Ship of dreams ch 8-10

Ch. 8 Nick walked into his room, locking it, and turned on the lights. He sat down on the edge of his bed, pulling off his still-laced Nikes and throwing them under his bunk. He sat up and put his face in his hands, rubbing it. Boy, what a night he'd had. He was still thinking about Amy and her story about her ring. He never meant to even mention what he'd experienced but it came out so freely. It made him think though. He stood up and walked over to his dresser where he had placed his ring in the upper left hand drawer. He opened the drawer and pulled the ring out, looking at it. His was a plain, solid, silver band with the words "Mandy and Nick together forever" carved into its underside. Why was he holding on to it? He, just like Amy, knew that the love symbolized into it was gone. At least from Mandy's part. He had kept his promise to love her forever but she quickly broke the vow. So much for that, he thought grimly. He still loved Mandy, but knew so painfully that it wasn't mutual no matter what she ever told him. Probably never had been. Why should I even keep this if it has no value to her? he wondered. He saw the garbage can nearby and gazed at it, contemplating on what he should do. What if she does love me? What if she does change her mind? Then I'd feel so stupid, like I'd given up on us. But I have given up on us. She's never gonna love me. Might as well face it, Carter. She's never loved you and never will love you. He put the ring in the drawer until he could officially decided what to do with it. He pulled off his shirt and jeans, leaving on his white undershirt and Tommy boxers, and climbed into bed, tired of the crap he'd been through that day. The highlight of his day had to have been meeting Amy. He smiled at the thought. Now, there's someone who could help me get over Mandy, he thought. His smile quickly dissipated though. Too bad she can't get away from Lance long enough to notice it or me. Back at the club, Jessie and Matt were still dancing. When the song was over, they walked to the closest empty table. "Well, I guess we should go," Jessie spoke up finally, "It's pretty obvious that Amy gave up on us." Matt nodded. "Too bad too cuz I wanted to see her take her shoes off and hit those guys with them." She laughed. "Now that you mention it, I did too. Of course, she may be with Nick taking them off for an entirely different reason." Her and Matt exchanged a glance. "Nah.." they decided. Matt stood up and held out his hand to help her up. "Oh, well. Let's go." She took his hand and he pulled her up. They walked out hand-in-hand, off to their rooms. "So we just threw Nick out in his underwear, which was pale green I might add, and.." Kevin was saying until Brian tapped him on the shoulder. He looked away from the blond. "Yeah?" He asked in a tone that could easily tell that he wasn't too pleased about being interrupted. "Kev, we gotta go, Howie's had a little too much to drink and is puking his guts out all over the floor by the bar," Brian informed him. Kevin gave him a weird look. "Man..But how? All we had were Cokes." He saw A.J. standing there next to Brian with a sheepish grin on his face. "That would be my fault," he interjected, "I had some vodka and I spiked his Coke as a prank and well, it didn't settle with him too well." Kevin groaned. "A.J., you didn't." Brian nodded. "Afraid so." Kevin sighed. "Well, ya'll go get Howie and go and I'll be there in a few minutes." They walked over to Howie, helped him up from his puddle of barf, and walked him to his room. Kevin turned around. "Now, where was I?" The blond was gone. He looked around, his ego a little bruised. "All righty then.." He got up and ran off to catch up with his cousin and friends. Amy and Nick walked along the shore and turned to each other as if they were going to kiss. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him. He was wearing khaki shorts, a white T-shirt, and an unbuttoned striped blue and red shirt that was whipping behind him in the breeze. His bluish-green eyes seem to sparkle as he held his arms out, inviting her in for an embrace. He short brow hair was being blown around in his face. She looked up at Nick who just gave her this don't-do-it look. She ignored him and walked over to Lance almost in a slow-motion pace. Just as she got to him, she saw Therese come running up from behind, jumping into his arms, knocking Amy down. She sat where she fell in the sand, her eyes filling with tears. "But you promised.." she was saying to Lance, "The ring..you promised.." He just gave her a cold, blank stare. "What ring?" Amy held up her hand to show him the ring but it had mysteriously vanished. Therese held up her ring finger. On it was the same exact ring she had once owned. Therese gave her an evil laugh. "This one, you mean?" Amy narrowed her eyes as anger swelled up inside of her. She climbed to her feet and tackled Therese, knocking her to the ground. "You little bitch..." she was saying. She sat on top of her and repeatedly punched the blond cheerleader who was defenseless. "Amy! Amy!" she could hear Jessie yelling from a distance... "Amy! Amy!" Jessie yelled, "Wake up!!" Amy sat up in a start and looked around. Her neck was drenched in sweat and her hands were around her pillow. She looked up at Jessie. "You were saying something like 'Give me my ring' or something." Amy ran her hands through her hair and shook her head. "Damn. I had another one of those dreams except Nick was in this one." Jessie raised her eyebrows in interest. She sat on Amy's bed. "Do tell, do tell." Amy told her about the dream. "Whoa," Jessie responded to it, "you have seriously got to get over that boy." "I'm really trying, but I can't. Nick told me I should hate Lance for what he did but right now the only emotion I don't feel