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."
"I thought I would never see you again." He whispered into her neck, his arms squeezing her closer and tighter to him. She let out a shaky and relieved breath, all of the issues of the past 36 or so hours washing away as she held him in her arms.
"I hate getting kidnapped." She said, pulling back and looking at him. Her eyes ran over his face and the dumb little awestruck look it held, a laugh falling from her lips as she pressed forwards. She kissed him, tears springing to her eyes as her chest burned and ached for him. This was heaven, she had to pinch herself to believe it was real. This was the light at the end of a very dark tunnel.
"Stop getting yourself into such kidnappable situations then." JJ said when he pulled back, his arms secured around her waist as she held him by the face. She pushed a few hair from his face, letting out a laugh that he returned, one full of relief and utter reprieve. She pulled him into her arms one more time before she realized the others were there too, the girl detaching from his body and running towards them. Behind her Kie was coming up from the ship, her first stop being JJ who hugged her so close and tight that she felt tears gather in her eyes as well. His head remained turned towards June as she hugged John B and Sarah, all of them excited to see each other.
"I'm so glad you're safe." JJ said as a blanket statement, his eyes glued to his girlfriend as Kiara breathed out at his words. She pulled back and then they all hugged, happiness between them and the tension between Kie and June momentarily forgotten. A family reunion.
"Are you kidding me? This boat.." JJ gestured towards the boat and his eyes went to Kie, rightfully so considering she did steal the boat.
"Is this you?"
"What is...what is..." Sarah stuttered out, awe on her face as they all started back towards the boat.
"You can thank Kie for this sweet ride." June said, her mind forgetting she was angry with her.
"You wouldn't believe it if I told you. Come on." Kie said, leading the group. June was in the back, her head turning when she heard bells ringing. Her eyes caught John B and her eyebrows furrowed, the girl stopping and looking after the group. She made the decision to check on him, walking over to him and putting her hand on his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he nodded, the dazed look in his eyes making her fall to the conclusion that that may not be true. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. Let's go." June nodded, remaining fully unconvinced as they started onto the boat. June remembered the gun that was tucked into her waistband, the girl venturing on the boat to find JJ. When she found him he was off the side of the boat, Kiara being the one he was helping out. They were speaking about what Singh wanted, a bigger treasure, and June stood back, not wanting to interrupt.
"They didn't hurt you, did they?" JJs voice was thick with concern and June stepped back, making her way down the side of the boat and towards the cabin. She found the bathroom, pushing inside and closing the door.
She felt an odd pain in her chest, one that she had never felt before. She leaned against the bathroom countertop and looked up at herself in the mirror, supposing that a moment alone would be nice. For a moment she felt that peace, but then her eyebrows furrowed, and she gave into that terrible pain in her chest. After accomplishing finding the others, escaping Singh, escaping Rafe, witnessing a murder right in front of her again, committing one, and finding out that her friend was not her friend, she hadn't given herself the proper time to really process any of it. The safety of this boat provided her with the necessary means to begin her breakdown of everything that had happened, her thoughts a jumbled mess and too much for her to bear. She had had a headache since Rafe had cornered her in the bathroom, and now she wasn't entirely sure that it would ever go away.
She tried to take a moment to healthily process this part of the adventure, a chill going down her spine as she remembered the medallion that Singh wanted. It sounded familiar, almost as if—
"June are you in there?" The voice stopped her in her thoughts, her head turning towards the door as she listened. "Hello?"
She opened the door, Tyler standing on the other side of it, a concerned look on his face. The concern only deepened when he saw the state she was in, sweat lining her forehead, her face pale and eyes seeming like a war zone.
"Yeah. I'm in here." She said in a distant voice and Tyler furrowed his eyebrows.
"Are you okay?" It struck her that Tyler might be the only person she could trust to bear the weight of this medallion thing, considering his only connection to the group was through her. Therein his loyalties lied with her, leading her to pull him into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. "What's going on?"
She locked the bathroom door, her hand going up to her mouth as she used her fingers to wipe the sweat away. He had never seen her like this, but pretending everything was okay with the others was hard work.
"I need to tell you some things because I need to get them off of my chest but you can't tell anybody. None of them okay? You and me. Nobody else." He looked up at her alarmed but nodded nonetheless, June letting out a tense sigh as she started. "A lot of shit went down at Singhs house."