『 CHAPTER xi: RATS AND SUPER RATS.  』

JUNE NOTICED, IN ABOUT THE HANDFUL of adults she's around most days, aren't as satisfied with their jobs as they push themselves to be. They work nine to five just to stay alive basically. It's a rigorous yet tedious routine that they've grown accustomed to. Happiness or loving isn't anything close to the adjective they'd use for their work life. June however, loves her job. She gets to sing songs from the musical the waitress and pretends she's living in New York in some small town diner, which she is, but on the wrong coast. June sometimes thinks she looks like some hard-working heroine that might need saving by a cute web-slinger or is most likely the one doing the saving; usually, it's June saving herself from dark thoughts and even more deeper anxiety attacks. She feels like some fifties waitress's and wishes they'd let her wear skates and wear a little hat to top it off but Farah Sully was always preaching about how small town was anyway and she didn't want to be held responsible if someone falls due to their skates and cracks their head on the floor, her restaurant floor. June blows her growing fringe from her forehead as she waits for the coffee to start brewing, all while listening to some Forks police officers, minus her dad, talk about how the unexplained deaths or killings had quickly rising to four people now and the towns folks were starting to get nervous. June frowns, wondering when there had been more? She only remembers that guard down from Mason County her dad told her about when they had picked up Bella a few weeks ago.

                 Thinking of her sister puts her on edge. June kept on hearing maybe it's a serial killer to probably a wild animal on rabies and it just made her more jittery. Bella was in Port Angeles with Jessica and Angela helping them shop for dresses for prom — who knows how far this killer-slash-animal-on-rabies might travel. Bella did have the worst of luck as well.

"June! Carry out order ready!" Joaquin their second cook called out, ringing the bell. "Lunch platter."

"Thanks, comrade," June winked and took the to-go box from him.

             June turns to the front to where the customer was waiting and zoned in on the cash register, punching in some numbers, "Nooning! Oh my god, I'm so lame, why not just say good afternoon right? Anyway, your total is eight seventy three is that gonna be with cash or credit ..." June trails off when she looks up, facing who's the one paying.

Leah Clearwater is staring right at her. A girl who June considered her role model; Leah was funny and smart and her ideals weren't fanciful or too ambitious, if that was even a thing. Leah was what she was and she was so many things to June; the fact that she was going to be family even more than June already regarded her was pleasing to a dying girls ears — she had been so happy that Sam had found someone, for him to care for, for someone to care for him, someone who knew not to talk about his dad and help him when he's sad. Leah was all of that. June knew it with every fiber that Sam and Leah were meant for another. But, like a lot of things June thinks she knows, it doesn't seem like fate had the same plans.

                 "Juniper," Leah's voice is curt, and June frowns at the stiffness in her words. "I didn't know you worked today."

But June understands the hostility. Leah must hate her. She must think that June knew about Sam planning to break up with her or something. June doesn't know the exact reasons but she's not as ignorant as Sam might think she is; he was bored, like most men, they leave when they're too afraid of loving something so fiercely and being vulnerable like that.

"It's Friday," June reasons, Leah making her feel two inches small. "I always work Friday's."

"How much was it again?" Leah disregarded her comment and looked down to her wallet and fishing through some bills, trying to not look her in the eye.

       June shut the register, "On the house, don't worry. I know it's your favorite." She smiles softly at the older girl.

Leah looks up, shaking her head and setting down a ten dollar bill on the counter and looks about ready to leave, "It's not necessary, keep the change—"

        "Leah," June's voice was pleading, blue eyes shining in emotion. "I'm sorry ... about everything. I didn't know what was going on, you have to believe me."

Leah's brown eyes narrow, "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter," June insisted. "Please. Just listen when I say I would've told you had I known—"

            Leah laughed, short and icy and full of malice. Her long brown hair shook as she did. "You expect me to believe that, June? That Sam, your cousin, the one person you're the closest to, didn't let you know that he was going to leave me for my own cousin?"

June paled instantly. No. Not Sam. Not her cousin. Because her cousin would never have intentionally left the love of his life for her Leah's own cousin. Sam hated his father for leaving, Joshua Uley had packed up and left his wife and five year old son even if it meant sleeping with another woman before he left, a woman who was close with his wife, a woman who gave him another son who's dubious parentage is that of a scandal on the Reservation.

"Sam, he never-he didn't tell me anything—" June swallowed harshly. "I didn't even know he was seeing someone else, Leah. Let alone your cousin?"

Leah seemed to believe her genuine disbelief because she nodded once, softening. "Emily." She said the name like some silent betrayal, for it was. June shook her head, confused as to who that was. "She's not from here — she's Makah, she came over here with our other cousin, Lyanna. They live on the Rez now."

