Hello! I know I've been failing at updates lately but here's a little something to make up for it! Maybe this will encourage me to stay on top of my writing? But hey, I haven't had access to my computer for a few weeks. Don't ask. Mmk so without further ado… I present my new story! And yes, it does share a name with the Taylor Swift song buut it fits the plot. Don't judge. AND PRETTY PLEASE LEAVE ME AN UPDATE!
You Belong with Me
Chapter 1
"Get out!" a loud shriek pierced the morning air. Pounding footsteps sounded as a boy no older than fourteen appeared at the heart of the ship, cheeks flushed and gasping for breath.
A few seconds later, another set of footsteps came from the entrance to the galley from a man who could only be the young boy's father.
"Jackie? What did I tell you earlier?" Captain Teague said strictly.
"Well it wasn't my fault. She left the door unlocked." he said shortly, as if it weren't his problem whatsoever.
Teague stared angrily, producing a look that sent young Jack stammering, transforming his last sentence.
"Uh- err... I mean- What I mean to say is..."
"Spit it out, boy!" barked Captain Teague.
"I should've knocked first." Jack concluded.
"And?" Teague said expectantly.
"It wasn't polite for me to stay even after I realized she was not decent?"
Teague smirked but still wasn't impressed. "And?"
Jack sighed, repeating the line his father had taught him ever since he had made a habit of not controlling his most recent "urges".
"I'm a perverse swine..." Jack muttered quietly.
"I can't hear you." Teague said in a singsong voice, enjoying his son's discomfort.
"I'm a perverse swine!" he shouted.
Just at that moment, Charlotte came storming down the stairs, brown hair still wet.
Ignoring Teague's presence, she raised her hand and slapped Jack across the face, hard.
"Pervert!" she hissed, still fuming.
Teague snorted. Jack rubbed his cheek, now very red. And not just from the hit.
Charlotte turned to Teague, anger fading away now that she had felt she had reeked enough havoc.
"Mr. Teague, please refrain from telling this to my father. He's busy enough as it is."
The older man smiled down at her. "That I will, lassie. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be going back to my breakfast."
And with that he made his way back down the galley.
"What? Not going to taddle to your daddy this time?" Jack whispered accusingly as soon as they were alone.
"Oh shut up will you? I'm doing you a favor and here you are making fun of me."
Jack smirked. Charlotte rolled her eyes.
She made for the stairs, but Jack reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"I suppose an apology is in order?" he said quietly. She only stared into his brown eyes expectantly.
"Say it." she said, after the pause got too long.
"I thought I just did!" he whined.
She glared, blue eyes narrowed.
"I'm sorry." he said quickly, but it was meaningful enough, so she slipped out of his grip and made for her cabin.
Just before she snapped the door shut behind her, she looked back at Jack. He was leaning over the rail of the ship, staring into the ocean. Completely against her will, she smiled.
She sighed as she entered the cabin, bathtub still full of water.
She was just in the middle of washing her hair before Jack had intruded.
Dipping a finger into the water, she found it still warm. She strode toward the door, locked it, and stuck a chair underneath the handle for good measure. This should keep him out.
She slipped off her robe and lowered herself into the tub, sighing as the pleasant water touched her skin.
You see, her father was a pirate, who had most recently been reunited with his old friend, Captain Teague Sparrow and his teenage son Jack.
They were on a quest for finding a ring that could raise the dead. Charlotte's father, Patrick, always said he wanted the ring for other reasons, but Charlotte could see right through that. She was very perceptive for a twelve year old.
Six years ago, Charlotte's mother had passed away.
She died of an incurable sickness that left even the finest doctors in London baffled.
Patrick, with the profit he had gotten from salvaging loot, snuck into Londontown and paid the most respectable doctors he could find, hoping to save his wife.
But alas, she passed. She was not a pirate. She was a seamstress from Port Royal who fell head over heals for Patrick Porter.
Charlotte dunked her head beneath the soapy wake and washed her hair, running he fingers through her long locks.
She got out of the tub, drying off as she did so and tugged on some knee length breeches and a clean shirt.
Drying off her hair as best as she could, she put it into a braid and tossed it over her shoulder, stepping back out on deck.
She found Jack in his same position, staring intensely as ever at the sea. He sure seemed drawn to it. No doubt he would become a pirate like his dad.
From a distance, she watched him. She couldn't deny he was handsome. With his dark locks and smoldering brown eyes. But she wasn't going to forgive him so easily for the horrible scheme he had done earlier.
"Hey," Charlotte said, strolling towards him.
He jumped when he saw her and nodded in greeting.
"Do you hate me?" Jack asked after awhile.
Charlotte bit her small bottom lip. "No, not really." she said truthfully.
Jack smirked. "Not really?" he repeated.
Charlotte smiled. "Do you like me?" she asked seriously.
Jack furrowed his brow, thrown off.
"Like or like like?"
Charlotte pondered this and responded, "Like like,"
Jack scoffed at her childish antics. "I'm almost three years older than you!"
"So?" she said.
He scoffed again.
"Well do you?" she asked impatiently.
"Of course not! Why would I like a little kid?"
Char flushed, hurt slightly by this.
"Well, because you act so much like one yourself!" she snapped back and was glad to see her words had the same effect on him.
Without another word, she wheeled around and headed for her the chart room.
She found her father there, alone.
"Hi daddy," Char said brightly, announcing her presence.
