He smiled at the crowd of people forming on the beach. A party like none they'd ever seen, more than likely. Alex sat in his camper, checking on a few last minute details. Mainly whether or not his hair was where he wanted it. After all, he'd be on television in just a few minutes. He turned his head in the mirror, checking that his dreads were being good little strands of hair in their hairtie. He shook them a bit, making sure they were secure before nodding with a cute smile at himself.
"Killin' it, A." He told himself, winking and shooting fingers at himself comically. With a small chuckle, he walked to the exit of his camper and popped his neck as he exited, smiling at the now hordes of help trying to get him what he needed. A particularly cute guy was trying to ask him if he needed a drink or something.
"If it's you getting it for me, I'm sure I'd drink anything." He told him, winking. With a chuckle, he walked on to greet the guests. He'd been on the island for a little under a week by himself now and it was nice to see some life to the island. The music was booming. A mixture of genres all meant to pump everyone up. The DJ was pretty good.
Dressed in a worn tan v-neck shirt and khaki shorts, Alex looked every bit the hippie that he probably was. He never dealt very well with drama, but he liked the attention that being on shows like this gave him and he especially liked the concept of romance tested by the wilderness. What better way to say I love you than saving your loved one from a wild bobcat?
Alex chuckled at the thought and moved on to the bar. He ordered a whiskey and sat back, talking mindlessly to the people around him.
The boats were still bringing contestants in, but many had been here for an hour or two, waiting. This was the time they had to get to know one another and decide who they wanted to be paired up with. In two days time, they'd have to make their choice. It would be interesting none-the-less.
-***-
Megan "Max" Chen
"OH CRAP! WAIT!" Max yelled, having nodded off during the ride over. The boat was about to undock and turn back to pick up more contestants when Max finally woke up. Jumping up from her seat, the rowdy female ran for the part of the boat still close to the dock and hopped over, nearly falling back into the water. Her arms flailed around wildly in a most comical style as she tried to keep herself on the dock. Eventually, she fell forward, landing on her knees.
She grinned up at the woman who came over to help her up and brushed her off. "I'm fine. Sorry for making such a fuss!" She told her, bowing out of habit. With that, she raced around the woman towards the sounds of music pumping and people chatting. Beyond excited for at least this bit of the show, Max was ready to dance her life away tonight. It would probably be the last time for a while that she'd be able to have some real fun. Maybe she'd be able to find someone that shared her opinions on romance. Someone that would be simple friends with her rather than expect more. Though... she rather doubted it considering the concept of the show.
Silently, she cursed Lu Miao Xian. Damned guy liked to torture her for his own profit. She'd get him back for this somehow, some way. She found herself stopped near the DJ and his speakers, dancing happily by herself to the music. She was a small asian girl with short blonde hair and a constant smile on her face. Her pants were baggy and she had a sleeveless blank tank with a blue jean jacket covering it. It was her most comfortable outfit while still being fairly fashionable for the TV. If it was her choice, she'd be in sweats.
Theo had taken over fifty photos on the boat ride to the island. Everything was breath taking in beauty, and she wanted to capture it all knowing that there wouldn't probably be another opportunity to be here again. Adjusting her tan skirt upon her petite body she held onto the railing of the boat as they began to dock. "Exciting huh?" she mentioned to someone near her as the boat settled into the dock. A few of the other contestants walked down the bridge to exit the boat and Theodora followed close behind. She snapped a few photos again before letting the camera fall to her chest. She wanted to live in the moment too.
Ordering a small mixed drink of something fruity and vodka, she took small sips as she began looking at the people surrounding her. Everyone was very good looking and seemed to be as interesting as they appeared. One could only hope that was the case. Leaning back against the bar she continued to sip her drink as her head bobbed slightly to the music that was playing.
If there was one thing that Jackie didn't lie, it was boats. She a hated being surrounded by water and the swaying the boat did. She tried to focus on anything but the water around her which only made her sea sick. She couldn't wait to be on dry land where she could be herself as at that moment she was sure she wasn't making a great first impression. Not that she cared too much.
