Chapter 1
It’s safe to see I didn’t believe it when I got picked. Everyone’s always stayed away from me, I’ve had zero friends my entire life.
And no parents to find solace in.
Even though I’m Nora Johnson, a seventeen year old entrepreneur.
Creator of the ‘Self-ish Love’ Perfume and ‘Self-ish Love’ cheap therapy business.
Swimsuit Model for K’oreal.
I don’t have any friends.
Everyone gravitates away from me.
Will these new people too?
Sitting on my usual seat in the bus in New York City on the way to a modeling job, I examine the flyer the kind woman handed to me.
It seems sloppily written, but is still legible.
Dear reader,
If you would like to go on a five day vacation to the Keys with seven awesome strangers, enter the auction now.
No cost,
Good lodging
All meals payed for
Party bus
Alcohol
Email [email protected] to enter!
Good luck!.
I suppose that would be fun. But are these ‘seven awesome strangers’ over 21? Because that would be awkward.
And… godcloud.com? Are they kidding me?
Either way, I decide to enter. I email them from my phone with a quick, “I wish to enter this contest. Nora Johnson.”
A few days later, they get back to me.
…………………………………………
A knock is what gets me out of my worn gray bean bag chair.
I open the door to find seven supermodels standing there.
Looks to be three girls, four boys. About my age, maybe older.
The two in front are obviously dating. She’s blonde, with grey eyes, the kind that make her sexy and secretive at the same time. She seems smart, carrying a clipboard. But she’s also dressed in a blue bikini.
All of them are dressed in swim clothes, actually.
Her boy has an arm wrapped around her shoulder, Hawaiian shorts, and stunning sea-green eyes. His hair is dark brown and tousled by a non-existent wind. And those muscles. Those abs.
I think I might swoon.
For a second I just stare at the two, until another pair comes forward. The girl is gorgeous. She has dark skin and hazel eyes, wears a dark green one piece. She’s just not my type. Which is good, because she’s obviously taken by the tall, possibly army man next to her. He is Chinese, and has a buzz cut. He wears matching green swim trunks. His face seems babyish, but he also seems wild, in a way. He has feathers stuck to his pants that he frantically tries to get off.
“Is this the girl?” Hazel asks Sea-Green. He nods.
“I think so, Hazel.” So her name is actually hazel.
“What do you mean?” I question. “Is this for a marketing deal?”
A girl standing behind the others laughs. They turn to look at her as if this isn’t a regular occurrence.
She seems Cherokee, and has a feather in her dark braided hair. I realize that the feather is the same as the one on Army guys pants. I thought he and Hazel were together, maybe not? Her eyes are kaleidoscopes and she wears a purple bikini.
She is beyond beautiful, as I am just noticing. I hope she isn’t dating anyone.
“Pi-Piper, that’s a shocker.” I turn to see a blonde guy with a strange scar on his lip smiling at her warily. He’s wearing a black rash guard and white shorts, but looks to have muscles underneath. He seems basic, although model material.
“She-she thinks we’re models!” Piper bursts out, tears coming from her eyes she’s laughing so hard. They unsurprisingly don’t mess up whatever perfect makeup she has on.
“You… you aren’t?” I know my own worth, I’m hot. I’m a great bathing suit model, with curves and all. I have strange yet attractive silver hair, and dark almost black eyes that I’m told are very alluring. I am a self-taught makeup expert.
But I can’t compare to Piper, or Sea-green.
A Latino boy in duck swim trunks, the only one who hasn’t spoken up yet, grins. “Hear that, kelp-head? She thinks we’re hot.” He is definitely hot. No, he radiates heat.
Sea-green sighs. “Look, we are the people you are going on vacation with.”
So these guys are my seven awesome strangers?
“Introduce yourselves.” I order, feeling a bit cocky today.
Sea-green tells me his name is Percy, and that ‘the love of my life over here!’ is Annabeth.
Strange name.
Army guy is Frank, Blonde is Jason. Basic name, too.
Latino is Leo. Leo. I’m going to make it my mission to hook up with either Leo or Piper, these smoking hot could-be models.
“I’m Nora, but I suppose you already know that.” I tell them.
Jason nods firmly. “We do.” Maybe he was the army guy.
“So… how old are you all?”
Percy clears his throat. “Me and Annabeth are eighteen. Jason, Leo, and Piper are sixteen. Hazel is fifteen, Frank is seventeen. And you?” So Piper and Leo are two years younger. I can work with that.
“You could figure out my address but not my age?”
Leo shrugs, abashed. “Just tell us.”
I roll my eyes. “Seventeen.”
I swear Leo’s eyes light up, and I’m glad.
“So what are we taking?”
Leo grins. “Party bus.”
……………………………….……..
I pack my stuff quickly, changing into a black bikini with a short grey sweater.
The party bus is epic. Disco ball, food and drink bar, all the candy you can eat. Full reclining chairs! Of course, I don’t eat any of the food. I’m on a strict diet. And it doesn’t allow eating at 5 in the morning.
But I will eat later, since the trip takes 22 hours.
“Plenty of time to get to know each other!” Hazel claimed when I questioned her on why we weren’t taking a much faster airplane.
“But I can hail my own private jet!” I had complained.
She looked at me strangely. The others did too. I forgot that since they somehow weren’t models, and were considered ‘teens’, they probably didn’t have a private jet.
Now I sit in a seat next to Percy, while the rest of them dance to Hips Don’t Lie. “How did you all meet?”
He laughs. “Summer camp.”
Strange answer. But I’m sure this will be a very interesting trip.



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