The Kook vs The Pogue • JIARA•

15

Kie's POV:

The next day, I told Rafe that I was hanging out with Sarah and we went to get pedicures together and went shopping.

"So, my dad told me that Rafe dropped the charges"

"Yeah, he told me last night he was dropping them"

"What did you do?"

"I told JJ off in front of Rafe and we had a lot of sex"

"Gross" Sarah said

"I really don't want to talk about it" I said

Sarah changed the subject and we spent the day shopping for midsummers dresses. We tried on so many dresses and Sarah wasn't letting me get another black dress. She was forcing me to get a dress with some color in it. We found a few we liked and were coming back in a few days after we went shoe shopping.

For the next few days, I hung out with Rafe, Topper, and Sarah. We were making plans for midsummers and the after-party. Topper and Sarah seemed to have figured their crap out which was a good thing. Rafe told Topper about how I told JJ Maybank off and the two of them started talking shit about him.

Sara looked at me with an empathetic look and I just brushed it off. I zoned out and was looking out at the water and the stars. It was getting late and Sarah said we were headed to bed. We went to her room and the boys stayed outside drinking beer.

We were laying in her bed and she said, "let's play truth"

This was basically truth or dare without the dare part. We would play with each other when we needed to know the answer.

"Do you still care about JJ?"

"Of course, I do... I'm trying not to but it's really fucking hard. Don't worry, I still love your brother and have no intention of ever hanging out with JJ again. I just hope he is okay"

"I get that. I'm sorry this happened" She said as we both fell asleep

I woke up the next morning and went home. My mom asked all about how dress shopping went and I showed her pictures of the three dresses I liked. We talked about them and she said, "I heard that Rafe got into quite the fight with JJ Maybank"

"Yeah, it happened at the beach bash"

"Is Rafe okay?" She asked concerned

"Yeah, he's fine"

"I heard they were fighting over you. What's going on with you and JJ Maybank?"

"There is nothing going on with us. I hung out with him and his friends a few times and we were doing this obstacle course for the championship and we were laughing and just having fun and suddenly the two of them just started fighting" I said simply as I really didn't want to get into details with my mom

"Kiara, you know better than to hang around pogues. You are a kook with an amazing life. You have great friends and the sweetest boyfriend. Don't ruin that to hang out with pogues. Especially, JJ Maybank you know the stories about his father and clearly, he seems to be following in his father's footsteps with the violence. Besides, every time you see him on the island he is with a new girl and usually at a party which I'm sure he gets drunk and smokes weed just like his father used to"

"Huh?"

"Luke and I hung out for a short time in high school before I met your dad. He was an awful person and I don't want you to make that same mistake with JJ"

"But JJ isn't anything like Luke, mom. You don't even know him!" I said upset as I defended him

"Why on earth are you defending him, honey? He's a pogue, no one gives a shit about him. Are you sleeping with him?"

"NO! We were just friends and I hate how everyone is blowing this out of proportion"

Okay, so yes I did sleep with JJ and then make out with him another time but I was not going to tell my mom that.

"Hmm, you better not be involved with him at all" She said looking me in the eyes

I stormed off annoyed by her and went to the beach to go for a walk. I was walking on the beach when I spotted Pope. He was one of the nicest guys ever and he gave me the nastiest look.

"I heard what you said to JJ. Just do him a favor, all of us a favor and stay on your side of the island" Pope yelled at me and I didn't respond. He was doing grocery runs for his dad to the kooks. I walked all the way to the cut side of the beach. I walked to the chateau and John B was outside and saw me approaching.

"Get the hell away from here" He said

"I'm sorry, okay! I did it to get Rafe to drop the charges. Please just tell JJ that" I said crying

"You're just like the rest of them. You're a fucking kook" John B yelled and I felt awful

Suddenly, I heard JJ's bike coming towards John B's house. JJ got off his bike and he looked at me and then at John B. He didn't say anything and I said, "JJ, I'm sorry for what I said... Rafe didn't believe me when I told him there was nothing going on between us. I got him to drop the charges, okay. I didn't want you to go to jail."

"Really, Kie? There was nothing going on between us? He asked and he seemed angry

"No? You know that" I said like he was stupid

He rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever, just go back to your side of the island"

Shit... So I guess whatever we had did mean something to him. No, it couldn't. I looked at him and he was wearing a cut t-shirt and I noticed how bruised his ribs were.

"JJ, what the hell happened? Was that from Rafe?"

He laughed and said, "No, my dad after I got arrested"

It brought more tears to my eyes and I just stood there crying. I couldn't speak and I couldn't move. I felt so bad and so guilty.

"I'm sorry, JJ" I said in almost a whisper

"Just leave me alone. Life is so much better when you don't complicate it. One minute you're in love with Rafe and the next you're making out with me in a supply closet. I'm over it so I'll do exactly what you said and leave you the fuck alone. You're not a pogue, you never were and you never will be. You're too much of a stuck-up kook bitch! Go back home to your big house with mommy and daddy and your big old trust fund and your fucked up boyfriend" JJ yelled at me and I deserved it

I left John B's and I overheard John B tell JJ, "Dude, that was kinda harsh"

I walked down the beach with tears streaming down my face. I called Sarah and she didn't answer. So I figured my shit out, stopped crying, and went home as if nothing had happened. My pogue life was done. I was a kook. I needed to start acting like one.