After the impromptu tennis session, Charlotte had decided to take a little walk around the island, and was surprised to see most of the other guests already dressed up and mingling. She tried her best to sneak her way back to her cabin then- there was no way she wanted the pool of potential partners to see her in such a disheveled state. Thankfully, she succeeded, and was able to reach her temporary accommodation without any incident.

When she opened the cabin door and noticed someone else’s belongings on the other side of the bed, the young woman’s face lit up with a smile. Her bad bitch was here! Finally!

“Didi I’m hereeeeeeee~!” Lottie called out to Indira, plopping herself down right in the middle of the California King bed. Her arm collided with something as it fell, bringing the blonde’s attention to the mysterious item. It was a hot pink gift box decorated with a rose gold bow, and an envelope with the name Charlotte scribbled with gold ink in neat calligraphy sitting in top. Frowning, Lottie picked up the envelope, pulled out the card and was surprised to find herself staring at Rachel’s handwriting.



Now curious and excited, Lottie removed the lid from the gift box, and immediately let out a delighted squeal and clapped her hands at the sight. A dozen chocolate-covered strawberries, a box of Godiva chocolates and a bottle of rosé were neatly arranged inside the box, nestled safely in a bed of rose petals: the signature post-breakup Rachel Ashford Care Package. Grinning, the blonde opened the box of strawberries, plucked the biggest, juiciest-looking one and took a bite out of it. A moan of satisfaction escaped her lips as the sweet and rich taste of dark chocolate hit her taste buds, effectively numbing the sting in her heart for a few delicious seconds.

The blonde was too busy marvelling over the chocolate covered strawberries (rightfully so!) to notice the shower tap turning off and a fresher looking Indira stepping out in new clothes. A model couldn't walk around in the same clothes all the time, right?

She briefly glanced at Lottie sucking her chocolate-covered fingers before screaming at the smaller girl, rushing over to give her a hug, even if it meant accidentally jumping on her bed. Luckily the strawberries survived the attack. "Lottieeee!" Indie whined, forgetting about her earlier hesitation. "Where were you? I thought you'd be here when I arrived!"

Charlotte was swallowing the rest of her strawberry when she was tackled by the taller, darker frame of her best friend. Her girlish giggles filled the room while she wrapped her arms around Indie. “Sorry, babe!” she apologized, bottom lip sticking out in a pout. “I was blowing off some steam at the tennis courts. Figured it was better than sitting here crying while you got here.”

"Girl! I told you to forget about that guy! You're a bad bitch that don't need a guy, okay? If you need someone to remind you that you’re a bad bitch, you come to me." Indie did her best to hype up her bestie. There was absolutely no way Lottie was leaving the cabana still upset. It was then when Indie remembered her past reservation. She quickly clambered off the blonde to stand by her bed instead. "Hey, have you spoken to Michel since our yacht trip?"

For a second, Lottie was taken aback by the way Indie suddenly jumped off her body as if she’d gotten stung or burnt. These types of physical expression and closeness between the two had been a part of their friendship for as long as the two could remember. So why was Indie suddenly acting as if their closeness was weird? But the curious frown soon turned into an understanding expression when the Indian girl voiced her question.

“Nope,” the girl answered nonchalantly with a shrug. “I haven’t spoken to either of you since it happened.”

Indie didn't know what to make of the answer. Was it a relief? Was it not? Even she didn't know. "Do... do you think we should talk about what happened?" She asked.

And there it was… The elephant in the room.

Charlotte let out a nervous chuckle. “I mean, what else is there to talk about? We had a few too many drinks and ended up hooking up with Michel on his dad’s yacht like the big, happy family we are. I’m not fazed by it, and I sure as fuck don’t regret it. It was a cool experience.” She said with another shrug, taking up a seating position on the bed. "Why? You still embarrassed that your best friend ate you out like a freshly-baked cupcake at a birthday party?" Lottie teased, playfully tickling Indie's sides.

