Zoe Peterson

Zoe is the youngest Peterson and has enough energy for ten kids! She loves unicorns, bright colors, and anything fun. She never goes anywhere without her favorite unicorn toy. Zoe is always getting into silly situations, but her big heart and cheerful attitude make everyone smile.

Lina Peterson

Lina is adventurous, curious, and always ready for a challenge. She loves exploring new places and often discovers things nobody else notices. She can be a little sassy sometimes, but she is kind, brave, and always looks out for her family and friends. Lina's best friend is Lana, and together they are always finding excitement wherever they go.

Lana Smith

Lana is Lina's best friend. She loves fashion, especially pretty dresses and anything purple. Lana is always helping Lina pick out outfits and make sure she looks her best. She is kind, confident, and enjoys trying new things. Whether she's giving fashion advice or making everyone laugh, Lana is always a great friend to have around.

Nellie Peterson

Nellie is one of the Peterson sisters and is known for being a little dramatic. She always has something to say and isn't afraid to share her opinion. Nellie loves being involved in what's going on and can turn even a small problem into a big story. Even though she can be dramatic sometimes, she cares about her family and always wants to help LOL.

John Peterson

John is the oldest Peterson sibling and recently got his driver's license. He likes having his independence and thinks he's old enough to handle things on his own. John is responsible most of the time, but things don't always go according to plan. Even when he pretends to be annoyed by his sisters, he cares about them more than he lets on.

Emily Peterson

Emily is the mother of the Peterson family. She planned the cruise and is always trying to keep everyone organized.

Jake Peterson

Jake is the father of the Peterson family. He is easygoing and always thinks everything will work out.

Ryan Smith

Ryan is Lana's father. He is friendly, relaxed, and enjoys going on family vacations.

Sabrina Smith

Sabrina is Lana's mother. She is kind, stylish, and loves spending time with her family.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Meet the Characters

Chapter 1: The Announcement

Chapter 2: John's Big Plan

Chapter 3: A Surprise Cruise

Chapter 4: Packing Panic

Chapter 5: The Port

Chapter 6: All Aboard!

Chapter 7: The Unexpected Reunion

Chapter 8: Cruise Chaos

Chapter 9: The Missing Unicorn

Chapter 10: The Talent Show

Chapter 11: The Secret Door

Chapter 12: Lost at Sea... Sort Of

Chapter 13: The Best Day Ever

Chapter 14: One Last Adventure

Chapter 15: Home Again.

"John! Get in here!"

John Peterson groaned and paused his video game.

"Coming!" he yelled.

A few seconds later, another voice echoed through the house.

"JOHN! NOW!"

That was Mom's serious voice.

John sighed and set down his controller.

"I was already coming," he muttered.

As he walked downstairs, he could already hear chaos in the living room.

Zoe was running in circles wearing a unicorn headband

and waving a stuffed unicorn through the air.

"Mr. Sparkles can fly!" she shouted.

"No, he can't," Nellie said dramatically from the couch. "He's a stuffed animal."

"He can too!"

"Nope."

"Can too!"

"Nope."

Lina sat in a chair scrolling through her phone while trying her best to ignore them.

"Guys, can you not start World War Three before dinner?" she asked.

At that moment, John walked into the room.

Mom and Dad were standing near the fireplace.

Mom smiled.

"Perfect. Everyone's here."

"Except Mr. Sparkles," Zoe said.

"Mr. Sparkles is not a person," Nellie replied.

"He is too!"

Dad cleared his throat.

"We have an announcement."

Immediately the room became quiet.

Well... almost.

Zoe was still making unicorn noises.

Mom folded her hands together.

"You all know summer vacation is coming up."

Everyone nodded.

"We thought it would be fun to do something special this year."

Lina sat up.

"Like what?"

Dad grinned.

"A vacation."

The room exploded.

"A VACATION?" Zoe screamed.

"WHERE?" Lina asked.

