Enzo had nothing with him. He wondered if he should go home and pack, but decided against it—after all, if he was caught he would not be let out again until tomorrow morning. Enzo looked down at his two tickets and sighed.
"Who could I invite?" Enzo wondered. His schoolmates were conceited and pompous idiots, and he didn't get along with the wealthy kids he met at the high-society parties his parents forced him to attend.
Pleasure Island did sound like a pleasant place, but was he really ready to give up everything? Wait, what was he thinking? He had nothing! His parents didn't support his career and he had no real friends! Honest John had said that Pleasure Island was a place where he could have fun, where he could pursue his dreams, and where he could make friends. That was what he wanted, and if his parents didn't want to provide him with that kind of freedom, he'd just have to find it elsewhere. Yes, that's what he'll do.
Enzo stood up, dusted his butt, and looked at his watch. There were still ten hours until the coach arrived.
He looked around. There were barely any people on the beach. A fat sailor was walking along the shoreline and a drunkard was hitting on a lamppost — it was not a pretty sight. Further down the beach, a skinny and fair-skinned girl about his age was sitting on the sand, carrying a doll. Having nothing better to do, Enzo decided to go talk to her.
"Hi." He said, cheerfully.
The girl looked up. "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."
"I know." Enzo answered, "Strangers can kidnap you and stuff. But I'm only a kid! What can I do to you?"
"I don't know." The girl wasn't looking at him anymore. "I don't really wanna talk to you."
"Oh…" Enzo looked surprised.
"Can you go away? You're disturbing Marissa."
"Marissa?"
"My dolly." Enzo looked closely at the doll. It was one of those antique dolls—the porcelain ones with the painted faces. This one was wearing a calico dress with a floral print. She also had on a cute little bonnet and delicate shoes.
"She's pretty. Can I hold her?"
"I told you; she doesn't like you."
Enzo faltered.
"Don't look so upset. Marissa doesn't like a lot of people."
"Yeah but, why does she have to not like me?"
"Because you're wet and covered in mud. If Marissa's dress gets spoiled, Miss Caterina will yell at me again." The girl looked at her feet. "I get scared when she yells at me"
"Is your teacher?"
"No. She’s the nun that owns the orphanage in which I live. She is too mean. I hate her."
"Well, I don't think that nun is that bad. She let you go to the beach in school time, right? Unless you had run away from the orphanage." Enzo made a mischievous smile.
"Well, you should be in school too."
"I hate school. The teachers are stupid, the students are stupid, everything's stupid! Why the juck was I there? It's so pointless and boring! When will I ever need that crap? This is so stupid!"
Enzo and the girl were quiet for a while as they looked at the sea.
"Well, you have a point. School couldn't be more pointless. I prefer stay here, sitting on the sand, watching sea waves and clouds drifting. It's not that interesting, but it's better than listening to my nagging teachers, all nuns!” The slender girl turned to see Enzo and continued. "One more thing, you also smell."
Enzo looked alarmed. "I do?" He smelled himself. "No I don't!"
"Yes you do. You smell like chocolate-chip cookies."
"And that's a bad thing?"
"Yes. Marissa is allergic to chocolate."
"That must suck. Chocolate's the best!"
"I wouldn't know. I haven't had any."
"Ever?"
The girl shook her head.
"Why not? Are you allergic too?"
"No. Miss Caterina doesn’t let us eat it. But I don't care, because even if I could eat chocolate I wouldn't do it... especially not near Marissa. She'll get jealous!"
Enzo laughed.
The girl looked mad, "You're laughing at me. That's mean."
"I'm sorry." Enzo giggled, "But Marissa's just a doll. She can't be allergic or jealous."
"You're so rude! I don't like you!" The girl got up from the sand, stomped her feet and said, "Come on Marissa. Let's go."
"Wait!" Enzo caught up with the girl, "I'm going to Pleasure Island later. Wanna come?"
"Why would I want to go anywhere with you?" The girl stuck her nose in the air.
"Aw, come on. I said I was sorry!"
The girl stopped abruptly and turned to face Enzo, "I'm Lina."
Enzo grinned, "Does that mean you like me now?"
"No." Lina continued walking.
They sustained the silence for a bit, until the man—the one who was hitting on the lamppost before—came up to them and offered them some candy—though he had none. Enzo refused for the both of them but the man wouldn't stop badgering them, so Lina marched right up to him, kicked him hard in the shins, and ran away.
Enzo was shocked. He looked to the injured man, and immediately ran after the girl.
"Were you just going to leave without saying goodbye? That's rude." Enzo exclaimed, out of breath.
"So now we're even." Lina shot him a dazzling smile.
"You're weird, you know that?" Enzo looked at her funny.
"I know. Everyone tells me that."
"Then why don't you change?"
"Because I like me for me. I'm not going to compromise myself to be what other people want me to be."
"That's surprisingly smart."
"I can sound sophisticated! I just don't wanna." Lina crossed her arms and reverted back to her bratty self.
"I can relate. My parents don't think I should be an artist."
"Are you gonna listen to them?"
"No. That's why I'm running away today."
"You're running away?"
"Yeah, to Pleasure Island."
"Where's that?"
"I don't know."
"So how are you getting there?" Lina looked skeptical.
"With this." Enzo fumbled around his pockets and came up with nothing.
"With what?"
"My ticket! To Pleasure Island. I know it's in here somewhere!" Enzo fumbled some more.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! And I had two! Oh my god, where are them?" Enzo started panicking, "I need at least a ticket!"
Lina laughed at him. "Jeez, calm down."
"How can you tell me to calm down?" Enzo screamed, "I really, really need the ticket!"
Lina rolled her eyes pulled something out of her sock, "Don't freak out, I have them right here."
Enzo's eyes widened. "Where'd you get them!?"
"I stole them from you, duh!"
"But, stealing is bad!”
Lina grinned, "But I am giving them back, right now."
"Oh."
"Well, aren't you gonna take them?"
Enzo nodded and reclaimed the ticket. "You shouldn't steal."
"I don't—not usually anyway. I only did it for laughs."
"You still shouldn't do it. I was going to give you one anyway. Do you remember that I invited you?" Enzo said."
"Oh stop being so prissy."
"I'm not prissy!" Enzo shouted, outraged.
"You are too! I gave them back didn't I?"
"That's not the point! The point is that you stole."
"The point is that you're prissy."
"I'm not talking to someone who thinks I'm prissy."
"I never wanted to talk to you in the first place, remember?" Lina laughed in his face.
"I sure hope the people on Pleasure Island are nicer than you!"
Lina shrugged, "I doubt it. Have fun anyway."
"I will!" Enzo yelled but didn't walk away.
"Well, what are you waiting for?"
Enzo paused a bit, "The coach doesn't leave until nine o'clock. Wanna wait with me?"
Lina laughed, "Marissa still doesn't like you."
Enzo smiled a bit, "That's okay. You can steal her love for me."
"But I thought stealing was bad?" Lina snickered.
"Oh stop being so prissy." Enzo mocked.