Indie’s face warmed up after Lottie’s comment and she made a sputtering noise that was a healthy mix of indignation and shock. After successfully batting away Lottie’s arm, she finally managed to speak. “Shut up! I saw you taking Michel’s dick like a champ at the same time so you clearly enjoyed it!” That was probably her worst comeback… Good lord.

Lottie roared with laughter, letting herself fall backwards onto the bed again. "Hell yeah I did! I felt like Piper Perry in that one video where she has the six dudes standing around her while she's sitting on the couch knowing she’s about to get fucked up," she told Indie in between giggles before ultimately succumbing to a fit of laughter.

“I was legit worried this totally ruined our friendship. I don't want things to be awkward between us.” She then let out another over dramatic sigh. “Do you know how much that two week silence scared me? Woman, I have dark circles under my eyes from the stress!” Indie let out in a huff.

"And here I was: thinking you were ignoring me because I didn't do the job right…You break my heart, Indira, you break my heart..." the shorter girl replied cheekily, winking at Indie before laughing again.

“I think you did the job too well if you ask me. You sure you haven’t been with another girl before?” Indie struggled to keep the amusement off her face.

“Nope. But thank you so much for the compliments, Miss. If you ever want to try again, just let me know. You know where to find me,” Lottie clapped back, grabbing the nearest pillow and smacking her friend with it.

Indie laughed, climbing back on Lottie’s bed. That was when she noticed the chocolate strawberries. “Oh my God! That looks so lush! Can I have one?” She asked- no, pleaded. It included the infamous pout. “If you gimme a piece, I can tell you about this article I read while on the cruise!” She winked.

That certainly caught Lottie’s attention- enough to roll onto her stomach to pay more attention to her friend. “An article, you say? Is it gossip?” she asked Indie curiously, picking one of the strawberries from the box and handing it over to her friend. “Here’s your payment. Now spill it!”

Yes! Victory! Indie grinned as she picked one of the strawberries and took a bite. “Okay, so...” She spoke as she finished chewing. “They finally released the engagement photos of Baroness Marissa and Yousef Tarhan! Fucking finally!” Indie squealed in delight. She climbed off Lottie’s bed briefly to pick up her phone that was still charging by her own bed before showing her the images.

“You’re kidding?!” Lottie cried out, covering her gaping mouth with both hands. Baroness Marissa Guerrero de Massy and her boyfriend Yousef Tarhan were the best friend duo’s favorite celebrity couple. Their love story was something out of a fairy tale, and to know they were finally engaged after the many obstacles they had to overcome convinced Charlotte that maybe love wasn’t dead after all. “OhmyGodletmesee!!!!” she shrieked, jumping up into a seating position next to Indie in order to see the pictures better.

There were multiple pictures of the couple together, some included the couple smiling at the camera in formal wear, and some were more ‘personalised’ photos of the Baroness and her new fiancé holding matching coffee cups, her ring prominently on display for all the world to swoon over. “How cute are they?!” Indie let out another unholy squeal. “I've waited for this for so long!”

"Right?! Ugh, I want a love like that..." Charlotte whined, swooning along with Indie for another minute before letting out a sigh and dragging herself out of bed. "Alright, as fun as this has been, I have to take a much-needed shower," the short girl declared, making a beeline towards the bathroom but stopping at the doorway. "Wanna come with?" she asked Indie, shooting her friend a mischievous wink paired up with a playful laugh. She was joking, of course, but she wouldn’t mind if the dark-haired girl actually joined her. An extra dose of dessert never hurt anybody.

“Oi! You keep playing with fire, you lose your strawberries. Tread carefully.” Indie threatened, picking up the box of chocolate strawberries as insurance.

Lottie glared at her best friend, pointing an accusing finger at her. "If you eat my strawberries I swear you'll have to sleep with one eye open…" she warned the olive-skinned girl, keeping the mean mug for a few more seconds before laughing again. "You can eat three more, but that's it! I don't want to hear you complaining about your skin breaking out!"

