The door clicked open on her third try, flashing a rather vile shade of green that reminded Max of the view through the taxi's windows, as they zipped past modern skyscrapers, barely concealing the lush greenery of the mountains cradling the city. The only difference between the two was the mountains seemed suited to be displayed among all of nature's and man's treasures, rather than against eggshell painted doors in a dimly lit hotel corridor.
Wheeling her battered suitcase through the threshold, her eyes did a wild assessment of everything in the room from the deflated pale bedspreads, to the lone table already armed with of a box of cigarettes and an ashtray for those seeking a specific type of pleasure, and surrounded by two awkward armchairs. The sun's rays, streamed in from the open windows, illuminating the aluminum lamp, that was as stiff as a corpse was placed on the bland desk. She wrinkled her nose, as she looked down and discovered dark patches among the simple carpet. Max didn't want to know what had caused those stains either. Fuming with disappointment she abandoned her place by the threshold and tossed her backpack onto the bed furthest from the windows, claiming it as her own.
Her mother had said we would be staying in a five-star hotel. She was sure that the room would barely receive a 3-star rating if she were standing in the United States. Although she did chastise herself for being naive, as she roughly lifted her suitcase, sending its wheels spinning as she laid it flat against the floor. Whether or not Max was satisfied with the quality of her temporary home , she was stranded here for the next few weeks, so she had to make the most out of what she had. Dusting off her palms she stood up and strode toward the desk ,curiously opening one of the drawers looking for nothing in particular. Although she had had nothing in mind she did find a tiny remote hidden in a velvet case and pointed it at the tv.She'd brought enough entertainment with her ( a phone, a laptop, a tablet and e-reader hybrid), but all of it was still tightly packed among the rest of the possessions in her ginormous suitcase. Max didn't care if all the shows she scrolled past were all foreign programs, she just needed some sort of noise to fill the dead silence in the room. Eventually settling on a show with a more than energetic couple singing tunes she plonked herself upon her bed, hand brushing her backpack along the way.
She couldn't help her rapidly dropping eyes. She hadn't slept in over a day and was already trying to avoid dragging her feet while she waited in the lobby for her room key. Her wavy hair fanned out around her all Max felt like doing was staring at the rooms ceiling, finally able to concentrate on her thoughts.
Max had gone through two flights, one layover, and one haphazard taxi ride to get to the hotel , where hundreds of other campers were installed. The strangest thing about the place was how the lobby and conference centers was a big circular building ringed by identical structures containing the guest rooms , cafeteria, and recreation center. Wandering around the complex, eyebrows creased Max had stupidly not realized that each of these was numbered and the first digit of her room matched the building number. She'd taken off from the lobby eagerly as soon as she had been handed her key since her mother had told her to not wait for her since she had some business to take care of.
Max wondered if her mother had found her room yet. Sitting up she zipped open her bag and fished her phone out, planning on typing a text informing her mother on the hotel's unusual layout. When she pressed the power button she realized her mother had already messaged her twice since she'd last seen her. Picturing her mother lost in the complex and texting her for help , Max swiftly read the messages.
HI! I'm in my room now. Just wanted to tell you that I'm in the room next to yours - Mom
P.S. you can come over now if you want now, just remember we're going to dinner in an hour
Realizing she'd no longer have to make a wild dash , all over the hotel , and asking the other guests if they'd seen a woman in a striped t-shirt with a suitcase, she laid on her back again, writing off a quick message. Having a room next to her mom, wasn't the greatest news Max had ever received, after all, it severely limited her options when it came to socializing. She hadn't been thrilled when she'd found out her mother had signed up to become a counselor at the camp. It meant that whatever wild things she'd hoped to get up to at a camp halfway across the world, were limited under the supervision of her mother. In her subconscious she'd pictured wiry Asian guys, angrily clubbing her with math textbooks ,in retribution for something her mother had done. It seemed like she would have to find someone else's room to crash at. Which meant making friends.
