( 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙁𝙊𝙐𝙍𝙏𝙀𝙀𝙉. )
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STUMBLING INTO THE ROSEWOOD HOUSEHOLD, Jaylene immediately rolled her eyes at the handful of people scattered around the living room. Most of them were helping her stepmother get ready for Midsummers and others were just making a complete mess out of the house that had been tidy before their arrival. She had never quite understood why the party was such a huge deal to the people on figure eight. It was a night in which they allowed their arrogance to be shown to the public eye. They might as well wave around the tons of hundred dollar bills their pockets hold.

When she was younger, she enjoyed getting dressed up in a puffy dress that made her feel like a princess, but back then she wasn't aware that Midsummers was nothing but a pathetic excuse to flaunt all the money the residents on the wealthier side of the island obtained.

And to make matters worse, while the kooks were to celebrate later that night, the residents on the cut were still dealing with the drastic aftermath of hurricane Agatha. They'd been left without power since the hurricane struck, and they wouldn't be granted generators due to the lack of income that was received.

"Hey. Did you eat breakfast at the Smith's?" Her fathers voice caused her to grow even more annoyed as he stepped into the living room, adjusting the collar of his button up as he stepped closer to his daughter. This time, she'd thought ahead and asked Andrea to cover for her while she was off in Chapel Hill searching for her mothers belongings. She didn't know how he believed her lies, but it worked and that was all that mattered.

"No. I figured I'd just come home and eat a snack." She brushed shoulders with him as she walked past him, wanting nothing more than to get upstairs and into her room. She did want to confront him about everything she'd discovered, but she wanted to get cleaned up first. Hotels always made her feel gross.

"Whatcha got in the box?" Henderson raised a brow up at Jaylene, curiously staring at the box that was tightly gripped in the brunettes arms. The name Marleen H.R. that was written in black permanent marker was facing Jaylene's stomach, not allowed to be seen by the public.

Jaylene thought for a few seconds, hoping a convincing lie would manage to spew from her lips. And it did. "Just some stuff I left over there when Jason and I were still together." Even she was surprised with how honest her response sounded. She was a horrible liar to begin with, but she'd managed to convince him that she was in fact telling the truth.

"We're leaving at six. Be ready before that." He planted a kiss on her cheek, unable to see the death glare she sent in his direction at the action. He had no idea how chaotic and heartbreaking that night would end up being, but for now, the Rosewoods would continue being the picture perfect family that everyone knew them as.

Without a second thought crossing her mind, Jaylene shot her father the fakest smile before rushing up to her room to place the box on top of her bed. Then, she made her way across the hallway and pounded on the wooden door that led into Nathaniel's bedroom. Music was loudly blaring from the speakers he had installed, causing her to roll her eyes before pushing the door open, letting out a sigh of relief that she hadn't walked into something she wasn't supposed to.

"Gross. If smells like every other teenage boys bedroom." She dramatically pinched the bridge of her nose, causing him to throw a pillow in her direction, which she caught and tossed back towards him as she took a seat on the edge of the king sized bed.

"You might find this a bit shocking, but I am a teenage boy." He sarcastically spoke, turning down the volume on the speakers before pulling a shirt onto his body as he got up from the comfortable mattress he'd been laying on for the past few hours. "What do you want? You take the longest out of all of us to get ready for this stupid party."

"There's something you should know. And I know you could care less about mom..." Jaylene trailed off, watching a frown quickly form on the younger boys face as he gave her a serious look.

"What is it with you and your obsession with her?" His tone was cold and bitter as her shot her a harsh glare at the mention of their mother.

"What is it with you being a complete dick towards her?" She mocked her brothers words, using her arms to prop her body up as she sent him a confused glance. "Just because she's dead doesn't change the fact that she brought you into this world. Be a little more respectful."

"I can't care about a woman who I have no memory of, Jay! Has that ever occurred to you? I can't remember her!" He snapped, his voice growing hoarse as he let out a deep sigh, leaning his body against the headboard of his bed. "It's easier to pretend like she never existed than to accept the fact that she's gone and that I'll never truly be able to experience the feeling of having a loving mother by my side. No one can ever fill that void. Ever."

When Jaylene heard those words leave Nathaniel's mouth, she finally understood why he hated the topic so much. Unlike her, he had only been three and some months when their mother passed, meaning he didn't have the slightest clue as to what was going on around his little world at the time. Jaylene could hardly remember memories with the woman. They were mostly small chunks, but she couldn't fully recollect the full on memories of the times she had with Marleen before the blonde faced her death.

"Shit." The guilt stood out in her tone as she muttered the unsophisticated word under her breath. The realization had struck her, and now, she felt like an idiot for how she'd made her brother feel.

Nathaniel could feel how stiff the air had become as he sat had down on the soft mattress, looking down at the expensive rug as he pursed his lips into a thin line. The subject had always been extremely sensitive to him, but he was always too embarrassed to admit it out loud. He too missed Marleen Harrington, and it pained him that he would never get to know her. Not once had he believed the horrible words that were spoken about the woman who had birthed him.

