Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 17:35:17 -0800 (PST) From: Mike Wilson <billynkyle@yahoo.com> Subject: Spring Break Cruise Part 1 Spring Break Cruise --PROLOGUE-- I don't know who came up with the idea. Probably my Mom or her sister. I doubt it was my Uncle Peter. But whoever it was, the three of them decided that it was time for all their families to vacation together. And if that wasn't bad enough, they chose a cruise as our vacation spot. It just sounded awful. Not only would I be forced to spend Spring Break--my first spring break with a driver's license--with my cousins (all of whom were several years younger than me) but it would be on a cruise ship. With a bunch of perky crew members and lovey-dovey newlyweds. A DISNEY cruise ship no less! How bad can you get? Now don't get me wrong. I don't hate my family or anything. I don't get my kicks out of being a depressed teenager. It's just . . . well, a cruise is not at all what I thought Spring Break should be like. All the activities my Mom talked about sounded like they were for little kids. Which was fine and dandy for my sister. Meanwhile my Dad warmed up to the idea as soon as he heard about the adults-only pool and sports bar. As for me--lost in the middle between kids and adults--she just said there would be "teen activities, too." Oh goody. Regardless of how I felt, the decision was made. Like it or not, I was going to be spending a week with my family and my extended family somewhere in the middle of the ocean. --SATURDAY: DAY ONE-- On Saturday morning we all got up early in order to get ready for our flight to Florida. Mom was running around like crazy trying to make sure that nobody forgot anything while Dad and I just tried to stay out of her way. I was in a pretty lousy mood myself and Mom's whirlwind wasn't helping matters. Dad started bringing things out to the van. "Could you give me a hand here Champ," he said to me. "Sure," I mumbled. "Andy, I know this wasn't your first choice for a vacation," Dad said as we started loading things into the car. "But I think you could really have a lot of fun this week if you let yourself. Your Mom has worked hard to bring us together with Aunt Sarah and Uncle Pete and I think we should all give this a chance to work." "I know, Dad," I said. "It's just . . . . Everybody else will have something to do and I'll probably wind up playing PS/2 the whole week. I could have done that here and still at least had my friends to hang out with." "Now, you don't know that Andy. All I'm asking is that you go into this with an open mind, OK? Don't force yourself to have a rotten week just because you don't like the idea. Can you do that?" "Yeah, I guess." I whined. "Besides," said Dad with a smile. "You never know what could happen this week. You might meet some pretty girl." "Yeah. Right," I laughed. My dad was always hoping I'd meet "some pretty girl." Finally my Mom came barreling out of the house with my poor sister Ruthie in tow. "Well," Mom announced. "I think we're finally ready. Did you men-folk finish packing the car?" "Yes Mom," I said. "Good," she declared. "Let's get this show on the road." We got into the car and started heading toward the airport. The flight to Orlando was actually pretty cool. I had only flown once before and I thought everything about it was a rush. I guess that was the first sign that things might actually not suck during the week. Of course it was totally sunny and warm when we got to Florida, a vast improvement from the rainy, cool weather of Chicago that we had just left. At least I'll come back tan from this trip, I thought. We gathered our luggage and were met by a woman from Disney. She told us to put our luggage on a cart and that it would be delivered to our cabin on the ship. Pretty cool. Then we got on board a bus with other cruise-goers and remember why I didn't like this whole cruise idea. Just as I suspected, there were a bunch of families on board, but most had kids Ruthie's age and even younger. If the bus was any indication, I'd be spending the week baby sitting my cousins or trying to free myself from their clutches. Eventually the bus took off and we drove for quite a while to get to Port Canaveral. When we finally saw the ship, I was stunned. These cruise ships, in case you didn't know, are absolutely huge. I mean friggin enormous. The next few hours were pretty chaotic. We found our cabin and unpacked a bit. It was actually good sized, with my parents bed and Ruthie's roll-away bed in one room and the pull-out couch (for me) in the other. Eventually we met up with my aunts and uncles and cousins. Then we all had to learn what to do in case the ship sinks (a great way to start a vacation, no?) Finally we went to a show and had dinner, which was actually really good. My parents both insisted that I go up to this place called The Stack at 10:30 cause that's where the teens were going to meet. The Stack was supposed to be some exclusive space on the ship just for teenagers, but I was convinced it would be covered with pictures of Mickey Mouse and Buzz Lightyear. Needless to say, I wasn't too excited. But they wanted me to go and I figured I might as well find out if there were many kids my age on board. Eventually I found my way to The Stack (did I mention the ship is huge?) and I was actually pretty impressed. There were tons of computers and TV screens all around and there were a lot more people there than I expected. Right after I arrived they started a little meeting. Turns out there are four "counselors" they assign to take care of the teen activities-two guys and two girls who were college age I guess. Mark and Brad