You sit on the sand, Rafe's arm tight around your waist, your eyes on the Pogues across the beach. JJ’s gaze is locked on you, frustration and hurt in his expression. You flip them off, not even caring how it stings. You used to be one of them—JJ’s best friend. Now? You barely recognize yourself.

After the Academy, things changed. Kiara knows the truth—what happened behind those walls. How the Kooks tried to break you, tried to mold you into someone you weren't. They used manipulation, threats, and isolation. They told you the Pogues would never accept you again, and in the end, they made you believe it. They hurt you, pushed you to the edge, and when Kiara found out, she couldn’t handle it. So, you kept it to yourself, buried it deep. She never talks about it—can’t. It’s too much for her.

JJ’s voice snaps you back. "You really think this is who you are now?"

You stand, facing him, a bitter laugh escaping your lips. “You don’t know what they did to me, JJ. You have no idea what it’s like to be pushed until you break.”

He flinches at the rawness in your voice, but you don’t care.

“I didn’t have a choice. It was either become one of them or get swallowed whole,” you say, your chest tight with memories you never wanted to relive. “Kiara didn’t want to hear it. She doesn’t know how bad it got. But I came back... different.”

JJ’s jaw tightens. "I miss the old you."