He grunted in response. He was bent over a map, studying it like his life depended on it. Ironic that he was looking for a ring to raise the dead.
"When are we making port again?" Charlotte asked, getting to the point as to not annoying her father.
He grunted again, clearly not listening.
Char sighed quietly.
"Okay then; see you at dinner."
Not wanting to hear his pathetic responses anymore, she left the room.
When she arrived back to the main deck, Jack was not there. She wondered if he went to his quarters.
With this thought in mind, she went down to the galley were the crew was just leaving after cleaning up.
"Hello Miss. Charlotte!" Tom said good naturedly. Charlotte only smiled up at him, always feeling uneasy around the crew.
She went to the fruit basket and retrieved a pear, her teeth piercing the thin skin and tasting the delicious mushy insides.
She noticed Teague was still in the room with a start, and he laughed.
She smiled back and went to join him at his table.
"I don't know how many times I have and will continue to say this, but please excuse my son's behavior." Teague said.
She smiled even wider at this, a giggle escaping her lips. "He apologized after you went to finish your meal actually... I really hope he doesn't have plans to do it again."
Teague chortled, shaking his head. "Well lass, I doubt that, but if he does..." he mimicked a gun going off and she smirked.
"Why ever do you think he would do it again?" she asked.
"He can barely stop talking about you, I doubt he will be able to keep his prying eyes away."
Charlotte blushed madly at this. Teague laughed again.
She swallowed, recovering her voice. "Let's change the subject, shall we?" she murmured.
He smirked.
"I want to know the next time we will be making port... My father-"
"Aye, I know," Teague interjected. "He's been very busy lately. Wanting to bring back your late mummy,"
Charlotte grimaced.
"I suppose we'll head for Tortuga in the next few days. We're running out of supplies and we can't last out here forever..." Teague said.
Charlotte nodded and raised her hand slightly in farewell as she went back upstairs to the deck.
She blinked in the blinding Caribbean sunlight, eyes adjusting.
She peered upwards towards to crows nest, delighted to find it vacant.
She scurried up the ladder and positioned herself in her favorite place on the whole entire ship. She felt that she could escape from anything and anyone do high up here. Free as a bird.
She gazed around, taking in the vast ocean surrounding her; glistening like a thousand diamonds.
She did like the sea, although she wasn't sure she would follow in her father's footsteps. It just didn't seem like her.
Her mind fluttered back to Jack Sparrow, who would without a doubt sail the Spanish Maine as soon as he could acquire his own vessel.
The boat they were on now was only rented. They just needed the extra cabins. Her father's ship, Annabelle (named after Char's mother), was docked safely in Tortuga, right next to Captain Teague's.
She couldn't wait to get back to Tortuga, with it's festive lights and crowded streets. She did know that it wasn't a place for a young girl, so she was always careful to avoid anyone who looked dodgy. Which was almost everyone.
She smiled at the thought and climbed back down the ladder.
Seeing no sign of Jack, she spent the rest of the day casually roaming the deck and fishing. When the sun began to go down, she smelled cooking food wafting thought the air and decided to go and have a look in the galley. She was right about the food, but saw that Jack occupied the room as well, nibbling on some crackers.
Seeing his face caused the rage from earlier to surge through her. It's as if she remembered she was mad at him. How could those awful words have such a fleeting effect on her? Maybe it was his eyes. But she needed to figure out the reason behind his antics.
She saw Greg ladling some stew into bowls and took one, sitting across from Jack without saying anything. He looked up, locking eyes with her. She gave him a small smile and ate a spoonful of the hot soup.
This went on for awhile and finally Jack clears his throat, breaking the silence. She looked up again, expectantly.
"I thought you were mad at me?" Jack muttered.
"And why would you think that?" Char said, wondering what he would say.
He scoffed. "Because I hurt you."
She bit her lip to try and keep from smiling.
"You did?"
"Yes, I did!" Jack almost shouted.
She grinned broadly.
"Why are you smiling?" he snapped.
"Why do you care?" she said right back.
He rolled his eyes. "You are such a child," he breathed under his breath.
She pursed her lips.
Unable to take him anymore, she snapped to her feet, her meal tipping over in the process, and stormed away.
After a few more minutes, she had slightly cooled off. Only this time she was determined not to forgive him.
Just after this thought had trailed away from her mind, she heard light footsteps behind her. Know it was Jack, she whipped around, snapping "What?" simultaneously. But she wasn't confronted by his face alone. His lips were on hers before she could cry out or anything.
She wanted to fight, but she was so caught in this moment, she forgot how to move properly. And Char doubted she could escape of she even wanted. He had her trapped firmly against the wooden rail of the ship.
So she sat there for a moment, her lips enveloped in his in a simple kiss. It wasn't passionate but sort of innocent.
After what seemed like ages, he pulled away.
She caught her breath after a few moments of silence, not that it matters anyway, seeing as her voice refused to work.
"Why did you do that?" she finally asked.
"That was me apologizing." he said simply.
She couldn't help the involuntary upturning of her lips.
"See? It worked!" Jack stated, noticing her smile.
She punched him slightly in the shoulder, not very hard but most certainly not light.
"Ow! What was that for?" Jack exclaimed, rubbing his arm.
"That was me accepting your apology!" she said brightly, skipping away to her cabin to get ready for bed.
So there! I'm already done with the second chapter but I won't update it until I get some reviews. PLEASE. I'M BEGGING YOU.