Surviving Paradise (Full Draft Version)

CHAPTER 3

"Ollie, which one is to your liking?"

"Miss Mysterious, dark and mysterious"

CHAPTER 3

The hotel lit up against the backdrop of the starry night sky like a castle.  The lobby was beyond beautiful.  Marble flooring, Mexican art, an opulent fountain.  An architectural miniature on display, showed it to be a sprawling luxurious five star resort.   A shuttle had brought them from the airport, and after swiping their key card into a suite on the third floor, and stepping into the room long enough to drop their luggage and make use of the bathroom, they had decided to walk on the dark beach, all of them too wound up to sleep. 

    Sand squished against her flip flops, and as Jane and Ashton walked wrapped together, Allisa caught Will’s hand, and smiled remembering the squabble upon arriving at the resort. 

    Ashton had set his bags and Jane’s in the one bedroom of the suite, leaving Allisa and Will to the fold out couch in the main room.  Jane had protested loudly, reminding her “inconsiderate dumb ass of a boyfriend” that this vacation was Allisa’s graduation present from her parents.  And so much more, but Allisa trusted Jane not to betray that deep secret. Allisa had shushed her friend, insisting that the room arrangement was fine.  The bedroom was like a crypt in the back of the suite, with no windows whatsoever.  The front area ,with the foldout couch, had a balcony overlooking the pool and the beach. 

    She supposed that Ashton, in his chivalry, was keeping her and Will from the privacy of a bed with a closed door.  Even though she was almost eighteen, he was still acting like a handmaid with the key to her chasity belt.  What other reason could there be for his uncharacteristic selfishness?

      In making the reservations, her parents had probably expected that Allisa and Jane would take the room, leaving the guys to the couch.  But Ashton’s angelic nature did not extend that far, he was after all impaired with the xy chromosome.  Whatever his reasons, Allisa was more than happy to have the ocean view to sleep and wake to.

    “You’re such a jerk Will!” Sibling bickering brought Allisa to the present.  Waves could be heard, but not seen, crashing somewhere in the black below the sand dune.  They were all lined atop it, sitting after the long walk down the beach and back.

    “It is what it is.”  Will threw back at Jane, treating her to a scowl before he turned back to the darkness that was the sea.

    A gentle wind ruffled the guys and Jane’s hair, but was tossing Allisa’s longer mane fanatically around.  Capturing the tresses with one hand, she wondered what they were arguing about now.  Will and Jane were constantly at each others throats, Allisa secretly thought it was because they were so much alike.  Both were afflicted with pessimistic personalities, and a lack of any real ambition.  They were content to live day to day, and part of that day to day life was feuding with one another.

    “Forget him” Ashton advised Jane, distracting her with a long kiss. Ashton and Allisa always ended up the peacemakers, and usually a distraction in this very fashion was the easiest.

    “Get a room.” Will admonished.  None of them expected to engage in public displays of affection without being harassed by one of the remaining two.  However, his next words seemed laced with irritation.  “O wait, you have one.”

    “So true.” Smugly, still with no trace of chagrin for taking the only bedroom, Ashton stood and reached to pull Jane up with him.

    The first streaks of light could be seen over the horizon, and Allisa exclaimed, “Wait you are going to miss sunrise, then we could get some breakfast?”