"I don't want to leave," I whispered, my breath fogging up the glass as I looked over my beloved city. I loved living in New York, where every day brought a new adventure . . . okay, that might be a slight exaggeration. Not every day but I could honestly say I was never bored. My parents were both Broadway stars and used their money to buy out a huge apartment building. The entire bottom floor belonged to me, so even though I was only fifteen (for one more day, hell yeah!), I had an entire one bedroom apartment all to myself. I mean, of course my parents paid for the cable and water and laundry and electricity and food and such, but it was pretty much the same thing. Or at least I thought it was.
"Clary, are you done packing?" My mother pushed open the door and leaned against the frame, crossing her slim arms over her chest. I looked at her and faked a smile.
"Yeah," I sighed as I adjusted the strings of my bikini around my neck before I bent down to pick up my bags off the floor. My parents were super excited for this trip; they were taking me on a three week cruise, starting at the docks at New York Harbor, down to the Bahamas, and then finishing on the Northern Coast of Brazil. I knew it was going to be the longest three weeks of my life, and we hadn't even left yet.
I followed my mom into the backseat of the taxi parked in front of our home and we headed to the docks in silence. My mom and dad were practically shaking with anticipation. They'd actually met on a cruise, realizing almost instantly that they had just about everything in common. It took them two of the twenty one days of their cruise for them to fall madly in love with each other. And on the fifth day of said cruise, I was conceived. Yeah, they moved fast with the baby thing, but they'd yet to get married. Shockingly, that never bothered me too much.
At the harbor, my parents paid (and generously tipped) the cab driver and we walked up the long metal ramp onto the humungous yacht. People in floral print tee-shirts and khaki shorts were running back and forth, helping people with their luggage while still somehow managing to keep giant smiled plastered on their faces. I giggled when a boy around my age came up to me and took my bags. His eyes were hidden under his yellow visor, but I could see his goofy smile as he turned away. My parents and I followed him to our two joint room, and I thanked him after he put my bags down on the bed my parents said was mine. He eyes me appreciatively and I crossed my arms over my chest, suddenly wishing he'd just leave. I couldn't stand guys who openly stared at me like I was a piece of meat. I got my mom's thick red hair, curvy body and green eyes and my dad's curls. So what? I did have a personality.
I unpacked my bags into the drawers by the bed before I went to explore the boat. I couldn't believe how absolutely, freaking huge it was! It had to have had at least six levels –including the ones below sea level- and there were pools, hot tubs, and snack bars all over the place. There were small wooden boats placed at intervals of about ten feet around the edge of the yacht, hanging by thick metal cords that barely moved as the ship lifted anchor and pulled away from the coast. I sat down on an empty chair and stared up at the sky, calculating how much longer I had to wait before I was back home in New York, where I belonged. Twenty days, twenty three hours, and thirty six minutes left of hell.
"Hey, gorgeous." The guy who had helped me with my luggage sat at the bottom of my chair, almost tipping us over in the process. I caught myself just in time to keep from face planting onto the wooden deck.
"Um, bye," I replied as I jumped off the chair. I started walking back towards my room, but I could feel him next to me. "What do you want?" I asked, annoyed.
"How about a date? We are going to be on the same boat for the next three weeks," he replied with a creepy smile. I sighed and turned to look at him, intending to let the guy down easy. Without the visor, I could see that he had long, greasy looking black hair pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, and a smile that was way too cocky. The only thing I could think of to describe it was slimy.
"That's nice of you, but no. I, um, I have a boyfriend," I lied.
"Is he on the boat?" He had his thick eyebrows raised at me, and I sighed again, this time in defeat.
"No," I admitted reluctantly.
"Then, who cares that you have a boyfriend?" I snorted and turned to walk away, but he reached out and wrapped his fingers around my wrist. "Come on, baby. I'll show you a good time." I didn't look at him as I ripped my hand away and walked away as fast as I could. I could still feel his eyes on me until I turned the corner, and I shuddered in disgust.
God, why are some guys such jerks, I asked myself. I could hardly believe I'd been on the ship for about half an hour and already had some shmoe hitting on me. I laid on my bed with my hands under my head and closed my eyes. Already I missed my friends and the city: the solid ground under my feet, the giant skyscrapers towering over my head into the clouds where they appeared to go on and on and never stop. My beautiful home, my safe haven, taken away from me for three weeks.
I turned onto my side and fell asleep to the rhythmic rocking of the boat and the sound of waves slapping against metal.
