THE SUN WAS WARM on your face as you laid in the clearing, the skylight bathing you in fresh light. Your phone sat in one of your hands, a group call with the two friends you had made in the park on speaker, and Foxtrot curled beside you. His rhythmic breathing was nearly enough to lull you to sleep--if it hadn't been for Rift and Liam's droning.
"Are you even awake?" Rift scolded, her high-pitched voice a jarring noise. You flinched, stirring the velociraptor awake as he huffed and moved away in search of his previous meal.
"Yeah," you sighed, sitting up.
You watched the animal move away, recognizing just how large he had become. It had nearly been a year since you had had your incident with Hoskins and met Foxtrot. That little baby had become nearly six foot in that span of time, easily dwarfing Owen's raptors.
His aggression levels were much higher, however. At one stage, he had become very rebellious and hyper aggressive, even towards you. Your body suffered many scars from those days, others from accidents or rough play.
He had settled down as his hormone levels balanced out, becoming a beast you could trust your life with. But your friends were sure to repeatedly remind you that he was still an animal--a predator at that.
"Are you guys doing anything today?" you asked, breaking their conversation.
"Nope!" Liam was the first to answer, his voice startlingly enthusiastic. "Did you wanna do something?"
"I'm free too, it's mah day off today," Rift added with a small chuckle.
You smiled, "You guys wanna go get some food, maybe visit some of the attractions?"
"Again?" Rift sighed. "We've done that thousands of times now!"
It was true. You lived on the island due to Owen's employment, as he was your only legal guardian and you refused to stay home alone for an indefinite amount of time. Rift was a few years older than you and Liam, and was actually employed at Jurassic World. She mainly worked at the petting zoo, with the baby herbivores. But that meant she had a residence on the island as well.
Liam, however, came from a very wealthy family that was in league with Masrani. Both him and his little sister, Lizzy, were models for ads and reviews on the park. This meant that his father put in the effort to build a "home away from home" on the island for long-term photoshoots and business meetings. Liam preferred remaining on the island anyway.
You think you all preferred the island. It didn't seem like any of you had had very many relationships or enjoyment before meeting each other.
You smiled to yourself. Those two had helped you learn how to love life once more, as well as offering the kind of bond you could have only wished to have with your big brother. Instead, you hardly even see him anymore.
You had been given a permanent hotel room, since his bungalow only held one bedroom. You enjoyed the privacy anyway, and the private jacuzzi helped.
"Could go hiking or catch a movie. Or go swimming or something," Liam offered, his voice trailing off as he listed them. He became awkwardly silent.
"Swimming sounds nice," Rift piped, "I haven't done that in ages! Could hike out to a spot and swim in the ocean!"
You nodded to yourself; it was a hot, sunny day, and you couldn't even remember the last time you had gone to an actual beach. But then your stomach rumbled, "Could we get food first?"
"Wouldn't it make more sense to get it after?" Liam asked, to which you reluctantly agreed.
"'Kay, then it's settled; we'll go swimming and then go out to eat!" Rift sang, her voice prickling your ears.
You said your goodbyes before ending the call and rising to your feet to give a final goodbye to your Foxtrot. You patted the end of his snout affectionately, the raptor offering you a rumbling purr-like sound.
"See ya later, Foxy," you gave him a soft smile before leaving his enclosure, making sure to lock his door with your key. Then you began the pain-stakingly long journey from the tucked-away building to the main park. You wished you could drive.
By the time you had changed into swimming attire and met with Rift and Liam, the sun was high in the midday sky, beating down on your shoulders and face. The careless small talk that passed between the three of you slowly turned toward Foxtrot and the other raptors the further away from the crowded Main Street you got.
The trail you followed was overgrown and abandoned, leading to a secluded beach Liam had found with his younger sister previously. Unfortunately, Lizzy was unable to join you after being sent to Camp Cretaceous, of which you and Rift helped Liam see her off.
"Do you think Foxtrot will ever see the real world?" Rift's voice was a soft whisper, nearly carried away by the breeze.
