CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
the wrong side of rock bottom

     RILEY VAN KIRK was a lot of things. He was a son, he was a brother, and most importantly, he was a good friend. He was the type of guy who sparked happiness in the cold hearted, his radiance and warmth melting away the ice built in the chest cavities of others. There was never a single dull day whenever Riley Van Kirk was around, the boy knowing all the right things to say and do to make you feel as if you were dancing on cloud 9, everyone else's dark days filling with nothing but light. Riley was just simply a good guy with a kind soul and warm heart.

     However, no one would have ever believed he was capable of something as violent and as monstrous as murder.

Nova Van Kirk didn't know what to believe when John B confessed to her in the midst of his erratic and fragile state that her brother was involved with the disappearance ( and now murder ) of John Routledge. It was a shock to learn that Ward Cameron — a man Nova had known her entire life and someone she saw as family — was a cold blooded killer. But to discover her own brother had some sort of involvement in the gruesome death himself was the last thing Nova Van Kirk wanted to hear.

     If what John B was telling her was the truth, then there was a part of Riley's life that Nova never even knew about. There was a whole other side to the boy that she was completely clueless about because she was too blinded by the good she saw in her annoying older brother. She wanted to believe Riley was picture perfect because not only was he her brother, but also her best friend, but how could she turn a blind eye to the atrocities he's committed since the day he willingly helped Ward Cameron murder an innocent man?

The worse part was that it made sense. Nova remembered how strange Riley acted after he came back from fishing with Ward, how on edge he had become when it was announced John Routledge was missing, and how guilty he looked whenever Juno carelessly brought up how sad it was now that John B was basically an orphan because people who go missing at sea never tend to come back. It explained why he turned to drugs to begin with, the boy needing a release from the guilt he held onto after killing his best friend's father.

     The startling revelation felt like she was choking on air, almost like there was an invisible grip wrapped tightly around her throat and crushing her windpipe. She felt as if she couldn't breathe and it was all because of Ward Cameron and Riley Van Kirk.

     That's why the Cameron family home was the last place Nova Van Kirk wanted to be right now, the girl sitting in the HMS Pogue whilst the others stared out at the large house, analysing it closely from afar in the middle of the dark and emotive night. After John B had left the chateau, gun in hand with his own personal vendetta against Ward Cameron hanging over him like a shadow, the others had spent the remainder of the day searching for their friend, their search leading them to the Cameron house. Although Nova wanted nothing more than to go home.

     It's where she needed to be right now, but making sure John B didn't take matters into his own hands in regards to Ward Cameron was more important.

"What now?" JJ's familiar voice ripped through the silence, his agitated tone breaking Nova out of her train of thought, causing for the girl to lift her gaze to stare at the blond boy whilst he continued to speak. "We just go up to the front door and ask, hey, have you seen John B?" He then mocked, his choice of words earning a sigh filled with frustration from Kiara in response.

"Look, he lives in Tannyhill now." Kiara informed them, shrugging her shoulders whilst she continued to look around at the group, all of them either sitting or standing in the small boat. "It's plausible." She added, hoping the others would agree with her.

Juno let out a sigh in response, the girl folding her arms over her chest whilst she parted her lips to speak. "We could always act oblivious. You know, pretend as if we have no idea why John B would go crazy." She suggested, earning a nod of agreement from Kiara in response to her words, both girls clearly on the same page as each other.

However, the same couldn't be said for everyone. Pope was quick to let out a shaky breath filled with frustration, his eyes flickering between both Juno and Kiara with an impatient look glimmering in his dark gaze. "It's pretty late." He deadpanned. It didn't take a genius to figure out that standing on the skirts of the Cameron estate was the last place the Heyward boy wanted to be. Nova could see it, and so could the rest of the group. This caused for Kiara to glance over at Pope, hoping to change his mind.

     "Look, I've never seen John B like that." Kiara told them, proving that the manic state they all saw John B in wasn't a normal thing. In fact, it was so unusual that it was enough to make all of them worry for John B and what he might do knowing his father's killer was walking free. Kiara then shook her head in disbelief. "We should honestly be going to the cops."

     Juno looked over her shoulder, staring down at Nova who sat next to JJ on the HMS Pogue. "Do you think Peterkin would help us?" She asked the blonde haired girl, hoping to get a positive answer in response.

