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Hiwalani-Noa smiled her dimpled smile in her sleep, rolling over as her dream went on; Her dreams were basically reality. She dreamed often of basking in the rays of the sun on her island, Ukupanipo. She had been visiting the small island since she was a child and nobody else ever went there - With the recent exception of her cousins and Keo's irritating friends. (She was going to fix that issue later.) She had named it after her favorite Hawaiian God - And her father's nickname. But her dream didn't last long, being rudely awakened by her little sister pouncing on her at the same time her alarm clock went off. “Ho`âla, kaikua'ana! Ho`âla, Hiwalani-Noa!”, Lulua‘ina screeched. The brunette groaned and rolled over, taking Lulua‘ina with her as she hit the floor.

“Waiho,” she grunted as she grabbed the chubby little girl by her feet and dragged her out of her room, quickly running back into her room and slamming the door behind her. The small child spent a few minutes banging on the door before giving up and leaving. Noa looked over at the clock and shook her head. What eight year old was up and screaming at seven thirty during the summer?! At least she was going back home today and Noa could get some stuff done without Lulu in her way. She was in and out of the shower in a flash, slipping on her favorite black bikini and a pair of capri sweats before scanning her dresser.

Most women her age had loads of makeup scattered across their room - Not her. She hardly had any hair ties either. Her dresser was covered with pictures and piercings , of which she grabbed a few. An anchor for her navel, a light up one for her tongue, her favorite industrial barbells, and a glow in the dark pair for her shark bites. Admiring her piercings and tattoos, she ran her fingers through her hair and fluffed the knee-length locks before grabbing her Jericho backpack while sliding on her lucky bracelet and heading out, calling out to her father. “A hui hou! Aloha au la ‘oe Makuakane!” She was out the door before her father could reply, knowing he was there to pick up Lulu and was probably fixing her breakfast. The house she lived in was her grandfather's, Kona. More than likely he was already hitting the waves.

She grabbed the keys to the blue ATV parked in the paved driveway, soon peeling out and heading away from her home on the beach and into town. She stopped at several stalls and small shops to pick up things that were placed carefully into her backpack; a couple of apples, some sandwiches, a bottle of whiskey, and a container of cherries; It was all that she needed to start her morning. She made a few other stops to deliver a few things as well. On the days that she wasn't sleeping in, gone camping, or sleeping in the ocean she made herself useful by getting up early to help some of the vendors and shop keepers by delivering packages like groceries to some of the elderly people.

Now? Off to Hiʻiaka Studio to have some “Noa-Time” before she decided to start her day for real. Though, her entire life seemed to just be “Noa-Time”. She was really hoping to go camping on Ukupanipo tonight after the big beach luau that her parents were throwing for the graduates their their friends. Her own last two weeks were spent babysitting her little sister and working at both the studio and her father's restaurant and she finally had free time that she intended on spending well. She parked outside, unlocking the doors and slipping inside where she headed directly for Studio Mano where she taught, beginning her yoga on the deck...

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Joy of joys, His Royal Highness, Lord Keokolo and his groupies had decreed via text that they were going to attend the luau as a group. She wasn't exactly excited per se. She still wasn't sure if staying had been the best idea, nor was she entirely sure that hanging out with Keokolo and his super powered groupies was a keen idea. She couldn't remember the last time that she actually fully enjoyed being around him and to make it worse he had Aliee hanging around him and Quinn had to get powers along with Nate. She didn't mind Dax sometimes and Nate was her favorite besides Rose and Kye. The chance to flirt with Nate was not going to go by though she didn't have high hopes. Keo tended to make a habit of sleeping around with every guy or girl that she actually liked that wasn't related. But Keo didn't seem to much like Nate so it would be fun to get under his skin for once. If only Nate wasn't a package deal with Titan Temper Twin number Two.

Hiwalani-Noa sighed as she lounged at one of the outside tables in front of her dad's restaurant, staring out at the waves as tourists took pictures and swam and attempted to surf. She gave a light smirk whenever one fell off of their board. What she wouldn't give to be out there scaring them right now. Because she hated Haole? Nope. Because it was fucking hilarious. Instead, she had gotten a text from a rather handsome friend that was arriving soon and she had promised him a free meal and a drink. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back so that it caught the sun, the rest of her tanned body shaded by the grassy umbrella protruding from the center of the table. She had to admit that she missed being home in the summer time though. There was no place like home.

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Translations

“Ho`âla, kaikua'ana! Ho`âla, Hiwalani-Noa!” – “Wake up, big sister! Wake up, Hiwalani-Noa!”

“Waiho,” – “Get out,”

“A hui hou! Aloha au la ‘oe Makuakane!” – “See ya later! I love you, daddy!”

'Again? It is becoming a habit waking up in this position.' A slim hand pulled back the tangled nest, otherwise known as hair, out of the woman's face. The whole bedroom looked sideways, but it became quite clear that she was just laying on the floor next to her bed. Aliee sat up and quickly felt a sharp pain shoot through her neck. The small glimmer of light coming through the window curtain hurt her eyes all too much. Sighing she held onto the bed to help her up off of the floor. After taking one step she slipped on a bottle that caused her to crash back to the wooden floor. "Shit!" She landed on her arm and she could tell a bruise was going to form there. Aliee looked to see what bottle caused her fall, and to no surprise it was a bottle of whiskey. Smooth.

After getting back up she became increasingly aware of her hang over. Her head felt like someone hit her repeatedly and it was just throbbing all over. She raked her hair back with her fingers and stumbled into the bathroom. After one look in the mirror, she knew how much she drank last night. Her face looked drawn around the eyes, not to mention the dark circles she had. Also there was a bruise on her abdomen, probably from her falling though. "This has to stop." She frowned looking at her appearance. Of course she didn't really mean those words. Aliee knew her problem was getting worse, but she either didn't want to acknowledge it or didn't feel like fixing it.

The hung over woman got into the shower knowing she reeked of alcohol and scrubbed her skin profusely hoping the smell would go away. Good thing she didn't start working at the Kealoha until tomorrow. Maybe tonight she will be able to stay sober. She got out the shower and put on a yellow sundress. She continued to put some shades on to hide her bloodshot eyes. Aliee left the house, taking some pain pills on the way out, and headed to Kealoha to give her mom her lunch for the day. Aliee developed a way to help her mom out since she worked all day by bringing her lunch and dinner. It was the least she could do until she started working as well.

"My whole body hurts." She complained while making her way to her pink Vespa. Aliee put on her helmet then took off. While the sun aggravated her, the cool ocean breeze helped her out a lot. Arriving at the hotel, she suddenly remembered Dax was probably going to be there. Of course he would when she looked like shit and had small bruises on her arms from falling. Ignoring the thought, she parked in the workers parking lot and went in. Finding her mother in the break room was easy. She knew this hotel inside and out.

"Zao an." Aliee greeted her mom and took a seat next to the older woman. "Zao an. Aren't you up early?" Her mom teased. "Yeah yeah. Here you go." Aliee slid over the packed lunch and gave her mom a small smile. "Are you excited to start working?" Her mother questioned. "Who wouldn't be excited to work for their best friend?" It sounded more sarcastic then Aliee wanted it to sound, so she had to quickly correct it. "But yes I am excited. I get to work with you." Aliee hugged her moms arm. "You're too kind." Aliee and her mom ate together before her mom had to go back to work. Aliee wondered around the hotel trying to see if she could find Dax anywhere. She needed someone to talk to since she had nothing else to do today. Aliee walked through a doorway and immediately froze. "Did I really just walk through there on my right foot?" She looked down to confirm and yes she had. Taking a few steps back and walked through the entry way again only on her left foot this time. "Perfect." Was uttered by her before she continued to look around for her friend.

Her phone kept vibrating and at this point it was getting quite annoying. She pulled it out of her pocket to see who was trying to reach her. She should have known it was Keo letting everyone know about the luau tonight that Noa's parents were throwing. Great. She had to go but that meant seeing Hiwalani. On the plus side there should be some alcohol to help her get through the night. But it was probably best to control how much she drank or at least try to. Aliee was about to text Dax but the chances of him sleeping were extremely high. Putting her phone away she went to go find Dax.

He was exhausted. Traveling was going to be the death of him. Looking out the window forlornly he was going over what had occurred over the past few days in his head. Not even 3 days ago he was in Tahiti preparing to return back to Maui; Well trying to prepare but it was rather hard with a relentless woman always at his back beckoning him back into bed. He smiled fondly at that then. Isabelle Anderson was a gem; beautiful, rich, killer body, and her father owned a large stock market. Too bad she had nothing going up in that lovely head of hers. It was the unfortunate case with many of his sex partners. Great at everything but a stimulating conversation.

It had been fun the last few weeks but now it was crunch time. Gray had serious business to deal with in Maui. Of course he was going to enjoy himself first and see a couple of people before he got down to it. Don't get him wrong, he loved doing what he does. It was just different when he was in Maui. He just wanted to kick back and breathe in the ocean air on the beach with a nice cold one in his hand. He just had to lay low for a bit to not raise his father's suspicions. No need for his father to have to come down and end the party early. Summer had just begun and Gray intended to make it last. Business would just have to wait a little bit.

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When Gray next opened his eyes, he realized they were just landing. He looked out the window and immediately saw the ocean to the far left. Grinning ridiculously he unbuckled himself and reached for his carryon. The great thing about having your own private plane was that you didn't have to wait for others to get off before you, you got off whenever you pleased. Being a Hilton certainly came with its perks and of course downsides, but this, this, was a definite perk. Quickly buttoning up his white dress shirt and fixing his black tie, he started heading for the exit. He hated dressing formally but it was just a cover for any awaiting paparazzi who might think to snap a picture and post it in the tabloids. The tie will convince my father I'm here to do, what he thought I'm here to do, he thought. Gray turned then to the cockpit, "Thank you for bearing with me these last few weeks Rodrick. You'll be getting a large bonus before you return home," he said to his pilot before bounding off the plane.

As soon as he stepped off his plane two women dressed in floral bandeaus and grass skirts presented him with an intricate lei around his neck. Grabbing each of their hands he said, "Thank you, my fine ladies. Keep up your wonderful work." And he bent low, kissing each woman's hand. While they blushed Grayson turned around and walked smoothly away. He took his phone out then and texted Hiwalani-Noa, "Just arrived and I already got leid," he started intending to seem like he meant laid, "hope you have something fun in store for me ;)". He loved teasing and flirting with her. She never took him seriously so who cared anyway. And as a bonus, it pissed Keo off.

Walking to the front of the airport, a flashy red ferrari was waiting for him with a valet holding out the keys for him. Taking out a hundred dollar bill he gave it to the valet, "For your troubles my good sir," and took the keys and got into the car. Pulling away from the airport, Grayson started heading to Hiwalani-Noa's father's restaurant, where he assumed she was. With a grin on his face, he sped along, damn it was good to be back.

It had been another night of staying up and playing videogames until his thumbs couldn’t take the exercise anymore, luckily his thumbs belonged to a thumb wrestling champion in a previous life. This was Dax’s favorite alternative too sleepless nights, lying in bed staring at his eyelids had gotten old real fast. Wishing he could fall asleep as he continued to smash buttons on the controller, Dax’s door mysteriously creaked open. Well it wasn’t all that mysterious, but considering that he still thought it was 3 am the shining light from outside of the room caught him off guard.

Hissing as if he were a vampire, Dax shielded his bloodshot eyes. Staring at a television for hours on end had obviously taken its toll that night; his eyes sizzled and he could only wait until they adjusted to the blinding natural sunlight. As a figure in the doorway began to take shape, a loud voice blared through the room. “Get off of that game; you spend entire days wasted on that device…”. Dax’s eyes finally started to clear up to see his mother in her work uniform, she had busted in with another rant that had felt familiar due to the sheer number of times he had heard the same thing repeated over and over. Unknowingly his own thoughts had begun to drown out his mother’s voice after the word device left her mouth, guess you can say he developed a defense mechanism over time.

Getting hit by a fresh towel jolted him out his own thoughts. “Get yourself together; you’re coming in to apply for a job.”. A scare tactic… a very good one too, Dax hated the idea of working at the hotel. His mother left the door wide open letting every light ray fill the room, no way was he avoiding this one. Taking a glance at his phone, the time was 7:21am, she had to be there at 8 am and if it was Dax’s fault that she was late he would never hear the end of it.

It didn’t take much to get ready, a quick ten minute shower; five spent settling into the relaxing hot water, the other five used to actually get clean, a brushing of the teeth and a quick application of summer breeze deodorant. Yeah, summer breeze was meant for women, but hey it got the job done and smelled pretty good. Heading out the door, his mom handed him the keys. He let out a small sigh and hoped that it didn’t ignite another scolding from his mother. Starting the ignition, he pulled out of the drive way not feeling too exhausted.

Reaching the employee parking lot of the Hotel, his mother bid him a farewell with a stern look in her eye, this relayed a ‘Do Something Today’ message to the boy. Sitting in the car, it was apparent that Dax had hit ‘the wall’, a saying he uses to refer to a moment in time where you feel completely drained after going so long without sleep. ‘The wall’ is beatable, but Dax was glad it had finally come; this was usually the solace to his minor insomnia. Leaning back into the driver seat, it didn’t take long before sleep enveloped him in a warm embrace.

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June 1st, 2013. 10:09


The light was just barely trickling through the curtains as Quinn woke up that morning. It was another bright, warm day in Hawaii. As she left her oh so comfortable bed, the girl ran a hand through her unruly hair. The air smelled of sweet fruits and the ocean. Quinn smiled to herself as everything about the day sunk in. She put on a very light, satin slip to wander around the house in. The window of her bedroom was open to a vast array of colours and sunshine. Summer was making itself known, and Quinn was determined to not wallow inside her home for the majority of it. No, she was going to mingle and attempt to make friends and interact with the rest of the human population. First, though, food and a shower was in order.

Quinn skipped down the stairs and to her kitchen. Her parents were already off to whatever work they had to do for the day. She had no idea if Nate was even home or not. She scanned the kitchen for food, locking her sights on a ripe banana and a mango. Smoothies are Quinn's addiction. She could drink one everyday and not get bored. She even had a specific cup for them that no one else could use. After her breakfast was made and consumed, she quickly got a shower, did her hair in a simple style, and applied a tiny bit of makeup. Quinn was dressed in a matter of minutes and was ready to tackle her day by 11:37. Even though she was so psyched at the start of her day, she wasn't really sure where to go or what to do. This was a foreign feeling for her. When in doubt, however, think of your favourite place and go there. Luckily, that was only a short walk from Quinn's house.