“Love you too!” Indira laughed. “Now go for your shower! Bad bitches don't stink of sweat!” The party was going to start soon, and if Lottie doesn't start getting ready now, she’ll be late.

"I hear that! See ya in a few, then. Love ya more, you slut!" Lottie called out to her friend, blowing Indira a kiss before disappearing behind the bathroom door, her last giggle still echoing across the room.

“Hey Blake, how're you doing on this absolutely wonderful evening?” Indie crooned, her head bobbing to the sound of the music playing nearby. Sitting alone at the bar was totally not how Indie thought she wanted the evening to go, but she couldn't help it once the urge kicked in as she noticed a seat by the bar available to everyone at the party. She had her hand carefully holding her phone, angled to show her best assets: her face, body and personality.

Instead of mingling at the VIP tent like anyone would expect the sociable girl to do, Indie was busy entertaining her followers on Instagram live while downing a couple shots. Why not take advantage of being at the great Rachel Ashford's party while you can? She was clearly gaining the attention of Rachel's avid followers, especially those that couldn't attend for whatever reason. Taking advantage of people's FOMO was totally a great idea, because her usual hundred or so viewers had since skyrocketed to over five hundred.

Indie squinted, her eyes catching a comment flying past her screen in the midst of everyone trying to capture her attention. “Where's Natey? No clue. Haven't seen him since the party started.” Indie looked around briefly, perhaps the man was around- nope. Nate was such a frequent guest on Indira's social media that most of her followers had come to expect the duo to be together, much like her first post on the Island implied. “Hey, didja know that Natey helped me get dressed? All this is his creation, baby~” She took a moment to extend her (annoyingly short) arms out to show her audience the full outfit. “Totally had to plug, you can't blame me, looks totally cute right?”

She wore a cropped wrap top, paired with a flattering black skirt and appropriate shoes for a beach party. The top itself was from Nate's charitable project, and as a great friend of his, why not do a bit of modelling? Plus, the cut of the top allowed her to entice a few people into buying her drinks... So, win/win!

“Omigosh, I got a good idea you guys would love. How about I show you the inside of the VIP section? My treat.” Indie winked as she downed the last shot in front of her. After seeing a chorus of encouragement, Indie's plan was set in motion.

First, the bouncer. The line into the VIP tent was long, but it was moving at a quick enough pace for her to continue with the plan. She kept her followers entertained with chit chat, even pulling people around her for some fun to pass the time until Indie's hand was stamped as well. It wasn't long before Indie finally had access to the cool part of the party.

“Look around guys, this is a Rachel Ashford party!” Indie exclaimed, giving her followers a quick look around inside. She was careful not to show too much, nobody wanted a drug scandal now did they? During her little twirl, she noticed a familiar figure at the VIP bar. “Theoooooooo! Say hi to everyone!” She laughed as she quickly snatched the bar seat beside him, waiting a brief moment to make sure he was okay with being recorded before showing his face to her Live. As Lottie's best friend™, there was no way for Theo to escape Indie's antics.

Drea left the cabana a little earlier than the others. After such an eventful afternoon of hanging out with Zay and the others (though mainly she stuck close to Jade unsurprisingly), she wanted to get an early start to the bonfire in the evening. So she showered first, got dressed first, and said her goodbyes first. Part of her reasoning for being the first one out was to getting ahead of the curve so she could see just how great of a display Rachel’s first official party was. She had known that woman to be on the same level as a grand showman. Her need to go big every time was astonishing at the least and incredible at most.

As the blonde walked closer to the beach in a light blue, strapless top and light pink jean shorts, what she saw was certainly quite the setup. Of course, per the original advertisement, there was a gigantic bonfire Rachel had to have gigantic speakers on the beach of all places. Drea didn’t know why she was surprised by this, but the fact that she had even an ounce of shock in her initial reaction showed how Drea underestimated her dear friend.

“It’s quite the display, isn’t it?” A male’s voice said as he approached Drea from the left, causing the blonde to momentarily jump a couple of inches.

