The Not So Original "Tragedy" of Russell and June
Act II
All is fair in love and war... right?
___
Over the next few weeks, Russell and June continued to see each other in the small town of Valentine, Texas. Their way of "putting up with the other" wasn't exactly what people think it would be. After all, some of the girls were thinking they were having a forbidden love type thing going on behind their parents' backs, or that they were just putting on a show and really wanted to go after the other more than anything else in the world.
At least, that's what they thought. Was it true?
...well, some of it was.
___
"Carter."
"Morgan."
It was a short, simple, and cold-hearted exchange between the two teens. They called each other by their last name since they didn't respect each other enough to call them by their first.
"Same old thug you were last time I saw ya."
"Same old hag you were last time I saw you."
Their friends and cousins stood off to the side, letting the leaders of the this family rival do all the dirty work. They wouldn't do anything unless told to.
June sneered at him, clenching her fist to make sure she didn't slap him. If she slapped him, that meant his gang had the right to attack. She didn't want her cousins and friends being hurt.
"Pitiful, just pitiful. I thought you could do better."
"Oh I can. I just dun't want to offend that pretty lil' head of yours."
Her other fist clenched, knuckles turning white on both hands.
Russell wasn't easily fazed about these kinds of things. Usually they would just swap a few nasty words and then be on their way... Today seemed a bit different.
"How's the whore doin'?"
Russell's eyes widened. She had found out about Patricia; his new "fiance".
"Oh lord, June please I can explain that! You have to understand, my parents set it-"
"No, I don't want to hear it. I understand if some Yankee new-girl is better for you." June turned her back to him and walked to her confused looking friends and not-exactly-happy looking cousin, Tyresse. "After all, your family was always asking for charity ever since the oil incident."
That was below the belt... way below the belt; absolutely uncalled for.
"At least I dun't go sleeping around with men who I'm not in a relationship with!"
June stopped in mid step, her penny-loafer gently touching the ground. Her shoulders rose and fell as she took a few deep breaths before she turned around again. The look of understanding laced the eyes of all her friends while the look of betrayal stayed in Tyresse's own dark irises.
A cascade of tears was running down June's cheeks. "Not in a relationship?" she echoed after him.
___
From the moment Russell Morgan and June Carter met at the bonfire on the shore of Lake Say-Hi, a chain reaction was taking place. This was only the beginning.
___
June sat on her bed, hugging a large pale yellow pillow to her lean frame. Her nightgown rested in her lap with a cup of hot cocoa sat, waiting to be drunk. The silent sounds of the a late night sounded from outside her window. Her mother and father were most likely asleep peacefully; she hadn't been able to get a wink of it.
All the young Carter girl did was sitting on her bed and cry.
Today had not been a good day for her. Usually the small squabbles between Russell and her were harmless, but there was something on her mind that wouldn't go away.
Patricia Princeton.
She had heard from her mother's friends (other known as the hens since they loved to gossip) that Russell was engaged to her. Of course, June didn't take well to the news and look where it got her. But it was true. Russell had said that himself, even though it was a bit indirectly.
A soft sound pulled her from her thoughts.
June looked up from the tear-soaked pillow. Nothing. Her oil lamp continued to burn quietly on her bedside table and her small little figurines stand stock still on the shelves that had just been dusted that day.
There was another soft sound; like a finger thumping glass.
She looked over to her window. Nothing but the dark fields surrounding the house.
This time, the sound was louder and more sudden; she even saw the pebble that caused it. It was Russell. Her heart beat grew faster, louder, to where it was almost pounding in her ears. Tears still tickled her cheeks. June wiped them away and threw the pillow behind her. She walked over to the window and looked for the silhouette of the young man that had caused the pebble throwing. She was surprised at what she found.
"Beau?" she whispered loudly after opening the window, making sure only he heard her and not her sleeping parents.
"Com'on June, Rus is awaitin' for ya!"
"What are you talkin' about?"
"The plan! Rus decided tha' it needed to happen earlier 'cause of the whole thing with Pat!"
It all made sense....
"Alright, give me five minutes! I'll be right down."
June quietly closed the window. She grabbed her nightgown and tugged it off. She grabbed the suitcase under her bed and started filling it with clothes. Her two best Sunday dresses, a few other everyday dresses, her boots, some blouses with shorts and skirts and finally the little treasures she had around her room that she couldn't leave.
June closed the suitcase and listened quietly, there was still silence. She couldn't go downstairs though, they would definitely hear her from the creaky steps; looks like she was going to have to go out the window.
While June does that, let's have a flashback.
___
"What?!"
