"Dude, you should name him Pogue." JJ says, getting into Kiara's car. Earlier, Kiara realised that she should probably get some clothes from her home and talk to her parents about the whole puppy situation.
"I'm not naming him Pogue."
"Why not? He's a Pogue through and through, right?" JJ lifts the puppy onto his lap as Kiara climbs into the driver's side of the car.
"Because it's not really a name for a dog."
"Since when are you in. charge of deciding what names are for dogs?"
"Since I found him." The puppy sits in JJ's lap content and watches out the window as Kiara drives down the road. It is still raining outside meaning that the wipers are on. The puppy is fixated on the wipers, watching them moving back and forth. Kiara wonders what must be going on in the puppy's mind. Are the wipers protecting him from the wet source falling from the blue sky? Or are the wipers soldiers, banging against the weird clear barrier to try and break in? Either way, Kiara can see the excitement glowing in his brown eyes. "He so looks like a Pogue, Kie." JJ smiles at the puppy, lifting him up to look into his eyes. Brown meet blue as they stare at each other. It makes Kiara smile. They both look so innocent.
It's only now, looking at JJ and the puppy, that Kiara sees a connection between them. They are mirroring each other, both physically and hypothetically. Their cuts are almost in the same place, echoing pain that they have already faced in their lives. The cuts contrast the smile on JJ's face and the happy expression on the puppy's face. They are looking at each other with an almost clear sense of hope. Kiara knows that she can't leave the puppy, but what if JJ can't leave him either?
They drive in an an almost peaceful silence, Kiara focussing on the road in front of her whilst JJ brushes the puppy's hair back and happily murmurs stories to the puppy as if he would respond. Kiara can't help but listen to JJ's stories. "You would have loved John B." JJ murmurs at one point. Kiara listens to JJ tell the puppy the story of the gold and the four Pogues. He makes it sound like a fantasy story, rather than the horror story it actually is. She can imagine JJ telling stories to his kids one day, and adapting his horror stories to make them sound like everyone lived happily ever after. But then it hits Kiara, JJ has always done this. He's adapted his stories to protect everyone from the eerie truth. He's never told the Pogues his real story about his mom for example. He just gives them a made-up story whilst he laughs it through.
The Carrera house stands still as if a storm never even rolled around this area. The white brick contrasting the red door still reminds Kiara of how different Kiara is to her Pogue friends. Her house looks like it has come out of a fucking Disney princess movie. Kiara just looks forward at the house and can feel her heart rate going up. Kiara wonders if the thumping of her chest is loud enough to echo around the car and be heard by the puppy and JJ. "Gonna get out?" Maybe JJ can hear her heart.
"You two should just stay here." Kiara takes a deep breath, avoiding the concerned glances from JJ. "I should probably face them alone."
"Good luck." JJ scoffs. Kiara should roll her eyes at his tone but she doesn't She really needs all the luck that she can get. "Me and Pogue will be fine in the car." This does make Kiara roll her eyes.
"His name is not Pogue, JJ." Of course, JJ only calls the puppy Pogue to get on Kiara's nerves but Kiara can't help but play into his annoying games.
No way will his name be Pogue.
Kiara takes a look back at her car, where JJ and the puppy are still cuddled up on the passenger seat, before making her way into the house. She just wants to get her clothes and go back to her car. Kiara can't work out why she is struggling so much in telling her parents about the puppy. Sure, Kiara would have to fight to keep him in the house but she knows how to win over Anna and Mike. But she hasn't planned what she would say. She hasn't thought of what happens if she can't win them over this time. A puppy is a lot of work. She creeps into the corridor and begins to walk up the stairs.
"Where the hell have you been Kiara?" Anna is stood at the doorway when she spots Kiara walking up the stairs. Of course, it's her mom. "You didn't come home last night." Fuck, Kiara forgot to call.
"Sorry. I should have said something."
"Or you should have just stayed in this house." Anna has always had an issue with Kiara not being at home at night, even when she knew where Kiara was. Kiara always thought it was because her mom really didn't trust the Pogues to not kill Kiara in the middle of the night. "I know this is to do with your healing process, Kiara. But I can't keep going around acting all sad because my daughter is still grieving a murderer."
"Oh my god mom, he didn't kill anyone."
"You're the only person that thinks that Kiara." Kiara knows the real reason that everyone thinks John B is the murderer. The Camerons. The Camerons have too much power in Outer Banks that if someone starts to notice questionable behaviour, they would stay quiet fearing what Ward Cameron could do to them. Anna Carrera is just like everyone else- obsessed with how everyone sees her, especially the Camerons. "You haven't answered my question Kiara. Where were you?"
