Payton POV
   I sit on the bus, scrolling through TikTok. Jaden and Josh are teasing Sam for finally getting a girlfriend. Noen went back to sleep, and Chase is listening to music next to him. Anthony, Griffin, and Chaser are in the back of the bus on their phones.

Ray💛: a couple is adopting me

Payton🙈: that's great! have you met them yet?

Ray💛: yeah. They seem okay

Payton🙈: just okay?

Ray💛: the nurse said that the guy was "adamant" about adopting me and taking me straight home from the hospital. Idk I'm just getting weird vibes, I guess

Payton🙈: well if something seems off you should say something to someone

Ray💛: if something gets weird when we leave I guess I will

Payton🙈: promise me that if something goes wrong or feels weird in any way, call me immediately. I don't care what time it is or what happened, you have to promise that you'll call me, alright?

Ray💛: promise

Payton🙈: good

Ray💛: how's the bus squad?

Payton🙈: I like that name. We've been on the bus for about half an hour so far, but Noen is already asleep. Everyone else is just on their phones until we get lunch and go to the beach

Ray💛: sounds like fun

Payton🙈: yeah. Idk what Sam is up to, tho

Ray💛: so he isn't on the bus?

Payton🙈: no he is it's just he's calling someone but I can't tell who

Ray💛: oh okay

Ray💛: well hey I have to go I'm leaving now

Payton🙈: safe travels ray 🤞

Ray💛: thanks. same to the bus squad

We get to Chipotle and have lunch, making a few TikToks while we are there. A couple of them are vlogging, but not me. I sit next to Noen, who is still half asleep.
"Everybody got beach stuff on?" Jaden asks as we climb back up onto the bus.
"Do these look like normal shorts to you?" Chase asks with a laugh, gesturing to everyone's brightly colored and patterned swim trunks. We all laugh at that.
"Well I saw Sam first, and he isn't wearing them, so I just asked to make sure." Jaden shrugs, then sits down.
"Why aren't you wearing trunks?" Noen asks Sam, sitting down in the row behind me.
"I'm not going. I'll just stay on the bus," he mumbles, putting earbuds in. We all look around at each other as he starts to ignore us.
"Do you know if something is up with him?" I whisper to Noen.
"I have got no idea," he responds.
"I'm not the only one that noticed that Sam is in a mood, right?" Chase asks, sitting down next to Noen.
"No," I reply.
"Okay. Do we know why he is staying on the bus? Or who he was calling earlier?"
"I don't. You?" Noen asks me.
"Not a clue."
"Do you think it was Ray now that they are dating?" Chase whispers.
"I was texting Ray when they were calling, so no." I shake my head and lean against the seats.
"How's she doing, then?" Noen asks.
"She said some couple was adopting her, but that she got weird vibes or something from them." I shake my head. "She said the nurse told her that the guy was adamant about taking her straight home from the hospital."
"That's odd," Chase huffs, leaning against Noen.
"Yeah," he agrees.
"I told her if something felt off to call me. I don't know, I'm just worried about her." I look over at them. "When are we supposed to get to the beach?"
"Not that much longer," Chase replies.
"Hey, Sam!" Jaden calls to the back of the bus, then throws something at him. It hits his shoulder, getting his attention.
"What was that for?" he shouts back over his earbuds, glaring at Jaden.
"Well, you have clearly been ignoring all of us, so I was just getting your attention," Jaden responds with a huff. "Why aren't you going to the beach with all of us?"
"Because I don't want to." Sam shrugs, then sticks his earbuds back in. We all roll our eyes and go back to what we were doing.
We get to the beach not too long later and get off the bus. Sam, of course, stays on. We all toss our towels down on some rocks back away from the water. Chase and Griffin are vlogging, trying to outdo each other in some way.
"Come on, everyone. Get in the water with us!" Anthony yells from next to Noen and Jaden. I walk over to join them with Chaser and Josh.
"I'm glad this isn't cold," I say when I get into the pretty-warm water. Josh splashes me, though, so I splash him back. Soon, Griffin and Chase join us in the water, where we have all began to splash each other.

A few hours later, we are all hungry and decide to get our stuff together, go get food, then get back to the hotel. Clambering out of the water, I fish around for my phone in between the folds of my towel. I yank it out and see I have no missed calls from Ray, so I put it down and begin to dry off with everyone else.
Once we all have dried off and put our shirts back on, we start to make our way back to the bus while discussing where to eat. We decide on looking for a burger place around the Chipotle from earlier.
"Oh, finally. The bus!" Noen yells, starting to run once the bus comes into sight. Chase runs after him, laughing.
"Sam!" I hear Chase yell angrily. We all look at each other, then begin to sprint to catch up with Chase.
"What's wrong with you?" Noen yells. We walk stop, mortified to see Sam and Avani, who isn't even on the tour making out against the side of the bus. "You're with Ray, remember?"
"Well if you don't tell her, she won't find out!" Sam yells back. I see Griffin sneak a picture on his phone as mine begins to ring. I pull it out of my pocket and see a missed text from Ray.

Ray💛: hey I need to call you now. It's kind of important. Something isn't right with that couple I told you was adopting me.

"Crap," I mutter under my breath. I look over at the guys standing next to me. "Ray is calling me. Something is wrong."