"HOW LONG?" Nellie shouted.

"DO THEY HAVE A BUFFET?" Dad asked.

Mom stared at him.

"Jake."

"What? Important question."

John laughed.

Mom shook her head.

"Before we tell you, we have another surprise."

She looked directly at John.

John immediately became nervous.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"Because this surprise is for you."

"Uh-oh."

Dad laughed.

"It's not an uh-oh."

Mom smiled.

"John, you just got your driver's license."

John grinned.

That was true.

After months of studying, practicing, and taking the test, he had finally passed.

"We think you're old enough for a little more independence."

John's eyes widened.

"What does that mean?"

Mom reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope.

She handed it to him.

John opened it.

Inside was money.

A lot of money.

His jaw dropped.

"What is this?"

"A vacation fund," Mom said.

John blinked.

"A what?"

Dad smiled.

"You can plan your own trip."

John nearly fell over.

"My own trip?"

"Yep."

"You mean by myself?"

Mom nodded.

"Within reason."

John stared at the envelope.

This was the greatest day of his life.

No little sisters.

No arguments.

No unicorns.

Just freedom.

His mind immediately filled with possibilities.

Theme parks.

Beach resorts.

Road trips.

Maybe even a cruise.

A cruise sounded amazing.

He had always wanted to go on one.

Huge ships.

Pools.

Food.

Arcades.

Freedom.

Perfect.

Meanwhile, Zoe had climbed onto the couch and was pretending to captain an invisible ship.

"All aboard!" she yelled.

John smiled.

Definitely no little sisters.

Meanwhile, Mom turned back to the rest of the family.

"As for all of you..."

The younger kids leaned forward.

"We're taking a family cruise."

The room exploded for the second time.

"A CRUISE?" Lina shouted.

"NO WAY!" Nellie yelled.

"DO THEY HAVE UNICORNS?" Zoe asked.

Dad laughed.

"I don't think so."

Zoe looked disappointed.

John smiled politely.

A family cruise sounded fun.

For them.

Not for him.

Because he already knew exactly what he was going to book.

The perfect cruise.

One where he could finally enjoy a vacation all by himself.

Far away from his sisters.

Far away from drama.

Far away from unicorns.

Unfortunately for John...

He had absolutely no idea what was about to happen.

And neither did the rest of the Peterson family.

The next morning, John woke up with a huge smile on his face.

He sat up in bed and looked at the envelope sitting on his desk.

The vacation money was still there.

Yesterday wasn't a dream.

His parents had actually given him money to plan his own vacation.

John grabbed the envelope and grinned.

"This is going to be awesome."

He quickly got dressed and headed downstairs.

As usual, the Peterson house was loud.

Very loud.

"WHERE IS MR. SPARKLES?!" Zoe yelled.

John sighed.

Never mind.

Everything was normal.

A few minutes later, Zoe found Mr. Sparkles sitting on the kitchen table.

She hugged the unicorn tightly.

"I thought I lost him forever!"

"It was gone for five minutes," Nellie said.

"It felt like forever."

Lina laughed.

Mom walked into the kitchen carrying a plate of

pancakes.

"Good morning, everyone."

The family gathered around the table.

Well, almost everyone.

Dad was still trying to figure out why the coffee maker wasn't working.

"It's not plugged in," Lina said.

Dad plugged it in.

"Oh."

John shook his head.

Some things never changed.

After breakfast, he hurried upstairs and opened his laptop.

Today he was going to plan the perfect vacation.

He looked at theme parks.

He looked at beaches.

He looked at road trips.

Nothing seemed quite right.

Then he saw it.

A cruise advertisement.

John clicked on it immediately.

The ship looked incredible.

There were pools, restaurants, games, shows, and endless ocean views.

It looked perfect.

The cruise lasted one week.

Perfect.

It sailed during summer break.

Perfect.

It left from Florida.

Perfect.

John didn't even need to think about it.

