If Only Love Were Fair

Chapter 1

The Beginning

We passed a few doors until he stopped in front of one. Opening it, he took me inside.

"Well, this is it."

The room was slightly larger than the one I was in before. A narrow closet was on the far side of the room, overlooking a bed and a small table that sat beside it. An empty hook was attached to the wall next to a wooden dresser. Nathan took the plate from my hand and sat it on the table before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Now listen." He spoke with a demanding tone. "Just because we're sleeping in the same room does not mean I want anything from you. Got it?"

My eyes widened. "Excuse me? Do you think I'm some sort of prostitute?"

He looked down to my blanket that covered my torn slip.

I gasped with shock and anger. "I'm not a prostitute!"

"Well then why were you dressed like that?" Nathan placed his hands on his knees and leaned forward.

"Well, I had just finished performing at the bar and this is what I wear to bed. I wanted to sit by the ocean for a bit because it calms me down. Besides," I adjusted the blanket. "I was wearing a wrap."

"Hm." He looked to the side for a moment. "I can't have you wandering around the ship like that, let alone my room." He rose from his spot and stood in front of the closet. "Here, put this on." He reached out and grabbed a white shirt.

"Oh, thank you." With one hand I grabbed the shirt.

Nathan walked behind me and opened the door. "Yell when you're covered."

As the door closed, I tossed the blanket to the bed. Looking down at myself, I wondered how my slip was not falling off. The man completely trashed it with his greedy fingers. I shivered at the thought of him leaving me bare and bruised. I placed the shirt over my head and pulled my arms through. It was a little big on me, but I tied the waist of the shirt behind my back to make it slimmer. I shimmied the slip lower on my body and used the two shreds at the bottom to tie a knot next to my waist. It didn't cover much, but at least the essentials were hidden.

"Are you done yet?" An irritated voice.

"Come in."

Nathan opened the door and immediately laid his eyes on me. "Wow."

"Look, it was the best I could work with." I crossed my arms defensively.

He shook his head and stepped forward. "I can see your entire thigh."

I took a step back. "Any suggestions then?"

He bit his lip. "Undo the knot in the shirt."

"But then it'll look like I'm not wearing anything underneath."

Sighing, he stepped forward and reached behind me, pulling the tie loose.

"Hey!" I stepped back as the shirt relaxed from my skin.

"I'm just trying to help you look decent, okay?" He rumpled the shirt to loosen it some more.

"At least warn me when you're going to touch me."

He finished the adjustments and took a step back. "There, you're covered. Keep the dress on like you have it in case the shirt rises."

I rolled my eyes, feeling slightly flustered.

"Hey, I'm trying to help." Nathan started to reach his hand toward me.

I flinched and darted my hands in front of my face. Nathan froze.

"Easy, I was just grabbing the blanket. What, did ya think I was going to hit you?"

Setting my arm around my stomach, I tucked my hair behind my ear and looked away from him, slightly embarrassed.

He looked at me for a second before folding the blanket. "I'm going to return this to the Doc. Finish your food before it spoils." Nathan left.

I let out a huge sigh and grabbed the plate of salad. I tore into the greens with the fork and tasted them; it was tangy and a bit sour, but the flavor was incredible. The chicken was soft and broke easily, too. I finished the plate quickly and set it down on the table. Looking around the room, I could see that Nathan did not decorate the walls or anything. It was hard to establish what kind of person he was.

A knock on the door disrupted my thoughts.

"Hey Nathan." The door opened. "I just wanted to- "

In front of me was someone I had not met before. His hair was longer and a light brown, and his eyes were green and full of shock. He stood in the doorway silent for a while.

"You're not Nathan." He managed to say.

"No, she's not." Nathan appeared behind him.

"Oh, there you are." The man turned toward him. "Is this the girl?"

"Yeah, that's her."

The man's voice lowered. "Why is she in your room?"

Nathan's cheeks reddened a bit. "The captain forced me to let her sleep here."

"Wait, with you?"

Nathan began to glare at him. "No, you idiot. She's just rooming with me."

"Calm down, Nate. I'm just teasing you." The man looked over at me. "But why is she wearing your clothes." He raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

Nathan smacked his forehead with his hand. "She didn't have anything to wear."

"Wait, woah." The man leaned in closer to Nathan. "So she was naked?"

"No, I wasn't!" I stood and placed my hands on my hips.

"Woah calm down, missy." The man stepped closer to me. "You're feisty for such a small girl."

I puffed up my cheeks. "What?"

Nathan stepped between us. "Russell, what did you want?"

