❝Survival is all that
matters.❞
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Dedicated to friendships everywhere; platonic soulmates are indispensable.
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"Welcome to Jurassic World."
As Claire carried on with her tour, her voice maintaining the same professional lilt that rang monotone in Adelaide's ears, the girl followed dutifully, careful to blend in with her surroundings. The first sip of her already cold coffee filled her mouth with a bitter tang. She grimaced, but was quick to smoothen her features. One might presume being an assistant is an easy job---run around, fetch papers, act like a respectful little minion and keep your head down while you're at it---but Adelaide knew better. Claire Dearing was truly a force to be reckoned with; the woman had an insanely busy schedule, and that meant her young assistant's was the same. Still, Claire was good enough of a boss to cut any mental complaints short.
Adelaide was the youngest employee of Jurassic World, having just turned seventeen a couple of months ago. That hadn't mattered when she'd been hired, and would still not matter as long as she did her job right. She had beat the countless other people interviewing for the job, most older than her. But her hardworking and ambitious character succeeded at piquing Claire's interest, and that had been enough. With nobody waiting on the continent, Adelaide's home was the park, and she had come to know it like the back of her palm. As she trailed after the beautiful, suit-clad redhead, Adelaide reminisced of her beautiful bungalow on the edge of the forest, which awaited her after the end of each day---she barely contained a wondrous sigh as she mentally pictured her bed, the soft pillows, the warm sheets . . . Adelaide snapped from her reverie and set her sights on Claire once more, taking another discreet sip of her awful coffee. She needed to be on her best behaviour while on the job to keep up with the CEO's expectations. Daydreaming wouldn't be tolerated.
While the other woman presented the lab to a pair of investors, Adelaide scanned through the files strapped to the clipboard in her hand, losing track of time. Sooner than she expected, Claire was at her side, and both strolled down the clean, white halls.
"It looks like I'm finally free to go to the. . ." Though Claire's expression was somewhat joyful, she still trailed off. "My nephews are bound to arrive today, in about . . . oh, only twenty minutes! I've been meaning to ask a favour of you."
Adelaide braced herself. Claire gave orders. She didn't ask favours of people. "Of course."
Claire pressed her lips together. "Can you please look after them for a while? Zara can't stick around the whole day."
Though the request sounded like a complete chore---Adelaide more or less despised kids, and living in a theme park certainly helped make matters worse---Adelaide knew she couldn't refuse. Thus, she nodded slowly, taking in the smile that had begun to stretch Claire's bright red lips.
"Thank you so much, Adelaide. I'll call Zara and tell her to meet you at the Innovation Center."
Without any further delay, she walked off, and Adelaide held her ground until the click-clack of high heels was merely a faint echo. The teenager sighed deeply. She'd never been a fan of spending time around little kids, and now she had to make sure they didn't get lost in the largest park they could've possibly ended in. Adelaide checked her outfit, which resembled Claire's, for any coffee stains---because she was always a klutz---and tied her black hair into a high ponytail, the heat already unbearable despite the early time of day. She wove through thousands of people on her way to the Innovation Center. Each and every one of them was charmed by the park, she could see it in the way their eyes sparkled as they took in their surroundings. Adelaide didn't stop to stare as they did; she'd already had time to explore it whenever Claire wasn't in need of her.
Shooting a look to the watch strapped to her pale wrist, Adelaide hurried towards the Innovation Center. Pushing one of the massive doors open, she almost ran into a pack of children staring in awe at an Apatosaurus hologram. Some were already latched onto their parents' sleeves, begging them for souvenirs. It didn't take Adelaide long to spot Zara in the crowd. The woman was impatiently tapping her heel-clad foot onto the marble floor, looking around her with a hint of annoyance and desperation. Adelaide strode towards the woman. Relief washed over Zara's features when she saw Claire's other assistant.
"Finally, Woodsen." She shoved a bundle of folded papers in Adelaide's hands. "The boys' tickets and VIP passes. Have fun, I suppose?"
Before Adelaide could say anything, Zara had already spun on her heel and left---without even, Adelaide realised, startled, pointing the young woman in the direction of the children she had to tend to.
But that wasn't an issue for long. Someone cleared their throat behind Adelaide, and when she turned around, her gaze fell onto a young boy, his blue eyes peeking from beneath his shaggy, blonde hair. A polite, wide smile stretched his lips.
"Hi. You must be Adelaide?"
Adelaide offered him a contained smile, bending so they were on the same eye-level. "That's me. What's your name?"
"I'm Gray," he said. "And that,"---he pointed over his shoulder---"is my brother, Zach."
Adelaide found herself searching for another boy that seemed to be Gray's age. Instead, she met the placid gaze of a boy that most certainly was not prepubescent, a pair of bulky headphones drawn over his messy, chestnut hair. The boy---Zach---dropped his eyes back into the lit screen of his mobile phone.
Adelaide straightened, walked up to him, extended her hand. "Adelaide Woodsen. You must be Zach."
His eyes were hazel, she realised. Light and dark at the same time, wary in the way everyone sane's were upon meeting a stranger.
He took her hand, shook it. His voice was laced with suspicion when he asked, "Where's Aunt Claire?"
