The Liability (2023 - COMPLETE)

X - Lunch

 Juno spent the weekend focused on her work. She had been in and out of school for the last two weeks and her course load has been slipping. It was important to get all of her things sorted, especially now that the semester was starting to slow. She spent most of her time in her little cabin, using the small amounts sunlight she had in order to crank through her assignments.

The math homework was the worst, knowing that she was now at least a lesson behind the class. There were several pages of her to get through and that was how she spent most of her Saturday. She was tired of this class and couldn't imagine having another full semester of this material.

The other classes were mostly fine. The readings for her English class were long and the written assignments took time but they were still better than algebra.

When she felt that she needed a break from her schoolwork, Juno found herself writing a letter back to Kingston. Her thoughts were a lot more jumbled than what she had gotten from them but her intentions were clear. She did not want to be in Washington any longer and saw them as a way out. She was just so desperate to be somewhere she could belong and feel completely content with herself.

She wasn't sure when she would decide to leave Washington but it wouldn't be immediately. She felt like there was no way that the Kingston Association would drop everything for someone that they hardly knew. Would she decide to leave after she turned 18 in a few weeks, or wait it out until the spring? There was no way for her to be certain, scared of change, but she knew it would be best for her to start a dialogue with Kingston.

Of course, Juno was so torn about her opinion of living in Washington. On one hand, this place was miserable for her, surrounded by people who didn't care for her. On the other hand, this was the only life she had ever known, and she enjoyed the woods she lived in. This was the only home she had ever known, yet maybe it was time for her to move on, and find a new home. The Kingston Association was located in upstate New York, and she had been interested in moving to the east coast. She was torn about leaving Washington but always knew that if she was going to, she would want to be on the other side of the country.

When she wasn't doing her homework, working on her reply to Kingston, or resting just long enough to make her injuries stop screaming at her, Juno spent time in the Alpha's house with Luna Elizabeth. She actually enjoyed spending time with her, finding her presence to be calming. Of course, she was intimidated by her, the woman was both very pretty and in an important position. But most of all, she was kind. Juno had spent a long time making sure that she worked past her fears of Luna Elizabeth, having learned that this woman was one of the few people who she could actually trust.

It was Sunday afternoon, and she was sitting in the kitchen of the Alpha's house, watching as Luna Elizabeth made lunch. She was adamant that she did not need any help, much like always, but that she enjoyed having the company. Even now, Luna Elizabeth looked incredibly well put together, and the cute apron she wore added to her look.

Juno wondered if Luna Elizabeth ever got lonely, seeing as though her mate was almost never home. He would go on business trips for weeks at a time and she was left here alone to keep the community in order. She would never ask, in fear of overstepping boundaries, but she knew that it had to be hard for her. Especially now that Luna Elizabeth was pregnant. Juno couldn't imagine having to do all of the work that she does alone.

Their conversation was easy, avoiding the recent events. Juno didn't like to dwell on the memories of what happened to her for too long. She knows that she has gone through things that people should never have to, yet she had to be brave about it. Their conversation was simple, discussions about how her classes were going, about the changing weather, and how things were going in Luna Elizabeth's life.

~

"I don't know, you just remind me of my little sister. Mags was about your age the last time I got to see her," Luna Elizabeth said, glancing over from her spot at the stove. She didn't speak about her siblings often, so Juno could never remember how many she had. "Lost in your long hair and trudging through your senior year."

She couldn't remember how the conversation had gotten to this point, but it was enlightening to Juno. She didn't know what to say in response, but that wasn't too uncommon for her.

Juno wasn't sure what to think about that, to be compared to someone she had never met. Or what it was supposed to mean for her to know that Luna Elizabeth felt fond of her because of this comparison. She had always assumed that the Luna felt bad for her in some way, simply because she was someone worthy of pity, but now she couldn't help but think that there was something more to it. Maybe Luna Elizabeth's care for her was tangled in the feelings she associates with her sister. Maybe her understanding of her relationship with Luna Elizabeth needed to be reassessed. There was something about the notion that she cares because of her feelings for someone else that didn't sit right with Juno.

Or maybe she was simply overthinking.

The two of them continued to do their work, their conversation much slower now. Luna Elizabeth continued to make lunch for them, assured that she did not need help. Juno sat at the kitchen island, continuing her work. She was working on the letter to Kingston, knowing that she would like to finish it in order to get it in the mail before the morning.

She had gotten it to the point where the letter was almost cohesive and she knew that this would be possible. She had a lot to say in the letter, including her interest in Kingston, and what it was like to live in Washington. She even mentioned having a mate in the letter, something she couldn't even imagine saying aloud to anyone. Especially not here, where the thought of her having anyone at all was laughable.

"I was thinking of going to the Schneider's Bakery after lunch to pick up some bread for dinner if you were interested in joining me," Luna Elizabeth offered as she grabbed some plates from the cupboard. Juno wrinkled her nose at the thought when she wasn't looking. Of course, Schneider's Bakery was a staple in the community, the only wolf-run bakery within a 30-mile radius. It was incredibly popular with the people in town. It was also run by her parents.

Oscar and Leanne Schneider had given her up a decade ago and she knew that she would not be welcome in their establishment. She knew that she would never be welcome anywhere in their lives. Juno gave little thought to her biological family, even if all of them were still in this small community. Besides her parents, she had two older siblings– a brother and a sister. She had no idea what Jason was up to anymore; the last time she had seen her brother was when he was a senior and she was a freshman. Diana, on the other hand, was seen around more often.

Diana was the mate of George Brisbane, the Beta of the pack. She seemed to get along well with Luna and the two women spent a lot of time together, especially when Juno wasn't around. She had two young children who couldn't be over the age of two - children that liked to scream and cry very loudly when they didn't get their way.

So, no. She was not interested in being anywhere near her biological family. Juno was certain that Luna Elizabeth hadn't even realized what she had suggested. "No thanks, I still got a lot of homework to do,"

Juno wasn't lying per se, but she just didn't know how to tell Luna Elizabeth that out of all of the places in town, visiting her own parents was a place that she would never want to do. She also wanted to finish her assignments and her letter by the end of this weekend in order to not feel like she was drowning all of the time.

The two of them continued with their lunch together quietly, simply enjoying their company. Juno liked having the period of time when she felt almost normal. Luna Elizabeth was a calming presence for her, someone who had always just looked out for her. She was just the type of person that Juno needed. She has had more pain than anyone should have experienced, she was just glad to have at least someone in her corner. 

~~~

1535 words. Published 12.22.2022. Edited 12.12.2023