Curves Astray: Book 2 of the Curvy Curse Trilogy

Chapter 1: Hurghada

Hey, guys! This book might be a lot different from the first. I am now 18 (nearing 19 at this point). I began The Curvy Curse at 16, and I still adore the series. However, I like to think that my writing style has changed and improved, while meanwhile keeping the good stuff. My goal is for my characters to come to life, be relateable and realistic, while being admirable. I want my writing to be a true "movie in your head" experience. I hope I've done a good job with that as I began the second book of The Curvy Curse trilogy. Thanks to all who've stuck with me, and to my good friend EternallyUnavailable for editing, helping me brainstorm, and kicking me off my butt to start writing when I find myself dejected by writers' block. Not to mention being a devoted fan throughout all of this. :) Happy reading!

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   My nose pressed slightly closer to the window of our plane as we flew slightly lower. The clouds looked thin from here, and the land looked like a patchwork quilt. I looked over my shoulder, expecting Rogue to be eagerly peering out as well; despite the assumption, I'm not surprised to see him looking at a sleeping Josefina. Her black lashes cast shadows on her face as the sun begins it's descent over the city of Hurghada, Egypt.

Josefina was adjusting surprisingly well. She'd maintained a silence, however, which I could tell was close to sending Rogue off his rocker. He'd spoken of her before, a happy but strong-willed girl. She'd gotten into trouble often, but she was too lovable for him to stay angry at. This girl was nice, but quiet. She mostly stayed in her room, looking for jobs and smoking blunts. I'd been surprised at that when I walked onto the back deck to find her, but apparently it was fairly common on her island and it wasn't illegal, so what could I say? She didn't seem like a bad kid.

   I reached out and took Rogue's hand, thumb rubbing across familiar veins and tendons. He didn't look up at me, but the squeeze I received in return was enough to know he was alright. He's been a bit down, doing everything he could to bring her out of her shell, from trips to the beach to tickets to Disney Land.

The sound of the speaker crackled in the air, and then the pilot'a smooth, low voice met my ears.
"Alright everyone, we will be touching down in Hurghada, Egypt within a few minutes. Uhh, please have on your seat belts and make sure that any and all electronics are off."
This was it.

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    After collecting our luggage and going through meticulous security, we'd made our way outside and hailed a cab. There were only a few wisps of clouds, and the deep blue of the sky stood out even more starkly from it. The sun blazed down relentlessly, and we all released collective sighs of relief when we dove into the air-conditioned confines of the car. Josefina was curled up silently by the window, reading a story off of Wattpad on her phone. I considered downloading the app myself. She'd shown me some stories, and I hadn't expected how many good writers were on there.

Weaving through traffic, we eventually turned off onto a cobblestone back road. The sun faced us this way, and I squinted as I attempted to look at the house. I had never seen where my family lived; they always visited me. Pulling up, my eyes met a relatively normal looking tan house with burgundy shutters and a brick roof. Was this the right address? My eyes slid around searching for clues before landing on a plethora of African statues for protection outside of the front door. I grinned.

     "This is it, sir," I said, ready to get out. He looked at is quizzically before asking us something in Arabic. I blinked, and was shocked as both Rogue and Josefina responded back smoothly in the same tongue. The man nodded with a laugh, and Rogue pulled out a wad of bills. It looked like far too much, and my suspicion was confirmed as the man's eyes nearly bulged from his sweating face. Rogue said something again, and the man responded quickly and enthusiastically with what I assumed was a thank you. We got out, quickly grabbed our luggage, and were left in a small cloud of dust as the man left waving cheerfully out of his window.