Kiara was lying on her bed scrolling through her phone when it started ringing.
She glanced at the screen.
Mum.
Kiara sighed quietly before answering.
"Hello."
Her mum's voice came through immediately, sharp and irritated.
"Kiara, I need you to explain something to me."
Kiara sat up slowly.
"Explain what?"
"You and Peter."
Kiara closed her eyes for a second.
Of course it was about that.
"What about me and Peter?"
"Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about."
Kiara leaned back against the headboard.
"We're dating."
There was a pause.
Then her mum spoke again, louder this time.
"That relationship is not appropriate."
Kiara's expression didn't change.
"You've said that before."
"Because it's true."
"He's not even my real cousin."
"He's still family!"
Kiara rubbed her forehead.
"Mum, he's barely related to me."
"That doesn't make it better."
Kiara stared at the wall.
Her and her mum never really had calm conversations. Most of the time it just turned into this arguing until someone got tired.
"I like him," Kiara said simply.
Her mum sounded frustrated.
"People are talking about it."
"People talk about everything."
"This is embarrassing for the family."
Kiara rolled her eyes.
"Well I'm not dating the family."
Her mum went silent for a moment.
Then she said something that caught Kiara off guard.
"You're going to Mexico."
Kiara blinked.
"…What?"
"You're going to Mexico for the holidays."
Kiara sat up straighter.
"Since when?"
"Since I decided you need to get away from this situation."
Kiara scoffed.
"So you're sending me away?"
"I'm trying to avoid more drama."
Kiara shook her head slowly.
"You didn't even ask me."
"I'm telling you now."
Her mum's tone left no room for discussion.
"You leave in a few days."
Kiara stared at the floor.
She and her mum had never been close.
They didn't share secrets.
They didn't have heart-to-heart talks.
Most conversations between them felt like this one person giving orders, the other pretending to listen.
"So this is your solution," Kiara muttered.
"Yes."
"And when I come back?"
"We'll discuss your relationship with Peter again."
Kiara let out a quiet laugh.
"You mean you'll try to break us up again."
Her mum ignored that.
"Start packing."
"Sure."
"And Kiara…"
"What?"
"This relationship isn't going to end well."
Kiara didn't answer that.
She just said, "Okay," and hung up.
The room felt quiet again.
Kiara tossed her phone onto the bed beside her.
"Mexico," she murmured.
She wasn't even sure how she felt about it.
Part of her was annoyed her mum made the decision for her.
But another part of her was happy she was going home to see her dad and friends again
Maybe getting away for a while wouldn't be so bad.
Her phone buzzed again.
Peter.
She opened the message.
Peter:
Your mum just called my mum.
Kiara groaned.
Kiara:
Of course she did.
Another message popped up.
Peter:
Am I in trouble?
Kiara smiled slightly.
Kiara:
Apparently we're causing family drama.
Peter replied quickly.
Peter:
Worth it.
Kiara shook her head, smiling.
Then she typed another message.
Kiara:
By the way… my mum is sending me to Mexico.
There was a pause before the reply came.
Peter:
Wait what?
Kiara:
Holiday apparently. Her idea.
A few seconds later:
Peter:
Guess I'll miss you then.
Kiara stared at the screen for a moment before replying.
Kiara:
Try not to get into trouble while I'm gone.
Peter answered almost instantly.
Peter:
No promises.
Kiara chuckled softly and set her phone down.
The old motel sat on the edge of town, hidden behind a row of dying palm trees and a flickering neon sign that hadn't worked in years.
Most people thought the place had been abandoned for over a decade.
Technically, they weren't wrong.
But the gang knew better.
Some months ago, Leo had found the key buried inside one of his dad's old toolboxes. The motel had belonged to his father before everything fell apart, and the place had been left to rot after he disappeared.
At first it had been disgusting.
Dust everywhere. Broken furniture. Windows cracked. Old mattresses that smelled like mold and cigarettes.
But the five of them had spent weeks cleaning it.
Scrubbing walls.
Dragging junk outside.
Stealing furniture from their houses.
Tyler had even rewired part of the electricity so they could run lights and a speaker.
Now it was their hideout.
Their place.
No adults.
No rules.
Just the five of them.
