Page 23

“What, and be all buddy-buddy with her after she was awful to you?” Francesca asks.

“We probably aren’t going to be best friends now, sure. But I’m not exactly looking for opportunities to make enemies,” I say.

Francesca thinks about it, then gets to her feet. “Nope. I’m gonna ask her to explain herself.”

“Whoa, what?” I ask, scrambling after her. Lauren and Kim grab their drinks and follow suit. “No, come on. We’re having fun. Why ruin it?”

“Because I have experience with bullies,” Francesca says, marching down the hall. “If you don’t call it out at the start, it escalates until it’s too big to squash. She’ll probably start slagging you on camera if you give her an inch.”

I look at Lauren, the great pacifist, pleadingly.

Come on. Where are those de-escalation skills we’ve all come to know and love over the last thirty minutes?

Anything?

She frowns and tips her head from side to side like she’s weighing up the options. “I don’t thinkthat’snecessarily fair. But, you know, Francesca’s probably right. Getting it out in the open will give us all a chance to start fresh on the right foot.”

We reach the foot of the stairs and hesitate, looking to Francesca for direction.

“She said she wanted to try out the pool, didn’t she?” Kim asks.

“Yes, the pool!” Francesca cries, making a beeline for the door.

“I don’t want her to think I was bitching about her,” I protest as we burst into the glare of the afternoon sun.

“You weren’t bitching about her,” Francesca says. “You were just factually telling us some factual things that factually happened.”

“We’ll tell her it wasn’t bitching,” Lauren assures me.

Somehow, I’m not comforted.

We find Maya on the pool loungers, lying next to Perrie.They’re giggling about something, apparently already the closest of friends.

Even though Jordy had warned me Maya’s rage would be directed at me, personally, seeing this still stings. “Hi, Maya,” Francesca says, storming straight up to her. I’m honestly glad Francesca’s on my side, if only because I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that tone on the first day. It makes Maya’s attitude seem positively tame. “How are you? What’s up with you and Skye? She said you were a massive bitch to her.”

“But she wasn’t bitching about you,” Lauren jumps in.

Wow, ten out of ten, everybody, wonderful work. I have the sudden, overwhelming urge to fling myself in the pool and refuse to resurface.

“Uh, hi,” Maya says, her eyes darting to me. They narrow as they lock onto mine, and my heart skips a beat. “You’re just jumping straight into it.”

“I don’t like small talk,” Kim says.

“Right, right.” Maya and Perrie exchange a meaningful glance. Why do I have a sinking feeling that Maya has already turned Perrie against me? What did Jordy say? Something about her being extremely convincing and manipulative?

Maya gives us a weak smile, and I notice she’s steadfastly avoiding my gaze. “I don’t think Skye wants to have this conversation in front of everyone.”

As far as threats go, it’s so thinly veiled it might as well be naked.

“Oh, right,” Francesca says, smiling. It’s rather terrifying. Like the sickly sweet smile of an assassin before they strike the killing shot. “You’re so thoughtful. But Skye’s here, so I think we’re good to go?”

“Actually,” Perrie says to Maya, “I wanted to go show youthat, um, thing I was telling you about inside, Maya. Maybe we can revisit this later?”

“I’m sure it can wait thirty seconds,” Francesca says firmly.

“Skye knows what she did,” Maya says. “I haven’t gotten an apology from her, yet. So, unless she’s ready to give me one, I don’t see anything for the group to discuss.”

“Apologize?” I repeat, incredulous. “Apologize forwhat? You’re the one who should be apologizing here.”