The Perfect Plan
Chapter One
It was the first day of my new blacksmithing job. I was to work with the handsome William Turner, a childhood friend of mine, the pirate-minded young man who has stolen the hearts of many lasses in these parts, including mine. I was so excited about this day. I would finally have a reason to be around him without his girlfriend, Elizabeth Swann, watching our every move.
On my way to work, I wondered why Will had hired me in the first place. Maybe he liked the challenge of hopeless causes.
During the short walk to the shop, I glimpsed a group of pirates mingling in an alleyway. As I approached Will's shop, an infamous pirate emerged from the building - Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl.
"G'day, me lass. Ye wouldn't be Miss Amelia Black now, would ya gal?" he asked with a grin, his breath tainted with the sweet odor of rum.
"Yes, I am Amelia Black. May I ask what business you have knowing my name?" she asked suspiciously.
"Ah, but lass, you're very well known in the area of Tortuga. Well, let us be going to see Mr. Turner. He has a special job for ye, he does. And a friend of yours, I might add," he informed her as he led her into the blacksmith shop.
As Amelia and Captain Jack entered the building, Will walked over to greet his new help, but since they were old friends, he just said, "Morning, Mia."
"Hi Will. What's this your pirate friend tells me about a job for me and one of my friends?" she asked him. "I haven't even started working for you and you're already dragging my friends into the mix?" she added sarcastically.
"Look, I need a really huge favor. You know your friend, Gwendolyn Mandalias? I need her help here too, but not for blacksmithing... That's why I've got you. Jack can explain it further when he returns from Tortuga with supplies," Will explained.
With a bewildered expression, Mia stared at her crush of three years with wide eyes. "What are you talking about, Will? I agreed to work here with you, not out at sea with Jack Sparrow!" she ranted.
"Captain! Would it kill ye to say Captain!" Jack interrupted.
Completely ignoring the pirate's comment, Will continued, "Well, we won't be going for another month or so."
"We?" she questioned.
"Yes... We. Do you really think I'd leave you alone with Jack?" Will asked sarcastically.
"Are ye offending Captain Jack Sparrow again? Honestly, lad, someone'd think ye'd know not to offend me by now," Jack stated.
"Oh, either get over yourself or throw yourself overboard and rid us of your stupidity, Jack!" Mia said, annoyed.
"Who do ye think ye are, telling me what to do? You're not me mother are ye? Are ye implying that Captain Jack Sparrow is stupid?" Jack retaliated.
"Jack, shut up!" Will demanded.
Mumbling under his breath so that Will and Mia could not hear him, Jack said, "Ye wouldn't want to be getting on me bad side, lad. Take a look at what happened to Barbossa. I could get another shot if I fancied."
"Jack, if you'll be going, I have to show Mia where everything is," Will stated.
"Well excuse me," Jack said in a snotty voice and exited the shop.
"Sorry about him. He doesn't know just when to stop talking," Will apologized, walking towards the back of the shop, motioning for her to follow.
Ignoring his indirect apology, Mia questioned, "Will, what exactly was Jack talking about, and I want a straight answer or I'll tell Elizabeth about that time a few years ago when you..." she added tauntingly.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you," he caved. "I have to some secluded island and get a something for Elizabeth, but she doesn't know about it, and I need you to come with me, because in a month or so, you'll be as good as Jack or I with a sword, and it's better to have reinforcements... if you know what I mean," he explained with a smirk.
"So... you're turning me into a pirate, is that it?" she asked.
"Basically... yes."
"Alright, I'll about do it. But what about Gwen? What are you dragging her into this?" Mia asked out of concern for her best friend.
"She's our 'leverage'," he said.
"Leverage?" a confused Amelia asked.
"Yes... In other words, our diversion, you could say. She's related to Elizabeth, is she not?" Will asked.
"Yes... They're cousins, on her mother's side... Why do you ask?"
"Well, there's your answer! We can get them to go somewhere, say a nice little town that they'll have to sail to, they stay there for a few days, and we go and snatch that thing for Elizabeth. They can go shopping for a week," Will suggested.
"Yes, I suppose they could. Gwen has been talking about how much she would like a new dress lately," she confessed.
