Castaway Haven

PROLOGUE

Harry wiped his sweaty forehead, gazing at the rows of trash bags neatly arranged before him. It wasn't so much an admiration for the bags themselves, but rather a sense of accomplishment after spending hours labouring on the beach, painstakingly removing litter and debris. The sheer disregard and repulsiveness of people's actions baffled him.

Serenity Island had once been a true embodiment of its name—a captivating and tranquil tropical paradise adorned with pristine beaches, lush landscapes, and teeming marine life. Humanity, however, had seemed incapable of resisting the urge to disrupt nature's harmony and bring about destruction.

Now, the island played host to one of the largest hotel resorts in the region. This sprawling resort boasted an array of amenities, including multiple pools, restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues. Towering hotel buildings dominated the once-unspoiled skyline, casting ominous shadows that obscured the remnants of the island's natural beauty. What was once a sanctuary of tranquillity had transformed into a bustling hub of tourist activities, offering an escape filled with opulence and self-indulgence.

While the resort undoubtedly created job opportunities for the local community and attracted visitors from around the globe, it also brought forth the gradual erosion of the island's original charm and upset the delicate balance of its ecosystem. The rapid pace of development raised valid concerns about sustainability and the long-term consequences on the environment.

Thus, Harry and his school had embarked on a mission: to foster environmental awareness, organise beach cleanups, and initiate various other initiatives. Their goal was to shed light on the pressing need for responsible behaviour and to restore the island's natural harmony.

Harry was assigned beach cleanup duties for the day, and it was evident that the beach was in desperate need of attention. The once pristine shores now displayed rows of sunbeds and umbrellas, occupied by tourists seeking a luxurious getaway. Harry had lost count of the number of times he had finished picking up debris, only to stumble upon yet another empty ice cream wrapper or discarded food package. The situation was utterly ridiculous, and it highlighted the genuine disrespect of people.

"If I see one more person carelessly tossing something onto the sand, I might just take it and force it down their throat."

Startled, Harry blinked and turned his head to face Louis, who stood motionless on the sand, glaring at various individuals on the beach.

"Violence is not the answer, Louis," Harry calmly responded.

" Violence is not the answer, Louis ," the guy mimicked in a voice that bore no resemblance to Harry's own.

Harry gave him a bored look. "What are you, twelve?"

Sometimes, Harry thought he was.

Louis Tomlinson was... something. He currently played in their football school team, and had once played the lead role of Danny Zuko in their production of Grease. He possessed charm and wit, making him both captivating and humorous. But he was also exasperatingly sarcastic and, quite frankly, not someone Harry considered a friend.

Yet, as luck would have it, the teachers had deemed them an ideal pairing for today's duty. Harry really didn't know why he couldn't have been partnered with Niall and Liam instead, helping out with tree planting.

"I am so done with this shit," Louis grumbled, extracting a lighter and a cigarette from his pocket.

Harry rolled his eyes, cautioning, "If the teachers catch you—"

"Oh, give me a break, Styles," Louis interrupted dismissively.

Harry clenched his jaw, deciding that it was Louis' problem if he wanted to face the consequences from the teachers.

He let out a sigh, glancing at his wrist to check the time. It was at least 4:45 PM.

"Who even wears watches these days?" Louis jeered, eyeing Harry's timepiece. "What are you, a grandpa?"

Harry blinked at him, shooting back another bored look. "You're not funny."

Louis only threw one of his annoying charming grins.

Fifteen more minutes, and then Harry would finally be able to leave Louis behind and join his friends. He just had to endure a little longer.

In the distance, Perrie could be seen diligently cleaning the beach. She was a woman on a mission.

Harry had allowed himself a brief respite, and now it was time to get back to work.

With another sigh, he stooped down and picked up yet another piece of trash from the ground.

"I'm so famished I could eat a whole snake," Niall declared, his stomach growling audibly as Harry settled down at the table.

"Niall, for the umpteenth time, there was no snake," Liam said, taking a gulp from his glass of Coke.

"But I swear I saw one!" Niall turned to Harry, his eyes widening. "I did, Harry! It was this massive snake that told me it was going to visit Liam tonight and gobble him up whole."

Harry couldn't help but snort, while Liam simply rolled his eyes before a realisation struck him, causing him to almost drop his glass of Coke onto the table. "Oh my God, speaking of tonight, there's a rumour going around that some of our classmates are attending a party on a boat."

Niall, who had been fully engrossed in his plate of food, snapped his head towards Liam. "A party, you say?"

Harry glanced around the cafeteria of the small hotel they were staying in, hoping no teachers were within earshot, catching fragments of their conversation.

"Yes!" Liam replied enthusiastically, leaning in. "We should go!"

It was surprising to hear Liam suggest a party, as he wasn't usually the partying type, especially not on boats.

Harry and Niall exchanged suspicious glances, with Niall narrowing his eyes at their friend. "Zayn is going, isn't he?"

Liam had a crush on none other than Zayn Malik, Louis' best friend. Like Liam, parties weren't really Zayn's scene, so Harry was taken aback by the news that Zayn might attend.

Caught off guard, Liam slumped in his chair. "Y-Yes. Yes, he's going."

If Zayn was going, then it was almost certain that Louis would be there too. After spending hours under the scorching sun with the guy, Harry had no intentions of attending the party.

"Okay, let's go to this party," Niall said, throwing an arm around Harry, who was in the process of bringing a forkful of food to his mouth, causing him to smear some on the corner of his lips.

"Um, who's 'we', exactly?" Harry weakly protested. "'Cause I'm not going."

Niall frowned at him. "Um, yes, you are. I can't be the only one helping Liam get laid."

Liam started coughing on his food. "I do not—I'm not— Niall! " His spluttered words were almost comical, but Harry felt bad for Liam, especially seeing how red his face was turning.

Niall persisted with his plea to Harry. "Come on, Harry. Live a little."

Giving him a pointed look, Harry replied, "I've lived enough for today, trust me. Right now, the cosy hotel bed is calling my name."

"Harryyyy," Niall whined, shaking Harry by the shoulder. Thankfully, Harry had swallowed his food by then. "I know we're here for charity work, but it's also summer. S-U-M-M-E-R . We should enjoy it to the fullest. We're not away from England and on a tropical island every day, and we certainly don't party on a boat in the middle of the ocean every day."

"What if it turns into a Titanic remake?"

Niall shot him a look. "Did you miss the part about the tropical island? I don't think we're going to run into an iceberg here, Hazza."

"Boats can sink even without hitting an iceberg, you know," Harry retorted.

"Come onnnnnn," Niall persisted, shaking him again.

And really, who was Harry to deny his friends?

Of course, he ultimately said yes.