     Soon, all eyes were on Nova Van Kirk, the girl looking around at the rest of them to see if her ties to Peterkin could benefit the rest of them ( more specifically, John B ) in any way. Nova knew her mother being best friends with the Sheriff always came in handy for situations like this one. She knew that if she turned to Peterkin for help, then the older woman would listen and lend a helping hand if needed. It was a plausible solution to their very big problem. So maybe there was a chance Peterkin would believe her over Ward Cameron.

     "I mean, I could always talk to her." Nova shrugged. Much like Pope, everyone could she wasn't all that bothered. They didn't know why. She never mentioned what John B had told her earlier the same day. So they guessed it had to have been bad to make her stay silent for the past few hours.

     Nova's response earned a few nods from Juno and Kiara. Even Pope had hope that maybe Nova could get Peterkin to pull a few strings. But if there was one person who wasn't completely on board with the plan, it was JJ Maybank, the boy letting out a quiet scoff. "Yeah, and say what, Nova? We're worried about our friend because he's on a rampage because Ward Cameron killed Big John? Like they're not gonna believe us—"

     "Hey, I see Ward." Pope interjected, cutting JJ off. Nova then lifted her gaze to see Pope staring out at the Cameron Estate through a pair of binoculars.

     Kiara was the first to approach Pope, the girl taking the binoculars from the boy before she lifted them to her eyes, staring out at the large house in hopes of confirming what Pope had already told them. Judging from what Nova could tell, Pope was right and Ward was perfectly fine in the safety of his own home, meaning either John B went there to do what he planned but didn't follow through, or he was never there to begin with. It left Nova wondered where the boy could be if he wasn't looking for revenge after all.

Juno was quick to join Kiara, staring off into the distance, her brows furrowing together in confusion. "Does he seem fine? You know, is he alive?" She questioned.

"Yeah, doesn't look dead to me. Let's go home." Pope informed them, turning around and making his way towards the steering wheel of the HMS Pogue. This caused for both Juno and Kiara to glance over at the boy, a loud what coming from their lips. Pope then sighed, his eyes flickering between the pair. "Uh...okay. Obviously, Mr Cameron is fine, and even if John B was here, he isn't now, okay? Plus I have the biggest, most important moment of my life in six hours." He elaborated further.

Nova knew Pope was talking about his scholarship interview. She had only heard about it last night, the boy becoming anxious about the interview with every hour that passed them bye. The girl could tell it was important to him. Why would it be? The interview could change his life and help him achieve his dream. So she understood the urgency to get home and make sure he was ready for his life changing moment taking place tomorrow morning. However, even though Nova understood Pope's desperation to get home, the same couldn't be said for everyone else.

     "Yeah, well, our friend is in trouble." Kiara reminded him, a look filled with disbelief plastered across her face.

"I'm in trouble." Pope retorted, his response earning a sigh filled with frustration from Juno whilst the girl placed her hands firmly on her hips, all of them listening as Pope continued to speak. "Guys, I haven't been home in three days. My dad's probably put all my shit on the street by now." He informed them, a look filled with dread twinkling in his dark brown eyes.

"Okay, so that's it?" Kiara paused, narrowing her eyes into a sharp glare whilst she continued to stare at the boy. Nova could tell the Carrera girl was pissed. "In a time of need, you're just gonna bail? You're just gonna walk away?" She pressed further, raising her voice in the process, her sharp and agitated tone echoing loudly through the air.

JJ inhaled sharply, causing for Nova to glance at the boy sitting beside her, watching as he lifted his gaze to stare between the pair arguing back and forth. "Okay, yo, guys, can we not do this right now?" He warned them, but Kiara and Pope chose to ignore his pleas for them to stop, before they continued their ongoing debate of whether they should stay or go.

Pope glared back at Kiara, a serious look burning bright in his eyes. "Hey, I have a scholarship interview in the morning. I can't—"

"Okay, well, what about John B?" Kiara cut him off, exclaiming loudly in the process.

It was silent for a moment, nothing else being heard other than the soft night breeze blowing through the air, and even then, that wasn't enough to sooth the tension brewing between Pope Heyward and Kiara Carrera. Pope then let out a loud scoff, staring back at Kiara with a look that screamed that he was fed up. Nova could tell this ongoing argument between the pair was only going to continue, both Pope and Kiara being too stubborn to come to some sort of agreement in the middle of a difficult situation.

