Episode 10 (Serena Season 1)

For better or worse, no one's there when we head back to Clyde's stack of palm fronds,

but along wth a half-shaped boat, someone arranged some of the leftover fronds to spell out RESORT.

Serena doesn't slow down, heading back that way the moment we catch our breath.

The birds scatter before reaching the resort, their angry cries fading into the distance,

and I let out a breath of relief when we finally reach the front door.

Hopefully they found something else to be pissed at rather than us.

Serena: "Well, that was fruitless."

MC: "I don't think so."

MC: "Making sure everyone's okay should be the priority, right?"

Serena: "...Yes."

With the sun dipping below the horizon, it's darker than I expect when we head into the lobby.

Logan runs up to us before the door even closes, looking harried and a little pale.

Logan: "Finally! I'm so glad you're back."

Serena: "What happened, Logan? I thought you were going to stay back and wach over Clyde."

Logan: "I was! Then Arthur started acting weird too."

Serena: "Weird how?"

Logan: "He won't shut up."

Logan: "And he wants everyone to be his best friend."

MC: "That doesn't sound that strange."

MC: "Arthur's never been mean."

Logan: "The guy has said more to me in the last three hours than in the last three years."

Logan: "It's nonstop."

Logan: "And TK wants to know everything about me now so we can be buddies."

Logan: "If I get another question about my relationship with my mother..."

Logan: "I can't deal."

Logan: "Now that you two are back, I'm going to my room with Hope to cool off."

Logan: "Let's go, girl."

The drone buzzes above Logan's head,

letting out faint little whirrs as it follows him up the stairs and towards the bedrooms.

His shoulders slump before he disappears out of view, and a pang of sympathy blooms in my chest.

(This is stressing everyone out.)

(I can't blame him for wanting some alone time.)

Serena: "I guess that leaves us to take care of everything."

MC: "I'm along for the ride, huh?"

Serena: "I hope so."

Serena: "I don't want to do this by myself."

I'm about to suggest we get a bite to eat,

when Clyde comes dashing into the lobby and skids to a stop in front of us.

His shirt is gone, but I tear my eyes away from the flex of muscle when he slams his fists together.

Clyde: "Serena, I've got it!"

Serena: "Got what?"

Clyde: "The boat wasn't working, but that doesn't matter."

Clyde: "I figured out the solution."

Clyde: "All I have to do is swim out far enough to find help,"

Clyde: "and I'll bring that help back to us, aye? Who needs a boat?"

Serena: "Clyde, no."

Serena: "We were sailing for days before finding this place."

Serena: "You certainly can't swim that long."

Clyde: "Don't know unless you try."

MC: "I'm pretty sure that's not up for debate, Clyde."

Clyde: "Come on, ."

Clyde: "You've got to grab life by the throat and shake it sometimes."

(...Is that a turn of phrase?)

Serena: "How about we sit down, Clyde? Have you been drinking water?"

Clyde: "Plenty of it! That's why I'm rarin' to go."

Serena puts a hand right on his shoulder,

nudging Clyde enough that he moves over with her to the couch and takes a seat.

His foot keeps tapping against the floor, but at least he's not trying to dash out the front at this point.

Serena: "Clyde, look at me."

Clyde: "I'm looking."

Clyde: "Hear you loud and clear."

Serena: "You cannot go out tonight, alright? It's not safe."

Serena: "There's going to be more out there in the middle of the night than just a bear."

Clyde: "What about tomorrow morning?"

Serena: "..."

MC: "Why don't we wait until then and see, Clyde, okay? Just not now."

The stubborn curve of Clyde's lip makes me think he's going to refuse,

but he finally shrugs and grumbles, crossing his arms.

Clyde: "Fine."

Clyde: "But what am I supposed to do now?"

Serena: "...When's the last time you tried to beat your personal record for pushups?"

His eyes light up with the challenge,

jumping right up off the couch and to the floor, dropping down into position.

Clyde starts knocking out pushups like they're nothing,

teeth grit as sweat starts to break out across his brow.

MC: "That's impressive."

Serena: "It'll keep him occupied, anyway."

Despite countless pushups the night before, Clyde's fighting spirit is still around the next morning,

and Logan is going stir-crazy with all the other guys' chatter.

Serena relents to going out to the beach,

although I think it's mostly so everyone will stop talking to her.

Clyde: "You going to come in and catch me, ?"

Serena: "Clyde."

Clyde: "You know I wouldn't drag her down, Serena."

Clyde: "Especially with you keeping an eye on her."

He gives an exaggerated wink and I clear my throat,

not entirely sure if Clyde's implying what I think he is.

Serena merely rolls her eyes, but when her gaze catches mine,

I sneak a smile her way.

(It's hard not to stare at her.)

(I'm going to get busted at some point.)

Clyde: "To freedom!"

I yelp as Clyde dives into the water and kicks,

splashing me right in the face as he starts swimming out to the depths.

He only stops to throw his shirt back to shore,

hitting Logan in the face,

who groans.

Logan: "Dude, come on!"

MC: "Don't just sit there."

MC: "Help me catch him before he goes out to the middle of the ocean."

Logan just frowns,

but thankfully TK and Arthur strip off their shirts and dash right into the ocean,

yelling and trying to catch Clyde's attention.

I wade in slowly, remembering the last time I went into the water for Serena,

and swallow past a knot in my throat.

(She didn't tell me to strip this time, though.)

(...Not that I'd mind that in another context.)

MC: "Clyde! Come and play in the water with us!"

MC: "You can go swimming later!"

Arthur: "We'll get a good game going if you're with us, Clyde."

Clyde: "Eh?"

