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The sun sat high in the sky just over the town of Tulum, Mexico. The stone road lined with green was peaceful, tranquil. Until the morning call of arriving tourists disturbed Tulum's slumber. And as a single bus, painted beautifully on its side, pulled up along the edge of the old Temple Ruins, the wind blew. Hard.
"We have made it." A tall, lanky man stood from the driver's seat and turned, addressing the handful of passengers. "Please remember to be careful and follow the instructions in your papers. These temples are old, beautiful, but very dangerous."
All but one of the twenty passengers murmured their understanding.
Selena Sanchez sat in the farthest back row, her long waves blocking her face from the sun that came in through the window at her side. With her glasses sitting on the tip of her nose, she held her tablet directly in front of her face. Her thumb scrolled down through her Sci-Fi web group listing; new messages sprang up under her fingertips.
"Seli, did you get there?" one message read.
"Dude, it's going to be epic! Sending you the map now!" another appeared right after.
Before Selena could even open the attachment that came next, her tablet was smacked out of her hands and dropped down on her lap with a thud. A scowl drew back her lips as she looked up at the seat in front of her; at her brother, Roberto. Irritation slipped over every curve of his face as he lifted his brows at her. "Stupid, we're getting off the bus."
Selena mumbled, grumbled, and scooped her tablet back up in her hands. The impact closed the screen and she waited while the buffering circle of death—as she called it—to clear. "I'm not stupid," she muttered to her brother, sliding one leg off her seat. "You're stupid."
Slipping out into the aisle wasn't easy with Roberto right on her tail. He gave her a small push as he huffed, irritation reaching a new level. "Dude, you wanted to come here. I could still be at the pool in Cancun if you hadn't begged mom to let you do this."
Selena's feet landed on grass as she stepped off the bus. The driver stood beside the open door, reminding everyone that he would pick them up in an hour. As Selena appeared next to him, he gave her a smile and a nod. "Una hora, señorita," he said.
"Got it." She gave him a small wave and a nod. "Thank you."
"Yeah, thanks," Roberto grumbled.
The bus shut behind them. Its engine roared like an old bull. And as it pulled off, Selena looked up at the temples of Tulum with excited eyes. In her hands, her tablet dinged with another new notification.
"Is that why we're here?" Roberto snatched his sister's tablet and moved away. With her chasing behind him, he laughed and opened her messages. "Are your dumb nerd friends making you come out this way over some story? What is it now? Aliens?"
