I opened my mouth without knowing whether to laugh or cry. The words from the speakers were still being processed in my mind when I saw the whole crowd downstairs doing the exact opposite of what they were told. Of course, something like that was going to happen right on my day off.

"Is that normal?" I asked, still not understanding whether I should be alarmed by the situation or not. The crowd down there certainly did. "I mean… does it happen often?"

"I don't think so," Jason answered, looking a little pale; he looked back at me with his mouth wide open, "We're so fucked."

"Can't you get me out of here through the access ramp?"

"Didn't you hear the lady? They are locking everything up. If they find out that I brought you here, imagine the scandal. I will lose my job."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Nobody knows I'm here."

"Oh, yeah? And how long do you think it will take until somebody recognizes you?"

He had a good point. I sighed, almost impatient to deal with that situation. I still didn't know whether to take the warning seriously or just consider it a major inconvenience. "Well, my hair is a little longer," I said sarcastically, and Jason looked at me disapprovingly.

"I'm serious, Zach. I can't stay here with you. If someone sees you, don't say that I am the one who let you in."

I looked at him in disbelief, realizing what he was about to do.

"What? You're fucking with me, right? "

Jason shook his head no.

"You are not going to get fired for this. I will. Just try not to get too much attention, and maybe nobody will notice who you are."

Jason started walking away, and I took a few steps towards him, still stunned by being left behind.

"The woman said we should all stay where we are!"

He did not seem to care much, though. He simply disappeared into a spiral staircase, leaving me alone in that magnificent location, but the worst possible situation. The ocean behind me seemed to shine through the imposing windowpane as I saw myself alone in the vast and elegant room of the luxury cruise ship.

***

Okay, let me explain from the beginning.

My name is Zachary Miller and, if you found the name familiar, yes, I am that Zachary Miller. I started my acting and modeling career very early, but only recently, I have become some sort of celebrity.

At the age of 14, I couldn't really say whether I was adapting very well to the emerging fame. Yes, it was certainly nice to be recognized by fans and treated well by complete strangers on the streets, but the constant feeling of vigilance had become exhausting very quickly. I could barely get an ice cream two blocks from my house without someone asking to take a picture with me, and every time I left home just a little untidy, I was risking some paparazzi to spread images all over the internet.

I had already gotten used to some kind of exposition for a long time because, as I said, since childhood, I used to do commercials and small roles in films or TV shows. At that point, however, nobody recognized me unless I mentioned it. Then you could hear a classic "yeah … that's right. I thought you looked familiar." Now, everyone seemed to know where I was the whole time.

Acting, on the other hand, was undoubtedly the silver lining of it all. I loved to pretend I was learning magic behind the camera, riding horses, and dressing in medieval clothes. My most famous role, the one responsible for my fame, in The Young Magician, was surprisingly solid and, indeed, a role to mark any career. Even though it was set in a medieval fantasy era, it was very serious and adult, attracting both young and older audiences.

Since my character, Will, had been kidnapped in the current and second film of the franchise, and many of the scenes were focused on the knights, who were looking for him, I had a few days off from the set. That was why I had decided to meet Jason on that cruise.

We had met a few years ago when I was playing a character in an episode of a TV Show, and he worked as a PA on that set. He was four years older than I was at 18 and wanted to be a professional photographer. He had now gotten that job taking pictures on the cruise and, since the ship would dock in Italy for that weekend, coincidentally the place full of medieval landscapes where I was filming, and he agreed to let me in and spend the weekend there in disguise. His cabin mate would be staying with Italian friends for the weekend, so I could easily share the room with Jason. As a young star only beginning my career, I was never used to such glamorous things and had never come close to a ship of that size. As soon as Jason had let me in through the access ramp, I contemplated the magnitude of that ship, which was so big that it looked more like a building than a boat. It was a real mystery how it managed to float on the ocean.

The halls were huge and well lit, filled with chandeliers and beautiful things. There were several swimming pools scattered throughout the ship, both indoor and outdoor, as well as party rooms, casinos, and restaurants. It was absurd how much it seemed to fit in there, and every time I remembered that it was all in a boat, my brain seemed to shake, forming that child-like question 'how does it not sink?'

Jason had taken me on an almost hour-long tour and still didn't seem to have covered half the cruise ship. There were halls that I couldn't even enter, being only 14. Other parts, on the other hand, seemed to be great spaces for families, as they were full of children and the elderly. I passed the crowd with my sunglasses on, praying nobody would recognize me.

We finally arrived at a reserved place, one floor above the main hall. It contained a shiny wooden floor, and, instead of walls, there were only large pieces of glass, like huge windows that provided an incredible view of the ocean. A few circular tables rested around the empty space.

"This is kind of a VIP area," Jason had explained. "When some important figures want to get together, they can reserve this space. However, when their meetings are not occupying it, it serves as a photo studio. These glass windows help with lighting, and the view of the sea is not bad either. It costs extra, of course, but you would be surprised at how many customers pay more for a photo session with this background landscape."

I nodded, contemplating the beauty of the blue ocean.

"Is this where you want to take my pictures?" I asked, and the boy shrugged as if he hadn't thought about it.

"It is an option," I looked at him skeptically, not buying his coolness. "It doesn't need to be right now, though."

