『 CHAPTER vi: F*CK YOU UNIVERSE 』

THE GIRL LIVING IN THE QUAINT TWO story home sometimes wondering if life looked at her from wherever it looked at her, paused a bit, and said: yeah, let's fuck up her plans. Because that's what June sure felt the universe was doing to her. June had such a great plan, such a marvelous fucking plan to get Edward Cullen and her sister, Bella Swan, together. Sure it was a sorta immoral kinda way to get them together, the way she thought it out. In the short month she had gotten to know Edward, she summed up his teen angst to just the normal you need to get laid kinda vibe. June happily offered Bella as said stress reliever. But again, fuck you universe, because it decided haha, you thought to whatever June planned and threw it away and replaced it with Edward making it some issue not to talk to Bella the entire class period she had him for and then proceed to not show up for two weeks.

What. The. Fuck. June felt defeated, especially when Bella said, "I'm gonna ask him what his problem is."

June winced, "Really?"

"Yeah," Bella seemed determined. "It's like he was repulsed by me, June. He was literally inching away from. Like I smelled like rotten fish or something."

"Well, do you use feminine wipes—?"

"Juniper!"

"Okay, okay!" June laughs. "Sorry. Not funny. But I don't know... Edward's not usually like that. I mean, his siblings are fine."

"I know, but they stare daggers at me though," Bella whined. "I've never spoken one word to them!"

June tapped her lip in thought. "Hmmm. I wonder. Find out his birthday, maybe he's a Gemini." She says. "Like my mom, she usually likes to give the silent treatment than say it what's actually wrong with her."

    "I don't think it has to do with zodiac signs," Bella says with a sigh. "More on the he's just being an asshole side."

"Could be." June shrugged. She wouldn't doubt it. While Edward was gone, it had suddenly seemed that the rest of his family didn't care for her.

            The bell rang over their heads and the sisters shared a look. "I got Bio, so, I'm ready for another no-show of him." Bella tells her.

June pinches her cheeks, "Give 'em hell if he's there, Bella." She says and winks at her older sister. "Or something else. You know, all good relationships begin in hate—wait where are you going? Oh you're leaving to class, okay bye—!"

June pulls her bag up more and starts to head to class when she sees Rosalie and Alice by their lockers, talking together. They hadn't said much to her since Edward went all MIA and June wasn't the type to some groupie with the Cullen's so she had kept her distance as well too because she wasn't best friends with them and she didn't need to spend every waking moment with them or wonder what they were doing. June, like most people she thinks, usually tends to avoid any and all uncomfortable situations or conversations by walking by and pretending like she didn't see said persons. But as she said, the universe was fucking her over and decided that she was going to the talk to the Hale girl and the Cullen girl.

"June!" Alice chirped brightly.

        June turned at the sound of her name, smiling at the girl who's grin was infectious, "Hey, Alice." Her eyes flickered to Rosalie. "Rosalie. Nice to talk to you two after a few weeks." Fuck, June, way to sound bitter you dumbass—

"We wanted to keep our distance," Rosalie replies smoothly, her golden eyes almost as pale as her hair. "My brother told us your sister was here, we didn't want to keep you from her."

   "Truthfully, I'm done with her," June jokes and it earns a smile from both of them. "Kidding. But yeah, my sister is here — she's super cool."

Rosalie nods, holding her notebook to her chest as she tucks a pale strand of hair behind her ear. "That's good to hear, June. How've you been then?"

          June realized she was going to be late for debate and if there was one thing June loved more than pop tarts, it was debating and arguing until people saw her point. Because her point was good. But Rosalie didn't seem to be making small talk, it was as if she was genuinely interested in the mediocre life that June lived and couldn't wait to end. Rosalie was too damn ethereal to stare for too long without feeling like a sewer rat but that was an insult to a sewer rat on how small June felt.

"I've been good," June nods then grins. "Working and practice and waving my hands in the air on Fridays like I just don't care."

    Alice laughs, "You're the best at it."

"Not caring? Probably." June smiles widely.

Rosalie hums, her face contorted into some kind of desperate longing, "I'm very sorry for my evasion from you for the last two weeks, June." She said out of nowhere.

Alice glances at her sister in a way that June took as a way of saying you alright girl? But there was something genuinely pleading about Rosalie's voice, like she was desperate to know that June wasn't mad or cross with her.

"Rose, it's fine," June said sweetly. "Honest. I kept my distance too because well I didn't want to a groupie all up in your business."

  Rosalie gives her a smile of relief, "That's good to hear, June. I was really worried that you thought we were avoiding you, but we weren't, really—"

June decides then that she's being genuine and reaches over and takes Rosalie's hand in her own. The coldness of it should've jolted June but it's like June's fire like warmth spread to Rosalie in that simple touch and for a moment, Rosalie swore she could see some kind of color besides the usual porcelain in her own hand.

