Paradise

Final Bonus Chapter: Against The Current

*Quick A/N: This is the final bonus chapter for Paradise, which I know is way passed due and I apologize for not having this posted before. However, please enjoy the final chapter and thank you so very much for reading, voting, and commenting on Paradise~! I'm so happy you all liked it :D and I would have never thought it would hit over 2.5k views, like woah~!!! Anyways, I'm going to miss this story ;'( I've grown quite attached to my characters and the storyline but every story has to come to a close eventually. But  the good news is, I have more new stories to publish which I'm really hoping you all would like :-)

But without further ado: Here is the final chapter~

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It was a sunny afternoon with the sun high in the sky, not a single cloud in the midst. I was underneath the pier, with the sun at my back, watching the seagulls fly along the waves and the water lap around the rocks in front of me.

My mind went over all of the events that led us here. The flight, meeting Raphael, Holly's birthday, the Bash with Alonzo. All precious memories that will not be forgotten, but I couldn't help myself but to focus on the flight the most. Nothing ended up happening anyway, it was just my paranoia since all the guy did was go to the bathroom. I ended up looking like a total idiot with a panic-stricken face saying that we were going to crash. Even the flight attendants had to calm me down from the ruckus I was causing.

Yet, I still just couldn't shake the feeling . My dream felt so real, like we were on that stranded island for awhile...yet here we are all in one piece.  I tossed a few rocks into the water mulling over the events I vividly remember from being on that island- or thought I remembered. The beach, the lagoon, the plane, the note. Weird, huh? 

"Cleo! Come on, we got Riptide drinks. They're non-alcoholic!" I heard Stephanie call from the shore. My friends and sister were seated in a semi-circle on the royal white sands of Montego Bay.  

I decided to tuck that dream into a little space in my mind. Now was not the time to focus on what didn't happen, but rather enjoy the last afternoon I'll spend here on this vacation. We would have went home on Holly's birthday yesterday, but our flight got pushed to today instead.

"Ok, I'm coming!" I hollered back, but not before I spotted a few glossy pink and red smooth rocks. I picked them up and placed them in my pocket. Another great addition to my collection for places that I've been to. 

I jogged over towards the group and plopped down next to Jace. The top of his hair was pulled into a small ponytail and I noticed his Hawaiian styled shirt was opened. He caught my gaze and looked right back at me with a warm smile. I instantly cleared my throat and swiftly glanced around the rest of the group. Seth was leaned back in his chair wearing his orange swim shorts with a sun visor on his head. On his right sat Holly wearing her tribal tankini. She sipped happily on her drink and watched the other beach goers pass by. Across from her, Stephanie wore her yellow sundress and rubbed tanning oil on her arms and legs. Alonzo sat on the other side of Holly and he plucked away at his ukulele, a joyful melody that filled the air. He wore a bright blue surfer shirt and matching shorts. Raphael sat right between Alonzo and Steph, matching Seth's pose, also soaking up the sun. That left Jace and I sitting cross-legged next to Stephanie.

"What were you going over there Cleo?" Holly looked with curiosity at my slightly bulged pockets.

"I found some multi-colored rocks by the pier and figured I'd take them home." I displayed them in my hand and got a few 'cools' from the group.

"I found something earlier that could top that. I'll show it to you later." Jace smiled and handed me my drink. "One Riptide for the lady."

The drink was a dark blueish green color with a lemon wedge tucked on the rim, and a yellow umbrella tucked in on the side. I thanked him and took a small swig. My mouth was immediately filled with a burst of flavors. Raspberry with another type of citrus fruit, sugary sweet yet sour simultaneously.