ᴛᴡ: ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴs ᴏғ sᴇʟғ ʜᴀʀᴍ
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Since John B and Sarah died, life hadn't been easy for any of the pogues. The night it all happened, they could all feel in their gut that things would be different. And it has been.
They all sort of kept to themselves. Too scared to be around each other. If they were, it became too real to them. It all just solidified that a great piece of what made them the pogues was gone and wouldn't be coming back.
Estrella still talked to Pope regularly. More so Pope reaching out to Estrella since the girl had been shutting everyone out which wasn't normal for him.
Kiara and Pope still talked and hung out. From what Estrella could remember, Pope and Kiara decided to take their relationship to the next level. From what Estrella could also remember, Pope couldn't get a clear sign out of Kiara. He didn't know what she wanted or how she really felt.
Estrella and Kiara hadn't spoken much since the night of John B and Sarah passing. There were times when Estrella would run into Pope and Kiara would be with him. They said the simple hi and bye, but nothing else.
JJ had preoccupied himself with working. The other three don't really hear much about him or from him. Of course, Pope and Kiara would check up on him every once in a while and he would talk to them. They try to keep him out of his head and out of any trouble he might get into since he lost his best friend.
And they were right. He missed John B like crazy. He hadn't gone a day since the third grade without seeing or talking to him. He couldn't figure out how he would go about the rest of his life without him. He never thought about it. He never thought he would have to. Not for another 40 or 50 years. But time wasn't in his favor.
The whole thing probably would've been a lot easier for him if he wasn't such an idiot. If he hadn't done what he did to Estrella, he probably would've taken this whole thing just the tiniest bit easier.
Estrella.
Estrella and JJ hadn't spoken at all. JJ hadn't tried reaching out to her and Estrella the same. Since that night, Estrella has taken a lot of time to think about, well, everything.
She realized just how messed up what JJ did to her was. She knew John B was in on it too, but he was gone and she couldn't hold that against him anymore. JJ on the other hand, was here. And while he too was grieving his best friend, he hurt her way before all of this.
He knew it would hurt her and still did it. So, she was angry at him and in her opinion, rightfully so. Her anger may be a little bit elevated with John B and Sarah passing, but still very valid.
JJ wasn't angry with Estrella. He understood he hurt her. He knew that. He knew that they probably would never come back from this. He missed her and she was probably the only person he wanted to see right now, but Estrella never contacted him, so he never contacted her.
They had avoided each other at all costs. Estrella staying away from JJ's job and, unfortunately for her, the beach since she knew he surfed to clear his mind. JJ stayed away from anywhere that Estrella or her mom could show up. Not wanting to risk coming in contact with either of them.
The pogues had presumably fallen apart. Pope being the only one to try and hold them together. Knowing that when everything cleared up, they would all regret not reaching out.
So, to try and bring everyone together, Pope told everyone to meet up at the Château.
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JJ, Kiara, Estrella, and Pope stood around the big tree in the yard of the Château. Pope using an axe to cut part of the tree bark off so JJ could burn John B's name into the tree.
Pope backed up setting the axe down as JJ burned the words into the tree.
2003 2020
John B Routledge
P4L
Pope stood beside Estrella who had her hands in her jacket pockets as tears filled her eyes. Kiara standing on the other side with a box of different items that belonged to John B and the other three teens.
JJ set the crowbar down as Kiara steps closer to Pope. JJ standing beside her as he picks up his flask.
He holds it out, "To John B."
"And to Sarah." Kiara says weakly as she turns to him. JJ keeps his eyes on the tree. She turns toward Pope and Estrella, but only Pope looks back at her.
Pope turns to Estrella just as a tear falls from her eye. She looks down at the grass as Pope holds his beer up. He and JJ take a sip as Kiara sniffles.
She then gets down and sets the box into the hole they dug into the ground by the tree. Pope gets down beside her to help her bury it. Estrella bends down and grabs the flowers they picked out before getting down beside Pope to set the flowers on top of the box. JJ squatting down beside Kiara as they all push the dirt on top of the box.
Estrella tucks her hair behind her ear before wiping her cheeks of the tears that fell. Letting out a deep breath before standing up. Pope standing up as well and rubbing her shoulder.
She tries to produce a small smile in return. The boy immediately brings her into a hug which she wastes no time in returning.
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After the memorial they had for John B, they all managed to sit together in the backyard. Pope and Kie sharing the hammock as JJ sat on a hanging tree branch and Estrella sat in one of John B's old chairs. It was dark out now as the sun had set about an hour ago.
It was now just barely bright enough for them to be able to see each other. Estrella's phone vibrates in her pocket breaking the silence that had settled over them.
