Lauren Hall at airport- I jest got to the airport and I’m already confused on were or what I’m supposed to do. A guide is supposed to meet me in Hawaii, but I have to do everything till then.

All of a sudden a girl with brown curly hair bumped in to me, “oh sorry about that, I’m just a little confused on were to go” the girl says. I look down and I see her packet of papers in her hand “hi, are you going to Hawaii?” then the girl looked down at my packet of papers “yes I am, oh my gosh are you doing that program, were you go to Hawaii and learn about marine life and the people who are doing the same things you are?”

Heather and I both figured out the maze of security and then we sat down to wait for our flight.





Heather Cook at airport- I couldn’t believe that I would be traveling with someone who was going to the same exact place I was going. Also that we were going to spend two weeks together in Hawaii!

We both sat waiting for our flight and finally we started loading into the plane, boy was it going to be a long journey. We found seats next to each other and we talked practically the whole ride to California, we change flights there. Lauren and I are both wondering who the other girls we will be hanging out with during the two weeks.

“Lauren do you think all six of us will get along” Lauren looked through her long blond hair that was falling in her face “well we have, so probably, and also we all are thinking and wanting to do the same thing, work together in saving the under water history.”





Courtney Andrews on a plane- Well I’m of to Hawaii all I got to do is not puke and then it will be a breeze from here. One thing to remember: plane rides are definitely not my thing and I will not ever work as a pilot. Anyway the people with weird hats and awesome dresses told me that we were going to switch planes in twenty minutes so I will get to breathe a little.

“We will be landing in ten minutes please sit tight and get ready to change flights to Hawaii!”






Stephanie Miller on a plane- I jest got on my second plane and where just about to take off then we will be on are way to Hawaii! It is so exciting, I love plane rides.

“Excuse me; may I sit next to you?” I looked up there was a girl with dirty blond short hair “sure.” After awhile I asked the girl next to me something “so what are you going to do in Hawaii?” The girl looked up “oh, I’m there on work related stuff, I’m going to meet these girls there and study marine life.”

“Well that makes two of us I’m doing the same thing, I’m Stephanie, Stephanie Miller.” I couldn’t believe this we were two of the six girls, “Well we will see a lot of each other then, I’m Harley.”





Lizzie Brook on a plane- the plane ride was almost over after so many hours of boredom and tiredness, since it has been hard falling asleep. I was so anxious to get there I couldn’t stand it.

“We will be heading down in an hours time” said the speakers around me, yes! We are going to be in Hawaii! For some reason I kept thinking about my sep mother the last thing she said to me was “Lizzie it’s good to get you out of my hair for once, have a nice trip” I know that my step mother can be mean but that was just like a needle poking and prodding away. At leased my real sisters are nice and at least my real dad is a bit understanding.

Agh! Lizzie stop it! Wash all that away and stat new, you’re almost to Hawaii!







Harley Smith in Hawaii’s airport- We made it! Stephanie and I were in Hawaii! Ok calm down, take a deep breath. Stephanie and I are now trying to find our guides. The guides will bring us to our hotel that has only ten bedrooms and is meant for this kind of thing. Meaning they built it for girls like us who are studying marine life.

“Harley, I think those are our guides.” Two women were standing next to each other with badges on that read Marine life program guides. We headed over showed them our papers and we headed of to the hotel.

The Hotel was amazing it was like an aquarium it’s self, tanks of jellyfish and of rays. There was a big tank too with turtles, sharks, and big fish. Upstairs there was pictures of marine life every where. I Lauren Hall am going to take over from here telling this amazing story from my prospective, not leaving anyone behind.



“Girl’s, Girl’s, please come to the down stairs lobby, it’s time for you all to meet, and also we will be assigning partners fore the first week.” You could here all of us racing down the stairs in excitement.

We all gathered in front of our trainer, ready for her to talk. “All right we have, Lauren Hall, Heather Cook, Courtney Andrews, Stephanie Miller, Lizzie brook, and Harley Smith, thank you for doing this, helping our other world, the great sea.”

