Getaway

[09] Let's Start a Boat!

The boat was kitted out. Like to the max.

Raven and Phoenix had designed it and Blu had helped stock it and set it up, as he knew all the ins and outs of DIY and modifying boats.

But one thing they all knew how to do was party, and be loud.

Down in the basement, which was a dance floor and club with a stage so that it could be used for an on-board music venue, Leya stood in the almost darkness as all the switches were blinking lots of different lights and she had no idea what they would do if she flicked them. Instead she was clicking through Raven's Macbook, looking through the music folder.

It was wired up to surround-sound speaker system that covered the entire boat, she turned it up full volume and clicked play on All Aboard!

Rushing up the stairs, she didn't quite make it in time to see Raven grab a wooden sword, and Phoenix tie a bandana around his head.

Raven and Phoenix skipped wildly around the deck, laughing their heads off and fighting over a Shure SM58 microphone with pink neon grip tape wrapped around it coming undone. Jayla, Sapphire and Aspen were soon dancing too. It was so loud the ship was shaking.

When Leya joined them it had already kicked off. Raven jumped in front of her, joisting the sword at her and she laughed, pushing him away. Singing along and jumping as high as they could into the air, they all looked over the edge of the ship into the bright blue ocean:

"I'm a mother fuckin' pirate!"

Raven and Phoenix eventually fall over from exhaustion and laughing.

"It's a pirates laugh... life... laugh," Phoenix chokes, hand to throat to make it more dramatic. Jayla can't help thinking how fucking cute he is.

"For, me-heee..." He smiles, "Oh hello there," And she sits next to him.

"You're so cute," she says out loud. Oops.

"Am I?" chuckles Phoenix, his pentagram necklace glinting in the Californian sunlight. Obviously very cute.

"Do you want another vodka?" She asks giggling.

"You're my bitch!" Phoenix appraises. "Did ya hear that, Raven?" Phoenix calls.

Raven, who is in the middle of a game of Risk with Sapphire, Aspen and Leya looks over to see what the fuss is about, seeing Jayla disappear below deck, crop trousers and ripped tee now to match the pirate look.

"No," he smiles, "I'm just busy winning a game of Risk, ch'yeah bro! Look at me go," and Raven does a little victory dance that makes Leya giggle.

"You're not winning!" She then corrects him throwing a sweet wrapper at him that just blows away in the breeze and over the side of the ship.

"Hey! Who's winning?" Says Raven openly, hands up as if to question it philosophically to the white puffy clouds in the sky.

"We're all winning!" They all look at him, bedazzled.

"Yeah? No? Aren't we?"Raven pushes into the sunny silence aboard the ship of teenage pirates and band members.

Just then Jayla arrives with not just one bottle of Vodka, but four, along with Pina Colada, Jaegermeister and some Alcopops for her friends.

She puts them down next to the Risk game board.

"Let's play a drinking game!" She giggles excitedly, brushing the hair out her eyes, kneeling down next to the bottles, laying out six plastic cups.

"I'm in," Raven sits down next to Leya again, crossing his legs and swiping his gorgeous fringe to the side. Popping her a cute look, she giggles again.

"You gonna play, missy?" and he tickles her side.

"Maybe," she muses.

"What about you guys?" Jayla asks Sapphire and Aspen who are walking away. "Where are you going?"

Aspen turns around, a slight look of hurt on her tanned and pretty face, "Going to see Blu for a bit," she continues to the door of the steering wheel and navigation room, and Sapphire finishes it for her, "I think he could do with some company."

"Ok," shrugs Raven. Leya and Jayla shrug too and Phoenix just laughs putting his arm round Jayla, and leaning forwards, dangerously close to going head down into the Risk board, or spilling his vodka onto Leya's lap.

"She's one quality, class, sassy bitch," he says chuckling, and Jayla can't help but feel her heart warm in an odd fiery way. The person she has thought to be the greatest in the world thinks that of her?!

She smiles at Leya too, as Raven has obviously warmed to her just as well.

"She is a great friend," Leya smiles at Phoenix, who then shakes her hand for some reason.

"Good on you," he smiles at her, "I like you too you know," then he takes a puff of his cigarette and tips the edge onto the deck nearly making a sooty mark, "Everyone on this ship is a class act. That's why it's the best."

"It is fucking rad," smirks the unity striped Raven McQueen.

---

"Jayla, get chur ass outta there!" Rapping on the door to her bunk Phoenix yells impatiently, "Rise and shiiiine!" He giggles, creaking it open slowly.

"Oi!" Diving under the covers, she yells at him.

"Aw," Phoenix rushes over to her and dives in the bed, tickling her making her wriggle around, "Someone doesn't want to get their pretty little face out of the covers, I wonder why..."

Jayla pretends to hit him, and then sits up facing her back to him.

"Turn around," Phoenix says coy.

"No," Jayla retorts.

"Aw, why?"

"Because I said so."

"Come on..." he giggles.

Eventually she falls over, and Phoenix realises she wasn't wearing anything, her arms clasped over her bare breasts.

"Oops," he says, and then just gets up, Jayla thinks he is leaving. Phew.

But he just closes the door and then turns around again to face her, he opens up his arms as if to block the escape.

"You're hot," he says.

"Phoenix," she isn't sure what to say, "How much have you had to drink?"

"Sweet, I haven't had anything to drink," he says still standing there and suddenly she wants him right there with her again, on the bed.

"Phoenix," she tries again, "I really like you, but..."

"But?" He questions, "I'm not going to do anything bad..."

"No..."

"Just let me here," he says taking her arms in his hands.

Their lips crash into each other and Phoenix pushes her onto the bed.

Jayla is surging inside and shoves her hands into his hair, her body sliding beneath him.

Music is blaring outside, it's probably about nine am.

Jayla is meant to be going up for her shift on the wheel.

That's why Phoenix came in to wake her up.

There is another knock at the door, Jayla and Phoenix are gasping for breath as they grab at each other.

"Hello?" Comes an American accent from behind the door.

Before they can do anything, the door is opened, and Raven stands there, astounded.

For a moment everything stands still.

"Phoenix?"