"Water under the bridge," June says simply. "I gotta go, debate class is my game and I never lose. But I'll see you guys at lunch, yeah?"

Alice answered because Rosalie was still in some kind of a paralysis from June's warm touch, "See you, June."

June nods them and walks off, but Rosalie can only stare after her, wondering what cruel thing she could've done in the last fifty years to earn this torture in the form of a walking dead girl with the face of her best friend. Alice looked at Rosalie's tortured features, the way her rosebud lips parted in some sort of unspoken way. Alice remembered the life that Rosalie had in her eyes when she was still was alive, they were both dead now but Rosalie always had been, but that girl's spirit had somehow awoken life into Alice's sister.

"She even feels like her," Rosalie murmured.

Alice sighed softly, a natural thing to do even if there was no need to breathe in air. "But she's not her, Rose—"

"I know that," Rosalie nods, staring down at her hands that were now their usual pale alabaster. "For June Swan's sake," Her gold eyes meet Alice's in a tender and broken way. "Let's hope she isn't anything like Melanie Capote."

•—•—•—•—•

LUNCH ROLLED AROUND QUICK AND JUNE was stopped by Bella in between classes prior, and told her how Edward was back and had finally spoken to her. June saw the starry eyed way that Bella said his name and the unusual prodding he had been doing like asking her why she moved here and how June and she were half-sisters exactly. June was nodding her what to everything Bella was rambling about because damn, maybe the universe wasn't going against her on this plan and maybe she could pull off some kind of matchmaking when it came to wonder boy Edward and her adorable ( also adorkable) older sister. June was happy to hear that Edward had explained he was sorry for his evasiveness as well and she internally frowned and wondered if the Cullen's huddled together and said okay let's tell those Swan bitches were sorry we ignored them blah blah blah but knew that couldn't be it, they didn't even seem they had time or embers townsite talking crap about anyone.

               June entered the lunch room to see that Angela and Jessica were nowhere in sight but remembered how Jess had texted her in the morning that she a dentist appointment and Angela said she was gonna stay in class to finish am English paper. An otherwise dull lunch was brought up by the lunch ladies saying they saved her a plate of tater tots. June beamed.

Her eyes caught Alice and Rosalie as she looked for her sister, the former waving her over. She smiles as she reached their table, "Hey, hey," June chimes.

Alice smiled. "June," she greeted.

"So where's your boyfriends/brothers at?" June joked as she sat down and began picking up a carrot to eat.

Rosalie opened her mouth to say something but June saw her eyes flicker behind her. June turned, still munching on her tater-tots. It was then she saw Edward Cullen. Her future brother in law, so June planned already in her mind.

        Nevertheless, June smiled up at him. "Well, well, if it isn't the one and the only Candy Man." She teased, hoping to get a reaction out of him. "Say his name and he shall appear."

Edward blinked at her, "June." More hesitantly he asks. "I met your sister, formally, and we talked. But I have a feeling she already told you—?"

June nodded with a grin he furrowed his brows at. "That's what sisters are for, telling juicy stuff and whatnot." June knew Bella was probably gonna freak about what she was gonna do next. She glanced up at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "So what was your problem with her anyway?"

                Edward raised a brow, taken aback, but not really as if he knew she would act this way. "I didn't have a problem with your sister."

"She seemed to think you did," June says as Alice and Rosalie laugh. "Something about you being all douchey the first time she had class with you."

              Edward grinned as he took a seat, shifting it so that he sat backwards on it with his chest to the back of the chair, "I've been known on occasion to be unfavorable. You'll learn the more time you spend with me."

June smiles back, nodding, "Um, thanks but no thanks. If you're gonna the mayor of doucheville I rather kick it with Rose and Alice — we'll basically be an unstoppable force, the brains and the hotness and the sweetness."

              Edward rolled his eyes as of saying yeah okay whatever and went to grab a chip from her and tossed it in his mouth, in return, June playfully him in the chest; causing him to groan in surprise of June's strength, making Alice chuckle behind her hand.

Rosalie's face was amused, "Edward's more interest in your sister, anyway. That leaves you June, all to us." She says with a pointed look at her brother.

    "I apologize if my behavior upset you and your sister, by the way," Edward says, his golden irises sincere and making her stare to him. "It wasn't my intention to cause any discord."

"No discord, just mixed signals and my sister writing up drafts of speeches she was gonna give you but I'm guessing that didn't happen," June laughs as Edward shakes his head, answering her question. "Anyway, where's Emmett and Jasper?" June asked, plopping another fry in her mouth. "I kinda felt like joking with them today."

