Prologue and Chapter One

All Malia Webber wanted was an adventure, something to be remembered by. Now she must find the courage to make the choices that will change her life forever.

 Prologue

On a cold and stormy night, a baby was born. A young man by the name of Ingo sat by a dying fire as he silently watched his newborn son. The boy`s deep blue eyes matched his fathers, along with his lush eyelashes and beautiful brown hair. The raging storm outside caused the windows to rattle and the door to creak and groan in protest. But despite the loud thunder and the crack of lighting, the baby boy was content. His mother, a brunette with curly hair and also the same deep blue eyes, lay on a hastily made bed of straw; despite her beauty, her face was pale and scrunched in pain. Ingo knew she would not last and bent over her to see her fair, fragile face one last time. She breathed unevenly and opened her mouth, trying to say something. ‘’ Reyna, what is it you try to say?’’ Ingo asked gently. He found her trembling hand and placed it in his. ‘’ Our son… give him this,’’ She mumbled, handing a beautiful pale blue stone out to her husband. Ingo stared in puzzlement, turning the stone over in his palm. ‘’ What is it?’’ he asked. The stone in his hand had a radiating glow coming from somewhere inside it. Reyna took another deep breath and continued. ‘’ It is a stone that grants immortal youth.’’ Then a shadow of worry passed over her face. ‘’ Beware that if someone else finds the… stone our son, will turn into something dark and without soul.’’ Her voice shook. ‘’ Hide it somewhere safe, for our son… to live… forever.’’ Her eyes closed and her breath slowed and then stopped. Ingo, however, was not paying attention. Greed and want filled him as he selfishly pocketed the stone. He would dispose of the boy and keep the immortality to himself. His gaze wandered over to his dead wife and he hastily covered her body with the small portion of rags that had been meant to warm her. Little grief had filled him after Reyna`s death and Ingo could never have guessed it was from the power of the stone. The responsibility he knew he had over the boy was ignored and distant. All that went through his mind was the prospect of being forever young. He grabbed a jacket and wrapped himself in a scarf, ready to face the raging blizzard that awaited him. About to open the door, a gurgle from behind him forced him to stop and face the problem. The baby gurgled happily again, outstretching a chubby arm. Ingo wondered where he could dump something so innocent and unaware. An adoption center perhaps? Then an idea struck him: he would leave the boy on someone`s doorstep and, for Reyna`s sake, make sure they were a nice child loving family. Not like me, he thought, managing a small smile. He picked the baby up awkwardly and tucked him safely in the crock of his arm. Guilt filled him and he fought the urge to feel any affection for his son. At the slightest pull the door swung open and a blast of cold wind came with it. Keeping his head down, Ingo stepped in the deep snow that reached up to his knees. Lifting each foot high, Ingo slowly progressed through the storm, his fingers stiffly numb and his face flecked with snow. The force of the wind whipped at his garments as if it was trying to find bare flesh to devour. Ingo was heading blindly towards his mistress`s cottage, which was even farther into the forest than his home. He soon saw the glare of a warm and welcoming fire through a glass window. The owner of the house was Constance, a snappy, cantankerous old lady with aging white hair. She lived with her mute husband, Joseph, who was not only voiceless, but very clumsy. Ingo decided that he would let Constance take care of the boy. He rapped loudly on the door as Constance, with a disapproving frown, ushered him inside. ‘’ Young man what are you doing here, traveling in a dangerous storm and leaving your wife?’’ She scolded. Ingo let a forced tear slid down his frozen cheeks. ‘’ It`s Reyna: she didn`t make it through the birth.’’ Constance clapped her hand over her mouth in surprise. ‘’ Come, come, you poor boy, sit down and warm yourself by the fire.’’ Her voice was demanding, but not unkind. Ingo sat comfortably down on a puffy chair, pulling off his boots and almost letting the baby drop in his haste to seat himself. ‘’ Oh my goodness, the baby!’’ Constance exclaimed happily, taking him in her arms and caressing him. ‘’ The poor darling! We will have to take care of him well for dear Reyna,’’ She added softly. This was great, Ingo thought. He knew Constance would care for the boy like her own and Ingo would have that off his hands and have plenty of time for the stone and its powers. He rubbed his hands together greedily. Immortality shall be his! And whoever dared to get in his way or steal the stone, would suffer the consequences… of death.     

 

 

A HUNDRED YEARS LATER…

His strength and power was fading as years of age crept through his dying body. There was no hope, light, or even a hint of kindness left: all was black, quite and mournful. Ingo clutched his hand as it shriveled and turned dead. His feet vanished and what was left of his human body floated an inch off the ground. His heart felt like it was breaking into little segments, each also vanishing. Pain overwhelmed him and he screamed in agony. His eyes felt smashed as they were pushed to the back of his hollow head, leaving black holes of emptiness. Teeth fell out, shattering on the ground and Ingo felt as if he had nothing left, nothing to live for. He bent his head back and howled in treachery as flesh teared away and fell to the floor, lying there like a blanket of human remnants. The sounds of bones cracking could be heard over murderous screams of plead and forgiveness. But it was too late for this, once, young man. He had chosen his path of cruelty and in return he must suffer an ending of intense torture: the last step was to be fulfilled.