You could see the way Liam tensed, as if suddenly uncomfortable with such a question as they both turned their attention toward you. You lifted your gaze toward the sunny sky with a half-hearted shrug.
You hated how confined and isolated your velociraptor was, but Hoskins was unable to create more raptors or expand his paddock since his experiment was technically discontinued. At this point, Hoskins was simply using you and Foxy as his own private experiment.
You knew how he felt about these creatures; only wanting to sell them off for war. But you never took it seriously; Hoskins was a stupid man. The chances of him achieving his "dreams" were slim. Yet, the idea still plagued your mind; Foxtrot being forced into a war, used as nothing but a killing machine. A weapon.
"I dunno," you finally said. "I would love for him to see the world some day, but it doesn't really seem probable right now."
Liam's hand grazed yours, a gentle smile on his movie-star face, "I'll buy an island all for him."
You turned your head to hide the flustered smile. You had never been completely sure how you felt about Liam; he had always been a brotherly figure to you, but he was also extremely attractive to you. And not to mention how sweet and gentle he could be. But you also never really clicked with him; he was quiet, closed-off. It was hard to bond one-on-one with him.
"C'mon!" Rift's exclamation startled you as she raced ahead, kicking up the sand from the beach as she darted for the water.
You and Liam shared a glance with a grin before chasing after her, abandoning your towels and cover-ups on the warm sand before diving in.
The three of you spent a few hours splashing and sunbathing and sharing stories. The bond you shared with them was surreal; they truly were your favorite people. Your face hurt from the many laughs you all shared by the time you were getting ready to pack up and leave, sand in your scalp and stuck to your feet.
As you began heading back toward Main Street, you heard the horn in the distance of the incoming ferry, marking the new arrivals. However, your phone began to ring, causing a confuzzled expression to cross your face as you checked the number.
It was Claire.
She was Owen's boss--and his ex. They had had a fling during the beginning of your move, but they had broken it off quite quickly as Claire didn't enjoy Owen's rugged nature. Despite their toxic relationship, you had remained quite close to Claire. She often claimed you reminded her of her sister or one of her nephews, giving her a familial comfort as she dearly missed her family.
You answered the call, placing it on speaker as Rift and Liam listened in.
"Y/n?" Claire's voice was breathless, "Is there any way you can do me a favor?"
"Yeah, what's up?" You glanced toward your friends absently.
"Zara had something come up. Could you please grab my nephews from the ferry? They're visiting for a week. I'll owe you tons," Claire pleaded, to which you sighed.
"Yeah, I got it," you reluctantly agreed. "What are their names?"
"Zach and Gray Mitchell," Claire sounded relieved. "Thank you so much, Y/n!"
You exchanged good-byes before hanging up with an exasperated sigh. You pinched the bridge of your nose.
"Greaaaat," Rift huffed, earning a glare from you. "There goes our dinner plans."
As she said that, you realized how empty your stomach was, making your reluctance and irritation grow as you trudged along.
"You didn't have to agree," Liam said. He touched your shoulder with a furrow of his brows, "If you want--"
"No, it's okay," you cut him off. You brushed his hand off with a half-hearted smile, "You guys go and shower. I'll see you later!"
With that, you bounded away into the crowded Main Street. Rift and Liam shouted after you, but their words were lost to the wind as you rushed toward the docks.
The ferry had already arrived, the passengers spilling out into the street. You had no idea who you were searching for, sending Claire messages asking for pictures. But she didn't respond as you waded through the crowds, hopping to try to see over the sea of faces.
You glimpsed the confused face of a black-haired boy and approached, anxiety crawling into your gut as you, embarrassed, tapped his shoulder.
When he saw you, a dumbfounded grin spread across his face. His eyes sparkled as if he had just won the lottery, "Hey?"
"Hi--are you Zach or Gray Mitchell, by chance?"
"We are!" a younger boy popped into view from behind the older one, his fluffy curls bouncing around his freckled face. "Who are you?"
"I'm Y/n," you introduced yourself, offering them the brightest smile you could muster despite your hunger beginning to dissolve into irritation. You gestured for them to follow you, "I'll take you to your aunt."
