The next morning, I awoke from one of the best night's sleep I'd gotten in several days. The blankets were perfectly positioned over my back as I laid on my stomach with my arms beneath the cool pillow. The room was still dark when I opened my eyes, squinting in the low light to search for the silhouette of my partner. I reached out and found his pillow to be empty. I opened my eyes more to see that he was gone completely from my bed. I righted myself and sat on the mattress with my back against the headboard, rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and began looking around the room. I wasn't alone in occupying a bed with an empty half. My scan of the bedroom revealed the absence of every boy in the villa.
Peach was the next to wake up, first reaching behind her to find Gray's arm to pull around herself, then turning around when she couldn't find her couple. She sat up, patting the flat covers in confusion, then looked around and made eye contact with me. Only the whites of her eyes were visible in the darkness.
Eventually, the other girls began to wake up, but none of us spoke until Giselle, the last to open her eyes, sat up and peered around the room. She jumped a little when she made eye contact with Polly, but her confusion grew as her gaze moved across the room and connected with every other girl.
"What the hell is going on?" Giselle leaned back and took a deep breath. "Do you understand how fucking scary it is to wake up, see all your friends sitting up in bed in silence, just looking at you? Was I snoring, what's going on?" Her exhaustion-induced anger faded when she found her own bed empty. "Where's Anthony?"
"All of the guys are missing," Peach informed her. She swung her legs over the side of her mattress and stood to her feet. "Do you think they're planning a surprise for us?"
I pushed the covers off of my legs but remained in bed. "A surprise? I don't really know about that, but something's going on. The guys are never awake before us, and they sure as hell wouldn't just get up and leave. Was anyone awake when they left?" I asked.
Polly raised her hand to half-mast. "I heard footsteps, but went back to sleep. They didn't seem significant at the time." The bedroom lights flashed on and we shielded our eyes from the stinging brightness. "Should we get up?"
"I guess." Peyton slid out of bed and stretched her arms toward the ceiling. "If they are doing something, I want to look as good as possible."
With the potential of the boys planning something big, there would be no doubt it would be highly filmed. We grabbed our water bottles and walked upstairs, sitting down at our vanities to prep our faces for the day. I opted for a lightweight tinted moisturizer with SPF to smooth over my skin. The bathroom door became a revolving sequence of girls stepped in dressed in pajamas and walking out in swimwear. When my face and brows were done, I swiped mascara onto my lashes and walked up to my wardrobe.
New questions were running through my mind that had never surfaced prior as I skimmed through the colors and patterns of thick fabric. My fingers settled on a two-piece navy set with thick white trim. I stepped into the bathroom and put it on, appreciating how the dark blue complimented my medium skin tone and hugged my waist above the hips to give my legs a longer appearance. I stepped out and began the process of detangling my thick mane of hair.
"Maybe they're making us breakfast," Giselle suggested. The theories had begun.
"They would've woken us up for sure, especially Gray, he's so clumsy," Peach giggled. "I didn't hear anything in the kitchen when we walked upstairs, either."
Peyton was sat in front of her mirror as she hooked her earrings into place. "Are they out in the garden?"
I carried my comb with me as I walked to the balcony doors and peered out at the artificial turf. "Nope."
"This is so weird." Polly looked around, visibly growing increasingly nervous. "Do you think they're okay?"
"They're definitely okay... I'm just confused about where they went. Did anybody get a text or anything?" Peyton asked. We all checked our phones in response, but no one got anything new.
Accepting defeat, we finished our morning routines and headed down to the loungers in the garden to continue our discussion, and keep a lookout for the boys. But half an hour later, we were slapped in the face by the sound of heels clicking against the path, approaching the garden. Arielle stepped out, her blonde hair loosely curled and her lips red, ready for destruction.
