"Thank you Peter for joining along", Emily said excitingly while hugging him.
"It's not like I had a choice sadly", Peter said looking at the sea, "it's windy today, I swear if I get sick you owe me big time." He said in a tone of worry.
"Don't worry you it's not that windy nor does it rain, you'll be ok." Emily responded calmly while being visibly excited. "How much more does your cousin need to come here?"
He shrugged, "can't say, I suppose it will take him another 10 minutes or something."
"I can't wait to go there,how about you?", she asks him in a teasing tone.
"I'm thrilled," peter said in a gloomy voice wrapping his scarf around his neck.
"Yeah I see...anyways how about Ann? Where is she?"
"She said she wanted to get a couple things for safety reasons, she said we'll probably need them and she's not that wrong to be honest. But she'll probably be here on short notice."
There a moment of silence in which only the sea's waves and the birds could be heard.
"Why the interest of going there tho?", Peter asked curiously breaking the silence.
Emily sits besides him, "it's kind of funny,so please try not to laugh."
Peter nodded. "Go ahead ."
"I feel like I have to,like I saw it in a dream I should go there. It felt very real and I couldn't help but be intrigued by this idea", she turns to him, "is that a good enough answer?"
He shakes his head. "Nope! You sure there isn't any other reason? Like your dad wanted to visit it or something?" He asks trying to understand her idea better.
She chuckles ,"I told you it would leave you unsatisfied."
She pauses for a moment.
"I can't explain it but it feels important on the long run,do you understand?"
"I think I do", he said analyzing the environment around him, "but hey,the important thing was for me to come and help as we always do, just curious since it's the first time you wanted to do something this crazy."
"Guess there's a first thing for anything huh?"
He nods. "Perhaps...", he gets up,"well here we go,two for one", pointing at his cousin who is driving his speedboat to come pick them up and Ann running to get to them.
"At last", she gets up and starts stretching, "almost thought we'd swim there."
"Who?", Peter asks concerned.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting , guys", Ann said between breaths , "is your cousin here pit?"
At that moment Peter's cousin docked his boat at the harbour.
"Ok guys ,you can get on port", he said giving a hand for the others to get safely in the boat.
"Thank you Redi for the trip,it really means a lot", Emily said getting on boat .
"You're welcome."
"Thank you sir", Ann said as she got on the boat as well.
"No problem, also you can call me Redi or Red".
"You got it."
"Ohh there he is", he said dapping peter up and helping him to get on board.
"Morning cous, how's it going?"
"Everything good, you got lost entirely malaka", he said teasing him. "All grown up now eh?"
Peter laughs awkwardly,"it's not that, it's just I haven't had time to spare, sorry."
"I understand you're a busy man",he laughs and the girls join him.
"Yeah yeah very busy", Emily said sarcastically.
"Yeah uhm, guess that's how it goes", Peter said blushing from embarrassment.
"Look he turned into a tomato", Ann pointed out while laughing.
"S-Shut up", Peter covered his face on his scarf.
"Ok", Redi clapped his hands, "is everybody ready?"
"Ai-hi captain",said both Ann and Emily.
Peter nodded.
"Ok then , let's go", Redi said as he started the boat.
They were riding through the island in a normal speed,with the waves being bearable and wind hiting them in the face.
"HAS ANY OF YOU BEEN ON SPEEDBOAT BEFORE?", Redi asked curiously with a grin on his face while yelling in order to be heard because the wind made it hard for them to communicate properly.
"I HAVE",peter yelled back.
"NOT YOU, I WAS ASKING THE OTHERS",Redi yelled back.
"I'VE NEVER BEEN ON ONE,IT SEEMS SO RELAXING TO ENJOY THE SEA AND THE LANDSCAPES", Emily screamed back.
"I HAVE BUT NOT HERE ,IN SANTORINI", Ann screamed.
"SO IT'S FIRST FOR BOTH HERE IN ZAKYNTHO, THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR A NEW EXPERIENCE ", Redi screamed.
"SINCE WHEN HAVE YOU BEEN TO SANTORINI?", Peter asked curiously.
"LAST YEAR".
"AND YOU DIDN'T INVITE ANY OF US??".
"WHY SHOULD HAVE I?"
"BECAUSE WE'RE FRIENDS?", Emily replied, "JUST THE THOUGHT WOULD BE NICE."
"WOULD YOU HAVE INVITED ME IN A FAMILY TRIP?"
