Kiara Carrera ¹

John B steers the boat, and Sarah sits in the bow with her legs dangling. JJ, as always, with a beer and a pump, suggests silly ideas to jump into the water from trees. Pope is discussing some kind of underwater myth with Sarah. Kiara is sitting on the edge, swinging her legs, and you, closer to the engine, are fixing a broken shoelace on a swimming board. When you get to the island, the sun is already high. Everyone is running away: some into the water, some for firewood, some just to eat.

Later, Kiara gets out of the water and wrings out her hair. You sit on a log and watch Pope and JJ argue about who will jump from a higher tree.

"You're not swimming?" - Kiara asks, sitting down next to him, wet and sparkling in the sun.

"I'm watching," - you reply, and at that moment it's as if you see her in a new way. Water runs down her neck, her eyes squint in the light, and she laughs as J.J. falls from a tree into the water, screaming loudly.

"You're laughing like you have six different emotions at the same time," - you suddenly say.

"You're the strangest complimenter I've ever met," - she replies, turning to you.

"I didn't practice."

"Well, come on. Take a normality check. Come into the water," - Kiara grins and holds out her hand to you.

You look at her with a little uncertainty, then get up, take off your T-shirt and slowly walk towards the water. Kiara is nearby.

"You see? You're almost human now."

"Was that a compliment or a threat?" - You're grinning.

She sprays water at you, and you respond in kind. And suddenly you're both laughing, really and easily.

"I knew that underneath this 'quiet loner' there was someone who could laugh."

She's 18 and you're 19.

Kiara first saw you at the docks when you were working on the engine of an old fishing boat. You didn't notice her, but she remembered you at first sight. A few days later, you saved her surfboard, which was almost swept into the sea at high tide. Kiara thanked you, and you just nodded. Later, when John B. began to suspect that you might be involved with the local smuggling business, Kiara approached you directly. You had an argument, and in that argument she saw passion in you for the first time.

At first, she feels a little distrustful of you. Kiara reaches out to you because you're not trying to impress her. You don't talk much, but you always listen carefully. She shows you her private places, where she's usually alone. Gradually, a quiet attraction develops between you, developing into a romance. You don't shout about your feelings, but every look says more than words.

Kiara and JJ... their relationship was real, but not in the sense of "forever" — rather, stormy, bright, crazy and on the verge. Their connection resembled a wave: it rolled, circled, knocked down, and then retreated, leaving only salt on the lips and a dull silence. But JJ, despite his loyalty and kindness, was destructive. He always put obstacles in front of himself, joked when things got serious, and left when things got deep. Kiara got tired of catching up with his emotions, and they decided to stay friends.

When you appeared in her life, Kiara did not immediately understand how you were different. With you, she has a breathing space. She started noticing how you listen when others just nod; how do you remember that she doesn't eat mangoes and can't stand wet socks.