Drea sighed, relieved somewhat that it wasn’t Zayden sneaking up on her. “Michel, how many times have I told you never to startle me like that.” She rolled her eyes at him, looking up due to the astronomical height difference between them.

“Sorry, shorty.” He cackled, eyes returning to the bonfire and the not-so-subtle VIP tent not far away from it. “Absolutely ridiculous, isn’t it?” He mused aloud, shaking his head.

“I forgot you’re not a fan of these sort of parties.”

“I can be if the company is right.”

That was a sentiment that she could agree with, probably more than she was letting on. And just as Michel seemed to be scanning the area for someone specific, Drea was also doing the same. After almost a minute of silently searching through the crowds of people, the one person she was trying to find didn’t seem to be around. And Michel’s search was about the same as he broke the silence with an exaggerated sigh.

“Well, I suppose we shouldn’t put this off any longer, then.” Michel spoke as he walked forward. “I’ll be seeing you, Lil D.” He left her with a small wink.

That one comment was enough to get under her skin but she didn’t let it bother -- at least, not until Michel was out of range where she could fully fume to herself about how much she hated being called by any name that poked fun at her height. She knew she was short, so why did everyone around her feel the need to remind her of that? It was easily the one thing that was a guaranteed success to get under her skin. Some people did it playfully and she usually clapped back at them in good spirits, but there were others -- not Michel -- who did it with the intent of insulting her.

And that was something she couldn’t stand.

“You’re good, Drea. You’re good. Just walk and be fabulous!”

Drea repeated those words a few times so she was calm by the time she had reached the VIP tent. She wouldn’t stop to greet anyone. She saw Michel finally make his way to the tent but she avoided him. She didn’t want to risk it, so she avoided him. Instead, she took a seat at the bar, collapsing her head and arms onto the countertop, sighing somewhat dramatically. Maybe she made the mistake of coming first and not leaving with Jade and the others. It would have been a lot less stressful after running into Michel for those few minutes she spent talking to him.

After a minute of feeling sorry for herself (again), she propped her head onto one of her hands and waved her other at the bartender. “Pina colada.” She said half-interested in whatever the bartender said in return. She instead turned around, brandishing half of a smile as she spotted a few familiar faces.

Yeah, Drea Banks sure had a great start to this party. It can only go up from here, right?

When he had ventured away from the short blonde, Michel took his time to appreciate the sights. First, he was keen on taking in the sights of the beach. With the light from the bonfire illuminating some of the darkness that partial night had created, he was able to spot the oranges and reds reflecting in the shallow portion of the ocean and continuously creating an almost holographic effect every time the waves had washed against the sandy shores.

This was probably the part of this trip that Michel was going to enjoy most. He didn’t have a particular lean to parties, but the elaborate rich people parties where over the top booze was sold and even more over the top people were present, the luxury rebel Michel Russo preferred to appreciate the scenery. He also liked the bonfire and the crackling sounds of thick wood burning slowly. It was a tower that would last for hours, which only meant the sole reason as to why he procrastinated from joining the others in the VIP tent remained.

After all, solace was peaceful when it wasn’t contaminated by fuckboys and their girlfriends.

“Just a few more minutes.” He said to himself.

Michel would keep his promise. After a few more minutes of smiling into the transitioning darkness of the ocean, he turned away and soon went into the tent. The bouncer gave him no trouble and he was soon mingling with those who appeared to be like him. He was dressed in something quite comfortable. He wore a black T that was made from such thin materials that it didn’t even feel like he was wearing a shirt and his shorts were simply silver. He had slip-on slippers as well because as much as he took care of himself, Michel was insecure about his feet.

As he roamed the spacious tent, he didn’t engage in deep conversation with anyone. If he was approached, he smiled, talked to that person for a bit, but mainly, Michel just kept to his own devices. He ordered a drink from a waiter, which happened to be a glass of Jack on the Rocks. It wasn’t that he was antisocial. Michel could be the life of the party if he wanted to. He could be someone that talked to someone for hours if he felt like it, but that was the thing: Michel didn’t feel like talking to anyone. And more importantly, he didn’t see anyone of interest that would remove him from his bubble of solace.

