Friends Until the End

By Emily Del Rosario

Three childhood friends make a pact: in ten years, they will travel to an exotic foreign land.

Ten years later, Paloma, Cookie, and Sage reunite in Rio. They spend two wonderful weeks there. Then they board a plane headed back home, to the US. Not long after they board, the plane hits a storm front and goes down; it crashes into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Fighting to keep from drowning, two of the women watch as the plane slowly sinks into the ocean. They somehow make it to shore, where they encounter nonstop rain. Their only thoughts are of their friend. Did she survive, or did she die along with all the other passengers? Scared to death, they soon find out that they are in an uninhabited jungle shore. They seem to be the sole survivors.

How will these two women survive? Will they find their friend? Will they be rescued?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796032277

Emily Del Rosario

Emily Del Rosario, was born in Arizona. She is a retired secretary. She has published three paranormal books for young adults, one non-fiction travel book. She has translated one historical memoir, and two paranormal fiction books. Emily lives in Grants Pass, Oregon with her husband and two Jack Russel’s. She is a greeter at their church. In addition to writing, she enjoys traveling and spending time with friends.

Book preview

Copyright © 2019 by Emily Del Rosario.

ISBN:            Hardcover            978-1-7960-3229-1

                Softcover            978-1-7960-3228-4

                eBook                978-1-7960-3227-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 05/31/2019

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

DEDICATION

To all my wonderful friends in this life and the other.

PROLOGUE

It was already Thursday and Paloma was beyond excited about her trip. She sat on the bed with her suitcases almost packed. She was excited, and anxious to see her two best friends. In two days the three of them would be on a plane headed for Brazil.

Paloma was what they call statuesque; she was slender, 5’8, with gorgeous light brown hair with reddish highlight’s that went a little past her shoulders. Her best feature was her smile.

White Rose Lane

Santa Rosa, California

Paloma met Cookie, whose real name was Chloe, when she saw a family moving into the house across the street from hers. She noticed a girl about her age, accompanied by a young boy, who were carrying things from the moving van into the house. Paloma ran across the street to meet them.

Hi, my name is Paloma. I live across the street in that house over there, she said, pointing.

Before the girl could speak, the young boy said, Paloma? What’s that?

Shut up, Sonny, the girl snapped at him. She looked at Paloma. Don’t pay attention to him. He has no manners.

Paloma smiled. That’s okay. It means ‘Dove’ in Spanish.

Sonny smirked. ’Dove’? That’s a dorky name.

The girl scowled at Sonny. Go away, Sonny. Mom wants you. When he was gone, she looked at Paloma and smiled. Hi. My name is Chloe, but everyone calls me Cookie.

Cookie was tiny with curly blonde hair and blue eyes.

Where did you move from? Paloma asked.

We lived in Seattle, Washington, and my Dad got transferred to a company in San Francisco. How about you?

We moved here from Los Angeles. My parents are both Archeologists. They’re working in Yucatan, Mexico right now. I live with my grandparents for now. My Mom and Dad told me they didn’t want to drag me around from place to place, and that I would be better off with my grandparents. I turned ten last November. How old are you?

I turned ten in April. That little brat you saw is my brother, Sonny. He’s eight. Cookie pointed down the street. When school starts, my Mom said the bus will pick us up at that corner. We can ride to school together.

Paloma smiled. Sure, I’d like that.

Cookie asked, Why do they call this neighborhood ‘White Rose Lane’?

My grandma said it’s because when you first drive in, there’s a big sign that says: ‘White Rose Lane.’ Plus, every house has white rose bushes planted in the front yard.

After that, Paloma and Cookie were inseparable. They joined the Brownies, and then the Girl Scouts. Whenever one of them suggested something, the other readily agreed. They became like sisters to each other.

Three months after Cookie moved to White Rose Lane, a slightly older girl and her family moved into the house next door to Paloma’s. Before the moving van had left, Paloma and Cookie went over to talk to the girl.

"Hi, Paloma said to her. I’m Paloma, and this is Cookie."