 It had been a beautiful summer`s day outside, the sky a brilliant blue. But suddenly, fierce gusts of cold wind arrived, along with sheets of icy rain and hail. Thick clouds closed in until there was no more sunshine. Earsplitting lighting filled the sky. From a distance, a shadow of black fog advanced upon the house Ingo was fearfully waiting his end. The fog branched into long fingers, feeling out their pray. The pain of being fleshless all faded away as a newer fate made its way. The fingers soaked through the house as they finally took hold of Ingo. Terrified, he was unable to scream as the fog encircled him, his vision became blurry and then all was pitch black and silent.

The black cloud of nothingness floated outdoors; all that went through its mind was evil, death, and revenge. It was not Ingo, it would never be. It was now Ink. Ink cackled hoarsely. He would kill the person who had taken the power of the stone from him and had caused this… new lifeless body. But Ink felt he needed to do more; he would avenge the source of evil, he would conquer the world and its inhabitants! Under his rein, all good things would be banished, and no one would stop him. Or so he thought.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter One                                                                             

I gazed down at my desk, three feet long, made out of a nice shiny cedar wood. It was a beautiful June day outside and all I wished was to just be out there, alone and enjoying the sunshine; however, instead, I was holed up in a stuffy classroom. The longing to set my head down, sore from constant thinking, was unbearable. My 8^th grade teacher, Mrs. Carlson, was giving us a boring algebra lecture. I knew I would regret not paying attention, but I continued to block out my teachers words. Ever since fourth grade, there had been a rumor going about that our 8^th grade teacher was a model. I had no doubts about that one; Mrs. Carlson, I had to admit, was beautiful, with her shiny blond curls and her radiant smile. Some even said every male teacher in the school only had to look at her and they fell immediately under a love trance. Except, of course, the school`s nerdy science teacher, Mr. Kessler. He once set the laboratory on fire with that strange experiment he had been working on since who knows how long. None of the students attending Sierra Park Middle School could guess why our science teacher hadn`t been fired by now.

It was the last day of school and the prospect of a nice summer raised my spirits. I tried to recall the passing events of the day and sadly realized they were the same as the day before and the day before that and so on. It was like a daily routine: I would wake up, my black lab Max would jump on me, I would go to school, and then come home to an annoying eight year old brother named Noah. My parents, Anne and Greg, thought it a good responsibility that I baby sit Noah. I thought it was just an excuse for my parents being gone almost every day; sometimes work can be a kid’s worst enemy. It might seem that I would have plenty of friends. Wrong. I only have one, Iris. Nevertheless, Iris counts as ten. She is a great friend, almost always standing up for me, and has a talent for making inventions, even if they rarely ever come to good use. On the other hand, I have plenty of enemies to last a lifetime; on the top of the list is Clarissa, a snotty, fake long nails, puffy blond hair, so full of herself, brat. She spends her life dying over the obsession of Gavin. I hate her for two reasons: the first is because we have hated each other since second grade. I once hung her pink princess underwear on the school flag pole; she got me back by making up a rumor that I had kissed a girl, which I did not. The second reason was that I liked Gavin also. Clarissa would always take advantage of his good-nature and reluctance (I`m not actually sure about this part, but it makes me feel comforted) to simply tell her to back off.   

I spend my time at school thinking how nothing has changed in my life; it was always the same boring routine, day after day. It was almost as if my life was a pattern on a checkerboard. All I wanted was a simple adventure, something to think about and remember for the rest of my life.

 Slowly my teacher’s words became blurred and muffled, until finally all was silent.

‘’ Malia, Malia,’’ Mrs. Carlson`s voice broke through my layer of sleep. She sounded very annoyed. ‘’Malia! ‘’ She yelled one last time. I suddenly realized that she had been calling my name for quite some time. ‘’Yes Mrs. Carlson,’’ I said, my voice still hoarse from being awoken. She sighed. ‘’I asked you a question.’’ I filed through my head, trying to make up an excuse for falling asleep during class. ‘’Um…’’ I turned a deep shade of red, becoming further embarrassed when a few people snickered from the opposite side of the room. Mrs. Carlson sighed again and shook her head. ‘’See me after school.’’ I groaned; what were my parents going to think?

