UNDERGOING REWRITE // Apples [Ledger Joker x OC]

Chapter 7: Darling Little Pill Box

A bit of a time skip for this chapter, nothing major, but June's about a month into treating the Joker.

Also a HUGE apology to EVERYONE on behalf of how late this is. I don't think I've ever been this late when it comes to uploading chapters, but BS excuses aside, school is literally devouring me. I'm in year 12, see (idk what the American/other equivalent is) and since it's almost the end of the school year they've been piling work on us to prepare us for next year- so I genuinely haven't had ANY time to write- this is the first time I've properly written in almost three weeks, so I'm incredibly sorry! Hopefully by the end of the month I can continue to update more again, especially since the next chapter is... well... no spoilers but it gets the show on the road...

Again, sorry, and thank you all for being patient! Also, for those of you who'd like to be regularly updated and stuff, check out my profile- I usually post there when there's issues like this.

Aside from that enjoy! Treat yourself to a picture of Mr. J as posted above <3 I've literally been surrounding myself with him so much lately and I ACTUALLY love him oh my God. I forget how handsome and gruesome he is. Like he's so scary wow. Enjoy :)

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Chapter 7: Darling Little Pill Box

She didn't like shopping much, introverted Juniper Stoltz. Going out into the city was something she'd much rather avoid than ever face, but her fridge was empty and so she had to go grocery shopping (Chinese takeaway had started to lose its taste the sixth time she'd ordered it). It was made much worse by the fact that it was gone ten at night and walking from her car into the supermarket made her anxious, terrified she'd be jumped on the short twelve second walk over, but once she was there, she was relieved to find out that there weren't many people around, just the late night shoppers who had just come home from work, much like her. She pushed the cart around for what felt like hours, just passing through the same aisles over and over like some endless dream sequence, going in circles trying to decide whether she had enough money for her to deserve those cinnamon buns. Stark lights flickered above her and buzzed, the same elevator-like tune on repeat. A surprisingly haunting place.

Her cart was barely full but then again, she didn't have a lot of money. Working on the Joker granted her no raise apparently, even when she told Dr. Arkham about his paintings, which elicited the dismal response of an eye-roll and denial when he said, I'm sure it's just a momentary fluke of creativity, it'll pass. And anyway, the paintings meant nothing when the Joker refused to tell her where he'd learnt to do it in the first place.

June stopped by the fruit aisle and looked at the apples, gently plucking one from its box and cupped it in her hands, and suddenly her mind was lost again in adventuring back to that forbidden realm of reflecting on things she shouldn't be. The apple. That rotten apple on the Joker's dinner tray, so vivid, so red, rolling across at her. She could hear it- as slick as the edge of a penny- rolling towards her. Rolling. His mouth painted red, as red as the fruit he offered to her. His hands stroking his own knuckles. His fingers clicking. Snapping. Rolling. His ridiculously uncouth grin when he said, guess how old I am. The harsh and bone-snapping crunch of the apple when he let his yellowed teeth sink into them like the gracious offering of flesh to a dog, the apple rolling, rolling, dropping to the tray. Pink jello. Apple rolling. Guess how old I am. I wouldn't be interested if I were a mere three years older than you, Junie. Oh, Junie. The apple again. Tempting. Fruitful Eve and the Devil-mouthed snake. Rolling across the table. Rolling, her head rolling back against her own pillow last night, mouth open and eyes closed at the thought of his hands--

A gasp left her as the apple slipped from her open palm and hit the floor with a crunch, splitting a chunk off of its side. June leapt back from it and yanked her cart towards her, and as dishonest as a child caught red-handed, she walked away so she wouldn't be held accountable. Nobody was looking, surely.