Later that day June was walking down to the local small shopping centre with no actual reason on her mind , she felt light and content for once in her life .
Having spent the morning watching her father try to win over jett , even inviting him in for a coffee and blabbering away about everything and anything he could think about .
It amused her to see jett's bored eyes glaze over. Digging into Leon's as he tried not to drift off from the mans voice going on and on and on . Shooting June looks of annoyance and thinly veiled irritation every time her father looked away or wandered off to grab something to brag about .
It had lasted a good hour or so before he had finally made some excuse to leave , Leon happily telling him that he was welcome to come back anytime .
She had never seen her father look so happy before , it made her overwhelmed with satisfaction and childish glee .
Kr was exactly the reaction they had been hoping for , there had been no suspicion of there closeness in the slightest .
He hadn't even thought twice to question how she had come to meet a man twice her age in a town she had never been to before . Not even noticing the way they seemed to be able to communicate without words , there comfortableness with each other should have alerted him that something just wasn't right .
But her father had never been a very smart man after all . Gullible and easy to trick , it made her sick that his blood was in her veins .
She wondered if she had took after her mother she had never met instead .
Jett had managed to corner her in the hallway before he left , telling her that he was going to take her shopping for some new shoes tomorrow with a look that told her that no argument or pouting would deter him .
And just who was she to say no to a man wanting buy her some new pretty things? She may have been stubborn but she wasn't stupid .
As she walked past the rows of little stores she heard a commotion to the right of her , turning her head curiously in the direction of the noise as she came to a stop .
Her eyes narrowing curiously as she noticed two girls pushing around a smaller girl , there high pitched laughter and mean comments reaching her ears making her scrunch up her nose at the unpleasantness of them .
Did these girls not know subtleness at all? Publicly bullying someone ? Was this what Americans did? The worst bullying she had witnessed back home had not been in front of a crowd of people .
If you wanted to hurt someone , you made it personal . Otherwise you just risked looking like a major asshole to those around you . She would know .
She had been aiming for the number one asshole cup since she could talk back to the idiot around her.
The poor girl in question was a smaller girl who couldn't have been any older than june was , her straight brown hair hung heavily over her face but even June could see the embarrassment and shame she was radiating as she cowered away from the bullies .
Frowning hesitantly as she looked down at her phone in her hand from where she had been messaging jett about there plans tomorrow before sighing , rolling her eyes as she stuffed it into the back of her pocket .
God , where the hell was this sudden conscience coming from? It was NOT welcome.
Her eyes drawing over to the two boys that were occupying the bench opposite them , there attention now closing in on her as she marched over to them .
Quickly getting the attention of the two girls who scowled back at her , the taller one looking her up and down judgementally before scoffing as they reached her duck taped shoes . Bitch.
What was everyone's issue with her god damn shoes? They were fucking cool survivors , why couldn't anyone else appreciate them like she did? They had held on longer than anyone else she knew.
They were her babies. She wished people would just fuck off sometimes.
"Geez Cora did you get yourself a little pit-bull off the streets? I mean , this is pathetic even for you !" she exclaimed with a nasty laugh as June met cora's fearful eyes .
Something softening within her as she watched the tears build up , pursing her lips as she looked back at the two Malibu Barbie wannabes in front of her .
"Is this what you get off on?" she asked them calmly , not scared in the slightest as she looked around at the almost empty area around them .
There was no one else there except for the two boys who were now looking at her with interest .
June ignored there dark eyes as they muttered something between themselves , no doubt about how stupid she was to jump in the middle of something like this . It was none of her business really but sometimes she just couldn't help herself .
She knew that she looked like a little scrap of a girl that couldn't take care of herself , she was used to people underestimating her . It was something she had learned to use to her advantage after all .
The girl scoffed "excuse me?" she spat , taken aback .
looking over to her friend for back up only the other girl was eyeing Junes hand warily from where it had carefully dug into her bag , her hand closely tightly around her trusty knife.
Sh wasn't going to use it of course , but it wouldn't hurt to have it on her now would it? These girls were obviously more of the privileged sort. raised on the finer qualities of life with no care for anyone but themselves . Must be nice .
Eyeing there flashy jewellery and expensive coats with a grimace as she thought about her own jacket she had worn since she was a early teen , the lack of money for food making her easily fit into it even to this day .
They really could have been something great . June thought to herself almost sympathetically as she looked between both of there baby blue eyes.
