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"Excuse me ma'am do you have any more of these little potted plants in the back? Or just the pots themselves?" June was in the middle of a mess, sweeping dirt up from a dropped potted plant when the woman asked, her head lifting and her stress very visible. It was opening day of her business, and she hadn't expected this many people to show up. This many disruptive people. She had been running around most of the day answering questions, refilling refreshments, cleaning up messes. This was a lot to take on all alone, but it was also the price of a secret. One she wanted to keep. She wanted this place all to herself, not having to share it with others like her parents who might try and take the credit for it.

"Um yes I think so." She said in a slightly out of breath voice, given the fact that's he had just gotten over to this mess. The lady smiled and June did the last sweep, her apron being the dead giveaway that she was the worker. She considered taking it off as she walked quickly towards the check out counter, the place where she had her own little office and a small stockroom behind a curtain. The lady followed her, June giving her a customer service smile and heading around the counter. She wiped the dirt from her hands and pulled the curtain aside, lifting her hand to hold a finger up to the woman. June disappeared behind the curtain and let out a frustrated huff of air, the loudness from out there not being as bad back here. She tried to search her scrambled brain for what the woman had asked for, starting over to the small clay pots and grabbing a couple of them.

She had about 8 stacked in her hands, holding two in the other hand. She was clearly out of them, the girl deciding she might as well restock while she out there. However she didn't have a good enough grip on the large stack, the two in her other hand dropping to the floor and breaking. She let out a frustrated groan and then her eyes flickered to the curtain, June trying to decide what to do now. She couldn't leave the mess. Finally she decided, making her way through the curtain and towards the counter top, the lady giving her a delightfully pleased look.

"Oh thank you! I only need one." June sat the other ones down and then nodded, handing the older woman one of the pots. She clicked across the computer screen and put the amount in, gesturing towards the card reader as her eyes scanned the store. The crowd had picked up again, the row of cars outside surely drawing more people. She handed the woman her receipt and a smile, the lady disappearing out of the store. Most of the people were just browsing, the girl not making that many sales. However she had made a few, and it was encouraging to her everytime she made one.

June wiped her forehead, breathing out and looking back towards the curtain. She remembered the mess behind it, letting out a huff again and grabbing the broom and dustpan. She began to sweep just as the desk bell rang, her eyes closing briefly as she felt a tremendous amount of stress. She hoped to ignore it but it rang again, a shout leaving her lips as she tried to finish up the cleaning.

"Just a minute!" She yelled, emptying the contents of the dustpan into the trash. She hurried back over to the pots and grabbed quite a few more of them, her arms full as she sat them down by the doorway. The curtain covering the back kept her from seeing who had rang the desk bell a third time, a groan of frustration leaving her lips as she started towards another stack of pots, hoping to move as many as possible onto the floor so that she could sell them. The bell rang again and she let out an angry huff, leaving the pots and pulling the curtain open. "Yes I said I need just a min—"

The words caught in her throat when she saw him, her heartbeat stopping for a moment. His hand was hovering above the desk bell and the second his eyes caught sight of her a toothy grin covered his lips. She blinked, a feeling of amazement and some kind of joy coursing through her at the sight of his face. She had the butterflies in her stomach, her cheeks lighting up when their eyes met, his blonde hair longer than usual, his red hat gripped in his left hand. For just a moment it was like they were the only people in the room, her heart unable to stop fluttering as she looked at him. The lighting in the shop illuminated him perfectly, casting a light on him that made him glow, and if she didn't already know him, she was sure she would've fallen in love with him at first sight. It had been too long since she'd seen him, and just the look in his eyes made her swoon.

"JJ what are you doing here?"

"You think I'd miss your grand opening? Not a chance."  He was grinning at him dreamily from across the counter, not even sure how he had found the place, but so unbelievably and uncharacteristically excited to see him. She wondered if it was because it was a familiar face, or if it really just was because  it was him. "You didn't tell anybody you were  back."

"Well maybe I didn't want anyone to know. Just like how I didn't want anyone to know about this place." She gestured with her hand as she refused to pull her eyes from his face, soaking in every last detail of it. She felt for a moment like this was the best thing that had ever happened to her, him showing up, but she quickly brushed the feeling off, knowing she should know better than to  feel too strongly about him.

"It's a—a nice place." JJ said, turning his head back to her with a smile. It was now that he seemed to remember something, the boy pulling a teddy bear from behind him and placing it on the counter top. Her eyes lit up even more and she grabbed for the bear, an endearing smile on her lips as she looked down at the sweet gift. It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot to her. His eyes traced over her pigtails and the little apron she was wearing, the boy biting back a smile as he realized how much this look suited her. She looked brighter than he had seen her in a long time, her eyes lifting back to him as she rubbed the ear of the bear.

"Thank you." She said and spared him a dazzling grin, the boy feeling his knees weaken at the sight of it. He wished deeply that he could express some serious emotions to her that he had been holding in for three months now, but this was probably the worst time possible, the boy breaking their moment to scratch at the back of his neck and clear his throat.

