Estela Montoya

"'You can lie to everyone else here to keep up appearances, but you don't have to do that with me.'"

"-- Estela Montoya"

Estela, a character in the Endless Summer series, is one of the college students who won a contest to spend a week at La Huerta. She is one of Your Character's love Interests. She is first seen in Book 1, Chapter 1.

Appearance
Estela has long brown hair tied back into a ponytail with a few strands falling loose, lightly tanned skin and brown eyes. She has a long scar on her face along her right eye, and she wears a blue hoodie over a white tank top.

In Book 2, Chapter 10, her hair is combed and she wears a silver gown with hoop earrings.

If you choose to marry her in Book 3, Chapter 10, she will wear a dress given to her by Seraxa, a necklace with a blue gem, her ponytail will be tied into a bun, and she will wearing black eyeliner.

Personality
Estela is very mysterious and withdrawn. She seems to be afraid to open up to people because in the past, the people in her life tend to get hurt, as she reveals in Chapter 2 at the pool party, if you choose to go stargazing with her. If you gradually earn her trust and take her back to your room in Chapter 14 (30 diamonds) she will reveal that she has never felt that way about any other person, and that your MC has "made her feel things she didn't know she could feel". Her profile also suggests she is a determined individual who will go to extreme lengths to fight for what is right, using her exceptional skills taught to her by her uncle. Interestingly enough, out of everyone in the group, she seems to be the most aggressive. She has a tendency to lash out and act violent whenever she gets too mad or upset about something. She also curses a lot and calls people who are wrong about her "Dumbass".

By Book 3, she has accepted the rest of the Catalysts as her friends, as shown in Chapter 6 when you will gain a relationship point with her if you choose to save Varynn and Grace before the Island's Heart. She furiously blames Rourke for taking them away from her, and is willing to open up to the group and expose her caring and passionate side, although she immediately feels embarrassed afterwards.

History
Her father abandoned her when she was a baby, and she was raised by her uncle and mother in San Trobida. Her uncle taught her the family business; how to hunt, fight and kill, but her mother always dreamed of a peaceful life for them. That was why her mother worked for Rourke International, and when Estela was fifteen, her mother got reassigned to work at The Celestial. Because children weren't allowed, her mother would have to send her letters. One day, her mother sent her a messy, handwritten letter revealing the illegal things Everett Rourke was up to, such as doing illegal experiments (which would explain the appearance of the Giant Crab and the saber-tooth, however, this is later revealed to have nothing to do with Rourke). Estela's mother was scared for her life, and begged Estela's uncle to come and take her home from La Huerta. A day later, Estela received a letter directly from Rourke International, which stated that her mother died in a 'freak accident' - an obvious cover-up. Everett Rourke had murdered Estela's mother, and Estela dedicated all her time and efforts to getting revenge on Rourke. She forged papers to get into the same school as Aleister, because Aleister was Rourke's son, so that she could use him as a hostage to get closer to Rourke, then kill him.

However, it is revealed in Book 2, Chapter 10 that Rourke was not the one who killed Estela's mother Olivia, but Lila, who was acting on Rourke's orders. Estela attacks Lila, who eventually manages to escape when Estela becomes distracted. Estela becomes extremely sad because she is concerned that she can't trust anybody, and your character can choose to comfort her.

Everett Rourke's file on her states that she has been known to disappear for up to years at a time, and last surfaced at a military coup. If you choose to look through the surveillance camera in Chapter 4 at what she's doing, it is revealed that she secretly slashed a painting in the ballroom with a knife, and reached behind the painting to retrieve an object that the surveillance camera did not show. This means that she knew that something was behind the painting, probably something her mother left behind. She comes close to being caught by Grace, but manages to hide behind the ballroom doors.

In Chapter 15, choosing the premium option where everyone says goodbye to their loved ones using the time traveling phone reveals that her uncle's name is Nicolas, whom Estela will choose to contact, telling him that she was successful in avenging her mother's death but felt hollow afterwards, or she didn't do it and acknowledges that she needs to let go of her anger if your character dissuades her. She also thanks Nicolas for giving her support when she needed it most, and for training her, even though he didn't approve of her mission.

