Oh Yeah, We're Going Down

The Ship

"You're shift's over?" Noah called out to me when I'd walked ten paces down the sidewalk after leaving the store.
"Yeah," I said, ruffling his hair, "I'm going home to finish up packing, wanna come with?"
"Sure. Gotta make sure you remember your life vest, your floaties, your water proof flare guns, your rescue float—"
"You're about to get uninvited," I said.
"Okeey, would you rather me help with," he put a hand on his hip and switched to a squeaky voice, "for a casual look, should I go with my adidas sneakers or my Nike sandals?"
"You're such a turd," I laughed, pushing him away.
He danced around the couple he almost ran into, and jogged back to my side.
"Is your sister in town yet?"
"No, she's supposed to get here tonight."
"Oh good. So I'll be gone by the time she gets here," he said casually, shoving his hands deep in his pockets and looking up at the building tops.
"She's all good, I promise," I said, though I wasn't fully convinced myself.
"Yeah whatever," he said.
We talked about everything and nothing in particular until we got to my mom's apartment about thirty minutes later.
"Is Mom home?" he asked as I unlocked apartment 201.
"No, my mother isn't home until five. How does your mom feel about you always calling my mom 'mom'?" I asked.
"It's never really come up," he said, pushing past me and walking into the apartment, kicking off his shoes by the door and heading straight for the refrigerator. He grabbed a Yoo-hoo (which my mom had started buying for him because neither of us actually drink them), and headed toward my room.
"Don't spill that anywhere," I called after him, slinging my backpack off and untying my shoes by the door.
"I won't, granma," he shouted back.
I was halfway to my bedroom when my phone started ringing. I answered it without looking at the caller ID.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Raven?"
"Yeah," I said, straightening at the sound of the voice, "Elaine?"
"Yeah," my sister said cheerfully, "How are you?"
"Excited," I said continuing toward my room.
"Haha, me too," she replied, "Would you be okay if we switched cruise lines last minute?"
"What? Why?" I said, stopping in the middle of pulling a suitcase onto my bed.
"What's wrong?" Noah whispered.
I waved him away.
"Well, do you remember Celine?"
I slowly turned and sat on my bed. Noah hopped out of the bean bag in the corner and sat beside me.
"Of course I do, what's—"
"Put it on speaker," Noah said.
I put my hand over his mouth but he promptly swatted it away.
"Yeah well Celine just went through a really bad breakup and she's not taking it too great."
"Aaaand?"
Noah jerked the phone out of my hand and put it on speaker. I would've slapped him and taken it back but now that it was on speaker, Elaine would've heard it.
"Well aren't you little miss sensitive. She just went through a breakup, Raven, she really needs some cheering up."
Noah knit his eyebrows and I shrugged.
"What are you getting at?" I asked quietly.
"Well I sold our tickets a couple of days ago for almost twice the price we got them because a family of three cancelled on the Platinum Cruise line and I got those instead."
"The Platinum Cruise line?" I said said in disbelief. Noah's jaw dropped and he looked up at me with huge eyes, "But Elaine, that's the cruise line for like, brain surgeons and senators."
"Girl I know," she said, "I'm making serious bank as an Architectural Manager, it's all good."
"Well, I mean, why are you asking me now?"
"Well because I want to know what you think."
"Why?" I asked, unable to restrain all of my frustration, "This was supposed to be a sister trip. A you and me vacation. But you've already bought new tickets and seems like Celine's already coming. You changed them a couple of days ago too, so it's too late now, isn't it?"
"Look," she responded, "I'm paying practically everything for you and you're the one who picked most of the destinations for the trip anyways. It's my money and I can bring along Celine if I want to. She needs it so try for some sympathy."
I closed my eyes and tilted my head away so that Noah wouldn't notice the tears start to well up in my eyes.
A moment passed.
"Ok, ok, Elaine. I understand. When are you getting in tonight?"
Her voice softened, "Since Celine's coming, we're flying down and we'll meet you in South Carolina, okay?"
"No," I said, "No, Elaine, I've never flown before. You said you'd be there, I can't—"
"It's ok, Rave," she cut me off, "There are plenty of people working in airports to help you out. You're going to be fine. They're all really nice and they'll help you out."
"Elaine, Mom was looking forward to seeing you, too..."
She was quiet for a long moment and Noah put a hand on my shoulder.
"Tell Mom I love her. I have to go, but I'll see you tomorrow. Love you little sis."
"Elaine—"
Beep.
I fell back onto my bed and pushed the stacks of clothes I folded to pack off onto the floor.