"Don't look at me like that Juney, I really mean it. We'll get your cousin's car and Anthony's car, put a rock on the gas and make them ram each other! They'll all think we've died, and we can get away from this place."
"But Russell... what about bodies? Even if there is a car crash, what about bodies?"
"We'll set the cars on fire."
June sighed. "And how will we get away?"
"Beau's bike. He already said I could have it. His pa is getting him a new one."
"...do you really think it would work?"
"I'm a hundred percent certain!"
"Wise men are sure, fools are certain."
"You know what I mean."
___
"Here Beau, catch!" June tossed the suitcase off the low roof. The young teen caught it with ease and set it to the ground. June quickly, quietly, and safely ran over to the small ladder leaning against the house and began to climb down it.
She wiped her eyes again, the salt beginning to irritate them. How could she just do this? Only sixteen hours ago she had been crying her heart out from sorrow, and now she was trusting the naive cousin of her (once?) lover.
"I'll follow you on the bike."
June nodded and ran over to the hot-rod red car. Tyresse always left his keys in the glove-box of the car since he would lose them most of the time. It was just too easy for her. Beau helped her push the car away from the house and out to the dirt road. From there, she started it up quickly and stomped on the gas. It made a skid in the dirt and rocks, but it was just enough acceleration to get her down the road within seconds. Beau followed her easily.
The sun was beginning to rise. It was a new day, a new adventure before them.
Russell was waiting for her just as Beau had said he was. The cousin turned off to the side of the road and waited for the two. Russell faced the way toward the railroad tracks while June faced the fields and meadows.
They smiled at each other; Russell wiped away a stray tear from the corner of June's eye.
"I'm sorry I was so stubborn on not listenin' to ya."
"Dun't worry about it Juney, I should have told you myself. I love you, June Carter."
"I love you too, Russell Morgan."
The two lovers shared a short, chaste kiss and drove off in satisfaction. June stopped one hundred feet away and got out of the car, Russell did the same.
Soon, the town of Valentine, Texas was waking up to the sound of metal hitting metal.
Russell Morgan and June Carter were never seen again. Beau disappeared just a few days after the "funeral" of the two, and the parents of the two never changed; the brutal battle only became more violent until the town was split into two warring sides.
Valentine, Texas was never the same again.
___
And there was never a story of such bustle, than this of June and her Russell.
___
Over the next few weeks, Russell and June continued to see each other in the small town of Valentine, Texas. Their way of "putting up with the other" wasn't exactly what people think it would be. After all, some of the girls were thinking they were having a forbidden love type thing going on behind their parents' backs, or that they were just putting on a show and really wanted to go after the other more than anything else in the world.
At least, that's what they thought. Was it true?
...well, some of it was.
___
"Carter."
"Morgan."
It was a short, simple, and cold-hearted exchange between the two teens. They called each other by their last name since they didn't respect each other enough to call them by their first.
"Same old thug you were last time I saw ya."
"Same old hag you were last time I saw you."
Their friends and cousins stood off to the side, letting the leaders of the this family rival do all the dirty work. They wouldn't do anything unless told to.
June sneered at him, clenching her fist to make sure she didn't slap him. If she slapped him, that meant his gang had the right to attack. She didn't want her cousins and friends being hurt.
"Pitiful, just pitiful. I thought you could do better."
"Oh I can. I just dun't want to offend that pretty lil' head of yours."
Her other fist clenched, knuckles turning white on both hands.
Russell wasn't easily fazed about these kinds of things. Usually they would just swap a few nasty words and then be on their way... Today seemed a bit different.
"How's the whore doin'?"
Russell's eyes widened. She had found out about Patricia; his new "fiance".
"Oh lord, June please I can explain that! You have to understand, my parents set it-"
"No, I don't want to hear it. I understand if some Yankee new-girl is better for you." June turned her back to him and walked to her confused looking friends and not-exactly-happy looking cousin, Tyresse. "After all, your family was always asking for charity ever since the oil incident."
That was below the belt... way below the belt; absolutely uncalled for.
"At least I dun't go sleeping around with men who I'm not in a relationship with!"
June stopped in mid step, her penny-loafer gently touching the ground. Her shoulders rose and fell as she took a few deep breaths before she turned around again. The look of understanding laced the eyes of all her friends while the look of betrayal stayed in Tyresse's own dark irises.
A cascade of tears was running down June's cheeks. "Not in a relationship?" she echoed after him.
___
From the moment Russell Morgan and June Carter met at the bonfire on the shore of Lake Say-Hi, a chain reaction was taking place. This was only the beginning.