The walk was beautiful, but uneventful. Quinn made sure to stay as far from the water she could. Once she arrived to her destination, a wave of relief washed over her. It was left as she last saw it. Her place was like a half exposed cave. The roof was open, but rock walls still surrounded her. Even though Quinn knew it would make no difference, she tended to cover the entrance with an old, tattered cloth. Once "inside", there was no mistaking that she had claimed the place as her own. There were permanent burn marks in the sand and on the walls. In some places, the rock was completely eroded away leaving the look of circular windows. It was a wonder no one else knew of the cubby hole.

This is where Quinn spent most of her days. Away from everyone else, a place where she can just let everything go and think. She sat down in the sand that was slowly heating from the sun and her. Smiling, she conjured a floating fire and did just that. Thought. Spoke out loud to herself. The hours slipped away from her until about 14:30, when her phone buzzed with a few texts from her friends. It was talking about the luau going on at Hiwalani's place. 'Do I really have to go? I don't think I'll be the most welcome person there...' Sighing and cursing herself, she accepted the invitation. Six in the evening, huh...? She still had time to spend here. She just had to make sure to keep an eye on time is all. Quinn knew that she would probably be late, as always. Oh well. It's not like the party was specifically for her or anything.

"Ah, what a wonderful life I live."

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Kye rolled over in bed, still wearing his clothing from work. He hadn't bothered to change when he got home, had just fallen into bed really. He wasn't one to be so tired, but with school letting out just a few days ago and finals and work and the tourists starting to come in, well, his life was rather tiring right around now. Finally summer was here and he could go out more, hang out with the others, maybe try to find another better job.

Kye swept his legs over the side of his bed, sitting up and running a hand through his already messy hair. "First day of a real summer," He mumbles as he stands and goes to his bathroom. He was going to try to go to the beach this morning before coming back to get ready for the gathering tonight. He was taking off from work for a night and hoped it wouldn't effect anything.

Walking downstairs, wetsuit on, he passes his father who was passed out in the lounge chair he had stained with the evidence of his issues. He walks to the garage that holds the family's old jeep and Kye's board. He grabs the green surfboard and makes his way to the jeep. His father wouldn't notice it was gone until that night. He would need to ask Keo for a ride tonight, really just give him a call to pick him up, or any of the others, questions weren't usually asked.

He tucked his board in the back then climbed into the drivers seat. Kye drove slowly, savoring the fresh early morning air with the hint of salt in the air. He looks at the nearly empty beaches as he pulls into a parking lot by his house. He was happy he had a beach by his house, but was also bummed as the parking lot was always filled with tourists during the tourist season. He only drove because of the rocky road and the long winding path. At least with the jeep he could get down quickly without carrying everything by himself.

It didn't take long for him to park, grab his board, and paddle out to the waves. He felt so much better out in the water even if it didn't do much other than cool him off. It was cool already from the early morning, but it still was refreshing. He didn't surf so much as sit out there on the board, looking around and up at his house and around at the world that was good and bad. He frowned, why think such morbid thoughts when summer had finally arrived?

He smiled as he paddled back in, going to the house before he tucked the board in the garage, grabbed a change of clothes, and getting back in the jeep. He sighed as he pulled out of his driveway and headed towards work. He wondered briefly if his cousin, Keo, may or may not be up, probably not or at least with someone else, but still, it was better than just hanging out and doing nothing. His phone buzzed as he pulled up to a stoplight. Kye glances down to see the text from Keo, the luau as the subject. Maybe Keo was up then.

He would have to wait on people for the next couple of hours, occasionally suffering a group of particularly tacky and insulting tourists until he had done three hours worth and could leave. At a red light he managed to send a quick text back.I'll come over in a few hours around lunch.Kye drives quickly, almost maniacally in his rush and frustration. He parks down the street in an overgrown parking he's always parked in, grabbing his bag out of the back of the jeep as he jogs towards the restaurant, hating everything about the short run but the warming air of the day.

He ignores the looks the manager gives him as he slips into the back room that they provide for changing considering the ridiculousness of the work uniform. It's like the workers didn't look Hawaiian enough with their appearances and everything. He always though he looked like Elvis Presley on one of his Hawaiian movies.

Kye pulls the red flowered shirt on, white pants, and the lei, sitting for a moment on the bench between lockers before putting the rest of his stuff in the locker. He would have to suck it up so that he could keep things could, it wasn't a big deal, he just really didn't want to have to be there.

He plasters on a fake smile, clocks in, then heads out to the crowd coming in for early breakfasts. He takes a deep breath to keep himself calm as his boss comes up to him while he's putting in an order. "Hey, Kealoha, we're changing our approach to the tourists, so you think you could maybe play Ukulele?" He asks without really allowing room for argument.

He was a mainlander who moved to Hawaii last year, opening the tacky Hawaiian restaurants for the haole. He seemed to think that every Hawaiian was a firedancer or played the ukulele or surfed. Kye only surfed and therefore his boss though that he did everything else.

Kye shakes his head. "Sorry boss, Don't play Ukulele," Kye says with an apologetic shrug before grabbing the drinks ordered by his customers and heading to deliver them, thankful he avoided talking any more to his boss. After another two hours of the annoying customers and the odd requests that came his way occasionally such as does everything have pineapple?, or could you possibly grab one of those flower necklaces to my son? Surely you have tons. He didn't carry leis with him anywhere and he surely didn't think majority of the menu was made up of pineapple.

He clocks out as early as possible so he can keep his job (being on one of the bosses last straws already) before heading back to the jeep in his early morning clothing he planned to wear the rest of the day. He drove calmly, in a better mood than he had been at work. Getting up at 5:30 in the morning to surf and get ready for work at 7:00 only to clock out at 10:00 and get to Keo's house by 10:30 was tiring though he was sure he could catch a nap at Keo's whenever.

He pulled into the driveway of his aunt and uncle's and put the car in park, climbing out and heading to the door he opens it and slips in, waving slightly at his relatives in the kitchen before going to the counter. He wondered where Keo was but didn't ask, feeling fine just waiting for him to show his face in the kitchen, again or for the first time that morning. When Kye's aunt passed him a few slices of fruit in a bowl, Kye thanked her as he began to eat, staring out the window nearby.

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Outfit

Time: 8.30am

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Sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, casting a shaded but clear view of the messy room. A pile of clothes lay scattered on the floor, the odd plate appeared on numerous surfaces, and a pot plants seemed to appear wherever there was any other free space. Beside the bed an iPhone came to life, the high-pitched beeping enough to wake the deeply sleeping teenager sprawled out on his bed. There was movement, a head rose from the jungle of sheets to stare blearily at the time displayed on a hanging clock. With a groan Nate's arm flung out, his hand searching for the offending cellphone. He wasn't sure what had possessed him to set his alarm so early, at the moment sleep was much more important than an early morning run. Having found the cellphone Nate turned the alarm off an sunk back into his large bed. However, less than five minutes later another sound erupted in the room. This time the alarm came from other side of the room, where his laptop sat under a pile of magazines. Not wanting to leave the warmth of his bed, Nate pulled a pillow over his head. Yet, that didn't completely block out the beeping. With a well chosen swear word Nate sat up, threw the blankets off and stepped out of bed.
"Shut up." He growled, as he turned the laptop alarm off. As peace returned to his room Nate gave an exasperated sigh, looks like his irritating plan from the previous night had worked. He was up.

Ten minutes later, having changed his pants and grabbed his running music player, Nate left the house. With his music pumping he hit the early morning streets, nodding to any other runners he came across. Even that early in the morning you could feel the heat building. Nate could still remember the many cold mornings in England that he'd spent running. It would have taken at least ten minutes to warm up, while here he was warm the moment he left his air-conditioned home. His route took him around the streets and parallel to the beach, his feet hitting the pathway above he sand with rhythmic thuds. Already he spotted numerous surfers hitting the waves. Nate hoped that soon enough he'd be out there too, confidently carving through the water.

His run took up around the streets again, before he circled back to the beach. As he hit the sand his pace slowed to a walk. Taking a moment to catch his breath Nate surveyed the water before quickly threw off his shoes and iPod, throwing them into the sand and racing down to the water. He dived beneath the shallow waves, letting the ocean water cool his hot skin. He may have missed England sometimes, but really there was little back home that could match the bliss of diving into the sea after a long run. Before Nate could get too comfortable in the water though, he pulled himself out, grabbed his things, and began an easy walk home. The time on his iPod read 9.45am. His parents would already be at work and Quin may or may not still be sleeping.

In fact when Nate did return home he could hear what he assumed to be his sister upstairs in the shower. Nate shouted a "Morning" to his sister, before jumping into his own en-suite shower. Sometime later, clean and dressed Nate wondered out into the family's expansive backyard. In a quiet corner his private garden could be found, partially screened from view by a wall of bamboo. As he entered his little sanctuary the plants gave out a greeting, flowers turning their petals towards him and vines reaching out tendrils as he passed. With a smile Nate returned their greetings. Earlier his phone had buzzed with the news of tonight's luau, which he was already looking forward to. But for now he was going to give his garden some loving attention.

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He had slept most of the thirteen hours it took to fly from North Carolina to Hawaii. During the entire flight the sandman had stolen all of Noel’s valuable sightseeing time. Although there isn’t much one can see so far up in the air, aside from a few clouds, and perhaps water down below. As the announcement rang out that they would be landing soon, Noel gathered himself. The thought of spending so much time in Hawaii was thrilling and he could only hope that he didn’t run out of things to do. This was his first time in Hawaii as an adult, and he had studied the language all throughout high school. This was on the very top of his list of places to vacation to so he wanted to be able to communicate with Natives of the island. It was so much fun being in a new place, surrounded by new people, learning a different language and testing it out for the first time and making new friends. Such an adventure was too good to be true, but it was happening, and he was so thankful.

Noel was a quick learner. He could speak Spanish and English fluently, though one could tell his ethnicity whenever he spoke, due to the fact that he had a mildly heavy accent. Most guessed that he was from Puerto Rico within minutes of talking to him. The beautiful island of Puerto Rico, how he missed it so, and most of his relatives were there. He loved visiting his grandmother who still resided there.

“Excuse me miss,” Noel said softly to the flight attendant, “but do you mind getting me some peanuts?”

“Not at all sir,” the rather busty flight attendant stated with a smile as she swayed down the aisle as if she were deliberately trying to entice Noel. It became even more prevalent when she winked after dropping off the peanuts.

“Thank you,” Noel said with a smile.

“Not a problem, we’ll be landing soon, let me know if you need anything,” the flight attendant stated with a smile.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Noel replied flirting back. It was fun to see the expression on the faces of others when they find out he’s gay. It is like watching a person on a diet each chocolate and not realizing it until someone tells them. It was a guilty pleasure. He enjoyed flirting, it was a pastime of his, but he was selective with who he let near him and who he let into his heart. He was vacationing to have fun, but he also was here to just get away from it all. He had recently broken up with his boyfriend and some eye candy was looking more and more promising. He wasn’t going to shield his heart; he was going to take this adventure for what it was worth. He was going to have a great time and if something happened, it happened and if something deeper happened, he’d welcome it.

The plane began to descend, and slowly but surely it hit the ground and rolled to a halt before the passengers began to unload. Airports were a difficult setting, one that Noel often times dreaded, but he quickly got his bags after spotting them in the terminal and hurriedly made his way towards the limo that would be taking him to the beach house he had rented for the time he’d be in Hawaii. The sights that he saw while the limo driver drove were amazing. Shirtless guys here and there, girls of varying hotness, and beauty as far as the eye could see. This place was amazing. It felt like home here. The plan was simple. He’d get to the beach house, unload, and take a shower. He’d get dressed, and prepare for whatever was to come. He wanted to take a ride out and look at certain places in his tourist guide, and he wanted to test to see if the Natives could tell if he was a “Haole”. He had studied the language, now he wanted to see if he could utilize it.

The driver interrupted his daydreaming as they pulled up to the beautiful island hotel, the Kealoha hotel . Noel exited the limo and gawked at what he saw. The beautiful hotel that he’d be staying in was large. His parents were always living above and beyond and this proved just that. They had changed his rental at the last minute, they had to have, because he didn’t recall renting the most expensive room at this hotel for his entirety here, but as he looked at the paperwork he knew all too well what had occurred here. His father had done this, wanting him to live the lavish lifestyle he did.

“Thanks mom and dad,” Noel said softly as he walked up to the fabulous Kealoha hotel and simply looked at it. “It’s big,” he said with assurance, as if the driver couldn’t see for himself. “Very big,” Noel added with a sigh, “too big for a single college student.... I’m thinking party at some point.” He laughed softly before entering the Kealoha hotel.

“Un.Be.Lievable....,” Noel stated as he marveled at the beautiful the Kealoha hotel provided.

“Your bags sir?” the driver stated bringing Noel back from his state of amazement. Noel turned and realized the man was holding his many bags.

“Umm, right, once second,” Noel stated as he continued to explore the place. “Definitely gonna enjoy this vacation now. I wonder how much they spent?” He questioned as his phone rang. It was his mom.

“Oh my gosh mom, thank you so much for the upgrade,” Noel stated right off the bat.

“Well hello to you too,” his mother began, “and it was not a problem at all darling. Your father was the one who came up with the idea. You know how persistent he is and when he found out you were going to Hawaii, he wanted only the best for you. He also provided the limo, but I was calling to make sure you made it safely. Your father told me to tell you to have fun. You know he’s busy doing what he does.”

“Tell him I said thank you and I love it so much. I love you mom,” Noel said as he made his way upstairs.

“Love you too darling, now have fun and call me if you need anything,” she said as the audible click meant the end of the conversation. Noel sighed. This was going to be extremely awesome.

Noel noticed that the limo driver was still holding the bags and quickly apologized for his short attention span. Approaching the receptionist, Noel smiled.

