Live Again

by Brittney Mulliner

  I bit down on my lip, trying to keep my smile from showing.

  Alexis wasn’t as considerate. “Are you joking me? Look behind you! It looks like a tornado ran through your closet and dumped everything in one spot.”

  Talia glared at her computer, but it wasn’t as threatening as it would’ve been in person. “I’m serious. I don’t know what to bring. Have you guys packed yet?”

  Mckayla jumped in. “I’m almost done. I have two pairs of shorts, two swimsuits, four shirts, and a hoodie. I think that’s most of what I need.”

  I ran through what she’d said again. “You need something to sleep in.”

  She jumped up from her chair and ran to her dresser. Pulling out a pair of sweats and an old surf team shirt, she turned and threw them to her duffel bag. “Thanks, Aubrey. I completely spaced.”

  “No problem. I’m going to go grab what you said you were bringing. Two shorts, two swimsuits, four shirts, one hoodie?”

  “Plus pajamas!”

  I nodded and crossed my room to my bathroom. I could hear the murmurs of the girls talking as I repeated the items in my head.

  When I came back into my bedroom, I dumped the clothes on my bed and searched for a duffel bag. Luggage seemed excessive for this trip. I looked around for a few minutes but couldn’t find my dance bag I used for competitions.

  I put it off for later and sat back down at the computer. “Is there anything else I need to bring?”

  At the same time, the three of them turned from what they were doing. I smirked at how similar they acted.

  Talia spoke as she lay on her duffel bag, trying to zip it. “Bring whatever toiletries you need, sandals, and shoes you can hike in.” My eyebrows shot up. “Just in case! Geez, it won’t kill you.” It might.

  Alexis must have agreed with me. “If by hiking you mean walking around the shops, I agree. Aubrey, pack your best shopping shoes.”

  I laughed as I got up to gather a few pairs of shoes from my closet.

  On my way through the bathroom, I collected my toothbrush, my toothpaste, and minimal makeup into a toiletries bag. I stood in my closet, debating what shoes to bring, when I spotted my dance bag on the top shelf. I jumped up to grab it and missed. Scowling, I tried again. This time I hit it just enough to knock it down. Success!

  I tossed some sandals in with my running shoes and grabbed my smaller travel bag off the bathroom counter, adding it to the duffel bag. The girls were still talking to each other when I came out, folded my clothes, and stuck them in. I don’t know what Talia packed, since my bag was barely halfway full when I was done.

  Mckayla was having Talia empty her bag to show us what she packed. I guess I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t believe it.

  “Alright, you guys. I’m all packed and I have some homework to finish. Mckayla, are you driving or do you want me to?”

  The girls turned to their computers. “I’ll drive,” McKayla said. “I can pick everyone up so we only leave one car at the marina.”

  “Sounds good. Night, girls!”

  They each said good night, and I ended the call. I closed my laptop and pulled out my notebooks to finish my assignments due the next day.

  As I was finishing up, my phone vibrated on the desk. I picked it up and saw a new message from Mike.

  Mike “The Babe” Thomas: Are you packed?

  Why was he checking up on me?

  Aubrey: Yeah, the girls helped so I should be fine.

  Mike “The Babe” Thomas: Good.

  This conversation, if you could call it that, was strange. I set my phone down and went to change into pajamas. When I came back into my room, I checked my phone and saw three new texts.

  Mike “The Babe” Thomas: I’m glad Brandon is letting you come.

  Carter Blackwell: I heard you’re going away this weekend.

  Mike “The Babe” Thomas: I can’t wait to spend the weekend with you.

  A smile slowly grew as warmth spread in my body. Was it because of Carter, or because of Mike?

  Aubrey: Me too. It’ll be nice to get away

  Aubrey: Brandon is letting me out 

  My phone vibrated almost instantly.

  Carter Blackwell: Good. Have fun and be safe. Call me if you need anything

  Aubrey: I will. Goodnight

  Carter Blackwell: Night x

  “X”? As in hug or kiss? I studied the screen, trying to decipher the meaning. I almost dropped it when it vibrated again, breaking my concentration.

