- CHAPTER THREE -
The five teens stood with the kegger on the boneyard, handing out free cups of beer to the oncoming teens. The crowed was growing, all teens were pumped up from the free beer they got, even the Kooks.
Charlie's eyes widened as he saw the Kooks coming, some of them being his 'friends'. "Shit, Kie, the Kooks are coming too. They can't see me here with you guys or else they'll tell my dad and—"
"Hey, sh, sh, sh. It's gonna be okay, Char, just stay with me and do like you're not friends with the rest, okay?" Kiara took Charlie's hand, calming him down by just a touch.
"Okay, okay." Charlie breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm his beating heart. Looking over at everyone he saw a few Kooks which made him calmer, but it was still early of course. "Looks like JJ's enjoying himself over there."
Kiara looked over to where JJ was and shook her head in amusement. The boy was chugging beer, flirting with girls and jumping from one place to another. "Typical, JJ."
Charlie laughed, glancing at Kiara. "You enjoying yourself." The girl nodded, bobbing her head at the music that was playing.
"Hey. I wanted to talk about your...nightmares." The brown eyed girl began, giving the boy a serious look. "Why didn't you tell us you still had them."
Charlie sighed, looking down at his cup of Cola and pursed his lips. "Well, I thought it wasn't important." The boy shrugged. "And it isn't important, Kie. They're just stupid nightmares."
"They're not just stupid nightmares, if you wake up in the middle of the night all sweaty and are so close to having a panic attack." Kiara argued, standing closer to him and grabbing his right hand. "I know it's about your mom, Char. You can tell me anything, you know."
Tears glazed the boys eyes threatening to fall, he locked his jaw. "She used to soothe me when I had a nightmare. She would run her fingers through my hair and tell me the same story every time, The Dog and The Elephant." He huffed a laugh. "And now, I have nightmares about her being mad at me and telling me it's my fault she ran away, without her there to reassure me that she won't ever leave me and that it's just a stupid nightmare." Tears were now running down his cheeks, his voice quivering.
Kiara looked at her best friends with tears in her eyes and hugged him, careful to not hurt his arm. Rubbing circles on his back. "Well, if you have another stupid nightmare, call me, text me or even come over. Just tell me if something bothers you, I'm here for you and so is the rest of the group."
Charlie nodded his head and looked at Kiara with red eyes. "Can I have a beer, now?"
Kiara laughed and shook her head. "No, you dork. Still too young."
"It was worth a shot."
"Come on, let's go and see what the John B is doing." Kiara put her hand out for him to take, which he did, locking their fingers.
When they reach their friends, John B was still trying to flirt with a girl who walked away.
"Sarah! Sarah, be careful, okay?" A familiar voice shouted making Charlie look up and see his sister on top of an unstable piece of metal.
"What is she doing here?" Kiara asked, distasted visible on her face. Charlie looked at her and put his arm around her.
"I don't know, but I gotta get out of here." Charlie answered pulling Kiara along with him away from the Kooks.
It was now already dark, the kegger almost empty, but the teens were still all full on partying. The five teens stood together, leaning on some piece of metal, while chatting and laughing with each other.
Charlie looked as JJ stood up and went over to his sister, making him narrow his eyes and follow after the boy together with the rest of the group.
"Hey, hey. Hey, Sarah!" The blonde boy began. All teenagers stopped their chats looking on at what's going to happen.
Charlie looked at his three friends and said, "I'm gonna go over there, stay here, okay?" He went closer to JJ and his sister, trying to step in if anything was to go wrong.
"Sarah, can I interest you in a tasty Milwaukee beverage?" JJ suggested, holding the cup out to her.
"No, thanks." The girl refused the cup. Charlie went and stood next to her, looking at JJ with a 'What are you doing' look.
"Is it not fancy enough for you?" JJ asked, begging some unnecessary conflict.
"No, we're just leaving." The blonde girl waved off, trying to walk past.
"Hey, you know what? I'll take it." Topper, Sarah's boyfriend, announced. "Thank you, man. I appreciate it."
"That's nice, but I didn't ask you." JJ replied sarcastically. "If you said pretty please, maybe, but you didn't."