He stops kicking and stands up in the water, already up to his neck.

I let out a sigh of relief when Clyde starts walking back our way,

cheered on by TK and Arthur.

(Which is super weird.)

(But at least they're getting along.)

Clyde: "What kind of game are you talking about?"

TK: "One you'll want to win."

TK: "Splash fight!"

TK slams his hand down against the surface of the ocean,

sending a jet of water flying right towards Clyde's face.

He counters with a growl, splashing right back with both hands,

and gets a retaliatory splash from Arthur for his trouble.

(Oh boy.)

(As long as they're having fun, I'm not going to interfere.)

A. Invite Serena into the water.

B. Dry off.

---

B. Dry off.

I step back out onto the beach, skirt clinging to my legs as I join Serena on the sand.

Logan is still sitting far from everyone,

tinkering with Hope and ignoring the loud splash war going on right in front of him.

MC: "Men, am I right?"

Serena lets out a huff of laughter, soft but enough to draw a warm smile to her lips.

(Yes! I'm getting better at that.)

Serena: "They'll be a lot easier to handle if they're worn out."

Serena: "I can't do a lot of hunting for a cure if we're constantly chasing someone down."

MC: "I'll just start making up sports if they run out of ideas."

Serena: "Sounds like a plan."

---

A. What about us?

B. Not going to join in?

C. Any new ideas?

---

A. What about us?

MC: "What about us? Are we going to stand on the beach all day?"

Serena: "I can come up with something for you to do if you're that bored, ."

(And my mind's dropped into the gutter in three, two, one...)

---

It takes a while for the guys to tucker out, but eventually they wade back to shore,

picking up their shirts and shaking them to try and knock off all the sand.

Logan: "I'm starving."

Logan: "Can we get out of here?"

Clyde: "He's got the right idea."

Clyde: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse and chase the jockey."

Arthur: "Same here."

Arthur: "And a meal is always better shared between friends."

TK: ", you coming with?"

Clyde: "Come on, Serena! Get the lead out."

I look Serena's way and catch a minute shake of her head.

When she doesn't budge, I turn my attention back to the guys and smile.

MC: "You go on ahead."

MC: "We'll catch up."

(If there's a reason she wants to stay back, I'm not leaving her alone.)

The moment we're alone, I can feel my heart beating a little faster,

but Serena stays quiet, looking out to the ocean.

Its constant rhythm,

the waves driitng in and out against the splashes of color of the sunset, is breathtaking.

(If we hadn't been shipwrecked here, this place really would be a paradise.)

(...And now is my chance to talk to Serena.)

(We keep getting so close and broken apart at the last minute.)

Serena: "Would you like to go for a walk?"

MC: "I--"

MC: "Yeah, that sounds great."

Rocky outcropping break up the smooth sand as we make our way down the beach,

pace slow as the tide pulls away from the shore.

My fingers briefly twitch at my side, thinking about how nice it would be to hold Serena's hand.

(Oh man, I have it bad.)

(Just spit it out, .)

(The worst thing she can do is say she's not interested.)

(And then I'll be embarrassed for like twenty years, but that's fine.)

(I'll deal.)

MC: "So... I was thinking..."

MC: "I mean, I already know I could be totally barking up the wrong tree,"

MC: "but after what you said when Clyde was talking about how you met--"

MC: "Not that it means you're compatible with every woman,"

MC: "and we did meet pretty recently, so maybe you don't even know and I'm jumping the gun--"

Serena: "You might want to pick a metaphor, ."

I squeak, feeling my face go bright red,

and can't seem to fumble out any more syllables as Serena and I keep walking.

Eventually a larger rock blocks our path,

and I'm ready to turn around and flee right back to the resort when Serena tugs me back.

Serena: "We can climb up over this."

Serena: "Give it a try."

With her encouragement, I manage to clamber on top of the rock without much of a struggle.

When I turn around to help Serena, her hand hooks around mine, grip tight as she starts to pull herself up.

Serena: "Do you want to start that again?"

Serena: "I'm listening."

(Oh god.)

(Part of me hoped she'd tuned all the mumbling out.)

MC: "It's just that I like you."

MC: "And you're gorgeous and smart which is totally intimidating,"

MC: "so I don't know if it's anything you'd want or--"

My throat goes dry, eyes about to avert away from Serena's intense gaze,

but a light squeeze of her fingers draws me right back.

When she leans forward, I can barely believe it, but her mouth captures mine in a firm kiss.

(Holy--)

It lasts longer than I expect, Serena's hand tightly clutching mine as soon as I part my lips,

returning the kiss and leaning in.

Serena: "It is."

Serena: "Something I want, I mean."

MC: "Oh."

I feel giddy,

the heat lingering against my mouth from her lips sending an answering warmth rolling through me.

(I should have guessed she'd be so straight-foward about it.)

A. You really do?

<p style="text-align:center;">B. Could have fooled me.

<p style="text-align:center;">C. So you like walks on the beach.

<p style="text-align:center;">---

C. So you like walks on the beach.

MC: "So you like walks on the beach, huh?"

MC: "Anything else I should know?"

Serena: "It was more convenient than anything else."

Serena: "It's harder to be alone here than you'd think."

<p style="text-align:center;">---

After a second's hesitation, I lean forward to kiss her again, and Serena welcomes it with a soft sigh.

We stay gentle, exploratory, but there's no need to rush when I have her here all to myself.

Serena: "Mm."

Serena: "We should head back before Clyde decided to lead everyone else on some jungle adventure."

Both of us laugh and Serena helps me down off the rock.

This time when I feel the urge to take her hand, I go for it, and despite a bemused look,

she lets me.