Chapter Text
The dawn sky was a washed-out blue that matched JJ’s eyes and Poguelandia 2.0 was silent and still, like the quiet aftermath of a hurricane.
Every ripple, every creak of the dock echoed the havoc of last night, a reminder of everything that was falling apart.
The town hall meeting had been a disaster, but deep down, JJ had known it would be.
He always did.
He was always the one who lit the match, but by the time he saw the flames, it was too late. He knew it was a stupid move before he did it—but he couldn’t help himself. He could feel himself spiral as reality hit him.
It was gone—all of it. Poguelandia. The Surf Shop. the Charter.
Their sanctuary, their home, the one place where they could just be without the rest of the world coming down on them. Soon, it’d be torn down and turned into another Kook playground, a place where they’d never be welcome again.
JJ stared out at the horizon, slumped on the edge of the dock, feeling the weight of it pressing down on him. Luke had screwed him over yet again.
But this time, JJ couldn’t just blame him. Not entirely..
He’d been the one to make the call, the one to gamble on that stupid bike race, thinking he could be the hero, give them something for once instead of watching it all crumble around him. It was supposed to fix everything. He’d wanted to prove he could take care of his friends—his family. But instead, he’d wrecked it all.
JJ swallowed hard, vision blurring. He could hear his dad’s voice in his head, sneering, calling him a screw-up, a waste. You’re just like him, a voice whispered. Just like Luke. Hurting everyone who cares about you.
The thought made him sick. He hated Luke for every broken promise, every bruise, every twisted thing that had shaped him. But worse than hating him, JJ feared he was becoming him.
And the stupid irony—the deeper, more cutting truth: he wasn’t even Luke’s son. All the messed up parts of his life, all the pain, every scar on his body, handed down by a man who wasn’t even his blood.
JJ clenched his fists, feeling the burn in his chest, as he let out a shaky breath. He wanted to hit something, to scream, to drown out the voices telling him he’d destroy anything good that came his way. For once, he wasn’t sure if he could pull himself back from this.
He shut his eyes, hands fisted, tension building in his muscles. “Dammit,” he muttered, voice shaky, anger simmering under the surface. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, trying to keep himself from falling apart. But it wasn’t working. His breathing was shallow, and every part of him felt like it was on edge, ready to snap.
Flashes from last night came rushing back—yelling, fists flying, people shoving each other. The riot exploding around him, his friends' faces twisted with shock and anger when everything went to hell.
And over it all, their voices, telling him to run, to just get out.
Kiara’s voice, calling his name through the wail of sirens and gunshots.
Kiara was losing everything, too.
And it was all his fault.
JJ’s heart pounded, his chest tightening as panic clawed up his throat. He dragged a shaky hand through his hair, gripping it hard like he could somehow ground himself, but nothing was working. Every mistake, every mess he’d ever made, crashed down on him. He couldn’t breathe.
“Why the hell do I keep doing this?” he whispered, his voice raw. He was losing it, slipping past the point of no return. He was on the edge, barely hanging on, and this time he wasn’t sure he could pull himself back.
…
Kiara walked down the narrow, overgrown path toward the dock, her steps careful, almost tentative. She could still feel the weight of last night—the riot, the chaos, the fear that had settled deep in her bones.
She had to find JJ.
They’d been looking for him all night, calling his name, searching every corner of town. Morning had broken, and they still hadn’t found him. But she had a feeling she knew where he’d end up in the end.
From the edge of the yard, she spotted him, sitting alone on the dock. His shoulders were slumped forward, his head down. JJ Maybank, her JJ, usually all fire and energy, looked completely lost and broken.
And it twisted something in her to see him like that.
“I got it,” she said softly to the others, waving them off before they could follow. She walked lightly down the dock, close but not crowding him.
Without a word, she settled beside him, her presence solid and steady, letting him feel she was there but giving him his space. But after a moment, she broke the silence. “We’ve been looking for you, Jayje,” she said, her voice soft.
