DAY SEVENTEEN
"Do you think there's honey on the island?"
John B's question makes Kiara pause tying JJ's black bandana around the back of her neck. The thought of something sweet almost makes her drool. The taste of berries no longer bursts on her tongue like it used to but something as flavourful as honey... fuck, she really hopes there is some here on Poguelandia.
"Realistically, yes. There should be a few untouched bee hives around the island," Pope confirms thoughtfully.
JJ jumps up eagerly. "Well that settles it. Mission We-Ain't-Buzzing-Around is a go." JJ claps his hands. "Let's find some honey, y'all!"
Pope pulls a face. "We-Ain't-Buzzing-Around?"
"Hold up, hold up," Kiara starts, holding her hands out. "What happens if we do find a beehive? What do we do then?"
"Yeah, last time Pope ballooned when he got stung by bees," John B recalls the not so good memory.
"They were wasps," Pope corrects with a haunted shiver and John B just waves him off. "I agree though. We don't have your cousin Ricky as a back up plan if someone reacted poorly to being stung."
JJ pulls the concerned boy into his side. "Pope, it's okay, dude. You can just stay on the sidelines whilst me, John B and Kie are out on the field winning the ultimate prize of honey," JJ draws out the last word.
"Now that's just degrading," Pope says with a frown, sending JJ an unappreciative look.
John B grips Pope's shoulder. "Come on, Pope. Just think of how sweet some honey would be drizzled on some fresh bananas."
"And imagine the crunchiness of that honeycomb," Kiara chimes in, grinning. God, she wants honey. "So are you in or are you out, Pope?"
Pope sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?"
"Atta boy!" JJ cheers enthusiastically and Kiara and John B both join in.
It's just the four best friends as Cleo and Sarah are out to see if they can find clay around the stream that JJ and Kiara found on day six. So that leaves them to get up to whatever mischief on their hunt for bees. Kiara isn't sure if that's a good thing. Wait, of course it isn't. What could go wrong?
A lot of things.
The Carrera girl runs her fingers along the bandana at the inside of her neck subconsciously.
JJ catches onto this and smiles to himself at the sight of Kiara in his bandana. He treasures the way it looks on her and admits she looks pretty badass wearing it. He's seen her wearing the accessory many times before but there's something different about it now. There's something about the way her hair is knotted and how the highlighted curls contrast against the black material around her neck. She has this strong but excited look in her brown eyes, the gold flecks blazing.
Is he...
"JJ, let's get going, dude," Pope calls out to him, confused at his hesitation when he was the one who encouraged this idea in the first place. There's a bag they made slung over Pope's shoulder which is filled with coconuts. JJ snaps back into reality and doesn't finish his thought. What was it even going to be?
Kie looks over her shoulder at JJ funnily, raising a subtle eyebrow at him as she steps forward behind John B. He doesn't think she saw him staring but maybe she's just hiding it. If anything, he doesn't want her to know that he was. Fuck, he seriously can't have that happen. Remember, JJ. It. Won't. Work. There's been no shift. She's way too good for you. Get control of your feelings. You're the disease that'll infect her. JJ fights his hurt at the painful inner thoughts and just deflects with a cheeky wink and falls in line with Kie wordlessly.
Pope just watches the pair walking in front of him pensively. Is he sensing something? A change between Kiara and JJ? No, surely not. How could that be? He has to be imagining it. He knows that they've gotten extremely close whilst stranded on the island yet haven't they all? But they were stealing glances last night across the fire and neither seemed to pick out that they were each doing it. They haven't done that before. Ever. So that means something did, has, changed. Right?! His brain surely isn't that fried from the beating sun they've all endured for almost three weeks. Surely he isn't imagining it. There's a slight sinking in his heart at the thought it might be true.
"Pope! Where do we look?" John B calls out from the front of the group. Pope quickly abandons his trail of thought and jogs past Kiara and JJ to walk with John B.