June took in the words. "I don't know what's going on with him, Lee." She said softly, her hands on the counter. "The way he is now ... who he hangs around with him. He's not our Sam."

"He's not really my anything anymore," Leah says.

June nods, again understanding. "I'm sorry."

Finally looking like herself, Leah reaches over and grabs June's hand in her warm one. "If you say you didn't know, then I believe you." Leah smiles weakly but her grip is softer. "I know you would tell me ... I don't know why I didn't think so. I've had some trouble trusting anything anyone says lately."

"I'm on your side," June proclaims, thinking about how Sam had been messing up too much. "He's not himself, I thought in time he'd get his act together but it's only seemed to get worse and worse.

Leah, seemingly satisfied, nodded. "I thought time would heal us, when he said he wanted to think about us and his excuse that it was all going too fast, I understood. But I don't understand how my cousin and he so easily found love, if you can even call it that, in that small amount of time."

June sighed, wondering what word she could use to describe Sam at the moment and decided that Audrey Hepburn's most iconic line would do this moment justice, "Some guys are rats— some are even super rats. Ugh, those are the worst."

"Trust me, I know." Leah replied. "The worst thing is that my dad is still okay with him? They're always together and the Elder's think Sam and his little boy shorts are the best thing to happen to the Rez."

"I thought it was only Jared?" June asked, frowning. "Sam's got more followers?"

"Paul Lahote." Leah relays. "Which is just as strange; I'm sure they've never spoken a word to each other before or when we were in school. Now, they're the best of buddies."

June taps her fingers on the table absentmindedly, "They're all jacked, too! They looked like they've taken steroids or something — it can't be they suddenly go to the gym because, I mean, we both know Sam doesn't work out."

Leah cracks a smile and she can see the painful edge it has to it. Wow, some men suck. "I'm starting to think I never really knew Sam, June." Leah tells her softly and June nods. "By the way, guess who I've been talking to lately?"

June shrugs, "No clue."

"Star Levinson."

June blinks. Star Levinson. Of course it rang a bell, it rang alarms, police sirens specifically. The Reservations resident bad girl who had the most fun giving her uncle a headache and the elders a reason to shake their head; Star was intrepid, she was too smart for her own good and June was pretty sure she'd end up ruling the world one day with her monotonous voice and the void threats she usually spewed at people. But most importantly, Star Levinson was known for her rebellious nature Reservation. Though looking at her, you'd might not believe it. But June knew how intense she could be, they had been friends since diapers, Star's own mother had been the one to get Daphne and Charlie together.

"Star?" June echoes, making Leah nod. "Oh, yeah she told me something about that. She felt really bad about, introducing you to Sam—"

"I told her she couldn't have known," Leah assured. "But she said it had been a while since y'all hung out, too?"

"Unfortunately, works been kicking my ass and cheer practice is every night," June frowned then smiled. "But I guess should we be starting our own jorts club too?"

"Oh, God no," Leah shook her head. "Apparently Jared Cameron is all over her lately, she says she wants to get rid of him? I don't know if she means seriously or —"

         June laughs, "Uh does Jared have a death wish or something? Because knowing Star, she meant it."

"She poured a milkshake over his head the other day and he said thank you, Star, for sharing your milkshake with me." Leah deadpans.

June laughs again, louder, picturing Jared saying that and Star, merciless as she is, glaring at him. "Oh my god, what even?" She giggled as she tried to catch her breath. "Well, Jared's cool at least. They could be good together?"

"Maybe, if he's not a super rat like Sam." Leah rolled her eyes.

June nodded. "Anyway, iconic, I gotta love my girl."

"We should all hang soon," Leah offers, her eyes still hardened but not as much as before. "Star, Elodie, you and me. Even my cousin, Lyanna, and she's sorta iffy on the whole Emily thing too. It be nice to show the Reservation I'm not dwelling on anything, as they think."

"Glad I don't live there," June frowned. "I'm prone to explosive music playing and frequent anxiety, they'd think I'm heartbroken or something. But sure, damn, I'm excited. Name a more iconic quintet? You can't. Wait, maybe the Rolling Stones or Radiohead but that's another thing entirely."

   Leah smiles at her fondly, "I missed you, June."

"Missed you, too." June admits. "Oh, and stay safe. There's a bunch of people going missing and stuff, it's giving me the chills."

"You take care, too." Leah tells her earnestly, getting her good and smiling as she walked to the door and waved.

