Written by: Dallas Walsh

He sighs heavily before he turns around and sees the Barracuda Blue, which is a large 5-star resort on the most southern point of Maui, Hawaii. He knows that the hotel owner and manager, Orvilla Anderson, will be arriving any time, and the SUV is in her parking stall. He knows that Orvilla has a very short fuse, and as such, he wants the vehicle moved before he feels her wrath.

He has worked at the Barracuda Blue for a couple of years now, and for the most part, he is happy for the work. The resort is incredibly lavish with only 25 rooms to be booked. The views of the Pacific Ocean, the lush gardens, and the privacy of the resort, have made it a go-to place for the richest and most famous people in the United States, and the world.

He stops taping the window when it finally rolls down. A groggy-eyed Lyzz Thornton looks back at him with a frown on her face. She grabs an elastic and puts her long hair up into a bun before she looks at him again.

"Yo," she says to him. "What's your name?"

"Freddie," he replies to her. "Sorry to be a hassle, but you're in the owner's parking stall, and she's going to be here any moment now."

"Do you know who I am?" she asks him as she grabs a cigarette and lights it. A cloud of smoke is blown in his face as he shrugs his shoulder. "Orvilla, she's my Aunt. I'm Lyzz Thornton, so I don't need to move anywhere. My family, we own this place, okay? I'm one step away from being the one to sign your Goddamn pay cheque, so don't fucking tell me to move, okay?"

"Ms. Thornton, I'm…I'm sorry," Freddie replies to her quickly. "I had no idea, I just didn't want to get in trouble with Ms. Anderson."

"Don't worry about my Aunt," Lyzz says back to him. "I can handle her, and anything else that comes my way."

With that, the security guard steps away from the SUV, leaving Lyzz alone with her cigarette. She pulls down the sun visor and looks at herself in the mirror, with a loud groan as she thinks she looks like garbage. It was another night of her crashing in her vehicle because she got too stoned to either drive or make it home. The Thornton's have a large mansion on the other side of the island, so she feels that she, at least, did a good thing by not driving home.

As she starts applying her makeup, she can't help but recall six months earlier. She had convinced her Aunt Orvilla, to host a launch party at the Barracuda Blue between two companies, Roboto and Rockwell Mining. Lyzz had gone to school with one of the Rockwell's, Cole, and when he reached out to use the resort as a venue, she did everything she could to get Orvilla on board. At the time, Lyzz was engaged to her fiancé, Ash, and they were planning their wedding. At the launch, however, things went awry when Stacey Rockwell was kidnapped, and the kidnappers demanded a ransom. Things went from bad to worse, when the thugs pulled out their guns and shot into the crowd. Ash was shot and killed as a result, leaving Lyzz devastated. Since that night, Lyzz has been turning to hard drugs to cope with her pain. Since drugs have been her main focus, she has neglected her duties at the Barracuda Blue, but sales have also been down since the horrific event, so she doesn't feel that bad about it.

"Fuck," she says as she drops her lip stick back into her makeup bag. "Freddie is right; Orvilla will lose her shit if I am in her parking stall when she gets here. I better move or I'll never hear the end of it."

With that, she turns the key to start the SUV and she starts to move her vehicle to another empty parking stall.

/\/\/\

The Barracuda Blue has three tennis courts, which have views of the Pacific Ocean. As the sun beats down, Liam Thornton quickly moves his feet closer to the ball and hits a forehand with a loud grunt. The ball, however, hits the middle of the net, causing Liam to throw his arms up in disappointment.

"You gotta add more top spin to your forehand," Justin "Leaf" Matthews says as he moves closer to the net. Leaf is Arrow's partner; since they are both named Justin, they are offered referred to as "the Justin's", but to keep it simple, they go by their nicknames. Leaf has been a tennis coach for the last few years at the Barracuda Blue. He is only 24, and he had turned pro, but a knee injury made him retire early. Being a coach, however, gives him the best of both worlds: he can play tennis and also help others improve.

"I know, I know," Liam sighs back to him. "I have a tournament coming up, I need to do well. I don't want to disappoint my family."

"Does that mean that you've heard from you Mom?" Leaf asks him.

Liam looks back at him in surprise. "My mother? Why would you ask me if I have heard from her?"

Leaf shrugs back to him. "I just thought that your mother might have been the one to put some pressure on you to do well?"

"My mother abandoned me and my sisters after our father died," Liam explains to him. "That was six years ago, Leaf. None of us have seen or heard from her since, so no, it's not my mother. Not in the least. She has no idea who I am, or that I even playing this fucking sport."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry I mentioned it," Leaf tells him. "I didn't mean to bring up any painful memories."