They've entered the jungle and follow the path they've made from walking it that many times. The air is thick and heavy and makes their exploration for bee hives a lot more taxing. The sounds of birds have gone quiet due to the Pogues' presence. Kiara is still in awe at the vibrant greenery that circles around them spectacularly whilst JJ swats uncoordinatedly at bugs flying in front of his face. He almost hits her multiple times.
"Look up at the tree trunks. They usually like to create their hives higher up," Pope informs, gesturing above their heads.
"Well that's a given. The wasps were up in the framework at the church," JJ states obviously and bats a skeeter. This time he actually hits Kie. "Wah! Fuck off you pesky little vampire bats."
"JJ!" Kiara snaps and smacks his arm in return. He sends her a disgruntled look.
"You have phenomenal observational skills, JJ," John B says sarcastically and kindly holds aside an overgrown bush for the group.
JJ lightens up and pats John B's cheek as he walks past. "Thanks, Bree. Glad you noticed. I'm not just a good looking face, I'm also the man with the plan."
"Shit plans," Kiara coughs into her elbow. JJ doesn't hear this but the other two boys do as they chuckle.
The girl also snorts at his 'good looking' comment but it's not like she's openly disagreeing. JJ is definitely attractive, always has been but it's taken her awhile to truly realise the extent of it. She finds herself up at night and lifting her head to see JJ sleeping only a foot away. She'd trace his shaggy blond hair with her eyes in the lowlight and has truly noticed how it looks slightly bleached due to sun exposure.
And those ocean blue eyes... forget the crystal clear beaches around the world, they have nothing on the blue that ignites his keen, chaotic and emotive eyes. Cerulean and striking, Kiara practically drowns in them if she looks for too long. No wonder he can draw Tourons in like fish on a lure.
The smile too. Charismatic, breathtaking and the prominent dimples. He could get anything he wanted with just his smile alone.
Kiara almost stops dead in her tracks which would've made JJ run straight into her from behind. She's stunned upon her next realisation.
Oh shit. She's fallen.
Hard.
And what, she only realised she liked him a few days ago?
The Pogues have been trekking through the forest for who knows how long. All they know is it's gotten even hotter. They haven't found a single beehive and Kiara is beginning to think that they're about to hit a deadend.
The Carrera girl wished she had hair ties with her so her curls wouldn't be so annoying and fall in her face all the time. Unfortunately she didn't think that far ahead when she boarded the Coastal Venture and ended up abandoning ship and getting stranded on a deserted island. No amount of foresight would've seen that one coming.
But then she remembers JJ's bandana around her neck and pulls it up over her face and her hairline. It works as the perfect headband.
JJ witnesses her do this and is about to make a comment but Pope speaks up first.
"This is hotter than the shipping container we got trapped in," Pope pants and wipes the back of his hand across his forehead.
John B widens his arms up to the canopy. "What do you expect? We're in the Caribbean."
"Death cage 2.0," JJ comments and combs his hair back.
"Anyone see anything?" Kiara asks and rubs sweat from her eyebrow. Then she spots something through the bushes and in a clearing to their right. She's fallen to the back of the group so no one notices when she diverts right and disappears.
"I'm sure that someone would say something if they saw anything. I thought you were supposed to be logical, Kie." When JJ gets no witty comeback in return, he shoots a confused look over his shoulder only to find that she isn't there. His voice heightens with concern. "Kie?"
The other boys halt and also notice that Kiara is nowhere to be found. Suddenly they're all on high alert. Maybe there is an axe-murderer on the island that they didn't know about.
"Kiara, this isn't a good time for a Houdini act," Pope says loudly and is stressfully searching around for her curls.
JJ's heartbeat has notably picked up. She was just here? Where did she go? She couldn't have just disappeared that quickly, she legit just said something and then bam, nowhere to be seen. His eyes are frantic and his movements snappy as he whips around in every which direction in search of Kie. He sees no sign of her or where she could be. He doesn't like this. He doesn't like it at all.
John B checks nearby bushes and is calling her name but he's but coming up with nothing. He is getting worked up.