...At least, that wasn’t until he saw her. Indira Kashyap, the best friend of someone that Michel got to know very well a couple of weeks ago. The three of them had a lot of fun on that yacht. Some of that fun too mature to mention to anyone who wasn’t part of that particular threesome. Michel still had very fond memories about it, but he lamented of the time that went between them not speaking. It wasn’t that he blamed either of them from avoiding him. He was, of course, too busy to think about how they ghosted him, but now that he wasn’t, it was about time he ended the silence between at least one of them.

So, soon Michel had found himself approaching the bar where a few others were hanging about. Drea was near but not near enough to be a concern of his, though he did give her a wave when he saw her. He saw Theodore, who was the target of whatever Indira was doing.

He snuck up behind her, something that Michel apparently liked doing today. “So this is what it’s like being on the other end of one of your videos.” He said, looking directly into the camera as he hovered over Indira’s shoulder, smiling at both those who were watching her live feed and at Indira herself. “Yo, I'm Michel Russo, a dear friend of Indie here.” Michel gave her followers a peace sign with his right hand. He had to keep up appearances, ya know?

It didn't take long for Jade to get ready for the beach. She was as good as her word. The problem was she spent so much time getting to know her new roommates, particularly Drea, that she spaced out and lost track of time. When Drea said she was already going to the bonfire, it caught Jade off guard. Probably just like the bite of the Crown Royal sneaking up on her after another couple of shots.

Content that Missy had won the war between the upstairs and downstairs speaker systems, she quickly set about getting prepared. The master bathroom was pretty freaking gorgeous, and it even had a sauna. It was possible to get lost in there, it was that vast. Once she had everything figured out though, it was nothing to get ready. It was almost fun, like pampering herself. It had been a while.

Once she cleaned the ocean and diesel spray off her body, Jade was ready. She pulled out the cute dress she had picked up at Je T'Aime yesterday, a sheer floral print that was humble enough to not steal attention away from Rachel, because honestly, nothing was going to do that, yet stood out enough so people knew she was embracing this event in all facets and was going to look good doing it. Paired with a hanging topaz pendant, the stone of her star sign, her DK sunglasses, and a pair of jade green-colored sandals and she was set. Why no jade pendant? Too obvious. That's why the color is in the footwear.

Either way, Jade casually made her way towards the beach as indicated by the giant signs that the staff had clearly hung up to guide pre-drunken revelers. They were appreciated. The giant speakers that were literally making the ground vibrate were not, as were the plebs already drunkenly dancing around the pyre like pagan worshipers of old. Not Jade's scene. The red carpet that led to the VIP tent, that was more like it.

Of course Jade Scott was on the list. How could she not? She entered the cordoned-off area and spotted the hostess with the mostess, laughing it up with some women that Jade didn't recognize. They were cleaning the glass table with their faces though, which was a great sign, and offered an answer for how Rachel got all her energy. Jade didn't need that right now. Plus, Jade never got a response to the text that she now regretted.

Especially when she spotted the person who made her actually happy to have roommates on this vacation. Drea was sitting at the bar, seemingly by herself for the moment. So naturally this was the time for Jade to show off how glamorous an athlete could be when they wanted.

"Well now," she said as she walked up where Drea was sitting. "I didn't realize you had to leave early to stake out the top stool at the counter. I mean, you could have had help with that." Jade looked around. "Unless you were saving these spots for other people at this party?"

As she had slowly sipped the pina colada that was watered down on a coaster in front of her just as fast, Andrea seemed to be deep in her own thoughts. If someone had approached her, she wouldn’t have heard them. Truth be told, the more she thought about this island and the parties that may or may not be had, the more she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering to her mother. At the time, sure it was a triumphant moment to tell her off and get in the last word, but when she was alone and actually had time to reflect, she felt horrible about how she treated her. Even though she knew her mother came from the right place, the two of them being nearly the exact same meant that they were prone to verbal arguments that put Presidential debates to shame.