That was our deal. In exchange for Jason letting me enter the cruise as a stowaway and staying in his cabin, I would pose for some photos with my shirt unbuttoned. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it was a little weird how important that could be to him. As a beginner photographer, he could get a fair amount for the photos of a young celebrity, especially a private one like me. Also, even more important in that job, valuable contacts with blogs and magazines.

My mother, who was also my full-time agent, would be furious when she heard about it, but honestly, I didn't give a damn. All the rules she started to impose on me on how to dress and what pictures I could take was beginning to suffocate me. She was particularly protective of any of my shirtless exposures.

She had got into an embarrassing fight with The Young Magician director over a scene where I was supposed to appear bare from the waist up. She had put so many difficulties in the execution of that scene that, when they finally reached an agreement, the screen time would be much less than initially planned, and we would receive a significant bonus.

I think that concern of her started when we saw in a research report that one of the recurring terms in google searches under my name was 'Zachary Miller shirtless.' That made her concerned about my exposure. Although most searches were probably done by teenage fangirls, but also alerted her to the value of my image. That's why I had agreed with Jason taking the picture with my shirt only opened, but not off.

It was sincerely creepy how something so trivial could be so important. Who cares whether I had the shirt on or off? Even though I was an actor, I was a little bit shy about matters related to my body. Every 14-year-old boy is, I guess. At that point, though, I just did what I was told. "Take off your shirt. Put the shirt on. Look at the camera. Smile. Stay serious…" It was all part of the job, and it didn't really bother me that much.

I recognize that I'm considered gorgeous, fit a certain standard, so even if uncomfortable, there was no reason to lose too much sleep over it. If anyone wants to see it, so be it. I have a thin athletic body, green eyes, and very light brown hair, almost blond, now a little big and rebellious. I had to let it grow a little for Will's role, and it was almost reaching my shoulders.

***

Jason and I were walking out of the glass room when the voice announced over the speakers: "Attention to all passengers…" there was a brief hiss, accompanied by a long silence. Then the female voice returned.

"This is Dr. Carter, from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. We ask everyone to pay the utmost attention to this message. The CDC is isolating the ship immediately. There is no reason to panic, but due to the possibility of contagion, we need you to stay where you are until an employee reallocates you. I repeat that there is no reason for any kind of panic.

"This procedure is common, and the situation will be resolved soon. We only ask that you do not change rooms from now on while security measures are in place. Access to the outside of the ship is being closed, and boarding and disembarkation are suspended. I thank you for your attention and guarantee that all of your questions will be answered soon," the doctor said calmly, but the seriousness in her tone of voice was a little worrying.

***

I was now alone on the floor since Jason had abandoned me, and all I could do was watch the crowd from downstairs stirring in the hall. Poor employees were almost beaten up by angry passengers wanting explanations. Chaos started to set in very quickly and the voice had to go back to the microphone and repeat again that there was no reason to panic.

A few long minutes passed, which soon turned into hours, while the passengers were being relocated to their cabins. I wondered whether to call my mom. Maybe it was time to tell her about the situation I was in, but on the other hand, I still had a hope that everything would be resolved in a few hours, and I could get out of there freely, so I decided to wait a little longer.

Finally, I saw a woman in the comforting red uniform of the cruise passing in front of me, wearing one of those masks of surgeons or dentists. She walked quickly and looked quite surprised to see me. She asked what I was doing there but hardly waited for me to answer before throwing more questions about who I was with and what room I was staying. I didn't tell her the details, obviously, but I did say that my parents were off the ship. It wasn´t really a lie, was it?

Probably in a normal situation, she would ask for more details about me, since I was an unaccompanied teenager on a cruise. Still, the girl was bogged down with demands and didn't want to spend too long questioning me. She exchanged a few words with someone through a walkie-talkie and ordered me to accompany her. I followed her up through a spiral staircase and down a well-lit corridor. Finally, we stopped in front of a room with the number 204 engraved on the door. Before opening, she turned to me.

"I will allocate you in this room with other boys in a similar situation. None of you must leave this room. You can dial 009 on the phone and speak to the front desk if you need anything. Everyone should be calling right now, so you may not be able to get through at first, but be patient. The doctors will come here to do a brief checkup and determine the next steps. Sorry to be talking so fast, but I have a delivery to make. Did you understand everything I said?"

I nodded. She told me to leave my shoes at the entrance to the room and take a shower before anything else. In all the haste, she managed to smile at me and winked.

"You will be in one of our best luxury suites so it could be worse, kid. Enjoy," I laughed and shook my head, slowly opening the door and entering the room.

***

The size of the room immediately took my breath away; it looked more like a small apartment. There was a small table at the entrance, looking like a living room, and a few wooden chairs around it. Farther on, a desk and a mini-fridge occupied a small space in front of two huge double beds. What caught my attention, however, were the two boys who looked at me anxiously, surprised by my unexpected arrival.

One of them seemed to be my age, with brown hair a little shorter and darker than mine. He was wearing a white T-shirt and a blue jacket and was sitting at one of the beds with his cell phone in hand. The other seemed to be a little younger, standing on one of the beds in white socks, beach shorts, a green sleeveless shirt, and holding a plastic bag. I felt a little awkward by the sudden attention and gave them a friendly smile.

"Hey."

"Hey," said the youngest. "Do you work here?"

I smiled and shook my head, which should be pretty obvious with my sunglasses, jeans, and a social shirt.

"There's a leak …" the boy said as if that explained everything.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"There's a leak over the bed – it's soaked. I tried to notify the reception, but they don't answer."

