Chapter 29.
(yes, two chapters. Because I can. Because I felt like it. Enjoy! :D)
That night, all four of them spend their time on the beach. As the sky turned dark and the stars and moon appeared, they drank rum, they ate and they played in the waves like a bunch of children. Will brought Caleb a guitar and a pair of new boots for his birthday. He brought Elizabeth a new set of clothing and new books to read.
The night was warm, clear and calm. They had no worries or cares in the world. Even Sophia, who worried that she might intrude the family, felt like she was a part of it. She felt welcome, loved.
When Caleb threw sand at her, she threw even more back at him. When Will tried to drag her into the ocean, Elizabeth would desperately try to pull her back.
Maybe the rum had a share in their child-like behaviour, but nobody really cared. They celebrated Caleb's birthday, as well as their reunion, as well as Sophia being alive, and for a while, nothing else mattered.
After three hours of dancing, playing, laughing and drinking, Caleb stood up from the warm sand. Will and he had gotten a fire going. Elizabeth and Will sat around it, tightly against eachother, their fingers entwined.
Caleb walked around the fire and reached out his hand to Sophia, who slowly looked up and raised her eyebrows.
''Take a walk with me'', he said with a soft smile.
The fire gave his blue eyes a beautiful glow, and for a few seconds, Sophia felt mesmerized by it.
Quickly, she snapped out of it and took Caleb's hand. He pulled her to her feet effortlessly and started walking.
''Where are we going?'', Sophia asked, curious as she was.
Caleb only smiled and winked at her. ''Those who ask get nothing, little pirate''.
Sophia laughed.
The two walked until Will and Elizabeth were far out of sight, until their speech was slurred by the rum and their walking just as wobbly. Though Sophia had no idea why, Caleb held her hand the entire time as he guided her through the dark. It felt as if they were walking uphill, and for a small second, Sophia doubted her safety, but she also knew that as long as Caleb was around and sober enough to walk, she'd have nothing to worry about.
''Come on!'', Sophia exclaimed with a sigh. ''We've been walking for fifteen minutes, where are we going?''.
Caleb laughed, and at that same moment, he stopped walking.
When Sophia stepped to his side, her mouth fell open and she softly gasped.
They were standing on top of a cliff and they were able to see out over the ocean without anything hiding it's beauty. The stars and the moon reflected on the water, making it seem like liquid silver. It shimmered. The most beautiful thing of all though, were the lights far, far away on the ocean.
''Are those ships?'', Sophia asked with big eyes.
Caleb smiled softly and nodded. ''Even though this is an deserted island and nobody knows we're here, it's a popular route for trading. Ships pass by all the time''.
Sophia started counting and she stopped at nine. Nine ships. All of those ships had multiple lights on board, and all of those lights were reflected ten times by the water. It seemed as if there were a hundred lights dancing on silver waves.
''This is beautiful'', she whispered as she gazed at the ships.
''This is where I come when I'm tired of the other side. Sometimes it gets boring, you know. This, however. This never gets dull''.
Sophia chuckled, but suddenly, she realised something. The ships, all of those ships far, far away on the sea, could one of them be the Black Pearl? Could it be? Maybe her parents, her friends, were right there. She could see them, but they'd never see her.
Though she didn't want to bring up the subject, not tonight, Caleb immediately noticed Sophia's expression.
''Hey'', he whispered softly. He took her hand in his again and slowly turned her body towards him. ''What's wrong?'', he asked.
She smiled a sad smile and shrugged. ''Not tonight, Caleb. It's not that important''.
''Come on. I can tell by your eyes that something's bothering you''.
''It's your birthday!'', Sophia protested.
''And it will be again next year. Make this one interesting for me, one to remember. Besided, I'm not that drunk. Yet''.
Sophia couldn't help but laugh and when she looked at Caleb and saw the worried expression in his eyes, she gave in.
Slowly, she sat down in the grass, her legs dangling over the edge of the cliff as she looked at the ships slowly sailing by.
''I can't help but wonder if maybe.. just maybe, my parents are on one of those ships sailing by'', she whispered.
Caleb sat down next to her and followed her gaze across the ocean, then turning back to the girl next to him. He'd found her big, dark eyes beautiful from the moment they opened on the beach where she stranded, but now that the moonlight had caught it's gaze, they seemed even more beautiful.
''Do you miss them?''.
Sophia nodded slowly. ''Very much'', she admitted.
''Do you miss the sea, the crew?'', Caleb continued, and again, Sophia nodded.
