“You know, I think I’m going to get a massage, actually. The yoga wasn’t very relaxing and that’s more what I was looking for,” Edie replied, trying to sound casual.
Rose shrugged and pulled her phone back out. “You do you, boo.”
Sweet relief washed over Edie. Rose was at least still herself: independent and unbothered, if inexplicably forgetful.
“I’ll text you,” Edie said.
“Ta,” Rose said and gave her a little wave, eyes glued to her phone screen as she walked off in the direction of their villa.
Edie opened a new group chat between just herself, Cassidy, and James.
Edie
Sorry about that. Rose doesn’t remember you but I do. We should meet up somewhere and talk
Cassidy
I’m glad you remember me. I’m freaking out
Edie
Wanna meet at your place?
Cassidy
Can’t meet there. Apricot got pissed at me and left and she might be there. Your place?
Edie
Rose might be there
James
Come to the dorms. I’m in 301
Edie arrived at the dorm before Cassidy did. When James let her in, the space struck her as offensively small compared even to the tent she shared with Rose. She barely had space to walk around James and past the bed and desk to get to the single pane window.
“That’s a nice view.”
“It’s made for some good people watching.” Even as he spoke, a lone woman on the beach in a bikini pretended to read a book in front of a tripod, two white girls twerked in the surf as a guy recorded them on a phone, and another group tried to get the perfect mid-air jump shot. Thanks to framing, they would each appear alone online, but it was a chaotic scene to watch from above.
Edie snorted. “I don’t have any room to talk.” She still needed to post the photos from yoga that morning and tag the instructor.
“Maybe I wouldn’t either if pictures of my ass worked as well online. Sadly, I have to try a little harder than that.”
Edie didn’t like his tone, but a knock at the door saved her from the uncomfortable silence she would have endured to avoid direct conflict. James let Cassidy in, and the room filled with sound.
“Apricot is pissed at me and Daisy is officially a missing fucking person. And look at this!”
The tiny women are always the noisiest, Edie thought as she regarded Cassidy with her braless crop top and narrow hips, scanning over the dark tattoos on the woman’s arms and legs, then chastised herself for being so shallow.
Cassidy held out her phone into the middle of the room for Edie and James to see. She tapped the screen, and the video of the villa tour on Apricot’s profile began to play.
“Cassidy, give us a tour!” Apricot’s voice shouted from the phone speakers.
“Look!” the real Cassidy shouted, as though the other two weren’t already looking. “Look! It’s not Daisy anymore, it’s me! This video isn’t real. I never filmed a tour, only Daisy did. How did they do that? How?” Cassidy shifted her focus from the screen to James, as though he knew the answer. Her intensity made him step back and put his hands up.
“I don’t know! Probably the same way they messed with your other video and put Apricot in it. It’s probably just some more AI shit.”