Hi, I’m Sage, the girl replied. I’m glad to see there are kids about my age here.

"How old are you?" Cookie asked.

I’m almost twelve, and you?

I’m ten, and so is Paloma.

Where did you move from? Paloma asked.

We moved from Arizona. It’s just me and my Dad.

Where’s your Mom? Cookie asked.

Sage suddenly looked down. My Mom died six months ago, she replied in a quiet voice. She had cancer. My Dad didn’t want to stay in our old house. He said there were too many memories there. He asked to be transferred here. He’s the manager of the new Hampton Inn.

Oh, sorry, Paloma and Cookie said in unison.

Sage was tall, had a mass of wavy red hair, green eyes, and freckles all over her face.

After that day, Sage became like a third sister to Paloma and Cookie. They went through middle school and high school together. Sage graduated first, then Paloma and Cookie.

Not long after Paloma and Cookie graduated from high school, Sage got engaged to her high school sweetheart. At Sage’s wedding shower, the three girls made a pact: in ten years, they would reunite and travel together to an exotic foreign land.

Each one of them wrote on a small piece of paper the place they dreamed of visiting.

Cookie cut three straws into different lengths. Paloma picked the longest one.

I won! I won! Paloma cried like a little girl, jumping up and down, waving her small piece of paper and the straw. In ten years we’re going to Brazil!

Cool! Cookie said, her eyes wide with excitement.

Awesome, Sage said.

Since Paloma was eight years old, she dreamed of traveling the world. She had posters on her bedroom walls depicting exotic foreign places. Already she was thinking of becoming an airline stewardess as a practical way to achieve her dream, but going to Brazil with her two best friends would be something special.

I hope these ten years pass by quickly, Paloma thought as the wedding shower wound down.

CHAPTER ONE

One month after graduation, Paloma was ready to leave for San Francisco. The girls and their friends made plans for a going away party at Bodega Beach. Before the night was over, the party was in full swing. Everyone was having a great time eating, drinking, and making out.

Paloma’s on and off boyfriend, Casey, looked at her with longing. Marry me, Paloma, he begged her. I landed a great job here in Santa Rosa. Please stay, Paloma. I love you.

Paloma tried to let him down easy, but she finally had to say, Casey, since I was a little kid, I’ve had my life planned out. Marriage wasn’t in my plans, at least not yet. Maybe later, when I’ve seen and done everything on my bucket list. If you’re still available, then we can talk. I don’t expect you to wait.

He stared into her eyes, took her in his arms, and kissed her deeply.

Paloma thought, No one has ever looked at me or kissed me the way Casey does. For a second, she almost gave in and said, Yes, I’ll stay and marry you. Only she couldn’t give in; her plans were made. Her grandfather always told her: Stick to your guns, honey. Paloma knew that, no matter how much she wanted Casey, she had to do as her grandfather said.

Casey was a tall, handsome young man. His sandy wavy hair was cut short and his blue eyes were thick with lashes, His best feature was his dimples.

Paloma remembered hearing the older people say, It’s puppy love, not real love. Once the puppy love wears off, you’ll wonder what you saw in each other.

There’s never going to be another girl like you, Paloma, Casey told her.

A week later, Sage got married to Ethan, her high school sweetheart. Cookie got her scholarship to Berkeley so she could earn her bachelor’s degree. Paloma went to San Francisco to attend Flight Attendant school.

Paloma got lucky. On the bulletin board at her school, she read an ad which said: Roommate wanted. No smoking. Must be female student; share rent.

Paloma called the number on the ad and made an appointment to meet the student who was seeking a roommate. The girl, whose name was Phoebe, was tall and thin with short black hair. Phoebe said she was from Shady Cove, Oregon. She was friendly, and after they talked for a while, Phoebe told Paloma that she liked her, and that she wouldn’t mind sharing the rent with her.

Cookie was lucky. She got a full scholarship to attend Berkeley.

Sage got a job at Santa Rosa Regional Hospital as a secretary for the pediatric unit.

As the years passed, the time of their trip to Brazil slowly