Briar has always been known for her wild, impulsive spirit. It's one of the things I love about her. Lately, though, it's one of the traits that most concern me. Her behaviour in the past four months has somehow progressed from harmlessly spontaneous to incredibly reckless.
Like that time, she rode on the hood of Tyrese Clarke's car for over fifteen minutes, all the way from his house to hers. Or the time she signed up for an online dating website as a joke, met up with a guy twice her age, returned home clearly shaken and refused to talk about it. Or when she snuck out in the middle of the night and got into serious trouble—some bartender called Ira from Briar's phone, telling her to come get Briar immediately. An hour later, I watched them through my bedroom window, Briar looking distraught, and Ira deeply concerned. The next day they acted as if nothing had happened.
Each one of those instances terrified me. I keep telling myself it's just Briar being Briar, but now as I watch her swim towards a random yacht, I wonder how far would she really go?
The boat is a long way out. About 300 meters from shore—it appears close to the eye but it's too far for a casual swim. After watching Briar's strokes slow down after just 2 minutes, a sinking feeling pulls at my gut. I say a silent curse before deciding to go after her. This isn't just one of her usual stunts, this seems dangerous.
I throw on my rash guard, the damp shirt sticking to my dry skin, and grab my surfboard. Briar wouldn't think of the distance, she wouldn't think of getting tired, she wouldn't think of having to swim back once she reaches the yacht. She never thinks ahead. I sprint to the beach and dive into the water, lying flat on my board. I begin to paddle towards the yacht, blinking away the saltwater as it splashes up and sting my eyes.
"Where are you guys going?" Ira asks me.
"Briar's going to swim to the yacht," I say, nodding my head in its direction.
Alarm crosses Ira's features. "What?"
"Just stay right here, I'll go with her."
"Just be careful!" My sister shouts after me.
I reach Briar in no time. I'm a strong swimmer, and the surfboard helps me glide swiftly through the water. "Briar, what are you doing?" I call out, breathing heavily, feeling a mix of exasperation and concern. We're a foot away from the boat; she's proven her point. It's time to go back.
Now threading water, she turns to face me, a smirk on her face. I kick closer so that she can hold onto my board. The ocean around us is calm, almost peaceful, if not from the loud noise coming from the yacht above.
"This was further that I thought, I almost gave up." She jokes, her breath coming in short gasps.
My mouth falls open in mock surprise. "You give up, you die. But I wasn't the words were even in your vocabulary."
"Yeah, well. Everyone has a limit, O'Brian."
I sit up on my board, one leg dangling over each side. My board wobbles slightly beneath me, stabilizing as I plant my hands on its surface. "Catch your breath, and then we'll head back."
A mischievous glint appears in her eye before she turns and swims closer to the boat. She finds the ladder leading up to it. I ask, "What are you doing?"
"We came this far," she says, the last thing I hear before she begins her ascent.
Shit. I reluctantly follow her, my heart pounding with a mix of adrenaline and dread.
"Briar," I whisper as we climb, "this is crazy."
"Come on, it'll be fun."
Fun. The three-letter word that I've been dying for her to associate me with. I sigh, giving in. I can be fun. Even if it requires me to sneak onto an all black yacht possibly owned by some kind of drug lord or the Adams family.
We both stand on the boat now, and it only takes me two seconds to realize this is no ordinary party. The yacht is massive, gleaming black under the sun, with multiple decks and a polished, teakwood floor. Plush loungers and sleek, modern furniture are scattered about, creating an opulent atmosphere. In other words, whoever owns this yacht is obnoxiously rich.
The scent of alcohol, weed, and grilled seafood mingles with the salt air, and the deafening bass of the music vibrates through the deck. People are everywhere, some dancing, others lounging with drinks in hand.
I hesitate, my gaze scanning the crowd. This party has an edge to it—wild, almost frenzied. Whether Briar feels the same unease that I do, she doesn't let on. She just moves further into the party. Rounding a corner, we pass a bunch of topless ladies, smiling at me seductively. My cheeks turn pink, I try to keep my eyes pinned on the back of Briar's head.
Briar stops abruptly. I come to a stop beside her. "What's wrong?"
"This is incredible," she says, her eyes wide with excitement. "Look at this place."
Before I can respond, she grabs my hand and pulls me deeper into the crown. She's immediately swept up in the energy of the party, dancing and laughing with strangers. I stand awkwardly to the side, unsure of what to do with myself.
A couple of girls, who I soon learn go by Nautica and Malia, approach me with drinks. "Hey there, cutie," Malia says, pressing cup into my hand. "What's your name?"
"Romeo," I say, taking a sip. The unfamiliar taste of bourbon burns my chest. "Nice to meet you."
Nautica laughs. "That's a sexy name."
