"Val. Val, Wake up. Val!"
The girl's eyes snapped open upon hearing her name being declared and her shoulder being shaken rather violently. She promptly sat up in her seat and pulled her earphones from her ears, seeing that Keith was the one aggressively waking her.
"We're here?" she questioned, eyebrows threaded in drowsy confusion as she looked around the plane, which was nearly empty apart from a few stragglers, one of them being the tall, familiar woman with copper hair that Val's eyes caught right as she exited the plane. She just left without waking her up?
"Yes," Keith brashly spoke, taking her small backpack off her lap to prompt her to get up. "Come on, we're the last ones getting off." His eyes darted around sheepishly.
Disgruntled by her slumber, Val stumbled when Keith took her by her arm and pulled her up out of the seat. "Woah," she mumbled, rubbing her swollen eyes and trying to concentrate as she followed him down the aisle, thankful that he wasn't still dragging her. She took her backpack and slipped it over her shoulders, some sort of anxiety swelling in the lower pit of her stomach as they neared the exit door.
Stepping off the plane, she was blinded by the harsh sun that drove her even deeper into disorientation. Not only had she just spent half of the plane ride avoiding her arm touching Diana's and the other half dead asleep, but now she was stepping foot in a whole new country on the other side of the world.
"Welcome to Fiji!" said a faceless voice as soon as Val's feet touched the ground, her closed eyes still adjusting to the bright sun. Her legs were wobbly, and she stumbled around, not able to find her footing after being in flight for sixteen hours.
Her knees buckled, and she was close to falling to the ground until she felt a surprisingly gentle hand catch her by her forearm, helping her catch her balance until she could stand steadily. Shielding her eyes from the sun with her hands, she looked up to see that her savior was the older brunette woman, identity almost entirely concealed by the sunglasses that had returned to her face.
"Thank you," Val breathed, gripping the straps of her backpack as Diana removed her hand, giving the girl a subtle nod before turning to the Fijian man who was greeting them.
"Or shall I say ni sa bula!" the man exclaimed, extending his hands in the air and giving the four Americans a genial smile. "We are so happy to have you here in Fiji!" His accent was fairly subtle, and he seemed to be very fluent in English.
"Bula!" Val commented from behind Keith and Melanie who stood in front of her and Diana.
"Ah!" The man pointed at her, causing Keith and Melanie to divide and turn to her. "You know Fijian?"
"Just the basics," Val replied, shyly brushing her hair behind her ear since it was being crazily blown about by the wind. Diana looked down at the girl beside her in hidden amazement, wondering if she had studied up on the Fijian language just for their trip.
"Basics is good!" the man replied, his tan skin beaming an undertone of red. Clapping his hands together, he looked around the four. "My name is Aliti, and I will be your pilot to Laucala Island." He then turned, gesturing towards a truck sitting alone near the airport they had arrived at. "After retrieving your luggage, I will be flying the four of you on a private jet to Laucala Island's resort."
Keith sighed in annoyance that they had to take yet another plane ride, readjusting his bag over his shoulder. "Alright, let's go."
Her face heating from the embarrassment that Keith had been rude, Val turned to the Fijian man and smiled in gratitude to ensure that he wasn't too offended by her boyfriend's impoliteness.
Diana noticed this too, rolling her eyes from behind her sunglasses at her son's impatient behavior and noting for the millionth time to herself that he was just like his father. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she followed behind Val, noticing the way Keith made no effort to walk beside her and how he hadn't even looked at her since they arrived.
Getting their luggage went smoothly, and after that, they were guided to the private jet that Keith had ordered just for them. Val didn't understand why, since he had requested the jet, he had behaved rudely in front of the man who greeted them. She just shrugged it off, assuming he was probably just jet-lagged as she listened to Melanie chatter about almost everything she saw in the Nadi airport that they walked through.
The jet ride also consisted of Melanie talking Val's ear off. All her words had built up inside herself during the original plane ride since they hadn't been able to sit together. She talked about how she got to sit next to a hot guy who did professional CrossFit and how the lady next to her kept scratching her head like she had lice or something. The thought made Val cringe and scratch her own head.