"She had a meeting to attend and send me to . . . make sure you have fun," Adelaide promptly answered, barely avoiding the use of the word babysit.
"Just so you know, we were doing just fine on our own," Zach noted, pulling the headphones back onto his ears and walking away.
Adelaide felt Gray's fingers on her forearm. "Ignore him. Zach's not very good with new people," he explained.
Adelaide shrugged, unfazed. "It's okay. Do you wanna see the T-Rex get fed?" she suggested.
A euphoric grin spread onto the little boy's face. "Is that even a question? Let's go!" he shouted and grabbed her hand, already running.
They passed by Zach and pushed their way through the massive crowd, getting into the log placed into the T-Rex's paddock shortly after. Adelaide helped him get in front of the crowd so that he could see what was going on. She had already seen the gruesome show multiple times, until she decided that watching a goat get torn apart wasn't one of her favourite activity.
Averting her eyes, Adelaide focused on Gray's shocked gasps---which didn't sound disturbed even in the slightest---and when the mass of people began moving, she hurried to get him out.
"That was amazing," Gray concluded breathlessly, arms akimbo. "Zach, do you want to go to the Mosasaurus feeding?" he asked his brother, who nodded without even looking up from his phone.
Gray didn't seem to be bothered by the other teenager's dismissive behaviour, but to get his spirits up just in case, Adelaide promised him on a hushed tone that she would show him some secret locations after seeing their next attraction. Gray insisted they get seats in the splash zone, which certainly didn't make her too giddy, but she eventually gave in. Shortly after occupying their seats, a dead Great White shark was dangled from a rope above the huge tank. It was lowered only by inches before the Mosasaurus jumped out the water to engulf its prey and fell back down, sending a wave of water onto the three.
"That," Zach panted, unable to hide his amazement, "was awesome!"
Adelaide couldn't help but laugh as everyone around them clapped, stunned, clearly enjoying the prehistoric period brought back to life right in front of their eyes.
* * *
Before the trio realized it, Zach, Gray and Adelaide were staring at the magnificent tropical sunset, warm flashes of purple and orange smeared across the darkening sky.
"Alright, guys, it's time to head back to the resort," Adelaide announced. "Let me just find those papers. . ."
But looking through the passes Zara had handed her left her empty-handed. There was nothing regarding the island's luxurious resort.
"I guess Zara forgot to give me the documents for the resort rooms. . ." Adelaide sputtered, her thoughts scrambled as she scratched her jaw. "Well, I guess that means you have to come spend the night at my bungalow."
"Woah, you have a bungalow?" Gray demanded. "I bet it's so exciting to live on your own."
The walk to Adelaide's home wasn't a long one, but, taking into consideration the thickness of the forest and the utter darkness, it was bound to take them a while.
After quite some time, the older brother's voice was the first to be heard. "How far do you live? Do we have to get off the island to get there?" Zach grumbled.
Adelaide shot him a glare through the darkness. "No," she retorted, pushing a fern out of her way, "plus, we're already here."
The fence surrounding her small bungalow was adorned by gleaming, delicate lights that gave her home a hazy, comfortable look.
"Nice," Gray marvelled as Adelaide opened the gate, leading the boys into the front yard. The short, white stairs were almost invisible in the darkness, but the golden glimmer around them revealed the main door.
The boys had everything they needed inside their backpacks, so there was no need to help with the luggage. Inside the wooden bungalow that bore an exotic atmosphere, Gray inspected everything, but not before requesting to use the bathroom to wash his hands, fingers sticky from cotton candy and the other sweets they'd indulged in.
"You have the figurines?" he inquired, bedazzled by the tiny plastic dinosaurs resting on one of Adelaide's shelves, between some of her novels and a dinosaur-shaped digital clock. "I've been trying to collect them all since I was, like, five."
His bewilderment made Adelaide chuckle, which was followed by Zach muttering something along the lines of such nerds under his breath. The girl looked at Gray, who was staring intently at the figurines, as though they were pure gold nuggets the size of a Stegosaurus.
"You can have them if you'd like," she mused, peeling herself an orange. "I got them for free anyways and I don't really collect dinosaur stuff, considering I live right next to them."
The look of shock on the boy's face was priceless as he stormed over and caught her in a bear hug, thanking her over and over.
"Well, you're definitely the greatest dinosaur enthusiast I've ever met, so you're very welcome," Adelaide said.
Zach rolled his eyes in response, and Gray began stuffing the figurines into his backpack, with such care that one would have thought they were precious, fragile gems. Adelaide offered Zach half of her orange in an attempt to loosen him up. He begrudgingly accepted. The girl turned on her TV and let the boys wander around as she went up to her room and took a shower, removed what little makeup she had on and hopped into a pair of shorts and a shirt.
"If you need anything, I'm in the room next to the bathroom," she instructed, showing them to their room, her guest room.
"Hey, Adelaide, can I ask you something?" Gray said right as she turned around, thoughts of her cosy bed flashing through her mind.
"Go ahead."
"Why are you the only employee under the age of eighteen?"
"That's a story for another day, kiddo," she smirked, saluting them as a soldier would. "Goodnight, boys."