The bonfire party lit up the beach, ever brightly, turning the quiet shore into something alive.
A large fire burned at the center of the sand, flames rising high and sparks floating into the night air. The firelight cast a warm golden glow on everyone's faces, making them look relaxed and carefree. Waves crashed nearby, their steady sound mixing with loud music playing from speakers in the sand.
Laughter echoed everywhere. People danced barefoot, their shoes tossed aside. Some jumped around the fire, while others swayed to the music with drinks in their hands, laughing and singing along. A few couples sat closer to the shore, talking softly as the moonlight reflected off the ocean.
The air smelled like smoke, salt, and alcohol. The night felt wild and fun, full of noise, movement, and excitement.
"Nessssaaaa?! You coming?" Kayla shouted over the music, snapping Nessa out of her thoughts.
Nessa blinked, spotting Kayla standing a mile away, and grinned. She nodded vigorously.
"Yessssss!" she shouted back and ran over.
Once she reached Kayla, she flung an arm over her friend's shoulders, and the two of them burst out laughing, weaving through the crowd to catch up with the rest.
Kyle strutted over to his friends, the group following right behind him.
"Hey guys!" he shouted, grinning from ear to ear.
His friends all lit up at the sight of him.
"Yo man, what's up?" one greeted, stepping forward to shake Kyle's hand. They did the classic bro-handshake, laughing as they pulled back.
"Nico, I'm good," Kyle replied.
"Hey, dude," said the second one, smiling wide.
"Sup, man," the third added.
Melissa came running over, hugging Nico. "Hey Nico! Didn't think you'd actually come to the party."
Nico ruffled her bangs playfully. "You know I can't miss a party. Me and parties? Inseparable," he laughed, loud and booming.
Melissa rolled her eyes. Before she could retort, the second guy teased, "Love is in the air. Love is everywhere… lovebirds!"
Melissa's cheeks flushed red, and she glared. "Hey! What do you mean by that?!"
The guy raised an innocent brow. "What do I mean? Geez, what did I say?"
"Casper, don't play with me. You know exactly what you said!" Melissa snapped.
The third guy smirked and made a heart shape with his hands. "He means you and Nico are in love."
Melissa scoffed. "That's a joke. Nico and I aren't in love. Right, Nico?"
"Melissa… don't play dumb. We did share a kiss in my car recently. Passionate, fierce… forgotten so soon?" Nico smirked, teasing.
Casper mock-gasped. "You and her what?!"
"Oh ph-lease. Nico, stop lying," Bri jumped in defensively, arms crossed.
"Oh, shut up," Kyle cut in, rolling his eyes. "You weren't there, so you can't judge!"
Bri flipped her hair, hands on her hips. "Melissa wouldn't kiss Nico. I know her very much. Right, Mel?"
Melissa stayed silent, biting her lip, cheeks burning. Her silence spoke volumes.
Bri's eyes widened. "Oh. My. Gosh!"
Adrien cleared his throat, interrupting the chaos.
The three guys looked over Kyle's shoulder and finally noticed the rest of the group.
"Um, helllooo. My legs are aching here, Kyle," Adrien groaned.
"Yo Kyle! Who's this?" the third one asked.
Kyle smiled. "These are my cousins. They're here for the summer."
"This is Adrien—" he motioned to him, then pointed to the rest. "—and Steven, Freddy, Kayla…"
"And my little yet annoying cuz, Nessa."
Casper's eyes gleamed. "Yo dude, you got a pretty cousin."
Nessa blushed, tucking a curl behind her ear. "Thanks. Hey," she said, giving Casper a flirty wave.
Freddy's brows snapped instantly.
"Anyway… guys," he said. "These are my friends. Casper, Nico, and John."
Adrien eyed them critically, while Steven smiled and shook hands politely.
"Hey, fellas!" Steven said, turning to Kayla, grinning. "Just so you know, this girl is already taken. So if any of you were thinking of making a move… yeah, good luck with that, it's pretty useless."
