Page 26 of One True Loves

“What?” Wally says, looking up from his phone.

“Wally, I’ve told you for the last time,” Mom huffs. “Put that dang thing away.”

“Right, sorry,” Wally says, but he follows her directions slowly, like his eyes are physically attached to the thing.

“And Lenore, sweetie,” Dr. Lee says. “Where will you be going?”

I knew I was coming next, but I was hoping something would interrupt this excruciating conversation. Where’s the waiter already? Can we get some water? “NYU.”

“Wonderful! It takes a special person to thrive in New York. How exciting!”

“And what willyoube studying?” Mr. Lee asks.

Everyone turns to look at me, even Wally and Etta, and I feel like I’ve been called to the front of the congregation.

I take a deep breath and paste on the smile I know theyexpect. “Art history. But I’m considering changing it.”

“She’s struggling to narrow down what she wants to do just yet because she’s talented in so many areas,” Mom rushes to explain.

“Lenore has always been our free spirit, but she’s getting there,” Dad laughs.

I feel my face burn because even though they’re trying to help, it makes it seem so much worse. They’re making it seem like I need defending, when I haven’t done anything wrong.

“An artist! Wonderful!” Dr. Lee says quickly, repeating herself. “I wish my brain worked that way.” I wonder if she really believes that, or if she’s just trying to make me feel better.

I make the mistake of turning to look at Alex, and he’s smiling. Smug. It’s clear he’s the winner here.

Of course the waiter chooses that moment to show up with drinks and the menus. I mean, damn. You couldn’t have timed that five minutes earlier, Phillip?

The conversation, thankfully, drifts away from me and my future from there. There’s a cheesy napkin dance and a big speech from the cruise director, followed by so many plates of food. But as our parents laugh and sip their constantly refilled glasses of wine over surf and turf, I still feel unsettled. It’s not just the annoying way my parents talked about me in front of these people we just met. It’s that I can feel each rock of the boat, as if I’m down on the very last level, drifting back and forth with each wave. I was keeping the seasickness at bay, butnow it’s overpowering. I push away my untouched plate of steak and start taking deep breaths, willing my stomach to hold down its only contents, that one ginger ale from earlier.

“Are you okay?” Alex asks next to me.

“I’m fine,” I spit out, closing my eyes. That makes it worse.

“I’m guessing you’re seasick?” he continues. “This is actually pretty common, especially the first few days. Did you bring Dramamine with you? Or Sea-Bands? There are also motion sickness patches.”

“No, I didn’t bring a whole pharmacy with me on this ship,” I say, in between labored breaths. He can save his know-it-all schtick for the parents because I am not here for it.

“Okay. Sorry.”

The lights go dim and disco balls drop down from the ceiling, casting swirling lights off the chandeliers and star-printed ceiling. Am I hallucinating? This is definitely my worst nightmare.

“Now, we’d like to invite you up to join us for our first dance of the night,” the cruise director from earlier says over the intercom. “Don’t be shy! I know you all know this one!”

The familiar peppy beat and whispers that start the “Cupid Shuffle” begin to blast out of the speakers. Mom is already shimmying her shoulders and snapping.

“Ooh yeah,” Mr. Lee says, standing up and doing some hip gyrations that I didn’t know he had in him.

My dad pops up too. “Yes! This is my song!”

The parents make their way to the dance floor, shoutingand waving their arms and carrying on, not even giving us a second thought.

I want to laugh, but the lights make the whole room spin. I stand up. I need to get out of here. I need air.

Wally doesn’t even glance up from his phone, and Etta is now drawing a diagram of something with her crayons. Alex, though, looks up at me with an amused smirk. “Are you going to join them?”

“No,” I say. The back of my throat burns. “But maybe you could with your girlfriend? Where is she? Or did you find another replacement?”

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