"It's all good man," Liam says back to him. "Just don't mention her again, because I have nothing to say about that woman. Let me practice my serve?"

"Sure," Leaf nods back to him. "Try to get that slice out-wide going, it'll help you on the big points."

/\/\/\

Rachelle Thornton buckles her seatbelt together while she gets comfortable on the small float plane. She is 17 and in a private school. Because her family lives on Maui, she has to take the float plane to and from school, as there are only public schools on Maui, and her family has never gone to a public school before.

"Are you ready Ms. Thornton?" the pilot turns around and looks at her.

"I am ready," she nods back to him. "The sooner we take off, the sooner I can get home."

"Perfect, here we go!" the pilot tells her as he starts the plane, which slowly starts to move along the waves of the ocean.

As Rachelle looks outside and the plane leaves the water and enters the air, she gets a slight grin on her face. She pulls her bag closer to her and pulls out her IPad. She opens her email and sees the latest grade that she got on her economics paper, which is A+.

"Another A," she whispers to herself. "If I keep this up, I might get to be valedictorian. And then, when I turn 18, I could take over at Meccanica, I could lead the company that father created; he would have wanted me, or Lyzz, or Liam, to take over, and that's what I want. More than anything else in the world."

/\/\/\

On the third floor of the Barracuda Blue, the manager's office resides. The office is large and, because it's on the top floor of the building, it has expansive views of the Pacific Ocean. In the summertime, you can often see whales from the balcony, but also many of the various tropical birds that Hawaii has to offer.

Behind the large desk, Orvilla Anderson sits with her laptop open as she is looking at the latest figures. She is still trying to get the resort more bookings as the Pink Roses launch between Roboto and Rockwell Mining, which ended in disaster, have hurt the resort's reputation.

"There must be something that I can do to get people to trust that there will not be another shooting here," she whispers to herself as she leans back into the leather chair that she is sitting in.

As Orvilla leans back in the chair, she knows that she will have to think of something to help boost bookings at the resort. That being said, she has been running Meccanica, and the Barracuda Blue, for the last six years, so she is confident that she will be able to turn the ship around.

Once Kymberlynne left Maui, and the Barracuda Blue, after Samuel's death, Orvilla stepped into the CEO position, which is exactly what she wanted. She has always believed that she should be the one running the company because she was the one who originally proposed the idea of Meccanica to Samuel.

"I remember it like it was yesterday," she whispers to herself as she how she presented the idea to Samuel after she had a weekend with Rick and Kathy Hilton. They gave her the inspiration since they started the Hilton hotel chain; her twist with the idea, was that the resorts would be in exotic locations, like Maui. Before she knew what was happening, Samuel was telling her, and Kymberlynne, that he started Mecannica, and he had found the location for the Barracuda Blue. Of course, the company turned out to be a huge success and made Samuel, Kymberlynne, and their children millions of dollars. Orvilla, however, always felt like he stole her idea and never gave her the credit for it.

This is why after his death, Orvilla sensed that Kymberlynne was struggling and pushed her to leave town. Orvilla never thought that Kymberlynne would never return, but she is not upset by this because it has allowed her to continue to run the company the way she sees fit. Should Kymberlynne ever return, Orvilla knows that they could have a fight for the company.

"I will make sure that I stay running this company," Orvilla says with a sly grin on her face. "I just have to take care of Lyzz, Liam, and Rachelle to do that, but I have a plan. I will keep my rightful position at this company, even if it is the last thing I do."

/\/\/\

Later that evening, Orvilla sits at the head of the dining room table as Lyzz, Liam, and Rachelle walk into the room chatting about their days. Orvilla doesn't often dine with the children, but she thought it was time to discuss the company.

"Please be seated," Orvilla announces to the children before she takes a sip of her white wine. "I've had Chef prepare some of your favorites tonight."

"Our favorites?" Lyzz asks her Aunt as she sits across from her. "What's the occasion Aunt Orvilla?"

Orvilla chuckles back to her. "You've become too clever for your own good," she tells her niece. "There is something that I'd like to discuss with you, all of you."

"You have our attention," Liam tells her before he takes a bite of his lasagna.

"Yea, what's going on Aunty?" Rachelle asks her next.

"This is about Meccanica," Orvilla explains to everyone. "As you know, Rachelle is turning 18 in a couple of weeks, and as per your father's will, once the three of you all turn 18, you have the option to take control of the company. I was wondering where you all stand on the prospects of running, or helping run, Meccanica?"

"I could care less about the company," Lyzz quickly responds to her. "I am grateful for the opportunities the company has provided me, but I have no interest in running Meccanica. I saw firsthand how a family company could tear a family apart with my friend Cole and his family company, Rockwell Mining."

