Hidden Underneath

Ready. Set. Go

        The street lights were drowned by the ominous night sky.

         Alleys and sidewalks intertwined, suffocated by either dormant or moving cars. Dark clouds hung over the cramped apartments. Some were vacant, but others were illuminated. Shadows of strangers danced across the partially lit sidewalk as Jane Brown walked home from lacrosse practice on a dark and humid day.

       She was already drenched in sweat, so the sudden storm clouds which brought a mild drizzle cooled and purified her golden skin and bejeweled her wavy auburn hair.

        "I could stand out here forever," Jane murmured as she stepped up onto the porch of her miniscule townhouse in Trenton, New Jersey.

        But she couldn't, Jane had important things to do. She could never be, and had never been, a normal teenager. She had to watch her 8 year old twin brothers, Colton and Connor, because her 13 year old sister, Meghan, couldn't do it alone. Her mother worked a twelve hour shift and picked up the slack for others everyday, so she was rarely home. This is how it always was for seventeen year old Jane Brown. She was the glue that held her broken family together. Jane had to fill in for a dead father, and constantly working mother trying to pay the bills.

        Nancy Brown had to somehow manage to pay for her daughter's college next year. One spring and one summer left until Jane leaves for her dream college, a college on and island in Bimini, a chain of Caribbean Islands, where her father went to become a doctor. Jane could go to many division one colleges with a full scholarship for any sport she plays, which includes basketball, lacrosse, and soccer, and for academics, but there still were other expenses to pay. Nancy would have to hire a nanny without Jane to help her. and buy Jane plane tickets to visit whenever she decided to fly home and visit her family. Also, dorm room and book expenses were necessary.

       At least it was Thursday. There was one more night and one more school day to endure before Jane flew to her Uncle R.'s house in South Bimini like she had done for every spring break since she was ten.For some reason, this year felt different to Jane. Maybe it was because it was Jane's senior year and she was more mature and sure about herself, or maybe it was because it was Jane's last spring break of high school. Anyways, this year would be different, and it had to be her best one yet.Not only that, but Jane was different too. She was confident in herself and who she would become.      

        Trivial high school drama and gossip wouldn't matter when she was in college next year. Jane was confident that she would become somebody and not jump from job to job like her mother had done. She would study Marine Biology, and become someone with a steady job, a steady life. She wouldn't have to worry about money or an affordable house to live in, or even making sure her children were going to a good school. Jane's kids will have everything that she didn't have as a child.

        When Jane got home, she took care of her siblings, fed them, and then began her homework. She listened to her Pandora station of 5 Seconds of Summer and jammed to their song, Good Girls.When a song called Paradise by Cody Simpson came on, and it got Jane thinking about South Bimini.She brushed her teeth and her hair with a giddy feeling, and smiled when she thought of what was to come the next day.

        "Tomorrow is Friday," Jane whispered out loud as she lay on her bed in the darkness of her sea green beach-themed room. She lay on her bed and thought about the next day's events, and before long, drifted off to sleep with butterflies ever lingering in her stomach.

        Jane woke up with a smile on her face and a gleam in her cobalt eyes. Today was the day that she had to face to achieve the best spring break of her life. Little did she know, this was the start of something big that would change her whole life.Today was the last day that she had to face to achieve the best spring break of all her days. The day seemed like a week to Jane. She breezed by her Calculus test, and eagerly handed in her Literature paper. One by one, each class passed, as did the day.

        Finally, the 8th period bell rung and Jane was off to her house.Jane ran the whole two miles home with ease. She almost had a head-on-head collision with a parked car mid-sprint as she turned the corner. As soon as she stepped into the door, she dashed up the staircase of her home and grabbed the suitcase that had been packed and re-packed for a month. Jane kissed her mother, brothers, and sister goodbye.Reluctantly as always, Mrs. Brown let go of Jane as and a cab pulled to the curb of their urban house.

        Jane lugged her 20-ton suitcase into the trunk of the cab and sat in the car. She rode to the airport and began the boarding process with little to no problems. Jane slipped on her headphones and sank into her seat.

        "Just two hours," Jane mumbled as she drifted off to sleep. Jane woke up, yawning, as the pilot announced their landing."It cant be time already," she moaned. "Just five more minutes" Jane added as she began to shake off her drowsiness.

        Once she was fully awake, Jane became restless she waited for the plane to land on the beautiful island. After what felt like a century, Jane finally landed in beautiful Bimini.She got her luggage from the baggage claim and searched for her Uncle Robby. When she didn't see him after ten minutes, Jane became anxious. Uncle R. was never late and was almost always waiting for her long before she landed.

        Just before Jane was about to give up, an extremely tall and muscular blond boy of about eighteen, she guessed, with emerald-green striking eyes tapped her on the shoulder. She could obviously tell he was a native of the islands, judging by the surfer-boy appearance and golden tan.Oh my, she thought. He looked like he stepped out of a Hurley or Quicksilver magazine.

        "Excuse me, uhm, are you Jane brown?" He asked in a deep and melodious tone.

        "Yes, I am," Jane answered, trying to match his tome with equal purity. It didn't really work much. "Who are you?" She added more successfully.

        "I'm Aster," he said as he held out his hand. Jane shook it furtively. "I work for your Uncle and he sent me to pick you up, if that's okay with you. He's been very busy lately, and apologizes that he couldn't make it here himself." He told Jane, without a flaw in his speech.

        "Um," Jane stuttered. Somehow she was certain he wasn't lying and trying to kidnap her. "Yes, that's fine. Lets go," she added confidently. Aster took Jane's bags and helped her into a cab.

        "22 Willow Street," Aster told the driver. They drove for about fifteen minutes before Aster broke the silence."So, um, have you been to the islands before?" He questioned. Jane thought that he had seemed nervous, and worried that she had made him uncomfortable.

        "Yes, every year since fifth grade," Jane answered, trying to be more open and not as awkward. "Didn't Uncle R. tell you that come every year?"

        "No, he didn't mention anything about a gorgeous girl coming and staying with him until this morning," he said confidently. Jane blushed furiously and Aster put his head down.Too open? Jane thought, and smiled.

        "I see," Jane answered

        "I go to University of South Bimini," Aster spoke, "and i work for your uncle to help pay for my dorm and other stuff that the parents don't pay for."

        "Really?" Jane asked ecstatically. "I want to go there so badly. That is my dream college." Jane bit her lip before she could say more. She didn't want to be ranting on about her lifelong dreams.

       "Cool," Aster said nonchalantly. "Maybe I'll see you there sometime."

        "What are you studying?" Jane asked, trying to sound calm and collected. She didn't want to blurt anything out again and have his gorgeousness think that she's totally crazy.

         "I'm studying to be a marine biologist," he answered enthusiastically.

         "That's interesting," Jane told him. As she looked out of the window, she had forgotten how beautiful the islands were. All around her were palms that stood like street lights and crystal blue waters as clear as glass. As they passed over the aqua blue water on a bridge that seems to stretch for miles, Jane grew excited about her plans for the next two weeks. She couldn't wait to get started on her vacation; it would have to be epic.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        I hope you like my first chapter! More will be coming soon, I promise. I plan to have one chapter finished every week or so. Please feel free to criticize in comments.