Left Behind - Outer Banks

Why don't you come up sometime and see me?

Kiara POV

That morning I rushed out of John B's house and ran to Pope's. I opened the door to see JJ and Pope eating breakfast.

Pope looked at me confused. "I thought we were picking you up?" 

Oh crap I completely forgot, I have school today. I stood there panting, then remembering what I came for I raided the kitchen. I grabbed bananas, bread, peanut butter, and crackers. 

"Kie, what are you doing? I can make you something if you're hungry." Pope offered.

I turned around with my hands filled. My eyes were watering with tears. I had no idea how I was going to tell them.

JJ took the food out of my hands and placed it on the table. "Is something wrong?"

I looked him in the eyes. Tears poured out of my eyes as I covered my face with my hands. "John B and Sarah are alive." I murmured. 

Pope quickly stood up. "Come on Kie, this isn't funny."

"I'm not joking they came to me last night, they're at his house." I urged.

JJ put his hands on his head in disbelief. "No, no they're not. They died." 

I picked the food back up and walked out to the van. JJ and Pope followed.

"Where are you going?" Pope asked. 

I opened the van door and pointed. Signaling for them to get in. As we drove to John B's house no one said a peep. They probably thought I was a crazy person that saw dead people, and I was. 

As we pulled up to the house John B was sat in a chair in the yard. He stood up and smiled. JJ jumped out first. He said nothing.

"JJ, I missed you man." John B smiled. 

JJ slowly inched closer. John B opened his arms for a hug but instead he got a punch in the face from JJ. John B didn't hit back. 

JJ pushed him. "You can't just come back here. Fuck you man." He yelled.

"I know JJ i'm sorry. I can explain." John B calmed. 

Pope just stood there watching with his mouth wide open. After a few seconds he was in full tears. 

I quickly ran the food inside to Sarah. I could hear Pope, JJ and John B yelling back and forth. I decided not to intervene. They just needed to get it out. 

A few minutes later JJ came inside. He was just as shocked to see Sarah. 

"Kie, lets go." JJ said. I followed him out the house, and into the van. Pope was already in the driver's seat. 

Before JJ closed the door he angrily said. "You never should have came back."

What JJ said was brutal, but a part of me agrees. We were finally happy after months of pain. John B can't just come back and want everything to go back to normal. Our normal is different than it was last summer.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"School." Pope responded abruptly. 

When we got there we all went our separate ways. I realized I didn't have my backpack, and was wearing yesterday's clothes. This didn't bother me though. I knew it wasn't going to be a productive day anyway.

I went to my first hour, biology. I sat in the back next to Luisa. I was only a few minutes late.

"Forget your backpack?" Luisa joked.

I put on a fake smile, and rested my head on the desk. I knew I didn't want to tell anyone at school. I didn't even know if john B and Sarah are staying for good. Plus who knows that he won't get arrested if people find out.

I woke up to the bell ringing. I went to the rest of my classes. I didn't say much to anyone. I just needed to think. 

I texted Pope that I was getting a ride home from my parents, but I needed to go somewhere else. I walked to the ice cream shop which wasn't far from the school. I didn't even have money, I just sat there.

"Can I get you something?" I heard a male voice say. 

"What?" I said as I looked up to see Topper. 

"Do you want me to buy you an ice cream?" He offered. 

I shook my head no. He gave a half smile, then turned to walk away.

"Wait Topper, wanna sit?" I asked.

"Sure." He sat across from me. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Um. You know i'm not actually. I've had a pretty shitty past few days." I admitted.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Just Sarah and John B stuff." I looked down. I wanted to tell him, but knew I couldn't. 

"I get it. I used to blame myself for her death. I used to think if I wasn't such an ass that maybe they would still be alive. If I had treated her better, showed her I cared." Topper said tearing up. 

Hearing him say this hurt me. Even more than seeing JJ and John B fight today.

"How did you even get over it?" I asked.

"Oh God I didn't. I just went to a lot of therapy, and learned to live with it."

"Wow, Topper in therapy, I never saw that day coming." I joked.

He smiled. "But seriously it's okay to get help. We're just teenagers, we can't do everything on our own." 

I nodded in agreement. "Maybe you can get me an ice cream after all."