"Aloha," Noel stated with a smile, "I have a reservation under Riverez." Noel was a polite as could be. His eyes were very charming, an odd blue in color, he got that from his mother's side of the family. His hair, soft and manageable, and his smile, pearly whites that caught the eyes of so many.

After obtaining his room key, his room number being room 5, he quickly thanked the receptionist and made his way towards the room where he opened the door and allowed the limo driver to go in and deposit his bags.

"Mr. Riverez, should you need me I am but a call away. Your father has paid for your entire trip here, and that includes anything you may need. I trust you'll enjoy your stay here at Kealoha hotel. It is a beautiful hotel. Here is my card," the limo driver stated as he gave Noel his card. The limo driver had to be around 21 or 22, and was very handsome. Noel took the card with a smile and read it. "If you need anything just let me know okay?" the limo driver stated with a very quick wink. What was with these people and their winking? First the flight attendant, now the limo driver, this was beginning to get interesting.

"As a matter of fact I do have a question. What's your name?"

"Kani sir."

"Kani, cute, so what's the happenings around here?" Noel asked as the limo driver known as Kani smiled as if he were waiting on that question.

"Sir there's a party I believe going on, and I think you'd fit in."

"You think?" Noel began as he got closer to the guy, extremely close, so close their abdomens touched. "I, umm," Kani began but Noel stopped him by putting one finger to the male's lips, "I'm here to have fun Daniel, and that can mean many things, so are you inviting me to this party?"

Kani was captivated by the sheer eye contact he was getting from Noel. The male's scent was also intoxicating. Kani couldn't think straight, but he nodded in agreement and Noel smirked, "good, oh and by the way call me Noel." Before the boy could say anything, Noel planted a rather exotic kiss on his lips and when the kiss was broken, Noel wiped Daniel's lips with his finger and smiled. Kani stood there for a moment, after realizing what had just happened and left the room with a smile on his face. He would come in useful, he seemed like a nice guy and Noel was here to have fun.

"Now then, let me unpack and get out on the beach...."

---

When Keo left his bed partner sleeping and satisfied, it was well into the night and into early morning and he didn’t have a wink of sleep. He propped open the window to air out the room and felt that the morning was cool and dark for a while yet. His partner shifted in bed to curl around the lingering heat Keo left, but did not awake. His partner would be amenable to another round in addition to the two they had earlier, but Keo pulled on a shirt to cover the hickeys and finger-shaped bruises and left without leaving a number. The morning was his alone.

The reception desk was empty. Too early for someone to come in to man the desk, but Keo knew that it was most likely going to be Lea coming in before her classes. The last time when Keokolo had left this German chick in bed, Lea teasingly threatened to tell his parents about his dalliances. Keo laughed it off and threatened to tell her parents about her illicit boyfriend, besides his parents didn’t care as long as it wasn’t their guests Keo was having sex with.

This morning, Keo spoke to no one, not even the bus driver. The window was left open and he let the wind comb his hair into his usual disarray instead of the finger-pulled shape of last night. He dozed a little on the trip and woke just before his stop, the beach.

He headed straight for the water, where the tides are pulled back and the white sand was unmarked and perfect. He stretched away any lingering lethargy from the night and began to run along the waters, making the first feet marks of the day. The sky was lightening, but the sun hadn’t risen. The coastline was empty of tourists and the day was full of potential. He let his mind clear, focused on the steady rhythm of his feet and the quiet just before daybreak, the only noise the breeze through the palm leaves.

By the time he was doubling back, the sun started rising and people had started milling about and invading his calm. The ruined illusion of solitude was inevitable. He threw a smile at an old couple who was admiring the sun rising together, their arms around each other and they were bundled together, relaxed.

There were a group of five young adults setting up a volleyball net, the long poles stabbing into the sand like a conqueror’s flag on a new land. He winced at their loud chatter disrupting his once quiet morning. One of them spots him and hollers a greeting at him. He braves a smile and says, “Aloha. This is quite early for you to play a game.”

A brunette girl with a shirt that says ‘I <3 New York’ responds brightly, “We were planning to spend the day on the beach and wanted to get a great spot before anyone else got here.” Another girl complains at the hour they had to get up. One of the boys interrupts to ask if Keo was a native of Hawaii.

“What gave it away? Was it my tan?” Keo says playfully.

The last girl, holding a volleyball, reprimands the boy, “Calvin, just because someone says ‘Aloha’ doesn’t mean they’re from Hawaii.”

Keo shrugged, watching them as they watch his broad shoulders rise and fall, “I am a native here. In fact, the Kealoha hotel where I work is holding an event tonight around 7 at the Pink Pearl restaurant. We have a lovely singer who does old ballads and hula dancers and you can have dinner and a mai tai and relax after a day out in the sun. It’s a great cultural experience, if you’re into that kind of thing.” Always working, he sells the idea to them with his usual smile, and just for kicks the wind makes his hair whip about like he was some sort of runway model. “Just tell them Keo sent you and they’ll give you a discount.” That’s a lie. As soon as his name is mentioned, their employees will know to give these guys the higher end and higher priced menu.

The young adults looked at each other and shrug and came to an agreement. The ‘I <3 New York” girl seems to be their spokesperson and says, “We’d love to! Where abouts is this place?”

Keo asks them for a pen and writes the details with permission on the arm of a girl named Shirley. He gives her directions with an air of intimacy and concludes with a big wink, “I look forward to seeing you tonight.” She coyly invites him to play a bit of volleyball because they were short a player, but Keo tells them that he’s going to be late for work.

It was about another 10 minute jog to get to the other part of beach where his family’s hotel sat grandly on the beach side. He made his way to the front end of the hotel because the waterfront property, with an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean, was barricaded from general tourists to provide their guests an exclusive access to the beach. The front was a lush with green and finely trimmed by their gardeners. He greeted their concierges who were already hard at work. They admonish him for coming in underdressed and they send him straight to the back to get showered and changed into something respectable.

Ever since he got his business management degree, makuahine and makuakane have pulled him from his scattered duties around the hotel and put him mainly in supervising. Today he was to go to their boutiques and have them pull a coordinated thing with their spa department.

Not even halfway into his shift, a customer starts to yell at Melani--one of their customer service representatives at the boutique--that ‘not only was the service shit, there was no way she was a size larger, it must be the outfit that is wrong’ and all manner of fussy things that made Melani looked like she was on the verge of tears. Keo gestured for Wini to take Melani to the back while he dealt with the obnoxious ape of a woman. Keo flirted and complimented her in equal turns about different outfits and gave her a legitimate discount coupon for a free drink and dessert at one of their restaurants. It made him fume on the inside that he had to be polite for this bitch, but he was good at his job and she left satisfied even while she was admonishing him for hiring such an inept employee.

He checked up on Melani and Wini and told them they did well and to take it easy. Melani was usually very good with dealing with irate customers but her pet dog had just died and she was feeling a bit fragile. Keo left pursing his lips and sending out a text to his friends they all just had to go to the luau tonight. It was time to do some planning. It wasn’t a mature thing to do, but they had to do something to fight back to these obnoxious haole.

---

"Kye? Ku`uipo, do you want some more of that fruit?" Malie said with a kind smile. "I'm just going to go to my office to finish some accounts. I don't mind if you turn on the TV in the living room. Or if you haven't had lunch already, I can make you something?"

---

Translations:
Makuahine = Mother, Mama
Makuakane = Father, Pa
Ku`uipo = Sweetheart (OOC: tried to find a different source because sweetheart may be intended for a lover instead and I didn't wanna have Malie call Kye a baby instead)

---

---

Kye smiles at his aunt before shaking his head slightly. "Thanks `anakê, but I think I'm fine. I'm probably just going to wait until Keo comes home and take a nap in the meantime," Kye says with a smile as he goes to put his bowl in the sink and wash it out. He hung out at his relatives house more so than his own if he could help it. He liked his aunt and uncle and hanging out with Keo was fun too.

Kye went to the living room, laying down on the couch in his early morning exhaustion. "Let me know if you need anything `anakê, I'll just be here," Kye says as he takes the dish to put back where it belongs, carefully helping around the kitchen around his aunt. He smiled at her as he put away the dirty dishes, wanting to do something with his hands. It was different from doing dishes at work, which was boring, and here, which was entertaining and comforting in a way.

"Actually, I might walk down to the beach. I'll text Keo to go there when he comes back. I'll see you later `anakê," Kye says as he gives his aunt a quick hug before walking outside, walking down the road to head down to the beach. A strip of shops was nearby and he could see people sitting inside and outside of restaurants enjoying their meals. Some watched the beach, others watched their plates, while a few watched the people who walked by.

He smiled slightly as he watched the scene for a moment. The walk down to the beach was only a few minutes and easy going. As he arrived, he began to walk, waving at any familiar faces. A volleyball came over to him from a couple school friends and he smiled as they invited him to join. He brought the ball over, laughing at something one of the other kids says as he serves it.
Translations:
`anakê-Aunt

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---

Mona knew she looked like your typical tourist. Her camera hung around her neck, a map was peeping out of her beach bag, and her skin had yet to acquire a sun-kissed tan. All she needed to complete the look was an obnoxiously bright Hawaiian shirt and a pair of khaki pants. A shudder rippled through her body at the thought of wearing khaki pants, the inner fashion child repelled by the idea. There was a time and a place for khaki, barely. As if conjured from her fashion nightmare a large man appeared at the end of the broad walk, a pair of hideous khaki pants matching the khaki vest that only partially concealed the bright blue shirt and bulging gut beneath. Worse yet he was wearing sandals and socks.

Mona turned her attention from the lost soul, instead focusing on the stunning view of the ocean. No matter how many times she visited, the view still took her breath away. The family trip to Lahaina was an annual event, or it had been for the past 15 years or so. This year a mixture of things had resulted in only Mona coming over. Her sister had just married and her mother was busy with work, both fairly decent excuses. Her father had promised to come over later in the season, but for now Mona was the only one occupying their large beach house. While she would have enjoyed having her family with her, coming alone gave her an opportunity to do things she might not have been able to with her family. Of course, given Mona's terrible sense of direction it had always been her sister that had directed them around, hence the map.

A warning shout alerted Mona to impending danger and she turned just in time to see a frisbee racing towards her head. Her eyes widened as she spotted the danger, her hands came up in an attempt to protect her face, and a moment later the disk of death smacked into her wrist, sending a jolt of pain down her arm. Biting back a loud and rather uncouth swear word, Mona glanced around to see a young man jogging up the beach with an apologetic look on his face and, most noticeable of all, no shirt.
"Sorry, sorry!" He said as he came to a stop in front of Mona. He bent down to pick up the frisbee before motioning back towards a small group of people Mona took to be his friends, "Jason has terrible aim. I hope you're not hurt?" He added.
"What? Hurt?" Mona repeated, her mind only partially following the conversation while the other part was in some sort of shock, dazed by the young man's abs.
The guy laughed, pointing to arm which was already developing a nice bruise. Who knew frisbees could be so dangerous? Mona blinked and shook her head, both to indicate to the boy that she wasn't hurt and to clear her head.
"No, I'm fine. Thanks." She finally managed to say, twisting her wrist as a demonstration. The boy gave Mona a smile that threatened to melt her right on the spot, before giving her a friendly wave,
"Alright, well I'll see you around then." He added as he left.
"See you." Mona echoed, raising her bruised arm in response. She watched him return to his group, until she realised that she was staring. She was probably blushing too, she wouldn't be surprised. He hadn't even been flirting with her and yet she'd gotten tongue tied and awkward. She could be as cool as a cucumber with most people, yet around some people (namely topless, god-like men) she became flustered and tongue-tied, especially if they began to flirt with her. She could only imagine how much she would have embarrassed herself if frisbee boy had actually flirted with her.

Doing a 180 degree turn she began to make her way up the beach, aiming for one of the many restaurants that lined the sands. She gave her wrist an experimental twist, noting the dull sting that echoed out from the bruise. It could have been worse, she could have a developing black eye or a swollen lip. Having no preference for which restaurant to eat at, Mona selected the next one with an open, outdoor table and sat down. A waitress came to take her order, and ten minutes later a fresh smoothie and plate of fries was sitting in front of Mona. The girl had also gotten her sketch pad out of her beach bag and, in between sips of her drink, was sketching frisbee boy. Ignoring whether or not it was creepy to draw a complete stranger, no one could deny that the actual sketch itself was good. Mona only wished it was as easy to talk to him as it was for her to draw him.

---

---

The sun had felt so good that she was nearly about to pass out completely, the golden rays that shined only on her face but warming her entire body were rocking her to sleep. They cradled her in warmth the way a mother cradles her child as a precious treasure. But the comfort of the sun would not claim her, a vibration causing her eyes to immediately snap open. Somewhat alert, she grabbed her phone and checked her text message only to smirk. Leid? How cheesy was this guy? Very, actually. It was adorable though and she was glad that she had started hanging out with him in the first place. She had initially felt bad that she was only hanging out with him to piss off Keo, using Gray as though he was a tool. A pawn in the silent war that waged between Noa and Keo. But she had grown to genuinely like him and she was glad for it. He was terrible when she tried to teach him Hawai'i but he was still a good guy. Not only that, but he was a good and handsome guy that Keo didn't like. She had actually known him for a while. Only from his trips to Lahaina for whatever occasions during the past two years. This would be her first summer hanging out with him. And that made it different.

She didn't bother texting him back, knowing that he was most certainly already on his way. There wasn't much she could plan to do with him for that particular day. Not with the luau only hours away. Hiking one of the trails to a fresh water lagoon sounded nice. She could certainly use an early morning dip. And it'd definitely be nice to finally swim with Gray without having a giant tail scaring him off. She closed her eyes again to rest just a little while longer before grabbing her backpack and keys, making her way through the afternoon crowd and out to the parking lot where Grayson had just pulled up. It never was hard to spot him. When he was around he tended to be the flashiest guy in town. She had to admit, the Ferrari was nice. She was more of an ATV or SUV sort of girl herself. “Aloha, my pu‘uwai. It's been too long.” She hadn't even let him get out of his car fully before throwing her arms around him excitedly. “Swimming. Now. You. Me. Yes?” Her face seemed to be completely lit up by her smile, her day obviously have gotten better by his presence. “And there's a luau tonight. You'll be my plus one.”

