Girls Can't Sail

Chapter 2: The Beginning of Adventure

I walked slowly along the path next to the road. Someone behind me called my name.

"Rosanna! Hey, Rosanna!"

I turned around to see Jekoro running down the path towards me. "You dropped something..." he panted when he caught up to me. He pressed my journal into my hands. "T-thanks, it would have been a disaster if my parents would have read it..." I said, my thought trailing off.

"Really? I didn't find anything wrong with it."

"YOU READ IT!?"

"Not the entire thing, just the most recent entry."

I sighed in relief. That was close. "So you want to sail?" he asked after an awkward silence. I nodded. That's when the idea came to me. I'll steal the compass from Father, find his ship and sneak aboard.

"Why do you ask something like that? Why do you think I want to go sailing?" I asked.

"I just so happen to be the captain of the ship that just so happens to be staring at the end of this week." He said coolly.

"Oh really?" I questioned. He nodded. "What is the name of your ship?" This is working perfectly! Although the name of the ship so I know where to go!

"The Marchflower."

"And how do I know you're not lying?"

"I'll show you."

He slid his hand into mine and dragged me down the street.

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Thank goodness no one is out at this time of night! I thought. My underskirts are showing! He was literally dragging me.

"Hold on a second!" I shouted over my shoulder.

"Hm?" Jekoro asked when he stopped moving.

"I can walk. You don't have to drag me."

"The true question is, can you run? " I looked at my semi-heeled shoes and hesitated.

"Yes. Yes I can. "I said, pulling off my shoes.

"Hold these for a second, please? "

Jekoro looked confused, but complied. The dress I wearing was old, dark brown and patched a lot. Sorry Mother. I thought as I tore the long dress. Now it ended just before my knees. I laughed. I laughed because of Jekoro's expression and I laughed because I felt freer than I ever have. Giving Jekoro no time to recover, I sprinted down the slightly sloping road.

"Hey, no fair!" yelled Jekoro, laughing. He dropped my shoes and ran after me.

"Catch me if you can!" I laughed again. I felt a tap on the shoulder.

"I bet I can beat you!" he shouted over the wind blowing in my face. My face soon became damp with mist from the docks. Suddenly I got an idea. I stuck my foot out next to me. Weight hit it and I saw Jekoro stumble and fall. I stopped.

"Are you okay?! I meant it as a joke!"

I ran over to him. I hope he's not hurt badly!

"Are you okay?" I said bending down to turn him over. He started shaking. Seizure?! I turned him over only to find that he was laughing.

"You jerk! You scared me!" I said, playfully slapping him. I got up again, continuing to run towards the sea.

"But I'll still beat you!" I called behind me.

"As if!" I heard Jekoro shout.

The ship came into sight. I slowed down and sat on the edge of the boardwalk. The water looks so peaceful. I looked behind me and saw that Jekoro was still a little bit away. I lay down on the rough wood when Jekoro finally caught up to me.

"Wow. You're quite the runner. You're not even breathing hard?" Jekoro asked incredulously.

"I run down here every day to watch ships come and go." I said.

The sun was setting and it painted the sky with pinks, reds and oranges.

"Come lay down." I patted the wood next to me. Jekoro lay down.

"The stars come out every night. I come out here and watch them pass by." I looked at him. "I've always dreamed of navigating by them someday." I thought about what I wanted to say, debating whether it'd be a good decision. It would be.

"I would like to go sailing with you and your crew, if you would accept me of course."

Jekoro looked confused.

"You are a girl and you to go sailing? Do you know what happens to girls on ships?!" He sat up quickly, eyes wide. "I thought you were joking when you said that!"

"Weren't you the one suggesting that I come along with you not even five minutes ago! And I know you won't anything like that happen, right?"

Jekoro sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Of course not, but-"

"So can I come?" I asked, clutching onto his arm pleadingly.

"Your dad won't agree, and we don't have that compass..."

"I can fix that. So, can I go?" I asked again.

"Yeah, that's fine with-"

"Oh thank you thank you thank you!!!" I said, jumping with excitement and throwing my arms around him in a tight hug.

I get to go sailing!