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Rahatani strode down the hallway towards her mother’s study, trying to find her to ask if she had plans that evening for dinner, when she heard some low-level talking and Nyoko's unmistakeable bubbly laughter on the other side of the door to the study. Lightening her steps so that they were almost perfectly silent, Rahatani stood outside the study for a few seconds before casually entering; what greeted her was rather interesting.

Lee, Nyoko, and Roseline sat together on the old musty couch, conspiratorily bent over a piece of paper trembling in Nyoko's hands. Lee looked as if he were in the middle of a deep discussion with Roseline, who was glancing at the paper in Nyoko's hands as he spoke to her, nodding and interjecting as Raha closed the door with a loud snap behind her. All three stopped talking and faced Rahatani as she entered, instantly silent.

Raha had her cool expression on, but gave a small mental sweat drop. "Okay guys, I'm not that scary," she chuckled deeply, crossing her arms as Roseline joined her laugh, but Lee and Nyoko did not. What is going on here? Are they hiding something from me? she wondered to herself as she uncrossed her arms and worked her way farther into the room.

“So, what were the three of you talking about just now?” she asked simply.

Lee and Nyoko got to their feet and said simultaneously before walking out, “That’s our secret.” Rahatani watched in disbelief as the two leave before facing Roseline, huffing angrily as she took the now-vacant chairs next to her mother, "What was that all about? What big secret? Nyoko has never- no, simply can't ever keep a secret from me- why are you smiling?"
Roseline tried to suppress the huge, amused grin on her face, but to no avail. After a few seconds, she finally broke down into a fit of giggles as she replied, “it might be their secret, but it’s not mine. Let me fill you in... I actually have a favor to ask." Leaning close to her daughter, Roseline began to outline her plan to Raha.

*****************

Lee and Nyoko walked through the front door with their faces lit up. They sped into the kitchen, where Roseline was reading a home gardening magazine and Rahatani was sipping a floating cup of strawberry milkshake. Roseline looked up at the two with their smiling faces and asked, “What’s the answer to your idea?”

Nyoko held out two sheets of paper for Roseline. She took them and skimmed each one quickly, glancing at the two before nodding and stating, “Okay. You can go with them.”

Nyoko squealed and ran around the kitchen, grabbing Lee's hands and dancing a celebratory circle around Raha's chair.

Trying, once again, not to laugh, Roseline raised her index finger and continued, “Nyoko, you can go with them on one condition.”

Lee and Nyoko looked at their mother and asked simultaneously, “What?”

Roseline smiled and turned to see Rahatani with a devilish smile on her face as she continued to drink her milkshake.

*****************

Rahatani was wearing a simple pair of denim shorts and a white t-shirt with matching white flip flops. Sakura and Nyoko walked up the stairs side-by-side and both were wearing bright colored clothes. Sakura was wearing a pink and lime green polo and pink shorts with a pair of light green flip flops. Nyoko was wearing a tie-dye tank top and bright blue denim shorts with pale blue sandals.

“Rooms 451 and 452,” Raha said as she looked in her knapsack for the room designation sheet to make sure that those were their rooms. Sakura and Nyoko checked the hallway to make sure it was the right one as Raha found the sheet she was looking for, examined it, and then nodded before putting back in her knapsack.

Nyoko was so jumpy that it seemed impossible for her to stay still. “I can’t believe that I get to stay here with you guys on your school trip in BRAZIL!!! Even though mom said that I could only come if Raha did as our chaperone... but that only makes it better!!! I’ve always wanted to come to Brazil, but I’ve never got a chance to!!! And here I am!!!” Nyoko said quickly, unable to contain her excitement.

“Calm down, Nyoko," Lee’s voice said as he reached the top of the stairs. "We know that you’re excited, but don’t turn into a 3-year-old that’s hyped up on caffeine,” His body caught up with his voice as Sakura turned to look at him: he was wearing dark khaki shorts, a white t-shirt with a red, short sleeved, button up shirt adorned with dragons over it, and a pair of red and white indoor soccer shoes. Sakura suddenly realized something odd and asked, “Where’s our luggage? I thought you said you'd carry it up.”

Lee smiled and simply said, “I’m bringing them up right now.” At that moment, four Lee clones came up the stairs and each was carrying a suitcase. The clones put the luggage down and disappeared.

Raha looked at Lee with cold eyes, walked up to him, and slapped him upside his head. Lee lightly rubbed the spot where Rahatani hit him and asked, “What was that for?”

Raha pointed at him and said, “For a few reasons. One, you shouldn’t be using magic where everyone can see. Two, you KNOW you shouldn’t. Three, you were being lazy. And four, because I’ve had the urge to just hit someone and you gave me a reason to do so.”

Nyoko and Sakura lightly laughed at the last comment. Lee was about to explain why nobody except themselves would be able to see the clones or the luggage until he removed the spell, but he didn’t want to argue with Raha on their first day there. He just nodded and then glanced at the two doors.

Raha opened one of the doors and went in, the others following. The bedroom was decent and comfortable: it was equpiied with two beds, two nightstands with lamps, a television, a bathroom with shower, a large closet for two or three people, and a glass door that went out onto a balcony with a lovely view of the ocean. Rahatani turned to face the three young teenagers, all still in awe at the beauty of their quarters, and stated flatly, “The other room is exactly like this one so you don’t have to bother with getting the better room,” as their luggage floated into the room.

“So, which room do I get to myself?” Lee asked. "Seeing as how I'm a guy, I thought that you guys would get one room while I got the second."

Raha glanced at him as if he had four heads and replied slowly, “If there are two beds in each room, and four people to sleep in them, then you’ll be sharing a room with one of us.”

Nyoko clapped excitedly as Sakura and Lee tried desperately not to look at each other as they each realized what this statement meant: if either of them bunked with Rahatani or Nyoko, they wouldn’t mind. (Lee was okay with it since Rahatani and Nyoko were his sisters and they were already used to seeing each other walk around the house with only a towel. Sakura was okay because she was the same sex.) But... what if Lee and Sakura bunked with one another?

They looked at each other and then turned away with a blush. Raha thought about who would stay with whom and came to a final decision. “Nyoko will be staying with Sakura in this room. Lee, you’re with me next door,” Raha grabbed her luggage once she finished speaking and unlocked the other room, entering and claiming the bed closest to the window. Lee grabbed his own luggage, nodded and smiled at flustered Sakura and a bubbly Nyoko, and followed Rahatani next door.

TO BE CONTINUED.........