by Holly Hook
* * * * *
Two days later, they returned to Alara on the new boat Deon had bought with his insurance money, leaving from the same marina in the Bahamas they’d meant to leave from two weeks before. Janelle could sit back and relax on the journey. Not like last time. That tingling and urge to jump in the ocean was gone. The mountain had partially lifted from her shoulders.
Even Gary’s mood had improved. He smiled more and didn’t make quite as many negative comments. She played cards and watched movies with him late into the night. It was the best couple of days she’d had in a long time, period.
Her dad woke her up early the next morning, dressed in a tan business jacket. “You’ve got to get ready to present yourself, honey. You can’t show up on Alara in jeans.”
Janelle blinked the sleep from her eyes and pushed the covers off. Oh, no. She’d almost forgotten about her new role as Tempest High Leader.
Butterflies raced around in her stomach as she combed her hair and brushed her teeth. A couple of business suits hung on the inside of the bathroom door, a tan one and a lavender one. Her father knew better than to bring her any gray ones.
She plucked the lavender one out of its bag—it looked like something Andrina never would’ve worn—and put it on. A pair of dress shoes waited on the floor, and they weren’t high heels.
“Everyone’s going to be staring at me,” Janelle said a minute later, closing the bathroom door behind her. She’d never dressed like this in her life. And it felt weird.
“You look fine,” her father said. “Everything’s going to turn out all right. And according to a poll that Surge took, most Tempests are pretty optimistic that you’ll do a better job than Andrina. You’ll see.”
Everyone gathered at the front of the boat as Deon steered it closer to Alara and through its winding cave. This time, it didn't have the same sinister feel. The cave and the green water seemed almost beautiful.
Janelle reached out and took Gary’s hand, holding it tight.
The cave opened up into its underground marina, and standing on the opposite dock was a huge group of people.
Janelle’s stomach tightened and she fought down an urge to run and hide. People seemed to have come from all over the planet to meet her: Asia, Africa, India, and who knew where else. There were whole families, even. Little kids in dresses and suits.
“The kids,” Janelle breathed. “They’re all back with their families?”
Her father patted her on the shoulder. “Yes, honey. Most of them are. A couple are still waiting for passports to go home, but they’ll have them soon enough. Now step out and say hi to everyone.”