 I watched as the clock slowly ticked away until finally the school bell rang. Once everyone was gone, Mrs. Carlson motioned for me to come to her. These last passing minuets were too dreadful to recall: I was going to summer school. I sadly walked towards the building exit. It was about my fifth time having an after-school talk with my teacher. I was dead meat for sure. A cool breeze wiped my hair and the tension in my body lessened. Maybe if I promised to get better grades in school from now on my parents would show me mercy. Or had I already used that excuse before? I shook my head, trying to soothe the aching throb. A yellow leaf floated in the palm of my hand. Looking at it closely, I was able to see the delicateness and accuracy of the veins. It was so beautiful, yet fantastically simple. As I turned my attention ahead of me, I spotted a big poster, colored bright pink, with very neat handwriting. ‘’ CAMP HELP THE ENVIRONMENT,’’ it read, ‘’ lead by instructors, Ms. Wright and Mr. Kessler, starting on June 2 and ending when the children desire. This camp will be held in the Bahamas, on a chain of islands. Children attending summer school will be provided the permission to join this camp’’. June 2! That was tomorrow, the first day of summer break! What harm would it do to sign up? Anyways, it would pass by some of the dreadful time I`d be spending at school instead of having a nice relaxed summer vacation. And, spending a couple of days on a tropical island in the Bahamas sounded pretty fun to me; even if Mr. Kessler was one of the instructors. Without thinking, I quickly scribbled my name down. Never could I have guessed that one tiny decision would change my life forever.

On the bus, I was sweating and my hands were clammy; what could my parent`s punishment possibly be? Sometimes they would take great measures just to set my behavior straight.    When the bus finally reached the entrance to my neighborhood, I thanked the driver, Bernie, and slowly walked down the path that led to my house. Our neighborhood was somewhat in the country, and every square inch was covered with all kinds of trees, ranging from oaks, to eucalyptus, to pines, and occasionally a few palm trees. No matter how beautiful Miami was, I still loved our old home ten times more. I smiled at the thought of those fun days back in Colorado. Our move to Florida had ruined everything.  Since then, Noah and I never got along. Then I spotted our big ancient Victorian house, standing open and by itself. Only days after we had moved here, my father had immediately ordered all the trees to be cut down. Our land was now just a large expanse of barren artificial-green grass. As I entered the hall, I tiptoed as silently as was possible across our creaky old floors, hoping I had not been seen by my mother working busily in the kitchen. I took the stairs two by two, but was abruptly stopped by an arrogant voice behind me. ‘’Hey Malia! Did Gavin finally notice that you exist?’’ Noah taunted. I scowled at him. My brother`s scraggly dark brown hair was in its usual disarray, his bangs hanging low over his chestnut eyes. What had always got me wondering was why I was the only one in my family who had fair ginger blond hair and lovely aqua blue eyes. I had no cousins, aunts or uncles; both my parents were the only child. My grandparents from my father`s side had perished in a car accident before I was born, and the whereabouts of my mother`s parents were unknown. It was all a mystery I had yet to solve.                                                                

When I arrived at my room, I slammed the door behind me and threw myself onto my bed. My gaze wandered over to the large mirror in the corner of my room. Its aging wood, peeled and cracked, brought the warm comfort of my great grandmother. It had been her mirror from so long ago. When we moved into this house it had been there, marking who`s it was by the simple initials MW, standing for Morris Webber. My parents hadn`t been very close to my great grandmother, and all they knew about her was that she disappeared one day and was never spotted again. The mirror had been there for ages and no one had managed to remove it, however I didn`t care; it was the only thing left to remind me of her. As for her husband, Henry Webber, he died a couple of months after their marriage. My grandmother had mourned ever since and she would lock herself up in this exact room, according to my parents. One day, someone came in to check on her and she was gone. When the police had come to investigate her disappearance, the only evidence they found was a fresh set of finger prints, identified as hers, imprinted in the dust on the mirror. No one had an explanation. The mystery has never been solved since and has been entirely put at ease. Sometimes I sit and ponder the situation, but it has become an uninteresting case that no one is willing to put the effort into solving. Anyways, with a horrible vacation ahead, it didn`t sound like it was going to be a good summer.