___
June sat on her bed, hugging a large pale yellow pillow to her lean frame. Her nightgown rested in her lap with a cup of hot cocoa sat, waiting to be drunk. The silent sounds of the a late night sounded from outside her window. Her mother and father were most likely asleep peacefully; she hadn't been able to get a wink of it.
All the young Carter girl did was sitting on her bed and cry.
Today had not been a good day for her. Usually the small squabbles between Russell and her were harmless, but there was something on her mind that wouldn't go away.
Patricia Princeton.
She had heard from her mother's friends (other known as the hens since they loved to gossip) that Russell was engaged to her. Of course, June didn't take well to the news and look where it got her. But it was true. Russell had said that himself, even though it was a bit indirectly.
A soft sound pulled her from her thoughts.
June looked up from the tear-soaked pillow. Nothing. Her oil lamp continued to burn quietly on her bedside table and her small little figurines stand stock still on the shelves that had just been dusted that day.
There was another soft sound; like a finger thumping glass.
She looked over to her window. Nothing but the dark fields surrounding the house.
This time, the sound was louder and more sudden; she even saw the pebble that caused it. It was Russell. Her heart beat grew faster, louder, to where it was almost pounding in her ears. Tears still tickled her cheeks. June wiped them away and threw the pillow behind her. She walked over to the window and looked for the silhouette of the young man that had caused the pebble throwing. She was surprised at what she found.
"Beau?" she whispered loudly after opening the window, making sure only he heard her and not her sleeping parents.
"Com'on June, Rus is awaitin' for ya!"
"What are you talkin' about?"
"The plan! Rus decided tha' it needed to happen earlier 'cause of the whole thing with Pat!"
It all made sense....
"Alright, give me five minutes! I'll be right down."
June quietly closed the window. She grabbed her nightgown and tugged it off. She grabbed the suitcase under her bed and started filling it with clothes. Her two best Sunday dresses, a few other everyday dresses, her boots, some blouses with shorts and skirts and finally the little treasures she had around her room that she couldn't leave.
June closed the suitcase and listened quietly, there was still silence. She couldn't go downstairs though, they would definitely hear her from the creaky steps; looks like she was going to have to go out the window.
While June does that, let's have a flashback.
___
"What?!"
"Don't look at me like that Juney, I really mean it. We'll get your cousin's car and Anthony's car, put a rock on the gas and make them ram each other! They'll all think we've died, and we can get away from this place."
"But Russell... what about bodies? Even if there is a car crash, what about bodies?"
"We'll set the cars on fire."
June sighed. "And how will we get away?"
"Beau's bike. He already said I could have it. His pa is getting him a new one."
"...do you really think it would work?"
"I'm a hundred percent certain!"
"Wise men are sure, fools are certain."
"You know what I mean."
___
"Here Beau, catch!" June tossed the suitcase off the low roof. The young teen caught it with ease and set it to the ground. June quickly, quietly, and safely ran over to the small ladder leaning against the house and began to climb down it.
She wiped her eyes again, the salt beginning to irritate them. How could she just do this? Only sixteen hours ago she had been crying her heart out from sorrow, and now she was trusting the naive cousin of her (once?) lover.
"I'll follow you on the bike."
June nodded and ran over to the hot-rod red car. Tyresse always left his keys in the glove-box of the car since he would lose them most of the time. It was just too easy for her. Beau helped her push the car away from the house and out to the dirt road. From there, she started it up quickly and stomped on the gas. It made a skid in the dirt and rocks, but it was just enough acceleration to get her down the road within seconds. Beau followed her easily.
The sun was beginning to rise. It was a new day, a new adventure before them.
Russell was waiting for her just as Beau had said he was. The cousin turned off to the side of the road and waited for the two. Russell faced the way toward the railroad tracks while June faced the fields and meadows.
They smiled at each other; Russell wiped away a stray tear from the corner of June's eye.
"I'm sorry I was so stubborn on not listenin' to ya."
"Dun't worry about it Juney, I should have told you myself. I love you, June Carter."
"I love you too, Russell Morgan."
The two lovers shared a short, chaste kiss and drove off in satisfaction. June stopped one hundred feet away and got out of the car, Russell did the same.
Soon, the town of Valentine, Texas was waking up to the sound of metal hitting metal.
Russell Morgan and June Carter were never seen again. Beau disappeared just a few days after the "funeral" of the two, and the parents of the two never changed; the brutal battle only became more violent until the town was split into two warring sides.
Valentine, Texas was never the same again.
___
And there was never a story of such bustle, than this of June and her Russell.