The Search For Peace 2

Chapter 13

Night had fallen on the Atlantic Ocean, a single yacht floating on its dark waters. Inside this luxurious white yacht, a group of five teenagers were gathered in the berth, playing a game of rock paper scissors.

"YES!!!" Alyssa's holler of triumph was loud enough to put the captain in the front off balance, the elderly man almost losing his hold on the wheel. "I call the top bunk!" She exclaimed, hurriedly picking up her things and heading for the cabins. Sanjay, the loser of the whole game, dropped into the sofa behind him lifelessly.

There were only two cabins, each with only two beds. So, to decide which of the five of them would suffer to sleep behind the captain's room, in this lounge-like place, where the moonlight was forever a bother, he himself had suggested they all play rock paper scissors. However, he didn't think he'd be the one to lose.

"Well, " Ralph stifled a laugh as he swung his bag over his shoulder, heading for his cabin. "Have a good night."

Not in the mood for his salty sarcasm, Sanjay scowled at him. "Shut up."

With that, the poor Leo boy got as comfy as he could get on the slippery sofa, while Carter and Ralph shared a cabin, Harmony and Alyssa in the other.

"Okay, Harmony, let's stay up all night and have some girl talk!" Alyssa had suggested from the top bunk, her excited head hanging to meet Harmony's uninterested one. She really didn't know what this 'girl talk' entailed, so she was kind of scared.

But, to her surprise, after a few minutes, Alyssa was fast asleep, her phone sliding off her forehead. Harmony peeked up from the ladder and smiled to herself. So much for staying up. She closed the lights, sighing. For some reason, she wasn't feeling very sleepy. Perhaps it was the light pur of the ship's engine, or maybe the waves that occasionally rocked it, but she felt quite uneasy. So, deciding to look out at the stars for a bit, she opened the cabin door, slipping into the silent lounge room once again.

Besides the dim light coming from where the captain was, the room was dark, and she could hardly make out the sitting area. She squinted at the sofa where Sanjay was, only to see he wasn't there, the covers thrown off. Surprised, she looked out the many windows encircling her. Sure enough, there he was, leaning against the steel railings, his back to her.

Very quietly, she stepped out, watching the end of his long black coat swell with the wind, her own dress sticking to her bare legs. As she neared him, she saw his eyes were closed, wisps of his soft brown hair blowing off his face, baring his perfectly drawn eyebrows. For a moment, she simply stood by him, studying him, without the boy even knowing she was there.

But, unfortunately for her, he opened his eyes. Not wanting to frighten him, she ended up saying: "The weather's nice, huh?"

However, he still ended up startled, flinching when he looked her way, his eyes wide. "Harmony?!" He shifted his weight, glancing at the berth. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I could ask you the same thing." The girl crossed her arms over her chest haughtily with a raised brow.

He let out a soft chuckle. "Well, as comfortable as the sofa is, I couldn't sleep."

Smiling, she added: "And as comfortable as the cabin beds are, I couldn't either." As she grasped the railing and stared down at the ocean, she shivered enough for him to notice. He took in the thin cotton blue dress she was wearing, the skirt ending at her calves, the quarter sleeves cuffed with white like the collar. It was clear it wasn't much protection from the chilly breeze.

"Aren't you cold?" He had to ask, eying her.

"Huh? I guess. I thought it was getting warmer, so-" She stopped mid-sentence when she felt his hands on her shoulders as he gently placed his coat on her. Shocked, she ogled at him, his face inches away from hers, his serious expression stilling her.

"You really need to learn to take care of yourself, Harmony." As he said that, chills ran down her spine, his voice resonating in her, booming in her ears. Her face burned as he stepped away, and she clutched the garment forced onto her with sweaty hands.

More than being embarrassed though, she was angry. "Why?" The word came out before she could stop it, so she let the rest of her frustration come out too, while she was at it. She faced him despite her tomato red face, her heart thrumming like a drum in her chest. "Why are you always so nice to me?!"

"Huh?!" Sanjay all but lost his footing, pulling down the sleeves of his sweatshirt as she closed in on him.

"Don't 'huh' me! Back when we were kids, you were never this nice to me! You were always teasing me, and picking fights, so what happened now?!"

He averted his gaze, her strange outburst scaring him a little. "Th-that was...um..." How was he supposed to know why he teased her at ten years old?!

"Wait a second..." Recognition dawned on her features, and she took a step back. "Don't tell me you actually like me?!"