"Oh, pretty please."
Charlie shook his head and stepped in. "Come on, let's just go, ok? No fight or drama needed."
Sarah looked at her little brother confused. "What're you doing here?"
"Just...Hanging? And no, I didn't drink any alcohol." The puppy eyed boy responded.
"Sarah." JJ held the cup out to her for the second time, urging her to take it. "You can have it."
Topper came closer and smashed the cup out of JJ's hand, the beer splashing all over the blonde boy. "She doesn't want it, you—" Topper was cut of by JJ taking him by the hem of his shirt and holding him up.
Charlie stepped over, grabbing both boys shoulders and taking Topper out of JJ's hold, John B holding the blonde boy back. "Okay. Calm down, both of you, we'll just leave, right Topper?" Charlie looked at Topper, urging him on to say yes.
"You're so funny man." JJ shouted from the other side.
Topper sneered at them. "Dirty Pogues!" Charlie was pushed aside by a very angry John B who went and pushed Topper away. Charlie looked over at his furious friend and went over to a boiling Topper.
"Babe, babe, babe, babe—" Sarah tried to stop Topper as the boiling boy went and punched John B in the face.
Charlie shot up and went over to them. "Hey, Topper! Stop, dude!"
"Guys? Guys!" Sarah walked over to them.
John B was now on the ground, whole wet from the water. Topper didn't let it by one punch and kicked John B in the ribs. And another one, John B lay now fully in the water.
"Hey, John B, don't make me drown you like your old man, all right?" Topper nagged on.
The whole crowd was shouting 'fight!' and making a circle around the two boys. Topper looked away from John B, which was a big mistake, because the said boy stood up and jumped on Topper, bringing him down.
Charlie went over to his sister who stood close to his friends, his eyes not leaving the fight.
Kiara went a bit closer, worried for her friend. "Stop! John B!"
The fight went on, Charlie just stood there, as Topper put John B's head under water. Sarah looked at her brother and yelled, "Charlie do something!"
Charlie was boiling, Topper was drowning his best friend. He walked over to the two boys fist clenched and pulled his self-made sling of, throwing it somewhere on the sand. He yelled and jumped on Topper pulling him off, off the drowning boy, his shoulder began to throb.
"Char!"
The puppy eyed boy rolled away from the Kook boy, standing back up and getting a punch right on his nose. He looked up at Topper and held his hands up meaning no harm. "Look, Topper. Let's go ho—"
Topper punched the boy again, cutting him off, and kicked his feet from under him. Making Charlie fall in the sand, hard, his shoulder now pumping with pain. He groaned and stood back up.
"Topper, stop! That's my brother." Sarah shouted, getting closer to the two boys. The other Pogues went over to John B, before going over and see how their other friend was doing.
Topper didn't stop, he was blinded by rage that he didn't think twice before running at Charlie and pushing him to the ground. The puppy eyed boy got one punch after the other. Topper shoved Charlie's head under water like he did with John B.
Charlie tried to gasp for air which was hard because his nose was beat up. he spluttered, gasping. "Top—" His head was again pushed under water.
"Topper, stop!" Sarah cried, not knowing what to do.
The four Pogues stood next to the crying girl. All of them were worried and scared, Kiara and Pope had tears coming out of their eyes.
"Sarah, stop your stupid boyfriend. He's hurting your brother!" Kiara shouted at her ex-best friend.
"He's drowning him." Pope stated, glancing at Kiara with wide eyes. Kiara could only nod, looking at her best friend scared.
"Topper!"
JJ gritted his teeth and went over to Topper. Taking his gun out of his pocket, he held it against Topper's head. "Yeah, you know what that is." JJ smirked. The crowd gasped as they saw the gun, all running away. "Your move, broski." JJ joked.
Sarah, came and held her hand out. "Come on. Chill, dude!"
"JJ!"
"Chill!" Pope shouted at the blonde boy.
"Stop! JJ!" Sarah cried. "Put the gun down."
"Why, Princess?" JJ asked not even giving her one glance. "He's drowning your brother."
"Put the gun down!" Sarah yelled.
