Director's Note

"Well, I didn't know that seeing someone kiss someone else made him sick...He does it all the time! I mean, look at all those girls he kissed and dated! He must have a very soft stomach," Wes laughed. I giggled too. Right then, I didn't care about Shia, who was throwing up his guts in the bathroom. I didn't care about him at all. All I cared about at that moment—well, at that moment, my butt was sore, and my head could use some ice—and that Wes and I had made the connection that I had been craving for.

There you go. Congratulations. He didn't laugh at you; you know he has a past. You know he's a human being. So now, you can relax. I felt that I had won. I felt...I felt...I felt kind of bad now. The adrenaline was dissipating. I was listening to the horrible retching noises of poor Shia in the bathroom. I stood and winced as a throbbing hit me full force all over my body.

I went into the bathroom and saw Shia draped across the toilet like it was his lifeline. I'd only imagined him like this once after a YouTube incident where he got completely wasted. He looked up at me with such hurt and disgust in his eyes that it filled me with such guilt it was about to make me sick. I shifted in the doorway and made to reach for the toilet handle to flush it, but Shia batted my hand away. It didn't hurt physically as much as it stung emotionally. Shia flushed the toilet himself and grabbed the towel to wipe his mouth. I stood there, not sure what to do next.

"Are you ok?" I asked, bending down and wiping the hair out of his sweaty face. Ok, now I was feeling guilty.

"I'm fine," Shia croaked and looked down. I assumed he was ashamed to let me see him like this. I was too. It wasn't for seeing him getting sick; it was more for being caught kissing Wes. That sent another guilt spasm through me.

You kissed Wes! Stop sulking, and get over it. I made to pick Shia up, but he cringed away from me.

"Don't touch me, please."

"Don't be such a ninny!" Wes called from the bed. I turned to see he was dressed and standing.

I stood and looked down at him. It was such a pitiful sight. I couldn't imagine why he was reacting like this. It's not like I would have done anything. He knew I wouldn't! I had told him so. Shia stood up shakily and looked at me, his eyes so filled with hurt. Tears welled up in my eyes. He pushed past me and went up the stairs.

"Well, that went well," Wes, said sarcastically.

"Shut up," I said, sudden anger flaring up.

"I'm sorry," Wes said sheepishly.

"Me too...I don't think we should do that again," I said to him.

Wes sighed, "I understand."

I went up the stairs, leaving Wes feeling...who knows what he was feeling. Shia was leaning over the side of the boat and splashing water on his face.

"Shia, I didn't...mean for that to happen. I swear," I said.

"Sure, it was just an accident, right?" Shia asked me with irony in his voice.

"No, I mean, kind of."

"Whatever, Jen. I just told you to be careful. You can make your own decisions."

"Shia, I'm sorry!" I said louder, tears streaming down my face. Shia only dunked his head back into the water, precariously hanging over the side of the railing. I went to him and held the waist of his shorts so he wouldn't fall. When he was done, he looked at me, and a slow smile crossed his hard face.

"I know you are. I am too. Just be careful with him. You don't know what he's capable of."

There he goes again, Jen. He's using the 'capable' word to get you to fear Wes. But don't listen to him. I shrugged and let go of Shia as he rolled onto the bow and lay there, chest heaving in the fading sunlight. I looked across the now orange and pink sky, seeing little flocks of birds passing by. Time had gone by fast today, and so many things had happened in such little time. It bothered me to think that my relations with Shia were going downhill. This was insane.

Wes came back upstairs, and I left Shia alone to go downstairs. I couldn't face Wes right now. Things were too awkward, and I'd made it so. I was ashamed of myself. When I got below, I turned on the lights and went to sit on the bed. The bed made me remember the closeness between Wes and me, so I transformed it into a table. A paper fluttered to the floor in the middle of the process.

I picked it up, not thinking of anything in particular but my shame. I read it in the light to myself:

Mr. Bentley

You have yet to prove yourself to get your hands on the money you undoubtedly crave. You must transport two people to the coordinates shown on your GPS system. Once you have reached your destination, you are to eliminate the female. The male will remain with you on your next journey. Once you have done as instructed, you will call me on the satellite phone provided. If you do not comply, you and the female will be terminated. The weapons to use are hidden underneath the floorboards in the bathroom. Choose your path wisely.

The Director