⋯ SUNDAY, AUGUST 11 ⋯
(VIDA's point of view)
9:22am
I woke up to the piercing gaze of eight eyes fixed upon me. "Were you guys planning on eating me?" I mumbled, still half-asleep and yawning.
"You wish," Clyde replied.
Phoebe couldn't help but chuckle. "That sounded so wrong," she said teasingly.
I rolled my eyes, wanting to continue my dream undisturbed. "If you guys are done, I'd like to get back to my blissful slumber."
"Good luck with that, sis," Eddie chimed in, playfully tugging at my legs. I didn't budge; instead, I buried my face deeper into my pillow.
"You're so lazy!" I heard Brianna exclaim.
"I'm not lazy; I'm conserving my energy," I retorted, my voice muffled by the soft cushion.
"Quit pillow talking and get up," Clyde interjected, pulling me off the bed and onto the floor.
"Ow!" I exclaimed, rubbing my leg in mock pain. "How dare you separate me from my soulmate? I should have killed you guys yesterday when I had the chance."
I turned to my actual soulmate, my beloved bed, and hugged it tightly. "I'm sorry," I whispered affectionately.
Clyde and Phoebe exchanged amused glances before the four of them left the room. Eddie and Brianna, oblivious to the eyebrow-raising exchange, simply followed suit.
Minutes later, I found myself in the car with the others, heading to the beach. I realized I needed to change my clothes since what I had on earlier wasn't suitable for a day at the beach. I quickly swapped my attire for a pair of blue ripped jean shorts and a white off-shoulder tie-up floral print top.
In case you're wondering how the eight of us managed to fit into the car, it was a simple solution. Eddie took the driver's seat, and Ash called shotgun, leaving Brianna, Shawn, and me to squeeze into the back seats, while Phoebe, Clyde, and Drew occupied the back-back seats.
"Let's play a game of random questions," Drew suggested, voicing his thoughts, and we all agreed.
"I'll go first. Have you ever wondered if a bird hitting your window is a sign that God is playing Angry Birds with you?" Shawn asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
I rolled my eyes at the absurdity of the question. It didn't take a genius to figure out who the mastermind behind it was.
"Deep stuff, man. I feel you," Eddie replied dramatically, earning another eye roll from me.
"No, Shawn, we've never wondered," I said with a playful smirk.
Shawn stretched his hand and pulled my hair, a smirk forming on his face.
"You did not just do that!" I shrieked, swiftly readjusting my hair.
Shawn simply smirked in response. "Any sensible questions, guys?" he asked, challenging me with his gaze.
Unfazed, I scowled at him. "I have a question. What was that for?" I demanded, clearly irritated.
"Any sensible questions?" he corrected himself, smirking in my direction. What a jerk.
"Eddie, what are your intentions with Katie?" I interjected, shifting the attention away from Shawn's antics.
"If you're referring to the message I sent to her grandson, then you're being utterly ridiculous," Eddie replied, turning to address all of us and winking playfully.
"Eyes on the road," Ashley smacked Eddie's arm, scolding him gently.
"I was just kidding, babe. Chill out," Eddie retorted with a grin.
"No, I will not chill."
I quickly intervened before Eddie could respond. "Both of you, just shut up," I interjected, trying to maintain peace.
Eddie sighed, resigning to my request. "Whatever soothes your mind, Vida. We're almost there, guys."
"Drew, what is the pettiest reason you've ever broken up with a girl?" Clyde asked, redirecting the conversation.
Andrew pondered for a moment. "She would always tear my tissue paper carelessly. I mean, what are the dotted lines for?!" he exclaimed, eliciting laughter from all of us. Why on earth was she cutting tissue paper for him?
"We have arrived!" Eddie announced after a few minutes, pulling up at the beach.
We all exited the car, grabbing our picnic essentials from the trunk. I carried a blanket and two buckets, fully prepared to build a sandcastle.
As soon as my feet touched the ground, a cool breeze caressed my skin. The sand gleamed with a soft shade of gold, akin to a king's crown. The ocean breathed, its surface rising and falling in perfect rhythm, while the sun bestowed upon me the warmth of summer. I adored the beach—the boats gracefully sailing on the water, the joyous laughter of children, and the horses galloping across the hot golden sand.
We found a spot and set up our belongings. I enlisted Eddie's help in applying sunscreen before settling down on a foldable chair. From there, I observed Shawn, Phoebe, Ashley, and Eddie engaging in a water fight, while Clyde, Brianna, and Drew occupied themselves with beach volleyball.
Deciding to catch up on any new messages, I reached for my phone and discovered three new ones.
The first was from my mom: "Hey, hun! How's everything going at the house? If you need anything, remember I'm only one call away."
I replied, "Hey, Mom. Everything is going well. Sorry for the delayed response, and I'll definitely reach out if I need anything."
Next, I noticed a message from Katie. Oh boy, he must have been taken aback by those messages.
Who are you??
I contemplated explaining everything, but where was the fun in that? Why not have a little fun instead?
Well hello there, Katie :)
He replied almost instantly, prompting us to continue the conversation.
How do you know my name?
So Katie is your name huh?
It isn't.
Then what is?
I'm not telling a total stranger stalker my name.
It wouldn't hurt to be nice you know??
If I wasn't nice, would I be replying you?
That's because you enjoy talking to me.
Dude, I just met you.
We haven't technically met, and I'm not a dude, Katie.
Whatever you say, weirdo.
Before I could reply, Shawn called for me to join their water fight, as expected.