"I was at the chateau." No point lying now. "I'm sorry mom. The chateau is the only place everything feels normal."
Kiara walks into her bedroom, randomly picking up clothes and chucking it in her backpack. Anna rushes behind her, watching all her actions. "I'm spending another night there."
"No."
"No?" Kiara angrily turns to her mom. "I can't deal with everyone looking at me like I am crazy for being upset that John B died. John B and Sarah are dead and I hate that everyone keeps trying to talk about them!" It's unhealthy. Kiara knows that. But it's the only thing making sure that Kiara doesn't fall into pieces. Tears are threatening to fall which make Kiara hurry up, knowing that she won't be able to hold them back if her mom tries to keep her here any longer. "I need to go, mom." Kiara wipes her wet eyes. "JJ is waiting for me."
"JJ Maybank?"
Shit.
Now, Kiara knows she'll have to fight her mom just to get out of this house. Anna Carrera has never been subtle about her detestation towards her friends. But Anna at least tries to keep her mouth shut about John B and Pop. But JJ? Anna listens to the rumours of Outer Banks and thinks if Luke Maybank is bad, JJ must be the same. Kiara always fights her mom on her front about JJ. But she will never listen and JJ will never admit that his dad beats him. It's a never-ending cycle.
"He's my best friend, mom!"
"He's dangerous." Kiara scoffs at her mom. No one knows the true JJ yet everybody judges him. Judgement runs through the whole of Outer Banks which makes Kiara wonder how many people judge her as well. "I don't want you hanging out with that boy anymore." Kiara wonders how her mom would respond if she told her that she slept with JJ only four months ago.
"He's all I've got left." Kiara cries out, giving up on fighting away the tears.
"And that's the problem, Kiara. You should have more than JJ Maybank."
"He's the best thing I've got!" Kiara snaps.
"Those Pogues. They're the reason you don't have any friends from your own school, Kiara. They have brain-washed you." She can't handle this now. Kiara shakes her head frantically and storms away from her mom, ignoring Anna's calls from behind her. The reason she hangs out with JJ instead of those fucking Kooks is because she can trust JJ with her life. Kooks would throw her away for anything new. Sarah was the only Kook that even tried to see the real Kiara. The rest wear masks to pretend like they care. But they just want to get into your pants and then they will throw you away for a new Touron or Kook. Kooks cannot be trusted. Pogues can be trusted. JJ can be trusted.
Tears cannot stop falling as Kiara runs down the stairs towards the front door. She feels like she is sprinting and her heart is beating so fast that she wouldn't be too surprised if she had a heart attack. She can hear her mom following her closely but she is too angry at her to turn around. Kiara just needs to get out of her house and get back to the chateau in which feels to her to be the only safe hideout.
Outside, the rain is falling heavier. So heavy in fact, that Kiara can hardly see her own parked car in the distance. Anna catches her at the door before Kiara can take a step into the shower. "You can't go with him." Anna is pleading.
"I'm come home." Kiara shrugs Anna off and walks into the water. Anns doesn't follow this time. At Kiara's first step, she is already drowned in the rain. She will need to change as soon as she gets back to the chateau, but she doesn't care. Kiara keeps moving forward, the tears in her eyes flood her vision but she doesn't care. She needs to get out of here.
Kiara hopes that the rain wetting her face will blend the tears and hide them from JJ as she gets back to the car. She can see him through the window. He's fast asleep with a sleeping puppy on his lap. Another picture of innocence. Kiara thinks about pulling her stuck-up mom out of the house to see how JJ is around Kiara. How JJ could never be dangerous for Kiara. She climbs into the driver's seat as quietly as she can. But JJ still wakes up suddenly. He's never been a heavy sleeper.
His sudden movements jolt the puppy on JJ's lap. A little yelp comes out of the puppy's mouth which makes JJ jump. Kiara reaches for the puppy to try and calm him down. The puppy is breathing heavily and it is not until JJ reaches for his coat that the puppy stops panicking. "How did it go?" JJ asks, still with a sleepy tone.
"I won't be telling my mom about this pup anytime soon." Anna would kill someone; Kiara is sure of this.
"Ah, I love your mom."
"And she loves you, JJ." JJ laughs, knowing the truth. It makes Kiara laugh. They have always been able to do this to each other. Make each other laugh. Even when the situation means for no laughter. It's a sense of normalcy. Something that no one- especially her mom- would ever understand.
