MALACHI BARTON

Malachi and Mitch have been dating for five months. Malachi, an 18-year-old actor, has just finished the Worlds Collide Tour and traveled to Vancouver to start filming Camp Rock 3.

He is currently living in a rented house with his friends Ella and Orlando. The pressure of work, expectations, and exhaustion began to affect him more than he admitted, which is why Mitch came to stay with him for a few days. He was feeling down... and besides, he missed her.

That night, the house was full. The cast members—Brooklyn, Liamani, Ava, Lumi, and Hudson—were with Malachi, Orlando, and Ella doing a TikTok live. They were dancing, laughing, eating snacks, and doing all those typical slumber party things.

Malachi and Mitch were dressed the same: grey hoodies and baggy pajama pants. Malachi was wearing Orlando's glasses, which looked beautiful on him, and his hair was messy, making him look even cuter.

Mitch was sitting nearby, watching. Although she was smiling, inside she felt a bit ignored. Malachi was focused on the live stream, the jokes, and the comments, and he had barely paid any attention to her. Without realizing it, that distance began to show.

Malachi was the first to notice. He glanced at her, noting her silence and her dimmed expression.

"Hey, are you okay, love?" he asked softly, with genuine concern.

Mitch nodded, though she didn't say anything.

Without ending the live stream, Malachi settled in beside her and draped an arm over her shoulders, pulling her close to him with total naturalness. He looked back at the screen, continuing to read comments as if nothing had happened.

Every now and then, amidst the laughter of others and overlapping voices, Malachi would lean in slightly to leave soft kisses on her cheek. Mitch rested her head on his shoulder, holding an ice cream that was slowly melting in her hand.

Around them, Brooklyn, Liamani, Ava, Lumi, and Hudson were sprawled across the living room, eating ice cream and all talking at once. Orlando was complaining about a flavor that was already gone,-