Once Upon a Cruise

by Anna Staniszewski

  “Go for it!” I tell Mitch! “Let’s officially get this party started.”

  He gives me a big thumbs-up, looking so excited that the exclamation point after his name finally makes sense.

  I hurry over to turn up the music. No more cheesy show tunes. In fact, there’s nothing fairy-tale-ish about the songs I’ve picked; they’re just a bunch of popular tunes. The captain might have a fit if he finds out, but since I won’t be working here after tomorrow, it doesn’t matter, right?

  Someone taps me on the shoulder. I expect it to be Mitch! again, but it’s Katy.

  “Thank goodness I found you!” she says. “We need your help!”

  I shake my head. “No way. I’m not doing any more favors for my mom.” I’m surprised Mom would even bother sending Katy to find me since I thought I made it pretty clear that I was done helping her.

  “No, it’s not your mom who needs the help. It’s Ian!”

  “Ian? What happened?”

  “The girl playing Lady Lovely lost her voice and can’t do the show tonight. Ian said you’re the only one who can take her place.”

  “Me?”

  “You rehearsed the dance with him, right?”

  “Yeah, but there’s no way I’m getting onstage in front of hundreds of people and dancing! I’m not sure I can even handle waving at the crowd tonight.” Let alone kissing Smith onstage, which I’ve totally been trying to block out of my thoughts! “Besides, how can I play Lady Lovely when I already have a part in the play?”

  “I’ll take over for you,” Katy says. “If I put on your dress and your wig, no one in the audience will know the difference.” Her eyes are gleaming with excitement. This is her chance to finally be onstage. “Come on, Ainsley. The show needs your help. It’s the final night. It has to go well!”

  “I wish I could help, but …” I don’t know how to explain. I know it sounds awful to say that I’m done doing favors for people. But if I do this one, what’s to stop me from doing a hundred more? No, it’s time to be firm for once. If the show crashes and burns, Mom will have to deal with the consequences because that’s her job. It’s not mine. Not anymore. Really, it never was.

  Katy sighs. “I guess that’s why Ian didn’t want me to ask you. He said you’d say no.”

  “Wait, Ian didn’t send you here?”

  “No. But when we found out Faria lost her voice, Ian said you were the only other person who might know the role well enough to take her place. I figured if he wasn’t going to ask you then I would. Otherwise, they’re going to cut his scene out of the show even though it’s the most popular one!”

  And that’s when I realize I have to help Ian. Because this is his chance to finally prove to his dad that he belongs on the stage. If Ian doesn’t do the show tonight, Captain Thomas won’t get to see how amazing he is. Maybe things with my mom are too messed up to fix, but that doesn’t mean Ian can’t have another chance with his dad.

  “You know what?” I say to Katy. “You’re right. I’ll do it.”

  * * *

  Everyone is running around backstage, rushing to get ready for the show. Before I know it, someone’s shoving me into Lady Lovely’s dress and putting a mound of curly hair on my head.

  Meanwhile, Katy is getting into my costume. She keeps shooting Smith looks across the room, and I can tell she doesn’t hate the fact that she’s going to kiss him. That, at least, is a serious plus of switching parts. The serious minus is having to talk and dance onstage! I start to hyperventilate just thinking about it.

  “Hey, breathe,” someone says in my ear. “You’ll be fine.”

  When I turn, I’m looking right into Ian’s eyes. And somehow, seeing him grinning back at me makes me a touch less petrified. It also makes me realize that I’m not even mad at him anymore. How can I be? He didn’t tell people that the captain is his father because he didn’t want them to treat him differently. After finding out that Neil was kissing up to me only because of my mom, I can’t say I blame Ian. And all the stuff he said about my mom and about me … Well, it was true, wasn’t it? Whether I wanted to hear it or not.

  “Thanks for doing this,” Ian says. “You don’t have to, you know. That’s why I didn’t ask, because I was afraid you’d say yes even though you didn’t want to do it.”

  I look at him. “Really?” That makes him pretty much the only person on board this ship who hasn’t asked me for a favor.