Aside from getting under Keo and Aliee's skin by bringing Grayson to a locals' invite-only luau, she was very much looking forward to spending some time with her friend. They didn't see each other often and mostly just exchanged texts and e-mails, Skyping whenever they had the time. Nobody truly knew just how much she cherished each moment she spent with someone who wasn't wrapped around Keo's dick. She often told Grayson that he was untainted and that she wanted him to stay that way but she never told him what it meant, often just blowing it off as a joke. Right now she could feel the glares of some of the older maoli on the back of her head as she greeted him. He was the most forbidden fruit of all haole: Businessman. She had never heard him talk about opening any businesses in Lahaina nor had she known anyone else to talk about it. Some of the older and possibly more senile of the maoli warned her that he wanted to use her to impregnate her so that the haole could take over Lahaina. Apparently Kealoha blood was sacred and not to be shared with maoli. It made her laugh – after she walked away, of course – and she never really paid them much attention. Actually, the racism sort of dumbfounded her. She wondered if Native Americans were the same way.

---

---

Translation
Aloha – Hello
pu‘uwai - heart
maoli – native(s)

---

---

He had just pulled into the parking lot when he spotted Noa. She was like a breath of fresh air amongst the rest of the people, mainly tourists, milling about. “Aloha, my pu‘uwai. It's been too long," he heard her say before she launched herself into his arms. He squeezed her a bit and released her looking her over, "you look well, very well," he laughed. He hadn't a clue what she had just called him but he assumed it was either something sweet or something along the lines of "idoit", but in a playful manner, from the way her face lit up. Looking around he could tell thats some of the natives didn't appreciate their public display of affection. “Swimming. Now. You. Me. Yes?” At that he was about to begin saying he'd loved to. Truthfully he'd been itching for a swim ever since he knew he would be returning, but she quickly interjected, “And there's a luau tonight. You'll be my plus one.” He put his hands on her shoulders then, amusement shining in his eyes, "slow down Noa," he shook his head smiling, "and you know me, I'm always up for a party. I might just wear one of those tacky Hawaiian shirts I know you like so much and everyone else hates. And I'm sure everyone will welcome me there with open arms," he said sarcastically. "But first, yes, lets hit the beach, I've got my swim shorts in the car."

While he opened his passenger side door and grabbed his shorts, he thought about the luau that was scheduled for tonight. He wondered just who exactly would be there and where this event was taking place. In the back of his mind he knew that Keo and his group of merry men of mischief would be there for sure. Keo. The two of them had some history. Not only did their parents have competing hotels and resorts, but they had a silent competition going on. If he was on vacation in Maui and was playing a friendly game of volleyball or soccer on the beach, Keo was bound to show up. Being the prideful man Grayson was, he always put on a good show and gave the game all he had. He didn't back down when Keo would play just as hard. This sometimes led to a few bumps and bruises and a few unfriendly phrases being passed about. Gray didn't know why, but it was just they way they were amongst one another. Except this time, he wouldn't be on the island for just a week, he'd be there the whole summer. There was that, and the fact that he was going to try to buy out his parents hotel... but that was just minor details.

Locking his car, he wrapped an arm around Noa's waist, "Let's walk, it's a beautiful day." Just being in Noa's presence mellowed him out. It had been a while since the last time he'd seen her. They had obviously kept in touch since the last time they'd seen each other, but it just wasn't the same as being with her in the flesh. He remembered the first time they met. She had been fuming over something, probably Keo related, and was adorably furious with the way her cheeks puffed up. He had approached her first telling her that he wasn't exactly a fan of Keo either, and ever since, the two had become great friends. Aside from not being wrapped around Keo's mighty finger, they both enjoyed many of the same things. They liked the beach, the outdoors, and a numerous amount of other things. He especially loved the fact that she was a genuine person around him, and wasn't just using him for the power and wealth he had, something he was commonly used for. She was a Kealoha, but that didn't change anything. Yes, Gray and Noa got along extremely well, it was just an added bonus that they could flirt all they wanted together without many feelings getting in the way.

Aliee started whistling as she continued to roam the halls. She wasn't sure, but it sounded like people arguing not too far from her. She ventured in the direction of the heated voices, but once she got there no one was there. Weird she could have sworn she heard Keo's voice. Shrugging, she skipped through the halls and became increasingly aware that Dax was probably asleep somewhere. 'If I was Dax where would I sleep?' She questioned herself and then checked the closest storage closet. "Ahah!" She opened the door, but no there were only a couple of brooms and other supplies. Blowing air through her lips, she turned on her heels and left the closet. "Not there huh."

Aliee picked up where she left off and turned the corner. "Let's see he was probably playing games late last night, so he wouldn't want to walk around much." Pursing her mouth she started using deductive reasoning to assist her cause. "I got it!" Smiling to herself, she walked down the long hallway and turned another corner. If she wasn't mistaken that was Keo up ahead of her. Though they were going through a rough patch, that was still her friend so she was excited to see him. Aliee tip toed behind him before tapping him on the shoulder. "What's up? I mean good day boss." She teased him.

"Since you're walking I'm assuming your dick hasn't fallen off yet?" It was a small dig since the chances of Keo sleeping with someone was high last night. However she didn't feel like arguing with him so she quickly moved onto the next topic. "I got your text by the way. I'm assuming I have to go since you said so." Aliee did not want to deal with Lani. Did she mention she really didn't like the girl? Shaking her head of the gloomy thoughts, Aliee smiled at her longtime friend. "I'm here to meet Dax, but I can't seem to find him. I was going to ask him down to the beach so you should come to. You look like you could use a break." She made reference to the small altercation he had to deal with not too long ago. Part of the reason for her quick escape was so Keo wouldn't ask her how she looked behind the glasses. Last time it just led to another long argument.

"I'll be back through here, for now I'm going to continue my search. Hopefully Dax will be with me, that is if I can get him up." Aliee headed towards the back entrance to the employee lot, and searched for the car Dax would surely be driving. Once she found it a sinister smirk grew on her lips. Waking him up was going to be hilarious. She stood next to the river side window, and gently pressed her hand on the door handle. She heard a few clicks and the door unlocked. "You know sleeping in the car isn't a healthy thing to do. Once it gets hotter you may die of heat exhaustion." Aliee scolded the sleeping boy before starting to shake his shoulders. "Goodness you look terrible. Probably played too many videogames last night."

---

---

He looked around the room, taking in the scenery before him. The walls lined with beautiful artwork. Pictures held by picture frames hung delicately upon the wall reminded him of the time he went to the art museum in New York. The hall way he walked through let into the living room area. Small, but good enough for one or perhaps two people. In the living room was a sofa that transformed into a spare bed, two end tables made of what looked like beach wood which fit the theme of the entire hotel, a beautiful coffee table made of the same wood but intricate in design caught Noel’s eye for a moment as he ran a hand along the table. It was polished and free of splinters. Across from the sofa a rather large flat screen tv rested upon a small entertainment center and the tv itself made by Samsung was at least 42 inches. The kitchen was small, fitting for one person, with a working refrigerator and ice maker built in. There was a top of the line stove, with a sink and dishwasher. This was amazing already. Noel was going to enjoy it here, he could already sense it. As he walked back the way he came, a door was on his right, left if he was coming into the room, and when he stepped through the door he entered into the king’s room. The bed was large, very large, a king size bed if you will. The sheets were on the expensive side; probably cost them more for the sheets than the wall paper. Noel smiled and ran his hand along the edge of the bed feeling the comfort of the mattress and comforter. If he were on an episode of “Cribs” it would be the moment he would say, “this is where the magic happens,” but thankfully he wasn’t.

In the room was another door. This door led to the bathroom. It was evident that the hotel had spent some money on this room and the others as well. Every detail was breathtaking. Even the bathroom had detail put into it. A stand up shower, a Jacuzzi tub, and a luxury sink and toilet, all for just one single man. Yes, he knew now that he would enjoy his time in Hawaii, how could he not? He began his unpacking procedure. First he removed all of his clothes, being careful to keep them all folded. He hung his shirts in the closet adjacent to the bed, and placed his pants and shorts into the dresser that lined the wall across from the windows which showed the beach so elegantly. The blinds were currently drawn and the sunlight was minimal in the room, but the artificial light would suffice for now. It took him a good thirty minutes to unpack all of his belongings and the various pairs of shoes, but when he was done he looked at the clock.

“It’s after nine, so if I take a shower and hit the beach I can still have time to meet the natives,” he said to the empty room, void of life except his own. He smiled, the thought of meeting new people intrigued him. He lined out his outfit and undressed right in front of the window, the curtain drawn to keep him out of jail for indecent exposure. All those years of soccer practice and training had produced a well-defined body, but with his high metabolism, it made it fairly easy to achieve goals. Stepping into the shower, he allowed the water to ease away any remaining doubts and stress that he may have brought with him on this trip. The steam from the shower caressed his mind and massaged his body and when he stepped out of the shower and toweled off, he felt better than he did before he got to Hawaii.

Getting dressed was a minimal effort. He pulled on the white tank, the colorful shorts, and the pair of Sperrys that matched the color of the shorts. His phone was tucked away in his short’s pocket and his room key was placed on his finger like a wedding ring. He gave himself a once over, putting on lotion as his abs rippled with each movement. Shades finished off the ensemble, but instead of putting them on, he closed them and hung them off his short’s pocket.

“Well, here goes,” he said softly as he exited the room, walked down the stairs and prepared to exit onto the beach. He passed a few people who looked like Natives and they were gorgeous. “Well this place doesn’t skimp on the beauty department,” he muttered as he walked.

Keo yanked off his uniform suit with less care than it deserved. Aside from that incident in the boutique, Keo had to deal with a cranky, jet lagged customer regarding room reservations. Somehow it wasn’t clear to the client that making a reservation as soon as you get off a plane isn’t going to cut it when their Platinum and Diamond suites have been booked solid as soon as the first whiff of sunshine four months ago. The phone conversation especially tested Keo’s patience (“I can book the Gold Standard which has an excellent view—yes, of course I can hold while you go through security, how about I send you one of our drivers to pick you up from the airport, so you don’t have to worry about it…”). On top of the dozen other things and loose ends he had to pick up, he barely had time sit still for lunch.

Basically, he had to spend the whole day smiling and lying down and taking it like a bitch, so it was a relief to finally be out of that uniform and letting loose. He was just leaving the changing room when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"What's up? I mean good day boss."

“Hey!” Keo said, surprised. “I wasn’t expecting you to be around here until tomorrow. Are we excited to go to work?”

Keo put a casual arm around Aliee’s shoulders to bring her closer as they walked and made snarky banter. He said playfully, “I think I’ll get you to scrub the bathroom floors in the suite those bachelorettes’ rented. They had one wild bachelorette party and there's probably some puke to highlight your day.”

"Since you're walking I'm assuming your dick hasn't fallen off yet?"

“Yes, my dick has fallen off and I’m now applying to be a nun.” Keo rolled his eyes at the age-old jab at his sex life, and then he paused in thought, probably not voicing his thoughts on all the sex that nuns might or might not be having.

Aliee elbowed Keo’s side to get his attention. "I got your text by the way. I'm assuming I have to go since you said so."

“Of course you don’t have to go, but it’s free food and booze on Noa so you’d be missing out if you don’t take advantage of that. ” Keo listened to Aliee talk about finding Dax and said, “Yeah, my shift is done for today and not a minute sooner. I thought I was going to go fucking lolo. We can find Dax together then we can find Kye later.”

They find Dax in the parking lot, which is just so typical. “Here, let me.” Keo took Aliee’s place and belted out in his loudest voice, “I AM TOUCHING YOUR X-BOX WITH MY OILY FINGERS.”

---

Translations:
lolo : crazy; feeble-minded; stupid

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“Ah, but we're not going to the beach. Too crowded. Instead, I willI will show you a very, very secret and special place. Come on! Wikiwiki!” She twirled out of his grasp with fluid movement so that his fingers trailed her lower back to her side to her stomach. Grinning, she grabbed him by the hand and tugged him over to her ATV, pushing him into the seat before sitting in front of him. Just in time, because her father had only just gotten out of his car. He lifted a brow but said nothing as his daughter waved in a hurried fashion before taking off with the suit wearing young man. If walking was what Gray wanted to do then he'd get plenty of it on their hike to the grotto. She smiled as the wind hit her face, standing up as she sped up a little, swerving around curves and whooping loudly. She was headed northwest, moving away from the city area. The fauna was growing more dense as she turned onto a dirt trail. She showed no signs of slowing down even though the ATV nearly toppled a couple of times because of her sharp turns. She knew what she was doing!

Having been laughing for a while, she finally pulled into a group of large leaves off the beaten path where she parked the ATV. Sliding off, she motioned for Gray to follow before grabbing his hand and tugging him along. Twigs crunched and mud smushed under her feet as they went further into the Hawaiian jungle. “Hold on!” She stopped and moved behind him, jumping onto his back and using her knees to hold herself there. Covering his eyes, she smiled. “Okay, you go!” The sound of loud, rushing, roaring water alerted them that their destination was near.

One moment they had been peacefully walking, the next he was being tugged along behind her. She was grinning wickedly at him and he couldn't help but grin back, it was just so contagious. The next thing he knew was that he was straddling the ATV and was left to grab on to Noa from behind lest he suffer cracking his skull on the ground. As they sped from the city they nearly fell over several times. He wasn't so sure how Noa had gotten her license for the machine at this point because if it wasn't for him shifting his weight, they surely would of fallen. Surely enough he trusted her more than he trusted most.

Grey had no idea where they were headed but he accepted it with an enthusiastic grin on his face. He was always up for new adventures, even in the thickness of greenery now surrounding them. When they had finally stopped and she began tugging on him again he complied and allowed her to pull him. Wearing a suit and dress shoes was not the outfit for this occasion. Absentmindedly he thought to his $600 shoes, grimacing at the fresh coat of mud on them. So much for looking professional. The further they moved into the jungle, the more anxious he was feeling. "Noa, where are you taking me?" When she hopped on his back, he easily supported her weight. The sound of the crashing water ahead of them made him think, Waterfall?

With one arm he held her to him and with his other he reached for her hands to pry his eyes free. The sight before him left him breathless. It was simply amazing. Honestly, this island would never cease to leave him stunned. Looking over his shoulder he smirked, "What now, chéri?"