"Ah," I said casually, not knowing what to do with the information. The young boy looked at me and smiled.

"That's okay. The other bed is dry, and it's huge–it fits all of us." I looked at him in surprise.

"The bed? I don't think we will stay that long," I said while removing my shoes as the woman suggested. "They should solve everything by the end of the day, I think."

The unknown boy looked at me with energetic eyes. He had that constant cheerful expression of someone who was always up to something.

"Oh, we´ll definitely stay here for weeks until the virus spread, and the whole ship is transformed…" the fun in the boy's voice was contagious, and even though I didn't understand a word he was saying, I couldn´t avoid laughing.

"Okay, Sean, that's enough," the other one finally spoke, getting up from the bed and getting closer. He smiled at me politely before explaining, "He thinks it's going to be like a contagious movie, and it's going to start a zombie apocalypse."

I laughed and looked from one to the other, "I hope there are some guns hidden in the fridge, then…"

The older boy laughed and held out his hand to me, "My name is Henry, and this crazy guy here is my cousin, Sean."

"Zach," I said in greeting.

The younger boy looked surprised when we shake hands. "You shouldn't have touched him before he took a shower, Henry … Now you could be infected too."

Henry rolled his eyes at the comment, but I nodded, "He's right. The woman who left me here told me to go straight to the shower. But don't worry, Sean – zombie viruses are only transmitted by bites." The boy smiled and shook his head excitedly. I looked around for the bathroom door but stopped before entering. "Ah, do you know if there are any extra clothes here in the room?"

Henry shook his head. "Just a few robes; didn't you bring a backpack?"

I shook my head since I had left my things in Jason's room.

"Okay, I'll lend you something. I think we are the same size."

I was surprised by the boy's friendliness and frowned, "Are you sure?"

He answered by opening a backpack on the floor next to the bed and tossing me a red T-shirt and black shorts. I thanked him with a smile and nodded, removing the sunglasses from my face.

"Okay. I'll wash up, and then we'll talk. I want to know what the fuck is going on here."

***

I must admit that the bath was incredibly good. The shower was strong and hot and was on top of a huge bathtub that, if it weren't for the boys waiting for me on the other side, I would probably fill it and relax for several minutes. The bathroom, as expected, was huge and filled with lamps. The hot water almost made me forget the entire chaotic situation.

I took one of the fluffy towels and dried myself thoughtfully. I put on the underwear I had worn before and the clothes Henry had loaned me. They were the right sizes since they fit me perfectly.

When I left the bathroom, feeling the smooth floor with bare feet, I went further and sat down next to the bed. "Thank you so much for the clothes, Henry. They fit me real good."

The boy, always friendly and polite, nodded. Sean was now sitting on the bed, skimming the TV channel. "Do you think they have a free porn channel?"

Henry rolled his eyes, "Shut up, Sean. I bet you don't even know what that is."

"I do, jerk, and you are only a year older than me."

I laughed at their behavior. "You guys are very close, aren't you? If I didn't know you are cousins, I would guess brothers."

Henry nodded as Sean threw a pillow in his face, pouting. "He lived almost all his life in front of my house, so we always were together. A couple of years ago, he and my uncles moved to Australia. That's why we made this trip, I think. My mom wanted to reconnect with the family or something…"

"Where are they? Your parents and your uncles? " I asked, interested.

"In the city," Sean answered, putting the TV control aside.

"We should all go, but the little guy here decided he wanted to stay on the ship and bathe in the pool… As if he hadn't done it every single day of the last week," Henry said, and Sean shrugged.

"They wanted to visit churches, Henry. I doubt you wanted to go too. Or else you wouldn't have stayed with me."

"I was asked not to leave you alone, idiot. We could have gone out one day."

"So, you wanted to see the churches?" Sean asked as if he were in a courtroom, and Henry opened his mouth.

"Well… no."

The younger cousin laughed and I ended up doing the same. "I think he got you," I said playfully, and Henry shrugged with an awkward smile.

"Even so… his parents were furious, and they will be even more so when they hear that we are locked up here with the CDC because Sean didn't want to go to see a church."

I looked involuntarily at the door as if I could see the CDC doctors running around the ship, examining the population for some kind of illness.

"Do you think we're going to be here for a long time?"

Henry shrugged. "I don't think so. They said it was more normal than it looks, but nobody told us much. They asked where our parents were and, when we said they weren't on the ship, they put us here."

I shook my head, understanding perfectly. "The same with me. What do you think happened? Is it serious? Did you hear anyone say anything?"

No one answered; I noticed Sean's suddenly wide eyes and the confused expression of Henry, who looked from me to his cousin.

"What is it, Sean? Are you ok?" He asked, but the younger boy just pointed his finger in my direction.

"Wait," his eyes were fixed on me now, studying me from top to bottom. I took a deep breath, knowing what he would say before his mouth opened. "Are you … are you Will of Thunderstorm?"

Henry frowned in confusion, "What?"

When he looked at me, I just nodded with a slight smile. He shook his head, still not understanding what was happening. "Wait … What, from The Young Magician."

I agreed again, a little disappointed to be recognized, especially when the conversation seemed to be going so smoothly. Still, I continued to smile sympathetically.

"What?" Henry asked in surprise. "I don't believe it. I thought you were kind of familiar, but you had your sunglasses on… My God, Sean must be freaking out. He's kind of in love with you."

"I'm not!" The youngest protested, and I laughed.

