First Official re-write! I'm excited. While I love this story, I began it many years ago. I will be happily updating new chapters and fixing old ones as quickly as I can.

(Sage's POV)

I came to a smooth stop in my Camry at the intersection a block from my house. Looking at the MapQuest papers lying on the passenger seat, I said aloud, "Straight for 2 miles, then turn left on Graywick Avenue."

As the light turned green, I pulled out my phone. After a few seconds of glancing back and forth between the road and my contacts list, I clicked on a name under "S".

The line rang twice before a female voice said, "Hello?"

"Mrs. Shale? Hi, this is Sage. I'm Maci's senior," I answered. "I just wanted to let you know that I'll be there to pick her up in about 20 minutes."

"Ok, she'll be ready. Thanks," came her reply. Then she hung up.

I blew an escaped strand of hair out of my face and reached up to tuck it back into its ponytail. I was on my way for a weekend sure to be full of fun and laughter. Each year a senior girl at my high school was paired up with a freshmen girl and gave her secret presents throughout the week.

The big reveal had occurred yesterday and my little sister, Maci, had beamed upon realizing it was me. We took dance together at a local studio and I had come to know her as a sweet and precious girl.

After picking her up, we were meeting up at a friend of mine's house where we were going to spend the night and then leave for the camp grounds early tomorrow morning.

As promised, 20 minutes later I pulled into the Shale driveway. The blonde girl of 15 came out of the house carrying a huge duffel bag along with a few smaller bags. As Maci was putting them in my trunk, I pulled my wavy auburn hair out of its ponytail.

"So, Maci, you ready for the Big Sis\Little Sis camping trip?" I asked once she got in the passenger seat. She nodded, and then waved to her mom as we drove away.

We rode along in silence. I don't blame her; I remember being scared of seniors my freshman year. Nevertheless, I was determined to get her to talk to me.

"So..." I began, "How'd you like your first year at Lewis High?"

Maci shrugged. "It was pretty good, considering it was my first year up here in Minneapolis. Dance has made it easier." She smiled kindly over at me.

Just then my phone rang. I apologized to Maci, and answered it hastily.

"Sage, this is Ashley," my best friend's voice reached my ears. "Where are you? I wanted you here at 2:00 so we could discuss my date with Mark next week."

I sighed. "Only you would want to talk about your boyfriend right before an all-girls trip."

Digging around in my purse, I silently offered Maci a piece of gum. "Look, we're running a bit late because I lost track of time while Jeremy and I were practicing for next week's cotillion."

"Ugh," Ashley replied, "Don't you spend enough time at that studio?"

"Don't worry, we'll be there soon. Love ya, girl. Got to go." Ashley started to protest, but I hung up.

Maci and I chatted sparsely for the rest of the ride. When we finally arrived, I had to park on the shoulder 3 houses down.

Maci said, "Hey I'm gonna need a minute to find my phone in one of my bags. I have to let my mom know we made it."

"Sure thing. Just come let me know when you're done so I can lock the car.," I answered.

Gathering up my own bags, I headed toward the front door. However, they were dropped a few seconds later when Ashley came bursting out the door and caught me up in a big hug.

She started to greet me, but instead asked, "Why are you wearing a sweatshirt? It's the middle of summer!"

"Technically, it's the beginning of summer," I replied laughing. In a whisper I added, "And besides, I'm only wearing a bra under this."

Together we made our way to her front door, where I almost ran into her pretty blue-eyed freshman. I remember Ashley saying that she took drama class with the girl.

Ashley said to me, "Can you show Natalie to the guest room? Both of you can dump your stuff there." I nodded and motioned for the younger girl to follow me.

She skipped along lightly, brimming with energy.

"Natalie, is it?" I asked the short girl.

She nodded. "Yeah. You?"

"I'm Sage. Nice to meet you."

Natalie smiled as I opened the guest room door. We entered and put our suitcases down.

Glancing around, I noticed that the room was strangely furnished. Wooden floors, richly-colored material for bedding and tapestries, old-fashioned decorations. What an odd choice for Ashley. They must have redone it recently because I don't remember it being like this.