“Now, we climb.”

Noa returned his smirk with a grin of her own, pressing her nose against his so that their faces were inches apart. “You might want to change your clothes. I will pay for cleaning.” Giggling, she kissed his nose before shimmying down and waltzing off toward the waterfall. The sight was nothing new to her but it still absolutely blew her mind. She threw her head back, giving a loud “Wooooo!” that reverberated and made her smile larger.

She let her backpack slide from her shoulders, catching it just before it hit the ground. She'd be quite bereft if her sandwiches smushed or her whiskey bottle cracked before they were even touched. After removing her sweats to reveal the matching bottoms to her too, the gray lazy pants went into her backpack and her backpack was tucked within some large leaves. Noa stood with her upper body twisted to view Gray behind her, hands on her hips. “Hurry. I will climb without you, haole.” Despite the name she called him she spoke in a teasing manner, assuring him that she meant no offense. Instead, she strode over to the suit clad young man and gently grabbed the lapels of his jacket, giving her most exaggeratedly saturated flirtatious smile and shoulder shimmy. “Unless you need help.”

She's such a tease, he thought with a smile as she pressed her face to his and kissed his nose. After her comment about him needing help he responded. "I only want help if it involves you helping me undress," he said with a quick wink. Lazily he reached for his tie and loosened it. Reaching up he grabbed her nose and squeezed it, like you would a small child, and twisted away from her to remove the rest of his clothing. Taking his coat off, he gingerly placed it on a low hanging branch. Even if he had a million other suit jackets, he really liked this one. Next was his shirt. He tried hastily to unbutton each button. This, this was one of the reasons he hated dressing professionally, it took so long to disrobe and was generally frustrating when he had a waiting woman on his bed.

As soon as he had the top portion of his clothes off, he began to unbutton his pants. "No peeking," he warned her teasingly. He honestly didn't care if she saw him stark naked. He wasn't ashamed of any part of his body, rather he was pretty cocky about it. Quickly dropping his pants, he slipped his swim shorts that he had brought with him, over his boxers. He was weird like that, layering his swim shorts with boxers, it was just always a quirk of his. Finally ready he returned back to her side, "Ladies first."

“Just try to keep up!”

Noa hadn't peeked, instead blushing at the idea. She only turned when he announced being ready, offering him a smile before taking off to the right. With relative ease she was able to grapple with the perfect hand and footholds that were molded permanently into the reddish brown stone from centuries of others clambering to the top for the thrill of jumping down. She had to hold a bit tighter as the roaring water got louder to her left, spraying her and making it just a bit more difficult to steady herself. The top wasn't too far off and she easily hoisted herself up with a vine.

Turning and kneeling, she got a look at the water crashing down and creating a beautiful number of rainbows. Smiling, she offered her hand down to Gray, leaning over a bit more. “The view is great, huh?” The twinkle in her eye hinted at the double meaning as she grabbed his hand and pulled, a lot stronger than she looked.

Grey had been behind her the whole time, just below climbing where she had once been. So when she had mentioned how great the view was he responded, "It sure was- I mean is!" he finished quickly. After all, her derrière wasn't such an awful view; It was obvious she worked out.

Finally at level with her, he had to admit, she was tougher than she looked, he looked about him. The contrast of the colors from the foliage around them, the rocks, and the water created a kaleidoscope of color. It really was great, he finally allowed to himself. He stood looking down then, "Alright, so I think I should jump first. Ya know, make sure it's safe and shit."

“Don't be such a baby! Come!” Noa made sure she didn't slip on the rocks as water rushed down from the pool of freshwater at the top, grinning. Her hands latched onto Gray's as she made a run for it, throwing them both down the waterfall. The water was warm and them jumping directly into the flow of water only threw them down faster. Noa's squeal of joy from the exhilaration was short lived, cut prematurely by her going under. She had half a mind to hide in the cave behind the waterfall to frighten Gray and make him think she had drowned. But that was just mean. Meaner than throwing him from the top of a waterfall.

Her head broke the surface as she kicked her legs quickly, still holding on to Gray. “That wasn't too bad, was it?” She released him to float on her back, splashing him with her feet. “You sure you'll be able to keep up with me? I don't want to...” She had to pause, her lack of mastery of the English language showing. “Overwhelm you.” She flashed him a smile, turning her head to the side to view him. Water glistening from slightly tanned muscles... Nice.

One moment Gray was overlooking the water, the next he was in it. Breaking through the surface of the water, he cleared the water droplets from his face with his free hand and looked at Noa, "Bad? No. I'm absolutely fine with being cast over a cliff without knowing," he said sarcastically.

When she splashed him he splashed back, but her comment about keeping up proved to tantalizing for him to ignore. "Keep up? Overwhelm me? Honey, is your head screwed on right?" With that he made a lunge for her dragging her under the water, but quickly brought them both back up and held her an arms length away. "Don't go and forget who I am and how unpredictable I can be," he told her sternly, trying to hide his smile but only making him look more boyish with his lopsided grin.

She gave a short scream at being tackled and pulled under but she was clearly enjoying herself. As they came back up she only splashed him again, wriggling out of his grasp and swimming closer to him so that she was leaning against him. “Ah, but you've gotten so predictable. I think you're losing your touch.” She officially issued him a challenge, smirking as she held his gaze, letting her eyes narrow a bit. There was a mocking tone in her voice but still that ever-present twinkle of mischief and teasing dancing in her eyes. “So. Wow me. Unless you've truly gone stale,” she teased some more, patting his cheek in taunting pity, poking her lower lip out in a playful pout.

"Predictable? Ha!" Thinking to himself then, Have I? Then shaking off the thought he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his forehead to hers. Her challenge wasn't going to go unanswered. What had she called him? Stale? No, he was anything but that. Just a hairs breathe away from her pouting lips. "Nah, I'll 'wow' you later." And just like that he released her and swam to the bank where he got out and ran his hand through his sopping wet hair. If she wanted to play this game, then he would to, his way of course. His tactics? Being his charming self of course.

---

---

6:28pm; Mano's Place

Mano and his brood along with a collective of the graduating class had truly gone all out for this particular luau. The ceiling was decorated heavily with streamers, banners, and balloons and the black light brought attention to the various designs painted on the patrons. The class wanted to have a paint party but Mano wouldn't allow it unless they were volunteering to clean it all up afterward, so it was settled that they'd have a black and white black light party. Glow sticks, bracelets, and rings of all sorts adorned almost every teen and young adult there as many shimmied their way to the bar and flashed their stamps that proved they were of age. The few haole who managed to either sneak in or snag an invitation seemed rather surprised that such a traditional town wasn't celebrating with some sort of ancient tribal ritual. The only thing tribal were the tattoos, paint jobs, and some of the signs.

The music playing was about as varied as it came, switching from a bubblegum pop beat accompanied with a cute dance to some metal and rock to sick beats that provoked a number of people to start shuffling, break dancing, and gyrating with one another. There were a few parents scattered around the party, lurking in corners and watching the kids like hawks to ensure no horrible shenanigans would take place and watching the bars to make sure the kid they knew was only sixteen wasn't getting any drinks. Despite the luau being advertised as “Graduated Seniors and Guests Only”, some teens managed to get in with their older siblings. Obviously none of the graduated seniors – except for a few that had been held back many, many times – were old enough to drink, they all had plenty of cool twenty-one and older friends that they wanted to party the night away with; Plus, the graduating class was pretty small so they needed more people to really get the party going. Mano wasn't complaining. It was more money for his business.

“Ho'omaika'i 'ana! You guys have made it this far and hopefully it will get better! I'm honored to have been asked to sing this year's class song – Even though I didn't even graduate with you... Or ever.” Noa stood on the stage with her headset on, smiling as she spoke to the laughing graduates and friends standing before her. Lahaina wasn't exactly huge, the graduating class only totaling to about forty-something kids. But there were a lot of others there. They cheered her on, silencing as she held her hands up. “Even though you guys picked the absolute cheesiest song from the best movie ever. Here we go!” She pointed to the DJ to get the music started and an immediate cheer went out as she started up into singing.

“Aloha e aloha e
'Ano 'ai ke aloha e
Aloha ae aloha e
A nu ay ki aloha e

There’s no place I’d rather be
Then on my surfboard out at sea
Lingering in the ocean blue
And If I had one wish come true
I’d surf till the sun sets
Beyond the horizon

A wiki wiki mai lohi lohi
Lawe mai i ko papa he'e nalu
Flyin by on the Hawaiian roller coaster ride

A wiki wiki mai lohi lohi
La we mai iko papa he na lu
Pi'i na nalu la lahalaha
O ka moana hanupanupa
Lalala i kala hanahana
Me ke kai hoene i ka pu'e one
Helehele mai kakou e
Hawaiian roller coaster ride

There’s no place I’d rather be
Than on the surfboard out at sea
Lingering in the ocean blue
And If I had one wish come true
I’d surf till the sun sets
Beyond the horizon

A wiki wiki mai lohi lohi
Lawe mai i ko papa he'e nalu
Flyin by on the Hawaiian roller coaster ride

Hang loose, hang ten, howzit, shake a shaka
No worry, no fear, ain't no biggie braddah
Cuttin' in, cuttin' up, cuttin' back, cuttin' out
Frontside, backside, goofy footed, wipe out

Let's get jumpin', surf's up and pumpin'
Coastin' with the motion of the ocean
Whirlpools swirling, twisting,and turning
Hawaiian roller coaster ride

A wiki wiki mai lohi lohi
Lawe mai i ko papa he'e nalu
Flyin by on the Hawaiian roller coaster ride

Aloha e aloha e
'Ano 'ai ke aloha e
Aloha ae aloha e
A nu ay ki aloha e
Hawaiian rollercoaster Ride

There’s no place I’d rather be
Then on my surfboard out at sea
Lingering in the ocean blue
And if I had one wish come true
I’d surf till the sun sets
Beyond the horizon

A wiki wiki mai lohi lohi
Lawe mai i ko papa he'e nalu
Flyin by on the Hawaiian roller coaster ride

A wiki wiki mai lohi lohi
La we mai iko papa he na lu
Flyin by on the Hawaiian roller coaster ride

Hawaiian roller coaster ride”

Her hips swayed and body twirled to the song as she worked her mermaid magic and enhanced her voice. As with all of her performances, she exerted her magic and charisma, pouring her heart and soul into it. The people bent to her will, succumbing to her influence as they danced to the music and cheered with the energy. She could feel herself getting a high from it, a megawatt smile on her face that went from ear to ear as she basked in the glory. Adrenaline was still shooting through her even as her performance ended and she let herself off the stage to let other music be played. Her heart was thumping as she shimmied through the crowd to the bar. “Makuakane – Can I get a bottle of scotch? Please?” She batted her eyelashes rapidly in a satirical manner, knowing full well what the answer would be. Mano kissed his daughter on the forehead and warned her to be responsible before handing her the bottle in question, smiling as she headed out for the beach.

She took a moment to scan what was going on, spotting several people that she knew. Okay. She knew pretty much everyone there because the majority of the people were locals. There were some haole there, obviously, but none of them seemed to be causing too much trouble. She was sure that trouble would come soon enough when they had enough alcohol in their system to let their inhibitions go though. Sighing, she spotted one of the older triplets, Kaniele. There was a light smile on her face but she quickly ducked and moved through the crowd to avoid being seen by him. “Oh! Hey, Noa! I thought I heard you on stage! Wow! Your bikini is awesome! Love the body art. I wish my parents would let me get some tats and piercings.” She accidentally bumped into Ahe, one of the chattiest girls in all of Hawaii. Noa offered her a polite smile and a one-armed hug. “Mahalo, Ahe. Lilo got it for me a few months ago.” She struck a pose to further bring attention to the white bikini that was decorated with a black bow over the top. Her tattoos had all been meticulously painted over so that the designs would glow under the black light.

“I wouldn't hold your breath on that one, though. Your parents are crazy uptight.”

“Everyone's parents are uptight compared to your.”

“True story; I'd love to stay and chat but I've gotta meet some people. Maybe we can dance later.” She gave the girl one more hug before heading out to the designated bonfire that Keo had instructed them to meet at, pulling her phone from the waist of her bottoms to text Gray to meet her there as well. {Hey loverboy! Meet up with me and the crew. Keo'll be there but we both know I'm worth it ;) xoxo} As the warm night wind whipped at her ponytail, she stood obliviously watching the waves lapping the shore, pining for a swim. What she didn't notice was the flare of red hair as a young woman took a seat yards away. While it looked as though she simply wasn't enjoying the party, the woman was watching intently on Noa with a look in her blue eyes akin to that of a stalking predator in the jungle.

---

Translations
Wikiwiki - Quickly
Haole - Foreigner, generally applied to caucasians
Maoli - Natives
Ho'omaika'i 'ana - Congratulations
Makuakane - Daddy
Mahalo - Thank you

---

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Luau Outfit

The day went pretty well. Being with her friends really brightened her day to say the least. It was nice to be around Keo and not fight with him. Now she was back at her house getting ready for the luau of death. Not really death...no it might as well be put that way. One she would have to see Noa. Words could not describe the dislike she held for the other girl. It gave her a head ache just thinking about it. She did not like the reason she near hated Noa for, but nonetheless she could not stop those feelings from arising. Not to mention Noa probably has seen her child more and just doesn't even know it. Quickly pushing that thought out of her head, Aliee went through her closet and picked out an outfit to wear.

She had no intention on swimming, so she just found a cool dress for a summers eve to wear. She left her hair alone, liking the way it looked down today. Time to go out there and fake smile at everyone. As she was about to leave her small home, she contemplated on getting a drink. 'Should I?' She shook her head deciding just to get some free alcohol from the luau. Aliee went to her vespa feeling as if each step she took there was something pulling her back. Back to what? Her trusty bottle. There was another reason she didn't want to go tonight. More than likely Kani was going to be there. Now they were good friends, but she always felt a little paranoid. They were keeping such a big secret from the group. Ugh she didn't even want to think about Keo possibly knowing about the whole child thing. That was a bridge she wasn't ready to cross yet.

