Stuck on the Puzzle

Chapter 2

"C'mon, Kara, get up, get up! Today is the day!" I'm almost knocked out of the bed by Georgia, who's resemblance is currently uncanny to a six-year-old on Christmas morning.

Today is the day. April 18th.

"Alright, chill out, I'm getting up," I stand from the mattress and proceed to stretch.

"Ugh, do you think you could crack my back? It's aching terribly," I place a hand above my lower back. 

"Sure. Cross your arms over your chest," Georgia wraps her arms around me, picks me up and shakes me until my spine audibly cracks in several places. It causes Georgia to cringe at the sound and drop me.

"Whoa. That feels so much better..."

"Works every time. Anyway, we need to hurry. It's a quarter 'til ten, and we've got to be down at the grounds before half-past eleven. So, go ahead and pack your bag for the day, shower, and do whatever else you need to do before we head down there, okay?"

"Gotcha," I throw an old tee into my tote bag.

"Also, I think everyone's downstairs eating breakfast, so if you're hungry, you should go down now."

Georgia heads out of our room and I trail behind her to the kitchen.

Kasey and Fletcher are sitting down at the dining table with a platter of blackened toast, a jar of Nutella, a jar of blackberry jam, and a large plate of bacon and overcooked scrambled eggs.

"Looks... appetizing," I say sarcastically as I sit down at the table.

"Kasey made it, blame her," Fletcher tears a slice of bacon with his hands.

"It's not that bad!" she stabs an egg with her fork and puts it in her mouth. Her face immediately contorts into a grimace. "Maybe I spoke too soon."

Georgia bursts out laughing, maybe a bit of an overreaction. Fletcher only smirks.

"Where's Hartford?" I question.

"Showering. The water pressure sucks here, by the way. I hardly got the shampoo out of my hair," Fletcher feels around for any soapy residue in his roots.

"I warned you ahead of time, that's why this place was a lot cheaper. Oh, and watch out, 'cause sometimes the water will change temperature drastically on its own, which might cause some problems," Kasey cautions us.

"My shower wasn't too bad," Georgia looks up from her plate. "The only thing I hate about our bathroom is that there aren't any curtains or doors. It feels like a community washroom. It's a good thing the windows in that bathroom are frosted."

Fletcher raises his eyebrows.

"Anyway, changing the subject, has everyone got everything they need for today?" Kasey claps her hands together.

"I've still got to pack a couple things and I need to change, but otherwise I'll be ready," I tell her.

"Okay, well you've got around an hour and fifteen minutes. So hurry up eating my shitty food and get all your stuff together," she picks up two of our plates and heads to the sink.

Georgia poorly spreads a glob of Nutella on a slice of charred toast. I down a piece of bacon and a couple bites of toast quickly so I won't have to taste them properly.

Hartford walks out with dripping wet hair in a pair of khaki shorts but remains shirtless. I can practically feel Georgia's sexual tension in the air. Sure enough, when I glance over at her, she sarcastically shoots me a look and her eyelashes flutter.