From Sea To Shining Sea (Edmund Pevensie)

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

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"Take everything you like seriously, except yourselves." -Rudyard Kipling

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Once we got back on the boat, I don't remember who started with the drinking, but soon, everyone had either a wineglass or a beer bottle. I knew I was too young, but at that point, I didn't care. After I had finished my first glass of wine, I watched in amusement as Tavros attempted to get Eustace to drink.

"I'm sorry, but I do not wish to poison my young and growing body with that," Eustace reasoned as Tavros shoved a cup into his face. Tavros persisted, wanting to see what Eustace was like when he was buzzed.

"Tavros, let 'em be," I giggled. "You'll only make him angrier."

Tavros walked off mumbling something about being a buzzkill, and I rolled my eyes after he left.

"Eustace, you need to loosen up," I said flatly.

"You know, your advice is making less and less sense these days," he complained.

I sighed and shook my head at him. "You just need to have a good time and relax." I handed him a glass of wine, which he took cautiously. He lifted it to his nose, and smelled it.

"It smells rather pleasant," he observed.

"It tastes even more pleasant," I encouraged, and he took a small drink.

He made a sound of approval. "It does taste nice." He took another drink. After he swallowed, I patted him on the back, and left to find my other friends.

I walked across the ship to find Lucy and Caspian talking with Reep.

"Ophelia!" Caspian smiled when he saw me. "We were just talking about you!"

"All good thing, I'd hope," I joked.

"I was just telling Lucy about how you used to sing for us sometimes," Caspian informed.

"Why haven't you sang since Edmund, Eustace, and I got here?" Lucy asked.

"I haven't had the time," I shrugged. "We've been pretty busy lately if you haven't noticed."

"Will you sing for us tonight?" Lucy begged.

"I guess," I sighed, and Lucy clapped her hands in excitement. I walked to my room, and grabbed my guitar, which I hadn't played in weeks, and walked back onto the deck. I sat on the edge of the boat, guitar in hand, while a crowd gathered around me. I looked over to my right and saw Edmund watching me with a small grin, his hair silvery in the moonlight.

I strummed a note before I took a deep breath and began.

"If all our life is but a dream,

"Fantastic posing greed,

"Then we should feed our jewelry to the sea,

"For diamonds do appear to be,

"Just like broken glass to me."

A tingling feeling of nervousness overtook my body as I snuck another look at Edmund.

"And then she said she can't believe,

"Genius only comes along,

"In storms of fabled foreign tongues.

"Tripping eyes, and flooded lungs,

"Northern downpour sends its love." I smiled into the song, letting it fill the space around me, and I looked up the the sky.

"Hey moon, please forget to fall down

"Hey moon, don't you go down.

"Sugarcane in the easy mornin'

"Weathervanes my one and lonely." I paused to catch my breath.

"The ink is running toward the page.

"It's chasin' off the days,

"Look back at both feet,

"And that winding knee.

"I missed your skin when you were east,

"You clicked your heels and wished for me.

"Through playful lips made of yarn,

"That fragile Capricorn

"Unraveled words like moths upon old scarves.

"I know the world's a broken bone

"But melt your headaches, call it home.

"Hey moon, please forget to fall down,

"Hey moon, don't you go down.

"Sugarcane in the easy mornin'

"Weathervanes my one and lonely

"Hey moon, please forget to fall down

"Hey moon, don't you go down.

"You are at the top of my lungs,

"Drawn to the ones who never yawn."

I heard a loud chorus of clapping as I stood and gave a little curtsy.

"I've never heard that song before," commented Lucy as she came towards me. "Did you write it?"

"Oh, no," I laughed. "I wish I could write something like that. That song came from the great minds of Ryan Ross and Jon Walker, and originally sung by Brendon Urie." Lucy nodded as I spoke.

I heard footsteps coming in my direction, and turned to see Caspian and Edmund walking towards us.

"You were incredible as always," Caspian praised as he pulled me into a hug.

"I wish we did things like this more often," Edmund mentioned. "This is much more fun than worrying about Lords and swords all day."

"Very true, very true," I agreed.

"If we had the correct equipment, I'm sure we could," Caspian informed.

"I think we can all agree that nothing is more entertaining than Drunk Eustace," I concluded. Everyone turned to look to where I was looking. Eustace was standing on the edge of the ship with a scrap of fabric tied around his head and a wooden plank in hand.

"I am Blackbeard!" Eustace announced. "Fear me!"

"Who gave him alcohol?" Edmund asked with a smile.

I gave him a guilty look. "He really needed to loosen up. Maybe not that much though."

"He certainly seems to have taken your advice very seriously." I laughed, and then realized that Lucy and Caspian had left us to go convince Eustace to back away from the edge of the ship.

"Eustace seems to be getting better by the day, and he'll only get better from here."

"He's not the only one who's been changed by this experience."

"I think we all have been, at least a little bit." I turned my head to him to see that he had already done the same. Our faces were inches apart, and I did something that I probably shouldn't have done. I leaned in, and kissed him. It wasn't one of those overly romantic, suck-face kisses like in the movies. It was a one-second peck on the lips, then I swiftly walked off before I could see his reaction.

I locked myself in my room, my head aching. What have I done? I asked myself. Was that probably the wrong time to do that? Absolutely. Can I probably blame some of that on the alcohol? Hopefully. My biggest concern was that he wasn't going to speak to me again. Fears swam through my mind as I tried to convince myself to go back to the party, but I couldn't do it. I slumped down onto my bed and let sleep take over.