towards him is hate." "Wait a sec..Back that up. Who told you that?" Amy knew she had some explaining to do now. "Nick. We met while I was trying to look for my ring and he asked me about it. I told him how I felt and that was the advice he gave me." "You just met the guy and he already knows about your ex-boyfriend? And ya'll are still talking? He must really like you." Amy shook her head. "Nah. He did say something about some girl doing him the way Lance did me and that I didn't even know what heartbreak feels like." Jessie raised her eyebrows for about the 50th time that night. "And you didn't slap him?" "No. I told him that he was right." Jessie grinned at her. "You like him, don't you?" Amy shook her head and looked away. "Of course not." "You little liarteller. You know you do." "Liarteller's not a word, retard, and no I don't." Jessie smiled. "Whatever.." Amy laid back down and shoved Jessie off of her bed. "I'd like to go back to sleep now?" Jessie got to her feet and smiled down at Amy. "Why? So you can have some more of your little horny dreams about Nick?" Amy threw her pillow at Jessie. "Not likely." "Amy likes Nick, Amy likes Nick, Amy likes Nick.." "Shut up!" Jessie laughed as Amy shifted on her side, going to sleep. Jessie sat down on her bed and looked over at Amy. "So.." she began but heard Amy softly snoring so she stopped. She got in her bed and pulled the covers up. "You'll get over Lance, Amy," she whispered, "And Nick'll be there to help you do it. I just know it." She heard Amy mumbling and smiled. She turned off her lamp, laid back, and fell asleep. "Eww, Howie," Brian cried out, "That's gross!" Howie had just puked on the door and it was running down on the floor just missing Brian's shoes. "I'll clean it up," A.J. volunteered. He went inside and got some towels. He started mopping up the vomit. the lights flooded on. Nick sat up, adjusting to the bright lights. He looked over at Brian who was helping Howie to the bathroom. "What's going on?" he asked. "Because of Mr. Prankster over there," Brian pointed accusingly over at A.J., "Howie is now in the bathroom puking his guts out." As if on cue, Howie started retching. Nick felt his own stomach turn. He hated hearing people throwing up. He looked over at A.J., who was still cleaning up. "What did you do, A.J.?" Before A.J. could respond, Nick stopped him. "Wait..let me guess. you spiked his Coke with that vodka you brought and he drank too much." A.J. nodded with a guilty look on his face. "Yup." Nick shook his head. "Good grief. Why didn't you do it while I was there?" Brian looked at him, horrified, and A.J. laughed. "Relax, Bri. It was only a joke." "And wasn't it just so hilarious?" Brian sneered. Nick rolled his eyes at him. A.J. finished cleaning up and scrubbed his hands. He turned off the faucet and walked back in the room. "So, Nicky..How was she?" Nick's jaw dropped. "What?!" A.J. laughed. "I heard, well Kevin told us, that you and that pretty little brunette hooked up." "Well, Kevin's a liar," Nick snapped. Kevin walked in just that second. "Oh, I am?" Nick looked straight at him. "Yes you are because Amy and I didn't 'hook up' as you say it so cheaply. We danced, took a walk, and talked for awhile." Brian looked up at him from handing Howie a washcloth. "Amy? So you know her name? Way to go. Do you like her?" Nick began to squirm. "You know, it's getting late.." He tried to drop the subject. "So what?" A.J. added in, "Do you like her?" Nick squinted his eyes as if in pain. "I don't know. I just met her. Give me some time. Who knows? We probably won't even see each other again." Brian laughed. "Nicky likes Amy, Nicky likes Amy, Nicky likes Amy," he sang and the others joined him. Nick rolled his eyes. "I swear. You guys are so retarded." "We're not retarded, we're special." They laughed at themselves. Nick laid back and pulled the covers over his head. "Good night!" They heard Howie flush the toilet and walk out of the bathroom. A.J. looked over at him. "Are you through?" Howie wiped his mouth. "I think so." A.J. put his arm around his friend's shoulder. "Good, let's go then." They walked out. As the door closed they heard A.J. yelling. "Eww, Howie!! These are my new shoes! Nasty!" They laughed. Kevin opened the door, walking out. He tried to keep from slipping in Howie's barf. "I guess I'll go too. Thank God I have my own room." "Why can't I have mine?" Nick whined from under the sheets. He heard Brian jump on his bed. "Because you absolutely, positively, can't live without the Brokster, your very bestest friend." "God, you sound like Barney.." "I love you, you love me.." Nick whipped his sheets back and gave Brian a warning glare. "Don't you even dare.." Brian just smiled as he slipped off his sneakers and socks. He threw them under the bed and looked back up at Nick. "So, what's Amy like?" Nick shrugged his shoulders and yawned. "She's cool. You'd like her," he mumbled as he fell asleep. Brian nodded and smiled at his sleeping friend. "That's good." He pulled off his jeans and unbuttoned his shirt, taking it off. He laid back on his back, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

