My Short Stories

A Desert Surprise

I grimaced as we continued up the sandy dune. I still couldn't believe that my parents forced me to come to Egypt. I mean, it's not all that interesting! Sure, there are a few gods like Ra and Osiris and Anubis and the rest that are actually kinda cool, but anything else is just desert. Pure, sandy desert.

I grumbled under my breath as my best friend Bri Karter glanced over with an amused look. "You know that muttering under your breath won't change anything, right?"

My gaze flicked over to her tan face before I turned forward again. "Yeah, yeah. I know. But it makes me feel better, at least."

Bri's eyes gleamed as she chuckled. "Misery loves company."

I groaned. "Like saying that ever made anybody feel better."

Bri smiled. "You never know."

My lips quirked up against my will. At least I was out here with her. Bri was my best friend and she could always just barely keep me from going insane with her sarcasm and jokes. Her dark brown eyes always seem to brighten when they laugh, and she always brags about being older than me at 16, even though I would turn sixteen in a few months. I personally think she waits until I'm on the brink of insanity before she rescues me. It makes for a very nice argument starter.

I was too busy thinking to notice that our group had stopped, and I smacked face first into a wall of hard muscle.

"Sorry," I mumbled, casting my eyes downward as I backed away a few steps. I could feel him glance at me before turning forward again. That was the third time I had bumped into him. I mean, come on. Does he always stop when I'm not paying attention?

Chase Smith, the group cutie (apparently), was a pain the butt. It's fine if he wants to be sarcastic and a jerk, but did he have to be so good at it? And did he have to be so handsome? It makes it very difficult whenever I want to snap back with an insult of my own. With his soft brown hair, and his ice blue eyes that make you melt, and his spectacular jaws and face. . .

No! I internally scolded myself. Stop it, Aurora. Stop thinking about him. Focus on whatever they're saying at the front.

I growled lowly enough that nobody heard and forced myself to pay attention to the guide, Hank. I had missed some of it, but now I could hear the rest.

"Ok? I'll repeat it for anyone who wasn't paying attention. We're going to go down here, rest for the night, and then get up in the morning and walk through some of the excavation sights. Then afterward, we'll come back here and discuss what we saw and how it is relevant to Egyptian lore."

I frowned slightly. I didn't exactly want to walk through sights that have already been excavated. Plus, I will be way too sore tomorrow to do anything. Maybe I could find an excuse to stay here. . .

"Hey, Aura. Did you hear what Hank just said?"

I was torn out of my daze by Bri, who's eyes were narrowed at me suspiciously.

I scoffed. "Of course, I did. . . No."

Bri rolled her eyes. "He said that we had to pair up to sleep in a tent since there are weren't enough for everyone to go solo. You want to pair up?"

I was about to nod before grinning and replying in a sly voice, "Are you sure you don't want to share the tent with Luke? I'm sure he would love to have you."

To my amusement her face went scarlet red. She hit me on the arm hard enough that I yelped. "Bad Aurora! You need to stop teasing me about him. One of these days I'll get you back."

I smirked. Luke was a 16-year-old male with tan skin and wavy black hair. He was also her boyfriend and other than a few times where I had managed to steal Bri away, they had been inseparable. "Not likely. But fine. I will call a truce for now. I don't like it when you get that evil smile."