"We're good. We're good." Topper declared, moving his hands away from the spluttering boy. "All right? Come on, man! I'm sorry, Char." Topper said the last sentence looking down at the gasping boy with guilt.
"You don't get to call him that!" JJ shook the gun, putting more pressure on the Kook's head.
"Kie! Can you tell him to put the gun down?" Sarah asked her ex-friend. Going a bit closer to the three boys.
"Okay, everyone, listen up!" JJ shouted. "Get the hell off our side of the island!" He shot a few times in the air.
"Are you crazy? You idiot!" Pope pushed JJ.
"I'm saving his life, ok?"
Sarah went over to Topper and her brother. "Why would you drown my brother. He's your friend, Topper!" She crawled over to the panting boy. "Hey, it's okay, Blue."
Topper stood beside her, still trying to realize what he did. "I'm-I'm sorry, Char. I'm sorry, bro." He tried to reach him, but was grabbed back by a furious John B. "Go away, Topper!"
Topper nodded and ran of the island, leaving Sarah and his friend there. Kiara went over to the puppy eyed boy and grabbed his face in her hands.
Charlie groaned as everything began to hurt, his one arm grabbed his shoulder knowing that a big bruise will form. His nose was bleeding, wounds and bruises started appearing on his body. He got beat up worse than John B.
The other three boys stood behind Kiara and Sarah, looking at the boy concerned. Charlie began to couch heavily, groaning each time.
Sarah looked at the Pogues weirdly. "What are you guys still doing here?"
The Pogues looked at each other, doubting if they should tell her. "We're his best friends, but don't tell your dad." JJ uttered, crouching down to help Charlie up.
"I'm never going to a party ever again." Charlie stated, narrowing his eyes and laughing slightly. "This was my first time being beat up."
The group looked at him with amazement, not knowing how their friend can still say something this silly after being beat up.
"I wanna go home. And sis, one good advise. Break up with Topper." Charlie looked at his sister, swinging his arm around her shoulder, but than regretting it because it was his hurt arm. The six of them stepped together to Charlie's house.
"Hey, guys. To make sure my dad doesn't see any of you, we should part ways." Charlie suggested, the Pogues nodded. "Bye guys!"
"See you later, dude!"
"Get well soon."
"We need you tomorrow!"
The puppy eyed boy laughed at them, before looking at Kiara who's still helping him walk to his house. "What're you doing, my dad—"
"He knows me, he won't mind if I slept over." Kiara told the boy, making him smile.
"Hey, Blue. I'm sorry about Topper." Sarah sighed, looking down guiltily. "I tried to—"
"Hey, it's okay, Sari. It wasn't your fault, it was Topper's." Charlie reassured, stepping slowly. "Next time I see him I'm gonna beat him to pulp, the bastard."
"No, you're not going to do that, okay?" Sarah said, helping the puppy eyes boy inside. Once inside the lights flickered on, the one who did it was non other than his little sister, Wheezie.
"Oh, my God! What happened to you?" Wheezie shouted, the teens put their finger against their mouth trying to shush Wheezie. But it was to late, in came Ward, Rafe and Rose Cameron.
"Wow, son, what happened?" Mr Cameron ran over to his son, checking him over. "Who did this?"
Charlie looked at Sarah, the girl was looking down making him sigh. "Well, dad, we were on the boneyard, a fight broke out between Topper and John B Routledge. I tried to stop it with pushing Topper of, but he only got more mad and began beating me up, almost drowning me too."
"Topper beat you up?" Rafe asked to be certain, and looked ready to murder Topper when Charlie nodded his head. "He's gonna wish he was never born."
"Wait, Topper as in Sarah's boyfriend?" Mr Cameron asked, confused.
"Yes, dad, her boyfriend." Charlie said tiredly, looking down at Kiara, realizing something. "Dad, can Kie sleepover?"
Mr Cameron looked at the girl that was helping his son and nodded. Glancing at his daughter he said, "She can sleep in Sarah's room, right Sarah?"
Before Sarah could say something, Charlie began talking. "Uhm, actually, dad. The two of them hate each other, hated each other ever since tenth grade. Maybe it would be a better idea to let Kie...stay in...my...room?"
