Together

67. We got you

Listen, listen
I would take a whisper
If that's all you had to give
But it isn't, is it?
You could come and save me
And try to chase the crazy right out of my head
-Jason Walker

Kiara didn't know where she was going to go when she left school. Quite honestly the second she left she was on auto pilot. She didn't care where she ended up, she just couldn't be at school. Couldn't face JJ right now.

At the same time, she desperately wanted to see him. She wanted a chance to explain herself and make him understand why she did what she did. Make him forgive her for it.

Seeing Pope's reaction to her tirade dashed all those hopes that he had forgiven her on his own. Of course, Pope was the most logical so it made sense that he would find the flaws in her plan and think it foolish. That's why she went to John B and not him in the first place. Even then she knew John B didn't think they did the right thing either.

On the drive back to the chateau after paying off Luke, she could tell he was not happy about it, even though it was over. Hell, even Sarah, who got her side more than the boys most of the time, had questioned her thinking.

Of course, JJ wasn't going to feel differently. He had more reason to be upset with her than anyone. If all her friends were casting doubts, there was no question that JJ was doing the same at best.

Muscle memory takes her back to the chateau. It's a lengthy walk, though the school is technically in the Cut. She walks up the steps and through the unlocked door.

There are pizza boxes on the counter and beer bottles on the coffee table. Clothes are laying off the sofa and chairs and dishes are stacking up and she's pretty sure the floor is sticky. It's all over a mess.

She'd roll her eyes at the lack of initiative but it's honestly not the worst she's seen. And she really needs something to distract her from her thoughts right now.

She starts by gathering all the clothes and throwing them in the hamper in the laundry room. She doesn't bother to check if they're clean and just assumes they're not. That's the safest option. She moves on to clearing other trash and the pizza boxes, even clears out the fridge of old takeout boxes she knows have long past expired.

Eventually she has the place looking semi decent when she decides to go into JJ's room. Well, his old room. Looking at it now it's clear that's what it was. There's virtually nothing in there that's his anymore. He's moved it all to Shoupe's over the months he's been staying there.

She sits on the side of the bed, slouching in her posture when she notices the emergency phone, sitting on the end table. She almost forgot she left it there. It's dead so she plugs it into the spare charger that's still in the wall.

After a few minutes she notices a flood of incoming messages from the night Shoupe tossed out Luke. Her heart flies into her throat when she reads the messages.

Jayj: I'm just going to assume your parents took your real phone.

Jayj: What the hell did you do? What was my dad talking about???

Jayj: Please answer me Kie

Jayj: Kiara seriously? You can't just not talk to me. I deserve an answer.

Jayj: Kie please

Jayj: Cool ignore me then that's fine.

Jayj: Let me know when you're ready to be honest with me. I'll wait.

"Fuck," she says softly. She puts her hand to her forehead. She wasn't ignoring him on purpose, but clearly, he thought she was. She's starting to write a message back to him when she hears someone coming through the front door and her name being called, the voice out of breath and laced with mild panic.