𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

sixty four.

─☼☼☼─

-THE POGUES-

"𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙀 𝙊𝙉, 𝙅𝙅!" Kiara cried, her body jostled as the small lifeboat crashed through the waves that had almost pulled her and JJ under not minutes earlier. "J! Please. Please!"

Tears streamed down her face as she shook the boy in front of her, begging him to open his eyes. "Please!"

"Wake up." John B pleaded, steering the boat, but eyes focused on his best friend instead of the waters ahead.

A cough sputtered from JJ's lips, each of them on edge as they watched water spew from his mouth, coughed up from his lungs.

His eyes opened, landing on Kiara who had let out a large sigh of relief as she slumped against the side of the boat, exhausted from keeping JJ afloat.

"There you go!" John B encouraged as JJ turned, coughing up more water. "Cough it up, baby!"

Each of them were wearing smiles now, greeting JJ as his eyes began to adjust to the sun overhead. 

When he looked at Kiara, she couldn't help the grin that splintered her features. "Hi." She breathed, the relief dripping from her voice. 

JJ matched her grin, "'Sup?"

A laugh flew from Kiara's lips as she pulled him toward her in a tight hug, almost not wanting to let go. 

"What the hell happened?" JJ wondered, gingerly touching at the wound on his head. 

"Blunt end of a machete." Kiara answered, reaching over to dab the blood with a scrap of clothing. 

JJ's eyes widened slightly. "A machete?"

"The blunt end." Kiara assured. 

"Next time, duck." Cleo instructed, a teasing smile on her features. 

As the banter continued, Kiara, for the first time since her and JJ had been pulled onto that lifeboat, looked around. She surveyed the relieved expressions on the faces of all of her friends. 

But there was someone missing. 

There should have been seven people on that boat...but somehow there was only six. 

All the relief she had been feeling over JJ's gaining of consciousness was gone, pulled under the waves. 

"Where's my sister?" Her voice cut through the teasing laughs that were floating through the air.

Everyone stilled for a moment, Sarah and John B, Pope and Cleo all sharing an exchange of nervous looks. But no one answered Kiara, it was as if no one could bear to. 

"Where's Charlotte?" She repeated, this time more firmly. 

JJ sat up, wincing as he looked around the boat in similar fashion to the way Kiara had. In his slightly hazed state, he hoped that he was dreaming, that Charlotte was just hidden behind the others and she wasn't actually missing.