Mr Cameron sighed and looked at his wife who just hid a smile. "Okay, fine, but no funny business, okay?"
Sarah, Rafe and Wheezie snickered as Kiara and Charlie's faces went red, Charlie glared at his father. "Dad."
"Just saying. Now, go take a shower and take care of your wounds, yeah?" Mr Cameron gave his youngest son a look raising his eyebrows. Charlie nodded his head, already going up the stairs, his siblings and Kiara following him.
Reaching Charlie's room, Sarah and Kiara followed him. Rafe turned around before entering his room. "No funny business." Mimicking his dad and shutting his door.
"Fuck you, Rafe."Charlie stared at Sarah confused. "Why are you coming with us?"
"Well, I wanted to help clean your wounds and maybe have a sleepover?" Sarah bit her lip, peering up at her brother innocently.
"I thought you guys hate each other? Why would you want to sleep in one room with each other?" Charlie was now totally confused.
"Well, yeah, but we could put that aside for one night, right Sarah?"
"Yeah, or we could also put it aside, like, forever?"
"No." Kiara huffed walking inside Charlie's room. The puppy eyed boy whistled a long note. "Harsh." He commented glancing at Sarah who gave him a hard, cold glare.
Stepping inside his room Charlie went over to his closet, taking out some matrass and blankets. "So I'm sleeping on the ground, while you two sleep on the bed, ok?"
The girls looked at each other and shook their heads. "No." they said in sync making them glare at one and other.
"Ok...I'm gonna go shower and maybe never come back." Charlie shut the door of the bathroom, took of his clothes painfully and went in the shower for a good ten minutes.
Once out he wrapped a towel around his middle and looked around for any clothes. Seeing non he groaned. "Are you kiddin' me?"
Stepping out of the bathroom he glanced over at the two girls that sat next to each other on his bed. The girls looked up from their conversation once they heard the door open and seeing a half naked Charlie step out.
"Why don't you have any clothes on? We have a guest." Sarah pointed out.
"I forgot to take some clothes with me, ok. It's not like she hasn't seen me without a shirt on anyway." Charlie waved off, going over to his closet and picking some pyjama's and underwear out of it.
Going back into the bathroom and pulling his clothes on, Charlie looked at his wounds and the bruises that are forming. "Hey, can one of you guys help me with my wounds?"
The bathroom door opened again and in came Kiara. She pointed at the toilet and he went, put the seat down and sat on it. The brown eyed girl began nursing his wounds quietly.
"So, you and Sarah back to being friends again?" Charlie asked carefully.
"No. We're just going to be civil against each other for your sake."
"For my sake. Well that's nice of you both."
Kiara pursed her lips and looked down at Charlie who was already looking at her. "Can we...maybe...cuddle later? We don't have to, it's just that yesterday when we woke all cuddled up, I felt very comfortable."
"Yeah, sure. I liked it too, but we can't tell the group, they'll laugh at us."
"Yeah, of course." The girl closed the med kit and put it back away. "So, all done." She looked up at Charlie. From then on everything went in like slow-motion for the two.
Their heads were very close to one and other, but neither of them pulled away. Their eyes found each other and their heads moved closer. Charlie's eyes flickered to Kiara's lips. Kiara took the final step and leaned in fully.
When their lips met, Charlie felt like he would explode, never in whole his life has he felt something like this. The kiss lasted only a few seconds, both of them pulled away letting the kiss linger.
Charlie looked at Kiara and said with a small smile on his face, "That was my first kiss."
"That was...extraordinary."
"I like you, Kie. I didn't realize it until now, but I've liked you since the first time I've met you." The boy smiled, standing up and grabbing her hands in his. "Remember the time we first met?"
"Yeah, you were a stuttering nerd who was friends with John B and JJ. You didn't even dare to look me in the eye, because a blush would appear on your cheeks. if you did."
Charlie chuckled, "I was so embarrassing back then."
"You still are, dork."
"So...do you like me back?" the puppy eyed boy tilted his head to the side.
"I've liked you since we weren't even friends yet, I found you cute back then." Kiara grinned.
"You don't find me cute anymore?" Charlie pouted.
"No, I find you adorable and hot."
