“We have thirty minutes until eight. What can we do?” Megan asked as she took the last bite of her cheese quesadilla.

I had a few ideas of my own, but I highly doubted they would appeal to the two guys in our company as it involved the shops on the other end of the Disney World Boardwalk. Her boyfriend Michael and his best friend Walker most definitely not enjoy themselves.

“Well, I heard that there’s a ferry that’ll take us across the river and back in a short amount of time,” suggested Michael between bites of steak. “That could be fun.”

Megan and I looked at each other with uncertainty on our faces. Sure we could have fun, but how could we know for sure that the trip would only last thirty minutes? If it lasted too long, the bus that transported everyone on the Buck Trip could leave us. Still, I could use a relaxing, yet fun, way to start summer vacation.

“Sure let’s go. It’ll be fun,” I decided despite my doubts. At this, Walker called for the waitress to bring the bill, and the four of us each chipped in to pay for the meal.

When we stood up, Megan approached me and voiced her concerns. “It sounds fun, but I’m not sure if we’re allowed to go on the ferry. Mr. Buck might not approve.”

“I can get Walker to ask if you want me too. That we know for sure,” I offered.

“That’d be great,” Megan replied with a sigh of gratitude.

I approached Walker with Megan’s request, to which he agreed. He briefly disappeared, presumably to ask Mr. Buck, and upon returning, stated that taking the ferry would not get us in trouble. Receiving this information made me feel immensely relieved. My doubts had been erased, and, from the look on Megan’s face when I related the information to her, I could tell hers had been, as well.

“All right, let’s go,” Michael said. I looked at Megan as if to say “might as well” and followed Michael, who had already begun walking to where the ferry had been docked.

Our group of four carefully stepped onto the rusting, old ferry, which resembled a small boat more than it did an actual ferry. Upon stepping on the boat, it shook slightly, but then it quickly leveled out. The four of us sat down at the front of the boat. There, I could feel a cool breeze against my faces as the boat moved slowly forward. Where the boat traveled, the water, which looked as black as a bottomless pit, made ripples. In the distance, I could see the lights of a Ferris wheel twinkling as the spun around and around. Then I saw another boat.
Instead of stopping at the dock, it followed a sign that said “To Hollywood Studios.” I tugged at Megan’s shirt and pointed to boat and the sign it followed. All the blood drained from her face.

“Walker, are you sure that this boat stops on the other side of the river?” I asked quietly, my voice shaking.

He looked at me nervously. “Well . . . .”

“Check,” I ordered coldly. He nodded his head several times quickly before going to check with the captain. I felt sick to my stomach. I had known, subconsciously at least, that I never should have agreed to come. What if the boat continued on to Hollywood Studios and we never returned? I could only begin to imagine what kind of trouble we would find ourselves in.

Walker returned and, from the look on his face, I could tell I would not want to hear what he had to say. “We’ll stop up ahead, but it will be twenty minutes before the boat comes again.”

Automatically I looked at my watch. “Walker, we only only have fifteen minutes.”?
He nodded his head in response. “I know.” With those two words I felt as if I could cry.

The rest of the trip, no one spoke, and when the boat stopped at the next dock, Walker, Michael, Megan and I took slow, careful steps off of the boat. Michael and Walker sat down on a bench, and I sat down on the ground in front of them. I expected Megan to sit down as well, but instead she turned a corner and pulled her phone out. In the distance, I could hear her sobbing into the phone, most likely to her mom.

For several minutes, the three of us sat in silence with the occasional exchange between Walker and Michael. I would have said something, but I felt too angry towards both of them for dragging us over here to speak. Eventually Megan rejoined us and took a seat next to me.

“I never asked Mr. Buck,” Walker blurted out. “I couldn’t find him.”

“I can not believe you,” Megan angrily stated. “Alex told you to do something and you lied about it! We could be in so much trouble right now!”

“Sorry,” Walker mumbled, and no one else spoke. After a few minutes, however, I could hear a boat engine. Megan and I both snapped our heads up.

“It’s here! And its eight minutes early!” I shouted gleefully. The four of us ran over to where the boat began to dock, and, before the boat even had a chance to stop, climbed on. Six minutes later, we made our way back to the side of the river where the bus had parked. We ran quickly the the bus with feet pounding on the sidewalk and hearts beating in our chests. When we reached the bus, we threw ourselves into the only four open seats.

“Eight o’clock exactly,” I said.