"Oh, I'm looking forward to it getting to know more about her, maybe over that beer I mentioned. Are you up for it, Mister I'm Not Twenty One Yet?"

Jonathan hesitated only for a second. "Yeah, okay, that sounds good. My dad said we should relax and live a little on the cruise; I guess having a beer qualifies."

Kevin released his shoulder and clapped him on the back a couple of times. "Yes, Jon, my man, it sure does." He glanced back over his shoulder at Candi, who was now standing right behind them. "You comin', Gumdrop?"

"No thanks, I'm going back to wait for Sarah." She stared at her brother hard before turning and walking back toward the cabin, while the boys continued to the stairs at the end of the corridor.

Kevin shouted, "Suit yourself!" already forgetting about their exchange.

Candi stood in front of her cabin door. She knocked, then used her key to go in.

Sarah was still sitting at the makeup table. "Back so soon?" she asked sweetly, as if nothing had happened.

"Yeah," Candi responded quietly. She stood there for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of dealing with Sarah head-on, deciding eventually that it would be better to fix it and move on than to let it fester. "Listen, Sarah, I'm sorry I said that stuff about your dad or whatever. I don't want to fight with you; I just want to hang out and have a good time. I'd prefer to do that with you, but if you don't want to hang out with me, that's fine too. I'll understand."

Sarah stopped with her makeup application and turned to look at Candi, sitting on the edge of the bed. "What is it exactly that you would understand?"

Candi started playing with her cuticles nervously. "Well, that hanging out with me might not be what you would want to do, I guess."

Sarah continued to push her, "And why wouldn't it be what I want to do?"

"I don't know maybe I'm not like your other friends at school and so maybe since I'm not like them, the things I do might not be your idea of fun or whatever." She was frustrated trying to explain this concept that was floating around in her head, which was essentially: I'm not cool enough for you.

But Sarah was hearing something totally different. "So what you're saying, basically, is that you're too goody-goody for me and you don't want to hang out ... is that it?" Her tone was getting b.i.t.c.hy, a barely controlled temper simmering beneath the surface.

"What? No! Of course not, don't be silly! I don't think that at all. It's just ... it's just that ... well ... you and I travel in different circles. I mean, your friends are more sophisticated than mine are, wear fancier clothes and shoes, go to parties and stuff. I wish I could do those things, but I can't or I don't I don't know which, actually, but it doesn't matter. What I'm trying to say is you're cool and I'm not, so if you don't want to hang out with me, I totally understand, okay!"

Candi stood up and walked quickly to the door. She didn't wait for a response; she turned the handle, jerked open the door, and rushed out into the hallway, letting the door slam shut behind her again. Great, she thought, this is the second time in ten minutes I've run out of the room. I'm such a wuss. Sarah's going to think I'm a total drama queen.

She wasn't sure if Sarah had purposely goaded her into it, but somehow she had figured out Candi's deepest thoughts and got her to say them out loud. Running away was the only escape from her humiliation.

As Candi walked quickly down the hallway towards the stairs, all she could think about was how Sarah was probably going to go back to school and tell all her friends about how much of a loser Candi Buckley is. The thought was just too depressing to dwell on. So much for moving up the social food chain.

Back at the cabin, Sarah sat staring at the door that had just closed with a bang. She carefully reviewed the exchange she'd just had with Candi, turning mindlessly back to the mirror to finish up her makeup. As she went through the motions of putting on blush, she put it all together, finally figuring out what Candi had been trying to say.

So, the little Sugar Lump thinks I'm cool. That's nice. And the poor thing didn't think she was worthy of Sarah and her friends. Sarah laughed out loud at that. The irony was that Sarah's friends were only interested in being with Sarah because they thought she was rich and well-connected, or because Kevin was her brother and they wanted to be his one and only true love. And truth be told, Sarah was jealous of the relationship Candi seemed to have with her parents. It was so open and loving. They didn't care what anyone thought of them. Life would be so much easier if it was really that way.

Well, if she had any hope at all of having a good time on this cruise, she definitely needed something to keep her occupied. Since Candi seemed to be worried about being cool, maybe there was something Sarah could do to take care of that. She got up from her ministrations and headed to the bed where Candi's bags were sitting.

Without any regard for Candi's privacy, she opened them up, one by one, examining their contents. Tsk, tsk, we have a LOT of work to do here. This girl dresses like I did in sixth grade. No, make that fifth grade. As she lifted up different outfits and pulled them in at different points in the fabric, mentally pairing them with pieces of jewelry she knew she had with her, she realized that maybe she could help Candi pull off something cute with this pitiful selection of clothing.

