When Killian bumbled into our camp shrieking of his traitorous lover, I could believe it. When I found out this lover was Elijah, my world went sideways.

He was so cold. Dammit! I should have known.

Was this how Fawn felt? I felt even worse at the thought. I led her on just like he did. We were so close to kissing. So close to love.

But he pushed me away at the last minute to date a Barbie. They might have interacted a total of two times before they did what they did. Before they ruined me.

"NO!" Killian screamed, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"I'm sorry. I really am... I think it's time to break up," Lexie said tearfully. For a split second, I felt bad for her. But it was her own fault.

She was the enemy.

"Fine! Have it your way!" Killian roared. "But don't you dare come crying back to me when he can't fulfill you." He stormed off, heading back to his shelter for the night.

"Clear out now," Elijah said after a heartbeat. "Show 's over."

On an impulse, I reached out for him. My hand barely grazed his arm before my instincts told me to pull back. I was acting so immature. No wonder he didn't want me.

Lexie was pretty, his age, and smart. They were good for each other. A perfect match.

Shoving any love for him down to the deepest part of me, I followed Pierre as she led us back to our camp.

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

I sat with Ruby by the shore, our thighs touching. Leaning on her a bit, I watched the sunset.

"Killian's a mess," I murmured. "Lexie really ruined him."

"He'll survive," Ruby said.

"You liked him too, didn't you?"

There was a pause until she finally spoke. "I found him attractive at first, but the feeling has long since died off." Ruby sucked in a breath. "It just all makes me so mad. Killian acted like he owned her and Elijah had no issue at all with loving a taken girl."

"Yeah..."

"I don't blame Lexie for choosing Eel though."

I sighed. "Neither do I."

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Our camp had the strongest fire and was responsible for most of the buildings crafted on the island. Camp Avión produced fish and other meats for everyone. Camp Ginger Ale grew plentiful crops.

The trails had worn deep. Our mark was being made.

It was Chad's seventeenth birthday. He had saved himself a bottle, the very last one, and invited everyone to come to his party.

Everyone, besides Killian, came.

The party, as I would later find, would be our final moments of prosperity before we found disaster.

"Hello, lovely ladies," Chad greeted us. Camp Ginger Ale was organized neatly with two homes on the left side, by the shore, and one on the right closer to the woods. A garden grew on the outskirts of the woods on the left side and a fire stood in the middle of the sandy area.

"Hey," Pierre greeted. "Happy Birthday!"

Chad smirked. "Thanks."

Without Fawn bothering me, I went straight to Ruby. Her coldness reminded me of my parents and it... comforted me, being honest.

"Hello," I greeted. She nodded in reply. We stood near the edge, watching Mateo chat with Elijah; Lexie had her arm looped in his.

Pierre, Emma, and Fawn chattered and Jovie and Chad quickly joined them. The "party" stayed like this until Chad finally spoke up to give his big birthday speech and gulp down his last tequila.

"Hello, friends and... humans," he said. It was true that not all of us were friends. "I want to thank you all for coming to celebrate my birthday, which could or couldn't be today. Honestly, we've all lost track of time."

Someone snorted.

"I just have a couple things I'd like to say," he continued. "One: I'm glad I'm still alive. And two: I'd like to ask Jovie a big question."

Jovie's eyes widened. Clearly, she wasn't expecting this.

Was Chad really going to settle down with a girlfriend? I couldn't believe it.

"Jovie," he said, ringing his voice so that all could hear. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Jovie doubled over. "Chad-" she wheezed, then sighed thoughtfully.

She walked over to him and wrapped him in a hug. She whispered something into his ear and he nodded. He took a swing of his bottle and promptly told us the party was over before disappearing into one of the homes with Jovie.

"Well, goodnight then," I said to Ruby.

Ruby just nodded and slipped away.

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

"Ruby," he said, his voice deep. "You have been voted for removal."

"No," she hissed. "You can't do this! You can't! I'll kill you all." In a thrash, she lifted her glasses and smashed them onto a rock. Using the tip, she lunged for Killian's throat.

"Ruby!" I cried.

Eel lifted his knife and sank it into Ruby's back. Blood oozed from the wound and the brown-haired girl deflated. My fingers collecting sweat. I covered my mouth in shock.

"This is for a healthy, happy community," he said. I could no longer make out his face like the others. "Her anger won't harm us anymore."

"I feel sick," Emma murmured.

Eel retracted his knife from Ruby's back before slipping away to the ocean to wipe it off. The shocked group soon dissolved. I was left alone with the brown-haired girl; her bloody body on the sand.

"You should have never done what you did to Mateo. He didn't deserve it at all," I cried, salty tears streaming down my face as I sat beside her. "But you shouldn't have to die so young..."

Slowly, I stood. Carefully, I took her body and dragged it to the sea. Tearfully, I tossed out her body.

Ruby was gone forever. And, if we didn't get help soon, the rest of us would be too.