Knockdown by Brenda Beem

we survived, Jervis, Nick, and Angelina were going to be a problem. But first we needed to survive.

     
    Chapter Eleven
     
    Two Hours Before
     
    I found a pink sweatsuit with little blue sailboats and handed it to Zoë through a crack in the door.
    “Really?” she groaned.
    The guys left to go back on deck. Makala whimpered in her sleep.
    “I’m glad you figured out how to make a top for Jervis.” I turned to Angelina. “I think he likes you…”
    A high -pitched wail erupted from the shower.
    “ Zoë!” I ran to the bathroom door. “What happened?”
    “ No! No! No! I can’t do this!” She banged on the door.
    Dylan raced down the steps. “What’s going on?”
    “It’s Zoë,” I pointed. “I think she fell.”
    “ Zoë, open up. It’s me.” Dylan knocked on the door. She didn’t answer.
    “I’m coming in.” Dylan slid the bathroom door open. I peeked in around him. Zoë sat on the floor wrapped in a towel.
    Dylan knelt beside her. “Babe, what’s wrong?”
    She covered h er face and sobbed. “This is too much. I want to go home. Now!”
    He reached out to comfort her.
    She pushed him away. Her arms flailed in the air. “I mean it. I can’t do this. I can’t. I can’t.”
    Dylan rocked her in his arms. “You’re s easick. You’ll get better. It’ll be okay.”
    She wept . “No it won’t. I just took a salt water shower. Salt water! I’m wearing your mom’s dorky clothes. I’m sick. No more.”
    “Come on , Zoe. We don’t have time for this,” Dylan whispered.
    She began to sob. “You don’t understand. I don’t have any make-up. I don’t have my flat iron. I don’t even have a toothbrush.”
    A stampede of footsteps raced down the stairs to the main salon. Takumi, Cole and Jervis all asked, “What’s going on down here?”
    Makala woke up and began screaming, “Mommy, Mommy!”
    Angelina dropped the hand piece to the radio a nd rushed to her. The rest of us just stood and helplessly watched Zoë and Dylan.
    Zoë was hysterical.
    Makala crie d.
Jervis leaned into the bathroom and growled, “Knock it off, Zoë. You’re scaring Makala.”
    Zoë sniffled and grew still. She took a deep breath, wrapped her towel tighter, and stood. “Dylan, turn this boat around. Right now.” She wiped her nose on her towel.
    The burgundy towel was now hers forever.
    “Come on. You know I can’t do that.” Dylan shook his head.
    Zoë swayed with the boat. Dylan caught her in his arms.
    Zoë had been seasick for hours. But she wasn’t hurt. As I was about to leave, she reached for a hand towel, and started to dry her hair.
    I frowned . Zoë’s hair was wet. She’d washed it. I shoved past her and turned on the water in the sun shower. Nothing came out. “You used up all the water,” I cried.
    “What?” Zoë rubbed her eyes.
    “You washed your hair. I told you not to !” I huffed and stepped out of the bathroom. “I dug out the sun-shower, filled it with sea water, and I waited all day for it to heat. I can’t believe you went and…”
    “Well, excuse me , Little Red Hen. From now on, you can have it all because I’m out of here!” Zoë screamed.
    We glared at each other.
    Dylan frowned at me. “What’s the big deal? It’s not like there’s a shortage of salt water.”
    “You don’t get it. I didn’t take a shower after swim practice. I’m all chlorine-y. She was supposed to share the water with Angelina and me. I told her not to wash her hair, because that would use up all the water.”
    Zoë squeezed her eyes tight and pulled away from Dylan. Her fists lashed out in rapid succession. “I hate you. I hate you all.” Her left hand struck Dylan’s broken nose.
    He yelped and jumped back. Zoë teetered and almost fell.
    “That’s enough.” I pointed to the cabin she’d claimed as theirs. “Go to your room!”
    Zoë grew still, her eyes wide. “Did you just send me to my room?”
    Dylan held his nose. Blood dripped toward his mouth.
    Cole and Takumi fidgeted