『 CHAPTER iv: A SISTER'S PICKLE. 』

JUNE IS ON THE TIP OF HER TOES AS SHE looks around the airport that has few people getting off. She finds herself feeling nostalgia— who were those people? Where'd they come from? Did they have lives out of this traveling they did and if so, were they content enough with it? June hopes so. Because she also hoped they each had a thousand tomorrow's. Not a limited one like she did. Her tomorrow could very well be her last. She didn't know. Those people getting off the plane were probably living vagabond lives, the best of lives, maybe even the worst of lives. She didn't even know and that was almost more frightening that knowing. It wasn't her business to know others, but she was supposed to know her own. What was June Swan? More importantly, what was June Swan's damn business?

              In some alternative turn of events, June would be that person coming off a plane. A ticket in hand on the way from nowhere going somewhere — she loved drawing, painting and sculpting. Maybe she could study abroad in Italy and learn the arts, learn the motherland of art patrons and where Romeo and Juliet laid their scene and sealed their love with a everlasting kiss. But that was all apart of some alternate turn of events. Her reality was much plainer; she lived and breathed and would be deceased in the same place she was born. Never moving, never going anywhere. The thought made June's throat choke up.

It made her envious of the girl who came up right in front of Charlie and she — Bella, her older sister. She was still pretty. But the complete opposite of what she expected. It wasn't a bad thing. No tan lines, but the exact opposite: pale skin like the appearance of porcelain, many shades lighter than June's olive coloring. Bella's hair wasn't blonde like she expected either, not even a dirty blond like June's, but dark brown like Charlie's curls. She had their dad's eyes too, eyes that were all the colors of the color wheel mixed up to make brown, a utterly overlooked color that was absolutely stunning on June's sister. June was envious because while June would be an eternal teen, her spirit somewhere in a snazzy coffin that the hundreds she had stashed in her closet would help buy, her older sister would be living and breathing. Living her life, maybe even having some kids that would be told only once in a blue moon about their Auntie June. Bella was hesitant looking though, it was shown by the rosy tint on her cheeks as she saw June waving like a crazy person and Charlie nodding awkwardly.

            The envy faded, when she realized it wouldn't matter, and she bounded straight for her sister. "Bells! It's you right? I'm not hugging some random person—"

"Juniper?" Bella asked with a genuine smile. "Wow, hey. You're so big now. I mean you're only like a year younger than me but like, you're my little sister. And now you're all ..." She trails off her ramble.

                 June nodded, smiling widely. "Right?! And you, you're hot! Go sis! Wow, I have a sister." She exclaimed and Bella gave a soft laugh. "It's so weird, right? It's weird? We'll get used to it I'm sure."

"You're still as cheery as I remember, June, I'm really happy about that." Bella tells her. "And still as pretty."

June blushed, "I mean, it's the Swan genes, what can I say? Plus my moms pretty hot and from what I've seen in photos, yours is too, so—"

         Charlie steps in, "I think I deserve some credit for such lovely ladies, don't you think?" He asks.

Bella and June share a look. They laugh. Bella looks to Charlie and smiles a bit more easily, and she hugs him too. June clasps her hands together and sighs with content. At least if she were to go, they'd have each other for comfort. June was just really happy. And ever since she was little, it was rare to get June Swan to the point of being really happy. The drive back to Forks was an hour, tops, and wasn't as awkward as June had initially thought it was going to be. Charlie asked if Bella grew her hair out but she said she had cut since the last time they saw each other. June giggled.

    "Bella, would you mind doing me a favor?" June asks shortly after. "Only if you want. You can say no."

Bella nods anyway. "Anything. Ask away."

"It's huge, well," June drawls. "not really but it might not be your cup of tea."

Her sister shakes her head, genuinely wanting to hear what she has to ask. "Come on, what are sisters for?"

June feels all giddy inside. "Ahh, I love you. Okay, hold on let me get back on track you made me all gushy and I forgot ... oh! Could you come to the game we're having on Friday? As moral support? It's a football game, small occurrence, but it's the most a small town can get excited for, bless us."

       Bella nods immediately, "Dad said you cheer, that's cool." She smiles. "I couldn't ever, it's not even a question of if."

June smiles, poking her head through the seat. "Yay! And that's fine," She says assuringly. "You can be my sideline cheerleader. With your voice. And a dance move or two. Purely your choice."

Bella chuckles, "For your reputation and my own, I'll pass." She says.