"That's understandable," Orvilla tries to hide her excitement at the response. "I appreciate your honesty."

"I am feeling the same way as Lyzz," Liam is the next one to share his feelings. "My tennis game is coming along nicely, and I am hoping to turn pro by the end of next year. Running Meccanica would only get in the way of my dreams."

"I happened to see your last match, and you're improving so quickly," Orvilla tells him, once again thrilled that another Thornton child has no interest in her company. "What about you, Rachelle? How are you feeling about the company?"

Rachelle sets her fork down and looks back at Lyzz, then Liam, before she locks eyes with her Aunt. "I'd love the chance to run the family company," she tells everyone, was Orvilla feels her blood start to boil. "My grades in school are incredible, I believe I would make the perfect next CEO of our family company."

"I see, I see," Orvilla nods back to her. "Well, that is perfect then. It gives me time to work with the legal team to come up with a suggested proposal that we will all be happy with."

"Thanks for having this conversation with us, Aunty," Rachelle smiles back to her. "It is good to be proactive with the upcoming changes. As long as we are on the same page, this will all work out for the best."

/\/\/\

The following morning, the sun is beating down as there is supposed to be a record heat wave coming to Hawaii. Despite being early, the heat is already blistering at the Barracuda Blue. The Justin's, who have their own private cottage on the property, are walking towards the main entrance of the resort.

"Are you playing tennis with Liam today?" Arrow asks Leaf as they hold hands as they walk towards the resort.

"Yea, a little later on," Leaf replies to him. "He's a good kid with a lot of potential."

"You'd know better than anyone," Arrow stops and leans in to kiss his boyfriend. "I wish we had more time together this morning."

"Yea?" Leaf chuckles to him as he grabs Arrow's butt. "This kind of time together?"

"You know me too well," Arrow replies to him with lust in his eyes. "Maybe we can find time for me to ride you later?"

"I'd love that babe," Leaf tells him. "Hey, there's Lyzz. Let's say good morning?"

Arrow turns and sees the oldest Thornton child coming towards them. "Morning Lyzz."

"Morning guys, how's it going?" Lyzz asks them quickly.

"Great," Leaf says back to her. "We heard about your SUV situation from Freddie."

"Oh God," Lyzz groans back to him with a chuckle. "He must think I am a diva or something."

"He kind of does, yea," Arrow winks back to her. "We get it though; if you have the last name, you might as well use it to your advantage."

"If I see him, I'll apologize," Lyzz sighs to them. "The last thing I want is for the staff to think I am ungrateful or rude or something."

"I think you're good," Arrow tells her. "But come on, I'll take you to Freddie. I'm heading that way anyway cause I have some duties as the resort manager to tackle."

"I'm heading to the tennis courts, see you later Justin," Leaf waves to them as he turns around and heads to the tennis court.

"Bye Justin," Arrow says back to him as he and Lyzz start to move. "So, do you want to tell me why you were sleeping in your SUV?"

"Not really," Lyzz jabs his arm. "It is a long story, and I am hoping that it won't happen again."

/\/\/\

On the Big Island, Rachelle is waiting outside of Belview Academy, which is her private school, for her driver to come and get her. She is wearing her sunglasses as she waits for her car to come and drive her to the float plane terminal so she can head home. She is getting excited because the term is almost over, which means she will graduate. And with her grades, she still has high hopes that she will be at the top of her class.

Deep down, she keeps thinking that if she does graduate with the best grades, this could bring her mother, Kymberlynne, back home. She has missed her mother desperately over the last six years; she is furious that she left right after they lost their father, but she still does want her mother to come home.

She turns her head and sees one of her classmates about to light a cigarette. She recognizes the young male as Nate Meadows, who was expelled last year for starting a fight in the cafeteria. She has always avoided him because she wants to focus on her grades and not get mixed with the "bad" crowd.

"Your forehead is getting red," Nate tells Rachelle as he walks up to her. "Wanna wait in the shade for your car?"

Rachelle looks at him in surprise. "You've never said two words to me since we've started school, and now you're worried about me getting a sunburn?"

Nate chuckles back to her. "Fine, forget that I even mentioned it," he says as he blows some smoke out of his mouth from his cigarette. "Burn all you want!"

Rachelle rolls her eyes and then rushes back to him to walk with him. "What's your deal, anyways? You've had a chip on your shoulder since, like, grade 7? What gives?"

"You've never said two words to me since we've started school, and now you're wondering about my attitude?" he replies to her in a voice mocking hers.

"Ugh, this is probably why we haven't spoken before!"

Nate chuckles back at her. "You're so uptight," he continues to laugh at her. "Sometimes, you just gotta chill and let loose. Maybe I can show you how sometime."

"I…I don't know about that," she says as she puts her hand on her hip.

