#jiarajuly

[outerjjbx]

Jiara July Jubilee

Day 5, 30th July- 5 + 1 day (but I’m doing 3 + 1 because this is my first time using this format)

words: 3.8k

One of the few things that JJ learnt at school was that anger was a secondary emotion. He didn’t even really learn it at school; he learnt it in the counsellor’s office after a particularly messy fight. He was the one that got in trouble, even though it was the other kid that pushed John B’s books from his hands.

JJ was an extremely protective person. He would throw himself in front of a train to protect his friends. He would do absolutely anything to assure their safety and happiness, and his rage commonly took over when that was at risk. He was particularly protective of Kiara, because he knew she hated violence and wouldn’t engage in it like the others. That would be okay, but she was unlucky enough to be the typical victim of Rafe Cameron’s constant bickering.

They were at the boneyard, JJ flirting with some Touron he wouldn’t remember the name of, and Kiara minding her business by the shore. She was standing with a plastic cup, taking occasional sips and letting the waves wash over her feet. She jumped when she felt an arm sling around her shoulder, scoffing with she noticed a grinning Rafe.

Kiara shoved him off. “Go bother some other girl. Or, better yet, none at all. The world could do a lot better without guys like you.”

Rafe raised an eyebrow and placed his arm back around her. “What’s that, Kie? Can’t hear you over the music.”

Kiara rolled her eyes and pushed him off again. “Seriously, Rafe. Your bullshit gets tiring. Go away.”

Rafe held a hand to his chest. “Oh, I’m hurt!” he looked around, studying a group of Pogues messing around nearby. “Why do you even hang out with them? You’re rich, you’re hot. You’re a kook. Why are you running around like some sort of Pogue princess?”

“Maybe it’s because you’re all misogynistic assholes?” She replied sarcastically.

“I miss having you around the house, Kie,” Rafe grinned. “The view was always nice.”

JJ had noticed the commotion by then. He made his way over, hands in his pockets to appear casual. He stopped in the middle, purposely putting distance between them. Rafe smirked when he arrived, looking proud of his ability to draw him over.

“What, so she’s fucking you but won’t give me a try?” Rafe scoffed. “You’re hot, Kiara. Get some standards.”

“Fuck off, Rafe,” JJ mumbled. “Aren’t you, like, nineteen? Get a life.”

The mentioned raised his arms in mock surrender. “Okay, okay!” he began to walk away, but not before brushing by Kiara so he could run his hand along her waist.

Kiara yelped, flinching away. Rafe winked and prepared to walk away, but JJ grabbed his wrist and punched him square in the face before you could move.

Rafe fell down onto the sand. “Jesus Christ, you psycho! What the fuck was that?”

JJ grabbed Kiara’s drink and downed it. “Sexual assault earns a punch, Cameron.”

“I didn’t do shit!” Rafe argued. He stood up to hit JJ back and pushed him, but it only made JJ angry.

Both of them had anger issues, and both of them knew that. Sometimes, when they were about to fight, JJ wondered what made Rafe such an angry person. He seemed like he had such a perfect life, but his actions reflected something else. JJ knew the source of his anger, he knew that it was because of his dad, but he couldn’t figure Rafe out. JJ often had to remind himself that anger was not an original emotion, meaning Rafe’s red face and twisted expression was caused by something else, something deep-rooted.

Their fight lasted for three or four punches each, resulting in a bloody nose and a split lip or two. JJ was already roughed up, as he always was, so the injuries weren’t anything new for him. That made seeing Rafe with a swollen eye and red blotches of forming bruises even more satisfying. He was always attacking, but he was never used to getting anything back.

Topper was tugging at his friend’s arm. “Come on, man. It’s not worth it,” he said, as if JJ had been the one that was acting like a dickhead.

Rafe muttered something under his breath and spat blood into the sand as he left, his fists clenched. JJ and Kiara both watch him go, Kiara pulling her jacket on as she did. She hated that he’d ruined her night, as he usually did, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. Terrorising here seemed to be one of his favourite hobbies.

“Thanks, JJ,” she mumbled as she zipped her hoodie up.

JJ nodded and looked down at his -or Kiara’s, technically- empty cup and nodded towards the keg. “Come on. Wanna get wasted?”

Kiara shrugged and followed him. They spent the rest of the night drinking and getting high, just enjoying each others’ company. They stayed at the party, but it was like they were in their own little world, sharing inside jokes and giggling to themselves. JJ made a promise to protect her that night, and Kiara returned it, unaware of the protecting he actually needed.

-

“Rafe, what the fuck motivates you so much that you have to be the single most annoying piece of shit I have ever come across?”

Rafe was annoying Kiara, as usual. She didn’t know what she did to attract such awful attention. Maybe she was a mass murderer in her last life, and Rafe Cameron’s existence was some sort of karma, his only purpose being frustrating the shit out of her. She couldn’t think of any other reasonable explanations.

Her friends were nowhere in sight, and Kiara was admittedly growing nervous. JJ was usually right by her side, ready to attack, consequences be damned, but she couldn’t even see him. She looked around for that familiar mop of sunbleached hair tucked beneath a stolen cap, but he was nowhere to be seen. She attempted to hide her nerves behind quick witted comments as Rafe slowly inched towards her.

She could practically feel his breath down her neck, whispering words she wasn’t processing. His hand was snaking around her shoulders, his touch sending a terrified chill down her spine. She wanted to push him off, but he was cornering her, and she feared angering him would result in dire consequences.

“I don’t understand what your problem is,” Rafe slurred. “I’m just as much of a dick as the rest of your Pogue friends. You just like pretending to be something you’re not.”

Kiara kept her face straight, refusing to show any emotion or reaction. “The difference is that they’re good people, actually. Kooks, especially ones like you, are rich, sexist assholes. I just prefer being around decent people.”

“Decent people?” Rafe repeated. “You mean broke criminals that have to steal to survive? You know my dad fired your buddy John B because he was stealing, right? Tell me, was the cheap dive worth it?”

Kiara scoffed. “You’re one to talk. Everyone knows about your coke, Rafe. I’m pretty sure selling cocaine is worse than shoplifting to stay above water.”

Rafe narrowed his eyes. He looked like he was about to say something, probably something angry and spiteful, but a voice interrupted them before he could.

“Is he bothering you again?”

Kiara let out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding as JJ approached her. He looked to her, silently asking if she was okay, and Kiara sent him an alarmed look. JJ nodded, understanding that she wanted him gone.

JJ grabbed Rafe’s arm. “Come on, Cameron. You know, you don’t have to be a dick all the time.”

The mentioned stepped back. “Watch your mouth, Maybank.”

“You’re right, you’re right,” JJ smiled slyly. “It’s in your DNA, you can’t control it.”

Rafe scoffed. “You’re one to talk about DNA.”

JJ stepped closer to him. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Rafe grinned. “Girls like mommy issues, don’t they? And daddy issues. You’ve got it going for you, man.”

Everyone knew of the Maybank name, and everyone knew that it was associated with crime and rage. The whole island knew of Luke Maybank and his multiple arrests, of the wife that abandoned him and of his no-good son. Being a Maybank had resulted in a painful life, not just at home, but everywhere. The lingering looks from shopkeepers, the drug dealers and criminals that would threaten him to get to his dad. They didn’t know what went on behind closed doors, but they knew it wasn’t functional in the slightest.

JJ shoved him back. “You’re one to fucking talk.”