“So for the first week we will have partners, the second week you will all work together. So for the partners I will have Lauren and Harley together, Heather and Lizzie, and Courtney and Stephanie.”

After the partner ships were made we went back to our rooms wondering what we were even going to be doing with our partner ships. Our trainer and head guide would not tell us and till tomorrow. When I got to my room, witch was painted like the ocean; I decided to sit by my window. I looked out over the dirt road and the few trees to ware the sand starts and fades in to the crystal water. The waves crashed along the shore repeating and repeating like a pattern. From this sight I new us girls were about to start an adventure, an adventure in to the other world, Marine life. That all of us would not forget.

In the morning I got dressed and headed to the lobby, were our trainer told us to wait. Harley my partner was already there. We all waited there for about ten minutes and then our trainer came in the room with a clip board in her hands.

“Hello everyone I am going to hand out a sheet of paper to each partner ship, this will tell you what you will be doing.

First week Guide


There will be five steps you will need to fallow and please don’t rush we will have longer time if needed.

1. To explore the ocean either w/ scuba equipment, snorkel, or boat. While you are exploring find something you want to focus on. (Ex: Coral, Habitat, Shore, studying depth. Of course there are other topics but those are for you to find.)

2. To study the topic by going out to wear it is and also to read about it.

3. If there is away in saving or helping your topic then try and see what you can do to help it.

4. After helping your topic, write up a piece about it. Then hand it in.

5. The last thing is the most exciting but scary. You will need to snorkel to apart of the island witch will be marked. You will camp out there and the next day snorkel back.


The last step is to help you work together and to learn to be brave.

Have fun and ask any questions!



Harley and i looked at each other. We both new this was going to be awesome. “So now that you have looked at the sheet three staff will be down at the beach at 2:00 and they will call you over. Then you can start you five steps in order, any questions?” No one raised there hand “well, you can ask questions so if you do have one come find me.”

Everyone went back two there rooms except for Harley and I. “So this sounds so cool, we should meet together here at 1:50.”

After waiting awhile in my room I finally got my bathing suit on and grabbed my bag of equipment. Then I went down stairs and found Harley waiting for me were we said to wait “Hey Harley, let’s head out to the beach” Harley looked up “ok let’s go.” We walked across the dirt road and on to a path and then suddenly we stepped into sand and the scene of the beach was right in front of us. It was magical everything about it. We tore our eyes away and looked around for the staff. Finally we found them the other girls were already there so we walked over to a woman who did not have any one with her. The woman had black long hair and was about thirty years old.

“Hello girls, you must be Lauren and Harley, my name is Jenifer and I will teach you anything you are uncertain about.” Then she looked out over the water and took a deep breath. “Do you guys want to snorkel or go on boat?” we decided to snorkel because we wanted to do something underwater. (The reason we could not scuba is because I don’t have a scuba license.)

We got attired with the snorkeling equipment and put it all on. Jenifer told us were the reef was and we waited a little to get used to the water. Jenifer also waited just to keep an eye on us. Finally we were both ready. We held our hands, counted to three, and jumped in.

Underwater was amazing, Harley and I swam to the reef. I looked over at Harley she was trying to smile without loosing her mouth piece. The reef had plants growing and different fish swimming around. A big turtle was moving slowly across the bottom of the ocean floor. This place was heaven it was a new world. But as we moved down the reef it didn’t have as much things growing and there was not very much fish. Suddenly another person came into view. The person was walking on the reef! Also the person was jumping of making some of the coral to fall! That is why the reef looked so battered. I looked over at Harley but she was already looking at me, we new what our topic would be. We swam around a little more, to find out more.

We dragged our flippered feet back to all our stuff and to ware Jenifer was waiting. I took of all my equipment and then looked over at Harley, “Harley, I think you already know but I think are topic should be saving the coral reefs.” Harley nodded and she put two thumbs up. We both walked back to the hotel with our towels raped around us. Courtney and Stephanie were already back they had chosen to go on a boat. Heather and Lizzie had both gotten scuba certification so they were still out scuba diving.

Our trainer set up a board and later that evening we all wrote our topics there.

