Runaway- Book 1 in the River and the Romanovs series

Isabelle Davis

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" Reygan cried and slammed a pillow onto my face. "We're going to the city in a little bit!"

"Let me sleep. Sleepy. Stayed up all night again." I groaned before grabbing the pillow out of her hands and plopping it over my head to block her out.

"Ugh! River! Tomorrow's the big day!" she cried. "And you don't want to be the one that doesn't have clothes and food, do you?" she asked, so close that I could feel her breath on my ear.

I threw the pillow off me and lifted my back up. "Fine! I'll get up!" I said before I rolled out of my bed and crashed onto the floor.

Reygan shook her head. "Why do you always fall on the ground when you get out of bed?"

I shrugged. "Because it's easier and requires less energy." I groaned.

"Whatever, just get up and get dressed. Ms. Beklyn said we leave in half an hour."

"I can be ready in 5 if I tried, Regs. I'm going back to bed." I placed my head on the floor.

"Um, no you're not. You do this every single day. WAKE UPPPPPPPP!!!!!" she shook me.

"No! I'm too tired!"

She said nothing, but I heard her walk over to her desk. A sound as if she put something down or picked something up occurred, and her footsteps walked back over. A moment later, I felt a flood of cold water over my head and dripping down the rest of my body, followed by a chuckling Reygan.

"REYGAN TIFFANY JOHNSON!!!" I screamed. "I'VE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THIS!!!"

She laughed harder, to the point where she was almost crying.

"Now you up?" she chortled.

"Thanks to you." I grumbled. I pushed myself up and leaned against the cold metal bars of my cot bed. "Ok, now I'm up. Time to get ready for the city." I said, then pulled myself up and strode over to our brown trunk. Opening the third drawer, I chose a purple short sleeve shirt, blue jean shorts, and a pair of dark blue Converse. I walked over to the door, crept out of it, strode the few yards to the bathroom that was just down the hall, and went in to change.

"Anyone in here?" I knocked.

"Umm, yeah!" a voice called back. "Isabelle Davis. And you're name is?"

"River Johnson. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too!" she said happily.

We stood there in silence for a couple minutes, before she asked. "So, are you going to St. Petersburg?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Yep! Maybe we can walk around together, and get to know each other better. Just a suggestion!"

"Um, sure! That would be cool." I replied, and secretly shrugged to myself.

"Great!" she said. "Oh, I'll be out in a minute so you can change."

I chuckled. "Thanks. I would not like to go to the city wearing a t-shirt and gym shorts, with a side of Medusa hair!" I said.

"Yeah, I don't think that would be super great! Especially because I've hear that the Romanovs are going to be there today! I'm so excited!"

"Wait, the Romanovs? Like the Tsar and his family, Romanovs?"

"Yes, silly!" she laughed. "There isn't another Romanov family in Russia!"

"I'm sorry! I'm dumb."

"I thought you were the smart one."

I burst into laughter and keeled over. "No! That's my twin, Reygan. How we were raised."