quit - jiara

chapter three: the letter

suitcase wheels whirr on the hard wood floors of the cameron residence, rafe, sarah, kelce and topper are ready to head back to their respective colleges for the beginning of september. kiara watches as all her friends drag the suitcases they'd brought over last night down the front steps as she closed the drivers side door on hers.

the other 4 people from her group of five are two years into their four years of undergrad at their prestigious colleges. they come home all summer but stay away mostly during the academic year, leaving her lonely. she was all set up to go to an nice college like the others but ended up taking a year off because of her mental health. instead she started online college a year late and works at her dad's restaurant, the wreck.

'you'll be okay?' sarah asks kie as she walks up to her after loading her own case into topper's car.

kie sighs and nods, 'i always am aren't i?' she smiles weakly at her best friend, rubbing her arms as if she's cold, she isn't- but the idea of another year failing college is making her shiver.

its a good college, its not the college itself that she hates- its the work. she can't keep up, countless assignments have been missed, because she doesn't care anymore. she can't give a shit about her future when her mind is so fuzzy, and it hasn't been clear for a while. she's got such a good life, loving parents, money- she could go to any college she wanted and have any job but her mind has been invaded by voices and monsters she can't control.

waving at her friends as they leave her digs a deep pit inside kiara's stomach, she's happy for them but it hurts to see people do something she'd love to do but just can't- the something being excelling.

she heads to the wreck now, having promised her dad she'd work a shift today. her classes don't start for two weeks, the rest of kooks (or the kouges as some started to call them when they merged groups) went for freshers week parties- but obviously kiara doesn't have that with online school.

'you're late' mike carrera sighs at his daughter, watching her make her way in late.

'sorry' she sighs, making her way around the counter and going to grab herself a notepad and pen- but her wrist is grabbed by her father.

'kie, are you okay?' he asks her, glancing over her paled complexion- she pulls her wrist away from his soft grip.

'i'm fine. dad.' she replies almost in a hiss, stowing away to the store room.

throughout the shift he watches kiara, he knows that she's not doing okay. she keeps dropping things because she's shaking constantly like she was at john b's funeral- but every time he goes to pull her aside to tell her to go home she swerves him. mid afternoon he hears the bell on the door go.

when he looks at who's at the door he's surprised, at the door stands a tired pope heyward. 'pope. what you doing here?' he asks, softly- even though he isn't the biggest pouge ally, he always liked pope more than john b or jj due to him being more responsibe- plus, one of the boy's best friends had JUST died.

pope avoids eye contact- like kiara, he doesn't look well. he's clearly been crying but that's no surprise, and mike notices an envelope in his hands. 'uhm hi mr carrera' he greets him, clearing his throat and looking up to engage in eye contact.

mike glances around to see where kiara is but he can't see her anywhere, 'come on, get outside. she can't see you' he tells pope, pointing pope out the door.

'actually i'm here to give her something' pope stumbles as he says this, clearly he didn't expect to be greeted by her dad.

mike stares at the envelope, 'that? what is that?' he asks, reaching to take it from pope's hands. but pope steps back a little.

'please, i need to give it to her personally' he responds, although he started off weak and avoiding eye contact- now he's assertive and is pleading mr carrera with his eyes. 'its important. its something john b wrote, i think she'd like to read it'

mike sighs, holding his arm out. 'let me give it to her' he says, giving pope a look to let him know he doesn't have a choice.

pope stares back at him, shuffling his feet and finally reaching his arm out to hand mike the letter. 'make sure she gets it. please.' he says, pleading the man in front of him with his eyes.

mike takes it between his middle and pointer finger, lowering it to his side. 'i will. bye, pope' he sighs, heading back inside. he jumps out of his skin when h hears his daughters voice from his side.

'was that pope?' kiara asks.

-

jj jogs out of his house and down the steps of his porch to get in pope's car,  'did you give it to her?' he questions.

pope frowns, 'hello to you too?' he greets jj, unfurrowing his brow. 'i gave it to her dad?'

'her dad?', it's jj's turn to furrow his brow now. 'mike carrera isn't giving his daughter a letter from a pouge'

'well i had no chance of giving it directly to kie so i though i'd give him a chance.' pope sighs, setting off away from jj's place.

they fall into silence for a second so pope diverts the conversation to a place he knows jj won't want it to go, but he's gotta try. 'is that a new bruise?' he asks, glancing at his best friend's black eye.

jj grunts, 'it doesn't matter'

pope grimaces, 'jj. it looks like it matters' he shoots back.

jj sighs, but he keeps his lips tight. 'jj. i know you don't like worrying anyone, but it worries me that you're keeping quiet too' he tells him, pleading his best friend with his eyes.

'there's a reason i don't share, you know that pope.' jj sighs, 'keep your eyes on the road',  he nods toward the front windshield that pope has turned his attention away from.

pope looks back at the road, but he tucks his lip in with his teeth- 'that was an error. your dad won't find out this time' he tries to assure him.

'what if he does? pope. he put me in hospital for telling kiara, mike and anna before, and i've still got the phantom mess lingering above my head- if he finds out i'm spilling my guts again he'll probably finish the job!' jj exclaims- pope can see him waving his arms around dramatically as he speaks from the corner of his eye.

pope gulps, 'my dad suspects it. you know he does, ever since you were in hospital. its not exactly subtle when you have new bruises every week' he pauses but carries on, 'look. if he decides to do something about it off his own back it could be worse for you, if we go to him together and talk about it and get it done secretly- there won't be any blow up'

jj grunts, 'yeah. thats what mike said, and he has money and influence. no offence pope but the heywards don't have the same push as the carreras'

both boys sigh, jj knows pope's probably right but he can't risk his dad catching wind of anything right now- not when he's hatching his plan to see kiara again.

A/N: hello... slow updates sorry!

hope y'all enjoyed this chapter :) <3

love y'all