Stranded

Chapter 1: How It Started

Lea’s POV

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. I chanted ‘Inhale, exhale’ to myself for more than half an hour. I am waiting for my bestfriend, Angel, to come over. I called her half an hour ago to meet me at my cousin’s café. I am about to give her the ‘big news.’

After a few more minutes of continuous chanting, she finally arrived. She entered the café, wearing her favorite purple tee, a pair of shorts and black Converse shoes.

“Angeeel!” I shouted as I ran towards her. I hugged her tight amidst the crowd of costumers in the café.

“What is it, Leanna?” Angel asked as she sat down opposite to me, at the table I personally marked as ‘reserved.’

“I won the ticket!” I said, smiling wide.

“Really?” She asked, leaning closer to me.

“Yes.” I gladly replied. I am so happy that I won two tickets for the ‘Destiny Cruise.’ It was a very important part of my life. It is my dream to be in that ship. The ship that can find true love for you, they say. I believe. Because many years ago, my parents met on the same cruise ship. This ship is where they found love

Maybe I will, too.

It is the ship's first cruise. Again. Years ago, there was an accident that happened while the ship was sailing across the Atlantic. Many passengers lost their lives due to the huge waves that met them on sea. Including my parents. They died together. On the same date they met each other, roughly a decade after they met and about fifteen years ago.

“Who’s going with you then?” She asked, biting her lower lip. I knew what this meant. She wants to be the one to accompany me. I know, because she has been my bestfriend for ten years.

I leaned forward to her, pretending to think. “I was thinking maybe Laurie could come with me.” I said, referring to my older cousin, who owns the café.

She bit her lip once more. This time, I know she’s desperate. “Kidding. You, of course!” I said.

Her face lit up as her eyes widened. “Thank you!!!”

We decided to order lattes as we plan for our dream summer vacation. We transferred to a comfy booth with a couch in it and talked about the cruise.

“I hear SS Destiny has a very beautiful deck. It even has a heart-shaped pool!” She said. “Oh, it’s like heaven on earth!”

“Um, Angel, don’t you think they’ll think of us as lesbians?” I asked, sheepishly.

She began to laugh. “Why?” She asked.

I grinned. “Hello?” I said. “It’s SS Destiny. Only lovebirds would be there, not bestfriends.”

She looked at me maliciously. We exchanged evil grins and laughed.

“That’s just silly, Lea.” She said. “So, aren’t we going to start packing?”

Rae’s POV

“C’mon, Rae. It’s not like…” Ian protested.

Just a while ago, I caught Ian with Maria Velasco, the sexy waitress at The Pearl. I saw MY boyfriend flirting and he repeatedly says ‘It’s not a big deal.’

I turned to him. “I’m not dumb, Ian!”

I continued walking until I reached the bus stop. He caught up with me and nagged me to forgive him.

How could I? I’ve been seeing him with lots of other girls. Yeah, I was warned. Before I even said ‘yes’, my friends already told me that Ian Ryder is definitely a playboy, a womanizer.

“You know what, Ian? I think we should break up.” I said. I jumped inside the bus and took a seat at the back most part. Tears ran down my cheeks. I couldn’t even stop myself from sniffling. Even if Ian is a notorious womanizer, I loved him.

I entered the house and ran into my room, slamming the door behind me.

“Rae!” My father said, knocking the door. “Get out of there and help your mom fix dinner for Victoria’s arrival!”

Of course. Victoria. My perfect cousin.

“Jasmine Rae Cavanagh! Get out of that room and help your mother!” He called out.

“There’s no way you’ll get me out of this room.” I muttered to myself. “Not unless I’d be out of here forever.”

I got my luggage out of my closet and started filling it up with my summer clothes. I popped in a few more things before I zipped it close. Finally, I opened my dresser drawer and pulled out the ticket Ian gave me for our anniversary.

“SS Destiny, here I come.”

Liz’s POV

I ran out of the school as tears were gradually forming at the sides of my eyes. Again, for the millionth time, Bernice Hale embarrassed me in front of the whole college. She has been repeatedly doing this to me ever since we were in preparatory school. I curse this small town!

She trips me in front of the class, throws me crumpled pieces of paper, hides my things from me and bullies me I front of everybody. It’s like falling from a hundred-floor building, getting squished by ten-wheeler trucks and miraculously surviving. That’s exactly how it feels. I am so glad school’s over.

“What’s the matter, Lizzie?” My sister, Cecil, asked. She was sitting on the couch when I arrived sobbing at home. “Is it the Bernice girl again?”

I nodded.

Cecil sighed. “Do you want me to call mom?”

“No.” I replied, wiping away my tears with my hands. Handed me a tissue and headed to her room. When she got back, she handed me a piece of paper.

“I think you need this.” She said. I read the piece of paper. ‘Destiny Cruise’ it said. I stared at Cecil.

“My boss gave it to me as a reward. But you can have it.” She told me.

Erin’s POV

“Goodbye, class. I hope to see you all next school year!” our English professor said. He waved us goodbye and left the room.

“Hey, Erin. Don’t you have any plans of leaving the school today?” David chuckled. True enough, I have not yet stood up from my seat. Much of the our classmates were already outside, enjoying summer vacation.

I smiled at David and stood up. I grabbed my bag and my books.

 “Let me help you.” He said as he took my schoolbooks from me. We walked out of the room and headed to Starbucks.

“So, Erin, what are your plans?” He asked. “Getting summer classes in order to graduate faster, eh?”

I chuckled. Plans? I had no plans for summer vacation yet. And I definitely do not want to spend my whole summer vacation in school. I have been taking summer classes since forever, just in order to have a head start for the next school year, but since this year had been so tiring, I guess I won’t take summer classes.

“No.” I answered David. His eyes widened as I sipped my ice-cold cappuccino.

“Seriously?” He asked. We walked out of Starbucks and headed home.

“Yeah.” I said. “Grandma Ellen said she has a surprise for me.”

I bid David goodbye and walk towards then porch. I saw Grandma Ellen, sitting on her rocking chair, reading a book. I put down my bag and kissed her cheek.

“So school is finally done, am I right?” She asked me as she looked away from the book she was reading.

I smiled. “Yes, grandma.”

She took the piece of paper that served her bookmark from her book. “Here.”

‘Destiny Cruise.’ it read.