Chapter Text
The flickering light of the television cast a warm glow across the room as the vampire couple, Edward and Bella, shared a moment of passion. Soft music played in the background, adding to the atmosphere of the romantic scene.
Edward’s eyes locked onto Bella’s, and with a vulnerable smile, he confessed, “I’ve never felt this way before, Bella.” The sincerity in his voice resonated through the scripted lines, creating a palpable tension that even the characters on screen couldn’t escape.
In her spatious modern living room sat Julia, slouched on the couch forced by her parents to watch “Twilight” with her obnoxious middle-schooled sister, Megan.
Apparently, that was supposed to help them bond, but all Julia wished was to rip her hair out. She could swear she wasn’t this annoying in her awkward preteen stage.
“This is so beautiful!” Megan exclaimed with a big smile, wiping a small tear forming in her eye.
“This is so cringe. They literally just met!” She groaned, flipping through her phone in search of something less nauseating.
“Julia, what did I tell you about using your phone?” Her father reminded, catching the blonde’s attention.
“Ugh, whatever.” She angrily put the phone down, crossing her arms.
Megan rolled her eyes at her sister’s dismay, keeping her eyes set on the scene. scripted tension reached its peak. Slowly, Edward leaned in, and the room filled with the soft strains of the background music. Their lips met in a lingering kiss, sealing their supernatural love on the screen.
As Edward and Bella shared their scripted kiss on the TV screen, Julia couldn’t help but scrunch up her face in disgust. “Okay, now this is getting seriously gross. Don’t they have a 100 year age gap or something?” she muttered, hoping her displeasure was loud enough for her parents to send her to her room. Ruining the mood was the best strategy for when they wouldn’t leave her alone.
“You’re just mad nobody likes you after you got exposed as a narcissistic bitch on international television!”
“Megan!” Their mother scolded.
“Excuse you? I’m like- super popular right now.” Julia exclaimed, glaring at the younger girl.
“Oh yeah? Then why are you sitting here on Valentines Day night instead of going to the dance?”
“Because I prefer keeping my dignity intact rather than go with some stupid jerk I don’t even like, obvi. Besides, I already took the photos for MySelfieGram, so no need to get worked up over it.”
“You’ll never find love.” Megan smirked, carrying on watching the drama.
“Love isn’t real, keep hanging on to your useless fairytales.” Julia replied indignantly, sitting up and walking back to her room.
“Wait, the movie hasn’t finished yet-“
Her mother yelled, but the sound of Julia’s door shutting was enough of an answer.
——————
Almost one year later, Julia felt like she was now in an entirely different position.
After the horrendous finale of the last season, she was left with two very obvious things: a horrible haircut (which she had luckily managed to morph into a wolfcut after about half a year of growth) and a growing friendship with her partner-in-crime, MK.
Sincerely, Julia was never interested in forming friendships, and she didn’t have any before either. During her self-growth influencer era, she would strategically ally herself with the people that would boost her ratings the most, and all though she played it off well, she never cared about them at all. At the end of the day, they were all vessels she used to achieve her own goals.
From the start of their alliance, she knew MK was going to be a whole distinct case. Not because her intentions changed, but because MK was highly observant, underhanded and had no moral compass whatsoever, meaning there was no reason for Julia to decieve her into playing dirty, since she was already willing to do so anyway.
They worked well together, rocked the game and were practically carrying their team. Surprisingly, they worked well outside the game as well. As the only girls on the team, they shared a cabin, and being around MK was oddly pleasant. Anyone else would’ve given her a headache, but she just had that soothing vibe around her. Maybe just the feeling that someone didn’t mind her villainous nature was nice.
She didn’t exactly know when she started caring about her, but the realisation surely hit her in the face when she had to leave her behind in order to continue the competition. Luckily, she wasn’t mad about it, but she still missed having her around.
After the series concluded, they were relieved to discover they were just a thirty-minute drive from each other in the bustling city of Toronto. This led to them spending more time together, meeting every few days (given Julia’s busy schedule and MK’s commitment to her YouTube posting timetable). Julia came to terms with letting herself have a friend, they had some differences, but they balanced each other out.
Meanwhile, she’s still wrapping her head around the fact that her feelings for MK are slowly but surely evolving to be more than just friendly.
