Cruising
Isabel Yap
When the ship left the harbor, Caela was standing in the bathroom holding Erika’s hair back, while Erika vomited into the toilet. Caela could
hear the other kids shouting from the patio.
“We’re leaving, we’re leaving!”
“Goodbye, L.A!”
“Look, seagulls!”
Erika flushed the toilet, took deep breaths, and clutched her knees.
“You okay?” Caela asked.
“I think so,” Erika answered. Caela gently laid down the knot of hair she had been holding and squeezed Erika’s shoulder. They were only a year apart, but there were times when
Caela truly felt much older. Seventeen, she already knew, wasn’t mature by any stretch, but sometimes it felt otherwise.
“Maybe you should rest on the bed,” Caela said. Erika nodded and followed her into the room. Dad and the housekeepers had le