JJ is swallowed by overpowering nervousness and worry. He naturally fiddles with the friendship bracelet around his left wrist. "Kiara, where are you!"
"Here," her unmistakable voice somehow comes from ahead of them.
John B, Pope and JJ zip around and notice that she stands there with a proud grin upon her face. She now longer wears JJ's bandana as a headband because it's wrapped up and hanging from her hand, something inside weighing the accessory down.
JJ is the first to step up to her, his face wearing unusual seriousness. "Don't do that."
Kiara is slightly taken aback by the firmness of his tone. His expression is hard but edged with clear worry and she realises that she scared him by just wandering off. So she nods silently.
"You can't do that," Pope says frantically and points at the girl sternly.
"Why the hell did you disappear?" John B exclaims.
Kiara's lip quirks. "Well I saw these." The boys lean over and she opens the black bandana up. Resting at the bottom of the material are six eggs about half the size of a chicken egg. "Like I would give this opportunity up."
The Routledge boy smiles. "JJ is definitely rubbing off on you."
"Definitely not a good thing," Pope comments.
"Stealing shit is always a good thing," JJ pipes up, now grinning proudly at the Carrera girl. "We have been blessed by a bird's ass."
"Thank you, JJ. Thank you for putting it that way," Kiara tells him bluntly.
"No problem, Kie."
The four Pogues collectively decide to head back towards camp having deemed the eggs too special to risk possibly breaking. Kiara takes extra measures to ensure their safety by hugging them against her chest and being very careful where she steps. The group has to take what they can get and there is no way they'd want to lose something as precious and rare as freshly laid eggs. She is not sure what species laid them but an egg is an egg so who's she to care what laid it.
The jungle around them is quiet as it's always been. The empty air is only filled with the annoying droning of insects and the heavy panting of the best friends. They finished all their coconuts and unfortunately they're nowhere near the freshwater stream. It's definitely a good thing that they're returning to camp.
The silence slowly begins to fill with more than the buzzing of bugs and exerted breaths. A low but noticeable hum comes into the fold.
"Does anyone else hear that?" John B raises for question, looking around. The Pogues freeze and listen out, holding their breaths. They can definitely hear something.
"I do," Pope and Kiara announce at the same time.
"Affirmative," JJ says.
Then the four simultaneously follow the sound and peer up to a tree on their right. And low and behold, hanging from a pretty narrow branch, is a beehive buzzing with life. How could they have missed that when they walked right past? They must've been talking.
"Jackpot, baby!" JJ cheers, throwing his arms up in celebration. "Whoo!"
"We haven't gotten any honey yet, JJ," Pope highlights nervously, looking hesitant at the sight of the hive. He's being flooded with unwelcome flashbacks.
Kiara observes the situation intently. She would be able to climb the tree as the trunk is filled with many footholes. The hive is situated about three metres from the trunk and a few metres off the ground but the branch it's on wouldn't be able to take much weight. If she did this then she'd have to pull herself along the branch on her stomach but she has no idea how she'd even remotely steal the honey without being stung alive.
"Shit. We didn't bring anything sharp," John B curses and then turns in JJ and Kiara's direction, exasperated. "Why didn't you bring the spears?!"
"I didn't want to carry it," JJ responds with a nonchalant shrug. He turns to Kie expectantly and there's a mild accusation in his voice. "Why didn't you?"
Pope wants to correct that JJ didn't bring his spear because he was too busy staring at Kie but he decides to keep his mouth shut.
Kiara looks offended that JJ's turned this on her. Does he really think she doesn't carry around an extra stone shard just in case? "Because Sarah took my spear."
"Well you should've grabbed mine then."
"Like I was going to carry your spear."
"It would've been a nice gesture."
"No, you using me to carry your spear is not a kind gesture. It's some patriarchal bullshit."
Their bickering comes to an end when John B interrupts them before it gets too heated. "What about your swiss army knife, JJ? Now would be a good time for it to come in handy."
"Bro, I lost that thing the day we got here. I'm still devastated about it." The Maybank boy huffs.