Rafe stumbled backwards and scowled. He lunged forwards, beginning a brawl between the two. Kiara sighed as they tumbled to the sand, running a hand through her hair as a crowd began to surround them.

JJ was on top of Rafe, messing up his face, when Kiara realised how quickly things were going South. Their fights were always messy, but they never usually got that bad. Rafe was barely fighting back anymore, and Kiara was beginning to get worried. She hated Rafe, and he deserved to repeatedly get his ass beaten, but she didn’t want JJ to get in trouble, and she knew he always felt bad after he hurt someone without getting equally hurt back.

John B, Pope, Kelce and Topper broke it up instead of joining in, which Kiara was eternally grateful for. She helped JJ up and handed him his red hat, which had fallen off. He mumbled out a thanks and touched his busted lip, wiping the blood on his already-ruined shirt. His face was red, bruises were definitely forming and his clothes were stretched, but he didn’t seem bothered. He glared at the Kooks helping Rafe, but his angry expression fell as soon as he turned back to Kiara.

She gently ran her fingers along his purple cheek. “You don’t always have to fight him. I’m grateful you for him away, sure, but shit doesn’t have to escalate so much.”

“I don’t know how else to protect you,” JJ admitted.

Kiara sighed. “That’s okay. Hey, come here.”

She pulled JJ into a hug, letting her hands move naturally to play with his hair. They were always affectionate, but there was something about their hugs, especially ones like that, that felt different. Kiara pushed down whatever she was feeling as she stepped away and cleared her throat. She couldn’t catch feelings for JJ. There was no Pogue-on-Pogue macking, which she had made very clear.

“Maybe we should just stop going to parties at the boneyard,” she suggested.

JJ shook his head and smooth his cap over his hair. “No, no. We can’t let them get their way again. This is our territory, Kie. They visit for parties, but we’re the ones in charge.”

Kiara patted him on the shoulder and nodded. “I guess. Thanks, J. You’ve always got my back, huh?”

JJ hummed, holding eye contact for just a second too long. “Yeah. Always.”

-

Kiara could swear she was on a bad luck spree.

Everywhere she went, some Kook was there, wasting her time. She was working at The Wreck, just trying to get through her shift, when a group of them entered obnoxiously, disturbing the customers and making Kiara want to scream and kick them out. She approached them, an obviously fake smile on her face, as they all sat down at a table.

She recognised them from a couple of her classes. She usually kept to herself at school, since she hated basically everyone there, and she prayed they wouldn’t notice who she was as she came up to them with an apron around her waist and a notebook in hand.

“What can I get you guys?” she asked, biting her cheek to hold back a snarky comment.

Mimi Jones, who was in Kiara’s math class, raised her eyebrow at the girl. “Hey, I know you.”

“You’re that bitch that busted Sarah’s party ‘cause you were jealous, aren’t you?” a raven-haired boy chimed in.

“No, I’m not, because I didn’t do that,” Kiara sighed. She did, really, but they didn’t need to know that. “Now, are you guys gonna order or get out?”

She hated serving people like them. The Wreck was usually full of tourists, which was annoying enough, but the occasional Kook would stop by just to personally torture her. She didn’t even understand why they’d want to eat there- sure, it was a nice restauarant, but they were rich. They could literally eat anywhere else.

“Can I get a burger with salad and fries? No dressing on the fries, and no tomato on the burger,” Mimi requested using a condescending tone.

The rest of the Kooks order equally difficult orders, purposefully changing their minds and complicating their meals. Kiara smiled as fakely as she could and went back to the kitchen, holding back a hate-filled rant as she saw her dad busily cooking. She gave him the order and helped him with a couple of meals, which he seemed to appreciate. It was a busy day and they were short on staff, so she had to do as much as she could to help out.

Returning the meals to the Kooks was even worse than the order. They kept claiming she had messed it up, snickering to themselves as if disrespecting servers was the funniest thing in the world. Kiara couldn’t help but wonder what their parents did wrong. She was rich, sure, but working had humbled her. The most work experience the majority of the Kooks had was bossing around their staff or organising parties.

Seeing them was a painful reminder of her Kook year. She hated to remember that she used to be just like them, and that she had enjoyed it. She turned her back on the Pogues and treated her friends like dirt, and she’d always regret it. She could hardly believe she ever wanted to be like the spoiled brats she was serving.

Her shift couldn’t have ended sooner. She threw off her apron and practically bolted to her car, making her way to the Chateau as quickly as possible. Her breathing was beginning to grow uneven, and she was gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles were paling. She didn’t know why she was freaking out so much, but there was something about her classmates that made guilt pool in her stomach every time she thought about them. Every time she thought about how she used to be them.

JJ was asleep on the pullout bed, in only a pair of board shorts. She would usually laugh at him being asleep so late, but she was struggling to form words. He opened his eyes and sat up groggily as she slammed the door shut, looking to her with a confused and then quickly concerned expression.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, running a hand across his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Kiara whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. “I treated you like shit, didn’t I? In my Kook year. I know I did. I’m so sorry.”

He held out his arms, motioning for her to join him. “Woah, no. No, Kie. It’s okay. I mean, you were kind of a dick, but we’re past that. I know that wasn’t you. You’re a pogue.”

Kiara sat down next to him and buried her head against his chest, letting him play with her hair. She was crying quietly, just little sniffles and hiccups. JJ trailed his fingers up and down her back, his touch admittedly calming. She could nearly feel herself falling asleep in his arms, but quickly stopped herself.

She sat up, her cheeks red from both crying and blushing. “Thanks, J. Sorry about this.”

JJ tucked an escape curl behind her ear. “It’s okay. You don’t have to apologise.”

Kiara nodded and avoided her friend’s eyes. “You know I love you, right?”

She could hear his smile when he spoke. “Yeah. I love you too.”

-

JJ always put out the impression that he didn’t need protecting. Kiara had believed it, for a while. He would recklessly throw himself into any fight or sticky situation, and he’d nearly always come out on top. The bruises that casually littered his skin hadn’t been a cause for concern until Kiara realised they weren’t all from Kooks.

It was a quiet evening at the Chateau, with Pope, John B and Kiara all playing cards. JJ hadn’t arrived yet, and John B seemed to be the only one worried about that. He was regularly glancing at the door and barely paying any attention to the game.

“He’ll be here soon,” Kiara told him. “Why are you freaking out?”

John B was staring at the front door, adjusting himself for a better view. “He went home.”

“So?” Pope shrugged. “You think something happened?”

John B looked back at his friends, hesitating about something. “He-” he paused and sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

Pope looked concerned now, too. “Maybe? Like what?”

“It’s hard to explain,” John B replied. “And not really my place to tell.”

“JB, are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?” Kiara asked.

Their cards game was forgotten as John B ran a hand through his hair. “It’s just- his dad’s kind of a dickhead.”

“We know,” Kiara said. “But you’re acting like he’s a lot worse than that.”

John B shot them each a look, and it was enough to make them understand. Kiara felt her chest tightened as she remembered every time she’d seen the signs, every time she’d ignored them. Every flinch, every nervous glance towards any adult male. The bruises with unreasonable backstories, the reason he was at the Chateau so much. There was so much, and she somehow hadn’t seen it.

Pope seemed to be having a similar revelation. John B glanced at the front door for a final time before standing up and waving his hand in Pope’s direction.

“Pope, you come with me,” he instructed. “Kiara, can you wait here in case he comes back?”