Thankfully the boat ride was quick and she was on dry land, the island that would be her home for a few weeks. She still had little idea how she even got on the show, she just applied for shit and giggles but now she was here. She could hear the music and the voices of others on the beach. She bit her lip as she made her way over to the bar. She got whiskey on the rocks and began to survey the crowd. A few feminine girls caught her eye, though a part of wondered if any of them liked women like she did. If she was the only lesbian then it was going to be hard pickings for her.
But she was willing to take chances, downing her drink she went up to a cute little thing leaning against the bar. "Want to dance?" She asked with a charismatic smirk and playful eyes. Her body language hinted that she would have a good time with her.
A crowd was gathering on the beach, the music thrumming in each and everyone's veins as if it was the only thing that kept them alive. Finally. Astrid was beginning to wonder if coming here was a huge mistake. It probably still was, she told herself as she flipped her hair to one side and pursed her lips. Her appearance was exactly how she wanted it. She was dressed plainly, but instead of her usual black, she had opted for a simple white dress, slightly rumpled as if she didn't really care how people saw her. Her face was makeup free excluding the faint shadow she always had of washed-off eyeliner underneath her eyes. She had made an effort. Sort of. And she knew she looked good, in her own way.
She rolled her eyes as yet another random guy approached her, asking if she needed anything. Normally, she would've been at least somewhat flattered; but this was the fifth time someone had come up to her and, by the way a lot of the guys similarly dressed were staring at her out of the corner of their eye, they worked here. "Can I get s drink? Something with alcohol in it?" She finally answered, offering a small smile to him. "Please." She added, scolding herself. Of course, if she was going to enjoy herself here, she could at least get the staff to like her. Upon watching him leave, she finally decided to actually show her face in the heart of the get-together. She had been hovering around the outskirts for about an hour now, being one of the first to arrive.
The boat ride had been awkward, to say the least. Attempting to settle the butterflies in her stomach, she had lit a cigarette - one of her expensive spiced ones, too - and, not long after she had taken the first drag, she was asked -no, ordered to put it away. She had obliged, but resounded to sit tapping her foot and humming for the rest of the journey, earning her quite a few dirty looks. It wasn't her fault she was nervous. They could at least try to make it seem a little more normal.
Now drifting through the crowd, she plucked an odd blue drink from a passing server and winked at him. She let herself move to the music, her hips swaying slightly as she took a sip of the mystery cocktail. Screwing up her face, she took another drink. It was strong, but she liked strong. Her eyes darted to where the other contestants were arriving. Part of her knew that she should approach them, but she was curious to see if any of them would make the first move. Five minutes she told herself you have five minutes of waiting then you take matters into your own hands.
Balthazar wasn't entirely sure what to expect, he'd taken a few pictures of the scenery on the way to the boat. They weren't his best shots, taken with a small ... Whilst his canon was nestled in the bag he'd brought with him. He hoped they were allowed to keep their bags, he'd been too preoccupied sorting Dusk out to go over the details of the show.
Crossing over to the island hadn't been as peaceful for him, so much so he hadn't been able to take any shots at all. Having never been on a boat before Bal wasn't prepared for the ferocious onslaught of seasickness that hit him as soon as the boat left the harbour. The cowboy was used to motion but this was...something else entirely. As soon as they'd docked, he'd staggered off of the boat and be accosted by several members of staff. All of which were trying to help him as well as shield him from view as he fought to keep what was left of his lunch in his stomach.
Because of his unfortunate trip here, he'd arrived a little later to the party than most people. Now his feet were back on dry land he'd managed to calm his stomach and despite resisting at first, Bal eventually allowed the show's crew to tidy him up a bit afterwards. Once they'd released him, Balthazar had taken it upon himself to head straight for the bar and sit himself down on one of the seats on the end.
After the embarrassing trip over to the island, Bal was hoping he could 'hide' out there, at least until he'd consumed some liquid courage. Losing the contents of his stomach over the side of the boat and spending the entire time bent double, groaning like something from the Walking Dead, was not how he wanted to be remembered...he could only imagine what the other contestants already thought of him.
With a long winded sigh, Bal took his hat off and placed it on the bar beside him, waving the barman over he ran his fingers through his hair, pulling it back from his face and ordered a drink. What he needed was bourbon or a strong whiskey...what he got was a tropical cocktail.
