The ferry to Omfori was horrible, all the girls agreed. Lukas, their captain who was manning the Midén, was probably one drink away from tumbling down-right drunk. He had pale skin and lopsided eyes. He insisted on driving the boat, and Alexis just prayed that he wouldn't crash the Midén.

"You know," Lukas said, chuckling. "Midén means zero in Greek."

"Wonderful to know, sir," Penny said sarcastically. Penny had tanned skin, dark brown hair, and almond-green eyes. Even if she was spoiled, people liked to say she had two sides to her. Shifts in personality if you must.

Penelope Goode was known as Father's rich and spoiled daughter, the brat who got everything she wanted. Alexis was pretty sure that having an island gifted to her proved it.

However, Penny was a thinker, an equally smart girl. She used wits, not brute force. She was the oldest, so naturally, she was the leader and wise one.

Sometimes, Alexis was so jealous of how mentally strong she was. Penny used words, and those words were like millions.

"Are we almost there yet?" Tellie asked, bored out of her mind as Alexis observed. Tellie Hollows had dark skin with locks of black cut short. Tellie's house was taken over by bad men when she was a little girl.

Tellie didn't talk fondly of her memories, but she'd tell them anyway. Her mother was caught in a bad sort of stuff, the seedy kind. So a bunch of men would try to win Porta Hollows' hand in marriage after Tellie's dad disappeared.

Porta made it a sort of sick game, denying and getting caught up. One day, the men got angry and tired of her act. Tellie always said that her mom wanted to be an actress, and she was good at it.

Too good.

So yeah, the Hollows got robbed, and Porta was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife in her back.

Talk about backstabbing, Alexis thought, chuckling a bit. She turned slightly pale, embarrassed. Porta Hollows, your friend's mother, is dead, and you're laughing? Talk about a soulless heart.

Tellie also told Alexis once that because her mother's act was so great, the police weren't even sure if Porta Hollows was Porta Hollows. They weren't even sure if Tellie was her child at first. Maybe because of the lack of a mother figure growing up, that's why she turned up as what Tellie said 'anti-femme' or whatever.

"What did you even pack, Tellie?" Alexis laughed. "I bet it's just a bunch of tomboy-looking shirts, with HUGE logos, and ripped jeans."

"Don't forget the baseball caps that's always flipped around," Odetta added.

"Y'all are mean," she sniffled, pretending to be wounded, but she was cracking up. "And to be fair, I did pack a dress this time. There's this new guy, his name is Circe, that's his street name."

"Circle?" Alexis snorted. "A shape? Red flag, but okay?"

"It's Circe," Tellie corrected, flushed with colour. "And don't make f-fun of me for it!"

"They're just teasing," Lypsie said, trying to calm a worried and blushing Tellie. "Plus, I think it's very sweet that you're trying to find romance. Unlike Alexis, who has too many fictional crushes on book characters."

Alexis' cheeks rose to red. "It's normal, Lyspie!"

"Keep telling yourself that," Odetta snorted. She had pale skin and freckles all over her. Odetta Johnston was brave and witty, but she did tend to use brute force. She was like the main character of every story about adventure. Fearless, Alexis would say to describe her.

"So, Penny," Alexis said, quickly changing the subject. "How did you get Omfori? I mean, it's an island for sale, a load of money too."

"Oh, my cousin, got married to a man that I call Uncle Meanie, even if Father begs me to call him Uncle Mel. I was Helen's bridesmaid, and she has a soft spot for me," Penny explained, fluffing up her hair.

"So Helen just happened to have an island handy on her?" Lyspie asked, giggling but regretting it when Penny glared at her. "Sorry, go on."

"Uncle Mel gifted Omfori under the request of my cousin," she said. "So yeah, that's how I got to the island. They already had a big beach house there and an old church. I didn't ask for it, 'kay?"

Lyspie got upset. "I never said that—"

"We're almost there, girls!" Lukas yelled, the boat coming to an abrupt halt. The girls fell off the dock's seats, shrieking. Alexis landed next to Odetta whose headband was in the warm waters.

"My headband, no!" she cried out.

Alexis reached for it over the rails. "I'll get for you—"

She screamed as someone's hands pushed her overboard. The cold water shocked her, making her more alert. The highly salted waters stung her light blue eyes, and Alexis thrashed and kicked in the water. She had taken swimming lessons, but she wasn't very good at it.

Alexis tried to keep her head above water to speak. "Help, I-I—"

"She can't swim, you idiot!" Penny hollered, jumping into the water, and hopping over the rails. She was the brave sort of loser like that. Penny's arms wrapped around Alexis, and Alexis stopped kicking.

She was as limp as a rag doll when Penny pulled her back on the boat. Alexis gasped for air, her throat dried from the salt. She choked, gagging and coughing loudly. I can't breathe! Alexis thought nervously.

"Get her water from the cooler!" Lukas ordered, racing over. Tellie ran off as Lyspie whimpered, backing away. Alexis' throat grew more dry and achy as everyone propped her up on the seats.

Tellie finally came back with the water much to Alexis' relief. She gulped it down, gasping. I will never take air and breathing for granted again, her mind said. Cold water was sploshing down her face and her hair was dripping.

"Are you okay?" Odetta asked, handing her another plastic bottle of water.

"My eyes hurt like hell," Alexis said, grumbling. Penny turned to Lukas first, angry and dangerous.

"Why did you stop the boat?!" she shouted, clenching up her fists.

"Don't blame me!" he argued, flushed with colour. "The Midén is getting old and can just stop abruptly! I warned you girls to hold onto the rails at the start of the ride!"

