12 Chapter ten

Before I know it we have checked-in, dropped off our duffel bags, received our ID cards and clipped them onto our lanyards, scurried up the bumpy path of the connection tunnel, found our way through the beautifully-decorated lobby (which has definitely been through some renovations since the last time I went on a cruise), and now we're getting shot at.

Ha-ha, got you there.

"Stay still, keep a smile on your faces, I'm going to shoot!" exclaims the photographer, striking a pose himself to take a nice photo of my friends and I.

We pose nicely first, and then shoot the camera silly faces, laughing quietly as the world turns white for a fraction of a second, and then reverts to normal.

Through small crowds and an already crowded casino we trot.

"Elevator or stairs, guys?" Emily asks, eyes darting back and forth restlessly.

I know what she's thinking. A challenge. It's part of Emily's thinking; everything should be a challenge. I shake my head – she's a living anime character from any sports anime.

Lilli and I exchange eye contact and I can tell she's already come up with a list of ten rules and counting.

"Rules, guys, rules," Lilli announces. Emily growls, but listens. "One – no elevator. Two – no asking for directions. Three – you can only use the staircases at either end of the cruise. Four – no disturbing other passengers. Four – no sabotage —"

"Okay, okay! We get it!" Emily interrupts. "Whoever finds the room first is guaranteed to get a top bunk!"

Both Lilli and I nod in agreement, and we press our backs together, ready to race.

Emily counts us down as usual.

"Three…"

I run over my plan of attack in my head.

"Two…"

Will myself to run fast.

"One… GO!"

I make a beeline for the front of the ship. I do have my room number on my card, but I can never remember which side of the ship my room is on. So I'll start with the front of the ship, and if I lose this race I'll be sure to win in a quick game of Who Can Catch The Card In Their Mouth First.

I dodge quite a few unsuspecting cliques of guests, slowing a little when I see someone that resembles a cruise member, each heartbeat a dull pain in my chest as the precious seconds tick by.

My face is red by the time I've reached the staircases; people have been giving me looks, and I've done nothing but flee. I've done this before, as a child of course, but as an almost grown adult, I look very childish. But a grin grows on my face when I start sprinting up, two or three steps at a time.

Panting, I leap and leap, trying hard to ignore the burning stitch in my side, and instead focus on how much more comfortable I'll be when I'm laying on the top bunk.

I chuckle to myself. I know I'm still a child because I'm still fighting for the top bunk bed, but it is so worth it.

Up, up, up! I remind myself what deck I am on every time I reach a new landing. Deck six, Deck seven, Deck eight, Deck Nine, nearly there! At Deck ten, I skid to a stop, eyeing the room number written on my card through slightly blurry eyes.

I take a hard left, practically skidding into the wall before sprinting as fast as I can, dodging luggage left scattered in the corridor by cruise staff. I almost find myself sprawled on the carpet with a second-degree burn but I manage to defy gravity. I've been scanning the rooms as I run by, but I've got the disadvantage. In the distance I think I can see Emily and Lilli, but I can tell that Lilli's practically given up, and it's down to Emily and I to win the top bunk of our choosing.

I beg myself to pick up the pace, but Emily is too fast, and makes it to the front door only a few saddening seconds before me. I'm so puffed out by the time I reach room 10107 that I fall to the floor and lean my tired back against the wall. Emily is by far the most athletic out of the three of us, and is somehow still jumping for joy beside me.

"I won! Uh huh! Oh yeah! That's right! Who's Tasmin? No idea!"

I roll my eyes. Lilli pulls up to the questionable scene and isn't looking very pleased.

"What's wrong, Lil'?" I ask.

She's giving Emily the stink eye as she explains, "Emily practically shoved a couple out of existence to beat you." Crossing her arms.

Emily's celebration ceased. "I did not! They came out of nowhere!"

Ignoring Emily's comment, she continued, "In other words, she cheated."

I sighed but gave Emily a knowing grin. "It's fine, she can have it," I say. I turn to Lilli. "Our turn now."

Lilli shrugs and replies, "I guess so."

'Now it's time for…" Emily starts a drumroll. "Who Can Catch The Card In Their Mouth First!"

This tradition started with my younger sister Georgia and me. There wasn't much point to it, since our parents would always let us have top bunks, but we always wanted to have the advantage of choosing which side we wanted. Not that it made any difference. And not that it made our parents very happy about it.

Anyway, I introduced it to my friends, and whenever we had to make a decision on something, we played this game. Or something similar. They love it.

We remove our cards from our lanyards and hold them in front of ourselves. Emily has appointed herself as commentator.

"Ready?" Lilli and I nod. "Three… two… one… GO!"

We toss our cards into the air and snap our heads back.

"And… they're off!" Emily announces.

In Slo-Mo the cards topple down, mine landing on my nose.

"Tasmin's card's on her nose and Lilli's is on her forehead! Who'll get it in their mouth first, I wonder."

I start trying to manoeuvre it towards my mouth.

"Opposing teams both making great progress!"

Come on, come on, come on! I encourage myself.

"And…"

My card lands perfectly in my mouth and I clamp my teeth down hard on the card and release a muffled scream, throwing my hands in the air, punching the sky.

"Tasmin wins!"