"Erm, I, I didn't order this-hey!...and he's gone...perfect" Bal started, gradually lowering his voice as the barman wandered away from him.
Balthazar twisted the drink this way and that as he debated whether to drink it or not. Right now, he was acting as if he had never seen anything like it before. He had, but he'd never been in the situation where he was the one having to drink it. "Bottoms up, I guess" He shrugged after a few indecisive moments before he lifted the drink up and proceeded to dodge around the plethora of decorations adorning the top of the glass. It was a battle that ended with him poking himself in the eye with a pink umbrella as he poured the sweet drink down his throat.
"Good god, syrup...pure syrup" He commented, putting the empty glass down and pressing the back of his hand against his mouth.
Bal was so sure, he was invisible at the edge of the bar he wasn't worried that people might frown at the fact he was talking to himself.
location: boat > island party interacting with: noticing max’s daring escape from the boat (@HylianRose); noticing bal’s lunch being exposed then approaching him at the bar (@FaithsRose)
The closer the boat drew to the island, the more the gentle sway of the vessel soothed Dominic Getty’s growing nerves. He wasn’t much of a nervous person by nature but he had never done something quite like this before. He had never signed up for a show about finding love in a short amount of time that’ll air all over and actually got accepted to be in it. He had never imagined himself doing something like this before, would of said he wouldn’t ever do it if asked a few years back, yet here he was now. Not that he was too bothered by it. It would be an experience, and while he wouldn’t quite call himself an adventurous person, he didn’t mind branching out every once in awhile. Even, a free trip to the beach? Yeah, sign him up. While he could easily afford it himself, getting it for free somehow just made it better. He couldn’t really say why - he just felt more excitement for it than he would have if he paid for it himself. Perhaps being on the show helped with that excitement too, though the thought of having a camera on him nearly 24/7 was a bit strange.
That was also where some of his nerves were coming from, besides just really not knowing what to expect. I swear, if I’m the oldest… he thought, leaning on the railing in front of him, and looking over the edge into the water splashing up against the side of the boat. He had been on a good amount of boats before in his life, having gone on plenty of vacations as a kid with his parents, so the motion didn’t bother him at all. Though, it did bother one other contestant, who upchucked over the side of the boat several feet from him but still close enough for him to witness every little detail. Every little disgusting detail. Dominic didn’t have a weak stomach, he had a pretty strong one, but even that made him cringe a little. Not that he was harshly judging the guy, he had seen others suffering from seasickness and didn’t understand since he had never experienced it himself before. He had never dealt with someone experiencing it, either, so he’d be pretty damn useless to the guy so he opted to stay in his little corner and watch the water.
It didn’t take long to reach the island, or it might have felt that way because Dominic let himself space out on the ride over. He couldn’t really imagine what to expect for this. He came here to find love, didn’t he? He wasn’t so sure if he’d be able to find it, though. He wanted to take this seriously, and he was going to try too, but at the same time… these shows on TV were always so drama-centered, so… fake-feeling. He wasn’t going to be negative about it, but he didn’t see that much coming out of this. The boat docked, and he turned to watch others starting to pile off, could vaguely hear the heavy thud of pounding music coming from some part of the island. Well, they were immediately starting the party, it seemed. What better way to start off the show, Dominic guessed, than with them having a good time and mingling already? He stepped off the boat, not too overwhelmed by some of the staff that came up to him to ask what he needed. He had grown up with a help staff in his home, so telling them he didn’t need anything didn’t feel that new to him. He continued onto the beach, kicking up a little of the sand with the toe of his boot, when he heard a shout behind him. He was surprised to see a young woman jumping off the boat to get onto the dock, making him take pause in following the trail that led to the loud music and he was sure plenty of people, maybe even alcohol which didn’t sound half bad. He made a move to go over, but she seemed to be quite energetic, since she apologized to one of the staff and darted off to go to the party herself. First a throwing up cowboy then an overly hyped Asian woman. This group was beginning to be quite interesting.