            June smiles to herself as she watches Leah leave. She was one of the strong ones; she should've known better than to think Leah would be crying and holed up in her room. Star Levinson and Elodie Littlesea had always been apart of their little group, and now Lyanna Young, a Makah Tribe girl, was pulled into the mix. June quite liked that mix; they sounded like some degenerate beauty queens, or the combination of their names could stir some sort of reaction in people's minds. Whatever the case, June thought as she poured coffee for a sweet old man, if Sam wanted to assemble his own little power crowd that monitor the Rez then June would come back with a vengeance. Her quintet already outnumbered Sam's pathetic little trio who thought themselves the muscle of the Rez. June smirked. She loves trouble.

•—•—•—•

JUNE WAS OFF OF WORK ALREADY AND IT was decided that since Bella was going to be late, in Port Angeles and all, that Charlie would just come over from the diner after work. It was already a quarter until eight, way past his usual work schedule but still Joaquin their cook was happy to whip up something for them, particularly some steaks and burgers, June and Charlie's favorite. There was minimal customers so late, just a few locals and even a tourist or two. By this time the elderly were gone and off to sleep so she was pretty bored because she didn't have any stories about the changing times to be sucked into. June was hanging her apron up when she saw his cop car pull into the parking lot; smiling, she went to the kitchen and thanked Joaquin for the food, putting her tips for the day in his tip counter. What was a rich dead girl anyway? Just dead. The cook smiled brilliantly at her and she felt her skin warm up knowing that he would only indulge his children with that money.

             Charlie came in through the door, tired looking as usual but he lit up when he saw his youngest daughter rushing to hug him, "Hey there, June-Bug. Good day?"

"Slower than usual," June admitted as she hugged him. She pulled away and pointed to the table on the side. "But cool, I'm taking it slow after all."

Charlie, seemingly satisfied, nodded as he went over to the table and sat down. "Anything chat worthy?" He grinned, sensing that his daughter was wanting to tell him something.

     "Leah came in today."

"Harry's little girl?" Charlie asked, grabbing his fork and knife and cutting into his steak.

"She's older than me, dad."

"All daughters are little girls in their dads eyes," Charlie smiled his simple smile. June smiled back. "But really, she came? Thought you said she was avoiding you or something?"

     "She was, but only because of Sam," June reasoned. "Which I get, totally, he's my cousin and all and she automatically assumed I was on his side."

Charlie sighed with a shake of his head, "Yeah, Harry told me what he knew about it. Said his sisters girls are on the Reservation, too, Emily and Lyanna, I think their names are."

     "Sam left Leah for Emily, did he know that?" June can't help but snip.

Charlie furrowed his brows, "He didn't mention it. Ain't any of my business and it shouldn't be yours, you hear? I don't want you getting into any of that, alright?"

       "Sam's my cousin," June protests. "Even if he is acting like a super rat. That makes it my business, somehow. I know it isn't really but ... Leah's been there for me longer than Bella has. I just want to be there for her now."

"Yeah but no one would've ever thought Bella and you spent years apart," The happiness returns in her father's eyes. "Y'all got along just fine, you two are as thick as thieves now."

         June smiles at that. She was glad people thought Bella and she were close, because they were. Bella was June's hero, her big sister, her closest-confidant. June doesn't want to remember a time without Bella but there was a time without her, unfortunately. In that time, Leah was her hero and her big sister and closest confidant. That didn't change but Bella was her blood and Leah was somehow too, Sue being a Uley before she was a Clearwater but that was a headache to thing about when it came to bloodlines. Whatever the case Leah had always been there for her and it was time that she return the favor.

          "But Leah needs me dad," June says softly. "Not really, Leah's doesn't really need anyone, but ..."

"Sam's okay with this?" Charlie looks disgruntled.

June frowns, "Why should care if that super rat is okay with me being friends with Leah?"

Charlie chuckles a bit at her words, "Super rat?"

"Yeah," June shrugged. "Some men are rats and then there's some that are super rats — Sam is the latter."

He shook his head as if he didn't want to know where she got that from, "I only mean, have you gotten his side to all of this?"

"Well, no," June said. "But he never has time for anymore anyway, there's no way to hear his side. He's with his little brotherhood of the traveling jorts."

Charlie softened, "Do you miss him?"

June doesn't know why that matters but she finds herself thinking about it. Sure she missed Sam. She missed Friday's after Leah and he would sit in the sidelines and clap for her as she cheered and screamed with all her eternal teen spirit. She missed the way they'd all be in his truck and Leah would put on Gwen Stefani and they'd sing at the top of their lungs while Sam shook his head as he drove but had a smile on his face and would kiss Leah's hand when he thought no one was looking. June missed Sam picking her up from school and taking her out to eat or to his house and they'd watch movies or help her aunt Allison bake some sweets she found the recipe for online. She missed it, she realized. She missed her cousin. His absences hadn't hit her because she had been up her own ass this whole time ... she didn't know how much she had lost.