There is a new issue on the table however. It concerns Kiara as they drive back to the chateau. She has no idea what to do with the puppy. Kiara knows that by arguing with her mom over JJ, Anna would not budge with saying no to a puppy. She could still win over her dad, but Kiara knows that Mike will always side with Anna in every decision. Meaning that the puppy would be thrown to the streets with no hope for a family all over again. Kiara cannot let that happen.
They park outside the chateau when JJ finally asks her the question that she has been asking herself the whole drive here. "What are you going to do now?" It's then that Kiara realises the best option available for her. It's been staring her in the face the whole day but she's been too blind to see it. It all makes sense to her what needs to happen.
"He'll stay at the chateau." Kiara looks up at JJ who is looking back at her with confused eyes. "He'll stay with you."
...
"He'll stay with you." JJ doesn't know if she has heard him right so keeps looking at her with a confused expression.
"I don't get it." JJ dumbly says, stilling his hand on the sleepy puppy.
"You should stay at the chateau and the puppy can stay with you." It makes JJ roll his eyes. There is no way Kiara could be insinuating in any way that JJ would be able to look after a tiny puppy all by his self. He can't even look after himself. Just by looking at JJ anyone with eyes would see that JJ is incapable to look after anything. He allowed himself to be beaten up a day ago, how could he possibly keep something else safe? What if JJ turned into his own dad and ended up hurting the puppy after getting high or drunk? Or what if JJ ends up being worse than his dad and takes it too far? "No, Kie."
"Why not?"
"Because... I can't stay at the chateau."
"Are you serious?" JJ senses her anger but he knows he's right. He can't avoid his problems and play house in the chateau with a puppy. "JJ, you can't go back to your house."
"Kie..." JJ tries to defuse her anger.
"No JJ!" Kiara snaps. "You need to stay at the chateau! You need to stay where you're safe!" JJ watches her and swears he can hear Kiara hiccup a breath. "Please just stay here."
"I can't look after a puppy."
"I'll help. I'll be here every dad. The only thing you'll be doing is providing a house for the pup."
Kiara likes to win. And, on a normal day, JJ would fight her on it. She would still win but JJ liked to play the game. Today is not a normal day. JJ can see the normally strong, fierce girl is breaking down before his eyes. Kiara looks like she could fall to pieces at any moment. He just doesn't know if it is his fault or not. He doesn't want her to cry. He hates it when she cries. She's not an ugly crier or anything, JJ just hates to see her fragile. Because Kiara Carrera should never feel fragile.
Kiara looks at JJ with pleading eyes. She won't give up until he agrees even if JJ doesn't think it's a good idea. JJ notices Kiara's eyes drop to the chilled-out puppy on JJ's lap. "If you agree, I'll let you name him." This makes JJ smile.
"Deal." JJ replies a bit too quickly, making Kiara playfully roll her eyes.
Stupid decision, Carrera.
"You still have to run the name by me." Of course, Kiara has conditions. "Pogue is out by the way."
"Relax Kie, do you not trust me or something?"
"Only because you think Pogue is a dog name."
"You sound like the lady in the shelter in Lilo and Stitch." Kiara looks at him shocked. "You know, thee lady that says Stitch isn't a real name?"
"I didn't realise you were a secret Lilo and Stitch lover."
"It's a film about aliens and surfing." JJ smirks. "Best film ever." Kiara quietly snickers but JJ still hears it, making him smile.
"It's a film about belonging, JJ." Kiara laughs out.
"Yeah the whole 'Ohana' shit. I'm all for that." JJ watches Kiara roll her eyes. This is the type of game that JJ likes to play with Kiara. He likes being the reason for her laughing. And JJ's bored of tears. Laughter is the answer.
Inside, JJ watches Kiara- who seems to be on a mission. She rushes to the kitchen and grabs a bowl and cheerios. She puts the food on the floor for the puppy. The puppy runs straight at the bowl and almost downs the whole lot without coming up for air. JJ likes this puppy already. JJ watches the puppy for a moment before turning back to Kiara who is now looking at the random leads on the floor. "We need to puppy proof this place." Kiara picks up the leads and tosses them onto the pull-out.
JJ has never cared for anything in his life. That is why it shocks him how much changing needs to happen to the chateau. Kiara explains how puppies love to teethe on wires and then they could end up getting electrocuted. It makes JJ jump up and help Kiara makes sure that there is nothing on the floor that could kill the puppy. It shocks JJ how much shit there is on the floor of the chateau.
It takes them two hours just clearing the floor. Tossing packages. Throwing away JJ's secret stash. Cleaning up the loose wires. Awkwardly throwing away the condoms that they find under the pull-out- not knowing when they were used nor who by. Can't have a little puppy suffocating on a balloon though.
