4. THE CURSE

After arriving home, the group spent hours cleaning, working together to restore order. Just as they were finishing up, Adrian suddenly shouted, "Time for cob webbing!"

Adrian, Jordan, and Carlton had taken charge of the kitchen. As Adrian reached up to clear some webs from a hanging decoration, his hand accidentally knocked against a small shelf. In an instant, Ty's precious snow globe—a gift from his mother before she vanished—toppled off and tumbled through the air.

At that moment, Zhoey happened to be passing by, carrying a bowl of water. Seeing the falling snow globe, she instinctively lunged forward and managed to catch it—only to lose her grip on the bowl. Water splashed everywhere, drenching the floor and those nearby.

Before Zhoey could steady herself, she slipped. The snow globe flew from her hands, crashing onto the floor with a sharp shatter. The delicate glass broke apart, sending tiny flakes of artificial snow swirling around the soaked floor.

A stunned silence filled the kitchen. No one moved.

Just then, Kendrick, Collins, and Ty walked in, only to be met with the sight of chaos—water pooling on the floor, their friends standing frozen, and Zhoey, still on the ground, clutching the shattered remains of the snow globe.

At first, Ty's confusion overshadowed his concern. "What the hell happened?" he asked, eyeing the mess. "Why is everyone wet?"

Then, his gaze landed on the broken snow globe. His expression darkened in an instant.

His voice rose, sharp with anger. "Are you stupid? Do you even know what that meant to me?!"

Zhoey, still kneeling, flinched at his tone. Slowly, she stood up, gripping the broken pieces in her trembling hands. As Ty continued shouting, his words cutting deeper with every second, she instinctively stepped back—one slow step at a time—her heart pounding.

She turned toward Collins, silently pleading for help. But Ty wasn't done. His fury boiled over, laced with emotions he hadn't had time to process. Collins stepped in, trying to defuse the situation, but Ty turned his anger on him too, snapping at him without hesitation.

"Breathe, man. Calm down," Collins urged. "It was an accident."

Ty's chest heaved, his jaw clenched tight. For a moment, it seemed like he might say more, but instead, he stormed out, leaving only his anger and the shattered memory behind.

Collins sighed and turned back to Zhoey, who was still gripping the broken pieces. "Don't take it to heart," he said gently. "Ty's got a temper, and this… this was important to him."

Zhoey nodded slowly, though the sting of his words still lingered.

Collins helped her up and walked her to her room, offering quiet reassurance along the way. Once she was inside, he left her alone with her thoughts—and the weight of what had just happened.

Back in the kitchen, Collins took charge, instructing the group to continue cleaning. "Ty's just angry," he explained, his tone steady but firm. "Let's finish up quickly."

Adrian glanced at Collins. "You okay, man?"

Collins gave a small, tired smile. "It's fine. Just hurry up with the cleaning."

That evening, the house was unusually quiet. Everyone remained in their rooms, lost in thought.

Zhoey sat alone, a deep sadness weighing on her, though she couldn't quite understand why.

After some time, Collins gathered everyone together. They put on their lab coats and got to work, discussing new ideas. Ty led the conversation, introducing something he called "Teary's Law."

Zhoey hesitated before speaking up. "Can I help?"

The room fell silent.

Ty's response came swift and cutting. "A useless person like you doesn't help useful ones. Just go away and think about your life."

A heavy tension settled over the group. Kevin blinked in shock, turning to Zhoey. "Wait… so you can talk?"

Zhoey frowned. "Of course."

Kevin looked baffled. "But you never spoke before."

Zhoey shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about." And Kelvin gave up asking.

Hours passed. Kevin yawned, rubbing his eyes. "I'm getting sleepy."

Ty glanced around. "Where's Zhoey?"

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Uh… you told her to go away, remember?"

Ty's expression hardened. "Go find her. Check around the compound."

Kevin searched every corner but came back empty-handed. "She's not here."

Collins pulled Ty aside, lowering his voice. "You were too hard on her."

Ty exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "I lost my temper."