June feels choked up when she says, "Yeah, I miss him. But like I said it's not like he cares. He's older, he doesn't have time for his fifteen year old little cousin to be tagging along with him."

Charlie paused in his eating and leaned back in his chair, "Ah, baby, I'm sorry. Really, I am. I wish I could ... I don't know, go down and figure what's going on but every time I do that Billy and them are there just saying Sam his friends are protecting the Rez and that's it's a full time job."

June hums, "Oh, the danger the Rez is in right?" She says sarcastically. "Anyway, if Sam wants to be that way he can. I've assembled my own Quileute crew, a quintet in fact. Anti-rats and super rats edition, comprised of myself and Leah and Elodie and Lyanna Young and Star Levinson."

Charlie inwardly groans, setting down his fork and knife, rubbing his face. "Oh, June, you're a handful you know that? Star Levinson? You know how many times we've been called up to the Rez in regards to some shenanigans she pulls?"

June beams, "I know, ain't she a darling?"

Charlie sighs, "She's trouble."

"She's a Scorpio. She's fun. Or homicidal. Or both."

"Trouble."

"Mom loves her. Fiona Levinson and mom were best friends!" June protested, more slyly, she adds, "And word is that Fiona Levinson was the one who hooked you and mom up. So, you see, like mother like daughter!"

"I'd much rather you hang with Billy's son." Charlie says and doesn't look her in the eye when he says the words. "He's a good influence. Nice kid, Billy raised him good – easy on the eyes, too, like his mother."

June narrowed her eyes at her dad suspiciously. "Is this really about Star being a bad influence?"

Charlie relents with a higher voice than usual when he says, "Oh, no, well I think you and Jacob might have something good —"

"There it is." June sighed, knowing the answer, taking a bite out of her burger and then suddenly seeing a bunch of jerseys outside the window and notices its Mike Newton and most of the football team.

Charlie notices her gaze and nods, "Looks like your friends are flagging you."

June turns again and sees Tyler and Mike and Lee dancing goofily to the music playing from their truck stereos. Mike stops his dance abruptly when Tyler punches his shoulder and nods to June watching, giggling behind her hand as Charlie looks down at his steak awkwardly. Mike waves. June smiles.

"See the Newton boy still has eyes for you," Charlie says with a wince. "Thought you let him down with a rhyme or something?"

June nods, "He's nice. A nice friend to have, he understands but I think there's still hope that I'll maybe I don't know ... go back to him?"

"He's better than most of the yahoos in this town anyway," Charlie comments with a shrug. "Besides Jacob of course; but if not any of them, anyone else catch your eye—"

"Dad, you really wanna talk about boys?" June lets out a breathy laugh and her eyes shine. "With me? I thought getting me to drive was the first goal?"

Charlie opens his mouth and then shuts it, nodding as he goes back to eating, "Yeah I guess so."

They eat without talking, watching the news from the old television in the corner until they're almost done when Charlie's work phone rings out, disturbing the peace. By this time, June looks back and sees that Mike and all of them are long gone and only turns back to dad when she hears him sit up quickly. June watches as Charlie's face falls immediately with whatever words are being spewed into his ear and she automatically assumes the worst. Bella. It has to be, he only looked that crestfallen whenever it had to do with them. But for some insane and strange reason, June finds herself hearing the phone call even thought Charlie rushes out the door and stands outside, the voice of a fellow officer ringing in her ears.

" ... found his body at his boating dock. Coroner said he's been there for hours ... his wife found him ... Waylon's been confirmed dead ..."

June feels the floor swipe out front under her; Waylon? Waylon Forge? Not her dads best friend. Not him. Not the man who she regarded as an uncle for all intents and purposes, who dressed up as Santa for Christmas and gave out little bottles with candy canes inside them. She had saw him a day ago with the brightest smile and his wife Maura by his side ordering some steaks. But there it was again; the strangeness, the super hearing blaring out in her mind. She looked down at her palms immediately and let out a sigh of relief when she saw they weren't glowing. Her dad hung up the call and rushed inside, his face pale and his eyes sullen.

"June? Sweetheart, we gotta go down to the station, now." He said frantically and she nodded, rushing up and taking his hand. "Let's go, come on."

"Dad?" She called out but Charlie didn't turn to face her. "Dad! Dad, what's–hey! What's happening?"

