The Scuba Vampires

Chapter 1 - Antonia

Family is supposed to be there, but sometimes people don't remember that family is love and not money.

This was the case with Antonia. She came from a rich family. They had nice clothes and had a beautiful grand house. However, Antonia did not care much for money. In her opinion, money was just a social construct that had become too much of a defining part of society, it apparently now held the key to popularity, quality of life, social status and now it held the key to love.

Some parents say that your child is your first priority, but some believe that your job and life come first. Antonia's parents were the latter, they cared about Antonia, but loved with money and gifts.

***

Dear Diary,

03/06/2022

Happy birthday to me. My parents haven taken me to some island near the Marian trench called Guam, it's a nice place. But I kinda wish that my parents would just take me out for my birthday not to some random fancy island.

Gloria is still my only friend, but she doesn't even care that much about my birthday. I think she might just be here because my parents said I should bring a friend. I mean like we are going skydiving tomorrow. I do wish she would act more like my friend, and not like I'm some money bag.

Gloria was better before I told her that I was a demi-girl and I used She/They pronouns and that I am pansexual. I don't think she thinks that's ok, or something. But even before that it was like we were just acquaintances.

Anyway, enough about Gloria. I don't really want to go skydiving tomorrow, but I can't really tell my parents that because it costs so much. But I'm scared of heights and it's over the ocean. I'm scared that I'm going to just fall into the ocean and die or something.

I have to go now, my parents booked this tour thing, kinda interested but I don't really want to go.

Antonia Santos

***

"Come one Ant!" Gloria called, "you'll make us late!"

"Okay I'm coming" Antonia yelled back

Once Ant had gotten in the car, the group of four drove to the where the tour was going to start. The white sandy beaches looked out to the horizon of crystal-clear ocean. Antonia sighed as she looked out at the green, shrubs and bushes. She wondered what her life would be like if she had different friends and family. Would she have more friends or be happier. If she was born in a didn't family, would they actually spend time and have laughs together and would this family actually care about her future and help her choose what university she would want to go to, not just saying that she should do medicine. Would they go to pride parades and do culture events just for fun? Would this family care about religion?

Ant was snapped out of her thoughts by a pale hand waving in front of her face.

"Antonia darling, where here" her mother elegant voice floated through the car like a silk thread.

"Sorry, I was just day dreaming" Ant replied.

"Don't get too caught in your mind" her father commented sternly, "you need to be able to keep focused so you can get good grades."

Ant sighed wishing that her father cared more about her then her grades.

Once everyone was out of the car. They waited for the tour guide. Antonia's parents were talking to each other about things they wanted to do before they had to get back to work. Ant and Gloria stood on the beach leaning against two trees. Gloria was talking about some hot guy she had spotted on the way here, but Ant was lost in thought, they thought about all the things she wanted to do while they were here. She debated in her head if her parents would let them go snorkelling on the outer reefs, her parents might say yes if it was for academic reasons but the changes of them saying yes was minuscule, they were too wrapped up in their own worlds to even think about it.