DAY TWENTY-FOUR
The waves wash up the shore and squawking birds fly overhead as Kiara lies on the sand with her hands behind her head. She watches the white clouds float across the neverending sky, her mind at ease with the world's current serenity. She's able to take a step back and just soak in a moment of no craziness. For once she doesn't need to think about survival.
The island has tested the Pogues in many many ways. It's been a gift of incredible proportions but they've still had to survive. The hard reality is that not every hunt is JJ or Kiara successful. They always make sure to spear a fish at least once a day no matter how long it takes, but some mornings they're without the protein and just eat the berries that Kiara has collected. Sometimes the catches are small and are barely a mouthful for each Pogue. Recently they've been going to bed with hungrier stomachs.
Those are the cons of island life. But there are many pros.
The extraordinary freedom has Kiara on cloud-nine. It's something she's sought for years but her parents always kept some form of lock on her. But now the chains have been thrown off and she can run free to her heart's content. She could only imagine their faces if they saw her falling from that tree whilst trying to get honey or her puking her guts out and being unconscious for around 24 hours.
But what would make them explode is if they found out that she likes JJ on a romantic level. A born-Kook having feelings for a Cut-born Pogue. They would absolutely blow their shit, not that their astronomically wrong opinions on him would ever affect her. They don't know the golden-hearted boy like she does and how he is crucified for the wrong reasons. They just see his father in JJ's eyes and associate the name 'Maybank' with a thief and a liar; nothing good and definitely nothing good that their daughter should be hanging around.
A disease is what they view him as. But to her he's a drug that she can't get enough of, and it's not a bad thing. The sky and the earth – you can't have one without the other.
It's ironic, though, that her dad was a Pogue and her mum a Kook. You'd think that they'd be more accepting of her feelings for JJ but she just knows that they wouldn't be. They would target him and berate him and say that he brainwashed her. They'd force him into a corner and point out all the reasons he isn't good for her which would just worsen his already damaged state of mind. Everything that she'd be trying to convince JJ otherwise of, her parents would be justifying how JJ views himself: that he's not good enough, that he's no better than his dad, that he's ruining Kiara's life.
None of which are fucking true. Fuck his father. Fuck him for getting such thoughts into JJ's head. And fuck her parents for validating it.
But she doesn't have to worry about any of that. Who knows if she'll ever go back to the Outer Banks. Whatever happens, her feelings are her own and no matter what her parents think of JJ won't change how she cares and feels about the Maybank boy.
Kiara sighs heartily and sinks into the sand further. Thinking about JJ is making her fall into a reminiscent state of mind. She can't help but recall the first time she interacted with him, and all the other Pogues for that matter.
The girl closes her eyes and allows herself to be taken back.
Kiara's 11th birthday was only a few days ago and her parents bought her one of the highest quality surfboards on the island. Although they weren't too pleased with their daughter wanting a surfboard over, say, a cute dress or a nice necklace, Anna and Mike Carrera wanted their little girl to be happy. And she was. The look on Kiara's face when Mike walked into The Wreck with a new surfboard whilst she was eating her birthday dinner made it all worth it. Besides, he remembers how special it was when he scraped up enough money to buy his first surfboard years ago.
Even at the age of 11, Kiara wasn't oblivious to the differing sides of the island and she knew – and resented – being on the rich side. There were expectations placed on her and she hated them.
Be nice.
Be respectful.
Don't step a foot wrong or it'll reflect badly.
Don't do this, don't do that. Be this, be that.
She hated it.
Kiara had never had any interest in going to these fancy parties with her parents and wearing top-of-the-line outfits – which probably weren't very environmentally friendly – and being overly polite to stuck-up people and having to smile all the time. She wanted to be free. And to her that meant digging up her dad's old surfboard from the garage and taking it to the break. Except this time it'll be her own board that she takes out.
