Teen Ink

1: Room Complications

From the deck, I could hear the babbling of teenagers as they squabbled on the shore.
Sighing to myself, I slipped on my sunglasses and put down my book. I got up from the deck chair I was seated on and padded over to the railing, my thongs ensuring quiet footsteps.
I peered over the edge. I wasn’t afraid of my fellow classmates, I’d rather have nothing to do with them. But spending the next two weeks with them was not the way I had planned my summer vacation.
You see, the thing is, my twin sister is with the ‘in crowd’. You know, the one consisting of jocks -or jerks- and cheerleaders. My sister’s a cheerleader, so I can’t say anything bad about them, especially seeing as she’s head cheerleader.
We’re graduating next year, so my sister decided that as a way to start our final senior year, she’d invite half the grade and take them on our boat for two weeks.
It’s not really a boat; it’s more of a mini cruise ship. My dad is kind of a millionaire, hence why we attend a prestigious private school and everything.
I didn’t want to go on the two week cruise but my mother made me, encouraging me to ‘mingle’ with my sister’s friends. Yeah, right.
Not only did I not want to mingle. They probably wouldn’t let me.
My two friends, Sam and Anna, who I hang out with both couldn’t come. Sam was at some sort of family get together thing. She had it every year. Anna’s parents were going overseas so she had to babysit her little brothers so I was stuck by myself.
You see, Sam, Anna and I are kind of nerds. My sister and her friend are jocks and cheerleaders. You see how we don’t mix?
But Mum insisted and here I find myself peering down at the twelve squealing cheerleaders clinging pathetically to their muscular boyfriends. Mark was the only jock without a cheerleader girlfriend from our grade. She was from another school and my sister refused to invite her. I thought it was mean, but my sister and I never saw eye to eye.
I could see my sister clinging to the captain, her manicured fingernails digging into his skin. Her name’s Aurora, by the way. And I’m Belle. Our parents named us after Disney Princesses. Clever, huh? Not.
Joel, that’s her boyfriend’s name, is supposedly the hottest guy in the school. He has messy blond curls that always fall over his piercing blue eyes. Right now, he’s wearing a tight white shirt that showed off his muscular chest as well as a pair of navy blue board shorts.
“Right, everybody!” called my father as he stepped off the boat and got the attention of everyone standing on the pier. “I’m Kyle Harding. You guys obviously know my daughters, Aurora and Belle.”
Everybody looked up at me and I gave them a grimace and a small wave. Most of them don’t even seem to recognise me.
“I hope you all enjoy your two weeks on the sea. My wife and myself are not accompanying you however there are other adults on board who are here to cater to your needs so don’t hesitate to talk to them if you need any assistance.
“This vessel has fifteen rooms for the twenty six of you. I understand you have split off into pairs to share bedrooms. Though there are a couple of spares if anybody believes they need one of their own.”
I shook my head at this. I was not going to share a room with anybody. I had no idea who my sister had allocated me with but I was definitely sleeping in my own room.
“Enjoy your holiday!”
The whooping began as everybody climbed aboard. I hesitated before deciding I should probably go downstairs. On the bottom level, everybody was looking at the room allocation sheet. I peered over their shoulder and found my name next to Mark Southerland.
I rolled my eyes and found my sister, seated in a corner on Joel’s lap. I stalked over to her and grabbed her arm, pulling her away.
“Hey! That hurts!”
And I wasn’t even holding on tight.
“Why am I with Mark Southerland? Why didn’t you just put me in a room by myself?”
Aurora brushed herself off and looked up at me, her mascara laden eyelashes framing her wide eyes.
“Because Mark’s girlfriend is a loser. She doesn’t even go to our school for heaven’s sake. I thought it might be nice for you to get to know him. He’s hot too.”
“And you didn’t think to consult me first because?”
“I knew you’d refuse. Look, if you’re mad about it, just switch to a room by yourself.”
I glared at her. She narrowed her eyes back at me. Over her shoulder I could see Joel watching us.
“Fine.”
I turned around and walked off, picking up the pen lying on the desk underneath the sheet.
“Hi.”
I turned around to see the deep green eyes of Mark Southerland looking back at me. And he was way too close.
I leaned back to give myself breathing room, noting his wavy dark brown hair in the process.
“Hi. Something I can help you with?”
“Yeah. I see that your sister has given us a room together.”
I laughed. “Actually that was a mistake. I’m going to take a room to myself.”
He smiled at me. “Why?”
I stared at him, finding it hard to believe that he was missing the point.
“Because I don’t want to share a room with someone I don’t know. Let alone a guy.”
He looked taken aback. “You don’t think I’m good looking?”
I frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Am I not good enough for you?” he asked, leaning forward.
“This conversation is over,” I replied, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him away from me. Quickly, I turned around and wrote my name against a blank room. Then I went to get my things and move in but not before glancing at my sisters face.
It was clear Aurora had seen the entire thing. And if I hadn’t known better it would almost seem like my sister was jealous of me, getting attention from Mark Southerland.