Chapter 0582
Chapter 0582
The rain poured down so heavily that it was even starting to reach us in the covered deck. Elva dove to cover her precious coloring book pages.
"Everyone, inside!" Nicholas said.
We grabbed our things and hurried inside. I helped Elva with her crayons and coloring pages, careful not to get them any damper than they already were.
The moment we were inside, the storm truly began outside. Lightning struck and wind howled.
"So much for volleyball," Jessica grumbled.
A particularly loud thunderclap made Elva jump. She cuddled closer to me, hugging my thigh.
As we were standing around there, watching the storm outside the windowed sliding glass door, Selma came out from the kitchen. When she saw us - or rather, when she saw Elva crying, she came forward, leaned down, and asked her, "How would you like some ice cream, little one?"
As I came with Elva into the kitchen, I quickly learned from the excess of ice cream in the fridge, that Selma was looking for ways to get rid of the ice cream. She had planned many big desserts for our remaining nights, but with our trip ending early, there was no longer any need for such surplus.
If the ice cream stayed after we all left, it would just go to waste and have to be thrown away.
Because of this, twenty minutes later, all of the candidates, even Bridget, and the princes and Elva, had a pint of ice cream each as we lounged around in the living room. Cóntent belongs to NovélDráma. Org
The sugary ice cream was helping with everyone's mood somewhat. No one was mad about the storm anymore. Jessica had even put on a couple of records, upbeat dance music.
Yet still the overall mood was still glum. What was supposed to be a fun island beach vacation had turned into more or less a nightmare.
I was still determined to lift up everyone's mood.
"Since we're all already here, why don't we play a game?" I asked.
"We can't play volleyball," Jessica said.
"It doesn't have to be athletic," I said. Especially not with us feeding our faces with ice cream. "We could play something else... like... charades!"
Everyone looked around.
"I don't know..." Veronica said.From NôvelDrama.Org.
Bridget clapped her hand. "I think it's a great idea!"
I startled, looking at her. "You do?"
"Yes," she said. "That could be great fun! It's the best rainy day party game!"
Jessica rolled her eyes. "Fine. I guess it could be fun."
I looked at Veronica. She shrugged. "I guess."
"If you want to, Piper," Julian said.
I looked at Elva. "I just want to color," she said. She stretched herself on the floor, her coloring pages and crayons in the space before her. She picked up a purple crayon and scribbled it across a flower petal.
"Nicholas, Jessica, and I will be on a team," Bridget said. "Piper, Julian, and Veronica on a separate team." She jumped to her feet. "Hold on while I get everything set up."
I wasn't sure what she was taking charge so adamantly. It was just a silly party game, not a challenge or an event.
I understood a little better, when she returned with a bowl of words written on scraps of paper, because standing behind her was a camera crew ready to shoot.
Bridget knew that she had taken a hit lately with her terrible behavior. This must have been some new plan of hers to bring her reputation back up.
Agitation grew within me but I didn't say a word about it. Let her do whatever she wanted as long as we could have fun and lift everyone's mood.
We separated into our teams, sitting together. Nicholas, when choosing where to sit, picked the spot outside of Jessica, farthest from Bridget and closest to me and my team.
"Round one!" Bridget said. "I'll go first!"
With the cameras recording, she seemed over enthusiastic. Veronica gave her a flat, bored look. I just barely caught myself before I could roll my eyes. With the camera catching all, I didn't want anyone to know my distain for her.
Bridget reached into the bowl of words and pulled out one. She wasn't allowed to tell anyone what it was.
"Oh, this is an easy one!" she announced before putting the paper in her pocket. "Now, don't feel back, Piper's team, if you don't do as well as us. Keep in mind that I'm an actress, after all. I'm naturally more talented at some things than the rest of you."
Veronica and I looked at each other.
Julian groaned. "Get on with it."
Bridget ignored him. "Ready the clock," she said. Jessica started the kitchen timer Selma had brought them. The chime was set to go off after sixty seconds.
"Go!" Jessica said.
Bridget began making some kind of motion. I wasn't sure what she was trying to do? She was gyrating her body, kind of like a fish out of water but standing up? It didn't make any sense.
"Dancing?" Jessica said.
Bridget kept moving, which meant that guess was incorrect.
"Fishing," Nicholas said, which showed how well we were in sync. That was exactly what I had been thinking.
Bridget stopped moving to glare at him.
He shrugged, and she began again.
"Cooking? Swimming? Being electrocuted?" Jessica shouted, calling one quickly after the next.
Bridget continued her strange fluid movement.
Nicholas just shook his head.
Jessica continued trying. "Bubbles? Mermaids? Trying on clothes?"
The timer dinged. Bridget groaned as she stopped her strange movements. "Come on, you guys! It was baking cupcakes! Obviously!"
Nicholas opened his mouth. He immediately closed it.
Jessica's face scrunched up in confusion. "You didn't even move your arms!"
Bridget glared until she glanced at the cameras, as if remembering they were there. She immediately brightened. She clapped. "Alright. Good first effort team. We'll get them next time."
It was my team's turn.
"Piper, your turn," Bridget said to me. I'm pretty sure it was up to my team to decide our first contender but
whatever. Julian or Veronica didn't seem to care, and neither did I.
I stood, went to bowl and pulled a word. Golf cart. Okay. That was weird but I could do it.
"I'm ready," I said.
Jessica set the timer. "Go!"
I moved to stand like I was about to swing a golf club.
No sooner had I gone through the motion, than the first guess came out of Julian's mouth. "Golf cart!"
My eyes went wide. I stopped.
Had he seen my paper? No. He couldn't have, from that distance.
He had to have actually guessed that.
"No shit!" he laughed. "Was that really it?"
"Yeah," I said, laughing now too.
"Woo!" he said, jumping to his feet. Veronica clapped, as did Jessica. It was an excellent guess.
Julian jumped forward, scooped me into his arms, and swung me around. We both laughed all the way.
However, all good feelings vanished the minute I heard a deep, guttural noise.
Julian lowered me down. His face went pale. He swallowed hard. He took two very large steps back from me.
"Uh... sorry, Piper..."
"It's okay..."
We both glanced at the couch. At Nicholas.
Nicholas, who was still growling.