"I wanted to see if you knew where the girl was, but it looks as if you're well acquainted." The man, Russell, looked me up and down. "You seemed a lot quieter last night."

My eyes widened.

"Russell, leave her alone. I have to introduce her to the rest of the crew."

He scoffed and crossed his arms. "Again, teasing." Russell leaned in and whispered to Nathan.
"Good luck, man."

"Get out." Nathan walked Russell to the door and pushed him out into the hallway, slamming the door.

I jolted at the noise and stared at Nathan's tense stance. He stood there for a second and turned around to face me.

"So, are you ready to meet the other two?"

"Um." Crossing my arms, I pondered whether I'd even like the other two. Christopher seemed to be the purest one so far, and based on my encounters with Nathan, Morgan, and Russell, I could only imagine what kind of people the last of the crew were.

"Relax, they're harmless." Nathan paused for a moment. "Well, at least Thomas is."

"I'm a little reluctant."

He smirked (the most I'd seen him smile) and placed his hands on is hips. "Then this should be interesting."

"Can I at least wear some pants so I don't look like…"

"…a prostitute?"

My cheeks reddened with annoyance and embarrassment. I gritted my teeth.

"Sorry, but I don't think I have anything that'll fit you. However, Thomas might. He should be around your size." He turned his head and looked down at me. "How old are you?"

"I just turned eighteen."

"Hm." He looked to the table and grabbed the empty plate. "Follow me to the kitchen."

As Nathan opened the door, I reluctantly followed, keeping my eyes on my surroundings. We soon entered a room that resembled the bar, without the individual tables. He took me past swinging double doors and through a small hallway that eventually led to a kitchen. The area was spotless and well-organized, and Nathan seemed to be the reason as he instantly began washing the plate I had used. I leaned up against the counter and studied Nathan's movements; he was focused and determined to leave the plate flawless, as if it was his sole purpose in life. Once he finished, he grabbed a cloth and wiped it dry, then put the plate on top of a stack in a cabinet.

Nathan's eyes darted to me. His eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

I realized that I had been staring at him the entire time. I blinked, trying to pretend I hadn't. "Nothing."

Shaking his head, Nathan closed the cabinet door.

"So, you said Thomas is fine, but what about…?"

"Eduardo?" He scratched his head. "Just don't get on his bad side and you should be fine."

"Bad side? How exactly do I avoid that?"

He bit his lip. "Just don't say anything."

I cocked my head to the side, imaging the coldest man. "Do I…have to meet him?"

"Look, you're going to run into him at some point. It's best to do it now than to be caught off guard." He opened one of the double doors. "Are you coming?"

Sighing, I broke from the counter and walked over to Nathan. I wasn't very excited to meet this Eduardo; from Nathan's description, it seemed as if I could easily piss him off. Being on a ship in the middle of the ocean, I hoped to please him.

We eventually reached an outer area. It had been the first time I'd been outside since I ended up here. The sudden sunlight pierced my eyes, and the breeze tousled my clothing and hair. The floorboards were warm against my bare toes, pale from the excessive exposure of the sun. Looking out past the railing, the never-ending vastness of the sea caught me by surprise. I had never seen the ocean like this before, so big and rippling in the distance. I paused and brushed the hair out of my eyes, taking in the enormous view.

"Come on." Nathan grabbed my wrist and pulled me to walk.

"H-hey!" I stumbled.

"Nathan!" A man with reddish hair came running over, dropping a mop that was in his hand. "You shouldn't grab a lady like that."

Nathan turned to look at me. His gaze moved to my wrist that was still in his grip. He dropped it and turned back to the man. "This is Thomas."

The red-haired man smiled. "I hope he hasn't been too rough on you."

Nathan sucked in his cheek.

"I'm Camellia." I said softly, rubbing my wrist.

"Do you know where Eduardo is, Thomas?"

"He should be up there with the captain." Thomas pointed behind us.

I turned to see a second-floor deck. In the center was a large wheel, and behind that stood two men. The one on the left was Morgan, looking at a piece of paper that the second was holding. The man whom I had not had the pleasure of meeting had short, dark hair, and an eye patch covering his right eye. His face remained emotionless and stern, examining the paper. He looked a lot more intimidating than I had previously imagined.

The captain looked away from the paper and spotted us.

Crap.

"Ah, decided to meet the rest of the crew?" Morgan motioned for us to come to the upper deck.

Nathan walked forward towards the stairs and I followed behind him. I glanced over at Eduardo, who gave me a cold stare. I tucked my hair behind my ear and looked to the floorboards.

