STRANDED (THE WILDS KIRIN O'CONNOR)

DAY 18. OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL

It had been 3 days since we voted Seth out of camp and everything back at camp had become smooth again, Raf was still bummed that his closest friend was banned and I felt bad for Raf but I was glad Seth was gone.

I stood up and dusted myself off "Hey Josh or Kir, I need one of you to come with me to get more water." I spoke as they were the only ones that knew the way and we were low again.

Kirin stood up from his place on the sand and threw his rubixcube he had ben fiddling with in his bag, "I'll take you, hold down the fort J- man." Josh nodded excited. Ever since what happened came to life Kirin and I stayed close to Josh. One of us was always close by to just be a friend to him.

Ivan started to joke about how we had become Josh's adopted parents.

Kirin and I started to head in the direction of the waterfall for water and a quick dip, "I wish we had our phones, this would be a great place to take pics for the gram." I mused Kirin looked at me funny "What? It's true. Bikini pics on the beach get the most likes."

Kirin laughed at me "Yeah they do, just didn't peg you for the girl to post basic gram pics." I scoffed "I don't post basic pics, I bring something unique to insta." Kirin laughs "Ok I'll take your word for it."

Eventually we make it into the forest and walk twigs snapping under our feet, "What was your life like before this shit happened?" Kirin asked gesturing to our surroundings I think for a moment "uh, I have two loving parents who made sure I had everything I needed and were always there for me. I guess you could say we were a cliche "perfect family"" I quote the words with my hands and continue "I mean once a year we went to Paris."

Kirin looks at me with wide eyes "You're like rich?" I shake my head "I'm not, my parents are. There is a difference. But it wasn't all perfect, my parents were hiding something from me. And not a small something a big something."

I can tell Kirin wants to know but doesn't want to ask so I sigh and speak again "One day, I was in school and heard some girls say a kid saw my dad at a diner with a women. I left school and went to the diner and saw it for myself. He ended up kissing this women."

I sigh then continue "Later that night at dinner my dad was talking about how important family is and stuff and I exploded. I went off on him about how I saw him at the diner kissing another women. Turns out that wasn't "just a women"." I quote with my fingers.

"Turns out that women was my birth mother, and she was meeting my dad because she wanted to be apart of my life. But my dad didn't want that to happen, long story short my dad sends me to this retreat to help me work out how I feel about it."

Kirin stops walking and I turn to face him, he stares at me for a minute before he pulls me in and hugs me tightly "I'm sorry that happened to you." I nod my head before we pull away.

"What about you? What was your life like before this floating hell happened?" Kirin sighs as he looks down. He looks sad I touch his shoulder and stop him from walking "You don't have to tell me if you don't want too."

Kirin shakes his head "No, No, I do. This is stupid but...I trust you. More then I've ever trusted anyone before." I smile sweetly at Kirin and grab hold of his hand as we continue to walk again.

Kirin clears his throat. "My Dad left my mom and I when I was little and I never heard from him again, one day I found out where he lived and rode my bike to his house. My dad and his new family were having breakfast for dinner." Kirin sucks his teeth and laughs but it wasn't sincere.

"Guess my mom and I weren't enough for him, my mom started to distance herself from me. Started to care less and less until one day she just stopped completely."

"I went lots of nights with no dinner cause she couldn't he bothered to make any, so I learned to cook from YouTube and took care of myself. I joined the lacrosse team in middle school and got good at it."

"When I started highschool my lacrosse coach and I got close, he uh...he took me in. I became apart of his family, birthdays, thanksgiving, Christmas. The whole thing." Kirin smiles softly at the thought.

"One day before practice I went to his office and saw him putting his things in boxes, turns out someone reported a picture he posted to his Instagram and got him fired."

"That same person found me upset in the locker room, recorded me saying mean things I didn't mean because I was drunk and vulnerable. And I got expelled and then I was sent here."

"The person who took the only family I had left and got my expelled was Taylor." He finishes solemnly my eyes widen "Ivan?" Kirin nodded.

"That's why we don't get along, we never really spoke before until then." I wanted to apologize to Kirin for all of it even though it isn't my fault, but I know Kirin wouldn't want to hear that. He doesn't like Pity.

I sigh and squeeze his hand "Well you have me now, and that won't ever change." Kirin smiles at me "You have me too, for better or worse." I laugh at Kirin "Are you proposing?"

Kirin's eyes widen in fear "What know, but uh." He coughs and clears his throat "Since we are on the topic, I did have something in mind." He pauses as I nod my head for him to continue.

"God this is so stupid I've never done this shit before, fuck it. Obviously we like one another and I just...you wanna be my girl? Like for real?" I blush at his words "Are you Kirin O'Connor, asking me to go steady with you?"

Kirin shakes his head "No, I'm asking if you want to be with me. Like my girlfriend or whatever. It's no big deal." I smile and shake my head "Steady and what you're asking are the samething." I inform him Kirin sighs "You gonna like, answer my question some time today or?"

"Yes Kirin, I would like to be your girl." Right after I said that Kirin's face broke into the biggest smile ever and it was the most beautiful thing I have ever saw.