She pulls it out and realizes it's a text from her mom. She stands up slowly, "Um, I've gotta go. My mom needs me home."
Pope sits up, "Yeah, no worries. You want me to walk you home ?"
"No, it's okay." She shakes her head, "I'll see you guys later."
Pope nods as Estrella turns around and makes her way toward the road. She misses how JJ's eyes follow her before falling back down to his hands. Kiara gets up startling Pope.
"Where are you going ?" Pope says
"I'll be just a second." She says quickly before following Estrella. She jogs slightly to catch up to the girl.
"Estrella." She calls out. The girl turns and furrows her brows at Kiara walking up to her.
"Something wrong ?"
"No, no, um," Kiara sighs, "How have you been ?"
Estrella is taken aback by the question, but answers anyway, "I'm fine."
Kiara knows she's lying. She knows because she had been telling her parents the same thing even though she knew deep down she wasn't.
"That's good." Kie nods, "I like your hair."
At the mention of her hair, Estrella rakes her fingers through it. She had cut it to just above her shoulders. A very big change for her seeing as she's had long hair her entire life, but that's what she wanted. A change.
"Thanks." She says, "Is there something you want to say, Kiara ? Because just jumping around with small talk isn't going to get us anywhere."
Kie sighs, "Look, Estrella, I'm sorry, okay ? For everything that happened. But we need each other. All of us."
Estrella looks away as Kie continues, "We all lost someone. Someone so special to us and we all need someone to lean on. The whole island is against us. They all think we're liars and that John B was a murderer, so we need to stick together."
Estrella looks back over at her. Kiara's eyes hold a certain hopefulness. A feeling that Estrella had lost a lot time ago.
"It's hard, Kie. It's hard to act like John B is the only thing wrong."
Kie knew what she was talking about and Kie had no idea what that felt like. But she knew that it couldn't be easy to walk around thinking that someone who was your best friend betrayed you.
"I know." Kie says stepping closer, "And I'm not saying that you have to let that go. I'm just saying that right now, John B is gone and we're all going to regret not coming together through this knowing that's what he would've wanted. For us to get through this Pogue style."
Estrella chuckles with teary eyes. "Pogue style."
"Yeah." Kie smiles hoping that she somewhat got through to her
Estrella nods to herself, "I can try, but that doesn't mean it's gonna work."
"That's all that matters. Is that we try." Kie says, "I'll even talk to JJ."
Estrella's breath hitches before she takes a step back. Kie's smile faltering, "I'll see you at school okay ?"
"Yeah, okay. I'll see you later, Estrella."
She doesn't respond and just walks away. Kie sighing before turning back to the Château.
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Estrella closes the front door behind her before locking it. She goes straight to her room to try avoiding her mom. Since everything got out, Estrella's mother had done a complete 180. The woman she once known as this happy, free-going woman had now become someone who watched Estrella like a hawk. Estrella was barely able to convince her to let her go to the Château.
Unfortunately for Estrella, her mom had heard her walk in.
There's a quick knock at the door before it swings open. Estrella sighs, "You know, usually people wait for someone to tell them to come in before they walk in."
"I just wanted to check on you. How was it hanging out with Pope ?"
"It was fine. Aside from the fact that we're having a memorial for our dead friends." She mumbles as she moves around her room
Her mom's eyes follow her, "What else did you guys do ?"
Estrella looks up at her mom's accusatory tone. She narrows her eyes, "What else would we be doing, mom ?"
"I'm not sure what you do anymore." She shrugs, "I certainly didn't know you were hanging out with someone like your friend."
"He didn't do it. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that."
"Everything's right there in front of you, Estrella. Your friend obviously wasn't everything you thought he was."
Estrella sighs heavily, "What do you need, mom ? If you just came in here to remind me that my friend is gone, I really don't need that right now."
Her mom walks further into her room and sets a pamphlet down in front of her. Estrella furrows her brows, "I've been talking with Kiara's parents and they mentioned boarding school. They're thinking about sending Kiara and considering everything that you were doing, I think it'd be good for you."
Before Estrella could say anything, her mom walks out of her room. Estrella looks down at the pamphlet. Her mom couldn't be serious right ? Boarding school ? Her friends had just died and she was worried about sending her daughter to boarding school ?
Estrella sighs as she just tosses the pamphlet on her desk. She hurries to close her door before taking her jacket off. As she sets it on her chair, she looks down at the bandage sitting on her right wrist. She feels herself become saddened as she thinks more on what had happened. She blinks rapidly as she goes to her closet to take out some pajamas.
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