Charlie looks at his daughters and smiles to himself, nodding, "Wish I could go, girls, I do. But duty calls."

"What now, chief?" June frowns.

"Some kind of animal attacked a guard down in Mason County," Charlie replies with a heavy sigh. "The station thought we could lend a hand."

"An animal?" Bella echoes, intrigued.

"You're not in Phoenix anymore, Bells," Charlie grins with a shrug right after.

"Why can't you send someone else, you're the chief!" June pouts a bit, hoping her dad would come. He had gone almost all of them, it'd be nice to have him and Bella there supporting her.

Charlie clicks his tongue, his eyes holding a sincere apology, "That's the thing, June-Bug. As chief I gotta send the guys down there personally. Some show of leadership and all." He says. "But Billy said he'd be more than happy to go for me, maybe some other Rez people will tag along, I know Jacob Black will be there and Sam for sure."

Oh. That might be like a major pickle she'll be in. Can't a sister ever catch a break? Ew. She tried to hard. Anyway, June may or may have not invited the Cullen's to the game as well and if the Rez folks were going as well ... fuck. She was going to be in a tight pickle. Like it would be catastrophic. Maybe that was just her melodramatic ass being its usual melodramatic self but she wasn't into getting another headache about the weird feud that her cousin had with the Cullen's. She was sure they had never even spoke to each other? Plus, another pickle she was in,  June doesn't know why her face reddens at the mention of Jacob's name but she curses her stupid growing teen hormones and shuts them up with nobody wants a dead girl. But it's a called being a pickle for a reason because well, she shouldn't be selfish like Mandy Moore was in Walk to Remember and lead the guy on and let him fall in love ( it was far fetched she knew, but again, melodramatic ) only for her to die. June catches Bella's eyes in the rear view mirror and they're amused.

              Bella turns to her, "Jacob Black? Rachel and Rebecca's little brother, right, the one that used to have a major crush on your and bring you bellflowers he'd pick from outside?" She was smiling suggestively.

June nods, her face flushed. Of course Bella would remember him. On visits to the Rez when they were younger, Bella would get tugged to playing with Rachel and Rebecca and June was stuck with Jacob. He followed her everywhere and called her June Blue because her eyes as a little girl were the most prominent feature about her.

"Yeah," June whined. "Him."

Charlie looks a little uncomfortable, "Ahhh, hold the girl talk until you get the house, alright."

June and Bella give a mischievous grin to each other.

"Did he get cuter?"

"Try hot."

"Oh my god." Charlie deadpans, driving.

The Swan sisters laugh.

•—•—•—•

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS WAS A TOTAL MISCONCEPTION in terms of Fork's. Luckily, by some string of luck she would stress, it wasn't raining. A more accurate term would be that it wasn't pouring but a mist shined down on them. June was looking especially cheerleader-y today — she went all out and tonight blue and gold paint for her fellow cheerleaders and started painting stars or dots or putting glitter or just going all out on some eager cheer girls and mixing it all in one canvas. June's long dirty blonde hair was pulled in the highest ponytail, a giant blue now adorning it and making her look like some kind of Christmas present. They were all wearing white long sleeves as usual, for their simple cheer outfit was simply too little to be wearing in such cold climate. Though all of them grew up in a Forks and could probably walk in sixth degree weather in shorts, June would rather not get hypothermia and speed up her death process so soon and pass out in front of her big sister and some people from the Reservation that would be in attendance.

June finished her own face paint and glittering and helped some other girls who had accidentally smudged or messed up theirs until their coach blew the whistle and they were piling out of the locker room and onto the small field.

The cool air hit her cheeks and mixed with the still damp paint on her face and created a breeze that had her shivering. Her eyes went to the bleachers where she saw Bella, rubbing her hands together to stay warm. June smiles to herself before she ran over.

"Bella!"

Her older sister turned to her direction and waved as June rushed up to greet her. Bella smiled grandly at her appearance, "It's you who's hot! You're like, super hot, June. It's not fair."

June blushed, smiling widely. "You bring the blanket like I said? It only gonna get colder." She says.

Bella nods at her and shows her the quilt that was on the couch before June left. "Got it."

"Good," June nodded. "How'd you get here?"

"My truck," Bella holds up some keys and June realizes that their dad must've gotten the truck he was talking about buying from Billy for some time. "Dad said it was a Homecoming present; you'll see it when we leave. It's old. It's ours, it's beautiful."