Pope sighs and glances around. "We'll have to think of something else."
Kiara cannot explain her immense desire for some honey. It's a need, not a want at this point. The thought of something so sweet, so within reach, makes her just about willing to do anything to get it. Like come on, it's only a few metres above their heads. They have to figure out a way to get the hive down and reap the rewards.
Suddenly John B perks up. "Oh shit. Let's throw a rock at it," he suggests.
"What?" Pope splutters, eyes wide.
JJ looks at Kie. "And you say my plans are shit."
The girl rolls her eyes. She guesses he did hear her then. "Seriously, John B? You're suggesting the same dumb idea of throwing a rock at something like at the Crain Estate."
"Well it'll make sure we don't get stung." The Routledge boy defends.
The Pogues wander the surrounding area in thought. Kiara can see that the boys want the honey as much as she does. All they've eaten are a variety of fruits and fish and something as rich and raw as honey would go miles for the teenagers. They haven't been able to find another pineapple since the first, which sucks. But now they have some eggs, imagine adding honey to that list.
The girl gently places the eggs down in a safe spot and bites her cheek as she considers her next move. An idea is already formulating in her head.
JJ suddenly stops with an idea "How about we smoke 'em out. Make 'em go," he clicks his fingers and imitates falling asleep. Kiara is actually surprised that he sort of knows what smoke does to bees.
Trust Pope to correct the information. "They don't sleep, it just makes them calm and less likely to sting."
The Maybank boy just brushes Pope's correction aside and flicks open his lighter. "I say we try it."
John B hastily snatches the lighter from JJ. "You and fire. Not a good combo."
"I have to agree," Kiara pipes up but her eyes aren't on the boys, they're on the tree trunk as she calculates her way up. She takes the lighter from John B and he doesn't seem to care. The girl also grabs a decent-sized stick and places it in her waistband.
"We'll smoke them out but someone's gonna have to go up there and cut the hive loose. I'm not doing it." Pope backs away. Compared to the others, he has good reason for not wanting to.
JJ gives his input. "I vote that John B does it."
"No," he responds quickly, shooting an annoyed glance at JJ.
"Dude, you're such a pussy."
"Then you climb up there, Tarzan," John B mocks.
Kiara shakes her head. "Screw this," she mumbles lowly, no one hearing her.
Without informing the arguing boys, the girl grasps onto a stumpy branch and once she deems that it's stable she hoists herself up easily. She carefully fits her feet into the snug footholes and grips onto any thick enough branches with her hands. It's a natural ladder that she climbs, taking advantage of anything that'll hold her weight without snapping. The buzzing gets louder the higher she gets. Kiara ascends half way up the tree before the boys even catch on to what she's doing.
"Bro, you're definitely scared," Pope remarks truthfully.
JJ's expression becomes irritated. "I'm not scared."
John B scoffs. "Then what are you? I don't see you going up ther–hold on, where's Kie?"
JJ immediately thinks not again and almost descends into anger and frantic worry again. That is until he hears a grunt from above. All the boys peer up.
Kiara has reached the height of the hive branch and slowly manoeuvres to rest her front on top of the wood. She hugs the tree and flips her curls behind her. She sees the bees hovering around the hive and she bites her lip, unsure of the best way to go about her next move.
"Kiara! What are you doing!" Pope yells anxiously.
Kiara offers a mildly sour look at the supposed genius. "What does it look like? I'm doing what you boys were too scared to do."
"I wasn't sc–"
"Sure you weren't, J."
Kiara draws her attention back to the beehive situated just under two metres away. She narrows her eyes in consideration before cautiously pulling the stick from her waistband, eyeing the bees ahead of her carefully. She internally cringes at the branch groaning under her weight when she puts the stick under her chest.
JJ hears this and watches nervously. He fiddles tirelessly with the friendship bracelet and his rings. He would never forgive himself if she got hurt because he was too much of an actual pussy to climb a tree all because bees were involved. Nothing stopped him when he set his sights on the bananas or tying the flag up yesterday. But small spiked-ass bugs have him shitting himself.