"I can do this." She mumbled starting up her vespa and taking off down the road. A nice ride always seemed to calm her nerves. It was definitely assisting her this time as well. She got to Mano's place just in time. It was a little after 6:30pm by the time she arrived. She saw the people in the crowd, some natives others sadly haole. The music kept changing and the atmosphere was almost overwhelming. Though she normally enjoyed parties, this one not so much. She worked her way to the bar and flashed her stamp. "Give me your strongest drink please." She smiled. Aliee looked up hearing the sound of Noa talking. She held back a snicker at the thought of the girl singing. She turned her back the stage as her drink arrived. "Thank you."

The bartender did not know just how badly this drink was needed. She quickly downed the alcohol and ordered another glass. This time she was going to save this fruity drink. It was going to get her through a long night. There were two options right now. Leave and make Keo mad that she ditched on a meeting, or suffer through it. She was going to have to suffer. Aliee worked her way through the crowd once the song was over. Aliee walked out to the bonfire and didn't even say two words to Noa as she sat on the ground by the fire. Drink still in hand she took a sip and contemplated on speaking. Nope she wasn't going to. It wasn't worth it. It was best to just ignore the other girls presence and hope the rest of the group came soon. Kani, Keo, or anyone really.

---

---

Did his sister really just sing the theme song to Lilo and Stitch? While the movie was popular in Hawaii, Kani could only imagine what the senior class was thinking in choosing that song, but also in choosing Noa to perform it. He watched the performance, his gaze shifting around the luau as he looked for any of the group to see if they were here. He watched Noa, a smile on his face as she sung. Her voice was melodic, captivating, enhanced, but only he would catch that. When the song was over, Kaniele sighed and was about to go speak to his sister when she dipped in order to avoid him. He had noticed her looking around and when she spotted him she ducked down and vanished from his sight. He smirked, knowing where she was heading off to, but he hoped like hell she wasn’t inviting Grayson’s ass. One of these days that kid was going to get it straight in the jaw. As he stood around watching the festivities, he couldn’t help but think about Jabari. His three year old son was home with Kona and no one knew aside from Aliee who was Jabari’s mother. Things with Aliee and Kani had been a little rocky at first, but it all smoothed out and they had a very odd friendship, one that Kani adored. They were close, but not as close as Aliee was to Keo. Kani knew that Noa and Aliee weren’t the best of friends, in fact if you stuck both of them in solitary confinement with each other they’d probably battle like two wildcats. Would he ever tell the others about Jabari? He didn’t know, he had kept it a secret to avoid Child Protective Services from taking Jabari, but he wanted them to know so bad that it hurt him to keep it a secret from his family and friends.

“I’ll tell them one day,” he quietly said as he watched Noel dance out of the corner of his eye, “I wonder how he is with kids?”

Sighing, he smiled at Noel who was enjoying the music, and the decorations. He was conversing with so many of the islanders that Kani simply let him have his fun. Kani had gone to pick Noel up before the luau started. They had been texting each other all day long since he dropped Noel off at the Kealoha hotel. He was sort of surprised to hear from Noel, but then again Noel didn’t strike him as the user type, or the type that judged anyone. In fact Noel, to him, was more laid back and party friendly, but what was the male’s story? He looked to be an islander himself, from another island, perhaps Puerto Rican. He could tell by the tint of his skin, the accent he had when he talked, and the way he kissed him when he first met.

Noel had a fun time on the beach prior to the luau. He had done a little shopping, gathering souvenirs from different shops along the beach and simply enjoying himself. The fun part was texting Kani and actually setting up the date to come to the luau. Fitting in wasn’t really a problem for Noel as he did his research prior to coming to Hawaii. He wanted to know all there was because he did want to be able to communicate without a translator. When Kani came to pick him up, Noel felt a bit overdressed. Kani had on a tank top that was black in color, and a pair of orange swimming shorts with a pair of expensive sandals. Noel had dressed to impress with a polo shirt, a pair of expensive shorts and his Sperry’s but in a different color. It was Kani who suggested he change into something more comfortable, and of course Noel made a joke about Kani wanting to see him naked, but Noel had no problem stripping right there in front of Kani in the hotel room. He had gotten dressed in a similar outfit, only his shorts were tie dye in color.

The luau was amazing, and he was meeting new people which he enjoyed. At the moment he was talking to one of the graduating class about the future and college and they were eating it up. He was speaking their language as well, making minimal mistakes here and there, but for the most part it was obvious he wasn’t from Hawaii. Then a song came on, back home they called it a rump shaker, and before he knew it he was gyrating all on Kani’s nether regions, and Kani wasn’t objecting to it either. The two danced for a while before Kani went to the bar to get something to drink. Noel continued to dance, Kani aware that he too wanted something to drink with a kick.

“Wassup pops,” Kani said as he approached the bar his father was serving drinks from. The handshake shared by father and son was unbreakable. His father looked at him with an amused smile.

“So you brought a Haole?” Mano asked clearly seeing Noel dancing with Kani earlier.

“Yea, he’s a pretty nice guy. Name’s Noah and from what I gather he’s from Puerto Rico, but lives in North Carolina.”

“Wow, long flight,” Mano stated as he handed his son the drinks he asked for, two shots of Bacardi 151. Before he handed the drinks to Kani he quickly asked, “Is your friend a lightweight?”

“Nah pops, he’s alright,” Kani replied as he grabbed the two shot classes filled with hard liquor. “Mahalo!”

Mano simply looked at his son and shook his head before returning to whatever he was doing prior to being interrupted by Kaniele. Off Kani went to deliver the alcohol, and as he weaved his way through the crowd of swaying bodies, he nearly dropped the shots twice before making it to Noel.

“Bottoms up,” Kani stated handing the shot to Noel who quickly downed it, making a very ugly face before asking “What was that gasoline?” Kani laughed after downing his and replied, “nah, 151 boo.”

Noel felt the alcohol take over as they shared one more dance before it was time for Kani to depart to the bonfire. He didn’t know how he would break it to Noel, but he had a feeling the guy was going to be alright either way. As they danced, he caught sight of Aliee arriving at the luau, getting a drink and taking one with her in the direction of the bonfire. She didn’t look to particularly pleased to be here, probably because of him, but more directly because of Noa. He knew it was awkward for her to be around him. After all, he was the father of their kid, and yet they were friends, and yet they told none of the “power clique” about this. It was stressful to say the least, but he was certain it would be fine, it had to be, if they were their friends, they would find a way to accept the news when delivered, and respect their decision to keep it secret for various reasons.

Noel looked at Kani who seemed deep in thought and wrapped his arms around the male’s neck staring into his eyes.

“You wanna sit down?” he asked wanting to make sure Kani was okay.

“Nah, I’m cool, you alright?” Kani replied returning the gaze. There was something about this guy, something interesting, something that drew him in and it uneased him a bit.

“Thank you,” Noel said finally as they swayed back and forth.

“For what?” Kani asked with a soft smile as he twirled Noel to the beat of the slow romantic song that was playing in the background. Noel chuckled lightly before returning his gaze to Kani.

“For this,” Noel motioned to everything around them, “no doubt this isn’t a party for any, how do you all say it? Haole? And I appreciate the invite.”

“Hey it’s no biggie,” Kani said, “besides, we’re here to have fun right?”

For a moment Noel felt this moment was right, it was what he was looking for, but it scared him a bit. He had just gotten out of a long relationship, and he wondered what would happen now. He had promised himself he’d not block any outlet during this trip. He would hang out, and see where things went, so as he danced with Kani it became increasingly obvious that there was a mutual attraction there, both physical and mental. Before either knew what was going on, Noel and Kani’s lips were pressed together ever so romantically if only for a brief moment before Kani cleared his throat.

“I...uh....I have somewhere to ummm be and I was hoping I could see you later,” Kani said trying his hardest not to screw it up, or come off as if he didn’t want to be there. Noel smiled and simply nodded.

“It is getting late, and I do need to get back to the hotel, but if you have somewhere to go then go, I’m not gonna stop you,” Noel said kissing Kani on the cheek, “besides, I’ve got some Hawaiian to learn from that man over there,” Noel said pointing to the bartender who coincidentally was his father.

“Good luck with that,” Kani stated laughing softly, “my dad isn’t really the best teacher, but I’m sure you’ll learn something.”

Noel waved as Kani took off in the direction of the bonfire. Noel returned to the party, grabbing a drink and listening to Mano talk and explain some interesting history about Hawaii.

Upon Kani’s arrival at the bonfire, he noticed Aliee right off the bet, he also noticed Noa.

“Good evening ladies,” he said smiling as he hugged his rash sister, and then turned his attention to Aliee, “mi lady,” he said in the best English accent he could muster, giving a bow before giving her a friendly hug, “are you okay?” he asked during the embrace. “Where’s Keo?” Kani asked wondering where the male was since it was his idea to meet here in the first place. They had an interesting relationship, Kani and Keo. They were similar in some aspects but different in others. For instance Keo was indeed a free spirit, and took his sexuality to the extreme while Kani was simply a party guy and loved having fun, he was selective of who he bed, if he bedded anyone at all. All in all Kani loved his family, they all meant a lot to him, every single one of them, even Kye.

---

---

After his delightful morning with Noa, Grayson had retired to his rental home that he usually stayed at when he was in Hawaii. Their little excursion had wiped him of almost all his energy. But he had to admit, it was never boring when he was with Noa. Hell, it was never boring when he was in Maui. Just last summer when he had been here for just a week, he managed to get into two fights with tourists who were pestering the wildlife and intruding on the natives private lives aside from the whole 'welcoming committee'. This trip however would be different. He vowed to that much to himself.

Home, ha, he was calling it home already, he showered and yes, took a nap. When he woke up next he realized it was just starting to get dark outside. Glancing down to his phone he had 3 missed calls from his father, and 2 texts, one from Isabelle Anderson and the other from Noa. He considered calling his father back, but opted out of it, not wanting to ruin his day yet. Ignoring the text from Isabelle, he read the one from Noa. {Hey loverboy! Meet up with me and the crew. Keo'll be there but we both know I'm worth it ;) xoxo} He smiled at that, loverboy, far from that. Then he grimaced, Keo. Great, that meant his gang too. Nevermind that, he reminded himself, I'll go for Noa, and because I want to anyway.

Getting dressed he looked at his closet that had already been kindly stocked with the clothes he brought. He picked a simple button up shirt and some jeans, it tended to get cooler during the night. He left his hair the way it was, tousled from his earlier nap. Grabbing a quick apple from the fruit bowl, he stepped out only to be greeted by flashing lights from cameras. Lovely, the paparazzi was here. Waving and giving a curt nod in their direction, he dodged their endless stream of questions and got into his red Ferrari from earlier.

He drove to the location of the luau and parked his car outside. He stayed in the car a little bit longer to survey the guests. Mainly natives and a few other stragglers. Yeah, he wasn't going to be welcomed, but honestly, he didn't give two fucks. Once he was satisfied with his survey, he got out of the car and walked straight towards the bar. There was no need to text Noa of his appearance, she'd find out soon enough by the way his name was already circulating in the air. When greeted with frowns and looks of disgust, he just smirked and carried on.

---

---

While out in her little corner of the world, Quinn wondered about the luau later that night. 'Is everyone going? I wonder if Kye is...' Kye was one of her best friends here. They didn't hang out much due to him being busy with something, but Quinn thinks sometimes that he is avoiding her. She is older than he is, and that might just put him off. "Well, text him and find out!" She did just that. Unlocking her phone, she opened up a text to Kye.

'Hey, what are you doing right now? Wanna hang out before the luau tonight? :D' Hopefully, he wouldn't take too long to reply.

...

Kye looked around on the beach with a smile before waving to the guys. He needed to head back to Keo's house if he didn't want to miss his cousin. "Aloha everyone," Kye calls as he waves to them, jogging towards the steps leading towards Keo's house. He passed a haole on his wave, giving a slight wave to be friendly as he went.

The following hours he helped and hung out with Keo. Changing to the black and white for the party, Kye worse his white swim trunks and a black tanktop. He was working on getting face paint on in a familiar pattern from Hawaii when his phone buzzed drawing his attention away from the mirror in the bathroom. Using his pinky finger, Kye unlocked his phone to look at the text.

'Hey, what are you doing right now? Wanna hang out before the luau tonight? :D' read a text from Quinn. Kye backed up as he thought about what he just read. He sat down on the toilet, ignoring Keo, though he wasn't sure if Keo was even talking to him at the moment. Quinn wanted to hang out with him. He needed to be cool, he just needed to be cool. Simple? For some people, not including Kye.

Taking a deep breath, he wiped the glow in the dark white paint off his fingers on a towel. He sat back again, smiling as he texted back, 'Just finished with painting my face for the luau. I gotta pick up some stuff for the party tonight, I'll pick you up and drive you to it if you want.'

Kye had to pick up some food for the house and for the party, volunteering to bring food to help his friends from school celebrate. He grabbed his phone and walked out if the bathroom, calling to Keo as he headed down the stairs, "I'm going to go pick up the stuff for the party. Meet you there," Kye finished as he grabbed his keys of the counter and headed outside to the jeep.

...

When Kye texted her back, Quinn was delighted. It means he wasn't too overly busy like he normally is. Quickly opening up the message and reading it made her even more happy. She wouldn't be alone at the luau and be stuck with Keo or her brother. Even more exciting was that Kye was offering her a ride to the luau, meaning he would be there. 'That's really awesome and I would totally love a ride. You're the best, Kye!' After that, she ran home, getting a shower and figuring out what to wear. This would be the first time Quinn was going to a party since she met Keo. Quinn glanced at the time. "He'll be here soon..." Her parents were just getting home. "Hey! Nate and I are going to a luau tonight. We'll be home late. I have someone picking me up in a few minutes." Quinn called to them. Hearing her father's normal grunt and her mother's sigh of acceptance made her squeal a bit. As she was finishing her makeup, she heard a car pull into the driveway.

...

Pulling out, he paused just before going on the road. It was Quinn again. 'That's really awesome and I would totally love a ride. You're the best, Kye!' Kye smiled at the text, sending her back a quick text, 'Thanks, see you soon.' Kye tucked his phone away and pulled out, heading into town and the store. He grabbed a pack of waters and some other groceries that weren't refrigerated and dumped them in the back of his jeep.

If he left for Quinn's place now, he would have plenty of time to pick her up and get to the party in time, or around when it would get fun.