"That's awesome," June can't help but smile wider as she thought of all the possibilities of having an older sister with a truck. "Fair warning, he will make us go everywhere in that thing, together. I hate to be a tag along—"

"You won't be," Bella assures and reaches out to grab June's hand. "I need someone to show me around this place. Plus, it'll be cool to have some movie nights together and go eat and stuff."

June is over the moon. She nods eagerly. "Honestly, I'm so glad you're here. Dad's usually totally busy and my cousin Sam used to come all the time but ... I don't know what's up with him. So you being here, it means a lot."

Bella's once shy demeanor falls away as she looks at her younger sister. June was still the most perfect thing Bella had ever seen; she was naive and maybe she saw the world through such a beautiful screen it was what probably caused that intrepid smile to always grace her lips. June was something else. Bella could've easily felt envy but June was never that type of person others could be envious of because she made it a deal to make you feel just as special as everyone saw her as. Bella had always wondered what her younger sister was doing all these years and felt such a pang of guilt to never have been the big sister and picked up the phone to call her and have, even if it was only two minutes, a proper conversation with her. Luckily, June didn't hate her for it but then again Bella wasn't sure June could hate anyone. She only seemed eager to have a sister just as much Bella was.

"I'm here now, June," Bella tells her. "I'll always be here, or try my very best to be. Now go and make me warm up with some school spirit."

June hugs Bella and Bella hugs her back. When June pulls away, she can see Billy Black being pushed towards them by Jacob with Sam and Jared and Harry Clearwater following behind. June stiffened. She hadn't planned on seeing them. But she guessed it was good, they would keep Bella company. But something made her turn to around as well. She turned and she saw Edward and his family making their way on the bleachers as well. The pickle begins, she internally winces. June's eyes caught Edward's face blooming in a smile as he saw her.

         June rushed over, determined to solve the pickle she was getting herself into, "You guys came!" She called out and then went to hug Rosalie and Alice and Emmett and Jasper who looked a little strained under her hug. "Wow. I am like some damn miracle worker."

"You sure are," Edward laughed.

"For instance you got me to come and freeze to death," Rosalie smiled at her playfully.

"That's why I'm here, too, baby. Keeping you warm," Emmett winked at Rosalie who rolled her eyes at him, smacking his chest. Emmett laughs.

Alice came up and looked at her outfit and her eyes dazzled at the glitter on her cheeks. "You look so nice, June."

"Thanks, Alice." June beamed. She heard her name being called and saw it was her fellow cheerleaders. Ten more minutes to go. She waved to them her okay and turned to the Cullens. "Oh, I'm gonna have to go but I want you all to go sit by my older sister, she's in your grade, I'll introduce you at school but she just came two days ago."

Edward seems to catch the glare that Sam Uley was giving him and looked at June, "I think it's best if we sit at a distance, yeah?" He tells her lowly. "Your cousin wants your attention. I'll see you later, at school. We'll talk more then."

June nods sorrowfully and she sees as they go off to sit further away. She turns to walk over to Sam and the rest of the Reservation bunch. She sees Jacob and knows it's probably the best way to relieve the tension, she was dying sometime soon anyway and it was always best to just say she had to go of things went sour ... it was now or never and she had to relieve the momentary pickle she was in.

"Jacob!" She calls out and bounds into his arms. He's much taller than her and she can feel his arms wrap around her and hold her to him. She pulls away but she's still in his arms. "Hey, you're here, too."

Bella is sipping the hot cocoa she most likely got from the concession stand and looks at her younger sister as she hugs Jacob with mischievous eyes. June flares her eyes in warning.

"Umm," Jacob starts as he's the only one to notice how close their faces are. "Yeah, yeah I came, well we all came. My dad and me and your cousin and Harry and me. Did I say that already..."

June chuckles, "You did. But it's okay. I like hearing you talk anyway." She notices the awed look on his face and keeps talking. "You think you can handle a few hours with us pale-faces?" She wiggles her brows.

"For you, ocean eyes, yeah." Jacob admits earnestly.

         June reddens. Jacob sets her down when he realizes he's still holding her up. She laughs. "I'm glad you're here."

"You are?" Jacob asks, his brown eyes wide.

"Well, yeah, I mean," June looks to her feet, moving her foot from side to side. "I love being supported."

"I love ... uh, I love, I love supporting you." Jacob falters and stuffs his hands in his pockets, nodding to himself. "I'm like your number one supporter, here, woo go June! That's all you're gonna hear the whole game."

