GET YOU • KIRIN O' CONNOR

009, life before this

tw

present

"YOU WOULD SAY you were popular at school, huh?" gretchen asked and isa scoffed "why would i say that?" isa asked. gretchen looked down at a folder which isa assumed was her file about her that she filled out before this retreat she went on.

"well, you're the captain of your girls soccer team, was prom queen twice, straight a's in every class." she said reading off of the folder. "you have 2,000 followers on your instagram, you post the parties you do to every so often, do you want me to keep going?"

"no, but still. i'm not popular."

"so what is your life like before this?"

"fine, i guess. my dad left when i was 11, he was pretty shitty. all he did was work and drink and golf. he was never home. mom told me he was going on a trip and he never came back. i think she thought i was dumb and that i wouldn't realize that he wasn't coming back. i knew he hated me. i remember one time he told me he "fucking hated" me when he was drunk off his mind. that day still replays in my head." isa explained. "i have a step dad now. he's cool. he does things with me that's fathers do with their daughters. takes me out to get ice cream, when i'm sad."

gretchen gave a sympathetic look to her.

"he taught me how to ride a bike a year ago cause my dad never taught me to. he bought me a cake after i finished all my finals cause he knows how much i love sweets. he never had kids before, but now he treats me like the kid he never got to have."

"is that how you found out about this retreat?"

"no, my mom found it. they were going on the honeymoon trip they didn't have. they were going to cabo. they thought it would be good for me to leave the state for a couple of days." gretchen nodded at her answer.

"okay so back to the island. what happened that night of the 16th day that you were there? anything big happened?" gretchen asked. isa pulled her feet onto the chair, pulling her knees up to her chest. "yeah, but it was understandable. if someone went through what he did, i'd breaking down crying like that."

"what happened, isa?"

"i told you, my lips are sealed."

"why?"

"i made a promise and will not be breaking it. i'm sorry."!isa said and gretchen sighed "you know what they say right? about promises?" gretchen asked and isa shook her head "they're meant to be broken."

"well, this is one that i wont."

day 16

everyone sat in the tent with the fire going in front of them. it was much more quiet without seth, but it was sort of a peaceful quiet. kirin was sitting on a box from the bunker using it as a chair, and isa was in sitting on the sand between his legs leaning her head on his leg. it was a weird day for all of them.

everyone was checking in on josh to make sure he was okay. josh noticed all of the looks of sympathy for him and cleared his throat. "guys." josh said making some look up at him "i'm fine. really. you don't have to like, put me on some kind of watch or something."

"we know." kirin said.

"i—uh...i should thank you, everybody, for having my back, you know? even when i didn't have my own, you know, back. i'm just—i'm sorry." josh apologized.