Chapter Two - Sammie

Chapter Two - Sammie

Yesterday—

“Hi!—Hellooo...... I said Hi!—”

“Oh . . . you’re talking to me?” Oh geez, you dweeb, what a dumb answer.

“Well yeahhh,” she says, while twirling her sun-streaked hair around a finger.  “Do you see anyone else on the top deck of this ferry boat?”

“Well when you put it that way, just me I guess.”  Wow, she’s kinda pretty, her blue eyes sparkle—think, think, say something not too stupid, offer her a tic tac.

“My name is Sammie, what’s yours?” She looks straight into his face, he holds her stare for a second, and then looks down.   His legs shake, his chest quivers, his head swims.  She lets go of the hair twirl, setting the ringlet free, and starts another twist.  She tilts her head trying to make eye contact again.  His face flushes, and his cheeks burn.  

 She’s wearing a purple Orcas Island baseball cap with sunglasses perched above the sharply curved bill.  Her twirled hair ringlets hang below her shoulders cascading over a Columbia Windbreaker. The jacket is zipped to the top fending off the wind chill, but she is wearing shorts and sandals. She could be a cover girl for an outdoor magazine. 

“It’s Josh,” looking up he forces himself to return her smile, “I mean my name is Josh. Isn’t Sammie a boy’s name, do you know where this ferry is going?” That was so lame, I can’t believe I said it.  “Is that your dog?” Oh jeez, more stupid, of course it’s her dog.

“Her name is Sadie, do you think I look like a boy? It’s going to Canada, I saw you down on the dock looking at the line to the other ferry.”

“Canada!—oh crap, oops sorry,” he grabs his mouth, “I’m on the wrong ferry, I gotta get off.” I can’t get more stupid than getting on the wrong ferry.  Joshua grabs his backpack off the ferry deck and runs for the stairs. 

Sammie and Sadie bolt after Josh, “Hey, where are you going?”

 “To the other ferry, I’m supposed to be going to Orcas Landing.”

“Wait—that’s this ferry.” Hearing that, he stops at the top of the stairs.

“But you said it’s going to Canada!”

“It is—right after we get off on Orcas Island where I live. At least where I have to live all summer with my stepmother.”

“Oh wow—me too! I wouldn’t…”

The ferry horn drowns out any more talk; it blasts out a long ten-second warning that it is about to move away from the dock.  Immense power surges through the ships decks shaking railings.  It’s massive twin propellers churn ocean water into a frothy wake of sea creatures and kelp pushing the 400-foot vessel away from shore.

“I wouldn’t have made it—the other ferry I mean. I was panicked—I mean I live on Orcas Island too, not with your mother. I mean, I will be living there now, I guess. With my Aunt and Uncle.  I haven’t been there by myself, in a long time.  Well—I guess I’ve never been there by myself, actually—” I should shut up, she must think I’m dumber than dumb.  “Do we go to Orcas Landing or Orcas Island first, I don’t want to miss my stop and end up in Canada.  Do you want a Tic-Tac,” shaking the container, “it’s really just candy you know.”

Sammie holds out her hand, and he carefully shakes out two.  She contemplates his anxious question and considers telling him they are really going to Canada to see if he faints. He’s cute, I can’t be mean to him.  She leans against the heavily-painted railing, her hands behind her back, she rocks back and forth, fidgeting, and watching.

The ferry plows across the middle of four-mile wide Rosario Strait toward the San Juan Islands.  Cold seawater chills the wind keeping most passengers inside warm cabins.  Sammie’s hair streams behind her. Soon she crosses her arms and tucks her hands for warmth. Her bare calves and thighs double goosebump.  She watches Josh’s panic subside, he’s no longer super amped over what is really just a boring bus ride, but she catches him shyly sneaking peaks at her. She kicks off one sandal and shoves it between her backpack and duffel bag. The backpack is bulging and has a water bottle hanging from a cord, the duffle bag is adorned with a peeling save the whale’s bumper sticker, another sticker proclaims, caring counts, and an old earth first button dangles precariously. The zipper is broken, and it’s tied shut with a frayed red bungee cord with knotted ends.