"This is the one."

Meanwhile, downstairs, Mom was sitting at the kitchen table with Dad.

She was looking at vacation websites too.

"What about this one?" she asked.

Dad looked at the screen.

A giant cruise ship appeared.

"That looks fun."

"The kids would love it."

Mom smiled.

"I think so too."

Neither of them noticed John walking through the room carrying a cruise brochure.

And John didn't notice the cruise ship on Mom's screen.

Later that week, excitement filled the house.

Suitcases appeared.

Shopping lists were made.

Zoe packed ten stuffed animals.

Mom told her she could bring one.

Nellie packed enough clothes for a month.

Mom told her they were only going for a week.

Lina spent most of her time talking to Lana about the trip.

And John spent every free minute watching cruise videos online.

Finally, after days of planning, John clicked the button.

BOOK NOW.

His trip was officially reserved.

John leaned back in his chair.

"This is going to be the best vacation ever."

Downstairs, Mom received an email.

Your cruise reservation has been confirmed.

She smiled.

"This is going to be the best vacation ever."

Neither of them knew the truth.

They had just booked the exact same cruise.

Lina's phone buzzed.

She immediately grabbed it.

Lana: What's up?

Lina smiled.

Lina: You are not going to believe this.

A few seconds later, her phone rang.

Lana was calling.

"What happened?" Lana asked.

"You know how my family never does anything exciting?"

"Yeah."

"Well, we're going on a cruise."

Lana screamed.

A very loud scream.

Lina had to hold the phone away from her ear.

"A CRUISE?" Lana shouted.

"Yep."

"When?"

"This summer."

"Oh my gosh."

Lana immediately started planning.

"What am I going to wear?"

Lina laughed.

"We haven't even packed yet."

"I need outfits."

"You always need outfits."

"I know."

Meanwhile, downstairs, chaos had already started.

Zoe was running through the house with Mr. Sparkles.

"I'm going on a cruise!" she shouted.

Nobody knew how she had so much energy.

Nellie sat at the kitchen table.

"What if I get seasick?"

Dad shrugged.

"What if you don't?"

"What if I do?"

"What if you don't?"

Nellie groaned.

Dad smiled.

He enjoyed annoying his children.

A little too much.

Mom walked into the room carrying a notebook.

"Okay, everyone."

The family looked up.

"Time to start planning."

Immediately everyone started talking.

"Can we swim every day?"

"Can I bring six suitcases?"

"Can Mr. Sparkles come?"

"Can I have unlimited ice cream?"

Mom held up her hand.

One by one, the questions stopped.

"No six suitcases."

Nellie sighed dramatically.

"Mr. Sparkles can come."

Zoe cheered.

"And no unlimited ice cream."

Dad looked disappointed.

"That rule was for you," Mom said.

Dad looked even more disappointed.

Upstairs, Lina was still talking to Lana.

"I wish you were coming."

Lana thought for a moment.

"You know..."

"What?"

"My parents have been talking about taking a vacation too."

Lina sat up.

"Really?"

"Maybe I can convince them."

Lina smiled.

"That would be amazing."

The girls spent the next hour talking about cruise ships, pools, restaurants, and all the fun things they hoped to do.

Neither of them noticed what was happening downstairs.

Mom had opened the cruise website.

Dad leaned over her shoulder.

"That ship looks huge."

"It does."

Mom clicked the booking button.

A confirmation page appeared.

The trip was officially booked.

Meanwhile, across town, Lana was talking to her parents.

"A cruise?" Sabrina asked.

"Please?"

Ryan looked at Sabrina.

Sabrina looked at Ryan.

Ryan smiled.

"I think it sounds fun."

Lana jumped up and down.

"Really?"

"Really."

The Smith family started looking at cruises that same night.

And somewhere else...

John was sitting at his computer.

Looking at the exact same ship.

The exact same dates.

The exact same cruise.

Three separate bookings.

One cruise ship.