"Clarissa. Clary, wake up." I opened my eyes to find my mom sitting on the edge of my bed, her hand resting on my shoulder so she could shake me awake.
"What?" I asked, stretching my arms over my head and grinning sleepily at the popping of my shoulders. "Are we home?" I wondered hopefully.
"No, but it's time for dinner. You're going to love dinner on the ship. It's so dark and romantic. It was your father's and my first date," she murmured dreamily.
"Aw, mom, that's so sweet but I really don't want to go on a dark, romantic date with you," I giggled. She laughed and pushed me just hard enough to rock my sideways a little. I sighed and righted myself. "All right, I'm up."
"Put on that nice dress I bought you the other day, okay?" I shrugged and nodded, standing up. She walked out of the room to give me privacy, and I pulled on the off-the-shoulder black dress she'd randomly bought and forced me to pack. I plopped down in front of the vanity mirror hanging on the wall, and pulled my hair into an up-do, with red ringlets hanging down around my face. And I couldn't ever, ever forget the necklace my mom had gotten me on my fifth birthday. She'd given it to me when, for the first time in my life, I'd gotten invited backstage of one of her shows (awesome, right?). It was one hundred percent real diamonds in the shape of a heart with an inscription of my full name on the back. It looked great with everything, from t-shirts to tank tops to dresses. Well, even if it didn't, I'd still have worn it every day, all day.
Once I was ready, I walked out onto the deck of the boat and practically fainted.
"Surprise!" It seemed like everyone on the entire ship was there, standing in the middle of the floor in some truly magnificent outfits, their hands in the air. "Happy Birthday!"
"Thanks," I giggled once I caught my breath. My mom and dad detached themselves from the crowd and stepped in front of me, identical grins stretching their cheeks. I hugged them while tears streamed down my cheeks. I was starting to think the cruise wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.
"Watch this," my mom whispered as she pulled out of my arms. My dad was already on stage, setting up two microphone stands in front of two stools. I turned to my mom and smiled.
"Thank you so much, mom. Really, this means a lot to me." She kissed me on the cheek and ran onstage to join my dad. I grinned as he winked at me. Someone offered me a chair and I sat down gratefully as my parents sang all too familiar songs I'd been hearing since I was born. But I could not have had a better present. When they were finished singing, my dad stepped to center stage and held the microphone up to his lips.
"Thank you everyone, for making my daughter's sweet sixteen truly special. We appreciate all the help. Now, please, put your hands together for our baby girl, Clarissa Garroway. If we clap loud enough, maybe she'll show us how talented she is. Right now, there is someone very special on this boat with us, who could just lead my daughter to succeeding in her dreams of stardom!" he finished, looking at me again. I put my hand against my mouth and scanned the crowd for a familiar face, but I couldn't see anyone. It had always been my dream to be on Broadway with my parents, and I was in total shock that there was someone on the boat who could help make that happen.
I met my mom on the stage and she handed me my guitar. I'd been taking lessons since I was eight and I was pretty confident in my talents with the beautiful instrument. My mom pushed a stool to center stage and fixed the microphone while I sat down. The guitar felt familiar and comfortable in my hands as I softly stroked a few strings to make sure they were in tune. I grinned at the perfect sound that resonated out from them.
"Um, I'd like to thank everyone here for coming. It means the world to me. And thanks a million times over to my parents. I wouldn't be anywhere without them. They support me and help me when I need them. This one is for you, mom and dad. I love you." I plucked a few more strings before I started the song. When it was time for me to sing, I licked my lips quickly and sang. I couldn't help but smile tearfully as the crowd started cheering.
When I finished the song, everyone was clapping for me, and I stood up off the stool. "Thanks again, everyone," I said into the microphone. The clapping died down as I climbed off the stage and walked straight into my parent's waiting arms.
"Good job, Clary," my mom said in my ear. I could hear the tears in her voice. "We are so proud of you."
"Clarissa." I pulled away at the unfamiliar voice to see a tall, statuesque woman smiling at me, her hand outstretched.
"Clary," I replied, shaking her hand.
"Clary," she repeated with a nod. "I'm Sharon Martin, the author of the show your parents are in." That explained why I hadn't recognized her. "I'd like to offer you a position on the cast." I refrained from jumping up and down like I'd wanted to, not wanting to seem unprofessional or immature.
"Wow, that would be so great. Thank you."
