Captive Book One

5. Take a Chance or Making a Moment

I hated peer pressure and Riley knew how to get me best. I was checking myself out in the hallway mirror and contemplating whether I needed to change or not. I wasn't really a bikini girl. Not that I couldn't pull one off, but I would die from lack of confidence and personal embarrassment.

"What's was wrong with the swimsuit I had again?" I finally turned and looked at Riley. She was impatiently tapping her foot with her hands stationed on her hips.

"First, it was boring. Second, stripes do not flatter your body type. You have too much junk in your trunk. And third, it was not going to get you your man."

"Is that what you planned on doing to my cousin?" I pointed to her revealing outfit.

"You are diverting the attention from the real mission. Don't lose focus."

"Why does everything have to be about getting a man? Can't it just be about having a good time?"

"Look sweetie, you can do whatever you want. But my evening is definitely booked." With that, she whirled on her toes and sauntered down the hall.

I took a look at myself in the mirror again and took a deep breath.

Get out of your head. This is what you wanted.

Right. My fingers shook and my palms sweated. I took another deep breath and forced myself to walk outside. Everyone was gathered near the deck again. Charlotte stood on top with her bullhorn. She had also changed into a bikini top, a pair of butt hugging shorts, and a pair of all black Nikes. I searched for the sea of heads. I spotted Riley already in Tyson's face. I was actually surprised to see him here and thought this kind of thing was beneath him. Maybe he had a soft spot for Riley.  

I shrugged my shoulders. It was time for me to branch out on my own even though I thought it was a horrible idea. Looking again, I finally found the face I was searching for. David stood near the back of the crowd and over on the left side of the deck. He changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top that revealed his muscular chest. I appreciated that he stayed in shape but I never noticed how fit he was.              

His smile graced his face like an early morning sunrise. Captivating, I watched for a moment and my body hummed with anticipation. Then he turned around. Our eyes meet. His mouth dropped a little. His eyes were shining at me.  A brief second I felt his anticipation as well. I quickly faced Charlotte, who was beginning to speak, to hide my flaming cheeks.

"Alright guys. We are about to get started. I would suggest that each of you find a travel buddy to keep up with each other. Take a few minutes to find a partner."

This is your chance.

I walked a direct path to David as quickly as I could. I tried my best to gracefully smile at him but I'm sure it comes off as a cheesy grin. My uncoordinated feet stepped on top of each other and sent my body falling. Then I wasn't falling anymore. But floating in the air and staring into his eyes.

"Relax, Nessa. You look unexpectedly amazing. Not that I didn't expect that you would look amazing because you absolutely do. I just never expected to see you wear a bikini." I put my finger on his lip and he stopped talking. He rubbed my shoulder as I took a breath and balanced me with the other hand.

His voice was smooth and caressed my muscles to relax. I giggled. "I'm sorry. I'm making things so awkward."

He pulled me up where I could stand but he didn't move his arm from around my waist. Being in his arms reminded me of home. The embrace radiated warmth throughout my body. I took a deep breath and when I released it, I felt all the worried thoughts that I was having melt away. As if nothing could have been more perfect than the moment we were having right then. I could feel Davids grip around me tighten and I naturally leaned closer to him.

"Alright, Does everyone have a partner? We're about to take off." Charlotte was shouting again trying to regain everyone's attention.

One hand raised from the back of the crowd. I could hear the gasps as everyone turned their heads. I stepped away from David and we both looked in the direction of everyone's shocked expressions.

Stanley's red hair was unmistakably reflecting the light of the sun. He was shorter than the average man and he looked frightened. The same frightened look, I always remembered him having.  Someone in the crowd started making hissing sounds and then someone else started shouting.

"Who invited him?"

"We're not safe around him?"

"We want him to leave. "

"I'm not hiking any trails with him."

Charlotte started her alarm on the bullhorn again and the hateful voices finally stopped. "It's my party and I invited him. I'll be his partner so all of you can stop whining. If anyone has a problem with Stanley being here, then you are more than welcome to leave. No one is forcing you to stay here. "

She jumped from the stage and the crowd split for her like the Red Sea. The were a lot of mumbling but no one else said anything to protest against what she was doing. She grabbed Stanley's hand and offered him a smile. Then she marched him to the front of the crowd where we all waited for someone to lose their top.

Charlotte turned around to face the us and clearly was not in as good of a mood as she was just in. "I just have one thing to say before we begin walking. High school was tough for all of us. We were all trying to figure out the world and how we fit in it now. But these years we have spent apart have really changed all of us. None of us are the same as we were back then. No one should be judged from their past. This day is about connecting again and finding out who these new people are around you. "

Her black curls swung as she spun on her heels. That was it. No one responded. Charlotte and Stanley started walking down a path with their arms interlocked.

As I watched their backs descend down the dark path, Jane's worries were floating in my head.