“Err…UwwwH…WHAT!” Aya bellowed. She panted hastily, at an upright 90-degree-angle in her queen-sized comforter. Her once spiky hair lay flat on her forehead, surrendering to the beads of sweat tousled in it.

“What do you mean WHAT?” Daryl stood puzzled for a moment. “Wake up for heaven’s sakes! It’s time for us to get ready to go and you’re freaking.”

“Oh,” she muttered, now slouching in a fetal position. Her next words escaped from her lips like a breath of air. “Another one of those damn dreams.”

Daryl lowered his head and eased on the bed beside her. “Well you got to get a hold of yourself, Aya.” He glanced up, unsure as he stared off into midair. “I’m beginning to worry about these chronic dreams of yours.”

“Oh, it’s whatever. Probably stress from that paper due in Professor Olgoby’s class. You know how I feel about History.” Aya stressed. “I can barely tell you what I wore and what happened ’yesterday‘, let alone what happened years ago! I’m having a hard time writing the paper and he never fails to get on my last nerve about it.” Suddenly Aya’s face lit up with glee. “You should have seen the look on his face when I told him I was leaving on vacation!”

“Look on his face?” Daryl questioned. “He was probably wondering why the hell you’re taking vacation when school JUST started!” he laughed, tickled at the idea himself.

“Yeah, Ok.” Aya gawked defensively. “It’s not like I can’t take the crap with me.”

“Oh quit your griping woman, I was just joking with you! Just focus on getting ready. I still have to pick up Dave and Aurora.”

“Why so?” she tilted her head in curiosity. “My BFF knows how to get here. Or is it because that ‘buddy’ of yours is a LAME!” she began to giggle. “He’s always bragging about how much money he and his family has, so why the dilemma?”

“His car is in the shop, okay? How about you just get ready?” Daryl rose from the bed and left Aya in the room to get dress and pack, she considered both agonizing chores.

Aya twirled her thick, brunette hair through her fingers in a circular motion, something she always did when she was either extremely nervous or deep in thought. She contemplated about everything she needed to gather for her anticipated retreat. Finally, Aya pounced from her comfort and walked over to the mid-length, maple, vanity mirror, studying herself silently.

She exuded the exotic, sensual look that often came from a mixture of French and African-American ancestry. She was twenty-four but looked no more than eighteen. Aya’s round-shaped face did not require much make-up. Therefore she didn’t wear much since she already carried a sun-kissed glow, only entitling her to tote around lip-gloss and mascara. She conceded herself with a decent amount of confidence. There was only one problem and she reminded herself of it often.

“Emph!” Aya agitatedly huffed as she drew herself closer to the mirror, “Curse the kinfolk who passed me down this snout of mine!” She flapped her arms at her thighs as she eased to her walk-in closet, hauling four large suitcases from the depths of her wardrobe.

Daryl furtively brushed past and peeked into the room to check on Aya’s progress. “Please don’t tell me you’re gonna fill all four of those.” He entered, grabbing two luggages to help Aya with her struggle.

Aya smirked, “No, just most of them. Besides,” she tilted her head in persuasion mode, “You know one will only carry shoes.”

Before she could convince Daryl any further, they heard a rhythmic knock at the door. Daryl shifted from the entrance and jogged down the stairs to the front foyer.

“Dave buddy… what’s up?!” A bit curious, Daryl stretched his neck out the door and looked beyond Dave, “How’d you get here and where’s Aurora?

David stood with a Kenneth Cole roller suitcase in his right hand and the latest ITouch Phone in the other. He was suited in a high- end golf polo shirt, Classic-white golf Dockers® pants and a pair of Calvin Klein Keeper Loafers, ranging 140 to 180 dollars on a typical ‘Clearance day’.

“Well… I got my car out the shop early. I simply pulled out some extra cash and told the mechanic that getting it fixed today would earn him an extra President for his pocket and he couldn’t resist.” Dave then shrugged his shoulders as he pulled out a wad of big-faced bills from his Dockers®. “Hey, money talks and bribery will get you everywhere!” He slid past Daryl and wheeled his suitcase in. “I then swung by Aurora’s house and she said she still had packing to do. She told me not to worry about coming back; she had a ride for later.”

“Oh.” Daryl dawned with delight at being informed. He strode to the kitchen and pulled out a few beverages from the fridge. “Well get comfortable, golf tournament’s just starting and we don’t have to catch our flight till late morning.”

