The sun was finally out, the sky was a clear blue, and the air was filled with the smell of saltwater and sunscreen. We had finally made it to the coast for our long-awaited holiday, and everything was perfect... I suppose except for one tiny detail. I am absolutely terrified of the ocean.
It's not the water itself that scares me, or even the idea of swimming. No, my fear is very specific: leatherback sea turtles. Those giant, prehistoric-looking creatures haunts my nightmares. The thought of being anywhere near one, even on a boat, made my skin crawl. I blame my sister for showing me, I mean now its a new fear thats been unlocked because they may not look vicious but those things cant bite boats in half and they're bites look painful.
Of course, my best friend Taylor thinks my fear was ridiculous. She has been trying to convince me to join her on a boat trip since we started planning this holiday, and I had been avoiding the topic like the plague. But now, standing on the dock, staring at the boat we were supposed to board, I couldn't avoid it any longer.
"Come on, (Y/n/n), it's going to be amazing! Your going to have a ton of fun!" Taylor said, her voice filled with excitement as she practically bounced on her heels. "We'll get to see the coastline, maybe even some dolphins. It'll be fun!"
I swallowed hard, my eyes glued to the boat. It didn't look particularly sturdy, it looks a bit weak actually. I could already feel the panic rising in my chest at the thought of being out on the open ocean, surrounded by nothing but water... and possibly sea turtles.
"I don't know, Tay," I mumbled, shifting uncomfortably. "What if... what if there are turtles?"
Taylor rolled her eyes, but there was a fond smile on her face. "You and your turtles," she teased, throwing an arm around my shoulders. "Look, I promise you, the chances of seeing a leatherback turtle are slim to none. They don't even hang out near the coast like this. You'll be fine."
"But what if-"
"No 'what ifs,'" she interrupted, giving me a gentle shake. "You're coming on this boat with me, and we're going to have a blast. Trust me."
I bit my lip, still hesitant. Taylor had been my best friend for years, and I knew she would never put me in a situation where I was truly in danger, but my irrational fear was hard to shake. Still, the way she was looking at me, with a mixture of determination and encouragement made it impossible to say no.
"Okay, okay," I relented, taking a deep breath. "I'll go. But if I see anything remotely turtle-like, I'm jumping overboard."
Taylor laughed, giving me a playful nudge. "Deal. Now, come on, before you change your mind."
With my heart pounding in my chest, I let her lead me toward the boat. The crew welcomed us aboard, and before I knew it, we were setting off from the dock, the engine rumbling as we glided across the water. I clung to the railing, trying to focus on the beautiful scenery instead of the churning anxiety in my stomach.
Taylor, on the other hand, was having the time of her life. She leaned over the edge, pointing out the different landmarks along the coast and chatting with the crew like she'd been doing this her whole life. Every now and then, she'd glance back at me, making sure I was okay.
"You doing alright, (Y/n)?" she called over the sound of the waves.
I nodded, though I wasn't entirely sure it was true. "Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, my voice a little shaky. "Just... trying to relax."
Taylor flashed me a reassuring smile. "You're doing great. Just keep breathing and enjoy the view."
I tried to do just that. The coastline was stunning, with its jagged cliffs and golden beaches stretching out as far as the eye could see. The water was a deep, mesmerizing blue, and the sun reflected off its surface like a million tiny diamonds. It was beautiful, no doubt about that, but every time the boat hit a wave and rocked slightly, my heart skipped a beat.
Then, as if the universe decided to test me, one of the crew members shouted, "Dolphins ahead!"
Everyone rushed to the side of the boat, including Taylor, who grabbed my hand and pulled me along with her. Despite my nerves, I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. Sure enough, a pod of dolphins was swimming alongside the boat, their sleek bodies cutting through the water with grace and ease.
"See?" Taylor said, squeezing my hand. "Isn't this amazing?"
I nodded, a smile creeping onto my face and my fear momentarily forgotten as I watched the dolphins play in the waves. It was incredible, watching them leap out of the water and hearing the delighted gasps from everyone on board. For a moment, I felt like maybe Taylor was right—maybe I had nothing to worry about.
But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something large and dark moving in the water. My breath caught in my throat, and I instinctively backed away from the edge, my mind immediately jumping to the worst conclusion.
"Tay," I whispered urgently, tugging on her arm. "Tay, what is that?"
She turned to look, her brow furrowing as she tried to spot what I was pointing at. When she finally saw it, she burst out laughing. "(Y/n), relax. It's just a bit of seaweed!"
I blinked, feeling both foolish and relieved as the mass of seaweed floated harmlessly by. My heart was still racing, but I couldn't help but laugh along with her. "Okay, okay, maybe I'm a little on edge."
"A little?" she teased, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "You're doing great though. See? No turtles, just dolphins and a lot of seaweed."
I let out a shaky breath, feeling the tension in my body start to ease. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. Sure, I was still wary of the ocean, but with Taylor by my side, it was easier to push past the fear. She had a way of making even the scariest situations seem manageable, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
As the boat continued its journey, I found myself relaxing more and more. We didn't see any more dolphins, but we did catch sight of a few other sea creatures—none of which were turtles, thankfully. Taylor kept me distracted with her endless chatter, pointing out different things and sharing random facts she'd picked up over the years. By the time we returned to the dock, I was actually enjoying myself.
When we finally stepped off the boat and back onto solid ground, all I felt was relief. I managed to stay out on the ocean for at least two hours and had faced my fear in doing so but I knew I couldn't have done it without Tay.
"Thanks for making me do that," I said, giving her a grateful smile as we walked away from the dock. "I'm still scared of turtles, but... I'm glad I went."
Taylor grinned, slinging an arm around my shoulders. "Anytime, (Y/n). You did great. And hey, now you can say you conquered the ocean—sort of. Beg you still want to stay away from those mean turtles." She teased me.
I laughed, shaking my head. "Sort of. But seriously, thanks, Tay. I needed the push."
She gave me a light squeeze. "That's what best friends are for. Now, how about we grab some ice cream? We've earned it after that adventure."
"Absolutely," I agreed, feeling lighter than I had all day. "But you're buying."
Taylor laughed, rolling her eyes. "Fine, fine. But only because you were so brave, little baby (Y/n/n)" She pouted.
With that, we headed off in search of delicious ice cream. The ice cream that you can only dream of, the ice cream that took us an hour to find.