Finally the young Carrera girl has a free moment to do exactly that. School has been taking up most of her time and her parents wanted to ensure she did all her homework each night. By the time she finished it was already dark outside and her parents would refuse to allow her out on the waves when it was night. But today she didn't get much work and completed what she did have in record time.
So that's how Kiara ends up walking with a bounce in her step towards the break, her new surfboard tucked under her arm. She was so excited that she didn't even tie her hair up and instead rushed out of the house, yelling goodbye to her parents as she charged outside and down the wooden steps of their porch.
The weather is perfect and the swell is even more so when her feet hit the yellow sand. She breathes in the ocean air and leans the board against her leg.
Kiara's moment of silence is broken when she hears some rambunctious laughter. She turns to her right and sees three boys, two of which are pushing each other around roughly despite the boards under their arms and the other calling for them to stop.
Of course the girl has seen the young ragtag boys running around the island causing trouble – well, at least the dirty blond-haired boy and blond-haired boy were causing trouble, the black-haired boy was always trying to stop them but got reeled in anyway. Her dad had always told her that the boys were "bad news" and to stay away from them. But there was something about the way they always seemed to have fun that made Kiara want the same thing. It made her feel close to them without even knowing them. The way they laugh and smile is real. She wants that. She hates being surrounded by fake smiles and laughs.
Kiara has been told that rich people usually get what they want because they work their butts off to get it. And to her, this is one thing she truly wants. So she's going to work to get it.
From the other side of the beach, JJ, Pope and John B notice the rich girl watching them.
The Maybank boy just scowls and turns so his back is facing her. He wants nothing to do with rich kids. They think they're better than everyone else and it annoys him. They just get whatever they want handed to them and they think that anyone who is poor is no better than a piece of trash. It's the rich that decide the fate of the poor and it angers him.
"Dude, that's a Pyzel surfboard. They're only like the best surfboards out there," John B gushes. He's practically drooling.
"What do you expect? She's a rich kid." JJ sneers with disgust. If he was strong enough he'd snap it in half, or better yet, steal it. "She probably doesn't even know how to surf."
Pope comes in with reasoning as per usual. "If she has a Pyzel board, don't you think she'd know how to surf?"
JJ adjusts his hold on his own board beneath his thin arm. "Rich parents buy the best stuff even though they don't know how to use it. It's silly and such a waste. Kids like us should get it because we actually know how to use it."
"Why don't you go and challenge her to a surfing competition since you think she can't surf?" John B suggests with a boyish grin and then starts to tease his best friend. "Or are you too scared because she's a girl?"
The Maybank boy's response is snappy and he looks so offended. "I'm not scared. Girls aren't even good at surfing."
"Guys, guys, she's coming over here." Pope is beginning to freak out. Although Kiara Carrera is a rich kid, she's a girl. He doesn't know how to act around girls, especially one he has a small, very small but not so small, crush on. But no one needs to know that. He doesn't want JJ or John B to make fun of him. Especially JJ who seems to hate her.
Kiara steps up to the three boys and she's the same height as them. The black-haired boy stares at his feet and plays with his hands nervously. The dirty blond-haired boy seems chill. Lastly, the blond-haired boy glares at her. She notices that he has a bruised cut below his left eye. She wonders how it got there.
"Hi there, I'm Kiara Carrera," she greets politely with a kind smile. It's done in such a way that it makes JJ want to gag. It's too... nice. Her words seem to just irritate him.
His reply is purposely rude. "Go away, we don't want you here."
To the boys' surprise, Kiara's smile doesn't falter and she doesn't seem remotely affected by JJ's mean words. If it were any other rich kid they'd be crying to their parents. But not this rich girl. She's just ignoring JJ's rudeness which makes him hate her even more. How dare she?!
"I like surfing too! My daddy taught me how to surf," Kiara says excitedly and points to her board.
Pope should've thought about his next comment before he said it. "But you're a girl."