And nobody knew it yet.

The cruise was only three days away.

And the Peterson house was complete chaos.

Suitcases were everywhere.

Clothes were everywhere.

Shoes were everywhere.

Nobody could find anything.

Especially Zoe.

"MR. SPARKLES IS MISSING!"

Everyone froze.

"Oh no," Lina said.

Not again.

Zoe ran into the living room.

"He was right here!"

Dad looked under a couch cushion.

"Nope."

Nellie sighed dramatically.

"We'll never see him again."

Zoe gasped.

"Don't say that!"

Five minutes later, Mr. Sparkles was found sitting on Zoe's bed.

Right where she had left him.

Meanwhile, Lina was trying to pack.

Unfortunately, packing was impossible because Lana kept texting her.

Lana: What are you bringing?

Lina: Clothes.

Lana: That's not specific enough.

Lina: Normal clothes.

Lana: I have seventeen outfits planned.

Lina laughed.

Only Lana would plan seventeen outfits for a one-week cruise.

Across town, Lana's room looked like a clothing store had exploded.

Dresses covered her bed.

Shoes covered the floor.

Her mom stood in the doorway.

"Lana."

"Yes?"

"You do not need seventeen outfits."

"I absolutely do."

Sabrina shook her head.

"You'll survive."

Back at the Peterson house, Nellie was packing too.

Or at least trying to.

Her suitcase was already overflowing.

"Nellie," Mom said.

"Yes?"

"You can't bring twenty-three shirts."

"Why not?"

"We're only gone for a week."

"What if I need them?"

Mom stared at her.

Nellie stared back.

Eventually, ten shirts were removed.

Nellie acted as if it were the greatest tragedy of all time.

Meanwhile, John was having a wonderful day.

His suitcase was already packed.

His cruise was booked.

Everything was perfect.

Finally.

A vacation without his sisters.

No drama.

No arguments.

No unicorn emergencies.

Just peace and quiet.

John smiled.

This was going to be the best trip ever.

Unfortunately...

At that exact moment, Zoe burst into his room.

"John!"

"What?"

"Mr. Sparkles wants to know if cruise ships have ice cream."

John stared.

For a moment, he couldn't speak.

Then he pointed toward the door.

"Out."

Zoe giggled and ran away.

The night before the cruise arrived faster than anyone expected.

Mom gathered everyone in the living room.

"Tomorrow is a big day."

Everyone cheered.

"We leave early."

Everyone groaned.

"Very early."

Everyone groaned louder.

Dad checked the schedule.

"We need to leave before sunrise."

Nellie nearly fainted.

"Before sunrise?"

"That's what I said."

"This is torture."

"It is not torture."

"It feels like torture."

Everyone laughed.

Even Mom.

Soon the family headed to bed.

Well...

Most of them.

Zoe was too excited to sleep.

Lina was texting Lana.

Nellie was reorganizing her suitcase.

And John was watching videos of cruise ships.

Tomorrow would be the beginning of an amazing adventure.

He couldn't wait.

What he didn't know was that his peaceful vacation was about to become a whole lot less peaceful.

And very soon...

He was going to get the surprise of his life.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

At exactly 4:30 in the morning, Emily's alarm went off.

Nobody was happy.

Especially Nellie.

"I think I slept for three minutes," she groaned.

"You slept for 12 hours," Lina replied.

"Same thing."

The Peterson family slowly dragged themselves out of bed and got ready.

Well, everyone except Zoe.

Zoe had been awake for almost an hour.

She was already dressed and carrying Mr. Sparkles.

"IS IT TIME YET?" she asked for the hundredth time.

"Almost," Mom said.

"Now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"No."

By 5:30, the car was packed.

Suitcases filled the trunk.

Backpacks filled the seats.

Snacks were everywhere.

Dad climbed into the driver's seat.

"Everybody ready?"

"YES!" Zoe shouted.

"NO!" Nellie shouted.

