Living Legends

9) And the Trip Begins...

“I’m making a huge mistake,” Hayley muttered as she sat on her bed, her bulging suitcase lying open in front of her.  “This is going to be a disastrous trip.”  She sighed and rested her head in her hands, wondering why on earth she had let Gran convince her into taking this vacation.  In the end, though, she knew she had no one to blame except herself.  The adventurous side of her—small though it was—had made refusal impossible.  She didn’t have to go to class or work for an entire week.  The Caribbean would prove to be a beautifully photogenic place.  It seemed like a wonderful boat trip.

            But the paranoid side of Hayley thought the opposite.  What if there’s a storm? What if I get seasick? What if the boat starts sinking and we get lost in the middle of the ocean?

            Suddenly, Hayley’s ringtone startled her out of her thoughts.  She picked it up and frowned when she didn’t recognize the number.

            “Hello?” she asked tentatively, deciding if the caller was some serial killer who had been stalking her for the past ten years, she would be in the middle of the Caribbean by sunset tomorrow night anyway.

            “Hi Hayley! It’s Oliver.”

            She breathed a sigh of relief.  “Oh, hey.  What’s up?”

            “Um, j-just wondering how your first day of spring break is going.”

            “Good.  How’s yours?”  Hayley glanced down at her wristwatch.  She only had thirty minutes until she had to be at the dock.

            “Fine.  I’m doing good.”

            “Hey, you never texted me about that math test.  I’m guessing you found someone to help you…?”

            “Oh, y-yeah,” he stammered.  “I did okay.  It wasn’t that hard.”

            “Good.  So, Oliver, I kind of have to get going…I’m leaving on a trip and my boat leaves in half an hour.”

            “Oh! Okay.  Are you c-coming back?”

            Hayley couldn’t help but smile.  “Yes, I’m coming back.  I’ll be back the day before school starts again.”

            “Right.  Um, have fun, Hayley.”

            She laughed softly.  “Bye, Oliver.”  She pictured his goofy smile and friendly eyes when he bid her goodbye.  With one last sigh, she shoved her phone into her pocket and zipped her suitcase closed.  She glanced warily at the ticket lying on her bed.  There’s still time to back out.  I don’t have to go.

            She frowned and buried her head in her hands.  Indecision was tearing her apart.  She had thought this boat trip ridiculous from the very beginning, but at the same time it lured her in with a forbidden thrill.  Remembering Gran’s words, Hayley stood up and gathered her belongings.  Maybe if I’m lucky, this will only be a small adventure.  Nothing too serious.

            Hayley stuffed her ticket into her pocket and headed out the door.  With each step, she felt a surge of confidence.  Though she was still worried, she was also anticipating the beautiful snapshots she would come home with.  “I hope you’re right, Gran,” she murmured as she turned off all the lights in her apartment.  She gave her keys to Gran and said goodbye.  They embraced with hopeful smiles on both their faces.

            “Enjoy yourself,” the elderly lady said.  “But not too much.”

            Hayley laughed.  “I’ll try my best.”

            Her heart was pounding in her chest by the time she rushed down to the taxi and sped off towards the sea.  Once she reached the harbor, she paid the taxi driver her fee and hopped out.  Her suitcase felt a little lighter as she drank in the refreshing sea breeze.  She took in the beautiful white sand fringed by the cerulean tide.  Mangroves overshadowed the wooden dock.  On the far side of the harbor she spotted a patch of light blue water.  Small waves appeared out of nowhere to lap at the vibrant coral heads growing underneath.

            And then Hayley saw it—The Queen Francis.  Its size was in between that of a yacht and a cruise ship, with various striped hues running across its hull.  Hayley immediately felt relaxed.  There was no way a boat that size could capsize in a fluke storm.  Gran had been right; this mini vacation was practically harmless.

            Hayley grinned and quickened her pace towards the boat.  She edged by various people milling about the harbor.  After waiting in line to board The Queen Francis, she checked in and was given directions to her room.  It was slightly smaller than the size of a normal bedroom, with a twin bed, chair, and small dresser.  Hayley immediately began unpacking, already feeling significantly better about the situation.

            Once she felt at home in her temporary bedroom, she decided to head back up to the deck and get one last view of the harbor.  She had no intentions of mingling with the other passengers, but halfway up the stairs she was obliged to say hello to four different people.  Her heart swelled with excitement.  This isn’t bad.  This isn’t bad at all.

            She strolled across the deck and propped her elbows up on the railing.  Though the sun was scorching, causing her tank top to stick to her sweaty back, the cool sea breeze drifting in from the ocean was refreshingly pleasant.  She closed her eyes and took out a deep breath, then let it out slowly.  She listened to the squawking of seagulls and murmuring of passengers before a sudden conversation jerked her attention.

            She frowned and glanced over her shoulder.  The wind, which had picked up slightly, blew a few tendrils of her brown hair in front of her eyes.  She quickly swept them away and watched curiously as a handful of men noisily boarded the boat.  She wondered if they were coworkers on a vacation or simply old friends spending time together.  The glint in each of their eyes said otherwise, however.

            Hayley immediately felt her skin prickling with goosebumps.  Something in those men’s expressions gave the impression they were up to no good.  Some wore dirty T-shirts and others had rolled up their long sleeves to their elbows, showing hard and corded muscle.  Hayley’s eyes widened when one of the men caught her staring.  To her relief, he gave an easy smile before disappearing to the lower level.

            She let out a breath she hadn’t even known she was holding in.  She laughed softly.  To think that she was worried about a strange-looking group of men—now that was ridiculous.  She was going to have a good time on The Queen Francis.  There was nothing to worry about.  This vacation was going to be as relaxing and enjoyable as Gran promised.