Ch. 9 Amy slipped her shorts on and brushed her hair. She looked in the mirror and made a face. "I look awful..," she muttered. It was only 6:45 in the morning but she couldn't stay in the bed any longer, she didn't know why. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked back at Jessie who was still asleep. Her stomach growled loudly. She stumbled over to the door and opened in, taking in the salty sea air. The sky was a bright pink and orange and blue as the sun rose from out of the deep blue sea. She stepped out and closed the door softly behind her. She walked down to the small cafe on her deck and ordered her breakfast. She went ahead and got a big mug of hot chocolate and sat down, facing the ocean, and slowly drank her cocoa. What she didn't know was that five tables down, Nick came in and sat down. He was starving. He ordered breakfast and drank some orange juice while he waited. He noticed someone sitting near the railing alone but couldn't make out who it was because of the sun's glare. "Pick up, #16!" the chef barked. Nick saw the girl jump up and walked over there. Only when she walked back by did he notice that it was Amy. He started to get up to join her for breakfast when Brian, A.J., and Kevin walked up. "Hey Nick!" Brian called out. Nick sunk down in his chair, pulling the bill of his white Nike cap down over his eyes. "Pick up, #17!" the cook barked out his order. A.J. looked over at Nick. "Yours?" he asked. Nick nodded. A.J. picked it up and sat in front of Nick, taking one of his biscuits and wolfing it down. They all sat down and started picking at Nick's food. He pulled his plate back. "Excuse me?!" he snapped, "Get your own!" They raised their eyebrows at him. Brian grabbed a piece of bacon and rolled it up in his mouth, grinning at Nick. "Nah, I'd rather eat yours," he teased. Nick sat back and shoved his half-empty plate in front of them. "Did I say it was mine?" he retorted, "Oh how mistaken was I! Go ahead, eat it, I don't care." Kevin stopped eating and looked a Nick. "Man, what crawled up your pants and bit your butt?" A.J. snickered. "He's upset cuz he couldn't get none last night." Brian popped him on the arm. "Nah, he just couldn't sleep cuz he kept thinking about getting some from that girl last night. What's her name again?" They laughed but Nick just looked off. "I don't believe I know what you guys are talking about," he lied. "I think you do," Brian teased, "Cuz you kept saying it in your sleep. I think you were saying, 'Oh, Amy'. That was her name wasn't it?" The guys cracked up and started making noises, saying "Oh, Amy. Harder, Amy." Nick turned bright red as the guys got louder and louder. He kept looking over at Amy who was paying no attention to them, just eating her breakfast quietly. He looked back at the guys, giving them a nasty look. "Shut up guys, I mean it." "Why should we?" Kevin questioned, still laughing. Brian noticed Nick staring over at a girl and realized it was Amy. He held his hand up. "Okay, that's enough jokes now," he interrupted with a serious tone to his voice. They all saw Amy sitting there and got quiet. "Sorry," they mumbled. Nick looked down at his now-empty plate. "Well, so much for a breakfast. My plate is empty and I'm still hungry." They all got quiet. They saw Amy get up and walk over to throw her plate away. She walked back and stopped at the guys' table, looking down at Howie, A.J., Brian, and Kevin. "When you're gonna talk about someone like ya'll just did, do it when they're not around. Oh, and one more thing, grow up," she snapped. The guys sunk down in their seat, embarrassed. Nick had to grin as he watched her walk off. He looked over at the guys. "You heard her, grow up." With that, he got up and walked off. Amy walked onto the deck and kinda strolled along, fuming. How those guys could say all they did, she didn't know. At least Nick didn't take any part in it. As she walked further down the deck, she saw one of the girls that had been chasing Nick and the guys before she had tricked them. She tried to turn around real quick but the girl saw her. "Hey, you!" she yelled. Amy rolled her eyes and stood there while a tiny redhead of about 12 stormed over to her, pointing accusingly. "I have a name. It's Amy. Now, what do you want?" Amy said shortly. The girl put her hands on her hips. "Yeah, that's nice. I do too. It's Lindsay. Wow, we have something in common already: we both have names," the girl sneered. Amy raised her eyebrows at her. "Look, smartass, I've got better things to do than talk to some little teenybopper. What is it that you want?" The redhead was a little shocked at Amy calling her a smartass but got back to her reason for stopping her. "Whatever..Like, all I know is you're a liar.." Amy stepped closer. She was about a foot and a half taller and outweighed the girl by what she guessed 60 pounds. "How do ya figure that?" She deliberately looked down on her. Lindsay stepped back. "Well, you told me and my friends was over towards the front of the ship and we ran over there and like, almost missed our boat. They weren't there." I, like, wish you had, Amy thought, imitating the girl. She rolled her eyes. "Like, they're not on the ship, are they?" the girl asked. "Actually, I just got through having breakfast with Justin. If you had only been there a few minutes ago, you would've seen him. He looked so good and was such a sweetheart to me." Amy knew she was lying through her teeth but wanted to get this girl off of her back. The girl looked up at her, a mysterious almost mischievous smile on her face. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" Amy shrugged her shoulders. "You don't." "Are you telling the truth?" "Well, there is one way to find out..." "Yeah?" "Meet me on the upper deck in five minutes and if I do know him, I'll bring him up there." The little girl gave her a wary look. "Ummm...all right..Thank you.." Amy gave her a tiny smile. "No problem.." Lindsay ran off and Amy laughed. "Now that that's over.." She turned around and ran smack into Nick. She looked up at him. "Boy, you and I have got to stop running into each other," she snapped. She started to walk off, but Nick grabbed her arm. Amy looked down at his hand on her arm and back up at him. "What?!" "I saw what you did or said to that girl," he stated. She jerked her arm free. "So? She was getting on my nerves. What are you going to do about it? Spank me?" "No. I'm not going to do anything. Think about it though..That poor little