  Mike “The Babe” Thomas: It’s going to be perfect. You’ll be with me. Sweet dreams baby

  “Baby”? What was going on tonight? I was overwhelmed trying to understand these guys.

  Aubrey: Goodnight Mike

  I hoped he didn’t take the message wrong, but I couldn’t figure out how to reply to his flirty messages. This was going to be an interesting weekend.

  Chapter 6

  Time was frozen. The clock wasn’t moving anymore. I had my head in my hands, leaning forward in my desk. Chemistry wasn’t too hard to get through on a normal day, but it was unbearable when I knew freedom and the weekend were on the other side of the bell. Normally, my game of avoiding eye contact with Luke helped speed things up, but not today. He even broke the rules and smiled at me. That stupid, heartwarming smile. Jerk.

  I checked the clock again and saw the second hand tick once. Was it broken? I reached down and slid my phone out of the pocket in my bag. It was the same. Why was the world plotting against me?

  Mr. Steen droned on and on about atomic mass or weight or something. I debated on focusing and taking notes, but reconsidered.

  Talia had informed us this morning that she’d convinced Caleb, the boy who owned the second boat to let us have one of the suites—meaning we would have a bed, shower, and electricity while those less fortunate had to camp on the island. She didn’t even bother trying to get the boys situated with us. She claimed it was every girl for herself.

  I ran through the list of things I’d packed, making sure nothing important was left behind. Nothing came to mind that I might have forgotten, and I could survive the weekend with what I had. Brandon had made me promise to keep my phone charged and on me at all times, so there would be no excuse for being unavailable.

  I really hoped he would take advantage of this time alone, but I knew he would probably end up working. Maybe I could get Carter to convince him. I glanced back up at Mr. Steen, but he was on a roll, pointing at the periodic table.

  I lifted my phone out of my bag and opened a new message.

  Aubrey: Can you do me a favor?

  Carter Blackwell: Depends . . .

  Aubrey: On what?

  Carter Blackwell: What’s in it for me?

  I bit my lip, thinking. Food always won with him.

  Aubrey: I’ll make you dinner on Sunday when I get back

  Carter Blackwell: Done. What do you need?

  I covered my face with my hand to hide my smile. That was too easy.

  Aubrey: Make Brandon take Liv out, they need a weekend off

  Carter Blackwell: I’ll see what I can do

  Aubrey: Thanks. Have a good weekend 

  Carter Blackwell: I’ll try xx

  What? Now it was “xx”! What did that mean? I knew I would have to ask the girls for their opinion, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tell them who said it. I knew they all thought Carter was cute, and he was always around when they were over, so they liked him. I didn’t know what they would say about this, though. He was older. He was also so sweet and caring. And so very handsome.

  The bell rang, interrupting my daydream. Well, that was one good way to pass the time. I threw my things into my bag and slid my phone into my pocket.

  I saw Mckayla walking ahead of me with Sean. I called out, making them turn. When I caught up with them, we joined the masses heading out to the parking lot. Mckayla was bouncing as she walked, practically skipping.

  “Someone’s excited.”

  She turned and
stuck out her tongue, a gesture that I returned. Sean laughed at us, then waved at Mike, who was walking toward us with a hundred-watt smile. I think he was as excited as Mckayla.

  “Hey guys, we’re meeting up over here to make sure everyone has a ride and knows where to park.”

  We followed him over as the group gathered. He stood at the front with Tony and Caleb. Slowly, the group quieted and waited expectantly for them to speak.

  “Alright, the boats have been figured out and a text was sent out with the names of who’s on Tony’s and who’s on Caleb’s. Did everyone get that?”

  Everyone nodded. They were much more organized than I’d expected.

  “Great. The boats are both at the Balboa marina and we got approval to leave ten cars there, so we have to carpool. Let’s figure that out. Group up with who you’re planning on driving with, and we’ll go from there.”

  Talia grabbed each of us and called for Cassie to join. “You’re with us. We got a suite on Caleb’s if you don’t want to camp.”

