Four strangers from different walks of life meet on a cruise and spend an unforgettable week together. All of them on their own self-discovering journeys, and onboard for different reasons.
Texan heiress and ballet prodigy, Brooklyn Brankovich, lon...
I walked out of the room in the morning from Brooklyn trying to hit me with a pillow. She was mad I farted in bed.
My laughed died down as I saw the name light up my phone screen that was kept out of the counter all night. It was Kenya.
"Hey, Ken-" I spoke energetically into the phone but stopped when I heard a sniffle. "You good, what's up?"
Her voice trembled as she talked. "Oh, Noah. I'm sorry to call so early."
My eyebrows furrowed as I eased down onto the couch.
Brooklyn came out and pelted me in the back with pillows. She laughed but I quickly snapped my fingers and she went mute. Brooklyn came around the couch and sat at my feet, bringing her knees to her chest as she wondered why I was serious now.
Kenya cried some more and then found the strength to speak again. "It's AJ," she wept. "someone killed 'em last night in the hospital - suffocated him. The hospital checked the cameras and claimed to see nothing. All the cops said was security wasn't on duty, must've been a scheduling mistake, and whoever did it is good. Pfft."
I was in disbelief. My lips stayed cemented shut as I was speechless.
Brooklyn couldn't even hear the call but she grew worried and squeezed my hand in my lap.
"Oh, God. Who would do this?! He was just getting better, too. Terrance is pretty upset as you can imagine, but I know he'll want to see you and Gael at the funeral. I told Gael already, but it's next Tuesday at ten. Noah, please be safe! I got to go." She hyperventilated, pulling away from the phone to end the call.
"Who was that?" asked Brooklyn, rising up to sit beside me on the couch.
I leaned forward, swiping my hands down my stuck face.
"Noah? Are you okay?" Brooklyn questioned.
I slowly rotated my neck and shook my head no.
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The service was as nice as one could be. Just like every other funeral I've been to, people cried, people laughed, they sang, and AJ's body was put in the ground.
Terrance wore glasses to cover his crying eyes, while Kenya stayed strong for him.
We left the grave site last as everyone fled to their cars to go eat at the church. Gael and I declined, I just didn't feel right going.
As I watched people leave, I removed my necktie at my Hummer.
"Man." I spit, leaning against the trunk.
Gael let out a long breath. "Fucking funerals. This obviously was a hit. What do you think?"
"Terrance goes off on Zane for putting AJ in the hospital and Zane fired Terrance; a day later AJ is dead? I don't doubt it."