Apparently, Natalie noticed too because she had a baffled expression on her face. She made her way over to the circular window at the back of the room. As she looked through it, her jaw dropped.

"Sage, come here!" she cried.

I went over and stood in front of the window as well. Soon my face mirrored Natalie's shocked expression.

For outside was a vast ocean and no land in sight.

"That's a green screen right?" Natalie laughed nervously.

I didn't reply, but instead walked back over to the door and opened it. We definitely were not in Ashley's house anymore.

It looked more like the inside of an old wooden ship.

(Natalie's POV)

I bounced happily in my seat as my mom drove me to my 'big sister', Ashley's, house. My school was having a big sister/little sister camping trip this weekend. Ashley's best friend and her little sister were also meeting us there.

As excited as I was for the actual camping trip, I was equally excited for bonding with Ashley. She was an amazing actress. I'd watched her with envy as the year progressed and done my best to mimic her actions on stage.

Honestly the thing I was truly looking forward to at the campout was sleeping under the stars. Everything else I could live without: bugs, wild animals, no plumbing, frizzy hair, etc.

It should be fun, none the less.

My curly dark brown hair bounced along with me, earning me an eye roll from my mom.

"What did you eat for lunch Natalie?" She asked suspiciously.

"Macaroni," I answered with an innocent smile plastered to my face. I purposefully did not mention the 3 Snickers and 2 Twix I had stolen from my camping snacks.

I was supposed to share those, or something like that.

"You sure you're gonna be ok, sweetie?" she asked in her mild tone.

"Mom, when have I ever not been ok on my own?" I replied coolly.

My feet were propped up on the dashboard of our old forest green Bug. Fast food packaging littered the floors from our many rushed meals on the go. I leaned forward to rub a scuff off my new high tops.

My mom glanced over with her dark eyebrows raised. "Are we starting from the time I knowingly left you or when you decided to sneak off?"

I grinned sheepishly at her. "I'll be good. I promise," I said.

She pulled into the driveway and put the car in park. I whined as she pressed a kiss to my forehead and pulled down the visor so I could rub off the lipstick mark.

"Our definitions of good are infinitely different. But you do your very best sweetie," she said.

I nodded and waved goodbye as I bolted out of the car and grabbed my duffle bag. I'm pretty sure my mom filled it with cement in case I tried to wander off into the wilderness.

"Bye mom! Say bye to Kimmy, Jordan, Bryan, Nikky, Brady, and dad for me," I called, racing to the door.

My mom waved back with an exasperated smile on her tan cheeks. Secretly, I think she was glad to hand me over to an unsuspecting senior for the weekend.

I knocked politely 3 times, not wanting to seem rude. After a few seconds, the extremely flawless Ashley appeared beaming at me. Her silky black hair was perfectly in place and there wasn't a blemish on her face. She surprised me by hugging me so hard my hands lost feeling and my bag fell to the ground.

That was my kind of hug.

I grinned recklessly up at her.

"How are you? Are you excited? I am!" She said this in such a rush I actually became dizzy.

I shook my head clearing my thoughts. "Um… can I use the bathroom?" I asked, unsure how to answer her overly peppy question.

She nodded eagerly and pointed down a hallway.

So, leaving my bag, I went to go pee. When I walked back to the front door there was an extremely tall girl there with pretty green eyes. She smiled at me under the weight of her bag. After grabbing my own bulky bag, Ashley directed the new girl, who introduced herself as Sage, and myself to settle ourselves into her guest bedroom.

We walked down the hallway and entered an oddly furnished room. It was strangely dissimilar to the rest of Ashley's modern and polished house. Maybe this was her guilty pleasure room or something where she chose to hide antique beds and mirrors. Even the dresser looked ready to topple over.

Out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of a large expanse of blue through the window. Curiously, I walked over and peered out the weird circular window.

My eyes grew wide.

Since when was there an ocean in Minnesota?

There you go. Please be happy and let me know by reviewing, because as my friend says, "Happiness is what makes the world go round."

I decided to lump the first two chapters together since they were so short as more of a sneak peek into either girl's head.