I have to go now. Don't miss me too much my darling.
I won't miss you at all and I am not your darling *dustbin emoji*
I placed my phone back in my bag, removing my top and shorts to reveal my belted one-piece swimsuit. "I'm here, guys!" I announced as I approached the water.
"Then get in!" Eddie yelled, encouraging me to join them.
I took a step forward, dipping my feet into the water. "Guys, it's cold. Why don't we just build a sandcastle instead?" I suggested, slightly hesitant.
"Do you want me to come get you myself?" Ashley threatened playfully.
I shook my head, realizing that joining them was the best choice. I waded into the water, swimming over to where they were engaged in their water fight, ready to join the fun.
• • •
10:12pm
"What are we going to do tonight since we can't sleep?" Brianna asked as she joined us in the living room.
"I'm hungry," Clyde complained, joining us shortly after.
"I've ordered pizza, and we're going to watch a movie," Andrew answered, addressing both questions.
We were all exhausted after returning from the beach. As soon as we reached our rooms, we fell into a deep slumber. However, due to our afternoon nap, we found ourselves wide awake and full of energy. We had agreed that the first person to fall asleep would be at the mercy of the last person to sleep. I had no intention of losing.
"Vida, can you grab the popcorn from the microwave?" Shawn asked, delegating the task to me.
"Sure thing."
I retrieved the popcorn from the microwave and placed it on the carpet, alongside the other snacks. Then, I went to get some drinks from the fridge, only to hear the doorbell ring upon my return.
Setting the drinks on the carpet, I went to answer the door. It was the pizza delivery person. I paid for the order and brought it inside, along with the other junk food everyone had contributed. I bought the drinks, Andrew got the pizza, Phoebe brought popcorn seeds, Clyde brought Skittles, Eddie brought hot dog buns, Ashley supplied the sausages, and Brianna and Shawn brought the ice cream. The carpet was now covered in a plethora of snacks.
We had a spacious, L-shaped couch, providing enough room for all of us. Once we had settled down, the debate over which movie to watch began.
"Let's watch a Disney movie."
"Yeah, let's watch Moanna."
"No. Action."
"Romance."
"Comedy is better than all those."
I grabbed a handful of popcorn and began munching on it, observing their spirited debate unfold. When the argument showed no signs of ending, I decided to intervene.
"Shut up!" I exclaimed, silencing everyone. "All those in favor of an action movie, raise your hands."
Brianna, Clyde and Drew raised their hands up.
"In favour of Romance?"
Only Eddie. Idiot.
"In favour of Disney?"
Phoebe, Ashley and Shawn raised their hands.
"It's a tie between Action and Disney," I declared.
"How about a tiebreaker? Rock, paper, scissors?" Ashley suggested.
"Or Vida could just choose," Andrew proposed.
I pondered for a moment. "Why don't we watch Mulan? It has some action in it, and it's a Disney movie. Plus, there's some romance?"
"Isn't Disney like... for kids?" Eddie questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Phoebe smacked his arm. "You're never too old for Disney!"
Everyone, except Eddie, agreed to watch Mulan, so that's what we settled on. Eddie was the first to fall asleep, probably because it wasn't a romance movie. I had to be the last man standing so I could have my revenge on him.
Once the movie ended, those of us still awake decided to play a game of "Never Have I Ever." However, the rules were slightly modified. We broke eggs into a bowl with ice cream and ketchup and then we blended it. That's what we were to drink.
We all had disposable cups in front of us, and we were seated in a circle, just like the day before, except that this time, Brianna was next to Ashley as Eddie was asleep.
"I'll start," Andrew said eyeing the gross mixture, "Never have I ever given or received a lap dance."
Clyde and Ashley poured themselves the amount they were supposed to and drank it. Disgusting!
"Ew!" Ashley exclaimed, the same time Clyde said "Horrible!"
"Never have I ever tried to balance the lights between on and off," Ashley asked.
Everyone except Ashley took a drink. It was beyond disgusting.
"You have no life," Bri said, glaring at Ash.
"But I had a target," she replied sticking out her tongue at Andrew.
"Oh it's on."
Competitive idiots.
Brianna went next, "Never have I ever stolen a phone."
Phoebe, Shawn and I drank this time. It tasted more horrible than the first time.
"Ooh ohh I got one," Phoebe chirped, "Never have I ever put sugar in Coke zero sugar or Diet Coke,"
They really wanted me to suffer.
"In my defence, the coke wasn't sweet at all. It tasted like poison," Andrew said and we high-fived before gulping the mixture.
"Never have I ever..."
And that's how we continued for the rest of the night- playing lots of games till they gave up and slept off.
As the last person standing, a mix of exhaustion and victory washed over me. I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment, knowing that I had outlasted my friends in this crazy and disgusting game we had devised.
I looked around at the sleeping forms of my friends, their faces smudged with remnants of the bizarre concoction we had been drinking.
Carefully, so as not to disturb anyone, I gathered the empty cups and disposed them, ensuring that no evidence of our game remained. The living room was a mess, but that could be dealt with in the morning. For now, I was content to revel in my temporary victory.
With a yawn, I made my way to my room, slipping under the covers and closing my eyes. The events of the night replayed in my mind, bringing a smile to my face. It had been an unforgettable evening, filled with laughter, challenges, and a peculiar mix of bravery and foolishness.
As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but wonder what other adventures awaited us in the remaining days of our vacation. But for now, I embraced the tranquility of the night, knowing that tomorrow would bring new experiences and memories to cherish.