"We could make it a trade?" he suggests to her. "You help me with my final essay, and I'll help you let loose and have some fun? What do you say?"

Rachelle turns when she sees her car approaching. "I'll think about it, but there's my ride."

"See ya," Nate waves to her as Rachelle rushes away, wondering what just happened between herself and her classmate.

/\/\/\

"Damn, Liam," Leaf chuckles as he rushes up to the net on the tennis courts at the Barracuda Blue. "Your backhand is on fire today."

Liam grins back to his tennis coach, who is wiping his forehead with a towel. "You think so?"

"Yea, it has a lot of pace right now," Leaf tells him. "You're getting a good shoulder turn."

Liam pauses and looks at Leaf, who flashes his dashing smile back to him. He feels his heart skip a beat at the sight of his coach. He, for a long time, has thought Leaf was a very good-looking man. Liam has never hidden his sexuality; he is an openly proud gay man, and he has often had dreams of being with Leaf, but he knows that he has been in a long-term relationship with Arrow, and he doesn't want to come between them. Every so often, however, he can't help but let his fantasies run wild.

"Can you come show me the shoulder turn again?" Liam asks him, as Leaf nods back to him.

"It's hot out here, do you mind if I take my shirt off?" Leaf asks him, as he stripes it off revealing his muscular chest, which makes Liam lick his lips. Leaf walks behind Liam and presses into him as he grabs the handle of the racket, placing his hands over Liam's.

"Now, you want to get a good swing, like this," Leaf says as their hips move together in unison.

Liam presses his ass into Leaf's crotch, which starts to get firm. "Like this?" Liam asks him.

Leaf moves his hands to Liam's hips and presses into him harder. "More like this," he says as Liam grunts out a little.

"Why don't we head into the change room and we can see other moves?" Leaf suggests to him.

Suddenly, Liam snaps back into reality, as he looks back at Leaf, who is still fully clothed and taking a sip of his water. "Did you hear what I just said? Let's play a quick set?"

"Yea, that sounds good," Liam tries to get his racing heart under control. "You can serve."

/\/\/\

"It's not often the three of us are together," Lyzz tells her siblings later that evening, as they sit at a table at the restaurant at the Barracuda Blue, which is called Café Tropical. The three of them are having dinner together, which is nice since she still feels close to her siblings. "This is cool."

"Tennis was brutal today," Liam says as he takes a sip of his sparkling water. While he is old enough to drink, he doesn't indulge that often as it will impact his practice the following day. "The sun was so hot, but Leaf says my backhand is getting better."

"That's really great to hear," Rachelle tells her brother. "I have to start planning my final essay of the term. If I do well, I might end at the top of my class."

"I don't know how you do that," Lyzz chuckles to her. "I was never a good student."

"Well, how are you though?" Liam asks her. "It's been six months or so since Ash…has it gotten any easier?"

Lyzz tries to hide her glossy eyes from the drugs that she took before the dinner. The truth of the matter is, she is still struggling with the death of her fiancé. She spends so much time at the resort, which might not be the best thing for her because it is the location that he was shot and killed.

"Some days are better than others," Lyzz admits to her siblings. "I know I'm only 21, but I was ready to marry him and spent the rest of my life with him. It's … it's just hard."

"You know that we are here for you if you need us, right?" Rachelle reaches over and grabs her sister's hand, who nods back to her.

"You know this just sucks that Mom fucked off all those years ago," Liam rolls his eyes back to his siblings. "She should be here right now; she should be supporting you while you go through this."

"To think that she left when Dad died," Rachelle sighs. "I…I don't know that I will ever forgive her for that, but at the same time…"

"You long for her to be back?" Lyzz asks as Rachelle nods back to her. "I have so much anger inside around her, but I have to admit, I wish she was here right now too."

/\/\/\

"The good news," Arrow tells Orvilla as he stands in her office at the Barracuda Blue while she sits behind her desk. "Is that none of the children, other than Rachelle, seem to want to run the company. That works in your favor, no?"

"You'd think," Orvilla taps the side of the desk with her long fingernail. "I still have my concerns with Lyzz and Liam changing their minds."

"What are you going to do? I know how hard you've worked to get to this position."

"I have worked hard," Orvilla replies to him quickly. "My plan, thus far, has gone off without a hitch. I knew that this day was coming, though. I always knew that when the youngest child was about to turn 18, I'd have to put the next phase of my plan into motion."

"What is your plan?" Arrow asks her with an arched eyebrow.

Orvilla chuckles back to him. "I have to make sure that all three children are deemed unfit to run this company," she says with a twinkle in her eye. "Once I do that, I will be able to keep this CEO position and nothing, or anyone, will be able to stop me."