"Great. Well, enjoy your party and we will definitely talk tomorrow." I shook her hand again and waited until she walked away before I threw my arms around my parent's necks.
"Yay!" I screeched and my dad laughed. "Thank you guys so much!" I was starting to believe this cruise that I'd dreaded so much might just be the best thing that would ever happen to me.
The rest of the party went by quickly. I danced with my dad, ate a wonderful meatless dinner, sang another song, and sat by the pool to talk to people I'd never met before. It was after one in the morning when the party finally ended and people went back to their rooms. Faster than I thought possible, it was only me and my parents left on the deck. We waited until the workers finished cleaning and left us alone, and I stared out over the water.
"You okay, baby?" my mom asked, putting an arm around my shoulder.
"I'm great. But I just want to hang out here for a while. I'll come to the room in like half an hour, okay?" She nodded, most likely completely understanding how overwhelming the entire night had been for me. My parents walked away, arm in arm, towards their room, and I leaned out over the railing. I closed my eyes as the sea spray gently brushed my face with each wave.
"Hey, gorgeous!" someone called and I immediately knew it to be the creepy guy who'd asked me out earlier. I looked around and quickly realized that he wasn't on the deck with me yet, hopefully leaving me enough time to hide. I could hear his voice coming from the hallway that led to my room, so that option was gone. The only other hiding spots were under the chairs –which I wasn't about to do considering I was wearing a dress- or in the pool. I was just about to give up and let him find me when my eyes landed on one of the boats hanging off the ship. I whipped my heels off and held them against my chest as I tiptoed quickly towards it. I climbed in as quietly as I could and ducked down until I was sure the creep couldn't see me.
"Where did you go?" I heard him call, a laugh in his voice, and I knew he'd seen me. Just as I'd expected, it was only a moment later when he leaned over the edge of the ship and peered right into my face. "What are you doing in there, sexy?" he asked. I ignored him, which seemed to just spur him on even more. "Come on, baby. You know you want me!" I snorted, but otherwise didn't respond. "How strong do you think there cords are?" He wrapped his fingers around one of the cords holding up my little boat and shook it. I closed my eyes and willed him to go away, with no hope of it actually working. "Scoot over, baby. There cords can hold us both, even if we are rocking it a bit." His voice was cocky and I turned my head to glare at him. When I noticed he was climbing over the edge, one leg already in my boat, I jumped up.
"No! Get away from me!" I moved to block him and he grabbed the edge of the small boat in his hand as he swung his leg back onto the yacht. He tried to get a better hold on my boat to keep from falling, and, in the process, pressed a red button I hadn't seen. Suddenly, I heard a few loud clanking noises before the boat I was in fell towards the water. My scream was sucked out of my throat and I held on for dear life, my hair whipping out above me. Just when I thought it would never end, the boat crashed into the water, splashing water up and over me and soaking me down to my skin. "Help!" I gasped, my fear keeping my voice from going above a raspy whisper. I tried to stand up, but the boat below me tipped dangerously and I sat back down to keep from getting thrown overboard. "Help me!"
"Oh god! Are you okay?" the creepy guy called down to me from the deck of the ship. I could barely hear him over the sound of the waves and the pounding of my heart in my ears.
"No! Get help!" I screamed back. He turned like he was going to leave, but then stopped and stared at me for a couple of seconds. He shook his head and backed away from the railing.
"I can't! I'm already on probation! I'll get fired! I'm sorry!" He turned and ran without another word and I screamed as loud as I possibly could, huge raking sobs bursting up my throat. The boat I was in drifted farther and farther out into the ocean until the huge cruise ship was no more than a tiny speck of light in the distance. I continued to scream anyway, and tried to stand up again. I climbed to my feet carefully and looked around for a flashlight or something, but I couldn't see through the pitch blackness or the tears that continued to fall from my eyes. I was turning slowly to look on the other side of the boat when, too late, I noticed the small bench stretching across the bottom of the boat.
My foot caught on it and I tripped forward, failing to catch myself with my hands. I felt a sharp pain stretching from my left shoulder to the top of my right breast as I hit a metal box in the corner. I didn't know what it was for, but the force of me hitting it and the boat swaying caused the box to fall backwards over the edge. Packs of food and bottles of water floated on the surface of the water before slipping below and disappearing into the deep darkness. I felt warm liquid flowing down my torso and I knew that I would die out here, either from bleeding out or starving to death. I laid down on the bottom of the boat until I blacked out from the pain in my shoulder.