"So, do you want to be the girlfriend from this adorable, hot guy?"
Kiara's smile was wiped of her face she put her head in her hands, sighing. "We can't, Char. The no Pogue on Pogue macking rule."
"Oh, but we can not tell them and keep it our little secret. If you want?" Coming closer to her and whispering, "No one needs to know."
"Ok, but we have to be careful, ok?" Charlie nodded his head and came closer to Kiara, both were leaning in again and their lips greeted each other for the second time today.
"What...the...hell!" Both of them sprung aside and looked over at the door, it was...Sarah.
There they sat, on the king-sized bed. Charlie Cameron and Kiara Carrera sat before a smirking Sarah Cameron who was waiting for an explanation to what happened in the bathroom.
"Are you guys gonna talk or do I have to just make something from that myself and tell everyone?" The blonde girl smirked smugly as she saw how the two began to panic when she said that.
"No! You can't tell anyone you saw that, Sarah. Please." Charlie begged his sister. "Ok, we'll tell you everything that happened in there."
"And about your little Pogue friends."
"All right." Charlie glanced at Kiara who didn't quite meet his eyes, she was still trying to get a grip on everything that's happened.
"So, when you came in you saw us kiss, right?" The blonde girl nodded. "Well, we've just confessed our feelings to each other before you came in. You didn't see my first kiss."
"Do you mean you two kissed before I came in?" The two nodded. "Aww, I'm so proud of my baby brother getting his first kiss."
"Yep, never thought I would kiss before I was eighteen to be honest."
"Why wait till you're eighteen?" Kiara questioned, squinting her eyes at him in confusion.
"Well, I thought I would never pick up the courage to kiss someone before I'm all grown and mature."
"Hmm, makes sense."
"Ok, you guys. Let's not keep this long, I'm tired and it's gonna be hard to sleep because the air-conditioning doesn't work." Sarah sighed, laying on her stomach and putting one hand under her chin. "Tell more."
"Ok, so we told each other our feelings and we're now dating, end of story." Charlie let his head fall in Kiara's lap.
"And now your friends that dad won't like."
"Remember when dad said I couldn't hang with Pogues anymore?" Sarah nodded. "Well, I never stopped hanging with them, we just kept it a secret from everyone."
"Wow, that's why you went at Topper."
"Yep."
It was silent for a few seconds, before Sarah stood up from the bed and going for the door. "I'm gonna go sleep on the boat, at least there the air-conditioning works. Wanna come?"
Charlie looked at his new girlfriend and saw her also sweating, he grabbed her hand and pulled her of the bed. "Come on. I know you find it warm, I can see you sweating, Kie."
"But what if your dad sees us there, together, cuddling." She raised her eyebrows, smiling questionably.
"Well...then we're gonna threaten him to not tell anyone. And it doesn't matter, because dad doesn't come there often."
"Ok. Let's go...boyfriend."
"Ok...girlfriend" Charlie smiled widely and picked Kiara up grunting slightly because of his still hurting shoulder. The girl let out a squeal, not expecting this. "Shh, you're gonna wake my dad up."
"Well, you shouldn't have picked me up, you knew that I would squeal because I wasn't expecting it." The girl put her arms around his neck playing with his hair. "Why are you holding me anyway, your shoulder isn't healed yet."
"It's no problem, you're as light as a feather anyway."
"You guys are cute and all, but we still have to go to the boat, it's already three in the morning and I still haven't gotten any sleep, so..." Sarah complained, shoulders slumping and sighing deeply.
"Ok, we're coming." Rolling his eyes Charlie followed after his sister, quietly. They stepped out through the backdoor and went over to their boat. When they walked in they immediately sighed in content, the air-conditioning was doing his job amazingly.
Sarah went over to the couch and fell face first into it and sleep overcame her in just a few seconds.
Charlie brought him and Kiara over to the other couch. Putting the girl down first, he laid down next wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. "You comfortable or am holding you too tight, I—"
"It's good like this, Char. You don't have to be so worried, I'm good." She turned around to face the boy and gave him a kiss on the lips. Charlie kissed her back straight away, holding her closer if that's even possible.
Pulling away, Kiara smiled at him muttered, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
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