Weight and Sea: Growing Together as Friends

This is the introductory chapter of a new multipart series. See description for details.

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“Maybe we should turn back now.” Grant groaned.

“Dude. You’re looking at this all wrong. This is a journey! A unique experience full of mystery and possibility!” Wyatt smiled.

“That’s a positive way to say ‘you did no research and signed us up for something that’s probably a scam.’” Darryl sighed.

Positivity was definitely one of Wyatt’s defining characteristics. It was his optimism that had gotten the three University of Southern California seniors into this situation. In the years Grant and Darryl had known him, Wyatt was constantly signing up for some sort of raffle, contest, or sweepstakes. His rationale was simple: they were all free and he had just as much chance as anyone of winning something amazing. Fortunately, Wyatt was not a complete idiot and knew not to bother with anything that asked for sensitive information like his social security number. Still, thanks to his sunny naïveté, the three roommates’ apartment mailbox was usually overflowing with letters, magazines, and notices as Wyatt had evidently ended up on a number of mailing lists. The only reason Grant and Darryl put up with it (besides friendship) was that Wyatt would always share his (very) rare spoils (usually a 70% off coupon for pizza or a restrictive day pass to the LA County Natural History Museum) with them.
But there was nothing usual about this prize.

“I keep telling you, it’s not a scam. Look around. The people are real, the ship is real, these tickets are real. What more do you want?”

Grant and Darryl glanced at each other. As they stood in the Grand Horizon Cruises queue at the Long Beach cruise ship terminal, they had to admit that there was a definite legitimacy to all of this. The tickets they’d printed off from the email had cleared them through the concourse entrance, luggage check, and the security screening, so they were unquestionably real. Grant half expected them to be turned away and laughed out at the first checkpoint, but the ticket agents welcomed them in. The hundreds of other passengers crowding the space were real too. Darryl had expected to find that the address they’d received for the terminal would lead to a vacant lot or abandoned warehouse, but this was a genuine port and it seemed pretty improbable that all of these other vacationers were also duped by some scam. And they both conceded that the cruise ship that dwarfed the terminal building was anything but fictitious.

The vessel, the SS Pacific Horizon wasn’t quite as big as some of the other adjoining ships in the port (the behemoth, modern ships in the Royal Caribbean and Carnival berths were slightly taller and longer), but this ship still towered a good 12 or 13 stories high above the water. Another distinguishing factor was the ship’s design. With its prominent bow, tapering decks, and classical paint scheme (black hull, white superstructure, and dark red funnel), the Horizon was evocative of a timeless 20th century ocean liner instead of an ugly, boxy, and hulking hotel shoved carelessly between a squat bow and flattened stern like some of the newer contemporary ships.

“But what about this destination island, this Puerto Panzón? What if there’s nothing to it.”

“Dude you’re being paranoid, it’s a real place. The pamphlet in the mail explained everything. It’s 50 miles north of Hawaii’s island of Kauaʻi, and it’s a private island owned by the cruise line as an exclusive port. It’s not uncommon, I think Disney has something just like it.”

“He means what if it sucks? That’s the only stop. 4 days at sea, a day and a half in port, and 4 days returning. That’s the whole trip.”

Wyatt turned to Darryl and Grant, his gleeful expression replaced by one of deep sincerity, “Come on guys. We don’t know for sure where we’re gonna be after this semester. This may be our last big adventure together.”

The three glanced at each other. There was a brief silence as the weight of that statement impacted them. College had been fun singularly because of their friendship; sure, the freedom, the parties, the relationships, the general shenanigans had all been a blast, but that was because they experienced it all together. Each of them had come to USC as a stranger in a strange land, friendless and far from home. Darryl was from Baltimore, Grant from Atlanta, and Wyatt from Denver. Though the three of them were pretty different, they’d immediately clicked that first day at Freshman Seminar. Others had drifted in and out of their social circle (friends, girls, classmates, co-workers, etc.), but they’d remained the three amigos from the very beginning.

This was senior year, their final Spring Break, the last hurrah. The three of them were looking for something unique to do together, something less crowded than Panama City, less expensive than Las Vegas, less touristy than New Orleans, and less of a train wreck than Myrtle Beach.

“…This voyage is gonna be about making memories we never forget. Even if this trip is a disaster, there’s nobody I’d rather ride out the storm with than you guys. So come on. Here’s to growing together as friends.”

Wyatt and his friendship speeches… they were worthy of an afterschool special or an anime episode. Nonetheless, they were pretty impactful. And while the sheer force of Wyatt’s earnestness was enough to blind an unprepared individual, Grant and Darryl had to admit that was exactly what they wanted too. The two of them sighed.