"Camellia, this is Eduardo. He's the navigator of the Sirius." The captain patted Eduardo's shoulder.

I nodded, remembering Nathan's words about remaining quiet. Eduardo's cold stare pierced through my eyes, leaving me nervous.

"I see that Nathan let you borrow one of his shirts." Morgan grinned. "Perhaps Thomas can let you borrow something of his as well."

I tugged at the hem of the shirt, aware of my abrupt attire. "Yes, Nathan mentioned that."

The captain looked to the lower deck. "Thomas! Can you let Camellia borrow some clothes?"

My cheeks burned.

I looked down to see Thomas coming up the stairs. "Of course! I'll take you to my room." Thomas extended his hand to mine. I placed my hand in his and he led me down the stairs and back into the hallway.

Adjusting to the darker area, Thomas walked us over to another room like Nathans.

"Would you like a shirt too? Nathan's looks a bit too large for you."

"Sure, thank you." I sat on a chair and watched Thomas rummage through his closet.

"Ah, these should do." Thomas pulled out a white, long-sleeved button up and black pants. "These are the smallest clothes I have."

I gave him a slight smile and took them into my hands.

"I'll be right outside." With a jump in his step, Thomas left the room, closing the door gently behind him.

Slipping off Nathan's shirt, I was glad to see that Thomas was a lot sweeter than most of the men on this ship; Him and Christopher were a lot alike in that aspect. Eduardo, however, sent chills down my spine. His gaze was intimidating, and that eyepatch left a lot to the imagination. Slipping on the pants and shirt, I fastened the buttons and tucked the shirt. It wasn't a terrible fit, compared to Nathan's. Rolling up my sleeves, I opened the door to see Thomas waiting.

"Hey! That looks much better on you." He grinned and entered the room. "I might actually have a pair of boots that you can use, too."

"Really?" Relief washed over me.

Thomas crouched in front of his closet and pulled out a pair of black boots. "Try these on."

Sitting back on the chair, I took the boots and slipped them on. My feet were a little smaller than Thomas', but I could still walk around just fine.

"It suits you."

"Hm?" I looked down at myself. "I haven't worn pants much, actually. Just skirts and dresses."

"I like it though." He stood. "Here." He handed me a belt.

"Oh, thank you." Fastening it, I finally felt comfortable. I grabbed Nathan's shirt and my slip and held them in my arms.

"If you don't mind me asking," Thomas crossed his arms. "what happened?" He pointed to my slip.

I bit my lip, clutching the clothes in my hands. "I was attacked."

Thomas covered his mouth with his hands, eyes wide. "You were hit?" He gestured to his cheek, referencing the bruise on mine.

"Something like that." I wanted to avoid the details as much as possible.

Abruptly, Thomas wrapped me in his arms, holding me tight. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

The sudden embrace caught me by surprise. "I-I'm fine."

Letting me go, he opened the door. "Well, let's get you back out there. I'm sure the captain will be happy you have something to wear."

Hugging my upper stomach, I walked out of the room and towards the deck. As the sunlight hit my eyes once again, I noticed that instead of there being three men, there were five. They all noticed my sudden appearance.

"Ah, much better!" The captain gave a loud clap and approached me. "I knew Thomas would be more of your size; he's still got some maturing to do."

"I'm only a few years younger than the others, Captain."

"That is true." Morgan grinned. "I'm just teasing you." He turned to face everyone. "Well, now that everyone is out here, I'd like to formally introduce the new member of our crew."

My eyebrows rose. Member!?

"Wait, so she's going to be here permanently?" Russell eyed me.

"Yes!" Morgan clapped once again.

Permanently!?

"She's only been here for less than a day!" Russell stepped toward the captain.

"Yeah." Nathan scratched the back of his head. "Don't you think it's a little soon to be recruiting her?"

"Woah, hang on a second!" Christopher stepped forward. "Has she been consulted about this?"

Everyone looked back to me. I could feel their eyes evaluating my every move.

"Well?" The captain gave me a grin.

How could I join a crew that I knew next to nothing about? Half of them don't even seem fond of me, and I'm pretty sure Christopher and Thomas are only nice in nature. Plus I'm pretty sure my boss is wondering where I am. But…do I want to go back to that life?

"I don't know anything about you guys." I looked at the six of them.

"We're the Sirius, a gang of pirates in search of treasures around the world!" Morgan extended his arms, clearly trying to sell his crew to me.

"Okay…" Crossing my arms, I spoke. "But you also know nothing about me."

