Snig Bit-Chapter One

     I sip whatever was in my glass and take a bite off of my fork from whatever was off my plate as I sat with my what would look like friends at a little outdoor cafe on a pier at Kure Beach in North Carolina. I don't know what it all tasted like, I was too busy people watching, but I guess it was good considering I finished everything that was in front of me. I stop my people watching and look around me at the people around me, the people who I had been traveling with. There was 10 of us and I had one thing in common with these people and I mean only one thing. About a month ago, we all received a letter addressed to us announcing that we had won some grand experience; pretty much a long field trip with a bunch of people my age going to the Eastern coast and beaches of America...yay?
     I'm a beach person and all but the part where I was going to be forced to stay with strangers didn't sit in my mind too well but as I sit on this pier loathing about being forced to go by my mother I smile a bit, I love heat and the smell of salt.
     "Alright, is everyone done?" the voice of the wonderful, and I use wonderful as in she's so happy it's overbearing, ringleader of this whole thing. Her name was Ms. Osono and her name was the only name I cared to remember." Tessa? Are you just going to sit there all day or are you going to hop along with the rest of us?"
     I bite my tongue at what I want to spit at her and stand up with the rest of the people. I hated the fact that I couldn't just do what I wanted, that I HAD to follow them around like a kid on leash. Though, I show no notion that this bothered me, I was brought up better than that and that's rude. But I didn’t hop…
     Ms. Osono leads us off the sixth pier we've been on today and on the beach, "Okay, I'm going to let you guys wonder the beach while I go double check on our rooms for the night, you're gonna love them too. Kure Beach is beautiful at night and each of you will have a view of it." She giggles an annoying giggle I've learned to tone out, and skips off the beach, leaving the 10 of us to do whatever, finally.
     The ocean calls to me, I have to go stick my feet in the chiming waves. I take my flip flops off and hold them. The warm water hits my ankles, making me inhale with a smile. The air is so full of smells, salt, sun block, outdoor grills from cafe like the one I was just at, just awesome. I dip a finger into the water and suck on it, tasting the salty sea water like I always do when I'm in the ocean. I put my flip flops back on and take a couple of steps back and sit down and I just zone, almost a meditation. I feel the sun on my face and my arms. I realize I was lucky to be here at all. The letter I received wasn't even addressed to me. It came with no name, but go-lucky Osono just couldn't say no. I frown at the memory of Ms. Osono cheerfully reassuring my mother that I could still go. I'm not saying I'm not glad I'm here, even though the herd I was with should have been optional, I've a very happy person. As long as I'm not pressured into things I don't want to do but...whatever.
     Kure Beach isn't the first stop, it’s the fifth stop and there's two more after it. Maine was the first stop, Long Sands Beach. And the name pretty much sums up what it was...a long a*s stretch of sand. Then we went to what the locals called Crescent Beach, it was an island off Rhode Island. For such a small state, that place was packed with family and couples I mean PACKED, I was glad to leave. Maryland was boring, full of historical crap and the only interesting beach so far has been the Outer Banks. At least Kure Beach is in the same state.
     Someone taps me on the shoulder, "Um...Tessa...that's your name right? Yeah, um Ms. Osono came back, it's time to go." One of the females of the herd tells me in a nervous tone, like she was afraid of me.
     I stand up, "Alright, thanks." I watch her run off to another herd member. I follow still coming out of my meditation.
     We are taken to a Hampton with what Ms. Osono promised us, an ocean view. We were told we have 30 minutes to settle then we go for a tour of some old castle or something, I wasn't really paying attention. I tug at my purple belled hair band that was holding back my pony tail and fall back on my bed to stretch and stare at the ceiling, my usual routine for hotel beds. The ceiling was plain, just like the last Hampton we stayed at. I roll over and close my eyes and breathe in the scent of the sheets, Downy. I keep rolling and land, with a loud thunk, on the floor. "Ouch," I say out loud, standing up and walking around my room, "Damn, the floors are hard wood." I say to myself nodding with approval. The room was actually quite nice, beach fitting. The mirror above the dresser slightly vibrates as I walk towards it to throw my hair into a half pony tail, making the bells quietly jingle on the band.
     Just as I was finishing, footsteps outside my door tell me my alone time must be up. I step into my flip flops and head out into the hall way and join in with my herd yet again to go on this tour. Bleck, I hope this is interesting.

Author's Note

Same