Dad laughed.

"Good enough."

The car pulled out of the driveway.

As the sun slowly began to rise, excitement started to replace everyone's sleepiness.

Even Nellie.

A few hours later, the city skyline appeared in the distance.

"We're getting close," Mom said.

Everyone sat up straighter.

John looked out the window.

Then suddenly he saw it.

A giant white cruise ship.

His eyes widened.

"No way."

The ship was enormous.

It looked like a floating city.

Pools.

Restaurants.

Balconies.

Water slides.

It seemed to stretch forever.

"We're really going on that?" Zoe asked.

"We are," Dad replied.

Zoe screamed so loudly that everyone covered their ears.

The closer they got, the bigger the ship seemed.

Soon they arrived at the cruise terminal.

Families were everywhere.

Suitcases rolled across the sidewalks.

Workers loaded luggage onto carts.

People snapped pictures.

Everyone looked excited.

The Peterson family climbed out of the car.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

They simply stared at the ship.

"Wow," Lina whispered.

"It looks even bigger in person," John said.

"Do you think they have ice cream?" Zoe asked.

"They definitely have ice cream," Dad said.

Zoe cheered.

After checking their bags and getting through security, the family joined the boarding line.

The line moved slowly.

Very slowly.

Too slowly for Zoe.

"Are we there yet?"

"We're standing still," Nellie said.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

Finally, they reached the boarding ramp.

The giant ship towered above them.

A crew member smiled.

"Welcome aboard!"

One by one, the Peterson family stepped onto the ship.

The adventure had officially begun.

What none of them knew was that somewhere nearby, another passenger was boarding too.

A passenger who thought he was taking this trip completely alone.

A passenger who was about to get the biggest surprise

of his life.

John Peterson.

The moment the Peterson family stepped onto the ship, Zoe gasped.

"THIS PLACE IS HUGE!"

She wasn't wrong.

The ship seemed to go on forever.

There were sparkling lights, giant staircases, colorful carpets, and people everywhere.

Lina spun in a circle.

"This is amazing."

Nellie pulled out her phone.

"I need pictures immediately."

Dad looked around.

"I need food immediately."

Mom laughed.

"We just got here."

A crew member handed them a map of the ship.

Dad unfolded it.

The map was enormous.

"Uh-oh."

"What?" Mom asked.

"I think we're going to get lost."

"We are absolutely going to get lost," Lina agreed.

Meanwhile, Zoe had already wandered ten feet away.

"ZOE!" everyone shouted.

Zoe froze.

"What?"

"Stay with the group."

"Okay."

Five seconds later, she wandered away again.

After finding their staterooms, everyone rushed inside.

The rooms weren't huge, but they were cozy.

Lina immediately ran to the balcony.

The ocean stretched as far as she could see.

"Come look at this!"

Everyone crowded around.

Even Nellie was impressed.

For a few minutes, nobody said anything.

The view was incredible.

Then Zoe broke the silence.

"Can we go explore now?"

"Yes," Mom said.

That was all she needed to hear.

The Peterson kids took off down the hallway.

Soon they found a pool deck.

Then a mini golf course.

Then an arcade.

Then an ice cream station.

Dad suddenly appeared.

"Did somebody say ice cream?"

Nobody knew where he came from.

Not even Mom.

A few minutes later, everyone was holding ice cream cones.

Even though lunch was in an hour.

"This is the best day ever," Zoe announced.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ship...

John stepped out of his room.

He smiled.

Everything was perfect.

The ocean.

The sunshine.

The freedom.

Most importantly...

No sisters.

John headed toward the pool deck.

He planned to spend the entire afternoon relaxing.

Maybe swim.

Maybe play arcade games.

Maybe eat way too much ice cream.

This was exactly what he had imagined.

As he walked across the deck, he glanced around at the crowd.

Families.

Couples.

Kids.

Tourists.

Nothing unusual.

Then he heard a voice.

