I couldn't live like this. Dry, crackly skin. Sunburn everywhere. Skinny, but not in a good way. Sunken, bloodshot eyes. Frizzy, greasy hair.

The list goes on.

I was making progress with Killian, but I was beginning to grow bored. But I wouldn't leave him. I would get him to leave me.

"Could the boys around here be more manly and go fetch us girls some fish," I yawned one morning.

"But our sunburn hurts in the salt water," Killian said.

"I agree with blondie," Ruby said. "Go on. Get us some fish." A wicked grin appeared on her face.

"But my arm is broken," Killian pleaded, becoming desperate.

"You still have legs. C'mon, be a strong boy," I smiled.

"I'll go," Chad said.

I passed an appreciative look his way. "Truly manly."

Killian's fist balled up, only one since the other one was broken. "Fine! I'll go too!" He ripped off his already decaying shirt and jumped into the water. With an eye roll, Chad followed suit.

"I'm excited for some fish!" Jovie cheered.

"Me too," I said. "Me too..."

An hour later, Chad had swam all around and got us all a ton of fish. A new one seemed to appear on the deck every five minutes. His skin was clearly burning, but he was smiling when he climbed back on the boat.

Killian had gotten zero fish and actually got out of the water after five minutes. Loser.

Sucking the eyes out of the fish, I ignored Killian's constant huffs and turned to Chad. "Thanks," I said.

"Sure thing," Chad said, moving toward the tiller. "So guys, you'll never believe it!" He paused for a half second. "I think I saw an island while I was swimming!" Turning the tiller, the lifeboat slowly turned.

"Hey!" Killian ripped away from his tarp-blanket and stood up. "I'm the leader! Get off the tiller, you pain!"

"Let him! He's taking us to an island!" Jovie giggled.

"No-"

Ruby punched Killian in the side of the head, knocking him out cold. I couldn't help but roar with laughter. Knuckles bloody, Ruby let out a chuckle herself.

Leaving Killian to bleed on the bottom of the boat.

We moved toward Chad's alleged island. It took some time, but we finally arrived.

"It's quite small," I muttered.

"It's better than nothing," Jovie pointed out, stepping out of the boat.

I nodded, admitting it was good to touch land again. My feet sank into the soggy sand and I almost moaned. I miss land so much!

"There's a little pond!" Chad called from a couple meters inland, which was about in the middle of the small island.

Racing through the small patch of trees, I found Chad bathing in the clear pond, drinking up the water. It seemed his shirt had fully disintegrated.

Slipping into the water, I exhaled happily. The cool, mostly fresh, water ran along my sunburnt, salty skin and I drank it all in. Jovie and Ruby also joined in and it quickly became very tight.

"This is amazing!" Jovie cheered. "And I even think I saw some berries. It's perfect!"

"Where will we sleep though?" Chad asked.

"I say we make a fire and sleep around that. No need for a shelter since fire is sure to keep us warm," Jovie shrugged.

"Good idea," I nodded. Sinking into the water, I let the sandy bottom exfoliate my skin. It almost felt as if I was at the spa again...

When I resurfaced, it was time to build the fire. We gathered sticks and kindling around the small island. Thankfully the ground was sandy all around. Only Ruby still had shoes. The rest of ours were long gone.

When Killian woke up, we had already used Ruby's rose-tinted glasses to start the fire. I thought it was funny that Ruby always wore rose-colored glasses even though she was such a pessimist.

The fire was burning strong, and just in time. Night had fallen.

"Shove over," Killian groaned.

I rolled my eyes and allowed him a bit of space in the sleeping bag. With the warmth of the fire and Killian's body heat, I quickly fell asleep on the cold night.

I woke to a world of pain.

"Get in the boat! Get in the boat!" I heard Chad's screams.

Focusing my eyes, I found my skin full of stingers and bumps. The fire was out and my sleeping bag was nowhere to be found.

"LEXIE!" Killian shouted. "HURRY UP!"

He didn't need to tell me twice. Jumping up, I raced toward the boat just in time for Chad to push us off the tiny island.

"That was a bust," Ruby cursed. On the boat, Jovie, full of stingers herself, was pulling stingers out of Ruby's skin.

"What happened?" I asked, pain welling up.

"Bees. Lots of terrible, terrible bees. Leftover from warfare," Jovie shuttered. "But it's all good... We're safe now!" She continued pulling stingers from Ruby's legs until Ruby could sit down.

I pulled my own stingers off my legs. By the time I could sit down, Ruby was clean and doing Jovie's legs. Chad was doing himself and Killian was... doing absolutely nothing. Like a scarecrow, he just... stood there.

"Need help?" I asked him. My eyes watered as I pulled a stinger from my arm. Soon I would be done and could help him.

"Yes. Finally, someone noticed my suffering," he whined. "My arm is broken. Thanks to a certain diva." Killian glared at Ruby.

"Couldn't you use your other one?" Chad asked. He was ignored.

By the time all the stingers had been painfully plucked off, the sun had risen to its highest point. Everyone seemed to be drained, even after a full night's rest and clean bath the day before.

"That island was amazing. But of course, it didn't last... Just our luck," Chad lamented. "Just my luck."

"Chad, it's okay! We'll be rescued soon, don't worry!" Jovie smiled.

"Yeah, right."

"We just have to wait a little longer. Why don't we sing a bit?"

Chad looked over to Killian. "Our bass is kinda... dead."

My eyes turned to Killian. There was just a bundle of tarp. He must have been sleeping or ignoring the world or something. Emo boy.

"You all know this is hopeless," I said. "We might as well die now."

"No! Don't... don't think like that. We'll be just fine," Jovie said.

"Do you really believe that?" Ruby asked, her voice monotone.

"Yeah! I do! So maybe you all sound too."

Ruby sighed.

It was hopeless. Deep down, we all knew it.

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

"How many days have we been on this boat for?" Killian asked.

"I don't know," I muttered.

Every day since the island escape had been the same. The days blurred together awfully, not that we had been keeping them straight before that...

We'd wake up late and go to sleep early. During the time we were awake, no one talked. Not even Jovie and Chad. Sometimes Chad or Ruby would swim for a bit to gather up fish. They were the only ones keeping us alive.

The choir was dead. Singing took energy we didn't have. Even talking was too much for us to handle.

We would die soon if we didn't get rescued.

For some reason, it all seemed like a joke. Or a dream. I would wake up on my bed on the boat and study abroad like I was supposed to.

I would be pretty. I would be of service and use. I would be fulfilled.

Would be.

Not be.