Kayla scowled, growling through clenched teeth. "Steven!"
Nico laughed. "Don't worry, dude. I've got my own girl." He glanced at Melissa, who nudged him lightly.
"I'm not your girl," she stated firmly.
John huffed and rolled his eyes. "Liar!"
Melissa scowled at him.
Casper had on a Cheshire cat grin as he looked at Nessa.
"But, this one is not taken, huh?"
Before Steven could even respond, Freddy strode over and slid a protective arm around her waist. He frowned, eyes narrowing as he said sharply, "She's taken already."
Casper got the message instantly. "Oh. No problem, dude," he said quickly.
Nessa just rolled her eyes. Freddy always knew how to ruin her fun. She wished he hadn't come along on this trip. And that talk Kayla gave her about meeting guys in Hawaii? Yeah… not happening, with Freddy hovering an inch behind her the entire time.
Melissa, however, swooped in and yanked Nessa away.
"Come on, Nes! Let me introduce you to my friends. You're gonna love them!" she squealed, tugging her along.
Nessa grinned softly as Bri and Kayla followed, chatting and laughing behind them. Soon, Melissa spotted her two friends and practically glowed.
"Girls!"
They turned and smiled as they spotted her. Melissa released Nessa and rushed over, enveloping them in a big hug. Bri followed suit, joining in the hug.
"Melissa! What took you so long?" one of the girls asked, stepping back. Her eyes widened as they fell on Bri. "Bri?! You're here too?"
"Yup!" Bri nodded, sassily flipping her hair.
"Girls, I'd like to introduce you all to my friend and cousin!" Melissa called out, spinning around to grab Nessa and Kayla's attention. They were standing a little farther away, so she waved her hand and motioned for them to come closer.
When they joined the group, Melissa continued. "Okay, everyone, meet my cousin Nessa and my friend Kayla!"
"Nice to meet you, Nessa and Kayla!" the second girl chirped, her smile bright and bubbly.
"Nice to meet you too," Kayla replied, matching her energy with a cheerful smile.
Melissa pointed at the brown-haired girl first. "This is Sheila." Then she gestured to the honey-blonde. "And this is Riele."
Sheila clapped her hands excitedly. "Wow, I'm so glad you brought people over, Mel! Okay, I've got an idea… since you're all here, why don't we have a girls' sleepover tomorrow night? Wouldn't that be sooo much fun?"
Bri jumped in, her eyes sparkling. "Yessss! I'm so in!"
Nessa couldn't help but grin. "Count me in too!"
Kayla threw her hands up playfully. "No way you're leaving me behind! I'm in as well!"
Riele laughed, giving a little nod. "Forever in!"
Melissa clapped her hands, practically bouncing with excitement. "Okay! So it's settled. Girls' sleepover tomorrow night at my place. It's going to be epic!"
Excitement bubbled inside Nessa. She was making new friends, and it felt amazing. The party was turning out great.
"Drinks, anyone?" Riele asked, glancing at the group.
"Coke for me!" Melissa called out.
"I'll try vodka with orange juice," Bri added, clearly feeling the party energy.
Riele laughed. "Classic combo!"
"Perfect mix!" Nessa chimed in, laughing too.
"I'm joining you, babe!" Sheila shouted.
Kayla smirked, "Shot of tequila for me. You?" she asked, nodding toward Nessa.
"Hmm… what's on the menu?" Nessa asked, leaning in.
"Well, Beer, Margarita, Piña Colada, Strawberry Daiquiri, Sex on the Beach, Vodka, Rum, Tequila, Malibu, Gin… that's about it," Riele answered.
"I'll go with the Strawberry Daiquiri. But if my parents find out… they'll roast my ass," Nessa said, making Kayla nudge her playfully.
"Girl, no one's here to tattle. And your brothers? Out of the picture. Drink up!" Kayla teased.
Nessa laughed and nodded. Riele returned with the drinks, handing them all red cups filled to the brim. Nessa took a sip, the cold liquid sliding down her throat, sweet strawberry hitting her taste buds perfectly, giving her a warm, tingly sensation that made her grin.
