yeah. he did.

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John B forced me and Pope to check on Kiara-- which I didn't understand.

Kiara and I were not friends. We were friends with each other's friends, which made us acquaintances.

Kie's feet dangled in the water, as did Pope's. I threw a rock in the air, and caught it-- then repeated it while I listened to Pope and Kie's conversation.

"Corpses cry too, you know." Pope comments. "Well, they secrete fluid from their eyes."

I hold my laugh.

"Can we maybe not compare my feelings to secretions?"

"Technially, it's discharge."

"Pope." I say.

He stops.

He sadly attempts to wrap his arm around Kie's shoulder, making me cringe as she pulls away. "What are you doing?" Kie groans.

"Just... Uh... I don't know."

"Just be your usual weird self, okay?" Kiara's voice cracks at the end of her sentence.

I do feel bad for her-- kind of-- but she has everything. Friends, good parents, a beautiful house, money, the list could go on and on. I get that everyone goes through shit, but I didn't understand how-- or why-- this was affecting her so badly.

"It's just because I know how this ends. I've seen this movie. I starred in it. I mean, freshman year, it was my first year at the Kook Academy. You know how intimidating that is?" Kie begins to explain.

Pope and I look back and forth to each other, then back to her.

"And one of these things is obviously not like the other. I mean, I didn't have anything in common with anyone, and just as I'm about to slit my wrists, the queen asks me if I wanna go save baby sea turtles. Our first day together, we walked to the beach. We waited for the hatch, and we kept the seagulls off so that the turtles could get to the water."

"That... actually sounds kinda nice." I comment.

"It was the best day of my life. And then she turned on me like she does with everyone. Look, I'm not doing this with her. He's gonna have to choose."

"You know he can't do that." Pope says.

"Why not?"

"Because he's an idiot?" I comment.

This makes Kiara laugh a bit.

"Look, I know I'm lowkey a bitch to you, but you're not the kindest person to me either. Although, at least you're not as bad as JJ."

She laughs again.

I guess that was kind of my thing... making people laugh. I never really realized how much one single joke can change the whole mood.

Pope stands up. "If it were me... I know who I'd choose."

That's when it clicks. Pope doesn't like me back. I mean, I knew that. Everyone does, but I didn't know he would have a crush on Kiara. Although, who wouldn't? Pretty much any guy who has ever met Kie, ever, has liked her.

I didn't really realize that that's the reason Pope told Kie about my dad. It wasn't an accident. He likes her. He wanted her to appreciate him more.

Fuck men. No. Fuck boys.

--
I decided I needed to go home. I hoped my dad hadn't seen Trent yet, so we could tell him together.

"Trent?"I shouted throughout the house.

"Topper?"

"I'm... the bathroom." A voice groans from the end of the hallway.

I follow the sound and peer through the doorway.

"Topper?"

"He punched me. A lot."

Blood gushes from the blonde Kook's lips. A single tear falls from his eye and onto the tile.

"Hey, shhh. It's okay."

I get on the floor and hold Topper in my arms. "We have to clean these wounds, Top."

Eventually, he sat on the edge of the bathroom counter and let me apply  hydrogen peroxide to the large gashes across his face. Topper hadn't said a word the whole time. I mean, he did wince at the stinging, but sucked it up eventually.

"What happened, Top?"

"Trent."

"Trent?"

I couldn't imagine my brother doing this. He was-- or used to be-- the sweetest soul.

"Trent did this?"

"Yes, Alessia. Trent did this." Topper rolls his eyes.

"How do you know?"

From what I knew, Topper had never met Trent.

"He introduced himself... then punched me."

"Topper, I'm so so sorry."

"It's fine," He lies.

"No. It's not. Look, Topper, I don't like you. You almost killed my bestfriend. But I'm here. I can't- I-"

My breathing cuts off.

"Leia? Hey, hey. Breathe. Okay?"

"Top- I can't-" I'm gasping for air that my lungs won't catch.

"Shh, shh."

Topper jumps off the counter and pulls me into his arms.

"He left again? Didn't he?" Now I'm sobbing, and struggling to breathe.

"Yeah. He did."

We held each other for so long. So long that I don't even remember going to bed last night.

--

Early morning, a knock echoes throughout the Thornton house. I quickly jolt off the couch and jog to the door.

"Pope?"

"We need you.. now."

-804 words

a/n
sorry it's been a hot minute... i haven't had the motivation to write lately :/

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