  “I didn’t want to force you into it.”

  “You’re not,” I tell him. “I might not be great at saying no, but I’m working on it. And …” I swallow. “And I don’t mind doing you a favor. In fact … I want to.”

  He doesn’t say anything for a long minute. Then he reaches out and gently takes my hand for a second, and the energy I felt before thrums through me again.

  “We’re on in a minute. Are you ready?”

  Even though I want to scream that I’ll never be ready, I find myself nodding. “Are you ready?” I ask, realizing he looks just as nervous as I feel.

  “My dad’s never seen me perform before. What if he’s still not convinced? I know he hates the arts, but if I can’t do this anymore, I’ll die. I’ll turn into a total robot like he is.”

  Something clicks in my head. “He used to be an artist too. It was taken away from him.”

  Ian frowns. “What are you talking about?”

  “You didn’t know about his knitting?”

  Ian looks at me as if I’m insane. I quickly tell him about the mural and about the picture I took. “Ask Adelina,” I say. “I bet she can tell you all about it.”

  “But my dad hates that kind of stuff. He thinks anything ‘artsy craftsy’ is a waste of time.”

  “Maybe he does now because he can’t do it anymore. But when I get my camera back, I’ll show you the picture of the mural. He looked so happy.” I shake my head. “The boating accident might have made him more strict, but I think not being able to do what he loves really changed him.”

  Ian looks stunned. “I can’t believe it. But if that’s true then maybe I will be able to convince him.”

  Then the music starts, the curtain opens, and it’s time. Ian puts his pig head on and holds out his arm to escort me onstage. My entire body starts to freeze up, and my breath gets shallow and painful in my chest, but I force myself to take one gulp of air after another, and before I know it, Ian and I are in front of the audience. If I just look at his face and try to forget that anyone else is there, maybe I’ll be okay.

  Ian gives a low bow, and I manage something like a curtsy. Then he gets into waltzing position, and we start to dance. As we swish around the stage, Ian’s character talks about how he was transformed into a pig. I pretend to look really interested in what he’s saying, but instead, I’m scrambling to remember my lines.

  There’s a pause, and I realize it’s my turn to speak. “How can one undo the curse?” I say, hoping my voice is loud enough.

  Ian goes on to explain that he doesn’t want to undo the curse. “This is who I am. Can you love me even though I am a pig?”

  I look into his piggy eyes, and I realize they’re not nearly as terrifying as they were that first day. “Yes,” I say. “Yes, I can.”

  Then Ian twirls me around and around until I’m dizzy, and when we stop spinning, his mask is gone and it’s just him looking back at me, smiling. And in that moment, he doesn’t look like a beast at all.

  Before I know it, I’m leaning in and kissing him! Even though it’s not in the script at all! His lips are warm and soft, nothing like Smith’s.

  Then the music ends, and the audience erupts with applause. I pull away, realizing that we’re still in front of hundreds of people. I’d almost forgotten. They’re not giving us a standing ovation like they did when Faria was dancing, but they’re not booing like I was afraid they would. And even if they were, I’m not sure I’d care, not when I can still feel the warmth from Ian’s lips on mine.

  Ian takes my hand, and together we rush off the st
age. I’m breathing so hard, I can barely catch my breath.

  As the next scene starts, Ian pulls me farther into the wings. “You were amazing,” he says.

  I don’t know if he means the dancing or the kiss, but all I can say is, “You were too.” And we stay like that, holding hands in the wings, until the end of the show. We watch the dwarves prancing and dancing—Neil still looks graceful, but I can’t help noticing how bony his knees look in his tights. Why did I ever think he was the hottest guy on the ship? And at the end, when it comes time for Smith to kiss Katy, I almost burst out laughing when I see Katy cringe as his lips mash against hers. Hopefully, no one in the audience can see.

  Then Katy “awakens” and sits up and gives the biggest, grandest wave imaginable. The audience cheers.

