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After I threw up twice in the airplane toilet and once on a cute, and surprisingly understanding, dark haired boy in the back row, I finally fell asleep, waking only long enough to down some ginger-ale and catch the end of an intense Vin Diesel action flick. Eight hours had passed like Chinese water torture, and Maddie and I were dragging our suitcases through the airport in Rome, shuffling toward a bus that would take me to the floating hotel of doom. I was hot, exhausted, and miserable.
“I don’t see what the big deal is about Rome. This airport doesn’t look any different than any other one I’ve been in. It’s as big and confusing as the rest, only in a foreign language,” I complained as we followed a young Italian woman with a Welcome to Rome sign onto the bus.
“This isn’t Rome,” Maddie sighed as she climbed the steps slowly, short of breath after trekking through the airport at breakneck speed. “Trust me, Lexi. You are going to love Europe. When we tour the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica, and you see the Sistine Chapel for the first time, it will bring tears to your eyes. You’ll see...you’ll be glad you came with me.”
We settled into two seats at the back of the bus, and I stared out the window, unable to argue any longer. Even I had my limit and I had reached it hours ago. I watched as non-descript buildings and scrubby trees passed by, no signs that Italy was any more fascinating or beautiful than anywhere else on the planet. Cars whizzed past—little foreign jobs that looked economical and far less intrusive on the roads than the SUV’s back home.
When we reached the port an hour later there was another ridiculously long wait, another security and passport check, and I was starving. As we approached the humongous ship my stomach lurched. The thought of climbing on board and essentially living there for the next seventeen days with my grandmother made me as nauseous as the idea of said ship bobbing like a cork through the Mediterranean. A vision of me heaving over the side rails flashed before my eyes. I was already missing home, more worried than ever about my mom. Instead of seeing the upcoming journey as an adventure of a lifetime, I wanted to cry.
The whole experience felt like some kind of torture that Mitch had devised to scare me straight. I wondered if my mother even knew that I’d left the continent. Another wave of worry was followed by a surge of anger. Of course she knew. They had all planned this together. I pushed down the tears and sense of betrayal bubbling to the surface. I refused to give in to my urge to panic and run home crying—as if I had the option. Instead, I dragged my butt up the gangplank in a long line of other cattle-like humans, who all looked much happier and more excited than me.
A part of me wanted to be at least a little excited. After all, my friends back home would be green with envy that I had spent half of my summer vacation cruising around Europe. But thoughts of what my mother was going through, and all that we had lost, crept into my mind. I couldn’t even muster a half smile when Maddie put her arm around my shoulder for the welcome aboard photo being snapped as we hit the top of the gangway. A joint would definitely have made the whole experience more fun—or at least tolerable—but who knew when my next opportunity to get high would come along. Another wave of panic set in.
We made our way down a long hallway and up a few flights of stairs, avoiding the elevators that were bustling with gray-haired passengers. “This will be quicker,” Maddie said, tugging me along by the hand and taking the steps with more energy than seemed possible for a woman her age. Our cabin turned out to be bigger than I’d imagined. There were double beds, a suitable sized bathroom, and a balcony overlooking the port. I flopped onto the bed next to my suitcase, which was there waiting for me.
“I need a nap,” I said. My head ached and my body felt wrung out. We’d been traveling for ten hours.
“Don’t you want to explore the ship? There is so much to see and do. I know you’re going to love this, Lexi.” Maddie tossed her hat on the bed and began primping in front of the mirror that covered one wall above a glass-topped desk.
“You’ve got to be kidding. Aren’t you tired?” I groaned and pulled a pillow over my face.
“I suppose I am a bit worn out.” Maddie plunked into a straight-backed, orange chair—one of two that flanked a small table against the wall. She checked her watch. “We could change into our swimsuits, go up to the Lido deck, and nap by the pool. They’re serving lunch up there until 2:00. Or maybe you’d like to take a little siesta out on the Promenade deck. There are usually lounge chairs set up and it’s quiet. Did you bring a book to read?”
“No. Do you have to be so cheerful and energetic all the time?” My headache intensified. Peeking one eye out from under the pillow, I cringed as Maddie gave me a chilly stare.
“It beats being a sourpuss,” she said, then added, “They have a library. I’m sure you’ll find something there that interests you.”
“I doubt it,” I said. There were a few books I was supposed to read from the summer reading list for school, but I hadn’t even thought about it as I packed to go to Maddie’s. It seemed I’d barely had time to throw a suitcase together before Mitch was rushing me onto the plane. A pang of guilt twisted inside me, knowing I hadn’t even said good-bye to my mom. “When do you think I can call home?” I asked, my voice soft.
Maddie smiled sympathetically. “We can check in with your stepfather in a few days.” She came and sat next to me on the bed. “I know you’re worried about your mother, dear, but there isn’t anything you can do except pray for her and let the passage of time take care of things.” She shook her head, her blue eyes growing misty. “You’ve all been through a terrible time since Amanda...well...I’m sure your mother will get through this. She has plenty of people taking care of her.” She patted my leg. “What you need to do is concentrate on taking care of yourself.” She began unpacking her suitcase, all the while humming some old ditty from way before I was born. She stopped abruptly. “I know. We can do the sunset Tai Chi class later. Tai Chi is wonderful for clearing the mind and calming the soul.”
I rolled over and stuffed my head back under the pillow.
∞∞∞
I awoke some time later to the sound of the ship’s horn blaring and the subtle sensation of movement. I looked around, disoriented, and found a note on the bed next to me. Lexi, I’ve gone to play Bingo. I’ll be back later to meet you for dinner. Tonight’s dress is formal, so wear something pretty. No shorts or tank tops. Enjoy exploring the ship and please, stay out of trouble,
Maddie.
Formal? Crud. The only thing I had with me other than shorts were jeans or a bathing suit. I rummaged through my suitcase, dragged out a few articles of clothing that weren’t shorts or tank tops. Since unpacking would only serve to remind me that I was trapped, I slid the case under the bed. Defeated, I threw on a pair of capris pants, a button down short sleeved blouse and a pair of sandals—the closest thing I had to a nice outfit. By the looks of the sun on the balcony, it was late afternoon. A trek around the ship to orient myself seemed like a good idea.
Within three minutes, I was hopelessly lost.
Mazelike hallways leading nowhere and elevators that all had identical silver polished floral designs had me turning in circles. Our cabin was on the upper promenade deck, which apparently only housed cabins. The same with decks five, six, and seven. I spent half an hour working my way up and down the long narrow corridors, feeling more lost with each turn. Frantically, I searched for a ship’s map, which I had seen next to the elevators, but now it seemed that even the elevators eluded me. I bumped into a few people and would have asked for directions but everyone spoke a different language or was rushing to get somewhere. All I wanted was to find my way back to my room, but I couldn’t remember what number cabin we were in and I’d forgotten the keycard anyway.
Frustrated, I determined I wouldn’t venture out of my cabin again for the next seventeen days. Near panic, I turned another corner and ran headlong into—my eyes widened. Perfect—the cute guy I’d thrown up on in the back row of the plane.