Kiara nodded, her eyes wide. She watched John B and Pope leave, and listened to the van’s engine starting up. She carded a hand through her hair and exhaled shakily, trying her best to remain calm. She was remembering similar situations, when John B would leave in a hurry and return with a bruised and battered JJ. They’d always say something about a fight, and Kiara would tell JJ off before giving him an icepack and helping him bandage any cuts or split lips. She hated herself for never realising what was going on.

The sound of an engine nearing the Chateau made her perk up. She hurried outside and felt her breathing restrict as JJ’s bike came into view and pulled to a stop in front of her. Kiara noticed every bruise, seeing them peeking out of his shirt and wrapping around neck, like some sort of deadly disease.

He was grinning. “Hey, Kie. Sorry I’m late, I-”

Kiara cut him off by engulfing him in a hug. He winced, and she pulled away immediately, her eyes wide and apologetic. She cupped his cheeks so she could study the injuries on his face.

“Are you okay?” she asked. “How bad is it? Here, come inside, I’ll get you an ice pack.”

JJ chuckled and let her lead him inside. “Why are you flipping out?”

She paused, quickly running over her choices. If she told him the truth, he could think John B betrayed him by telling. If she lied, though, she would have to continue to sit by while JJ suffered. There was more she could do to help him if she told him she knew, so she made a decision.

“I know about your dad.”

JJ’s smile dropped faster than she’d ever seen. “What?”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “John B was worried, and we- we figured it out. I’m so sorry I didn’t realise sooner, J, I’m-”

“It’s fine,” he interrupted. “Seriously, don’t worry about it. It’s an occasional hit when I fuck up, that’s it.”

Kiara motioned to his face. “An occasional hit? I’m not blind. This isn’t okay.”

JJ shook his head, beginning to blink rapidly. “No, it’s... just don’t worry about it, okay?”

He walked past her, heading to the kitchen, probably for a beer. Kiara took a deep breath to calm herself and pinched the bridge of her nose. She had to get through to him, so he knew that what his dad was doing wasn’t okay. He was being himself, and it was just like he always said; deny, deny, deny. That was what he was doing, and Kiara had no idea how to stop it.

Kiara reached into the freezer and pulled out a bag of peas. John B kept them in there as their designated ice bag, and he never planned on actually eating them. She wrapped it in a small towel and joined JJ, where he was sitting down on the couch, facing away from her.

She gently sat down beside him. “I don’t know how to tell you how bad this is,” she admitted, “and I don’t know how to make it better. You’re always the one that protects everyone else, I never... I never thought you’d need protecting, too.” she gently placed the ice pack on his cheek and ran her fingers through his hair when he flinched. “I’m sorry for that. But you don’t have to be afraid of being scared, or of admitting that you’re hurt. I’ll protect you from now on. I promise.”

JJ was visibly trembling. Kiara moved the peas out of the way and let him rest on her shoulder, her chin just above his head. He was crying, she could tell, but she didn’t say anything. She just whispered sweet nothings in his ear and played with his golden hair, doing her best to calm him down. She held him until his breathing evened out and she knew he’d fallen asleep, so she gently lay him down so she could see the damage.

She pulled his shirt up and held back tears at the sight. There wasn’t really snything she could do, so she just held the makeshift ice pack to the worse bruises and hoped it would help. He would wince in his sleep every time she moved, so she made sure to keep a hand in his hair or trailing gently along his skin. After a while, she heard the front door open, and John B and Pope entered. They paused when they saw her and JJ, their shoulders loosening as they realised he was relatively safe.

“Is he okay?” John B asked quietly.

Kiara shrugged. “Not really.”

Pope’s eyes were trained to JJ’s stomach, where his shirt and been pulled up to reveal the bruises. “Oh my God.”

John B studied JJ’s hands, sighing when he saw nothing. “He didn’t even fight back.”

John B looked like he wanted to punch something, and Pope looked like he was going to pass out. Kiara knew they felt just as helpless as she did. There weren’t many options, and there were none if JJ was in charge. Knowing him, he wouldn’t want anything to change. She didn’t understand how he could suffer so long and still manage to smile every time she saw him.

She smoothed back JJ’s hair. “You’re going to be okay,” she whispered. “I promise.”

[alphinias]

We’ve made a blog for Jiara week if y’all want to follow it! I’ll be reblogging lots of fics here as well, but just in case here is the one dedicated to the fic week: @jiaraweek

And who knows, if this week goes well we might do more in the future!

[hmsjiara]

Welcome to the first Jiara July Jubilee!

This is an event created by a group of Jiara blogs on Tumblr with the goal of inspiring fanfiction writers to create and share more Jiara-related content, and will take place from Sunday, July 26th - Saturday, August 1st, 2020.

Writers who are interested in participating will be challenged to write Jiara fanfiction based on specific tropes and prompts! The prompts are designed to be open-ended, so please feel free to take your writing in any direction that inspires you. There is no word-maximum or minimum, and you can do as many days as you want, whether it’s just one prompt or all of them. The ultimate goal of this event is to give Jiara writers an opportunity to publish and share work with the fandom, so please post your work on whatever platform you use, whether it’s here on Tumblr, AO3, or Fanfiction.net. This is designed to be an opportunity to collaborate with others and celebrate Jiara, so the most important thing is to have fun with it!

How It Works:

Read the prompts below and start thinking about what you would like to write for each day! Again, this is entirely open, so whatever direction you want to take your fic in is great. There is no pressure to write for every day, especially if you are overwhelmed once the event starts.

If you're interested, please message any of the hosts (@alphinias, @hmsjiara, @outerpogues, @maddieandherships, or @jjskiaras) and we will add you into the event’s group chat where we can all support each other and share our work! We hope this will help inspire people to create content and get some good feedback. You can also participate without joining the group chat, and there is no sign-up deadline, so feel free to start whenever you want!

You can start writing now, or wait until the week of the event and write/post on the same day. If you are going to pre-write, please do not start posting too far in advance to the date of each prompt. And as the purpose of this event is to create new content, please don’t submit old work, even if it does fit the prompt.

Please try and make sure your content is primarily Jiara focused, but feel free to include other characters and ships as well!

Use the hashtag #jiarajuly on any post that was inspired by the prompts below, and please tag us in any of your work! We’d love to like, reblog, and give feedback on anything people write, so don’t be shy or afraid to submit.

The prompts for the week are listed below.

Day 1: Sunday, July 26th - Precanon Day!

Write a fic or drabble about Jiara that takes place before the events of the first season of OBX. It’s up to you to decide how far back your content goes, from Jiara as kids to the events of Kiara’s Kook Year!

Day 2: Monday, July 27th - Activity Day!

Write a fic or drabble about any activity/hobby that Jiara or the Pogues may enjoy or do frequently. Examples include: surfing, mechanics, boating, fishing, dancing, JJ braiding Kie’s hair, etc.

Day 3: Tuesday, July 28th - AU Day!

Write a fic or drabble about Jiara that takes place outside the canon universe of the show. It can simply be a diversion from canon, inspired by your favorite book or tv series, or a specific concept such as roommates or celebrities. We want to see it all, from Soulmate AUs to Coffee Shop AUs to Hogwarts AUs.

Day 4: Wednesday, July 29th - Destination Day!

Write a fic or drabble about Jiara that takes place in a location outside the Outer Banks. This can be anywhere, from a different spot in the US or in another part of the world.

Day 5: Thursday, July 30th - 5 + 1 Day!

This one is pretty self explanatory; write any fic or drabble about Jiara that is in the 5 + 1 format. If this seems too long, feel free to switch it to a 3 +1 or 4 + 1! An example of this would be something like the fives times Kiara almost kissed JJ, and the one time she did.

