Spring Break Fever

Chapter 2: Arrival

"Thanks," MJ replies, stepping inside with her bags.

"Do what you want now, but dinner is at eight. A car will come pick you up at seven forty-five, so be ready." her mom tells her, not even giving Peter a second glance. "And Michelle? Do something with your hair before then, okay? Kyra and John will be there."

"Yeah, whatever," MJ rolls her eyes, and Peter looks at her hair, wondering what her mom sees wrong with it. "Come on, Peter, mom's got a spa appointment to catch."

"Thanks, I do," her mom replies, leaving then. No goodbye. Peter can hear the click of her heels against the dock as she walks back down. 

"Are you okay?" Peter asks, looking at MJ, who is looking around their own private bungalow curiously.

"What? Yeah, why?" she asks, laughing a little. He can tell she's putting on a face so he can't see she's actually hurt by the way her mom treats her, but he doesn't push further.

"Never mind," he laughs, scratching the back of his neck. "So...we have to stay together?"

"Unfortunately, yes," she sighs, setting her bags down beside one side of the bed, marking her territory.

"I don't know, I just assumed we'd be, like, separated. I mean, that's a normal thing parents do, right?" Peter asks, looking around. It's just one, big room, with a bed against the back wall, a small kitchenette on the right side, and the bathroom on the left. Except that entire bathroom "wall" is glass overlooking the water. Which, funnily enough, has the shower and bathtub against it. It's completely see-through from their room, which means MJ and every fish in the ocean will see him bathing.

And yes, this would be an amazing experience if they were actually together. But to have absolutely no privacy whatsoever while having to share this one room with a girl he doesn't even like has its drawbacks. At least the toilet has its private room, though.

"My mom doesn't care if we sleep in the same bed," MJ shrugs, walking over to examine the mini fridge and everything inside it. "She probably encourages it."

"Oh," Peter nods, slightly confused about why she would encourage that.

He shakes the thought and walks over to the bathroom. He steps into the shower (probably the biggest he's ever seen in his life), and looks out at the water surrounding them. It's a perfect view from here. "God, this is breathtaking."

Just then he hears a door open, so he turns around and sees MJ walking out through a different door they came from, one beside the bed that he hadn't noticed before. So he follows behind her, quickly learning that they have their own private porch. There are two wooden chairs there, and then small steps that MJ is walking down. Peter follows.

"Wow, this is so cool," he laughs, the steps descending to a small platform on the water where they can easily climb off for swimming.

"We still have an hour before dinner—I'm going swimming," MJ smiles a little, pushing past him to walk back up the stairs and back into their room. Peter follows behind, but she shuts the door before he can get in, saying, "I'm getting changed into my bikini, creep."

He would normally complain, but he just turns around and admires the pure beauty in front of him—the blues, the greens, and the contrasting orange from the setting sun.

Before he even realizes it, MJ's out and walking past him barefooted down the wooden steps to the water. "Hurry up and put those swimming trunks on, Parker."

Peter actually has to do a double take when she passes him. No, he's never found her ugly at all, but then again, he's never looked at her in that way. But now that she's here, in her tiny yellow bikini, he wonders how he never has seen her this way before. So tall, so graceful, so... pretty.