TOPICS:

Lauren and Harley- Saving the coral reefs

Heather and Lizzie- protecting the Sharks

Stephanie and Courtney- The water levels changing. (Global warming)




Our trainer told us that all the topics we chose were very important and well thought out. She also told us that we would be starting our research tomorrow morning at 9:00 right after breakfast.

The next morning I ate my breakfast so fast I almost fell over. Harley and I decided to look up were the coral reefs are and to see if a lot of people go there. Then we will actually go out in to the water. But for some reason while we both sat at the computer I kept looking out along the water. I wanted to go out there and actually go sailing around the whole ocean. I wanted all of us, meaning all six of us girls to do this together and not be separate. To sail around all the oceans and to swim and snorkel in them, to learn all together is going to bring us together and live in our adventures and find away to save our ocean.

“Lauren stop daydreaming we have to get this done” Harley said over and over. I looked at her and then the sea “Harley I will be write back I have to talk to our trainer.” I walked away down the hall and knocked on our trainer’s door. “Come in” I walked in and sat down. “Lauren what is it?” our trainer asked. “I know it probably is hard to do but I think all six of us should be working together and I think it should be for a month out on a boat. We need to work as a team to have our own adventure not on land but right on the water. The only way we will learn to work together is if it is challenging and we explore. We can live on the boat and there will be a phone on the boat, so if we need to call you it will be right there. I think going to Hawaii is a great opportunity but only if we are working together out on the ocean, right now we are wasting almost all of this opportunity.” Our trainer looked at me then at her desk. “Lauren you have away with words but this is very sudden. I don’t know if any of the other girls will want to do this. Also money is involved.” I looked at her plainly “let me cut in before you think of any more excuses, because you are throwing our life away, and I know that the other girls like you said it will definitely be up for it, this is part of their dream. And as for money, this trip was pretty expensive on our part, you have a lot of money from all of us to use so don’t through it all away on cafeteria food and computers help us life our dreams.” I looked at our trainer and she looked at me through her dark purple glasses. “I will think about this and talk to the other staff, but this will be complicated and you are second in charge. All of you, if this plan even happens will have to call your families just to let them know it will take a month not two weeks.”

I left her room hoping she would let us go. She said that we will all find out about all of this later in the evening and all of the plans attached to it.


It was six a clock and we all were called to the meeting room for an announcement. My hart was beating uncontrollably fast. We all sat around our trainer ready.

THIS IS WHAT SHE SAID: “Hello girl’s thank you for coming down a little bit early. I would like to announce that the project you are working on has been changed. It came to my attention that you will be better off if you work together on some thing. All of you will be on a boat for a month. Lauren will be in charge on the boat, but a staff member will be with you also. You will all go around the ocean and swim and snorkel and learn together. If you would like to do this you will need to call your family for time references. More information will come tomorrow.


I could hardly contain myself; before our trainer walked away she winked at me and then left.

I went back to my room feeling a cool shiver down my back, but not because I was scared, or nervous but that I was so thrilled I could not stand it. This was going to make my day, all the other girls were so, so about this, but you got to look at the big picture. The big picture is that over thousands of people on this earth can’t nearly do anything this amazing, and to get this opportunity is unbelievable. If I could, I would let anyone get to do this, it is so rich with different ideas, animals, learning experiences, and away to connect with everything around you that words can’t describe.

We are going to learn about the trip and then head out in a couple days. I walked back to my room but before I got there Harley bumped into her “oops, so sorry, um what do you think on this trip thing?” Harley asked. “It’s awesome” I replied. Harley looked at me with a sad face “I was hopping you wouldn’t say that, you see my boyfriend is back home and my two best friends I just mite go home.” I looked at her stunned “Harley you came her to make a dream come true, to start a new adventure, the people you love and care about aren’t going to stop loving you, if you come back later on and live a dream you have never imagined before. Call your friends and family tell them.” Harley thought for a moment “thanks for that, you are really have away with words” Harley said and started to walk away. “Oh, and Harley, have a good time in what your good at doing, like this trip, you will never regret it” I said. Harley smiled and walked down the blue brilliant hallway to her room.