Sheila, however, sipped her drink happily, scanning the crowd… until her gaze landed on a couple making out, and she rolled her eyes dramatically. "Ugh! This girl never gets tired of boys," she muttered, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
"Who, Sheila?" Melissa asked, following her gaze. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh… Jane. That girl is a fucking stupid whore!"
Nessa arched an eyebrow, confused. She glanced at the couple, then back at the girls. "Mel… why would you call someone a whore?"
"Nes, that girl deserves it," Bri leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. She glanced around, making sure no one else was listening too closely. "She's slept with basically every guy in this town. She's disgusting, and a total boyfriend-stealer."
She paused, letting the words hang in the air for a moment. Her eyes widened, then, leaning even closer, she whispered the last bombshell: "Her mom too… stole another woman's husband. Her mom's a whore as well. She's been wrecking homes."
Kayla gasped softly, covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes darting toward Nessa for a reaction. Nessa could only blink, a mix of shock and curiosity flashing across her face.
"That's… bad," said Nessa.
"Yeah, totally bad," Kayla added, shaking her head..
"Jane's got a history," Riele said, laughing under her breath. "Everybody knows her. If you want her to warm up your bed, she's on it. She knows all the styles."
"Ugh, that's gross!" Nessa squeaked, glancing again at the couple kissing. From the bonfire glow, she could see the girl was blonde. She whipped her gaze back to the girls.
Riele smirked. "I heard she's moving out of town soon."
Melissa looked heavenward in mock relief. "Hallelujah!"
"No one needs her here," Sheila smirked, rolling her eyes. "Except maybe the boys who'll miss her excellent skills in bed."
Bri laughed and nudged Sheila playfully.
"Wow… this girl named Jane is—" Kayla began, but a voice cut her off.
"Kayla!"
Kayla turned to see Steven walking toward her. Instinctively, the girls followed her gaze.
She fought the urge to roll her eyes. What's up with this dude now? She groaned inwardly.
"Hey Kayla. I got something to show you," Steven said, draping an arm over her shoulder.
"Steven, I'm kind of busy," Kayla snapped, gesturing to her friends.
Steven's gaze swept the girls and said, "Hey ladies!"
Sheila's smirk turned into a slow, flirtatious smile as she twirled a lock of her hair. "Hey, handsome. I'm Sheila." She extended her hand, and he shook it.
"I'm Steven," he replied, grinning. "And wow… you look beautiful."
Sheila blushed. "And you look… hot."
Kayla stood there, fighting the urge to bite her nails. Her jaw tightened as her anger rose, a sharp flare of jealousy twisting in her chest. The way Sheila smiled at Steven made her stomach burn.
She rested her hand firmly on Steven's chest, tilting her face up with a honey-sweet smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Steven, are you n—"
"Um, Steven, you said you wanted to show me something. What was it?" Kayla cut in quickly, interrupting Sheila without even pretending to be polite.
"Oh, yeah. I wa—" He didn't get to finish as Kayla grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the group, pulling him away.
Sheila watched them go, her lips pressing into a thin line before she crossed her arms.
"That was rude," she muttered. "Really rude."
Nessa rolled her eyes, shaking her head inwardly. Kayla.
"Anyway, let's explore the beach, girls!" Melissa suggested, and they all agreed.
The girls strolled across the sand, laughing, sipping their drinks, gossiping like they'd been best friends forever.
Sheila waved at a guy across the bonfire. "I'll call you later, I promise," she said.
He grinned. "No problem!"
"Who's that?" Nessa asked, finishing her drink and tossing the red cup onto the sand.
"That's my friend, Carson," Sheila replied.
Nessa's mouth formed a small "ohhh," glancing at him briefly before diving back into the conversation. The girls were already caught up in a new story, laughing and teasing each other relentlessly.
This party was perfect. It was chaotic, loud… and honestly, the perfect kind of fun that Nessa loved.