Manifesting Your Destiny

Misled

"You signed me up for what?" Sierra yelled across the living room.

"Calm down honey, just let us explain it," Darjeeling replied softly.

"Explain what? That you're shipping me off on some boat?"

"Didn't we tell you the stories of when we went through the same system?" Kay asked. "This is what we experienced, so the two of us thought that this would be a great opportunity to further your education and socialize with people outside of our state."

"What's wrong with me staying where I am?!"

Sierra stormed out of the room, marching to her bedroom.

She plopped onto her bed, sighing heavily as she slowly calmed down.

Pulling her phone out, she looked back at her conversation last night with her cousin, who was currently trying to survive his own high school troubles. He kept complaining about it all night, mostly about the absurd homework that he had to deal with.

Sierra giggled, enjoying how at least someone related to her was going to have a normal high school experience. Sierra backed out, looking at the messages she had with Claudia, her other cousin. While they didn't see each other very often, Claudia had told her about this seemingly fantastical high school El had entered her into. Being based out of Havana meant that hopefully they'd be able to meet in to future, if this so called "massive aircraft carrier" was true.

Sierra thought back to what her parents had told her, that this new school would be just like the one Claudia explained to her. While she dreaded the thought of having no choice in going to this school, it wouldn't hurt to see her family member once in a while, right?

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Sierra looked out her window, looking out at the massive dockyard while her parents talked to the dock tollbooth employee. From her angle all the ships looked like a normal size to her, just a bunch of half-finished ships, and a few large cargo ships across the river. While Norfolk was known for being a large center for ship building, this was the first time she had gone anywhere near the shipbuilding/dock area.

Kay slowly let the car roll through the toll, bring the car down a sharp left hand turn before reaching the dock parking lot. It seemed to stretch on for miles, filled with the cars of workers, parents with their students, and other miscellaneous reasons.

Kay parked the car and turned back to look at Sierra. "Are you worried?"

Sierra nodded her head slightly. Darjeeling looked back as well, a small look of concern on her face. "I know it'll be difficult for you. It was difficult for the two of us when we first go onboard our ships. But don't worry, we'll be able to come see you from time to time."

Sierra looked back at her, slightly confused.

"Should we tell her?" Kay asked Darjeeling. Sierra's confusion grew with the question.

"Well, me and your mother are advisors for one of the ship's sports teams. Specifically the sport that we grew up playing, but you'll learn more when we get onboard. Just know that about once a month, we'll stay with you for a weekend while we talk with the school advisory."

Sierra just stared. The thought of being alone by herself scared her immensely. At the age of 16, any normal high schooler wouldn't have to worry about any of the problems that she had to when joining this school. Instead of coming home to your parents, she'd end up having to come home to an empty apartment.

"It's alright to be afraid. We can make this work, right?" Kay asked.

Sierra nodded with more force. Kay smiled and unlocked the car, letting the three of them get outside. Sierra opened her door, and got out. Walking around the back of the car to stand with Darjeeling and Kay as they walked towards this "ship", her view was suddenly filled with a looming metal beast. It was a massive ship, just like how Claudia described. It practically was a whole new continent from her angle, its metallic girth towering above her.

"It's smaller than I remember it being..." Darjeeling reminisced. Sierra looked at her, bewildered as the trio started walking towards the boat.

"Our ships were massive, some of the biggest out of the entire fleet," Kay explained.

Still, the answer didn't help make Sierra any less confused and bewildered than she already was. Even so, she was curious to learn what it was like aboard such a gargantuan floating structure.

End of Chapter 2