In Charlotte's Eyes

ONE: Parker's First Day Aboard

Peni arrived at his house later that day. The two caught up briefly with one another, she made herself at home, and they double checked that they had everything ready for tomorrow.

Then the next day came. The two woke up pretty early and made it to board the cruise on time. After going through the mandatory safety briefing, Parker and Peni headed to their cabin and unpacked.

By the time they were comfortable to venture out and experience the cruise resort, it was almost 1 P.M.

“Oh, yes, I'm so excited!” Peni stepped out of their cabin, elated. “It looks even more stunning than I imagined.”

“I can't wait to see what it looks like at night.” Parker agreed.

She stretched. “Well, after all of that waiting, I'm starving. Let's go eat first.”

He laughed. “Same.”

So the two headed over to the cruise's buffet, ready to fill their stomachs.

…

Their first day on board, they spent most of it exploring the options the cruise had to offer. Parker was constantly in amazement at how sleek and advanced everything looked. There were so many things to do. The two kept places of interest in mind for tomorrow, then went and enjoyed the rest of the evening watching a movie and competing in a few laser tag games.

Finally, the sun settled down, and the two retreated to get some food together at one of many restaurants the cruise offered.

The two were sat at a table, a menu in each of their hands. Parker was considering the drink options, looking at the provided pictures. “Wow, their cocktails look so good.” He commented absentmindedly.

Peni looked over at his menu, glancing at the options herself. “Yeah, but.. you shouldn't get any.” She quickly suggested.

He leaned back, a bit surprised. “Why not?”

“Because,” She looked down at her menu. “You should avoid getting alcohol.”

“But it'd help me relax.” He countered, disappointed.

She sighed quietly, gazing up at him again, concentrating their eye contact. “It's not good for you.” Parker’s expression scrunched, confidence retreating. He knew what she was implying. “You know that.”

He grumbled, unsure of how to refute that. He thought that the cocktails looked really nice, but he mainly wanted the alcohol in his system, he had to admit. Even though he was excited about experiencing a cruise, this sinking anxiety inside of him still remained. He was hoping a drink would help him get over it.

“I want your mind to be fully here—in the moment.” Peni smiled, a more positive spin coming to her suggestion. “If you're tipsy, your memory will miss out on important things.”

“Heh.” He looked away and shook his head, chuckling to himself. Of course his sister knew him well. She wanted to help him get away from his guilty pleasure. Feeling a bit comforted, he turned back to his menu. “Alright, I'll skip out this time.” A pair of fingers hovered near his chin.

She beamed, satisfied.

…

The two crashed back into their cabin for the night. It was almost midnight by the time they got back. Parker laid silently in his bed, hands behind his head. He stared up at the dim ceiling light; the strength of the light was adjustable. His expression was blank.

Peni returned from the bathroom. “You look gloomy.” She commented with a smirk as she walked past him to her bed on the opposite side of the cabin. He sat up just enough to look her in the eyes. She moved past her bed towards the small spot by the wall. “Come look outside. Maybe that'll cheer you up.”

She slid a set of curtains out of the way—something Parker hadn't even noticed before—and moved past a sliding door. He sat up quickly, confused. There was.. a balcony? He hurried himself out of bed and followed her to the supposed balcony.

Sure enough, there was a small balcony. Peni sat in one of two round swivel chairs. Each chair had its own set of small, soft pillows. Each chair also had a small, circular drink table, at level with the arm rests of the chairs. Parker looked out at the dark, beautiful ocean. “Oh, wow..” He muttered, taking a step towards the railing, leaning on it a little. “I didn't even know we had a balcony.” He had gotten so caught up with the busy-ness of getting settled on the ship, that he failed to notice it.

Peni chuckled. She sat on the far right chair, arms on the subsequent arm rests. “I made sure to get us the nicest rooms for our trip.”

The wind and the distant sounds of water colliding with the ship were soothing, and it gave a sense of calm to Parker. “Wow..” He whispered again. He sat down and looked at his sister. “How much did all this cost you?”

She grimaced slightly, still smiling. “Heh. A lot. But it's worth it.” She affirmed with confidence.

“Peni, you really didn't have to.” He frowned, feeling guilty.

“It's cool, dude.” She grinned, unaffected. “I wanted to cover everything for you.”

He shook his head, staring out at the abyssal sea. “Still.. it must've really hurt your pocket.”

She chuckled. “It could've been much, much worse.”

“Yeah..?” He wisped, unsure of what else to say.

After a moment of silence, Peni lightly smacked the arm rests of her chair. She hummed loudly, standing up suddenly. “Alright. Time to go to bed.”

He watched her move past him. “Right. Be there in a sec.”

She hummed in acknowledgement. Finally, Parker stood up, still staring out at the sea. With a sigh, he turned back and headed inside.