Marooned//Logicality

Chapter 2

SIX HOURS EARLIER

        "Come on Virge, it'll be fun!" I neatly tucked towels, sunscreen, and snacks into a large beach bag.
        "I don't do...whatever it is that you're doing," Virgil said from his position on the couch.
        "Roman rented a boat and we're going to go on the ocean! The weather is supposed to be gorgeous. We are going to stay to watch the sunset."
        "Oh wow, the sunset? Oh my goodness I can't wait!" Virgil said with a mocking high voice and an eye roll.
        I glared at him.
        "Sorry," he mumbled.
        "Virgil, you are coming whether you like it or not."
        "Ugh fine." He rolled off the couch and ascended the stairs.
        I chuckled quietly at his emo attitude. Despite his demeanor, everyone knew he was just a big ol' softy. I finished packing our beach bag and slung it over my shoulder.
        Logan swiftly walked in, wearing navy blue swim trunks (which were similar to my light blue ones) and a black T-shirt; honestly, he looked pretty good.
        "Greetings, Patton," he said as he headed past me towards the cupboard. He went to grab the bread and Crofters jam.
        "Don't worry about it Logan." He paused. "I already made a bunch of sandwiches," I clarified. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but I continued. "I have ten water bottles, towels for each of us, sunscreen, portable chargers, and a GPS. We'll be perfectly fine." I had quadruple checked; we had everything we needed.
        Logan stared at me with those lovely brown eyes for a moment. He finally nodded. "That will be adequate."
        I tried to hide my disappointment as he strolled away, but my face fell as soon as he was out of sight.
        Just adequate? I thought.

*****

        The midnight blue water lapped against the white boat in such a hypnotizing way that I stared at it for hours. Roman sailed us out in his rented Cuddy Cabin around five hours ago. By now, the coast was just a hazy gray line off into the distance. Logan strongly opposed going out this far, but he gradually warmed up to the idea. I think he enjoyed the serenity of being out in open water.
        We swam around in the vast blue expanse; the water was cool and refreshing, and the salty sea air contributed to the aesthetic mood. I subtly watched as Logan brushed his wet hair out of his face, revealing well-shaped eyebrows and those alluring eyes.
        I was too caught up gazing at Logan that I didn't hear Roman ask me a question.
        "Patton?" Roman glanced between me and Logan.
        "Sorry, what?"
        "I asked you if you could make Virgil come in."
        I contemplated that for a minute "Well..."
        "Just keep talking guys, it's not like I can hear you or anything," Virgil interrupted. He was still on the boat, his nose buried in a book with his back to us.
        "Virge, why don't you come on in. The water is great!" I said politely.
        "I don't want to get wet."
        Roman and I shared a look. We both knew the real reason; Virgil had watched way too many shark films.
        It didn't matter the reason; Roman wouldn't have it. He swam to the side of the boat and slowly reached up.
        He yanked Virgil in. The book splashed in after him. I caught a glimpse of the cover as it sank down; 2,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Fitting.
        Virgil shot up, coughing and gasping. Roman and I were laughing our heads off. Even Logan smirked a little, creating rays of sunshine in my heart.
        "You little fu-" Virgil gritted out, trying to control his smile. Then Roman waggled his eyebrows and shot him a flirtatious grin, and Virgil lost it.
        Suddenly, something brushed up against my foot. I yelped and tucked my feet in closer, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. I heard Virgil scream and whipped around to see him clinging desperately to Roman. Logan swam over to me, concern and maybe even fear washing over his features. Our shoulders touched, and mini sparks zapped down my arm.
        I scolded myself. Now was not the time.
        I spotted a shadow that passed underneath us; and another and another. What were they? Sharks?
        "Look," Logan whispered in my ear, his warm breath fanning across my face. "Dolphins."
        There were hundreds of them, darting past us, brushing up against us, jumping in and out of the sea. Virgil relaxed and let go of Roman, gaping in wonder.
        One leap out of the water so high the sun framed its crescent shape in such a way that it looked surreal.
        Minutes after they had gone, we gazed after them, utterly captivated by their natural beauty.
        Roman broke the silence. "Wow." He faced Virgil. "You scream like a little girl."
        Logan howled with laughter. The sunshine in my heart glowed brighter. I giggled, and Roman and Virgil joined in.
        All too soon, the sun began to creep down. As the temperature began to drop, we climbed back into the boat and cuddled up in our towels and some extra blankets to watch the sunset. I ended up next to Logan, causing a swarm of butterflies to form in my stomach. Fortunately for me, the blankets weren't very big. I made note of every place we connected; shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and legs.
        The sky changed from light blue to fiery yellow-orange. The colors reflected onto the ocean, making the world seem like it was burning around us.
        "You were right Pat," Virgil said, his face alight with amazement. "It's beautiful."
        "The Prince of Darkness? Admiring a sunset? I thought I'd never see the day!" Roman exclaimed, earning an elbow to the ribs. We all chuckled warmly.
        I shifted closer to Logan, and I felt him adjust as well. I glanced up at him, only to find he was already looking at me. His brown eyes were even more gorgeous; the sunlight showed off the shades of honey and chocolate.
        "Thank you for bringing us here, Patton." Logan murmured.
        My heart jumped up and down. He was thanking me. Wake me up because I must be dreaming, I thought giddily. "No prob Bob," I replied.
        "Um..." He glanced around awkwardly. "I'm Logan?"
        I giggled. "I know."
       This day was perfect, I thought.
        When the sun had finally sunk below the horizon, we decided it was finally time to start heading back home. I walked over to Logan's position to the side and propped my forearms against the rail.
        "So, I was thinking... maybe we could watch a movie when we get home? Like, just you and me?" I fiddled awkwardly with my hands.
        He was silent for a few moments. "That would be nice," he finally said.
        My response was cut off by the sound of the engine sputtering.
        We simultaneously whirled towards Roman, who was twisting the key over and over again. Nothing was happening.
        "What's wrong?" Logan started towards Roman.
        "We are just out of gas. I have some extra in the compartment." Roman leaned down and opened a small cabinet, pulling out a red container. We watched and visibly relaxed as he marched up to the side of the boat, unscrewed a small black cap, and poured the contents of the container inside.
        A sharp gust of wind suddenly picked up, making the once pleasant waves rock our boat somewhat violently. All of us swiveled in unison at the surprising change in the weather. A large black cloud had formed swiftly in the sky, coming our direction. Thunder boomed and lightning rattled the sky. The storm left destruction in its wake.
        "Hurry Roman!" Virgil yelled, terror coating his voice.
        "I am, I am!" Roman haphazardly dumped the rest of the gas into the tank and slammed the cap shut. He ran over to the front of the boat and twisted the ignition. Once. Twice. Three times.
        "It's not working!" He frantically turned the key over and over. The engine didn't respond.
         The ocean was now tossing our boat like a rag doll. I latched on to the rails and held on with all my might. The wind howled in my ears as the thunder and lightning reverberated down to my bones. Waves came down upon the boat, jeopardizing my hold on the rail. I looked at Logan, then at Virgil, then at Roman. We all locked eyes, our horror and panic so thick it began to choke me.
         The storm fully descended on us, blocking out what little light remained.