The deck had lurched under my feet, and I'm still regaining my balance. Kristopher already risked a look over the side of the ship, and after I right myself, I walk over to the railing. Then there's a tug on my arm, and I nearly fall a second time. 

"Oh no you don't," Mami says, glaring at me. "You shouldn't be near the railing anyway."

"But I want to see the ocean!"

"You can see it just fine from here. Come on. Let's go unpack."

I just want to see the waves lap at the edge of the boat. Kristopher got to see it, so why can't I? I follow Mami down the stairs, very bothered. We walk back to our quarters, and Mami heads to the communal bathroom.

"Ick," Kristopher says as he flops down on the single bed. "I can't believe we have to share a bathroom with EVERYONE on this ship. It's disgusting."

I roll my eyes at him. "Mami paid extra so we could have beds. Most people on this ship have to sleep in hammocks!"

"But these aren't even comfortable! The matress is somehow too hard and too soft, and the sheets are super scratchy! I wish we had hammocks." Kristopher stares down at the floor in a mock-pout.

"If we had hammocks, we would be waking up to a pile of vomit on the floor every morning - and it wouldn't be from me or Mami." 

Kristopher gets sick whenever he sleeps in a hanging thing. One time back at our old house, he fell asleep in a hammock during the summer, and he threw up all over it. Mami and I had to clean it and that was GROSS. I never want to see a hammock again, but it looks like Kristopher likes everything that's bad for him. 

I reach under the single bed and pull out Toto. Kristopher, who was trying to make himself comfortable, spouts something that sounds a lot like "watareyoudoing?!" but I don't pay any attention. I just open up the bag of cat treats and hand a few over to Toto, then push his little Sir Chonky body back under the bed.

Kristopher glares at me. "You do realize there's NO WAY you can hide a cat for this whole ship ride in the same room as Mami, right?"

I glare back at him. "Shut your mouth, Kristopher."

"No, I'm not going to-"

"Shut it." 

"Okay, geez. There's no need for you to-"

Mami walks in. She eyes both of us suspiciously. "What were you two talking about?"

I can't think of anything, but Kristopher has always been good at improvising. I think part of it is that he acts like he belives what he's saying. As if it truly happened and he is sure of his ability to recollect it correctly.

"We were just talking about what the best kind of room layout is, and Delily started to try and move some of the beds to show off her favorite kind of layout. I was telling her she didn't need to go that far!"

I shoot Kristopher with a side-eye. He really could have chosen something that guarenteed neither of us would get into trouble, but he never misses a chance to pin some kind of blame on me. 

"Delily, don't touch the furniture. It's bolted to the floor, and you would get hurt trying to move it."

The way Mami says that, it feels like it's guarenteed that I would get hurt no matter what. I know I'm not supposed to talk back, but I'm still simmering from that thing up on the deck.

"Oh really? Well, I guess I'll have to sleep on the floor then, if I'm not allowed to touch the furniture."

There's really not even that much furniture. It's just two beds, three nightstands, and a stunted-looking wardrobe. Mami gives me the "Mom Eye" - a stare of annoyance and discipline combined into one. I don't shrink under it. Well, maybe a little.

"Delily Astrom, you know what I mean. Don't take things so literally, and DON'T talk back to adults. Kristopher, it's your turn to go to the bathroom. Will you take Delily along?"

Kristopher looks aghast. "You want me to take her into the men's room?"

Mami switches her Mom Eye to him. "No, Kristopher. I want you to BRING Delily TO the women's restroom entrance, and once you are finished, wait for her. Do you understand me?"

"Er, yes, Mami." 

Kristopher drags me out of our room and towards the end of the hallway. The hallway is filled with doors to other rooms, there are two doors at either end of the hallway, and there's a staircase near the door labled Restrooms. Kristopher's grip is a little too tight on my wrist, so I give him a light smack on the back of his hand. He lets go, but it must have been harder then I meant for it to be, because Kristopher comes to a stop.

"Ow, Delily, what was that for?"

"You were gripping my wrist too tight!"

"That was a loose grip! You didn't need to slap me!"

"Loose grip? Really?" I show him the little pink finger marks on my right wrist.

"Oh, um, sorry," Kristopher looks sheepish. "I didn't realize I was gripping that hard. Mami just stresses me out sometimes."

"I get it. Come on, we need to get going."

We head to the bathroom, freshen up, and come back to Mami. Then we go up the staricase to the dining hall.