"So, when Elizabeth and Gwendolyn are gone, then we go and find the loot, and hang out with Jack, and if everything goes right, we'll be back before they return," he plotted.
"William Jonathan Turner! You are such a sneak! You're going to lie to Elizabeth so that you can get her a stolen present!" Mia exclaimed, accusing Will.
"Well, it's not any old present," he said, defending himself, "If I tell you, you can't tell anyone what we're really going to get... okay?"
With her stomach muscles tightening, she nodded once as the tense and unhappy feeling rose through her body, Will continued, "And only you, Jack, and I will know this. What we're actually doing, is... We're going to find this amazing diamond ring worth more than I'll ever dream of having, and I'm giving it to Elizabeth on her birthday and ask for her hand in marriage," finishing with a large smile.
Mia forced a sincere looking smile, but inside she was screaming in pain. She could not believe that Will had just told her that he was going to ask Elizabeth to marry him; as if there was nothing better in the world she would rather hear form him. He didn't know that she'd had a crush on him, but she was deeply hurt by his words, and although she complimented him on his plan, she did not speak of it again until she was spoken to directly on the subject.
*~*~*~*~*
That night when she returned home, Mia went straight upstairs to her bedroom, which over looked the water, after greeting her family and explaining that she 'didn't feel well and wanted to rest'. What she did, in reality, was what she always did when she wanted to be alone, was sneak up to the roof of their house and cried while watching the sun set. She was overlooking Port Royal, and even as day faded into night, the ships kept coming in and out. Mia noticed one in particular that caught her eye. It looked familiar, as if she'd been on it before, but she'd only been on two ships in her life, one of which she would never see again, and The Black Pearl wasn't anywhere in the harbor.
'It's probably a similarly built ship,' she thought. Her father, a sailor, had been killed while sailing an English ship four years ago. The ship had sunk with every man on board in the middle of the Caribbean. After seeing this ship and reliving the memories that it had prompted, she thought it would be time for her to go to bed.
Climbing back into the window, she noticed a box under her bed that looked as if it hadn't been moved for years.
She carefully pulled it out and wiped it clean of the dust that had settled on it. They were notes that her friends had written to her throughout her childhood. Flipping through them, her eyes finally rested on a note from Will.
Dear Mia, I'm sorry about the death of your father. He was a very good, kind man. 1 will miss him very much. He was like a father to me. I know I will never forget him, nor will you. 1 am also sorry that I could not make the funeral today. 1 would so much like to be there to comfort you in your time of sorrow, but I regret that 1 must work today. Mr. Brown will not let me visit you, even for an hours time. I will stop by and visit when I can, although I do not know when that will be. I am very truly sorry for what has happened. Please remember that no matter what happens, I will always be here for you. If you ever need anything, I will try my best to help you in any way that I can. Forever friends. Love, Will
'He's still as sweet as ever,' Mia thought, a smile showing on her face.
"Mia? Sweetie are you okay?" her mother said, poking her head in the door.
"Yeah, I'm fine, mother," she lied.
"So how was your first day at work with Will?' she inquired.
"It was alright. Normal blacksmith stuff. Everyone still thinks that I'm crazy because I want to work, but I am still completely surprised that Will too me in as his assistant," Mia said.
"Well, you're a brave lass. He was just here by the way. He said that I should check on you because he saw you sitting on the roof. I don't know how many times I have to tell you to stay off of the roof, but then again, you are just like your father, Amelia."
"Will was here? When?" Mia asked, trying not to sound enthusiastic.
"He left just a minute before I came up to check on you," her mother explained.
"I didn't even see him walk up to the house. I must've been watching the ships," Mia said.
"Well, Mia, you've had a long day. You're brothers are already in bed, and you have to work again tomorrow, so you should probably get some sleep, too."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. As always. Good night, Mother," Mia said, kissing her mother on the cheek before she left the room.
Lying in her bed, she thought of her close she and Will had been when he had first arrived in Port Royal, and when they'd spend hours talking and spending time together, but it all had changed once he became Mr. Brown's apprentice. And after he went on his 'pirate escapade' with Captain Jack Sparrow and fallen for Elizabeth, she rarely saw him at all.
Oh, how she wished she could at least have their friendship back...