Diana sat alone on one side of the small jet while Keith sat in front of her. Still clad in sunglasses, the woman mostly eavesdropped on the two girls' conversation—well, more like Melanie's conversation that Val couldn't get a word into—and smiled at how dumb the talkative girl sounded sometimes. She wondered how someone like Val ended up in the lives of her son and that Melanie girl.
She wasn't necessarily hating on the girl or her own son, but she realized that Val had a certain...depth that Melanie and Keith did not. It was funny to her how life worked that way, how it seemed that such polar qualities were randomly assigned at birth, yet everyone was cooped up together on the planet and expected to get along with such differences in character. What was even funnier to her was that Val chose to get along with them.
Keith suddenly turned around in front of her and caught her attention, drawing her eyes away from the raven-haired girl.
"I just wanted to say thank you," he suddenly breathed out at once, as if he had been mulling it over in his mind the entire jet ride. "You know, for coming along."
Removing her sunglasses from her face, Diana gently folded them in her hand and tried to muster a seed of kindness from her heart that often seemed completely desolate of any at all. "Of course," she quipped, giving a tight smile and a head nod. She ground her jaw as she looked into his dark blue eyes, only being able to see the dark blue eyes of yet another man that constantly haunted her.
She expected him to turn back around, but to her great misfortune, he didn't. He instead averted his eyes to the ground, a thoughtful look crossing his face, almost like that of a child. "I hope," he began but then hesitated, his lips snapping shut as he returned his eyes to her. The pleading look in them—the one she had seen all her life—made something in her chest snap. He breathed in before continuing. "That we can become closer after this trip. You know, be more involved in each other's lives."
Her emerald eyes widened in a nearly horrified look. She stiffened, jaw clenching as the instinct to evade returned to her. She never wanted to hurt her own son, but she simply didn't feel like she could be a steadfast part of his life. She'd never wanted to get pregnant as a teenager with a guy who took advantage of her. She'd never wanted to be a mother, at least not that early on in life, but she'd been forced by the singular spark of humanity she had in her not to abandon him completely.
It wasn't his fault what had happened to her when she was young, and it wasn't like he chose to be the burgeoning suffocation she spent her entire life running away from. If anything, she knew deep down that for his sake, she should have hunkered down and simply been a better mother. Besides retaining most of his father's asshole genes, she was probably the sole reason he was not very adequate as a person.
She nearly cried in thankfulness when their pilot told them over the intercom to buckle up and prepare for landing. Keith's eyes lingered on hers for a minute while she pretended to have completely forgotten what he said and buckled herself up. When he finally turned around, she let out a large breath.
Glancing over, she watched as Val gripped her seat and pressed her head against the back of it, the muscles in her neck straining as she obviously fought to keep herself calm during the turbulence of landing. Snapping her head away, she sighed again and slightly regretted agreeing to go on the trip.
Diana found herself walking behind the girl again as the four walked towards a truck driven by a Fijian woman who was waiting for them with a smile. Diana smiled, not at the woman but rather at the way that Val, who was so short she could see straight over her, turned around and yelled, "Moce!" at the pilot and waved goodbye to him, giggling as he waved back.
Once they piled their luggage in the large truck, the driver set off for the side of the resort they were staying at. Diana chose to sit alone up front this time, with the three younger people squished in the backseat.
"It's so beautiful here!" Val exclaimed when they began driving along a sandy road right next to a beach with dazzling white sand and clear turquoise waters. Everything felt so magical, from the jungle-encircled mountain that dove down and formed a crescent-shaped beach, to the way the entire island seemed like a gem sticking up in the middle of the blue ocean.
The wind blowing in her hair from the doorless and windowless truck made her want to shriek ecstatically. The sun in the cloudless sky reflected onto the sand and bounced back a bit harshly into her eyes, but she loved it.
They finally arrived on the south side of the island, and the driver stopped the truck in front of a private beach where a set of Fijian villas sat between the jungle and the ocean. The water that lapped up on shore was pretty close to where the villas started.
