Voyage to Atlantis

Chapter One

Six years earlier


Casey Lenox bobbed his head to "Nobody's Home" by Do or Die as he walked into the basement party a few blocks from his home with a few friends. He pulled at the brim of his Girbaud jeans with red stitching before he smoothed out his red tee. Casey's pink tongue slid across his plump lips as he nodded in approval at the view ahead of him. Girls were everywhere, maybe every fine girl in Michigan City. Casey had lived here with his mom for about four years and he was never really impressed but tonight everyone seemed to be on a higher scale.

It was the beginning of summer 2005, the summer before his senior year at Michigan City High School. A home boy of his was throwing this party since his parents were out of town and everyone knew Casey didn't pass up a party. His mom had signed him up for some science and engineering camp at Loyola up in Chicago next week so he knew he'd have to party it up this week before leaving. The camp was only five days, but that was five days of his summer that he wouldn't get back.

He watched his black and red 13's as he moved through the crowd to get past the dj booth. He could see a few girls trying to peek under the brim of his fitted hat to get his attention and he'd nod at them and smile. His dark brown eyes sparkled from the effects of his herbal habit as a short, round girl accidently slid her butt against his jeans. He gently touched her hip and she turned to face him and smiled. The petite girl did a snake move, rolling her backside to the slow beat of the song. Casey slowly swayed with her, giving her leverage to do what she wanted. She threw her hands up before bending down to touch her sneakers. Still bent over, she kept her left leg straight while the right one twisted and her hips rolled, pushing her butt into a circular motion against his pelvic bone.

He laughed a little about being able to see clear over her head. He wasn't the tallest guy, being only 5'9 but she was real short. It was kind of cute.

The dj mixed a few Do or Die songs together as they danced and out of the corner of Casey's eye, he could see his boy lighting a blunt. He took that as his cue before patting the girl on the side of her butt. He licked his thick bottom lip before running it along the front row of his teeth, passed his gap, as she stood up straight and slipped him a number before walking off. Casey adjusted his hat before heading in the direction of the smoke. Next week he wouldn't be able to smoke at all on Loyola's campus, so he'd seize the opportunity right now.

"You getting with her later?" his homeboy asked of the girl who just finished dancing with him. Casey looked in her direction for a second before shrugging his shoulders. He wasn't the average 17-year-old. It was true that he didn't have many standards but at first glance he knew if he was feeling a girl enough to keep talking to her. If he didn't feel it, he saw no point in even continuing the conversation.

He licked his lips again as he watched a dispute develop between two girls and couldn't wait to get away from Michigan City. It was too small for him and everyone knew your business. He thought about going back to Georgia but having moved when he was 13, he wouldn't really know his way around. It didn't stop him from applying to a few schools down south though. All he could do now was wait.





"Lacey, you do too much."

Lacole Knolls smiled at her best friend before stuffing the itinerary she just received from her counselor into her purse. She flicked her long, black ponytail off her neck as the hot Chicago sun caused her olive skin to glisten.

"Nik, you're just mad because you have no life, sweetheart," Lacey said with a fake smile. Nikki pursed her lips and her eyebrows arched and she frowned. Lacey laughed at her best friend's facial expressions before they took off down the sidewalk for the bus stop.

"But for real, what is this camp about?"

"It's s a science and engineering camp at Loyola for like a week. We get to stay in dorms and go to college classes and stuff. They want more minorities to be in these programs so it's all free and stuff," Lacey said, showing her excitement.

"It's just people from here?" Nikki asked.

"No, it said all over."

"I'm going to have to come check you out so I can see what types of dudes are into all that smart mess," Nikki said. Lacey slapped her shoulder before standing up as the bus turned the corner.

"You know I'm not on that," Lacey said, flipping her phone open to stare at her screen saver. Nikki leaned over and groaned.

"Please don't start your Aiden kick today."

"Don't hate on the love, Nikki!"

They both laughed. Lacey blew a kiss at her phone and laughed at her own silliness. She and Aiden had been together since the Christmas of her freshman year. He went to another school and stayed about an hour away so they only saw each other on weekends when Lacey went to her aunt's house near his place.

He was graduating this weekend, a year before Lacey was. She couldn't wait to go to his graduation. Lacey loved Aiden's family and knew she¡¦d have fun while celebrating her boyfriend's graduation.

Sometimes Lacey wondered why Nikki always got on her about Aiden. She even went as far as to try and set Lacey up with guys at their school. She couldn't stand any of them but she was content with Aiden, even in their distance. Nikki never seemed to keep a boyfriend too long. She was every bit of pretty. Her maple skin was a few shades darker than Lacey's and she was a few inches taller very slim. She got teased about being so skinny but she wasn't too bad. Lacey loved her best friend's slanted eyes because it showed off her heritage. She also loved that they had the same fashion tastes. Nikki's hair was currently a mixture of auburn and dirty blonde. Lacey's mother never let her color her hair.

"So what are you getting your boy for graduation?" Nikki asked, flipping her hair over the hood of her coat as the pair took a seat on the right side of the bus.

"He wants me to pay for this tattoo he wants."

"What?"

