Sanders Inn

Chaos

Growing up I was much of a loner to say. I didn't have much friends nor cared to have any honestly. I had made many temporary friends at the hotel. I didn't go to parks and play with other kids, I didn't go to birthday parties, and I didn't participate in after school activities.

My life was here at the hotel, somewhat by force and choice. I liked working in the kitchen with my dad doing little stuff such as getting onions or washing up the dishes. And I liked working with my mom at the front desk or back office. When Fraya was around, Vinny and I used to follow her around the hotel as she did her duties of room service and cleaning.

As I got older, my interest in the hotel had chipped out severely. Fraya had ran off, Gideon was starting to distant himself from us, and Vinny's anger had gotten out of control. Fraya was the nail that kept this family and when she left, things went downhill. Not the hotel though, the hotel business had accelerated, but the family was damaged.

We all found ways to cope with the loss of Fraya. We never understood why she would get up and run off without a trace. All we knew was that she left and married Nate. There was no phone number, no social media, no address. The last we've heard from her was about two or three years ago when she wrote is saying how she graduated from university and how she had gotten a good job.

Dad burned the letter later that day.

Gideon was the closet to Fraya out of all of us. Seeing he was the second oldest behind her, they were very close. He was always a quiet kid but after Fraya's departure, he barley spoke to us. Vinny looked up to Fraya because they had the same interest in the hotel. Vinny always saw Fraya as competition and swore he would inherit the hotel before she did. Then there was me. Fraya and I were like the typical sisters. We argued but our love and bond was deep, and it cut me deep.

So when I was a little around fourteen, I had found a bottle of wine. Being the inquisitive person I am, I drunk a sip. The tangy fruity taste was unappealing, but yet I still took another swig at it. Twenty minutes later I found myself laying on my floor unable to think straight. I felt good but I felt a bad good. I dozed off eventually but when I woke, it was the worst feeling ever. I hid the wine bottle under my bed as my mom tended to me thinking I had a "stomach virus." I tried it again a few weeks later and as time progressed, I became accustomed to the alcohol and effects to it.

So when I woke this morning feeling dizzy, I wasn't in worries, but I did feel like shit. The night before was a Friday night and my good friend, Jamie, had dragged me to a party an hour from Coral Cay. It was a graduation party for the next towns private school and a selected amount of people were invited . Jaime was invited and was allowed to bring one guest. I guess it was something for the population control for the party.

I objected immediately seeing that we had work the next morning at the hotel. Jaime worked alongside me at the hotel but as a waitress in the restaurant. My dad made sure that we're far away from each other as much as possible when working.

Since Jaime was so persistent and convincing, I agreed but only for a few hours. I had left the hotel early that night and made a claim that I was sleeping over Jaime's house for the night. Since I was always over there, they dismissed me without a question. Of course Vinny was onto me, but he never dared rat me out. I had much dirt on Vinny as he had on me. I'm pretty sure dad wouldn't approve of him sneaking into hotel rooms at night with random girls...

"Be safe." He told me as I left. I almost didn't believe that was his words. Kind gestures or words from Vinny is almost extinct.

The party was in full effect as soon as I got there. I tagged along behind Jamie since I didn't know anybody, but the first place I wanted to go was the bar table. It's been a whole month since I've had a drink. I had to stay sober because of my finals exams. I wasn't trying to take a test with a hangover.