Collins nodded in understanding but then met Ty's gaze seriously. "Well, she's missing now."

Kevin quickly gathered the others, and Collins addressed them. "We need to find Zhoey."

Kevin frowned. "We need a plan."

Collins shook his head. "No time. We start with the jungle."

Adrian perked up. "Wait… I saw her near the jungle earlier."

Collins nodded. "Good. Let's move."

The group set off, their urgency palpable. But as they disappeared into the darkness of the jungle, they left Ty behind.

For a moment, he hesitated, his pride warring with his concern. Then, jaw clenched, he followed them into the trees.

Zhoey's heart raced with excitement as she spotted her favorite animal perched in a tree. Mesmerized, she stepped deeper into the jungle for a closer look, her focus locked on the creature above. She wandered into a grassy clearing, unaware of the danger beneath her feet.

The ground suddenly gave way.

With a startled cry, she tumbled down, landing hard. A sharp pain shot through her ankle. She winced, biting back a sob as she realized she had sprained it.

Meanwhile, Ty's phone rang, breaking the eerie silence of the jungle. He answered.

"Where are you?" Collins' voice crackled through the receiver.

Ty frowned, glancing around. "I don't know."

"Describe what you see."

Before Ty could respond, the call cut off.

Frustrated, he muttered under his breath. The jungle was disorienting, every path blending into the next. "Great. Just great."

Taking a cautious step forward, he suddenly lost his footing. The ground beneath him crumbled, and he plunged down. He landed with a painful jolt, his hand scraping against rough stone.

Groaning, he sat up, reaching for his flashlight. The beam flickered across the cavern-like hole—then stopped.

Zhoey.

She was sitting a few feet away, clutching her ankle. Their eyes met.

"You found me," she said with a weak smile.

Ty exhaled, shaking his head. "Not exactly. I fell too."

Zhoey let out a small laugh. "So we both failed."

Ty smirked before his expression turned serious. "What were you doing out here?"

She hesitated, then admitted softly, "I came to think about my life. If I'm really… useless."

Ty stiffened. The weight of his own words from earlier came crashing down on him. He had called her useless. And now, she had come out here to question her worth.

A pang of guilt tightened in his chest.

Before he could respond, voices echoed from above.

"Ty! Zhoey!" Collins, Kelvin, Jordan, Kendrick, Curtin, and Adrian were calling their names.

Zhoey cupped her hands and shouted back. "We're here!"

Ty glanced up at the opening. "Be careful!" he warned. "The ground is unstable!"

Collins peered down. "How do we get you out?"

Ty looked around the pit, searching for a way up. "Good question."

Zhoey glanced up at the group above. "A ladder would be better than a rope," she suggested. "I can't climb with my ankle like this."

Ty nodded in agreement, and Collins quickly threw down a ladder.

"Ty, you'll have to help her up," Collins called. "No one else wants to risk getting hurt."

Ty turned to Zhoey, who looked visibly disappointed but said nothing.

Kendrick smirked. "You should carry her up."

Kelvin grinned. "Yeah, just hold her under her butt."

Zhoey starred at Ty, while Ty shot Kelvin a glare before sighing. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

Carefully, he lifted Zhoey, positioning her in front of him as Kendrick had suggested—her hands resting on his shoulders, her leg wrapped around his waist for balance. Step by step, he climbed the ladder, making sure not to jostle her injured ankle too much.

When they reached the top, Zhoey exhaled in relief. "Thanks… Can you carry me all the way home?"

Before Ty could answer, the others groaned.

"We're all injured too," Jordan complained.

"Yeah, no way I'm carrying anyone," Adrian added.

Ty huffed. "Guess you're walking."

Before Zhoey could protest, Collins stepped forward. "I'll carry you."

Zhoey gave him a grateful smile as he crouched down, letting her climb onto his back. With steady steps, he carried her out of the jungle and back home.

Once they arrived, Collins turned to the group. "Everyone, go take a bath."

Later, after dinner, one by one, the group dispersed to their rooms.

