Left Behind - Outer Banks

Fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Kiara POV

I was utterly speechless. John B and Sarah were alive. I stood there staring at their faces. They looked the same, maybe a little older and more tan. 

John B hugged me. At first I did nothing, but after a few seconds I hugged him back. "Kie, I missed you." he said.  The Sarah hugged me. She said nothing but had a big smile on her face.

I couldn't believe it after six months gone thats all he had to say.

"Uh my parents are home. Let's go somewhere else to talk." I said in shock. We started walking to his old house.

I was so confused. I didn't know if I should be happy, sad, confused, or angry. But to be honest I was all of those.

"What happened to you guys, I just need to know." I asked. 

"Well after the boat wreck we were picked up by a boat and taken to the Bahamas. And we have been living there since then." John B explained.

"Yeah we got Jobs, and lived off the land. We decided to wait six months to come back after everything blew over." Sarah added.

"I mean it was kind of fun, starting over, living how we wanted." John B said.

I stopped mid step and stared at them. 

"Are you okay?" John B asked grabbing my arm.

I pulled my arm away, backing up. "You had fun? Did you not even think about us." I blurted.

"I tried reaching out to you guys. I mean I wanted to be here, I really did." John B urged.

"Well you weren't here. You weren't here that night Pope forgot your birthday and punched the wall so hard his hands bled. You weren't here to help JJ through his panic attacks, and anxiety that got so bad he had to get medication. And you weren't there for me all those night I cried my self to sleep." I cried. 

John B looked at me saddened. "Kie, I'm sorry, I didn't know it was that bad."

"We went to your funerals." I said looking at them both. I walked ahead of them as we arrived at his house. I sat on the couch. John B and Sarah walked through the house, reminiscing. John B came over to me while Sarah laid on the bed trying to sleep.

"Am I the first person you told?" I asked.

"Yeah we went to JJ's house but nobody was home. We're trying to keep a low profile."

"JJ lives with Pope now." I informed. 

I could feel the tension in the room. Even though John B and I were best friends, it felt like I barely knew him. I mean so much had changed since they left. "So are you guys back for good?" I asked.

"I'm not sure it depends if they try to arrest me. Ward is in prison right?"

"You don't know, Ward was tried with self defense and paid off his bail."

"But do you think they'll charge me."

"I don't know, they closed the case since they though you were dead."

John B talked about his life at the Bahamas for a while, but I tuned a lot of it out. I couldn't stop thinking about how this would affect Pope and JJ. I was finally happy with my life. I had a boyfriend whom I loved, and three new good friends.

"How have you guys been though? Besides you know-" John B asked.

"Um were okay. Pope has a girlfriend. JJ joined the surfing team. I have new friends." I explained.

"Wait aren't you and Pope a thing?"

"No we only kissed once. He's dating Luisa, your neighbor." I don't know why I didn't tell him about me and JJ. Maybe I wasn't ready to let John B into that side of my life yet. 

We decided to wait til tomorrow to tell JJ and Pope. That night I slept in his house. My emotions died down a little, but most of all I was in denial. It felt like a dream that I would wake up from, and when I woke up the next morning I realized this was reality.

I woke up to the shower running. I went to the kitchen to see Sarah sat at the table. 

"Hey Kie." She said softly.

I sat next to her. "Good morning."

"Can I ask you about my family, how are they?" 

"Your dad lives a few hours from here. Rafe is uh, he's around. Wheezie now lives with Rose-"

"Oh how is Wheezie?" She blurted.

"Wheezie's okay, I went to all of her volleyball games. She's really good." I assured. I could tell this hurt Sarah, I doubt she ever went to her games. 

John B came in the kitchen with only a towel on his waist. He gave Sarah a kiss on the lips.

"Could you get us some food? I would go out but I'm trying to lie low." John B asked. 

I nodded and headed out the door. I knew I would not only come back with food, but with JJ and Pope too.