A knock sounds on my door as I answer, Maddy lets herself in. "If you're here to uninvite me to your stupid party don't worry I'm not going." I reply, turning my attention back to my book.

"I'm actually here to apologize," She says as I look up at her, "I've lived here my entire life and there's this pressure of being perfect all the time, then you come drenched and covered in mud and Dory immediately clicks with you."

"I'm sure your mom was just being nice." I reply as I set my book down and get off the bed and approach her, "Let's start over, Hello I'm Samantha." I say extending my hand.

"Madison," Maddy replies, shaking it as she flashes a more genuine smile, "Now may I call you Sammy?"

"Only if I can call you Maddy," I reply as my stomach grumbles.

"Come with me," She said, dragging me out of my room and down the hall. 'Don't end me... don't end me...'

"Where are we going?" I ask, trying to match her pace.

"Dory doesn't like it when I eat sweets and you skipped dinner last night want to grab a cookie or three?" She asks, leading me down to the kitchen.

"I could use one." I reply as she turns on the lights as I stand there and look around the open space kitchen. I walk towards the window that looks out to the pool area.

"Hey, can you get the milk from the fridge?" Maddy asks as she climbs on top of the counter and pulls out a cookie jar that was hidden sitting on the top shelf. "Dory doesn't know that Marianne knows I have a sweet tooth so she keeps the jar somewhere I can always find it."

"That's nice of her," I reply, opening the fridge, I notice simple items like Orange Juice, a couple of cartons of eggs, and a couple of unsettling leftovers from last night's dinner tragedy. Quickly I grab the carton of oat milk and close the fridge. "Here you are."

After closing the fridge I sit the milk down on the island counter and grab two glasses. "Kathleen and Sofia are the most popular girls in school and my best friends, they can make you have the most blessed school year or a hellish one, so I want you to meet them later today."

"And if they don't like me?" I ask as she sets down the cookie jar.

"What up ladies?" Damien asks entering the kitchen, "Sweet heat crunchy chip?"

"Sammy doesn't eat pork Ian." Maddy says as Damien makes an o shape with his mouth.

"I'm sorry I didn't know." He replies.

"We didn't either, Dory felt so bad since Marianne made all of Granddaddy's favorite pork based meals." Maddy sighs as she takes a cookie from the jar.

"Oh is that a sugar bliss bite?" Damien asks as Maddy's phone rang, her eyes light up as she checks the caller.

"It's Teddy I'm going to take this," She says before she takes another cookie and leaves the room. Damien frowns at the mention of the name.

"Who's Teddy?" I ask as Damien turns his attention to me and forces a smile. I was the queen of fake smiles so I know his wasn't real.

"Her toxic boyfriend." He flatly replies, "Of course he didn't notice her until she started hanging out with the two most popular girls the end of freshman year they started dating the beginning of last year,"

"Why didn't he notice her before?" I ask, raising a brow, "And what are sugar bliss bites?"

"I won't deep dive into Maddy's personal relationships but I will tell you sugar bliss bites are the best cookies to grace the planet, Madd- I mean your grandmother created the recipe for them but passed it down to Dorothee after she passed five years ago."

I remember, dad got a phone call and was pretty upset about it for months. He didn't even know she was sick. "Leukocarcinosis," I reply, it was a disease that contaminates the blood and quickly shuts down your immune system.

There was no cure.
****

"Okay everyone is going to be here in an hour." Maddy barges into my room as I hide in my closet in my sugar bliss heaven. Buttery sugar cookies were always my favorite but the vanilla bean infusion and sugary finish adds more to the mouth watery delight. "Oh my... Sammy, where are you?" She calls out as I set my book aside and got up taking the pillow I was sitting on with me.

"Right here, did you need anything?" I ask as there's a knock at my open door.

"You guys are out of yogurt chips." Damien began as he stood in the doorway. "Oh also Sofia's here."

Maddy takes one look at me before she grimaces. I note the baby blue two piece swimsuit she was wearing. Her hair is in two neat buns. "Um, with all due respect, what are you wearing Sammy?"

I look down at my skinny jeans with rips through them and a plain tshirt I had cut off since it was too long for my liking. "Um clothes?" I reply but it sounded more like a question.

"Oh honey please tell me you packed a cute swimsuit." She began, as Damien continues to stand in the doorway. 'Nosey boy.'

"Uh sure I definitely own a bunch of swimsuits for the imaginary beaches and pools back home let alone a bikini." I reply as she frowns.

"I may have something you can borrow." She sighs heading for the door. "Excuse me."

Damien moves out of her way as she heads to her room, "She could have taken the bathroom way," He began as I nod, "May I?" he asks, gesturing to picture frames sitting on my nightstand.

"Knock yourself out," I reply as I return the decorative pillow to its spot on the bed.

"Hey, was this your mom?" He asks, holding up a picture frame as I try to look over his shoulder.

"Yeah that's her in the yellow and my aunt Bisi is in the red." I reply, "That was the last family camping trip we took before my aunt got married."

"Your mom was very pretty." He compliments setting the frame back down on my nightstand. "Is camping fun?"

"Yeah I think so, we went every summer while visiting mama's family for as long as I could remember." I sigh, "The last time we went the weather forecast promised clear skies but it poured right after they took the photo."

Maddy returns to my room with a handful of swimsuits. "So I didn't know what you like, if none of these interest you I can go get the rest." She says as she sets the swimwear on my bed as I comb through them. "Ian shoo, can't you see we're busy?"

"I'm gonna go swim laps. Maybe Havoc will join me." I watch as Damien leaves the room, "Sup Sofi."

A red haired girl enters my room seemingly oblivious to my presence. "Mads, can you help me before I snag?" She asks, gesturing to a string hanging from her.

"I have scissors in my room," Maddy began as she turns her attention to the girl I could assume was Sofia. "Choose whichever one speaks to you Sammy," she says, grabbing Sofia's hand and drags her out of my room. "Oh by the way there's a phone there for you since yours broke." She yelled from down the hall.

A small smile makes its way to my chapped lips. The choices were all very different; most of them trendy two-pieces that didn't have the confidence to put on. There was a bright yellow bikini with a bandeau top and high-cut bottoms, a fiery red one with intricate string ties that seem more decorative than functional, and a pastel pink set covered in rhinestones that glitters under the light. Another option is a sleek black one-piece with dramatic cutouts along the sides, which I dismiss way too quickly.

Among the collection, one swimsuit catches my eye—a vibrant tropical-print one-piece with shades of deep teal, coral, and gold. Unlike the others, it has a classic yet stylish design, with a plunging neckline and crisscross straps on the back. It wasn't my style but it was the best out of all the options.