"Then tell us about yourself!" Thomas jumped from behind me. "Here, taking a seat." He moved to sit me down in a chair.

Looking at the six men surrounding me, I suddenly felt overwhelmed.

"Well…" I didn't know where to start. My mind raced to the place I was most familiar with. "I work at the bar in my town. I'm the waitress and entertainment." Hearing those words, I felt the all familiar disgust.

"Entertainment?" Morgan's eyes widened. "What sort of entertainment?"

"I sing."

"Really?" Russell seemed surprised. "Are you any good?"

"Yeah! Sing us something!" Thomas clasped his hands together.

"I…uh…would rather not." I could feel my cheeks getting warm.

"Let's not overwhelm her." Christopher piped in. "What else can you tell us about you?"

"Well…" I had the sudden realization that there wasn't much to say about myself. My whole life was the bar and the drunks that inhabited it. "There's not really a lot. I live at the bar so that's where I spent most of my time."

"You live there?" Nathan spoke up.

"Yeah, it's been about two years now."

"Why do you live there?" Morgan's expression grew concerned.

I didn't want to get into my personal memories, but it looked as if I had no choice. "I was running away from a bad person. I didn't have money, so I went into different shops asking if they were hiring. A lot of them didn't want to hire a sixteen-year-old, but the owner of the bar made an exception for me." I started to rub my arm nervously. "He noticed after a few days that I didn't have a place to go home to, so he made me a deal; if I performed for the customers every night, he would let me sleep in the bar."

Christopher knelled in front of me. "So you've been doing that for two years? At a bar?"

I nodded.

"And you were how old?" Eduardo, surprisingly, piped in.

"Sixteen."

Everyone's eyes widened.

"A sixteen-year-old girl performing for a bunch of drunks?" Morgan grew more concerned.

"Well I'm eighteen now." I sat up in my chair.

"Still…" Christopher rose. "Being surrounded by that kind of crowd must have been awful."

I looked down to the floorboards, biting my lip. Christopher hit the hammer on the nail.

"You know, I think I remember seeing a girl performing at a bar a few months ago." Morgan placed his finger on his chin. "I believe it was in Winchester, too." He stepped forward and grabbed a second chair, sitting it to face me. "Did the crowd ever harass you?"

"All the time."

He nodded. "From what I can remember, the poor girl was almost dragged off the stage by a drunk. Does that sound familiar?"

I let out a soft laugh. "It happens almost every night, so that was probably me."

Christopher placed his hand on my shoulder. "You can't go back to that."

I looked up at him, piercing my lips. "But what choice do I have? I made a deal with my boss."

"Yeah, well the deals off." Russell spoke.

"I can't just abandon the bar." I stood from my chair. "I've been there for so long."

"That is no place for a girl like you."

"A girl like me? What do you mean by that?" Taking a step toward Russell, I crossed my arms.

"Hey, hear him out, Camellia." Nathan turned me to face him. "That doesn't sound like the best environment." He looked to the side. "Besides, from what happened last night- "

"Stop." I held up my hand, feeling all sorts of emotions rush into me.

"Camellia, is it?" Christopher took my hand in his. "He's right. We can't just stand by and let you get mistreated like that. If Nathan hadn't stepped in, you wouldn't be here right now."

Tears started to brim my eyes. I quickly wiped them away and looked back to the floor.

"Camellia, you'll be safe here." Morgan placed his hands on both of my shoulders. "Do you want to give it a chance?"

A huge decision was pelted at me. I either return to the bar, get hassled by numerous drunks, and risk last night happening again, or I join these pirates that I just met less than 24 hours ago. I looked around me to the six men, studying their facial expressions. Each one had at least a slight amount of concern on their faces, even Eduardo. It appeared that they suddenly wanted me here, with them.

"Do you all…feel this way?"

"Let's take a vote. Everyone who wants Camellia to stay, raise your hand." Morgan ordered.

Christopher, Morgan, and Thomas were the first to raise their hands. Russell followed, promptly raising his arm in the air. Nathan paused before slightly raising his hand. I looked to Eduardo, who slowly began to raise his arm as well.

"There we have it. It looks like you're staying with us."

The decision was made for me, and to be honest, I was willing to agree with it. A small smile crept upon my lips.

"You are now a member of the Sirius!" The captain pressed his hands together. "Tonight, we celebrate!"

"Oh god."

The men around me laughed, clearly glad that I didn't want to go back to my old life. I felt another wave of emotions hit me, this time warmer. The Sirius crew began chatting away, planning the so-called celebration that was to take place in a few hours. I grew weary at the thought of them all intoxicated.