"He had a poster of you on his bedroom wall. He only took it off because his friends were saying he was gay."

"Shut up, Henry."

"I can't believe you didn't recognize him, Sean."

The extroverted boy was now with red cheeks, staring at me wordlessly. "I … I'm not in love with you, but I really like the movie."

I laughed at the young one´s shyness, "I know, Sean. Don't worry and I like it, too."

"You are a really good actor," Henry added, and I nodded with a little smile.

"Thanks."

There was a moment of silence after that when no one seemed to know what to say. Henry took the initiative and, with a surprisingly understanding look, spoke. "Wow, it must be awful to be recognized like that, right? Sorry for the uproar. It's just that I couldn't believe in the coincidence that the protagonist of one of Sean's favorite movies is here, in our room, and he didn't even recognize you."

"It's okay," I said quietly, smiling at him. "It always happens."

"I guess, but it must be a pain. That's why you had sunglasses, right? I found it a little bit weird."

I shrugged, not knowing what to say. It would seem a little rude to say it was uncomfortable. Celebrities never said they didn't like meeting fans on the street; it was kind of an unspoken rule.

"I don't mind. The fans always treated me very well," I said, the standard speech, but Henry squinted.

"Okay," he said quietly. "You are not on a talk show right now. You can tell us if it bothers you."

I laughed at his direct way and shook my head.

"Well, it's often very cool, but I admit it can be inconvenient too. Like when you ask a girl out to the park for ice cream, and immediately a crowd is formed around you."

"Wow, this must suck," Sean said, and I appreciated being understood. Most people judged me when I tried to explain the difficulties of being a famous actor at the age of 14. It is like when rich people try to say that too much money is a problem. Nobody takes it seriously.

The conversation took on its natural tone again, and I became more comfortable. I told the cousins about my situation. I had snicked on the ship, and that neither my mother nor the film producers knew where I was. They listened in fascination.

"Why did you sneak in?" Sean wanted to know without ceremony. "Aren't you rich?"

"Sean …" Henry complained.

I hesitated a little, a little embarrassed by the direct question, but ended up laughing.

"Well, my mother manages what I earn. As I said, I wasn't very famous a little while ago, so we didn't have much time to enjoy that kind of thing. I had never boarded a ship like this before and was looking forward to some time alone. I mean, away from my mom."

"That friend who let you in must be nice," Henry said, crossing his legs over the bed.

"Not really," I said immediately. "The jerk abandoned me at the first sign of trouble."

The two boys laughed. "Even so, to risk his job by letting you in and let you sleep in his room – not everyone would do that."

I thought about it. It hadn't been only to help me that Henry had done that. We were friends, but we always knew it was a much more circumstantial friendship than a real one. "Yeah, but for a price," I replied at last.

"Which one?" As always, Sean asked eagerly.

"I was going to let him take my picture." There was silence for an instant. The two cousins ​​looked at me as if they expected me to say something more, and finally, I saw Henry smile skeptically.

"Is that it?"

I was embarrassed by how futile it was starting to look. "Well, yes, with my shirt open."

Henry and Sean laughed. "Is that worth a cruise ticket?"

I laughed with them, showing how absurd my life could be. "You would be surprised if you knew how much a photo like thas is worth."

Sean's eyes shone with interest. "Oh, really? Can I take one, then?"

"What for?" Henry cut him off. "Put it next to your poster and watch it all night?"

The younger boy got red cheeks again and looked at me, embarrassed. "That is not true."

I laughed, and the boy realized how little worried I was whether he had a poster of me in his room. He seemed less embarrassed to see my coolness on the subject, and we started talking again.

I explained to them the whole dilemma about me showing up shirtless somewhere. My mom barely let me go to the club´s pool bare-chested, forcing me to wear those ridiculous UV shirts so no one could take a picture of me, imagine me posing like that for a photographer.

"But seriously, I know it's a tricky area," Henry said sincerely. "Not everyone can handle that much exposure. I was asked to be a model when I was a little younger, and I turned it down. I couldn't imagine seeing my pictures scattered around, especially in my underwear. I think I'm a little shy."

I smiled in surprise. "Oh, really? Underwear model?"

Henry shrugged, looking embarrassed. "Of all kinds of clothes, but they highlighted the part of intimate sessions."

I nodded understandingly. "It is not easy at first, but you get used to it. Well, if anything, I think you would make a good model."

I spoke casually, but as soon as I heard my own words, I blushed a little and noticed that the same happened with Henry. As we looked at each other in embarrassment, the ship shook and whistled, beginning a succession of movements typical of a moving boat. We all looked at each other in surprise when the voice sounded again in the microphone.

***

"Attention to all passengers. This is Dr. Carter from The Centers for Disease Control. First, I am grateful for the calm and understanding of the majority of you. We are now sailing a few meters into the ocean to facilitate isolation. Resources and professionals have embarked; we need to do a complete lockout. I know that the situation seems frightening, but I guarantee that it is only preventive."

The doctor's voice did what it could to convey a sense of calm, although, at the same time, it reaffirmed the importance of the situation.

"Even so, it is essential that you all follow the safety guidelines. We will be finishing to properly insulating the ship's floors in the next few hours, and we ask that you remain in the cabins that the staff has allocated to you. Within the next 24 hours, our doctors will stop by every room to answer your questions and do some tests."

