❝ addictive plants.❞

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"Mom, I'm home!" June shouted in the big, empty halls.

Her mother, the infamous Lucy McKennan, ran to the railing on the first floor, the hallway was open like that, so June could easily see her.

"Hey, sweetie!" Lucy jogged down the stairs to hug her daughter, "How was school? Did you have a good day?"

June let go of her, "Yeah, t'was good. There's this new guy, Ace, I had to show him around."

Lucy nodded her head while smirking, "And this uh, Ace. Is he hot?"

The younger McKennan laughed as she walked passed her mother to go to the kitchen, "I guess. He's got nice eyes." she complimented him.

"Always them eyes with you, huh?" Lucy teased, "Also, nearly forgot to tell you. Your dad asked if you could come to the pharmacy as soon as you got out of school."

Basically, the pharmacy was just a pretty word for her dad's weed plantation. He used to trade cars as one of the best in the world, but his business died down.

To cover up the fact that he was a failure, he started selling drugs under an undercover name. He'd grow the weed himself, but the other kinds of drugs usually got bought in by another dealer.

Most of the time, June had to be the one getting the stash. The house wasn't far away, just on the other side of Lover's lake.

June loved her dad, but it was safe to say he was a druggie. The moment he started selling the drugs, he started using them as well. He kept using them so much, he was quite literally hijgh all the time.

"I'll check what he wants." she murmured before walking out.

"Don't do anything stupid, honey!" Lucy called after her, it was conversations like these that made her not hate her mother.

She was extremely controlling, but she could be so sweet. June couldn't hate her.

She went into the big garden and all the way to the back where a smaller (yet still big) wooden house was built. Walking inside it was warmer, way warmer. The roof had been made of glass for the light to come through. The cannabis plants were everywhere, as if someone tried to fit in as many as possible.

"Dad?" June boomed, hoping her father would hear her. She knew he was in here, "Mom said you wanted me here?"

A noise came from a closed door, she knew her father's so called office to be there. She called for her father once again, but no voices were heard, only sounds.

June sighed, she pushed the door open to see her father sitting at his desk with a joint in his hand.

His red eyes met hers just a few seconds too late, his daughter knew how intoxicated he was by the first look at him.

"Hello, Juniper." he dragged, completely in his own world, "I wanted to show you something new I got."

June sighed, she hated how he used her full name when he was high. Every time Matthew would buy a new plant, he'd call her over to look at it when she had zero interest in it.

"I don't want to see your new plants, dad.." she ran a hand over her face, stopping at her nose to pinch it.

He pulled a box from under his desk regardless, it had been opened before, but it hadn't been unpacked yet.

She gasped in shock when he didn't pull out a new plant, but a brand new, still shining rifle.

He held it up high in the air, "Look at how cool it is!" he yowled, waving the rifle in the air before putting it back down to fill it up with bullets.

Once he had the bullets correctly inside, he took it in his hands again, now starting to aim at things without shooting, "I just need some training.." he muttered before pointing the rifle at June.

June knew she couldn't blame him, he had no idea what he was doing and he wouldn't remember any of it when the drugs wore out, but she would remember it, for a long time.

She started tearing up a little out of fear, "Dad, stop, you're scaring me."

"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." he assured her, but when she was about to let out a sigh of relief, he pulled the trigger.

Fortunately for June, her mother had followed her into the pharmacy and had pulled her away just in time for her not to get shot as Matthew cackled. He was so far gone.

June breathed heavily, the adrenaline caused tears flowing down her cheeks. She whipped her head around at the man taking another drag from his joint, "You.. you shot at me.. You shot at me!" she yelled.

He stared at her, his eyes not showing any emotion, "I'm hungry." he suddenly stated, he threw the joint on the floor and walked to the door. Matthew stopped at the door, turning around once more, "When's dinner?"

"Soon, honey." Lucy tried to get him away, still hanging over her panicked daughter. Her hand stroked her cheek, "I'm so sorry, I had no idea he bought that."