"PROBABLY YES, BUT MOSTLY TO BE NICE SINCE YOU'D PROBABLY REJECT",Peter responded.
"SO YOU WOULD HAVE SAID NO?"
"UH HUH", Peter nodded.
"IT WOULD BE WEIRD TO COME WITH YOUR FAMILY, WOULDN'T IT?", Emily said.
"THEN WHY ARE WE EVEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION IF THE FIRST PLACE?"
"WHY NOT??", Peter replied giggling and the others soon enough joined in.
"PETER WHY DON'T YOU COME HERE AND LEAVE THE GIRLS ON THEIR OWN?", Redi suggested.
"COMING RIGHT UP".
Peter went to sit next to the captain's sit whereas Ann and Emily stayed on the sun bathing area.
Since they're closer to each other they don't have to yell a lot just a little so it is more private.
"So what did you want?",peter asked cheerfully.
"Wanna drive?"
"Nah I'm good".
"Figured you'd say this", Redi replied, "so which one?"
Peter , confused , asked,"what do you mean?"
"The girl you have a crush on of course", Redi said teasingly.
After big sigh Peter replied,"none of them? They've been my friends for ages and Emily since I was born,you ask this everytime." With an annoyed look on his face.
Redi giggled, "I know , I know, it's just really entertaining making fun of like this."
"Well I don't like it".
"Chill big boy", Redi said smiling, "besides it's good to have female friends."
"Oh yeah?",peter asked sarcastically.
"Yeah, they can even help you to get with a girl".
"The closest they ever came to helping me with a girl was in second grade, where Emily went up to the girl and said that when I drank milk I played with my pp", Peter paused feeling his anger once again from this memory.
Whereas Redi started laughing, "I mean she wasn't lying".
"THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT", Peter said angrily, "the worst part is she was my best friend, and as much as she tried , she always ended up laughing , whenever she looked at me,it got so bad she had to get hospitalised because she laughed so much that her kidneys started acting up. In the end she moved to another state,for financial reasons mostly yes, but also because of this and it was that creatures fault."
Redi continued laughing, "and you're still salty about it?'
"Yes", Peter said with no hesitation.
"I think it's time to let that go,or better yet laugh about it".
"I'll see, anyways",Peter's gaze was looking around, almost like scanning he's surroundings, "it's weird, usually at this time of day we've encountered dolphins, guess we're unlucky."
"They are just more rare,in general they're rare you know that but, in winter they're impossible to spot."
"I see".
There a small pause before Redi asked.
"So how's things been going at home?"
Peter looked down, "let's just say, it could have been better. But it also could have been worse you know? "
Redi nodded, "yes I know, we'll you come by our house?"
"I'm not sure, can't leave my mom alone but I won't be going to her hometown at Christmas so,yes I'll come there just for Christmas time." Peter said with a lower tone than before.
"It's ok ,you can open up as much as you want I've told you this already".
"I know, I know. It's just, I feel like a burden".
"You don't feel at all like this and neither do my parents, don't worry two years then... You'll be independent. And why not if your school is close I'll drop by say once a month. Think it this way."
Peter laughed,"sounds good enough".
"Exactly, that's it, continue to laugh. There's no point crying over spilled milk anyways ,is there?"
"Nope", Peter said shaking his head good .
"Very well,now go sit back there because we're arriving and tell them to be ready."
"Ok",peter said getting up from the sit and getting to the sun bathing area.
"So that's it?", Ann asked Emily confused,"you're doing this because of a dream you had?"
"Well it's not just a dream, it's the same dream I've seen multiple times already so,it must mean something,no?" Emily laughed awkwardly.
"What's going on in here?", Peter asked.
"She wanted to this because of a dream", Ann said.
"Yeah I know, where's the problem?"
"It's not a good enough excuse, that's where the problem lies".
"It doesn't always need to be", Peter shrugged.
"Thank you", Emily said, "if it was something else trust me, I'd tell you".
"Anyways, what about you? What did you two talk about?"
"Nothing much, school, sports and if I have a girlfriend yet-", before peter finished his sentence they both started laughing.
"What's funny?", Peter asked irritated.
"Ohh nothing big", Ann said trying to calm her self down.
"I forgot how hilarious your cousin was", Emily said while continuing to laugh.
"That's because he never was ", peter said furiously while other two continued to laugh.
Suddenly the boat started to slow down.
"Ok guys", Redi said, "We're here".