Kiara's movements are slow when she jams her fingernail under a piece of loose bark and pulls a strip free from the tree. She places the bark in between her teeth and gradually reaches back for the dry nesting she stole when she nabbed the eggs. Then she begins crafting on the go, moving as little as possible.
The boys are impressed by how she effortlessly places the nesting at the tip of the stick and winds the bark strip around it before tying a knot and tightening it with her teeth. Kiara pulls out JJ's lighter.
"When the hell did she get that?" JJ questions with surprise when she flicks on the lighter. No one says anything to that, too concentrated on Kie.
Kiara just needs the bark strip to not burn long enough for the smoke to calm the bees. So exhaling a heavy breath, she slowly, very slowly, shuffles up the branch and closer to the hive. She sees the little creatures flying around and landing on the branch right above the hive. She feels the wood beneath her give a tiny bit and she swallows a breath, praying it'll hold her.
Please hold. Please fucking hold. The hive is only a metre away.
The droning is ridiculously loud in her ears. She freezes when a bee flies right past her arm. She squeezes her eyes shut when a light crack is heard below her. Kiara is actually shitting herself. But anything for the honey, right? She feels like JJ right now. She's done this impulsively and not considered the risks of climbing a few metres up and lying on a branch which could break at any given moment.
JJ is definitely rubbing off on her.
The Maybank boy watches as Kiara cautiously moves along the wood. He honestly feels like his heart is in his throat. His muscles are wired and he knows wholeheartedly that he'll dive forward to catch her in an instant.
John B and Pope are also nervous as fuck.
Kiara sighs out and bites her lip. The girl warily retrieves the lighter. She sets the nesting alight. Finally, she leans forward and stretches out her arm. The flames lick the air. The smoke billows up and clouds the bottom of the hive. A bee lands on her arm. She digs her teeth into her thumb.
JJ wants to tell her it's not worth it. He wants to tell her to get off the branch before it breaks. He doesn't even realise he's started pacing. But he doesn't dare to yell. He cannot startle her or it won't end well. For once he fights against his impulse.
"It's working," Pope says and watches as the bees aren't buzzing around as much.
John B asks a question that none of them know how to answer. "But how's she going to get it down?"
"Step back, boys," Kiara says breathlessly. Just as she says this, the girl shakes off the burning nesting and allows it to fall and hit the ground. The scent of smoke fills the air.
Then they observe as she tears another bark strip off the tree and pulls out a stone shard. The Carrera girl easily manufactures another spear but she cringes when more snapping and groaning occurs.
They should know better than to question Kiara.
"I agree," Kiara voices from above. JJ must've said it aloud.
The Carrera girl leans forward again and slowly begins sawing at the small branch holding the hive to the one she's on. The bees don't seem to be threatened by this as the smoke has made them rather docile, only a few flying around but none coming to attack her. The back and forward movement makes the branch beneath her shake. It's a ticking time bomb. She needs to get this done.
Kiara hides the tremble in her voice. "You boys will have to get out of the vicinity. The bees may be chill now but they most likely won't be when they hit the ground."
JJ grits his teeth and shakes his head. "Yeah, fuck that idea, Kie. We're not," I'm not , "leaving you."
"Agreed. We're sticking around, Kie," John B says adamantly. Pope nods.
Kiara sighs out harshly but she honestly had a feeling that they wouldn't go, especially not JJ. Can't say she didn't try if they manage to get stung.
The hairs on the back of Kiara's neck shoot up when there's an audible crack behind her and the branch falls slightly, making her jolt forward. She hangs on tightly and bites her tongue so she doesn't scream.
"Kie!" JJ calls to her, distressed. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Pope hollers. "Kiara, get off there now!"
"I've almost got it!" It's true. There's less than an inch left. She keeps sawing. Her heart slams against her ribcage.
John B runs both hands through his hair. "Fucking hell, Kie. That branch is tearing up!"
Then everything unfolds in the following seconds.
