Growing and Not Knowing-3

Dear Alex

I don't think I should do this. I mean who am I kidding? Travel and adventure? That's not me. That's you. That's Reyna. I feel I'll do much better sitting at home and studying like I should do. Or probably write more in my journal. You always loved reading my stories.

Reyna was a little upset that I didn't completely agree to it, but when I looked at Sam, I felt guilty. Like I was just causing him more pain. Maybe I was, I always was a bit indifferent with people's feeling right? But you knew me. I don't think I can go to Dubai. But I have to. I can't keep Reyna from this opportunity. The moment I said yes, her face had lit up like the Christmas lights you used to put up. That was important to me.

I guess I have to go don't I? But I still feel a bit....incomplete.

“Ready or not. Ready or not!”, Reyna was jumping around the room, bobbing her head to Bridgit Mendler's new music. Looking at her friend, in her jean shorts and shoulder-cut sweater, rapping to the music blasting through the speakers, Tori's head hit the mattress again.

The chuckles escaped from her lips as she clutched her aching stomach which was filled with butterflies bouncing around in there, filling her with a giddy wooshy feeling. It didn't make sense. Not one bit. But that's how it was with Reyna.

The brunette stopped for a second, she turned slowly to face Tori on the bed. Tori's eyebrows arched in question, before she knew it, she let out a squeak as Reyna pulled her off the bed. Turning up the volume the two ladies were jumping and dancing wildly to the beats pouring out of the speaker.

Series of quick knocks on the door had stopped their dancing feet, giving Reyna a quick glance, tori walked to the door.

“Hellloo ladies”, Sam stood at the door, his arms outstretched in a welcoming gesture. Tori was filled with so much of giddy bouncy happiness that she jumped into his arms before her mind could make sense of the situation. Sam stood frozen for a minute, sending Reyna a quizzical look across the room. He hadn't expected that. Tori wasn't the display of affection kind, he had expected Reyna to jump in, but the black-haired girl had seized the opportunity far too quickly. Casting away his questions, he gave the girl a quick hug before stepping back to stare at their unkempt room.

“What died in here?”, he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. A definite stench had risen up in Tori's room ever since the banquet. Martha and Pedro had tried to hunt down the source, but had failed miserably. Finally an old maid had found a stale piece of the Irish delicacy that Pedro had made, carefully tucked under Tori's dressing table. The room had been thoroughly disinfected, but the stench still refused to leave.

Reyna waved the question off, before grabbing both of them by their arms and dragging them downstairs. Tori gave Sam an apologetic look before they were whipped downstairs with unavoidable force.

“Oh Sam dear, it's really nice to see you. Should I get some refreshments?”, Martha quizzed them as soon as they landed on safe ground. Sam looked at her dizzily, before clearing his head and replying.

“Oh no no Martha. I'm fine thank you. I'm just here to see my favorite sister-in-law”, he cooed, shaking Martha's hand before looking back at tori.

“I'm your only sister-in-law”, she replied. Shaking her head at the family joke, tori picked up an apple from the table before plopping down on the lush cushions that had been set up in the living room.

Reyna sat back on her red one and interrogated a worried-looking Sam.

“So why are you actually here?”

“I thought I'd take you out for a fun day in the sun”, he cried. With his fist pumping the air, he looked like a 12 year old who grew up too fast. Reyna and tori doubled up laughing over him, Sam took this moment to run over to the speaker and plug in his mobile.

A minute later Rihanna's We found love in a hopeless place started booming around the mansion. Shrugging in defeat, Reyna and tori got up from their seats and joined the dancing Sam on the floor. Soon hands and limbs were flying around in complex dance moves that could put the Jabawockeez to shame. Reyna did the robot, as Sam tried his best to imitate Michael Jackson. As his feet squeaked across the room from the failed attempt of a moon-walk he bumped into a sturdy figure.

“What's happening here?”, the figure barked. Cowering in fear, Sam turned around slowly. Reyna shut her eyes in anticipation as a song of doom played in her ears. Tori stifled her laugh to look at an angry-looking Mr. Rister towering over Sam.

“Hey...hey Mr. Rister! How are you man? I see you're back and..”, Sam trailed off, his voice diminishing as Mr. Rister's eyes narrowed at him.

Rubbing at his neck awkwardly, he steeped back only to earn another extra glare from the man. The three people squirmed under his death-glare, each of them flinching with every beat thumping from the speakers.

Mr. Rister had given each of them a once-over, he had gotten ready to turn and rush back upstairs when a familiar tune pumped through the blasted speakers.

Harlem shake.

Reyna hit her head with her palm as Tori and Sam turned around to stare out the window. Mr. Rister had displayed pure hatred for any kind of pop songs, and Harlem shake topped that list. As they held each others hands tightly, waiting for the barking that they knew was coming their way, they heard sounds of faint whistling.

Peeking open one eye, Reyna spied on Mr. and Mrs. Rister dancing crazily, whipping their hands back and forth to the tune of Harlem shake. As the music came to a screeching stop, the entire room froze in weird poses.

Mr. Rister had frozen like he held a sword while Mrs. Rister's leg was up in the air. Even Martha and Pedro had joined in as a robotic couple.

Finally giving into the family antics, Tori barked out a laugh and fell down on the floor, clutching her stomach that had clenched in pain. Reyna and Sam were already on the floor, rolling around with chuckles erupting at synchronized timings. Every time they would stop to look at each other, only to erupt into new volleys of laughter.

The room erupted in cheers and chuckles as the Rister family rejoiced in one day of crazy antics. Yes this wasn't usual for the family. Hell things like this, never happened at all. But as every one of them sat down on the patio chairs, there was an underlying sense of gratitude behind their smiles. A look of reminiscence as they watched the sun spread its rays of orange all around the purple sky. One thing was sure, the family had never felt so alive in a long time.

Tori had just stuffed in two more cardigans into her already over-flowing suitcase. Yet she couldn't find place for the scarves and sandals she wanted to take. This was impossible. How are you supposed to pack for a country that's right in the middle of a desert, and still gets as cold as Alaska in the nights? There is no way to do this properly.

Reyna on the other hand, had taken to using all her karate training on the poor red suitcase that was being karate chopped and punched in different directions. Slamming herself on the hood, she squeaked across the room for Tori to zip it up before a clothing avalanche destroyed the room, again.

Tori had never had to use so much effort in her life, and she thought her luggage was going to be a tough one. Zipping up the red demon, the two girls stared at their painful hard-work of two days in triumph. With their hands on their hips they surveyed two huge suitcases filled to the brim with clothes, two small luggage bags, for extra spillage, Reyna's laptop and 'Tech' case, and Tori's book bag.

Finally, they slumped down with exhaustion, knowing that they had finally managed to pack at least hours before the departure.

There were only seven hours left till the morning flight to Dubai. Even though Reyna was the excited bunny of the group she had plopped down in utter shock when she found out that they were boarding a morning flight at 5 A.M to that 'god forsaken desert'. She didn't take alternatives to her much loved sleep patterns. So after hours of consolation from Martha and Tori, she had decided to take an early nap and maybe even sleep on the plane. Ha! Take that early planning evil aircraft people.

An hour of sleep time pampering session past, the two girls looked at each other from their beds, two different versions of reality zooming in their heads.

“Do you think this is going to be fun Rey?”, Tori asked timidly.

“I know it's going to be more than just fun. You never know, You might even grow from this experience right?”, Reyna looked up at tori, her face held in her hands.

“Maybe. Growing is nice. But not knowing is bad”, she mumbled as both of them fell into a deep sleep before the travel frenzy.

Reviews

[Amy]

i really cannot wait to read the rest...