Lifeboat Lighthouse

Chapter 10

Day 9 of the cruise - Valletta, Malta

It was still early morning but the sun was already beating down as my parents, Rosie and I sat down on the top deck for breakfast before getting off the ship for our day in Valletta. I didn't have much of an appetite that morning, partly due to the heat, but mostly due to the fact that I was starting to tire of the ship's elegant and excessive menus. In front of me today was smoked salmon and eggs benedict on a toasted croissant. I wasn't ungrateful, the food was delicious, but would anyone die if they put Cheerios in there at least once? I was seriously craving for some french fries with ketchup too. There were probably less extravagant restaurants on the ship that served those types of choices, but obviously we never went to those places to eat. There was always someone to impress, always something to prove.

I tossed and turned the food on my plate, barely caught up in the conversation around me, my mind completely elsewhere that morning.

The night before couldn't have been more perfect. No one had ever made me feel the way Freen had, not even close. I felt so comfortable with the beautiful brown eyed girl but, at the same time, there was still just the right touch of nervousness. It wasn't the kind of anxiety and nervousness I was used to; it was a pleasant kind of nervousness. The kind that pumps adrenaline through your veins and sends electric shocks throughout your body. Even the slightest touch from Freen gave me butterflies. Hell, all she had to do was look at me just right and I collapsed. Kissing her made time stand still, and it felt like I forgot how to breathe when her lips were pressed against mine.

Despite this, I had tried to hide the strong effect she had on me as much as possible the other night. Freen was much more experienced, so much so that I doubted whether me kissing her made her feel the same way. However, it was also obvious that she had some sort of feelings for me. I hadn't forgotten that she spent 70% of the movie watching me instead of watching the TV and the other 30% of the time playing with my hair or absentmindedly drawing patterns on my skin with her fingertips. It was highly distracting in the best sense.

It even seemed like she had given up trying to push me away. I knew there was still a lot she hadn't told me, but we still had fifteen days together in which I could try to break down her walls and get her to trust me. Unless she made a complete change the next time I saw her, which would bring us back to square one. The very thought made me sigh, but I had to admit that I wouldn't be completely surprised if it happened.

I looked up to see Irin and Nam approaching our table. I should have been worried at that moment but I wasn't; my mind was still completely consumed with Freen.

"Becs, where have you been? It seems like centuries have passed!" Irin asked with a friendly smile.

It took me a moment to process what she had just said, but my parents' confused looks quickly brought me back to reality. This was a disaster; they thought I had stayed out with Nam and Irin until 1am. My eyes widened and my panicked brain scrambled to figure out what to say.

"That's an exaggeration, I saw you last night!" I said nervously, giving the two girls a sideways, pleading look, hoping that at least one of them would understand the situation. Nam looked back at me in complete confusion "Nuh uh, it's been two whole days! We missed you, you idiot."

At that point I knew I was screwed; there was no way to salvage the situation. I reluctantly turned to look at my parents and, although I couldn't exactly read their expressions, I could definitely tell they weren't happy. I was sure they would have exploded right there and then if it weren't for the fact that we were in public. They cared too much about what people would think to make a scene.

"I can explain..." I winced.

"If you could give us a moment, girls, we need to talk to our daughter." my mother said in the sweetest tone possible.