Sammie rests her bare foot on Sadie’s back, and digs her toes into the sleek fur while watching the boy show off.  Josh treats the railing as a playground toy.  In her presence, he acts ten instead of almost eighteen. Enjoying Sammie’s attention, Sadie has laid her head on the duffle bag, she leaves one eye open. Her long Golden Retriever fur splayed on the deck is almost the same color as Sammie’s twirled ringlets.

 Finally, she says, “You didn’t answer my question.”

“What?” Oh boy—what question?

“I asked you if I look like a boy?”

“No—I mean heck no.” —excellent answer! He looks directly at her, and when their eyes meet, she looks away.

“Good,” she says, hiding her smile, and aware that goosebumps just ran up her arms.

“It’s confusing, ”says Sammie, “but it’s the same place, Orcas Landing is like a bus stop for ferries, and it’s the only stop on Orcas Island. It’s the only way on or off the island, except flying, swimming or kayaking. It’s short for Samantha.”

“I would like to try it sometime,” he gets instantly red faced, and then blurts, “kayaking—I mean. I have an app on my phone, it does white water kayaking, but I’ve never done it, you know, for real.” Oh jeez, I’m sounding like an idiot, I should just stop talking.

“Want another.” He shakes the tic-tac container.

“Sure.” She holds out her hand, palm up. He shakes one out from six inches, and misses her hand. The tic-tac bounces once, and skitters across the deck and out the ships scupper to the sea fifty feet below.

“Oopsey,” says Josh.  Oh god I said Oopsey!

“Here, let me show you.” She takes the plastic container in her hand, and holds Josh’s hand with her other. Carefully jiggling two white mints into his hand, she takes one for herself, before pressing the container into his palm, and closing his fingers. “There,” she says, looking up at him, “that’s how you do it, any questions?” She holds his hand in hers for a second longer than necessary, and watches his reaction.

“I got it, I think.” Oh my gosh—her hands feel nice. Her look goes right through him, to avoid melting into the steel deck he quickly looks seaward, and that’s when he spots the pod.

“Look,” pointing, “out there, a bunch of dolphins.” Sammie turns and follows his pointing in time to see a far off Orca spouting before going under.

“Those are Orcas, Killer Whales,” she says.

“They’re fantastic; I hope they come around Orcas Island?”

Sammie is about Josh’s age, he’s taller at close to six feet; she has already sized him up and decided they could be friends. He doesn’t seem pretentious or needy. Just shy and tongue-tied.  He’s not bad looking, his hair is a mess, it needs cutting, or at least a good brushing like Sadie, but he looks fit.  His hands could use some lotion and he’s tan enough to have been outdoors more than once. Most importantly, he’s not saying crazy things, or dude and awesome all the time. He’s just really nervous traveling on his own, she suspects her outspoken personality has him a little taken back; she has a similar effect on all boys she meets, not so with girls though, girls try to compete and get snitty around her, especially the made up trampy ones.

“They hang around the straits,” says Sammie, “like out here.  I teach people how to kayak and sail, sometimes we see Orcas, but mostly seals.  My stepmother, Sandy, owns the—Islander Grand Resort Bed and Breakfast—and I work for her. So I also have to put fish bait on hooks, scrub toilets and change bedding.”

“Wow, sailing instructor, fishing guide and maid, all in one. Your stepmom is lucky to have you help her. I don’t know what I’ll be doing, but I don’t want to go back to Portland, so I guess I’m starting new today. I’m going to live with my aunt and uncle, they seem nice, but I only know them from holidays and at my mom’s funeral.”

“Your mom’s gone, that sucks, where do your aunt and uncle live?”

“I guess where I’ll be staying—Pearson’s Cove.”

“Oh my gosh, you’re Josh Pearson.”

“Yeah, I know,” says Josh looking puzzled like something more is coming.

“We’re neighbors—I know Maggie and Chuck—I send my newbie kayaker’s to your cove for practice runs, I guess I mean your grandfather’s cove.” Finally, someone my age to hang with.

“Really—were neighbors?— that’s great.” You being my neighbor is better than great, it’s awesome.

                                                Chapter Three  -  Orcas Landing

The steel vehicle ramp winches down and drops with a clang, as the deck-man drags the