Cruise - Lauren Cimorelli

2

"Oi!" Jacinda's familiar voice wakes me up from my never ending nightmare. Her smooth, calming voice always used to make all the demons in my head go away, even if I was supposed to be the one protecting her. "JJ's been here for literally an hour and you've slept through everything."

"Shoot!" I let the words leave my mouth without even realizing - whipping the blanket off of of my tanned body; trying to let my eyes adjust to the light as I do so. Squinting, I force myself into a standing position - literally not hesitating to run downstairs to where I can hear my older sister, her laugh echoing throughout the house.

My footsteps heaving as I climb down the stairs rapidly, going as fast as my feet can take me. Drawing attention to myself as I continue to almost fall down the flight of stairs. "JJ?" I call out, hoping to hear a response.

"We're at the table Armstrong!" The unfamiliar nickname rolls off of Lisa's tongue, one that almost makes me feel welcomed into their hearts in a sense. Warmth radiating off of her voice once more, after the way I treated Lauren last night, she seemed distant, cold in a sense.

Stumbling to the right of the stairs, I manage to spot some of the Cimorelli's, Lauren, Lisa, Katherine and a few of the boys who I don't know yet.

Finally, my eyes lay themselves upon the one person I was dying to see, her almost blonde hair falling way past her shoulders, her back turned to me completely - almost as if she hasn't heard my voice. Running over to her, feeling no shame at all, I throw my arms around her which makes her jump. She turns around slowly almost as if she's afraid before her blue eyes light up with happiness. A wide grin now placed upon her face as she stares into my eyes.

"I missed you," she whispers before punching me softly in the arm before patting the seat next to me, urging me to sit down. "Mom's not doing too great," she informs me before I can even think about asking her. "I assume she'll be in hospital for a little while longer."

"Oh," I reply bluntly, trying to show no emotion in front of the Cimorelli's. I have this fear of showing weakness as I don't want to appear needy to those around me, I don't want people to think they have to comfort me either when they really don't have to. I can normally push through things myself, the only people I've ever cried in front of are my immediate family. Not even my best friend. "How long?"

"Maybe another week and a bit," she shrugs before shaking her head; her hair almost flicking me in the eyes as she does so. "I don't know."

"Oh," I answer for the second time, wanting someone to change the subject so desperately, even for them to look away from the pair of us would be nice. "I guess we'll just have to wait it off."

"Sure we do," JJ shrugs before turning to Katherine, who is sitting right next to her. To my right is a small boy with dark brown, curly hair. His eyes are the same color as his eyes which kind of intimidate me even though he's about ten.

"Hi," I begin - slapping him on the back gently in a friendly way, trying to get his attention in a sense. "I'm Vesperia."

"I know," he replies loudly, almost as if he's proud of himself. "They always talk about you." He continues, completely oblivious to the fact that the girls around us can hear and see him. "I think that they think that-..."

"That's Joey," Lisa cuts in before he can finish his sentence; her eyes wide with an emotion that almost looks like fear, glancing to another boy, who is slightly older than myself she narrows her eyes before he whispers something to her, so quiet that nobody else can hear. "Why don't you go and find Christian and Nick, Joe? I think they're upstairs playing video games."

The young boy leaps out of his seat before I can even blink, running upstairs - his feet thudding against the wood like mine did before as well because he is moving so quickly.