Jiara ~ Bumps In The Road

Prologue

To say Kiara Carrera's life was somewhat unorthodox would be an understatement. It has been since she was five years old. Kie was a likable person. She made friends effortlessly. She'd known JJ and Pope since they were all five. They all lived on the same street, so it made sense why they were all so close. Their mothers liked to call them "The Three Musketeers." They all met after Pope's father passed away. He was a soldier killed in action, leaving his newly widowed wife, Yvonne, and five-year-old son Pope in the Outer Banks. Once Anna Carrera and Georgia Maybank discovered this, they both offered support. The three of them lived right next door to each other. At number 7 Beechwood Place lived the Carrera's, two doors down at number 9 were the Heywards, and in the middle, at number 8, were the Maybanks.

The women bonded instantly, as did their children, whether it was attending PTA meetings together, going down to sunbathe on the dock as their kids played in the water, or being called by their neighbors to pick up their mischievous children after they pulled one of their infamous pranks, they were always together. All three kids didn't have fathers growing up. Pope doesn't remember his dad because he was so young when he died. Kie was eight when her parents separated, and JJ... Simply put, his dad won no Father of the Year awards. He was an abusive alcoholic. He would leave during the day and come home at night drunk. He left for good when JJ was ten, and then last year, when he was fifteen, his father returned, following the same routine.

Everyone knew about Georgia and her husband, though it was difficult not to know about it because of all the screaming from their house. Georgia hadn't left her husband, besides Anna and Yvonne begging her to. It was difficult for her. She knew Luke would hit her if she tried to leave him. When Luke left for five years, she thought she and JJ were safe. But then he came back. The fact that the trio essentially grew up with only mothers makes them much closer to each other. Kie was grateful to have two additional "mother figures" in her life, especially since her dad had never attempted to see her since the divorce. Yvonne, Georgia, and her mom were like her parents, and Pope and JJ were like her brothers.

However, she cringed at the thought of JJ being her brother. Her relationship with JJ was always a little different than her one with Pope, even though she'd never admit it. She would get nervous about him when she heard yelling from his house. She hoped he was okay, but he always went to Pope's when his dad hit him because he didn't like being vulnerable in front of Kie. "You worry too much." That's what he would always tell her. She knew JJ had a soft spot, she'd seen it. He only showed it in front of his mom and half-sister Sarah, but for Kiara, he made an exception. But not for this. He was protective of her, and he hated to be vulnerable in front of her, or for her to see him cry. He knew how upset she would be if she ever saw the black eyes and bruises he gets from his dad. That's why he goes to Pope's house. Kie had a few other friends she was close with, not as close as she is with Pope and JJ, but being a girl, you need to have some girlfriends to relate to. She met Sarah, JJ's sister at the age of eleven. 

She knocked on number 8 Beechwood Place, claiming she was Georgia's daughter. Sarah still lived on the rich side of the island with her dad. There was a custody battle in court, but with her father being 'King of the island,' there was no contest. She still managed to visit JJ and Georgia and even brought her sister Wheezie with her a few times, but her father and her brother wanted nothing to do with the quote 'low-life cheating bitch,' they referred to her as. She even switched schools from the Kook Academy to Kildare High. Meaning she could be with her brother and his friends... And her boyfriend. John B. Kie was thrilled to have a girl her age on the scene. Sarah then introduced her to Cleo, who also went to the Kook Academy but transferred alongside Sarah. The three girls instantly bonded. They all got their periods the same year, joined the same school activities and clubs, and even helped each other during breakups. Kie liked how her relationship with the two girls was similar to her mom's relationship with Yvonne and Georgia. Kie's life sure was outlandish... But she wouldn't change anything.