Heated Lies (Jiara)

And Now?

The drive home was a dream. He might as well have been floating. Kiara wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He was smiling, but his hands were shaking. His eyes would water, but the tear wouldn't fall. She couldn't explain it. She couldn't understand what he was feeling.

"JJ?" And he turned to face her with that same look. "You alright?"

"Oh, yeah." He grinned, sniveling. "I'm good, Kie."

Well, at least he seemed happy. Kind of. She looked to his fingers, which were digging into his thighs. She looked back up at his face which was fine, except he was sweating now. No. Something was definitely off. She could hear his breathing hitch frequently. His eyes moved frantically from place to place. He wasn't smiling anymore, eyes blinking roughly as if to reorient himself.

Then it clicked.

"Dad, pull over real quick."

"What? Why?" His immediate response rang out while Anna looked in the back seat for a problem.

"Kie, what?" JJ looked at her, swallowing hard.

"Just do it."

So, reluctantly, Mike did. Kiara whirled around the car to let JJ out.

"Let's take a walk, huh?" She told him, and JJ didn't even grunt disapproval.

She gestured to her parents, who nodded. He followed her, legs weakening as he walked, until she stopped behind a fence under an old oak tree. With that, she sat down, bringing him with her by the hand.

"JJ, you need to breathe." She tells him, but he's quiet now.

His breathing has actually sped up. His eyes are shut now, and his hand flies up to his chest. He hasn't realized his heartbeat has increased until he's gripping the front of his shirt with trembling fingers.

"JJ, hey, look at me-" She's putting a hand on his cheek, but he removes it just as she's feeling the clamminess of his skin.

His breathing starts to sound like crying. The sun isn't quite hitting them from under the tree, but he can see their shade leaving and it's enough to cause an audible sob.

"It's okay." She tells him, because she knows his own heart dropped at the sound. "It's fine. We're good."

He nods, copying the way she breathes. After a few moments it's over. He sighs, running his hands back through his hair and then massaging his chest.

"You good?" She asks him, and he looks back up at her.

"Uh.." He stands. "Yeah."

He still looks uncomfortable, so Kie stands with him. "You look uncomfy."

"Yeah, I still don't know why the fuck that keeps happening."

"What keeps happening?"

She stands with him while he grabs the charm on his shark tooth necklace. "That thing where I get all sweaty and I can't breathe out of fucking nowhere. I mean, I was just happy as hell."

Kiara puts both of her hands in her dress pockets. "Panic attacks."

"That's what it is?"

"I think so. It makes sense." She then adds, "I used to get them myself."

"So then that's how you know how to... yeah." He's scratching the back of his head in mild embarrassment with a hint of relief and understanding. "So that's what happens when your dad's an asshole."

Kiara doesn't mean to laugh, but it was the exact reaction JJ was hoping for. It lets him melt back into a grin. "Evidently so. Ready to go back?"

***

"JJ, how would you like to go to therapy?" Anna says as they enter the car.

"Did you... see?" JJ asks, and she shakes her head. "I just sort of figured that's what it was. After shock. Today was a big day, to be fair."

"Uh huh." JJ loves the feeling of the air conditioning against his skin. "Sure,I guess. Never been to therapy."

Kiara takes a look at his reaction, looking for confirmation that he's actually open to it. She finds no opposition. Maybe this would be good for him. It's with that thought that they finally drive back home.

JJ immediately hops in the shower while Kiara sits admiring her dress in the closet. It's green, Kiara's known color. It's beautiful, and the mere thought that JJ had known she wanted it was enough to make her smile involuntarily.

When JJ enters her room with a towel around his waist, she's able to see their history all over his skin. He's almost entirely healed. JJ can feel her eyes on him.

"What...?"

"You're so handsome."

JJ hated and loved that Kiara could make him blush like that. Because what the fuck was she saying that for out of the blue? So... unprovoked.

"Me?" He's scratching his neck. "Naw."

"Yeah." She giggles.

He rolls his eyes as he's getting dressed. He can't quite let on how much that meant to him. His body was probably one of his biggest insecurities since his father, and Kie was literally in plain sight destroying his self doubt within seconds.

He couldn't accurately put into words how much he loved her.

***

Pope and Nora hadn't exactly told the others yet , including Pope's family, but as far as they were concerned, they were together. Pope liked to bring her different flowers(because the first time he did it, they sat together and analyzed it) from large flower shops.

Nora loved how smart he was. She could ask him just about any question, and he would know the answer. Then when he would go off on long tangents about such subjects, she was able to listen with genuine interest. She loved watching his passion.

"Hey, Nora?" He'd asked after a particular conversation about how lightbulbs were made, "When summer is over... will I be going to school with you and the pogues?"

"I imagine so. Why?"

Nora looked away from him. "I think I'm pretty fucking far behind y'all. Seeing as I haven't been to school for..."

Pope nodded in understanding the second she started counting on her fingers. He sat next to her on the guest room bed, gripping her hand in his.

"You could always take the GED."

"Wait, that's true! It's all the same stuff right?"

"More or less. But I can help you study for it."

She grinned, standing moments later. "I should really get a dress, huh? For the dance?"

The mere thought of Nora in a dress made Pope blush. "Right..."

"I'll call Sarah and Kie up. Maybe they can help."