were the guys and Jenny and Kimberly were the girls. They seemed pretty nice and explained to us what things were on the schedule for the week ahead. They also made the point over and over again that we should do what we want to do. "We're not your babysitters," said Mark. "We're here to help you have a good time. If you like doing stuff with the group that's awesome, if you want to veg by the pool or hang with your family that's cool too." After their little introductory remarks they led us through some get-to-know-you games which were, of course, insanely lame. But they did get all of us talking and laughing with one another so I guess they weren't too awful. After an hour or so the games stopped and they put on some music and people just sorta fell into groups. I was at a table with two girls and another guy. We were some of the 'older' teens in the room so I guess that's why we wound up together. I was surprised, but I already felt that I was actually going to enjoy spending time with these guys. Susan was 17 and from Indianapolis. She was kinda short and a little plump, but she had a really pretty face. She had clearly dyed her hair a really deep auburn color that was probably just enough to piss off her parents without making her look like a goth or something. Turns out Susan was a total theater geek (hence the hair) and at first I wasn't all that excited that she wound up in our little circle. But it didn't take long for me to recognize that she was actually a lot of fun. She had a really witty sense of humor which is what I think I liked the most about her. Kristin, from Boston, looked like a typical high school cheerleader, I swear. She was really pretty with perfect blond hair and a really big smile. Turns out that she wasn't actually a cheerleader--she just looked like one. Kristin was clearly the most social of us. She was constantly asking questions and really seemed to enjoy getting to know everyone. If this little clique was going to be spending much time together, I had no doubt that Kristin would be the key organizer. Finally there was Travis who was 16, like me, and lived in San Diego. At first Travis struck me as your typical jock. Kind of distant and aloof. He was a little short, maybe five foot six, and he had light brown hair with spiky, blond highlights. I guess he was pretty good looking as well. I was actually a little intimidated by him at first, but after a little time I came to realize that I pretty much misread him. He wasn't a jock at all. As we talked I realized that what I thought was cockiness actually seemed to be caused by nerves more than anything else. We spent about 45 minutes talking and getting to know another. It was Kristin who was the first to call it a night. "I'm pooped," she said getting up. "I'm gonna head downstairs. Do you guys want to get together again tomorrow?" "I'm going to call it night as well," said Susan getting up. "But I guess I'd be interested in checking out the pool in the morning." "Which pool?" asked Travis. We all laughed. "I dunno, the Mickey Mouse one I guess," said Susan. I'll probably head up there as soon as my parents let me out of their clutches." "Great," said Kristin. "I'll meet you there. Boys, will you be joining us?" I looked at Travis and he gave me a sly grin. "Of course, ladies. We wouldn't miss it." We all laughed at Travis. I wasn't sure if he was trying to flirt with the girls or simply goofing off. The girls waved at us and headed downstairs. Travis immediately turned to me once the girls left and said flat out, "I think Kristin likes you." "What?" I practically screamed. "Are you kidding? I've known her for like, what an hour or something and you think she likes me? Dude, that may be the way things work in California, but where I come from she was just being polite." Travis laughed. "Maybe," he said. "But you watch carefully tomorrow and I'll bet that she makes a move on you. The only thing I haven't figured out is whether you like her or not." "You're serious?" I asked. "Well . . . I mean . . . she's . . . ah. . . nice and all, but . . . ." "God, you people from the Midwest just find it impossible to say what you really mean, don't you?" Travis was smiling as he teased me. I burst out laughing. "Yeah. I guess so." "So let me give you a simple question," said Travis. "Yes or no: would you go on a date with Kristin?" "I don't know how we're even having this conversation," I said. "I mean, clearly if there is someone who's going to have a date on this cruise it's you, Mister 'we wouldn't miss it, ladies.' Could your flirting be any more obvious?" "Nice try, Andy," said Travis smiling. "But you still didn't' answer my question. You. Kristin. Date. Yes or no?" "Probably not," I blurted out. "Yes or no?" said Travis, opening his eyes widely. "Um. No," I said. "There. Are you happy? Can we talk about something else now." I was actually beginning to get a little uncomfortable. What had started out as friendly teasing was beginning to feel a little more personal to me. "Why not?" asked Travis. "I mean, she's pretty, she's nice, she seems to like you. Why wouldn't you go on a date with her?" "Come on Travis," I said. "Seriously, I didn't put that much thought into it and I'd like to change the topic." "I'm just curious, man," he said. "I don't mean to put you on edge, I'm just genuinely interested. Do you have a girlfriend or something?" "No. I don't have a girlfriend," I sighed. "I guess. . . Kristin's just not my type." "Fair enough," said Travis once again grinning from ear to ear. "Come on. You ready to get out of here?" he said standing up. "Yeah. I'm exhausted," I said. "Follow me," said Travis. "Hold