Morrijack - when life gives you lemons

...Life...

     "Mog, we are leaving in a hour!"
     I got up from my bed. "What?!"
     "Can I go inside?"
     "Oh, um... Sure."
     Jupiter opened the door to my room. "It's already six in the morning. We have to be on the ship in an hour. The Unit will arrive in ten minutes, so I would recommend you..."
     "... to get dressed quickly and go get that bunch of kids before they break down your door like the last time," Fenestra interrupted him and threw a black lace-embroidered dress on my bed. And the pattern on it...
     "Fen... Are those lemons?"
     Fenetra looked at me blankly - carelessly - and went out the door.
     With my mouth hanging open, I turned to Jupiter who was playing with his lemon patterned tie.
     "You're kidding me."
     He raised his eyebrows innocently: "You know when Juvela gives you lemons..."
     "Juvela?"
     "And who else would sew these?"
     I sighed: "When Life gives you lemons..."
     "You make a lemonade, of course," he replied. I went into the bathroom with my clothes in hand. "Yeah, I guess..."
     "What else would you do?" Jupiter said.
     I started combing my hair, saying: "Juvela would sew the dress. You would make the lemonade. Lam would return the lemons..." I suddenly realized that I had no idea what Hawthorne, Cadence, or the rest of the Unit would do. I'll have to ask them.
     "Maybe. But what would you do?"
     I straightened my clothes and left the bathroom. "I don't know."
     "Or you don't want to tell me."
     "Hm... Maybe."
     Jupiter took a breath to say something, but someone knocked on the Wunsoc's door.
     I opened it and Unit 919 walked into the room. They weren't dressed like a typical black kill squad.
     Actually... Everyone dressed the way they liked today.
     Mahir was wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans.
      Francis was wearing a shirt with three buttons on the neck and pants that reached his knees.
     Anah wore a summer dress with colorful flowers.
     Thaddea had very... pink t-shirt and turquoise shorts.
     Lam wore a gray top with an eye on the chest and black leggings.
     Arch was wearing a green shirt and white shorts.
     Cadence was dressed in gray jeans and a navy blue top...
     Oh, and Hawthorne... Shorts with fish of all sizes and colors and a bright orange T-shirt.
     My eyes suddenly hurt...
     "Hello," Jupiter said, quickly counting us out. "How good. All here."
     I looked around. There were only nine of us together. I wanted to tell him that we are missing someone, but Jupiter had already run out of the room and disappeared in the corridor.
     "But..."
     "Wow, I can't believe we're going on holliday. And all together! I've never been anywhere else in my life but here, or the Highlands. And you, Morrigan?!" Hawthorne began as he stood up to me.
     Confused, I nodded, but I wasn't paying attention. Not really.
     "Go down to the foyer," I mumbled and slipped through the half-open door.

• • •

     I wandered around the hallways, but everywhere was empty.
     After a few minutes I gave up and went down to the foyer.
     I was waiting for him.
     He didn't come.
     Never mind, maybe next time. It's okay... he'll only miss two wonderful weeks on an almost empty dream island in the middle of the Albertine Ocean...
     On the way down the stairs, I took a rucksack from the room with things that I will want to have with me on the ship, and not somewhere in the suitcase.
     Jupiter's friend from Jet-Jax-Jaida got ready. A yacht for twelve people will be waiting for us in the delta of Juro, which will take us to the island, where we will reach tomorrow morning.
     As I was leaving the room, I looked at the frame by my bed. It was a collage of different pictures from different times. Me and Jack skating on the lake, Unit 919, Fenestra swinging on the chandelier, Jupiter and his nephew with their legs on the table...
     "Mog? Let's go!" Jupiter shouted at me from the hall.
     -The sleeping guests must be happy...- I thought. I locked the room and ran down the stairs.

• • •

     "I'm going to snorkel and do cartwheels, and... Wow, do you think there're going to be water dragons? Homer said there are water dragons in the sea," Hawthorne talked and talked as we walked along the piers looking for the right yacht.
      "I don't think there are any dragons. Then they probably wouldn't let us in there, would they?" I shrugged.
      "And even if there were any prehistoric creatures, they would run away the moment they heard your shout," Cadence blowed him off.
     "But there's a volcano," I said, feeling that Hawthorne maybe needed to hear a pleasant answer, even though I agreed with Mesmerist.
     I looked around: "It can't be that hard to find a yacht for twelve people, can it?" I asked as we passed ships of all shapes and sizes.
     "There," said a voice behind me.
I stayed behind to have Lam walking by my side. She pointed to one of the larger ships. A boy came out of the cabin and talked to the helmsman.
     After a while, he ran down to the pier and came out to meet us.
     Jack was wearing black knee-length pants and a white shirt. His top buttons were undone and his feet bare.
     Lam pushed me forward: "See, told you he was coming."
     I just stared at Jack in silence and said nothing.
     He rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey guys."