He finished making his way to the part of the beach with the party, all the while breathing in the fresh air. He wished the music wasn’t so loud, since it was drowning out all the natural sounds. He’d have to get alone soon to sneak off and actually get the true experience the island surely had to offer. He had always been an outdoorsy person, someone who thrived outside no matter the weather, and the beach was one of his favorite places to be. The smell of the sea was something that always made him feel refreshed and energetic, though he probably wouldn’t show it in the same way as the young woman hopping off the boat had. He entered the party, the music loud and booming, beginning to pulse through his body; some people were dancing, others were lingering at the bar. Oh, a bar. He made a beeline for it; he knew how to dance just fine, had taken classes as a kid for various types of dancing, but he wasn’t one to jump in and just go. He preferred sitting back and watching. He noticed a few familiar people from the boat already there, giving them a kind smile if he met their eye, before he ended up towards the end of the bar near the cowboy. Who probably felt pretty embarrassed from his little show on the boat. He ended up near him when the back of his hand was pressed against his mouth, not hearing his whole monologue, and waved at the barkeep to catch his attention.
He glanced over at the cowboy - as he kept deeming him in his head considering the hat and boots - while he waited for the barkeep to get around to him. He felt kind of bad for him, since he was sure that had been mortifying, and felt like he should say something, an attempt at reassurance maybe. “So I wouldn’t worry about your little show on the boat. I’m pretty sure with all the cameras that’ll be on us soon, a lot worse will be shown to everyone else-” he paused, looking over at the cowboy and giving a slight smile. “Sorry, bad reassurance. I remember this one time, I ate bad fish on a cruise, and ended up in the same boat as you.” he chuckled a bit at his own little joke, glancing down at the empty glass in front of him. “It was pretty bad, so I can kind of see where you’re coming from.” once the barkeep came around, he decided to say he’d have what the cowboy had, and looked back over at him while his drink was being made. “Name’s Dom, by the way.” he said with a friendly smile. Maybe he can at least make a friend from the get-go so he didn’t feel possibly awkward later on. Taking the first step in the conversation wasn’t something he exactly preferred doing, but right now, he felt like it could benefit him in the long run.
Whitney was one of the first contestants to arrive, by boat, to the island. Like some of the others, she'd at first been hesitant to get on the seemingly sturdy boat, but probably not for the same reasons. Whitney knew that she wouldn't have to deal with seasickness, and she surely wasn't scared of falling into the lake and, possibly, drowning. What frightened Whitney the most was the pure thought that there was a chance that she'd actually meet [i]the one,/i] as corny as it sounded. That, and the slight possibility that she would end up embarrassing herself on national television. Just the thought of cameras being pointed in her direction at nearly all times made her nauseous. Sure, she loved to perform on a stage, but that was a completely different vibe. After staring at her white sneakers for a few moments, she inhaled deeply and stepped onto the boat.
The ride over didn't last as long as Whitney thought it would. She'd spent that time nervously cracking her knuckles, a horrid habit that she'd yet to break. The closer the boat came to the island, the louder the music got, and the faster her heart started to beat. Part of her wished that she would've turned around and went home instead of getting on the stupid boat. The other half of her, though, was thoroughly excited. Whitney dusted off the butt of her olive green jeans as she and the others stepped off the boat. Whilst avoiding making any direct eye-contact with anyone, she quickly made her way to the bar, muttering almost inaudible "no thank-yous" to the staff members that approached her. She sat all the way towards one end of the bar, so she'd have an almost clear view of everyone who'd arrive.
Without asking what she wanted, the barman brought over some sort of blue tropical cocktail. "Um, no thanks..." She trailed off once she saw that he'd made his way to someone else. Eyeing the drink, Whitney bit her lip and let out a deep breath. She wasn't much of a drinker; never has been and hopefully never will be. The situation she was in sure was stressful, but she was confident that she'd be able to push through without the help of alcohol. Tapping her fingers on the counter, she glanced around at the other contestants. She was happy to be one of the first arrivals, mainly because she knew that she would have a little time to sit back and observe.