up--just a sec, Travis," I said. I walked over to the table where the counselors were talking. Brad saw me coming and stood up. "Did you have fun tonight?" Brad asked. "Yeah," I said. "Actually, I did. And I just wanted to thank you guys. I really thought this was gonna be kind of lame and all but, well, I had a good time tonight and I'm kind of excited about the rest of the week." "That's great, man," said Mark. "That's what we like to hear. What's your name again?" "Andy," I said. "And the guy waiting at the door is Travis so I better get going." The four of them laughed. "Well, good night Andy," said Kimberly. "Hope we see you tomorrow." "Good night," I said walking over to the door. Travis was holding the door for me. We started walking along the deck toward the back of the ship. "Wow," he said. "That was nice of you." "Oh shut up," I said laughing. "I just thought they should know that I had a good time tonight even though I didn't expect to." "I was being serious, Andy," said Travis. "That was really nice of you to do. I'll bet those guys hear a lot of whining and bitching and it's probably not often they hear from someone sincere and kind like you." I stopped walking and turned over and looked at Travis. He was being serious. The guy who had been chiding me for the last twenty minutes was looking at me with the most sincere expression he had shown all night. I couldn't help but think that I had really misjudged him when we first met. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier, Andy," he said. "Sometimes, when I don't know someone well, I can get a little wound up. Maybe talk a little too much or press a little too hard. I didn't mean to do that. I was just trying to make a good impression." We started walking again. "Don't worry about it, man," I said. "You don't have to impress me. I've already figured out you're an asshole, there's nothing you can do about that." We both started laughing. "Seriously," I continued. "I did have a good time tonight. And it was due a lot more to you than it was to the counselors. I'm glad we hung out together." "So am I," said Travis. We had arrived at the back end of the ship. We had the entire deck to ourselves and the view of the ocean all around us was stunning. We stood there for a long time, looking out at the ocean and just taking in the amazing view. After a while I noticed that Travis' hand had slid right next to mine on the railing so they were just barely touching. For a brief second I thought I should move my own hand but I realized that was stupid. Besides, it was kind of nice, that slight gentle touch on the sides of our hands. "You know what I just realized?" asked Travis quietly. "What's that?" I replied. "This might sound sorta corny but, I realized that I can be whoever I want to be this week. I mean, nobody knows me here. Nobody has any expectations of what I'm supposed to do or how I'm supposed to behave." "Yeah." I laughed. "You could pretend to be a nerd or a jock or anything." "Actually," he said softly, "I was thinking that I could just be myself." Travis turned around and looked at me. "Do you ever feel like you just have to pretend at school and stuff? That you just have to do things and say things cause that's what everyone wants you to do? Like you're an actor or something, playing this role that's been assigned even if it doesn't fit? Listen to me. I probably sound like I'm crazy. I'm sure you don't. . . " "You don't sound crazy at all," I said firmly. In fact, I knew exactly what Travis was talking about. "I definitely know what you mean. It's like everyone has this idea in their head that I'm always happy that I always have it together and if I ever show them even a glimmer that sometimes I'm not happy that some things aren't easy for me everybody freaks out or something." "Exactly, man," Travis smiled at me. "Hey. Let's make a deal. This week, at least between us, no acting. No fake shit. Whaddya think?" "I dunno," I laughed. "Like you said earlier, I'm not always good at being totally honest." "It's only one week," Travis smiled. He put his hand over mine on the railing. "Deal?" "Deal," I said. "And in the spirit of total honesty. I've got to go to bed, dude. I've been up for like 19 hours or something. So even if you want to keep talking, I'm headed downstairs." Travis laughed. "It is kind of late. Let's head. You still up for swimming in the morning?" "Geez," I said. "That seems like ages ago when we were with Kristin and Susan. Yeah, I'll be at the pool." "Cool," said Travis. "This is gonna be a fun week." "I'm finally beginning to actually believe that," I said as we got into the elevator and headed down to our rooms. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SPRING BREAK CRUISE January 2004 This is a story in eight parts, which are all complete and will be posted in the next few weeks in accordance with Nifty's schedule. Part eight includes more information about the songs/lyrics used in this story. This is a work of fiction. I hope you enjoy it! Comments and critiques are welcome at: billynkyle@yahoo.com . I have one other story posted on Nifty and if you liked this one you might check that one out. There's definitely a lot of similarities between the two stories. Unfortunately, I never posted the end to that one. (Hence, the defined time frame of this.) Anyway, it's at: gay/highschool/summer-at-the-lake/ I do have a few more chapters of that somewhere (but still no ending!) and perhaps I'll get them posted. Let me know if you'd like to see them. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd-nc/1.0/ or send a letter to: Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------