The Trade Off | The Lost Boys

The Trade Off

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Chapter 1

"They'll take care of her and keep her safe." 

Max was calm, wiping his glasses on his shirt. "We're in no position to raise a child."  He affirmed.

The guys had come to Max looking for answers, and were crowded around his living room. Max, who was generally well mannered was also out of sorts. How could something like this happen? Looking around the room, all eyes were on Dwayne. He wasn't thinking straight. He was scared; his eyes locked on the baby carrier. What was happening to him?

"What happens when she grows up?" David's voice cut through the silence in the room, and the scowl on his face spoke fathoms. He wasn't happy about their current situation, and didn't know who to be mad at.

"When she grows up," Max started again, catching Dwayne's eye. "she'll have to make her choice."

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"Olive, start up the engine! We're not getting enough wind up here."

Popping her head up from the sudden noise, Ollie shot up out of her seat. She was disoriented coming out of her nap, but jumped into gear when her dad yelled down to her a second time.

"Sure thing; I'm on it!" She called up, stumbling over to turn on their primary engine. They had been trying to conserve their power, but the water was practically still on the Pacific today. It had been a rough couple of weeks on the both of them at sea, and their backup engine had gone down twice. The shops along the coast were happy to help, but their prices were sky high for the parts they required to make repairs. At the end of the day, their sailboat wasn't in bad shape, but they were on quite the journey. Ollie tapped on the engine with affection when it started up without a hitch.

"Hey Ollie! I need an extra set of hands up here." She heard her dad yell down, and she hustled above deck.

She never hesitated.   She was a hard worker; determined in every way. Ollie's skin was kissed from the sun from days of working in the heat, and her eyes were bright with an ever glowing fire behind them. She often found herself helping with maintenance on the boat, tinkering on her dad's old bike, and trying to keep busy. Ollie was bright, and the wheels in her head were almost turning like a great chess match. It was as if she were able to plan her next move before knowing fully what it could be, and in the end, everything would turn out.

Ollie climbed up the ladder in time to see her dad pulling at the secondary sail, and she jumped to it, helping him secure the line before letting the engine take over completely.

"Atta girl." He grinned as they tightened the ropes, and he pat her on the shoulder. "How about a beer?"

Her father, Mark, used to live in the city, but when her parents split he had moved farther south. He landed down in Port Aransas, Texas. The community was small and welcoming, and after a couple of years back and forth Ollie decided she'd rather stay down there with him. Her mother tried to understand - they were far apart.  She ended up staying in the heart of San Diego.

They were on quite the sea voyage, traveling their way from Chula Vista in the south to just upper part of Monterey Bay.  Their final destination was Santa Carla. Mark had retired a couple of years back, but kept in close contact with few close friends around the country, giving him a reason to make the great journey. The boat was his idea, and Ollie was lucky to tag along for the summer trip.

As familiar as she was to the gulf coast, the Pacific was a different breed entirely. The water was much darker, much deeper. It's cold water held secrets, her dad told her.

She grabbed a couple of Fat Tire beers from the cooler and they sat down in the shade. The California heat was shining down on them, and without the wind it was only getting hotter.

"Do you know where we are?" Ollie asked, pulling her hair out of her face. She could look at the map every which way, but she could only see land off in the distance. Her sense of direction was off.

"I figure we've just passed Monterey. It won't be too long now." Mark's voice was gruff as he took a sip of his beer. "Hey Olive, Santa Carla is a beautiful place, but it's not without its own dangers. Stay close when we get there. There are some bad elements around there." His air of caution was duly noted, and he caught Ollie's eye.

She nodded haphazardly at his warning. Her dad was protective, and he said something of the same sort at every stop.

"Sounds good. Hey, do you know where we're going to dock? Will there be a marina nearby?" Ollie asked to change the subject, and her dad stretched.

"Max has a dock deep enough for us to tie up. It'll give us the chance to clean up and rest, and we can worry about repairs in the morning." He chirped. "Max even said that they have some great fishing spots in case you're feeling like seafood." Max had been a family friend for years, but Ollie had never met the guy. Her dad made him sound like he was royalty.

Her dad stepped below deck to cool off and get some rest before they made it to town, and Olive took the wheel. She tossed aside her shirt in the heat, leaving only her black swim top, and leaned back against the railing. It was hot, and instead of drinking her beer she held it behind her neck to cool off. Every now and again she would wave at the boats passing by, and smiled passing a group of kids her age. She missed her friends. They really were secluded out at sea, and Ollie was finding herself homesick. After graduation, she took some time off to help her dad with his exploration trip, and she left the most of her friends by the wayside. Making a mental note, she promised herself that she would take the time to reconnect after her California trip. Looking up, Ollie noticed the clouds creeping up from the north.

It'll be soon now.