CRASH! I tried to open my eyes but I was too tired and my body was too sore. I was lying on something hard and pointy and I could feel a throbbing in my shoulder and chest, radiating out through my arm and stomach. The pain became too much to bear and I passed out again.
The next time I woke up, I was being rocked gently, and I could just barely open my eyes enough to see the sky above me. Arms were wrapped under my body and whoever was carrying me held me against their chest, but I was still too tired to figure anything out. Again, everything went black and this time I lost all hope of ever waking up again.
I felt my senses slowly start to come back to me but I kept my eyes closed, trying to take in my surroundings without showing anyone or anything I was awake. The air smelled like dirt and bugs and I could hear birds chirping over the subtle sound of running water and people whispering. I kept my breathing deep and even as the sounds of people talking much closer to my bed came into focus.
"What was wrong with her?" said a male voice I didn't recognize.
Someone sighed and I heard rustling before a female voice spoke. "Dehydration, malnutrition, and blood infection. She must have been on that boat a long time." My breathing got shallower and shallower as memories of what had happened came back to me. The button, falling to the water, cutting my shoulder on the metal box and losing all of the food and water I had, and then passing out. The people talking didn't seem to notice the change in my breathing because they went right on talking.
"How did she get the infection?" the male asked.
"I found traces of rust in the wound." Damn it. Stupid, creepy, greasy guys with their stupid hormone induced chasing. And stupid unstable metal boxes.
"Will she live?" Did I sense anger in the voice, like he hoped I wouldn't live?
"Yes, she will. It took a while but I found the right herbs to get out the infection. Actually, I'm almost surprised she isn't awake already." Something cold pressed against my forehead and it felt so good I lifted my head to press my face against it. Obviously, I was still running a fever. "Oh," the woman murmured and I felt my consciousness slipping again. "Jonathan, hold this cloth to her head while I go get some water." There was a change of pressure on the cloth before I heard feet scurrying away. The last thing I heard before I passed out again was an annoyed snort.
I felt much better the next time I woke up and it took me less time to take in my surroundings. That smell was still there; that fresh, new smell of nature. But now I noticed other things. Like the way that I could tell I was completely naked under a thin, crisp sheet. Luckily, it was pulled up just enough to cover my chest and I resisted the urge to pull it tighter around me when I heard a noise. My eyes snapped open in fear and the first thing I saw was a pair of amber eyes that I felt like I could fall into forever and ever and be perfectly content . . .
Well, hi there. This is just a little note to anyone who is willing to read it. I would understand if you didn't, since I don't read Author's Notes sometimes, either. Sometimes you just want to get on with the story, right? Yeah!
Anyway, the point to this little note here is to tell everyone that this is my first story. I'm a newbie ;D I've always like writing, and have been doing it for years, but this is the first one I've ever actually had the guts to publish. I've always been absolutely terrified for anyone to read the stuff I write. I'm not actually sure why. Probably the same reason I have stage fright, eh? So, my mom and my best friend have been telling me for the last two months or so to get the hell over it and publish something if I like writing so much. And I finally decided that I might just do that.
To be honest and risk the posibility of sounding totally cheesy, I think I finally gained the courage to publish something because I found this website. I've been reading stories on here for no more than four months, tops. I was sitting in Physics one day and my friend starts laughing, and me being me, I had to ask what it was that she found so damn funny. Turns out she was reading a story on Fanfiction, and I started browsing a little, and found a few stories that I absolutely just fell in love with. The moral to my rant and the little look into my past was that the authors on this site are what finally decided it for me. Everyone who publishes on here is so brave, at least in my opinion, and I was inspired.
Besides, I'm curious to know if I'm any good at writing at all. I expect mistakes and all that in my stories. I wouldn't be surprised. But I figured that having strangers who I don't know and who don't know me reading my stories would help me feel a little better. Because what if I suck? What if I totally suck and I don't find out until my mom reads one of my stories and hates it? I think that'd be a little more humiliating than someone who I can't see telling me I suck.
And, honestly, I trust the readers on fanfiction more than I trust my own mother to tell me the truth on how good -or bad- I am.
So, don't hold back, please. Tell me what you think. Should I continue writing, or give up before I melt someone's brains with my awful stories?
P.S. I'm still not 100% sure how to use this website -uploading and stuff, yanno? So, if there's not indent before a paragraph or it shows up as one big paragraph or something, I'll do my best to try and fix it.