A very familiar voice.

One he definitely wasn't expecting.

"MR. SPARKLES WANTS ICE CREAM TOO!"

John froze.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

He turned around.

His eyes widened.

"No."

There was Zoe.

Holding Mr. Sparkles.

Standing twenty feet away.

John blinked.

Maybe he was imagining things.

Maybe he had eaten too much ice cream already.

Then he heard another familiar voice.

"Zoe, stop talking for the unicorn."

Lina.

Then another.

"Nellie, move over!"

Then another.

"Kids, stay together!"

Mom.

John stared in complete horror.

His entire family was standing on the same ship.

The exact same ship.

The exact same cruise.

The exact same vacation.

For a moment, nobody noticed him.

Then Zoe looked up.

Her brown eyes got huge.

"JOHN!"

Uh-oh.

"JOHNNNNN!"

The scream echoed across the entire pool deck.

John closed his eyes.

Maybe if he didn't move, nobody would notice him.

Unfortunately, Zoe had already spotted him.

She took off running.

"JOHNNNNN!"

People turned to look.

John considered jumping into the pool.

Before he could escape, Zoe crashed into him.

"YOU'RE HERE!"

John sighed.

"Unfortunately."

Zoe gasped.

"You're on our cruise!"

"No, you're on my cruise."

"No, you're on our cruise."

John rubbed his forehead.

This was a disaster.

A complete disaster.

One by one, the rest of the Peterson family arrived.

Lina looked shocked.

"What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that!"

Nellie crossed her arms.

"You followed us."

"I did not follow you!"

"You definitely followed us."

"I definitely didn't!"

Mom and Dad finally caught up.

Mom looked surprised.

"John?"

"Mom?"

"What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What are YOU doing here?"

Dad blinked.

Then it hit him.

"Oh."

Mom looked at Dad.

Dad looked at Mom.

Then both of them started laughing.

"Oh no," John said.

"Oh yes," Dad replied.

"You booked this cruise."

"So did you."

John stared.

The horrible truth slowly sank in.

All week long he had been planning a peaceful vacation.

A vacation without his family.

A vacation without drama.

A vacation without unicorns.

Instead...

He had accidentally booked the exact same cruise as his family.

"This can't be happening."

"It is happening," Nellie said.

John groaned.

Zoe smiled.

"This is the best day ever!"

"No, it isn't."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it isn't."

"Yes, it is."

Lina laughed.

"You have to admit this is kind of funny."

"It isn't funny."

"It is a little funny."

"It isn't."

"It really is."

Even Mom was trying not to laugh.

John looked around.

His entire family was standing there.

His sisters.

His parents.

Mr. Sparkles.

Everybody.

There would be no escaping.

Not for seven whole days.

Then another familiar voice appeared.

"Wait... John?"

Everyone turned.

Lana stood a few feet away.

John blinked.

"No."

Lana smiled.

"Hi."

Lina gasped.

"LANA!"

She ran over and hugged her best friend.

John looked horrified.

"She's here too?"

"Yep," Lana said.

"The Smiths booked this cruise last week."

John looked up at the sky.

Why?

Why was this happening?

Now there were two families.

And Lana.

And Mr. Sparkles.

And probably about a million more surprises waiting for him.

The cruise had only just started.

And somehow, it was already nothing like he had

planned.

By the second day of the cruise, John had accepted his fate.

Kind of.

He was still annoyed.

Very annoyed.

But there was nothing he could do about it.

His family was here.

Lana was here.

And apparently, they were all planning to spend as much time with him as possible.

It started at breakfast.

John had carefully chosen a table in the far corner of the

buffet.

A quiet table.

A peaceful table.

A table where nobody would find him.

Or so he thought.

"THERE HE IS!"

John froze.

Zoe came running across the dining room holding Mr. Sparkles.

"No."

A moment later, the entire family arrived.

Lina.

Nellie.

Mom.

Dad.