And now she was alone, barely even focused on the fun she could be having with all the cute boys and girls who tried to approach her. At least five seemed to try and get her attention, but Drea wasn’t having any of it. Usually, she would literally be on top of them in some fashion. Maybe her mind wasn’t in it or maybe she did make the mistake of not reconciling with her mother before boarding her plane. It wouldn’t have taken long to apologize, but again, Andrea was Viola Banks’ daughter through and through. Too stubborn to apologize and too proud to admit when she was wrong. Always had to be right.

“Sometimes I hate being a Banks.” Drea murmured to herself, downing whatever remained in her cup and snapped her fingers for another.

As the refill came, she was out of her own head and it was just in time because she had turned around to see Jade just a few paces away from her. She turned her frown upside down if not to save face. She didn’t if time could slow down, but seeing her waltz in that dress sure made whatever sour mood she had been in turn surprisingly sweet.

“No, they’re not taken at all.” She sweetly smiled at Jade, gesturing towards the seat to her left. “A Crown Whiskey. Neat.” Andrea said to the bartender, taking full control of the situation as only she could when she flipped that particular switch on. "So, I didn't see you stroll in with Dax and Zay. SEems like I wasn't the only one who decided to come solo."

A warm bath, a dozen strawberries and a bottle of pink moscato later, Charlotte was in peak tipsy condition. When you were 5’2” and light as a feather, your alcohol tolerance was definitely less than that of your peers. But heartbreak had a funny way of changing people, and Lottie had downed most of the bottle of wine Rachel had given her like it was a fucking Capri Sun in a sweltering summer day. The end result was something out of a YouTube challenge: with the slightly intoxicated blonde struggling to complete the most menial of tasks, stumbling upon invisible objects and non-stop giggling all the while. Picking an outfit made her giggle like she’d been listening to a good joke, and the makeup application had her laughing as if she was being tickled every few minutes. What normally would have taken an hour and a half to complete turned into three, and by the time Lottie was ready for the bonfire, it had long since started.

The afternoon had given way to dusk, with the moon shining brightly across a star-studded, clear night sky. She could feel the chill of the salty ocean breeze on her bare back, letting way for goosebumps to cover the rest of the exposed skin. Her legs and feet were spared the cold thanks to her frayed, light wash skinny jeans and trusty pair of Adidas sneakers, but not her upper torso. Was the backless, deep V-neck, silver sequin top a little too revealing? Her father and Luca would certainly think so. But, hey! Father Dearest was thousands of miles away, Luca was no longer in the picture, and Lottie was feeling fucking rebellious. How else was she supposed to snag herself a new guy to mess around with at a place like this? By covering up like she lived right in the middle of Amish county? Not in a million years. The revealing, risqué top was sure to produce the desired results in the end: Lottie was sure of it.

It was easy enough to find the location of the bonfire: just follow the raging music and find the crowd. The short blonde soon found herself right in the middle of the action, and she took a few minutes to drink in the scene and dance along to the blasting music before heading to the VIP area. Her brown eyes scanned the significantly less crowded location, and it wasn’t long until they fell on the face of a tall, handsome, wild-haired young man sitting at the bar.

“Theoooooooooooo~!” the short girl cried out, running to her big cousin, plopping herself in his lap. “I’ve missed you, T! How are you?” she told him a little more loudly than she normally would, her words slurring a little.

Her alcohol-contaminated brain was giving her tunnel vision, and it was taking more than the usual few seconds to process her surroundings. That’s why it was some time later that she finally noticed the other two people in her immediate vicinity. But as soon as she did and put a name to the faces, Charlotte had jumped up from Theo’s lap and was letting out an excited squeal.

“Indiiiiieeeeee~! Micheeeeeellllll~! Man, it’s so good to see both of you again! I can’t wait to be in the middle of this sex sandwich again!” she blurted out excitedly, wrapping one of her slender arms around each of her friends and bringing them together for a tight group hug.