I gazed down at my desk, three feet long, made out of a nice shiny cedar wood. It was a beautiful June day outside and all I wished was to just be out there, alone and enjoying the sunshine; however, instead, I was holed up in a stuffy classroom. The longing to set my head down, sore from constant thinking, was unbearable. My 8th grade teacher, Mrs. Carlson, was giving us a boring algebra lecture. I knew I would regret not paying attention, but I continued to block out my teachers words. Ever since fourth grade, there had been a rumor going about that our 8th grade teacher was a model. I had no doubts about that one; Mrs. Carlson, I had to admit, was beautiful, with her shiny blond curls and her radiant smile. Some even said every male teacher in the school only had to look at her and they fell immediately under a love trance. Except, of course, the school`s nerdy science teacher, Mr. Kessler. He once set the laboratory on fire with that strange experiment he had been working on since who knows how long. None of the students attending Sierra Park Middle School could guess why our science teacher hadn`t been fired by now.
It was the last day of school and the prospect of a nice summer raised my spirits. I tried to recall the passing events of the day and sadly realized they were the same as the day before and the day before that and so on. It was like a daily routine: I would wake up, my black lab Max would jump on me, I would go to school, and then come home to an annoying eight year old brother named Noah. My parents, Anne and Greg, thought it a good responsibility that I baby sit Noah. I thought it was just an excuse for my parents being gone almost every day; sometimes work can be a kid’s worst enemy. It might seem that I would have plenty of friends. Wrong. I only have one, Iris. Nevertheless, Iris counts as ten. She is a great friend, almost always standing up for me, and has a talent for making inventions, even if they rarely ever come to good use. On the other hand, I have plenty of enemies to last a lifetime; on the top of the list is Clarissa, a snotty, fake long nails, puffy blond hair, so full of herself, brat. She spends her life dying over the obsession of Gavin. I hate her for two reasons: the first is because we have hated each other since second grade. I once hung her pink princess underwear on the school flag pole; she got me back by making up a rumor that I had kissed a girl, which I did not. The second reason was that I liked Gavin also. Clarissa would always take advantage of his good-nature and reluctance (I`m not actually sure about this part, but it makes me feel comforted) to simply tell her to back off.
I spend my time at school thinking how nothing has changed in my life; it was always the same boring routine, day after day. It was almost as if my life was a pattern on a checkerboard. All I wanted was a simple adventure, something to think about and remember for the rest of my life.
Slowly my teacher’s words became blurred and muffled, until finally all was silent.
‘’ Malia, Malia,’’ Mrs. Carlson`s voice broke through my layer of sleep. She sounded very annoyed. ‘’Malia! ‘’ She yelled one last time. I suddenly realized that she had been calling my name for quite some time. ‘’Yes Mrs. Carlson,’’ I said, my voice still hoarse from being awoken. She sighed. ‘’I asked you a question.’’ I filed through my head, trying to make up an excuse for falling asleep during class. ‘’Um…’’ I turned a deep shade of red, becoming further embarrassed when a few people snickered from the opposite side of the room. Mrs. Carlson sighed again and shook her head. ‘’See me after school.’’ I groaned; what were my parents going to think?
I watched as the clock slowly ticked away until finally the school bell rang. Once everyone was gone, Mrs. Carlson motioned for me to come to her. These last passing minuets were too dreadful to recall: I was going to summer school. I sadly walked towards the building exit. It was about my fifth time having an after-school talk with my teacher. I was dead meat for sure. A cool breeze wiped my hair and the tension in my body lessened. Maybe if I promised to get better grades in school from now on my parents would show me mercy. Or had I already used that excuse before? I shook my head, trying to soothe the aching throb. A yellow leaf floated in the palm of my hand. Looking at it closely, I was able to see the delicateness and accuracy of the veins. It was so beautiful, yet fantastically simple. As I turned my attention ahead of me, I spotted a big poster, colored bright pink, with very neat handwriting. ‘’ CAMP HELP THE ENVIRONMENT,’’ it read, ‘’ lead by instructors, Ms. Wright and Mr. Kessler, starting on June 2 and ending when the children desire. This camp will be held in the Bahamas, on a chain of islands. Children attending summer school will be provided the permission to join this camp’’. June 2! That was tomorrow, the first day of summer break! What harm would it do to sign up? Anyways, it would pass by some of the dreadful time I`d be spending at school instead of having a nice relaxed summer vacation. And, spending a couple of days on a tropical island in the Bahamas sounded pretty fun to me; even if Mr. Kessler was one of the instructors. Without thinking, I quickly scribbled my name down. Never could I have guessed that one tiny decision would change my life forever.
On the bus, I was sweating and my hands were clammy; what could my parent`s punishment possibly be? Sometimes they would take great measures just to set my behavior straight. When the bus finally reached the entrance to my neighborhood, I thanked the driver, Bernie, and slowly walked down the path that led to my house. Our neighborhood was somewhat in the country, and every square inch was covered with all kinds of trees, ranging from oaks, to eucalyptus, to pines, and occasionally a few palm trees. No matter how beautiful Miami was, I still loved our old home ten times more. I smiled at the thought of those fun days back in Colorado. Our move to Florida had ruined everything. Since then, Noah and I never got along. Then I spotted our big ancient Victorian house, standing open and by itself. Only days after we had moved here, my father had immediately ordered all the trees to be cut down. Our land was now just a large expanse of barren artificial-green grass. As I entered the hall, I tiptoed as silently as was possible across our creaky old floors, hoping I had not been seen by my mother working busily in the kitchen. I took the stairs two by two, but was abruptly stopped by an arrogant voice behind me. ‘’Hey Malia! Did Gavin finally notice that you exist?’’ Noah taunted. I scowled at him. My brother`s scraggly dark brown hair was in its usual disarray, his bangs hanging low over his chestnut eyes. What had always got me wondering was why I was the only one in my family who had fair ginger blond hair and lovely aqua blue eyes. I had no cousins, aunts or uncles; both my parents were the only child. My grandparents from my father`s side had perished in a car accident before I was born, and the whereabouts of my mother`s parents were unknown. It was all a mystery I had yet to solve.



























When I arrived at my room, I slammed the door behind me and threw myself onto my bed. My gaze wandered over to the large mirror in the corner of my room. Its aging wood, peeled and cracked, brought the warm comfort of my great grandmother. It had been her mirror from so long ago. When we moved into this house it had been there, marking who`s it was by the simple initials MW, standing for Morris Webber. My parents hadn`t been very close to my great grandmother, and all they knew about her was that she disappeared one day and was never spotted again. The mirror had been there for ages and no one had managed to remove it, however I didn`t care; it was the only thing left to remind me of her. As for her husband, Henry Webber, he died a couple of months after their marriage. My grandmother had mourned ever since and she would lock herself up in this exact room, according to my parents. One day, someone came in to check on her and she was gone. When the police had come to investigate her disappearance, the only evidence they found was a fresh set of finger prints, identified as hers, imprinted in the dust on the mirror. No one had an explanation. The mystery has never been solved since and has been entirely put at ease. Sometimes I sit and ponder the situation, but it has become an uninteresting case that no one is willing to put the effort into solving. Anyways, with a horrible vacation ahead, it didn`t sound like it was going to be a good summer.