Day 6: Friday, July 31st - Firsts Day!

Write a fic or drabble that focuses on a first for Jiara. This can be anything: first kiss, first date, first time! There are so many options out there for them to explore.

Day 7: Saturday, August 1st - Genre Day!

Write a fic or drabble that fits with your favorite genre, such as angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, or smut. Anything goes. This is pretty much a free day, but we really want to see what you come up with!

We would love to see your work, so please don’t forget to use the #jiarajuly tag on Tumblr and AO3. If you have any questions, or want help thinking of an idea/are struggling to get inspiration, feel free to contact any of the hosts of this event: @alphinias, @hmsjiara, @outerpogues, @maddieandherships, or @jjskiaras on tumblr!

Please reblog/signal boost so that anyone who may be interested sees this! We’re so excited to see what everyone comes up with!

[whitetrashjj]

anon mentioned jiara july; do you have to join the gc to submit work?

No you don’t, here’s the post about it :) Just post it where you want to and tag it with jiarajuly 

Everyone is more than welcome in the gc if you want to join though! we love sharing ideas and supporting each other work and of course losing our minds over jiara 

[outerjjbx]

Jiara July Jubilee

Day 6, 31st July- firsts day

words: 1.8k

JJ thought that asking Kiara out would be the hard part.

It was hard, of course; JJ wasn’t one to get nervous over girls, but he couldn’t help his shaking hands and sweating palms. It was like his body was telling him to bail, to just get out of there before the damage was done. He didn’t, though- he pushed through, and he managed to score a date with the greatest girl he knew.

After the initial excitement that he had a date with Kiara fucking Carrera wore off, JJ realised that he had no idea where to take her. His love life was just random Tourons that he’d take up to the Chateau and forget the name of. He hadn’t even ever been on a proper date, let alone with such a perfect girl. He knew how to make a girl feel good sexually; he knew just what to do with his hands, and just how to move his tongue. Making a girl enjoy herself for a long and non-sexual time was a completely different story.

At first, he considered taking her to the movies or to a nice restaurant. A basic date, like the one he’d seen in movies. Kiara was too special for that, though, and she deserved the best; so he was going to find that. He wanted to plan something that she’d remember forever, something that they both would. The only problem was that he had absolutely no idea where to start.

Figure 8, especially as a Pogue, didn’t have many options. JJ was broke, which was the first issue. He couldn’t plan anything too extravagant, so he’d have to find someway to actuallly make it special. Something fun, but not their usual activities. That crossed our surfing and getting high. He wanted to do something normal, but with a romantic twist that made it memorable.

He was laying in the hammock, Juul in hand, as he mentally planned the perfect date. He sat up so quickly that he nearly fell off when the solution suddenly came to him.

Pope looked up from whatever book he was reading. “Dude, are you good?”

JJ waved his hand. “I’m fine. I’ve gotta go.”

Pope shot him an odd look but shrugged as JJ stumbled away, headed straight for his bike. He didn’t even bother with his helmet -he rarely did, frankly- as he rode to the nearest convenience store. He used whatever money he’d earnt from working at the hotel to buy all the supplies he needed, even getting good brands for the first time. He had just enough money to pay rent by the time he was done, but it was worth it.

Pope was still reading when he came back, but his attention was drawn to his friend as he watched JJ at work. He had heard about the date with Kiara, and he was fine with it. Liking her was short lived- passionate, but still short lived. She was incredible, but if she didn’t feel the same way, Pope knew it was never meant to be. He was happy for the blonde idiot he called his best friend.

“JJ, what are you doing?” he called.

“It has to be perfect!” was all JJ replied with, making Pope chuckle quietly and shake his head.

-

‘No Pogue on Pogue macking’ had practically been obliterated, and Kiara was okay with that.

She was the one that came up with it, and she planned on living by it, feelings be damned. She thought she wanted someone better; someone that could lead her out of the Outer Banks. But something about JJ, who was as local as they got, made her heart stir in a way she was afraid to admit. He was so scared to ask her out, his voice trembling in ways that reminded Kiara of much worse things, and she knew she had to say yes. She knew she had to finally give in to her emotions instead of pushing them aside and pretending she could ignore them until they went away.

JJ had told her he was going to plan it, so she wasn’t sure what to do with herself. It wasn’t for a while, but the few days since he’d asked her she’d been a nervous wreck. She was going on a date with her best friend, and she had no idea how to act. She didn’t know what to wear or what to do. Was she supposed to treat him like any other date, or was she supposed to treat him like she always did?

By the time the date was only two hours away, Kiara was still questioning everything. She was pacing in her room, narrowly avoiding clothes she had messsily thrown around when decided what to wear. Her hair was still damp from her shower, she hadn’t picked an outfit, and she had no idea what to expect. She was pretty sure she was screwed.

Anna Carrera entered without knocking, as usual. She eyed the state of the room, and of her daughter in the middle. “Are you okay, sweetie?”

Kiara sighed. “I have a date and I don’t know what to wear.”

Anna raised an eyebrow. “A date?” she began rummaging around in the closet, pulling out clothes. “With who?”

Kiara knew she couldn’t tell her mother the truth. Her parents hated JJ -and any Pogue, for that matter-, but especially him. They knew he’d been arrested, and who his dad was. They knew what every basic Kook did, and Kiara’s attempts to show them the truth failed every time.

“Just a guy from school,” she shrugged. “You don’t know him.”

“Is he picking you up?” Anna asked as she passed a sundress to her daughter.

Kiara took the dress mindlessly. She was meeting JJ at the Chateau, but she couldn’t tell her mom that. “No, I’m picking him up.”

Anna hummed. “Doesn’t he have a car?”

“No, his parents want him to wait until he’s eighteen or something,” Kiara lied.

Anna nodded. “Okay. Be safe, honey. Oh, and wear that dress. You’ll look stunning.”

She left, leaving Kiara to stare down at the sundress in her hands. She wasn’t one to wear dresses, but it was pale red with little sunflowers decorating the tips. She couldn’t even remember buying it, but she had to admit she liked it. After she’d put it on, too, she found that her yellow vans matched perfectly. For the first time since JJ had asked her out, she felt some sense of security and reassurance that everything was going to be okay.

She drove to the Chateau peacefully, soft music playing on the radio. JJ was standing outside when she pulled up, and Kiara grinned at the sight of him. He had obviously borrowed some of John B’s clothes, because he was wearing a blue button up and a pair of khaki shorts. It was the most he’d dressed up since she’d seen him at Midsummers or when he was in his work uniform.

He was chewing on his lip, his hands in his pockets as Kiara walked up to him. His eyes widened a little bit, but he contained himself as he took her appearance in. She couldn’t help but chuckle nervously as they exchanged awakes eye contact.

“You look beautiful,” JJ said, his voice small.

Kiara blushed and looked down, hiding her face. “So do you.”

JJ laughed and waved his hand. “Come on, I’ve got it all set up.”

“And what is that?” Kiara asked as she followed him around the Chateau.

Some of the tension had disappeared, which was a relief. Kiara had spent so long worrying about how she was going to act, but everything she said felt like instinct as she spoke to her friend- or whatever he was to her, since she hadn’t really figured that out.

Kiara felt her heart stop as the HMS Pogue come into view, littered with candles. JJ had somehow managed to fit a small table there, and it had food and wine scattered across it. He couldn’t fit chairs, so there were pillows for them to sit on. It was tied to the dock but floating far away enough that it would feel like it was moving.