  Cassie laughed and nodded. “Shelby and Jess are sharing a tent and invited me, but the boat sounds way better!”

  “Great. Do you have your bag here?”

  “Yeah, it’s in my car. I’ll go grab it.”

  While we were talking, Mike organized everyone else and made sure they were clear on what was going on.

  Alexis tapped her foot impatiently. “Can we go already? Mike is turning this into a field trip.”

  I laughed at her comparison. She was right, but I was grateful someone was taking charge.

  Talia rolled her eyes and waved for us to follow. She led us to her jeep. “I think we can figure out what to do.”

  ☼ ☼ ☼

  We pulled up to the marina and parked in a reserved spot. After grabbing our bags, we made our way to the entrance. Talia led the way, walking confidently to the gate, where she met a young-looking man in a preppy uniform.

  “Hello, ladies. Can I help you?”

  Talia tipped her sunglasses and smiled up at him. “We’re with the Carlton party.”

  His demeanor suddenly changed. He stood up straight and offered his hands to take our bags. “Right, of course. I wasn’t expecting your group until later. I apologize.”

  I stole a glance at Alexis and saw she was covering her mouth to hide her smile. Cassie looked just as confused as I was.

  Talia handed her bag to the attendee and looked expectantly at him. “Can you show us the way?”

  He smirked and picked up our bags. Pushing against the gate, he held it open for us to walk through. “Right this way.”

  I looped my arm through Cassie’s and we followed the others, going down a short set of steps to a dock that seemed to go on forever in each direction along the parking lot and main building. We walked by a few smaller boats, then cut across a row of docks that led farther in the water. The boats grew in size and price the farther in we went. Suddenly, the speedboats gave way to yachts. They varied in size, and Cassie and I made a game of guessing which one would be Caleb’s.

  Finally, we stopped next to the biggest “boat” I’d ever seen. Well, short of a cruise ship. There was a raised walkway that led up to the main deck. Waiting for us at the top were a man and a woman dressed in white polos and white shorts, waiting for us.

  “The boat arrived just this afternoon. The crew is ready for you.” He lifted one arm, still carrying bags, and directed us to walk up.

  Cassie’s eyebrows shot up, mirroring my shock. The yacht had to be at least one hundred feet long. It was sleek and modern, with two levels rising above the deck we’d arrived on.

  The man with the bags handed them off to the man on the boat, and left.

  The woman looked at us with a large smile. “Welcome aboard! I’m Stacy, and this is Wayne. If you need anything at all, please let us know.” She turned, waving for us to follow. “I assume you are the young ladies the suite has been reserved for. Wayne will deliver your bags for you while I give you the tour.”

  Her pleasant personality seemed genuine. I guessed I would be happy, too, if I spent all my time on this gorgeous yacht.

  “Let’s start from the top.” She led us to a staircase on the left side of the main cabin. “This top level is called the flybridge. If you ask any of the staff a question, they’ll likely respond with the boating terms, so try to remember these.”

  I walked around, admiring the luxury surrounding me. Facing the back of the boat was a bed-like area I assumed was for tanning, which we could take advantage of this weekend. Directly in front of us was a couch and table with additional seating. Why bother giving the rest of the tour? I was pretty sure we could stay up here and be very happy.

  “There is a steering and control station on this level, but the captain will likely stay below so your party can have this area to yourselves.” In front of the area she was pointing to, another area of beds faced the bow. I could definitely get used to this.

  Stacy descended the stairs to the main deck. We passed another seating area with a table and chairs as we followed her through the open entryway into the main cabin. The glass doors had been pushed back to allow the breeze to flow through. Immediately within the room were two beige leather couches facing each other, with a huge flat screen on the far wall. There was a clear line of sight into the modern kitchen; it looked just as nice and spacious as the one in my home.

  Behind us, we heard people approaching the boat from the dock. Alexis ran back to the open deck and turned back to us. “Everyone else is here. We need to claim a room, fast!”

