The recently disintegrated relationship between Kiara and June made the air tense and strained when they had to be seated in the same cabin to wait for the others. Junes eyes were glued to the gun, the grooves and mechanics of it fascinating her. She wished she had gotten her hands on one earlier, she could fix a lot of things with just this one object.
While her thoughts were mainly centered on seeing JJ again, what she had said to Kie, and the potential of getting home, in the back of her mind she was still in shock from the part she played in a man's possible and very likely death. She wanted to say that it was still Rafes fault but she knew that he could not fully be blamed, she was the one who pushed. In fact, it wasn't Rafes fault at all, other than the fact that it had been him or the man, and she had chosen him.
Kiara was riddled with guilt, she had secretly dreamt of a day where she would be rid of June Marchs friendship, but now that it had come she didn't enjoy it as much as she had thought. Maybe it was because when she had imagined it, June was just gone, but now that it was a reality it didn't work out that way. June wasn't gone, she was now her enemy, proven by the way that every time she lifted her head to look at her she was met with a glare. This was not the fantasy this was reality, and the reality was that she had burned a bridge with someone who she was aware would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. And if something was in the way...she would move it.
Kiara thought back to her kook year, the one where she had only been mildly acquainted with perfect June March. While June had changed considerably since Kiaras kook year, she couldn't help but remember the rumors surrounding the girl. The rumors were enough to make Kiara wary but it was the actions that pushed her over the edge. None of them proven but most of them exceptionally smart, and this is what had drawn her discomfort when she found out that June was joining their group. Where did all of these brains go? She was the daughter of two lawyers, her brother was so exceptionally smart that he got a scholarship and studied abroad in China, and June was expected to not share the same degree of intelligence? Maybe JJ clouded her mind and judgement or maybe...just maybe she was hiding something.
"I'm not gonna tell anyone what happened. I don't see the point in airing our business out to everyone." Kiara was pulled from her thoughts by June speaking, her eyes lifting to the girl. June was staring down at the gun, her eyes burdened with showing her thoughts as she accumulated them. When they lifted to Kiara she was taken aback, a calculated and frigid look in them as she supposed this was the side of June that none of them had gotten the chance to see. Up until now they had all always been on the same side, but things were changing, and Kie couldn't help but wonder what the other side of that would look like. "Keep it between us alright?"
"Yeah. Okay."
"Good." June sat back, her eyes still on Kie as she relaxed her shoulders. Her eyebrows furrowed and for just a moment Kie saw a break in the icy demeanor, her stomach dropping when she saw nothing but hurt in her eyes. Maybe she was thinking too far into this. Maybe there was nothing to hide and she was just hurt and putting on a face to make it seem like she wasn't. But the look quickly disappeared behind that mask again and Kie was alarmed by how fast it changed.
There was a noise above them, both of the girls looking but June holding out her hand, the gun in her other one being lifted to show that she would check it out. Kie moved to walk behind her, June starting out of the cabin and up onto the deck. She walked a little further out, her hand holding the gun but when she looked at the dock her entire cold demeanor fell.
"JJ!" She said in disbelief, the boy standing with his back to the both of them. She would know it was him from a mile away, the boy turning around at the sound of his name. The fear in his eyes disappeared and he was overcome with unbearable relief. His mouth dropped open as he saw her, beautiful as ever, the setting sun casting rays onto the side of her face that illuminated her like some kind of angelic image. He was speechless as she jumped off the side of the boat and ran to him, the boy lowering the hat on his head as he gasped out some of that painful relief. His heart swelled with every step she took and he met her halfway, pulling June into his arms as quickly as he could. "Oh my god."