He drove towards her house almost leisurely as he went. He wanted to seem cool if anyone he knew saw him, needed to make them think he wasn't nervous.

Kye pulled onto Quinn's street, seeing her parents' car in the drive way. He looked stupid and probably reckless to most adults, but if her parents knew him at all, they would know he was probably the most harmless of the natives she hung out with. He parked, for out, and walked to the front door. Knocking, he wondered whether she would answer, or her parents, and wasn't quite sure which was better... Or worse.

When Quinn's father showed up at the door, Kye felt the eyes watching him with a small smile. He knew Quinn's father and Quinn's father knew him, slightly less well. "Hi, Mr. Berlin, I'm taking Quinn to the luau," Kye explains with a smile as he stands there easily. He knew he probably looked ridiculous with the face paint, but didn't really know what he could do what with the issues of taking it off.

...

As Quinn was finishing up, she heard her father let Kye in and they exchanged greetings. Her father seemed to like Kye, but didn't show it well enough. Better save Kye from the impending doom that is my dad. She headed down the stairs and as soon as she came into view, her father stopped talking and just kind of sat down. "Hey, Ma-...Quinn." That's right, her father still wasn't happy about people calling her Quinn, but that's the way the world turns. She hugged her father, and nodded in response to Kye's question.

"Thanks again for the ride, Kye. I really didn't want to be stuck with Nate."

"Of course, not a problem," Kye responds with the ever present smile as he gives her father a nod of goodbye. Kye waves back to the house at Quinn's parents as he walks down the driveway with her. He grabs the bag of work clothes from the passenger seat and tosses it in the back to clear a way for Quinn. Once she was seated, he quickly jumped into the driver's seat and started the car. Kye pulled out carefully and drove down the road, looking at a Quinn every few seconds. "So, psyched about the luau tonight?" Kye asks with a smile as he looks at the red light easily. People walked by that he recognized, so he waved to them.

As they were going to the luau, Kye attempted to make small talk by asking about the luau. "I'm honestly a little scared by it, but I'm also hyped about it. The last party I went to was two years ago. I'm awful, aren't I?" She chuckled at herself. She knew Kye would be excited for it, considering the paint on his face.

"Hey, Kye? You seem really tired lately. Are you alright?" Today, for once, Kye seemed okay. But there have been a couple of times when Kye has crashed at her house from whatever he does that keeps him out late. Her home tends to be the closest to the city part of Maui. "It's okay if you don't want to answer me, I understand it's your personal life." Plus, I'm not the easiest person to talk to.

...

Kye was chuckling at Quinn's claim while he listened to her question. His shoulders tensed slightly though he shrugged, not letting the stress stay. "I'm just beat from all the finals and stuff. Now that schools out I'll be able to get a bit more relief. I'm actually working towards a certain job right now," He says with a hopeful smile. He wanted to quit his old one and get one teaching surfing somewhere, but none of the places paid more than the restaurant and tips, which allowed just barely enough money. He didn't want to tell Quinn the whole truth, that work was getting longer and worse with the haole and that he was wishing his mom would and would not come back, but he didn't want to lie, so telling a truth wasn't lying, just not all the truth.

As the two pulled up, Kye smiled over at Quinn as he jumped out and headed to the other side of the car to open her door before going to get the stuff out of the back of the jeep.

Music went on in the building and Kye could see the beach not too far away. "Hey, I'm just gonna drop this off inside. If you want to head down to the beach that's cool," Kye says motioning with a hand to the fire the others had built. Kye went inside, arms full and headed to the bar. He smiled at the familiar faces, giving them a bright hello as he passed them the stuff. On his way out however, he was pushed into someone and slipped. Looking up, he saw a haole he didn't recognize. The guy wore a blue shirt and khakis and seemed to tower over Kye. "Sorry man, didn't see you there," Kye says as he stands with the help of a friend who pats him on the back before disappearing in the crowd. "Enjoy the party as much as you can," Kye says as he gives a slight wave and heads towards the beach.

As he approaches, he smiles at the people, giving a wave to them and greeting them all in general. "Aloha," he declares with a smile and wide arms.

...

Kye was such a sweetheart. He opened up the door for Quinn before she could even get out of her seat belt. Seeing as he was busy, Quinn entered the party with a cautious feeling emanating from her. Kye passed her with a whole bunch of stuff for the party. He told her to head down to the beach if she would like. She headed over to the fire, and it flickered in response to her presence. It seemed everyone was there, but spread out. She wasn't really sure what to do, so she just took a chair near the bonfire. Everything seemed fine, and she saw Kye coming over from across the way.

As Kye approaches the fire, he nods to the few non natives that were around, curious about their presence but not pushing it as he goes to take a seat by Quinn. He looked over at her and smiled as he moved to sit on the sand right next to her instead of the chair, not wanting to sit in the chair.

Quinn snickered a bit at him. "You're an odd one, Kye Kealoha." As soon as she looked over at him, however, she knew he wasn't handling the people's emotions around them very well. She made him get up. "Go over by yourself. When you're ready to come back, I'll be right here. Don't worry about me, okay?"

Kye Kealoha

---

---

Kye shakes his head as he looks down at Quinn. He was not a tall person compared to a lot of people, but was just tall enough to pass the girls. The emotions that were coming over him in waves were not as easily discerned from such a distance and his control was returning more and more.

"I'm doing okay Quinn, really. Just because I go away from them, I'll still feel them for a bit. My control is coming back and I'll be totally okay in just a few minutes. It's better if I just sit down and relax," Kye says rubbing the back of his neck. He really didn't want to go off by himself. "I just need to be calm," he says as avoids looking at Quinn. He felt uncomfortable all of a sudden being so close to her when there weren't a lot of people around, though he was thankful the others weren't there to see it and make fun of him.

Kye looks our at the water and then back at the party. The pounding was nearly gone and all he could feel was that of which was right in front of him, closing of the radius to all but Quinn and noticing her concern more than anything.

"Really Quinn, I know you'd be fine but I'm fine too. It's nearly all the way gone now and just made a bad headache. Would you like to go down to the water while we wait for the others?" Kye hoped it wouldn't seem cheesy, but he didn't want to sit here while the others talked with their haole friends. It would help and maybe even make Quinn feel more reassured about him being okay.

Why was it that he was always having difficulty with control when it easily not the hardest gift to control. Quinn had to control fire and Nate plants, why was it that his was the one that liked to act up all the time? Maybe the others' did too, but they controlled their obviousness.

Shaking his head inwardly at himself, Kye offers his hand to Quinn to take her to the beach, leaving his sandals behind as he goes towards the water, looking aloof as he walks slowly to give Quinn a chance to come with him.

It was as if all of her prayers had been answered. Kani of all people arrived to the bonfire next. She wasn't sure herself, but it sounded like a sigh of relief that left her lips. Finally someone she at least knows arrived. Well she knows Noa, but to even suggest they were close would be offensive. Aliee was completely fine with being on one side of the fire with the girl on the other. The way it should be. Aliee watched as Kani greeted his sister then worked his way to her. She smiled showing her great gratitude for the other's arrival. The first laugh of the night came from her as Kani greeted himself. She liked the slightly silly side of him. It matched perfectly with her own personality. "I'm fine." She whispered back to him during their brief hug. She wanted to talk more. It's been a while since they last spoke to each other.

She rose an eyebrow as if to ask if Kani was serious about his question. For all they knew, Keo was off with some random. Not that her track record was much better. Anyways, she turned to her friend and smiled. "Can we go somewhere and talk briefly?" There were two things she wanted to talk about. Dax and Jabari. Talking to Keo about relationships wasn't ideal nor was discussing a child he had no knowledge about. Oh! And the third thing would be to discuss what has been going on with Kani lately.

Kani could tell that Aliee was uncomfortable with Noa so close in her vacinity. He often wondered what it was that caused them to dislike one another. It wasn't his place to say anything but he did look out for both of them. His sister was family, and Aliee was family, in a sense. She was the mother of their three year old son, and yet Noa didn't even know that Aliee was Jabari's mother, and furthermore that she was Jabari's aunt. As far as she knew she was Jabari's niece. Nonetheless he looked at Aliee as she smiled at him. She had asked if they could go somewhere and talk briefly and he simply nodded.

"Be right back," he said to Noa before heading off in the far distance to talk to Aliee. He already knew what she was going to talk about, but he also had something he wanted to discuss with her. He wanted to discuss both Jabari and Noel with her. When they were a safe distance away, walking along the beach where the ocean hit the sand, he looked at her and sighed.

"You hanging in there?" he asked clearly worried about her. He hadn't seen her in a few days, probably more like a few weeks, but he thought of her often whenever he saw Jabari.

Aliee didn't hesitate to walk away with Kani. She needed a breather. Dramatic right? She didn't even say two words to Noa, but it was already enough of the girl for one night. She had a feeling he wanted to talk as well. One could say they had the type of friendship where they didn't see each other everyday, but they still maintained their friendship. That's just the way it was. Once they were a good distance away from the bitc-Noa, Aliee downed the rest of her drink to make it through the conversation pertaining to her child. "Define hanging in there?" A small joke to lighten the mood, or at least she thought it had. "Well first, I went to see Jabari last week. I wanted to see him again, but I was afraid it would look weird I keep showing up to only see one child." She paused for a moment finding the topic a little difficult to talk about.

"Kani, he doesn't even really know who I am. How is that...no, I know how it's possible but still." Now she felt the need for another drink. Shaking the thought away she directed her attention back to the topic at hand. "I want to tell him to call me Mom. Do you think it would be too weird though if someone heard him call me that? I mean eventually he's going to have to know who I really am. I don't want to be the 'lady who babysits on occasion'. I want him to call me his mother." It wasn't long before she began to ramble, but she could never talk about Jabari with anyone. If Kani wasn't around she would just have a bunch of thoughts floating around in her head, yet no one to talk to.

The ocean danced around their feet, partly because Kani willed it to do so, but also because of the rising tide. He listened to Aliee speak and while she spoke he could only agree with what she was saying. She had every right as Jabari's mother to feel this way, hell he even felt this way because instead of being called "da-da" or "daddy" he was pretending to be Jabari's nephew. It hurt that the decisions he made prior to had affected his life so greatly now. Jabari was his world, and he knew Jabari was Aliee's world as well. The baby had brought them so much joy and as they watched him grow up it became even more obvious that he was theirs. When it had come time to give Jabari to Kona, Kani had to leave in order to gather his thoughts. Now having to see Jabari in his grandfather's possession with Noa acting as caretaker and Aliee coming around as the "babysitter" it became increasingly painful to observe.

"I get it," Kani said, "I wish we could tell them all about Jabari. I often hold him and wonder what life would've been like if I just let it out that we had a kid, but then I think about the fact that he could be taken by the CPS and lost to us forever because of my stupid actions."

Kani got a little upset whenever he thought of it. Because of him, they had no choice in raising Jabari. Because of his violent streak when he was younger, and because of his record, he was unfit to raise a child, but what about Aliee? Unbeknown to him, her alcoholism would've surely gotten Jabari snatched away before he could even utter a single cry. It was all fucked up, but he planned on telling them one day, one day when it felt right.

"I'm going to tell them," he said softly looking up at Aliee. He exhaled and looked up at the sky, "I'm going to tell them and get Jabari back, but I need time to figure out how to do that. I'm also going to need your help."

He paused for a moment seeing how hurtful the conversation about Jabari was becoming. It was hurtful to see your child nearly every day and not being able to say "hey son" or have them call you by what you really are to them. The thought of his son never calling him "daddy" was heart wrenching and he could only imagine how hurt Aliee was. Still, he had to change the subject, he knew if he kept it on Jabari Aliee would be in tears sooner or later.

"But I know there's something else on your mind, what is it?"

Aliee couldn't even enjoy one of her favorite things, which was feeling cool ocean water run across her feet. No, that didn't matter to her right now. She could tell Kani blamed himself for what was currently happening to both of them, but if he knew about her drinking, then he'd know he's not the only one who contributed to the lost of Jabari for now. Unlike him though, Aliee wasn't exactly eager to tell her friends, namely Keo, about Jabari. Absolutely not. "Instead of telling everyone about him, I wish I could at least let him know who I am." Words couldn't describe how painful it was to deal with the fact your child doesn't even know you exist, even though you see them every week. Sighing, Aliee kicked at the water running between her toes. She could feel her emotions rising as they continued to talk.

"We need a lot more time to figure out how to get Jabari back." There were two major problems. One being Kani's probation and the second Aliee's drinking. If CPS knew about Aliee, then Jabari would never be in her care. Not at least until she can sober up. Who knows when that will be though. "But, if you really want to then I will help you." At the end of the day they were still great friends, so she was going to do her best. A temporary silence fell upon the duo, and she was happy to see him move onto a less frustrating topic. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips at the thought of the new topic. It was stressful but no where near the level of stress dealing with a child.

"You know me so well. Am I that easy to read?" Aliee joked. "Well the next topic is Dax. I feel like he likes me and I know I like him, but there is like this invisible wall up between us. I have known him a really long time now, but for some reason I can't express my feelings to him. Ugh! This is why I don't date. It's too complicated." Aliee puffed out her cheeks in thought before continuing where she left off. "Should I just be bold and tell him? Or wait for him to say something first?" Aliee always preached to Keo about a steady relationship but she's never had one herself.

Kani was happy to know that Aliee had his back when it came to Jabari and for that he was grateful and thankful. Now the conversation shifted to something more romantic. He listened as Aliee spoke of her attraction to Dax, one of the members of their group. Dax was an okay guy. For all Kani knew the guy chould shift into animals or some crazy shit like that. He was cool with Dax and hung out with him a few times, but that's what guys normally did. To say they were close was an understatement, at most he could call Dax a friend, one of those friends that you talk to, and hang on occasion, but never really had any deep connection or deep conversations with. It was kind of odd that most of the group were his family members, but he was sure Dax and Aliee would make a great couple, the only thing was that they were both too afraid to admit their feelings to one another.

