Chapter 1: Retreat

It was early morning, hour unknown. The time between dawn and am darkness. The sky was looking very bleak…

Francheska Inouye sat cross-legged on the deck of Cabin 6. A cold breeze swept through her like a ghost, and the door to the small wooden cabin creaked open, and inside slept the four other girls, all unaware of her and in a deep sleep. Francheska looked up to the now rising sun and smiled. The day was young and summer was just beginning. Thinking about it, she was young – and her life was really just beginning. These next years are going to be great, and that I will make sure of… she thought to herself. True, she wasn't exactly on accords with everyone, since after the whole fiasco with some of the other sophomore girls most at the time just thought she was a high-maintenance kind of girl that only wanted it her way. That, like most of the gossip that circulated around campus, wasn't true. She had feelings too, and she just wished her class would acknowledge that. Francheska sighed, and as she did the sun was up and the clouds started to scatter.

The door was pushed open, and out came Emily Patel. Emily was relatively nice and funny, and that was one thing that attracted Francheska to her. Emily was quiet, and like most of the students at St. Cecilia, she came from a poor family who gets bye at the private school with good grades and thousands in financial aid. "You're up early…" she said as she took a seat next to Francheska.

"I wasn't very tired…"

"Is anyone else up?"

"No, just us… and probably Mr. Tao…"

"Oh yeah, Mr. Tao…"

The two began to laugh together as the image of their teacher, Mr. Tao, popped up into both of their minds. "He's so weird… remember when Damien kept dropping stuff at the beginning of the year? And how Mr. Tao would always stop what he's doing? Good times…" Emily said as she leaned back on the wall of the cabin laughing at the memories.

"Yeah, good times…"

The door than opened once again, and out came Natalie Reyes quietly. She crept passed the other two girls without acknowledging them, and continued off the deck and onto the trail to the other cabins.

"I really don't like that girl…" said Francheska quietly. "Me neither" replied Emily, followed by a loud, sarcastic "Good Morning Natalie!"

Natalie didn't even turn around, she was already speeding down the trail.

"So, when we get back from the retreat, let's have a beach day."

"Totally..."

"Okay, cool. So I'll tell Fernanda and Amaya, and we'll be all set!"

"Just this time, tell Fernanda not to drag Damien and Jason along…"

"Aww, why not? Their funny…"

"Yeah, well remember last time?"

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad, they were just making out! Are you grossed out by boy-on-boy action? I think its hott…"

"Yeah, well… that's only because you're a freak."

Emily laughed and than stood up. "Oh yeah, I'm a nasty freak! I get down and dirty, you know…" Emily began dancing, and Francheska continued to sit, laughing. After a while, Emily leaned on the porch railing, the sun rising over the horizon behind her. "So when this is all done, we're going to have a beach day, and we're going to have fun! So promise, nothings going to stop us this time. Okay?"

"Yeah, nothings going to stop us…"