He didn’t look at her. His gaze stayed locked on the water. When he spoke, his voice was rough, barely above a whisper. “I just… needed to be alone.”
She nodded, watching him, feeling a fierce need to protect him. “I get that,” she said gently, but with a hint of edge. “But, you know…that wasn’t your best plan.” Her voice was soft but honest, and she saw the flicker of shame in his eyes. She wasn’t letting him off the hook, but she wasn’t going anywhere either.
JJ exhaled shakily, shoulders slumping even more. “I really fucked up, Kie. I lost everything.” His voice cracked, thick with guilt. “If it wasn’t for me, we’d still have Poguelandia. Everyone would be safe. I don’t get it. I don’t know how I keep screwing up, over and over.”
He glanced at her, eyes dark with regret, then looked away like he couldn’t bear to see her face when he said it. “Sometimes…I think I was just broken from the start. Like I was never meant to get it right. I’m just…I’m not okay, Kie. I don’t think I ever have been, not really.”
Kiara’s heart twisted as she listened. She knew JJ’s struggles better than anyone—the walls he put up, the way he always tried to mask the hurt, to act like none of it could touch him. But now, his guard was down, and she could see the weight of every disappointment and failure he carried, the years of damage his dad had done, the lies he’s lived, the way he never truly believed he deserved anything good.
“JJ…” she started softly, reaching out, but he pulled back, shaking his head.
“No, Kie, listen to me. You deserve better than this mess I keep dragging you into. Maybe…maybe your parents are right about me. Maybe you should get out now. Find someone who isn’t…this.” He gestured to himself, voice thick with shame.
She took a deep breath, fighting to find the right words. “JJ, I don’t want anyone else. I love you,” she said, voice steady. “But you can’t keep throwing yourself into these reckless plans, hurting yourself over and over, tearing yourself up like this. I know Luke messed you up, I know the Genrettes and everything else messed you up. But you’re here, JJ. And I need you to stay here. With me.”
She took his hand and pressed it to her chest, just above her heart, hoping the steady rhythm would anchor him. “You’re part of my life whether you like it or not, Jayje. You’re mine and I’m yours and I’m choosing to be here. I’m choosing you.”
Her voice wavered, thick with emotion. “I can’t lose you. I need you to understand that.”
JJ was quiet, staring out at the water, letting her words sink in. “I don’t want to drag you down, Kie. You deserve someone who isn’t…this…this messed up.” His voice was rough, full of self-loathing. “Just go. You don’t need me.”
Kiara took a deep breath, her heart pounding as she realized what she had to tell him. If he kept shutting her out, they would never get through this together and she needed him now more than ever.
Reaching into her pocket, her fingers trembling, Kiara pulled out a small white stick and held it out to him, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s too late for that, Jayje.”
JJ’s eyes went wide as he stared at the positive pregnancy test in her hand. His face shifted, going from confusion to shock, and then he froze, like he couldn’t even breathe. “Wait…what? Kie…you’re…?”
For a moment after, he was just silent, his mind reeling, questions and panic and fears swirling inside him. But then he looked up, and for the first time, he saw the fear in her eyes, the raw vulnerability she usually kept hidden. Kiara Carrera, the girl of his dreams, wasn’t scared of anything, and here she was, looking at him like she was just as lost as he was.
“Kie…” His voice broke, and without thinking, he reached for her hand, holding it tightly. She was letting him see the part of her that was just as afraid as he was, and something in him cracked open. She was terrified—and he could feel it like a pulse under his skin, her fear mingling with his own.
And in that moment, he’d do anything to save her from that feeling, to keep her safe, even if he didn’t know how.
He looked back down at the test, and for a moment, everything settled. This was real. This was happening. And he loved her—more than anything. And that’s when he realized he already loved this baby too.
Fiercely, protectively and with everything he had.
They sat there in silence, side by side, hands clasped, the weight of what was coming hanging in the air. JJ squeezed her hand, his voice steady and certain for the first time all morning. “I’m not going anywhere, Kie. I promise.”