The stone shard of the spear finally severs the connection between the hive and the tree. The weight of the hive leaving the branch causes the wood appendage to drop. It then bounces back. The sudden jolt throws Kiara off balance. She slides off the side. The spear and lighter fall somewhere below. The girl yelps. She manages to hold onto the branch. Her arms are wrapped around the top, chest pressed to the wood. She's dangling off the side of a tree, holding on for dear life. She's with it enough to see that the branch is splintering up on her left and angled precariously downward.
Everything stills. She can breathe for a moment. Until the branch begins to sag and fall.
"No, no, no, no!" Kiara stresses, clawing at the wood when her grip gives because of a secondary jolt. Then she has nothing to hold onto.
Kiara is falling.
The girl doesn't scream, she knows that much. She can hear wind rushing past her ears. She can feel her limbs trying to find some kind of hold to stop her descent. The sound of wood cracking is a notable echo in her head. Kiara feels oddly free even though she practically chokes on her stomach in her throat, the G-force sending her insides upward. Her hair blinds her, not that she probably wants to see the fast-approaching ground.
Kiara has a fleeting thought. Is this how JJ felt when he fell from the tree? She also hopes that maybe, maybe someone will catch her.
And JJ does.
Kiara grunts when she slams into someone, that much she can comprehend. She knows she didn't hit the ground. She can feel the back of her head being cradled and a secure arm around her upper back. The Carrera girl has one of her arms over their left shoulder, tucked around the back of the person's neck whilst the other is wrapped under their right arm. Her whole body hurts and she feels tense from adrenaline. She flinches when there's a booming crash behind her and wood splinters showering upon her.
"I got you," JJ's voice is muffled against her shoulder. His back is against the jungle floor whilst Kie is held close to his chest. He sighs out knowing she's alright and safe. He doesn't want to let go. "This is repayment."
Kiara finds herself sagging with relief at his voice before laughing at his last words. "Yes. Yes it is."
The two of them lay there unmoving. JJ is just grateful that she isn't hurt. He was ridden with fear and anxiety as he watched her desperately hang from the breaking branch, trying to stay up. He didn't give two shits about the beehive smashed on the ground, all he cared about was his Kie. All he cared about was that he was going to catch her even if he died doing so. Although it wasn't the cleanest catch, he still caught her and that's all that mattered. She's okay and in his arms.
Kiara is exhausted, her head ringing slightly. She's definitely shaken but is soothed by JJ's arms tightly around her. Every bone, muscle and tendon inside her body aches and rightly so. Cause fuck, she fell however many metres. Not as many as JJ but she fell nonetheless – and she never wants to do it again. She doesn't even know if the beehive even survived because it might've got crushed by the branch. Shit, she hopes not.
Pope and John B help the pair onto their feet.
"Kie, what the fuck were you thinking?!" Pope exclaims and wildly flails his arm around. He searches her for injuries and finds a few scraps. "Why does nobody ever consider all the variables?!"
Kiara cracks her neck and feels JJ's hand hovering over the small of her back. "Well you were all pussies so I took matters into my own hands." The girl looks behind her and notices the cracked hive oozing golden honey. "And looks like it was worth it."
"I don't know if falling from a tree is deemed 'worth it'," Pope comments, huffing lightly.
JJ slings his arm around the boy's shoulders. "Pope, Pope, Pope, everything worked out." Thank fuck it did. "We're having a feast tonight!"
"Besides, we're now all part of the falling club," John B snickers and finds light in the whole situation.
"Can't kill a Pogue," JJ says, smiling.
Kiara grins tiredly and holds both hands out. "Woogity woogity?"
The boys immediately wiggle their fingers within her hand and each other's. "Woogity woogity."
The four Pogues work together to gather as much honey and honeycomb as possible and return to the camp with the eggs as well. They spend the night around the fire eating honey bananas and scrambled eggs and fish. The whole group shares genuine laughs when Kiara drizzles honey into JJ's mouth and when Sarah feeds John B pieces of scrambled egg.
Everything is as it should be.