Whitney silently observed as a small Asian woman, who'd been napping in the boat, jumped off the boat to get onto the dock. She flailed around for a few moments, causing Whitney to chuckle, before she fell forward onto her knees. Whitney watched and smiled slightly as a beautiful young woman snapped pictures and leaned against the bar as she sipped her drink. Her smiled disappeared when she saw another woman approach her, flirtatiously asking her to dance. Looking in the opposite direction, she noticed a woman taking a drag of a cigarette. After being ordered to put it out, she'd begun to drift through the crowd. After a while, her gaze shifted back to the bar. She noticed two men sitting at the other end, conversing. Each person Whitney saw was different from the other, they were all unique in their own ways.
Finally bringing her attention back to the cocktail in front of her, Whitney rolled her eyes and pushed it away. She'd tried to get the barman's attention every few minutes or so, but he was busy with others. That, or simply ignoring her. "All I wanted was some water," she grumbled to herself, resting her elbow on the counter.
Dade had already been on the island for a little while now trying to explore everything he could. His eyes were wide with wonder as he walked through the crowds wearing dark blue Bermuda shorts and an off white collard t-shirt. He enjoyed the whole beach vibe and felt more at home than he would care to admit. The boat ride had been a breeze for him since his parents used to own one when he was younger. The vibe he gave off was slightly privileged, but the smile plastered on his face was welcoming. He took note of everyone coming onto the island wondering if he should make the attempt at starting a friendship with one of the guys or girls. This was all about love after all. He came on here with the decision to not limit himself to a specific gender. If a guy peaked his interest he would pursue, and the same went with girls.
The music wasn't really his cup of tea so he did his best to avoid the dance floor altogether. He couldn't wait to show the other contestants his musical skills when they all settled in. He made his way to the bar finally and stood next to a girl he had seen come in when he first arrived. She had interesting features and he kicked himself mentally for staring too long. He attempted to get the attention of the bar tender, but of course like in real life Dade went ignored. He scooted himself a little closer as he called out, "Excuse me. Yeah, you over there. We've been waiting. I'll take a water," he said keeping his tone light and friendly. The last thing he wanted to do was anger the staff. Then he gestured toward the girl so that she could order something herself.
Rocky could hear the music as the boat got closer to shore. The sound of it made the hair on her arms as she realized just how real this whole situation was. Entering the show was more of an impulse act that she did a little before her twenty-sixth birthday. She had never really thought they would accept her, but when the letter came that she was to be on the show she was to anxious to react. She had set up her clients with a stand in bartender while she was away. Packing her clothes had been a little bit of a drag, she had nothing beach attire so most of her luggage consisted of workout pants and tank tops. Rocky had decided to arrive to the island in a little red dress with a pair of blue keds that she borrowed from one of the staff.
The boat finally docked and she pulled her hair up into a little bit of a messy bun and sucked in a deep breath. Right away she was greeted by members of the crew and handed a drink that matched her clothes. She took a sip and cringed. Clearly she would have to play the bartender for this group or they would die of sugar overdose. She wasn't sure where they found these people, but clearly she had applied for the wrong job. She walked towards the music and set her drink down on an empty table. The pounding of the bass was in tune with her heart and she couldn't help but smile making her way on the floor. Dancing wasn't one of her best skills, but she knew how to shake her hips and get attention.
Sitting at the bar, Alex noticed a young woman with a cocktail that didn't seem all that enthused at the idea of it. Putting a charming smile on his face, he slipped out of his barstool and into the one next to her.
He leaned on the bar with his elbow and sent the girl a smile. He actually liked that at the outset, none of the contestants knew who he was. It made for a better reveal latter on when things really got started. As he looked at her, he found her to exude an air of freedom. He didn't really know how to put it eloquently, but something about her told him free-spirit. Either that or angry housewife. Either way, she seemed like someone he wanted to get to know. Not that he didn't want to get to know all of the other contestants...
"Not liking the cocktail?" He asked, tilting his head playfully, a smile on his lips. He lifted his head off of his hand where he'd been resting it and reached over to grab the cocktail, in an attempt to taste it.
However, as he did, another fellow entered the picture. Alex's smile grew into a grin as he waved at the man asking for a water. All the same, once the wave was complete, Alex went in for the girl's cocktail.
-***-
Max
Max, despite her best efforts, couldn't manage to keep her eyes on the crowd, instead being taken over by the music. A smile on her face, Max closed her eyes and let the music sway her. She bounced and hopped to the music, laughing as she did. She morphed into the crowd, melted into the music.