The next morning we started training for the trip. We swap laps, learned how to work a boat, safety procedures, and navigation stuff. After that whole day I’m sure that if I did not sit down (with I did) I would have collapsed there on the floor of the lobby. I showered off and write after I finished dressing the front lobby called for me.

When I got down stairs our trainer was there with the telephone “for you, from home” she said handing the phone to me.
I answered it:


“Hello…”
“Hi sweetie it’s mom, we have some bad news”
“What, what is it”
“Your sister Josie…. She had a biking accident, it’s not that bad”
“What happened?”
“Josie just got home with her husband to visit, she decided to go for a quick bike ride to the library, her bag started slipping and she looked down just in time for her to hit a tree.”
“Are the injures bad?”
“She broke her ankle and got stitches on her forehead, she should be ok though”



My sister Josie is eight years older then me (26). She got married last year and lives an hour away from us. I love my sister so much we are not really like sisters in that way we are like friends, close friends.


I did not want this to happen, especially not now. I asked my mom if I should come home not that I wanted to, I asked because I wanted to be helpful. My mom told me that it wasn’t that severe and I shouldn’t worry about it. but I was going to worry about it there was no way stopping the little ping in my stomach that was hurting even more the longer I speak. In some ways I’m mad at my mom for calling if she new that my sister was ok, why did she have to call, just to worry me? My mom new I worry a lot even when I really don’t want to it just happens.

The next day was one day until our trip and I was not really ok (mentally) my sister kept popping into my mind over and over. On the boat it was like a house there was under everything a kitchen, desk, table, and bathroom. In the far back of the boat were bedrooms, just two. All of us broke into two groups. I shared a room with Courtney and Harley. We all got our stuff and decorated and arranged stuff on to the boat, food, sleeping bags, ex.

After practicing over and over the swimming safety and more we all felt pretty confident. Tonight our trainer is letting us have a dinner party on the beach. She said it was a good way to end all this hard work. But I have a feeling that it’s not ending, it’s just begging.

After working on some navigation paper work I decided to get ready for the party. I picked out a blue and mixed green shirt that was so much like the sea and blue jean shorts, perfect for this weather. We all went out to the beach were there were candles and a huge table set up with a beautiful arrangement. A beautiful salad sat at one side. Chicken and veggie burgers were on the other side. All around the table were brightly colors appetizers waiting to be eaten up. And last but not least there was a bowl of punch in the middle. Harley sat down and I joined her and after awhile all of us were around the table laughing and talking about almost everything. But Harley and I were just gazing up past the sand and past the long stretched water, but to the star twinkling sky looking down over the water. Harley was the first to brake the silence “and tomorrow that will be what we are all sleeping under” I looked at her “Harley we always sleep under the stars… only tomorrow while we sleep under the stars we will be floating on water.” Harley smiled and finished eating her dinner “Harley do you have any siblings?” I wondered if she did because if she did maybe I could tell her about Josie. “I have a younger sister Sabrina, she is thirteen, why?” I thought for e sec “well I have an older sister Josie who is twenty six, she hit a tree while biking and I can’t stop thinking about it.” Harley looked at me “is she ok?” I told Harley everything my mom had told me but stopped when Stephanie said “what are you guys talking about?” I was about to ignore her when I though maybe I should get to know some of the other girls. “Our siblings” I told her “oh! I have three little brothers. Tobey who is Seven, Andrew who is ten, and Markus who is fourteen” Stephanie explained. I looked over to see heather listening in “do you have any sibling’s heather?” I asked. “Um… I have a thirteen year old brother Sam and a twenty year old sister Mariana.”

We all went to our rooms after about nine thirty and went to bed ready for tomorrow.

I sat in bed wondering what each step of this trip would be but all the ideas I came up with, I new wouldn’t totally be the same. Tomorrow morning at 8:00 we would meet down in the lobby and figure out what we needed on the trip. At 9:00 our trainer will hand out description packets and at 10:00 we will be on the boat and heading out. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out like a light.