“Okay, okay. We’re in.” Grant chuckled.

“But if you hug me, I swear I’m gonna slug you.” Darryl added.

Wyatt put his fist in the middle of the three of them.

“Will you settle for this?”

Grant and Darryl smiled and joined their friend in a shared fist bump, each making the sound of an explosion as they pulled their hands back.

“Next please.” Called the woman at the badge station.

“No turning back gentlemen.” Wyatt smiled.

The three men grabbed their carry-on luggage and moved up to the counter. Wyatt handed the tickets to the woman and each of the guys presented their passports. She scanned each item, typed a few strokes into the computer, and quickly read the monitor.

“This states that you are our contest winner from the Full-bodied Foods Magazine sweepstakes.”

“Yep! That’s right!” Wyatt answered enthusiastically.

“And all members of your party are here and accounted for?” She asked indicating Grant and Darryl while typing a few more things in the computer.

“Yep, absolutely!” He chirped back.

“This is a form indicating that you and your guests have read and submit to all tenets of the contest contract you received in your initial email,” the agent said handing Wyatt a sheet of paper on a clipboard, “and that you agree to voluntarily provide comments and feedback at the conclusion of the journey that the cruise line and/or Full-bodied Foods Magazine may use in promotional materials as they see fit. Please sign at the bottom.”

“Sure, one hundred percent!” Wyatt said as he quickly scribbled his name.

He turned and held out the clipboard to the guys with a big smile. Grant rolled his eyes. Typical. At the very best, Wyatt had skimmed the contract, if he’d even read it at all. He’d certainly never shown it to him or Daryl. Darryl sighed, but took the sheet and signed it, and Grant followed suit. There was no point in spoiling the trip before it even began.

“Excellent. You gentlemen will be in stateroom 8057. That’s a portside exterior with two beds and a pullout couch and balcony. Per the contest rules, your room cards are XXL Status with the Drink Plan and Deluxe Dining Plan already loaded as well as an allowance for the Gift Shop, General Store, and Photography Center. If you lose your key please contact a representative at the Help Desk on Deck 3 for a replacement. Unless you have any questions, we’ll take your ID photos now.”

“What’d I tell you guys, we’re livin’ large! Let’s go!”

Despite their skepticism, Grant and Darryl had to admit, this all sounded fantastic. Wyatt stepped in front of the backdrop.

Wyatt had blue eyes, stubble, and slightly reddish brown hair worn in a messy, curly moptop. He was about six foot one and trim. Style didn’t exactly escape Wyatt, but his goofy, gangly frame suited his amiable personality. He smiled a big toothy grin as the automated camera focused and then clicked as it took his picture.

Darryl stepped up next. He was Black and had a slightly more athletic body, which he maintained via the occasional run and game of basketball. He stood five foot ten with brown eyes, black hair trimmed into a short buzz cut, and a closely maintained beard and goatee. He gave a relaxed half smile, polite but cool.

Last was Grant. With his squared jaw, large brown eyes, and thick, wavy blonde hair, Grant was a naturally handsome individual who could’ve been a model. However, at five nine and with what could be described as a “thoroughly average” physique (neither overweight nor toned) it seemed unlikely that he’d ever grace a clothing catalogue. None of that particularly bothered Grant though; his passion was software programming, logic puzzles, and video games. He offered a friendly closed-mouth smile.

“Hear you are gentlemen.” The woman said handing the guys their freshly made room keys after they’d taken a minute to print their photos on them. The key cards were red and had an ID picture to the left and the room number, a barcode, and the line’s logo (a teal circle and the letters GHC in black) to the right. The letter H was oversized and bowed outwards while the smaller G and C were positioned above and below the H’s central bar, respectively.

“Congratulations once again, and thank you for choosing Grand Horizons Cruises. Bon voyage!”

The guys took their cards, thanked the woman, and headed up an escalator to the top floor of the terminal. After a brief line, they made their way to the boarding platform.

“One last photo before you depart, fellas?” A man in a tropical shirt with the cruise line’s logo on the pocket ushered them in front of a beachy backdrop.

“Come on guys, why not?” Wyatt said.

The guys took their places. Wyatt stood in the center with his arms around Darryl and Grant’s shoulders, they both flashed a goofy thumbs up, and the three of them smiled as the photographer took the picture.

“All pictures are printed off in the Photography Center. You’ll definitely want this one. You’ll hardly recognize yourself once your trip is over.”

“Thanks, but I doubt that. I don’t really tan.” Darryl joked.

