[Author's Note: Now that we officially have a story going, we can start building on other plotlines involving some of the other characters! Yay!]

Chapter Fourteen: Vacation

~*Manny*~

Bianca, Paige, and I were shopping. We figured we could use some 'bonding time', and Paige and Bianca wanted to get to know each other better, they had been enemies all year who knew nothing about each other. But now, they had a common ground, sad as it were, to link them. Besides, Paige figured we all needed to get the best in "proper Caribbean attire", as she put it.

"What about this?" I held up a slinky bikini.

"That's cute, for you or Paige." Bianca said.

"I think she meant for you, B." Paige said. "Gotta get something to make Jimmy drool."

"Please." Bianca pushed the suit away. "I can't wear that."

"Sure you can..." I started.

"No, Manny, I really can't." Bianca sighed. "My stomach's still one big bruise. I even have a nice brown footprint."

"Oh. Sorry, Bianca, I shouldn't have pushed." My face fell.

"No, it's okay." She pulled a one piece off the rack. "This is nice..."

"That's really nice." Paige and I agreed.

"So how is everything, really?" Paige asked.

"Things have been okay. I just feel like maybe I'm holding Jimmy back or something. I'm so dependent on him..." she sighed.

"I'm sure he doesn't mind, B." Paige replied. "Anyone can tell that Jimmy's head over heels for you." She paused. "What about everyone else?"

"Well, of course you guys are being nice to me, and the other guys have been great. Even Ashley's being nice to me."

"What about Craig?" I asked.

She sighed. "I can't yet. You don't understand. The man that attacked me...he was built like Craig, same hair, dark eyes, everything. And when I came to, Craig was the first person I saw. I know he didn't do it, he wouldn't ever do something like that, and he couldn't have...he was with you, but still...."

I nodded. "I understand."

"I even have nightmares about it. I still don't know what to tell Jimmy."

"You'll figure out. I didn't know how to explain it to Spinner when we got together, and one day it just spilled out." Paige replied. "But I'm glad you're getting along with everybody. We're gonna be in the Caribbean for two weeks, might as well get along, right?"

"Might as well." Bianca replied.

~*Jimmy*~

I squinted my eyes as we stepped off the plane onto the airfield. "Oh wow." I said, shielding my eyes from the sun. "Is it always this bright?"

"It's gorgeous, isn't it." Paige asked me as we walked towards the gates.

"I'm not used to this, I'm Canadian." I joked.

"A little sun won't kill you." Bianca reminded me.

I grinned and put an arm around her shoulder. "I guess you're right."

"But it might kill me, so, will you unzip my backpack and get my sunscreen out?" I asked.

"Sure." I replied.

"I'm not used to this sun." Spinner remarked to Paige.

"Me neither." She replied. "But I could get used to it."

We boarded a bus that would take us to Paige and Dylan's beach house, and as we stepped off the bus, everyone's mouths gaped open, while Paige and Dylan looked proud of their family's asset. The house was huge!

"Okay, there's six bedrooms, so Hazel and Ellie, you guys can share, and then Spinner and I are sharing one, Craig and Manny, you're sharing one, Ashley and Bryce, you're sharing one, Jimmy and Bianca, you're sharing one." I smiled at Bianca. "Oh, and uh, Dylan and Marco, you're sharing one." Paige grinned when she said the last part.

"I guess we just pick the one we want." I suggested Bianca as we walked inside.

"Whoa." She said, looking around. Whoa was right. The house looked like something out of the Real World, with cool furniture and Caribbean-inspired decorations.

"The house has four bathrooms, a kitchen, a main dining room, two living rooms, a pool and a hot tub out back, and a sun room with pool, air hockey table, and a pinball machine." Paige also yelled as everyone scattered.

"We'll see you guys next week!" Spinner yelled, picking up Paige and throwing her over his shoulder, Paige squealing as he ran up the steps.

"They'll be in bed til then, I'm sure." Ashley said scornfully.

"Nothing wrong with that, honey." Marco said as he and Dylan went off to find their own room.

"Oh wow. Speaking of staying in bed..." Manny laughed.

"You mean, us, right?" Craig said, chasing her up the stairs. I looked at Bianca and shook my head, and she smiled.

Bianca and I found a room we wanted, and I threw our suitcases on the bed.

"This is gonna be a great trip." I said.