When Kie got in her car, she cried the whole way home. It didn't feel real. Nothing felt real anymore.

She pulled into her driveway and just sat there for a couple minutes. How was she going to tell her parents. After all they had been through. She felt so stupid.

She got out and made her way to the door, wiping the last of her tears away as she went up the steps.

She went inside quietly, and hoped that her parents were asleep.

"Kiara?" Her dad asked and she walked past the kitchen

She stopped walking and turned around to face him.

"Hey dad" she sighed

"Kiara what's wrong? Are you crying?" Mike asked

"Uhm.." she said with a shaky voice "dad, me and JJ broke up"

"What?!?" Mike said, almost in a whisper as he came up and gave her a hug. "What happened???"

"I dunno" she cried "I mean it makes since? We just aren't as close as we used to be anymore"

"Did y'all get into a fight?" He asked, pulling away from the hug.

"Not.. really" kie wiped her face "We just talked about it, I- I think he really meant it this time"

Mike was so confused. He didn't see this coming at all. Especially JJ wanting to break up. He thought that boy was head over heels in love with her. Something wasn't right.

"I'm sorry baby" Mike comforted her "I'm sure you two will figure something out"

"I dunno" kie cried, hopeless. "I'm just gonna go to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow"

She went upstairs and cried in her room.

Meanwhile Mike was almost as upset as she was. A part of him wanted to text or call JJ and talk some sense into him. But he knew it wasn't his place.

Not but 15 minutes later, JJ road up on his bike to her house. He dropped his bike, not even worrying if it got scratched, and ran up to their front door.

He knocked on the door continuously.

"I'm coming I'm coming" Mike said, irritated by the constant banging.

He opened the door and his anger quickly disappeared when he saw who it was.

"JJ??" Mike said

"Mr Carrera, please. I Really gotta talk to-"

"Yea, go" he said, and opened the door wider for JJ to come in.

"Thank you" JJ said, relived that it didn't take much convincing.

"KIE" his voice echoed through the house as he ran upstairs to her room.

He tried to open her door but it was locked.

"Kie" he said again while knocking on her door. "I don't wanna break up. Please open the door"

"JJ?" Kie got off her bed and walked over to the door

The sound of the doorknob unlocking gave him hope.

"Hey" he smiled as she now stood before him

"What are you doing here?" She asked as JJ let himself in.

"Okay look, earlier on the dock, what I said.. I- I wasn't lying. Okay, And neither were you" he started to frantically explain. "We have drifted, okay. And I do feel a little stressed sometimes but- Kie I don't want to break up."

He got closer to her

"I just- I got caught up in the moment, and- and we were making good points like- there are things we need to work on but- kie, let's work on them." He desperately tried to convince. "Okay?"

Kie looked down

"Well obviously I don't wanna break up either" Kie admitted through a sigh. "But JJ you have to tell me when you're feeling bad"

"I know"

"No- like you actually have to start telling me these things" Kie looked up at him who wore a guilty face.

"Okay" he agreed

"I'm serious"

"I know" he nodded

"If we keep doing things the way that we're doing them right now- we aren't going to make it" Kie said firmly, trying to get it through to his brain. "I need you to promise me that you'll tell me when somethings wrong. Even if it's something small, you know those things build up"

"I know it's just- it's hard when I don't even know what's wrong myself" he admitted "I don't know why im like- I dunno- I hate saying I feel 'stressed' and complaining about it like a little bitch, cuz I don't even really have a reason"

"You don't need a reason" Kie said "And it doesn't make you a 'bitch' for admitting that you're stressed"

"I just- Ive never had to deal with any of this before. Like- You know how me and John b would always say we had 'nothing to loose'? It's because we literally had nothing to loose." JJ explained "now I mean- I have everything to loose. You, my job, people's trust- like.. like with your dad for instance. I used to never have to give a fuck about what people like him thought of me. Now if he's not impressed, or I fuck up with one his friends and the word gets out about it, then he's mad at me, and then I can't see you, and I just-"

He took a deep breath

"I gotta be on top of my game 100% of the time, or it's all gonna blow up in my face" he said "and it makes me feel bad because.. sometimes I miss the way things were before. Back when I didn't have to worry about any of that. And it's not like I would trade what I have now for it, I just- miss it.. and I feel bad for missing it."

She took both his hands into hers, and looked up at him

"JJ every human on this planet has feelings." Kie said, looking into his eyes. "You're allowed to feel like that. I mean.. a lot has changed, especially for you."

"I know but I'm happier now. And I don't want to go back, I just- It was so much easier then." He confessed "I just- i miss some of that freedom I guess"

"Look, you don't have to worry about my dad or any of his kook friends" Kie tried to convince

"I know, but I do" he said

"Why? They don't mean anything" Kie said

"I don't know why. I've tried to not let it bother me, but your dad's opinion is really important to me." He said

"You have nothing to prove to him" Kie said

"But if he doesn't like me then-"

"Then we'll run away" Kie chuckled "maybe go on that surf trip you always talk about."

He laughed

"Don't let my dad stress you out" Kie said "one more year and he won't even have a say in what we do, okay?"

He smiled

"We're just overwhelmed right now. But school will be over in a couple days and it'll be summer" she smiled "no more school, no more finals. Just parties and bonfires and surfing all day. Pogue style"

He dropped their hands and wrapped his arms around her waist. A smile on his face as he looked down at her

"We're gonna figure it out" Kie said "I promise"

"I know" he smiled

She wrapped her arms around his neck

"Kie" he mumbled into her shoulder, his tone bringing the mood down.

"Mhm?" She held him tighter.

He struggled to get the words out.

"I'm drinking again." He admitted

She pulled away and looked at him. She gave him a confused face.

"What?" She asked, not knowing that he had been struggling with it.

He nodded

She hugged him again

"We're gonna figure it out" she whispered

{I might do an absolute ludicrous time jump soon... let me know how y'all feel about that. Also Sorry I haven't been updating as much. Just enjoying summer here and hope you all are as wellllll!! Love you all!! Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee}