𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 ━ 𝐣𝐣 𝐨𝐛𝐱

part fifteen

"hey um, weird question," kiara started to say, "do you know if your aunt is going to be home tonight?"

"doubtful," i replied, "why do you ask?"

"listen, you can totally object if you think i'm weird or like hate me for that night at jj's... but would you want to have a sleepover?"

i smiled at her, she almost looked nervous as she asked me her question. i knew i had a big stupid grin on my face when i responded, "i would love to."

she breathed out, "okay cool you can strap your board onto the top of my van and i can drive us back to your place if that's okay."

i did as she said, placing my board onto the van and hopped in.

"aunt nadine!" i called once we entered my house and got no response, thankfully.

we dove into conversation almost immediately after sitting at the island in the kitchen. i got us some chips to eat as she talked about how she met the pogues and how she dealt with being a somewhat kook in all this mess. i shared stories from my hometown, about parties i attended and ones i threw.

somewhere in that time i got us out beers to start drinking and even made us margaritas, which i explained to her that i was famous for back in nassau.

"here try it," i said pushing the beverage towards her.

she took a sip before widening her eyes, "holy shit you weren't joking, you really know how to make a mean cocktail."

i thanked her before diving back into the conversation. we laughed at the stories she shared of summers she spent in the cut, and she explained to me that her dad owned the wreck, which was why she was a kook in the first place. i shared my own tales of a few boyfriends i had back home, most of them making us burst out into laughter.

"you know," she sighed, "jj would probably kill me if he knew i was here."

"well that would make him a hypocrite," i countered, "considering he spent the night with me just yesterday."

"you're right," she chuckled, "how did that go by the way? he explained how you ended up there and stuff but didn't really go into detail of the night."

"well lucky for him i brought a blunt which he happily excepted," i began.

"of course," ki laughed, rolling her eyes.

"and so we just smoked together and then played truth or truth," i explained.

"truth or truth?"

"yeah, like we each asked each other questions and the other would have to respond," i told her. "it kinda ended badly cause i couldn't answer his question, so then he called bullshit on me and stormed off."

she nodded her head, "what was his question? if you don't mind me asking."

"he asked me why i moved here," i said quietly, "and look i'm not one to keep secrets but i'm kinda just not comfortable with talking about it yet."

"i totally understand that," kiara said and offered me a small smile. "do you mind if i ask you a question though?"

"shoot."

"so you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, and please blame my bluntness on the alcohol but," she continued, "your parents aren't dead are they?"

"oh no, god no," i replied. she sighed in relief before i continued. "my mom left us when i was really little, so i was just living with my dad before i came here. but they are definitely both still alive and well."

"good, good," she said, sipping on her margarita.

a few more cocktails later and we were both comfortably tipsy and lounging outside on the patio listening to the crickets chirp.

"i really did think you were dating jj," i giggled.

"no," she shook her head, laughing as well, "god no."

"or at least pope," i continued.

"okay so i may or may not have kissed pope last summer," she sheepishly added.

"no way!"

"yeah, yeah," she blushed, "but ya know, we talked it out, decided we were better off as friends."

i giggled to myself and kiara joined me until we were both laughing our asses off for no reason. i guess just blame it on the alcohol.

"uh kiara," i called softly. she hummed in response, waiting for me to continue. "what happened here last summer?"

kiara sighed before sitting up straighter in her chair, "listen, i can't tell you the whole of it but ill try to explain it as best i can."

she began to explain to me how the four friends, jj, pope, john b, and her, had been on some treasure hunt. she told me she couldn't specify any details about it but that it was important, had to do with john b's missing, and now classified as dead, father.

she went onto explain that john b got involved with a girl named sarah, and how her father had tried to kill john b. she briefly described a few other events, mostly highlighting how her and the two boys had helped john b escape when things took a turn for the worst.

"and john b and sarah have been missing ever since?" i questioned once she was finished informing me on as much as she could. i was still trying to wrap my mind around the story but she had to leave out so many parts that it was hard to make sense of any of it.

"yup," she mumbled.

"im really sorry"

"yeah, i mean i still have faith. i guess i've just been trying to stay as positive as possible," she explained. "jj took it the worst out of all of us."

i frowned thinking back to how his face fell at only the mention of john b's name.

"thank you for telling me," i whispered. and we sat and listened to the crickets again, soaking in the late night summer feeling.

"you know," she said, "you're not bad for a kook."

i smiled at her words, perhaps a new friendship had just blossomed.