--------------------- Mauritius, Waldorf Astoria ---------------------

We started walking toward the sunbeds. For some reason, Nadia and Chloé ran ahead of me, like they were in a hurry. When I finally got there, I realized they had left me with the only empty sunbed, and it was right next to Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos FREAKIN' Junior! My face turned red, and I wished the ground would open up and swallow me whole at that very moment.

Since they had already thrown their towels down on the other beds, there was no way I could get out of this without causing a scene. I didn't want to make things more awkward than they already were, so I took a deep breath and just set my towel and tote bag down like it was no big deal. But as I did, I felt it—the feeling of a certain pair of eyes on me, staring me down like he was studying everything about me. I swear, it was like he was examining what I was wearing, how I looked, and everything in between. I tried to keep my cool, but I couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling.

I tried my best to stay calm, grabbed my sandals, and took off my cover-up. I walked toward the water, joining Nadia and Chloé as we started chatting and laughing, anything to distract me from the fact that he was still there. We splashed around in the pool, talking about random stuff, but my mind kept drifting back to him. I didn't want to admit it, but I could feel his eyes on me again, even though I was doing my best to ignore him.

Before long, Mekky, Cris, and Nawaf made their way into the water. Of course, Cris followed them.

In the water we brought a group of girls in our grade together to do a chicken fight, but since we're a trio Nadia volunteered to mingle and search for a pair other than Chloé or me. Once we all had pairs we all started agreeing on how this game would work so we decided to do a single elimination tournament (basically meaning that participants are eliminated after a single loss, and the winner is the last one standing). 

Everyone was trying their hardest to knock the other team into the water. The pool was full of splashes, laughter, and cheering.

Nadia's team went first, and she looked ready to win. Her partner, a tall girl from another class, Candice, seemed perfect for the job.  We yelled "Go!", and they rushed forward! Nadia's team almost fell, but with a final push, they knocked their opponents into the water.

"YES!" Nadia cheered, high-fiving her partner. Chloé and I clapped, while already thinking about how we'd beat them if we played later.

The matches were fast and exciting. Chloé and I had a tough first round but we stayed steady and won.

Soon, it was the final match, Nadia and Candice against Chloé and me.

"This is it," I said. "May the best pair win!"

Nadia replied. "I hope you're both ready to drink pool water!"

"She was literally being nice bro," Chloé added giggling.

A few boys gathered to watch. We both pushed and shoved, trying to knock the other into the pool. The water splashed everywhere as we fought to stay upright.

Then, Candice made a strong shove. Chloé wobbled, and I felt us tipping.

"Bro, Aliyah hold on!" Chloé yelled, gripping my arms. We tried to push back, but they were too quick. With one last move, they knocked us into the pool with a huge splash.

Everyone cheered and laughed as we surfaced the water, soaking wet. "Ugh," Both Chloé said in unison as we rolled our eyes.

"Looks like we're the champions of the chicken fights!" she shouted, raising her arms. Her partner gave her a high-five.

"You're built like a fucking tank! No wonder it was so easy for you!" I responded.

Chloé laughed. "On my soul! they're like a literal brick wall!"

"Oh, shut up!" Nadia said while flipping us off with her right middle finger.

We all laughed, and someone suggested a second round just for fun, but before we could even agree, the head of our grade suddenly announced that it was time for us to start bonding through beach activities within our homeroom groups. Our mentor group got volleyball.

"Alright, let's head out of the pool and dry off with the last five minutes we have before we start the beach activities," I suggested, glancing at Chloé and Nadia.

"But it's cold out there with the breeze, and it's way warmer in here," Chloé whined, hugging herself like she was already freezing. "Yeahhh," Nadia added, slouching against the pool wall, clearly not in the mood to move.

"Ugh," I groaned, rolling my eyes. "The two of you are impossible."

I left the pool alone and headed toward the sunbeds to dry off. I wasn't going to waste time waiting for them to decide. (A/N - Don't worry guys, they aren't beefing)

As I walked towards the sunbeds, I felt a pair of eyes on me. I glanced over, and of course, it was Cris. He was lying on a sunbed with one knee bent, staring at me like he had nothing better to do. His eyes were locked on me like he was studying me, and for a second, I felt something twist in my stomach. It annoyed me, but there was this weird feeling that I couldn't quite explain.

I reached the sunbed, grabbed my towel, and tried to ignore him. "Quit checking me out, you creep," I snapped, my voice sharper than I expected.

"I was not!" Cris defended, sitting up straight like he was offended. "What's your problem?"

"Don't even try to play innocent," I shot back, my heart pounding a little faster than I wanted to admit. "You've been staring at me since I got here."

Cris rolled his eyes, looking like he couldn't believe I was calling him out. "Seriously? You think I care about you that much? Maybe you're just being paranoid."

I huffed, crossing my arms. "No, I know you've been looking. Stop acting like you haven't."

He leaned back on the sunbed, smirking, but there was a challenge in his eyes. "I'm not the one who always acts like I'm the centre of attention, am I?"

I glared at him, but for some reason, my heart was racing now. "I'm not the one who can't stop looking at me, though."