“Oh my God,” she uttered.

JJ hopped on board. “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Kiara replied, unable to hold back her smile as she climbed in and sat down.

There were bags on the table, and Kiara recognised them as ones from a burger place she’d spend her sixteenth birthday at. It was right after her falling out with Sarah, and she didn’t have many friends, so she just spent the evening there with JJ, Pope and John B. It was one of the best nights of her life.

“I can’t believe you remembered,” she breathed.

“How could I forget?” JJ replied. “Pope spilt his drink and fell over when he tried to clean it up.”

Kiara giggled. “Thank you for all of this. Seriously.”

JJ pulled out two plastic wine glasses and poured them some soda. “Only the best.”

Kiara took the glass. “No alcohol? Who have you become?”

JJ laughed. “Figured I’d shake things up.” he paused, taking a sip of his orange soda. “I’ll be honest, I have no idea what I’m doing. I’ve never been on a date before.”

“What?” Kiara gasped. “Oh my God, really? But you, like, always have girls with you!”

“Well, I always have them at the house,” he replied. “Just random Tourons looking for a causal hookup.”

Kiara hummed. “And I thought I knew everything about you.”

“I’m full of mysteries,” JJ grinned. “What about you? Any secrets?”

“I’m an open book,” Kiara sighed. “Well, not really. But, like, you already know everything about me.”

JJ shrugged. “Are you sure? It can be anything. Your most ridiculous secret.”

Kiara thought for a moment, eating a fry in the time being. “Uh... I had my first kiss with Rafe Cameron.”

JJ’s eyes widened. “Jesus, really? With that creep?”

“He used to just be Sarah’s cute older brother,” she said. “It was kind of gross.”

JJ shook his head in disbelief. “That’s crazy. Rafe!”

“All of my kisses have kind of sucked,” Kiara admitted.

JJ wiggled his eyebrows. “Think I could change that?”

Usually, Kiara would laugh and shove him away. JJ was constantly flirting, and she’d grown used to it. There was something serious in his eyes that time, though, and Kiara was leaning across the table before she had even processed the words or what she was doing.

Kissing JJ felt like nothing she’d ever experienced. It was like literal sparks flew and stars aligned; and Kiara knew she loved him. More than just she thought she did, more than just a friend. She was in love with him, and had been since she’d first met him.

[outerjjbx]

Jiara July Jubilee

Day 4, 29th of July- destination day

words: 1.6k

JJ had always wanted to go to Australia.

It started when he was 10 years old. He was spending the night at John B’s, and Big John had insisted that they had to see Point Break. JJ wasn’t one to turn down a movie, especially if it involved surfing, so he agreed. By the end, when he was watching Bodhi paddle out to the waves of Bells Beach, he decided that his one goal in life was to go to Australia and surf those same waves.

A quick Google search revealed that it wasn’t really filmed in Bells Beach, and that those were actually waves from Oregon. Still, that didn’t affect his dream- he was going to surf at Bells Beach, Torquay, or die trying, just like Bodhi.

That’s what he wanted to do with the gold. He hadn’t told anyone, mainly because he hadn’t believed they would actually find it, but it was still true. He could go ‘full Kook’ after, but the trip was a priority.

When John B called from the Bahamas and told the Pogues both him and Sarah were alive, and that they had located some of the gold, JJ couldn’t believe his ears. His best friend eventually returned to the Outer Banks, with 100 million dollars converted from gold to money. It was only a quarter of the original amount, but it was enough to set each Pogues (plus Sarah) for life. They split it five ways, ending up with 20 million each.

As expected, the first thing that JJ did was book a flight to Victoria, Australia. John B and Sarah were travelling by themselves, and Pope was studying to get into some Ivy League college, so that just left JJ and Kiara. She was just as eager as him to travel to Australia; not only for the waves, but also for the wildlife. JJ was shocked by that, since he was pretty sure everything there could kill a herd of elephants with a single bite, but he was fine with her doing what she wanted as long as it meant JJ got to surf.

It took at least three days to convince Anna and Mike Carrera to let their sixteen year old daughter travel across the world with her delinquent best friend. They still weren’t happy about it, but enough begging, a reminder that her mother had travelled to England by herself at the same age and a promise to call every single day sealed the deal.

They needed parental consent to legally fly by themselves, meaning they had to stop by to see JJ’s dad for a signature. Kiara has suggested forging it, but JJ just sighed and shook his head, claiming he ‘had to face the music’. He hadn’t seen him since he took the keys to The Phantom, and he knew there were going to be dire consequences. He made Kiara wait outside as he went in, returning with a busted lip and a collection of new bruises, but a signature as well.

The flight was probably the most difficult part. JJ had never flown before, let alone for 17 hours. They had booked first class tickets, which definitely made it better, but the turbulence still made JJ wish he’d stayed home. Kiara found it amusing at first, but watching JJ struggle to breathe for over half a day straight was enough to make her wish the same thing.

Landing was simultaneously the scariest and best thing JJ had ever experienced. Feeling like he was plummeting towards the ground was terrifying, and his ears hurt like hell, but being safely on the runway after being convinced he wasn’t going to survive was the greatest relief of his life.

The pair were jet lagged beyond relief, but that didn’t stop JJ from running around Melbourne Airport like it was a theme park. Kiara had made them stop in there first so they could do some sightseeing in Melbourne city, and JJ had begrudgingly agreed. She knew he would enjoy it once they were actually there.

They had brought luggage and their boards with them, so they found a hotel where they could drop it all off and stay the night in. JJ suggested a room with one bed, causing Kiara to roll her eyes as she ordered one with two. His playful flirting was annoying at times, but it was harmless. Kiara knew he didn’t mean anything by it.

Neither of them knew their way around, and JJ had never been in a proper city before, so they spent hours just roaming the streets. Kiara has experienced her fair share of famous cities, and she had to admit Melbourne was nice. It still had that distinct city smell, the mixture of rubbish and oil, but it was relatively clean. The oldish buildings and street art were mesmerising, and the coffee was insane. She regretted letting JJ try any, though, because he was practically bouncing off the walls after a latté.

JJ made her take a dozen photos of him in Hosier Lane, her favourite being one of him pretending to kiss a muriel of Mike Wasowksi. She giggled as he tried to speak to the locals with a terrible accent, watching them pull disgusted expressions and back away. JJ was buying all the food he could get his hands on, his meal choices ranging from Indian to Subway, and Kiara couldn’t help but wonder what kept him going.

JJ ran across the road, nearly getting hit by a trolley, or a tram, as a local had told them, for the dozenth time. Kiara jogged to catch up to him and hit him on the arm.

“It doesn’t make any sense!” JJ exclaimed. “They’re road trains. Australia’s weird.”

“We have them in America too, dumbass,” Kiara said. “And besides, they’re better for the environment. Easier than trains, and better than cars.”

JJ shook his head. “What’s the point of cities, anyway? They just created greenhouse gases and, like, burn shit. Everyone should live on islands.”

Kiara raised an eyebrow. “This technically is an island, you know. It’s surrounded by water.”

“No, little islands,” JJ quipped. “Like ours.”

“And what would happen to the rest of the land?” Kiara asked, amused.

JJ shrugged. “I dunno. Who cares?”

Kiara laughed and began to walk down the street. “Come on. You want to make it to Torquay, don’t you?”