girl is going to be so disappointed when she gets up to that deck and doesn't get to meet Justin. Realize how upset she's gonna be when she finds out you lied to her." Amy looked away, trying to ignore him, but the guilt crept up on her. "Damn, you had to make me feel guilty.." Nick pulled her face back around to face him. "Well, you should. Now you need to find that girl and set her straight." Amy groaned and rolled her eyes. "Fine, but you're gonna help me because you made me do this. In fact, you're gonna help me make it up to her." He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? How?" "I think you're her favorite Backstreet Boy so you're gonna talk to her, sing to her, whatever." Nick let go of her face and looked off, thinking. He looked back at her. "All right. Let's go find her." They walked up to the upper deck to the meeting place. Nick looked around the corner and back at Amy, in shock. Amy noticed his expression. "What?" "You must be some sord of psychic. Look." Much to their surprise, there stood Justin Timberlake next to the little girl. Amy's jaw dropped. "What the hell is he doing here?" Before Nick could come up with an answer, Lindsay saw her and called her over. Amy walked over. Justin eyed her up and down, giving her a satisfied grin. He looked over at the little girl. "This is the girl who you say I've met? I think I'd remember a girl as fine as this." Amy crossed her arms and glared at him as he circled around taking in her every feature. About that time, he noticed Nick standing there. "Oh, hello, Nick," he said in a bitter sweet tone. Nick just gave him a nod and watched as Justin admired the girl he liked. Justin finally took Amy's hand and kissed it, looking in her eyes as he raised his head. "What is your name, sweetheart?" "Amy," she mumbled, feeling completely stupid. "Such a pretty name for a pretty girl. Say, since I don't remember meeting you before, why don't you and I go out tonight and you can tell me how we met, refresh my memory?" Amy gave Nick a sideways glance and looked back at Justin. "If you don't remember, let's just keep it at that. Now, I have a few things that need to be taken care of. Nice to see you, Justin. Talk to you later." She started to walk off before Justin pulled her into a kiss. She pulled back sharply and looked at him. He just gave her another grin. "Just a little something to remember me by." She wiped her mouth and stormed off, grabbing Nick's arm on the way out. He just gave her a funny look. Amy looked up at him as they rounded the corner. "What's so funny?" she snapped. "Quite a charmer, isn't he?" Nick teased. Amy scowled at him. "He's lucky that kid was there cuz he would've gotten the shit beat out of him if she wasn't. You saw the way he was just eyeing me like I was some piece of meat." Nick chuckled. "A lot of guys do that and you just don't notice it." Amy looked up at him. "You didn't though.." Nick just looked off, not responding. Amy gasped and backhanded him in the chest. He looked back at her, giving her an innocent grin. "What was that for?" Amy just looked off, shaking her head. "So, you didn't tell me, why is Justin here?" "Free country. It was just a coincidence, Aim. You know, I didn't realize who that girl was til now." Amy looked back up at him. "Who was it?" "Justin's cousin." He could practically hear Amy's jaw come unhinged. "That was...his cousin?" she sputtered, "So.." Nick nodded. "You were the one that got jipped." He started laughing and couldn't stop. Amy glared at him. "Shut up," she snapped. He just laughed harder. She hit him hard on the arm. "Nick! It's not funny!" He had to lean against the wall he was laughing so hard. Amy stuck her tongue out at him and walked off. He tried to stop laughing as he caught up with her. "Amy..don't..I'm sorry..it's just that.." he gasped before he started laughing again. She rolled her eyes and stomped off. "Ugh!" He finally got his laughter down to a chuckle and came up after her. He got in front of her and stopped her. She crossed her arms and looked away, brows furrowed. He started laughing again and rested his head on her shoulder. She looked at the side of his head and leaned in to his ear. "Look it ain't that funny so you can shut up laughing," she yelled in his ear. He got louder. She looked up at him. "And, I wasn't the only one jipped. You believed she was some innocent little teenybopper too." Nick shook his head. "Nah, I knew the whole time..." "Uh-huh, yeah. Nice of you to let me in on it." Imitating him, she said, "Amy, you lied to that poor girl. Think of how she's feel. Go apologize to her.." "I was just playing along," he joked. She looked away. "Bull crap." He stopped laughing. She started to walk off. "I'll catch you later." He grabbed her arm again, this time noticing the ring but he didn't say anything. She whirled around. "What is it with you grabbing my arm?" she snapped. He pulled her back and looked down at her with puppy dog eyes. "I'm sorry, Aim," he apologized, "I just thought it was funny." She looked away. "Well, I didn't." He still had his hand on her arm. "You did kinda get what was coming to you though." She looked up at him. "Oh, yeah? How?" "Think about it, Aim. What if she wasn't his cousin? None of them other girls were his cousin. What if she didn't know that you were lying to her? You'd feel bad then, wouldn't you?" She looked down at his hand around her arm and back up at him, her face softening. "Yeah, I would have." He smiled at her. "See, I knew you had a good heart." She blushed slightly. "Maybe you bring out the best in me," she joked. He laughed slightly and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked down the deck. Amy stopped and looked over the railing and saw something swimming beside the ship but couldn't tell what it was. She started running