𝙄 𝙆𝙉𝙊𝙒 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙒𝙀𝙍𝙀 𝙒𝘼𝙔 𝙏𝙊𝙊 𝘽𝙍𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝙈𝙀.
If Stella and her friends knew what they were getting into when they stumbled upon a sunken shipwreck, they probably would've brushed up on their treasure hunting skills.
season 1...
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SIMPLE LIFE — JAKE MILLER So can we find a private island Fall in love in peacе and quiet Just you and I
THERE WAS A research paper Stella once read about cognitive dissonance. The theory states that when a person's behaviour is inconsistent with their beliefs, they'll experience psychological tension. This tension will then motivate them to change their attitude to better align with said beliefs. No more discrepancies, no more tension, no more uncomfortable feelings.
It was safe to say that Stella was experiencing a considerable amount of dissonance right now.
All her life, she had taken great pride in knowing who she was. Her character was sound and she was secure in the little reputation the people of Kildare had carved out for her. She was a loyal friend, a caring daughter, and an insatiable learner. She loved superhero movies and catchy pop songs. She feared being forgotten and hated heights. She loved with her entire heart and helping people was something she was born to do. Stella Marx knew who she was. Above all, she believed in herself—or at least she used to.
With Ricky's words echoing in her mind and her mother's clear look of disappointment burned into her memory, Stella wasn't sure who she was anymore. All she knew was that she wanted two things: to help her friends and chase her dreams. Lately, doing both seemed like an impossible task. The balancing game she played was getting harder to manage as the days passed and at every turn, it felt like she was sacrificing one for the other. She hadn't realized it until her argument with her mother.
Her mom was right, Stella wasn't acting like herself and she couldn't help but feel disappointed. This psychological tension was a parasite latching onto her, so she was forced to make a change. No more tension, no more discomfort. She was going to help her friends, but after that, she was done. She wanted out. Once they find the cross and get the gold, she was going to find out who the new Stella was. She was going to incorporate the new her with the old, and hopefully the result was a girl who put her goals first, a girl with ambition and fire in her eyes, a girl who didn't risk everything she had to chase lost treasure.
She was the first to spot JJ and John B as she followed her friends through the wharf. At the sight of her favourite person, she could feel the anxiety in her chest fade away and a wave of ease washed over her. Sneaking up behind him, she shook his shoulders with a grin. "Boo!"
He turned with his pocket knife clutched in his hand, only sighing in relief when he saw who it was. "I was about to stab your eyes out," he said, gaze softening as he looked at his girlfriend. He pulled her in by the waist to kiss her cheek.
"You looked scared as shit," Kie chuckled, joining the couple. She gave the blond a teasing smile.
JJ rolled his eyes. "How'd you guys even find us?"