''The sea is, in a way, my home. I've always felt drawn to it. The Black Pearl is my home, and all of the people on it, they're my friends, my family. The only family I've got, the only family I've ever known. I miss them when I'm not with them''.
Though she spoke, Caleb felt something was still not right. He was never the type of guy who would try to put the words in someone's mouth. He was the type that would continue asking untilhe felt there was nothing more to be asked about.
''But?'', he questioned.
Sophia looked across at him and smiled softly. Caleb noticed how her pillowy lips curled upwards.
''I want to see the world, Caleb. I want to discover, I want adventure and danger. I want all of it. I want to know about other cultures. If I go back to the Pearl, if I stay there, I will never have those things'', she whispered, and the sad look in her eyes returned.
Caleb moved his body towards her and softly took her hands in his.
''But who says you've got to stay?''.
''I couldn't bare to leave my parents, Caleb. I think I might break their hearts. And who will I be on my own? How can I take on the world when I have no ship, no money, no destination?''.
''Your parents have each other, Sophia. You're a pirate. Don't pirates need to be free, adventurous. Don't they go their own way?''.
Sophia looked at him and nodded slowly. Yes. They should, of course.
''Would you leave your mother?'', she suddenly asked.
Caleb was caught of guard by the question, but he never backed down from answering those kind of questions.
''If I could travel, see the world, and be completely free?'', he asked.
Sophia confirmed.
''Yes. I would'', he answered after a while.
''Because I know my mother. She's been my age. More than anyone in this world, she'd understand my desire to be free. When she was my age, she felt like a caged animal too. I think she'd love me even more if I decided to go my own way''.
As Sophia listened to him, she saw his eyes light up. He was dreaming of the world, too. She could see it in his eyes, in the way he spoke of his mother, in the way he smiled in between his words. Or maybe it was the rum talking.
She knew that partly, it was. But she didn't mind. Caleb was a little drunk, but he was happy, and that was what mattered most.
Caleb desired freedom, and he was brave enough to go and get it if he had the chance.
If he was able to leave his mother, who was on her own, why wasn't she able to leave her parents, who always had each other and their friends.
She didn't know. But maybe, a small part of her felt sad by the idea of leaving the Pearl behind, too.
It was so difficult.
''You should be free, Sophia. If you want it, you can. You don't need a destination, you don't need money. All of those things come later on. You're young. You have the time and the enerugy. But one day, you're going to be old and grey and you'll regret not going''.
Again, Sophia knew he was right. She learned that Caleb was a very mysterious but very wise twenty year old. He was a good friend to her.
''You're extraordinary, you know that?'', Sophia whispered.
Caleb smiled. ''And you're beautiful'', he answered.
Sophia laughed loudly and looked at the bottle of rum in the grass next to Caleb. There was one sip left in it, maybe.
''You're drunk'', she chuckled, and Caleb nodded immediately.
''I might be!'', he started. ''But you know what they say about drunk people?''.
Sophia shook her head and looked at how Caleb moved in closer to her.
He pointed his finger at her face and squeezed his eyes together slightly.
''Drunk people tell the truth''.
Sophia smiled widely and looked into his mesmerizing blue eyes.
Before she had the chance to answer to his witty comment, Caleb softly placed his fingertips under her chin, moved in even closer, and placed his lips on hers.
A warm, fuzzy feeling shot through Sophia's veins and for a short second, she had absolutely no idea how to react, but when she got aware of Caleb's soft lips against hers, she didn't even hesitate.
Her eyes closed, her hands found Caleb's face and her body automatically moved closer to Caleb's until their chests touched. And their lips moved together like they'd never done anything else.
The best thing was, though, that if felt right. It felt so, so right to kiss each other. There was no tension, no awkwardness. Their kiss was soft, loving, sweet, with an undertone of desire and Sophia knew very well that she was hooked.
Both of them refused to let go. When Caleb tried to move away, Sophia pulled him back, and Caleb smiled widely against her lips.
Finally, their lips parted, but the tips of their noses still touched.
''I think I might be in love with you'', Caleb said with a grin.
Sophia laughed.
''You think?'', she chuckled.
''No. I know'', he answered, and with a swift movement, he pulled Sophia back in for a second kiss.
(I have to thank you, for your endless support and your help because without it I wouldn't have continued this far. I appreciate you guys very much. Feel free to leave tips, comments, or suggestions about what you might want to see happening. I always take your comments into consideration. There's more very cool chapters to come. Expect the unexpected! x).