That caught JJ’s attention. He basically sprinted towards her, skidding to a stop so he could walk by her side. They made their way to their hotel, watching movies and eating room service for the rest of the night. Not having to worry about spending too much money was definitely a luxury JJ was taking advantage of, but Kiara was trying to keep her spending on the down-low. She wanted to make sure it lasted her whole life, including more travelling, and spending recklessly wasn’t going to allow that.

The next morning, Kiara had to practically drag JJ out of bed. He groaned something about being paralysed as she pulled their luggage to the door. Eventually, after a difficult process she was not looking forward to reliving, she got JJ up and they went downstairs for breakfast. There was a buffet, and JJ took advantage of the unlimited pastries and cereal.

The trip to Torquay was a flurry of trains, walks and buses. Driving would have been much easier, but they unfortunately discovered that the Australian driving system was very different than their’s. Besides, they didn’t want to learn how to drive on the wrong side of the road.

They booked their accommodation at the closest resort they could find to Bell’s Beach. The day was nearly over by the time they arrived, so they just spent some time messing around by the pool and ordering mocktails. They befriended a boy their age that was visiting from New South Wales, and they were astounded to see his parents ordering him beers. He told them it was normal, since he was seventeen and close to the legal drinking age, but they still found it hard to believe.

Kiara managed to get JJ out of bed relatively early in the morning, and they stopped at a nearby café for breakfast before venturing off the Bells Beach. JJ was running ahead, surfboard under arm as he navigated the hills leading down to the shore and looked out at the waves.

JJ’s grin was a mile wide as he stared out at the sea. Kiara joined him, admittedly growing nervous at the sight of the giant waves. They were bigger than she’d ever seen, spanning at least forty feet. She watched as JJ bolted out into the water, moving expertly. If she didn’t know him, she’d think he was a local that had surfed there a thousand times.

The waves were nothing like the ones in the Outer Banks, and they wiped out countless times. JJ made it worth it, though, because he looked to be having the time of his life every time he emerge from the water, coughing around his laugh. Kiara caught herself watching him more times than she’d like to admit, his admiring him for afar.

JJ had never been happier. He had never truly believed his dream would come true, and it was so much better than he’d expected. The waves felt like home, and he never wanted to leave.

The sea softened as the sun began to set. Kiara joined JJ in a calm area and they sat on their boards together, just watching the horizon.

“Thanks for coming with me,” JJ spoke, his eyes shifting to meet his friend’s.

Kiara leant over and ruffled his hair, making him grin and swat his hand away. “Anytime.”

[outerjjbx]

Jiara July Jubilee

Day 3, 28th of July- AU day

words: 4k

Kiara Carrera watched in disbelief as yet another Bilia set off the alarms at her parents’ grocery store. They turned visible with a sigh, revealing to her that it was a blonde, disheveled looking boy. He sulked to the front desk, stolen items in hand.

Bilias we’re constantly trying to steal. When powers, or Dicios, first arrived, they were at the top of the food chain. They could get or do anything without getting caught, and everyone else began to resent them for it. Technology that could detect them was made to prevent them from stealing or committing any crimes, which was fine, but it was the stereotypes that did the damage. The Bilias that didn’t do anything wrong we’re shunned by society, and therefore had to turn to crime to survive. It was a dangerous cycle.

“What’s the point of being able to go invisible when you can’t do shit with it?” the boy mumbled as he placed a collection of canned goods and non-perishable food in front of Kiara.

“Go rob some other place. Your type’s getting on my nerves,” she replied as she grabbed the items and stacked them neatly beside her.

The boy studied her with a furrowed eyebrow. “What are you?”

“Mare,” Kiara told him.

The way his face lit up at that was no surprise. Mares were the most desired Dicio, on account of both their powerful abilities and intelligence. Most figures of power were Mares due to their brains and hearts, and they created the perfect blend of kind yet respected leaders. Being able to move water was just an added bonus.

The boy’s eyes widened. “Ugh, that’s so cool! Getting to control water? I wish! Instead I’m just stuck as a stupid Bilia.”

“Turning invisible’s pretty cool,” Kiara shrugged.

“I dunno,” the boy scoffed. “There’s all this bullshit technology now, we can’t do anything. We’re basically human at this point.”

“We’re all human,” Kiara reminded him. “Literally the only thing that differentiates us is our Dicios. You’re acting like we’re completely different species.”

The boy shook his head. “We basically are. And Bilias? We’re fucking dying off. I swear, the world’s against us. How are we supposed to survive when we can’t steal?”

Kiara raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you could get jobs and buy things like everyone else? Just a suggestion.”

The boy laughed as if that was the most ridiculous thing he’d heard. “Ha! Easy for you to say when you’re a Mare.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kiara asked, feeling herself get defensive.

“You know what it means,” the boy said. “Everyone wants to hire Mares ‘cause you’re the smart ones. All the other Dicios have things that make them useful, especially y’all, but Bilias? No, we were literally born to steal, and we can’t even do that. No one wants to hire an invisible kleptomaniac, so we’re just forced to rot.”

Kiara watched him rant, taking in his words. “What do you need this food for?”

The boy deflated and looked down, his passion drained. “My mom is sick, and my dad is... complicated.”

Kiara frowned, studying his solemn expression, his blue eyes filled with shame. “How old are you?”

The boy shrugged. “Sixteen.” he smiled bleakly and read her name tag. “Why, are you trying to pick me up, Kie- fuck, how do you even say your name?”

“Kiara,” she hummed. “What’s your name?”

“John James,” the boy replied, looking proud. “But I go by JJ. JJ Maybank.”

“Maybank?” Kiara repeated. “As in Luke Maybank?”

JJ flinched at the name. “I guess. How do you know my dad?”

“He used to be friends with mine,” Kiara frowned. “He’s kind of public enemy number one around here. He stole shit from my dad, the owner, or something. I don’t know.”

Truthfully, she did know. Her father had gone over the story countless times. He was constantly ranting about how she shouldn’t trust Bilias, and about how Luke Maybank had ruined his life. They were best friends in high school; an unlikely pair. They opened a business together, a grocery store where Kiara’s mom and Luke’s wife could sell their fruits and vegetables. It started off great, a sweet grocery store full of fresh food and joy. Then Luke Maybank got busted for fraud and for stealing from the company, and Fresh Carrera’s became the depressing place Kiara knew and hated.

“That sounds like him,” JJ sighed. “I guess I should leave, then. Sorry for wasting your time.”

He turned to leave, but some sort of awful moral code made Kiara call out to him. She held out a can of chicken soup, and he looked shocked as he took it into his own hands.

“For your mom,” Kiara said. “I can’t give you anymore, or my parents will literally kill me, but you can come back some time.”

JJ was staring at the can in his hands like it was a million bucks, and he was holding it like it was a cracked egg. “Thank you so much, Kie..?”

“Kiara,” she nodded. “But you can call me Kie.”

JJ smiled. “Thank you. I’ll pay you back, okay? I’ll get money, I’ll-”

“It’s okay,” Kiara interrupted. “Just promise to come back, and we’ll be okay.”

JJ looked giddy as he nodded and practically skipped out of the store. Kiara watched him go, bewildered by the boy. She had never met someone like him; someone so confident yet reserved at the same time. He had ranted about life’s cruelty without even knowing her name, but struggled to accept a can of soup he was previously going to steal. He was an enigma.

—

Kiara was coming back from her break the next day when a familiar voice caught her attention. She looked over to her coworker, Sarah, who was smiling amusedly at a talking JJ, her head titled as she studied him. She was a Vorso, which was similar to a mind reader in the sense that she could see into peoples’ heads. Vorsos never got clear thoughts from people, though; it was just mixtures of emotions and colours, with the occasional memory. They were powerful, but often condescending and sometimes narcissistic. Sarah was alright.