Lana.

Every single one of them.

"We saved you a seat," Lana said.

"I didn't ask for one."

"We know."

John sighed.

Ten minutes later, he was eating pancakes with everyone else.

After breakfast, the group headed to the pool deck.

The ship was packed.

Music played overhead.

People swam in the pools.

Kids raced down the water slides.

Everything seemed normal.

Until Zoe disappeared.

Again.

"Where's Zoe?" Mom asked.

Everyone stopped.

Nobody knew.

"Oh no," Lina said.

The family immediately split up.

John searched near the pool.

Lana searched near the arcade.

Nellie searched near the mini golf course.

Finally, they found Zoe.

She was sitting in a deck chair.

Talking to a stranger.

"ZOE!" Mom exclaimed.

Zoe looked up.

"Oh, hi."

"Who is that?"

Zoe pointed to an elderly woman.

"This is Margaret."

The woman smiled.

"Your daughter is lovely."

"Thank you," Mom said.

"We've been discussing unicorns."

Of course they had.

After that, everyone agreed Zoe could not wander off alone anymore.

Not even for five minutes.

Later that afternoon, things got even worse.

For John.

The cruise ship announced a family scavenger hunt.

"That sounds fun!" Lina said.

"We should do it!" Lana agreed.

"We are absolutely doing it," Dad said.

Everyone looked at John.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

Five minutes later, John was carrying a scavenger hunt map.

The hunt sent them all over the ship.

They had to find clues.

Solve puzzles.

Take pictures.

And answer questions.

To everyone's surprise, they were actually pretty good at it.

Lina solved most of the clues.

Lana kept everyone organized.

Nellie noticed tiny details nobody else saw.

Dad accidentally found three clues while looking for snacks.

And Zoe somehow convinced strangers to help.

By sunset, they had completed every challenge.

"Second place!" the cruise director announced.

The Peterson family cheered.

Even John smiled.

Just a little.

Maybe this cruise wasn't completely terrible.

Maybe.

Then Zoe pointed toward the end of the hallway.

"What's that door?"

Everyone turned.

At the very end of the corridor was a small door.

A door nobody had noticed before.

A door with a sign that read:

CREW ONLY

Lina's eyes lit up.

"Oh, we are definitely investigating that."

John groaned.

And just like that...

The real adventure was about to begin.

"Absolutely not."

That was John's answer.

Unfortunately, nobody listened.

Lina stared at the small door at the end of the hallway.

The sign clearly said:

CREW ONLY

Which made her even more curious.

"There has to be something behind it," she whispered.

"It's probably crew stuff," John said.

"Exactly."

John blinked.

"That's literally what I just said."

Lana laughed.

Lina was already walking toward the door.

"Wait up!" Zoe called.

The group hurried down the hallway.

The further they walked, the quieter it became.

Most passengers stayed near the pools, restaurants, and theaters.

Almost nobody came down this hallway.

Which made it feel even more mysterious.

Lina stopped in front of the door.

She examined it carefully.

"It's locked."

"Well, mystery solved," John said.

"No, it isn't."

"It kind of is."

Lina ignored him.

She leaned closer.

Then she noticed something.

"There are scratches around the lock."

Nellie stepped forward.

"You're right."

"See?" Lina said.

"Maybe people keep trying to open it."

"Or maybe it's just an old door," John replied.

Suddenly...

CLICK.

Everyone froze.

The handle moved.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

The door opened a few inches.

Zoe squeaked.

Mr. Sparkles fell onto the floor.

A crew member stepped out carrying a clipboard.

The kids stared.

The crew member stared.

Nobody said anything.

Finally, the crew member raised an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?"

"Uh..." Lina said.

"We were just..."

"Looking at the door?" the crew member asked.

"Maybe."

The crew member smiled.

"You're not the first."

John immediately pointed at Lina.

"It was her idea."

"JOHN!"

The crew member laughed.