Catalyst Idol Scene
Her Catalyst Idol shows she briefly shared a moment with Aleister over their love of True Crime stories and that Aleister comforted her when popular girls made rude comments about her. The scene flashes to the atrium in The Celestial where Estela has successfully avenged her mother by killing Lila. Rourke suddenly appears and thanks Estela for killing Lila, revealing that she spared him the trouble of killing her since he considered Lila a loose end. Estela throws her spear at him which surprising goes straight throw him, revealing that it was really IRIS in disguise. Rourke suddenly appears and shoots Estela several times. Barely clinging on to her life, Estela crawls toward him, hoping to finally kill him. However, Rourke simply kneels down and shoots her in the head.

Olivia Montoya
Olivia is Estela's mother. It is implied that they had a very close relationship before her mother was killed by Lila, as Estela dedicated six years of her life to avenging her mother.

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Nicolas Montoya
Nicolas is Estela's uncle and Olivia's brother. It was he who trained her as an assassin. It is implied that they have a close relationship, as he is the only known family Estela has left.

Your Character
If the player chooses to stargaze with Estela, she'll admit that she thinks Your Character is a nice and honest person. She seems to feel the need to protect you, asking you to leave the island and have a comfy life at college, and to stay at the resort, where it's safe. If you go with her to fight the King Crab in Chapter 9, it is implied she has romantic feelings for Your Character. An example is when you share you've had dreams about each other. In Estela's dream they are adrift in an underground lake and the college student takes her hand. She abruptly stops but it's possible the dream was sexual. After beating the crab, she will tell you that she hasn't got time to care about you or that she considers you a distraction. In Chapter 13, she and Jake volunteer to teach you martial arts so you can protect yourself. If you learn her defensive technique, and note that blocking her moves is like dancing, she blushes. You can choose to take her back to your room in Chapter 14, where it is implied you slept with her.

You can choose to officially date her in Book 2, Chapter 1. She will admit to you that she feels "helpless" when she is around your MC because she can't control how she feels. You can then officially date her if you're at least her friend.

You are the only person she feels like she can open up to, such as explaining her motivations for wanting Rourke dead.

In the Book 2 Finale, depending on your relationship with her, she will attempt to save you from falling out of the Helicopter.

When the truth of your Catalyst Idol visions is revealed, she is shown to be upset that you didn't share the information with them, stating that you should be able to trust your friends, implying that she finally trusts you fully.

Raj
After Raj makes jokes about Your Character shutting down the party after being startled the mysterious creature, Estela will scold him for making jokes instead of being concerned for his/her well being. When Estela threatens to destroy Iris, Raj leaps to IRIS' defense and becomes angry at Estela for not giving Iris a chance. Your Character can choose to agree with Estela or Raj. Raj also admires Estela, but at the same time is creeped out by her mysteriousness.

Jake
If you choose to learn self defense with Estela and Jake in Chapter 13, she will tease Jake about not being a good teacher of self defense, and will offer to teach you instead (it's up to you who you choose to teach you) saying "not much of a teacher are you, pilot?" They occasionally joke with each other over their cynical/sarcastic outlook on life. Out of all the nicknames he gives her, she prefers Katniss. She jokingly calls him cabron, which is Spanish for dumbass.

Aleister
Although it is revealed in the Catalyst Idol scene that Aleister and Estela shared a brief moment together during their time at Hartfeld where they bonded over books, Estela grew to despise Aleister. She had always suspected that Aleister was Everett Rourke's son, and forged papers to get into the same college as him so she could use him as a hostage to get closer to Rourke and kill him. She is extremely angry when Aleister clarifies her suspicion and from there onwards she is hostile towards Aleister. After Aleister betrays the group and locks them in a chamber, she menacingly tells him to let them out. In Book 3, Chapter 3, she is angry when she sees Aleister and will agree with your character if you believe he'll betray the group again. In Book 3, Chapter 6, she knocks him out before claiming she'd been wanting to do it for a while.