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock; besides that it happened to be a very peaceful day. My dog Max jumped up on me and licked my face. As a goodbye, I rubbed the back of his ears and in return he gave me a wet kiss on the nose. Max seemed to be the only one in the family who understood me, and if anything were to happen to him I would be devastated. ‘’ Honey, its time for your exciting camp,’’ My mom called from downstairs. I groaned; I wasn`t as enthusiastic. ‘’ Hurry up sweetie! You don`t want to be late.’’ Yup, that was my mom. She didn`t tolerate tardiness. I guess that`s what you got when you had a lawyer for a mother. Grabbing the bag I had packed last night and a large sleeping bag, I raced down the stairs. I walked cautiously towards my dad`s office, finding his door ajar. I carefully made my way to the desk where my distracted father was typing furiously. Like usual, the small space my dad claimed as his working studio was cluttered with crumbled pieces of paper, open books lay scattered around the room and various electronic devices were, from my dad`s perspective, ‘’neatly’’ laid out on shelves. I nervously tapped my father`s shoulder, making him jump. ‘’ Oh, hello… Malia,’’ He said, reluctantly taking his eyes off the computer screen. My father`s gray streaked hair was nicely combed back, revealing parts of his original dark brown. My father was fairly short, at least shorter than me. Without a bit of shame, I felt proud of that. Unfortunately, my dad happened to be an accountant. And accountants basically spend their whole life typing on computers. It was part of the reason my dad sometimes forgot my own name. Yeah, that`s how serious it was. I couldn`t help it when my eyes wandered down to my father`s bulging belly. It was also another thing that happened when you were somebody who barely ever lifted your butt off a chair. If you looked deeper, however, my father was actually a very good looking guy. Yes, that was what drew my mother. I do try not to blame her; she made her decision before she knew dad was such a couch-potato. About that… Well, it just wasn`t the best thing that ever happened to me. I noticed my dad was growing impatient. ‘’ Um, I just wanted to say bye.’’ I explained hastily. My father let out what was meant to be a, ‘’of course, sweetheart’’, smile, but what really looked like a, ‘’don`t you see I have work to do?’’, smile. Either way, I smiled back, unsure whether to give him a hug or no. What I just didn`t get was why I was so uncomfortable with my father. Crossing out the hug idea, I simply waved and left the room.

After I had eaten a breakfast of eggs and toast, I finally pushed my way out of the house while my mother was stressing over my messy ponytail and my twerp-of-a-brother was teasing me about Gavin. While I had been eating breakfast, something had occurred to me. Why was it that my parents were so unalike? Why did I have an over attention-giving mom, while on the other hand, my dad barely knew my own age? Pushing those thoughts to the back of my mind for the time being, I raced to the school bus. I made it just in time to see Ms. Wright and Mr. Kessler group together all the students who had singed up for camp. There was Bella, Iris, (what luck) Aspen, Nelson, Finn, Michael and Gavin. Oh no! Standing right behind Gavin was Clarissa, giggling and smiling in the most stupid way, I was sure I caught Gavin give Finn a ‘’what a retard’’ look. However, that was beyond the point; my biggest enemy was going to camp with me. Things were already getting worse.

We left the school campus and took a bus to Tweed Launching. Along with our personal luggage, we were bringing lots of canned food, dehydrated soups and proteins, and supplies such as stoves and kitchen ware. Lifting my head off my lap, I took in our surroundings. Any other boat launch in the world could be in better quality than this. Trash littered the ground and scary looking people walked around with cigarettes, their pants hanging all the way down to their knees. The dock was basically a pile of wrecked moldy wood. A man wearing dirty blue overalls led us to a boat. He had scraggly dark brown hair that hung down to his shoulders like a lifeless, hairy creature. When he smiled he showed a row of yellow teeth. I grimaced at the grotesque sight. ‘’ Are you staring at my teeth, girl?’’ He asked me even though I was sure he already knew the answer to that. A hint of red glowed on my cheeks and someone from behind me laughed. ‘’Oh, don`t take it personally. I`m used to it,’’ He reassured me. I turned the color of an overripe tomato. He let out a jolly laugh and continued to lead us to the boat. Our transportation was old and beaten up, its color barely still a faded red. I heard chatter from behind me and a long groan. Ms. Wright gave the talkers a stern look as if to remind them of their manners. ‘’Well, what are you waiting for?’’ The man asked us sarcastically. Ms. Wright nodded a simple thank you and motioned for us to get into the boat. I hesitated, but then reluctantly stepped into the rotting vessel. Everyone else followed suit. I was surprised to see the man jump into the boat and take control of the steering wheel; what had I been expecting, Ms. Wright as our driver? What the man said next made me wish so. ‘’Now this is going to be one bumpy ride!’’ He yelled somewhat cheerfully. I yelped as the boat lurched forward, my teeth chattering all the while. The rest of the trip was rough and bumpy, with bothersome surprises: the benches we were expected to sit on were covered in mold and little worms, feasting on the rotten wood. Bella, a bossy girl with silky shoulder-length brown hair, puffed up her cheeks, pretending to vomit. I glanced over at Finn, who was daring Nelson to eat a worm about the size of his pinky. Finn`s overgrown strawberry blond hair was blowing haphazardly in every direction, turning his face into a crazy hairball.  I closed my eyes in disgust has I heard the sound of worms insides being chewed. ‘’Ewe, that is so gross!’’ Clarissa screeched. ‘’Clarissa, please lower your voice,’’ Ms. Wright said, acting as if Clarissa was some sort of innocent baby. ‘’Sorry,’’ She replied, giving Ms. Wright a glossy smile. I rolled my eyes; why did Clarissa always have to try to be the teachers pet? I really hadn`t expected Ms. Wright as the sort of person who would fall for that kind of foolishness. Our camp adviser was a strict and serious woman, especially when her long black hair was in its usual bun. Her back was always very straight and she had the best posture out of anyone I knew; however, that didn`t add up to that many people.

