Hi! Shout out to Vballgurl287: It's summer break for me right now, so I'm going to try to update at least once every other day (and maybe everyday if possible). Thanks :D

And now...enjoy!

Max struggled to swallow the fire rising in her throat. She steamed as Lissa cocked her head innocently and flashed him a white smile, telling him that of course she would go with him, how could she refuse? Max wondered how Nick couldn't see straight through her orange spray tan and feel an ounce of attraction for such an ugly person.

But maybe that was the envy speaking for her.

It wasn't as if she was alone; she could tell that the other girls were envious, too. Even her sidekick, Kristina, gazed longingly at the entrance where Lissa had sashayed away with Nick on her arm. They had disappeared somewhere in the back where the pool was and the remaining women flocked to each other to gossip, apparently unaware of the cameras glaring at them.

Suddenly, it was too much. Her whole body felt heated and the women whispering in her ear combined with the harsh lighting against the dark of night and how tired she was and everywhere she looked there was a camera waiting for her to entertain and

She couldn't take it anymore.

The flustered girl tried to discreetly sneak away to the bathroom. She locked the door but didn't hear anyone-or anything-following her.

Sighing, she gripped the dark granite counters and stared at herself in the mirror. What am I doing here? she asked herself, examining the plain makeup on her ordinary face and the dull color of her hair and the lace of her old-fashioned dress. Nobody else is wearing so much lace...she fleetingly thought. What if I look like a prude? Guys don't like prudes! Her thoughts spiraled out of control from a stupid complaint to a life-or-death situation.

The room seemed to compact in on her and suddenly she felt dizzy. The mirror was sliding up and down and the door seemed to reach out and try to slap her on the cheek. She couldn't breathe, forgot how to pull oxygen into her lungs, and she felt like she was seriously about to pass out-

Voices floating past snapped her back into reality. The room stilled, and she leaned against the door, trying to calm herself down. Get a grip, Max! You're only here for self-promotion! Don't let Fang or any of these people get to your head. And speaking of the devil, she recognized one of the voices as Nick, his deep and attractive voice easily for Max to catch. He had apparently made a joke as the girl he was with giggled flirtatiously.

Breathing in and out slowly, Max stood at the mirror a second longer before smoothing down her hair and leaving the bathroom. She didn't really know how long she had been in there, but she guessed it was quite a while; unlike her exit, her return was noticed not just by the girls, but by the cameras, too.

"Where did you go?" Riley approached from her place on the couch. She looked sleepy and Max guessed she was drunk by the way she was rocking from side to side. The blonde had seemed curious but more suspicious, and Max narrowed her eyes slightly at her.

"I went to the bathroom," Max told her truthfully, confused at why so many women were looking at her strangely.

"That was a long time in the bathroom, Max," Zoe pointed out. "I mean, what do you need to do for half an hour? Honestly." So she had been locked in a room by herself for a little longer than she had anticipated...So what?

Weren't these girls her friends just a half an hour ago? What had gotten into them?

"I think she was spying on me and Nick," Lissa piped up, folding her arms across her chest and glaring accusingly at Max. Whitney nodded her agreement and Riley added in a "yea, same."

"What? No! Why would I do that?" Max asked, bewildered.

"'Cause you're trying to scope out the competition," Kristina added, slightly slurring her words. Max briefly wondered if this harsh commentary was mostly due to the alcohol before responding.

She scoffed. "Honey, I can scope out the competition just fine in here."

Riley's hard voice surprised them all. She usually had a tinkling voice, very soft and feminine, but now she sounded more like an angry Sprite. "Fine, then you were trying to find out more about Nick to get more information than the rest of us."

"Can't I just do that during my one-on-one time with him?"

Nobody answered for a while, and Max felt a puff of triumph rise in her chest before it was squashed by disappointment. It was only the first night and girls were already turning on her. It was hard to imagine what the rest of her time here would be like.

The ladies were still glaring at Max in disapproval and she shook her head, protesting, "I really was in the bathroom. I needed a little break." Nobody accepted her excuse, and she was hurt to see Riley her eyes while Whitney still glared at her and Zoe picked at her nails and shook her head.

And the cameras were like kids in a candy shop.

Crestfallen inside, Max felt her face droop from shock to hurt and she thought, God, this situation couldn't possibly get any worse.

But, of course, Max never got things easy.

The situation turned from embarrassing to humiliating in three seconds flat.

Spoke too soon.

Aww, poor Max...

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Song of the chapter: Here by Alessia Cara