The Way

Chapter 02: The Beach

I had to admit, the first night at the Winter White House wasn't the best in the world. I was made a nervous train wreck my associating with Mr. Kennedy. Father didn't seem to act too pleased with my behavior that I'd been showing. I sat on my bed and looked outside the balcony door quietly. Suddenly my door opened, "Montana, I told you to to be good!" my father snapped, as he stepped inside, closing my door behind him. "I-I'm sorry! You can't just expect me to go all buddy-buddy on him do you? I don't even know him!" I snapped quickly. My father let out a heavy sigh and ran a loose hand through his gelled  hair, "Look, I don't expect you to do much of anything, just be polite and have manners. Speak when you're spoken to, you know. He's the president of the United States , you're suppose-" I crossed my arms, "Suppose to respect him in the highest honors...I know, I know..." My father nodded, "Well good. Start acting like it. Now, goodnight, get to sleep. We have a scheduled day tomorrow." I looked away and looked back at him, "We?" My father nodded, "Yes, you, me, and Mr. Kennedy." Within this, my father shut the door. I heard his loafers track down the hallway, and then a door shut. I sighed and got into my nightgown and then proceeded to get in bed. I looked up at the ceiling as I switched the lamp light off, sighing to myself. I now wished father wouldn't have taken me in the first place. Either that, or that mama was still alive...
The next morning, I was awoken by a knock on the door, "Montana, time to get up." It was my father's voice. "Okay, let me get dressed..." I replied quietly.  "Dress in something to enter the beach, cause we're going walking before breakfast." Father said, before I heard him walk off. I sighed, and dug through my suit case picking out a dress , and some sandals, before proceeding to walk down stairs. Mr. Kennedy and my father were waiting at the door, both wearing their t-shirts and swim trunks. I nervously tugged the ends of my dress, I wasn't planning on swimming. We proceeded to walk out the door and off the lawn and into the sand. I took a shaky breath as my feet hit the sand, from which I followed my father and Mr. Kennedy from a distance behind them. I didn't speak a word as they carried on conversation of Mrs. Kennedy, and his two children. My attention snapped as some of the waves hit my feet. I looked down and backed up frantically. "Honey, it's just salt water!" I heard my father start to laugh. Mr. Kennedy joined him as I backed into them both. "I don't like it that much." I said nervously. "Oh, well then you definitely aren't going to like it when we go on a boat trip." Mr. Kennedy chuckled, lighting up a cigar. I thought my heart hit my feet. Boat trip?  It's bad enough I was out here out of my comfort zone, and now I was going to be in the middle of the open ocean with the president of the United States. GREAT. 
I glanced back down at my feet, shrugging the comment off. We began to walk quietly again as the sun got higher. "I think it's about time for breakfast." Mr. Kennedy chuckled as we headed back to the house. We stomped the sand off of our feet and sat at the breakfast table, having our plates handed to us by the waiters. I didn't really feel like eating, so I just poked around my food with my fork. Mr. Kennedy and father had seemed to be talking up a whole conversation while I sat in the middle of the table, sighing quietly. "So, Montana, why are you so scared of the water?" Mr. Kennedy asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I just...if I can't see my feet...I sorta panic." I shrugged lightly, looking downward. "She doesn't really swim that often anyway." My father told Mr. Kennedy as he wiped his mouth. "Ah, I see, we'll have to break you from that." he chuckled. My eyes widened, "I'm good..." My father shot a glare at me from across the table. "I uh mean...I'm good. That sounds great." I said quickly. "Great! I'll go ahead and get the guys to get the boat ready." Mr. Kennedy said, standing up. My father glanced at me, "Go put your swimsuit on underneath your dress." I quickly nodded and dashed upstairs, slipping my swimsuit underneath my dress and sliding my sandals back on. I carefully made my way back downstairs to greet Mr. Kennedy and father. We walked out back to the beach and to the dock, where a decent sized boat called the 'Honey Fitzgerald' sat waiting. I carefully walked up the steps to board the ship. I sat on one of the seats that was on the front of the boat and clung onto it. 
Mr. Kennedy and father came and sat beside me. "So, Montana, how old are you?" Mr. Kennedy asked, glancing over at me. "I'm uh...uh..." I said, becoming uneasy because the boat began to move. "She's fifteen." my father said bluntly. I nodded quickly, "Uh...what he said." Mr. Kennedy chuckled, "I see...I thought you were a bit older...seventeen maybe." I shook my head, "I get that a lot. I guess it's because I don't really...speak that much." My father smiled as he noticed I was speaking to Mr. Kennedy. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. He was a nice guy. Mr. Kennedy stood up, "Ready to go swimming?" My eyes widened as I looked below at the water. My father and Mr. Kennedy had already took their shirts off and dived in. "Well come on Montana, it won't bite." My father said, wiping the water out of his face. I carefully slid my dress down so I was in my bathing suit. "I-I'll stay up here and...tan..." I said quickly. The next thing I know, someone grabbed my sides, and off the bow of the boat I went. I began frantically swimming, "Oh my god...oh my god....OH MY GOD." My father and Mr. Kennedy started laughing. "I-I can't see my feet....I can't see my feet!" I said, beginning to panic. "Swim over here then." My father said, motioning me to swim over. I swam quickly, and clung to my father's shoulders, "Okay...water's nice...can I get back on the boat now?" They began laughing again. "Let me teach you how to swim...without freaking out." Mr. Kennedy chuckled, peeling me off my father's shoulders. "N-N-No, No, Nope. I'm good." I said, beginning to cling to Mr. Kennedy's shoulders. "Oh come on, just ease up." he said chuckling. "Mr. Kennedy-" I went to say. "Call me John or Jack, either one." he shrugged, ignoring my fear of the water. "P-P-Put me back on the boat." I said nervously. He smiled, "Not until you get use to the water. We gotta break you of this fear." I shook my head, "Some other t-time?" He shook his head, and broke away from my grip, letting me swim on my own. 
"W-What if sharks...come and eat us?!" I asked, beginning to try and swim to one of them. They kept out of my reach. "See it isn't that bad now is it?" Mr. Kennedy said, laying his head back in the water. I shook my head, "I-I guess..." My father smiled, "At least you're having fun now." I nodded, quietly, mumbling under my breath, "Huh, yeah...'fun'" After a few more minutes in the water, we climbed up the later back to the boat. By time this, it was 5 pm. I laid on a towel in the sun, yawning. I was quite tired from the terrifying swim. My father and Mr. Kennedy sat in the seats beside where I was laying. I acted like I was asleep so I could listen in on their conversation. "So, Joe, are you going to try and get back into dating since Montana is in her teen years?" Mr. Kennedy asked my father. "I don't know yet...I mean, it's been a while since Kristine died, and a long while since I dated." Father replied nervously. "Well, one of the maid's has been eyeing you since you arrived yesterday, I'd watch Montana if you'd go on a date with her." Mr. Kennedy chuckled, sitting up. "I don't know sir. I'm not sure how my daughter would react to it." Father shrugged. "Just think about it, and tell me what you think after she goes to sleep tonight so  I can plan it for tomorrow. All day date. Sound good?" Mr. Kennedy questioned. "Yes, sir. Sounds wonderful." I heard father chuckle. This didn't sound good....at all.