to get to the lowest deck so she could see it better. "Amy!?" Nick yelled, running after her, "Where are you going?!" She just kept running. "C'mon, slowpoke!" she yelled. He laughed and caught up to her as they reached the lowest deck. When they got there, Amy looked over the railing, catching her breath. "What is it?" Nick asked, gasping for air. She saw two dolphins swimming alongside the ship. "Look," she whispered. He looked over and saw them. "Wow," he breathed. "Aren't they just so cute?" she asked. "Well, not as cute as me, but pretty close," he laughed. She smirked at him but looked back at the dolphins. "I wish we could swim with them.." Nick scooped her up and pretended to throw her over. "Nick, no!" she screamed. He put her down. "But you said.." She shook her head. "Not that way." He laughed. He turned around and leaned against the rail, watching her as she watched the dolphins. He just stared at her, not meaning to. Her long brown hair was dangling over the rail and she had a smile like a child's first Christmas on her face. She just had this way about her that attracted him so much. Maybe it was just that she was the complete opposite of Mandy but so much like her in so many ways. Mandy never paid attention to the things like dolphins swimming; Amy took in the beauty of it all like a tiny child. He liked that about her. She noticed even the tiniest of things in detail. She looked up from her gaze to see Nick eyeing her with a tiny smile. She smiled shyly. "What? I look retarded, don't I, sitting here staring at these dolphins like I've never seen one before? Just say it.." He touched her arm. Again..for like the fifth time that day. He was making it a habit but Amy could care less. His soft bleached blond bangs fell in his face again, something that annoyed him to death but Amy absolutely adored. "Girl, relax. I was only looking at you because you look so cute, just like a little girl, watching those dolphins swim. Mandy never noticed things like that." Amy looked up in a jerk and gulped. "Your girlfriend?" she choked out. He pushed his bangs back and turned around to where he was standing in the same direction as her. He looked off at the water, his eyes glistening with what appeared to be tears. He leaned down on the rail and looked at Amy. "Actually..my ex-girlfriend," he finally replied after a few moments of gathering his thoughts. Amy looked down. She flinched. "Ooh..touchy subject. Sorry I asked." He shrugged his shoulders. "I was going to tell you last night but figured after I yelled at you, you had me figured out.." She shook her head. "I didn't know. Do..If you don't mind telling me..umm.." "Well, I basically said it all last night. We have dated off and on for probably about 3 years now.." Amy's eyes widened. "Yeah, I know you're thinking, I thought you were single..Nope, I was kinda forced into secrecy. Well, I really loved her but I don't think it was ever truly mutual. It might have been at first but didn't last. She'd cheat on me, I'd find out, I'd break it off, she'd come back to me, I'd take her back. This became a vicious, continuous cycle. I had just been dumped by her for the umpteenth time right when we ran into each other at the airport. You know, I gave her a ring just like that one Lance gave you. Inscribed on its underside were the words: To the one I love, now and forever. Just like you said, I kept my promise, she broke hers. She decided not to love me, I always loved her." Amy looked away, shaking her head. She knew the feeling all too well. She looked back up at him and saw a single tear slide down his cheek. She took his arm in hers and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I understand completely and I apologize for saying you wouldn't understand. You know, I think God brought us together because he knew we needed someone who understood us and help each other out. I'm glad you can share your feelings with me like I can with you." He looked into her warm sympathetic eyes and felt his heart melt. This was what he wanted for so long: Someone who cared. He could've kissed her right there. All he did was smile. "Thank you, Aim. You don't know how much I appreciate it and you. We've only been on this trip for a day, not even a day, and I feel like I've already got a new best friend." She rubbed her head against his broad shoulder and looked out at the white puffy clouds floating by casting their shadow on the water below. "Nick, I just want you to know that I'll be here for you as long as you need me." He placed his head on hers and she could see his blond locks falling in her face. This felt so good. He smelled so good, it was just perfect. "I'll be here as long as you need me too." He inhaled the scent of Amy's herbal shampoo and was immediately intoxicated by the heavenly scent. Mandy was a totally distant thought though she kept tugging at his feeble heart. "I'm glad I've got you," Amy conceded, "Cuz all anyone else can say is 'He treated you like dirt, Amy.' 