Lila
They originally had a neutral relationship, which strengthened in Book 2, Chapter 9 after Estela comforts her. When Estela finds out that it was Lila who murdered her mother, it fuels her hatred. In Book 2, Chapter 11, they get into a physical fight where Estela viciously beats her, until Lila manages to escape when Estela is distracted by the Yeti. Estela's Catalyst Idol shows that she may eventually kill Lila. In the final chapter of Book 2, you have to make a tough choice between allowing Estela to kill Lila or preventing her from doing so. Regardless of Estela's decision, Lila will die anyway.

Trivia

 * She is shown on the cover of Endless Summer, Book 3 and is the the only love interest to not appear on the first two Endless Summer book covers.
 * Her birth month as listed in her file is incorrectly listed to be January. She reveals it to be June.
 * San Trobida, her city of origin, is a city in the mobile app Cause of Death, which was written by some of the  writers at Pixelberry Studios.
 * Her Hadean Zodiac sign is Draco, the Dragon.
 * Jake calls her "Katniss" and "Trinity" because of her survival skills and after female protagonists from action movies. As of Book 2, Chapter 9, he calls her "Wednesday Addams" because of her tomboy personality and the fact that she rarely shows her emotions.
 * In Book 1, chapter 9, if you choose to fight the King Crab with her and tell her that you dreamt about her, she will say that she once dreamt about her and MC being in an underground cave full of water. Something similar is seen in Book 2, chapter 5, if you choose to swim with her into the Jeweled Cave. (It is unknown if Estela's dream and the cave in Book 2 are connected)
 * Her head design in Endless Summer, Book 1 was changed in Endless Summer, Book 2 to be upright instead of facing downwards.
 * She can hold her breath for 14 minutes, longer than Jake or Yvonne.
 * She respects honesty, as shown in Book 1, Chapter 3 if you choose to get angry at the others for thinking that you're crazy and in Book 3, Chapter 5 when she is upset you didn't tell the group about your catalyst idol visions.
 * She respects people risking their lives to save their loved ones, as she promises Varyyn that Cetus will pay for killing Ximaedra, and she is hesitant to kill Lila after Lila is fatally wounded after saving the catalysts from Arachnid soldiers.
 * She is protective of Quinn, as she is determined to find the Island's Heart after she goes into a coma, she says "get this bastard" after Mouse attacks a defensless Quinn, she threatens to hurt Malatesta if he hurt Quinn and she is the first to volunteer to go with Quinn on a rowboat to find the other half of the Island's Heart.
 * She hates people telling her to calm down, as shown with the MC in Book 2, Chapter 1 and with Jake in Book 3, Chapter 1.
 * Rourke considers her the most dangerous individual of your group, due to her skills as an assassin as well as the fact that she wants to kill him.
 * If you choose to spend the night with her in Book 2, Chapter 12, it is revealed she has a scar on her back and under her breast. The first scar is from when she was 12 and a horse she was riding threw her off, causing her to land on a rock. The second scar is when her uncle accidentally cut her with a untapered sword when she was 14. It is still unknown how she got the scar over her eye, but she doesn't want to talk about it.
 * Her name and country of origin imply that she is Latina. This is confirmed in the Book 2 Finale when she refers to a relative named Nicolas as "Tio", which is Spanish for "Uncle".
 * Her given name, which is Catalan in origin, translates to "Star" in English.
 * Her surname, Montoya, is possibly a reference to Inigo Montoya from the Princess Bride, as they have both trained to avenge the murder of their parent.
 * Her Ember of Hope shows a future where she graduates from Hartfeld, lives with her uncle in San Trobida, and is thinking of starting a family.
 * In Book 3, Chapter 10, if you have at least two hearts with her, she will propose to you. If you accept, you will marry her in a handfasting ceremony.
 * The writing for Estela's character is inspired by the song,  Missile by Dorothy.