A warm flame ignites in the young girl's eyes. This gets an angry reaction out of her, the friendly smile disappearing. "All because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't surf. Don't be a sexist pig."
John B gasps a little whilst JJ doesn't even know what 'sexist' means. Pope does though and awkwardly plays at the sand with his bare foot. The Heyward boy mumbles an apology.
Seeing Pope all nervous and hearing him apologise to this rich girl makes JJ very, very, angry. He always stands up for his friends. Who does she think she is calling Pope a name and telling him what to do? John B has become somewhat defensive over his black-haired best friend as well but he remains level-headed.
"Get lost, rich girl! This is our beach!" JJ shouts at her and kicks a wave of sand at her legs. She flinches a little. Good. But then she narrows her eyes at him in challenge and crosses her arms over her chest.
"Or what, bossy-boots?"
Kiara doesn't like being talked down to, especially by this rude boy. Did his parents not teach him about manners? And how is this their beach anyway? It's public access.
Pope is chewing his nails anxiously and John B rears his head back with some surprise. This girl has got an attitude to match JJ's. How is that even possible? The leader of the boys is sure to watch the boy carefully. He knows that his anger can get the better of him and right now it is.
JJ abandons his board and goes to stomp forward but John B pulls the boy into his side, fighting a grin at what he's about to say. Nothing like some fresh competition to cool JJ down. "JJ is a great surfer."
JJ, huh? Kiara thinks. So that's the rude boy's name.
JJ's anger fizzles out and he puffs his chest forward proudly. "Yeah, I'm the best surfer on the island."
Kiara giggles a little, amused by this. "And how do you know that when you've never surfed against me?"
The tension in the air becomes unbearably thick.
JJ is very annoyed by the rich girl's need to be better than him. She may have a better board – which he is jealous of – but that doesn't mean she'll beat him. Never. She never will. She just thinks she's better than everyone else. It's in the blood of the rich. She won't ever beat him at what he's best at. Cause yeah, she's a girl and boys are way better at surfing. And what does she know about surfing anyway? Her daddy probably has no idea what he taught her.
JJ glares at her fiercely. "How about we have a surfing competition to prove it then, rich girl?"
So JJ did take his suggestion of challenging her. This'll be fun, The Routledge boy muses. Pope just looks like he's crapping himself.
"Pope, you're the judge." JJ points at the awkward boy and angrily straps on his leg rope.
"W-what!" The Heyward boy splutters. Now he's crapping himself even more. He doesn't know what's scarier, JJ's anger or Kiara's. And he only just properly met the girl! Either way, one will be very angry with him if he doesn't choose them as the winner. He wants to shrivel up and hide in a dark corner now.
JJ smiles provocatively and glances at his other best friend. "And John B, you play lifeguard in case the rich girl falls off her board and needs saving."
Kiara feels a wave of anger crash over her at his implying sexist comment. Her words are sharp and snappy. "Hope you surf better than you run your mouth," she hits back and sassily flips hair over her shoulder. "And my name is Kiara, not rich girl."
Pope chokes on his spit at the roast and John B actually laughs. The Maybank boy glares at him and he bites his lip to withhold his chuckles. The words "you just got roasted by a girl" don't leave his tongue as he doesn't want to get roasted by Kiara as well.
A spark of anger lights within JJ at her comeback. "Gonna go cry to your mommy and daddy when you lose?"
Kiara steps into the water and matches his competitive look. "No, I'll be telling them I'm the best surfer on the island when I win." Using her lanky arms, she begins to paddle out and leaves JJ behind her.
The young Carrera girl is as ready as she'll ever be. All JJ's mean words have done is make her more determined to win this. Kiara just wants to prove to these boys that one, girls can surf, and two, that she's like them. Because she wants to be. She's desperate to separate herself from a life she doesn't want to live. Her future is fancy dinners at the Island Club and lavish clothing and pointless small talk with fake people. She doesn't want that.
