Paradise

Sunrise

I woke up and breathed in the scent of sea water. It was salty but I caught the slightest scent of vegetation and realized I was lying on my back on top of the patch of leaves and branches that Stephanie made for everyone. The leaves ruffled underneath me as I slowly moved my head to my left side. Holly was faced towards me asleep and still curled into a ball. A tiny green leaf was plastered to the side of her face and it moved in and out as she breathed in and out. I could still hear everyone else's slow breaths and figured they were all still sleep. I went to get up but a heavy object prevented me from doing so.

I turned my head to my right and trailed my eyes over Jace's still figure. He was still asleep thankfully. His floppy, black hair blew with the breeze and occasionally covered his eyes. His eyes raced back and forth under neath his eyelids and a small smile twitched at his lips. I couldn't help but smile a bit and wonder what he dreams about. His arm was at a weird angle and I noticed it was wrapped neatly around my torso. I didn't know if I wanted to scream from pure shock or maybe even joy? So instead I just laid there and did not move. I didn't want to wake him up if I moved but I had to get up or at least out of his grip.

'And they said Seth was touchy feely.' I laughed to myself.

I shifted under the weight of his arm but it didn't budge. I tried again to slide out of his grip and moved towards Holly. I watched his arm slide onto the leafy patch with a small thump. I exhaled relieved and carefully crawled my way off the leaves and onto the sand. My mission was a success and I stood up with a big stretch. The air was warm but not humid which made it comfortable. But the sunrise was absolutely remarkable. The sun was a perfect shade of orange and rested just above the horizon. It illuminated the sky with a shade of light shade of pink. I still couldn't believe we were stuck here. A place so beautiful, full of life and yet, I knew deep down we didn't belong here.

I turned back and took a good look at the group. Seth was sprawled out across the green patch. His left arm supported his head and his right arm laid flat on his stomach. Both of his legs took up most of the bed and Jace was pushed towards where Holly and I slept. No wonder he was so close. I glanced over at my sister. Part of me still felt irritated by her remarks from last night, but I pushed away each emotion and forgave her. After all she was my sister. Stephanie lied on her left side and still faced towards the fire. The flames were burnt out now and left behind charred sticks and coconut shells.

I walked over to the palm trees and looked through my suitcase. All of my clothes were dry and slightly unfolded. I wanted to change out of the clothes I had on and feel more refreshed. I decided on a navy blue crop top that had the word Nerd written in white across the chest area and navy blue floral printed skirt. I wasn't too fond of just wearing the skirt so I added a small black pair of shorts for underneath. I gathered a fresh pair of undergarments and my red polka dotted towel. I looked back one last time at the group and when I noticed they were all still asleep I slipped into the forest and headed for the lagoon.

Once I reached the lagoon, I checked my surroundings and placed my belongings on top of a dry patch of rocks away from the waterfall. I took off my clothes and dived into the crystal blue water. I felt odd being "open" in the lagoon, but thankfully no one else was around. After a good rinse I quickly toweled down and put on my fresh pair of clothes. My hair was still damp but it didn't bother me since it kept my neck cool from the warmth of the air. I felt refreshed after what happened yesterday. As I walked back towards the beach, I wondered how long we would all be here. Wondered if anyone else could be around or if anyone would find us here. I know my parents must have had a heart attack by now since neither Stephanie or I have a use of our cell phones. And what about Jace, Seth and Holly's parents? They all must be worried, well maybe not Seth's since his parents are never around, but still. I cleared the forest and was back onto the beach in a matter of minutes. I was shocked at how fast I made it back to the beach. Before felt like forever, but I didn't give it too much thought afterwards. I draped my towel over the boulders to dry out and placed my dirty clothes into my suitcase.