Vermont

If its spike I'll just die lmao

I think that story is so beautiful 

Oh no baby Tess! 

Hey it is OK .I love reading the story , it is the best . I get busy too . I hope your travels are safe .

Chapter 10: The ship had officially left port.   Far below, white water churned behind the massive vessel as it pushed steadily toward the open sea. The distant shoreline was already beginning to shrink on the horizon.   Ryder and Marshall wandered the ship’s seemingly endless corridors, exploring one deck after another.   Every turn revealed something new.   Restaurants.   Lounges.   Observation areas.   Theaters.   Shopping promenades.   Entire sections of the ship that felt like small cities unto themselves.   Ryder looked amazed by all of it.   Marshall noticed.   He always noticed.   As they walked, Marshall found his thoughts drifting toward his friend.   Not in any romantic sense.   Never that.   The feeling was closer to what an older brother might feel toward a younger sibling.   Ryder was technically an adult. Twenty-one years old.   But Marshall had always felt protective of him.   Part of that came from knowing how much Ryder had dealt with on his own.   No parents to call.   No family to lean on.   No safety net.   Most people never realized how much of life Ryder navigated alone because he rarely complained about it.   Marshall knew better.   He’d seen it firsthand.   His mind drifted back to their old job.   The grocery store.   The endless fluorescent lights.   The long shifts.   The terrible management.   Their supervisor had singled Ryder out almost immediately.   Nothing Ryder did ever seemed good enough.   If a shelf wasn’t stocked perfectly, the supervisor blamed Ryder.   If a customer complained, somehow it became Ryder’s fault.   Week after week, the criticism grew worse.   And Ryder did what he always did.   He kept his head down.   Stayed quiet.   Tried to endure it.   Marshall had watched it happen for months.   Until one day he’d finally had enough.   The memory still made him smile.   The argument had been spectacular.   Marshall had stood up to the supervisor in front of half the staff.   Voices were raised.   Tempers flared.   Several uncomfortable truths were spoken.   The result?   Both of them got fired.   At the time it had felt like a disaster.   Now it felt almost funny.   Especially considering neither of them missed that place.   “You thinking about something?” Ryder asked.   Marshall blinked.   “Huh?”   “You got quiet.”   Marshall shrugged.   “Just remembering the grocery store.”   Ryder laughed immediately.   “Oh no.”   “Oh yes.”   “The Great Cereal Aisle Incident?”   “The very one.”   Ryder shook his head.   “We got fired.”   “Worth it.”   “It absolutely was not worth it.”   “It absolutely was.”   They both laughed.   The memory carried a strange warmth now.   Not because losing their jobs had been enjoyable.   But because it reminded them how long they’d been friends.   How much they’d already been through together.   Eventually they found themselves standing on one of the ship’s observation decks.   The ocean stretched endlessly before them.   Blue water in every direction.   The wind carried the scent of salt and sea spray.   Passengers lined the railings taking photographs.   Others simply stood quietly, taking in the view.   Ryder rested his arms on the railing.   For once, he wasn’t talking.   He simply stared.   The vastness of the ocean seemed to leave him speechless.   Marshall watched him for a moment.   Ryder looked genuinely happy.   Maybe a little nervous.   A little overwhelmed.   But happy.   The kind of happy Marshall hadn’t seen very often.   Not because Ryder was unhappy in life.   More because he rarely gave himself opportunities like this.   Adventures.   Experiences.   Big moments.   Marshall smiled to himself.   This was exactly why he’d gone through the trouble of arranging the trip.   Ryder deserved something extraordinary.   Something bigger than his tiny apartment.   Something bigger than work.   Something bigger than routine.   As the wind tugged at Ryder’s shirt, Marshall noticed the faint outline of the protective garment Ryder sometimes wore for medical reasons.   Most people wouldn’t have noticed.   Most people wouldn’t have known what they were looking at.   Marshall immediately looked away.   It wasn’t important.   What mattered was something else entirely.   Ryder had trusted himself enough to prepare for the trip.   To take care of himself.   To not spend the entire week worrying.   Marshall respected that.   More than Ryder probably realized.   Looking out across the endless ocean, Marshall made a quiet decision.   He wasn’t going to spend the trip teasing Ryder.   Or embarrassing him.   Or treating him like he couldn’t handle himself.   Instead, he was going to do what he’d always done.   Be there when needed.   Offer help when asked.   And make sure his friend had the best week possible.   Because Avalon awaited.   Neither of them knew what they would find there.   Towering Amazons.   New experiences.   Unexpected adventures.   Maybe even challenges.   But whatever happened, Ryder wouldn’t have to face it alone.   Standing on the observation deck with the sea stretching endlessly before them, Marshall felt certain of one thing.   This trip was going to change both of their lives.   And it was only just beginning.