Beep, beep. I sat up and pressed the off button of my alarm clock. I got up and got the duffel bag I packed out and got dressed.

I went down stairs backpack and duffel bag in hand. We all packed up the boat with all our stuff, swimming and scuba gear, food and our personal belongings. All six of us met in the lobby after that and got our packets. This is what mine read:

Laurens Description packet:

Boat arrangements:
You will be bunking with Heather.
There is a kitchen a table and desk in the main room of the boat.
Journey:
On the trip there is a map attached to this packet you will travel out to a certain distance and keep boating out there until all six of you have finished writing a five page clip into what you experience during this trip, from, friends, underwater world, and more.
Now hold on that’s not all, throughout you clip you have to explain in great detail all the things you see underwater.
Safety:
All six of you are being sent alone, there will be a satellite phone on board, first aid, and all six of you to support each other.



After I flipped through the next couple of pages I turned to Heather, Heather did not seem happy and I wondered why. I mean were just about to do this amazing thing. I grabbed Heathers arm and pulled her a couple feet away from the other chatting girls. “Heather, what’s going on with you, I thought you were happy about this?”

Heather looked at me with needles reflecting through her eyes “I thought I could shake it off, move on but now I’m partnered up with you, I just cant hold on for any longer, you probably forgotten but when I was seven years old you were my best friend, you moved and never told me…..” I looked at her shocked “you know what, I never should have mentioned it” Heather said and started walking away. Before heather was to far away I grabbed her arm “Heather I’m so sorry, really, I just did not want to see you upset, I was scared that I was leaving and did not think.” I new I was babbling and probably saying all the wrong things but I meant them, I really did. “Lauren, why are you telling me all this crap, I really don’t think all of it is the truth, and second you have treated me like you have never even met me since now, you have been one of the closest friends I have ever had you think I forgot that, well no I never have!” Heather started to take deep breathes “I didn’t want this to happen, Heather I was seven years old I know you think that I’m just babbling away but no, no I’m not, we are about to leave on an adventure that is going to change all of our lives I don’t want us to spoil it, I know that sounds ruff but Heather I have never stopped remembering the friendship we had and I cried and cried, got sick the first day of school because you weren’t there… but we are both older now we need to understand that in life we make mistakes it’s just the nature of living, write now all we can do is enjoy the trip together and hope for the best.”

Heather and I understood but it wasn’t totally back to normal yet but that was to be expected. All of us started loading on to the boat until we were all on except our staff member. “I don’t think we need her, they probably changed her mind about staff being with us,” Harley said. I nodded thinking that was probably the case. Courtney was first at the wheel and we all waved to our crew members as we lost them in the distance. The boat pulling us farther and farther away from shore and deeper and deeper into the deep blue ocean until all we could see was water, water all around us.

“This is so amazing, I mean just look at the water, and to think tonight were probably all going to be swimming in it.” I took in a big breath of air capturing every little detail, the smell, the way it looks, just everything. Very slowly I let out the breath of air because now I don’t need to capture it, it’s already in me. We all sat along the bench that went around the perimeter of the boat soaking in all the sun. Stephanie stood up, “sorry, I’m just going to start organizing my bunk and get a bikini on.” After sitting a little longer one after the other of us went and joined Stephanie. In the room I decided to say something “so I’m really excited to do this, I think we should, right before dinner go out for a swim.” They all decided that would be a cool idea.

All of us were sitting on the boats side our feet dangling above the blue water. It was just the right temperature, a warm feeling starting at your toes going all the way to the pinkness of your cheeks. I didn’t know it that that night was going to be the start of an adventure that no one and I mean no one is ever going to forget.

I stood up stretching my arms and legs. “Come on guys lets go for a swim.” I put on my goggles and we all splashed into the water. As soon as the cold sensation hit me I changed, I changed into a girl who doesn’t know anything but the way the water rhythmically moves around your body. The way each different exotic creature looks at you. And knows the whole community of the ocean. I swam until I couldn’t breathe any longer and swam to the surface of the water. As soon as I burst out of the water I new something was wrong. I saw Harley on the boat. No one else was in sight. I swam over to Harley, “Harley where are the other girls?” Harley looked at me and pointed down into the water. Heather was swimming with Stephanie and Lizzie; they were holding Courtney.

