rocky

"Laurie, it's time to get up!" said a high-pitched voice.

"Shut the fuck up, Leia. I'm trying to sleep," grumbled the girl on the bed, covering her head with a pillow.

"Mom!" whined Leia, "Laurie told me a bad word."

"Laura Emily Callahan, what did you say to your younger sister?" asked her mom, standing at the doorway.

"To shut up. I'm tired from packing last night, and she's giving me a migraine."

The girl, Laurie, threw a pillow at her six year old sister.

"Laurie, you're 17 years old, so act like it," her mom sighed.

"17 year olds can tell annoying little shits to shut the fuck up."

"Laurie!"

"Fine, fine, I'll get up," said Laurie, sitting up in her bed. "I'll get ready for this fucking cruise I'm dragged on going to."

"Now, Lau-"

"Now nothing," she said, cutting her mom off. "You know how easily I get seasick, and you know I had to skip out on a tennis tournament with all my friends."

"I've been waiting a whole year for it, too," she said quietly, looking at her calendar, "just to be told, after you promised that I can't go."

Her mom sat on her bed. "Laurie, you know that your father and I weren't aware the dates would overlap. And we know that you've looked forward to it since last summer. But there's always next year, right?"

"No."

"Well, just get packed then. You have an hour until we have to leave for the harbor."

Her mom stood up and left the room, with Leia trailing behind her.

Laurie got up, and looked at herself in the mirror.

Well, she thought to herself, this is going to be one shit of a month.

An hour later, the Callahan family was driving on the freeway in sunny California.

"I can't wait to go to Europe!" chirped Leia.

"Me neither," chorused her other younger sister, Shelby.

"I can't wait to go back home," said Laurie, slouching in the backseat with her two younger sisters.

"Now Laurie," their dad said to her from the front wheel, "that isn't the attitude to have."

"It's okay Mike," said their mom, in the shotgun, "she's just upset because of the tennis tournament still."

"Debra-"

"It was nationals too," her mom whispered, "just let her chill for a little. After all, she was number two in the nation, just to find out she's the only one not attending this time."

Mike exhaled. "Fine."

The family finally made it to the harbor, dragging along humongous suitcases in the process.

"Here we are!" trilled their mom, "The Paradise Queen."

The ship was huge. It shined with its pearly white paint, and had gold lettering stating The Paradise Queen. It towered over all the people, making them feel extremely small in size. Even craning her neck, Laurie still couldn't see the top of the ship itself.

"Let's get checked in," called Laurie's dad, "and we can check out our rooms."

They finally reached the front of the check-in line, checked in, and took their first step on the ramp to the ship.

"All aboard!" cried a voice, with a bell ringing.

Laurie looked at her family, the suitcase in her hand, and the ship.

She sighed, taking her first step on the ramp.

Here goes nothing.