"Welcome to the Plantation Villas," the driver said as she turned off the engine and hopped out of the vehicle.
Val carefully stepped out after her, her shoes digging into the sand and causing her to grin. She looked out at the ocean, utterly surprised at how crystal clear the water was as it rolled up, yet when it was pulled back out to sea, it turned into a heavenly turquoise.
"You have all the villas to yourself, and you also have your very own buggy right over there." The guide pointed to a white buggy that sat to the side of the villas. "The keys to it are inside." She turned to the four and watched them take their bags from the back of the truck and pile them onto themselves, Melanie holding the record for most bags out of the four. Once they were all ready and looking at their guide expectantly, she smiled and said, "Let's give you guys a tour inside."
Looking all about themselves in amazement, they followed the woman to the villas with roofs thatched with palm leaves and walls built from a local doga timber. They were obviously made of completely natural and local materials, which added to the Fijian effect.
"These are so pretty," Val breathed to herself as she stared up at a tall palm tree they passed on their way to the villas. Diana behind her seemed to be the only one who heard her.
"This is the infinity pool. It lights up at night, by the way, if you ever find yourself wanting to take a midnight swim," the guide said, gesturing to a blue pool that was surrounded by unlit Tikki torches. "And this is the main area." She opened the front doors, revealing a large room with circular couches.
Val gasped at the beauty of the design of the room, being an interior design nerd. The off-white furniture had free-flowing curves that accentuated the palms standing in the corners and the dark brown walls of the room. Metallic tables with coffee pots added a modern streak to it that she enjoyed.
"To get to the dining room, bedrooms and baths, you walk through the garden here," the guide explained as she opened a set of doors at the back of the large room, showing a walkway encircled by low-lying palms and beautiful magenta and scarlet flowers that made Val smile. The guide led them down the walkway that opened onto a bundle of huts. "The larger hut in the middle is the dining room, and the huts around it are the bedrooms, each accompanied with their own en suite baths."
"Is there room service?" Keith brusquely asked, walking up behind Val and snaking his arm around her waist.
"Yes, you have the personal Tao that live in some villas right across there." She loosely pointed towards the east. "Their number is in the guest information packet in the main room. You can call them any time of the day to bring you food cooked by our gourmet chefs, or you can explore the rest of the island and visit the restaurants that we offer."
Keith nodded, pouting his lips and glancing around almost carelessly. "Sweet."
Val's eyes lost their glint of excitement as she stood stiff under his hold, averting her eyes to the side and hoping he wouldn't be up her ass the entire trip. Thankfully, he released her and began walking to the bedroom hut on the very far right. She dreaded sharing a room with him.
Diana strolled over to the bedroom hut on the very far left, entering it as if she already knew she was going to like it. Val assumed she probably wanted to be on the very opposite side of Keith and herself. Melanie then strolled to another hut on the right side, leaving Diana all by herself on the left. It made Val feel sad, but she figured Diana probably liked it best that way.
"Enjoy your stay," the guide said to her since she was the only one still standing there, giving the girl a nod that was somewhat knowing.
Val smiled at her as she walked away, calling a cheerful, "Thank you!" before the guide waved and left the villas.
Turning around and gazing at the bedroom hut Keith had walked into, the door was wide open. She let her eyes fall over to Diana's hut where the door was closed.
Chewing her lip, she reluctantly turned and made her way into her and Keith's hut to set her luggage down.
***
"We can call the Tao in the morning for breakfast. I'm too tired right now," Keith mumbled as he and Val entered the dining area, where there was a fridge, a microwave and a pantry stocked with dry goods. Melanie was already passed out in her room, and Val assumed that Diana was probably roaming around somewhere or being a recluse in her room.
"That's fine," Val replied as she opened the pantry door and gazed up at the different foods. There was a variety of American and Fijian items. "I just want a snack, anyways."
"I can never eat right after traveling," the boy said, the end of his sentence widening in unison with his mouth by a monstrous yawn. "I think I may just go to sleep."
