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Twenty-Two

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"Not that one, it looks like a weird fish," Paige whined, making the whole crowd erupt in laughter.

After the incident with Amanda, April and Paige had gone a different way with Malia's punishment. Instead of reporting it like they had intended, they decided to be adults instead, which meant using the situation to blackmail Malia into leaving the island with her parents. They didn't want her around them anymore than she had wanted to stay, anyway.

While Malia and the rest of the parents packed their things up, April talked Shawn into hooking them up with one of his friends, who rented out surfboards. She and Paige may have had to flirt to obtain reasonable prices, but they'd landed a good bargain. All that was left now was the choices.

They stood at the busy shore, watching the boys model the different kinds before they made their decision on which they would pay for.

April was in frayed, blue jean shorts under a cropped, white bikini top. She hadn't yet made up her mind about swimming or surfing.

Amanda, after a little persuasion, had thrown away her 'modest Mandy mode' and was showing her curves off in a white, two piece bikini. Nathan wasn't complaining.

Paige went with a green tube top and army shorts. With her hair in pigtails and Nathan's sunglasses as an accessory, she looked like a model, or at least April thought so.

Javier hadn't come out with them, even though he'd promised to catch up later. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that his intention was to clean up the mess in the kitchen, since Malia was most likely to bail on it. He could've easily left it for her to clean whenever she could, but April knew he'd gone back to clean it because he was weary of getting blamed for the mess.

"Hey O'Neil," Shawn greeted, draping his arm over her shoulders.

She chuckled and rolled her eyes at his TMNT joke. "Hey Mendes," she greeted back. "Where's Axel?"

"Avery," he corrected.

April snorted, Amanda laughed too, despite all her apparent restraint.

"Why is that name so funny?" He asked, throwing his hands up. "What kind of inside joke is this?"

"Okay, okay, so some time ago, I dated this jersey guy—It wasn't serious though."

"I think I could have guessed that part," he chipped in, earning himself a smack in the gut from April.

"Anyway, his name was Avery. Paige thought he seemed like a sissy so she nicknamed him 'Ovary'. It was an inside joke, by the way. Amanda thought it was rude, I just thought it was funny.

"One day in AP bio, we were dealing with reproductive systems so I accidentally answered a question and I said 'Avery' instead of 'Ovary' and then everyone started laughing cause Paige yelled 'Correct, right Ovary?'"

"What the—"

"Instant breakup! He texted me right away 'we're done'. I didn't mind, he got his phone confiscated, plus detention alongside Paige and me so the joke was on him."

"Literally," Amanda added, making them all laugh again.

"Okay, I'm done. We're ready!" Paige yelled from where she was. Amanda hurried to get a board while Shawn started talking to one of his friends.

April turned around to find something too and smiled when she caught sight of Javier from a distance. He—unlike the other guys around—had a beach print shirt on.
When he saw April, he grinned and turned to her direction. She also quickened her feet till they met in the middle.

"Are you joining us or what?" She asked him, not resisting the smile on her face as she spoke.

He shook his head. "There's still a bit of work to do, I'm just taking a break to see about...everyone."

April's heart leapt. He had come out to see her, even for a little while. "You're sure you don't need any help?"

"Nah, it's fine. You have fun out here."

She really wanted to come with him. They might sneak in a few moments while they worked. "Are you sure I can't —"

"Klein!" Nathan's voice carried over to them.

He held her shoulder, touching a bit of her hair in the process. "Hey, I'll see you later, okay?"

She had barely managed a nod before he bolted away from her, taking away what had felt like the warm hug of his presence. She blew out air in frustration.

"So...it's no longer complicated?" Shawn asked, turning her around to face him. He was shirtless, with water dripping from his hair to his chest. She hadn't seen him go in the water, but then again, her eyes had only been on Javier.

She shrugged and followed Shawn's gaze to land on Javier, who was now talking with Nathan. "It's... not? I don't even know, to be honest," she answered. "We cleared up a bit of the air."

"Are you back together?" He rephrased with an eye roll.

"Oh! That, erm...no, we're not yet."

"Yet?"

She ducked her head in a light blush. "Get off my case, Shawn."

He grinned and held both her shoulders. "I'm actually happy for you. It's almost like you've finally made up your mind what you want."

She rolled her eyes. "You're not mad, are you?"

"I live on the beach!" He chuckled. "Summer flings are basically the norm. They leave and don't return. When I leave here myself, I'll see much clearer. You weren't really feeling it anyway."

"What makes you think so?"

He scoffed. "Come on. You only went out with me because you didn't want to listen to my cousin talk about Javier. True?"

April was shocked. "You—"

"Asked her why you changed your mind, yeah."

April frowned. "I'm sorry."

"I told you, I get it. I'm happy you're happy. And no, this isn't the part where we part ways forever. I can slip a few smoothies to a few girls and you'd be the last thing I think of."

She rolled her eyes. "Gee. Thanks."

He chuckled. "You're welcome."

•~❉᯽❉~•

Javier was in the middle of wiping a mustard stain off the counter when footsteps drew his attention. He looked up to see Malia standing at the door, leant on the doorframe. She wore jean shorts and a white top with puffy sleeves.

"Hi."