 After awhile, the noise from Nelson`s daring endeavor quieted down until all you could hear was the sound of the boat, cutting through rushing waves. I got up from my seat, a worm infected piece of wood, and walked towards the edge of the boat. The breeze felt wonderful on my face. I suddenly felt a little relaxed and the tension in my body lessened. I gazed down at the side of the craft and something caught my eye. I leaped back as I saw all the disgusting abalone and algae that engulfed the side of the boat; you could not even see the chipped paint. When I looked closer I saw little crabs crawling over the muck and seaweed. Everyone laughed hysterically as I fell backwards on the revolting ground. Once my back made contact with the deck, I felt pain race up my spine. After the fall, I had two reminders of my carelessness: my shirt was slimy, and a big black bruise covered most of my backbone. Luckily, I was soon distracted from my injury; a chain of islands had come into view. Because it was closest, Ms. Wright and Mr. Kessler decided the largest of the Bimini Islands would be perfect for exploring.

The man left us with our luggage and quickly sped away. First, Ms. Wright told us about the animals we would be seeing. I barely paid attention, for my mind was wandering elsewhere.

We gathered our bags together and set up camp. Strangely enough, instead of having to use the tents we had packed, there was four of what you could call shelters spread out evenly on the small beach. They were built by what I assumed was some type of thatched mud and bamboo, that grew plentifully around the island. This was the sleeping arrangement: one of the shelters was for Aspen and Clarissa, another for Gavin, Michael, Finn and Nelson, another for Bella, Iris and I, and another one for Mr. Kessler and Ms. Wright. I felt sorry for Ms. Wright, since she had to sleep with Mr. Kessler; he was known for snoring like a big bear in its stage of hibernation. I never took too much thought to the shelters that seemed to already be there when we came; it was as if there were people who had built and lived in them before us. Behind these shelters was a huge cliff of rock that towered about 80 feet in the air. That gave our campsite somewhat of a refuge.  Surfacing back to Ms. Wright`s words, I heard her say, ‘’Tomorrow, we will pick up trash to help the animals live in a cleaner environment.’’  But seriously, if you were a slob or litterer why would you even bother coming to an island? To give teachers a reason to boss kids around and order them to pick up trash? For some reason, I didn`t feel a connection.                                                     

Mr. Kessler started a fire and cooked our dinner, which was beans, rice, and cheese. He was not a very good cook I`m afraid. The beans were watery, the rice was over cooked and the cheese was clearly expired by the taste of it. He also brought logs around the fire with Aspen`s help. ‘’I call the spot next to Gavin!’’ Clarissa yelled. I searched my brain for a comeback, worried that Clarissa would think I was too scared to face her. Ever since I was old enough to understand, my mother would say I worried over everything that was not necessary to worry over. Basically to be straightforward, she said I was a pessimist. Anyways, back to my ‘’awesome’’ retort. ‘’You are so immature. ‘’ Right after the words left my mouth, I realized how lame they had sounded. I wasn`t the least bit surprised when Clarissa`s expression was scornful, rather than offended. Before I could say anything else, Ms. Wright demanded for silence. My confidence started to fade.

After the poorly cooked dinner, I walked over to Iris.  Her head was bent down over a sketchbook, and her short brown hair was hanging in front of her face like a curtain. She was in some different world; my guess was that she was stirring up some creative invention. Iris looked up, startled at my sudden appearance. I tried to force out a weak smile. ‘’What`s wrong?’’ she asked. When I didn’t answer she cocked her head expectantly. ‘’You look either mad or worried.’’ That somehow triggered something inside me. ‘’I hate Clarissa!’’ I yelled, a little louder than expected. I blushed. Iris`s eyes widened in surprise at my loud outburst. I shook my head violently as if it would rid me of my troubles. ‘’I`m going to sleep,’’ I mumbled, knowing I had made the biggest mistake coming to this camp.

When I woke up, I immediately had to find a bathroom. That’s when I wondered for the first time what the teachers had in mind for constructing a toilet. I stepped over the sleeping form of Bella and made my way lazily to the shelter`s entrance. I walked stiffly to Ms. Wright who seemed to be gazing silently at the water. I cleared my throat, trying to get her attention. ‘’Oh, hello, Malia,’’ She looked startled at my sudden appearance and her greeting did not sound at all kind. ‘’I was just wondering where the restroom is.’’ In response she let out what sounded like a forced laugh. ‘’ The restroom!’’ she cackled. ‘’ You will just have to go in the forest. Later we will dig holes that will make the situation much easier.’’ I noticed that the conversation was getting a little personal. ‘’ Um, okay, thanks,’’ I cringed when I realized my idea about trying not to sound disgusted had failed; I was defiantly not excited about going to the bathroom on the ground. Camping was not something my family did or enjoyed. The one time that we had gone was a big mistake. My mom had seen a little water snake and ran around screaming as if it was a huge, poisonous rattlesnake. There were other times that were too embarrassing to recall.