Instead Kiara wants to live a real life with real adventure and true fun. She wants to discover the world and not be tied to a future that doesn't belong to her. Because even at her young age she doesn't feel like she fits in. She's different. None of the children of the families that her parents are friends with like surfing or saving turtles or exploration. They like shopping and going out to eat overpriced food, most of which doesn't actually get eaten anyway. She doesn't want to live that way. She wants to make a difference and help the environment instead of destroying the only earth they have.
That's why she has something to prove. She wants to befriend people who know what the true meaning of fun is. She wants her laughs and smiles to be real. And what JJ has said to her is exactly what she doesn't want to be. She doesn't want to be viewed as a rich kid who gets everything she wants all because her parents have money. Kiara wants to make her own name and write her own story.
And that starts here.
Kiara propels herself forward, her arms driving against the current. The cool water splashes onto her tanned skin welcomingly and for a moment she forgets what she's out here for until she hears JJ hoot excitedly. Even though he's acting very rudely towards her, she can relate to his joy at being out on the ocean. They both share that.
This is what she wants. She wants to share her passions with people who understand them. And JJ, John B and Pope all understand her love for the ocean. She just needs to show them how deep that love runs.
The young Carrera girl watches as JJ expertly rises to his feet and rides the face of the wave. He easily performs a few bottom turns before the waves flattens out and he settles back down on his board. The boy sends her a smug look when he paddles past.
"Beat that, rich girl."
She rolls her eyes at this.
Kiara focuses forward and duckdives under an approaching wave before throwing her hair back when she resurfaces. She sits on her new board, her legs dangling in the water. She closely observes the swell around her with calculating, squinted eyes. Her dad taught her how to read the best waves to catch and she's falling back on that knowledge right now.
A perfect wave begins to brew and she paddles straight towards it. The girl pulls herself upright and plants her feet into the board, cementing her unshakeable balance. She completes a few front and backside snaps without breaking a sweat and playfully salutes to John B and Pope on the beach before diving headfirst into the water. She's laughing with immense joy when she breaks the surface.
JJ huffs with annoyance. She isn't terrible. But he can do much better than the tricks she's done.
The Maybank boy lines up for his turn and steadies himself on his surfboard. He does a mixture between cutbacks and snaps and then backflips off his old and prized surfboard. The two boys on the shore cheer for him.
The Carrera girl rolls her eyes but can see why he's a really good surfer. He's very steady and reads the waves well. She might've met her match but she isn't done yet. There's one more trick she hasn't shown yet. It's been awhile since she tried the air manoeuvre but she's going to do it. What has she got to lose? Well, she'll have to face a lot of embarrassment if she fails this. But if she pulls it off then she'll definitely win this thing.
Kiara takes a while to select the perfect wave. When she does she breathes out a slow breath and readies herself.
The girl stands and builds speed by performing a bottom turn. Kiara then expertly uses her momentum to rise up the pocket of the wave with the nose of her board directed skyward. She leaves the water and goes airborne. She reaches down to grip the side of the board with her right hand and rotates her hips to direct it around 180 degrees. A white spray shoots up from behind her when she leaves the lip. The girl holds her breath hoping she can stick the landing which is the part she's always struggled with. Her board's tail is now directed towards the shore. The foam surfboard jolts when it reconnects with the wave's whitewash. She holds her feet and twists the nose back around to face the beach, successfully completing the difficult manoeuvre for the first time.
"Yes!" Kiara cheers and throws her arms up. She allows herself to fall into the water in celebration. She even hears John B and Pope whoop from the shore.
JJ's mouth hangs open in shock but he quickly shuts it to hide how he's actually impressed. He has to admit that that was pretty cool. He'll also, although begrudgingly, acknowledge that she does know how to surf and is pretty good at it as well. Not as good as him even though he's never been able to complete an aerial without getting wiped out. But he won't tell her that.
