Teenage Castaways

Chapter Three || Lexie

When I realized Chad and Killian were the only men in miles, I found I would have to fix up my feelings.

On the third morning, Killian was very upset. It seemed the other boat had moved away with the current. They had moved the tillers to face us the night before, but it clearly didn't do its job.

"Oh relax, Killian, those girls weren't pretty at all," I said soothingly.

I was finally realizing I would be on this boat for longer than a day or two. I had time to take things slow... I hated taking things slow.

"I could have made those girls give us more supplies! Now we're lost out at sea with limited supplies," Killian grumbled.

"You still have me," I said.

"So what? I barely know you. I barely know any of you."

I rolled my eyes and went to sit beside Chad.

"What happened to you hating me?"

I just didn't want to sleep with him at the time. That hardly qualifies as me hating him, even if my delivery was rude.

"It's hard to hate a pretty face," I forced myself to say in my sweetest voice. Truth was, Chad's face looked like the rump of a giant slug. Whatever that means.

Chad raised a brow. "You were literally just flirting with Killian."

"He..." My voice faltered and I moved away.

Leaning against the side of the boat, I desperately hoped another lifeboat full of men would appear. Hot men.

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Nothing came. It was truly hopeless.

I spent my days leaning over the edge of the lifeboat and staring into the water. My deteriorating face peered back at me. My makeup washed away and my hair was frizzy and greasy. I was covered in acne. I was a complete wreck.

My only forms of movement were tossing and turning when I slept or when I drank a bit of water from my jug. I didn't get food so I didn't eat.

Chad and Jovie were the only two that would ever talk. It was always Jovie reassuring him. They never talked about interests or anything real. Just one-sided cheery small-talk.

Killian occasionally bossed someone around, not that there was much to be bossed. The dry days at sea left us a shell of what we were on the first day. Pasty lips, grungy hair, and sunburnt cheeks with peeling skin.

Until Killian found a survival guide. It was apparently in between two planks of wood and he thought it was one of the greatest things on Earth.

"We should sing, it says," he said. It had taken him all day to read. On the horizon, the sun was setting. Brilliant colors flashed across the sky. But it only filled me with sadness as it reminded me of the beauty I lost.

"That's stupid," Ruby croaked. Her voice was in a pitiful shape as she hadn't spoken for days, yet she was the best looking as her cheeks were full and her skin was dewy.

I nodded, agreeing with Ruby. There was no way I was going to waste my energy singing. Not to mention my voice was terrible.

"I think it would be fun. It would lift our spirits, at the very least," Jovie said. Her pale skin, in recent days, had turned lobster red. I was happy that, at least, I wasn't as ugly as her.

Chad, sitting beside her, nodded. "I could do with a little singing... but maybe after a good night's sleep?"

Killian nodded. He crawled under the tarp and I watched him with soft eyes. I wondered what I would do if I was beside him.

"You can share the bag with me," I offered.

"Really? But I thought you were set on sleeping alone? Did you finally succumb to my masculine charms?"

"No. I just felt bad for you."

"You felt bad for me?"

"Men shouldn't have to sleep on the floor while the ladies sleep on the bench." I shrugged my shoulders in the most lady-like manner. "So are you coming or not?"

"Coming."

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Chad, Jovie, and Killian started a choir in the lifeboat. Joyful Jovie was the alto, shirtless Chad was the tenor, and bossy Killian sang the bass. I knew I would make a killer soprano, but there was no point. My throat was in terrible condition.

"Shut up," Ruby grumbled every once in a while. "You guys should be focusing on getting more food and water."

"You have enough," Chad sang back.

Ruby grumbled. I think I was the only one that noticed her water was empty and her sack of food was close to it.

After a day of singing, I decided to swim in the water. It was somewhat warm, but still cool enough to be refreshing.

"Lexie!" Jovie chattered, her face appearing over the side of the boat. "Get back up here!"

I drank up some salt water and spat it out toward her. It didn't hit her, but it drove my point home.

Washing my face in the water, I hoped my acne would go away, along with my frizzy hair. My eyes stayed closed, though. I won't want to ruin their perfect blue shine!

Once my legs were tired from paddling, I finally climbed back into the boat. The choir was silent.

I smiled and climbed into my sleeping bag. After a night's sleep, I would be beautiful once again.