Trines

Trines (9)

Chapter 9

Alex strode straight over the hill once he got back to the docks, like Maire instructed him. Sure enough, there was another small harbor right there in the next nook. Several new motorboats were floating on the water, tied to the dock. A little bit further ahead was a small house, or more like a shed. "Earl's boat rental\ was written on the red wall in white paint. The door was wide open, and Alex could see an older man sitting in a chair inside.

Alex walked over and strode through the door. At a closer look, he could clearly see the man was asleep. With a confused look, he turned his head to a wall clock just above the man. It showed that it was three in the afternoon. Alex shook his head in disbelief. He had no idea how people could fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon. He had never been able to do it.

Deciding he was too impatient to wait for the others to reach the shed, he walked over to the man and shook his shoulder.

"Hello? Excuse me," he said.

The man didn't react.

Alex shook his arm harder. Still no response. With a sigh, he stood closer to the man and leaned in.

"Excuse me!" He yelled in the man’s ear.

At this, the man jumped up in surprise.

"What?" He yelled.

The man blinked a couple of time, trying to comprehend where he was and what had just happened.

"Are you Earl?" Alex asked, recalling the name from the door.

"What?" The man repeated.

Alex knew the man was good over sixty, due to his wrinkled skin and gray hair. As he looked closer, he could also see a hearing aid in his right ear.

"Are you Earl!?" Alex yelled, to be certain the man heard him.

In response, he held up his hand and, with an amused smile covering his smile, said, "No need to yell, and boy. I'm not deaf."

Then he added. "And Earl was my Pa. Died in the nineties, so I took over, didn't bother changing the name though."

Alex struggled understanding what he was saying, as he had a heavy Irish accent.

"Well, this is where I can rent a boat, right?" Alex checked.

"What?" The man answered.

Alex gritted his teeth in annoyance of having to repeat himself.

"I SAID---" he begun, but the man interrupted him.

"I'm just pulling your leg, boy. Calm down, would ya? But yeah, this is where you rent a boat. Captain Morgan to your service," Morgan mock-saluted.

"Then I need a boat, big enough to fit six people, for let's say three days," Alex demanded without responding Morgan's joke.

"Sure thing. I just need a name and a credit card and you're good to go," Morgan replied.

Alex sighed in irritation and fished out his card from his pocket.

"Alex Jones," he said.

Morgan took the card and swiped it through the machine.

"Just take a pick from the ones tied to the dock. Be back in three days," Morgan warned him before he settled down in the chair again. Within seconds, he was asleep.

Alex shook his head slightly at the old man before he walked out to join the others.

The other five were standing on the outside of the shed, glancing curiously at Alex as he passed through the doors.

"What was that about?" Rebecca was the first to ask.

"I just got us a boat," Alex answered with ease.

****

The boat was kind of... outdated. It definitely needed a coagulation of paint and some new seats, but it was the only one there that would seat people. Alex didn't reallocate about the standard off the boat, along as it got them to where they needed be.

It was a small motor sport, and they had to press against each other to make room, but it was fast. They had been riding for fifteen minutes now, and there was nothing to see but the ocean on all sides.

"How much further?" Available groaned as she tried to wriggle her arm away from where it lay, under Aaron.

Alex, sitting in the front seat with plenty of space simply turned around to glance at the five of them.

"At least another forty five minutes," he answered. "If we are lucky."

A collective groan came from the five passengers.

The boat was tiny with two seats in the front and two seats in the back, with barely any space to place for their feet. They had still chosen to place their bags in the front seat besides Alex, while they all piled into the back. Drew and Aaron had taken the two seats, while the three girls sat on top of them. All of legs had been entwined, stopping them all from being able to move their feet.

"Someone should have taken the front seat," Jennifer groaned.

Her hand was trapped between Rebecca's back and the boat.

Alex glanced back at them again and grinned at them.

"Want me to stop the boat?" He asked.

He couldn't hide his amusement at their situation. As he was the only one who actually could drive a boat, he had the best sporting the entire boat, and he loved seeing their discomfort.

"God, yes," Ava groaned, still trying to wriggle her arm out.

Alex's grin grew as he turned the key in the ignition. He threw the two bags that was on the front sit down on the ground where the others feet lay.

"Ow!" They complained when the bags hit the Irish feet.

Alex smiled at them.

"Sorry," he said, though it was obvious he did not mean it.

"Who wants to jump over then?" Alex asked, patting the seat next to him. 

Ava jumped up at once, eager to get away from the pile of human limbs.

"Me!" She yelled.

But at the same time, Rebecca jumped up too. 

"No, me!" She yelled.

"No way!" Ava replied, turning her head to meet the redhead's eyes.

Unfortunately for her, she turned her head just as she took step over. But she couldn't see where she placed her feet, and stumbled over Aaron. Ava fell backwards, landing on her bum. Rebecca let out a loud laugh before she took her chance and jumped over the seat.

"Sucker!" She yelled at Ava, a grin on her face.

Ava only glowered at the older girl. Alex turned the key in the ignition again. 

"You should get comfortable down there, Ava. We still have a loooong way to go!" He laughed.

 **** 

New chapter, yay! I am officially down with writing this book. It hastaken almost two years, but I am done writing the Triplicites Triology. I don't know whether I should be happy or sad...

Either way, now I'll update twice a week, as far as I remember to do it :)

Hope you liked the chapter, please vote and comment. It will mean so much to me! :)

xxAliza <3