"Supposedly he's getting my initials but I don't believe him," Lacey said, waving her arm and glancing out of the large window.

"Lacole, he is crazy. He has enough tattoos."

"It's his body."

Lacey was getting a little irritated with Nikki's judgments of Aiden so she changed the subject. She went over everything she was supposed to do at the camp next week and soon it was time for her to get off at her stop.

Lacey adjusted her purse on her shoulder as she made her way down her street. Her cell phone rang and although she didn't want to answer because she was so hot, she knew it was Aiden.

"I should burn this school down," Aiden said harshly. Lacey tried to hold her laugh in.

"You don't even have to see it anymore after Saturday."

"Yeah yeah, what's up with you though, you see about coming on Friday? I'm trying to get an early graduation gift."

Lacey bit her lip and shifted through the fence to her house. Aiden had been bringing up them having sex for a few months but Lacey wasn't trying to hear it. It wasn't that she didn't want to, she was just scared to death. She didn't know too many 17-year-olds who were still virgins, but then again she didn't know many 17-year-olds who had a mom like hers.

"She's not going for that," Lacey said. "You have to come get me Saturday morning."

"Ma, you going to hit the train, I can't do all that Saturday morning."

"Aiden!" Lacey whined, stomping her foot as she turned away from her front door, not wanting to argue in the house.

"Don't do that, Cole."

His voice was stern and he used the nickname he¡¦d given her that no one else could. She huffed.

"Fam and everybody is going to be here, Ma would snap out if I left for two hours."

"You're right," Lacey said. "You buy my ticket already?"

"It's on reserve. I got you, ma."

Lacey smiled before pulling her key from her purse and finally going into the house.

"I can't wait to see you graduate, bucket head."

"I can't wait to see you."

Lacey blushed as she looked around to see if her mom was home. The living room was calm and unoccupied so she put her things down before walking into the kitchen.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in so long," Lacey pouted.

"You haven't been to your aunt's since last month."

"They've been tripping with me. It's too many people in that house anyway."

"It's not like you stay there when you come, Cole."

"Well don't worry you'll see me in two days," Lacey said, hearing the agitation in Aiden's voice. "Let me start cooking before this woman gets home."

"Alright, call me later, baby."








Lacey pushed her duffle bag around her back as she struggled to get off the bus in front of Loyola's student center. She huffed before looking around, trying to calm her attitude. She hated riding the bus with luggage but since her mom didn't have a car she didn't have a choice. It took her about fifteen minutes to find the Simpson Living Learning Center. There was a large sign out front that welcomed those coming for the engineering camp.

Lacey straightened her back and pulled the strap of her duffle bag before walking to the entrance. A few people were coming in with their parents but she quietly slipped past them to get to the front desk.

"I'm checking in for the camp," Lacey said. She was asked for her ID but when the woman looked at her name she frowned.

"You're Lacole Knolls?" she asked. Lacey frowned and nodded. "Oh, okay. Give me a second?"

"Is there something wrong?" Lacey asked. Without responding, the woman called on a man who was walking past the desk. They talked for a second before looking up at Lacey, who was now hot with irritation.

"There's been a mistake."

"Am I not registered?"

"No, nothing like that. We just assumed you were male and paired you with a male."

Lacey's confusion faded before she laughed a little. It rarely irritated her when this mix up happened. She had never known a guy named Lacole but apparently they existed.

"So who's getting kicked out of the room?" Lacey asked, pushing her duffle bag off her shoulder and unto the floor.

"We have an empty room on the girls' side of the floor. Are you okay rooming with yourself?" he asked. Lacey quickly nodded. The man said something more to the woman before handing her a key.
"Follow me, I'll show you where you'll be for the camp."

Lacey wasn't one to believe in bad signs, but already getting mixed up for a guy let her know not to get her hopes up about this camp. She followed the woman up one flight of stairs before they turned left unto a hallway. It was pretty quiet except for a few people walking around. They stopped at the first door on the left.

"Here's your room," she said, opening the door and letting Lacey in first. "The bathroom is right out here on the right and you share it with the room to your left. You may or may not get a roommate depending on registration but as of now you have it to yourself."

"That's fine," Lacey said, placing her bag on the bed furthest from the door. The room held two twin beds on opposite walls, separated by two desks that were side by side. There were also two small dressers and a little closet on the opposite side of the room. White walls and plain sheets, the room was pretty boring.

"Your itinerary shows you have about half an hour to get settled before orientation which will be back in the lobby."

"Okay."

Once she was gone, Lacey put the key she was given in her front pocket and unzipped her bag. She pulled the sheets off the bed and put the ones she'd bought from home on the bed along with her favorite body pillow with the leopard print pillowcase. After folding the discarded sheets and setting them in a corner, she slid her bag under the bed and decided to roam around.

The packet said there was a computer lab that they would have access to, so once she found it, she logged on to Facebook. Even though she wasn't enrolled in college, she'd taken duel-credit courses through high school so she had a college email address to be able to join the social network.

She always checked Aiden's page before she did anything else. There were so many girls in his town that sent her crazy messages about him cheating and were always posting on his wall. Lacey rolled her eyes looking at one girl's post.