The photographer look puzzled and was about to say something, but none of the guys noticed because they had already stepped onto the gangway and crossed over onto the SS Pacific Horizon ready to begin their voyage.


* * * *


It took them a while to orient themselves. The guys wandered around both because they were lost and because they wanted to get the layout of the ship. Eventually they made it up to deck 8.

The seemingly unending corridor stretched the length of the ship, but they only had to walk a brief distance from the mid-ship elevator bank. The sides of the hallway were stacked with luggage as stewards and porters matched the attached claim tickets to the assigned stateroom numbers. Grant had been on a cruise before with his family and knew the bags would not have arrived at their room yet. What did surprise him was the unexpected roominess of everything. Even on the most luxurious modern ships, space came at a premium and cruising was typically synonymous with crowded spaces and a cramped feeling. Yet the passageway the boys walked down was graciously wide. He could comfortably walk alongside Wyatt without either of them having to worry about tripping over the bags along the perimeter of the hall. Even the doors on each of the rooms seemed wider than standard for a cruise ship.

“This is it!” Wyatt exclaimed arriving at room 8057 and pulling out his card, “Who wants to go in first?”

“You’re the big winner, you got us into this mess.” Darryl gestured with his hand, “You might as well have the honor.”

Grant nodded and Wyatt swiped the room card through the electronic reader with an exaggerated flourish. As the light turned green, he flung open the door.

The stateroom was surprisingly deep for a cruise ship cabin. As the men stepped in from the door, the vestibule area contained a spacious walk-in closet to the right and the bathroom to the left. Grant had expected it to be claustrophobia-inducing, yet it was less like an airplane lavatory and more like a typical hotel bathroom. Instead of just a shower stall, there was a full bathtub with a showerhead, two sinks on a spacious counter, and the toilet was a comfortable distance from the other two major pieces in the room. The space was done up gorgeously in marble, chrome, porcelain, and glass.

Further in was the main room. Once more, Grant was shocked by how large and ample the room was. Along the left were two twin beds (although the mattresses actually seemed closer to full-sized) each with its own bedside table. Beyond the beds was a large couch (the pullout couch mentioned in the room description); it looked like it alone could seat all three of them. On the opposite wall was a floor-to-ceiling cupboard, a set of drawers with a large mirrored vanity, a built in desk, a suspended flat screen TV, a comfortable set of chairs and a table. The crowing achievement of course was the view from the expansive sliding glass door leading out to the large, private balcony overlooking the ocean. The whole room had a clean, airy quality to it: bright but luxuriously decorated in light wood fixtures, rich and modern fabrics, and warm leather detailing.

Grant whistled in amazement.

“Did I tell you guys or what!?” Wyatt exclaimed.

“Got to admit,” Darryl said, “it’s pretty phenomenal.”

“First come, first serve!” Wyatt called out as he ran for the center bed. He belly flopped onto the crisply folded linens and pillows.

Darryl was in close pursuit and claimed the bed nearest towards the door, dropping his backpack on the nightstand. Grant leisurely strolled over and relaxed on the sofa.

“Guess you’re stuck with the couch, dude.” Darryl grinned.

“Suits me fine,” he said lifting up his legs on the coffee table, crossing his ankles, and putting his arms behind his head as he reclined into a pillow, “this mattress is bigger than either of your beds, ya dum-dums.”

“Good, then everyone’s happy.” Wyatt grinned.

“Hey, check this out.” Darryl said getting up.

On the desk were an ice bucket and a set of glasses. In the bucket was a glass decanter filled with a pale orange/peach colored liquid. Beside the bucket was a welcome card. Darryl picked it up.

“Welcome aboard the SS Pacific Horizon.” The standardized card had blank spaces that were written in with red pencil, “I am your cabin steward Arvin. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to make your stay more enjoyable. For Room Service, dial 5 on your phone. Please enjoy this complimentary bottle of Hincharon Juice, the prized fruit of Puerto Panzón.”

“Hincharon Juice?” Grant and Wyatt walked up to the desk, “Never heard of it.”

“That’s because it’s probably a local delicacy, you philistine,” Wyatt responded in a posh accent, “Pour me a glass would you, Darryl?”

He poured three. He and Wyatt took the glasses, and after a second, Grant took the last.

“Gentlemen, to us.” Wyatt toasted as they clinked their glasses together. Wyatt immediately drank his. After briefly smelling the beverage, Darryl downed his as well.

“Wow! This is good!” Wyatt said finishing off the cool tropical drink.

“Yeah,” Darryl agreed, “It actually really is.”

With that response, Grant went ahead and drank his too. He also found that it tasted delicious. It was a little bit like a cross between pineapple and banana and something else he couldn’t quite think of. It was heartier than those fruit drinks though.