Edward was the one who answered, but he just shrugged, sucking in a beath. "School food is not their thing, they went to get a bite." He smiled secretly to his sisters who rolled their eyes.

            June could understand the statement, as she only ate the burger and fries and nothing else. But she was broke as a joke and she didn't have a car or truck and she didn't even know how to drive nor did she think she had the patience nor the energy to leave school to get something to eat because in all honestly, she'd most likely end up skipping and going home to sleep or something. Another reason why she didn't want to learn to drive, she wanted to spend as much time as a studious little Saint before she kicked the bucket.

June reached down to grab another tater-tot, only to find she finished them. She turned and saw the lunch line was so far away. She looked back and gave Edward a sugary sweet smile that he narrowed his eyes at. "Edward, since we're all friends now again and you're all nice and gentlemanly — go get me more fries pretty please." June said boldly, gesturing to the line.

                               She expected Edward to scoff or something but instead, he got up and strolled towards the lunch line, getting her tater-tots and a few packets of ketchup. June looked up at him in surprise.

He gave her a smile and sat back down. "For the princess, June Swan."

       "I'm a queen, handsome." June corrected. "And thanks."

"Of course, excuse my mistake your excellency," Edward teased.

          June beamed and then felt her phone buzz. She grabbed it from her jacket pocket and saw it was a text from Bella: —HAVE INTERVIEW @ NEWTON'S NEED TO LEAVE ASAP AFTER LUNCH. LOVE U. June looked across the lunch room to see that Mike was staring at her, curiously, most likely wondering what she was doing sitting with the Cullen's. She tried her best to give him a smile and he returned it, albeit half heartedly, and then looked down at his food. June knew she should be going over and thanking him for considering her offer of getting Bella that job that she knew her sister needed. But she could even fathom speaking to Mike without wanting to burst into guilty tears and weep; she should've never gone out with him in the first place. She cursed herself for thinking it was a good idea at the time, he was a year older than her only but still, he was small town and June didn't ever want to be the significant other of another small town guy.

"Mike Newtons keeps glaring," Rosalie's voice says, her chin gutting to where Mike was still watching. "Does he think we kidnapped you?"

   "He thinks June needs saving from us," Edward laughs a bit, making Alice roll her eyes and June give him a look. Edward glanced at her. "Poor guy, he'll never stop loving, you will he?"

"I feel guilty," June voices her thoughts. "It's not his fault he wears his heart on his sleeve — it's my fault that I use and abuse people until they don't benefit me anymore."

Mischievously, Edward asks, "Can we expect that?"

"No," June says immediately. "I just ... I got scared with Mike. I was getting to comfortable. I was settling."

    Rosalie frowns, she looked genuinely offended, "Oh, what's wrong with that?"

"It's not me," June shakes her head. "My mom settles. My dad does, too. Almost everyone I know has settled for less and I don't ever want to be that less."

            "Sometimes settling is good," Rosalie rebukes lightly, but she can see the argument in her eyes. "Sometimes normal is good. It's better, safer and all." 
               
June nods, agreeing. "It is. Sometimes. And mostly people who don't live normal lives say that."

Rosalie hums, "I feel immortal. My life won't ever change." She says almost sadly. "I'm afraid I've lived almost too much of extraordinary."

June ponders that, "We're all meant for something."

        Alice nods, throughly thinking, she leans her petite arms on the table and smirks at June, "And what do you think you're meant for, June Swan?"

Oh, the answer. I'm meant to die, is the right answer. And the smile she gives them is close to heaven. June Swan has been told she was meant to die since she was ten years old, when her grandmother told her steadily without hesitation, she wouldn't live forever. So June was meant to die, is what she should've said. She was meant to be an eternal fifteen or sixteen year old, a eternal teen basically, wrapped up in Chanel inside her coffin with people weeping over a pretty dead face and staring at her pretty dead eyes that were never ever gonna have a chance of opening again. June senses they're waiting for her answer so she just sighs, smiling her sweetest smile and says, even though she does:

"Who knows?"

•—•—•—•

JUNE AND BELLA WALK SIDE BY SIDE OUT the building as they make their way to Bella's truck. June and she talk about their day and how Edward turned sour then sweet like some damn sour patch gummies and June was sorta already getting a vibe that being a matchmaker was gonna be a fucking pain in the behind. They stayed outside the car and kept talking about random things and how they thought that Bella's interview at the Sporting Goods Store was gonna go and how June was probably gonna go to work around five anyway, so to stop by instead of Bella making dinner of all of them. June quite loved the little routine that her family had gotten into — Charlie worked while Bella and June went to school, they all gathered usually at dinner with a meal that Bella made because she was a great cook ( not to brag ) and then either went to work again or upstairs or watched the game with their dad if he didn't go.

"—so I'll probably be late tomorrow," June trails off.

