𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝 {𝚓𝚓 𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚔}

𝚜.𝟷 𝚎𝚙.𝟹 -𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚏𝚒𝚟𝚎-

"you get me so fucking high / the voices in my head collide, and / I think you're really cool like-"

~

That night, the Pogues and Tate pulled up to the The Wreck in the van after dropping the drone off at John B's house. "Stealing drones makes you hungry," Kiara noted, opening the side door and getting out.

"What I would do to a beer and shrimp and grits right now," said JJ, jumping out and standing to the side so Pope and Tate could do the same.

"Don't wanna know," Tate laughed.

"Would not be pretty," said Pope.

They all followed Kiara into the restaurant. "Hey, Dad," Kiara said sweetly.

"Hey, Mr. C," said Tate, lingering at the counter. "How's it been today?"

Kiara's dad gave the girls a dark look. "Didn't turn over once." Tate immediately felt guilty. She knew she was costing Mr. Carrera more than she was helping him with all the extra hours she was working. She gave him an apologetic smile and went to join the boys at a table on the far side of the restaurant.

She watched as Kiara quietly argued with her dad over giving them food. "Hey, act normal," she whispered to the boys as Mr. Carrera looked over at them doubtfully. She couldn't help laughing at how comically bad they were at acting natural. The boys waved awkwardly at Kiara's dad, who turned back to Kiara in mild disappointment. JJ leaned over to see what a lady at the next table was eating and Tate pulled him back by the sleeve of his shirt. "Stop it, J. Just act- like a person."

Finally, she saw Mr. C smile and relent, and Kiara throw her arms around him. She gave the scene a half-smile and then looked down at the floor. She knew as much as Mr. C liked her, she'd never have a father-daughter relationship like that. As much as Kiara might mess up, he still loved her because she was his daughter and that was just how things worked for them. She wished her own dad saw things the same way. Her hand subconsciously touched the now mostly-faded bruise on the side of her face and she felt a hollow sort of lump in her stomach.

"Sit down," Kiara said to the boys and Tate, waving impatiently.

"Yes!" John B said, slipping past Tate and sitting down at the table.

JJ nudged her arm and shot her a questioning look. She snapped out of her daze and merely shrugged, taking a seat next to John B. It wasn't long before Kiara and Mr. Carrera brought out the food and the second Tate started eating, everything felt better. She took a bite of one of The Wreck's island-famous french fries and instantly remembered that she hadn't eaten in at least a day. "Oh my god," she muttered, and dug in.

Kiara turned up the radio in the restaurant and a summery-sounding tune played, instantly lightening the mood of the night. When Tate finished her burger and finally felt satisfied, she leaned back in her seat and pulled one leg to her chest, propping the other on the side of JJ's chair across from her. He gave her a small smile, illuminated in the soft light, and shifted ever so slightly to give her more room. Kiara came back to their table, dancing to the music. She shook her hips and Tate laughed, picking up a fry and nibbling at it.

Kiara refilled JJ's drink and then set the pitcher down and pointed to John B, motioning for him to join her dancing. John B hesitated, head tilted in apprehension, but Kiara was unrelenting. At last, John B stood up and sidled over, twirling Kiara around and dancing along to the music. Tate looked up at Pope, who was sipping from his drink and watching the two with an unwavering frown. Then it hit her. Pope liked Kiara. Her mouth fell open ever so slightly... and then a fry hit her in the face.