Celestial ~ JJ Maybank

011.

"This is disgusting"

"I know, it's just horrible" Anna, Kiara's mom, sarcastically quipped to her daughter, "I'm asking you to relax and go to a fun party"

Celeste smiled, "Kie, I think you look amazing. The dress fits you in all the right places"

Kiara glared at the girl, "I look like a bourgeoisie pig"

"The hottest bourgeoisie pig on the island" Celeste winked at her friend, who just sighed at her dramatically.

"You can say that, just because you look like a goddess in that blue dress Cel"

Celeste began stumbling over herself to deny the girl's compliment before getting cut off by Luna, "she right Celeste. You're both right, actually. You girls look absolutely stunning"

"You girls really do," Anna nodded before putting in her own earrings, "but Kiara, will you please not worry about socio-economic injustice for one night?"

Kiara rolled her eyes, "Mom, people not three miles from here have no power, no running water and we're going to Midsummers. That's so tone-deaf!"

"Do you know how hard we had to work to get into the Island Club?" Anna asked her daughter.

She rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time, "yeah, mom. How could I forget? You had to grovel for, like, ten years..."

"Twelve" Kiara's mother corrected, "and we also had to cough up a huge chunk of dough and do you know why we did that?"

Kiara snarked, "To keep up with the Joneses"

"No. So you could have the experiences that I had as a child. Honey, do you know what the Island Club is?"

Celeste raised her hand sarcastically, "ooh I know! I know! A mother's meeting for privileged pieces of sh--"

"Celeste" Luna warned her daughter as Anna gave her a small disapproving glance. Celeste just held her hands up in joking surrender.

"A factory farm for debutantes" Kiara also remarked after nodding in approval at her best friend's response.

Anna looked visibly frustrated but put on an obviously fake smile at them all, "It is a nice place, with nice people, where you can do fun stuff"

"With out-of-touch rich people, while the island sinks slowly into the ocean" Kiara added.

"Okay, I want you to put on your party face, Kie, if you wanna live. You too Celeste" Anna warned jokingly as she strolled out of the room. The girls sent a look to each other in dread before looking over at Luna, who just sheepishly smiled at them before following Anna to continue getting ready.

---

Arriving at the Cameron's for midsummers together was practically a tradition for Kiara and Celeste. As neither were Kooks, they stuck together as much as they possibly could. Always stealing drinks, sneaking away early, causing mischief to the unsuspecting rich folk – they made the most boring event in OBX actually... fun.

As soon as they walked onto the front lawn, Celeste spotted Pope at the far end, working the event with his father. She looped her arm with Kiara's and pulled her along, leaving their parents behind to mingle.

They walked up to Pope, giving each other a sly smile.

"Excuse me, sir" Kie announced in an English accent, "Do we have to shuck these ourselves?"

Celeste hummed at her, "And I would hate to break a nail"

They smiled teasingly at the boy as he turned around, looking utterly bored with the event already before realising it was them and a wide smile broke out on his face, replacing the look of dread prior.