I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock; besides that it happened to be a very peaceful day. My dog Max jumped up on me and licked my face. As a goodbye, I rubbed the back of his ears and in return he gave me a wet kiss on the nose. Max seemed to be the only one in the family who understood me, and if anything were to happen to him I would be devastated. ‘’ Honey, its time for your exciting camp,’’ My mom called from downstairs. I groaned; I wasn`t as enthusiastic. ‘’ Hurry up sweetie! You don`t want to be late.’’ Yup, that was my mom. She didn`t tolerate tardiness. I guess that`s what you got when you had a lawyer for a mother. Grabbing the bag I had packed last night and a large sleeping bag, I raced down the stairs. I walked cautiously towards my dad`s office, finding his door ajar. I carefully made my way to the desk where my distracted father was typing furiously. Like usual, the small space my dad claimed as his working studio was cluttered with crumbled pieces of paper, open books lay scattered around the room and various electronic devices were, from my dad`s perspective, ‘’neatly’’ laid out on shelves. I nervously tapped my father`s shoulder, making him jump. ‘’ Oh, hello… Malia,’’ He said, reluctantly taking his eyes off the computer screen. My father`s gray streaked hair was nicely combed back, revealing parts of his original dark brown. My father was fairly short, at least shorter than me. Without a bit of shame, I felt proud of that. Unfortunately, my dad happened to be an accountant. And accountants basically spend their whole life typing on computers. It was part of the reason my dad sometimes forgot my own name. Yeah, that`s how serious it was. I couldn`t help it when my eyes wandered down to my father`s bulging belly. It was also another thing that happened when you were somebody who barely ever lifted your butt off a chair. If you looked deeper, however, my father was actually a very good looking guy. Yes, that was what drew my mother. I do try not to blame her; she made her decision before she knew dad was such a couch-potato. About that… Well, it just wasn`t the best thing that ever happened to me. I noticed my dad was growing impatient. ‘’ Um, I just wanted to say bye.’’ I explained hastily. My father let out what was meant to be a, ‘’of course, sweetheart’’, smile, but what really looked like a, ‘’don`t you see I have work to do?’’, smile. Either way, I smiled back, unsure whether to give him a hug or no. What I just didn`t get was why I was so uncomfortable with my father. Crossing out the hug idea, I simply waved and left the room.
After I had eaten a breakfast of eggs and toast, I finally pushed my way out of the house while my mother was stressing over my messy ponytail and my twerp-of-a-brother was teasing me about Gavin. While I had been eating breakfast, something had occurred to me. Why was it that my parents were so unalike? Why did I have an over attention-giving mom, while on the other hand, my dad barely knew my own age? Pushing those thoughts to the back of my mind for the time being, I raced to the school bus. I made it just in time to see Ms. Wright and Mr. Kessler group together all the students who had singed up for camp. There was Bella, Iris, (what luck) Aspen, Nelson, Finn, Michael and Gavin. Oh no! Standing right behind Gavin was Clarissa, giggling and smiling in the most stupid way, I was sure I caught Gavin give Finn a ‘’what a retard’’ look. However, that was beyond the point; my biggest enemy was going to camp with me. Things were already getting worse.
We left the school campus and took a bus to Tweed Launching. Along with our personal luggage, we were bringing lots of canned food, dehydrated soups and proteins, and supplies such as stoves and kitchen ware. Lifting my head off my lap, I took in our surroundings. Any other boat launch in the world could be in better quality than this. Trash littered the ground and scary looking people walked around with cigarettes, their pants hanging all the way down to their knees. The dock was basically a pile of wrecked moldy wood. A man wearing dirty blue overalls led us to a boat. He had scraggly dark brown hair that hung down to his shoulders like a lifeless, hairy creature. When he smiled he showed a row of yellow teeth. I grimaced at the grotesque sight. ‘’ Are you staring at my teeth, girl?’’ He asked me even though I was sure he already knew the answer to that. A hint of red glowed on my cheeks and someone from behind me laughed. ‘’Oh, don`t take it personally. I`m used to it,’’ He reassured me. I turned the color of an overripe tomato. He let out a jolly laugh and continued to lead us to the boat. Our transportation was old and beaten up, its color barely still a faded red. I heard chatter from behind me and a long groan. Ms. Wright gave the talkers a stern look as if to remind them of their manners. ‘’Well, what are you waiting for?’’ The man asked us sarcastically. Ms. Wright nodded a simple thank you and motioned for us to get into the boat. I hesitated, but then reluctantly stepped into the rotting vessel. Everyone else followed suit. I was surprised to see the man jump into the boat and take control of the steering wheel; what had I been expecting, Ms. Wright as our driver? What the man said next made me wish so. ‘’Now this is going to be one bumpy ride!’’ He yelled somewhat cheerfully. I yelped as the boat lurched forward, my teeth chattering all the while. The rest of the trip was rough and bumpy, with bothersome surprises: the benches we were expected to sit on were covered in mold and little worms, feasting on the rotten wood. Bella, a bossy girl with silky shoulder-length brown hair, puffed up her cheeks, pretending to vomit. I glanced over at Finn, who was daring Nelson to eat a worm about the size of his pinky. Finn`s overgrown strawberry blond hair was blowing haphazardly in every direction, turning his face into a crazy hairball. I closed my eyes in disgust has I heard the sound of worms insides being chewed. ‘’Ewe, that is so gross!’’ Clarissa screeched. ‘’Clarissa, please lower your voice,’’ Ms. Wright said, acting as if Clarissa was some sort of innocent baby. ‘’Sorry,’’ She replied, giving Ms. Wright a glossy smile. I rolled my eyes; why did Clarissa always have to try to be the teachers pet? I really hadn`t expected Ms. Wright as the sort of person who would fall for that kind of foolishness. Our camp adviser was a strict and serious woman, especially when her long black hair was in its usual bun. Her back was always very straight and she had the best posture out of anyone I knew; however, that didn`t add up to that many people.
After awhile, the noise from Nelson`s daring endeavor quieted down until all you could hear was the sound of the boat, cutting through rushing waves. I got up from my seat, a worm infected piece of wood, and walked towards the edge of the boat. The breeze felt wonderful on my face. I suddenly felt a little relaxed and the tension in my body lessened. I gazed down at the side of the craft and something caught my eye. I leaped back as I saw all the disgusting abalone and algae that engulfed the side of the boat; you could not even see the chipped paint. When I looked closer I saw little crabs crawling over the muck and seaweed. Everyone laughed hysterically as I fell backwards on the revolting ground. Once my back made contact with the deck, I felt pain race up my spine. After the fall, I had two reminders of my carelessness: my shirt was slimy, and a big black bruise covered most of my backbone. Luckily, I was soon distracted from my injury; a chain of islands had come into view. Because it was closest, Ms. Wright and Mr. Kessler decided the largest of the Bimini Islands would be perfect for exploring.
The man left us with our luggage and quickly sped away. First, Ms. Wright told us about the animals we would be seeing. I barely paid attention, for my mind was wandering elsewhere.