"I'm sure Dax feels the same way you feel about him. How much do you two hang out? Do you two talk to each other at all? Don't wait too long Aliee, life is about taking chances, making mistakes and learning from them. Don't be holed up in your mind waiting for him to make a move. You're strong, your awesome so just go for it," Kani replied, giving rather interesting advice. It seemed that he was better at giving advice than taking it. His own issues were ever so prominent. He hardly dated, but when he did he went straight for it. The last relationship he was in lasted a long time, but apparently being trustworthy was beyond them. The relationship ended with violence as most everything pertaining to him did. Now he had a chance at something new, something fresh, and he was scared to death. He didn't want to mess it up. This foreigner had just met him and he could already feel the mutual connection. Noel had already confirmed the mutual link, but what would this mean? The guy was only here for a short while, there was no sense in getting emotionally connected was there? All these thoughts were running through his head. Should he go for it? Shoudl he leave it alone? Should he be happy, or should he just deal with it?

He looked at Aliee and smiled.

"Besides, if you don't, I'm sure plenty of other girls will fall head over heels for Dax," he exaggerated.


Sure Kani may not know a lot about Dax, but he knew enough for her to ask him for advice. Who did she really have to ask such a question? Not Keo. Not Quinn. Never Noa. Never ever Noa. Kye was too young and dealing with his own romance. She really needed some more friends. Good friends. "I hope he feels the same way about me. Otherwise I would look extremely stupid right now. Let's see, we are around each other a lot. Our moms work together so it's inevitable. Like I said we are good friends so we talk more than most." She tried to answer the rapid fire questions, but it was a little overwhelming to think about it all. On the other hand she could hug Kani right now. He was right. She shouldn't wait! She should just march right up to him and...who was she kidding? Never in hell was she going to be that bold. Nope, not her. Then again she didn't want to waste Kani's advice/pep talk. So many choices. Give up on a relationship and stay friends, or risk your long time friendship. Surely she will make up her mind, but it won't be tonight. Give it a day or two.

"You were doing good with the advice until the last part." Aliee referenced the mentioning of other girls. Enough about her already, she wanted to know more about him. "What about you? Anyone you like or holds your interest?" It may seem weird to most, as to why two people who share a child have no romantic interest in each other. The answer was rather simple. Aliee didn't like Kani like that and he didn't like her like that. It was just a drunken night nothing more. "You know I have to meet the person you plan on dating. Can't just have anyone around my child." Aliee grinned happily. She swung her arm out and wrapped it around Kani's shoulder. "So do tell. Who do you like right now? Who is the lucky person who is just oh so deserving of your love and affection?" She pinched his cheek in a motherly way.

He once again fell silent as he listened to Aliee as she spoke about Dax. In other words Aliee and Dax were quote unquote good friends and apparently neither had the tendency to tell the other how they truly felt abaout each other, well at least Aliee didn't. Perhaps he should talk to Dax, see how he felt about Aliee. That way if he felt the same way he could tell her and she could move things further. Was it really his place to interefere in such a way? Was he really authoried to do such a thing? It was for a good purpose, he wanted to see Aliee happy, and if Dax made her happy then he'd do whatever he could to see if the feelings were mutual. He wouldn't tell her of course, as she would probably disapprove of his actions and tell him not to do it.

"Ya know what, I'm sure he likes you Aliee, I mean what's not to like?" Kani replied as he laughed at Aliee's comment about him giving good advice until speaking of other girls. It was true though. If another girl came by and caught Dax's attention, it would be Aliee's fault that she didn't make a move when she had Dax's attention. It wasn't like Dax was an ugly person. He was actually pretty handsome. He was about to say something when Aliee started asking him about things that were on his mind. Was he that transparent? He sighed and looked out at the ocean, stopping momentarily.

"I, umm, well I met a guy today actually," Kani began as he felt his face heat up a bit, "His name is Noel, he's Puerto Rican I believe, and I brought him to the luau with me. I feel like there's something there, and I can tell he wants to explore more to see what happens, but I don't know. I don't wanna invest in something that will end soon. When I think about it dating a Haole is probably a bad idea right?"

Aliee pursed her lips as she listened to Kani carefully. He gave her some good advice so she should give him some as well. "Thank you, though." Nothing wrong with a little self-esteem boost. Now back to the task at hand. She almost burst with excitement as Kani mentioned meeting a guy today or more specifically tonight. A Cheshire Cat grin tugged at her lips as he continued talking. "Noel you say? If you like him at first glance then that is saying a lot." Aliee gave her friend's shoulder a small squeeze before continuing. "I think you should explore it. Who knows, it could end in a month or ten years. I don't want to hear you complain about 'what if I talked to him more' or 'I should have asked him out'. Nope, I just want to hear 'I gave it my all and now we are still together'. Things can only end badly if you let them Kani." It was a typical Aliee lecture to say the least. "And if Noel hurts you, then I'm here to help you back on your feet. That's what friends are for." She finished it off with a small smirk.

"Now, let's get back to the bonfire. People might think we are plotting against the Haole over here." It was close to a known fact Aliee had no adoration towards mainlanders. None. But for Kani she would make an exception. No one else though. "Come on darling the fire is calling us. It's cold over here." Aliee tugged on her friend's arm back in the direction of the bonfire.

(Haha ignore this! I had no idea Fate already posted it. Oops haha!)

Aliee, or "Myrtle" (as Noa often, teasingly called her) was the first to meander over and Noa didn't bother too much to say anything. The other woman didn't need to speak for Noa to know that Keo was the only reason she was anywhere near Noa. The two didn't associate in public or otherwise unless they had no choice. She was a bit relieved when Kani had come along, smiling and returning the hug. It didn't last too long before me moved on to Aliee, who quickly whisked Kaniele away for a "private chat". Noa bristled, a frown forming against her lips, something most people never saw. She hated that Aliee seemed to simply fucking adore everyone in the Kealoha family - the males in particular - but hated Noa's guts. For. No. Reason. Noa pinned it to jealousy but hardly cared enough to approach the haole for talking to. Yes. Haole. Unbeknownst to the others, as Noa doesn't really ever talk about Aliee, the young woman felt in her soul that she would never accept Aliee as a haole. As far as she was concerned, lineage mattered. The tanned blue blood watched Aliee prance (okay, walk) off with Kani in tow and immediately turned to head back towards the party to check for Gray's arrival. She was already beginning to regret agreeing with Keo to meet with the others. Sipping from her bottle, she looked around. Quinn was there with Kye. There was a knot of disgust that formed in her gut. What the hell was with her generation of male Kealohas and their fascination with haole. Obviously, Hiwalani-Noa herself dabbled with them. But at least none of them claimed to be maoli. She obviously didn't really think that Kye and Quinn had a thing. She just didn't like Quinn and Aliee. Nate was an exception because he obviously did like her. Plus, he was actually fun. 

Rolling her eyes again, she shimmied off into the crowd. There were whispers of a Hilton on the dance floor. Grayson. She couldn't stop the smile that replaced her frown as she headed to find him. It hardly took more than just a glance to shoo away the females gyrating against him, Noa taking their place. He was no D-Trix but he did manage to not look like a stork on ice. Laughs, smiles, and a few passing gropes were exchanged before they shared a slow dance. It didn't take long for that to end and Noa pulled Gray outside to a table, the two passing the bottle of whiskey back and forth. 

Kani walked back to the bonfire with Aliee, smiling and laughing as they shared jokes along the edge of the beach.  He began to sing softly, his voice rather melodic, much better than that of his sisters, at least he'd like to think so.  He laughed mentally at the thought of Noa throwing a fit if he were picked best singer over her.  She'd practically spew flames and shoot venom from her ears at the thought of her brother besting her at something she enjoyed.  Smiling, he saw in the distance Noa retreat to the luau and sighed.  He kind of knew why she was there, after all it wasn't a big secret who had found an interest in her.  Everyone seemed to want to come to him and tell him about her actions and he had had enough of it.  He disliked Gray with a passion, and the only legitimate reason he disliked Gray was because he'd seen guys like him before.  They come, prey on the innocent hearts of beautiful natives and then leave them heartbroken.  Not to mention the guy was a Haole.  Kaniele could've growled if he was an animal at the thought of his sister locking lips with the guy.  He balled his hand into a fist with the thought but realized he was still with Aliee and unclenched his hand.

"Excuse me a moment Aliee, I gotta go check on Noel," Kani stated as he too proceeded to head back towards the party.  In reality he was going to both check on Noel and spy on Noa.  He just had a feeling she had invited him, they had been spending a lot of time with each other lately, and there would be no such connection as long as he lived and breathed.

He slipped into the luau unnoticed and instantly spotted Gray.  He watched from a distance as Gray and Noa danced.  He was touching his sister, his baby sister and it took every ounce of Kani's will not to go punch the guy square in the nose.  How could his father allow such frivolous interaction?  At that moment, Noel having spotted Kani walked over to him.

"You okay?" he asked clearly seeing the scowl on Kani's face.

"Yea I'll be fine, you enjoying yourself?"

"So far so good, your dad is an awesome teacher, I learned a few words," Noel replied with a smile, "but it's getting late for me and as much as I'd love to stay here and chat I really should get to bed."

"Awww come on, you can stay a few more hours," Kani pleaded, "just to dance and drink a bit."

"That's the thing," Noel stated, "I think I'm drunk."

For someone who was drunk, Noel surely carried himself well.  He wasn't swaying or slurring his words, but from the look of his eyes, Kani had a feeling the guy was buzzed.

"Tell you what, give me at least thirty minutes to an hour.  I'll drive you home okay?"

"On one condition," Noel replied.

"What's that?" Kani asked, Noel getting extremely close to him as he leaned forward and whispered into his ear.

"You have to spend the night," Noel whispered, and as he pulled away from Kani he kissed the male again for the third time this day.  Saying it was like fireworks would be a lie, it was more like a TNT explosion.  When the kiss ended, Kani smiled.  "Sure, as long as you're sure that's what you want."

Noel placed a finger on Kani's lips before winking and rejoining the fray of swaying bodies.  Kani smirked as Noel left and then resumed his search for Noa.  It didn't take him long to find her exchanging drinks with Gray.  He walked over to the table and interrupted their little pow wow by slamming his fist into the table causing a rather loud bang that caused some of those closes to the table to stop dancing and stare.

"SO, NOA, WHAT'S GOOD?" he said his voice slightly raised and laced with irritation.

Noa had moved her chair from adjacent to Gray to right next to him, laughing as he told her a few jokes and the two exchanged embarrassing stories from world travels. “So, I really wanted to see it but it was closed for a week. After the show I snuck out of the hotel and slipped through the gates. Guards busted me trying to get out of a different gate. My head got stuck and they had to call an ambulance and the fire department.” She giggled into the bottle as Gray sputtered out laughter until Kani arrived. The bang startled them both but only caused further laughter. “Life. Life is good. This whiskey is good. Gray's body is amazing.” She teased her brother's patience and tolerance with little care or worry, passing the alcohol to Gray and resting her hand on his. “How was your chitchat with Little Mrs. I'm Better Than Everyone?” This caused the two to snicker a little, Noa almost sneering as she spoke of Aliee.

Noa was really testing his patience with her actions and he knew she was doing it to get under his skin.  It was working all too well, and the laughter only added to the  fire.  They were drinking straight whiskey, and while he had had a few drinks, he was sure they were inebriated.  Kani looked around and watched as everyone continued to dance and chat with one another.  Without warning, Kani snatched the whiskey bottle and smashed it on the table before glaring at Noa.

"What the hell is he doing here Noa?  Do you really wanna do this?" He said letting her know he wasn't going to back down and if Gray got involved he'd pop the guy in the mouth a few times.

"You're being irresponsible and you're acting like a little..........." he stopped talking and glared at Gray before his hand tapped  rhythmically against the table.  "Noa I need to speak to you.........ALONE!"

“I'll be back, sweets. Go ask my dad for another whiskey.” Kani breaking the bottle hadn't phased her but she could see that it put Gray on edge. Hiwalani-Noa was used to her brother's tantrums over her flirting. As Gray placed a kiss on her hand and left, she motioned her brother to take a seat. “So. Instead of making a scene, how about you put your big boy shorts on and act like an adult. It's times like these that make it hard to believe that you're the older one.” She was nonchalant, examining her nails as though she had found the most fascinating thing in the world beneath them. “And Gray's here because I've been too busy to ask Nate and I don't really want yours, Keo's, Kamehameha's, or Kahiau's sloppy seconds. We've been over this. I'm twenty. Who I spend my time with isn't your business. Daddy and Gramps doesn't mind. Neither does mom.”

"Why would you invite him when most of your family don't even like him?" Kani replied, "but you know what, you're a big girl, have fun, do whatever the hell you want, just don't come calling me when it happens," Kani stated as he smirked and shook his head, "and by the looks of it I'm sure it will happen again."

“And by "most of the family", you mean you and Keo,” she retorted, unsure of what he meant by "when it happens". What the hell was "it"?

Kani was irritated, but he was here to have fun and at this point he would rather simply walk away and let his father or grandfather deal with this.  He was tired of having to play the roll and if Noa could get herself into the situation, she'd better hope like hell she could get out of it.  He straightened his posture from his previous position and raised an eyebrow to show Noa that he didn't care what she did from this point on.  Turning, he left her alone, waiting for Gray or whoever else she wanted to bring.  Where the hell was Keo when you needed him?  Kani made his way to the bar, noticing Noel having the time of his life dancing with a fellow female native.

"Give me the strongest thing you have," Kani stated to his father who gave him a shot of Everclear, which was 75.5% alcohol.  He downed the shot in seconds before making a ugly face and placing the cup down on the bar, "Something less octanish this time pops," Kani stated with a smirk as his dad fixed him something fruity just to get on his nerves.  Kani took it and shook his head as he decided it best to just have fun at the party.

Gray had come back with a fresh bottle just as Kani left, doing his best to avoid bumping him with his shoulder. “Don't worry about it - The Keo in Kani was just coming out. The whole hypocritical overprotective act. Let's just enjoy the party. I'll even grant you a wish for even showing up.” She and Gray laughed it off and resumed their chat. There was a distant clap of thunder as her irritation surfaced, Noa quickly reeling it in as she took a shot. She was almost thinking that Keo had found someone to fuck and decided not to show up. Not that she was complaining, obviously. Out of the side of her eye, she could see a couple of college kids, haole, getting rowdy with each other. Their lack of having a native in their group made it obvious that they weren't invited. Her nose crinkled and she sighed, shaking her head.