Charlie stopped in his tracks, turning to her. "Waylon's been attacked. He's gone. They think it's the same animal from Mason County, he didn't make it ..." He says and chokes up a bit. He regains his strength momentarily when June comes up and hugs him tightly. "You know you girls are all I have."

June hugs him a but tighter, hoping tears don't fall. He'll have Bella, she reminds herself. It's a mantra. She has to believe Charlie will be okay when she's gone ... he'll have her sister, he won't be alone. She knows Charlie won't shed a tear over Waylon, his pride is too much and he's in front of his daughter, so he won't. Which June thought was ridiculous — men could cry too and she wished Charlie wasn't raised in such a time where they taught boys that emotions were only for girls. June says nothing the whole ride to the station as they pull in. There's ambulances there and about ten other cop cars and the bright blue and red lights temporarily blind her sight until they park.

Charlie gets out, "I'll be back." Then he's running off into the station.

June looks down at her palms, suddenly seeing the faint glow of them rise, flickering like an ember on a fireplace. June looks up for some reason, yanking down the mirror. She gasps loudly when she sees her usual blue eyes glowing the same topaz as her palms. She shuts them and hopes she doesn't cry and by the time she opens them again, they're normal, the extraordinary blue she knew. June jumps in her place when she hears a car door next to her slam shut — she recognizes the car, the shiny Volvo, all too well. But she's doesn't understand why it's there, why Edward Cullen is at the station. She only gets all the more curious when she sees Bella get out of the passenger seat.

Undoing her seatbelt she gets out of the car, too. "Bella!" June calls out.

Her big sister turns and stops in surprise, rushing over to hug her, most likely seeing her expression. "June," Bella says breathlessly. "Oh my god, Edward was driving me home when we saw the lights and I saw Charlie's car and I thought the worst—"

"Juniper." Edward says immediately, his eyes frantic or something. He relaxes visibly when he sees her. "You're alright?"

June nods, frowning a bit. "Yeah, I'm okay. Why?"

"Like your sister said, we thought the worst." Edward gulps visibly, his golden eyes trained on her blue ones. He continued, "All the police cars and my father being here along with yours."

"No, I'm good," June nods slowly then smiles at the concern, "You invited him to Port Angeles?" She asks Bella, a bit softly, a bit happy. Maybe the universe wasn't working against her after all.

"I was in the area," Edward says, his face looking like he caught her passing thought. "I offered to give your sister a ride home."

"Of course you did," June says, then reaches for his hand but yanks it back almost immediately when she feels the icy temperature of it. She blinks and feels her palms warming, no, no, not right now. She makes her hands into fists. "Ever the gentleman ..."

"What's going on?" Bella takes the attention suddenly, anxious. "Why is Edward's dad here—"

"Bella, Waylon Forge is dead." June says simply, numbly. "Dad and he were friends for a really long time."

Dr. Cullen comes out from the station and looks at the trio in front of him. His vision linger on the way his sons eyes never stray from June Swan's face and finds himself sighing. He walked down the steps and his son immediately met him with urgent eyes, knowing eyes.

"Carlisle," Edward calls him. "How—?"

"Animal attack." Carlisle replies quickly.

Bella shivers next to June, holding her hand, "The same one from Mason County?" She asks and Carlisle nods at her question. She stiffens. "It's getting closer to town then."

June can sense something by the way Carlisle and Edward exchange glances and tugs her sisters hand, wanting to far from them for some reason, "We should go see dad, Bells."

Carlisle nods, "I think that's best. Goodnight to both of you."

June smiles back, or gives a semblance of a smile to them as she pulls Bella into the station. She can feel Bella's eyes on her back, surely she caught the way that June yanked her hand away from the feel of Edwards inhumanly cold one. On their way up the steps, Waylon's body is rolled out, his bare feet, his bare and cold and dead foot peeking from the body bag. It was blue in color, absent of any warmth, any life, like some kind of cold one ... cold ... cold one. June blinks as she feels her palms heating up, looking back to Bella who follows her all the way into the station where they find their dad in his office.

Charlie is sitting in the dark, one lone lamp lighting the way and showing the deeply fallen look on his aged face. Their dad looks up at them, "Girls."

June takes his hand. It's warm.

note: 🌚🌚🌚 another shoutout to firenations with her oc lyanna who, is apart of the unofficial/official quintet of Quileute girls ;---))) and shameless self promo of my oc Star Connolly who is Jared's imprint and basically, she's April Ludgate from parks and rec 2.0 but less extreme or maybe even more???? yikes???? and 👀📝🔍 June's starting to connect the MF dots