Famished

--- C H A P T E R T W O ---

--- Chapter Two ---

"Leilah, didn't you hear me?" Nora barks.

I throw myself onto the bed, revelling in how comfortable it is - it exceeds anything I've ever felt before... it's just plain utterly fantastic.

"Don't ignore me!" She growls.

I roll my eyes at her. "Nora, you're acting like a crazy person."

"Why? Because I think he's lying - because I know that he's lying?" She mutters, sitting on the double bed opposite mine.

"Nora, honey, you're the most suspicious person I know. You're also always looking for something interesting and exciting to happen. It's ridiculous."

"No, it's not. I know that he's lying - I'd bet a limb on it." She mutters defiantly.

I stick my tongue out at her. "You're being silly. He's gorgeous - and charming. You just think all guys like that are snakes."

She shrugs. "They normally are."

"Only in your head!" I growl in frustration.

Silence for a moment. It's tense and uncomfortable - I can feel myself wanting to crack, to apologise, but I don't, instead I find myself further irritated by the way she's acting.

"I'm sorry." She mutters, surprising me.

"Me too." I shrug. "It's just... I wish you'd stop searching for flaws within everything. Just relax and have fun."

She sighs and nods her head helplessly. "I'll try - but I'm not promising a thing."

I laugh. "I wouldn't expect any less."

"Shouldn't we get unpacked?" She asks.

I look at the few bags we've taken - she took two, I took four. I'm always more prepared, what can I say? Then I look across at her, a sly look forming.

"What?" She asks suspiciously.

"We could do that..." I shrug, my hand reaching up behind me casually. "Or..."

I trail off, leaping at her with my pillow brandished high, ready for attacking. We fall about laughing, the pillow fight going wild. This is gonna be awesome.

...

"Allow me to introduce you to our other guests that are joining us." Sage smiles warmly at us, gesturing at each woman.

"This is Danny -" Small, rounded with a wide smile and lots of freckles. Her green eyes dazzle and sparkle with an obvious naivity.

"Cheryl -" Bright pink hair - extensions by the look of it, thick lashes and a lot of foundation. Her brown eyes hold a cheeky grin.

"Lori -" Super skinny, boardering on anorexic, quiet dark eyes and downward pointing lips.

"Hannah -" Very large, possibly the oldest in the room, roughly forty, with plenty of wrinkles but a warm, friendly smile.

"Christi -" Tiny and delicate, with a slightly rounded sweet face but eyes that seem to... lack something. They're almost devoid of emotion.

"Lucy -" The dark skinned woman's hair is the longest I've ever seen before, twirling over her shoulder and down to her waist. Large bambi-like eyes and a slightly crooked smile.

"Susie -" Susie doesn't look like a Susie at all. Pale and clean faced, she sits slightly hunched over with a miserable look across her face.

"Amy -" Multicoloured hair, cheeky smile and perfectly sunkissed skin. She has several facial piercing but she doesn't look scary in the slightest.

"And finally. Eva -" A pretty asian girl who actually looks no older than twelve... but I could be wrong. Her almond shaped eyes seem shifty and constantly darting around the room.

He smiles at each of them - but it's the same with the receptionist. It's almost as if he's looking right through everyone - but then his eyes rest on mine and he grins. I find myself returning the smile but feeling oddly uneasy, thanks to Nora's words.

I shake the feeling as we sit at the long table - there's three of these tables that hold nearly fifteen, but the other two are empty. I find myself smiling cheerfully at the girls.

Sage sits at the very top, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning forward slightly, as if interested in all of us, quietly speculating. I find my eyes drawn irrisitably to him, unable to stop myself from peeking from beneath my lashes.

"So I heard you guys got in by winning a contest?" Susie mutters, her voice a slight sneer.

I shrug and smile, not wanting to argue with her - despite her attitude already bugging me. "Yeah."

"What contest was it?" Amy asks, smiling brightly.

"It was a short story contest. Three thousand words." Nora shrugs nonchalantly, as if we didn't spend nearly a month perfecting it.

"What did you do it about?" Danny asks curiously.

"It was a horror story. About two best friends," we share a grin. "That got lost in a forest on a road trip."

"Sound's cliche." Sage adds, eyebrows raised.

I narrow my eyes at him slightly, a smile still on my face. "You read it, didn't you?"

He shakes his head. "I haven't had the chance."

"Then who reads the contest entry's?" Nora questions, her voice suspicious.

"It goes through three 'judges' - sponser's of our spa. I just get told the winner." He shrugs.

"Oh, well if you had read it, you would have realised that it's not cliche." I reply.

"So how'd it end?" Danny asks.

"Ahh, you'd have to read it to find out." Nora replies mysteriously.

"How? I love a good read, especially horror stories." Lucy asks, grinning.

"It'll be in the spa's magazine." I offer. "Along with today's newspaper."

"Hmm... I guess I'll have to read it then." Sage says, smiling slightly.

"If you want." I shrug casually.

I look across to Sage to find him watching me intently. Lunch arrives a moment later but every mouthful I take, I can feel his eyes burning into mine - not bothering to be subtle in the slightest. I notice Susie in particular giving me glares about it. But the thing is - I like it. I find my eyes returning to his, my lips smiling. I think I could have some fun here.