Bruises ~ Jiara // obx

1 - One pogue down

Kiara POV

I cried a lot the night John B and Sarah vanished into the depths of the unforgiving storm. It was the most I had cried in a very long time. I can still recall the stabbing agony which overtook every limb in my body, especially my heart. The dull ache still remained now, and I can't shake the feeling that it will become this haunting scar that is destined to remain until the day I die. We lost everything. EVERYTHING. Pope and his dream of the scholarship – washed away with John B and Sarah. JJ and any chance he might've had with resolving things with his dad – gone. Even my strained relationship with my family had worsened to the point of no return. The last couple of months had simply consisted of me locking myself away in my room and sobbing, as well as the occasional depressing and lifeless meetings with Pope and JJ. I worried about them; a lot. Especially JJ. The thought of everything he's been through tears my heart into tiny pieces. Yet there's nothing I can do to help them. For god sake, I can't even offer the boy a safe home. That's pretty much the only communication I've had with my parents since the incident; begging them to let JJ stay. But they've been distant and cold towards me ever since that night, leaving me with no hope. And we circle back to the depressing storm of thoughts once again; there's nothing I can do. Running my fingers through my curly locks, I force myself out of bed and head to the bathroom. My eyes are quickly drawn to the awfully dirty mirror, covered in hand imprints and dirt stains from over the years. Dad had promised me a new one for years on end now, yet it's never come. I avert my gaze to the dark bags situated under my eyes, reminding me of the countless amounts of restless nights. I haven't got a decent night sleep in months. Suddenly, my phone buzzes in my pocket and I quickly scramble for it. A message from JJ:

'Hey, wanna go out for a surf?' My heart jumps at this; he hasn't asked to do anything like that in months. I was beginning to wonder if he was ever going to end the cycle of self destruction and grief.

'Yes, yes of course!' I reply, rushing to grab a swimsuit.

'See you in 10 :)' my phone buzzed in reply and I smiled for the first time in a while. Something told me that today would be different. A new leaf. A fresh start.

JJ POV

John B's death had hit me harder than you would've ever imagined. Not that anyone should have to imagine going through the death of their long-time best friend at such a young age. He had stuck with me through everything. Of course I loved Kie and Pope just as much, but John B had been there since day 1. I still remember the day he walked in on my dad beating me after I had managed to keep it a secret for years, and the way he pulled him off of me and took me away. The way he covered for me every time I had a fresh set of bruises, even though I could see in his eyes that he wanted more than anything to tell someone. And not to mention the amount of stupid laughs and amazing memories I had made with him. He was my best friend, and his death had just about killed me too. The last few months have been a blur of beatings, drugs and my friends trying to get through to me. The truth was, I wanted more than anything to let everything out and break away from this cage of depression. But I had to stay strong for Kie and Pope; they were suffering as well. Fear had always been my number one enemy, and it still haunted me to this day. I was afraid of what might happen if I reported my dad or let my friends see a vulnerable side of me. Sure, they had before, but I can't drag them down with me. I just cannot afford for that to happen. They have their own shit to deal with, and I have mine. I'm fine. You keep telling yourself that. The little voice in my head whispers to me. You need them. Let them in. I fight it and plaster on a smile. Today is a chance to attempt to feel an emotion that has become a distant memory to me: happiness. I know that seeing Kie will for sure lift my spirits, and I need to make sure she's ok. But the first obstacle is the devil himself; my surfboard is at the house.