Left Behind - Outer Banks

Here's looking at you, kid.

Kiara POV

It's the middle of November now. The weather is getting cooler, and all the summer house's owners are gone, making the island quieter.

I woke up to my phone ringing. I sat up and flipped on my lamp. I glanced at my clock. Its two A.M. Who's calling me this late. I looked at my phone to see Luisa name. I answered.

"Hello?" I said groggily.

"Kiara can you come over to my house. Pope's freaking out. I don't know what to do-" Luisa rambles. 

"Wait, slow down, what's wrong." I tried to calm her.

"Please hurry." She begged. 

"Im coming." I hung up and threw on sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I took my parents car and made my way to Luisa's house. 

When I got there Luisa was standing by Pope who was sat in the grass. I rushed up to them.

"Oh thank god." Luisa sighed. She was shaken up and a little freaked out herself.

"What's going on."

"I don't know, everything was fine until Pope looked at his phone and then he started freaking out and started punching the brick wall." Luisa recalled. I knelled down at Pope and saw that his knuckles were beat up, bleeding. His head was in between his legs. 

"Luisa can you get rubbing alcohol and bandages. Oh and call JJ." I asked. She nodded and rushed in the house. I looked at the brick wall to see the blood marks. We needed to clean that up too.

Pope lifted up his head to meet my gaze. "I forgot Kie." He stated.

"Forgot what?" I asked calmly placing my hand on his arm. 

"Today is John B's birthday, and I forgot. My stupid calendar app had to reminded me." Pope said. 

I tried to keep myself together but the truth was that I forgot too. November 14. I knew I was missing something today. "It's okay Pope It's only two A.M, we still have 22 hours left." I reassured.

"I'm a horrible friend." Pope said as he started to cry. I had never seen Pope like this. The night they went missing I heard about what happened, but I wasn't there. I didn't know how bad it hit him. Pope always buried his emotions, but they don't stay buried forever. We all blow up sometimes. 

"No Pope you are an amazing friend, and you're going to be okay." I hugged him. Luisa came out with supplies in her hand. She cleaned his hands and wrapped them making him look like a fighter. A few minutes later JJ showed up in John B's van. My heart sank. For a second I thought John B was going to step out and everything would be okay. JJ came to me first. 

"How is he? Luisa told me everything." He asked hugging me. I buried my face in his neck. I was exhausted. I could tell he was too. 

"We just need to be there for him." I said. 

JJ agreed and pulled out a blunt. "This should calm him down." He said. We walked over to Pope and sat next to him. We all got pretty high. After it was all smoked we got in the van and drove to John B's house. I hadn't been there in ages. It was up for sale but no one bought it. All his stuff is still there too. I just couldn't bring myself to go through it. Too many memories. When we got there, Pope and Luisa fell asleep on the pull out couch in the living room. I had slept there many nights before. JJ and went to John B's room. I opened his dresser and picked up a tee shirt. I put it up to my face. It still smelled like him. I turned to JJ who was sitting on his bed.

"Do you think he is really dead?" JJ asked. "I mean they never found bodies on the boat."

"JJ no one could have survived that. As hard as it is we have to accept their death." I sat next to him and grabbed his hands. We laid down and quickly fell asleep holding each other. 

I was the first to wake up in the morning. I moved JJ's arms off me and scooted off the bed. I peaked in the living room to see Pope and Luisa fast asleep. Big John's office door was open. It had been replaced by realtors trying to renovate the house. I went inside. Things were just as we left them. Papers and maps of Tannyhill were scattered everywhere. A picture of John B, JJ, Pope, an I posing on the boat was on the desk. We looked so happy and innocent. It was taken at the beginning of summer. I took it out of the frame folded it up and placed it in my pocket. I'm sure he wouldn't mind.

 I stepped out of the house onto the front porch. The sun had just risen. The cold fall breeze felt relaxing. The ocean was calm and glistening in the sun.

"Happy birthday John B." I whispered to myself. "I'll take care of them."