"I remember you said you were into plants. Kinda went with my gut with this thing." June nodded at his words, not entirely sure if she believed him but also not seeing why she wouldn't. He looked around again, the bustling flurry of people making him quirk his eyebrows and then giving her a knowing look. "How was the uh...uh—where did you go again?"

"Technically it was an academy. But I knew it wasn't just a normal thing when they had us going to counseling twice a day and taking wellness classes. Plus no phones." June recounted the ladder part of the school year that she spent at a prestigious academy that her parents had decided to send her to, the reasoning behind it being rather confusing. It was a school, but also more of a rehabilitation center,  June having just returned the week prior.  She hadn't made any public appearances, she didn't feel the need to, spending time with the only person whose love for her would never fade...her brother. 

"Well did they work?" He was asking about the classes, the counseling, her jaw clenching for just a moment and then releasing, a questioning look on her face.

"Did you get my letter?" She asked, JJ looking at her with confusion. He nodded and then gestured towards her, remembering the letter she was talking about, but also remembering that many letters after that.

"Well yeah...you know I answered." The two of them had sent many letters back and forth as a way of communication, JJ having been very worried the first two weeks after she disappeared.  Finally he had waited long enough, driving himself crazy by being ghosted by her. He showed up on her doorstep, frantically knocking. Luckily for him Adam had answered, JJ remembering the last time he was at the house almost immediately. The March boy had explained that June had been sent away to  a school, that she was safe and that she was getting the help she needed.

"Then it worked." He could almost see it in her eyes, the changes look in them. She had color in her face, genuine smiles, light behind her eyes. He hadn't seen the light in so long...since before the island. He believed her when she said it worked.

On the one month anniversary of her being there she was forced to send letters to all of her loved ones, apologies or letters to reconcile. The school she was at was big on forgiveness, and while June had been harboring a lot of pent up anger towards the Pogues,  she had found it in her heart to write them all individual letters, explaining what was ailing her. She promised them that when she got back she would explain everything, and she had meant it...just on her own time. Now she had been spotted and found by JJ, there was no way she wouldn't have to do it. To explain it all. In lieu of the letters she received one back from every single one of them, an apology right back, and she kept the letters, some of them becoming her most prized possessions. That was the thing about family, you always forgive each other.

"Nobody's mad at you you know...they want to see you. You know they love you." JJ said, almost as if he could read her mind. She let out a short chuckle, nodding her head and then looking back down at the bear. She remembered what she was doing here, what today was and why she was in this apron and at her store. He had distracted her.

"Listen JJ I really appreciate you coming. You uh...you can look around and maybe if you're feeling extra awesome you can buy something." She had looked up at him with a different expression now, his mention of the Pogues seeming to make her mood change a little bit. She was nervous to face them, knowing what she had promised, knowing what she had to do. She started to walk past him but JJ was shaking his head, not wanting to be left by her. Before he could stop himself his fingers shot out, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her back.

"I could—if you need help...I could help." His eyes flickered down to the bear  in her hands,  the boy watching as the grin on her face began to show again. She raised an eyebrows and then looked around, nodding her head and urging him to follow her. They disappeared behind the curtain and JJ was shocked by how well put together this place was, it was hard to wrap his head around. She left him to go to her office, returning with a green apron that matched her own. He wanted to laugh at the sight of it, Junes smile making it worthwhile as she put it over his head. She rounded him and tied the apron, the boy trying not to dwell on the fact that she was performing such a simple task for him. She rounded him again and he was shocked by the joy in her eyes, once again feeling like he hadn't seen something like that on her since before the island.

JJ had attributed a lot of time to thinking while she was gone, while he was writing to her. He felt like he had tapped into his own brain and realized he was the problem, he had ruined their relationship and she hated him because of him. He wasn't okay with this fact, so he also put some time into working in himself for real, trying harder than he had been before. He promised he would never let her go thinking she was worthless like he had at Sarah's apartment. He would never make her feel like she was a bad person, or not important.  He was still hoping for a fighting chance at being together again someday, and  he felt like after the words in their letters, that maybe they were embarking on those days soon. He had fallen in love with her all over again through paper, and now he knew he had to convince her to love him just the same.

"Wow you look fantastic." She said in a cheeky tone, JJ smiling at her words. He figured he might look ridiculous but he didn't argue, putting his hat back on as she disappeared behind him. When she returned she was pushing a giant stack of pots into his arms, JJ surprised by the weight as she slapped him on the shoulder.  "Come with me I'll show you where to put them."

"Okay."

"And JJ?" The boy was halfway through the curtain when she stopped him, his head turning to look at her. Her heart palpitated in his chest when he saw the look on her face and he figured maybe it wouldn't be too damn hard to get back what he truly wanted.  "Thanks for being here."

"Always."

___________

I time skipped to summer so I don't have to write about school anymore but Junes been gone  since February at some school not in the OBX.

Things are not going to be as dark, Junes turning over a new leaf. Plus it's summer!!! We love summer!! Yay!!