We gathered our bags together and set up camp. Strangely enough, instead of having to use the tents we had packed, there was four of what you could call shelters spread out evenly on the small beach. They were built by what I assumed was some type of thatched mud and bamboo, that grew plentifully around the island. This was the sleeping arrangement: one of the shelters was for Aspen and Clarissa, another for Gavin, Michael, Finn and Nelson, another for Bella, Iris and I, and another one for Mr. Kessler and Ms. Wright. I felt sorry for Ms. Wright, since she had to sleep with Mr. Kessler; he was known for snoring like a big bear in its stage of hibernation. I never took too much thought to the shelters that seemed to already be there when we came; it was as if there were people who had built and lived in them before us. Behind these shelters was a huge cliff of rock that towered about 80 feet in the air. That gave our campsite somewhat of a refuge. Surfacing back to Ms. Wright`s words, I heard her say, ‘’Tomorrow, we will pick up trash to help the animals live in a cleaner environment.’’ But seriously, if you were a slob or litterer why would you even bother coming to an island? To give teachers a reason to boss kids around and order them to pick up trash? For some reason, I didn`t feel a connection.










Mr. Kessler started a fire and cooked our dinner, which was beans, rice, and cheese. He was not a very good cook I`m afraid. The beans were watery, the rice was over cooked and the cheese was clearly expired by the taste of it. He also brought logs around the fire with Aspen`s help. ‘’I call the spot next to Gavin!’’ Clarissa yelled. I searched my brain for a comeback, worried that Clarissa would think I was too scared to face her. Ever since I was old enough to understand, my mother would say I worried over everything that was not necessary to worry over. Basically to be straightforward, she said I was a pessimist. Anyways, back to my ‘’awesome’’ retort. ‘’You are so immature. ‘’ Right after the words left my mouth, I realized how lame they had sounded. I wasn`t the least bit surprised when Clarissa`s expression was scornful, rather than offended. Before I could say anything else, Ms. Wright demanded for silence. My confidence started to fade.
After the poorly cooked dinner, I walked over to Iris. Her head was bent down over a sketchbook, and her short brown hair was hanging in front of her face like a curtain. She was in some different world; my guess was that she was stirring up some creative invention. Iris looked up, startled at my sudden appearance. I tried to force out a weak smile. ‘’What`s wrong?’’ she asked. When I didn’t answer she cocked her head expectantly. ‘’You look either mad or worried.’’ That somehow triggered something inside me. ‘’I hate Clarissa!’’ I yelled, a little louder than expected. I blushed. Iris`s eyes widened in surprise at my loud outburst. I shook my head violently as if it would rid me of my troubles. ‘’I`m going to sleep,’’ I mumbled, knowing I had made the biggest mistake coming to this camp.
When I woke up, I immediately had to find a bathroom. That’s when I wondered for the first time what the teachers had in mind for constructing a toilet. I stepped over the sleeping form of Bella and made my way lazily to the shelter`s entrance. I walked stiffly to Ms. Wright who seemed to be gazing silently at the water. I cleared my throat, trying to get her attention. ‘’Oh, hello, Malia,’’ She looked startled at my sudden appearance and her greeting did not sound at all kind. ‘’I was just wondering where the restroom is.’’ In response she let out what sounded like a forced laugh. ‘’ The restroom!’’ she cackled. ‘’ You will just have to go in the forest. Later we will dig holes that will make the situation much easier.’’ I noticed that the conversation was getting a little personal. ‘’ Um, okay, thanks,’’ I cringed when I realized my idea about trying not to sound disgusted had failed; I was defiantly not excited about going to the bathroom on the ground. Camping was not something my family did or enjoyed. The one time that we had gone was a big mistake. My mom had seen a little water snake and ran around screaming as if it was a huge, poisonous rattlesnake. There were other times that were too embarrassing to recall.
When I came back from my uncomfortable trip to the bathroom, everyone was crowded around Michael. ‘’ What`s the big deal?’’ I asked Iris. ‘’ Michael got bit by a snake, at least that’s what Ms. Wright thinks. It`s strange, because its species are unknown.’’ I shuddered. If it was unknown that gave it a big chance of being deadly poisonous. Ms. Wright stood on a rock, over looking us. ‘’ Good morning students! I am sorry to say that I will have to be leaving to take Michael to the hospital. Mr. Kessler will be in charge and I will be back in about five days.’’ Iris groaned. ‘’ What luck,’’ She whispered to me. I wasn`t listening; instead, I was thinking about what Ms. Wright had said. When she had said she was sorry, she had not sounded sorry at all. In fact, she had sounded almost happy to be leaving us. It didn`t really matter though; more action was taking place. Ms. Wright had called the same man who had taken us to the island to drop her off at the nearest hospital. After Ms. Wright left, Mr. Kessler immediately took charge. ‘’ Okay everyone I will be making some changes to today`s schedule: I shall be assigning jobs,’’ He exclaimed. Clarissa lighted up. ‘’ Oh that sounds like a great idea, Mr. Kessler.’’ She said, beaming, even though everyone knew perfectly well that Clarissa hated any type of work. Mr. Kessler fell for it and smiled proudly. I ignored her as she puffed her blond hair. Today, she was wearing a pink tank top with a purple mini skirt; horrible clothes for working. The teachers had told Clarissa in particular to wear appropriate clothes for the camp; she obviously didn`t listen. ‘’Mr. Kessler, why do we have to have jobs when there`s nothing to do around here?’’ Bella complained. Although Bella was Gavin`s sister, she was so much different. Bella `s two main priorities were to complain and be in charge, while Gavin was polite and chattered half as much. The one thing they shared in common, however, was their brown hair and their bright emerald eyes. ‘’Yeah and I thought we were going to pick up trash for the animals,’’ Aspen noted. Although weird, Aspen was very smart and really shy when it came to arguing with anyone. When people would see Aspen, they would think she was Nelson`s sister because of their similarities in appearance, except for the body shape, of course. They both had curly black hair and the same cinnamon brown skin; however, they really were the opposites of each other. For instance, Nelson spent his life watching T.V and playing video games, and his progress in school was horrible. As for Aspen, she got amazing grades and has only played a video game twice in her life. When I complain to my mom that I don`t get good grades in school, she tells me it is my fault. Okay, maybe it is, but come on, she`s my mom; a little bit of support would be nice. I turned my attention back to Mr. Kessler. ‘’ I have decided to teach you how to survive on an island. Wouldn`t it be great to live here in this tropical weather?’’ He asked us. ‘’What! ‘’ Bella shrieked. ‘’ We have to spend our time at camp working, when really we`re supposed to be helping animals and having fun.’’ Iris nodded in agreement. ‘’ Bella does have a point. Why would we have to learn how to survive?’’ She pointed out. ‘’ Guys, Mr. Kessler is in charge,’’ Clarissa warned. For once her words had a hint of sense in them; however, I immediately took back that last part after Mr. Kessler walked away, not seeming to mind our objections.