"So," Zach shoved his hands into his pockets as he matched your pace with ease, his strides much longer than your own. His hazel eyes were locked on you, almost burning into your skin from the intensity. "Why'd Claire send someone so young? Do you work here?"
You fought the urge to nod your head, "No. My big brother does, and he's my guardian, so I just moved here with him."
"So how do you know Claire?" Gray asked, his curls bouncing as he walked beside you, gripping his fanny pack tight enough for his knuckles to turn white. His blue eyes were darting across the crowd.
The impulse to reach for his hand in a comforting manner came over you, but you shoved it aside. You had just met the kid; it would be severely inappropriate of you.
You guided them through Main Street, and into the main building. The Visitor's Center was the largest building on the street, offering multiple activities, holographic education centers, and even a mini museum. You had visited it too many times; having the majority of the building memorized. You led them through the hologram of a parasaur, which fascinated Gray.
He ran to the control panel and began mumbling facts about the species to himself, glancing toward Zach, who ignored his existence. You noticed the longing in the boy's eyes, which moved you to approach him yourself.
"What's your favorite dinosaur?" You asked, leaning down beside him.
"Uhhh," Gray paused to think, "I'd have to say a brachiosaur! They're so big."
You giggled, stifling another growl from your stomach. "Mine's a velociraptor. Not the scientifically accurate ones, though, they're way too small. I love the ones we have here."
"I read about them! They're like, six feet tall!" Gray exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet. His freckled face was flushed with excitement.
"Closer to seven," you winked at his astonished face before waving for him to follow the rest of the way. You glanced toward Zach to find his eyes still locked on you, but his expression had changed. Instead of the sly looks he had been shooting your way, this one was soft and genuine.
You brushed it off as you spotted Claire, waving at her from the bottom of the stairs. A brilliant smile sprouted on her face, and you could see the genuine exhaustion behind her eyes.
You had always felt pity for the woman; working her life away thousands of miles away from any of her family, too busy to stay in contact. You returned her smile.
Gray ran to her to wrap her in a hug, Zach following at a much more reluctant pace. You hung back, feeling as if you were intruding on the familial moment.
An arm wrapped around your shoulders, startling you. Your head whipped around to find Liam, "What the hell! Are you stalking me or something?"
"Maybe," he joked, brandishing a foam box of leftovers as he released you, "Nah. You took too long so Rift and I had lunch, but I got you some food. How's it going with Claire's nephews?"
"Just fine," Zach's voice sliced through the conversation, an icy glare directed toward Liam. "Who are you?"
"I bet he's her boyfriend," Gray mumbled.
You waved your hand dismissively, but you noticed Liam's ears flushing as you said, "No. Just friends. He's been living in the park for a while now, too."
But you turned toward Zach, voice becoming stern, "What's it to you, anyway?"
That shut him up. He shoved his hands back into his jacket pockets and averted his gaze--coincidently, right toward a group of teenage girls. This infuriated you.
But Liam's leftover box eased your anger as you took it, taking a piece of pizza from it to snack on as Claire approached you from stepping away for a call.
"Hey, Y/n, could you take the boys for a tour? Zara isn't available until tomorrow. Is that okay?" she asked, to Liam's visible dismay.
Reluctantly, you agreed. Gray was adorable enough, especially with his puppy-eyed stare he directed at you. You gave him a half-hearted smile.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Liam asked, a gentle hand to your arm. You loved the softness he had to him.
"Nah, I've got it. I'll catch up with you tomorrow?" You gave him the brightest smile you could summon, giving him a pat on his shoulder. He pushed your hand away, instead bringing you in for a tight hug.
"If he gives you any trouble," his voice was low against your ear, "give me a call and I'll handle it."
Then Liam left you with the Mitchells. You were frozen in place for a moment, stunned by the baseball boy's sudden actions; he had never been very protective before. It made a strange heat enter your cheeks.
"You guys are cute," Gray piped in with a broad grin.
Zach huffed, pulling his hood over his head, ruffling the ebony hair.
You looked away with a flush, "S-so, let's go to the petting zoo?"