"Why?" Elizabeth asked, looking up from her math homework.

"We are going to. . ." Jessica trailed off hoping to create some suspense.

"Going to where?" Elizabeth pressed on curiously.

"Mexico!" Jessica exclaimed, jumping up and down, not able to contain her happiness inside her any longer.

"Can you guys keep your voices down," Steven, the twins fourteen year old brother, yelled passing by Elizabeth's room. "Some of us prefer to eat in silence."

"Who eats in silence?" Jessica asked bewildered.

"Well," Steven started, scratching his head, "no one that I know of, but anything's better than listening to you yell."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "I wasn't yelling for your information," Jessica replied in a harsh tone. "I was just. . ." Jessica searched her mind. "Expressing myself through, uh, tele- communication," Jessica finished, meekly.

"There's no such thing," Steven snorted. "That just shows the lack of knowledge there is in your-"

"So, Jessica," Elizabeth cut in quickly. "What were you saying about Mexico?"

"Well, Lizzie," Jessica said, giving her brother one last glare, then turning her attention to her sister. "I've just talked to Lila, who spoke with Mary, who was talking to Ellen, who heard from Mandy, who overheard-"

"We don't have all night," Steven reminded her through gritted teeth.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Jessica retorted. "But anyway, Mandy overheard Mr. Clark and Mr. Bowman talking about an upcoming trip to Mexico to study the ancient ruins of the Arctic or something."

"Aztecs," Elizabeth automatically corrected.

"Whatever," Jessica said with a wave of her hand. "Aren't you excited?"

"Oh please!" Steven yelled, throwing up his hand in exasperation. "Do you think your puny little school can actually afford all that?"

"It does sound, kind of unlikely," Elizabeth admitted.

"But it is true!" Jessica exclaimed. "Lila heard from Mary who heard from-"

"We don't need to hear all that again," Steven said in a bored tone.

"No offence of anything, Jess, but your friends aren't the most reliable people in the world."

"I can't believe this!" Jessica yelled, throwing up her hands like Steven did earlier. "My very own twins sister don't even believe me. And you!" Jessica pointed to her brother. "Oh, forget it" Jessica said finally. "If you don't believe me fine. Just don't blame me if you don't have enough time to pack your bags!" And with that, she stomped out of her sister's room.

"I hate to say I told you so," Jessica said, trying to sound casual.

"Our hotel better be one of those supreme or deluxe ones that me and Daddy always stay at," Lila warned.

"Lila, we're lucky that we're even going to Mexico. It's just so great that everyone's parents are willing to pay that much amount of money. Luckily, the school is offering to pay for a bit of it," Elizabeth pointed out.

"You have such low standards," Lila said in dismay. "I mean, it doesn't even cost that much."

"It's too bad not all the Unicorns will be able to come with us," Jessica said sadly. Both Jessica and Lila belong to a club called the Unicorn Club that only consists the most pretty and most popular girls at school.

"I can't wait to look at pyramids there," Amy exclaimed, her eyes shining.

Jessica rolled her eyes. And then rolled them again for emphasis. Only someone as boring as Amy would be interested in looking at ancient pyramids. And maybe Elizabeth. Shouldn't they be more interested in buying cute souvenirs and looking at the kinds of fashion they have there? Some people can be so weird.

"Me too," Elizabeth told her friend.

"Well, while you two get yourself dirty by looking at some old pyramids, me and Lila are going shopping. Right Li?" Jessica asked her best friend.

"No doubt," Lila answered with a smile. "Daddy is even letting me use my Gold Card!"

"Well, I don't think that's exactly what Mr. Clarke had in mind when he thought up this trip," Elizabeth said with a grin.

"Whatever," Jessica said. But she couldn't help but hide a smile. This was going to be an adventure of a life time. "Mexico, here we come!"

"Me too," Mrs. Wakefield replied. "I'll sure miss you girls."

"Well, I can honestly say that I won't," Steven said to his family. "I can imagine it now, no more yelling in my hear, bad insults, you guys should really work on those, noisy friends, late night chit chats, by the way, I hear everything you guys say. You can just about to call that paradise!"

"Steven," Mr. Wakefield warned, while scooping himself some mash potatoes.

"Em scuriost," Steven mumbled, while munching away on his steak.

"What?" Elizabeth said.

Steven finished chewing before he answered his sister. "I said, I'm serious. And for a whole week too!"

"Gee, don't miss us too much," Jessica said sarcastically.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't," Steven assured her.

"Well, be sure to bring you back something from Mexico," Jessica replied with sarcasm.

"Hey! That's not fair! I deserve something after all I put up with you two!" Steven complained.

"That's enough kids," Mr. Wakefield told his children sternly.

"Elizabeth, you have been pretty quiet tonight.

Something wrong?" asked Mrs. Wakefield.

"Oh no Mom," Elizabeth assured her. "I was just taking in the moment. I won't be able to hear Jessica and Steven at each other for an entire week!"

Mr. and Mrs. Wakefield laughed along with Elizabeth. Steven and Jessica just stared at her.

"Hey!" Jessica exclaimed. "You're not suppose to be making fun of me. You're suppose to help me gang up on Steven!"

"Sorry, Jess. I'll remember next time," Elizabeth said with a grin.

"Well, we've got to finish packing," Jessica said as she whipped her mouth with her napkin and got up from the table.

"Let me help you," Steven offered eagerly.

"Gee, Steven. You never offered to help us for as long as I can remember!" Elizabeth commented.

"Well, I have my advantages," Steven told her with a wry smile.

"You guys can start packing as soon as you finish clearing the table," Mr. Wakefield said.

"Caught again!" said Jessica, swinging her arm in defeat.

"Good luck," Steven told his sisters.

"You too Steven," Mr. Wakefield told his son.

"Caught again," Steven mumbled.

"I'm so tried!" Jessica exclaimed to her friends. She, Lila, Mandy Miller and Ellen Riteman were all gathered in a circle, waiting for the bus to arrive. "I can't believe that I actually got up at five-thirty this morning!"

"I know what you mean," Lila said, yawning. "Why couldn't they just book a later flight?"

"That was the only flight available for today," said Mandy.

"Winston!" Jessica heard Mr. Bowman yell again. "I'm so hungry!" Ellen complained. "When do we get to eat?"

"Not until we get on the plane I guess," Jessica replied.

"They can't do that to us!" Ellen said in shock. "Well probably all die of starvation before we even get on the bus!"

"Winston!" Mr. Bowman yelled for the third time.

"What? Oh, I'm right here Mr. Bowman!" Winston told his teacher, only about three meters away from him.

"Didn't you have breakfast this morning?" Mandy asked Ellen.

"Yes, but I only had an omelette! I should have listened to my mom and ate another one," Ellen groaned.

"Lila Fowler?" Mr. Bowman yelled.

"Here!" Lila yelled back, waving to her teacher.

"Hey guys," Elizabeth said as she and her friends approached Jessica's crowd.

"Hi Lizzie. And Amy. And Maria," Jessica greeted.

"You guys just as excited as we are?" Maria Slater asked them.

"Uh huh," Lila said enthusiastically. Lila didn't exactly like Elizabeth's friends, but she was excited about the trip.

"Ken Matthews!" Mr. Bowman exclaimed.

"Right here, sir," Ken replied.

A few minutes later, Mr. Bowman finally managed to finish taking the attendance, just as the bus arrived.

"Alright everyone," Mr. Bowman said, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. "Let's get your bags packed away and then we'll file in and we'll finally be on our way to Mexico!"

To be continued.............

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