A Pirate in Time (Completed)

The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in fiery oranges and soft purples. A cool breeze, thick with the scent of salt, swept across the deck of the party boat, ruffling my hair and offering a brief respite from the boisterous celebration of my friends.

“We’re free!” Emily shrieked, her voice slurred with alcohol, as she clung to Jacob Cox. They were both unbelievably tan, a stark contrast to my perpetually pale complexion.

“Can you believe it, Elizabeth?” Jacob slurred, grinning widely. “We actually graduated!”

“That, we did,” I replied, offering a polite smile, a red solo cup, untouched, clutched in my hand. I didn’t drink, a fact my friends stubbornly ignored, always thrusting a cup into my hands anyway. It was easier to just hold it than to constantly refuse.

My gaze drifted to the far horizon, where dark clouds were gathering, illuminated by a distant flash of lightning. Danny, our host and captain for the evening, was nearly asleep at the wheel, steering us in no particular direction, oblivious to the brewing storm. This was going to be a long night.