It wasn't until she bumped into someone that she felt her mind being pulled back into reality. She blinked for a moment as a cold as ice liquid ran down her back and down her legs. She looked back to see a blue puddle forming on the floor, her grey socks tainted by the liquid. She was about to get sort of angry when she saw the girl that she'd bumped into. For a moment, Max simply stared, a blank expression on her face. When she realized she'd been staring, her cheeks went beet red and she scratched at the back of her neck, sending the girl an awkward smile.
"S-Sorry about that!" She told her, laughing nervously. "Are you okay? I didn't like... hit you or anything did I?" She asked, sure that she'd somehow made this situation worse before it had even started.
_***_
Adam Peterson
Adam sat on a plane, tired and frighten for his life. He thought back to the morning's events that led him to this...
"No. I won't be coming in today Alan." Adam explained to his assistant through the phone, already putting his stuff together for the trip later that afternoon. His butler, Leo was diligently working alongside him, quiet as a mouse.
"To hell you won't, Adam! Do you realize how important to day is for the company?" Alan responded. Adam held the phone away from his ear in attempt to save his hearing. Placing it back near his ear, he responded calmly.
"Alan, you realize I'm not the CEO? My father is. Hell, my mother is more influential than I am and she has nothing to do with industry." He began, a headache already forming.
"Adam... Before this gets out of hand and you don't have a home to return to, I'd suggest you at least come talk to your father before leaving." Alan replied, seeming tired himself.
"Unless you plan on kidnapping me, I'm going to the boat as planned." Adam replied and closed the phone without another word. He placed it on the table and went back to putting his things together.
"Master... Might I suggest visiting your father?" Leo spoke after a few minutes of silence.
"Not you too, Leo. I've had about of enough of all this as I can handle. I've only known the man for what... since I was 10? 13 years? Before then I'd never known he existed and it was the same for him. It wasn't until he needed an heir that he even found out about me. What do you expect, Leo? Should I just jump into his arms and yell, 'Father! How I love you! I'll do whatever you ask!'? Leo, I respect you as a father figure and I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't do that to me too." Adam explain, having stopped packing to turn to Leo.
"Master, I'm not even so sure that's an option anymore..." He replied, lower his head. At that moment, a furious knocking began at the door. "That should be your father's men..."
Adam closed his eyes and sighed. "Looks like my departure time needs to be pushed forward..." He stated, opening his eyes.
Silently, Leo lifted a pair of clothing with one arm and a wig in his other hand. He looked up to Adam, his lips sealed. Adam nodded, equally silent, and grabbed the gear from Leo.
Minutes later, Adam was out the backdoor, looking like a high school korean, his hair long and blonde. He slipped on sun glasses and walked past the group at his front door, already talking to Leo. He reached the end of the blocked, past the corner and leaned himself against the wall on the other side of the street. Breathing a sigh of relief, Adam smiled to himself. He laughed to himself as he continued down the street. It was raining slightly but he didn't care at this point. He picked up the luggage he'd thrown over the backside of the property and walked the rest of the way to the airport.
30 minutes later, Adam's smile was gone. His father was hellbent on making this hard for Adam. He hadn't been found out, but his father had connections... As he arrived at the airport, the workers were all scuffling around and the passengers waiting to board were all seated, some looked scared. It was probably a search for him. He'd have to find another way to the coast.
Adam spent the next 15 minutes thinking about his options. He could walk to the nearest train station and take that route but who's to say his father hadn't done the same thing there... He could get a taxi but who's to say his father didn't have connections there either...
...Rex.
Adam breathed in deeply and let it out slowly, the thought of asking Rex for help was enough to send his stomach churning. Rex was a friend from high school, probably the only friend he'd had and probably the craziest guy he'd ever met. Crazy enough to fly Adam to the island...
Steeling himself, Adam walked the 5 miles to Rex's home and knocked. A small older lady answered and grinned up at him. He smiled back but the smile faded as she opened her mouth.
"REX! ADAM'S HERE TO SEE YA!" She screeched, taking Adam aback. One, he'd never been over to Rex's house so how the hell did this woman know him by name and two, she looked so sweet! What the hell was with those pipes?