They both end up crawling around the floor at a dog's level, to make sure that there is nothing that could hurt the puppy. JJ can't take it seriously though and Kiara keeps snapping at him to get back to the job at hand. JJ still doesn't understand how Kiara could trust JJ enough to look after a puppy. Only a year ago, Kiara was having to save JJ from fights with Kooks. How could she possibly see good in him?
"Come on JJ Junior, help us out." JJ jokes, looking over at Kiara to see her reaction. She shakes her head with a sinister look glued onto her face. "What Kie? The pup is a boy. He can't be called Kiara."
"JJ Junior, seriously?" JJ laughs at her stern posture. Kiara looks like she is regretting her decision.
"Fine. Maybe not JJ Junior."
"Definitely not JJ Junior." Kiara interrupts.
"How about Pup? We keep calling him that anyways?" The name actually sounds interesting to JJ. Pup the puppy. But from Kiara's still stern face, he knows it's another no.
"Remember when you thought I didn't trust you to name him?" Kiara starts. "I definitely don't trust you with it now." JJ looks at her with fake shock, sensing that she is joking herself. This is normal for him- getting the other Pogues annoyed until they accidentally smile and break into laughter. It's the JJ way.
Something breaks their teasing as JJ watches Kiara's smile drop completely. She looks around the living area. "Where is he?" JJ looks at her shocked and follows her eyes as she keeps frantically looking around the room.
Shit.
It's not even been an hour and jJ has already lost him. He could be in danger and its would be all JJ's fault. Like he knew it would be. It's always JJ's fault.
They look around all the rooms in the chateau but the puppy doesn't make a sound to help them find him. What if he got out? Kiara will never forgive him. Kiara goes into the kitchen whilst JJ looks on the porch. This just proves what JJ already knew, he can't make sure anyone is safe.
JJ can feel his breathing speed up as he gets flashes of memories that he wishes he could forget. His mom ran way when he was nine years old. His dad started hitting him on his fifth birthday. He got into his first fight when he was ten. He found out his mom killed herself when he turned twelve. He realised the difference between Kooks and Pogues when he was fourteen. He lost his best friend- no, his brother- four months ago. He keeps losing. And the only one to blame is himself.
His breaths keep getting shorter, making JJ sit down on the bench. He drops his head into his hand and listens to the rain hitting the porch stairs to try and calm his breathing down. JJ needs to keep it together. Show no emotion, just like his dad always tells him. JJ's less likely to hurt someone if he remains emotionless.
When all hope seems to be lost for JJ, he hears a gnawing sound from behind the bench. JJ looks to see the brown and white spaniel puppy eating a brownie. He looks like he's enjoying the brownie so much that he is completely oblivious to JJ and Kiara stressing over him. "Found him!" JJ shouts out, still smiling down at the puppy. This dog can eat anything. This dog really is a Pogue through and through. JJ stands up and heads to the door without taking his eyes off of the puppy. "How about the name Brownie?" Kiara walks out onto the porch.
"Brownie?" Kiara questions. JJ doesn't reply, just motions to the puppy enjoying the brownie. "JJ!" Kiara runs over to the puppy and takes the brownie away.
"Relax Kie. I haven't made my special brownies in months." What a day that was. JJ remembers how Pope accidentally took one thinking they were normal and ended up trying to climb on top of the chateau. That day was full of laughter.
"Chocolate is poisonous for dogs." Another thing to add onto the list of stuff that JJ doesn't know. Kiara picks up the puppy, which is giving her pleading eyes. The poor thing just wants his brownie back.
They move back into the living area of the chateau where Kiara refills the puppy's cheerios. "Shit. Is there a book on dogs?" JJ half-jokes.
"You're asking the wrong Pogue." Kiara laughs.
"Dammit." JJ sighs. "Oh well, we'll have to learn by doing."
"Yep".
JJ smirks at Kiara. "I'm pretty good at learning by doing though." This makes Kiara roll her eyes. They both sit there in silence, watching the puppy eat his cheerios. They both have smiles planted on their faces whilst looking at the puppy. But they can't help it. The puppy is so happy. "I like the name." Kiara breathes out whilst JJ turns to Kiara, confused.
"Brownie" Kiara looks away from JJ. "It suits him." JJ can't help but smile.
"Brownie Maybank is it." JJ says, smirking. Kiara scoffs and pushes JJ playfully.
"We're not starting that debate." Kiara jokes out.
Brownie finishes eating his food and keeps sniffing around the floor looking for more. Kiara and JJ go back to watching their puppy with content smiles that they cannot wipe away.