'Move on, Amy', 'You deserve better, Amy'. I'm like one step at a time please! It's not as easy as you think! Step one is..." "Get over Mandy.." "Get over Lance.." They smiled at each other. Amy nudged Nick in the arm. "See! You understand me!" He laughed. "The guys are the same way to me. They're all like, 'Do something, Nick. It'll help you get over Mandy', or 'Forget her, Nick', and how I like this one: 'Nick, you gotta move on'. It ain't that easy. If it was, I'd be a very happy man with about 20 women on each arm." Amy laughed. "You ain't lying. If it was so easy to get over someone, I'd be dating guys left and right..It looks like they'd realize we need time. Of course, Jessie and Matt are so in love that they think nothing bad could ever happen. I was that oblivious too." Nick nodded. "Brian and A.J. are both in serious relationships like that. Brian and Leighanne never even squabble, it's always like, 'Baby..', 'Honey..' It gags me. She irritates the hell out of me but he doesn't see anything wrong. Now, A.J. and Amanda have one of those real relationships, they argue, they fight. They've broken up twice but all in all, realized they were each other's companion, each other's soul mate, each other's...best friend, they needed each other. That's the type of relationship I'm yet to have. The day I find it is the day my life's mission is complete. Well, except for the day I make the NBA.." Amy chuckled but her face grew serious. "See, I thought I had that with Lance but it was only one-sided. I thought I needed him, he could certainly do without me. I still love him I guess, but there's the part of me that wants to get out. To undo the binds that attach me to him." He nodded. "I understand you completely. I know how you feel. I still have my ring, y'know? I see you have yours too." She looked down at her hand. She was about to say something but when she looked in his eyes, she could tell he already knew the answer. She felt a little stupid. She was talking about cutting loose and she couldn't even get rid of her ring. "Don't feel stupid. I know you were thinking how you were talking about cutting loose and you couldn't even get rid of your ring." Amy looked up at him, amazed. "How..Where are you reading my mind off of? You have some book about what I am thinking?" He shook his head. "It's called feeling the same way, Aim. I was actually just thinking outloud. That's how much we're alike." She smiled as she settled her head back onto his shoulder, grasping his strong arm in her hand. They were quiet, contemplating every word that had been said. They had been so busy talking that they didn't notice that those big puffy white fair clouds had been replaced with threatening storm clouds. The sky was almost pitch black and the wind had picked up. The thunder roared and the waves grew choppier. Nick lifted his head off of Amy's. "It's getting pretty bad out here. Let's go inside." She nodded. While they were turned around, a giant wave came up, knocking them both against the ship. Amy slammed into the wall, knocking her unconscious. Nick, having braced for impact, didn't hit it as hard. He got up and saw Amy lying there, not moving. Scooping her limp body up in his arms, he ran into the closest unoccupied room and closed the door. He saw a bed over in the far left corner of the room so he carried Amy over there and gently placed her down on the pillow. She didn't stir. Her only movement was the rise and fall of her chest and she breathed in and out. He sat down next to her, holding her hands, and looked around. The ship rocked violently, knocking him off of the bed onto the floor. This time he wasn't so lucky; darkness enveloped him. Little by little, water began to fill the room as the waves continued to crash into the ship.

Ch. 10 Jessie sat up quickly in her bed, the sound of the thunder sharply awakening her. "What's going on?" she asked out loud, assuming Amy was still in the bed. No response. "Hmm..she must still be asleep," she decided, rubbing her eyes, "Well, it's time for her to wake up." She sat up to wake Amy up and saw that she wasn't there and her bed was made with a note on top. She picked it up and read it. It said: Jessie, Gone to breakfast. Be back later. Amy Jessie looked at her watch which had slid off the nightstand with the violent rocking of the ship. It was about noon. No way was Amy just now eating breakfast. There was no telling where she was now. She heard a knock on the door. That must be her, she thought, Well, I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind about getting breakfast and not bringing me any back. She opened the door. "Amy, I.." she began before she realized it was her boyfriend, "Oh, hey Matt." She stepped aside to let him in. He pulled her to him. "Hey, yourself," he responded, kissing her. They parted and Jessie stepped back to close the door. She looked a little worried. "Have you seen Amy this morning?" Matt shook his head. "You're asking the wrong person, sweetheart. I just got up. Actually, I was thrown out of the bed with the way the boat was rocking." Jessie nodded, biting the edge off of her fingernail. "I noticed it was getting bad out there. That's why I was wondering about Amy." Matt pulled her hand away from her mouth and intertwined his fingers with hers. "She's smart. She'll be all right." He brushed his girlfriend's hair out of her eyes and pulled her to him. She placed her head on his chest. "I hope so. I just keep having this bad feeling about it. I haven't figured out why." Brian looked up from his NBA Live '99 game on Nick's Playstation to see the weather deteriorating outside and it made him wonder about Nick. He's probably still pissed off about this morning and he's avoiding us, he assured himself, We do deserve it. He'll be back though. He took a swallow of his Coke and continued playing his game. About halfway through the 2nd half, a weird feeling crept up in his stomach. Something's not right here, he said to himself, Don't know why, but I think Nick's in trouble. I gotta get the guys to help me look for him. He looked at his game. Well, after I finish. About 5 minutes later, he lost his game from concentrating so hard on Nick and what he was doing. He sulked for a second but went and got the guys to help him look for Nick. Another wave crashed in, sending more water into the room. Without a way for the water to escape, it continued to flood from one corner of the room to the next. Luckily, Amy and Nick were in the far corner of the room, but with each crash of the waves, their luck was running out. Jessie paced back and forth. Finally she stopped and looked at Matt, who was sitting