“Mmmm, that’s thick.” He commented contently.

“And sweet.” Wyatt added taking the bottle and refilling his glass to the top.

“But not sugary or overpowering.” Darryl chimed in offering his glass to be topped off as well. Grant followed suit.

“It’s actually kind of refreshing.”

They all agreed and soon the decanter was empty. The guys proceeded to unpack their carry-on bags and check out the room. While Wyatt opened the balcony door to let the warm, salty breeze of the ocean wafted in, Grant opened the cupboard and found it contained some drawers, a room safe, and a large, fully stocked mini fridge.

“Jackpot! Hey Wyatt, is this stuff included with the contest?”

“Yep, it said so in the email.” He replied.

“So you did read the contest contract?” Grant asked raising an eyebrow.

“I skimmed it.” Wyatt admitted sheepishly.

“Called it.” Grant thought to himself.

“But I definitely read the mini fridge and everything else in the room was included complimentary for the contest winners.”

“Dudes,” Darryl called from the closet, “come see this.”

They walked into the closet to see Darryl barely containing his laughter.

“Courtesy of the Grand Horizon Cruise Line: complimentary robes…” He said gesturing to the pristine long, white bathrobes hanging from hangers.

“…complimentary slippers…” He said gesturing to the white open-toed spa shoes still in their clear, vacuum-sealed bags positioned on the shoe rack.

“…and for the coup de grâce, the one thing you should never leave home without,” he said opening the drawer along the closet wall, “complimentary banana hammocks!”

Inside the top drawer were three pairs of men’s, teal-colored swim briefs, each in its own clear disposable bag like the hotel slippers. The line’s GHC logo was printed in black along the fabric.

“What the fuck?” Grant stared in disbelief. Darryl erupted in laughter. Wyatt picked up one of the bags and looked at it.

“I think they’re kinda cool guys,” he turned it over and looked at it, “And these aren’t banana hammocks, they’re Speedos. Or maybe swim briefs.”

“They’re crazy is what they are.” Darryl said regaining his composure.

“Yeah, why are these even here?!” Grant added.

“Obviously in case you forgot a swimsuit.”

“I mean why are they like this?” Grant said taking the bag and waving it in Wyatt’s face.

“I don’t know, I guess the cruise line is European. Or maybe Australian.”

“So?”

“So that’s the style they wear. They don’t mind showing off, they’re not ashamed of their bodies.”

“I am NOT ashamed of my body.” Grant stated adamantly.

“Then don’t be so uptight about these, man.” Wyatt said taking the bag back, “I’m gonna wear them.”

“Your pasty white ass will blind everyone at the pool.” Darryl laughed.

“There’s no way they’ll even fit you.” Grant asked.

“Will too, it says so on the back, see.”

Grant and Darryl looked at the bag as Wyatt held it up for them. Through the back they could see the tag. “One Size Fits All” was clearly printed on it.

“Whatever, you’re gonna look ridiculous.” Grant responded.

“That’s the point! You all should wear them too.”

“Okay now I know you’re crazy!” Daryl stated.

“Yes, remember we’re here to be crazy, do something different, make memories, do stuff we wouldn’t do otherwise. Are you guys flaking on me already?”

There was a moment of silence.

Darryl sighed, “Only if Grant does it too.”

“Are you serious?!” Grant said aghast.

“Come on, buddy.” Wyatt prodded, “No one else here knows you. What do you care what strangers who you’re never gonna see again think? Don’t be such a stick in the mud!”

Grant looked back and forth between Wyatt and Darryl. After a long pause, he groaned and sighed exasperatedly. He knew when he was beat.

“Ugh. You guys are idiots.”

“You’re gonna look back on this years from now and say ‘life came a-knockin’ and I rose to each challenge.’” Wyatt said beaming.

“I think you just combined two completely different sayings.” Darryl said catching Wyatt’s infectious enthusiasm.

Just then, there was a knock at the cabin door.

Grant grew red-faced. He snatched the swim briefs from Wyatt’s hand, tossed them back in the drawer, and shoved it closed. He then pushed everyone out of the closet and back into the main room.

Wyatt went back out and opened the door.

At the door was a man in his early 30s with neat black hair and glasses holding a set of folded white beach towels. Pinned to his teal work shirt was a GHC nametag with the name “Arvin” printed on it.

“Oh, sorry to intrude.” The man said with a slight Filipino accent. “I thought you might need some extra towels, but I can come back later.”

“No, please come in.” Wyatt motioned opening the door fully.