We spent our last relaxing hours tanning on the beach. Spread out on the warm sand, I watched Gavin and Finn play Marco Polo in the water. At this time, the waves were small and it made it easier to play games and not get thrown down by the strong current. I couldn`t help noticing how handsome Gavin looked, his wet hair plastered against his face, the curves in his chest and arms particularly noticeable. Finn and Gavin had been friends since first grade, at least according to Bella. Finn had a hard life because his family had barely enough money to afford the school. Luckily, Gavin and Bella`s parents helped with the money problems. ‘’ Class, we will learn how to make a shelter as our first step,’’ Mr. Kessler announced, interrupting my thoughts. ‘’ How many students do we have?’’ He asked himself while counting us. ‘’Eight sir,’’ Aspen put in helpfully. ‘’ Ah thank you. We will split everyone into groups and switch off every day. Aspen, Clarissa, and Iris will make the shelter. Cooking we will have Gavin…’’ ‘’ Please say Malia,’’ I whispered to myself ’’… and Bella,’’ Mr. Kessler finished drowsily. ‘’ Damn,’’ I swore under my breath. Unfortunately, it came out louder than expected. ‘’ What is it now Malia?’’ Clarissa said trying to sound annoyed rather than enjoying my embarrassment. I mouthed shut up as a scarlet red crept up my cheekbones. ‘’Quit it you two. Is there anything wrong, Malia?’’ Mr. Kessler asked, turning towards me. ‘’ Uh… I just wanted to be in the cooking group, but it`s fine,’’ I quickly answered. When nobody was looking, I slapped my forehead in plain disgust; why did I have to be so stupid? I got no answer. When I heard my name, I perked up. ‘’ Malia, Nelson, and Finn will dig a hole in the ground to be a toilet,’’ Mr. Kessler announced. ‘’ Ewe! That’s so gross,’’ I heard Clarissa snicker. Life wasn`t going any better for me at this camp; and why did my mom think of saying I never thought positive?

‘’ Wake up, Malia.’’ It was Iris, shaking me so hard I thought my stomach would let out last nights food. ‘’ What is it?’’ I asked. ‘’ Mr. Kessler is telling people to start our jobs,’’ She answered. I sighed, very annoyed, but quickly rose. Iris and I decided to walk down to the pond Michael had discovered, for a quick, cleansing wash. Thinking about him reminded me of how lucky he was to be away from this laboring camp… if you cross out the actual reason he had to leave. The walk to the pond was far, but much better than the ocean water collected and then put in a bucket. Anyways, it was a really hot today, and a little bit of refreshing water could do everyone good; especially since we would be working very hard for the next few hours. Once the pond came into view, I noticed all the repugnant pieces of moss that lined the waters edge; it could have some deadly chemical in it that could kill anyone. I tried to block the thought out, but it was firmly planted in my brain. I was disappointed to see that only Clarissa would be ‘’accompanying’’ us for our morning wash. ‘’Ugh, you stink Malia. I advise something called a shower,’’ She mocked, pronouncing the word ‘’’ shower’’ as if it was some difficult word only she could spell. I tried to ignore her, just as if she were a piece of sickening moss. But let me tell you, I would have willingly glared right into her tiny eyes, past her weak skull, and into her small and unremarkable brain and said, ‘’ why would I have taken your advice? It comes from a brain as small as a lifeless speck’’. Anyways, I had to help my team dig a hole for the toilet, and reminding Clarissa how remarkably dimwitted she was, wasn`t going to save time. When I was about to leave, I couldn`t stop myself from thinking what an improvement it would be if Clarissa fell in the exact hole we would be digging, and after it was used. The thought made me grin. ‘’ ‘Bye,’’ Iris called as she followed Clarissa to join Aspen, who was already designing the shelter. I met Nelson and Finn in the forest. The trees and wildlife here were strange and unfamiliar to me, the flowers and fruit were large and colorful; you could almost get caught in the tangled vines. Even if a storm was approaching, the weather was almost always humid and stuffy, especially in the deepest parts of the jungle. I wasn’t very fond of this change in climate, and the murky air clung to my skin, causing it to break out in sweat only after the smallest exertion. I suppose the tropics just weren’t my thing. ‘’ This is where Mr. Kessler wants us to dig the hole,’’ Finn said, passing me a shovel. I snapped back to reality. ‘’Aren`t we so lucky to have this job,’’ Nelson said sarcastically. Without any more words, we dug the hole. Immediately, everyone was sweating. The dirt stuck to my hands and arms, no matter how hard I tried to brush it away. ‘’ This is the hardest, dirtiest job ever,’’ Nelson complained. ‘’ Tell me about it,’’ I muttered. No one heard me because of the sound of approaching footsteps. Suddenly, Gavin appeared from the brush, a smile on his face. How could he be smiling? We had been working for what felt like two whole hours! ‘’ Mr. Kessler suggested we play a little bit of coconut ball,’’ He said, grinning. At first I didn`t get it, but then I realized he meant basketball. That would really raise my spirits, and anything would be better than digging a toilet. ‘’Awesome!’’ I yelled. Nelson muttered something about being too tired and then decided to stay behind. Finn and I followed Gavin through the forest, to an open area where two nets were set up. They were nicely woven from some type of vine that was strapped to the edge of a palm tree; a coconut, which was supposed to be the ball, sat in the middle. Finn, Gavin, Bella, and I had all wanted to play. I was surprised that Bella wanted to play, because in school, she detested basketball, along with any other sport. I was the opposite, as I loved the sport of basketball, and any game, no matter what the environment was, would make me happy. The others, who sat on the sidelines, were our audience. ‘’ Go Gavin he`s my man if he can`t do it no one can!’’ yelled Clarissa. I noticed two things: she was only cheering for Gavin and she said ’’my’’ man instead of ‘’our’’ man. I couldn`t believe nobody seemed to care; it was as if Clarissa had the special privilege of being a brat. ‘’ I call first captain!’’ Finn yelled. ‘’ I call second!’’ Bella yelled even louder. I guessed right away that Finn would pick Gavin, but I was mistaken. ‘’ I call Malia, since it would not be fair if it was Gavin and I against Bella and Malia.’’ I could tell he was boasting about how good he was. He smiled a big welcoming smile as I reluctantly joined his team. Bella jumped happily, ‘’ and I`ll take Gavin.’’ She looked at me in triumphant as if she just knew she would win. Bella was already barking out instructions at Gavin, who was trying to follow his sister`s confusing orders. We started with the ‘’ball’’ and Finn immediately passed to me. I tried to dribble, completely forgetting that it was a coconut. I blushed and heard someone snicker. I didn`t need anyone telling me who that was. Gavin was guarding me and I could feel his breath on my hot face. Without noticing my actions, I stopped moving and just stared into Gavin`s eyes. It was broken by Bella`s annoyed voice. ‘’ What are you guys doing? Get the game on!’’ I turned away from that joyful moment and shot the coconut. I missed; again and again, I continued to miss all the shots until the game ended with 6 to 24 (we had six). I guess I just wasn`t focusing; I still had the magical moment in my head throughout the whole game. ‘’ Good game,’’ Gavin told me. He looked a little bit shocked for some un-guessable reason. ‘’ Yeah, um, it was a, uh, great game,’’ I replied even though I didn`t mean it. Then little Miss princess came galloping up. ‘’ Gavin, you were amazing. I knew you would win because you’re the best.’’ She had raised her voice when she had said ‘’ you’re the best ‘’. ‘’ Thanks, but everyone did really well,’’ He answered, smiling at me. Clarissa didn`t answer, probably thinking there was no way that was true. After a little bit of conversing, I decided to take a walk. On my way, Finn caught up to me. He must of followed me, but for what purpose? ‘’ I know we didn`t win, but I thought you were the best one out there,’’ He told me. There was a minute of awkward silence as I stared blankly at Finn, searching his face. What was I supposed to say? All of a sudden Finn was being nice to me; certainly I had not been the best one out there, missing every shot I took. I brought up my courage and took a deep breath. ‘’ Thanks,’’ I whispered. He winked and then trotted off into the forest. I watched him in disbelief until he disappeared into the canopy of branches. The wind whipped my hair around, making it look as if it were alive. I looked towards the heavens and was abruptly informed of the approaching downpour. Gray clouds engulfed the sky, making it look like it was a painting, the colors spreading and blending like water. What I really wished was that the welcoming sun would break through the cloudy layer of gloom and reappear, shining into my eyes. Why in the world would I care if I just realized that Finn liked me? Why did that matter? Maybe that wasn`t the reason; maybe it was that I was angry with myself, angry at how I had been acting so strange? Or was it because I also just realized I might have feelings for Finn. Was it normal to have feelings for two people? Was I not being loyal by liking both of them? Then a cold laugh escaped me; why was I worried at all? There was no handbook following ‘’the rules of love’’ was there? I smiled faintly and made my way back to camp, almost running into a grinning Bella, panting as if she had just run a marathon. ‘’ Guess what I heard.’’ She didn`t give me a second to answer. ‘’ Gavin and Finn were talking and they both agreed that…’’ She began. ‘’ Stop,’’ I interrupted. I gently put my hand over her mouth and slowly continued to walk back to camp. She stamped her foot angrily and said something about me being really frustrating, but I didn`t care. I knew my rare and, slightly amused, mood would be spoiled if I heard anything about Gavin and Finn.
