Love Island

Chapter 31 - Pied Off

The group members who knew me well enough were left shocked. "How did you know that?" I questioned.

Anthony laughed softly. "Practice and a few psychology courses in college. You picked yellow, which can symbolize something really good, like happiness, or something like confusion. Think of it like when you're driving and you see a yellow light and you have a split second to decide whether you need to stop or floor it. I knew it was the latter when your shape wasn't a definite shape or direction, but a fictional knot. You're pretty tangled up, huh?"

"Holy shit." I shook my head and let out a nervous laugh. The rest of the Islanders joined me to ease my discomfort. "That was... really detailed."

"It's the only time I get to explain it like that. When you're surrounded by a bunch of 6 and 7-year-olds, it's mostly, 'you chose this dark blue color because you're sad. You might be sad because of this, this, or this reason.'" Anthony smiled.

Giselle was smiling at him with a wide grin. "You are just amazing, aren't you?"

Anthony leaned back on the palms of his hands. "I'm definitely working on it." His phone went off in the pile of electronics, and he pushed himself along the smooth floor to the edge of the pool, giving his hands a hard shake before picking up the phone. "Text!" The rest of us gathered around him. "Islanders, let's learn what your other Islanders really think about you. We hope you brushed your teeth this morning because it's time for Snog, Marry, Pie! #MugsAndKisses #ItsBerryGoodPie." He looked up from his phone with a bright smile after getting his first text.

After a long separation, we returned to the neighboring lot for the Snog, Marry, Pie challenge. The boys stood vulnerable in front of the girls, their hands behind their back as they awaited their fate. A table with ten pie tins lined with whipped cream and ten golden ring boxes was between the two gendered lines. The game was relatively plain and required minimal explanation. It was the U.K. version of America's 'fuck, marry, kill,' except instead of bedding the Islander you choose on national television, you give them a sloppy kiss. Instead of killing an Islander, you shove a pie in their face. TV-friendly.

Peyton was prompted to go first. She walked down the line of boys, teasing her pick for a snog. Finally, she grabbed Anthony and pulled him in for a flirty kiss that ended with both of their cheeks red. The sexual tension between them made the air feel thick. After the applause had died down, she grabbed a ring off the table and walked down the line, then stopped at her couple. "Blake, you've been my best friend through all of this. Will you marry me?" she asked.

Blake laughed and held out his hand. "I'm blushing. Of course." Peyton slid the ring on his finger, then walked to the table to grab a pie. She scaled the line once again before turning and planting the whipped cream into Gray's face, splattering the contents and leaving Gray with a face covered in white goo.

"What was that for?" Gray asked as he removed the whipped cream from his eyes.

"You know what it's for," Peyton smirked and walked back to the row of girls.

Giselle was next, walking right up to Anthony for her pick for a snog. It was more intense than he intended, as indicated by the uncomfortable position of his hands. She grabbed a ring and kneeled before Lucas, popping the question with bland dialogue that I couldn't repeat if I tried. Finally, her pie was pressed into Charlie's face.

"Not bad," Charlie said beneath the face mask of cream. A chunk fell off his cheek as he talked.

Anthony was the hot pick of the day. During Peach's turn, she walked the line before giving him a playful kiss that ended short and sweet. Her main focus was grabbing a ring and kneeling in front of Gray. "We haven't known each other long, but there's no one else I'd rather leave this villa with. Will you marry me?" Peach grinned. Gray obliged with a smile and slid on the plastic ring while Peach readied her pie. "And who will this belong to?" she teased, pacing in front of the line with a soft aluminum tin. Finally, she stopped at Blake and slowly pressed the whipped cream into his face, inch by inch.