  Stacy laughed and ushered us to the staircase next to the flat screen. “Mr. Carlton said to give you ladies the option of the master suite or the VIP suite. I’ll show you both.”

  We followed her to the back of the lower deck, where a door was opened to reveal a king-size bed, a couch, and plenty of room to walk around. It was much larger than I’d expected a room on a boat to be.

  “This one is slightly larger and has a spacious bathroom.”

  Talia beamed. “We’ll take it!”

  Stacy smiled and nodded as she backed out of the room. “I’ll let you settle in and let the others know where you are.”

  Wayne must have known which room we would pick, since our bags were set along the perimeter of the room. We could easily fit three on the bed and one of the couches, so only one of us would be left on the floor. Not too shabby.

  Mckayla, who had been uncharacteristically quiet during the tour, ran and dived onto the bed, squealing. “This is going to be the best weekend ever!”

  I smiled at her enthusiasm and jumped onto the bed next to her. “How did you convince Caleb to let us stay in here? Why didn’t he let his friends have this room?”

  Talia smirked suggestively. “First off, we are his friends. Second, he may or may not have a crush on someone in this room.”

  We all looked at each other, but the only single girls were Cassie and me. Uh-oh.

  “Please tell me it’s Cassie!”

  “What? You don’t want to be a part of this family?”

  I laughed but shook my head. “I would love that, but I can’t handle another boy right now.”

  “Oh, don’t flatter yourself.” She turned to Cassie. “You’re the lucky girl!”

  “Me? I didn’t know Caleb even knew my name!”

  “Oh course he does. He told me he’s had a crush on you since freshman year but never got the chance to get to know you. He was hoping I could set you guys up, in exchange for prime room choice.”

  “Well, I’m glad I’m worth a nice room.” She laughed as a blush grew on her face.

  Alexis caught it too. “So does Richie Rich have a chance with you?”

  When we all looked at her, the blush deepened. “He is really cute. Who wouldn’t be interested? He’s got the tall, dark, and handsome thing going for him. Plus, he’s always been a really nice guy.”

  “Yay! Matchmaking this weekend, girls!”

  Cassie fell back on the bed wit
h a sigh.

  We had a few seconds of peace before a stampede of boys descended into the lower deck.

  Caleb stuck his head in our room and smiled. “I see you guys made yourselves at home. I’m taking the VIP suite with a few of the guys, so I’m just toward the front of the boat if you need anything.” He winked in Cassie’s direction before leaving.

  Her cheeks immediately went from rosy to a deep shade of red.

  “You love him!” Talia pointed at her and giggled.

  She covered her face with her hands. “Only from afar! I honestly never thought he noticed me.”

  “Oh, he’s noticed you! Let’s change, then go back up and meet everyone.”

  Talia surprised us by packing a little extra. No wonder she couldn’t zip her bag.

  “Alright, ladies. A rare opportunity such as this should be taken advantage of.” She unfolded five different dresses as she talked. “We need to dress up a little for this, plus we have a mission of love!”

  She held up a silky one-shoulder cream-colored dress and tossed it to Cassie. “You’re going to be a heartbreaker in this.” She looked at me and paused for a moment with a look of concentration. “Whether or not you want to admit it, Mike is falling for you. Use this weekend however you’d like.”

  She picked up a blush slip dress with a lace overlay. It was stunning. I held it up as Talia handed Mckayla a yellow maxi dress with a sheer skirt and Alexis a black crocheted number that would hug her curves. Talia kept an aqua baby-doll dress that looked like it would just skim her knees. She was a fashion genius. Each dress reflected our unique styles and personalities and flattered our shapes.

  We changed quickly and made our way upstairs. The boat was still attached to the dock, but I watched the crew move with precision to get us ready to leave. We gathered with everyone else at the bow, where there was a large open area with seating and more beds.

  Caleb was at the very front, standing slightly taller than the crowd. “Thank you all for joining the grand adventure. It was short notice this year, but it’s going to be a good one. We have all the food and drinks you could want, and those who were invited to sleep aboard have seen your rooms.”

  A few people cheered while some groaned.