As sleep set in on me I could still hear Phillip's guitar playing in my mind from the celebration we had had earlier. The same sort of celebration that we had every Saturday as the sun set. Each chord, each note rang throughout the hollow corridors in my heart as I fell into a dream to the tune.

I had seen no one else like Phillip before so I was quite taken by his confidence and disregard for any shame whatsoever. He was a magical person when he played; I was in love with him.

His hair, long and dark hung in a ponytail behind him to his mid back. Most would find this quite unattractive; I found it added to his charm. His eyes were like deep pools of hot chocolate, warm and soothing. I could spend a day after forever gazing into those eyes.

And whenever I was around him, I felt safe and strong, like I didn't need anyone to protect me, like I was my own person. Only Phillip could do that to me, turn me into some childish school girl with a crush. But my affection for him was so much more. It was no petty infatuation, no, I felt deep and unconditional love for this man, and I had no idea if he felt it for me.

Earlier in the evening as we all gathered around the center of our boat, the sun setting in the distance, Phillip pulled out his guitar and ran his fingertips over the strings creating a wave of music through the crowd. Drifters we may have been, but we had exquisite taste in music. I smiled to myself as he hummed a few lines from his, and my own, favorite song. His red shirt was faded and his black trousers the same, but he was debonair and the most handsome man on this boat so his wardrobe failed to take away from his beauty.

I find myself needing to say the truth; however I am not sure how to do so. I do not know whether to find myself unique, or different, for the words mean very different things in my eyes. Unique is special, different may have some cracks to fix. But all the same, I was not like everyone else on the boat because I was not originally a drifter. My hair is red, a deep red, not the orange-red people seem so common to claim red hair is. I have no freckles, although most with my color hair do. My eyes are green, not the beautiful emerald green, light gray green. And I am not sure what to call my figure. An hourglass I suppose. I was born like this, it is not my fault. Although, I am not sure whether it should be someone's fault, or work of art.

Beside the point, I was not the most beautiful young lady on this boat, but I have to admit I was proud to claim, I was one of them.

Phillip began to pick up the pace as the strings and chords and notes began to mold together into this amazing tune, no, melody of memories and overwhelming energy. Soon everyone on the boat had risen to dance along. There were people beating on tambourines and beating two sticks together, but the guitar, Phillip's guitar, was the most beautiful.

I swayed to the music as I sat back in the shadows of the surrounding forests. I had been asked to dance many times, and many times have I danced. But there was only one person I wanted to dance with, and that person was Phillip. The only thing was that he was the guitarist, so he could not dance to his own music, so I could not appreciate both at once. Ah, even as I dreamt about it my body longed for the rhythm of the music to flow into my ears and down to my heart and through to my fingertips and toes; to have his music caress my soul as I leaned against the side of the grand Masquedania, listening, feeling the music like blood through my veins. But my presence did not go unnoticed as one of the other young gentlemen came to ask me to dance.

"Kalian, come dance with me, you need to dance tonight!" Hiram smiled at me from his tall stature. Hiram was one of my best friends on the boat because he never left me. Though I was only seventeen, he was nineteen and was generous with his friendship. Some say he wishes to 'court' me, but I believe if he indeed does, he will tell me.

"Alright Hiram, I will dance with you!" I exclaimed. "On one condition," I added.

"And what would that be?" He asked taking me up into his arms.

"You don't get tired before me!" I smiled as he twirled me around and then he took my hand into his and wrapped his arm around my waist and brought me in close, grinning at me. We began to sway a little at first but then we picked up our feet and began dancing our own rendition of the tango.

"Kalian! How could I not get tired before you? It seems you never sleep!" He yelled as he looked up into the sky, sliding me into a dip.

"Do I really look that bad?" I asked as he looked down at me. His hair was framing his face, perfectly, but I felt nothing for him. On a scale of one to ten, Phillip would be a nine and one half, and Hiram, an eight and three quarters. A very tough decision I must say. I admit I giggled childishly as he corrected himself saying if beauty was measured by sleep, then I must be but a dream for I was still asleep. "How suave!" I smiled up at him.

"Only the best for a lady." He replied and then turned me around before pulling me into him. We danced all night until I felt the sleep in me take over my energy. We said our goodnights and parted; but not without a token of my appreciation, a kiss on the cheek.

I wasn't quite sure whether that was the best course of action because if he did indeed feel for me then was I not teasing him? Was I implying that I felt the same? I couldn't say that I loved Hiram as I loved Phillip, for I loved Phillip too strong to compare to anyone else. I loved Hiram, as a sister would a brother, more or less, how a lady would love a close male friend. I must say, that the possibility of Hiram and me pursuing some relationship of a romantic sort, I would not turn it down quickly. If I cannot have Phillip, then Hiram would most certainly be the one for me. Yet, Phillip is not yet taken, so there is still an open window.