The main motel room they used had two old couches, a coffee table covered in empty soda cans, and a mattress pushed against the wall that Vinny had claimed as his permanent spot.
Music hummed quietly from Tyler's speaker.
Vinny sat cross-legged on the mattress, shuffling a deck of cards lazily.
Leo was sprawled across the couch, one arm hanging off the side, staring at the ceiling like he was half asleep.
Cyma sat on the floor beside the coffee table, sketching something in her notebook.
Tyler leaned against the window frame, scrolling through his phone.
The door creaked open.
Kiara stepped inside.
Vinny looked up immediately.
"Well look who finally decided to show up."
Kiara rolled her eyes, dropping her bag near the door.
"I'm ten minutes late."
"Which is still late," Vinny said.
Tyler glanced up.
"She's right, though. It's only ten minutes."
Vinny pointed a card at him.
"You're supposed to back me up."
"I'm not backing up bad arguments."
Leo finally lifted his head.
"You guys arguing already?"
"We just started," Vinny said proudly.
Kiara laughed and walked further inside the room.
The familiar smell of dust and old wood filled the air.
It was weird how comforting it felt now.
Some months ago, she would've refused to even step inside this place.
Now it felt like home.
She sat on the arm of the couch beside Leo.
Cyma looked up from her notebook.
"You look like you're thinking too much."
Tyler glanced over too.
"Yeah. That face means something happened."
Kiara groaned.
"Why do you all know my expressions so well?"
"Because you're predictable," Vinny said.
"I am not."
"You totally are."
Leo sat up slightly, studying her.
"You've got news."
Kiara sighed.
"Fine."
Everyone waited.
"My mom gave me permission to go on holiday."
Vinny blinked.
"That's… not dramatic."
Kiara continued.
"To Mexico."
The room went quiet.
Tyler straightened.
"Mexico?"
Cyma frowned slightly.
"Like… a vacation?"
Kiara nodded.
"Yeah."
Leo sat up fully now.
"When?"
Kiara hesitated.
"Tomorrow."
Vinny dropped his cards.
"Tomorrow?!"
Tyler ran a hand through his hair.
"You're leaving tomorrow and you're telling us now?"
"I literally just found out," Kiara said.
Cyma studied her carefully.
"How long are you staying?"
"I don't know."
Vinny stared at her.
"How do you not know?"
"My mom didn't exactly give me a schedule."
Leo leaned back again.
"That's… sudden."
Kiara shrugged.
"She thinks it'll stop drama."
No one needed clarification.
Everyone knew exactly what she meant.
Peter.
Tyler exhaled slowly.
"So the solution is sending you to another country."
"Apparently."
Vinny leaned back on the mattress.
"Well that sucks."
Kiara looked around the room.
It was strange knowing she'd be gone tomorrow.
This messy, dusty old motel had somehow become the center of her life.
And she hadn't even realized it.
Tyler suddenly clapped his hands once.
"Alright."
Everyone looked at him.
"What?" Vinny asked.
Tyler stood up.
"If she's leaving tomorrow, then tonight we're doing something about it."
Kiara raised an eyebrow.
"Doing what exactly?"
"A proper night."
Vinny grinned.
"I like where this is going."
Leo lifted a bottle from the floor.
"I'm already ahead of everyone."
Cyma closed her notebook slowly.
"Just don't break anything."
Tyler smirked.
"No promises."
An hour later the motel room was louder.
Music blasted through the speaker.
Vinny had somehow turned a simple card game into a full competition that involved shouting and accusations of cheating.
"You switched that card!" Vinny yelled.
"I did not!" Tyler replied.
"You absolutely did!"
"You're just losing!"
Cyma sat beside the table watching them with mild amusement.
Tyler caught her eye.
She smiled.
But it didn't quite reach her eyes.
Tyler noticed.
He'd been noticing it all week.
Cyma had been… different.
Quieter.
Distracted.
Not laughing as much.
And every time he asked if something was wrong, she said the same thing.
"I'm fine."
But Tyler knew her better than that.
They'd been together for over a year.
He could tell when something was off.
He just didn't know what.
Across the room Leo sat on the couch beside Kiara, slowly drinking.
He wasn't really paying attention to the game.
