A/N: Ok so the prologue was a little rough, I hope this will clear things up. Thanks for the review (stressing singular form) from 16aqua!

Chapter 1

I looked at the hand that I held. A pair of 5's and a pair of 7's.

"I raise." I threw down three dollars and looked at my best friend, Alex, sitting next to me. She was the one who had so much faith in me, so I had to win this game.

I tried to keep on a straight face, betraying nothing that was on the opposite side of my cards. Despite the cool expression on my face, the inside of me was a storm. My heart beat fast and I knew a lot was riding on this round. A man across the poker table had just laid down two cruise tickets for the Oceanic Cruise Line. This could be Alex's and my chance to finally get away from our parents for good.

Alex and I had met each other in high school, and became friends immediately. After we had graduated, we had both planned to get away from home and hit the road, not knowing where we would end up. It seemed like a good idea, until are car died in the middle of the desert. We had been hitchhiking and living out of our backpacks since.

Alex and I worked our way from place to place which eventually brought us to Miami. Alex was currently employed as a waiter and of course, I had gotten the lowest job possible. A delivery girl.

Now this could get us out of her, I thought. Perhaps even out of the country. I drew another card and tried to hide my popping eyes. A full house! This was something to work with. Alex leaned over my shoulder, but I pushed her away.

"Lark! That's all we've got. Be careful!" She exclaimed when she saw how much I was wagering.

"Do you trust me?" I asked, "Then shut up. You're giving stuff away!"

"Lay em' down." The guy next to me said.

"I'm so sorry Alex." I said disappointedly.

"What! Lark! How could you!"

"Because you're not going to see your parents for a long time! We're goin' on a cruise! Full House!" I exclaimed.

Alex hugged me and the man across the table yelled, "You're dead!" He held his fists clutched, but suddenly punched the guy next to him. They started to brawl and we left, victorious.

"Oh shit!" Alex cursed; this cruise leaves in thirty minutes!"

"Can we get there in time?" I asked.

"Yeah, if we get a NASCAR driver."

I stuck my thumb up as we walked downtown. A taxi pulled up and we told the driver to step on it.

Fifteen minutes later, the taxi arrived at a cruise lines building and Alex and I ran into board the ship. (Forgive me I don't know how that works, I nvr was on a cruise)

Walking onto the ship, I saw its massive size. This was my first time on a ship. The Oceanic cruise was a massive collection of iron. I learned it had ten bars and eight swimming pools from Alex who was reading the brochure. We found our rooms and set our small amount of luggage and possessions down. The room was clean and the twin beds were neatly made. It was a modest size room, the cheapest on the ship, but it was still nicer than the crumby motels we had been staying at. We unpacked and then set about exploring the cruise line.

"What do you want to do?" Alex asked, looking at the map.

"Hmm, why don't we get something to eat?" I asked.

"There's got to be twenty different restaurants here!" She exclaimed.

"Half of them we can't afford."

"I don't know. How bout some burgers." Alex asked.

"Fine by me."

We walked over to Joe's Burger Palace, and began stuffing our faces. The restaurant was decorated in a fifties style with black and white checkered floors and antique memorabilia.

Once finished, Alex and I walked around the deck talking. We spoke about tall the things we had done so far on our trip, including our escape from home. Once Alex and I had graduated, we had ran off without telling anyone where we were going.

Alex had left mainly because her parents were abusive and alcoholics. I had left because I hated my foster parents. I felt isolated and misunderstood in their family. I had five other non blood related siblings who I hated. In my opinion, they were brats and I could never be good enough to match up to them. Alex and I had got up and left as soon as school was out to make our own living, without being tied down to our family.

I glanced at the upper decks and saw a boy about my age looking out at the gulf.

"Who do you think that kid is?" I asked Alex.

"Don't know. Probably some rich snob by the looks of it."

He did look rich. He had dark brown hair that was spiked up and wore Hollister T-shirt. A man stood next to him. He looked really familiar.

"Dude, I think I know who that guy is!" Alex exclaimed, "I remember his face from all those crappy election commercials that were on. I think he's governor or something."

"Yeah I think you're right." I told Alex, "So that must be his son next to him."

We continued walking around the ship and then ended up back at our room. We took a quick swim in one of the pools, watched some movies on cable and then went to sleep at around midnight.

A/N: K then. Don't have much to say. Onward with next chapter, (Crickets chirping)