"Why is it always about John B?" Pope fired back, earning a confused look from Kiara in response.

"It's not always about John B." Kiara argued, shaking her head with a disapproving look evident in her eyes. "You're so stupid. It would be any of you in this situation." She added, trying to get her point across.

Pope couldn't even resist the urge to laugh bitterly in response to Kiara's words, his sharp and agonising stare burning holes right through the girl's skull. "Oh, bullshit!" He snapped at her.

"This is about friendship!" Kiara exclaimed loudly, desperation laced in her voice whilst she looked around at the group, tears brimming in her eyes. Nova almost felt bad for the girl. She was doing everything to keep the group from falling apart when they needed each other most. Kiara then glanced over at Pope. "This is about Pogues for life!"

"What about forensic pathology, huh?" Pope questioned, causing for a full blown argument to break out between the pair, much like the one between Kiara and Sarah on the front porch of John B's chateau a few days ago. "It's my life. Everything I've worked for." He elaborated.

Nova watched as Kiara walked over towards Pope, the girl now standing in front of him with a few stray tears rolling down her cheeks. "That's your priority?" Kiara asked.

     "Stop with the moral high ground bullshit!" Pope snapped once again, his harsh voice and vigorous tone causing for Nova to flinch. The girl never expected that level of anger from the boy before, so hearing it now was almost like a shock to the system.

     Juno approached the pair, a frown plastered across her face. "Pope—"

     "No, she has no room to talk." Pope interjected again, sparing Juno a quick glance before he turned his attention back over towards Kiara. "You talk so highly about Pogues for life and friendship, but you keep lying to us." He told her, earning a confused look from Kiara in response.

     "What are you even talking about?" Kiara questioned, folding her arms over her chest.

     "You and Juno." Pope states, the mere mention of the two girls in the same sentence being enough to make Nova lift her gaze, her eyes darting between Kiara and Juno as Pope continued to speak. "John B and JJ are too blind to see it, but I noticed. You two have been sneaking around all summer and didn't even bother telling us. So much for no Pogue on Pogue mackin'" He scoffed.

     Nova focused her attention on Kiara and the way she turned around to glanced over at Juno, the two girls sharing a quick look, silence flooding the air all over again. Nova could see how hard it must have been for their big secret to be exposed within a matter of seconds. Nova knew Juno and Kiara wanted to tell the whole group once the time was right, especially with the stupid rule enforced by the group that didn't allow one member of the group to date another. Nova felt sympathetic towards the couple, more specifically, Kiara, who continued to receive gruelling words from Pope.

     "Where were you when Big John went missing? You weren't there. You weren't there for John B. You weren't there for any of us." Pope continued, causing for Kiara to bite down on her tongue and stay quiet, taking in all of the harsh and brutally honest lecture from Pope. "Remember your Kook year?"

     "Dude." JJ warned, but Pope only continued to speak harshly towards the Carrera girl.

     "Yeah, you forgot about us." Pope reminded her, stepping closer so he was now in her face. "Now you feel guilty."

     That was when Kiara Carrera finally snapped, all of Pope's harsh words pushing her over the edge, her hands bawling into fists. "Give me a break." She snapped, shoving Pope backwards repeatedly, the harsh and violent outburst being enough to make Pope raise his hands to defend himself. This caused for Juno to quickly react and wrap her arms around Kiara's waist, trying to pull her girlfriend away from Pope, whilst JJ raise his voice to try and calm the situation down.

Suddenly, Nova Van Kirk had decided that she had enough of the constant fighting between the broken group. This caused for the girl to stand up from where she previously stood and insert herself into the situation, the blonde getting in between Pope and Kiara, before she shoved Kiara away. "Enough!" She shouted, her frantic eyes flickering between Pope and then Kiara, who was now standing further away with Juno at her side.

"Both of you!" Nova continued, before she focused her attention on Pope, waves of emotion washing over whilst she continued to speak. "Pope, I get that tomorrow is important, and trust me, you will get to that interview, but John B — our friend — is in trouble right now. He just found out his dad was murdered by a man who he thought he could trust. You need to show a little bit more compassion." She explained in a calm voice.

"Thank you." Kiara sighed in relief.

"No, I'm not done." Nova snapped at the girl, turning around to face her with a look of disbelief flooding her ocean, blue eyes. "I get that finding John B and making sure he's okay is important, but Pope's scholarship is important and you should be supporting him instead of tearing him down for putting himself first. You don't need Pope to find John B." She explains to the girl, causing for Kiara to stare down at the deck of the boat.