Julia never had feelings for someone before, and most of all, she considered romance completely and utterly gross. She was convinced not even real life couples loved each other. It was all some massive propaganda for movies to make more money or whatever.
And even if it wasn’t, who needed that mushy, sentimental drama, right? It would only be a distraction. Feelings only made you weaker, and Julia unfortunately had to learn that on her own skin.
The mere thought made her scoff. Romance, in her mind, was still a murky concept, but the undeniable truth lingered in the way MK’s presence brought an overwhelming warmth to her life. It was like an annoying itch that won’t go away.
Julia couldn’t pinpoint when the shift occurred. At first, she went to look around shops at the mall and thought to herself “MK would totally steal that.”. Then she started including her in plenty of her social media posts, which she excused by saying that filming with her TDI partner would expand her audience. After that, she found herself brainstorming ideas about what to get for her birthday ( she settled for a vintage red jacket in the end, so MK wouldn’t think she put too much effort into it)
Despite all that, the cherry on top was when all the reboot contestants got invited for an interview by the network. Julia quietly witnessed MK respond to the most frequently asked question from her fanbase—whether she was interested in women or not. MK casually brushed it off, indiferently stating, “I mean, who doesn’t love a great pair of legs?”
And that’s when the overthinking kicked in. Why did MK confirming her sexuality feel like a pit in her stomach? It’s not like MK said she was into her or anything. Before she knew it, she realized she had been lost in thoughts about the brunette for the past hours instead of getting her well deserved beauty sleep. When did she start getting so bothered about someone anyway?
Then, a chilling thought tiptoed into the back of her mind, sending a shiver down her spine: Could it be that she’s the one attracted to girls?
After pulling an all-nighter, reading countless articles and reviewing her whole interactions with MK, Julia realised that she, indeed, was attracted to girls. To one very specific girl wearing a stupid beanie and a smirk on her face at all times. It wasn’t easy admitting to herself that she wasn’t made of steel and actually felt more emotions than pride and pure anger, but it was better than being ignorant.
With that, she came to the conclusion she has to get MK, because Julia always gets what she wants, and she really wanted MK.
Except that thief made her job exceptionally fucking hard.
Julia concluded that, for the time being, maintaining her usual attitude while amplifying the already existing flirtation and physical contact in their “friendship” was the most effective strategy. She was well aware MK wasn’t an emotional person, so she didn’t intend to get overly sappy with her ( and also, putting her feelings into words wasn’t an option because Julia didn’t have feelings, obviously).
So she put her operation to practice and, surprisingly, nothing changed. They’d still text back and forth, jockingly flirt occasionally and go out, but frankly, MK didn’t seem to consider any of these romantic behaviour.
One day, as they strolled through a second hand store, Julia seized the opportunity. “These jeans are so your style.” she remarked, holding up a piece ten times MK’s size (as she liked them) that screamed ‘80s nostalgia. “You’d look so good in this.”
MK grinned and tried it on, her eyes lighting up as she looked at herself in the mirror. “See? You look like you’re dressed from a stylish dumpster instead of an ordinary one now.” Her own attempt at a compliment made Julia cringe, how was she so bad at this?
“Wow, you’re going to make me blush if you keep showering me with such heartfelt compliments.” MK teased, rolling her eyes. It wasn’t looking well as of now, but that only made Julia more intrigued.
She tried again during a late-night gaming session. Julia strategically positioned herself closer to MK, their arms brushing against each other as they navigated MK’s broad game collection. She even tried to set some silly bets or whatever, but MK was far too good at practically everything.
Determined by MK’s apparent obliviousness, Julia decided to be more direct. She invited MK to a movie night at her place, ensuring they watched something with a hint of romance. During the film, she casually rested her arm around MK’s shoulder, testing the waters. To her surprise, MK seemed unfazed, merely chuckling at a funny scene. This was way harder than she thought it would be. How could she be so relaxed when the hottest girl ever was practically throwing herself at her?
After numerous failed attempts, Julia found herself grappling with the realization that perhaps her subtle hints weren’t as clear as she thought. Because there was no way MK didn’t reciprocate the feelings, right?
In her mind creeped an unfamiliar emotion she rarely felt before: insecurity. MK was just oblivious, that had to be it.