There was a pause, and for a moment, it almost felt like he was going to say something different, something that would make my heart skip even more. But then he just scoffed.

"Whatever," he muttered, his smirk still there. "Keep thinking whatever you want."

As I turned away, I couldn't stop thinking about how his words stung, even though I knew he was just trying to get under my skin. I hated how he always got to me, and yet... part of me couldn't help but want more.

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As a homeroom group, we all gathered around the volleyball court on the beach very excited to play. The soft sand felt warm under my feet, and the ocean breeze felt chilly. Everyone was splitting into teams. Cris ended up with Mekky and Nawaf on his team, while I joined Nadia, Chloé, and a couple of other classmates on mine. There was a lot of banter across the two teams as we got ready, but I was determined to play well and beat Cris' ass.

The game started, and there was laughter and competition. Nadia and Nawaf kept exchanging shy smiles across the net, which made me giggle inside. It was cute how they tried to act normal but failed. Chloé and Mekky had their own little rivalry going on.

Then there was Cris. Every time I looked over, he had that same smug smirk, like he knew exactly how to get under my skin. Still, I ignored him and focused on the game.

The match started, and it was intense. Everyone was laughing, diving for the ball, and yelling out for plays. But then it happened. Cris spiked the ball hard, aiming it directly at me. It slammed into my shoulder, and I lost my balance. Stumbled, twisting my ankle awkwardly as I fell onto the sand with a sharp gasp. Pain shot through my arm and ankle, and tears stung my eyes before I could stop them.

"Aliyah!" Nadia and Chloé rushed over, helping me sit up.

Chloé gave him a sharp look but focused her attention back on me. "Aliyah, does it hurt a lot?" she asked softly.

I nodded weakly, wincing as I tried to move. My shoulder throbbed, and my ankle hurt even worse.

"It was an accident," Cris said quickly, but it sounded more defensive than apologetic.

"Are you kidding me?" Nadia snapped, glaring at him. "You didn't even try to avoid her!"

The teacher supervising the activity rushed over and decided it was best to have me checked out. Chloé and Nadia helped me up and supported my balance and before I knew it, I was being taken to the hotel doctor. After a quick examination, the doctor said that there was just a very minor sprain in my ankle, and recommended that I rest for the remainder of the day.

Back at our villa, Nadia and Chloé helped me settle in before they went to freshen up. Once they were done, they requested for a buggy and started heading out to get some snacks from the hotel cafe.

"We'll check on you later," Nadia promised, giving me a soft smile.

"Text us if you need anything!" Chloé added as they left.

I was lying on my bed, trying to distract myself from the ache in my shoulder and ankle, when there was a knock at the door. Before I could respond, it opened, and Cris stepped in, looking... hesitant.

"What do you want?" I asked flatly, not even bothering to sit up.

"I came to check on you," he said, closing the door behind him. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I said shortly, turning my head away.

There was an awkward silence before he spoke again. "Why do you hate me so much?"

I blinked blankly, caught off guard by the question. "What?"

"You heard me," he said, his voice quieter now. "Why do you hate me? I mean, I know I'm not the best, but you act like I'm the worst person alive."

I sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "I don't hate you, Cris. I just... I've lost all my respect for you."

He looked surprised. "Why?"

"Because of the way you treat me," I said honestly. "One minute, you're doing something nice, like carrying my bags or helping me out, and the next, you're insulting me or I don't know, acting like I'm some kind of joke and spiking a fucking volleyball at me. I don't understand you, and it's exhausting."

Cris didn't say anything for a moment. He just stared at me, like he was thinking hard about what I said. Then he let out a small sigh. "I don't mean to act like that," he admitted. "I guess... I don't know how to act around you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, blinking confusedly with furrowed brows.

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "You make me nervous, okay? And sometimes I say stupid things because of it. I'm sorry if I've hurt you."

His words caught me off guard. For once, he sounded sincere.

I didn't know what to say, so I stayed quiet. After a moment, Cris gently nudged my shoulder. "You should lie back. You'll hurt yourself more sitting up like that."

There was a long pause, and then, without really thinking about it, I leaned back on the bed, resting my head on his lap. He didn't say anything, but after a few moments, I felt his fingers gently running through my hair. It felt weirdly comforting, and for the first time in a while, I didn't feel so angry at him.

"Why are you being nice now?" I mumbled.

He chuckled lightly. "Maybe I'm finally figuring out how to treat you."

Maybe Cris wasn't so bad after all... or maybe I just wanted to believe that, I thought as I drifted off to sleep.

↜-------------------------------------↝

A/N

Hello!!

Here's the chapter like I promised and it is 2,000 words+

I hope you all enjoyed this one cause I know I did!

Creds to brentfaiyaz4evr  for their brilliant idea of Cris saying something mean to Aliyah and feeling guilty about it later on (I tweaked it a bit if you don't mind, Instead he hurts her physically rather than verbally), and vitaliia2000000  for their spectacular idea of Cris playing with Aliyah's hair while she rests her head on his laps and falls asleep! Thank you!

<3,

Words - 2,102