"You could have killed my friend!" Penny protested, crossing her arms. "I can take you to court, and the judge will fine you for unlawfully—"

"Oh, don't use big words now, Miss. Brat," Lukas spat.

Penny looked stunned. "Do you know who my father is?! He will hear of—"

"Don't risk it," Alexis said, feeling chilly. "Look, it was my fault, okay? Penny, don't make a big scene or we'll never end up in Omfori, we're just here for a fun vacation. Lukas, just start up the Midén and hurry up."

The old man went off, mumbling. "Finally, someone with some sense."

Penny still looked furious, glaring at Lypsie. "You're a monster, you know that, right? You were the one who pushed Alexis, don't deny it! I saw you with your skinny-ass wrists."

"I-I didn't know that she couldn't swim!" Lypsie yelled back, scared. Alexis felt a pang of remorse. "I always saw Tellie do dumb tricks and pranks like that, s-s-so I thought—"

"YOU COULD HAVE DROWNED HER!" Penny screamed, tears blotting her cheeks. Her satin red dress was stained with salt and her hair also dripped with water. Alexis was shocked, never seeing Penelope so angry. She isn't scared of water, is she? Emotions seemed to have overwhelmed her, which was unusual.

"Penny, are you okay?" Tellie asked gently, grabbing her hand.

"No, I'm not, because of this freak screwed up," she retorted.

Lypsie sniffled, crying. "I-I...you're right."

"Hey, hey, it's fine," Odetta said, coming over to Lypsie and hugging her. Odetta never said how she met Lypsie, so she had a soft spot for her, like with Helen and Penelope.

"I can't believe you're siding with her," Penny grumbled. Soon enough, Alexis knew she was forgotten as yelling rose. She hated how she was always forgotten in fights or ignored. She just wanted to scream, "I'M HERE TOO, GUYS!" sometimes in her loudest voice.

"We're all besties, remember?" Tellie said hopefully. Tellie didn't care much for Lypsie, Alexis noticed that a while back, but she would go to the ends of the world for Penny and Odetta.

And of course, Tellie forgets me... Alexis wondered how she even became friends with the four girls before Lypsie Lee came.

"I'm just questioning how loyal people can be," Penny exhaled sharply. "After all, we are just all broken, huh? Little and weak, we're broken girls, right, Odetta? That's the whole reason why we're friends, don't you recall?"

Now Alexis remembered why the four became friends. Everyone had their issues, and Penny always called them 'broken girls' in fights. Penny with her rich-and-bratty stereotype issue, Tellie with her horrible mother and deadbeat dad, and Alexis with her workaholic parents.

Mom and Dad always seemed too busy when Alexis needed them. Whatever, I don't need them, I'm almost eighteen, her mind convinced herself. Besides, that gave her bragging rights for saying she's independent.

The thing was, Odetta was perfect. She wasn't broken at all.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" Odetta exploded into an angry rage, looking like she was going to punch someone. "You don't have to be broken, you can be fixed, Penelope!

Alexis knew it was bad if Odetta used Penny's full name. She exchanged a worrisome glance with Tellie, who seemed to understand that they should be praying instead of watching.

"Den chreiázetai na me ftiáxoun!" Penny said in Greek. She had Greek heritage, and so did Odetta, but they were both born in Canada. Alexis had memorized their most common statement during fights. Den chreiázetai na me ftiáxoun loosely translates to I do not need to be fixed.

That's because Penny didn't want to be fixed, that's the problem.

"They're still fighting," Tellie whispered to Alexis. The two girls were fuming on the dock, huffing and muttering every now and then. "Oh dear God, our vacation will be ruined if the argument continues when we arrive in Omfori. We need to fix it."

"Den chreiázetai na me ftiáxoun," I said simply, blowing a loose fuse. "They don't want to be fixed, especially Penny. Ugh, why can't they just be best and happy friends?"

"We all are happy," Tellie said, sounding unconvinced a bit herself.

"Are we though?" Alexias countered, sighing. "Wait, where's Lypsie?"

"She fled to the captain of the Midén, not wanting to rock the boat," she replied, shrugging. "I don't blame her, Odetta can be too icy if upset. But the bad news is—"

"—we're in the eye of the storm," the two both finished. Alexis said, tying up her blond hair in a low ponytail. She squeezed the salty water out of the roots. "I'll go talk to Odetta, and you with Penny."

"Good luck," Tellie laughed as they parted ways. Alexis stalked off to Odetta, smiling.

"Hey," Alexis said casually, sliding into the seat next to her.

"Hi," Odetta grumbled, flicking her hair out of her face. "I hate Penelope, that little brat. She doesn't know what she's talking about. That's what I dislike about this freaking friendship! We're happy for a minute, then we get all hell-bent on being loyal, then we forget and make up! It's a sickening cycle."

Alexis wasn't expecting that. "I mean..."

"Oh, I'm sorry, was that not yours and Tellie's stupid plan?" Odetta snorted as Alexis felt weird. This doesn't seem like the Odetta I know, she thought. But did she really know her at all? "Buzz off, Alexis."

"Fine," Alexis huffed, standing up. "But just to let you know, it is a cycle. It's a cycle also where you get buttered up and coaxed. Yeah, Penny can be so annoying and act like a brat, but she gets us most of the time. You don't, you really don't, Odetta."

"Yep, probably because I'm normal," she laughed coldly. "Like I said before, buzz off, okay, Alexis? Go before I get angry at you all again."

"Sorry, I didn't get your headband back."

"Whatever, screw you, Alexis."