"Good morning, girls!" Her tone was more chipper than any of us were prepared for. "I'm sure you're wondering what's going on, and where are the guys? This morning, the boys snuck out of bed and were driven to Casa Amor, another villa nearby, where they will meet five new girls." We sucked in a collective breath of shock. "After two days, they will be faced with the decision: they can choose to stick with their couple in this villa, or bring back a Casa Amor girl. If your guy brings home a girl from Casa Amor, you will be single. That is, unless you also choose a new couple. Likewise, in just a few minutes, you will be introduced to five new boys. Get to know them, chat, flirt if you must. This is the ultimate test for your couple; can you resist temptation? Or can your loyalty never be broken?" Her gaze positioned over to me. "Good luck, ladies." She pivoted on her heels and exited the villa in a blur of feathered fabric.
As she left, Peach received a text. "Islanders- the new boys are hiding across the villa. It's your job to find them. #SnogAndSeek #LoveAtFirstFind." We exchanged looks, then began a manic hunt for testosterone. We began our search with the garden, swatting at the overgrown plumage of plants that bordered the property.
"Found one!" Polly screamed, holding up the arm of an average-height boy like a referee announcing the winner of a boxing match. The two walked over to the shallow area of the pool and took a seat, slowly getting to know each other.
My search wasn't going nearly as well; I leaned down to check beneath day beds and couches, opened cupboards beneath the outdoor bar sink, and squatted beside the garden landscaping. With no luck, I turned my search indoors and walked into the bedroom. Laying in my spot on the bed was a huge mountain beneath the blankets. I approached the body slowly, then delicately picked up the corner of the blanket and threw it back to reveal multiple pillows posing as a body. With my attention focused on the phenomenon, I was unaware of the hand creeping out from beneath the bed. A strong hand clasped around my ankle and I screamed bloody murder, jumping straight into the air and landing on the mattress.
"What's wrong?" A frantic voice asked from behind the bedroom door. A blonde boy peered out from his hiding spot.
"Sorry, Maddie." The voice threw chills down my spine as the boy emerged from beneath the bed. In front of me stood a Noah copycat: brown hair, brown eyes, and an accent. A thousand nameless emotions washed over me and flooded my lungs. "Alright?"
I glanced at the blonde, then back to this mystery boy. "Um, I'm good. You sound like-"
"Noah, yeah. I'm a bit more northern, not like the tories in Oxford," he smirked.
"Okay... you're going to have to teach me some of the words you're saying," I laughed nervously. "Um, let's go. I'm supposed to take you to the pool once I find you, I guess." The boys followed with no hesitation. I stepped out into the garden with the two new boys behind me.
"Maddie found two!" Peach called out. She was sitting in the pool beside Polly and a newly discovered man with dark skin and incredibly blue eyes.
Giselle and Peyton continued to search until finally, Peyton looked across the garden. "Are you kidding me?" She gestured behind those of us sitting in the pool. We turned to look and found a floppy-haired boy sitting on a bean bag, laying out in the sun.
He lowered his sunglasses as he looked over at us. "I'm sorry, I was cramping up in my hiding spot." He smiled and joined us in the pool. And thus began the introductions.
The boy Polly found was probably the shortest boy we'd had in Love Island, but not noticeably shorter than any of the girls. Well, besides Peyton. His name was David, a proud Latin HR rep for a big law firm in San Diego. He described his most prized possession as a Harley motorcycle and expressed his love for dogs.
Martin was the boy sitting beside Peach. His eyes were captivating; a light blue that sharply contrasted his dark skin. He claimed to be from New York City, born and raised, hailing from Manhattan. Being a web developer, his career involved creating and maintaining websites for several businesses in the city. He then proceeded to brag about the discounts and freebies he gets from bakeries and repair shops that use his services.
The boy who'd hid behind the bedroom door identified himself as Connor. His blonde hair had specks of orange beneath the intensity of the sun. He received criticism when he revealed his hometown as Lincoln, Nebraska, but regained the interest of the girls when he announced his profession: a baseball coach for the local elementary school. He emphasized his love of kids, and eagerness to have some of his own. That was when I knew we probably weren't a good match.