When I came back from my uncomfortable trip to the bathroom, everyone was crowded around Michael. ‘’ What`s the big deal?’’ I asked Iris. ‘’ Michael got bit by a snake, at least that’s what Ms. Wright thinks. It`s strange, because its species are unknown.’’ I shuddered. If it was unknown that gave it a big chance of being deadly poisonous. Ms. Wright stood on a rock, over looking us. ‘’ Good morning students! I am sorry to say that I will have to be leaving to take Michael to the hospital. Mr. Kessler will be in charge and I will be back in about five days.’’ Iris groaned. ‘’ What luck,’’ She whispered to me. I wasn`t listening; instead, I was thinking about what Ms. Wright had said. When she had said she was sorry, she had not sounded sorry at all. In fact, she had sounded almost happy to be leaving us. It didn`t really matter though; more action was taking place. Ms. Wright had called the same man who had taken us to the island to drop her off at the nearest hospital. After Ms. Wright left, Mr. Kessler immediately took charge. ‘’ Okay everyone I will be making some changes to today`s schedule: I shall be assigning jobs,’’ He exclaimed. Clarissa lighted up. ‘’ Oh that sounds like a great idea, Mr. Kessler.’’ She said, beaming, even though everyone knew perfectly well that Clarissa hated any type of work. Mr. Kessler fell for it and smiled proudly. I ignored her as she puffed her blond hair. Today, she was wearing a pink tank top with a purple mini skirt; horrible clothes for working. The teachers had told Clarissa in particular to wear appropriate clothes for the camp; she obviously didn`t listen. ‘’Mr. Kessler, why do we have to have jobs when there`s nothing to do around here?’’ Bella complained. Although Bella was Gavin`s sister, she was so much different. Bella `s two main priorities were to complain and be in charge, while Gavin was polite and chattered half as much. The one thing they shared in common, however, was their brown hair and their bright emerald eyes. ‘’Yeah and I thought we were going to pick up trash for the animals,’’ Aspen noted. Although weird, Aspen was very smart and really shy when it came to arguing with anyone. When people would see Aspen, they would think she was Nelson`s sister because of their similarities in appearance, except for the body shape, of course. They both had curly black hair and the same cinnamon brown skin; however, they really were the opposites of each other. For instance, Nelson spent his life watching T.V and playing video games, and his progress in school was horrible. As for Aspen, she got amazing grades and has only played a video game twice in her life. When I complain to my mom that I don`t get good grades in school, she tells me it is my fault. Okay, maybe it is, but come on, she`s my mom; a little bit of support would be nice. I turned my attention back to Mr. Kessler. ‘’ I have decided to teach you how to survive on an island. Wouldn`t it be great to live here in this tropical weather?’’ He asked us. ‘’What! ‘’ Bella shrieked. ‘’ We have to spend our time at camp working, when really we`re supposed to be helping animals and having fun.’’ Iris nodded in agreement. ‘’ Bella does have a point. Why would we have to learn how to survive?’’ She pointed out. ‘’ Guys, Mr. Kessler is in charge,’’ Clarissa warned. For once her words had a hint of sense in them; however, I immediately took back that last part after Mr. Kessler walked away, not seeming to mind our objections.

We spent our last relaxing hours tanning on the beach. Spread out on the warm sand, I watched Gavin and Finn play Marco Polo in the water. At this time, the waves were small and it made it easier to play games and not get thrown down by the strong current. I couldn`t help noticing how handsome Gavin looked, his wet hair plastered against his face, the curves in his chest and arms particularly noticeable. Finn and Gavin had been friends since first grade, at least according to Bella. Finn had a hard life because his family had barely enough money to afford the school. Luckily, Gavin and Bella`s parents helped with the money problems. ‘’ Class, we will learn how to make a shelter as our first step,’’ Mr. Kessler announced, interrupting my thoughts. ‘’ How many students do we have?’’ He asked himself while counting us.  ‘’Eight sir,’’ Aspen put in helpfully. ‘’ Ah thank you. We will split everyone into groups and switch off every day. Aspen, Clarissa, and Iris will make the shelter. Cooking we will have Gavin…’’ ‘’ Please say Malia,’’ I whispered to myself ’’… and Bella,’’ Mr. Kessler finished drowsily. ‘’ Damn,’’ I swore under my breath. Unfortunately, it came out louder than expected. ‘’ What is it now Malia?’’ Clarissa said trying to sound annoyed rather than enjoying my embarrassment. I mouthed shut up as a scarlet red crept up my cheekbones. ‘’Quit it you two. Is there anything wrong, Malia?’’ Mr. Kessler asked, turning towards me. ‘’ Uh… I just wanted to be in the cooking group, but it`s fine,’’ I quickly answered. When nobody was looking, I slapped my forehead in plain disgust; why did I have to be so stupid? I got no answer. When I heard my name, I perked up. ‘’ Malia, Nelson, and Finn will dig a hole in the ground to be a toilet,’’ Mr. Kessler announced. ‘’ Ewe! That’s so gross,’’ I heard Clarissa snicker. Life wasn`t going any better for me at this camp; and why did my mom think of saying I never thought positive?  

