Chapter 7

"Girls!" Phoebe's mother shouted when they entered the room. "Where have you been?!"

"We were walking the ship." Joanne lied.

"Don't lie to me." Her step-mother said.

Joanne rolled her eyes.

"Come on Phoebe I'll deal with you." Phoebe's mother said while roughly pulling her away. "I might as well get my yelling out of the way before Benny gets to you."

Joanne eyed Phoebe, "I'm sorry." She mouthed and Phoebe shrugged with tears in her eyes, and let her mother pull her away.

"You can't just go running around on the ship Joanne!" Her mother yelled. "You're just two girls. What if someone tries to hurt you?"

"Like who?" Joanne spat.

"Third class passengers? They have nothing better to do than to try and rob first class."

"You talk about them like they are animals." Joanne said. "They aren't bad people."

"I don't care whether they're good or bad, we don't need them hanging around you and Phoebe. I still can't believe your father let that Mark boy dine with us." Her mother scolded. "Phoebe should be with Benny at all times, he's her fiancé."

"Maybe Benny should act more like a fiancé instead of hitting Phoebe all the time then." Joanne muttered.

Her mother turned to her. "That's my son you're talking about, and Phoebe should start acting more like a lady, then maybe Benny wouldn't have to get physical."

"Benny isn't good for her!" Joanne yelled. "He's an abusive asshole."

That earned Joanne a good slap across the face. "You will not speak about my son like that. You will also not leave this room until I say you're allowed. You understand!?"

Joanne held her face, but she shook her head. "You are not my real mother." And with that she pushed passed her and fled the room.

"Joanne get back here!" Her mother cried out. "Gregory! Gregory!?"

"Yes ma'am?" He answered.

"Follow Joanne. Try and get her back here." She ordered. "Now!"

"As you wish." Gregory nodded and quickly left the room to find Joanne.

"This sucks!" Maureen whined as she gulped down another beer. Everyone was still at the party, and Mark and Maureen were both sulking. "Why did they have to leave, we were having so much fun."

"You guys will see them tomorrow." Angel assured them.

"I want to see her now." Mark sighed.

"I'm out of here." Maureen said while slamming her empty glass down. "I'm going for a smoke. See you guys back at our room."

Collins watched as Maureen walked up the stairs with her head hung low. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think our little diva was falling in love."

"Aw." Angel cooed and clutched her heart.

"Me too." Mark mumbled, with the thought of Phoebe in his mind.

Out on the deck Maureen leaned against the railing with a cig in her mouth. She was enjoying the cool air, and the peacefulness, until she heard heels slamming on the wooden floor. It sounded like someone was running, and in her direction.

She looked up just in time to see that it was Joanne, so before the distressed girl could run pass her, Maureen stepped in her path.

"Joanne?" Maureen asked.

Joanne stopped and looked up at Maureen, her eyes full of tears. "Maureen?"

"What's wrong?" Maureen asked, she then noticed a bruise on her face. "What happened?" She asked her hand gently tracing her cheek.

"Nothing." Joanne said shying away from the touch.

"So is that what you and Phoebe do in first class? Get beat up?" Maureen asked.

"We don't…" Joanne stopped there was no use lying to Maureen. "I guess I should just learn to keep my mouth shut and obey the rules."

Maureen snorted. "No you shouldn't. Rules were meant to be broken. You should learn how to fight, and hit whoever is hitting you back."

"I wish." Joanne said and leaned against the railing to overlook the ocean, wanting to change the subject, so she did, "It sure is nice out tonight."

Maureen stood next to her. "It is."

They both stood in a comfortable silence for a moment. Until Maureen took Joanne's hand and interlaced it. "Want to go for a walk?"

Joanne turned and smiled. "Sure."

They walked for about an hour, each exchanging stories and laughing. There was never a dull moment.

"You really ran naked through the streets?" Joanne asked as her laughter calmed down.

"Butt naked. Collins dared me." Maureen smirked. "I was drunk too. Even though being sober wouldn't have stopped me."

"Of course not." Joanne smirked. "You really don't care what people think do you?"

"Not at all." Maureen said "Why should I ruin my fun just because someone gives me a dirty look? It's none of their business."

Joanne nodded, and the two suddenly stopped when they reached the first class entrance.

"My father is probably worried." Joanne said and turned to stand in front of Maureen. "I don't want to go back."

"So don't." Maureen suggested.

"I don't want to leave Phoebe there alone." Joanne replied.

"You like to take care of her huh?" Maureen asked.

Joanne nodded. "Somebody has too. Everyone treats her like shit."

"Well then who takes care of you?" Maureen asked.

Joanne shrugged.

"I'd take care of you." Maureen softly said.

Joanne smiled at the thought. "Then who would take care of you."

Maureen stepped closer. "I was hoping you. We can let Mark take care of Phoebe; he is really crushing on her you know."

Joanne smiled at the thought. "That would be nice, Mark is a nice guy."

They both stood in another silence, Maureen breaking it this time.

"So you're going back?"

Joanne averted her eyes to the sky, taking in how clear the night was, avoiding the thought of going back to her room…to hell.

"So beautiful." Joanne whispered and walked towards the railing.

Maureen looked towards the sky. "Yeah." She followed Joanne.

"They're so small." Joanne said while swinging on a pole, still making eye contact with the stars. "My crowd thinks they're giants. They aren't even dust in God's eye."

"You know there's been a mistake." Maureen said earning Joanne's attention. "You're not one of them."

"I suppose not." Joanne smirked, her smirk growing bigger. "Look a shooting star."

"You hardly ever see those." Maureen commented.

"Aren't you supposed to wish on them?" Joanne asked.

Maureen nodded and stepped closer to Joanne, their lips inches apart. "I wish for you."

Joanne hesitated for a moment, until finally she leaned in, sharing a tender kiss with Maureen. They were probably the most forbidden pair on the ship, one was first class, the other was third, plus they were both of the same gender. But none of them seemed to care, as they wrapped their arms around each other, and deepened the kiss.

"I better get going." Joanne breathed, but leaned in one more time to kiss Maureen.

"When will I see you again?" Maureen whispered.

"Tomorrow?" Joanne softly asked.

Maureen nodded and watched as Joanne headed up the stairs to her first class home.

"I can tell she's falling for you Ms. Johnson." A male voice from behind her said.

Maureen quickly turned around. "Greg? Aren't you the butler?"

Gregory nodded and smiled. "Forgive me, but I've been trailing Ms. Jefferson the moment she left. Bosses orders."

Maureen shrugged and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "I don't mind an audience."

"May I?" Gregory asked reaching out for a cigarette himself.

Maureen kindly offered him one, and lit both hers and his. She giggled when he took a long drag from his cig, and blew it out.

"Feels nice." Gregory said.

"I don't know how you serve those people." Maureen said with a shake of her head. "I would go insane."

"Well like you Ms. Johnson, I feel like somebody needs to take care of Phoebe and Joanne." Gregory said.

Maureen smiled. "Well I'm happy someone is watching out for them."

"Well I must be going." Gregory said while he finished up his cigarette. "I can just hear Mrs. Coffin-Jefferson shouting for me."

"Good luck." Maureen called out. "Oh and Greggy, call me Maureen, don't use any of that formal shit around me."

"As you wish Maureen." Gregory bowed, and then left for first class.

Maureen could only giggle, before making her way back to third class.

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Part of MoJo's scene was from a deleted Titanic scene. So I take no credit for it...I just thought it would be really cute to see Maureen and Joanne play it out.