UNDERGOING REWRITE // Apples [Ledger Joker x OC]

Chapter 4: Spit in the Palm

Lmaooo not that happy about the start of this chapter, but alas, it's here. Quite a few important things- also keep your eye on Junie's audio diary. No spoilers, but it plays an important role later on in the story... aaand I've said too much!! ;)

Also updates may be a little slow these next 2 weeks as I have my A-level exams!! So sorry about that!!

Aaand also a quick note regarding a question I wanna ask (and that I've posted on my profile): What day and time for you is convenient for me to upload?? I live in the UK and I know that a lot of you are in the US or other places, and like me, have school or some of you have work. My Saturdays are usually the best times for me to upload but I just wanted to double check with all of you when it's best!! If you could leave a comment telling me when (or even specify your time zone if you need), it'd help me out a lot!! I've never had much of an uploading routine or schedule but I know that some of you might like to read a chapter in bulk at once, instead of having to put it down every once in a while because of school or sleep, etc. I'm pretty slow at writing and editing these days, so I know there can be a wait sometimes and I do wanna improve on that!!

And bc I got carried away there's another big ass author's note on the end because well hm I SUCK and need VALIDATION so yeah there's that bone app the teeth

Anyways, I'm just chewing up the word count by now. Enjoy!!

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Chapter 4: Spit in the Palm

It was eleven o'clock that Thursday night when tired and troubled Juniper Stoltz turned off the television, sinking back into her sofa as she rubbed her irritated and sleep-deprived eyes. Scattered around her was an ocean of doctor's reports and the same old repeated case files of the Joker's- patient 4479's- and again, she found nothing in those documents that gave her mind any peace. She wasn't sure what she was looking for in those notes; perhaps comfort, or advice, anything those failed doctors could tell her about the clown that she hopelessly wished to cure, just to put her mind at ease for once. But this had to be the tenth night in a row where she'd stayed up all night rereading those damned documents, practically able to recite it all by memory if she wanted to. It was as if each time she opened the blue folder full of those papers, she'd somehow expect a fresh new one to appear from thin air, listing all the answers to every question she'd ever asked. The answer, she already knew, and it was simple: use my clairvoyance, look at his memories, write it all down and go. But she knew it wasn't that easy. It was wrong. She'd had that gift graced upon her unwillingly; she'd been studying Psychology for years and she worked for these sessions. And not only could the memory-meddling hurt her patient, but herself as well, what with all the migraines and nosebleeds it elicited if she went back far enough.

Sometimes she wished her mother were here to tell her what to do.

Sighing heavily, June got up from the sofa and crossed the cluttered living room to her bookcase, picking up any stray papers and stacking them on the end of the coffee table, which sat rather neatly in front of the old television set she simply couldn't afford to replace. The screen bulged out like a bubble and emitted static whenever she turned it on. It reminded her a little bit of her childhood- turning on the TV to watch the Saturday morning cartoons and pressing her hand to the screen to feel the static, listening to the near-silent popping that accompanied the white noise as it vanished. Mama would playfully scare her with stories of how the static was deathly radioactive and would make little June's brain all fuzzy and mutate beyond repair, but even at age seven, she knew that her Mama was only joking. Although, that would explain the clairvoyance... if she weren't lying.

She chuckled softly at the memory and looked at the picture frame atop her bookcase- her and Mama at graduation day. The picture always made her laugh, as it was supposed to be a nice photo where she'd smile calmly at the camera while her mother would lovingly sling her arm around her shoulder, but instead, eighteen-year-old June was stood like a stiff board, her shoulders hunched, clutching her diploma like her life depended on it, and behind her calm and simple smile, her eyes were wide with joy and excitement, barely able to contain her feelings as Mama wrapped her arms around her, grinning gleefully. June's hair was the same then as it was now, wild and free, curls that bounced with a whole life of its own, and even back then you could tell, with how her hair sprang out the bottom of her graduation hat to settle just on her shoulders, Mama's hair practically matching. It was May- not even halfway through that odd, odd year. They both looked so happy. So carefree. That despite the struggle of growing up with June's abnormal powers and the daily reminder that over time, her clairvoyance worked better albeit more intrusive, the two made family of each other, happy despite everything else.