Zhoey, however, made her way to Collins' room.

"Can you help me massage my ankle?" she asked.

Collins nodded as she removed the ice pack and handed it to him.

"Oh, by the way," she added, "I found a weird leaf gown in my wardrobe, so I trashed it."

Collins chuckled. "Nice work."

He carefully began massaging her injured ankle, his touch gentle yet firm, as Zhoey let out a relaxed sigh.

Zhoey watched as Collins took the ointment tube and squeezed out a small amount. He rubbed his hands together before placing his fingertips on her ankle, massaging it gently.

As the cool sensation spread, Zhoey suddenly spoke up. "Instead of making this all boring, let's make it fun. Let's introduce ourselves."

Collins glanced at her, amused.

Zhoey sat up slightly. "Hi, I'm Zhoey Lusi. I have a best friend named Willy West. We have a presentation to give, and I'm supposed to introduce myself… but I forgot what to say."

Collins chuckled. "That's okay. I'm Collins. The only people I really have in my life are my grandfather and my friends."

Zhoey tapped his arm playfully. "Don't worry, I'm about to set a conjugal."

Collins raised an eyebrow. "What's a conjugal?"

Zhoey smirked. "Gosh, your brain is clogged with science!"

Collins laughed. "Just tell me what it means."

Zhoey leaned back, grinning. "Don't worry. You'll understand when it happens."

Collins shook his head with a smile as he finished massaging her ankle.

Zhoey sighed in relief. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

As she settled in for the night, she hesitated before asking, "Do you know of any job opportunities?"

Collins glanced at her. "A job?"

Zhoey nodded. "Yeah. I need to start earning for myself. I need a phone, some clothes… gloves too."

Collins considered it. "I'll do my best to help you find something."

A soft smile crossed Zhoey's lips. "Thanks, Collins. You're the nicest person I've met so far."

Collins chuckled. "Don't jump to conclusions just yet. Get to know everyone properly first."

Zhoey rolled her eyes. "We'll see."

With that, they bid each other goodnight, ending their quiet but meaningful conversation.

The next morning, the house was alive with activity. Adrian was in the kitchen, guiding Kelvin through a cooking lesson, while the others were either on their phones or watching TV.

Zhoey came downstairs, stretching slightly before greeting everyone with a bright smile. "Good morning! I'm Zhoey Lusi."

The group exchanged glances before introducing themselves one by one. Among them was Colton, who gave her a small nod.

A few minutes later, Kelvin emerged from the kitchen, his face lit up with excitement. "Guys! I cooked something!"

Colton raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Bring it out, then. Let's see what you've got."

Zhoey turned to Kelvin, curious. "What did you make?"

Before he could answer, Adrian smirked. "I can whip up something better if you'd rather not risk it."

Zhoey chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm fine. Besides, I already woke up with pains. A bad breakfast can't hurt more than that."

Kelvin dramatically placed a hand on his chest. "Wow. Such faith in me."

With a grin, he hurried back into the kitchen, soon returning with plates of food.

Zhoey blinked in surprise. "You all eat this early?"

Adrian glanced around the room. "Where are the last two members? Ones still in the kitchen, but what about the other?"

Kelvin shrugged. "He's in his room."

Just then, the front door creaked open. Ty walked in, his usual unreadable expression in place.

Zhoey smiled and greeted him warmly. "Hey there! What's your name?"

Ty didn't respond, simply walking past her.

Confused, Zhoey turned to Kelvin. "Do you know his name?"

Kelvin leaned in and whispered mischievously, "It's Pinky."

Zhoey stifled a laugh, watching as Ty took his seat without a word.

The group sat down to eat, and to everyone's surprise, Kelvin's cooking was actually good. Compliments were thrown his way, boosting his ego instantly.

After breakfast, Zhoey turned to Collins. "Hey, can you come with me? I need to take care of something."

Collins nodded. "Sure."

Kelvin, still feeling smug from the praise, chimed in with a grin. "You're welcome."

Zhoey rolled her eyes playfully before setting off with Collins by her side.