The boys and I looked at each other apprehensively as the message continued. "Extension 009 from the reception will be available to clarify possible doubts, but it may be congested due to a large number of calls. If you have any symptoms and need some medical assistance, you can use extension 010, but we ask that you use it only for this purpose. Other situations of extreme urgency will be dealt with at extension 011.

"All buffet, pool, and any other activities outside the cabins are suspended. Meals will be delivered to the rooms, and we ask that you avoid contact with service providers at the time of delivery, to preserve the health of employees and yourselves.

"Once again, I understand your distress, but I ask for a little calm and patience so that everything can be resolved. As of this moment, the quarantine status is decreed, so I emphasize the importance of you all staying in your cabins. Thank you so much for your attention and see you soon."

When the voice went silent, I felt my chest tighten. We were all silent for a few moments until I spoke, still unable to fully interpret the information.

"Quarantine, what does that mean?"

Henry looked from me to Sean. "It means you were right, Sean. I think we will stay here for a few days."

The next few hours did not seem to pass. To make matters worse, no cell phone signal seemed to work, and the distress of a lack of information made it worse. I tried to call my mom about 50 times, but no call or message could be completed.

"We are not that far from the coast to lose signal, are we?"

"I don't know how it works," Henry said, also trying to get in touch with his parents, "but the phones hadn't worked since before you arrived."

Perfect, I thought; it couldn't get any worst. I was isolated on a cruise, in the middle of the sea, during some kind of epidemic that was serious enough to make the CDC quarantine the entire ship, and no one even knew my whereabouts. At least the boys' parents knew they were there and would make the necessary arrangements.

I wondered what the chances were that my mother would be able to follow my footsteps and discover where I was. I had told her that I would spend the weekend at a friend's house. If she called me and I didn't answer, she would certainly call him to check on me and discover that I lied. Even worse, call his mother. What about the producers? They would panic when I didn't show up on Monday.

When the night came, and the sky was so dark that it was hardly distinguishable from the black waters of the ocean, an employee left a tray with dinner on our door. We ate without talking much and decided to lie down to sleep. This part was somewhat embarrassing since there was only one bed for the three of us.

***

The boys went through their backpacks forever, clearly stalling to see who would change first, until Henry looked at me and asked: "Would you like to borrow something, Zach?"

I shrugged my shoulders. It wasn't as if the clothes he had loaned me earlier were dirty since I had only used them to stay in the room. The shorts were a little heavy, however, and honestly, I wasn't used to sleeping with a T-shirt, except on the coldest nights. "I think so. I mean, if it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all," he said, "I don't have that many clothes in the backpack. Most things were in my parents' suitcases, but we can still share these." The boy dumped some of the clothes on the bed so I could see them.

"Thank you so much, Henry – for real. Well, anything works for me; how do you usually sleep? I mean – what do you wear? "

The two looked at each other, and Henry seemed to blush a little. "Well, it depends on the night. Usually, just shorts or boxers, but I know it can be awkward with all of us in the same bed, so if you mind…"

I was as embarrassed as they were. I said it wasn't a problem for me and that I usually slept the same way. Henry smiled and handed me a pair of boxer's shorts. I thanked him again and changed in the bathroom. When I came back, wearing only boxers, I noticed the discreet looks towards my body. We were silent for a while, and Sean looked somewhat mesmerized. I blushed a little awkwardly, and Henry cut the boy's trance with a light joke.

"Come on, Sean, take the picture now. Imagine how much you can't sell one of these for."

I laughed, and the younger boy did as well. Then Henry went into the bathroom and came back in underwear similar to the one I wore, but Sean preferred to lie down in the same shorts he was wearing, taking off only his shirt. I suspected what the reason was and noticed a slight bulge in the front of his shorts.

We struggled a little to get under the covers of the huge double bed. The mattress was so spacious that not even with the three of us in there, it wasn't cramped. Even so, we still needed to be close, and as soon as Sean fell asleep, he turned towards me, and I felt his arm involuntarily wrap around my body as if hugging a huge pillow.

***

We woke up stunned with the CDC knocking on our door while the first rays of sunlight started to announce the next day. Dr. Carter, who had given the announcement on the radio, personally came into our room, accompanied by two assistants, and explained to us what was happening. She was friendly, always speaking in a cheerful tone, and telling jokes to lighten the mood, but her tired eyes suggested how serious the situation was.

The doctor explained that one of the passengers had been diagnosed with a disease, still unknown. Therefore, everyone on the cruise who may have had any contact with him would be isolated for a few weeks.

She also said that my mother already knew that I was there since she had tracked my cell phone and that she had threatened to sue everyone if I wasn't treated well.

I gave a nervous smile when I heard that. I would feel invaded by the lack of privacy, but at least she already knew where I was. Henry and Sean's family were also isolated, but since they had already left the cruise, they would quarantine at the hotel.

After the initial conversation, she did a series of tests while her assistants sprayed some kind of product in the room. She took our temperatures and asked several questions to see if we felt any symptoms and said that we shouldn't worry since everything indicated that we were fine, but that we shouldn't leave the room under any circumstances.

Promising to return for more follow-ups, the doctor hurriedly left the room, as this was only the first of many visits she would make.

***

It is curious how extreme cohabitation can create an unimaginable intimate relationship. Isolated in the same cabin for days, those mere teenage strangers became 100% of my social contact.