I blush furiously. "Uh thanks. Did you know that the name Nautica means of the sea? I know everything about the ocean." I ramble. "Did you know that nautical…"
The girls exchange amused looks. "That's interesting," Malia says, handing me another drink. "Tells us more."
As I ramble on about the ocean and sailing, the girls keep giving me drinks. My head starts to feel fuzzy, but I'm also feeling more relaxed than I have in a long time. Briar catches my eye from across the deck, her brow rising definitely at the two girls attached at my arms. I smirk at her.
I lose sight of Briar when Malia crushes her lips to mine suddenly, only to be hauled off by Marissa moments later who decides she wants a taste of me for herself. I don't know how long I stood there locking lips with these girls but after a while, Briar grabs my hand and pulls me onto the dance floor, ignoring the protests of my lady friends.
"Come up for air O'Brian." Briar says.
"Sorry." I say.
We dance together, laughing and spinning around. Somewhere in the haze some guy dares me to do a body shot off someone's stomach. I hesitate, but the infectious enthusiasm of the party gets to me. I do the shot, the alcohol burning its way down, but the world goes quiet as my eyes lock with Briar's.
Her face lights up as she cheers for me. If I wasn't already in love, that look she gives me would be all it takes to bewitch me. My insides turn to mush as I start to loosen up some more, grabbing Briar and spinning her around. Everything and everyone fall away. I forget everything. I forget the plan, I forget sailing, studying, college. For this moment it's only me and the girl of my dreams alone together in existence.
The sudden appearance of our friends pulls me back into reality. "Hey, when did they get here?" I say to Briar, still lost in euphoria.
The world spins and I feel the need to sit down. I stumble over to the lounger where I left Nautica and Malia. They reattach themselves to me and I sigh happily.
"Excuse us, ladies," Aki says, waiting for my lady friends to leave before planting his butt next to me.
"I'm not kissing you." I slur.
Aki laughs. "I leave you alone for ten minutes."
"How much did you have to drink?" Ira asks, whether she's amused or concerned I'm too out of it to decipher.
Malia returns sitting on my lap, while Nautica sits on Aki's. "Is your friend joining us, Romeo?"
Aki glances nervously at Ira, who is glaring at him. He moves swiftly to stand by her side, planting a kiss on her lips, saying something too softly to hear over the music.
Ariana sits next to me, and Cody and Keith take the seat across from us, drinks in hand. I don't know how they all got here, but the party rages on around us. I almost forget how I even got here when Briar reappears out of nowhere, looking more serious than I've ever seen her.
"Why's everyone here naked, anyway?" Ariana asks, making me laugh.
"Because this isn't just a party," Briar says, her voice tinged with urgency. "we've got to get off this boat."
Cody protests. "But we just got here."
"Seriously…does no one else care that everyone here is naked and super horny?" Ariana says again.
"And what's up with all the cameras?" Keith chimes in.
"That's what I'm trying to tell you guys," Briar says. "They film porno on this yacht. We just crashed and orgy party."
"Who the fuck are you?" a huge guy yells at the group of us over the music.
Aki grabs Ira and runs, the rest of our friends following suit. I go to get up but fall back down in my seat. Nautica and Malia's hands are on me again, lifting a tray of white powder to my face but Briar slaps it away.
"Get away from him," she snaps at them before grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet. "Come on."
She pulls me along, and at first, I'm tripping over my own feet. But seeing the large, angry dudes running behind us wakes me up. I sprint, grabbing Briar's hand tighter than before. And I don't think twice before jumping off the yacht, and hand in hand, we fall into the water with a big splash. All of our friends came on their own surf boards.
Briar helps me onto my board before hopping on herself. Together, we paddle back to the shore. On the sand, panting and breathing wildly, we all break into hysterical laughter.
"What the hell just happened?" Xander asks, eyes wide, with a cheeseburger in hand.
"We just crashed an orgy," Briar says between giggles.
"Let's never do that again," I say, still catching my breath.
Briar looks at me, her eyes sparkling. "Come on, Romeo. Admit it. That was kind of fun."
I can't help but smile. "I made out with a porn star."
"Ew." Ira remarks.
Aki laughs, "I'd do it again," earning himself a glare from Ira.
As we all lay on the sand, catching our breaths, Briar nudges me with her elbow. "See? Told you it'd be fun."
I roll my eyes but laugh. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't make a habit of crashing porn parties, okay?"
"No promises," she says with a grin, then adds, "But thanks for having my back."
I open my mouth to respond, but suddenly I feel all the drinks in my stomach rising as nausea set in. I jerk upright and run towards the water, spilling my guts. Nothing but clear fluid comes out. White rum.
I hear my sister laughing as Briar and Aki come to my side to soothe me. I don't know how long I stay there hunched over and heaving, but I know that I would do this again. I'd have a million other crazy adventures with Briar this summer even if they all ended this way.