on her bed. "I can't take this anymore. The weather is getting worser and worser and there is still no sign of Amy. That's not like her, Matt. She would've shown up by now." Matt stood up and faced Jessie. "Why don't we go talk to the captain about how long this storm will last and see if maybe he can help us out on where to search for Amy?" he suggested. She nodded, almost on the brink of tears. "Okay," she whispered. He hugged her tightly. "She'll be all right, I just know it." "Well, let's go find her so I can see for myself. Maybe on the way we should call out her name in case she's around here." Matt nodded. "Sounds good. Let's go." They walked out the door and started shouting Amy's name. The rain hit them in the face horizontally, feeling like needles. "..which is why I think we should go look for him," Brian explained. "Brian, no offense, but the boy's 19 years old," A.J. interjected, "He can take care of himself." "Not in this kind of weather!" Brian argued, "Who knows what could happen to him! He could.." "Oh no, you are not going to list them all," Kevin interrupted, "Brian, stop overreacting. Nick will be okay." Brian started for the door. "Well, I'm going to go look for him. If ya'll won't help me, I'll go by myself." Howie stood up. "No way. I'll go with you. You're not going out there alone." "Fine," Brian said. He looked at A.J. and Kevin. "Anyone else?" A.J. stood up and sighed. "Well, since you're being so damn stubborn about this, I'll help." Brian looked at Kevin. "Well, Kev..Are you going to join us?" He nodded reluctantly. "Do I really have a choice? Besides, ya'll may need my leadership and navigational skills." Brian rolled his eyes. "Please," A.J. sneered. "Yeah, without the cocky attitude," Brian snapped. "It was a joke!" Kevin exclaimed, "Geez!" They ignored him. "Where do we start?" Howie asked. Everyone exchanged glances. "How about the captain's deck?" A.J. suggested. They nodded. "Let's go," Brian said. They walked out into the pouring rain, yelling, "Nick!" Amy awoke slightly, her head pounding. She looked up but the searing pain made her vision blurry. "Oh.."she moaned, rubbing her head as if it would rid her pain. She panicked when Nick crossed her mind. Where was he? Did he leave her? "Nick?" She felt her eyes growing heavier and the room was spinning but she continued to struggle for consciousness. From the corner of the room, she could swear she saw water rushing in. Before she could really be sure, her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she blacked out. "Amy!" Jessie yelled, "Amy!" Matt heard someone else yelling. He tapped Jessie, motioning for her to hush. "Shh! I hear something!" She listened but all she heard was the wind howling. Her clothes were drenched and she was freezing. "I don't hear anything but the wind," she argued. She started to walk off but Matt pulled her back. "Listen." They heard a faint but clear yell. Jessie looked at Matt. "Sounds like they're yelling, 'Nick!'" Matt nodded. "Let's follow the direction of the sound." He pointed way in front of them. "It sounds like it's coming from that way." They ran up there yelling, "Amy!" "Listen," Brian hushed them. They heard someone yelling, "Amy!" "Hey, isn't that the name of the girl that Nick met?" A.J. asked. Brian pulled his wet hair out of his eyes and nodded. "Yeah. But where's it coming from?" They looked at Kevin. "Hey, Mr. Navigational Skills, there's your cue," Howie spoke up. Kevin looked at them. "Hell if I know." Brian rolled his eyes. "Some damn navigational skills, cous," he sneered. A.J. pointed behind them. "I think it's coming from that way." Brian nodded and looked off in that direction. "Thanks A.J. You can hold the map for the rest of the trip," Brian quipped, "Now, let's go that way." They ran off yelling, "Nick!!" Nick heard his name and sat up. He felt a little disoriented but it soon passed. He looked up at the bed and saw Amy still lying there, still out. He could hear her moan softly in pain and saw her face contort. He had to get her and him out of there. The sound of water trickling in made that more definite. He could hear the walls creaking with each crash and knew they nor the door would last too much longer. Not knowing if he could carry Amy, he decided to wake her up. He had to. No matter what kind of pain she was in, she'd be dead if she didn't get out. He walked over to her and sat next to her on the bed. He shook her gently. "Amy, Amy, you gotta wake up.." "Amy!" Jessie screamed, running down the deck. She slipped but got up and kept running. The sounds of "Nick!" were getting louder and louder. Just as she rounded the corner, she smacked dead into Brian. They both hit the ground. Brian scrambled to his feet and helped Jessie up. "Sorry," they both apologized. Matt came up right behind them. "We heard ya'll yelling." Brian nodded, a little breathless. "Yeah, we heard ya'll too. Searching for Amy?" Jessie nodded. "Seen her?" They shook their heads. "Not since this morning," A.J. spoke up, "She was eating breakfast at the little cafe on our deck. Have you seen Nick?" Jessie and Matt looked at each other and looked back at the guys. "No, sorry." "Could they possibly be together?" Howie asked. "Most likely they are. Least I hope so," Jessie said, "Besides, with the way Amy told me they hit it off, I'm sure they are." Matt looked at Jessie in surprise. "Really? And you didn't tell me about it?