Leaning her head against the wall of the freighter Coralina sat cross legged at the stern of the boat staring out at the dark sea behind them. They'd been onboard for close to a week and would be in Nassau in another two days.
She should've been at home getting ready for her junior year of high school but instead was forced to flee with her twin brother, John B, and his girlfriend, Sarah.
She missed her home.
She missed her friends, Kie and Pope.
And she really really missed the only boy she'd ever been in love with, JJ.
Twisting the ring he'd given her around on her finger she wondered what he was doing.
'Probably going out of his mind thinking we're dead,' she thought to herself. She hoped he was staying out of trouble.
Snorting, she rolled her eyes, "Doubtful," she said out loud.
"You talking to yourself?"
Startled, Coral let out a small shriek before looking over her shoulder to find one of the crew members of the freighter, "Geez, girl, wear a freaking bell!" she exclaimed.
Smiling slightly, the girl apologized before sitting down next to her, "Sorry, name's Cleo. You're Coralina?"
Nodding, Coral smiled, "Yeah, I've seen you around this past week helping out Captain Terrance. Have you been with him long?"
"A while," the girl responded vaguely, "What about you? What's your story, girl?"
Clearing her throat, Coral asked what she meant.
"Captain T fished you out of the sea along with the two lovebirds. How'd you get there?"
"Oh, well, that would be my bone headed brother thinking he can sail during a storm," Coral answered, using the cover story that she, John B, and Sarah agreed on.
Holding Cleo's gaze as the girl seemed to be studying her Cleo finally nodded, "That was dumb of him," she stated.
Laughing, Coral agreed, "My brother does stupid things all the time. It's kind of the Pogue motto, 'Stupid things have good outcomes all the time' except this time not so much."
"Pogue?"
Smiling, Coral nodded, "Yeah, it's what we're called back home. Our friends are known as The Pogues."
"Are there a lot of you?"
"No, just the five of us. Well, I guess six now that Sarah is dating John B," she amended, "Kiara, Pope, and JJ make up the other three. We've all been best friends for years."
"It sounds nice to have such close friends. All I've got is Stubbs," Cleo laughed, pointing back to another one of the crew members.
"Oh, he usually brings us food down the room we're staying in," Coral told her, recognizing the boy, "He seems really nice."
"Yeah, he's alright," Cleo responded with a shrug, "Well, I best be getting back. It was nice chatting with you Coralina," she said, getting to her feet.
Please, call me Coral."
Nodding, Cleo saluted her, "Will do," she replied before walking away.
Climbing to her feet, Coral made her way down to the small stateroom she was sharing with John B and Sarah, "Is it safe to enter?" she called through the door, laughing when she heard her brother swear at her.
Opening the door, she smiled widely at the two sitting on the bed before heading over to the small cot she'd been using, "I was just checking," she told them.
"Well, don't," John B snapped.
"God, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Coral muttered, laying back on the cot with an eye roll.
"Where were you? We're supposed to be laying low and everyday you're wandering around the boat."
"Well, sorry if I don't want to be stuck in this room with you two, no offense Sarah," Coral responded, glaring at her brother.
"None taken."
"All it takes is one person to recognize us, Coralina," John B continued.
"John B, have you seen this boat? Highly unlucky pirate Terrance has email or a fax onboard. He's not gonna pay for that expense," she responded.
"Anyway, what's the plan when we get to Nassau?" Sarah questioned, attempting to interrupt the sibling bickering.
"Find a place to lay low, find a phone, make contact with the Pogues, and get them to clear my name so we can go home," John B answered.
"Sounds simple," Coral muttered, rolling over and curling up with JJ's long-sleeved shirt.
Waking the next morning, Coral tied JJ's shirt around her waist before heading quietly out of the room, leaving the other two sleeping. Walking back up to the stern she sat herself down in the same spot to watch the ocean as they continued farther away from The Outerbanks.
"You come up here every day," Cleo said, taking a seat next to her again.
"Yeah, I don't like being out on the water this far from land, so I come up to see what's happening."
"You have a fear of the ocean?"
Humming, she nodded, "My dad was lost at sea last year, so I like to see the coast."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Cleo apologized.
"Thanks," she responded with a slight shrug.
"You gotta mom out there?" Cleo asked, fiddling with her small bone handled knife.
Snorting, Coral shook her head, "Somewhere. She took off a few years back, so it was just us and my dad. After dad went missing it was just us for a while. Got an uncle somewhere too, but we haven't seen him since, like, April. He did what he had to do for us to stay in our house and then dipped for a job somewhere in Mississippi."
"No parental guidance," Cleo smiled, "Must've been heaven all summer."
Smiling at the girl, Coral nodded, "Yeah, JJ moved in, and it was just one big party for most of the summer."
"JJ, give you that?" Cleo asked, nodding down to the ring Coral had been twisting absentmindedly around her finger. Biting her lip, Coral nodded, "He did. I know we're young, but he's it, you know."
"Where are you from?"
Blinking, Coral caught herself before answering, "Charleston," she answered, looking back out to sea ignoring Cleo's eyes on her.
"You drifted far from Charleston," she commented, "We pick you up off of North Carolina," the girl said, sounding suspicious.
"Well, you know how easy it is to get caught in the tide," Coral replied easily giving her a bright smile. Humming, Cleo just nodded, "So, what about you? You seem kind of young to be part of the crew," Coral said in an attempt to switch topics.
"I've had to learn to take care of my own. Kind of like you," Cleo answered, "Father took off. Might be out there; might not," she said with a shrug, "Was with my grandmother till she died. Then I found T."
"You seem to be doing okay for yourself."
"I get by."
"It's all you can do," Coral told her, "Your knife is awesome. JJ would love that bone handle," she commented.
Holding up the knife Cleo spun it around her fingers, "Was my grandmother's. A good luck charm."
"Coralina!"
Sighing, Coral looked over her shoulder at her brother, "What?"
Glancing at Cleo he focused his gaze on Coral, "Sarah needs you downstairs," he told her.
Pursing her lips, Coral apologized to Cleo before standing up, "Maybe I'll see you before we dock tomorrow."
"Maybe. You take care of yourself, Girl. Be careful who you trust."
Blinking, Coral gave her a small smile, "I will. You take care too," she said before following after her brother.
"What did I tell you?" John B hissed as soon as they were out of ear shot.
"Oh, relax, JB, I didn't tell her anything she could use to find out who we are," she hissed back, "God, I can't wait to get off this fucking boat," she muttered shoving her way back into their room.