The Strawberry Fields

Day One

"So, is this island where all strawberries come from?" Reid asked, looking down at me. I raised an eyebrow, leaning down to pluck one from a vine. I unhooked my arm from his and reached into my pocket, pulling out my pocket knife and slicing off the top. I handed the berry to him and we continued walking.

"No, but the ones in most of Europe do. Since we're so close to Greece, we send them there by ferry and they ship them all over the continent. That's what our island is most famous for. That, and the mountains. They're beautiful." I answered, leading him into a clearing where a bench sat. We sat down and he looked around, taking in the land. I understand why. The island is amazing.

The place was in the middle of a crystal blue sea. The island itself had perfect white sand and green grass when the sand stopped. The mountains were tall and showed beautiful hidden pools and grasslands. The fields sat behind the hotel, where my family lived. The workers and I lived out in the fields, and they only interacted with my family when delivering berries or messages from me. Still, the place was home, and it was wonderful.

"So, why were you out in the field? Do you work here?" He asked. I scoffed and pushed my glasses up, kicking at the fresh turned dirt.

"No. That family out there? The ones that checked you in and carried your bags and probably flirted with you?" I told him, pointing towards the main house. He nodded, a faint smile on his face. That smile, for some reason, made my stomach turn. "That's my family."

He looked at me, a condesending smile on his face. He didn't believe me. Then, his face dropped and he crossed his arms. "You're serious?"

Suddenly, I was angry. Sure, I looked nothing like my family, but that didn't mean he had to sound so stunned. I nodded, standing and stalking away from the bench, out back towards my best friend, a berry loader, Jason. He stood at the edge of the clearing, a truck waiting to get berries back to the main house. I jumped into the back and yelled to Reid.

"Yeah, now welcome to my island. Feel free to get your ass off of it!"

                                                                                        ......

As Jason unloaded the berries from the back of the truck, I watched the guests run around the small village we had acquired when we bought the island from my cheapskate grandfather.

The hotel was the main building, and was tall and made of stone. If the hotel got too full, there were small houses, much like my own, which could hold five people comfortably. There was a down stairs with a living area, and a small kitchen with a dining room. A stairway in the kitchen led up to a bedroom and fully functional bathroom. My hut was a bit smaller, but the same lay out.

All around the blue Ford pickup, children in swim suits ran and laughing, spraying each other with water guns as parents scolded them. My brothers stood and flirted with ditzy teenagers, them only dressed in swim trunks. My parents were down on the dock, tending to new arrivals as the ferry's came in. My youngest siblings played with the other kids, laughing and leading a line of them to the beach. They looked so perfect, I didn't dare interfere.

"So, that guy you were with?" Jason asked, taking crates from the truck and handing them to the others who toted them down to the shipping boats. I rolled my eyes and leaned against the back of the truck, picking at my dirty nails.

"Whatever." I told him and he caught my tone, giving me a smile and a shake of his head. As he pulled the last crate from the truck, my sisters, Britney, Tiffany and Danielle walked up to me, a carboard box in each girl's hands.

"Your packages came." Tiffany sneered, throwing her box into the truck. The others did the same, and I heard things clatter. I winced, reaching for the boxes. As I rummaged around in them, Danielle spoke up.

"Oh, and your tutor's here." She informed me, flipping her hair. I rolled my eyes, watching as the three of them walked away in unison, making teenage vistors swoon. Mr. Nino walked up to me promptly, a smile on his wrinkled face. I returned his smile as he climbed into the truck, taking a seat next to me.

"Hello Dakota. How've you been?" He asked sincerely as Jason jumped into the driver's seat, starting the truck. I shrugged and looked through my boxes again, letting him run over our lesson plans for the day.

Every first day of the month, I send a list to the main house. About a week later, I would recieve a box filled with exactly what I asked for. This way I got what I needed and my family got to avoid me. This time, my boxes were almost overflowing.

I had toilet paper, personal hygenie products, food, more cooking utensils, a new blanket, five more books, some more mechanical pencils and notebooks, body wash, a few more towels, more hand-me-down clothes, cleaning products, and a camera.

"You got quite the haul this time." Mr. Nino commented. I nodded, smiling at the man. Jason called out to us and we left the car, Jason helping us haul the boxes into my house. As I did, I saw a disgustingly familar face passing by. Reid smiled at me and I glared back, sticking out my tounge and slamming the door.

The three of us unpacked the boxes in silence, until Mr. Nino spoke up.

"Um, that boy?"

"Oh shut up."

The two men laughed.