The blonde sighed as she flopped on her bed, staring at the ceiling. What was she supposed to do now? Confess her feelings with flowers and chocolate, like a loser?
Defeated, she took out her phone and scrolled through MySelfieGram to take her mind off the situation. Creating controversy on the internet works much better than therapy anyway.
Oddly, her fun was interrupted by a notification popping from a contact she didn’t even knew she saved with a recognisable profile picture.
bowie tdi🤢: r u coming to the valentines dance?” - 19:37
Julia raised an eyebrow, what did he have to do with her school’s valentines dance anyway? and why was he texting her?
You: what do u have to do with my school’s dance - 19:39
bowie tdi🤢: dont flatter yourself im only texting you to be sure we dont bump into each other - 19:39
bowie tdi🤢: im coming for emma - 19:40
Oh, right. Julia clicked her tongue in realisation. She always forgets that her and that wannabe influencer shared classes. When Emma first came up to her and brought it up in season one, Julia didn’t even know recognise her. Now, seeing her around was only a reminder of her horrible days on that island.
You: omg i couldn’t care less about whatever you guys are doing - 19:41
bowie tdi🤢: just make sure to stay out of our way - 19:42
Gosh, who does he think he is?
Julia scoffed, locking her phone and tossing it aside. The mention of the Valentine’s dance triggered thoughts of her failed attempts with MK, making her more frustrated than ever. She couldn’t let Bowie’s presence ruin her mood, though.
Determined to salvage the evening, Julia grabbed her laptop and decided to channel her energy into creating some content. She began drafting a scathing blog post about the absurdity of Valentine’s Day, masking her own internal struggles with sarcasm and wit. As the words flowed onto the screen, an idea lurked into her mind.
Maybe she could ask MK to accompany her to the ball. After all, it’s not like there was anyone else worth going with in her shitty high-school, not even status wise, so, she has nothing to lose.
Except her pride.
Julia has been asked out all her life, both during middle and high school, she was constantly showered with attention at all times. Pretty privilege was a blessing, and she made sure to get the most out of it. But now, she didn’t have any idea how she was supposed to do this. Besides, would MK even accept coming to something as cheesy as a school dance? As she knew MK, she would probably gag at the sight of pink sappy decorations anyway.
Still, despite that, inviting her had to send the right message. You couldn’t possibly misinterpret being asked out on Valentines Day, even MK couldn’t be this oblivious.
Julia paced around her room, phone in hand, contemplating whether or not she should ask her. She couldn’t deny the nervous flutter in her stomach, a sensation she wasn’t accustomed to. With a sigh, she opened their conversation, fingers hesitating over the keyboard.
After a few minutes of uncertainty, she began typing a message to MK, her usual confident tone slightly subdued.
You: any plans for valentines day? - 19:58
She decided to make conversation first, because sending a long cringy text sounded like disperation, and Julia wasn’t this far gone, at least not yet.
Before the urge to delete the text got too strong, she quickly pressed sent and yanked her phone across the other side of the room, breaking a cup in the process.
Great, just great. Now she had to clean the leftovers. On the bright side though, at least she had something to do instead of constantly checking for a reply like a lost puppy.
MK probably won’t see the text right away, she knows that by this time she’s probably too deep in her nightly gaming to check her phone.
Julia muttered curses under her breath as she got out of her room to grab a broom to gather the broken pieces of the cup. The sound of her parents’ laughter from the living room only fueled her frustration. Why couldn’t they have picked a more reasonable bonding activity?
Amidst the clinking of glass, the door to her room swung open, as her devil sister sauntered in with a mischievous grin. “Well, well, what do we have here? A crime scene or another one of your melodramatic moments?”
Julia shot her sister a glare. “Just a cup. Go away.”
Megan, undeterred, leaned against the doorway. “You know, you really should consider anger management or something.“
“Oh yes, because a 14 year old would know a lot about solving my issues.” Julia retorted, turning around to toss a piece of the cup into the trash bin.
Ignoring Julia’s sarcasm, Megan’s eyes wondered around the room, settling on the glowing screen of Julia’s phone. “Who are you texting so desperately? Ohh, it’s like a secret admirer?”
“None of your business, Megan.” Julia snapped, grabbing a paper towel to clean up the remaining shards.