“Y’all okay?” Kiara asked as she approached the pair.

JJ grinned ear to ear when he saw her. “Kie! I was just talking to Sarah here. She’s a Vorso, isn’t that cool?”

Kiara nodded. “Yeah, it is.”

“Wait, can you read me when I’m invisible?” JJ asked, practically buzzing with excitement.

Sarah shrugged. “Only one way to find out, right?”

JJ disappeared, and Kiara had to admit that it was weird. She has seen Bilias reappear many times after they’d been caught shoplifting, but there was something about seeing them disappear that was even more unnerving. It was hard to believe JJ was still there.

Sarah shook her head. “I’m not getting anything, man.”

JJ was beaming when he reappeared. “Really? Oh, that’s awesome!”

Kiara watched the pair smile at each other, growing unreasonably uncomfortable. “So, what have you guys been talking about?”

“Anything,” Sarah shrugged, giving Kiara a knowing look.

Kiara turned to JJ, ignoring her coworker’s stare. “Hey, I still have to hold up my end of the deal. Wanna go get something?”

JJ grinned and bounced away, headed straight for the canned goods aisle. The girls watched him go, both equally perplexed by everything about him.

Sarah lowered her voice as soon as he was out of sight. “You’ve known him for, like, a day and you’re in love with him? Calm down, Kiara, your emotions are spiky!”

“I’m not in love with him!” Kiara whispered back. “I am amused and interested, okay?

One thing about Vorsos were that they really didn’t have any boundaries. They knew exactly what everyone was thinking, so they figured they didn’t need them. That never stopped Kiara from wanting to shrivel up and die every time one of them read her.

Sarah raised an eyebrow. “Are you forgetting that I can see inside your head? And let me tell you, it is messy in there. You care so much for him, and- what is that, jealousy? I-”

“He’s coming back!” Kiara hissed, cutting the other girl off. Sarah smirked at the flushed look on her friend’s face and watched JJ round a corner.

He returned with what had to be the largest can of tinned peaches in the store. He smiled sheepishly at Kiara’s expression as she studied it, Sarah looking over her shoulder.

“You can have it,” Kiara sighed.

JJ jumped and clasped his hands together. “Thank you so much you absolute queen! Do you want me to stay, or should I haul ass?”

Kiara waved her hand. “You should probably get out before my dad catches you.”

JJ nodded and turned to leave, the giant can in hand, but paused and suddenly returned. “Almost forgot,” he said as he pulled out a piece of paper and grabbed a nearby pen. He scribbled something down and saluted the girls, leaving before they could read it.

Kiara couldnt help but smile as she pieced up the piece of scrap paper. She bit her lip as her cheeks flushed, praying Sarah somehow couldn’t sense what she was feeling.

Of course, Sarah just chuckled lightly and shook her head. “Not in love with him, huh?” she teased as she turned to go back to her counter.

Kiara didn’t bother denying it. She just clutched the paper tightly, feeling stupid by how flushed she felt but not doing anything to change it. She looked at the exit, where JJ had just left, and let herself enjoy the odd rush of happiness his actions has cause. She looked down at the number scribbled out onto the piece of paper and slowly typed it into her phone.

-

JJ and Kiara had spent almost the whole night talking. She was a wreck in the morning, struggling to get up despite the excitement coursing through her veins at the thought of seeing JJ. She had discovered the previous night that they had a lot in common; the only real differences were their Dicios and social stance.

Her parents looked concerned as they all sat down for breakfast. Kiara was picking at her food, too exhausted to even take a bite. She kept staring off into space, and she probably looked like a mess.

“Are you alright, honey?” Anna, her overbearing mother, asked gently.

Kiara blinked, barely processing the words. “Uh, yeah.”

“You look tired,” her father, Mike, cut in. “You don’t have to work. Do you want today off?”

Kiara processed that. She quickly shook her head. “No, no. I’m fine. I wanna work today.” She couldn’t risk missing JJ.

Mike nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. “Alright, but I don’t want you to overwork yourself. It’s Summer vacation, you can stop working now.”

“No, I don’t want to,” Kiara said. She has wanted to quit her job since the second her parents gave it to her, really, and was only working so she could afford to go on a wildlife retreat with Sarah. She had a new motivation to stay, though, and that was in the form of a tall, lanky, blue eyed boy. She couldn’t tell her parents that, though; not while knowing how much her parents would hate him. He was Luke Maybank’s kid, after all, and a Bilia. It was a classic Romeo and Juliet situation.

Kiara jumped when her phone buzzed, revealing a text from JJ that mentioned seeing her at the grocery store. She stood up, abandoning her breakfast, and waved her parents goodbye as she rushed out the door, ignoring their concerned shouts. She already had her employee bag with her, and clocking in early wouldn’t do her any harm. She knew that it was ridiculous to be so eager, and because there was still bound to be at least an hour before JJ arrived, but she couldn’t help her excitement.

She paused in the middle of the street as it dawned on her that Sarah was right. Maybe she wasn’t in love with him, but she definitely liked him. She had known him for two days and was running to the place she dreaded just for the chance to see him. She’d never felt that way about anyone before.

Someone bumped into her, alerting her that he has just frozen in a very public area. She turned red as she continued walking, acting more reasonably now that she had remembered there were people around. Every now and then, someone would look at her oddly, their eyes lingering for just a moment too long, and Kiara knew they were Vorsos sensing that she was overwhelmed. She brushed the stares off and and walked into Fresh Carrera’s, relieved to see Sarah.

“Woah, hey, are you alright?” Sarah asked the second she saw her. It was probably already clear that Kiara was a mess, but her emotions were sure to be a much more accurate teller.

Kiara sighed. “You were right. I like JJ.”

Sarah, grinned and gently pushed her arm. “Yeah, I know. I’m always right. But seriously, are you okay? No offence, but you look terrible.”

“None taken,” Kiara yawned. “I was talking to JJ all night. I got, like, two hours of sleep.”

“Why’d you bother coming in?” Sarah asked. “Do I need to remind you that you’re the owner’s kid? Your last name is literally on this building.”

Kiara blushed. “Yeah, but, JJ might be coming in today.”

Sarah smiled slyly and nodded. “Oh, I see. You’re waiting around for a chance to see your boyfriend, huh? Okay, okay. I see you.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Kiara said, adding a roll of the eyes for affect. “But, yeah, I wanna see him.”

“Me too,” Sarah grinned. “He’s cute. Absolute eye candy.”

Kiara gasped and pushed her friend’s shoulder. Sarah giggled and ducked away, preparing to push Kiara back when she stopped and a grin stretched across her face.

“Cutie’s here,” she said, her voice low so JJ, who was waving at the pair, wouldn’t hear.

Kiara spun around, her eyebrows furrowing as she got a good look at JJ’s face. There was a bruise blossoming against his cheek, accompanied by a small cut on the same spot. He was smiling so widely that she wasn’t even sure he knew it was there.

“What happened to your face?” she asked.

JJ shrugged. “Got in a fight with a Cursor. Cocky bastards.”

For a second, Kiara believed him. Cursors had the ability to move quickly, but they were as dumb as a rock and their egos stretched to Mars. It wasn’t too far fetched for him to have gotten in a fight with one, especially since he was a Bilia. It was when she saw Sarah that she realised something was up. She was staring at him, her head titled and her mouth slightly ajar, her eyes darting back and forth. She was seeing something, and it wasn’t good.

