The room was nothing like what Nessa expected. Unlike her own room—which was large, spacious, and decorative—this one was quite small, with two beds pushed apart and plain white sheets.
"This is for you and your friend," Melissa smiled.
Nessa had to force a smile. This room was horrible, and she didn't like it. She wanted a room to herself. Herself only.
Just as she was about to speak her mind, Molly's voice cut through the house from downstairs.
"Melissa?!" she shouted.
"Yes, Mom," Melissa responded with a groan and a roll of her eyes.
"Get down here, young lady! How could you leave April to do what I told you to do?!"
"Mom, I'm coming," Melissa groaned louder.
She looked at Nessa and said, "Hey, I need to get going, okay? I'll see you later."
"Melissa?!!" Molly yelled angrily.
"Mom?! I'm coming!"
Melissa waved goodbye and lazily dragged her feet downstairs.
Once she was gone, Nessa let out a weary sigh. She stepped fully into the room and shut the door behind her. Her eyes swept over the space with clear judgment.
There was a tiny desk with a chair tucked into the corner, two wardrobes standing beside each bed, and walls painted a soft peach color.
Yuck.
Nessa hated the color. Her favorite color was purple, and purple would have been perfect for the walls, classy, rich, and dramatic, unlike this washed-out nonsense.
She walked toward the window and pushed the curtains aside.
Outside, a small, well-kept garden stretched below, flowers neatly arranged. Just beyond it stood the neighboring house, close enough that its upstairs window faced hers directly. The curtains there were half-open, the room inside dim but visible.
It was oddly close. Close enough that if someone stood by that window… they'd definitely see her.
Nessa frowned slightly, not knowing why that suddenly bothered her. She stepped back, letting the curtain fall halfway shut, then turned her attention back to the room.
Her suitcases sat beside one bed, while Kayla's were neatly placed near the other.
Dragging her feet, Nessa slumped onto the mattress. At least the bed was soft, that was one thing it had going for it.
She stared up at the ceiling, her thoughts a mess. How was she supposed to survive an entire summer in Hawaii? Hawaii was going to be boring, she'd bet her right butt cheek on it.
Eventually, she turned toward her suitcases. Pulling one onto the bed, she unzipped it and began taking out her clothes.
That was when she spotted a purple book, a matching pen clipped to its cover.
Her diary. Instant relief washed over her. She was glad she brought it with her. She'd loved writing in it ever since she was a kid. It made her feel stress-free, like a heavy stone had been lifted off her shoulders whenever she poured her thoughts onto the pages.
Her jerky brothers had mocked her for it, sometimes even sneaking into her room to read it aloud and make fun of her.
Her mind flashed back to when she was twelve. The day they read the part where she admitted she had a crush on Freddy.
Ugh. Those assholes, Nessa hissed inwardly. She wanted to rip their eyeballs out.
With a sigh, she opened the diary and began to write:
Dear diary,
Today was stressful. I tried convincing my mom that we could spend our summer in California, but it was all in vain. My plan didn't work out as I expected. My mom was so damn adamant about us going to Hawaii. Geez, what does she even see here that's so special?!
My first day in Hawaii was horrible. The sun was very hot, hotter than the California sun. Then, not to speak of, I encountered the most horrible, yet hottest jerk ever. I hate him… no, no, no, I despise him! And I pray that I will never, ever see him again.
The guy was an asshole. Geez, I wanted to rip his head off his Greek-god body. He had such an insolent mouth. Grrrr…
I still desperately wish I could close my eyes and wake up to find that all of this was just a fucking dream. I hate Hawaii. I hate everything in Hawaii, and most especially, I hate my room!
Anyway… I guess my summer in Hawaii has officially begun. No screaming, no tantrum, nothing I do will take me back to California.
My fingers are crossed for better things. I'm just going to have hope. Yeah… hope.
As Kayla said, Hawaii might not be that bad.
Maybe… or maybe not…
* * * * * * *
The day slowly disappeared as the night quickly came in.
Nessa stood in front of her full-length mirror, admiring herself in her cute outfit. She tilted her head slightly, turning from side to side, loving what she saw.
She wore a purple long-sleeve crop top that slipped off one shoulder, hugging her upper body perfectly and revealing a toned flat stomach. The fitted shorts hugged her hips perfectly, showing off her slim waist and those long, smooth olive legs that looked like they went on forever.
Her curly black hair was pulled into a ponytail, with loose curls framing her beautiful face. Her makeup was light but flawless.
On her feet were simple sandals that showed off her pretty purple manicured toes.
Her outfit was top-notch. She knew it. Nessa had always lived for parties, and she always slayed.
Once she was done admiring herself and knowing she was perfect, she walked to her bedside drawer and picked up a beautiful bracelet Adrien had gotten for her. She slipped it onto her wrist, grabbed her phone, and tucked it into her back pocket.
After a quick glance around the room to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything, she headed downstairs.
"Hey guys! I'm ready! How do I look?" Nessa asked, jumping off the last staircase.
Melissa's face lit up instantly.
"Oh my God, you look great, Nessa."
"Girl, that's a chef's kiss," Bri added, winking at her.
Adrien, however, groaned loudly. "Finally! You took forever getting dressed. I hope you know you're not going to a fashion show, it's a bonfire party! And why the fitted shorts?" he asked, giving her a critical once-over.
"Adrien, with all due respect, mind your business, okay?" Nessa replied coolly. "Is it a crime to look good?"
"Not at all, babe," Kayla chimed in, grinning as she and Nessa high-fived. "You ate and left no crumbs."
Kyle grinned and winked at Nessa.
"You sure know how to rock it, Nes. You look pretty."
"And sexy?" Nessa asked, smiling shyly.
"Yup. You're on top, sis," Kyle said, draping an arm around her shoulder.
"Anyway, are we ready to go?" he asked, glancing around.
"No, Kyle… Freddy went to the restroom. Give him some—oh, here he is!" Steven said, his eyes landing on Freddy.
Right on cue, Freddy walked into the living room.
"I'm done, guys."
Kyle turned to Jace and Milo, who were still on the couch, glued to their video game.
"You sure you guys don't wanna come?" he asked.
Tim lifted his head from his book. "Nah. Not really. Maybe next time, bro."
"Okay, no probs," Kyle shrugged.
Just then, Rose walked in holding a tray of baked cookies.
"You guys ready?" she asked.
"Yeah, Mom," Adrien nodded.
"Alright. Just come back early." She turned to Nessa, her expression sharpening slightly. "Young lady, no fights. Behave yourself. Mama loves you." She kissed Nessa on the cheek.
"Okay, Mom. Love you too," Nessa smiled.
"Adrien," Rose added softly, "you're the firstborn. Please take care of the younger ones."
"I will, Mom. Stop worrying," he said.
"Whatever. Bye, y'all!" Rose waved and walked away.
Everyone stepped outside and headed toward the driveway where the black Jeep was parked.
Adrien pulled out the key fob and pressed a button. The Jeep responded with a sharp beep-beep, its lights flashing briefly as the doors unlocked. Everyone slipped in quickly, laughing and shoving playfully.
With Kyle directing Adrien, it didn't take long before they reached the beach.
The moment the car stopped, everyone jumped out.
Kyle whooped excitedly, yanking off his shirt and tossing it, straight into Adrien's face.
Adrien shot him a dark look, but Kyle didn't care.
"Come on, guys!" he shouted, already running ahead.
Everyone followed, but Nessa paused for a moment, standing still, eyes wide, heart thudding, as she took in the sight before her.