He nodded and offered her a smile. "Hey."

She walked in and took a seat at the very same counter he'd just finished cleaning, interlocking her fingers on top of it.

"So, I told my mother what happened between me and you, and Nathan and...basically everyone, and she thought it'd be a good idea if I said sorry to April and her...friends."

"You should," he agreed, taking a seat across from her.

"Yeah, probably. I thought I'd start with you, however."

"Me?"

"Yes. And maybe you could tell April I said sorry too? And Amanda and all of them. I'm never talking to Nathan ever again," she said sharply, tracing the lines on the table with her finger.

He folded his arms. "You said you knew how to handle guys...you didn't even need luck to go with it." He narrowed his eyes on her.

She ducked her head in a blush and nodded. "Yeah, well not all guys are worth fighting for. Some are just meant to keep screwing you over."

He shook his head. "Again, not all guys are the same."

"Shawn's cousin's really cute. I might ask her out before I leave. She's coming to NYU in the fall."

He smiled. "Go for it. As long as you'll be happy. And don't try to kill or manipulate her. None of that."

"Since when you an expert on relationships?" She scoffed. "For all I know, you're still playing April."

"I'm not playing her, Malia."

"So you want to tell me you came back here and you've suddenly developed the hots for the very same girl who dumped your ass over the phone and then proceeded to date every guy in the universe?" She shook her head.

He gulped. "We worked things out."

"I don't buy it is all I'm saying. If I were you, I'd have gotten revenge."

They sat nodding at each other for a few seconds more, then she stood and pushed the chair back under the table. "Thank you. If April sucker punches you in the gut again, call me. Maybe I'll pick up." she told him, then turned around and walked away.

Why the universe had decided to link his quiet self to egoistic girls, Javier would never understand.

There was April, who had managed (despite her ego) to find her way back into his life, and now Malia, who had somehow become friends with him.

'If April sucker-punched him in the gut'.

If there was anyone punching him that way, it was himself. He wished, just wished his life had been easier, at least he would've been able to match April's energy and be the best guy she deserved.

He wasn't, however.

He was more than grateful when his phone rang, cutting him off from his train of thoughts and dragging his attention back to the floor that needed cleaning. He answered the phone, put it on speaker and tossed it onto the island.

"Hey, Jules," he greeted his sister, grabbing a long handled broom from the corner he'd set it in.

"Hey, kid. Long time no talk, how the hell are you?" He almost sighed on hearing that her voice was preppy and high pitched, meaning she was happy–thank goodness. One thing he'd learnt from all his twenty years of existing is that he did not want to have Juliana Klein crying on him.

"Good, how are you?"

"Ah, I'm amazing! Jon asked me to move in," she wasted no time in announcing.

He couldn't help but huff and run his hand over his face at the thought of his sister moving in with someone again.

"You're going to?"

She chuckled. "Of course I am, silly, I think I'll have a lot more luck this time."

He sighed. "How long have you known him?"

"Two months, but before you judge me, let's get down to you, little brother," she cooed.

He chuckled. "What about me?"

"Okay, so don't get mad, but Dad called yesterday, which is exactly why I'm calling you–" she paused to whisper something to someone off the phone, then laugh and return. "–he wanted me to make sure you're still on for leaving tomorrow."

Ah, yes, there was that. He still hadn't told April that he had to leave the following day. "Why did he call you?"

"Well, he says I'm the best person to put you in check."

"Put me in check? Why and how?"

"He said he's sure you're getting...ideas."

"What ideas?"

"O'Brien's letting his daughter skip college, right?"

He shrugged. "Looks like it."

"Well, that's why you're coming back here tomorrow...so you don't start throwing your own tantrums, cause it seems you're gonna start revolting again."

He fell silent.

"Javier, you there?" Jules asked.

"That's not fair, I can even do both!"

"I know, but I also know Dad, and I'm sure you do too. We'll talk more when you get here, I don't wanna ruin your vacation."

"Too late for that." He sighed and tugged at the roots of his hair. His father could not even let him try.

"How's your April by the way?"

"She's not my April, not yet at least."

"Meaning you're even more brutal than I thought!" Jules cheered. "You're still serious about dumping her?"

"Jul—"

"Cause while that would make you a little asshole, it would also be the first thing you've planned that actually goes through without flopping."

He rolled his eyes at her faith in him, even if she couldn't see him.

"It's still on, isn't it?"

"It's still on," he lied. "Going very well, actually."

"Wow, really! Sounds like you have her eating outta your palm. So which is it? You're gonna tell her to her face or you'll just leave tomorrow without a word?"

"I'm not sure. They're both really good options." He couldn't believe she actually believed it.

"Wow, I'm impressed...well, kinda. I still you're receiving orders from the devil but go easy on her, okay?"

"Jules—" He paused when he heard shuffling by the door.

"But I can't believe you're actually pulling it off!" She laughed. "I thought your little plan wasn't gonna bloom well, I mean what sane person uses their ex for revenge, right? But it's worked for you!"

"Jules can you be quiet? I think someone's —"

He didn't pause this time, he froze. His eyes widened and his heart skipped in shock, because April was standing right at the door frame where Malia was, only she wasn't frowning.