DISCLAIMER: I only own Annie, Jenna, my other O/Cs, and anything else you don't recognize. Everything else belongs to Jurassic World and Universal.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

"Oh my god! Is this...is this for real?!"

"Yep! We know how badly you've been wanting to go-"

"I mean, I know, but didn't this cost a fortune?!"

"Don't think about that right now. Just be excited and go call Jenna."

"What-...why Jenna?"

"She's your 'plus one,' right?"

"I get a plus one?!"

{annie}

The look on my face when I opened the envelope with the card and my ticket information, it was...well...priceless.

Which is ironic considering how much the whole trip is costing my parents. Even more so since it's not just me, but Jenna too. Pretty sure this means I now have to be as "saintlike" of a child as possible or else bad things will happen. I'd rather not think about what those "bad things" might be, especially since I'm on my way to a dinosaur amusement park that's famous for it's original failing so miserably that it's a disaster story in our science and history textbooks. And now this new reboot park has even more and even bigger, even blood thirstier dinosaurs that are visited daily by hundreds of thousands of sweaty tourists who probably look like a buffet in the eyes of, say, a tyrannosaurus rex.

Positives. Focus on the positives.

I think mom and dad got our tickets through a college program. I'm not totally certain, but we do get one VIP-ish perk: access to the control room and lab where they create and hatch the dinosaurs. I think Jenna and I are going to be learning and shadowing as well as enjoying the attractions and events like normal guests.

If this is a school/learning related thing, I hope there are other kids our age with us. It'd be nice to have some company. Don't get me wrong, I love Jenna. She's my best friend. It'd just be a major perk if there were say...some cute boys there with us. But, what am I thinking. If they're at Jurassic World for educational purposes, chances are they're nowhere near Jenna and I's Brazilian soccer player fantasies or they're at least a decade older than us.

"I hope I meet a hot guy while we're here."

I swear, it's like we share the same brain.

"Can you imagine how much better this week would be if we had a couple of hot guys with us?" Jenna doesn't wait for my answer. "It's already awesome with the dinosaurs and all, but dinosaurs plus a smoking hot hook up? Best. Week. Ever."

I roll my eyes. "You're ridiculous."

"But you know I'm right," she says with a wink.

I can't help but laugh a little. Her fantasy isn't totally ridiculous. Well, at least not for her, but for me? I'm pretty, I know that, but I'm not exactly the kind of girl guys go to for a "smoking hot hook up." I'd totally be up for one, in a totally non-desperate way, but I'm just not...that kind of girl. I know it sounds confusing, but girl brains get it. They understand.

The intercom on the ferry (which is honestly more like a mini cruise ship minus the cabins, luxury, and water park so it's basically just for standing and one food vendor) crackles to life and a voice that sounds very similar to Siri announces:

"We will be arriving at Isla Nublar in approximately 10 minutes. Please collect your belongings from the main deck and prepare to dock. Thank you for sailing with us. We hope you enjoy your stay at Jurassic World."

I've been watching Isla Nublar grow against the horizon since someone close to us spotted it when it was just a speck. Since then, it's come more into focus and you can make out mountains, the beach, the jungle, and larger areas of the park, but no dinosaurs yet.

"Come on," I say as I turn to go. I take Jenna's right hand in my left and drag her behind me. "We need to get ready for orientation."

"Orientation?!" Jenna was busy making flirty eyes at some boys while I watched the island. She was probably so swept up by her hormones that she momentarily forgot where she was.

"If this is an educational thing, which I'm assuming it is, then we need to be ready."

"And what if it isn't?" Jenna asks as we elbow our way past a large group of people wearing the same highlighter yellow t-shirt with the words "Reunited and it feels so good, Howard Family Reunion 2K15" written in neon green letters on top of blank Polaroid picture.

"Then we'll still be ready," I call back over my shoulder.

When we anchor and walk off onto the pier, we find our names written on a sign so we walk up to the guy holding it.

"Hi," I smile. "I'm Annie and this is Jenna."

"Hey," she nods toward him.

"Nice to meet you both," the man smiles warmly. "I'm Lowery, I work in the control room and I'm here to welcome you to Jurassic World."

He pauses. Maybe he's waiting for us to "oooh" and "ahhh," but all we've seen so far is the ferry, the pier, and the monorail station that's up ahead.

The man pushes his glasses up on his nose and his dark mustache twitches as he clears his throat before continuing. "Anyway, I'm supposed to show you guys to your room then take you back with me to the Innovation Center where you'll join the rest of our college program."

"Told you," I mutter under my breath.

Jenna elbows me in the side.

Lowery, completely oblivious to our little spat, turns and gestures toward the monorail.

"After you," he smiles.

I look at Jenna, she looks at me, I shrug, we grab our bags, and follow Lowery into the monorail.

Let me know what you think so far in the comments below and I'll see you guys soon with the first chapter!