When you're young and secretly sneaking downstairs past your bedroom just so you can watch crappy teen drama's without your parents knowing, because they dubbed you 'too young for them', you think that your high school experience will be filled with romance and ride-or-die friendships … with the odd half-brother rivalry that come alight on the basketball court.

You don't expect that your best friends won't even be in the same school as you and you certainly don't expect to watch the very guy who murdered the town's sheriff and consistently beat the crap out of your friends walk along the hallway's laughing and joking with his friends.

It kind of sucks how things turn out.

She finds it almost in possible to believe how full of hope she had been at the start of the summer; when they thought they were going to have the time of their lives and become filthy rich. She should know better that with money comes problems – she saw that in her parents.

And look where she is now.

Back to being the girl with no friends, the one whose side-eyed whilst she stands at her locker and giggled at as she sits alone in the cafeteria.

Once, it had been intimidating … now it was just boring.

Although, their material has changed. She's now the girl who apparently helped a murderer escape, the girl who was left hanging dry when John B chose Sarah, the girl who embarrassed her parents at midsummers and the girl who thought she found all that treasure (they liked to laugh at that one specifically).

But what did they know, she thinks.

She's leaning against the locker next to her own as she shoves books into the shelves when the familiar buzz of her phone vibrates against the pocket of her jean shorts. 'Don't kill anyone on your first day back at the kook academy kie ;)' An involuntary smile spreads across her lips as she reads the message from Pope, sent into the group chat the four … no, three of them shared.

She's distracted from sending a reply when the sound of cheers erupts from the other side of the hallway. Her eyes shoot over immediately and of course it is Rafe and his band of goons causing the commotion.

Her lips curl up into disgust as she watches his friends offer him high-five's and pat him on the back like he's some kind of hero … like he was doing them all some kind of big favour by just being here. She can't help but wonder what it was about him that made them all bend at the knee – he wasn't funny (not even a little) and he wasn't a hit with the girls (even though he tried) and he most certainly wasn't much when it came to good conversation.

So, why do they all worship him?

The thought of going to the cops racks her brain every single moment – but then she remembers everything JJ had said … how it was a waste and would only cause them more harm, and she forces herself to think of something else. Like days spent on the boat, or at John B's place or JJ's father … and she is back to square one.

Rafe continues his descent down the hall and she guesses he spots the snarl on her face as he crosses her because all of a sudden he's stopped in front of her, Topper behind him, and that god-awful vomit-inducing smirk on his face.

She tries to ignore him, turn to face her locker and try to bury her head inside, but he steps closer and theirs a snide laugh coming from his lips. "Nice to see you, Kie." He mocks, faking niceties just to get under her skin. "How's your day – "

"Fuck off, Rafe." She sighs with a roll of her eyes; she wasn't in the mood. She will not ever be in the mood when it comes to him. And just because she couldn't tell the police on him did not mean she had to act like the rest of her classmates.

He laughs, turning around to share a glance at Topper whose once serious (if not a little scared) face turns into a smirk to appease his older friend. "Touchy." He carries on mocking as she slams her door locker shut and begins to walk away. "Hey, hey –" he moves quick to grab her arm and stop her, walking around so he was once again directly in front of her. "So," he starts when she stops with a huff, her arms folding against her chest, "with John B out of the picture I'm guessing you're back on the market – "

"Out of the picture?" She spits, her face inches from his so no one else can hear them. "Don't you mean dead," he flinches, "dead because of what you did … him and Sarah."

He shakes his head rapidly, there's a tremor in his smirk but it doesn't crack – he had to keep up appearances after all. His eyes are searching the hallway as he steps in closer to her, "don't throw around accusations you can't back up, Kie. Not if you don't want to end up like John – "

She doesn't give it a second thought as she shoves him away from her with a hard push, so hard he tumbles back and lands flat on his ass in the middle of a crowded hallway.

He stares up at her in disbelief, his cheeks a deep red in embarrassment. Her nostrils are flaring as Topper hurries to help him up and she can hear the ohm's and ah's that echo around her, but she doesn't care – she turns on her heel with a slight flick of her hair, he didn't deserve any more of her time.

"Dirty fuckin' pogue." She hears him mutter behind her and although she wants to be the bigger person, she really really wants to be the bigger person, her feet practically turn themselves around. Now he's up and his back is turned away from her, she's running towards him and shouting something like 'at least I'm not a murderer' as she leaps onto his back and starts attacking. The comment is lost in the crowd as everyone begins to chant and shout at them.

He's worming his body around, attempting to push her off harshly but he fails as she wrestles with his back.

