JJ has always compared Abigail to a lighthouse. Reliable, safe, hopeful - the bright light in his sea of darkness, guiding him back home - to safety. But, unfortunately, all lighthouses eventually lose their light for a period of time. They burn out...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
"We gotta stick together."
- Kiara Carerra
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
[present day]
Monday morning came faster than anyone wanted it too. The first day of Junior Year. The Pogues couldn't hide from it, couldn't avoid it — no matter how hard JJ tried.
Kiara volunteered to pick everyone up, so they'd walk in together, the girl kept repeating, "if we stick together, we'll get through it." Everyone just nodded, but no one was sure how true that really was.
She picked up Pope first, then JJ, leaving Abigail for last since she lived closest to the school. The short girl waited anxiously on her porch, pacing near the steps, wishing that this day would be over before it even began.
Gram was sitting in a chair on the porch, watching the poor girl pace back and forth. "Abigail, relax. You're gonna wear a hole in the wood if you keep pacing like that."
Abby sighs, pausing her movements, and looking at her grandmother as she stands from her chair. The older woman places both hands on Abby's shoulders. "It's gonna be fine, everything takes time."
When Kiara pulls up, Abby's relieved to see JJ sitting in the backseat, she was worried he'd try to bail last minute. Gram kisses her cheek, before sending the girl on her way.
She gives JJ a small smile when she hops in the backseat, while Kiara and Pope turned their heads to face her. The four teens all silently exchanged looks with one another, no one ready to face school and everything else that comes along with it. They know people will be whispering, pointing, talking about them. Talking about John B.
It was going to absolutely suck.
"Let's get this show on the road." Abby sighs, as Kiara pulls the car away from her house, and starts driving towards Kildare High School.
The ride to school is quiet, Abby can feel everyones anxious energy in the car, and she's sure they feel hers, too. And as cliche as it might sound, she did want to believe that Kiara was right. Sticking together would make it better, or easier. She hopes with all she has that her curly haired friend is right to be optimistic.