     Nova sighed in annoyance. "Jesus christ! Do you guys even hear yourself sometimes?" She questioned, her gaze shifting between Pope and Kiara. "You guys are so lucky to have each other. You always have each other's backs no matter what, but now you're standing here arguing because you can't support Pope's decision to put himself first." She elaborated further, focusing her attention on Kiara for a moment.

     "You know, earlier today, John B told me something. He told me Riley was there when Ward murdered Big John." She announced, her shocking words being enough to make the rest of the group stare at her, their eyes wide in surprise. Nova glanced over at Pope. "But I didn't go home. I stayed with you guys and spent the entire day searching for John B because he's my friend and I care about him. Now I know I wouldn't have said that a week ago, but I mean it now. I don't even want to be here, but I'm here, putting my feelings aside for a friend. You should learn to do the same." She lectured Pope, earning a small nod from the boy.

Nova had tears streaming down her face at this point, the girl sniffling whilst she spoke. "All this bitching and arguing isn't going to help John B. So how about we all shut up, take me home, drop Pope off and then the rest of you look for John B? Because I've had enough." She suggested, lowering her head and taking a seat at the edge of the boat.

Kiara and Pope stared at one another for a short moment, the pair exchanging a few apologetic looks, before Pope glanced over at Nova. "We're sorry." He apologised.

"Yeah, we had no idea." Kiara continued, moving away from Juno and sitting down beside Nova, her eyes softening whilst she stared back at the blonde. "Why didn't you tell us the second you found out?" She then interrogated further.

Nova wiped away her salty tears as she shrugged her shoulders. "I know what you all thought of me when I started tagging along with you guys. You thought that the only reason a stuck up Kook would want to be around you is for some ulterior motive." She paused, a shaky and harrowing breath escaping past her lips. "I didn't want you guys thinking that the only reason I started hanging out with you was to protect Riley's secret. I swear, I had no idea—"

     "We believe you." Pope cut the girl off, causing for Nova to lift her gaze, shooting the boy a grateful look, a ghost of a smile forming across her lips.

     JJ nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, we know you would never do anything like that. You're a good liar, but not that good." He piped up, sitting down in the vacant space next to the girl, nudging her gently, causing for Nova's smile to become more visible to the naked eye. JJ smiled back at the blonde, before he let out a sigh. "Now how about we get you home, Princess?" He suggested, before standing up and making his way over towards the steering wheel.

Nova sighed in relief and wiped the last of her tears away whilst Juno sat down next to the girl, seated in the place JJ previously was. Juno then reached out and grabbed Nova's hand with her own, causing for blonde to glance at her best friend to see her smile, her dark eyes darting between the Nova and JJ. It didn't take a genius to realise that Juno was indicating towards JJ and his given nickname for Nova, making Juno suspicious about what the hell was going on between the pair and why it was taking so long for them to act on the feelings they all knew were there.

Truth is, not even Nova knew the answer to that question. She liked JJ and not as a friend, but as more than a friend. JJ even kissed her yesterday and almost admitted his own feelings for Nova earlier this morning. Nova wondered if that's what JJ was going to tell her before they were interrupted because now he was acting totally clueless, almost like the last twenty four hours never even happened. Maybe it was because they had better things to worry about right now, or maybe it was because she was reading too much into something that wasn't even there.

Whatever it was, it was a topic Nova didn't want to dive into as of now. This caused for Nova to shake her head and roll her eyes, before she lowered her head on Juno's shoulder, a sense of peace and tranquillity washing over her body, but her eyes never left JJ.

━━━━━━━━

authors note.
So this is a lot shorter than the rest of the chapters. But this is just a filler chapter before we get into all the drama that is episode 9 and 10. Anyways we have 5 more chapters of season 1 left and trust me when I say that shit is going down. . . *cough* drama between Nova and Rafe *cough* Nova and JJ angst *cough* Nova and Ward finally interact *cough* a huge plot twist at the end of season 1!!

Also the obx season 2 trailer dropped today and it's getting me excited. I've already been coming up with new ideas for this fic and my Sarah fic ( which you should totally check out if you haven't already ). But what did you guys think of the trailer? Any theories for season 2?

Until then, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!!