Honolulu, Hawaii

“… ladies and gentlemen, we will now be landing at Honolulu Airport. Please make sure that you put your seatbelts on…”

Maddie opened her eyes and blinked. She glanced at the window- it was pitch dark, except for the orange and white glows of the city. She sat up in her seat, stretching.

“So you woke up,” the guy next to her remarked. “You’re a sound sleeper.”

Maddie stopped in the middle of the stretch and sighed. She just nodded. Then, knowing that courtesy demanded it, she actually said something to him. “Are we there yet?”

He shrugged. “ Yeah. Better put your seatbelt on. It’s gonna be rough.”

Good grief. He actually sounded like he was her dad or something. She didn’t say anything and turned her head to look out the window. There actually wasn’t anything to see, but it was better then looking at the jerk next to her.

She braced herself when the wheels of the plane touched the ground. The shaking jarred her teeth, but she grimly bared it.

The plane rolled along the taxiway and finally stopped.

“..ladies and gentlemen, we have now arrived at the Honolulu Airport. Thank you for flying with Pan American…”

Maddie got her backpack and stepped out of the plane, taking a deep breath. That flight had nearly suffocated her. A warm tropical breeze welcomed her, ruffling at her hair. That made her feel a little bit better.

She went through the custom, and waited for her luggage to come through. Loading it onto her trolley, she wheeled it through the gate. Hundreds of people swarmed the place. She looked around, dismayed. How was she ever going to find-

“Maddie!”

Maddie whirled around, desperately looking for the source of the voice.

“Mad! Over here!” A tall brunette waved frantically, a huge grin on her face. A smile lit Maddie’s face. She waved. “Gin!”

Virginia broke into a run, embracing Maddie. “Oh my God, I can’t believe it’s you! You’ve changed so much!”

“Is that good?" Maddie joked, happy to see her friend again. “You’re looking good, girl. You got someone stashed away?”

“Sort of,” Virginia said mysteriously. “Come on, let’s get out of here. Michael’s waiting.”

“Michael?” Maddie asked.

“The ‘someone’ I stashed away,” Virginia said wryly, then looked around. “Man, it’s never this crowded here. It’s like a madhouse.”

“Maybe someone important is coming,” Maddie guessed. “Lead the way.”

A tall, sandy-haired guy in his twenties stood waiting in the car park. He grinned. “Hi! You must be Maddie.”

“That’s me. You’re Michael?”

“Yep.” He shook her hand. “Gin sure talks a lot about you.”

“I hope it was all positive,” Maddie smiled.

He grinned. “C’mon. I’ll put your luggage in the car.”

“ He’s not bad.” Maddie whispered.

“I know. He’s great.” Gin beamed.

“ How did you meet him?”

“He works at the local bar. When I came to Honolulu, Luke recommended the hostel.” She shrugged. “We talked, and you know, hit it off.”

“Oh.”

Michael slid into the car. “Is this your first time, Maddie?” he asked, starting the engine.

“Actually, I’ve been here before,” Maddie replied. “But it was a long time ago.”

“You’ll love it- Gin can take you around. I’d do it myself, but I got a business to run.” He winked.

“Of course,” Maddie murmured politely.

Hawaii was beautiful. Maddie barely remembered the last time she came. She was like, five or six. But she remembered the white sand beaches, tall palm trees swaying in the sun, and the blue, sparkling ocean that had fascinated her. Those were the happy times, she thought pensively.

Gin nudged her. “Hey, you’re quiet.” She observed. “You tired?”

Maddie nodded. “Yeah. Jet lag, I guess.”

“Well, never mind. When we get to the hostel, we’ll get you settled in and let you sleep. Then we can talk.”

Maddie nodded again. “Sounds good.”

“Nick, we’re here.” A hand shook him awake.

Nick opened his eyes and stretched. “Already?” he mumbled.

“It’s not that far from LA to Hawaii,” BJ said from her seat.

Rob’s cell phone rang suddenly. He whipped it out. “Hello?”

he listened for a while, then swore under his breath. “You sure?” he snapped, frowning. “All right. Yep. Just make sure that the way’s clear. No, nobody should have known. Yep. Get the car ready. OK. Later.” He clapped the phone shut, looking extremely annoyed.

“Rob, what-?” Jane started, already knowing what it was.

“Seems like our plan failed,” Rob said tightly. “The Airport’s swarmed with fans. The securities have no idea what to do.”

“Great. Now what?”

“They’re getting the VIP exit ready. As soon as we go through the custom, we’ll be outta there. I told them to get a car ready.” Rob replied.

“You sure it’s the fans?” Nick demanded. “It could be for someone else.”

Rob shook his head. “It was definitely fans. They were holding up signs.”

When all this was going on, the plane was landing. It slowed, and finally stopped. They had arrived at their holiday destination.

“I hope you like it,” Gin said, opening the door. “I had it all refurbished after you told me you were coming.”

Maddie looked around the suite. The small living room was cozily decorated with couches, a coffee table and a small entertainment system. Facing her was a patio, giving her a spectacular view of the beach below. To her left was a small kitchenette complete with cupboards and sink.

“Over there is the bedroom, and en suite is on the left.” Gin said. “You okay with this?”

“This is beautiful, Gin,” Maddie said, extremely pleased. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” Gin said modestly. “After all, you’re my VIP. You deserve the top treatment.”

“Of course,” Maddie said wryly. “ And the bill that’s over the top.”

“ Well, there is a small fee,” Gin said, shrugging her shoulders. “But I think you can handle it.”

Maddie laughed. “ Thanks, Gin. Just don’t put an extra zero by ‘accident’.”

“Hey, I’m not that bad,” Gin protested, then hugged her tightly. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered. “Just forget everything and rest, you hear? You scared the crap out of me.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Maddie whispered, a lump growing in her throat.

Virginia disengaged herself. “Well, I’ll leave you to unpack then. You must be tired. If you want anything, just ring the front desk. Or just tell me.”

“OK.” Maddie watched her friend leave, then turned back to look out at the view below as the door closed with a click. She was alone with the silence. As she had been on that night when she had lined up the pills, one by one…

Angrily she dashed away the sickening memory. Never again she wanted to be reminded of that time. Yet it was still too fresh, still too recent. She knew deep down that she would never be rid of it completely, never be able to purge it away.

She turned away from the patio. The brilliantly sparkling sunlight reflecting on the ocean was hurting her eyes. Dragging her suitcases into the bedroom, she began to unpack.