77 BEAUTY SECRE

"I think this is a perfect spot," Zoe blurted out with her hands on her waist, looking pleased with her chosen area.

"I think so too!" Kristie agreed with her as she tittered from ear to ear.

"Come on, give that to me," Zoe requested her as she extended her arm to her so she could give her the tent bag. Kristie obliged in a flash.

She unzipped the bag and pulled out the tent. Both she and Kristie set it up and positioned it. Afterward, she continued to peek inside and searched for other stuff that they can use to build it up.

"I wish they put a shovel or spade in here," She dug in her arm and continued to probe in. "There you go!" She beamed with a triumphant smile at Kristie as she pulled out a scoop.

"That's great!" Kristie clapped her hands in glee.

Zoe chuckled at Kristie's childlike response to her. She doesn't usually open up her cheerful side to anyone. But Kristie was different. There was something in her that made her heart warm to her.

Perhaps because she also was tortured by the same people that inflicted her sufferings.

She grabbed the scoop and started digging a hole at approximately three feet from their tent posts. As she did so, Kristie propped down and gawked at her.

Zoe's forehead was sweating as she did so. She lifted her arm and tried to wipe them using her forearm. Her hands were all dirty from the sand. As she glimpsed, she caught Kristie gawping at her with her mouth wide open.

"You changed so much, Zoe. I like the new you."

Zoe froze for a second, surprised by her sudden appreciative remark on her. "Well, that's much appreciated. Thank you."

"You're so beautiful. All three hunks from our reunion's eyes are on you." She continued to stare at her with doll-like eyes.

"Is that so? I didn't notice that. You're adorable as well," Zoe beamed at her and went back on measuring the distance of the holes, making sure they were all the same so that their tent will be secured.

"No, that's not true. I look horrible," She uttered in embarrassment as she geeked over herself from her feet to her hair.

Zoe stopped in her tracks and looked straight at Kristie. "Do you want to know my beauty secret?" She said in a soft tone, expressing tenderness for her.

"Please, Zoe! I'll do anything," Kristie folded her hand in a begging manner.

"Are you sure about that? I'll hold on to that," Zoe warned her as she raised her forefinger.

"Yes, yes! At your command, your Majesty. I want to be as great as you," she continued to BEG her.

"I just learned this after I left high school. Since then, I do this every day. And every time I go to special events, I take an extra dose of this," Zoe responded matter of factly.

"Wow, how much is it? Can I buy it as soon as we finish this challenge?" Kristie asked with furrowed eyebrows.

Zoe answered her with enthusiasm. "You can even have it right now because it's free!"

"You're kidding! Is that for real? How can it be?" Kristie interrogated with wide-eyed excitement.

"Yes! Okay, I'm going to reveal it now." She dropped the scoop and now focused her attention on Kristie.

She drew in a deep breath, closed her eyes and opened it again before stating her answer. "I believe."

"You believe?" Kristie grilled with a scrunched forehead.

"Yes, I believe. I believe I am fearfully and wonderfully made. And I believe that I am not created a loser but a winner." She declared an honest truth. She stood up and continued on.

"Whenever I do that, my chin automatically tilts up," She lifted her chin and demonstrated it as she described it. "My chest popped out," She stretched her chest forward. "And my stomach caves in," She exaggeratedly pulled in her abs with her hands on her waist and her elbow forward.

Kristie laughed at her antics. Zoe chortled with her. "Kidding aside, I meant what I said. You should try that whenever you feel short on looks."

"OKAY, I'll remember that. Believe!" Kristie giggled as she raised up both fists in the air.

Zoe pulled up the plastic trash bags included in the backpack.

"And besides, I personally know those three stooges that's why they kept glancing at me." She continued on as she filled them up with the sand that she dug out from the hole.

"Well I'll be blown," Kristie asked in disbelief. "So who do you like among them?"

Zoe cackled at Kristie's direct question. She peeped back at her and asked her in a mischievous tone. "Who do you want for me?"

"Mr. Gao!" She shouted out in just a matter of seconds. She looked like she didn't even think about it.

"Zoe's eyes widened at Kristie's outburst. She squinted around if anyone was listening to them. Fortunately, she picked up a good spot, away from the prying eyes and ears of their tribemates but still within the area of the challenge.

"Sssh!" Zoe silenced her with her forefinger.

Kristie clamped her lips at once before adding in a whisper. "He was so protective of you there. I saw his face get beetle red when Savannah and her friends are playing mind games with you."

Zoe's mouth curved up as she learned of Raigon's reaction which she was oblivious to a while ago. It didn't escape Kristie's attention.

"Do you like him?" She shot the third degree on her as she peered at her with her wide eyes.

Zoe gave Kristie the evil eye in surprise at her sudden question. She was not the person who divulged her love life that easily, even to her best friend, Erin. But being secluded in a remote area such as theirs made her vulnerable.

And besides, she thought she would leave the island after this challenge anyway. They won't be seeing each other again. So she decided to be honest with herself and tell her the truth.

"Well, I seemed to have an extra heartbeat whenever he's around," She demurely answered as she put her hair behind her ears and shrugged her shoulders.

"You mean like now?" She blurted out as she pointed her forefinger to her back.

Zoe pivoted and saw the man who had just made her heart flutter approaching them. Her hand unconsciously flew to her chest.

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Confident girls are the prettiest.

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