When I came in view of our campsite, Mr. Kessler`s demanding voice echoed well enough that I was able to hear his words clearly: ‘’ All right everybody today was a good work day. Tomorrow I would like everyone to change jobs so you can all get a feel of every duty. Team A was Clarissa, Iris, and Aspen. Team B was Gavin and Bella. Team C was Finn, Malia, and Nelson. I would like team A to dig toilets; team B to make shelters; and team C to do the cooking. You may leave now,’’ Mr. Kessler finished. ‘’ When will this work stop, and how come Ms. Wright is not coming back?’’ Iris questioned me. ‘’I don’t know,’’ I replied, even though I was not really paying attention. I looked over and saw Clarissa walking towards us. ‘’Hey everyone, I have a super idea,’’ She said. ‘’ Who cares,’’ I murmured, but no one seemed to agree. Clarissa gave me an evil smirk and turned to her audience. ‘’Oh good, we haven’t been having much fun with this work we have been doing for no reason,’’ Bella complained. ‘’Yeah spill it, Clarissa!’’ Finn exclaimed. ‘’Well, I was thinking we could have a party with food and decorations and we could just have fun,’’ Clarissa told us, trying to sound modest, but a proud smile was growing on her lips. ‘’That sounds great!’’Gavin told her. I knew Clarissa thought her idea was awesome and Gavin`s comment made me wish it was mine. I had to think of something better. Finally, in the end, I was out voted; we were going to have the party and, to top everything else, my bad mood had returned.

I abandoned my sleeping bag and put a hand over my eyes, shielding them from the burning sun. I looked out at the landscape. My eyes traveling as far as they would allow, I estimated the island as being fairly long in length. It was not visible, but according to Ms. Wright, and of course the map, a few smaller islands were located to the south of the one we were currently staying at. There were lots of plants and wild life, including nasty little bugs. And, of course, the four thatched shelters where we slept. In the middle of the beach we had a camp fire and next to that, two tables. It was a rather cozy beach and we were surrounded by miles of water. Still, it was strange that Ms. Wright was taking so long. Where was she? My thoughts were interrupted by a loud yell; it was Aspen. ‘’ Guys, something horrible happened to Mr. Kessler. He`s missing and he’s not in his shelter! I’ve searched everywhere.’’ Her voice trembled. I rose from my kneeling position and stiffly walked towards my worried classmates. ‘’ Lets send three search parties to look for him,’’ Gavin suggested. ‘’Whatever you think Gavin, I’m sure will be the smartest thing to do,’’ Clarissa said, smiling sweetly. ‘’ We don’t need sweet talk now Clarissa, so zip it!’’ I yelled impatiently. ‘’ The thing we don`t need right now is you two arguing,’’ Bella pointed out in the most grown up voice she could muster. ‘’ Lets split up, same groups as in chores,’’ Gavin continued, acting as if no one had ever spoken. Besides the terrible predicament we were stuck in, I thought of how I still wouldn`t be with Gavin. Oh my god! How could I possibly be fussing over something so unimportant when someone could be in danger? Nelson walked over to me. ‘’ I`m sure we can find Mr. Kessler; we are a great team,’’ He told me kindly. I tried to smile, but I just gave myself a horrible stomach ache, causing my mouth to open and let out an astonishing burp. When everyone started laughing, I decided to try something new: I joined along in their laughter. This was something I never did. Whenever someone laughed at me, I would usually glare at them in self-defense. Clarissa’s smile turned into a frown of pure anger; I had finally realized that I could avoid being embarrassed. That lifted my spirits enough that it gave me a warm and welcoming surge of confidence to find Mr. Kessler. ‘’Mr. Kessler!’’ I yelled. ‘’ Where are you?’’ My friends and I raced through the forest, yelling and hollering until our throats were sore. After every tiring yell not only our voice became fainter, but our hope began to fade also. ‘’ Where could he possibly be?’’ Finn asked me in frustration. I shook my head; wherever he was, he was out of our desperate reach. No one wanted to admit the dead truth. Soon we would have to give up looking for our missing teacher, unless we choose to run and search through the dead of night. I just hoped with all my aching heart that he was safe.
