𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 - kiara carrera¹

𝒙𝒙𝒊𝒗. 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒔

"ALL RIGHT, JJ. PIN IT HERE."

Tatum and Kiara couldn't stop staring at each other today. The group finally all woke up together after the first good night in a long time. Everything in their lives was a mess right now, yes, but that was okay, because they had each other. Kiara didn't bring up the burns or the puffy eyes Tatum brought home with her the night before; she wasn't going to push her into telling her anything. Tatum had her own mind, and Kiara trusted that if she was in any sort of trouble, she'd tell people when she was ready.

"Rodger that!" said JJ, twisting the wheel. "X marks the spot."

But today was even more exciting for the small group of teenagers. Because today they were going to find the Royal Merchant. Tatum was finally able to listen to the tape, and - after torturing the life out of John B for his nickname - she agreed that they should follow the map to find the coordinates of the old ship wreck. They weren't going to make any group decisions without hearing her opinion first anymore. But even with all the fun and the drugs and the teasing, Tatum still never exploded into the sweet sound everybody missed the most. It had been a while since anybody had heard her giggle. But the pouges were convinced they were close - close to getting their girl back.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen," said John B, holding the drone up in the air beside Pope, who was quickly double-checking everything. "To going full kook."

"And getting the hell out of this shithole," added Tatum, holding up her beer. Beside her, Kiara frowned a little. She understood why Tatum wanted to leave OBX - her life was the equivalent to Satan's dungeon - but she honestly couldn't imagine her life without this girl. Only a week without Tatum kept her awake at night and unable to consume any sort of food. She couldn't imagine being old and wrinkly without Tatum Quinn by her side.

John B dipped the drone in the water, and the two girls took hold of the tether, pulling it under little by little, inch by inch. The whole group was mildly shocked when Tatum didn't impulsively decide to go swimming with the drone. They wanted that part of her back - the wild, bubbly girl they took for granted too many times. They missed the way she would to the most dangerous things, giggle about it and earn a scolding by Kiara. They missed the way she would go to the end of the Earth to prove herself good to the girl she was so clearly in love with. But nobody knew what she was thinking anymore. Nobody knew if she would even listen to Kie anymore. They didn't care, though - they were just glad to have some of her back, even if it was just a small piece.

"All right, JJ, we're right over it," John B announced, looking down at the ipad. "Ten seconds northwest."

"Got it! Ten seconds northwest," repeated JJ obediently, from behind the wheel.

Kiara and Tatum kept looking at each other as they pulled the drone down further. Everytime one of them would gaze at the other, the other would look away. Like giddy children. Like the teens they were supposed to be. Almost as if everything in their lives were normal.

"One hundred feet," the two girls said simultaneously. Kiara giggled sweetly, the way Tatum usually would've. But she didn't. She smiled instead, and that made all the difference. Kie almost melted under her gaze. She missed this. She really fucking did. Tatum marked their first goal with one dash of chalk over the wall, and they continued to keep dropping it down slowly.

There was a gasp from behind them. Everyone turned to look at Pope, who was never normally surprised by anything.

"What? What, what?" asked John B quickly, desperate to find something.

Pope shook his head. "It was nothing."

John B threw his head back and groaned in disappointment.