It lasts barely a few seconds before Topper has pulled her from him, keeping her back with his arms tight around hers. Theirs anger in Rafe's eyes as he tries to compose himself and he's stepping towards her, an accusatory finger pointed to her chest, as he prepares himself to begin shouting in her face.

He's stopped when a teacher emerges from the crowd, demanding they break it up and everyone get's to class. It works and everyone scurries off, giggling and gossiping about what they had just witnessed. There is a disappointed glare shot her way from a teacher she doesn't even think teaches any of her classes.

"What is going on here?" She asks, her eyes flicking between Kiara and then Topper and then Rafe.

It's the latter who speaks up first and spits out like some petulant child, "it was her … she's fucking crazy."

She rolls her eyes at him before turning to the other two, "did you start this Kiara?" When Kiara doesn't reply, she takes that as an answer and lets out a deep sigh before raising her hand to rub at her temple. "On the first day," she mumbles under her breath, but they catch it, "both of you, go to the principles office." Rafe begins to protest but he's cut off with a harsh glare. "Topper go to class, now." She demands after noticing that Topper linger around Rafe like a lost puppy.

The principle doesn't even speak to them personally, he just calls up their parents.

And its Ward who arrives first. She spots him from her seat opposite the office, watches him stroll up to the receptionist and greet her with a kind smile … she feels sick. He's pointed in the direction of his son who eagerly stands from his chair, four seats away from hers for safety, and then the principle is beckoning them into his office and Rafe is glaring down at her as he steps inside.

She can hear practically everything they say.

The way Ward joke around about golf with the principle to get on his good side before they approach the real subject. His schmoozing works and their planning to visit the golf course with one another before they even broach the subject of Rafe, who sits there like some sort of victim.

"Look," she hears Ward's tone change slightly, "I feel sorry for the girl … obviously there's something going on there." She doesn't miss the way he gestures to his head as she peaks through the blinds, she quietly scoffs. "She lost her best friend, believed she going to be a millionaire," he laughs and the other two joins in, mocking her. "I don't think I'm wrong when I say she needs help … mentally."

She scowls, and it only deepens further when she begins to hear the principle agree. Just a second later and they're discussing Rafe's upset over the loss of his sister.

The sister whose death he caused.

They both did.

She can't sit there any longer, listening to their fake sorrow and sly comments. So, she grabs the backpack discarded next to her and leaps from her seat, ignoring the calls of the receptionist as she pushes the door and jogs out of the entire school.

Was there any point in waiting for her parents just so she can listen to their scolding, listen to them accuse of her as being mentally unstable. They had no idea.

It's a long walk into town when your avoiding the main road, she didn't want to chance running into her parents. But she makes it there quicker than she expected, before she knows it she's strolling down the docks and towards the boat … a familiar mess of blonde hair clocks her vision and her pace quickens to catch up with him before he can drag the anchor up and take off.

"Hey!" She shouts when she's just a few steps away from climbing onto the boat and joining him.

Her voice startles him as he turns around with a jump. He quickly recovers himself and smirks before pausing his actions so he can turn and have a good look at her, shooting her a whistle and a questionable look in his eyes. "If you're looking for your AP Chemistry class, it's not here." He jokes before reaching out a hand to help her climb on.

"If I wanted to learn I wouldn't be anywhere near you." She smiles, taking the hand in her own and stepping onto the boat

He agrees with a laugh and a nod before he's walking back towards the wheel and she's lying herself down in an effort to relax. "So," he shouts from the wheel, "why aren't you in school?" He tries to sound like a pissed off father as a joke but with his voice raised, he thinks it probably just sounds like any normal question.

"Because" she huffs, closing her eyes as she lays back and takes in the sun from her spot on the boat, "I'm mentally unstable."

"What?" He frowns, turning his head round to squint at her just as the boat takes off.

Kiara takes a deep sigh before reopening her eyes and sitting up, she wouldn't be able to relax in the middle of the water with JJ. She should know better than that. "I got in a … kind of fight – "

"What!?" He shouts again, but his voice is laced with humour and there's a small chuckle that leaves his lips afterwards. "I do not believe that little-miss-save-the-world got into a fight."

She huffs, getting up and walking to stand near JJ at the wheel. He feels and hears her move towards him as he focuses on moving them somewhere on the other side of the island. Where it's quiet. "Rafe was being a jerk and I – I – I just couldn't hold it in," he nods in understanding but doesn't take his eyes off the water in front of him, "I walked out when they started spewing a bunch of bullshit about my mental stability."

"Arseholes."

"What about you?"

"Hm?"

"Why aren't you at school?"

"I haven't been to third period in two years," he mumbles, "I'm not about to start now."