The reason Lucy followed her daughter in the first place was to watch her and her father communicate, but the second she saw the rifle in combination with his state, she knew it wouldn't end well.

"I'll be in my room." June croaked and fled to the first floor. She ran inside her room and locked her door before throwing her bag on the floor and sliding down the floor, letting out more sobs as she did so.

She got up to aggressively stomp against the side of her bed. It was an attempt of letting out any anger, but it didn't help much. She grabbed her pillow and started hitting the sheets with it, but when she heard something crack loudly yet distant, she stopped.

Along with the crack, a strange feeling inside of her came up, it was if something wanted to get out, but was contained inside of her. June looked around, trying to find the source of the crack, but it was nowhere to be found.

She looked out of her window to the tree that had been there ever since she could remember standing outside. The tree was completely split in half like it had just been hit by lightning, mainly because it was still burning slightly. June furrowed her brows, it hadn't stormed in days.

She stayed in her room that day, confused and scared, her mother called on her for dinner and later on nearly forced her to open her door, but she didn't budge. June needed to be alone, she wanted to sleep, she wanted peace.

➼➼➼

Next day at school, June was quieter than usual, at every small encounter she shook up. She tried hiding it and it worked with most people.

After the cheer practice, she was packing her bag which was on top of one of the benches in the gym. Luca had already left, she gave some excuse about a test she had to study for, but June knew she had plans to bang someone. Again.

Chrissy approached her cautiously, "Hey," her soft voice made her turn around, "you seemed different today, is everything okay?"

June wanted to let out her tears, no one had asked her that in a long time, but she knew she couldn't do so. Not even with Chrissy, who she knew wouldn't judge her on it.

She cleared her throat, "I'm fine." she swung her bag over her shoulder, "It's probably in your head."

Though June had an appointment with Eddie, she saw the blonde's facials change as if she had more on her mind, "Why the long face?"

Chrissy looked up in surprise, she hadn't expected to hear those words out of her mouth, "It's my mom." she shared with a sad smile, "She's at it again."

She was contented that she was able to turn the attention to Chrissy's problems. She really didn't want to tell anyone about the say before. For the brunette, she tried to forget.

Chrissy was the only one she was ever real with and she loved her for not judging her.

"Well, you can tell her to fuck off." June joked, "I'm serious, Chris! She can't do this to you." she clapped her hands before pointing at the girl with a smile, "You should get her a man - or a woman, if she's into that - so she can get some action instead of blaming you."

June knew all about Chrissy's mother, the two had been each other's number one since middle school. Their mothers were best friends in college and continued to live close to each other after. That was until Luca moved to Hawkins and the two grew apart.

They remained friends, just not how they used to be.

June remembered how somewhere in middle school the two both wanted to become cheerleaders, so for a talent show they did a cheer performance.

It made Chrissy laugh, which was her intention, "In all seriousness, if you ever need to come by because of her, you can."

Chrissy wrapped her arms around June's posture, startling her, "Thank you." she spoke in her hair. She let go of her, but her hold on the brunette's shoulders stayed, "And you need to stop acting like a bitch."

"Oh, but I am a bitch." she teased, laughing slightly, "Which is why this conversation should be kept between us."

Chrissy ran her thumb and index finger over her mouth as if she was lacing it shut. She grabbed her bag from the ground before skipping away, her ponytail bouncing behind her.

June chuckled to herself, the two were the only ones in the gym, meaning she didn't have to pretend and it felt good.

Cheer practice was always two periods after the rest of the students left, but Eddie was willing to wait for her. In fact, he volunteered to wait.

When he saw her enter the parking lot, he immediately stood up from leaning on his car. He finally got a day with her, away from her friends. This was the day he had been waiting for for a long time.

"Hey!" he beamed as he walked over to the passenger's seat to open the door for her, "How was practice?"

