Nineteen

Chapter Forty-Six

We ride in silence until we are greeted by a crowd of people on the street.

"Where are we?" I finally ask.

"The docks, I bought two tickets for the sunset show on one of the ships," he says as he pulls the truck into one of the last spots.

I look at all of the other people and I feel way under dressed. They are all dressed in beautiful cocktail dresses and I'm in something that could be worn daily.

Collin doesn't look so bad, he's in a black button-up and black jeans to match. His plain black shoes are the only thing that could resemble my outfit.

"I'm too under dressed for this," I state as we get out of the truck.

"No way, everyone gets dressed up for this shit for no apparent reason."

"How are we even getting on here? I thought you had to be twenty one."

"I may of had to spend a little more money to pull that one off," he says as he hands me my ticket.

The boat looks huge and people are crowded everywhere. They're already sipping drinks and yelling too loud.

"We just cruise around for hours and then come back. People get wasted and then go home," he says as I follow him up a ramp onto the boat. "I thought you would like the sunset and everything."

I'm impressed with the thought he put into this and I can't help but smile. 

"We can go eat in a few minutes," he checks his phone.

"Okay. How much did this all cost? The boat is so nice."

He doesn't answer as he walks to the end of the boat and looks over the rails. Right on cue, the propellers start to turn and we are off for the next three hours.

Dinner was great. I ate some kind of chicken with potatoes and Collin ate a pasta dish that he claims was 'too saucy'. I'm not surprised that he wasn't impressed with the meal, though.

We are sitting on a pair of chairs on the front deck of the boat. The sun is barely visible, making it more dark than it is light.

"So, how would you like a cruise?" he asks.

"I would love a cruise. I always wanted to go." 

"I'll remember that," he says but never raises up from his chair.

Everyone on the boat is drunk. It's crowded and it surprises me that this many people are doing this, especially since it's the middle of the week. 

"So, tell me about your family," I ask. I really know nothing about him, and I would like to learn more, but something tells me he isn't really an open book when it comes to sharing.

"My mom and dad owned a farm back home. My dad still works there but my mom married someone from California last year so now she doesn't have to worry about work."

His tone is neutral and I can't tell if it is a sensitive subject or not, so I decide not to question him further.

"Do you have any siblings?"

He answers, "no, but I have a few friends that I spent a lot of time with."

"Oh," is all I can say. I don't want to suffocate him with questions, but I am very curious on the boy beside me.

"Tell me about you," he says as he raises up to look at me.

I raise up as well. "Okay. I lived with my mom and dad in North Carolina. I have two older brothers and a younger sister. I had a good time in high school with my two best friends, mostly. I wanted to go to Duke so bad, but it didn't work out, so here I am."

"Why didn't you go to Duke? It is much closer and it seems like you would like it better."

He's right,  I would. It is my dream school. 

The thought crosses my mind; should I transfer? I don't need to remain in contact with Bailey anymore, and Clark is thriving here. Next semester is my chance.

"I might transfer," I answer him without thinking anymore about it.