They pulled Courtney up on the boat. Her head was bleeding. “What happened?” I asked. “Courtney’s foot got stuck on some rocks; she tried pulling so hard that when she came loose she fell back in to a wall of coral. She passed out, we pulled her up.” I couldn’t believe it, our first day out and of course, and a disaster. “We should call our trainer, Lizzie and Heather stay with Courtney, Stephanie get the medical kit, Harley and I will call our trainer.” We all set out to do our jobs. Heather and I got the phone, we tried calling. THE PHONE WAS NOT WORKING. We looked at each other “Lauren, what are we going to do, she might need stitches.” My mind was fogging over, my fault, everything, my sister, Courtney, I couldn’t do this any longer. “We have to go back, we have to turn around and head home.” Harley looked at me like she miss heard me, but then she seemed to understand because she nodded and walked of. I tried the phone one more time but it was no use, it was not going to work. I walked back to the girls. Courtney had a bandage on her head and all the girls looked miserable, probably from what Harley had told them no doubt.

We agreed then and there we would start heading back. Lizzie was going to steer us back. I found Lizzie asleep at the wheel so exhausted from helping Courtney. The only thing I was thinking was we might have gone a little off course no biggie. But I was wrong. “Lizzie, wake up and turn us back to home” Lizzie sat up her eyes pink from just waking up. “Oh no! Shoot! Lauren there is a big problem, when I was sleeping my arm hit CLEAR so there is no route back the only way back is on papers in our trainer’s desk, we could call but we don’t have a phone.” I thought that turning back was a problem. “We will stay here tonight and figure the rest out in the morning, I will tell the other girls.” I left Lizzie and went to tell the other girls. When I told them they were scared but after a while they made the best of it.

In the morning I decided to have a meeting. All of the girls gathered around including Courtney who had woken up. “How many people have started there writing?” I asked. The girls looked confused. “We have other things to worry about Lauren, and really who put you in charge?” Stephanie asked in a strong tone. I had to fight back tears, was I being that bossy? I just want to make the best of it. “Stephanie, first of all, our trainer put me in charge, second we can’t do or worry about Courtney or getting back anymore. Our trainer said to write a story and frankly I think this is a perfect start to a great story, if you aren’t going to enjoy yourselves and write then I will ashore you this will be the most miserable trip you have ever been on.” Stephanie started to open her mouth but Heather cut in “Stephanie, I think Lauren is right, we need to pretend that all the bad never happened.” All the other girls were nodding including Courtney. “Steph, we need a leader anyway, to keep us together” Courtney said. Stephanie looked down “Whatever, so what’s the plan then?” I looked at Stephanie. “Can I write up a poster on what we should do?” Stephanie shrugged “fine.” This is what the poster looked like:

Day Plan

Wake up
Go for swim
Eat breakfast
Writing
Free time
Organize
Lunch
Swim
Write more
Snorkeling
Free time
Dinner
Meeting (add more things next day)
Bed



