Nathan sits next to us, bringing one hand to his head.
"Why won't my head stop hurting?" he lets out a small grunt.
"Are you even asking?" Gregory furrows his brow and laughs. "You drank so much that you got tired of drinking."
"But I didn't even drink that much. Not as much as you two," he pointed to Hannah and Gregory. "So why am I the only one whose head feels like it's going to explode?" he complained.
"That's called alcohol tolerance, my friend. Something your body doesn't recognize," Gregory mocks.
"That's unfair!" he complains and falls back, lying on the grass.
I looked around, seeing all the people who came to the island outside the cabin. Except for one.
"Did any of you see Samantha?" I asked intrigued. I hadn't seen her since last night.
"She was still lying down when I left the room," Hannah replied.
"Maybe she's feeling so guilty for what she did that she decided not to show her face," Gregory said ironically.
"No, of course not! My sister isn't like that," Hannah refuted. "She must be having a really bad hangover."
"What's going on?" Benjamin speaks up as he sits next to Hannah and Nathan.
"We're just enjoying this beautiful day, after a lively night," Gregory smiles ironically.
"Others feel like their head is exploding!" Nathan retorts with his voice muffled by his arm covering his face, preventing the sun's rays from directly hitting his eyes.
"Is he okay?" Benjamin asks innocently.
"He's just feeling the side effects of a night of pure drunkenness," Gregory continues to enjoy Nathan's situation. "And you, Benjamin? I think you were the only one of us who didn't drink. Even Alice, despite saying she wouldn't drink, gave in deeply to the irresistible desire to try something we call alcohol."
Gregory seemed more excited than usual.
"I'm not much of a drinker. Let's just say...I'm not someone you guys would like to see drunk."
"I think we'd like it the same way," Hannah replied, looking at him dryly, which made Gregory and me look at each other in mockery of the situation.
"I think this 'we'd like it' boils down to 'I would like it,'" Gregory said sarcastically and laughed, which made Benjamin a little embarrassed.
My gaze falls on the other Asian who was watching us from the cabin window, but who moves away when she realizes that I had noticed her presence there. I narrow my eyes, intrigued by Samantha's attitude. I get up from the grass with the intention of going after her.
"Where are you going?" Gregory asked.
I ignore his question and head towards the cabin, passing by Jack, Madelyn, Joshua, and Sarah sitting on the porch like a flash. I enter the house and look for Samantha, finding her in the kitchen.
"What do you think you're doing?"
My question startles her.
"A-Alice? You scared me," she looks at me briefly, turning her attention back to the cereal on the counter.
I raise my eyebrows waiting for her to answer, but she remains with her head down and says nothing.
"What's gotten into you?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"What are you talking about?" she replied.
"You seem like you're avoiding us. Me, actually."
"I'm not avoiding anyone. I just got up."
I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes, analyzing her. She still wouldn't look at me, which was strange for her.
"Why am I not convinced by what you just said?"
"And what did you expect me to say?"
"I don't know. Maybe start by explaining why you invited Joshua?"
Samantha sighed and this time, looked at me.
"I already apologized."
"I remember. But I want to know why you invited him."
"Because... it's your birthday. And... a few days ago, he was the most excited for this day. So, I thought inviting him would be a good idea. But... Jack showed up and ruined everything by bringing Madelyn along."
"And why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"What difference would it make?"
"Big difference! I would have told you whether or not I wanted him here! And it probably would have been the latter, since the whole point of this weekend was not to think about him!"
Samantha looked at me incredulously.
"Why are you being so resentful? Is it all because of Madelyn? Because you can't accept that Joshua had a relapse for her?"
"I'm not being resentful! And it has nothing to do with 'accepting' anything!"
"Then why are you mad?"
"Because you wanted to interfere in my life!"
Samantha's mouth opened in shock at what I had just said. Maybe I had been too harsh with my words. But I was annoyed!
"All this time, I supported you. I stood by your side when you were sad. I gave you advice. And you say I wanted to interfere in your life?" She furrowed her brow, indignant. "You know what, Alice? I think the real problem in your relationship with Joshua isn't Madelyn, it's you! Because you yourself put obstacles in everything!"
