Floating by

Chapter 1: Rooms

The Forrest Hill High seniors were walking through the docks towards the Majestic May cruise ship with excitement all around them as they climbed onboard. In the throngs of students, teachers and chaperones, however, there were two who weren't quite as excited as the rest.

Once everyone was onboard, teachers and chaperones start to call out names and assign cabins, girls were on the east wing and the boys on the west. The teachers and chaperones were in between both, just to make sure nothing inappropriate took place. Everyone who had been assigned a room had left and only a few remained. Principal Jones kept looking through the listed rooms and names frantically.

"Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no" she said to herself

"What's wrong Emma?" her wife Leslie asks.

"I think we don't have enough rooms for everyone."

"That can't be. Are you sure?"

Principal Jones nods her head and passes the list over to her wife. Leslie flips through the list a couple of times before pointing out a mistake.

"They didn't forget Em, they just didn't have enough rooms on the first floor. Here, there are two rooms on the second floor right between the east and west wing."

"Hmmmm. But who should we assign those rooms to? We can't split the chaperone couples and the singles already have their own room."

"Well, what about two students? A boy and a girl."

"We can't do that, what if things happen?"

"I'm sure you have two students who you think are respectable and trustworthy enough to place side by side."

They look over at the remaining students and Principal Jones focuses on two. She then looks back at her wife and says

"I think you're right hon."

"I'm always right. Let's finish this and hit the pool!"

Principal Jones laughs at her wife's eagerness and turns towards the students once more. She calls out the rest of the shared assigned rooms till there are only two left.

Kayla Davis and Zachary (Zach) Jones.

They look around and then at each other, realizing that they're the only two left. They walk towards the Jones', ready to question them.

"Mom, I'm not sharing a room with her am I?"

"Yeah, Principal Jones, not that there's anything wrong with your son, but he's a boy, and I thought we weren't allowed to share a room with boys?"

"Not to worry you two, you have separate rooms on the second floor."

"Second floor?"                                                                                                        "Our own rooms?"

"Yes, now I know I can trust that you two won't misbehave in any way but still be civil. Yes?"

"Okay mom."                                                                                                              "Yes Principal Jones"

"Good! Now skedaddle, I have a wife who's ready to hit the pool!"

With that the couple scurry away hand in hand, giggling. Making Zach blush in embarrassment.

"Sorry about them. Sometimes I wonder if they're the teenagers in the house."

"It's okay. I think it's kinda sweet that they still behave like that around each other."

"I guess."

An awkward silence fills the gap as they both stand there not knowing what to say. Until Kayla speaks up.

"Urm, I think we should get to our rooms before our first activities meeting starts."

"Uh, yeah, yeah. Do you, uh, need help with your bag?"

"I think I got it, thanks anyway."

"Sure, shall we?"

Kayla just nods and they begin making their way to the steps that lead to the second floor in an awkward silence.

They reach their room doors and awkwardly turn to each other, not knowing what to say. Zach scratches the back of his neck and then pushes his glasses back up, not looking at Kayla.

"I'm Kayla by the way and you're Zachary right?"

"I go by Zach actually and I know who you are."

"Oh." Kayla says dejectedly

"Yeah, we've been in the same school since the first grade and I've been in all your classes since the ninth. I used to watch you play softball?"

"Oh! You remember that?" Kayla says a bit more surprised.

"Yeah."

They stand in an awkward silence again as they both look down.

Zach speaks up again.

"So I guess we should head in and settle down?" He says while pushing the key card into his door and opening it once it turns green.

"Yeah, I guess we should." Kayla turns and pushes her key card in and pulls it out but only gets the blinking red light. She tries a few more times, getting more frustrated with each try.

"Here, let me help."                                                                                                Zach takes the key card from her and slowly pushes it in and pulls it out, waits for the green before he pushes the door open for her. He holds the door open until she's successfully leaning on it.

"Thanks. I don't know why it didn't work. Maybe I just don't know how to use this thing." She says while taking the card back from Zach.

"Don't worry about it. It took me like bunch of tries at ten different hotels before I finally mastered the art of the key card." He says proudly with a smug grin which makes Kayla giggle.

She waits for him to push his door open again before she speaks.    "Thanks again. I'll see you later?"

"Uh yeah. I guess you will."

Before she can close the door fully Zach calls out.

"Hey Kayla?"

She pokes her head out and looks at him.

"I'm sorry about what happened, he's an idiot for leaving someone as amazing as you. I know how it feels to be betrayed by someone you care so much about so, uh...if you want to talk about it or something, I'm here and I'll listen."

With that he pushes his door completely open and steps in then closes it. Leaving Kayla at her door stunned and surprised but slowly as she shuts her door, she slightly grins.