They had only met a through days ago through the happy coincidence that they were staying at the same hotel on the same island at the same time. They had met at a bar, neither their friends back home would be surprised by that fact, and had become fast friends.

Gloria was twenty-one, a full time secretary who was travelling alone, just needing to escape the soap opera of a life she had back home.

Mallory was a second year student, on holiday with her mother, step-father and three much younger half-siblings. She had been relieved to find a kindred spirit and opportunity to escape the madness.

Over cocktails, they shared stories of their lives, about growing up, about friends. Gloria gave Mallory a detailed first hand account of her latest catastrophe. Mallory admitted to Gloria her resentment towards her step-father for not being her own dearly departed father.

One night they were sitting on the pier over looking the ocean, talking about ex-boyfriends, first kisses, lost loves.

Mallory told the tale of Paul, a charismatic, beautiful boy who had stolen her heart and never said thank you. She had cried over him for months as he toyed with her; leaving then coming back, repeatedly. But she explained how she didn't hold any ill will towards him for her had taught her to feel so much and even feeling all that pain had strengthened her, made her who she was today.

Gloria for her part, recounted the experiences of Nicholas. Shy, kind Nicholas who had never done anything but adore her. She had stayed with him for three months, basking in the glow of his affection and convincing herself that she could settle for that, for feeling comfortable without feeling much more. Until one day she woke up and realised that she just, couldn't. She had cried when she broke up with him because she had known in her heart that she would never meet anyone as good as him again.

"I wonder how they speak of us."