She threw everything back in the bags without folding any of it, just as she heard an announcement come over the loudspeaker. A garbled, disembodied voice said that the muster was going to take place in thirty minutes and that everyone had to attend. They were going to check cabins to make sure they were empty; the muster wouldn't end until every pa.s.senger had checked in.

Even without this threat, Sarah didn't plan to miss the muster for anything. She had a show to put on. She was a little disappointed that her parents would likely be in a different muster line on a separate deck, but she knew if she didn't see them now, she would at dinner. She sat down with her magazine and waited for her roommate to come back. They needed to show up with their life jackets, and Candi's was still in the room, she knew it wouldn't be long.

A few minutes after muster horns sounded, Sarah heard m.u.f.fled sounds coming from the hallway and some banging around in the room next door where Kevin and Jonathan were staying.

The door to the cabin opened and Candi stood in the entrance.

"I guess we have to go to the muster now. I'm here to get my lifejacket."

"Here." Sarah threw it to her from the bed where she had been sitting and waiting. She stood and walked over to join Candi in the hallway, shutting the door behind her.

The boys' door opened and Kevin and Jonathan came out into the hallway. Sarah smelled alcohol.

"Have you guys been drinking already?" she smiled in approval. Her parents were going to hate that.

Jonathan's hair was sticking out on the side making him look just slightly adorable. Sarah frowned, and without thinking, reached out to smooth it down.

Jonathan stood stock-still, looking as if he were afraid to move, his mouth hanging open. Just his eyes followed her hand as it went up, smoothed the hair down, hesitated for a second, then dropped back down to her side.

"Yeah, we ... " Kevin had started to answer before he was struck speechless, watching his sister's tender gesture.

Candi looked horrified, probably worried that Sarah was going to smack him or something. Her expression transitioned into shock at the realization that it wasn't violence being meted out, but kindness.

Jonathan appeared completely awestruck. His mouth hung open, and it was clear that the drink he'd had with Kevin had gone straight to his head. Sarah surmised from his current state that he probably never drank; plus he was skinny, so he was probably already buzzed.

Candi reached over and pushed up on Jonathan's chin, closing his mouth. "Please ... you're going to drool on someone."

Kevin broke out with a confused laugh. "Okaaaay, so, everyone got their lifejackets?" Then, for the first time, he noticed what his sister was wearing. "What the h.e.l.l are you wearing, Sarah?" His good mood soured immediately; he sounded angry.

"I'm wearing clothes," she answered stubbornly.

Jonathan snapped partially out of his reverie by shaking his head and then looked at Sarah more closely, squinting his eyes at what she was wearing. He was still in some sort of trance though. He responded to Kevin's question as if he was under some kind of mind control. "Yeah, Kevin, can't you see? She's wearing clothes. Leopard clothes."

"Okay, so we've established that Sarah is wearing clothes," said Candi, in an annoyed voice. "Can we please go to the muster now?" She turned and started walking down the hall.

Kevin ran his fingers through his hair. "You know Dad is going to have a s.h.i.t fit when he sees you in that."

Jonathan just stood and nodded as if in agreement, his eyes still in a daze.

Sarah saw the nodding, and it sparked her anger, making her even madder than she already was with her brother. "If I was one of your floozies, you'd like this muster outfit, Kevin."

"Yeah, well, you're not one of my floozies, you're my sister, and I don't like to see my sister dressed like that!"

Jonathan started shaking his head slowly from side to side, appearing as if he agreed with Kevin.

Sarah turned on him, "Stop agreeing with him, and stop staring at my b.o.o.bs, Jonathan!"

That snapped Jonathan out of his daze.

"I ... I ... I wasn't! I wasn't staring at your ... you know ... your ... whatevers! I was just staring at nothing! And you smell good "Nothing? Now you're saying I'm nothing? And you're smelling me now, too?! Weirdo!" Sarah shot him a dirty look and took off, storming down the hall, following the direction Candi had recently taken.

"No! Not nothing! You're something! You're something!" Jonathan started walking quickly after her with this finger raised to emphasize his point, trying to figure out where he'd gone wrong and realizing he really didn't have a point. Why do I get so confused whenever she's around?

"Yeah, you're something all right," echoed Kevin, following all of them at a slower pace.

Jonathan reached the top section of the stairs at the same time Kevin did. Candi and Sarah were waiting on the top landing for them to catch up, not because they wanted to hang out with them apparently, but because they had no clue where to go.

"Where's the muster spot?" asked Sarah, not looking at anyone, instead staring out the window across from the foyer where they were standing.

"Don't worry," said Candi, "Jonathan will know."

"Of course he will," replied Sarah snidely.

"What's your problem now, Sarah?"

"Nothing. I don't have a problem, I'm glad your brother knows everything about everything."

"Well, it's coming in handy right now, since neither of us bothered to figure out where this muster thing is."