"Okay," Val mumbled a bit distractedly as her eyes searched the pantry for something appetizing.
Keith ruffled his hair, eyes hooded from his sleepiness, before approaching Val from behind and wrapping his arms around her. "Goodnight," his deep voice murmured before he pressed his lips against her cheek.
Stifling a wince, Val forced "Goodnight." between her teeth as she stiffly concentrated on the pantry. Her focus was feigned, for she simply wanted Keith to take a hint and leave. Which he did, letting his hands linger as they slid off her waist. He backed up, turning before exiting the dining room to go to their bedroom.
She let out an audible breath once he was gone, eyelids meeting eyelashes in a flinch of pure relief. The room was now entirely silent besides her gentle breaths, and it gave so much room for her swelling thoughts and anxieties. She was growing ill of pretending so often, of the mask covering her face constantly and the always forged tone of her voice. She felt like she was a mascot inside a costume that she couldn't get out of.
The only thing that slightly alleviated her palpitating heart was when her eyes caught sight of a familiar blue package sitting on the very top shelf of the pantry. As she stepped back to get a better view, she saw the word Cookies written on the side.
Her breaths shallow from excitement, she grinned joyously and reached up for the Oreos, stretching up on the very tips of her toes and reaching her fingers as far up as they could go.
"Bitch," she breathed in frustration as she tried to stretch herself further, but her fingertips were a good half foot away from the cookies.
She was about to grab one of the chairs from the dining table and use it as a stool when suddenly she felt warmth behind her, making her jump in fear. A lean but toned arm appeared from behind her, and a slender hand grabbed the cookies with ease, slowly bringing them down from the shelf.
Leaning down from her tiptoes, Val carefully turned around to see Diana standing there, emerald eyes darkened by the evening dusk, a shadow of a smirk casting on her lips. She stared down at the girl in amusement, eyebrow perking as she gestured the retrieved cookies towards her.
Looking down at the cookies and trying to control how deeply her cheeks blanched, Val's mouth opened as she took the package from her. "Oh, um, thanks," she mumbled, glancing up at the tall woman who was standing pretty close to her.
"My pleasure," Diana smoothly murmured, her eyes lingering on the girl with some ineffable expression before she turned and walked towards the fridge.
Standing frozen with the cookies in her hand, Val watched the woman take a water bottle from the fridge. "You're not going to eat anything?" she asked in a much shyer tone than she intended to.
Closing the fridge, Diana's emerald eyes met her again with a glint of amusement. "I don't really eat after flying."
Immediately realizing that Keith and Diana both shared that little quirk, Val looked down at her feet and chewed her lip to keep from smiling at the irony. Walking to the dining table with her cookies in hand, she looked back at the woman who was still watching her. "You should eat something."
Taking a sip from the water, Diana watched the girl take a seat at the head of the dining table, even going to the trouble of pushing herself up under the table as if she was sitting down for a nice meal. Then she tore open the package of cookies. "Oh, and I assume your dinner consisting of sugary cookies is more nutritious than no dinner at all?"
Val glanced up at the woman whose velvety voice was edged with sarcasm, that same glint glazing her intense orbs. "Yes, actually," she retorted, taking a cookie from the package. "It has..." She stared at it blankly, trying to think of any good nutrients it contained. "Fats. The good kind."
"The saturated kind," Diana quickly corrected her with a smirk, slowly sauntering to the other head of the table, pulling the chair out, and taking a seat.
"Leave me alone," Val mumbled playfully before taking a timid bite of the cookie.
The woman set her water down before running a hand through the top of her copper hair and tugging slightly, letting her arm stretch while she did it. "I could, but do you really want to be sitting at a dining table in the dark eating cookies by yourself?"
The girl looked at her, and there was a moment. The moment strung in the air was indescribable, yet it was immensely tangible all the same. They stared across the table, both donning a half-smile and a twinkle in their eyes at the sense of humor they both shared. Val had to restrain a wide grin, for she wasn't used to talking to people who shared her humor, given that Keith lacked any and Melanie was a bit too crude sometimes. The moment between them was the moment when two people
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