It was funny to see our relationship evolve in the days that passed. When initially we could barely call each other close, Henry and Sean became now real friends, and given the turbulent situation, I thanked the universe immensely for putting me in the room with them.

Even though I had liked them both right away, we were initially just getting to know each other, and we barely dared to stand in our underwear in front of one another. A few days later, however, with scarce clean clothes, underpants were all we wore.

Besides, without much to do indoor, we spent all the time speaking, telling jokes, and watching movies. I must have spoken to them more in those days than in my entire life with people I had known for years. Occasionally we were silent as if we had exhausted all possible subjects, but someone always ended up remembering something else, and the conversations went on.

Even in good company, some days could be quite depressing. The CDC seemed to be increasingly busy with the cases of contagion and barely came to our rooms, sending only daily meals and some clean towels, robes, and sheets. The robes were very useful when even Henry's underpants were all dirty, and we had to start washing our clothes during the shower.

The days in isolation were mingling together one after the other, and it was not uncommon for one of us to wake up in a bad mood or indisposed. Still, we always tried to invent something different to do and motivate each other.

***

The most distressing, however, was the lack of contact with our parents. Dr. Carter was the only one who mediated our communications, and her visits were getting increasingly rare. She had said that some CDC equipment was making it difficult for mobile devices to operate in some cabins and that it was too risky to take us to the ship's communications center. Therefore, we always had to send messages through her.

Although the doctor was always trying to assure us that everything was fine, her concern became more and more evident. Her eyes looked more tired, and she was no longer able to hide her concern. Things must have been pretty complicated for the woman. After a few visits, it became evident that asking her when we could leave was useless, as she simply would not know how to answer. Nobody could.

***

We were all used to the new routine, and it seemed useless to wait for a quick ending to it all. We thought it best just to do what everyone was telling us to and wait patiently. We were three teenagers, however, and some impulses were very hard to contain.

Luckily, the cabin was spacious enough, and we were able to exercise a little. To keep things more interesting, we started to bet on how many sit-ups and push-ups each one could do. Other impulses were somewhat embarrassing for three boys at puberty and seemed to build up over time. More than once, I had woken up with an erection and sleeping in my underwear, I had to wait several minutes before I could get out of bed without anyone noticing.

I know the same was true for Henry and Sean since, at various times, one of them would sit up inexplicably or suddenly put a pillow on their lap.

Although no one talked about it, it was apparent that none of us was putting up with it for too long without jerking off. Even Sean, who was the youngest, certainly had done it already.

Eventually, someone would quietly go into the bathroom and spend several minutes inside. Still, with a broken lock and two teenagers waiting on the other side, it could be a little embarrassing, as well as extremely obvious to the others.

The arousals were almost constant, and I realize I was starting to pay more attention to the boys' bodies. I caught myself wondering what their penises were like and imagining how they jerk them off. The other two might do it the same. Henry often talked to me, looking at my underwear, with his kind, cute eyes, and Sean had an obvious boy crush on me since the day he recognized me as the main character of his favorite movie.

One night there was a problem with the thermostat, and the room got so cold that we went to bed all dressed in warm clothes and socks, wrapping ourselves in the covers as close to each other as humanly possible.

We called the reception desk, and they said they were aware of the situation and that it would be fixed soon. The rain outside made the cruise ship sway and discouraged any attempt to open the window to let the cold air out.

"They're trying to freeze us to death, that's it …" Sean said, shaking, lucky to be the one in the middle. "They decided that it is easier to deal with the situation if we are all useless popsicles."

"Or else they decided that it is the only weakness of the infected zombies that walk the ship," I joked, making the youngest laugh.

"Don't start, you two. Again with these zombies," Henry said a little bit moody because of the cold, but Sean just ignored him, looking at me with a mischievous smile.

"It makes no sense. Why would the cold be the weakness of zombies?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Ask the CDC. They are the ones who turned this room into a refrigerator."

"That's it. Maybe they want to conserve the bodies of the dead," Sean said, simulating a scary voice in a morbid joke, but as soon as he spoke, the three of us got a little serious.

The content of the words came out with an unexpected tone of reality, and I felt a sharp chill go through my body. We didn't know what was going on outside, and even though everyone said it was all okay, there could be dead people on the ship.

The temperature seemed to decrease rather than increase, and we were all shaking and hugging each other. I was beginning to worry about catching a cold.

"I think we better call the reception desk again," Henry said in a low voice.

"It won't change anything," I replied without much hope. "We have to leave this room."

The older boy looked at me in surprise.

"Are you crazy? They spoke a thousand times that we shouldn't leave."

I tried to think of other options, but nothing came to mind. There were no more covers in the room, and the clothes we were not already wearing were wet and hanging in the bathroom, as we had washed them.

"We can't get out of the cabin," Sean said with a sudden click, "but we can go to the bathroom."

"It will be as cold as it is in here, Sean. The door is open, and surely the cold air has already entered it."

I understood what Sean was thinking. "No, Henry, he is right. We close the door and take a hot bath in the bathtub."

There was a brief silence while everyone thought about the idea.

"All together?" Henry asked, looking at me strangely, and I nodded.

***

The cold was too uncomfortable for us to debate for a long time, so without much protest, we all went to the bathroom and turned on the hot water immediately, and began to fill the tub. The steam that emanated started to heat the bathroom and I began to feel better.

"You don't have to cook us, though," Sean said, adjusting the cold tap a little, and I laughed. When the water reached a good level, I turned off the taps and we looked at each other, silently questioning who would go first.

