RafexKiara Tangled Up in All Your Pieces // Riara

Chapter 14

2 Days left

Trigger Warning: Bullying

~Flashback~ // Kiara's Kook Year

"Those clothes must have been found in the dumpster, along with her pogue-friends," Sylvia taunted me as I was cornered in the bathroom by a bunch of Kooks.

"How about looking me in the eyes? You should be thankful just to be in my presence, let alone in a Kooks." Sylvia says this as she mockingly rubs her fingertips across my cheek before snatching my bag off my shoulders.

I hid my face behind my hair as I tried to grab my bag back. I was only a month into school and I had already made enemies.

"I don't know, the boys are too good for her, especially JJ. The boy is hot. I don't know how he can even look at her", Sylvia's friend says while giving me a once over.

"Please leave me alone, I haven't done anything to you guys." I say, trying to get sympathy as the new girl.

"Leave you alone?" Miranda scoffed, touching my hair lightly before slapping me across the face. "How could we leave a beautiful girl like you alone?"

While I lower my head in pain, I do not want to make eye contact with them.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Bitch," Miranda says, forcing my chin up to meet her gaze.

My best efforts failed to prevent me from punching Miranda in the face. I was trying to keep a low profile, and I already failed.

My hopes of a fresh start have been crushed when Sylvia and Miranda expressed their insecurities by bullying me into leaving the Outer Banks.

I wasn't able to say goodbye to my childhood because my parents moved shortly after school ended at my old school.

The summer was spent waiting tables and cleaning up after my dad. I had no idea why we had to move here since he wanted to relocate years ago, but made trips to the outer banks sometimes for business.

Things started to make sense why Mike would drop everything in one place and move to another, which would affect the people he cared about. It didn't take me long to figure out what business he was getting into.

As you realized your father was hiding his instability behind a mask, the phrase "Fresh start, Kiara" hit hardest.

As hard as it was to accept that my mother and I were in danger, I began to reconsider my relationship with my father and what we shared.

The trust issues with the people closest to me spiraled out of control, and I kept blaming myself for not realizing my father's struggles sooner.

As a result of Barry, I was able to channel my frustrations with boxing.

Initially, I didn't like the idea of it since my dad and I had grown up fighting.

However, the most scary things in life can also serve as a catalyst to teach us how to overcome them.

Considering it my responsibility to keep our relationship intact, I worked additional hours to pay off his debts.

They say when you have your own blood in this line of business, you will eventually pick it up and use it to cover up the cracks.

In spite of that, I was able to get away every once in a while, and spend my weekends in Charleston. Forget my life here for a while, and live another.

"I can't look you in the eye, Miranda, if you can't even take yourself serious." I bite back, shifting my gaze onto the role she was trying so hard to take on.