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Theo: Why is your location off on your phone? I see you’re getting these messages. You better not be ditching me.
Theo: I ALSO SEE THAT YOU’VE READ MY MESSAGES!
Me: Calm down, bro!
Me: I’m on my way. I overslept. I’ll be there, relax.
I ignore the rest of Theo’s nonstop messages. My head is still pounding. Reaching into my bag, I feel around until my hand lands on a pill bottle. Opening it, I take out some ibuprofen, swallow them dry, and pray that they kick in soon. Glancing at my watch, I ask the driver to wake me when we arrive. Fifty minutes later, the driver is hollering at me from the front seat that we’ve arrived. Quickly, I gather all my bags and get out of the car. Even though my dad built the ship and my brother now owns it, I still have to go through security just like everyone else.
At last, I'm crossing the gangway and boarding the ship, albeit a bit late. The ship is buzzing with activity, loud and packed with guests. The ibuprofen is finally starting to take effect, so the noise doesn’t bother me as much as it would have earlier.
I finally take a second to look around, and holy shit, it’s amazing. I knew the ship was nice, thanks to Dad's constant chatter about it and his tales of how much he’d invested in the cruise line over the years. But I was unprepared for how impressive or how large it is. I scan the atrium, trying to spot my brother or Julie, my sister-in-law, but all I see is a crowd of unfamiliar faces chatting away.
My phone vibrates against my leg, and I pull it out to see Theo’s name flashing on the brightly lit screen.
Theo: Look up.
Me: Where?
Theo: Your right side.
Theo: Your other right side, dumbass.
When I look up, I spot my twin brother in his all-white uniform, mingling with guests and shaking hands. I walk up the glass stairwell, taking in the luxurious surroundings. My dad spared no expense making this ship opulent. I also notice how much it has changed since my last visit — back then, it was merely steel frames and scaffolding. Dad had insisted his sons see it, claiming it would change the world.
“Tyler, over here,” shouts Theo, waving a hand to get my attention.
“Damn, bro, I look great all dressed up,” I respond, grinning.
“We clean up pretty well, don’t we? Rough night?” says Theo as the group of guests he was chatting with says goodbye and walks away.
“Why do you ask that?”
“Because you missed the early tour and ignored all my texts.”
“Oh, yeah, I had a good time and forgot to set my alarm,” I say, nonchalantly, as if it's a regular thing, which it’s not.
“Well, I hope you’re ready to keep the good time going,” says Theo, grinning from ear to ear. “Everything’s included, and you're in one of the nicest rooms on the ship, aside from mine, of course.”
“Hell yeah, bro, I’m ready,” I say, looking around. “Where’s the bar? I need a drink ASAP!”
“Well, Julie is at the bar on the pool deck if you want to go say hi and get yourself something. Have one for me while you're at it, since I’m, you know, working. Something you should try sometime,” says Theo, laughing. I don’t see the humor.
“Oh, fuck off. I don't need a job right now. Let me live my life, bro. I’m good on the meetup with Julie. You know that woman can't stand being around me.”
“I don't have time for you two going after each other,” Theo says, almost under his breath. He shakes his head. “Look, each member was allowed to choose two guests for this test voyage. I chose you and Julie. Can you at least try and get along, and not embarrass me, please?”
Instantly, I get aggravated by that, like he is blaming everything on me, as he always does. “Well, I hope you told her the same thing. I’m not the one who usually makes the rude comments.”
“Please, Tyler, can you just give it a try for me?”
“Fine, I’ll go find her,” I say, knowing he genuinely is asking me this time. Here's hoping I don't regret my decision.
3
JULIE
“What do you want, Tyler?” I ask, clearly annoyed, as Tyler pulls out the barstool next to me.