She snorts, "right." Her eyes fall to her feet and she's fumbling with the rings on her fingers, silence falling over them before she opens her mouth to say what she's thinking. "I'm sure Pope would have liked his best friend around today."

He doesn't answer, not that she even waits for a reply before walking back to where she came from. Ridding herself of her shirt and laying back down onto the front of the boat, at least there was one benefit of his silence – she could close her eyes and listen to her own thoughts.

There probably was some truth to what Ward Cameron had said. No, of course she wasn't as deranged as they had been trying to make out. But this summer had done a number on her, in more ways than one. She wasn't sleeping and her mind was riddled with thoughts of her best friends and puddles of blood and the sight of JJ's father beating the crap out of him.

She wishes there were a long-term way she could stop herself from thinking about it all.

Wishes that JJ's weed, and cheap beer helped a little more than it did.

He stops the boat in the usual place, just far enough out to have some privacy but not far enough that it would take them too long to get back to shore. He watches her as he steps out, notes the rise and fall of her chest and the way the sun shines against her stomach. She looked so peaceful from the outside, but he knew her better than to think that.

He knew better because whatever was going on in his mind had to be going on in hers too.

They don't talk for a while, they're both in their own thoughts. Not realising their thinking of the same things, that their thoughts both lead back to the same place as each other's.

"I feel guilty." He sates out of nowhere, looking off into the vast waters.

Her eyes open, a frown forms on her face and she's sitting up to look at him – he doesn't look at her. "He hit me, kicked me, threw me … scared me," his voice cracks a little but he goes on, "he was a crappy father and I know people say that any parent who hits their kids doesn't deserve …" His voice floats off for a moment, his words catching in his throat. "I think he deserved it, but I feel guilty."

Kiara takes a deep breath before nodding slowly and moving to sit next to him, she places a tentative hand on his back whilst the other sneaks it's way across his arm to clutch onto his hand. "That's because you're a good person … and I know you don't believe me when I say that but it's true." He leans into her, finding comfort in having her so close. "You were protecting us, if you hadn't – if you didn't – if things have gone differently then who knows what he would have done."

He nods slowly, as if he's trying to take her words in. "But I left him there."

"We're no use if we're all in prison." She utters the same words that had been said months ago, when they were fleeing from Ward Cameron's plane and John B's truck as police sirens screamed into their direction.

It was meant to be comforting, supposed to make him feel better but she's not sure there's much she could do at this point. Things were a lot easier said than done and even if she believed in everything, she was saying she still wrestled with her own doubts and could only imagine JJ's doubts were so so much worse.

He takes the hand that's spare of hers to place it on top of their, rubbing soft circles against her skin and smiling sadly at her. He knows she's trying, and he thinks she was doing a pretty damn good job despite their current situation.

He always thought he could get through anything when he had his friends.

Now he thinks he could get through anything when he had her.

Lightly caressing his skin; comforting him with calm words and soft eyes – he wouldn't say it out loud, it was too cheesy … too much, especially for them. But he knew for it to be true.

He thinks he and Pope are damn lucky to have Kiara around in times like these.

"So," he clears his throat, attempting to get rid of any residing tears that burned at the back of his eyes and throat. "You tried to wrestle with Rafe," he snorts, and she rolls her eyes but there's a little smile playing across her lips, "did he cry?"

"Oh, yeh," she flips the hair that blows into her face as the air begins to lift and theirs an easier feeling between them. "I pack a mean punch, you know."

JJ whistles, throwing his head back and playing along with her sarcasm. "Oh, oh, oh," he smiles down at her, watching her hands lightly push away curly tendrils of hair. "I know." There were many times when she had hit him on the arm or shoved him in the chest with strength, she didn't even know she had. It had never hurt but the memory makes him smile, he wishes they could go back to that – bickering like the two hot-headed teenagers they were.

"You know," she murmurs softly, "you're gonna' have to start going to third period if you want to go to college."

He scoffs, "college isn't for everyone."

"What are you doing instead then?" She enquires, raising her eyebrows with a smirk.

He looks down at her, their eyes meeting. "I'll start my own business," he looks like he's thinking hard for a moment before he carries on, "something with boats I think, get a nicer place that's all mine … and you know, you could join me."

She chuckles, "and what would I do?"

"You could save turtles and shit ... rid the sea of it's pollution." He begins to laugh along with her.

"Rid the sea of it's pollution." She repeats, like she's pondering his suggestion.

All the while, neither of them notice the hands that still clutch onto one another or the soft circles she rubs against his back.

A/N; the reference at the beginning is one tree hill lmao, I'm currently rewatching after binge watching outer banks for the third time.