"You look awful, " he commented, eyeing her drooped body.

"It was a long journey, " she commented.

He snorted. He knew if he showed his worry, she would feel worst. It was better for him to stoke her anger to make her more 'alive'.

She dropped her bag on the floor and sat on the small rattan chair. He took the seat next to her, still that playful smile curling on his tanned face.

"I'm hungry. What do you have?" she looked at him with her eyes half-closed? She was beyond exhaustion.

"Are you sure you want to eat?" he asked, taking the chance to knock her head lightly before walked to the small kitchen connected to the area. In fact, there was no exact room for the kitchen. The whole house only has a bedroom and one bathroom. The open s.p.a.ce in the house was divided into a small living room and a kitchen with a bar counter.

The living room only has four small rattan chairs, instead of a leather sofa. A small round coffee table was placed between two chairs. A small rattan cupboard to place a cute small red television but there was no aerial connected to it. The occupants only use it to watch DVD or play games. 

Want to know the latest news of what happening to the world? Everyone went to the real bar to do so.

The kitchen, on the other hand, only has a small stove with no oven. There was a small refrigerator, enough for a person or two. Of course, he, knowing she would come to spend a few days here, has filled the refrigerator with his favourite fishes, crabs and prawns. He also managed to get oysters. There was a small blender, four plates and two bowls and enough cutleries made by woods. 

"I'm starving. I haven't had the time for meals except for a bottle of water for the whole journey." She rubbed her head with a scowl.

"I'll make sas.h.i.+mi,"  he took out a huge fish from the refrigerator and reached for the sharp knife.

She took off her cap and let her hair free. The sweat made her head itchy. Without thinking she stood up and walked to the bathroom.

When he returned to the living room area with a plate of sas.h.i.+mi and a small saucer of sauce to dip in, she was still in the bathroom, struggling to wash her hair without wetting her clothes. She was so lazy to have a shower.

"What are you doing inside?" he shouted when he heard noises coming from the bathroom. He laughed when she groaning something loudly. 

She finally came out with her head wrapped in a towel.

"You should cut your hair, " he commented seeing her flushed face.

"Dreadlock demon, shut up," she muttered with a glare.

He laughed, holding his stomach, seeing her like this. It was funny. 

"You did wash your hands before you start making that?" she asked with a suspicious look at the plate.

"Shouldn't you ask before I start working on it?" he asked.

She stuck her tongue out to him. Then, she sat on the chair she sat previously and took the chopsticks. Instead of leaning forward and taking one by one, she took the whole plate and leaned back comfortably on the chair. She started stuffing her mouth with the fish.

He smiled watching her. He knew she wanted more food but he thought as it was already late and she was still tired from the journey, he should feed her with something light.

It took her no time to demolish the whole plate.

He brought the empty plate to the kitchen and washed it cleanly. Ryn leaned against the chair and let out a satisfied burp.

"Tomorrow I will bring you snorkelling," he told her. 

" Thanks, Andy."

"Are you sure it's okay for you to tan?" he asked with a smile. He knew she still has work commitments after this.

"Good night, Andy." She opened the door and looked at him expectantly.

He laughed. He stole a few moments to rub her head playfully before walked through the door. "See you tomorrow."

She closed the door and locked it. Then she walked back to the chair. Instead of sitting on it, she sat on the floor with her back to the chair. She closed her eyes and pulled her knees close to the chest.

"Everything will be alright," she told herself for the hundredth time.

It took her five minutes to calm down. She relaxed her limbs and reached for her backpack.

She reached for her phone and switched it off.

The next morning...

She woke up from the scream of the alarm clock. She looked at her screaming mobile phone in confused. Where was she? Why did the alarm go off? Didn't she switch it off last night?

She stared at her phone stupidly until the door of the house being knocked on loudly and someone called her name noisily. Then, her attention was turned to the person who was disturbing her peace.

"Who is it?" she asked loudly, making her way to the door while wrapping herself with the knitted blanket. It was still early and quite windy.

Andy was grinning when she opened the door.

"Morning, sleepyhead. The gang is waiting for you to have breakfast," he announced loudly, chuckling seeing her giving him a blank look. A sense of pity came and gone in his heart, remembering how late it was when she arrived last night.

She gave him a stupid look. 

He laughed at her expression. His hand automatically reached for her head to pat her head like a little kid and pushed her back into the house, toward the bathroom.

"Go wash your face and brush your teeth. Everyone can't wait to have breakfast with you," he ordered and pulled the door close once she entered it.

It took her less than ten minutes to be ready. She did not bother to have shower or change her clothes. Once she was done was.h.i.+ng her face with the cold water and brushed her teeth, she just put on the deodorant and was ready to go out.

She followed him walking between more cottages and even some big blocks of boulders until they reached an opened s.p.a.ce with two long tables and a lot of chairs surrounding it. It took them almost half an hour to reach. Ryn's stomach was already grumbling with hunger. So, when she arrived, she made her way to one of the empty chair.

"Hey, guys. Morning," she greeted loudly.

"Morning," everyone replied the greeting cheerfully.

Andy took his seat at the head of one of the tables. He told them to start eating and everyone obeyed, quickly grabbing whatever they could reach to fill their stomach.

Ryn, already used with this, did the same. She filled her plate with a mountain of good before she started to fill her mouth like a little squirrel. No one would believe the hungry greedy squirrel was a supermodel. 

It was a messy but cheerful breakfast before someone started to throw a small round bun across the table.

And the food fight began.