Sarah wasn’t saying anything, but JJ almost looked nervous that she would. The two were staring at each other, Sarah trying to decipher his secret as JJ tried desperately to hide it. Kiara just watched them, wishing she could see whatever was going on in their heads.

Eventually, Sarah looked away, shooting a concerned look in her coworker’s direction. Kiara returned the expression before she was pulled away by JJ, who was back to grinning like he usually would. She searched his eyes for a moment, trying to see whatever Sarah had. She wasn’t a Vorso, though, and there was no telling what Sarah had seen.

“Are you okay?” Kiara asked gently.

“Of course,” JJ quipped. “Are you? You look tired.”

Kiara’s chuckled. “Yeah, thanks to you. I was up all night because of your relentless texting, man.”

JJ smiled, knowing she was joking. “Oh, you loved it.”

The bickering continued for a while, eventually ending with JJ grabbing more peaches and going. She walked over to Sarah as soon as he was gone, the question on her mind obvious.

To her surprise, Sarah just shrugged. “It’s not really my place to tell.”

Kiara took those words in, trying to decipher what they meant. It was obvious Sarah knew what had happened with JJ, but she’s usually tell her everything. Sarah never stopped talking, and she over-shared everything she’d learnt. JJ’s secret must have been terrible if it meant even Sarah wasn’t letting it go.

-

Kiara was buzzing with excitement as she waited for JJ to arrive the next day, but that grew into worry as hours passed and there was still no sign of him. She texted him, a quick ‘where are you?’, and waited again.

And waited.

And waited.

And he never arrived.

The next day, the same thing happened, and it happened again the day after that. Kiara hadn’t spoken to JJ in three days when she began to get anxious. There were so many possibilities, each of them equally terrible, and just thinking about them made her stomach twist.

She rushed to Sarah, who was serving a shopper, and waited until she was done. Sarah noticed her distress and approached her slowly, looking concerned.

“What’s wrong?”

“I haven’t heard from JJ in three days and I’m really worried,” Kiara rambled. “I know he couldn’t have just ghosted me or something, but he’s not like that, you know? We’d only been talking for a little while, but I feel like I really know him, and this isn’t like him at all. I’m really worried, cause I don’t know what happened, and it could be anything. Like, what if he tried to shoplift and got arrested, and now he’s just sitting in jail with no one to bail him out? Or what if whatever happened the other day that you won’t tell me about happened again, but worse? Or-”

Sarah placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. We’ll find him, alright? My shift ends in fifteen minutes, and we can leave then. I know some Bilias we could text in the meantime, they might know him.”

Kiara nodded, calming down as Sarah pulled out her phone and dialed a number. “Hey, John B? Yeah, it’s me. Yeah, yeah, I’m good, I’m fine, I’ve just gotta ask you a question. Okay, do you know a JJ? He’s a Bilia, like you. Oh, really? Great! Do you know where he might be? Wait, you haven’t seen him? Shit, we haven’t either. Yeah, he’s been stopping by at the grocery store. My coworker’s in love with him. Yeah, Kiara. He told you? Cute. But, seriously, she’s really worried. Do you know where he might me? Uh huh. Yep. Okay, thanks. I’ll see you soon.”

Sarah hung up. “Okay, John B says he’s gonna meet us with another friend, and then we’re going to drop by his house. They’re best friends, isn’t that such a coincidence?”

“Okay, that’s great,” Kiara said, “but did he say anything about what’s been up? Does he know what’s wrong?”

Sarah shook her head. “No, he’s just as clueless as us. He says JJ does this a lot, though, so you shouldn’t worry.”

“Where is he usually?” Kiara asked.

Sarah shrugged. “John B said they usually just find him at his house, or that he eventually wanders over to his place. I’m sure he’s fine.”

Kiara exhaled shakily. “Should I be this worried? Is it weird?”

“No, you care about him,” Sarah replied. “And he cares about you too. I can tell.”

The pair waited for a while in an uncomfortable and stressful silence. Sarah perler up when a van pulled up outside, and a tall boy with dirty blonde hair and a bandana around his neck walked out, accompanied by another boy that was talking about something the other wasn’t listening to.

“Hey, Sarah,” the first one greeted. “This is Pope, and you must be Kiara. I’m John B.”

Kiara nodded, and then waved at Pope, who smiled shyly and looked down.

“Can we go now?” Kiara asked, motioning to outside.

John B led them into the van. “You seriously don’t have to worry. He disappears a lot. It’s usually just family stuff, but he’s always fine. He’ll be fine.”

Kiara has never been in the Bilia part of town. They were secluded from everything else, living in small, run down houses. Her parents always warned her to stay away, and she’d listened until she met JJ. She had never believed that a Bilia could be someone she would care so much about.

“This is it,” John B said as pulled up in front of a small, one-story house Kiara would barely call a home. It was messy, covered in wild plants and cracked paint.

The teens all clambered out of the van, John B and Pope in the lead as the girls trailed behind them uncertainly. The boys looked around for a moment, circling the house quietly, searching for something.

“His dad’s not home,” Pope told them as they came back. “We can go in.”

Kara was relieved by that. She didn’t think she could face Luke Maybank, even if he didn’t know who she was. If he was as bad as her dad said he was, she didn’t ever want to meet him. She couldn’t imagine how hard it was to have him as a dad.

She froze, suddenly piecing something together. The bruise on his face, the terrified look on Sarah’s face. She didn’t want to think it was true, but was it his own dad that had done that? Her heart felt like it was going to burst from her skin, and she was about to spiral when her thoughts were interrupted by a quiet “oh, shit” from John B.

She hadn’t even noticed that they were in the house. Pope and John B were staring at something, but Kiara couldn’t see anything where they were looking. She looked to Sarah, who seemed just as confused as she was. John B knelt down, his arms outstretched, and the girls both gasped as JJ suddenly appeared.

He looked absolutely wrecked. His knees were pulled to his chest and his eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears. He was crying silently, but it turned into sobs as soon as John B pulled him into a hug. Kiara felt her breathing restrict as she watched, frozen.

“She’s dead,” JJ sobbed. “She’s dead.”

His mother. Of course. Kiara had almost forgotten, but it was one of the first things he mentioned to her. It was the reason she let him take the can of chicken soup, and why she told him to come back. It was the reason it had all happened, but she hadn’t even remembered.

She sat down beside him and began running her fingers through his hair. He leaned into the touch, and Kiara felt an odd swell of pride as he began to calm down. She gently ran her hand up and down his arm, bringing him closer to her as his breathing began to even out.

“Hey, watch this,” she whispered, taking out a small drink bottle she always kept with her.

JJ lifted his head, watching as she rose the water from the bottle and made it swirl around. She made it circle in front of JJ, making little shapes and patterns. He just stared at it, eyes wide and fascinated, as it turned into a little floating love heart. He looked mesmerised, tears forgotten, and the other three teens were in a similar state of awe.

She played with the water for a while, letting JJ tell her what to turn it into or where to make it go. Eventually, he was smiling, and Pope, John B and Sarah walked out of the room. Kiara head ached from how long she’d been using her Dicio, but she didn’t mind if it meant JJ was happy. She’d do anything to comfirm that.

“Thank you,” JJ said, his voice hoarse. “You’re pretty cool.”

Kiara let a single droplet of water fall on his nose, making them both laugh. “You are too.”

[outerjjbx]

lmao i have so many oneshots prewritten for the jiara july jubilee. i am hyped, y’all.