"Sorry, kids. Passengers aren't allowed back here."

"What is back there?" Zoe asked.

The crew member grinned.

"That's a secret."

Lina's eyes widened.

"A secret?"

The crew member nodded.

"A ship has lots of secrets."

Then he stepped back inside.

The door closed.

CLICK.

The hallway became quiet again.

For a few moments, nobody spoke.

Then Lina smiled.

"Oh, this is definitely a mystery."

John groaned.

"Why couldn't he have said it was a storage closet?"

"Because it's obviously not a storage closet."

"It could be."

"It isn't."

"It could be."

"It isn't."

Lana laughed.

"I kind of want to know what's back there too."

"Thank you!" Lina said.

Even Nellie looked interested.

Only John wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.

Unfortunately, he knew exactly how this worked.

If Lina was curious about something...

She wasn't going to give up.

Ever.

As the group headed back toward the main part of the ship, Lina glanced over her shoulder.

The door was still there.

Quiet.

Mysterious.

Waiting.

And for the first time all cruise...

She had a feeling that something exciting was about to happen.

Something much bigger than a scavenger hunt.

Something worth investigating.

And she planned to find out exactly what it was.

The morning after discovering the mysterious crew door, the Peterson family was eating breakfast when an announcement echoed through the ship.

"Attention, passengers! Tonight we will be hosting our annual Cruise Talent Show!"

Zoe gasped.

Nellie gasped.

Lina looked interested.

John immediately knew this was bad news.

Very bad news.

"We should do it!" Zoe shouted.

"No," John replied.

"We should definitely do it!" Nellie said.

"No."

"YES!"

"No."

Mom smiled.

"I think it sounds fun."

"Mom, please don't help them."

Dad looked up from his pancakes.

"Can I juggle?"

"You can't juggle," Lina said.

"I can juggle snacks."

"That doesn't count."

By lunch, Zoe and Nellie had completely taken over.

"We need a performance."

"We need costumes."

"We need music."

"We need talent."

Everyone looked at each other.

That last one might be a problem.

Later that afternoon, the family went to watch a professional water show on the ship.

Acrobats flipped through the air.

Divers splashed into the water.

Performers danced across the stage.

The audience cheered.

"It looks easy," Zoe whispered.

"It absolutely does not look easy," John said.

"We can do that."

"No, we can't."

"We can."

"No."

By the time the show ended, Zoe and Nellie had made a decision.

The Peterson family was entering the talent show.

Nobody got a vote.

Especially John.

A few hours later, the family gathered in a quiet area of the ship to practice.

It did not go well.

Dad accidentally dropped a prop.

Mom tried to clap along to the music.

"Mom," Nellie said.

"Yes?"

"You're being kind of cringe."

Emily looked offended.

"I am supporting my children."

"You are supporting us too hard."

Even Dad laughed.

"I agree with Nellie."

"Jake!"

Meanwhile, Zoe continued practicing as if she were performing for thousands of people.

"Thank you! Thank you!" she shouted to an imaginary audience.

Lina buried her face in her hands.

"This is a disaster."

"It'll be fine," Dad said.

"It definitely won't."

Across the deck, Lana and Lina were watching.

"This is painful," Lana whispered.

"A little."

"A lot."

"A lot."

Then everything went wrong.

Or right.

Depending on how you looked at it.

Lina tripped over a backpack.

"LINA!"

She stumbled forward.

At the exact same moment, Lana slipped trying to catch her.

The two girls crashed into each other.

Everyone screamed.

Then somehow...

They spun.

Rolled.

Flipped.

And landed perfectly.

The entire family stared.

For a moment, nobody said a word.

Then Zoe screamed.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!"

"We totally meant to do that," Lana said.

"No, we didn't," Lina replied.

"We definitely didn't."

But it had looked amazing.

After several more practice runs, they added the accidental move to the routine.

Soon it was time.

The theater was packed.

Passengers filled every seat.