"Okay," Henry said suddenly and started to undress. I followed him with my eyes as he removed his socks, shirt, shorts, and finally his underwear. His body was a bit pale, and he had smooth muscles; accompanied by those cute, deep-set eyes, he could easily be a model. I gazed at his firm pale butt as he moved forward. While he got into the bathtub, I undressed.

We were used to seeing each other in underwear, but I briefly hesitated before I got completely naked. To deflect the immediate looks that fell on me, I went into the bathtub and sat down, feeling the delicious sensation of the hot water washing the chill from my shivering body.

Sean was the last and the shyest about his body. I understood that it must be a little difficult for him, being the youngest, but I wanted to make it clear that he had nothing to be ashamed of.

"Come on, Sean; the water is perfect."

"Well, not right now," he said, embarrassed. "It's already hot in here near the tub."

"And it's better inside," Henry said. "Come on, you know we're not going to laugh or anything like that."

"Come on, we are all guys. Me and Henry are naked in here as well," I said to encourage him. "There is no problem at all."

He thought about it and started to undress. He took off his socks and shirt but stopped.

"It's just …" he started, but couldn't seem to speak up. "My…"

Seeing the boy's conflict, I completed his words as naturally as I could.

"Your dick is hard, isn't it?" I said without much ceremony. "That's ok; mine always gets like that too. I know it is a little embarrassing, but it doesn't mean anything."

That seemed to reassure him. He hesitantly removed his shorts and underwear and joined us in the bathtub. Even at 13, he was in perfect shape, with messy hair covering part of his eyes. His skin was tan from swimming in the cruise's swimming pool for long periods, and his 11-centimeter [4.5"] penis pointed straight out. He was a handsome boy and would be a huge success with girls – or boys if he wanted.

The bathtub was large, but we still had to squeeze a little. Our bodies eventually touched, which started my shy arousal. We became more comfortable with the situation and talked more naturally. The warmth of the waters was so pleasant that I could stay in there for hours. Perhaps because we were completely exposed, the conversations became more personal, until Henry asked me if I had kissed a lot of girls for being an actor.

I casually answered, "Not many, some. I mean, I admit that being a famous actor helps, but I don't know if I get much more out of it. Maybe sometimes." He laughed. "What about you?"

"No, I've only kissed two girls. The second was my girlfriend for maybe, I don't know, a month and then broke up with me."

"Her loss," I said jokingly, and Henry tried to contain a smile. "How about you, Sean?"

The youngest looked to the side as if he hadn't heard, making the most obvious "huh?" sound. I was amused by his lack of subtlety in disguising the matter and spoke sincerely. "You never kissed any, did you? No problem, really. It's not a competition. It's more a question of if and when you want to do it."

"Well," he started talking awkwardly, "I kind of want to, but I'm afraid to do it wrong."

I understood that fear perfectly.

"Ah, don't worry. Nobody gets it right the first time. You could practice with someone before doing it for real. Come on, Henry, teach Sean how to kiss," I said playfully, and Henry laughed.

"What? Get out. He is my cousin."

"And…?" I spoke with a provocative look. "I already kissed a cousin."

Henry shrugged.

"It was a girl, I bet."

I laughed sarcastically. "We are in the 21st century. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Is that so? Have you ever kissed a boy, then?"

"Well, no, but it wouldn't be a problem. I'm an actor, remember? Half the guys I know are gay or bi. Nobody cares anymore. I would certainly kiss a boy if I were playing a gay character."

"Fine. You kiss Sean, then," Henry countered, but I just smiled, my eyes sparkling in the challenge.

"I´ll kiss him if you kiss him."

Sean was blushing with embarrassment being the subject of our argument over who would kiss him. "What? What are you talking about? Nobody is going to kiss me." He didn't seem that determined, though.

"Oh, come on, Sean. It will be good for you to learn."

He went silent, and we took that as a yes. Henry took a deep breath, looking intently into my eyes and shook his head. We were playing cool, but all the three of us were shaking with nervousness.

"It will be weird, but okay."

Henry leaned over to Sean, put a hand on his shoulders, and kissed him. It was a brief and awkward kiss, with no tongue.

"If you are going to teach him, don't do it wrong. I doubt that you would kiss a girl like that," I said provocatively, and Henry returned the challenge to me.

"Show us how you do it, then."

***

I didn't know what was happening to me. A blazing fire, unknown to me until then, was replacing any shyness I had. I approached Sean, who was completely paralyzed, wrapped an arm around his back, put my hand on his head, and kissed him.

It was much less awkward than I thought it would be. It was maybe a little different from kissing a girl, but not at all worse. The excitement of the moment must have contributed, as I gave him a real kiss, feeling his tongue with mine and using my mouth to play with his lips.

My other hand lightly touched his chest, and I noticed that he started to reciprocate, recovering from the initial shock. It was awkward at first, but he soon repeated my moves, freeing his tongue and placing his hand subtly on my shoulder. After a few seconds, I pulled away, and we both smiled.

"Wow," he said, catching his breath, in complete surprise. Henry also had his mouth wide open, and even though his lap was submerged, I could see his rock hard dick, as were Sean's and mine. "It was much better than I thought; I mean, I think I understood. It's not that hard."

"Just go with your instincts," I said, and the boy nodded with a small smile. "Try Henry now."

