• 12-year-old Ariana Waters smiled as she leaned up against the black granite countertop of the check in/out desk of her family's hotel. Her brown eyes wandered around the gold and orange lobby of the 5 star hotel. The tubular glass elevators were lifting people and bellhops up to the floors as little children clutched their parent's letgs in fright while older children were up against the glass, staring down in awe at the rest of the lobby before the elevators stopped and they disappeared out into the hallways.Older guests, business people and romantic couples, strolled around the lobby, admiring the high ceiling, which showed hotel room hallways before the ceiling arched into a domed skylight. People leaned over the floor marble railings, gazing out over the gorgeous lobby. She continued to smile (rather deviously) as she scanned the lobby, looking for the target of her latest prank: her 16-year-old brother Sam. The prank had been set up in his room, Suite 2550, for him to discover when their 4-year-old sister Claire would lure him up there. Since it was a pretty slow day, Ariana was crouched down behind the dark brown wood and black granite of the desk, watching first for Sam to come by, then for Claire to come running along afterwards. Then Ariana spied him walking across the lobby from the direction of the doors to the outdoor pool. She quickly ducked (if he saw her he would know she was probably up to something) and poked her head around the corner of the desk to watch without being seen. As soon as Sam was passing by one of the elevators, Claire popped out from a pillar behind him. She watched them talk for a little bit (unfortunately she was too far away to hear what they were saying) and finally, Sam and Claire hopped in an elevator up to the very top floor were their rooms were. Ariana stepped out from behind the counter, still grinning. Perfect.
    * * *
    Ariana stood outside of Sam’s suite a few minutes later, listening to the response she was expecting in her mind. But it never came. The walls were soundproof which was no help since she had no idea if maybe Claire was telling Sam about Ariana’s plan so they could backfire it or maybe she was steering Sam away from where her practical joke was! Now anxious, Ariana held up a fist to pound on the door when it opened. Sam stood in the doorway with a serious expression on his face and their 10-year-old brother, Nathan’s pet snake, dangling from his hand.
    “Seriously Ariana? You stole Nate’s snake to play a prank on me?” Sam said in all seriousness.
    “I did no such thing!” Ariana exclaimed.
    “Then how did this snake get here?” Sam demanded.
    “Well I didn’t technically STEAL Nate’s snake. I asked him if I could use it to play a prank on you and he said yes. He carried the snake in here and put it down and everything!” Ariana said in all honesty.
    Sam stared at her for a few moments with a stare that would make most people uncomfortable. But having grown up with this kind of extreme staring, Ariana stared right back at him, just as fiercely.
    Sam cracked a smile which made Ariana do the same.
    “Well I will get you back, just letting you know,” Sam warned as he walked off down the hallway towards Nate’s room.
    “We’ll see!” Ariana called after him. And he disappeared down the gold wallpapered hallway.