June chuckles, her cheeks hurting from smiling, "Cute." She sees him redden and feels a grand joy burst in her chest. She then looks over to Sam who stares at her with a hesitant look, nodding softly, "Hey, Sammy."

"Hey, Junior." Sam greets softly, using her old nickname.

June crosses her arms. "It's good to see you here again. Thought you outgrew coming to support your little cousin pretend like she knows how to cheer?" She asks.

"That's never gonna happen," Sam tells her. June relents in her anger and momentarily softens to go hug him. "And you're the best damned cheerleader here, by the way." June puts on a faux flattered expression, he laughs. "Love you, Junior, have fun."

June kisses him on the cheek and beams. She goes over to Billy and Harry and gives them a quick greeting, then she stops in front of Jacob and smiles at his freaking adorable smile ( June, get it together, you bitch, you're gonna D I E don't lead him on ... ) but she can't help it because she's in a pickle already and well is not easy to get out of one so she gets on her tip toes and kisses Jacob on the cheek.

"Well. Okay bye!" June doesn't look back as she rushes off the bleachers. "Love you Bella!"

"Love you!" Bella calls out, clapping and letting out an amused laugh at her younger sister's behavior.

June doesn't to see, but Bella does, the expression on Jacob's face that is the purest and most awestruck he's probably ever been. He touches his cheek for a short moment but clears his throat when Billy nudges him, winking up while Harry laughs. Jacob shakes his head and makes it a deal to not look at Sam who just flicked Jared on the head for whistling at June and the other cheerleaders as they began their half time cheer. Bella notices how everyone looks at her little sister. Not because she's pretty, she'd wear a paper bag over her head and people would still turn to look at her, for obvious reasons like wearing a paper bag over her head but also because June managed to attract people to her like some type of magnet. Bella stood and clapped when June was at the front of the field and cheered and June's smile was clearly the most vibrant there.

June waved to her sister with her pom-pom and then saw the Cullen's with their own smiles of encouragement. Maybe she wasn't in such a pickle after all. But when she sat on the sidelines and watched the game and saw the first snowflake fall down and let it touch her hand — June felt something. Her body melted the snow before it even could reach her skin. The warmth was too much. June then wondered why she wasn't cold, why the wind just felt cooling, why she wasn't shivering a storm like the other girls were. She had to pretend. June hoped to god then that her palms weren't glowing that strange light again ... not here, not now. That be a pickle she'd never get out of it seemed.

June looked at her palms. Nothing.

"—I can smell them from here, Sam." Jared's voice sounded out in her hearing. She jerked her head as if she heard him right behind her. When she turned she saw he was still on the bleachers, next to Sam. Whispering. Across the field. "It's disgusting man."

"Me, too," She heard Sam then. Her heart began to race a little faster. How could she hear ... they're far. "What would you have me do? This is neutral ground."

"Neutral my ass." Jared snorted.

"Leave it," Sam's voice said. "I don't to upset June anymore than I already have."

"She'll understand, Sam," Jared responses simply. "I know she will. You have to—" it was like the connection to whatever she was hearing had gone staticky. "—but only then, right now she'll just think you're being an ass."

"Not now."

"When, then?"

"Not now." Sam's gruff voice said with finality.

June didn't hear anything else but the rapid beating of her heart. She follows the girls when they get up to cheer again but her heart isn't in it; but she fakes it, like she does with most things now. Sam was keeping something from her. Or maybe he wasn't. June wouldn't rely much on some weird super hearing — no, June, you sound crazy — June really was on a pickle. Like, she was already gonna die and now life was making her go haywire? Her palms glowing, the fainting, the scary nightmares, the plants coming back to life, and now some superhero hearing. If there was one thing she knew how to do best, was to ignore things until it disappeared from her thoughts completely. But she couldn't ignore this anymore; she breathed in the cool air, a sickening sadness running through her heart, her eyes darting to the people who came to support her. People like Bella and Sam, her family who loved her. Why wasn't it enough? What was it about her life that was so bad that she didn't want to fight her fate?

That might've been the biggest conflict in June's mind.

note: wow I love FLUFF and CRYING. also,,,, junecob is,,,,,soFT and dropping more and more hints that I never touched on really well with dani's story yikes! And the title is from the song in the musical amelie bc I'm TRASH FOR THAT, June is like amelie omg