Jaylene let out a deep breath, scooting closer to the frowning boy, sending him an apologetic glance as she gave his shoulder a light squeeze. "I'm sorry for never taking your feelings into consideration. It never crossed my mind that speaking of her made you feel like that."

Nodding his head, Nathaniel let's out a sigh before beginning to speak. "Do you remember her?"

Jaylene shrugged, removing her hand from his shoulder and placing her head there instead. "Most of the memories I have of her are a blur, but there's one I do remember." She muttered, managing a smile. "Midsummers, 2007. She snuck us away from the party and took us to this diner located in The Cut. We drank milkshakes until our stomachs couldn't handle anymore dairy. And after that, we danced to whatever song played from the jukebox." She blinked a few times, letting the blonde-haired woman make her way into her mind.

"So mom hated Midsummers? Guess all three of us have that in common, huh?" He let out a quiet laugh, nudging Jaylene's side as she chuckled at the obvious fact.

"Listen, I didn't spend the night at Andrea's place." She began, unable to get a look at the confused look that formed on Nathaniel's face at the revelation. "I took a ferry to the mainland and went down to Chapel Hill. Our grandparents stored some of moms belongings in a storage unit there, so I went to pick up this box. Inside of the box were her journals where she documented parts of her life every now and then..."

"You lied to dad? Hmm, that's new." He sarcastically spoke, earning a playful eye roll in return from Jaylene.

"Lorelei was the maid around here when mom and dad were together." Jaylene informed him, lifting her head from his shoulder to get a look at the shocked look Nathaniel gave her. "Dad cheated on mom with her. She planned on confronting him about it, but she ended up dying that day which means mom was completely stable when she died. It wasn't an overdose. Something else happened that day, and someone's trying to hide the truth."

Silence quickly engulfed the two siblings, neither really knowing what to say. Nathaniel was clearly shocked at the truth, but Jaylene was still trying to solve the mystery around Marleen's death. She could sense how disappointed Nate was with their father, and she could also sense the rage he felt for their stepmother.

Jaylene didn't know what she expected him to say, but it certainly wasn't relatively close to the words that left his mouth. "What now?"

The brunette clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, flashing her brother a serious look. "We find out what the hell actually happened that day. And we start off by exposing this family for what it truly is. A facade that's been put up for far too long."

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THE REFLECTED IMAGE OF HERSELF made Jaylene feel uneasy as she tucked her curled hair behind her ears, deeply sighing as she grazed her fingers against the champagne colored satin cowl midi dress that adorned her thin body. The dress flattered her body extremely well, and she felt beautiful wearing it, but the last thing she wanted to do was stand by her fathers side as he received a medal for his new business deal he'd just sealed a few days ago. Not to mention how uncomfortable the gold-colored heels were on her feet.

She had already braced herself for the long night that awaited her, but she didn't know how she was supposed to get through it when she couldn't even build up the courage to walk out of the Island Club with the rest of her family who was impatiently waiting for her. The two adults thought she was worried about her appearance, but Nate knew that she was under deep distress due to the amount of spotlight that would be placed on her in just a couple seconds. It would be their first public appearance as a family after her so called suicide attempt.

Jaylene adjusted the strap on her heel before giving herself a nod as she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat from all the overthinking she'd done in those few minutes that she had been stood in front of the full body mirror. The spotlight she'd receive once she walked out of those doors would be nothing compared to the spotlight that would be on her later that night.

"Okay. Let's get this shit done with." She gave the three a thumbs up, receiving a scold in return from her father due to her fowl language.

As the four walked out into the crowded patio, Jaylene forced a smile onto her face, fighting the urge to roll her eyes at the obnoxious clapping that erupted at the sight of the Rosewood family. It was like they'd forgotten all the shit they talked behind Jaylene's back while she was away at a rehab center for the past six months of her teenage life. Although, she did notice some people give her dirty glances, but she decided to pretend like she hadn't caught them in the act. They weren't worth her time.

"Hey." A familiar voice pulled her from her thoughts as the clapping stopped, letting everyone go back to what they'd been doing before the family made their grand entrance. "You look good." The eldest Smith sibling complimented his former girlfriend.

"I sure hope so. I just spent the past four hours getting ready for this." She managed to crack a smile, hoping that the two would be able to form a friendship despite everything that had occurred. The last thing she needed right now was a bitter ex-boyfriend. "Look, Jason, I know I've said this before, but I really am sorry for the way I ended things between us. I wasn't in a good place at the time and I wasn't thinking straight. But I need you to understand that I don't want a relationship right now." The words freely fell from her glossed lips as she looked up at him. What she wanted to say was that she didn't wanna be in a relationship with him in particular, but she didn't want him to go off on her in front of everyone. Especially not in front of his parents who were currently congratulating her father on his newest achievement.

Before the brunette could reply, his younger sister nudged her way in between the former couple, placing both her hands on Jaylene's shoulders as she admired her best friend. "Look at you! You look absolutely stunning!" The brown-eyed girl gawked at the oldest Rosewood sibling.

"Me? Look at you! You look gorgeous as per usual!" Jaylene looked the girl up and down, smiling with her shiny teeth.