"Whatever." Sarah turned her back on Candi and looked down, examining her fingernails.

Candi just sighed in response.

Jonathan was so busy taking this in, that he missed the last step of his climb. He tripped and landed on his face at the top of the stairs, just next to Sarah's feet. He rolled over onto his back, b.u.mping up against her leg.

Slowly he opened his eyes, mentally checking at the same time to make sure his legs, feet and arms were still movable. As his eyes focused, all he could see at first was a bunch of leopard print, a beautiful tanned leg, and then some pink lace.

Pink lace? What the ... ?

"Stop looking up my dress, you pervert!!" yelled Sarah. She kicked Jonathan in the shoulder with her toe.

"Ow! No! I wasn't looking up your dress! I fell! I fell!"

Kevin stood next to them, laughing his b.u.t.t off and holding his ribs.

"Yeah, right. How convenient." Sarah backed up to get away from him, b.u.mping into Candi who was standing behind her.

"Watch out, Sugar Lump."

"Watch out, yourself, leopard lady," Candi replied in an angry tone. "Jonathan just tripped. He didn't look up your dress intentionally."

"Okay, okay everyone," said Kevin, holding up his hands, still laughing. "Everyone, calm down now."

He offer his hand to Jonathan. "You okay buddy?"

Jonathan stood up with Kevin's help. He started brushing his pants and arms off, afraid at first to look at Sarah. "Yeah, I'm fine." He gave himself a quick inner pep talk, telling himself to man up. He looked cautiously over at Sarah and sighed heavily.

"Sorry, Sarah, I really didn't mean to look at your pink underwear."

"Aaaargh! That's it!" She made a move to come at Jonathan, who surprised himself with how fast he could move, running around behind Kevin.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" was all he could think to say.

Kevin grabbed his sister as she tried to get around him. He wrestled her while he continued to laugh at the mayhem.

"Come on, Sarah, let it go. It's time to go to the stupid muster. Let's just forget about the pink panties, forget about Jonathan being a pervert, and go to the lifeboat area."

"I'm not a pervert!" Jonathan yelled, just as a group of people came to the top of the stairs. They walked by, snickering.

Jonathan's face turned beet red. He looked down at the carpet muttering, "I'm not a pervert. It's not my fault she's wearing pink underwear and I fell under her dress."

Jonathan looked back over Kevin's shoulder tentatively and noticed his sister's face slowly relax to reveal a sweet smile. Kevin must have winked at her or something. He was glad she wasn't mad at Sarah anymore.

"Watch it, Kevin, or you're gonna get it next," threatened Sarah, pointing a manicured fingernail in his face.

Kevin turned around. "Don't worry about it, dude. Consider it your lucky day. Free peep show. Now, tell us where are we supposed to go for this muster thing? Do you know?"

Jonathan brightened up immediately, his face going back to its normal color. "Yep! Just follow me. I've memorized the layout of the ship, we're on deck C."

He was going to force himself put the underwear incident out of his mind, intent on capitalizing on the time he had taken studying the ship's floor plans. Ship specifications were a much safer thing for him to be thinking about than Sarah's underthings, anyway. He walked across the foyer and out the doors that led to the outside deck area.

The others followed him out. Within two minutes they were standing in a line with a group of other people out on the deck, just across from where their lifeboat was secured to the side of the ship. There were twelve pa.s.sengers in their line.

They stood there for about twenty minutes in a huge, boisterous crowd of people holding life jackets, before they were told they could leave.

"Is that it?" asked Candi. "I'd kind of expected more."

"Yep. Now what? Anyone feel like having some c.o.c.ktails?" Kevin put his lifejacket under his arm, rubbing his hands together in antic.i.p.ation of the fun he was obviously envisioning.

"What time do we need to get over to dinner?" asked Candi.

"We're supposed to meet in the Nautique dining room at six for the first seating," answered Kevin.

Jonathan checked his watch that had a big calculator on it. "That's still a few hours away."

"Yep. Time to hit the bar. You in, Jon?"

"Sure. That's fine, but I'm just going to drink soda since that beer made me a little clumsy." His face reddened just thinking about his earlier run-in with Sarah.

"Suit yourself," said Kevin as he started walking away, expecting Jonathan to follow him.

"Are you guys coming?" Jonathan asked Candi. He was afraid to speak directly to Sarah and she wasn't acknowledging his existence now anyway.

"I'm not sure, just go ahead without us, I'm sure I'll catch up with you later. Want us to take your lifejackets?"

"Sure," said Jonathan, going over and taking Kevin's before handing them over to Candi. "See you later."

Candi stood there awkwardly, wondering if she should suggest that Sarah come with her or just go back to the room and let Sarah decide what she was going to do. Before she could make up her mind, Sarah spoke up.