Curiously, making sure her sister is looking away, Megan picked up the phone to check the message from the notification bar. Surprised, her eyes widened. “Oh my god, are you into MK?”
Panicking, Julia dropped the cup pieces and lunged for the phone. “What? Ugh, give that back!”
Megan danced away, grinning wildly. “I can’t believe it, you’re gay!”
Julia rushed up to her, shushing her down. “Keep it down, won’t you? And give me back my phone!” Julia couldn’t bear listening to an hour long lecture about how being gay is a sin by her awfully religious parents.
The girl, reveling in her sister’s discomfort, read MK’s message aloud. “MK says, ‘valentines day? you mean the capitalist scheme to sell heart-shaped chocolates and ballons? no plans here’ Yikes, it’s not looking good for you.”
Julia’s face flushed, trying to regain her composure.“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Megan playfully dodged Julia’s attempts to reclaim the phone. “So, Julia, you plan on confessing your undying love with sweets and poems?”
Julia gritted her teeth, deciding to play it cool. “Me, confessing my ‘undying love’? As if!”
Megan raised an eyebrow, the teasing glint in her eyes refusing to fade. “You sure? I never even knew you could get this red.”
Julia’s face turned crimson(mostly in anger) as she snatched the phone back. “Leave me alone, Megan. And I’m not that cheesy. It’s just a casual conversation.”
“Casual conversation my ass, you’re head over heels!” the girl teased, getting mercilessly pushed out of the room by the blonde, who then slammed the door shut.
As Julia continued to clean, a mix of embarrassment and anxiety filled her. What was happening to her? Megan’s teasing aside, she couldn’t shake the anticipation of MK’s response. Maybe she was right, MK really didn’t seem interested. What if she actually didn’t want anything more than their current friendship?
She took a deep breath, trying to push away the doubts. Julia knew she had to confront the situation head-on, even if it meant stepping out of her comfort zone. After finishing the cleanup, she gathered her courage, picked up her phone, and checked for MK’s reply.
mk🙄: valentines day? you mean the capitalist scheme to sell heart-shaped chocolates and ballons? no plans here - 20:10
mk🙄: why? - 20:14
She double-texted her, that had to count for something.
You: nothing just - 20:16
You: got me thinking about school events and stuff - 20:16
She hasn’t felt her stomach take so many turns since the eating challenge in season one.
mk🙄: where are u getting w this - 20:17
You: speaking of! my school is throwing this lame valentine themed party - 20:18
mk🙄: high school proms - 20:18
mk🙄: my personal nightmare - 20:18
You: rightt?? - 20:19
You: but the thing is - 20:19
You: i cant just not go, emma and bowie are also coming and not showing up would make me look like a loser - 20:19
You: so will you be my date? - 20:19
Julia bit her lip, eyes locked on the screen. MK read the messages right away, but took her time to answer.
mk🙄: wow - 20:21
mk🙄: moongoddessjulia asks me to be her date instead of some crusty white guy? - 20:21
mk🙄: im impressed - 20:21
Julia has been asked by who knows how many boys already, and refused all of them, mainly because she thought she wasn’t going, but also because she had her head set on one girl only. (Also, going without a date was practically social suicide)
You: is that a yes or a no? - 20:22
MK, this was a bad time for games.
mk🙄: i guess i can make an exception for you - 20:23
mk🙄: dont expect me to come dolled up tho - 20:24
mk🙄: cause im not wearing a dress - 20:25
The first text alone made Julia’s heart skip a beat. She couldn’t believe MK agreed, and it was oddly satisfying that she acknowledged being asked out by “moongoddessjulia.” Now, she needed to keep her cool.
you: well you can’t embarrass me - 20:25
You: dress well - 20:26
mk🙄: ill try - 20:26
Julia smirked at the answer. She was going to sleep very well tonight.
you: im surprised you even accepted - 20:26
mk🙄: how could i refuse when you asked so nicely? - 20:27
You: shut upp - 20:28
You: get back to ur game or whatever - 20:29
mk🙄: u know me so well - 20:29
mk🙄: talk to u later moongoddess - 20:30
You: good night you buttknuckle - 20:30
This was the first time Julia was ever excited about Valentines Day.