It really was a shame that they were so pretty , a moulded shell for some sick perfection that didn't seem to reach the inside of there bodies at all .
Their pretty faces could only do so much for them , they really should have kept there mouths shut and hands to themselves . It really was a shame . Truly it was.
June looked back at her with a raise of her brow , her face blank except for the small smile crawling onto her ruby lips .
"I said ...is this what you get yourself off to every night? Do you lay awake and fuck yourself to the thought of a defenceless girls tears?" she taunted taking a step closer to her as her smile turned into a daring smirk .
Tilting her head lazily as she looked over the girls tight skirt and almost see through top . A shame indeed .
The blondes eyes widening at her crude words , her cheeks flushing bright red as she glanced over at the boys on the bench in mortification having no doubt been wanting to show off in front of them only for it all to backfire so quickly.
The boys in question were snickering between themselves in entertainment , making sly comments that only seemed to fuel the bullies embarrassment.
Nodding along as though she understood because perhaps she did in a sick sort of way.
"I mean I get it really I do . She's pretty in a way that you two will never be ." she said softly glancing over to the shaking girl warmly .
Making Cora's eyes widen in shock , flushing from her kind words . Having never had someone , never mind another girl like June stick up for her before .
She found herself moving closer to June who seemed to understand without any words that she wasn't going to defend herself . Stepping in front of her so the girls couldn't see her anymore , there attention frozen on herself.
The taller girl stammered angrily , her nostrils flaring "how dare you speak to me like this-" she started to exclaim only to be abruptly cut off .
Junes eyes were cold and unremorseful as she spoke "are you turned on right now? Are your panties ruined now that you've got it all out of your system ?" her voice lowered , a sly smirk on her lips as she looked between them suggestively .
They were speechless, glancing at each other uneasily as they looked down at the knife that June was now twirling casually in her hand like a little game that they weren't invited to play.
Sighing dramatically as she waved it between the two of them vaguely.
"But I guess it's nice that you've got each other to clean up the mess huh?" she laughed before turning slightly back towards Cora who was watching the scene in front of her in awe .
Hooking her arm through Cora's as she began walking backwards, tugging the girl alongside her .
"This has been nice." she almost sang.
Grinning manically as she nodded at the terrified girls , tucking her knife away into her pocket. Better safe than unable to defend yourself right?
"But me and Cora have places to be . Girls have got to have each others backs amongst other things yeah?" she shouted back to them with a wink before pulling her quickly out of there .
There startled and tomato red faces etched into her mind as she burst into hysterical giggles looking over at Cora who seemed to snap out of her shock .
She was unable to stop herself from joining in , her hand pressed over her heart as she looked at the girl beside her in amazement . Her nerves were shot!
"Wow ! I mean - wow!" she stammered in disbelief.
"How did you do that? That was so cool!" she exclaimed blinking quickly as she tried to calm down her racing heart .
Knowing that she would have had to endure much worse if June hadn't had stepped in like she did .
June only shrugged with a grin, snorting to herself in amusement.
"Do what? Talk ?" she rhetorically teased as she lead the girl out of the mall .
Eyeing her baggy jeans and oversized shirt appreciatively. "you like pearl jam?" she suddenly asked her , brightening up .
Cora looked down at her shirt before looking back at June and cautiously nodding her head wondering if she was about to be made fun of again .
She really wanted June to like her . I mean she had just jumped in and saved her from a lifetime of trouble! No one had ever stuck up for her like that before .
She found herself memorized by the laid back and casual demeanour that she had . Her almost white hair looked angel like as it flowed behind her in the breeze , dressed In a small blue sundress with a oversized denim jacket . She looked so cool .
Yet it was June's eyes that made her pause . She had never seen eyes like those before . They were neither blue nor grey , they were wide puddles of the ocean and sky that were currently trained on her intensely, assessing her every move without her even realising it .
She looked doll like almost , there was just something about June that made you both uneasy and curious to know more.
A sort of innocence that pulled you in with her rosy cheeks and bright smile. Yet the cold and unreadable look in her eyes spoke warnings that Cora chose to easily ignore .
This could finally be her chance to make a friend . She really needed this . Not realising that perhaps June did too .
"Yeah . I do . There my favourite band . Do you like them?" she asked her shyly bowing her head unable to keep eye contact with her .