It was the first day of my new blacksmithing job. I was to work with the handsome William Turner, a childhood friend of mine, the pirate-minded young man who has stolen the hearts of many lasses in these parts, including mine. I was so excited about this day. I would finally have a reason to be around him without his girlfriend, Elizabeth Swann, watching our every move.
On my way to work, I wondered why Will had hired me in the first place. Maybe he liked the challenge of hopeless causes.
During the short walk to the shop, I glimpsed a group of pirates mingling in an alleyway. As I approached Will's shop, an infamous pirate emerged from the building - Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl.
"G'day, me lass. Ye wouldn't be Miss Amelia Black now, would ya gal?" he asked with a grin, his breath tainted with the sweet odor of rum.
"Yes, I am Amelia Black. May I ask what business you have knowing my name?" she asked suspiciously.
"Ah, but lass, you're very well known in the area of Tortuga. Well, let us be going to see Mr. Turner. He has a special job for ye, he does. And a friend of yours, I might add," he informed her as he led her into the blacksmith shop.
As Amelia and Captain Jack entered the building, Will walked over to greet his new help, but since they were old friends, he just said, "Morning, Mia."
"Hi Will. What's this your pirate friend tells me about a job for me and one of my friends?" she asked him. "I haven't even started working for you and you're already dragging my friends into the mix?" she added sarcastically.
"Look, I need a really huge favor. You know your friend, Gwendolyn Mandalias? I need her help here too, but not for blacksmithing... That's why I've got you. Jack can explain it further when he returns from Tortuga with supplies," Will explained.
With a bewildered expression, Mia stared at her crush of three years with wide eyes. "What are you talking about, Will? I agreed to work here with you, not out at sea with Jack Sparrow!" she ranted.
"Captain! Would it kill ye to say Captain!" Jack interrupted.
Completely ignoring the pirate's comment, Will continued, "Well, we won't be going for another month or so."
"We?" she questioned.
"Yes... We. Do you really think I'd leave you alone with Jack?" Will asked sarcastically.
"Are ye offending Captain Jack Sparrow again? Honestly, lad, someone'd think ye'd know not to offend me by now," Jack stated.
"Oh, either get over yourself or throw yourself overboard and rid us of your stupidity, Jack!" Mia said, annoyed.
"Who do ye think ye are, telling me what to do? You're not me mother are ye? Are ye implying that Captain Jack Sparrow is stupid?" Jack retaliated.
"Jack, shut up!" Will demanded.
Mumbling under his breath so that Will and Mia could not hear him, Jack said, "Ye wouldn't want to be getting on me bad side, lad. Take a look at what happened to Barbossa. I could get another shot if I fancied."
"Jack, if you'll be going, I have to show Mia where everything is," Will stated.
"Well excuse me," Jack said in a snotty voice and exited the shop.
"Sorry about him. He doesn't know just when to stop talking," Will apologized, walking towards the back of the shop, motioning for her to follow.
Ignoring his indirect apology, Mia questioned, "Will, what exactly was Jack talking about, and I want a straight answer or I'll tell Elizabeth about that time a few years ago when you..." she added tauntingly.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you," he caved. "I have to some secluded island and get a something for Elizabeth, but she doesn't know about it, and I need you to come with me, because in a month or so, you'll be as good as Jack or I with a sword, and it's better to have reinforcements... if you know what I mean," he explained with a smirk.
"So... you're turning me into a pirate, is that it?" she asked.
"Basically... yes."
"Alright, I'll about do it. But what about Gwen? What are you dragging her into this?" Mia asked out of concern for her best friend.
"She's our 'leverage'," he said.
"Leverage?" a confused Amelia asked.
"Yes... In other words, our diversion, you could say. She's related to Elizabeth, is she not?" Will asked.
"Yes... They're cousins, on her mother's side... Why do you ask?"
"Well, there's your answer! We can get them to go somewhere, say a nice little town that they'll have to sail to, they stay there for a few days, and we go and snatch that thing for Elizabeth. They can go shopping for a week," Will suggested.
"Yes, I suppose they could. Gwen has been talking about how much she would like a new dress lately," she confessed.
