"Happy birthday dear June! Happy birthday to you!" The traditional song ended, a flurry of overly excited yelling and enthusiastic smile greeting June as she  looked up from her makeshift birthday candle. The joy in her eyes was so abundantly clear and everyone in the group could feel it radiating off of her. She brought a hand up to hold the birthday crown that Tyler had made for her and then she leaned forwards to blow out the small fire on a stick that was stuck in the sand.

"Make a wish!" Shouted John B before she blew it out, and she closed her eyes wishing to see another birthday. She blew and the fire hardly put up a fight. Once it was out JJ practically leapt forwards, his arms wrapping around his girlfriend tightly as they all cheered. Even Kiara could respect that it was Junes birthday, so she put her differences aside and celebrated alongside the people she loved.

"What'd you wish for?" Sarah asked and June immediately shook her  head, all of them starting to walk towards the fire that was preparing their dinner.

"I cant tell you  or it won't come true." She said and Sarah laughed, taking her seat at the circle. If that theory were true then June wanted to  keep her mouth shut about it forever.  However she did clear her throat, standing from her spot beside JJ and catching everyone's attention. "I do have a birthday confession though."

"Let's hear it." Cleo mused and June breathed in, ready to admit the absolute truth of the situation.

"The truth is...6 months ago I planned a birthday party for this day. None of you were invited except for Sarah." She paused and they'd comically booed her, the girl using her hands to make a silencing gesture. "Now it's my birthday and you guys are about the only people I want here with me. So here's to a change in perspective." She raise and imaginary glass and they all followed, John B looking up at June with an endearing smile that read back to her that he fully related to what she had said. If there was any one friend that she was glad she had made it was John B, and he shared that with her.

"I don't know about you guys but I got s really bad craving for cake now." Tyler said from his spot at the fire, June sitting back down as everyone agreed. Pipe closed his eyes and licked his lips, imagining what kind of cake he could be biting into if they weren't stranded on a remote island.

"Mmm red velvet cake. With buttercream frosting." Pope said inna dreamt voice, the boy feeling like he could almost taste it. Everyone else closed their eyes, Cleo being the next one to spit out a flavor.

"Vanilla."

"Chocolate for sure." Kie said, imagining a delicious piece of chocolate cake. Junes eyes were the one open, staring down at her hands as he spoke in a muted tone.

"It was Funfetti. With pink frosting."

"What?" Tyler asked, and her eyes flickered up to him. She looked like she was a million miles away on a different planet, somewhere other than here. Maybe she was wherever she truly wanted to be.

"The cake my mom ordered for today...funfetti with pink frosting." The air between them all turned somber and June stared into the fire, her eyes glistening after a few moments. She thought about her mom, and the fact that she wasn't entirely sure if she would ever see her again. About her dad who she had seen for about 2 days in the past 3 or so months. About her brother who returned from China for her. And that stupid pink frosted cake that kept circling her mind.

June stood up from the fire, excusing herself as everyone stayed silent. Some people in the group struggled more than the others. Out of everybody...June had left the most behind. There was a look between all of them as they wondered who would be the one to get up and follow, and it was no surprise when John B was the first to stand. He had been dealing with Sarah for a good bit of time now, her paranoia, her fear of being caught by her family out here. And also her urgency to be rescued. It was a strange flip flop of emotions that she catalyzed every single day. So he felt that he had a grip on handling things like this.

When he found her she was staring out at the ocean, her hands dropped at her side and the water washing up to her ankles. The wind was blowing her hair around and John B felt an ache in his heart for her. He wanted to tell her he was sorry but it wasn't his fault she was here and so he couldn't apologize and fix anything. He watched as she lifted her hand to her neck and rubbed at the side of it and he could only imagine now what she was thinking of, the boy finally approaching her.

When he could see her face he saw that she had tears dripping down it, the girl so overloaded with grief for her old life and her safety and her home. John B grabbed her by the shoulders, the girl looking at him with utter sorrow in her eyes. He broke a painful smile across his lips and that was all she needed to let it out, the girl letting out a sob as he pulled her into a hug. Crying had been something off limits on the island, and so she had held it in for every moment up until this one and now she let it all out, John B swaying them back and forth as she cried into him.

"Hey hey...you can't cry at your birthday party." She pulled back, wiping her eyes with her hand and laughing a little bit.

"It's my party I can cry if I want to." John B rolled his eyes, pulling the girl back into his chest and listening to her as she choked out laughs.

"Alright Melanie Martinez...cool it." She laughed again, her tears still falling but a joyous feeling of not being alone spreading through her. She continued to wipe her eyes and then she pulled back, clearing her throat and then looking up at him. She had red eyes now, her face slightly puffy as she put on a smile. John B lifted his hand, pinching at her cheek and then returning that smile that said it's all going to be okay. This was surely one of the top three best things that had happened to her since dabbling in Pogue activity, finding a friend she would do anything for. Something she she never had before. "I'll get you home kid. Don't you worry about it."

"Kid? You're barely older than me." She said, pushing his shoulder. He shrugged, pushing her shoulder back and giving her a look that really told her he didn't care. She used both hands to shove him now and he took that personally, the girl yelling as he pushed his shoulder into her stomach, lifting her over his shoulder. She held onto the back of his shirt for dear life and he laughed as he saw the group coming around to see them. They all shouted for him to dunk her and she screamed for anything but that, her stomach hurting from the laughing. John B ran into the ocean, jumping in and taking her down with him.

For a split second it was enjoyable fun, but then she was surprised by the darkness, the inability to breathe. She could no longer feel John B and she flailed, fear striking in her heart as she struggled in the same water for a moment. When she resurfaced they were all still laughing and shouting, most of them in the water and splashing each other now. But June swallowed the lump in her throat, crawling out of the ocean and onto the shore. The water had chilled and she shook, her mind taking her back to when the dark water had almost claimed her. It felt like forever ago but the panic in her heart was fresh, a genuine reaction to a genuine fear. She had never had it before they rode out into that storm, but now it was ever present, the reminder of death always in her brain. She took a few deep breaths and then closed her eyes, a thought running through her mind. She would be lucky if she made it another year.