Hard Fucking Death Core

TWENTY (Iselen POV)

I blink and look around with squinty eyes looking for my shades, the water sparkles blindingly when the sun hits the surface of the sea on the Amalfi coast. There they are, near the virgin mojito on the table... I put them on sighing relieved while thinking that I'm lucky because Zu is as good mixing fruit juices as she is making cocktails, it's too early to drink according to my habits and even the Hardcores are taking it easy although it's true that we got up late and had breakfast a few hours ago. Sometimes, coffee is more necessary than gin tonics...

Ruby picked out this area south of Naples because she thought it'd be easier to get rid of paparazzi since Amalfi and Positano are small towns, with colourful houses clinging on to the steep cliffs, there're some fancy but discreet hotels and it's difficult for the journalists to hide or aim at us with their zoom lenses from afar... except in the sea. And that's what they've done: they've rented a boat and are following our yacht movements shamelessly, they chased us to Capri when Taylor insisted on going shopping and to Naples when Zu decided it was time to try a real pizza Margherita. Madison thought that giving them what they wanted was a good idea that would force them to leave us alone and she wandered around the yacht without T-shirt showing off her boobs to the entire Mediterranean sea all day long... The pics they published were great but it didn't work... because they don't want Mads.

Zoom lenses follow Ruby and me nonstop, magazines are keeping track of the number of pics where we're sat together or how many times her arm encloses my waist, they wonder if we're partners, if I'm only a fling or how long this relationship will last. They haven't caught us kissing yet, which could confirm their speculations, and that's why they keep asking questions nonstop, every day there's a new headline and some of them are ridiculous inventions that only look for clickbaits... Like that article where they said that I was actually Lzzy's girlfriend and Ruby was helping us to hide it from the media, the pic attached showed the brunette laughing because the strap of her bikini had loosened and I was helping her to tie the knot on her nape again. The entire situation is surreal but fans read whatever they find about their idols and, of course, I stopped checking my social media comments long time ago... I don't want to know what horrible things they're saying about me. This was supposed to be a vacation to get relaxed and unwind and that's what I'm trying to do.

Although sometimes I can't help freaking out... I don't know if Ruby tries to impress me or maybe thinks the girls deserve this after the hard work from these past months but the level of luxury and extravagance is amazing, I'm not used to live this way and sometimes it makes me feel awkward: I'm aware of the fact that this isn't my world even if the Hardcores do their best to make me feel like I'm a member of the band. I couldn't afford things like this yacht, not even in my dreams, and I feel I have to make it up to the singer somehow... But the Queen of Manipulation is too smart and she soon realized that I was willing to make out with her in public because I was hiding an ulterior motive. Ruby cornered me on the hotel terrace while the girls enjoyed an orgy in the swimming pool and she gave me a lecture, explaining that I didn't need to prostitute myself in exchange of the holidays... Those were her literal words and of course I got mad at her, offended because she thought that was my intention despite she was right, to be honest: I was paying with my body for the fancy stuff I thought I didn't deserve.

Ruby laughed her ass off when seeing my furrowed brow and I understood she'd provoked me deliberately, everything went smooth from the moment I decided to enjoy her present and not think of the future. And what a present... A 78 metres white yacht with a crew that caters every one of our whims and a chef who cooks delicious meals nonstop. Gym, cinema room, hot tub, massage room and sauna, the glazed upper deck overlooks the sea and Zu makes cocktails in the sun deck bar while we relax on the couches... The suite I share with Ruby has two marble bathrooms and one office that has been transformed into a studio so she can keep writing music, the outdoor dining room is massive and at least 12 people could have lunch here easily... Of course, there's a smaller dining room where we have breakfast and more living rooms, library... This is crazy...