His thoughts were somewhere else.
Cyma stood up suddenly.
"I'm getting air."
Tyler looked up.
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
She walked toward the door and stepped outside into the cool night air.
Tyler watched her leave.
Vinny tossed a card onto the table.
"Your turn."
Tyler hesitated.
Then he stood up.
"Hold on."
Vinny groaned.
"Oh come on."
Tyler ignored him and walked outside.
Cyma leaned against the railing outside the motel.
The parking lot stretched out in front of her, empty except from one old damaged vintage car and Tyler bike
The night was quiet.
Too quiet.
She rubbed her hands together nervously.
Guilt sat heavy in her chest.
She hated it.
Hated the feeling.
Hated the secret.
The door opened behind her.
Tyler stepped outside.
"You're doing the disappearing thing again."
Cyma glanced at him.
"I just needed air."
Tyler leaned beside her on the railing.
For a moment they both watched the empty road.
"You've been weird lately," he said gently.
Cyma looked down.
"I have not."
"You have."
She sighed.
"I'm just tired."
Tyler studied her face.
"Cyma."
She didn't answer.
"You know you can tell me if something's wrong, right?"
Her chest tightened.
If only it were that simple.
"I know."
"Then tell me."
She forced a small smile.
"There's nothing to tell."
Tyler didn't look convinced.
But he also didn't push.
Instead he nudged her shoulder lightly.
"Then at least try to enjoy tonight."
She glanced at him.
"Why?"
"Because Kiara's leaving tomorrow."
Cyma looked back toward the motel door.
"Yeah."
"And because," Tyler continued, "I miss normal you."
She frowned slightly.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You've been acting like a robot all week."
"A robot?"
"Yeah."
Cyma laughed softly.
"That's rude."
Tyler grinned.
"I mean it in a loving way."
She shook her head.
"You're ridiculous."
"There she is," Tyler said.
"What?"
"That laugh. I haven't heard it in days."
Cyma looked away quickly.
The guilt twisted deeper in her stomach.
Tyler had no idea.
And that made it worse.
He bumped her shoulder again.
"Come on. Vinny's probably accusing me of cheating again."
"You do cheat."
"I do not."
"You absolutely do."
Tyler grinned.
"See? That's the Cyma I know."
She smiled faintly.
But the guilt never left.
Back inside the motel, the night slowly stretched toward midnight.
Vinny was half lying across the mattress now, complaining loudly about losing.
"You all teamed up against me."
"No one teamed up against you," Kiara said.
"You're just bad at cards."
"That's slander."
Leo sat on the couch beside Kiara, much quieter than usual.
A half-empty bottle rested in his hand.
Kiara glanced at him.
"You're drinking a lot tonight."
Leo shrugged.
"Special occasion."
"Is it?"
"You're leaving."
She looked down.
"Yeah."
Leo stared at the floor for a moment.
"You know… I thought things would be different by now."
"What do you mean?"
He rubbed his face.
"Elena."
Kiara stayed quiet.
Leo let out a small laugh.
"I really thought she cared."
His voice sounded tired.
"I gave her everything."
Kiara placed a hand gently on his arm.
"And she still left."
Leo stared at the bottle.
"Feels stupid now."
"You're not stupid."
"Feels like it."
He glanced at her.
"You're leaving too."
"Just for a while."
"Still."
Silence settled between them.
The others were distracted across the room, arguing again about music.
Leo leaned closer slightly.
"You deserve better than this town," he said quietly.
Kiara frowned.
"What?"
"Everything here is messy."
She laughed softly.
"You're part of the mess."
"Exactly."
He looked at her for a long moment.
Then suddenly he leaned forward and kissed her.
Quick.
Unexpected.
Kiara froze.
Her eyes widened.
After a second she gently pushed him back.
"Leo…"
He blinked, realizing what he'd done.
"I..."
"You're drunk."
He rubbed his face immediately.
"Yeah… yeah I am."
Neither of them noticed that the others were still arguing loudly across the room.
No one saw anything.
Leo exhaled slowly.
"Forget that happened."
Kiara didn't respond.
But she knew one thing for certain.
Tomorrow she was leaving.
And everything was about to get a lot more complicated.