Memories

Day Two

I wake up, forgetting where I am. I shoot out of bed, but then I remember. I see Kirstin next to me, laying on her bed. I get out of bed to go use the bathroom and brush my teeth. I check my phone and see the time, 10:56am.

"Good morning!" Kirstin shouts from her bed.

"Did you know it's almost eleven? God, I can't remember the last time I slept in like this," I say loud enough for her to hear.

"Good. Break your damn routines. Live a little," she yells back.

"I am living."

She opens the door and gives me a look. "Mitchy, I know. Just live a little...more. I like seeing you like this. No stress. Carefree. Young," she says with pointed enthusiasm.

"I know," I say with a smile. Kirstin has been my best friend since we were fourteen, and I don't know what I would do without her.

"So what's on the agenda today?" I ask as I shove her out of the bathroom.

"Sun, pool, boys, in no particular order. So get your suit on and let's go." I don't need to be told twice.

I set up in the shade to read a little, and give Kirstin a smile as she dives right into a group of boys nearby. It doesn't take long before I hear her laughing and look up to see her pulling one away from the group and having a little conversation. He's tall and slightly muscular with shaggy, light brown hair; definitely her type. I smile and stick my nose back in my book, counting down the time until she introduces me. Sure enough, no more than ten minutes pass before she plops down next to me.

"This is my best friend, Mitch. Mitch, this is Jeremy."

"Hi Jeremy. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," he says and extends his hand to me. I give him a small smile and shake his hand.

"Manners!" Kirstin mouths to me before winking and standing back up, "You should come join us in the water, Mitchy."

"Yeah, yeah. Let me finish this chapter and I'll be over." I read another three before she gives me the stink eye and I join them. I'm introduced to the others, and am surprised to find out that some of them also go to our school. I learn that Kevin has graduated already, from Yale. But Avi and Jeremy are going to our school. "So is it just you three?" I ask.

"No. We're here with our girlfriends," Kevin says, pointing to himself and Avi.

"Oh, and also our friend Scott and my girlfriends sister."

"Scott?" I say, slightly confused. I knew a Scott once.

"Yeah. He's my best friend." A Scott used to be my best friend once.

"Oh. Where are your girlfriends?"

"Medical emergency," Avi answers.

"Oh, shit. Are they okay?" Kirstin asks, and they all laugh.

"Yeah. Alyssa just broke a nail. You would have thought it was the end of the world. So they took her to the salon to get it taken care of." Kevin says, laughing.

We make small talk, and I realize pretty quickly that these are some really nice people. Kevin and Avi often mess with each other by holding one another under water or running around on deck trying to pants each other. Jeremy is very laid back but talks a lot. He wants to work in an ER. The way he talks about the rush of energy from helping those in need and not knowing what to expect next is quite captivating. He's incredibly smart, and I can already see Kirstin's eyes turning into little hearts.

Some time passes before the girls return, and we get the full introductions.

"This is Alyssa," Kevin says. "She's the hottest girl on this ship, and she's all mine."