Sean took a deep breath and kissed his older cousin. Henry put the discomfort aside almost immediately and started to kiss him back. It was clear to me that we had started something that would not just end there.

When they separated, it was my turn to close the cycle. Henry had barely recovered his breath when I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and kissed him. I think part of me wanted to do that since the moment I met him because once we touched, all my impulses were released.

I rubbed his chest with my hands and felt his breathing harden. I moved my fingers down his chest, submerging my hands into the water and went even further. When I finally felt his hard dick, I held it and instinctively started a back and forth motion. Behind us, without believing what was happening, Sean didn't seem to know what to do. I didn't even know what I was doing if being honest, but I didn't care. Henry was panting with pleasure, which gave me the confidence to continue.

"Ah, what … what are you…?" Sean mumbled, but he couldn't make sense of the words.

The youngest was clearly surprised, but I knew he was as horny as we were. I let go of Henry's dick for a moment and turned to the younger boy. My heart was beating so fast that I could hear it.

"You have jerked off before, right?"

The boy hesitated. "Yeah… but alone. Never like that."

I laughed, "Me neither, but it's fun. Want to see?"

He thought about it and slowly shook his head. I smiled into his shy eyes. I slowly reached for his dick, considerably smaller than Henry's, and the boy immediately took a deep breath. I started a slow going up and down, increasing the pace gradually and stirring the water around us. Sean moved his hips involuntarily and seemed wholly immersed in the pleasure he felt.

"This is awesome."

As I jerked off Sean, I felt Henry's hand reach for my cock, and I held my breath. It was the first time that someone else touched me down there, and I felt a wave of electricity running through my body. I looked at Henry and his deep-set eyes stared at me with an excited smile.

We stayed that way for a while, with Henry spectacularly masturbating me and Sean excited with what I was doing to him, using one hand to do the back and forth and the other to touch his balls, groin, and nipples. When I felt that the pleasure was growing too fast, I stopped and said we should get out of the bathtub.

***

By that time, any shyness or modesty was laid aside. We all got out wet and laid down on the floor, on top of the towels.

"Sean, do to Henry what I did to you."

The boy smiled and obeyed immediately. He looked awkward for a moment, touching Henry's cock and admiring his cousin's few pubes. In the meantime, I decided to try something new.

I crouched in front of the youngest and put his smooth, hairless penis in my mouth. He groaned in surprise as my tongue felt his erection, licking from head to balls, sucking him with determination. After a few minutes, Sean couldn't even jerk Henry off anymore. His hands instinctively went to my head, and he groaned loudly, spewing salty jets of cum into my mouth. It was unexpected, and it tasted so weird that I ended up spitting the cum on his belly.

"My god," he said, trying to catch his breath. "I've never felt anything that good!"

I laughed and gave an exciting look. Then I looked at Henry, and we got a little closer.

"Do you want me to do the same for you?" I asked, and he immediately nodded.

"Yes, please."

I pushed his chest back so he would lay down to the floor and started sucking on him. His dick was bigger, and it was a little more difficult at first. He had a few pubes, but they were barely noticeable. He did like Sean and put his hands in my hair, helping to guide the movement.

I felt his breathing become more labored, and soon, short moans were heard. I used my free hands to play with his body, and it seemed to drive him even crazier. The quiet, polite boy was now in ecstasy, going up and down with his hips to fuck my mouth.

When he finally came, I was more ready this time and forced myself to swallow it. He was young like me and didn't shoot many jets. Henry collapsed exhausted on the floor, and I was satisfied with the pleasure I had given them.

"It's incredible, isn't it?" Sean asked, and Henry nodded, sitting down again.

"My God, now I understand why everyone talks about sex all the time."

"Yeah, I've never done anything like that before," I said smiling, and noticed the malicious look between Sean and Henry. "What?"

"You haven't finished yet, have you? We will not let you down after what you did for us."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Aren't you tired?"

Henry just pushed my chest back, making me lie on my back.

"It's your turn now."

Sean joined him, and soon, they started to give me the best feeling I ever had. The two alternated who would suck my dick, and their hands explored every inch of me. They seemed to feel my whole body at the same time and sometimes lick my penis simultaneously as if they were kissing each other as well.

I put a hand on each head, feeling my fingers through their hair as they satisfied me. I never thought doing something like that would be so much better than my sessions at home, but I could barely breathe with pleasure. It didn't last long until I had the biggest orgasm of my young life.

When we finally left the bathroom, the thermostat seemed to be working again, so we went straight to bed without even bothering to get dressed. We lay all naked, wrapping ourselves in a group hug and quickly fell asleep.

***

I remember waking up the next morning barely at dawn, and the frigid air of the air conditioner contrasted with the heat of Henry and Sean's bodies. I can't say that the quarantine didn't get bleak. Those days marked the beginning of a great epidemic, which, despite all the efforts of the CDC, spread throughout the world and claimed many lives.

The cousins and I were fortunate to have been isolated from the external problems and, even though the days leading up to our release had been stressful, with reports of deaths starting to reach our ears, the first thing I think about when I remember those long weeks is not the anguish of isolation, the fear of illness or the constant paranoia.

It is that morning, with Sean nestled between Henry and me and the three of us wrapping each other in the warmest of hugs. My eyes flew open briefly, remembering the night before. Still, instead of feeling any kind of shame or regret, I just smiled slightly, hugging the boys next to me a little more and falling asleep again, as if all the problems of the world had disappeared from my mind.

The End