SHOWCASED

After leaving the aquarium, Minnie and William decided to grab lunch at a nearby café.

As they walked in, Mini noticed a high school girl eyeing them from across the room.

The girl, who looked no older than 17, walked over to their table, a confident smile plastered on her face. "Hi," she said, her eyes fixed on Minnie.

Minnie and William exchanged a brief hello, and the girl turned her attention to Minnie. "Sorry, but is he your boyfriend?" she asked, nodding towards William.

Minnie was taken aback, unsure of how to respond. "Uh, no," she stuttered, glancing at William. "We're just friends."

The girl's face lit up. "Oh, cool!" she exclaimed, before turning her attention to William.

"Hi, can I get your number?" she asked, her voice dripping with flirtation.

Minnie's eyes widened in shock. "Hey, girl, aren't you supposed to be in school right now?" she asked, trying to intervene.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Hey, grandma, I don't really see the need for you to ask me that question. After all, he's not your boyfriend, and what's your business with what I do with my life?"

Minnie's face reddened with annoyance. "Oh, my God, Grandma? Really???" she muttered, shaking her head. "You're awfully young to be hitting on someone like him, don't you think?"

The girl shrugged. "Age is just a number, right? Like you never did hookups while in school."

Minnie just couldn't take the girl's words any longer.William, however, seemed amused by the exchange.

He still doesn't want to make the girl upset Minnie. "Hey, cutie," he said, smiling at the girl. "I'll give you my number, but you have to promise me one thing: you'll leave this place instantly and go back to school."

The girl grinned. "Mm, okay, that's a deal."

William handed over his number, and the girl pocketed it, promising to call him later.

As she walked away, Minnie turned to William, her eyes wide with incredulity. "Wow, just...wow," she said, shaking her head. "You're actually encouraging her!"

William chuckled. "You were the one arguing with a high schooler. You should understand better."

Minnie's face reddened with embarrassment. "I was just trying to help! You're the one who's being reckless."

William shrugged. "Hey, I'm just spreading the love."

He walked away, leaving Minnie looking flustered and embarrassed. William headed to the counter to order some candy, whistling a tune as he went.

Minnie shook her head, muttering under her breath. "Boys..."

°°°°°°

~MOLLY'S CLUB- 8:00

Snow was still fuming after her argument with Oliver and Violet. She decided to drown her sorrows at a local club, where she proceeded to drink shot after shot of various cocktails.

As the night wore on, Snow found herself getting more and more inebriated.

She stumbled onto the dance floor, cursing Oliver and Violet under her breath as she danced the night away.

Despite her drunken state, Snow was still having the time of her life. She laughed and joked with strangers, feeling carefree for the first time all day.

But as the clock struck 8:30, Snow realized she needed to get going. She had an early class the next morning, and she was still a long way from campus.

She stumbled out of the club, her vision blurry and her legs unsteady. She made her way to a nearby bench, where she sat down to collect herself.

As she sat there, Snow couldn't help but think about Oliver and Violet. She was still fuming with anger and hurt, and she found herself cursing them under her breath.

After a few minutes, Snow finally managed to compose herself. She pulled out her phone and booked a cab, which arrived shortly to take her home.

As she rode in the cab, Snow couldn't help but think about how her night had ended.

She had gone out to forget her troubles, but now she was just feeling exhausted and emotional.

The cab finally pulled up to Snow's dorm, and she stumbled out onto the sidewalk.

As she made her way to the entrance, she ran into Minnie and William, who were standing outside chatting.

Snow's eyes narrowed as she looked at the pair. She was still feeling drunk and emotional, and she wasn't in the mood for small talk.

{MINNIE AND WILLIAM}

Before running into Snow, Minnie and William were engaged in a heated discussion.

They had just pulled up in front of the girls' dorm, and William was dropping Minnie off.

As they said their goodbyes, William mentioned, "I knew they've been...just so you know, I didn't give her my number."

Minnie raised an eyebrow. "Why are you telling me? Do I look like I care? It's your choice if you want to give her your number."

William chuckled. "Oh, really? You don't care?"

Minnie stammered, "I...I don't care. Yeah, I don't care. Why would I care? You're the one who's always making these weird decisions."

William smirked. "Ah, I guess I should have given her my number."

Minnie shot back, "Your choice, not mine. Besides, you'd be crazy to pursue her - she's a high schooler! You'd be arrested for assaulting a child! What's wrong with you?"

William laughed. "Oh, please, that girl looks over 18. She's definitely not in high school."

Minnie threw up her hands. "Never mind! If you want to give her your number, go ahead! Stop telling me all this. I don't want to hear about your weird crushes."

William grinned. "You're just jealous because I'm getting all the attention among those ladies."

Minnie rolled her eyes. "Please, I'm not jealous. I just don't want to hear about your stupid decisions."

She knew within her that she was crazily jealous to the core and he was pushing her to admit it.

Just then, they spotted Snow stumbling towards them, looking disheveled and drunk.

Minnie's expression changed from annoyance to concern. "Snow! What happened? You look like you're about to pass out!"

Snow stumbled over to them, her eyes glassy and unfocused. "I...I just need to get to my room," she slurred.

Minnie and William exchanged a worried glance. "Do you need some help?" Minnie asked, taking Snow's arm.

Snow nodded, leaning heavily on Minnie. "Yeah...thanks."

As they walked towards the dorm, William asked, "So, what happened tonight?"

Snow shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears. "I...I just had a tapped out with Oliver and Violet. And then I went to the club and got drunk."

Minnie's expression softened. "Sorry, Snow. All over again??"

