I zipped up the mesh windows of my hastily set up tent, wincing at the thin material that was to protect me from the outside world. I missed home; I missed my luxurious queen sized bed with silk sheets and designer pillow cases. I missed my plush carpet and oak desks. The worst part of leaving home was the food. Apparently nobody thought to bring any cook books, so we had no more pancakes, creme puffs, or anything harder to cook than chicken.
I walked out of my shabby home and began to unload our trucks, desperate for a cot or an air mattress of some sort. I would not sleep on that bug infested ground.
"What 'cha lookin' for Princess?" A tall, egotistical, muscular man I now know to be named Jarren looked down at me with a smirk on his tan face. I rolled my eyes at him, stepping back from my post in the back of the black SUV which was loaded with guns, ammunition, and fishing gear.
"My cot or air mattress- really just my sleeping gear or any of my gear really!" I brushed my blond hair from my face. "Any ideas where they might be?" I added, smiling up at him and widening my eyes for effect.
"Oh didn't you hear? Your stuff is getting air lifted from the White house itself! They're taking your entire room to ensure you have everything you could possibly need." He moves his hand to the side of his mouth as if he was telling a secret. "The President himself said you needed your own water heater and filter, bathroom, and generator- that way you could watch movies and stay warm." He finished with a sarcastic grin. "Check the bed of the truck with the red stripe. I think that one has the sleeping bags and cots. The rest of your stuff should be in that van over there." Jarren lazily raised his hand in the direction of several vans.
"Awesome. I'll get right on that." I turned and walked to the truck, sticking my tongue out at Jarren when he wasn't looking.
"Alex! Alex! Alexandria wait!" I rolled my eyes, turning on my heel to face my father's assistant. He was a short man; his brown eyes bugged out from his face and made his nose look sharper and pointier than it really was.
"Yes?" I bit my tongue, imagining him turning into a llama like in The Emperor's New Groove. The man could talk, I'll give him that. I wondered if it was possible to turn someone into a llama. What was he even saying? When he spoke he fidgeted so much it was impossible to know what he was saying. Something about my dad and Jarren. Oh how I hated that boy. If he were to make me do something with him, somebody might just turn into a llama. I grinned mischievously at this thought but attempted to listen to what the buggy man was saying.
"So does that sound okay?" he finished, making eye contact with me for what I think was the first time ever. Huh.
"Uhh, can you repeat that last part? I got a bit distracted." I smiled cheekily, hoping he would just summarize what he said.
"I said your father would like to speak to you and Jarren in private. So I need you to go get him and find your father. I have no idea where he went." The man said each word very sharply, like each word was a sentence in itself. Wait a second! I have to find Jarren and my dad? NO!! Maybe one of dad's scientist friends has a potion I can slip into Jarren's drink to turn him into a llama. No Alex. Stop with the llama thoughts. This isn't the Emperor's new Groove! I nodded at Mr. Bug, walking away to the direction of the dreaded boy. What if I "accidentally" pushed him into the containers of lighter fluid? Then I could suggest he start the fire with the flint and steel for fun. One spark is all it takes. I laughed to myself and approached the poop head that was Jarren. He was leaning against a truck that had two motorcycles and a dirt bike in the bed.
"Hey Barbie! What do you need this time? Your own private tennis court? A separate fire pit complete with a barbecue and leather sofas?" He smirked, revealing his white teeth; they looked like they belonged in a commercial for an orthodontist. I glared at him, my bangs falling over my eyes.
"My dad wants to talk to us in private." I said, making air quotes with my fingers on the word private. I wasn't too happy about this. It seemed he was though. He beamed at me. I imagined rays of bright sunshine coming from his eyes and clashing against the daggers shooting against mine, sparks flying off impact like there was a plate of glass between the two of us. I wish there was. Glass between us, that is. Heck, six inch metal would be even better.
"Private? Excellent." He winked at me with that last word. I shuddered and walked over to the tent where I thought my father was staying. "Other way Blondie!" Jarren yelled over his shoulder, walking in the opposite direction as me. I sighed and followed after him. Things weren't always this way.