  At the end, as we all go out onstage for a final bow, Mom comes out with a microphone. I suck in a breath. She still looks stressed and rumpled, and yet she’s smiling. Really smiling. And her nostrils aren’t twitching. She looks exhausted but happy.

  She starts thanking everyone for coming and for being so great all week long, and then she starts to thank some of the people in the crew. Finally, she turns to me and says, “And biggest thanks to my daughter, Ainsley. I used to say she was my rock, but now I think she’s my anchor. She grounds me when I need it, but I’m learning how to float at sea on my own without her.” She gives me a tearful smile and then turns the mic over to Aussie Andy, who’s ready to liven things up again.

  Backstage, my mom pulls me into a long hug. “I’m sorry,” she whispers into my hair. “For everything.” And this time, I’m ready to forgive her.

  “Come on,” I tell her. “I have something to show you.”

  When we get to Mirror, it’s packed. Kids are sipping smoothies, dancing to the music, and having tons and tons of pictures taken. Mitch! is beaming with happiness, and every once in a while I see him and Matthieu exchange flirtatious smiles across the room. I can’t help smiling too. Seriously, just get a bunch of people in the middle of the ocean and watch the sparks fly!

  “You did all this?” Mom says. “It looks amazing.”

  “I had a lot of help,” I tell her. For the first time in what feels like forever, I actually asked other people for help instead of being the one doing all the rescuing.

  Mom goes to wander around the club to take it all in while I stand back and watch people having a great time. My heart actually swells when a girl puts a crown on her head and says, “Look, I’m Cinderella!” and a guy shakes his head and replies, “Don’t you mean Aschenputtel?”

  “Ainsley!” I hear Katy call as she rushes over to me, still wearing her Briar Rose costume. “Oh my gosh, you were right about Smith! Ugh, I felt like I was kissing a jellyfish! But you and Ian!” She squeals. “I can’t believe it!”

  I smile and shrug. “I know, but … I’m leaving tomorrow, so I don’t know if anything will come of it.”

  Katy throws her arms around me. “I can’t believe you’re leaving. You’ll always be my best cruise friend!”

  I laugh. “And you’ll always be mine.”

  She hurries off to find her other mermaid friends, and I’m surprised at how much I already miss her and her infectious giggling.

  Mom comes back over and puts her arm around me. “I meant what I said earlier,” she says. “When you’re gone, I’ll probably be a mess without you for a little while, but it’s about time I stood on my own two feet. I didn’t used to be like this, you know. Before you were born, I was so independent. But after I met your father, I guess I got so used to always having someone else’s opinions, someone else’s help, that I forgot how to do things on my own.”

  And maybe that’s why I started doing everything on my own, I realize. So I wouldn’t be like her.

  “You’ll be great,” I tell Mom, and I mean it. Yes, her clothes might be wrinkled and her hair might be a mess, but she looks so proud of herself, so confident. I haven’t seen her like that in a long, long time. I wish I could stick around longer so I’d get to see more of it.

  And then it hits me. I want to stay. Yes, it’s been a tough and crazy week, but I’m not ready for this adventure to be over. Not when it’s only starting.

  * * *

  “Yes, come in,” the captain says when I knock on his door a few minutes later. He doesn’t look surprised to see me. “Oh, Ainsley Parker. You’ve come for your camera.”

  “Um, yeah,” I say. And to ask for my job back, but that suddenly seems a lot harder than I thought it would be.

  As he opens his desk, I glance at the aquarium, where the octopus is eyeing me with a strange expression on its face, almost as if it’s laughing. I decide to pretend it’s laughing with me.

  When the captain goes to hand the camera over, he pauses. “I’ve been hearing your name come up a lot the past couple of days,” he says.

  I swallow. Is he going to refuse to give me my camera back because of all the stuff I messed up? That can’t be legal, but he’ll probably say it’s his right to keep it under Sea Law or something.

  “It appears I have you to thank for a lot of our successes,” he goes on.

  “Um, what?”

  “Mirror seems to be having quite a night,” he says. “Catchy name, by the way. And passengers have been buying more photos than we predicted. Not to mention your performance with my son in the show. You two make quite the pair.”

