Stranded Love

Somewhere Only We Know

DAY THIRTY

Kiara and JJ are at their cove – or the Cat's Crack which JJ likes to constantly remind her of as she refuses to call it that. She's just delaying the inevitable, though, as she'll definitely cave to eventually calling it by that name.

The two Pogues have their backs leaning against a piece of driftwood which is about halfway between the jungle and the shore. Their legs are casually stretched out in front of them as they stare out at the calm water of the translucent cove, although it does look a little murky today. This is probably because the clouds above are looking rather menacing and ominous but neither care and remain seated with half a foot between them.

Kiara cannot believe that they've been on Poguelandia for thirty days and that she was struck with the shocking revelation that she liked JJ a few weeks ago. Over those weeks she's realised that there were certain moments over the years which hinted towards her liking him.

Like when they were fourteen and Kiara was intentionally distracting their English teacher by blabbing on about nonsense whilst JJ snuck around to the teacher's desk and stole the bag of sweets from the drawer. Like that time when they were fifteen and they snuck into the Chateau whilst Pope and John B were sleeping and squirted them with water guns. Fair to say Big John wasn't too pleased but JJ and Kiara squirted him too and ran the hell outta there. Or that time when Kiara shoved a Kook girl to the ground when they attempted to over-spike JJ's drink and Kiara poured that exact drink on the girl. And during Midsummers this year when she ran directly into his open arms, him spinning her around.

It was always there. Through the times where it was just them doing shit together, where they'd team up and prank Pope and John B and stand by one another when the Kooks or their parents would zero in on them, the attraction towards the Maybank boy was always shadowing her ever since that Summer night in her bathroom. Even so, Kiara wouldn't be surprised if it had formed earlier than that.

From pre-teens to mid-teens, Kiara and JJ have gotten up to so much stuff together. They'd laugh about god knows what. They'd protect each other and have one another's back when they needed it most. She would fix him up after fights and he'd listen to her rants and complaints about her shitty Kook year. Everything about their dynamic just flowed perfectly and balanced out and made what they had special and like no other. Sure, they got into spats and some pretty intense arguments but that's what made their connection even stronger. Their inside jokes. Their mutual want to be close to one another. The new and sneaky looks where they would immediately look away when they each got caught.

It's been different. A good different.

It's as if a whole other level has been added to the depth of their relationship. She wishes she got verbal confirmation about JJ feeling the shift but it's honestly clear that, physically, he did. His sneaky glances at her is something that he's never done before, or at least she's never noticed because the point is to secretly admire and not get noticed. But to her it's new, even more so that she's partaking in it herself. Her eyes just naturally search for him as if he's some sort of beacon that she's drawn to.

That never happened with Pope. She didn't search for him in a room. She didn't feel drawn to his presence. That gravitation was never there with him and she never felt it, but with JJ it's so natural and evident. He's the drug that she'll never get sick of.

And the jump in the number of hugs. They now hug over the smallest things which they never really did back in the OBX. But the island is practically a different planet. There is new gravity here and Kiara loves it. She loves feeling on a high when she's with JJ. She loves but hates the hyper awareness that overcomes her when he gets close or when their skin brushes. She loves him.