"I love the beach, but I hate feeling like I wet myself when I walk," Zoe complained, legs wide apart as she walked. Her flip flops squeaked on the hotel floor while the girls and Trace walked back inside.

"Maybe you did, " Trace answered back, "You were doing some pretty heavy laughing back there."

Zoe reached out and smacked the back of his head with her beach bag. "Yes, you gonad, I would know if I peed myself. Don't assume just because you don't know doesn't mean others don't." 

"Fuck, " Trace cried rubbing the back of his head. "Are you carrying bricks in there. Ken, do I have a bump? I can feel a bump." He shoved his head into her face effectively stopping her. 

"That's what she said," Tani mumbled under her hreath before cracking up with Kendall.

Trace crossed his arms and pouted. "What good friends you three are. I'm over here concussed cuz Mary Poppins carries the bathroom sink with her and you two are laughing."

"Mary Poppins? Mary Poppins! Trace. Really, " Zoe asked playfulling swinging her bag.

"You hit me again woman and I swear to God-"

"She does like spoon fulls of sugar,"Kendall smirked, "What are you gunna do Trace? Huh? Hit Mary Poppins? That's just wrong."

"Can we just stop yapping already," Tani cried suddenly. "I'm tired, cranky, and hungry and you aren't helping any."

"Alright," Zoe relented, letting her bag fall limply against her side. The elevator chimed and everyone filed in silently. Trace took the corner farthest from Zoe.

"Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like to be a bird. Like whatever the kind of bird that one is," Anna declared pointing to the small white bird fluttering over the ocean in the distance. The light breeze meeting them on the balcony had sparked a contemplative aura in Anna. "They're just so free. I mean, I'm sure they have worries and baby chicks to feed, but-stop it!"

She reached over and smacked Justin. He held one hand up in surrender and the other squeezed his cheeks in an effort to hide a smile. "What? Now you wanna fly and feed chicks? Alrighty Annester. I'm not gunna hold that against you. You're still ok."

She tried to give him a glare, but ended up laughing herself. "And what kinda animal would you be Timberlake?"

"Easy," he said lacing his hands together and putting them behind his head, "Lion."

"Uh-hmm," Anna nodded before looking back over the railing. "Is that because you already have the hair style going for-"

"Anna, get the door, "Justin mumbled behind a chuckle. The pounding continued across the room.

She gave his leg a kick, "You get it."

"It's your room.".  

With a shrug she pushed herself from her seat. "Just because you won this battle doesn't mean-"

"Just answer the door," he laughed and pointed through the balcony doors.

Anna trudged into the room and pulled open the door. Kendall and Trace rushed in.

"So, what's the plan Stan," Kendall asked throwing an arm around Anna's shoulders. Anna winced lightly at the pressure on her sunburnt shoulders, but Kendall didn't notice. "You two homebodies joining us for dinner?"

Justin pulled the door open more to hear them but made no attempt to get up. "We just ate lunch like an hour ago. Although, I could eat."

"Bottonless pit," Kendall whispered to Anna.

"I heard that," Justin yelled out.

"Ok, seriously, come back inside now," Anna chastized

Justin hung his head and came back in, sinking down on the bed by Trace. "Fine."

Leaning back against a palm tree it finally hit Anna how tired she was. Tired, and sunburnt. She didn't want to go back to work tomorrow. The six of them had ventured back onto the beach for a few hours after dinner. Now, in front of her, the sky was a dusty orange from the sunset and she could smell candles being lit somwhere nearby on the beach. She closed her eyes and took a sip from her champagne, thankful for the hotel's complimentary services.

"Do we really have to leave," Zoe pouted from her seat to the right. Her glass was tucked into the sand and she wiggled her toes beside it.

"I can call you in sick tomorrow," Justin offered from his position behind Anna.

Anna tried not to laugh. "I can only image how that phone call would go."

Zoe held a hand up to her ear and lowered her voice. "Hi, this is Justin Timberlake. I'm calling to-yes. Yes, from Mickey Mouse Club. No, I didn't do that with Britney. Yes, I did do that with-"

"We get it," Justin smarted. Anna could feel his chest shaking as he lightly laughed.

"Good. Since you're 'getting things' can you explain why Trace is so cranky?" Zoe managed to ask with a straight face.

Anna felt Justin shrug behind her. "He came to the door this morning all pissy and has been that way since. I don't know what his problem is."

Anna's eyes sought out Trace who was closer to the surf kicking abandoned sandcastles at Kendall. "He came by this morning?"

Justin nodded, "Yeah. He wanted to talk, but I told him we were sleeping-"

"You what," Anna cried, turning her back uncomfortably to face him. "Oh no. Justin. Why?"

Justin crunched his eyebrows together in confusion. "Because we were?"

Anna sighed and let her legs flop against the cool sand. "Now I get it," she said more to herself than to anyone else. She pushed herself up, grabbed her glass, and started to walk towards Trace and Kendall. "At least I hope it's jealousy. Or I'm about to make a fool of myself."

The two watched her leave without an answer. Justin spoke first. "What just happened?"

