Yay, another sample! :P
So this takes place a few years after Sibuna graduated from high school. They ended up loosing touch and stuff so...ya...
Enjoy!
Congratulations!
You are our one and only lucky winner to receive an all-expense paid vacation to Honolulu, Hawaii! You will receive three round-trip airline tickets for you and two friends, plus a 3-day/2-night weekend getaway at hotel Mānana.
We can't wait to see you here!
Aloha!
"This is going to be so fantastic." Mara Jaffray smiled, breathing in deeply and basking in the warmth of the sun that hung over the small Hawaiian island. Fingering the purple lei she had received at the airport, she turned back to Fabian Rutter as he hauled their luggage out of the trunk of the rented car. "Of course, it's a shame we had to waste that third ticket, but this is such an opportunity! We can study the vegetation, the animals, the bugs, and the weather—"
"Mara," Fabian laughed, grabbing her shoulders and stopping her from jumping around. "I know you're excited about the science on the island, but why don't we relax from the flight first?"
She pressed her lips together and nodded silently.
A smile tugged at the corners of the brunette's lips as he locked the car. Mara grabbed one of her bags, and Fabian insisted on carrying the rest until she gave in rather reluctantly. They climbed the steps to the hotel and stepped into the lobby.
It was a small hotel, more like a bed and breakfast, but the appearance was beautiful. The exterior had been made of dark wood from the trees that climbed the volcano. The hotel had been built on the base of the volcano, overlooking the ocean, and off into the horizon, Honolulu could be seen. The interior of the hotel was filled with flowers from the island and wooden furniture sitting on hardwood floors that were protected by thick, deep green rugs.
Fabian set the baggage next to the front desk and a young Hawaiian woman popped up from behind the desk, startling Mara and Fabian briefly.
Mara placed a hand over her heart and chuckled.
Fabian smiled, handing their invitation over to the woman. "We won a couple free nights here. I'm Fabian Rutter, and this is Mara Jaffray."
"Oh, of course, I'm Nalani," she smiled, "Aloha, and welcome to Mānana Hotel. Let me show you to your rooms."
"Thank you," Mara smiled, following her to the stairs, and Fabian followed.
They climbed to the first of two more floors and she unlocked one of the doors down the wide hallway. "And the other room is connected to this one. Here are the keys," she handed one to both of them. "If you need anything, just give me a call."
"Thank you," Fabian nodded.
"I'll take the other room," Mara informed him, unlocking the door that joined the rooms.
As they unpacked, they left the door open, and Fabian called out to her, "What do you want to do first?"
"Well…"
"Let me rephrase that: what would you like to study first?" he asked teasingly.
"Are you implying I don't know how to have fun on a holiday?" she asked, poking her head into his room, her raven hair falling behind her.
"N-no," he shook his head quickly. "I-I was just…"
She laughed. "I'm joking. What do you want to do?"
He shrugged.
"You want to take a nap, don't you?" she asked with a small, knowing smile.
He chuckled sheepishly, his pale cheeks darkening a little.
"Alright, you take a nap. I'll go get ready because you and I are going to hike up this volcano."
"The whole volcano?" he called after her.
Mara turned and nodded before shutting the door behind her as she disappeared into her bedroom.
Jerome Clarke huffed out a breath and reached over to the bedside table, picking up the phone. "Hello?" he said groggily.
"I apologize for waking you, Mr. Clarke, but supper is served." Nalani spoke from the other line.
"Thank you," he sighed, hanging the phone up and sitting up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and straightened his black tie. He left his room and jogged down the stairs to the lobby. As he was walking to the dining room, a phone on the other side of the room began to ring. He looked around for Nalani or another employee, but he was the only one in the room. He answered the phone and waited a moment for the person on the other line to speak, but the line suddenly clicked off. He pulled the phone away from his ear and studied it uneasily.
He put the phone down and turned back to the dining room, but he had run into something rather suddenly and fallen forward. He saved the person that had fallen beneath him by holding himself up by landing in a push-up position. He locked eyes with Mara Jaffray as she lay beneath him, blushing furiously.