 

‘’ Wake up, Malia.’’ It was Iris, shaking me so hard I thought my stomach would let out last nights food. ‘’ What is it?’’ I asked. ‘’ Mr. Kessler is telling people to start our jobs,’’ She answered. I sighed, very annoyed, but quickly rose. Iris and I decided to walk down to the pond Michael had discovered, for a quick, cleansing wash. Thinking about him reminded me of how lucky he was to be away from this laboring camp… if you cross out the actual reason he had to leave. The walk to the pond was far, but much better than the ocean water collected and then put in a bucket. Anyways, it was a really hot today, and a little bit of refreshing water could do everyone good; especially since we would be working very hard for the next few hours. Once the pond came into view, I noticed all the repugnant pieces of moss that lined the waters edge; it could have some deadly chemical in it that could kill anyone. I tried to block the thought out, but it was firmly planted in my brain. I was disappointed to see that only Clarissa would be ‘’accompanying’’ us for our morning wash. ‘’Ugh, you stink Malia. I advise something called a shower,’’ She mocked, pronouncing the word ‘’’ shower’’ as if it was some difficult word only she could spell.  I tried to ignore her, just as if she were a piece of sickening moss. But let me tell you, I would have willingly glared right into her tiny eyes, past her weak skull, and into her small and unremarkable brain and said, ‘’ why would I have taken your advice? It comes from a brain as small as a lifeless speck’’. Anyways, I had to help my team dig a hole for the toilet, and reminding Clarissa how remarkably dimwitted she was, wasn`t going to save time. When I was about to leave, I couldn`t stop myself from thinking what an improvement it would be if Clarissa fell in the exact hole we would be digging, and after it was used. The thought made me grin. ‘’ ‘Bye,’’ Iris called as she followed Clarissa to join Aspen, who was already designing the shelter. I met Nelson and Finn in the forest. The trees and wildlife here were strange and unfamiliar to me, the flowers and fruit were large and colorful; you could almost get caught in the tangled vines. Even if a storm was approaching, the weather was almost always humid and stuffy, especially in the deepest parts of the jungle. I wasn’t very fond of this change in climate, and the murky air clung to my skin, causing it to break out in sweat only after the smallest exertion. I suppose the tropics just weren’t my thing. ‘’ This is where Mr. Kessler wants us to dig the hole,’’ Finn said, passing me a shovel. I snapped back to reality. ‘’Aren`t we so lucky to have this job,’’ Nelson said sarcastically. Without any more words, we dug the hole. Immediately, everyone was sweating. The dirt stuck to my hands and arms, no matter how hard I tried to brush it away. ‘’ This is the hardest, dirtiest job ever,’’ Nelson complained. ‘’ Tell me about it,’’ I muttered. No one heard me because of the sound of approaching footsteps. Suddenly, Gavin appeared from the brush, a smile on his face. How could he be smiling? We had been working for what felt like two whole hours! ‘’ Mr. Kessler suggested we play a little bit of coconut ball,’’ He said, grinning. At first I didn`t get it, but then I realized he meant basketball. That would really raise my spirits, and anything would be better than digging a toilet.  ‘’Awesome!’’ I yelled. Nelson muttered something about being too tired and then decided to stay behind. Finn and I followed Gavin through the forest, to an open area where two nets were set up. They were nicely woven from some type of vine that was strapped to the edge of a palm tree; a coconut, which was supposed to be the ball, sat in the middle. Finn, Gavin, Bella, and I had all wanted to play. I was surprised that Bella wanted to play, because in school, she detested basketball, along with any other sport. I was the opposite, as I loved the sport of basketball, and any game, no matter what the environment was, would make me happy. The others, who sat on the sidelines, were our audience. ‘’ Go Gavin he`s my man if he can`t do it no one can!’’ yelled Clarissa. I noticed two things: she was only cheering for Gavin and she said ’’my’’ man instead of ‘’our’’ man. I couldn`t believe nobody seemed to care; it was as if Clarissa had the special privilege of being a brat. ‘’ I call first captain!’’ Finn yelled. ‘’ I call second!’’ Bella yelled even louder. I guessed right away that Finn would pick Gavin, but I was mistaken. ‘’ I call Malia, since it would not be fair if it was Gavin and I against Bella and Malia.’’ I could tell he was boasting about how good he was. He smiled a big welcoming smile as I reluctantly joined his team. Bella jumped happily, ‘’ and I`ll take Gavin.’’ She looked at me in triumphant as if she just knew she would win. Bella was already barking out instructions at Gavin, who was trying to follow his sister`s confusing orders. We started with the ‘’ball’’ and Finn immediately passed to me. I tried to dribble, completely forgetting that it was a coconut. I blushed and heard someone snicker. I didn`t need anyone telling me who that was. Gavin was guarding me and I could feel his breath on my hot face. Without noticing my actions, I stopped moving and just stared into Gavin`s eyes. It was broken by Bella`s annoyed voice. ‘’ What are you guys doing? Get the game on!’’ I turned away from that joyful moment and shot the coconut. I missed; again and again, I continued to miss all the shots until the game ended with 6 to 24 (we had six). I guess I just wasn`t focusing; I still had the magical moment in my head throughout the whole game. ‘’ Good game,’’ Gavin told me. He looked a little bit shocked for some un-guessable reason. ‘’ Yeah, um, it was a, uh, great game,’’ I replied even though I didn`t mean it. Then little Miss princess came galloping up. ‘’ Gavin, you were amazing. I knew you would win because you’re the best.’’ She had raised her voice when she had said ‘’ you’re the best ‘’. ‘’ Thanks, but everyone did really well,’’ He answered, smiling at me. Clarissa didn`t answer, probably thinking there was no way that was true. After a little bit of conversing, I decided to take a walk. On my way, Finn caught up to me. He must of followed me, but for what purpose? ‘’ I know we didn`t win, but I thought you were the best one out there,’’ He told me. There was a minute of awkward silence as I stared blankly at Finn, searching his face. What was I supposed to say? All of a sudden Finn was being nice to me; certainly I had not been the best one out there, missing every shot I took. I brought up my courage and took a deep breath. ‘’ Thanks,’’ I whispered. He winked and then trotted off into the forest. I watched him in disbelief until he disappeared into the canopy of branches. The wind whipped my hair around, making it look as if it were alive. I looked towards the heavens and was abruptly informed of the approaching downpour. Gray clouds engulfed the sky, making it look like it was a painting, the colors spreading and blending like water. What I really wished was that the welcoming sun would break through the cloudy layer of gloom and reappear, shining into my eyes. Why in the world would I care if I just realized that Finn liked me? Why did that matter? Maybe that wasn`t the reason; maybe it was that I was angry with myself, angry at how I had been acting so strange? Or was it because I also just realized I might have feelings for Finn. Was it normal to have feelings for two people? Was I not being loyal by liking both of them? Then a cold laugh escaped me; why was I worried at all? There was no handbook following ‘’the rules of love’’ was there? I smiled faintly and made my way back to camp, almost running into a grinning Bella, panting as if she had just run a marathon. ‘’ Guess what I heard.’’ She didn`t give me a second to answer. ‘’ Gavin and Finn were talking and they both agreed that…’’ She began. ‘’ Stop,’’ I interrupted. I gently put my hand over her mouth and slowly continued to walk back to camp. She stamped her foot angrily and said something about me being really frustrating, but I didn`t care. I knew my rare and, slightly amused, mood would be spoiled if I heard anything about Gavin and Finn.