"So, when Elizabeth and Gwendolyn are gone, then we go and find the loot, and hang out with Jack, and if everything goes right, we'll be back before they return," he plotted.
"William Jonathan Turner! You are such a sneak! You're going to lie to Elizabeth so that you can get her a stolen present!" Mia exclaimed, accusing Will.
"Well, it's not any old present," he said, defending himself, "If I tell you, you can't tell anyone what we're really going to get... okay?"
With her stomach muscles tightening, she nodded once as the tense and unhappy feeling rose through her body, Will continued, "And only you, Jack, and I will know this. What we're actually doing, is... We're going to find this amazing diamond ring worth more than I'll ever dream of having, and I'm giving it to Elizabeth on her birthday and ask for her hand in marriage," finishing with a large smile.
Mia forced a sincere looking smile, but inside she was screaming in pain. She could not believe that Will had just told her that he was going to ask Elizabeth to marry him; as if there was nothing better in the world she would rather hear form him. He didn't know that she'd had a crush on him, but she was deeply hurt by his words, and although she complimented him on his plan, she did not speak of it again until she was spoken to directly on the subject.
*~*~*~*~*
That night when she returned home, Mia went straight upstairs to her bedroom, which over looked the water, after greeting her family and explaining that she 'didn't feel well and wanted to rest'. What she did, in reality, was what she always did when she wanted to be alone, was sneak up to the roof of their house and cried while watching the sun set. She was overlooking Port Royal, and even as day faded into night, the ships kept coming in and out. Mia noticed one in particular that caught her eye. It looked familiar, as if she'd been on it before, but she'd only been on two ships in her life, one of which she would never see again, and The Black Pearl wasn't anywhere in the harbor.
'It's probably a similarly built ship,' she thought. Her father, a sailor, had been killed while sailing an English ship four years ago. The ship had sunk with every man on board in the middle of the Caribbean. After seeing this ship and reliving the memories that it had prompted, she thought it would be time for her to go to bed.
Climbing back into the window, she noticed a box under her bed that looked as if it hadn't been moved for years.
She carefully pulled it out and wiped it clean of the dust that had settled on it. They were notes that her friends had written to her throughout her childhood. Flipping through them, her eyes finally rested on a note from Will.
Dear Mia, I'm sorry about the death of your father. He was a very good, kind man. 1 will miss him very much. He was like a father to me. I know I will never forget him, nor will you. 1 am also sorry that I could not make the funeral today. 1 would so much like to be there to comfort you in your time of sorrow, but I regret that 1 must work today. Mr. Brown will not let me visit you, even for an hours time. I will stop by and visit when I can, although I do not know when that will be. I am very truly sorry for what has happened. Please remember that no matter what happens, I will always be here for you. If you ever need anything, I will try my best to help you in any way that I can. Forever friends. Love, Will
'He's still as sweet as ever,' Mia thought, a smile showing on her face.
"Mia? Sweetie are you okay?" her mother said, poking her head in the door.
"Yeah, I'm fine, mother," she lied.
"So how was your first day at work with Will?' she inquired.
"It was alright. Normal blacksmith stuff. Everyone still thinks that I'm crazy because I want to work, but I am still completely surprised that Will too me in as his assistant," Mia said.
"Well, you're a brave lass. He was just here by the way. He said that I should check on you because he saw you sitting on the roof. I don't know how many times I have to tell you to stay off of the roof, but then again, you are just like your father, Amelia."
"Will was here? When?" Mia asked, trying not to sound enthusiastic.
"He left just a minute before I came up to check on you," her mother explained.
"I didn't even see him walk up to the house. I must've been watching the ships," Mia said.
"Well, Mia, you've had a long day. You're brothers are already in bed, and you have to work again tomorrow, so you should probably get some sleep, too."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. As always. Good night, Mother," Mia said, kissing her mother on the cheek before she left the room.
Lying in her bed, she thought of her close she and Will had been when he had first arrived in Port Royal, and when they'd spend hours talking and spending time together, but it all had changed once he became Mr. Brown's apprentice. And after he went on his 'pirate escapade' with Captain Jack Sparrow and fallen for Elizabeth, she rarely saw him at all.
Oh, how she wished she could at least have their friendship back...