When we arrived back to the familiar camp, which could easily be named our home, it was about noon. My stomach growled at the site of food on the wooden tables; had we been gone long enough for everyone else to prepare dinner? ‘’ Guys, you scared us half to death, we were so worried about you. Where were you?’’ Aspen asked. ‘’ Looking for Mr. Kessler, like what you should have been doing,’’ I told her, feeling anger bubble up inside me. Gavin walked up to Aspen and gently put a hand on her shoulder. ‘’ Aspen, don`t get to worked up about it. They probably just lost track of time,’’ He assured her. Now Finn took his turn in defending our team. ‘’ What do you mean lost track of time?’ He asked angrily. For the first time since they had become best friends, Gavin gave Finn an angry glare. ‘’ What do I mean by lost track of time? I mean that you three love birds have been gone for almost one hour doing who knows what, while we have been preparing dinner. Not very supportive friends if you ask me,’’ Gavin looked like he was about to hit Finn, he was so mad; what was the big deal? In my opinion it was not us, but them who were not being supportive friends. Together, we had planned to search for Mr. Kessler and instead they ditched us. I had a couple things I wanted to point out myself, but getting into the middle of a fight like this was going to make me end up going home with a broken arm; if I ever even made it home. The thought frightened me. Finn scowled, but decided to take the situation calmly. He paused and chose his words carefully, as if not wanting to disturb Gavin`s fragile temper. ‘’ I am sorry if you feel offended, but we were only trying to help by looking for Mr. Kessler,’’ He finally told him. The next thing I expected to hear Gavin say was that he was sorry and accepted Finn’s apology. Then all was well blah blah end of discussion. But I was wrong; instead, Gavin waved his hand annoyingly and stomped off into the forest. ‘’We already found Mr. Kessler,’’ Iris explained. I beamed at the exciting news, but my joy ended shortly once I realized Iris`s sadness. When she noticed we appeared confused, she told us a little more detail about their discovery. ‘’ We guessed that he got bit by the same mysterious creature that bit Michael; he has the exact same snake bite. Remember what Ms. Wright said: the snakes bite can cause its victim to become wacko unless immediately treated.’’ I reluctantly nodded, remembering Ms. Wright mention those exact words. I looked around for Mr. Kessler and saw him helplessly laying on the ground, tugging on a piece of Bella`s hair. He seemed to be alright except the fact that he was smiling in a goofy way and his eyes were cloudy. It suddenly came to me that this wasn`t Mr. Kessler at all; instead, he looked like a man that had forgotten who he was and what he was doing on this island. However, besides all of this, he looked happy and confused and, I couldn`t help noticing, very interested in Bella`s hair. I gazed solemnly at the sky and noticed how the bad weather hadn`t changed from my last observation. The sky was casting an awful grayish color that sent a hint of gloom in the air. It wasn`t just the sky that left a tinge of sorrow; it was also our hearts, weighing the earth down. Not one single classmate had missed the passing events of the day and the horrible meanings they left behind, like a fresh set of footprints in the white snow. It was as clear as daylight what all of this meant: we were alone, on an island, without anyone to guide us in our choices. We were stranded.

‘’ Breakfast is severed,’’ Aspen called, trying to sound somewhat cheerful. Once we had finally managed to make it in bed last night, Gavin had never returned from when we had seen him last, trudging angrily into the dark, gloomy forest. Finn had seemed to take the whole thing calmly; nevertheless, I still had not seen him since last night. My mood has not changed at all; I just can`t focus anymore. I have never actually pondered this solution, but I am afraid there is something going on with Ms. Wright. Her absence is very fishy, and we need her back more than ever now. I don`t know if anyone in their right mind would think this very unsettling thought that just randomly popped into my head. I believe that someone, or something, is keeping a secret from us. And this secret is the reason behind all of our misfortunes and tragedies. I walked over to the table and took a seat next to Nelson. I would usually sit next to Iris, but not after what I accidently did to her while helping make breakfast. I was stirring the oatmeal mix with water when I accidently flicked a handful of watery oatmeal at her. Talking about not being able to focus! After that, and a few other ‘’accidents’’, Aspen suggested that I take a break from cooking for the moment. Despite her effort in trying to put it kindly, I knew her, and everyone else, was clearly wishing for my absence. ‘’ Hey Malia, don`t be ashamed, everyone makes mistakes,’’ Nelson said, trying to comfort me as I sat down next to him. I smiled gratefully and tried to hide back a sniffle. ‘’ Gavin is still gone, but I was awoken to someone tramping around the cave and I saw Finn sneak out. They used to be the best of friends, Malia, and now their friendship is falling apart just because of some stupid argument.’’ I realized that what he said was true, but what could two kids do to save a friendship that was so disoriented, that they wander out into the woods and don`t come back for dinner or breakfast? That seemed like a pretty big deal to me. Nelson looked troubled, but his attitude changed when he saw Aspen place a fresh, steaming bowl of oatmeal in front of him. I knew that if he had a choice between skipping breakfast or Gavin and Finn not being friends anymore, he would definitely not pick skipping breakfast; it was hard for Nelson to stay serious when the smell of food was in the air. I caught a quick glance of Mr. Kessler, sucking on his fingers and making babyish noises. What type of creature could have venom so strange that it could turn someone, like our teacher, into a crazy freak? I didn`t have a clue. This island was starting to have lots of weird mysteries and was not only a place were unfortunate things happened, but a place where scary animals lived. The thought made me shiver. My attention was turned to Clarissa, who was clumsily climbing a boulder. ‘’ Can I have everyone’s attention please!’’ She yelled over the noise of people talking all at once. When she saw that no one had done anything except give her an occasional annoyed glance, her short temper went overboard. ‘’ Will everyone just shut up and listen to me!’’ That obviously caught everyone’s full attention. Clarissa’s face was hot red and her hands were clenched into fists. Once she finally realized that people were watching her, she tried to calm down by inhaling in and out; it was a hilarious site, and I couldn`t help laughing. Clarissa scowled and tried to hide her scarlet face by covering it with hair. It was as plain as daylight that she could not contain her temper. ‘’ As I was saying, we should continue with the party, correct?’’ Once everyone was over their shock, Iris piped up. ‘’ But I think it`s a bad idea now, since Mr. Kessler is not in the right shape to help,’’ She reminded Clarissa. ‘’But the party is going to be so fun,’’ Clarissa argued stubbornly. ‘’ I have even decided that we could keep the same groups. Group A decides what we do at the party. Group B cooks the food and Group C makes decorations for the party.’’ I noticed that she assigned the easiest and the most unnecessary job for her group, even though making decorations for the party sounded pretty unnecessary to me. Well I wasn`t surprised. ‘’ We might as well get started. Come on, Malia,’’ Nelson told me. After he spoke, we stood still; what were we supposed to decorate with? ‘’ I looked at this cool website about ideas to decorate beaches,’’ Nelson suggested. ‘’Couldn`t you just go to a library and find that information?’’ I joked. He laughed and tried to make up an excuse. ‘’ Well, it`s a lot cheaper to just look it up on the computer, rather than waist time by going to the library.’’ That got me bursting out in a horrible fit of giggles. ‘’ So what`s that idea you were talking about?’’ I asked him, still trying to contain my laughter. He scowled and playfully punched my arm. ‘’ My idea was that we could pick flowers and lay them around where the party is going to take place.’’ I paused a few seconds. ‘’ Ok sounds great,’’ I said, once I had stopped laughing. I began to feel a cramp in my abdomen and I immediately knew I would regret laughing. We walked into the forest and split ways. I wandered around, keeping a close eye out for any pretty flowers. I came to a patch of tulips that were pink, yellow, and red. There was one that stood out. It was magnificent and I couldn`t pick it because of its beauty. On my way back to Nelson, I spotted something red lying on the ground. I froze dead in my tracks when I realized it was a torn piece of Gavin`s shirt. I trembled and tried to shake the terrible thought away. What could have possibly happened? I wasn`t so sure anymore if Gavin was gone on his own accord; what if he was gone because someone had kidnapped him? Yeah right, Malia, kidnapped on a deserted island, I thought. Feeling foolish, I left the piece of cloth behind. Once I was back with Nelson, I saw him making wreaths out of vines. ‘’ Great idea,’’ I complimented. ‘’ Those tulips are really pretty, nice scavenging.’’ I nodded my gratitude. ‘’ Is anything wrong?’’ He asked. ‘’ Um… no, I`m fine,’’ I lied. I could tell that my answer had been lame because Nelson didn`t seem convinced. Instead of telling him the truth, I silently walked back to camp.