"Raven," Noah said softly.
I rolled into my comforter and faced the wall.
Tears began to fall out of my control and I pulled my pillow on top of my head, half trying to muffle away the outside world and half expecting to suffocate myself.
I'm not quite sure how much time passed but eventually the sounds of music flooded through my pillow barrier: Olafur Arnalds, my favorite composer.
I rolled halfway over and saw Noah, asleep on the beanbag. My clock read 4:53. The clothes I'd thrown on the floor weren't there anymore but my suitcase was clearly packed and propped against the wall, a blanket and neck pillow stacked neatly on top of it.
I rolled out of bed and opened the door slowly so it wouldn't creak. I was about to go to the kitchen to make something for dinner when I noticed Noah was shivering. I walked back, pulled the comforter off my bed and spread it over him, switching off the lamp before I left.
In the kitchen, I only found two packages of suddenly salad and about a cup and a half of potato flakes. There were some apples and an orange and besides that, there was only spoiled milk and leftovers from previous dinners.
Mom was a phenomenal cook and I'm half convinced her meals are the only reason any of my friends ever come over but tonight, Noah was settling for my cooking. Which was not very great.
I made up the mashed potatoes and pasta according to the package instructions and sliced an apple to go on the side.
After filling a plate, I grabbed the orange and went back to my room.
I turned off the music and flipped the light back on, causing Noah to yawn and stretch awake.
"Good morning, sun beam, are you hungry?" I said, placing the plate on the table by the bean bag.
"Morning?" He asked groggily.
"Not really, it's almost five."
"Mom's home?"
"No," I said, jumping onto my bed and peeling the orange, "She's usually a tad late."
He pushed himself up and grabbed the plate. First he poked at the mashed potatoes with his fork and then he scooped up the suddenly salad and dropped it.
"Rave?" he said looking up.
"What?" I asked though a mouthful of orange.
"Did you cook this?"
"Yeah, why?"
"No reason," he muttered, munching on the apple slices.
We ate the fruit in silence for a moment. He looked tired, but didn't say anything about it. The sun was still up outside but it wouldn't be for too much longer.
"Thanks for...," I waved toward my suitcase, "that."
"No problem," he said, "It's what I came for right?"
"Not exactly," I laughed.
He smiled weakly down at his plate, "Well it wasn't hard anyways. You already had everything laid out. But I did take out those hideous purple pants you wear a lot."
"Oh not the ones with the buckles all down the right thigh?" I said, placing a hand over my heart.
"Yep. Those. I hid them too so you couldn't put them in."
I glanced around the room. Where would Noah hide a pair of perfectly comfortable pants? The laundry hamper? No. The closet? The dresser? No, no. I looked around again, then behind me.
"They're under my bed aren't they?"
Noah glanced down under my bed for a split second before shanking his head, "Uh, no."
"You liar," I laughed.
"How did you know that?" He said, leaving the bean bag and fishing out the pants from under the bed.
"Process of elimination," I said, snatching them out of his hands, "But it's ok, I'm not going to pack them—"
"Oh good," he said, plopping back into the bean bag.
"—I'm going to wear them to the airport tomorrow."
"Nooo," he said, reaching for them.
He would've pried them away, had the front door not clicked open at that moment.
"Raven?" my mom called, "you home?"
"Yes ma'am," I said, running out of my room.
Noah followed close behind and hit her with a hug before I could. I pushed him aside and hugged her instead but he came back quickly for a group hug.
"Hey there Noah," she said, ruffling her hair, "Is Ray getting in her last night of shenanigans before the summer?"
"Mom, no one says shenanigans," I laughed, relieving myself from the group hug.
"Well I just did, didn't I?" She laughed, setting her purse on the table and tying on an apron.
"You guys hungry?"
"Nah," I said, "I made dinner. There's still some left if you want any."
"Actually," Noah contradicted, "In still starving."
My mom picked up the pot of pasta on the stove top and swished it around.
"What is this?"
"Suddenly Salad," I said, confused, "I made mashed potatoes too."
She glanced at the other pot and scrunched her nose.
"Right, well. How about I just make you guys a snack then."
"Sounds perfect," Noah grinned.
"Does your mom know your here?" I said, turning to him with a hand on my hip.
"She'll figure it out," he said, waving me away as he put on a flowery ruffled apron of my mother's, "Tell me what to do Ms. Mom."
She laughed and they began to clang around, mixing and scooping, swirling and heating. Eventually they convinced me to join by throwing a fourth of a cup of flower at me.
In the simplest terms, we baked the night away.