Jerome chuckled. "What a compromising position."
"Jerome?" Fabian realized.
He swallowed and whispered, "Did you get more beautiful since we last saw each other?"
"What are you doing here?" Fabian asked.
Jerome pushed off Mara and stood up, taking her hands and pulling her up.
Mara pressed her lips together, looking away and hiding behind her dark hair.
"Well," Jerome said, running a hand through his hair. "I—"
"Oh, great, the Slimeball's here."
The three looked up when Patricia Williamson and Joy Mercer landed at the bottom of the stairs.
"I can't believe this." Joy said with a shake of her head.
"Great, are all my ex-girlfriend's here?" Jerome huffed. "Though I wouldn't mind seeing Becca again… Oh yeah, Becca…" he blinked. "Wait, what were we talking about?"
Patricia rolled her green eyes. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Vacation," Fabian shrugged.
"Science," Mara smiled.
"Sleep," Jerome answered.
"We didn't ask you, Cockroach." Joy snapped.
"Joyless, just because we didn't work out doesn't mean you have to be a bitch. Mara's being civil."
"I'm not Mara."
"Don't you think I know that?"
"Not in high school, you didn't—"
"Whoa, what is going on down here?"
Joy and Jerome fell silent and the group turned to Eddie Miller, who was followed by Alfie Lewis and KT Rush.
"Oh no," Patricia groaned.
"What are you guys doing here?" Alfie asked.
"What are you guys doing here?" Jerome demanded. "Why is everyone from high school here? Oh no, wait, we're missing Nina and Amber—"
"Not anymore you're not," Nina Martin chuckled, coming down the stairs with Amber Millington.
"I am so done." Jerome grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.
"It's time for dinner," Alfie spoke up when everyone started to speak at once, arguing and demanding why everyone was in the same hotel.
"Hey!" Eddie shouted.
Everyone shut up and glared at each other.
"Okay, we need to stop fighting." Nina sighed.
"I'm hungry," KT hissed, pulling on Eddie's sleeve.
"Yeah, I know." He nodded and followed her and Alfie to the dining room.
Slowly, the others trailed after them. When they sat down, they remained quiet, staring at the food that had been laid out on the long table.
Joy was the first to speak up, "Still alone, Jerome?"
"Yeah, you've got no friends, as always?" Patricia snickered.
"Is there anyone else here?" he asked suddenly, eyeing the table. "Because I think it's kind of odd that the table has just enough seats for all of us, leaving no room for anyone else." He looked at Eddie. "Why are you here?"
"Vacation, Jerry," he shrugged a shoulder.
"No, why did you come here, specifically?"
"I got a thing in the mail that said I won three free round-trip tickets to Honolulu and a couple nights here."
"Like this thing?" he asked, pulling a card out of his blazer pocket and holding it up.
"Yeah, where'd you get that?"
"The mail."
"I got one of those too," Fabian mumbled, searching his pockets for his own card.
"So did I!" Amber said in amazement, gray eyes wide.
"Joy got one, too," Patricia said thoughtfully. "Wait, the letter says that the winner is the one and only winner. So…why were five sent?"
The group broke into conversation, trying to decipher why they were there. All the while, Jerome stared at the table, the wheels in his head turning.
"Jerry? What do you think?" Eddie asked.
Jerome sighed quietly. "We each won a free trip, which anyone would jump at the chance to take it. We're the only ones here. There are enough chairs for us and us only. We're on an island, staying in a hotel that isn't listed as a hotel—shit, it's a trap." He realized, jumping out of his chair and rushing to the front doors. He gave the handles a tug and the door jerked but didn't open. He let out a humorless laugh, dragging his fingers through his hair. "We're locked in."
Review?
"And it was wonderful, it was magical. It was everything I waited for, a miracle. And if I should ever fall in love again with someone knew, it'll never be the way- no, it will never be the way I loved you..." -The Way I Loved You, Selena Gomez & The Scene
-Rachel