The class of intellectual idiots

Tour guides

At 12:00 a loud, female voice was projected all across the resort.
"All new staff report to the reception area in half an hour. Please wear the resort polo shirts and bring hats and hiking shoes" Colin dropped the pen of the surf instructor review book and glanced at Rick.

"Sounds like Sophie has a new task for us. Our dates will have to wait." Rick slapped Colin on the back and grabbed the review book from him so he could write the glorifying comments of the Italian who boasted that the sun was better in Italy. His surfing was better than his argument actually. Colin saw Matty walking past and he tapped her on the shoulder. Her black, curly bounced against her shoulders.

"Do you know what we're doing? " Colin asked her. Matty stopped and smiled.

" I do, however I'd rather let you two wonder." She grabbed the review book off Rick and walked back toward the reception. A large tour group had just come through, all wearing Hawaiian shirts and broad, straw hats. 'Good luck with that' thought Colin to Matty.

~

Colin pulled the light blue polo shirt over his torso. The brand of the marina was written clearly in a while curly font across the shoulder. Drake was spraying himself with deodorant and Rick was admiring his reflection. Colin was pretty sure it was just to annoy Austin who was trying to brush his teeth but with Rick's charismatic charms, Colin couldn't tell.

" Austin, my man now that you've lost interest in Viola, have you seen anyone else?" Rick asked Austin finally moving aside to let Austin use the mirror.

This was news to Colin. Austin was very fond of Viola last time he checked but I guess things change. Austin finished doing his teeth and placed the toothbrush in his luggage again. Before he could answer, a knock at the boys room occurred. Drake was the closest but was engrossed in his food. None of the others made a move to the door but instead stared piercingly at Drake.

"Drake, the door?" Colin motioned. Drake made a face but walked over and opened the wooden door to a smiling boy in a safari hat as old as them. The boy had freckles over his face and wore thin-rimmed glasses. He had a red backpack on his back with a water tube coming out and wore heavy duty hiking boots. No one was sure who would talk first but the boy spoke in clear voice. "Hi, I'm Andy. I work as the head tour guide for the summer here and today you guys are my helpers. The girls are already downstairs but I can tell you they look up to the challenge."

"Hey, nice to meet you. We're here for two weeks for work experience. I'm Colin, this is rick, Austin and Drake." Colin held out his hand to Andy. Andy smiled and shook it. "We'll be leaving soon, so are you guys ready? It's great to have you all here. Makes working a little less boring but at a hotel it never really is."

The boys filed out of the room one by one. Hats and drink bottles in hand. They met the girls at the desk who were joined by the large tourist group Colin had seen earlier.

"Excuse me, will there be walking on this trip and are you kids old enough to be tour guides?" A man with a large belly and even larger hat asked.

"You'll be perfectly safe with all us here and yes it is quite a hike into the inner bush land but there are pools waiting for our exclusive snorkelling part of the tour, so you'll have time to cool off." Andy said and opened the doors for everyone.

"Hey is there any more room on this tour?" Zac walked up from behind and asked Andy. "Sure, climb aboard." Andy told Zac grinning at him. Andy started up the walk at the front of the pack leaving the gang to scatter about the tourists. Amanda, Clara, Drake,Kate and Mel headed up the front with Andy and Austin, Viola, Lucy, Trix, Zac, Eroca and Colin hung round the back. Rick ran up the front to talk to Mel. Mel laughed at something rick had said and she leaned on his shoulder. Colin was still unsure of Rick's intentions especially because he had a feeling the past was coming back to bite him. Again people would come, they would blame him again. They would.... Colin couldn't think about that.

The hill steepened as the group headed away from the resort. The group was heading towards the mountains and bus land started to creep around the walls like an untamed forest. Lizards mad noises in the bushes and two cars with smashed windows took place buried within a mass of bushes. Colin couldn't help of thinking of the zombie apocalypse. Andy came across a rock wall and instructed the group to remain striding up the steep hill. Andy climbed across the rock wall with ease and Zac ran to join him. The two laughed ahead. Austin was telling Colin about some sort of ghost sorry but Colin wasn't really listening. His mind was still dazzled with thoughts of the incident. All of a sudden, a giant tree branch fell on the road narrowly missing the tourist group an heading straight for Colin. Erica and Lucy had jumped out to the sides quickly and Trix left towards the bushes commando style. Austin held onto a vine and swing into a cliff wall to avoid the rolling cylinder of wood.

If Colin didn't jump now he would fall head first over the cliff into sharp rocks below.