After hours of preparation, the party was finally complete. We all sat down by the table as Bella proudly presented the meal she had cooked. Suddenly Finn`s face appeared from behind a tree. ‘’ Hey guys, I have decided to apologize to Gavin. It was just some stupid argument.’’ Everyone looked at each other. ‘’ He`s not here at the moment, Finn,’’ Aspen explained gently. Finn`s smile creased into a frown as he realized Gavin had not forgiven him. He tried to look like he didn`t care, but it was obvious. I felt guilt rise in my throat, but I managed to stay quiet; how would Finn react when I told him about the piece of evidence I had found? ‘’ Well, how about a fun party to cheer us up,’’ Clarissa said, quite annoyed that her idea, which at first everyone had seemed interested in, was slowly fading away. I saw Finn perk up at the idea of a party. Clarissa smiled. ‘’ We already have all the preparations ready,’’ She said, proudly motioning towards the meal Bella had cooked. Finn looked at the meal and just seemed to realize that it was there. We all feasted on the nice, warm herb soup and a little bit of stale bread. Bella sat up straight, her cheeks turning pink whenever someone complimented her; how could she be so happy when her brother was in grave danger? I had forgotten that her, nor anyone else, knew of that possible danger; again, I felt a sense of guilt. Anyways, how could anyone want to have a party when Mr. Kessler was crazy and Ms. Wright, for some unknown reason, was not coming back for us? Nothing was in its proper order. Clarissa was about to say something, but Mr. Kessler cut her off. ‘’ Hello, my dear 4th graders. Oh and Alice, talking for the first time in your young life. How lovely.’’ We all stared at him in pure amazement. ‘’ My name is not Alice, it`s Clarissa, for his information!’’ She yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Mr. Kessler. I giggled. Who could have guessed? ‘’ I say we just let him do his thing,’’ Nelson suggested. Aspen frowned. ‘’ Do you like parties, Mr. Kessler?’’ She asked, thinking to get a logical answer. ‘’ Why parties are so fun, especially when you get to sign the parchment of great wisdom.’’ I bit my lip. ‘’ Ok, we are not getting too far in this,’’ I said. The conversation seemed to be dragging on forever and I finally decided to get on with the party. After the noise settled down, I spoke. ‘’Hey, sorry to break the conversation, but I think it`s time to start the ‘’ fabulous’’ party.’’ I rolled my eyes at Clarissa. ‘’ But we don`t have proper party clothes,’’ Bella pointed out, looking down at her dirty shirt, tattered and in terrible condition. I looked down at my own clothes, and realized for the first time that they were a mess. My shorts had holes in them and my shirt, that used to be a pretty blue, was now caked with mud and grime. I suddenly realized how uncomfortable it was to feel dirty and sticky. I had not taken a shower since who knows when! ‘’ Hello, what about the topic on hand,’’ Aspen said, making it sound more like a proposal rather than an exclamation. I snapped out of my daze. Bella grumbled in annoyance; she just couldn`t have a proper party without nice clothes, but she soon gave in, which was something she rarely ever did.
The firelight shone on our faces and the sunset was beautiful, swirling with pinks, yellows, oranges, and reds. I sighed heavily. It was hard to be worried and sad at a time like this; it was just too peaceful. Slowly, as the party went far into the night, I forgot my fears. As I was gazing into the magnificent sky at what felt like about eleven o` clock, Clarissa`s irritating voice interrupted my thoughts. ‘’ Hey everyone, it`s been a long and fun night, but how about some dancing.’’ Finn`s face lit up. ‘’ That sounds great!’’ Clarissa grinned and held her annual claim. ‘’ I call dancing with Gavin!’’ She yelled. Iris sighed, exasperated with Clarissa`s dull mind. ‘’ He is not here, remember?’’ Clarissa frowned and angrily stomped towards her cave. ‘’ Where are you going, it was your idea to dance!’’ Aspen called, not catching on that Clarissa had only wanted to dance because of Gavin. ‘’ Uh, I`m really tired.’’ Everyone stared in disbelief at this girl who had first been so full of energy. I rolled my eyes in annoyance and Clarissa did her ‘’your going to pay for this’’ look by putting her arms on her hips and giving me a malicious glare. I simply smiled back and honestly ran my hand through my hair. ‘’ I … um, just twisted my ankle and it really hurts,’’ Clarissa lied. I took a closer look at her and saw that she was pretending to be in great pain, hoping that people would believe her; to my utter disbelief, they did. I heard a jumble of words such as, ‘’ are you okay’’ and ‘’ did you get badly hurt’’ and, ‘’ I saw a T.V show on how to cure twisted and broken ankles’’. Clarissa`s pride in finding what she thought was a good excuse, quickly died away as she realized the predicament she had foolishly gotten herself into. Being a self-centered phony wasn`t the key to success.
After awhile of worried conversation, the noise died down until all you could hear was the low murmur of the waves and the crackling of the steady fire; all was quiet and peaceful. One after another, my classmates wandered off to sleep, until only Iris and I was left, gazing out into the water. I thought that no words were to be said between us, since Iris was probably still mad at me. What she said surprised me. ‘’ Are you afraid?’’ Her voice was grim and her eyes were narrowed into slots, but still I could feel something else in her voice. At first, I could not grab the emotion, but finally it came: fear. I grasped her hand tightly and the tension in her body lessened, but I still could feel her hand trembling. I knew what she was afraid of and just as the sun went down, leaving the landscape looking like a dark desert, I said twelve words that sent shivers up my spine. ‘’ I am afraid and prepared for whatever dangers lie ahead of us.’’ In the darkness, I felt a silent tear trickle down my cheek.