Zoe gave him a kick in the knee with her bare foot. "Dense. You are so dense."

Tani swirled the swivel straw in her drink. Every few minutes she turned to the man next to her and nodded as if she was interested in what he had to say. It's not that he wasn't attractive. If she'd met him on any other day with any other company she would have been thrilled. But even as he talked, Tani's eyes kept wandering back towards the beach.

Justin and Zoe were practically cuddling against a tree. Not that that would mean anything. Zoe was definitly staying away from Justin in that aspect lately. She was committed to Operation: Justin and Anna. But it still made her feel unsettled. It brought back memories of her time with Justin before she and Zoe could stand each other. And then further away Trace and Kendall were flirting. Even from her seat at the bar, yards away, she could tell. But why?

"And what about you?" a voice interrupted her inner dialogue.

"What about me," she asked sweetly turning to her neighbor. At least someone was paying attention to her.

As Anna approached Kendall and Trace her heart faught with her head. Her head knew Trace and Kendall had spent the night together. Her head also rationalized she and Justin had done the same and nothing had happened. But her heart knew good things didn't come easy for her and it would be just her luck that she finally finds a guy she likes, only to have him like her friend. Her heart also knew men aren't cranky unless something they want is taken away.

The beach wasn't long enough to sort through her feelings, though.

"Hey you," Kendall said cheerfully, "Those two drunken bums boring you yet?"

Feet away, Justin and Zoe lay sprawled out in the sand. Zoe's head was propped up on Justin's legs. "They're not drunk enough," Anna smiled, "otherwise they wouldn't be boring."

"You have a point. I'll go make some fun then," Kendall smarted. "And I'll find Tani too. I hope she didn't run off with a local."

"Ken, that's your department," Trace replied.

Kendall nodded, "I KNOW. Which is why it's not a good idea, Ayala. Remember Anna. No matter how cute he is or how thick his accent is, it's not worth leaving the beach."

"Gotcha," Anna saluted before rolling her eyes at Trace. Trace quickly turned towards the water. There was a loud squack behind them and they both turned in time to see Zoe tackle Kendall to the ground.

"Can't take them anywhere," Trace quiped shaking his head. He returned to his survey of the darkened sky leaving Anna just a few steps behind. She kept her eyes on the back of his white t-shirt. The silence stretched awkwardly for what Anna felt was hours.

"Nope," Anna finally answered. She let the rising surf tumble over her feet and back away. The rhythmic motion did nothing to calm her nerves.

"Trace," she asked quietly.

"Anna," he replied back.

"I think, I mean, do you-" She stumbled over her words so badly she smacked herself in the forehead, momentarily grateful he wasn't looking at her. "Are you upset?"

Trace shrugged. He hadn't even turned around to talk to her. Anna's stomach dropped. What if he was mad like last time and didn't talk to her for weeks. Now that she thought about it, he hadn't talked to her all day. Even when he was sitting across from her at dinner.

"I haven't seen you long enough today to make you this angry," she said softly. When his shoulders stiffened and he swirled aroung she knew she'd said something wrong.

"That's fucking right, Anna."

"I-what?" How did she respond to that? What had she done?

Trace laughed maliciously, "You aren't any different, are you? I gave you the benefit, you seemed nice. Normal." He paced in front of her. Each step seemed more and more angry. Water splashed up behind him as he walked and Anna stepped further back to avoid getting wet. "But you are even worse that the others. You went above and beyond Anna. Congrats. You had me thinking you actually cared about me. That you actually really liked me just for being me. Poor judement on my end, I'll admit. But what the fuck is new, right? Butter Trace up, get him to like you. It's all part of the game, right?" Trace suddenly stopped in front of her. He finally looked at her. Even in the dark Anna could see his eyes were raging. "Well, Anna, I guess our pseudo friendship's done. You got what you came for. Good job. He's never given up a day of surfing for a girl. You must be fucking fantastic in bed for that."

Anna wanted to smack him. But she couldn't move. He though all she wanted was to sleep with Justin? He thought she had slept with him. And he'd called their friendship a sham? There was no way he was feeling the way she did about him. Shattered, Anna felt her entire body fold in upon itself. Quickly, she turned and ran. Each step into the sand she faltered and stumbled. Sand stuck to her face and legs. She didn't even care that some got into her mouth. It seemed to take forever just to reach solid ground. With tears running down her face she raced into her room and locked the door.

Zoe watched Anna and Trace carefully, ignoring Justin and Kendall who were making inappropriate sand figures. She could tell Anna was nervous by the way she was rubbing her foot against her leg. Zoe'd noticed she did that a lot around Trace. Moderately around Justin, more when he was shirtless. She was easily distracted by the mental image and the next thing she knew Anna was rushing up past them. She was gone before any of them could have gotten up, but Kendall ran after her.

Trace trudged up the beach. He would have kept walking if Justin hadn't called him out.

"What's up with Anna, man," Justin asked brushing the sand off the back of his shorts.

The shorter man shrugged, "Not my problem."