Recovering Forever (Chapter 6)

by Zoe in a land of daydreams (which my teachers say I visit too often)

All eyes were on Stephanie as she began to tell her story. Karen had heard it before- heck, she had been there- but still her eyes were intent. Stephanie took a gulp of air, nervous. She hadn't ever told the story as she was going to tell it now, complete. No secrets. Or not many . . .

"So, I was on the ship. A cruise, I was chosen to go for my school because I did well in some contest or something. I got good grades. I don't remember, really, and that isn't important to the story. I was sixteen, junior year, and smart. Yet popular, some people say. I say they're stupid, but . . . Well, point is, I was on a cruise. Kind of a cruise. It was a marine research expedition, and a cruise as well. The ship was called the Falcon's Flight, I think . . ."

Taking a breath of air, Stephanie realized she was babbling. She was telling the story, and her tone was faraway, a good story-telling voice. Yet the words were jumbled and made no sense. She began again, from where she had left off.

"I had a good time there. I wasn't the only one going from my school. I had a good time, eating, reading, dancing, learning. I never knew I could be like that. Yeah, Rachel, I see that look on your face. You never knew I could be like that either."

At this point, Rachel looked away, though Stephanie could tell she was still listening. She let out a husky laugh.

"Anyways, I had a good time. I made a good friend, who shared many of the intrests I did. Her name was, yeah well, Karen. I know I sound fake, don't I? It doesn't matter . . . I had a good time on the ship, made friends, had fun, became a new person. I thought the whole vacation from school couldn't be any better. Well, it was spring break at my school, so it wasn't really a break. But you get the point. I got a break from my life. And I thought it couldn't be better. And then I met James. He changed that."

Her voice was growing softer as she spoke, and while Rachel's eyes were curious, Karen's where strangly sypathtic. Stephanie supposed it was because she'd had four years of practice putting on that sympathy face whenever his name was brought up, because he had been dead. To them. To everyone. Her fault, too. Karen's.

Stephanie coughed shortly, starting to talk again, and making sure her voice was louder.

"Yeah, James. He was beatiful, of course, you saw the picture on the television. I could spend all hour going on about that. But I'm not that shallow. No, he was more. He was intelligant, spending his days on deck, leaning over. The first time I saw him, he was leaning over, a pad of paper in his hands, a dreamy look in his eyes. Even then his hair was shaggy, falling over his face. We didn't talk until later. Some dinner, I think. I was on deck, chatting with Karen and another one of my many friends, named Macy. Mostly Macy, come to think of it I wasn't great friends with Karen then. My other friend, Alexa, wasn't there. She was flirting with some hottie. Well, I spotted James, and Karen was the one to nudge me. 'Go talk to him' she said.

So I did. I went right over, and talked to him. I told him my name, he told me his. We chatted, until I made my way back over to my friends. I could hardly walk. I was in a daze. He was not only smart, he was kind, and overly polite. He was handsome, he was witty, and he was so many things! I'd bore you if I described them all. So that was James. That was the cruise. That was my wonderful life. I was living it to the fullest. And then . . . A storm. A mistake."