"Same as usual." June replied, taking a seat in the old car, she nodded at him as a thank you for opening the door before snickering, "How was waiting?"

Before responding, Eddie rushed to the other side of the car to sit behind the wheel. He whipped his head in a joking way, revealing a boyish smile on his face, "It was worth it."

His eyes bored into her own, she raised a brow in shock making him bury his head in his long, brown hair in embarrassment, "I meant because of the assignment. Believe it or not, I need the grade more than you."

She chortled, "Sure thing, jock." June pointed at the steering wheel, "Just drive."

Eddie drove off of the parking lot while June started pushing buttons, trying to find the one for the radio.

Eddie's hand brushed over hers briefly as he assisted her in showing the button for the radio, "You like music?" he wished to know, June nodded, "What kind of music do you like?"

"Oh, you know, Queen, ABBA, the Smiths, Kate Bush." she thought of more bands, "I shock myself with this every day, but I like Iron Maiden? Black Sabbath?"

Eddie scoffed in a surprised way, "The Juniper McKennan, the most popular girl in Hawkins, is into Iron Maiden?" he glanced to his side, seeing her smiling at him.

"Yeah well, maybe I'm not who you think I am." she retorted totally serious. Once she realized what she said, she chuckled nervously, "Kidding, of course. You know who I am."

Eddie furrowed his brows, he knew what she meant and it broke his heart that she did this 24/7. He decided to ignore it, thinking they were not friends.

June vibed to the songs Eddie put on the radio while he repeatedly glanced at the girl next to him, smiling to himself at the view of her. She looked happier like that than usual.

June too kept glimpsing at the boy, she thought it was sweet how nice he was to her despite her friends making fun of him.

She had expected to feel the same as with everyone else, but for some reason - one she hadn't figured out herself yet - it felt natural for her to act like her normal self.

Unfortunately, the two never caught each other's looks and they were totally and utterly oblivious to the other's thoughts.

Once they arrived at the trailer park Eddie called home, he jumped out of his car to walk over to the other side and open June's door for her.

June briefly saw a redheaded girl on the opposite side of the road. She knew her to be Maxine Mayfield, or Max as she preferred. Luca had told her that she recently lost her brother and now completely shut herself off by always wearing headphones.

"Did you know she lived here?" she asked Eddie, her eyes fixated on Max' trailer.

"Who?" his eyes followed her gaze to the redhead throwing out empty cans of beer, "Oh, her. Yeah, she moved here about three months ago. No idea who she is."

June followed Eddie into his trailer as she spoke, "I don't blame you. Girl barely speaks."

She stood still in the middle of the trailer that was bigger than it looked like from the outside, "I'll go get it." Eddie informed before bolting out of the room, he stopped at the door, slowly turning around, "Just don't get scared when a man comes in. That's my uncle."

June stood there, patiently waiting for the brunet to come back while looking around the room. It was a big difference from her house, but right now that was the last place she wanted to be.

Suddenly the door swung open, revealing a man, she ventured it was Eddie's uncle. He looked confused as to why there was a cheerleader standing in the middle of his house.

He took a drag of his joint, just standing in the doorway staring at the girl, until Eddie came back with his D&D game, "Hey, uncle Wayne."

"Eddie." the man whose name apparently was Wayne cautiously acknowledged, "Since when do you bring girls home?"

June had to hide her laugh behind her hand, she cleared her throat, "This is just for a school project, mr. Munson."

His eyes widened in recognition, "You're Lucy's kid." Wayne pointed out making June smile and nod in confirmation, "How's your mom?"

"Okay, uncle Wayne-" Eddie stepped in, he subtly pushed his uncle out of the room as he gave him a look, "We should start with that project." he gave him one final push, "Get out!" he whisper-yelled.

Wayne smirked as he took a drag from his joint, "Good luck." he concluded with a knowing tone before leaving the room.

note:
wayne is definitely
the captain of the
ship. no doubt.