We all got ready for the first swim of the day. “First off Courtney you are not ready to go out yet so someone needs to stay back with you any volunteers?” I looked around “I’ll stay for now” Lizzie said. “Great, and second keep in mind of how far you go but also do some exploring, your story needs to be full of great underwater adventures.” I noticed that the other three girls were spreading out around the boat and then jumping in. we had decided that if you wanted to snorkel during the swims than that was fine so I decided to snorkel. The sun on my back raining down my hair, letting me know how warm it is, telling me to go jump in, I decided to start walking to the edge of the boat. As I get ready to jump I breathe in and then out relaxing my arms, core, and legs. Finally I jump landing in a refreshing, wet miracle, coating every inch of my body. I dive deeper letting my eyes unfold the beautiful word. After swimming and taking in so many fish and plants I come to a place that looks different, there are more plants and things growing but it’s easy to swim in. I’m swimming around a plant when I see something. It was a quick movement that was dark blue. If I wasn’t in water at the moment I probably would be drenched in sweat. I thought maybe that I should turn back but instead I move forward curios of the movement. I looked around but I saw nothing. I made my way to the top of the water, and broke into air and sunlight. Our boat was about a courtier size away. I swam back knowing I would return to find out what the movement was. As I got closer to the boat I could see all the girls back, lying on the boat, arms spread, enjoying the sun. It looked so wonderful the sun was so magical in the morning bringing out all the greatness of each movement you take. “Hey guys, how was your swims?” Harley sat up “oh! Hey Lauren, we were just waiting for you.” I pulled myself up onto the boat and got my towel. “So I’ll start breakfast anyone can give me a hand to help?” I asked “I’ll help” it was heather, she got up and threw a cover dress over her bikini and walked to our small kitchen, she turned around just as she got to the door… “Well, what are you waiting for, breakfast right?” I walked after her, I expected someone to help but considering our little talk I didn’t think heather would volunteer.

For breakfast we had cereal, all the fruit that I wanted to use was going bad so it wasn’t that special. After breakfast we all went off to write. I decided to start way in the beginning when we got to Hawaii. I wanted to bring out the whole experience. I had only started writing for ten minutes when my mind flashed back to the blue blur I had seen. I needed to know what it was, I couldn’t think otherwise. I decided since it was free time next that I would go swimming around that spot and find out what the blue thing was.

All the girls were off doing what they wanted and here I am swimming along finding nothing. I had gone back to the same spot but it seemed that thing was gone. I finally decided to swim on going farther away from the boat just to be shore nothing was out there. Right when I was going to start heading back I saw it again. The blue blur was slower this time and I followed it swimming pretty fast. At last I got a good look at it, the thing I had seen was a diver, a person. The diver turned around and saw that I was watching him. He pointed up and I swam up to the top. When we were both above the water he spoke first. “Its dangerous swimming that far with no one around” I looked at him confused “how do you know I swam far and aren’t you also on your own?” I questioned him. “You… what’s your name?” he asked “Lauren, and yours?” “ it’s Ben, anyway Lauren I know why you swam awhile because I don’t see your boat and also I’m twenty and no my ways around the ocean; I’m not swimming as far away as you.” I looked back to wide open water and no boat. “Shoot! My friends and I are doing this project and I jus I saw you and followed you until I lost the boat” Ben swam closer until he was a foot away. “Well I will take you back with my boat I saw a boat earlier on today, is there something wrong with you and your friends?” “Well actually we have no route back, we have no phone and my friend got hurt so you could say that we needed a little help.” Ben asked if he could help but I said that my friends might not be ok with the idea so we should probably wait a day or two. I got on his boat and about five minutes later I saw the boat a bit away. “So why don’t we meet here every day at 8:00pm to talk things over?” Ben asked “sure, see you tomorrow” and then I swam off.

It was lunch time and everyone sat on benches eating chips, beans and rice. I was thinking about Ben and if I should bring him up to the group. We needed help but deep down inside of me I didn’t want the trip to end, it was something that I could finally hang onto. Dreaming off, I suddenly saw on Stephanie’s leg a crimson scrape. “Stephanie what on earth happened to your leg?” Stephanie looked down “oh, I just got scrapped while swimming, no big deal.” The scrape was not looking that great and I new that it would get infected. “You need to clean that out it’s going to get infected”
“Oh stop, don’t be such a baby, it’s nothing.” I looked away and the sun lit my eyes into a flaming tear. “The only reason I would ever tell you to do something is when I know something’s wrong, I’m not being a baby I’m being a friend.

“Also why do you feel the urge to make me feel rotten when you’re living a dream that some people could never imagine.” Stephanie looked away “I’m not doing what you ask because I don’t believe it, but I do know that your intensions are positive”.

