Page 73 of The Suite Life
‘I haven’t even looked yet,’ I say, smiling to myself, because it’s so Dad, to ask what I’m having.
‘Apparently, we can have anything to eat that we want,’ he replies. ‘Anything!’
‘And yet you’ll have your usual – steak and chips,’ Mum points out.
‘Yeah, well, imagine the steak they will have on here,’ Dad replies.
‘Okay, well, let’s all just make the most of it, before it’s time to order,’ I tell them. ‘We’re going to have a walk around, and explore the yacht a little.’
‘Be good,’ Mum teases playfully.
Donnie and I head upstairs, to another deck, the wind tousling our hair as we glance back at Maui. The view is nothing short of spectacular – lush greenery, golden beaches, and the turquoise sea stretching out endlessly. The manager was right, some of the views of Maui, you really can only appreciate from the ocean.
‘Wow, look at this,’ I say with a sigh. ‘Who knew Maui is even more stunning from out here?’
Donnie joins me at the railing as he takes in the view.
‘It’s breathtaking,’ he replies. ‘I can see why people fall in love with this place.’
‘I really can’t believe we’re here,’ I say. ‘Honestly, when I imagined being on a yacht, I didn’t picture all this. I expected it to be more… like a little sailboat.’
Donnie laughs.
‘A pineapple has more in common with a sailboat,’ he jokes.
‘I see that now,’ I reply. ‘You know, you pretending not to know Sunshine’s name is nothing short of a stroke of genius. It makes her livid, when she thinks people haven’t heard of her.’
He shrugs with a playful smirk.
‘Sometimes, the little victories are the sweetest,’ he tells me.
‘Can you believe she’s already using this yacht for her content?’ I say. ‘And she probably won’t even thank us.’
‘Do you think she’s posted anything yet?’ he asks curiously.
‘Let’s see,’ I suggest.
I fire up the InTheMo app, the social network for real-time life updates. Sunshine’s profile reveals a stream of photos and videos – already – each carefully curated to make it seem like this is her yacht, or that she has paid for it, at least. I roll my eyes.
‘Just typical,’ I say with a sigh. ‘We’re on this yacht together, on holiday together, and she’s turning it into her own personal photo shoot.’
I’m just about to close it when I notice something else in there, with the yacht photos – it’s a video of me, one that she has taken in secret. What the hell?
‘Oh my God,’ I blurt, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks.
Donnie, ever the calm presence, leans over to get a glimpse.
‘Who is that?’ he asks.
‘That’s from days ago – one of my failed dates,’ I explain. ‘He was some footballer, and an idiot. Why has Sunshine filmed me with him?’
Donnie thinks for a moment.
‘I don’t know, but she must have posted it by mistake,’ he points out.
The gears in my head start turning.
‘Do you think she’s been saving it, to use against me in some way?’ I suggest.
