Rule breakers // Outerbanks

/23/ The Gold

Grief.

It's a strange thing, so unfamiliar yet it feels so known.
Grief comes in so many different ways, shapes and colors, it's different for everyone.

So when four friends have to deal with the loss of two of their friends, they all seem to handle it in a different way.

Kiara processed her loss with rebellion, spray painting walls, smoking weed, setting things on fire, calling the Cameron's 'murderer' any chance she had.

Pope processed his loss by focusing on the things that were important to him, working hard on school, so that he didn't even have time to think about his grief.

JJ processed his loss by simply doing anything the law forbids him to do, causing him to lose multiple jobs for it.

Isla processed her loss by closing herself in, hiding in her room, only ever coming out when necessary, avoiding contact with others as much as she could.

It's been a few weeks, and John B and Sarah still hadn't been found. Most people excepted them to be dead, but the Pogues didn't want to lose their hope. Even though a gut feeling told them it was true and their friends were gone, they refused to believe it.

Summer was over, so that meant Isla had to leave her room again, which cost her a lot of energy.
She only came out on a few occasions, she still had contact with her friends, but not as much as they used to. She and JJ were still together, although they hadn't really done much with it since both of them needed some space and time, processing their loss.

But now there was no more space or time, because the Pogues had to get back to school, all four of them prepared for a torturous day filled with stares and whispers.

Isla hopped out of the backseat car, her book bag hanging over her shoulder, looking at Pope who just got out of the passenger seat.

"Today is gonna suck."
He told her, to which she simply nodded in agreement, both of them heading to the other side of the car to notice JJ taking a swig from a flask.

"Hey, chill out."
Kiara warned him.

"If I black out, just don't remind me."
JJ replied, throwing the flask into the backseat.

"That's not funny"
Kie told him, the two heading towards the school with Isla Pope following behind them.

And that's when it started.
The looks and whispers.
Just like they expected.

Isla let out a deep breath, anxiety filled her body, which was something that seemed to happen a lot since she lost her two friends.

They tried to ignore it, but it was specifically hard to when they came across this memorial made for John B, the friends studied it, sadness filling their eyes.

"I feel like people are staring at us."
Kie commented, looking around her.

"That's cause they are."
Isla confirmed.

"Oh yeah."
JJ added, looking around at the students.

"Guys, I can't be late."
Pope told his friends, leaving them to get to class.

"Hey,hey. We gotta stick together."
Kiara called after him.

Pope turned around and held out his hand for her to hold. JJ looked at Isla and did the same, Isla took his hand, smiling thankfully at him as they entered the building.

During her first class, Isla already felt the urge to stab her pencil into her eye at the combination of the boring lesson and the stares she could feel burning in the back of her head.