Snow nodded, sniffling. "Yeah...it was."

___

Before parting ways, Minnie wanted to take Snow inside to help her get settled. As they said their goodbyes, William headed to the suite room.

When he arrived, he found Leo sitting alone in the living room, scrolling through his phone.

It was almost time for their curfew, and Williams asked Leo, "Hey, have you seen Oliver?"

Leo shook his head, not looking up from his screen. "No, I haven't seen him all day."

William frowned, concern etched on his face. "That's weird. Where did Oliver go?"

Leo shrugged, finally putting down his phone. "I don't know. I haven't seen him. I went out and also just became back in."

Williams' concern deepened. "I just hope he's alright. That's not like Oliver to just disappear."

He pulled out his phone and started dialing Oliver's number, but Oliver wasn't picking up. Williams tried calling again, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Hey, Leo, do you think something's wrong?" William asked, feeling a growing sense of unease.

Leo frowned. "I don't know, man. Chill out. He is an adult, he could be somewhere banging the whole hell out of a lady in school somewhere"

Williams shook his head. "No, that's not it. Oliver ain't like that. Something's off even with the fight."

The two sat in silence for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts. Finally, William spoke up.

"I'm going to try calling him again. Maybe he'll pick up this time."

Leo nodded. "Yeah, go ahead. I'll keep trying to reach him too." He told Leo but he really didn't care whether Oliver returns or not.

★

Oliver sought out a quiet spot to collect his thoughts, still reeling from the argument with Violet. He needed some time to himself to process everything.

As he sat there, his mind began to wander back to the beginning of their story. He thought about how they first met, and a nostalgic smile spread across his face.

{FLASHBACK}- 6 YRS AGO

~SUMMER CAMP- 2:30 PM

It was a sunny summer day, and Oliver had just arrived at camp. He was 17, and Violet was 16. The camp captain had told him to grab a drink, and as he walked over to the refreshments, he spotted a girl sitting with a group of friends.

Oliver's eyes were drawn to her immediately. She was beautiful, with piercing eyes and long, curly hair. He felt a sudden jolt of attraction and wanted to talk to her.

He turned to one of the counselors and asked, "Who's that girl?"

The counselor smiled and said, "That's Violet Finley."

Oliver's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't take his eyes off Violet, and he knew right then and there that he wanted to get to know her better.

As he stood there, frozen in admiration, Oliver felt a sense of excitement and nervousness. He had no idea that this chance encounter would be the start of something special – something that would change his life forever.

Oliver was staring at Violet, who was chatting with her friends. But Violet was also sneaking glances at Oliver, her curiosity piqued.

Finally, Violet excused herself from her friends and walked over to Oliver. "Hey, you're staring at me," she said with a smile, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Oliver played it cool, trying to downplay his obvious attraction. "Who, me? Why would I dare stare at you? You're beautiful, but I'm not that bold."

Violet laughed, her voice melodious and carefree. "I think you're just trying to charm me," she teased.

Oliver grinned, feeling his heart skip a beat. "Maybe a little," he admitted.

Violet's smile faltered for a moment, and Oliver worried that he'd overstepped. But then she grinned again. "I'm going to get a drink. Want to help me?"

Oliver's face lit up. "Mango punch? What do you want? I'll get it for you."

Violet's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Surprise me."

As Oliver walked away to get her drink, Violet called out, "Hey, don't stare at me!"

Oliver chuckled and shook his head, feeling a spark of attraction. He couldn't believe his luck - he was actually talking to the beautiful Violet!

But when he returned with the drink, another girl swooped in and grabbed it from Violet's hand. "Thanks, boy!" she said, taking a sip.

Oliver was taken aback. "Ah, sorry about that!"

Violet reassured him. "It's okay."

This scenario repeated itself a few times, with different girls intercepting the drinks Oliver brought for Violet.

Oliver was determined to get her the perfect drink, but it seemed like the universe was conspiring against him!

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Oliver managed to get her a glass of water, which she gratefully accepted.

As they stood there, Violet asked, "Want to meet me by the shallow tree at the entrance tonight?"

Oliver's heart skipped a beat. "Tonight?" he repeated, trying to sound casual despite his excitement.

Violet smiled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Yeah, tonight."

Oliver grinned, feeling elated. "I'll like that."

As Violet walked away to rejoin her friends, Oliver pumped his fist in triumph. "Yes, yes, yes! I did it!" he whispered to himself, feeling like he was on top of the world.

He couldn't wait to see Violet again, to get to know her better and explore the sparks that flew between them.

Little did he know, this was just the beginning of an unforgettable adventure!

*

At 9 PM, Oliver snuck out of his cabin, remembering that everyone was supposed to be asleep. But he had a secret rendezvous with Violet.

They had agreed to meet at the spot where Oliver had said "Snows" earlier, and Violet had replied, "Let them meet."

As Oliver arrived at the meeting spot, he saw Violet waiting for him under the moonlight. She was leaning against a tree, looking stunning in the dim light.

"Are you actually serious about wasting my time?" Violet teased, pretending to be annoyed.

Oliver apologized profusely. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I wasted your time. It was hard to get the captain to sleep."

Violet burst out laughing. "I'm kidding, I'm just kidding! I wasn't angry anyway. I just got here too."

Oliver breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, nice."

Violet smiled mischievously. "Now what?"

Oliver shrugged. "I don't know... I don't know."

Violet raised an eyebrow. "You've never talked to a girl before, have you?"

Oliver looked sheepish. "I've watched guys do it in movies... but I've never actually tried it myself."

Violet laughed again, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "How about I take you somewhere?"