Uncharted Territory

Ch. 1 Surprise

"Cooper HURRY and come downstairs, dad says he has a surprise for us!" I hear my brother yell outside of my door.

I exit the youtube video I was watching and get up from my bed. Walking into the kitchen I see my whole family sitting at the table with grins on their faces, my dad's being the biggest.

"So what's up?" I say while smiling, "What's the big surprise?"

Dad sighs and straightens himself in his seat. "Okay so I was rewarded today at work for doing a great job on the presentation with the big merger we did with another company. So to show their appreciation and gratitude for my hard work I received a very big bonus and an all expense paid trip to wherever we want to go at the beginning of summer!"

All of my siblings, me, my mom, and grandparents erupt with cheers for my dad. I feel tears start to come up because not a lot of people know, but it's been pretty rough the past couple of years for us and to hear this was literal music to my ears. Money has been slim around here, and when I say slim I literally mean everybody in our home had to get a job and work because we could've been homeless. My Dad lost his job seven years ago at another big company. The CEO of the company turned out to be a real sleaze ball and was pandering money from the investors. Which led to the company shutting down and everyone with the company losing their jobs. It was on the news everywhere for a while, so this news that we are currently getting is really a breath of fresh air.

"So where does everyone want to go?" my mom says while holding on to my dad. "I don't care where we go as long as I can eat my weight in food when I get there", my brother says high fiving my little brother.

"I'm on the same boat as Ian'' my little brother giggles, agreeing to what Ian said.
"Hey, since Ryland mentioned a boat, what about a cruise?"

I scrunch my nose up at the idea my Dad just mentioned. Me and big bodies of water don't see eye to eye.

"Mmmmm NO definitely not!" I say with a frown.

Dad pats me on the while laughing and then says "Well we have time to think about it, how about we set up a jar and whenever anyone of you think of the perfect place you would like to go write it down, stick in the jar, and once everyone has done that we will just pick a place from the jar?". He looks around the room and everybody is nodding their heads in agreement, then he glances over at me.

"How about it bud, sounds like a plan?" I give him a side hug, "It's perfect!" I say.

"Good now that, that is settled let's figure out what we are having for dinner because Im STARRRVVIINNGG.." Ian says slumping over the counter. "All you do is think about food, I'm surprised you're not as big as our house right now" I laugh as I walk past him heading to my room. He throws a roll of paper towels at me and I duck. "You're just jealous I look better than you do." "Whatever helps you sleep at night Ian" I giggle jogging up the stairs. "Hey coop?" I hear my dad yell after me. "What about dinner?" "I'm fine with whatever you guys decided on, you know I'm not picky at all"