"Jason, can we get some privacy here?" Andrea sent her brother a demanding look, acting as if it wasn't her who had interrupted the serious conversation that two had been having before her arrival.

"I'll find you later." Jaylene sent the boy an apologetic look, receiving a hesitant nod in return before he walked towards his friends who were stood a few feet away from them.

Immediately, a serious look replaced the happy look on Andrea's face as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Now that he's gone, mind explaining why you were in Chapel Hill of all places in the world? And why'd I have to cover for you."

Jaylene looked surprised as her mouth formed an 'o' shape. "How the hell did you know that? Are you like secretly tracking me?"

"You shared your location with me freshman year. I had completely forgotten about it until yesterday that I checked." Andrea informed her, slapping the girls bare shoulder which caused her to yelp in pain.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" Jaylene reached to slap Andrea's shoulder as well, but the girl quickly backed up before her hand could even graze the tan piece of skin. "I didn't tell you because I was out adventuring. Incase you haven't noticed, this place is suffocating."

"Adventuring, huh? With who? John B.?" She raised her brows upwards, earning herself a deep sigh in return.

"Why would I be out adventuring with him? We're just friends." Jaylene rolled her eyes in response while Andrea stifled back a chuckle.

Andrea ignored the irritated look that was set on Jaylene's face as her lips curled up into a smirk. "I never insisted that he was anything more than that. I was simply asking."

The Rosewood girl realized that she'd managed to tangle herself up in a situation that she most certainly didn't wanna be involved in, causing her to loudly gulp in order to form a proper sentence. "Oh, screw you! Have I ever told you that you're like a pesky little fly constantly buzzing around my ears annoying the crap out of me?" She began to back up, wanting to be as far away from Andrea as she possibly could before the girl could begin taunting her.

"I love you too!" Andrea blew a kiss in Jaylene's direction, quietly chuckling at the deep state of denial that Jaylene couldn't make her way out of.

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WHEN NIGHT FINALLY APPROACHED all the kooks who were celebrating away, Jaylene was stuck in an uncomfortable situation with a member of a society who helped arrange the debutantes in the Island Club. She hated the thought of having to be formally be introduced to the public as a mature woman and then waltz the night away as if there weren't other important issues in the world to take care of. Unlike some of the other girls on the island who had been impatiently waiting for the day they'd become a debutant, Jaylene had always loathed the idea of having to fit the standards that society thought were right. It was all about acceptance.

However, considering that her fathers side of the family had generation of debutants, she knew that there was no possible way she'd be able to get out of it despite all her efforts. It was a family tradition that they wouldn't allow to die with her.

So Jaylene simply smiled and nodded at the woman as she continued educating her on the true meaning behind debutante and how much they'd love for her to be a part of the coming out celebration that would be hosted that upcoming fall. It didn't interest her at all, but she didn't wanna be completely rude, so she decided to pretend like she actually gave a damn for the woman's sake.

"That sounds really, really fun, Mrs. Antilly. Would it be possible if I were to just email you one of these days for the important details about it? I'm sure my father would be thrilled." Jaylene glanced around the deck, searching for a particular blonde-haired boy in the sea of people that surrounded the large area. They were either in conversations with another person, dancing, or drowning themselves in the alcohol that was being served. "Can you just excuse me? I really need to use the bathroom." She quickly came up with a lie, receiving a polite nod in return which was enough for her to make her way towards Rafe Cameron who had just walked out of the club.

But before she could get far, a familiar boy snuck up behind her, causing her to jump in surprise at the sudden appearance that JJ Maybank had made. He was dressed in a similar outfit as the rest of the waiters, which made her question what the hell he was up to. He was on kook territory, making him prey to the rest of the snobby rich kids who were scattered all around. It was incredibly stupid on his behalf to sneak into the place where pogues weren't invited let alone wanted.

"What the actual hell, JJ! Someone realizes you snuck in here and they'll have your head on a stake!" Jaylene snapped, giving the boy a light shove as he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.

JJ chose to ignore the obvious facts that Jaylene was spitting, and instead, he handed her the handwritten note. "From John B." He informed her, continuing to try and play his role as a waiter so that no one would get suspicious, but he'd already been spotted by particular kooks who had a target on his back. "Make sure you aren't followed." He whispered in a not so secretive voice before leaving the girls side once again, allowing her to read the words on the small piece of paper that had been handed to her.

Meet me at the bag drop. Have something to tell you. - John with the unnecessary B.

A smile curled onto Jaylene's lips as she folded the piece of paper back up before looking around. When she thought no one was looking, she snuck off towards the side of the island club where John's back was turned, looking towards the ocean as the waves crashed against one another.

"Hi." She snapped him from his thoughts, interlocking her hands together as she flashed him a smile and walked towards him. "You two are complete morons for coming to the one place where you're literal prey to everyone around here." Jaylene commented on their stupidity.

"Wow." He breathed out at the sight of the Rosewood girl who was all dressed up. She was glowing like an angel would, makeup covering her face which hid the acne scars that she was always extremely insecure about.  The