That night at about 11:00 I herd a crash. I got up and found Stephanie on the floor sweating from a fever. I quickly awoke Harley who was the closest. We both pulled Stephanie to the kitchen and turned on a light. I turned her leg to the light it was crimson with white and brown blurring my eyes, no doubt from the dirt. We put a wet cloth over her head and started washing out her scrape. About two hours later we had Stephanie propped up with a pillow on the cold floor, she had awoken finally. “What am I doing on the floor?” Stephanie asked we looked at each other and described the whole thing. That up coming day was an interesting day, Stephanie stayed on the boat since her leg and Heather stayed with her. Running through the schedule seemed really fast and all of a sudden it was almost dinner. At eight a clock I swam out to where Ben said we would meet. He was already there waiting. “Um, Lauren there is a problem… my phone and navigation stuff is not working because of water. I sort of know my way back but not that well. I don’t think I’m much help” Ben whispered. I took a deep breath letting everything that had happened fall over me, fall into my heart. A tear slid down my cheek, nothing mattered not my dream or even the water I was in. this was my, our last hope to know were we were and to find our way back. It was like a brick wall had fallen over me. “You were our last hope” I sobbed “my friend got a cut and it’s bad and I was going to have you call for help, but… but you can’t so- “Hey, relax this is nothing, be adventuress, explore the ocean” Ben interjected. He pulled me into a hug. My hair and face were pressed against his shoulder; I smelled his shampoo and just relaxed there, him holding me. I pulled away I still could not believe he could be so laid back about the whole thing. “Why are you so laid back about this?” he smirked “people go through worse so you should be the one who should stop right there and enjoy what you have.”
“Fine, we’ll work something out later, I’ll just head back.” Then I swam off, back to our boat.


In the morning I could tell there would be a storm coming. The blue sky had faded into a dark foggy blur. The wind was picking up a bit and all of us had worried expressions on our faces. We all started working together to get the boat ready for the storm. As I was doing this I was thinking that it was such coincidence that we were lost at sea and a storm was coming. In many stories when you are lost at sea it’s common to have a storm and I thought it weird. I guess there is just a lot of crazy weather out here.
BANG! And then the rain came, in drops but then in buckets.

All of us were running around tying off things and covering things up. The boat was rocking and things were flying around. The girls were calling me to come inside but I felt dizzy and tired. Out of the corner of my eye I saw it a big board coming closer and closer.
And then there was black.

I woke five hours later on my bed Lizzie and Heather looking over me. I asked them what happened. The deck of the ship was dead, the rain made water leak in so the floors were wet. I couldn’t hear the rest because I fell asleep.

My eyes opened a little. Laying there I hear the rain falling down out side my window, I smell the strong fragrant smell of salt, I see the rain streaming the window telling me to wake up, out of this dream, and finally I feel the boat rocking side to side reminding me where I am. As you dig deeper and find that star shimmering you uncover the greatness of things that are painful, sad, miserable, and hopeless. So I dig deep, deeper than anything I have ever dug. I find a sun rising, rising into a magical story. I see a world of laughter and happiness, a world of sun, and a world of love. Can you picture every detail that twists around you, because lying hear I’m hoping that my dreams, hopes, and my life will change into the way I believed they would. So I sit up and what I hear is not a tiny bit of light but laughter, laughter of my friends, there doing what I have not been, creating happiness in a painful time, because the only way to bring the light is through the magical music of a story boiling, boiling into change and into love. I guided them but now they have guided me. I stand up and walk, right, left, right, left. I stand in the door way and see the beginning of hope, all of them smiling, not because it is a sunny day, not because more pain isn’t coming but because they can embrace a time so horrid with friendship. They look up at me and I smile, I smile for the first time in days, because you can’t spoil painful times with unhappiness, you can only spoil painful times with bright, loud, laughter that brings everyone together, to become a new you.

I walk into the room and sit down next to all of them. “Thank you so much for helping me, how long has it been since I got hit?” I asked.
“Three days” they all said.
“Wow, the storm has been going on for awhile, if you don’t want to write anymore you don’t have to”. The girls pulled out a stack of papers each. “We were working on the stories when you were in bed, we should get back to the card game we are playing so you can write more of your story” Heather said. I looked at them and I smiled a one thousand prize smile. Shaking my head I stood up, got my story and was working on it till sun down.