The two paddle back to shore, panting.
Kiara and JJ lay their boards on the sand and wait expectantly for whoever won the surfing competition.
Pope begins to stutter nervously, not wanting to get attacked for choosing the wrong winner. "Uh-um, well..."
"Kiara is the winner," John B announces and wraps his arm around the girl's shoulders cheerfully. She laughs genuinely at the action. Has she just been accepted?
"That was a sick move!" Pope manages to say to her without stupidly tripping over his words. His smile is bright and she reflects it on her own lips.
JJ walks up to her with his head diverted downward. He doesn't meet her golden-flecked eyes. "You're alright, Carrera," he mumbles under his breath. He doesn't like having been beaten by a girl but he can't fault her surfing skills.
Kiara heard what he said and is glad he's finally not referring to her as 'rich girl'. Is he actually warming up to her? She wouldn't sell her favourite turtle plush on it, but she'll take what she can get. He's not being mean so that's a win.
The young girl's lip quirks. She wants to hear him repeat it again. "What did you say?"
JJ roughly sighs out in annoyance. "You're alright, Carrera," he reluctantly admits louder than before.
Kiara accepts his words and gives a toothy smile. "If you can keep your mouth from running, then I guess you are too."
This time JJ grins charismatically and brings his striking blue eyes to meet her passionate brown ones. "Can't promise anything."
She is the girl with wild curls and a fiery personality.
He is the boy with messy blond hair and a free spirit.
And that is the story of the start. Their start.
In the end it took JJ about a month to shake off his cold edge towards Kiara. He held a grudge against her for the surfing competition and wasn't entirely happy that they had let a Kook into their group. It took him time to accept that she was there to stay and was truly one of them. He finally accepted her when she sealed the deal and made friendship bracelets for all the Pogues. When he questioned why hers and his were the only ones that matched, Kiara had said, "Sometimes the people you like the least are the ones you relate to the most." That made JJ realise that her and him were a lot more similar than he cared to acknowledge. And from there they became the closest pairing in the ragtag group.
Little did she know it only took JJ a handful of months after that for him to realise he had feelings for the curly-haired girl.
Kiara smiles to herself thinking about how everything came to be.
"What are you thinking about?"
The Carrera girl cracks open an eye and notices Pope standing above her, amusement but confusion etched into his features. She sits up and he takes a seat beside her on the warm sand, placing his elbows upon his bent knees.
She signs out reminiscently. "Just about the first time we all met. Who would've thought we'd all end up here, huh?"
"Yeah, the world works in crazy ways," Pope says fondly and exhales. He glances her way, biting back a smile. "Remember when you called me a sexist pig?"
Kiara barks an honest laugh. "I remember that vividly. You had it coming."
Pope joins in and chuckles. "I definitely did."
The Carrera girl traces shapes in the sand, her grin never ceasing. She doesn't know what she would've done if she hadn't found the Pogues. She'd be miserable, that's what. Her life revolves around this group. She wouldn't have found a place to belong.
Pope breaks her train of thought. "I reckon JJ definitely runs his mouth better than he can surf."
She snickers. "Oh that's a well known fact." The girl instinctively plays with the friendship bracelet. "He's got a silver tongue better than that frontside snap."
"I'm still waiting for the day that JJ successfully does an aerial."
"At this rate, he never will." Kiara sits straighter proudly. "Queen of the seas." She holds her hands out flat and gestures for Pope to finish JJ's title.
"King of stupidity." They both laugh freely after he says that.
Kiara's laughter is the first to die down.
Pope notices that JJ has returned and greets Sarah at their camp which is half the length of the beach away. He turns to glance at Kiara who just remains looking in JJ's direction. He perceives how her entire expression lights up when she watches him, her eyes bright and gentle, a smile soft and fond. She never smiled at Pope that way.
And whether Pope wants to ignore it or believe it, it's clear that something deeper is going on between his two best friends.