What makes someone decide to chase a night they’d normally avoid? Maybe it’s curiosity, maybe it’s the fear of missing out. Or maybe, deep down, it’s the sense that something different waits beyond routine.
Chesca’s phone buzzed with a message from Chantal.
“Hey Ches, come to the yacht party tonight! It’s gonna be fun. I invited the rest of the group, too! ”
She reads it once, the glow of her phone screen lighting her face in the quiet of her apartment. She reads it again, a second time, maybe hoping the message was something more of her pace, but eventually Chesca sighs in resignation. Chantal really invited her to a party.
Honestly, parties weren’t her thing; the noise bothered her, and Chesca wasn’t the type to chase noise. The noise she preferred was the soft scratch of pen on paper or the whisper of pages turning.
But she couldn’t help feeling a small smile form on her lips. Chantal never failed to sound convincing. Her tone, even through text, carried that effortless charm that made spontaneous ideas feel and sound like harmless fun. Or maybe it was just the sense that Chesca hadn’t seen the others in a long while, and still, Chantal’s invitation felt different, and something gnawed inside her that, just this once, she should give it a chance.
In another apartment across town, a familiar figure hums as she checks off things on her list—last-minute items for the yacht party tonight. Chantal brushed off her blonde hair away from her worried face. A ping from her phone brightened it up, and Chantal could make out the “ok” reply that Chesca had sent. Chantal smiled at this. She’s not your typical “blondie,” as some would call her, though. She’s smart—and you can immediately notice it from the way her blue eyes focus on you or the person next to you.
By four in the afternoon, the dock had cooled off its late-day heat, and the yacht stood out among the smaller boats. The yacht, sleek and spotless, glided across the water, its white surface reflecting the slow movement of the waves.
The group of old friends gathered together, and Richard, the loudest of the bunch, tossed his bag onto the nearest deck and stretched.
“Guess Chantal’s still busy organizing everything…So, how have you guys been lately? ”
A simple icebreaker to the conversation and almost immediately Jian starts chatting about his recent life updates: the restaurant he’d opened, the legal headaches that nearly closed it, and the eventual, almost accidental success that followed
“I mean, I certainly didn’t expect that it’d go this well,” Jian admitted, his hands gesturing erratically. “It’s the restaurant industry, y’know? You lose more than you win.”
Chesca could only nod along as he spoke, but she could hear the sense of pride tucked in his words.
Richard laughed and patted Jian on the shoulder. “As long as it’s you, it’s not a surprise.”
The salty air carried laughter spilling from the pier, and Richard added, “This thing’s huge. I could live here,” he said, grinning at Jian, who rolled his eyes.
Chesca followed Richard’s gaze, pointed at the yacht beside them and observed quietly, holding her notebook close. She had never seen a yacht this big before and paused for a moment to take in its beauty. The water sparkled, and the breeze smelled faintly of seaweed and salt.
Finally, Chantal comes down from the yacht. “Come on! ”Chantal called, waving from the railing. “We’re going swimming! ”
As everyone turns toward her, Chantal notices the notebook that Chesca brought with her. “You’re still bringing that thing?” Chantal’s gaze was fixated intensely on the notebook, but her tone was light, and Chesca nodded to her.
“Man, are you and your notebook ever gonna get a divorce? ” Richard teases.
Time passes by, and it’s already 7 in the evening; everyone parties and vibes while staff works in the background. Chesca notices that the stewardess is insanely quiet, but Chantal eventually calls her over, and the two organize dinner with Jian.
At 10:45 pm, Jian notices some of his cash is missing in his pocket and asks everyone in the group if they have seen it. The group walks to him, and Jian explains that some of his cash is missing. Chantal steps in to calm everyone down, especially Jian, who eventually heads to the kitchen to cook to clear his mind. Chesca decided to ask where everyone was at the moment of Jian’s breakdown.
Richard responded with, “I was eating the food Jian made.”
But Chantal dramatically stands up and says, “No, you weren’t! ”
Richard just laughs and says, “Nuh uh,” in mockery. Chantal visibly becomes frustrated and yells, “It would make sense for Richard to steal; he already steals money from us as a joke.”
As midnight approaches and everyone heads to bed, Chesca is still awake. She likes staying up, and she wants to help Chantal out too, so she starts walking around the ship. The stewardess notices her observing the scene, but before Chesca could ask her anything, the stewardess walks to a staff-only room. Chesca writes this encounter down in her notebook as soon as she goes back to her room while logging that the time was 12:36 am.
The next morning, Jian’s devastated to find his wallet missing. “My wallet’s gone! ” Jian said in a nervous tone, patting his pockets frantically. “I swear the past few days have not been in my favor.”
Chantal stays close, giving orders to her staff to find it, while Richard keeps his distance from the others. The entire afternoon becomes a hectic search for Jian’s wallet. Chesca writes in her notes that maybe someone stole Jian’s wallet, wondering who it could be. She lists everyone’s names and their possible motives. First, Richard. Why would he steal from his own best friend? And Chantal? She is already rich. Then Chesca has a realization. Could it be one of the staff? The stewardess has been acting strangely.
By 6 p.m., everyone is enjoying food prepared by Jian and Chantal’s cooks. As Chesca goes to the bathroom, she passes a hallway and notices an open door. She hears the sound of someone dragging a sack coming from Richard’s room.
Chesca said in a curious soft tone, “Hello? ” No response.
Chesca got scared and ran to the bathroom. She thought to herself, “Who could that have been? It can’t be Richard since he was still in the dining hall a few seconds ago.”
After coming out of the restroom, Chesca returned to the group and asked, “Did anyone leave the dining table just now? ”
Everyone said no, but Chantal’s anxious tone made it seem like she was hiding something. Maybe it was the way she spoke. Chesca noted the whole encounter at 7 p.m.
Later that night, Chesca couldn’t sleep and decided to check the deck again. There, she saw the stewardess hurriedly packing a sack filled with money and Jian’s wallet.
Before the stewardess could leave, Chesca shouted for help. Richard and Jian rushed over, and the stewardess froze when they entered the room.
When they questioned her, the stewardess tried to blame the other staff but eventually broke down and confessed. “It was all Chantal’s idea,” she cried. “I was just being paid to do it! ”
She revealed that Chantal had asked her to take the money and keep it hidden until they returned to shore. Richard was stunned, while Jian refused to believe it at first. Chantal appeared calm but avoided everyone’s eyes.
The next morning, the authorities boarded the yacht. The stewardess admitted everything and said Chantal had planned to use the stolen money to pay off her debts. Chantal was arrested along with the stewardess. Richard thanked Chesca for not giving up and for trusting her instincts. As the yacht returned to port, Chesca wrote in her notebook that truth floats, no matter how deep someone tries to hide it.
About the author
Jayden Caparas is a 14-year-old student from the Philippines currently in Grade 10. He is passionate about football, debate, and chess, and he thrives on challenges that encourage both critical and creative thinking. Whether strategizing on the field or during a debate round, Jayden enjoys testing his limits and discovering new ways to improve.
He has always loved communicating with others, whether through direct conversation or by expressing his thoughts through writing. In the future, Jayden hopes to become a lawyer or a politician so he can use his communication skills to help others while building a successful and meaningful career.