 When I came in view of our campsite, Mr. Kessler`s demanding voice echoed well enough that I was able to hear his words clearly: ‘’ All right everybody today was a good work day. Tomorrow I would like everyone to change jobs so you can all get a feel of every duty. Team A was Clarissa, Iris, and Aspen. Team B was Gavin and Bella. Team C was Finn, Malia, and Nelson. I would like team A to dig toilets; team B to make shelters; and team C to do the cooking. You may leave now,’’ Mr. Kessler finished. ‘’ When will this work stop, and how come Ms. Wright is not coming back?’’ Iris questioned me. ‘’I don’t know,’’ I replied, even though I was not really paying attention. I looked over and saw Clarissa walking towards us. ‘’Hey everyone, I have a super idea,’’ She said. ‘’ Who cares,’’ I murmured, but no one seemed to agree. Clarissa gave me an evil smirk and turned to her audience. ‘’Oh good, we haven’t been having much fun with this work we have been doing for no reason,’’ Bella complained. ‘’Yeah spill it, Clarissa!’’ Finn exclaimed. ‘’Well, I was thinking we could have a party with food and decorations and we could just have fun,’’ Clarissa told us, trying to sound modest, but a proud smile was growing on her lips. ‘’That sounds great!’’Gavin told her. I knew Clarissa thought her idea was awesome and Gavin`s comment made me wish it was mine. I had to think of something better. Finally, in the end, I was out voted; we were going to have the party and, to top everything else, my bad mood had returned.

Author's Note

Please tell me what you think! I appreciate any comments, suggestions, or grammar errors. Thanks:)!