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you.” Arvin said as he walked into the main room, placed the towels on the counter, and folded them back, “My name is Arvin and I’ll be your cabin steward for your cruise. If there’s anything you need, just let me know and I’ll be happy to take care of it for you.”

“Hi, I’m Wyatt,” Wyatt said as he stepped back in and shook Arvin’s hand before gesturing to the others, “and this is Darryl and Grant.”

They said their hellos as well.

“I understand you are our magazine contest winner.” Arvin said turning back to Wyatt. “I hope the room is to your liking.”

“It’s pretty amazing. We were just getting accustomed to everything in it.” Darryl stated with a smile at Grant who was doing his best not to look frazzled.

“Well as you already probably know from the contest contract, you’re entitled to access all of the guest amenities on the ship, fully covered of course. If you’d like reservations made at any of the restaurants, just let me know and I’ll gladly take care of that for you. In the meantime, I’ve laid out…”

Arvin turned to the empty bottle.

“Oh, I see you already tried the Hincharon juice.”

“Oh yeah that stuff was amazing!” Wyatt exclaimed.

“It really was delicious.” Grant added and Darryl nodded along.

“I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Every bottle comes straight from Puerto Panzón. It’s grown, harvested, and bottled right on the island. Is there anything I can get you while you’re waiting for your luggage to arrive?”

“Not right now, but tell you what, can you have another bottle of that stuff sent up? I could drink that every hour of every day.” Darryl asked enthusiastically.

“If that’s what you’d like, I can bring a bottle by every time I come in to clean or turn down the beds.”

“That’d be fantastic.” Grant stated as Wyatt was grinning too much to speak.

“Oh! While you’re here, can you give us some of the main destinations?” Wyatt suddenly asked.

“Well let me think.” Arvin pondered, “The Equator Dining Room spans decks 5 through 7 with the entrance on 6. There are a variety of specialty restaurants throughout the ship. For more casual options you might prefer the Trade Winds Buffet on deck 11. The medical center is on deck 4, the casino is on 7, the Triton Theatre is on 5, the Paradisio Cinema is here on 8, the library and the cybercafé are on 9, the forward pool is on 11, the aft one is on 10, and the observation lounge in on 13. The Boat deck is deck 6; there will be a mandatory lifeboat drill two hours after we leave port, your muster station is the cinema and you’re assigned Boat 10.

“And what deck is the gym on?” Darryl asked.

Arvin looked almost surprised at the question.

“There is no fitness center onboard, sir.”

“None at all?” Grant asked.

“Well there is the Promenade Deck if you’d like to walk laps. And there’s always the pools although they don’t open officially until after the safety drills have been completed.” Arvin offered.

“That’s really surprising.” Grant stated bewildered.

“If you’re looking for a health treatment, may I recommend the Spa Center on Deck 12? The facility is open immediately to XXL members like yourselves and the facility is fully equipped with all forms of rejuvenation and relaxation treatments.”

“Thanks, we’ll keep that in mind.” Wyatt said.

“Well then, if there’s nothing else, I’ll leave you to relax and I hope you have an excellent cruise.” Arvin stated warmly before taking the empty ice bucket and heading out the door.

“What kind of cruise ship doesn’t have a gym?” Darryl asked after the door had closed.

“You both could’ve handled that better.” Wyatt said, “It’s not Arvin’s fault.”

“But don’t you think that’s weird?” Grant shot back, “I mean that’s a pretty basic amenity.”

“Not really, I’m here to relax. I’m on vacation.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t avoid the Freshman 15 for 4 years by just lying around on my ass.” Darryl responded.

“Jeez, how fat do you think you’re gonna get in 9 days?”

“Man, shut up.” Darryl laughed.

“Look, just do what Arvin said and do some laps, you’ll be fine. Actually, I think we should all do what he said and go wash the road off us with a trip to the Spa! It’ll get us relaxed.”

“That actually does sound nice.” Grant admitted.

Just then, the three were startled as the ship’s horn erupted with a mighty blast. They’d noticed a light vibration the minute they’d stepped aboard, but it suddenly became a slightly more invigorated dull buzz. It was the ships engines roaring to life.

“Hey,” Darryl said, “I think were launching.”

The trio moved out onto the deck. It was almost imperceptibly slow at first, but after a while it was clear ship was sliding out of her berth and heading to sea. The guys leaned over the railing to look down at the azure blue waves lapping against the ship. As they leaned out, they could just make out other passengers at their balconies below them and to the side all looking out as Long Beach drifted away. Distant exclamations could be heard as people cheered farewell.

“Well guys,” Wyatt smiled, “next stop Puerto Panzón!”


TO BE CONTINUED