New Explorers - 3rd book in "The Island" series

Monday

"Hayley! Wake up, we have to start packing." Annie told her sister around 9AM. "No!!!!" Hayley screamed. "What is all the noise in there?" Katie asked as she walked into the girls room. "We can't go home. That means we have to go to school tomorrow!" Hayley exclaimed to her mother. Katie sighed. "Do me a favour and calm her down." She told Annie. Annie nodded, but she was a little reluctant to do so. She didn't want to back to school either. "Hey guys!" Lauren greeted as she walked out of the bathroom with a big smile on her face. "Excited to go home? Get back to school?" She asked. Hayley fell back into her bed and pulled the covers back over her head. "Where's Kenzie?" Lauren asked. An arm rose up from the bed near the window. Lauren walked over to her. "Come one Kenzie. You have to get packing, and then we're all going to help our moms clean up." Lauren told her as if it was the funnest thing in the world.
After everyone had gotten dressed and packed up their stuff, they brought it to the door, and then went to wash their hands for breakfast. "Morning Kenzie." Johnny said as he hugged her. "Johnny! Hug her later! I want to wash my hands so I can eat!" Lauren complained. "Sorry." Johnny said as he stepped aside to let Kenzie finish washing her hands.
Katie, Melissa and Meredith had made EggMcmuffins, like the kind that you get from McDonald's. "So school tomorrow huh?" Melissa asked as she sat down to eat with them. They all groaned. "Oh what are you complaining about Hayley, you're going into the 5th grade!" Annie told her. "I guess it won't be so bad, it's my last year of school! Then I just get to focus on my music and acting." Asher exclaimed. Annie rolled her eyes. "How fortunate." "Come on guys, enough complaining. You know that their are tons of kids who would love to take your place and go to school." Katie reminded them. Always count on her to try and make you see how fortunate you were. "Then let 'em!" Hayley said. Katie our her hand on her hip. "Would you like to go and live somewhere in a third-world country and have to work all day in an underpaid factory job to try and provide food for your family?" Hailey slumped down in her seat. "Alright, alright I get it." "Anyways. Once we're all down doing the laundry and vacuuming, why don't you kids go and see your new friends one last time before we go?" Katie suggested. "Sure, that'd be great." Lauren agreed.
As they were cleaning, they blasted Kenzie's new song HOT, and the girls danced around as they mopped and vacuumed. "Can we play one of my songs next?" Johnny asked as he looked up from folding the laundry. "Oh, fine. I guess 10 times is enough to get it stuck in all of you're heads." Kenzie laughed. Johnny shook his head. Waste My Time came on, and Johnny and along is his loudest, most obnoxious voice. "Aw, Kenzie did you have to?" Lauren complained as she came out of the bedroom after fitting new sheets on to each of the beds. "Oh come on, Laur. Look at him. Isn't he cute?" Kenzie asked. Lauren scrunched up her nose as she examined her brother jumping around with random shirts flying around in his hands. "Ew. Gross." She said before walking away.
After they were all done, they put their shoes on and walked over to the Bennetts' cabin. Hayley knocked on the door. "Hello." Rachel said as she opened the door. Kenzie spotted bags behind her. "Oh are you guys leaving today too?" She asked. "Yep. Gotta get the kids back in time for school." She explained. "Yep. Us too." Hayley said. "We were wondering if we could say goodbye to Klai and Rykel. We're taking the 1:30 Water Taxi so we've got to go pretty soon." Kenzie explained. "Well it sounds like you won't need to. We're taking that same water taxi." She informed them. "Oh great! Then maybe we can sit together." Kenzie said. "For sure. The kids are just finishing packing so, I guess we'll see you at the dock." She told them. "Okay, great. See you then." Kenzie said as she closed the door. They walked back to the cabin and told their moms.
When they got to the dock, the Bennett's were nowhere to be found. The Taxi came, and they had to board alone. "I guess we didn't get to have our goodbye." Annie said sadly. "I'm sure we'll see them again." Katie assured. "How about right now?" Hayley said excitedly. "Huh?" Annie asked as she looked around. She noticed that they were at the South Dock. "Oh! That makes sense. This dock is way closer to their cabin so of course they would get on here!" Annie exclaimed. They all boarded on and sat with them. "There you guys are!" Klai said. "We thought you were going to miss it." She said. "We could say the same for you too." Kenzie told her. "Funny how much we all really cared after only knowing each other for 2 days." She mused. Klai smiled. "Huh yeah, I guess it was just meant to be." She said. "And I guess we both forgot that there are 2 docks." Kenzie said. "Actually, there are three." Melissa informed them. "Wait-what?" Hayley asked. "Well there are actually a lot more, but those are just personal ones. The main ones are the West, East, and North." She told them. A smile fell over Hayley's face. "Guys, are thinking what I'm thinking?" She asked. "I think so." Lauren said as she smiled at her. "Calm down guys, I don't think we'll be coming back here for a while. My uncle shuts it down over the winter. The earliest we would be able to come back is Easter, unless they want it that weekend." Hayley shrugged. "I can wait. Besides, I've got an entire school year ahead of me." She said, almost smiling for the first time this weekend while thinking about school.

When they got the dock, everyone unloaded all of their stuff, and said their goodbyes. "Here, Klai, this is my number." Lauren said as she handed her a slip of paper. "Woah real paper?" Klai teased. "You know I could have just written in down in my phone." Lauren smiled. "Yeah, but it'll remind you of the old-times feeling of the island." She explained. "Yeah like how bad the wifi and reception sucks." Hayley commented. Lauren smiled and shook her head. "Text me, and I'll add you and your sister to our "Island Detectives" group chat we have." She told her while among air quotes around the "Island Detectives" bit. Klai smiled at her. "That's great. I can't wait to see you guys again." All 8 of them did a group hug, and got a picture. "I'll send it in the group chat once I get home." Kenzie said. "Awesome. I'll print it out and put it on my locker." Annie decided. They all smiled at each other once more, before waving goodbye and Klai and Rykel drove away. Hayley and Lauren got into their separate cars. Asher and Annie, and Johnny and Kenzie took longer goodbyes, hugging for what seemed like forever to their siblings, and then saying a heartfelt goodbye. When they finally all got into their separate cars, they all drove off right away.

And that was the end of their third time on the Island.