Samantha spat out the words, leaving me as indignant as she was.
"Don't talk like you understand everything!"
"I may not understand everything, but it's very clear that you're the one making everything difficult for yourself. And that's something that no one but you can solve, even if Joshua himself tells you hundreds of times that he's completely in love with you!" She walked away from the counter and headed towards the kitchen exit, passing by me. "And you know what?" She stopped in the middle of the door. "I know I was wrong to call him in secret. But at least it was with the goal of getting you two back together, unlike a lot of people who would want to end your relationship for good." She concluded and left the kitchen, leaving me alone, or at least I thought I was.
I turned towards the exit and was startled to see Gregory, Hannah, and Benjamin at the cabin's entrance/exit, looking at me in shock.
"What. Just. Happened. Here?" Gregory spoke up, speaking slowly.
I let out a sigh and shrug my shoulders, feeling a knot form in my throat.
"I'm going to talk to my sister," Hannah announces and leaves the cabin to look for Samantha.
"Are you okay?" Gregory asks as he and Benjamin approach me.
"Why did she say those things?" I inevitably feel tears slide down my face.
"Hey, it's okay. It's okay," Gregory pulls me into a hug. "Samantha has always been explosive. She probably didn't think straight about what she said."
"But she's right. I always make things difficult." My voice sounds muffled against his chest.
"Of course not, Alice. You're just afraid of letting yourself go and ending up being deceived. And we all have that fear too." He moves my face away from his chest and wipes my tears from my cheeks. "Don't pay attention to what Samantha says. She has never even fallen in love for real to know how it feels."
I sniffle and glance at the other person who enters the cabin room.
"Hey, are you okay?" Madelyn asks, approaching us.
"Yeah. Just a fight between friends, nothing serious," Gregory responds.
"I'm sorry," her lips turn downward, as if she's sad for me. "I came to tell you that we're leaving. Joshua's dad called and said they're already in London. So, we need to go back."
"Do you know if... Betty came along?" I ask.
At that moment, I really needed Betty. She was the best advisor I had ever known.
"I don't know. But Joshua can tell you," Madelyn says.
"Who's Betty?" Gregory asks.
"She's like a mother to me. And... she's the person I need the most right now." I almost whisper my last words.
"Do you want to go with them?"
I fall silent, not having an exact answer to give. I really needed to see Betty, but at the same time, I didn't want to abandon my friends in the middle of our trip.
"And leave you guys?"
"We'll survive without you, Alice," he jokes. "I think it's better if you go. The mood isn't so pleasant now. And it's your birthday today. You have to end the day in a happy way." But even so, I wasn't so sure it would end that way.
"But what about my sisters?"
"You know what, Alice?" Madelyn speaks up again. "Jack and I can stay. We didn't enjoy anything last night. And... Joshua is the one who needs to go back home anyway. So..." She shrugs. "We'll go back on the bus with the others."
I smile gratefully at Madelyn's willingness.
I nod my head and make a decision. I was going to go back to London. I needed to see Betty more than staying in a place where I knew the mood would become even more dreadful, since I would have to be close to someone who might not want to be close to me.
"Could you tell Joshua about this change of plans?"
"Sure," Madelyn smiles and heads outside.
"Thank you, Gregory," I analyze his face, unable to contain the grateful smile on my lips.
"For what?"
“Because you are such an amazing friend.”
“Amazing people deserve amazing people.”
I hug him tightly.
“I will pack my things and my sisters' things.”
I say this and walk away, heading to my room to start packing our things.
***
We head outside the cabin. Joshua is already waiting for us to leave.
“Are you really going to leave us?”
Hannah says dramatically, running to give me a hug.
“We'll see each other again tomorrow.”
“Promise me you'll behave while you're away.”
She says and we end up laughing together.
“Have a good trip back, Ali.”
Hannah steps away from me and I get into the car, sitting in the front seat next to Joshua. My sisters get in and we're finally ready to leave.
I wave goodbye to everyone. I see Samantha, the most distant of all, looking at me in a way I couldn't explain, but it certainly wasn't a good thing. She's the only one who doesn't wave back.
Joshua starts the car, heading out of the area where the cabin was.