Floating into the villa with a silver spoon tucked into his mouth was Mason. Or, at least, that's what I pictured as he began describing his interests in polo (using actual horses) and badminton. Hailing from Westport, Connecticut, he was a short boat ride from New York City, where he described that he liked to anchor in a marina and write.
Finally, the Noah carbon copy took his turn at an introduction. His name was Flynn, a physical therapist for athletes at the Liverpool Football Club. When asked about his occupation, he was excited to share his passion with us, detailing everything it involved. His interest in his career was first piqued when he fell in love with the sport in primary school. I tried not to dislike him on the spot, but the grudges were building within me. It wasn't Flynn's fault that the producers had sent him in, undoubtedly to torture me and stir drama. But I would not be tempted. He was not Noah.
-
After a few hours of chatting in the pool, my fingertips wrinkled like raisins, and the chlorine had seeped deeply into each strand of hair. The boys dismissed themselves to explore the villa, and most likely chat about what they thought of us. We returned the favor.
"Alright, who's sleeping with who tonight?" I asked bluntly.
Giselle smiled bashfully beneath a piece of hair that had fallen in front of her face. "Bold." She pushed the chunk of hair back into place.
"Let's get it over with, ya know? Who do you think is hot?" I looked around the group casually.
"I'll take David," Polly shrugged. "I'm still hoping to get to know Lucas better, but might as well have some fun. Who knows what the boys are doing in Casa Amor! The girls could be throwing a twerk competition with the boys as judges." She slapped the water. "Why didn't we think of that?"
"Polly has a point," Peach frowned down at her knee caps beneath the mosaic of the pool water. "I don't have an opinion. Maybe Martin, since I found him?"
"No, please, can I have Martin?" Giselle begged. "I'm getting desperate here, and he smiled at me earlier, like he might want to get to know me!"
Peach looked at her blankly before shrugging. "Yeah, sure, I don't mind. Okay, Giselle wants Martin. Which one of them had the trust fund?"
Peyton tapped her chin in thought. "Mason."
"Okay, I will take Connor." Peach nodded at her decision. "I don't think I would have anything in common with someone who grew up with that lifestyle."
"Fair. I don't consider myself materialistic, but for a trip to Milan, I'll play the part," Peyton volunteered.
"So that leaves me with Flynn?" I asked for clarification.
Peach grimaced, already knowing the problem. "You know what, we can switch, Mads."
"No, I'm not upset, I was just making sure we got everyone. Besides, if I don't couple up with him now, the producers will just make me do some sort of flirty challenge with him anyway. It's really not worth the energy to battle it right now," I said. Peach clapped a supportive hand on my back.
"You've got this," she smiled. "Let's not judge anyone too fast, right? Mason may be rich, but he also could be kind. He said he's a writer, maybe he's deep and writes poetry?"
Peyton leaned back. "Perhaps."
"And Flynn may not even be trying to be Noah," Peach suggested. "Flynn is his own person! Yes, the producers definitely brought him into the villa to mess with you, but Flynn just might be a really good friend or more!"
I shook my head at the thought. "I don't think so, I wouldn't do that to Charlie."
"No offense, Maddie, but how do you know he's not doing it to you right now?" Giselle pointed out.
"If that's true, I stand by my word. I'd rather look like the idiot who got dumped than the girl who broke someone's heart." I lifted a wet hand out of the water to fix my hair. "I'm my own public relations team."
"It's not a bad idea. If we do something America doesn't like, our Instagram comments could be full of hate," Peyton pointed out.
"Or support!" Polly said. A text came through within our pile of phones and we began a slow crab walk toward the side of the pool. Polly grabbed her phone and examined the screen. "Text! Text! Boys, get out here!" She called out. The new guys appeared through the bedroom door, walking over slowly in confusion. Polly sighed. "When someone yells that they got a text, you're supposed to run!"
"Oh, sorry." Connor broke into a slow-mo jog, his pecks bouncing slightly with every slow stride and his arms rotating at his sides.
Polly held her face in her hands. "Oh, Jesus, just come here," she said through a squeaky giggle. The boys obliged and approached. "It's a challenge!"