After waking up four times during the night, I was relieved when the fifth and final time arrived; it was finally morning. I got up and trudged out of the campsite, planning to head towards the little pond for a refreshing rinse. I looked back at the camp slowly fading away, and I noticed that no one was awake yet. It was pretty early in the morning. I flashed back to the time I had found a piece of Gavin`s shirt. Gavin had been walking by himself when he had been kidnapped. It was too dangerous to be walking around the forest by myself. I now regret that I had refused those obnoxious self defense classes my mom had singed me up for. The first class, and the only one that I had taken, had been horrible. I had tried to defend myself against my partner, but instead I let him give me a black eye. Never again would I make that foolish mistake! I quickly ran back in the direction I had come from, my heart beating as I tore through the rough brambles until finally, panting, I arrived back at camp. My fear was overwhelming and I had hard time breathing. My face twisted in pain as I noticed the thorn I had stuck in my leg. I walked over to a bench and gently plucked it out; the pain ceased immensely. ‘’ Good morning,’’ Aspen managed to say while letting out a loud yawn. ‘’ I`ll stir up some oatmeal for breakfast,’’ She offered, taking account to the blood running down my leg. ‘’ Thanks.’’ I was grateful that she didn`t wonder how I had gotten the cut. As everyone started waking up, I tried to push away my worries and just enjoy the good smell of oatmeal; however, despite my efforts, my mind kept turning to the awful moment. ‘’ Guys, bad news: this is the last of our oatmeal,’’ Aspen announced. I looked around the circle, but no one showed any sign of an idea of how to proceed. ‘’ Where is Ms. Wright? What could possibly be holding her up?’’ I blurted out. ‘’ I don`t know,’’ Bella said, acting like the question was meant for her to answer. ‘’ It`s all so confusing,’’ Clarissa complained. I sighed. ‘’ Hey come on,’’ Aspen said, trying to raise our spirits. ‘’ Maybe Nelson has an answer that he saw on a website or commercial.’’ She laughed faintly, her smile suddenly turning upside down. ‘’ Nelson! He is not here.’’ We all looked around the circle and I saw that Aspen had been right; he was missing. All the terrible possibilities flooded towards me and the force of their power was astonishingly full of strength. I was relived when almost a second after, Nelson came running from the forest, sweat dripping down his brow. He was furiously panting and his eyes shone bright and clear. He was also clutching something red, the color of Gavin`s shirt. Oh no, could it possibly be? I did not want anyone to find out about the sure evidence I had found yesterday. ‘’ Guys! Guess what I found?’’ Nelson yelled, clutching the item he held like it was so very precious. His voice was filled with pride. Maybe he hadn`t found the piece of Gavin`s shirt after all. ‘’ Look, I found a phone!’’ He announced proudly, holding up a bright red phone. I felt relief run through my body; we were going home! But something didn’t seem right. How did a phone end up on an island? And of course we couldn’t be sure that there was signal. Still, I could barely contain my excitement. ‘’ Were did you get that?’’ Aspen asked calmly, but I could see her hands were trembling. Nelson waited until everyone hushed down to begin his tale; he was always one who liked to brag. ‘’ I was walking out in the forest for a morning stroll,’’ He began. We rolled our eyes, giving Nelson the, ‘’ not on your life’’ look. He blushed and decided to change the story line. ‘’ I was out heading towards the bathrooms, when something shiny caught my eye, and I have such keen eyes that I knew it was a phone at first site. I was so scared that it could be a bomb that some bad guys had put there, thinking it would fool me, Nelson the great! I was very brave and I slowly bent down to investigate the strange object. I had no idea what it was!’’ He paused and frowned. ‘’ I mean, I didn`t know what it was because of the blinding light, but obviously if the sun hadn`t been out I would of saw the thing.’’ He paused again and scratched his head in puzzlement. I could tell he wasn`t really remembering exactly what had happened. Nelson sighed wearily. ‘’ Being a hero is great and all, but I`m not very good at getting the story straight,’’ He muttered to himself. ‘’ Okay, I was exaggerating a little bit, but what is a good story without some embellishment?’’ I was getting a little tired with all of Nelson`s feed back, so I decided to add my own thoughts to the conversation. ‘’ Nelson, just tell us the story and be done with it; also, while your at it, would you mind being truthful?’’ He twitched in embarrassment. ‘’ Um… well there is nothing that great about it, I just found this phone,’’ He said, again holding up the red phone. He was still swelling with pride, but I could see the disappointment in his eyes; he did not get to finish his heroic tale. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Mr. Kessler appeared with a very goofy smile, and said, ‘’ thank you very much, Josh, for retrieving my phone. It would be a pity if I had lost such a valuable phone that was four dollars at the river plaza.’’ Without thinking, Nelson gave the phone to Mr. Kessler`s stretching arms. Mr. Kessler walked closer to the water and threw the only possibility of rescue into the foaming sea. ‘’What!’’ Bella shrieked. ‘’ Our only hope of rescue,’’ Aspen whimpered. Mr. Kessler merely walked away, muttering to himself, not noticing all the astonished faces staring after him. ‘’ So much for that idea,’’ Nelson said, shrugging. I couldn`t help letting out a grim laugh. ‘’ This is really bad,’’ Iris said, trying to hide her smile. ‘’ Maybe…‘’ Her words were cut off by a yell. ‘’Look!’’ Aspen shouted, and pointed to a small boy dressed in bright yellow. This day was full of never ending surprises. The boy was in a little boat that was steadily making its way towards us. ‘’ Rescue… it`s rescue, finally,’’ Bella whispered happily. ‘’ Grow up, it`s only a boy; besides, exactly how could he help us?’’ I pointed out, even though my heart was leaping with hope. ‘’But there must be some adult; how could he be here by himself?’’ Bella argued. During all the fuss, when we looked back at the advancing boat, the boy was in clear view. He had dark, chocolate brown hair and long bangs that hung in front of his eyes; with a pang of unexpected lonesomeness, I realized he looked almost like a replica of Noah. Once he reached shallow water, he jumped out of his transportation and strode over to the shore, where we were waiting expectantly. I noticed that his pants were soaked and he was shivering. His face was wet and I couldn`t tell if it was from the water or if he had been actually crying. The boy smiled wearily. ‘’ Hello, my name is Alex and I`m lost. Thank the Lord that I found you.’’ My eyes turned as big as golf balls; again, the chance of rescue is blown away! Is it all just a coincidence, or is someone preventing fortunate things to happen. Right after the thought traced my mind, I realized how stupid it sounded. After all, how could someone prevent things from happening? ‘’You`re lost?’’ Iris stammered. Alex nodded. ‘’ What`s the big deal?’’ He asked. ‘’ Well, you see, we`re also lost, I mean stranded, I mean… not in a very good predicament.’’ Aspen shook her head, trying to find the right words. Alex raised his eyebrows questionably. Aspen told him everything from CAMP HELP THE ENVIRONMENT to being stuck on an island with an absurd teacher. Lastly, she introduced us to him. He stared incredulously at us. Bella broke the silence. ‘’ So what happened to you? How are you lost?’’ Alex did not seem eager to tell his story. ‘’Well, um, I go to elementary school in Tennessee; we were on a botany class trip. My teacher told us about an exotic plant that no one has ever seen before and I decided to try and find it. I know it was really stupid of me. It was night when I snuck out and took this emergency boat to the water. Soon I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was drifting towards this island,’’ He explained. There was a moment of awkward silence. Nelson coughed. ‘’ Um, why don`t we start dinner? It is getting kind of late.’’ He was trying to change the subject. I guess it was decided that Alex would stay and endure what would happen next with us. He was now a castaway, one more person to add to the group.
When the sun goes down, the mosquitoes come out. We sat around the fire, eating and slapping our bodies furiously. ‘’ This is the last of our beans and crackers,’’ Aspen reported as she slapped her leg. ‘’ Don`t we still have some of those rye crackers?’’ Iris asked. Everybody groaned. The rye crackers Ms. Wright had brought on the trip, because they were healthy, were the grossest crackers ever. Low calories, no fat, nor sugar, and only five grams of sodium; it is like eating cardboard. ‘’ Even if the rye crackers are disgusting, they are the only food we have left,’’ Iris pointed out. I nodded reluctantly. ‘’ Why are you guys talking about not having enough food?’’ Alex asked. He was starting to look worried as if he would rather be in a boat in the middle of the ocean than stay with us. He was also brushing his arms and legs, and rubbing his face constantly; it was clear that he was not used to the mosquitoes. ‘’ Just some minor problems concerning our food stock,’’ Aspen reassured him. Now that was the last straw. ‘’ Just some minor food problems! You mean close to starvation problems!’’ Surprisingly, no one looked shocked at my outburst. We all stood awkwardly staring at each other, Alex realizing when we had said stranded we meant stranded. My anger subsided and I sighed heavily. How I was so angry, I had no idea, but I did know that the predicament we were in was not going to be solved by just standing there, waiting for help to arrive. It was clear: wherever Ms. Wright was, she wasn`t going to be the hero of this story.