A shiver running up her back and Goosebumps rising on her skin as June reached out and grabbed her hand in her own, pulling her over to a bench near the small park opposite them .
June pushed down the satisfied and smug feeling that she felt , everything having played out perfectly and just the way she wanted it to . She really didn't think this day could get any better if she tried .
A job and a possible new girl friend? Her father would have a heart attack .it wouldn't hurt to try and seem like a normal , social girl like others her own age . She needed to know more than just Jett .
She had quickly noticed the uneasiness and suspicion that followed him and she knew that the towns people didn't trust his quietness and his choice to be so reclusive .
June wouldn't make the same mistake . She had to make herself seem like the sweet , innocent girl everyone would expect her to be from first glance .
What better way to start than being the hero to a bullied , nervous girl who was currently looking up at her like she was the sun on a dark day?
"I do ." she let herself smile gently at her in hopes to get her to relax, rubbing her thumb over her shaking knuckles .
Laughing quietly as her eyes flickered nervously back up to her own , hopeful and oh so shy .
"Depends on my mood though I suppose . " she hummed leaning back into the bench and letting her eyes fall close , enjoying the suns raise on her pale skin .
"Somedays I wanna listen to Zeppelin . Others I want to cry to Pearl Jam and very often do I like to head bang to Megadeth . It's good to have a variety . Music for all different occasions ya know?" she rambled to her , interlocking her fingers over her stomach contently .
Cora looked at her with a smile that she couldn't see , slowly beginning to relax as she tucked her feet beneath her and turned her body to face June fully .
"yeah I get that ." she said softly , fiddling with the bracelets on her wrists .
"I have a playlist for when I paint . its so easy to get lost into I suppose." she found herself saying only to jump in her skin as June abruptly sat up and looked over at her with wide eyes .
Her heart thudding deeply in her chest "you paint? You're an artist too?" she was ecstatic , she really couldn't have picked a better one if she tried .
She really had to give herself points for this one , truly she did .
Cora bit her lip , giggling from her obvious excitement "yes ! I mean ... I'm not that good but I do paint . It helps me relax." she said with obvious self doubt making June scoff at her ridiculousness.
Shorting her a stern look "don't put yourself down like that . Art doesn't have to be perfect , that's the point! Art is a feeling , it's a taste . It's what makes the world a better place! It's something that girls like that-" she motioned wildly back over to the shopping centre with a look of disgust on her face
"-will never get to truly live or understand . It's why there so miserable . They have nothing to express and nothing to give so they just spread there legs and make other people feel like shit to feel better about themselves . I mean , it's an ocean full of bodies and sharks . It's a mess!" she ranted passionately , having at some point during her speech stood up and began to pace .
Leaving Cora to look up at her with wide eyes, astounded and oddly touched .
Feeling encourage she nodded along , laughing breathlessly "yeah I guess it is . It's just hard sometimes ...I mean I know that I'm not as beautiful or as skinny and pretty as they are but-"
June groaned loudly in annoyance and kneeled in front of her , grabbing her hands in her own and squeezing them feeling pitifully sorry for her . Something that she really wasn't used to feeling.
"It doesn't matter ." she cut her off , firmly shaking her head.
"yeah , they may have there beauty now but that's all they have . And what are they going to do when its gone huh? there going to be lonely and miserable and all alone . " she told her seriously pulling a face at the thought of those girls .
Before exhaling loudly and grinning at Cora who's cheeks had flushed pink , unable to look away from June's wide and wise eyes.
"You know what's really beautiful ?" she said after a moment making Cora look back at her questionably , curious of the wild look she seemed to carry on her like a second skin .
"Not giving a fuck! That really gets me going! You should try it Cora . Lift up your head and shrug those shoulders back baby and throw all those fucks away!" she shouted happily .
Laughing loudly as she sprung back up to her feet and spun around , her arms in the air and face to the beaming sun .
Cora giggled and watched her in amazement feeling like she had finally made a friend.
Unaware that June didn't do things without thought and every plan she made , even in the moment , was thought through .
Smirking to herself proudly as she looked back at Cora who was loosening up by the second , seeming to be naturally gravitating towards her now that her confidence had been boosted back up .
She decided then that perhaps a new friendship wouldn't be so bad after all . It felt strangely freeing and powerful to help Cora like she did.
She wondered if this was what she had been missing out on all her life .
A life full of loneliness could really mess up someone's head when you have nothing but your own misleading thoughts to pull you astray .