      Bella looks at her, "You're gonna go visit your grandmother after all?"

June sighed. She had to. She needed some kind of answer as to why on random times her palms heated up and how she made a plant come back to life, "Think so. Maybe tomorrow."

"I can take you if you want," Bella offers kindly.

June nods, her eyes filling up with gratitude, "Just so long as you don't tell dad. He ... well more my mom doesn't me visiting me grandma Iris."

        Bella puts her backpack on the hood and puts in a paper in it, zipping it closed after. "Why not?" She questioned. 

June sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as it fell from her ponytail. "Because she's old and kinda insane and she says things aloud that people think but shouldn't say, you know? Old people stuff."

   "And your mom doesn't like that?" Bella says with a small laugh. "How is Daphne, anyway? I remember her, she always used to do my hair because I never knew how and she'd give like, the best hugs too."

June feels a sharp pain thinking about her mom. Daphne had been with boyfriend number five since last Christmas — she didn't come home at all for the holidays and she knew Charlie was pretty upset about that. But above all, June missed her mom. She missed her hugs, that were the best ever, and the kindness and warmth in Daphne's eyes when she listened to June ramble about anything; but June knew why her mother was so distant, why she hated it here. June understood clearly, even if the pain was too much at times. Daphne Uley didn't want to watch her only child die.

    "She's in Texas," June answers stiffly. "With her boyfriend Gavin, who is a cowboy, as I assumed. He had some big ranch and he's rich and stuff. My mom says she's getting bored of him and barbecue though, so maybe she'll come home soon."

Bella smiles, her back to the road as she shoves her headphones in her backpack as well. June gets into the passenger seat as she waits for Bella to get in. She glanced up to see some of Cullen's were piling out of the building, opening their umbrellas and heading towards their cars where the rest waited for them. June was plugging in her iPod into the auxiliary cord when she glanced up again, suddenly seeing a flash of black before she realizes it was Tyler Crowley's van chucking out of control and straight towards the truck. June's eyes widened and her heart dropped as she realized that Bella was still by the hood of the truck, stuffing her books in.

   "BELLA!" June screamed when she heard a horn honk with wide eyes and horrified voice.

          June didn't know what happened next but all she felt was the truck be tapped roughly and she shook in her seat. Shakily, she rushed out of the truck and rounded the front to see Bella on the ground, uninjured and staring at the van that was inches from her face and could've crushed her.

"Bella!" June dropped to her knees, her older sister facing her with wide eyes as she pulled her into her arms. "Fuck—fuck are you okay?! Are you hurt—"

Bella hugged her back tightly. "June, no, hey I'm fine." She assured, just thankful that June was there at the moment and not the one who was almost crushed alive. "I'm fine."

     June nodded and saw Bella had a faint cut from something; she unconsciously went forward and touched her sisters forehead, watching in the familiar horror-slash-fascination she had grown used to when it came to weird shit happening to her, as her sisters cut vanished so clearly Bella wouldn't have known if she had a cut or not. Bella blinked at her, not knowing what she did before she was pulling Ito her arms again. June started hearing voices upon voices flood her ears; concerned students and their friend who had watched the whole ordeal happened before their eyes were calling June and Bella's names to see if they were okay. June heard the cops were on their way and an ambulance but all June needed was some fucking space. June looked back to Bella, who was staring at the very noticeable dent on the van — her brows furrowed when she looked at Bella again and reaffirmed her conclusion that she wasn't hurt.

               Tyler Crowley had a bloody cut on his eyebrow when he rolled down the window and spoke breathless, "Bella, I'm so sorry, I tried to stop." He looks to June. "Both of you alright?"

Bella answers a simple we're fine but June doesn't feel too fine mentally and psychologically but physically she's fucking great. Otherwise, no. She can hear the sirens rushing towards them in the distance and she can already imagine the frantic mess their dad was about to be when he hears, her mom even more when he's surely call her. For some reason, as if on instinct, she turned around, as the answer would be elsewhere — only to be met with the contemplative faces of the Cullen family, who stared back at her before closing their umbrellas and getting in their cars. June stared back at the dent and felt a swirling go in her head as she tried to comprehend the almost death of her older sister right before her eyes; she felt the familiar stinging in her palms and willed it to go away.

June looked down to see her arm was covered in a strange veiny bruise, tender to the touch. She pulled her jacket sleeve over it as she saw the ambulance pull up into the parking lot — the universe loved fucking with her.

note: shit heating up like my mixtape 🔥🔥 lmao im so lame,,,,but yeah shits going fast bc well, it's a jacob story and bella has her own stuff with eduardo and I don't want to spend too much time on the cullens since it'll just be replacing bella's plot and ehhh so yeah, fast. i kighkey want it to be new moon already.