“I don’t want to. It will be weird and I won’t know anyone there.” I shouted at my mom with a stiff body, hands on my hips and a dirty look on my face.
“ It will be fun, and who knows maybe you will meet your new best friend.” My mom argued stepping closer to me, almost in my face.
“I already have plenty of best friends I don’t need a new one. Anyways, I thought this was supposed to be a family vacation?” I responded not backing down.
“You are going and thats that,” She yelled, not taking no for an answer.
“Oh yeah? and who is going to make me?” I screamed back getting closer into her face.

“Don’t raise your voice to me,” She said in a firm tone backing away just barely.
“Then don’t raise your voice to me,” I said back.
Getting even closer into my face then before she roared “I’m an adult and I can do whatever I want to. Now you are going and thats that.” turning her back to me and walking out the door. I was still furious. I sat down on the bed and flipped the tv on. “ Because I’m an adult and can do what I want. That’s all she ever says. She has nothing better to say. I wonder what her excuse was when she wasn’t an adult. It’ll be fun you can make new best friends. Haha no. Why does she think she can just do that to me? Why is she making me go? It’s stupid. Why can’t I just sit out by the pool all day. It’s not like I’d be by her. Circle C. What kind of a name is that? I understand Camp carnival for the younger kids because we are on the Carnival cruise ship. But really, Circle C? It sounds like something a kindergarten teacher would say. This isn’t supposed to be vacation where my parents can have free time and not worry about kids. I mean if thats the vacation they wanted why didn’t they leave us at home? I mean really. There’s probably going to be some anti-social freaks in there and my mom is going to force me to become friends with them. Why? I mean its not like I’m going to see them ever again.” I was still mumbling on about things when my brother and sister walked in and told me it was time for the meeting.
The three of us went to a meeting where I had met my director named Dave and learned what it was supposed to be like. By the end of the meeting I was cooled off and wasn’t so angry any more. I was scared Dave was really cool and hilarious. Even though I had met Dave I still felt really nervous walking into the “Circle C” room. It looked like a fun place. It was very bright and colorful with moving lights and a disco ball. There were at least fifteen different t.v.’s to play video game on, two couches, and blue spinning chairs. I was the third person to arrive and Dave was busy talking to someone's parents. I decided that since there was already one person on each side of the red couch, to go sit in the middle of the green one. I’m not usually shy but I felt like it that day. Dave asked me to come over and introduce myself to the girl on the red couch. I felt really nervous and couldn’t stand up.
All I could think was, “What if she doesn’t like me? What if she’s mean? What if I annoy her?”
Finally Dave had the girl come over and sit by me. It was kind of weird. We introduced our selves in a very formal way. I felt as if I was talking to an elder. When she sat down she stuck her hand out and said
“Hi, I’m Ryza. I’m from Florida. Where are you from?”
I shook her hand and replied “I’m Shayna, from Michigan.”
After that more kids my age came in the room. The next one to come in was a girl from Venezuela. She sat down and I could tell she was a very bubbly person. Dave made us three girls sit down on the couch and introduce ourselves, then he motioned for the boy on the red couch to come sit by us girls on the red couch. We all sat down and stated our names.
Ryza went first “Hi, I’m Ryza and I’m from florida.”

Then the boy that Dave sent over to us said“ I’m Charlie from Florida.”
After Charlie the girl from Venezuela said “ I’m Victoria and.....”
She was halfway through her sentence when another boy and his wasted aunt erupted into the room laughing and screaming so loud I thought the whole boat could hear. The aunt sat down and started rambling on about random things. Finally the aunt looked at all of us and stated that we were all boring people. We sat there blankly; Finally Dave asked the aunt to leave. On her way out the door she started shouting once again. Once she was gone the new boy apologized for his aunt. We went on with our introductions.
Finishing where she left off “and I’m from Venezuela.”
It was my turn I got the worst case of butterflies ever. The kind of butterflies where you feel like they are in your stomach tangling your intestines up and trying to choke you. Not the kind where you feel like they are just peacefully floating around happily in your stomach. Now I had to introduce myself to four people all at one time.
“I’m Shayna from Michigan,” I said almost silently, trying not to look any of them in the eye.
“Wait, what’s your name?” Charlie asked.
“Oh great,” I thought “ Now I have to say it a second time.”
“Her name is Shayna, and she’s from Michigan,” Ryza said for me.
“Oh my goodness, Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” I told myself.
Then it was the boy with the crazy aunts turn “I’m Isaiah and I’m from Florida,” he mumbled.
After his turn we all just sat there silently waiting for something to happen or someone new to come in. Only one other person had came in before Dave started talking about how fun this program is going to be fun. He told us the only rule is that you need to use common sense.
“Does that sound like a fair rule?” he questioned.
We all looked around and nodded our heads. Dave continued talking but I wasn’t paying attention, I kept nodding out since I only had three hours of sleep the night before.
Finally six more people came in and we had to introduce ourselves one more time. However, this time Dave asked me to introduce everyone.
I got worse butterflies than I had before. I didn’t think that was possible. I could have sworn I was going to throw up.
“I’m Shayna from Michigan. This is Ryza from Florida. This is Isaiah from Florida. That is Victoria from Venezuela. That is Charlie from Florida, and that is Kieara from California. What are your names?” I managed to spit out without stuttering or throwing up, which I felt like was a huge accomplishment.
“I’m Kyle.” claimed an abnormally tall boy with gigantic feet.
“I’m Padro” stated the boy with huge glasses.
“I’m Nathan,” the boy with his button up shirt tucked into his khakis and his hair combed and gelled back alerted us.
“I’m Connie.” the girl with pajama pants on and wet hair belted out.
“I’m Breanna and thats my cousin Mykala, and my other cousin Daja.” stated the girl with extremly long hair pulled back into cornrows, pointing at an oversized girl who had little to no hair with dark brown eyes standing next to a girl who had a scarred up face and sharp eyes.

Dave made it clear to all of us that for the next five day we were to be a family and treat each other like one. Every family has that annoying cousin and that awkward uncle that we can’t stand but we have to learn to treat them with respect and act as if we love them no matter how much we despise them. We all looked at each other and bursted into laughter. A couple of seconds after we started laughing, Dave stood up and went in to the “D.J. room/closet” and turned on “The Cupid Shuffle” It wasn’t even three seconds into the song when we were all out on the dance floor doing the cupid shuffle. That was when I realized it was going to be a great cruise.