  I blush. “He’s … he’s a really good dancer.”

  “Yes, he is, isn’t he? He and I had a chat after the show, and it turns out he knew things about my past that I don’t normally share.” He purses his lips. “But perhaps some things aren’t meant to be hidden away. Anyway, we’re sorry to see you go. Your mother said your mind is made up, so we wish you the best of luck.”

  With that, he passes me my camera. The minute it’s back in my hands, I feel whole again. I’d start snapping pictures right away if I didn’t think the captain would immediately toss me overboard.

  He goes back to rifling through some papers on his desk, and I guess I’m dismissed. But I don’t move.

  “Captain? Sir?” I say. “What if … what if I want to stay?”

  He gives me a sharp look. “Stay?”

  “It’s just that … this has been the hardest week of my life, but it’s also been one of the best. I want to give it another shot. I want to stay for the summer. If you’ll let me.”

  The captain seems to think this over a second. “It would be a shame to lose such a spirited employee,” he says finally. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re free to stay until the end of your contract.” He clears his throat. “Provided we don’t have any more mishaps, that is.”

  “Thank you!” I say. “Only … can I go ashore for a little while tomorrow before we leave port again? I need to send my dad a letter.”

  Captain Thomas nods. “But then get right back to work.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain Thomas!” I say. Then I turn and rush out of his office, excited to tell my mom—and Ian—the news.

  I find Mom in the Once Upon a Time Theater with Stefan. Even though it’s late, they’re busily going over the role changes for the next trip. I stand in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt since they seem so intent.

  Not surprisingly, Katy will be taking over my role since she played the part way better than I ever could have.

  “It’s too bad your daughter is leaving,” Stefan says. “I’d keep her as Lady Lovely and move Faria to a non-speaking dance role.”

  Mom sighs. “Ainsley was wonderful, wasn’t she? But we’ll just have to make do.”

  I almost laugh at that. Me, dancing onstage every night? Even a couple days ago, the idea would have been ridiculous. But now when I think about getting to perform with Ian again, the fact that I’ll be onstage doesn’t matter. I was so worried about letting everyone down before that I let it scare me to death. But I know that no matter how badly I mess up, Ian will be there to help me. If I need it.

  I clear my throat. “Actually
,” I say, coming forward. “If you still want me, I think I’m going to stay.”

  Mom jumps to her feet. “You are? Really? But what about … ?”

  “The captain said it was okay. And … I think I want to do it. But only if things don’t go back to the way they were, okay?”

  She nods. “Absolutely. From now on, I’m handling problems on my own.” She laughs. “Although I might need your advice when it comes to replacing Smith. Any idea who might be good for the part?”

  “Smith? Where is he going?” I gasp. “He didn’t get fired because of that whole mess with Edwina, did he?”

  “No. The captain finally understood that wasn’t his fault.” Mom gets a strange smile on her face. “Smith’s leaving us to take another job. He’s been cast in an action movie.”

  My jaw drops open. “No! Any idea which one?”

  “Nope, but we are definitely going to be the first in line to go see it!” She starts giggling, and I can’t help joining her.

  After a minute, I ask, “Doesn’t Ian want the part of Prince Handsome?”

  “I asked him,” Mom says, “but he said he’s been having so much fun playing the Pig King that he didn’t want to switch anymore.”

  “In that case, I think I know who would be perfect for Smith’s part.” Someone who’s good-looking and totally full of himself. “Neil.”

  “One of the dwarves? Are you sure he can act?”

  “Oh yeah,” I say. “He’s a great actor.” He certainly had me fooled.

  “Okay, we’ll give it a try.” Mom wraps her arm around me. “So if you’re really staying, don’t you think you should let a certain someone know? I saw him moping around the walking track earlier.”

  I smile. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  * * *

  It doesn’t take me long to find Ian. He’s leaning against the railing, looking out at the dark waves. Mom’s right. His shoulders look a little more stooped than usual. Can that really be because of me leaving?