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Forgot. I'll tell you later." She looked back at Brian. "We were going to talk to the captain. Wanna join us? Maybe he could help us out." Brian looked at the guys who nodded in agreement and looked back at Jessie. "Sure. What have we got to lose?" Amy stirred a little and slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was still pretty fuzzy but she could make out the form of a face above her. She reached up and touched it. He touched her hand and moved up to her face. "Amy, are you awake?" She recognized the voice as Nick. "Nick?" she asked weakly. He smiled slightly. "How are you feeling?" Her vision focused and she was fully awake. The pain hit her like a brick. "Pretty much like shit." She rubbed her head again. He chuckled. "Well, that'll do. We need to get out of here. Can you get up?" She sat up slowly, grimacing in pain. "I think so. Luckily I have a high tolerance of pain." A shot of pain flew down her back and she yelped. "Okay, a medium tolerance...but only for so long..What's going on?" Nick helped her up and she saw all the water rushing in. No words were needed. About that time, the water pressure heightened on the door and in one loud groan, it and the wall gave in, instantly filling the room. Nick braced himself and Amy for the water as they waded out. Finally getting out, they saw their next obstacle: getting to the highest level. Nick looked at Amy. "Think you can make it?" Amy with teeth gritted, gave her best smile for someone so in pain. "Do I really have a choice?" He wrapped her arm around his neck and his arm around her waist and they ran up the stairs. Jessie, Matt, Brian, Kevin, Howie, and A.J. ran up to the captain's deck and knocked on the door. "Come in," he welcomed them. They opened the door and stepped in. He turned around to see six soaking wet kids standing there. "My goodness. What in heaven's name are all of you doing out in this inclement weather?" Jessie rang her hair out and it dripped on the carpet. The captain looked at the puddle and back at her. "Excuse me." Jessie looked back at him, a straight look on her face. "It was wet." "So you thought you could just ring it out on my dry carpeted floor?" Jessie opened her mouth to say something smart but Matt cut her off. "You'll just have to excuse her. She does things all the time without thinking." The captain nodded and looked at them impatience crossing his face. "You are wasting my time, children. What is it that you have come for?" "Two of our friends are missing, you see," Brian explained, "and we were wondering if there was any way that you could possibly help us." The captain rubbed his bearded chin. "How?" "That's why we came to you," Jessie snapped, "You're supposed to know what to do in times like these!" He glared at Jessie. "What do I look like? A 911 operator?" Jessie returned the glare. "Oh, I'll tell you what you look like you bearded.." "Jessie, please," Matt spoke up, "Shut up." Everyone, including her, looked taken aback. She just crossed her arms and looked away. "I'm sorry," the captain apologized, "I don't know how to help you." They nodded. "Thanks anyway," Howie said. They opened the door and began to step out. Suddenly, the ship lurched as it slammed into something, causing them all to fall to the floor. "What was that?" Jessie asked. "You tell me," the captain replied. "If I knew, I wouldn't have asked!" One of the crewsmen ran in stepping over them. "Excuse you!" A.J. snapped. The man looked at him and then back at the captain. "What is it?" the captain asked. "We've hit a rock off the coast of the Bahamas, about 100 miles north-northwest of Nassau," he reported. "Any significant damage?" "It's being checked out, sir, but it is believed that there is." "Well, find the exact extent of the damage and report back to me." The crewsman saluted him and ran off. The captain looked at Jessie, Matt, and the guys who were scrambling to their feet. "I want you all to check the decks and see if anyone's hurt, and..." "Report back to you, we know," Jessie interrupted. The captain looked at Matt. "Such a rude girl. How can you stand her?" Jessie raised an eyebrow at him. "You know, it's not nice to talk about someone in the third tense when that person is present, you dirty old.." Matt grabbed her arm before she could finish. "C'mon, Jess." When they stepped outside, the rain had decreased to a drizzle which made it harder to see. "Let's see..there's six decks and six of us so pick a deck and search," Kevin ordered, "Meet back here as soon as you're done." They separated and searched the decks. "Nick, I don't think I can run anymore," Amy whined, "My head is pounding and I think I'm gonna pass out again." They felt the boat lurch and their eyes met. "What was that?" he asked. "I don't know. Nick, I'm getting really dizzy again." "Hold on for just one second. At least until I can find a room for us." He checked all the doors. Locked. Then at the end of the deck, he saw a door opened. He grabbed Amy's hand and started running. "C'mon, Amy. I found one." He heard a loud thump! and felt his grip loosen with her hand. She had passed out again. He leaned over, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her to the room. This is becoming a habit, he told himself. He walked into the empty room. Just as he did, he realized it was only a supply closet, not a room. A strong gust of wind closed the door, enveloping him in darkness. Nick leaned Amy up against the wall. As soon as he did, she slid down a slumped in a corner on the floor. "Oops," he muttered. He turned on the tiny lightbulb hanging just above his head. He turned the knob on the door but it didn't budge. He put all his weight on it and shoved it and nothing happened. He banged on it. "Help!" he yelled. Nothing. He looked down at Amy. "Well, Amy. Looks like we're stuck." He sat down next to her. Her response was to cuddle up to him and lay on his shoulder. He smiled down at her and brushed some her wet brown hair out of her face. His smile disappeared and he closed his eyes, exhausted and worried. "What are we gonna do?" he asked the sleeping Amy knowing he would get no response. His eyes closed and he soon fell asleep.