*Meanwhile upstairs in the hallway*

“When are you bringing your ass over here? You’re slower than I am and I’m not going downstairs till you get here. LAME ‘O is here and you know he’s going to ask me tons of questions about you!Personally…” Aya lowered her tone to a mellow whisper that she almost couldn’t hear herself. “I wouldn’t give him the time of day; he’s too freaking cocky and something else about him drives me nuts. I just can’t put my finger on it. Besides, he’s totally not your type.”

“Oh girl,” Aurora sighed from the other end of the phone. “I haven’t thought twice about him drooling all over me- let alone giving him the time of day. I’ll be there shortly, chic. I’m waiting for my friend.”

“Friend? Rora please! We all know I’m the only friend you got!”

“You’ll be surprised,” Aurora replied ever so calmly as though she wore a sly grin on the other end of the receiver.

*****************************************************************************
Thirty minutes passed and it wasn’t too long before Aya heard the alternative group, Nickleback, blaring through her bedroom window, signaling Aurora’s arrival. Aya finally trotted down the stairs in preparation to serve snacks from the fridge and mingle. As Aurora walked in, she politely greeted Daryl with a hug and introduced him to a man standing behind her. She then took the guy’s hand and sprinted past Daryl eagerly towards the kitchen to greet Aya.

“Dustin, allow me introduce you to my ass.” Aurora joked extending her hand toward Aya. Dustin adjusted his clothing, gestured a hand shake, and toddled toward the woman that Aurora was introducing him to as he began to speak.

“Pleasure to meet you, I’ve heard so much…” Aya turned from the fridge to face him. “Aya?”

“Dustin?” Aya glanced over at Aurora with a smile waiting to tease back, “Ass, we’re in the same World Geography class together!” Aya noted to Aurora. The two ladies giggled.

“Uh, what’s with all the asses’ ladies?” Dustin cocked his head slightly like a puppy muddled in confusion.

“Well, being that we’re best friends and have the same initials, A.S, we decided on the nickname between us in school one day as an inside joke and it just stuck. You’ll never understand why Hun, so don’t try.” The two giggled again like school girls.

“Well is everybody ready?” Daryl quickly changed the subject between the three. He knew how close Aurora and Aya are. Those girls were very protective of each other and they could ramble on and on about how they got their nicknames to how they first met.

He directed a genuine smile to the newcomer, “Pleasure to meet you Dustin, but if we don’t get out of here soon, we’re going to miss our flight.”

***************************************************************************
*Awahoo Islands Resort*

“How many rooms sir?”
“Three” Aurora interrupted, “I’ll need one by myself. The boys can room with each other except Daryl with Aya… of course.”

Dustin and David looked at each other bummed by the fact that neither one of them had been the lucky fellow to keep Aurora warm and cozy at night during their stay at the hotel, although they agreed to room with each other. Both of them would have done anything to lie next to Aurora.

Aya reached in her pocket and pulled out her id to check into her and Daryl’s room while her fiancé- struggled silently with the several bags of luggage. The bellhop examined her id, glanced at her, and studied her signature.

“We knew you’d come.”
“What?” Aya glanced up at the front-desk clerk, reassuring herself wordlessly that she heard the fellow incorrectly.

“I said… Hope you have fun.”
“Oh.”

Everyone glanced at each other for a second in hopes that someone would clear up what just happened at that very moment. No one stepped up and voiced their opinions, so they continued on to their rooms.

The hallway fell to an utter stillness when everyone, except Aya and Daryl reached their abodes. Their room was at the far end corner of the hallway but for some rather odd reason, Aya didn’t feel the two were alone.

Aya….

“Yeah? Oww!” Aya gripped her forehead that was now throbbing with pain.

“What’s the problem, love?” Daryl questioned as his eyebrows lowered with concern.

“My head just started pounding all of a sudden,” she muttered. “I’ll just order room service and take some aspirin when it arrives.”

Daryl jumped into the shower the moment the two entered the room. Aya removed her clothes and wrapped herself in a fluffy, white bath towel in efforts to join him after ordering room service. She reached for the phone when suddenly an eerie mist of fog began to form her name on the glass of the balcony door. The television flickered and a dark man stared directly at her from behind on the television screen.

To be continued…

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