for you all morning. You weren't in bed after the carnival, and nobody had a clue where you went."

Jess shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Guess I lost track of time."

Brooke laughed softly. "That's Jess for you."

Luke shook his head, muttering, "Irresponsible ," but there was warmth in his tone.

Sienna smiled, motioning to the kitchen. "Come join us, Luke. Breakfast is still going strong."

Luke grabbed a plate, joining the lively conversation.

Jess leaned over to Brooke, whispering with a grin, "See? I'm family now."

Brooke smiled back, squeezing his hand. "You're definitely part of the chaos."