He heard the thud sounds of someone running to the front door and saw Rex's read hair pop out from the side of the door, where the old lady had been staring at him with a weird look on her face.
"Adam?! Dude! It's been years! Get out of the way Grams." He yelled, pushing his grandmother out of the way. She continued to stare at Adam, smiling oddly at him. He elected to ignore her and focus on the request he'd have to ask his friend for. "What brings you here, bud?" Rex asked. His face was covered in soot and grim, probably from working on his plane.
"I have... an odd request, Rex. Think you could..." Adam began, explaining his crazy request to Rex. Next thing he knew he was on a plane with Rex screaming with joy at the thought of riding the plane he'd been working on. Adam tried desperately to keep his stomach inside his body cavity. The machine rattled and screeched like an old lady, only making Rex more proud of it.
"Built it my self!" He'd tell Adam, pride oozing from his eyes. Adam would simply nodded, keeping his lips pressed together as hard as he could to keep his breakfast down.
And here he sat, clutching to the thin strap holding him down to the plane.
"Hey, Adam. If you look back there, there's a chute for ya. I don't think I'm going to be able to land her on the beach over there. Too small." Rex yelled back to Adam. Adam's eyes went wide and his face turned pale, like a ghost. With shaking hands, he reached behind him and grabbed the bag labeled, "Parachute", writing in red marker, clearly by Rex.
He ran his fingers through his hair, his lips still pressed tightly against one another.
In the next few minutes, Rex was telling Adam to jump with the bag attached to him. He'd never thought a day like this would come. Adam was all for excitement, but something about this made his hair stand on end. All the same, the alternative scared him more. He clicked the bag into place and jumped.
It felt like the world was slowing down. A broad smile found it's way onto Adam's lips, as he yelled into the clouds. "WOO!!! YES!!"
That is... until he realized he didn't know how to deploy the damn thing. Adam's eyes went wide again as he fumbled around with the bag, trying desperately to keep himself upright in case it did deploy. And it was lucky he did. His fingers found a ring-like object which he thought was a zipper at first but when he accidentally pulled it, he felt his body jerk back with force enough to take his breath away.
He had no way to steer the damn thing either as he floated toward the island. From far away it seemed like everything was moving in slow motion and Adam almost thought he would land in the water. But as he got closer, the wind picked up and he began to gain speed. He sped past the crowd dancing near the speakers and crashed into the nearby treeline.
A few minutes later, he sort of woke up from his stupor to see a crowd of what seemed like employees all around, staring up at him. As he looked around, he realized he was stuck in the tree.
...this was graceful.
"H-Hello! Sorry! Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I was forced to hitch a ride here on my friend's plane. Uhh... Could I get some help down?" He asked, sending the group below him an apologetic smile.
"Not liking the cocktail?" A man asked as he tilted his head. Whitney hadn't even noticed the guy slide into the bar stool next to hers; one minute he wasn't there and the next, he was. He leaned on the bar with his elbow, and sent her a smile. Raising her eyebrow, Whitney looked him up and down. He had dreads, which had been tied back with a hair tie. He was also wearing a tan V-neck shirt with khaki shorts, making him look like a hippie. Overall, he was a good-looking guy. He also seemed like he had a pretty decent personality, which made her wonder why someone like him would be on a show like this. Hell, there were a lot of good-looking people on the island.
"I don't drink very often," she said with a small smile as the man reached for the cocktail. She was about to ask for his name, when another man entered the picture, standing on the other side of her. Like Whitney had done a few moments before, the new guy attempted to get the attention bartender. When the bartender didn't answer him, he scooted a bit closer and raised his voice. "Excuse me. Yeah, you over there! We've been waiting. I'll take a water," he said, his tone light and friendly. He then gestured towards Whitney, so that she could order a drink as well. She stared at him for a few seconds before turning her head back towards the bartender.
"I'll have water, too." She smirked as she watched the bartender fill two glasses with water and sit them on the counter in front of them. It was then that she saw that her previous drink, the cocktail, had been taken by the man with the dreads. Chuckling and shaking her head, Whitney looked back at the man who'd ordered a water while taking a sip of her own. "Not much of a drinker?"
