LestatzLuvr - Thank you! And Ben will find some happiness on the ship
before it sinks. And as for Tommy, well, he's a likeable enough character!
Chapter 3 The Seeing and a Party
Sat up on deck, looking at the stars, Ben ignored the first class passengers going for strolls up on their deck. He simply contented himself with looking at the stars. He loved the stars, always had. To him, they symbolised freedom and hope, things we he had to believe in to survive. And that was what his days were filled with, just surviving from one day to the next was a profession of it's own in Ben's life, for things could sometimes get rough on the streets, especially in winter.
Finding his eyes straying back down to the deck from the stars, he found them fixed on the first class viewing deck. A young man, obviously very rich, stood leaning on the railing, staring out into the distance. Ben once again looked away. The young man had looked as if he was trying to make a difficult decision, but he couldn't know real hardship, not the type that Ben knew. A first-class man would never know the type of hardship Ben knew. Not unless they were new money or had gone bankrupt. And even then he doubted that they knew what real hardship was.
Drawing his eyes back away from the waves, they once again fixed on the young man. Why was he so drawn to him? There was nothing special about him, he would just be another stuck up, first class passenger who looked down upon the third class, steerage passengers. There was nothing to be drawn to!
He stared back out at the waves, watching them, black from the lack of light, rolling over one another and hearing the faint splash when they hit the side of the ship. The wind was picking up again, causing his hair to be blown back away from his face and Ben could tell that they were heading out to sea, it was going to be very cold up here soon, yet he couldn't tear himself away from the waves and stars, and also that young man, there just seemed to be something about him.
The man in question saw him looking and made eye contact, which Ben quickly broke, it wouldn't do to get on the wrong side of a first class passenger, that would be bad. He stood up quickly, intending to catch some sleep so that he could be up when the sun rose the next day. As he walked away the man called out to him and he broke into a run. He headed quickly back to the cabin and discovered it empty much to his relief. He climbed on to his bunk and stretched out on his back, staring at the ceiling.
His eyes had just drifted closed when the door banged open and a voice which he recognised as Tommy's announced, "There ya are. It feels like I've been all over this ship looking for ya. Where ya been?"
"Up on deck," Ben told him whilst sitting up. "You were looking for me?"
"Yeah, come on, get ya arse moving. There's a party going on and we're a missing it!" Tommy told him whilst dragging him off the bunk and out the cabin.
"Simple asking might get you somewhere," Ben muttered and was greeted by a laugh from Tommy, who he hadn't intended to hear the comment.
"Aye, it might, and same to you," Tommy told him.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ben asked, flaring up. Tommy had yet to witness Ben's sharp tongue, which got him in to trouble as often as it got him out of it. He could come up with the most witting comments at the most seemingly inappropriate moments.
"Calm down," Tommy told him. "You just look like the sort who will act first and ask questions later."
"Yeah, well, normally my life depends on it," Ben retorted, giving the older man a glare.
He got back a look of sympathy. "How long you been on your own, kid?" he got asked.
"Since I was nine, when my folks died," Ben told him. Tommy put a comforting arm round his shoulders, Ben shrugged it off. "I don't need sympathy Tommy, I'm used to it." He dropped his gaze to the ground and then up at Tommy before dropping to back to the floor quickly. "But I do need friends," he said quietly.
"Well, you got one here kid, now lets go to that party," Tommy instructed.
"Well, yes sir!" Ben told him whilst saluting before the two burst into laughter and Tommy pushed him into another room in the bowels of the ship where the steerage passengers where located.
There was band playing some upbeat song, people were dancing, laughing, talking and generally having a good time. Ben couldn't help cracking a smile and he also couldn't help noticing that Tommy had gone slightly protective of him and had a tight grip on his shoulder. He could look after himself!
Just then, someone grabbed Tommy, who dragged Ben along with him. "Wheres a ya been?" someone asked.
"Fabrizio! There ya are!" Tommy answered. "And in answer to ya question, I was finding the kid!"
"Kid, what kid?" Fabrizio asked.
Ben sighed. "This Kid!" Tommy told him, motioning to Ben who he still had a tight grip on. "Fabri, this is Ben, Ben this is Fabrizio."
Ben stuck out his hand for Fabrizio to shake, which he did. Ben decided that he couldn't have too many friends in this place.
"So, whos ya travelling with kid?" Fabrizio asked.
"Myself," Ben told him. "But luckily for me I'm bunking with Tommy," Ben grinned up at Tommy and tried to shrug the grip off his shoulder.
"Yeah and you're not getting rid of me," Tommy replied.
"Would now be a good time to say that I think a first class man has a thing against me?" Ben quipped.
"Tell me you're not serious," Tommy told him.
"Erm. I would, but that would be lying. Not that I'd care I was lying but I'm not sure how you'd take it," Ben told him.
"Not very well, now what did you do?!"
"Nothing!" Ben insisted. "And do we have to talk about this right now? We're in a party, and I personally want to have some fun!"
"Oh, very well," and with that said Tommy was dragged off to dance with some single young woman and Fabrizio got both himself and Ben drinks.
Ben didn't care that it was ale, he'd been drinking it since he'd been on his own, and he'd learnt to take what he could get.
As the party warmed up, Ben started to let go and started to enjoy himself. He committed some scenes to memory, so that he could sketch them later, though he knew that he should also do some studying tomorrow, not just sketch, but sketching was so much more pleasant than studying!
Finally the part started to draw to a close and Tommy and Ben went back to their cabin to find the other two occupants asleep. Climbing on to his bunk Ben was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow but he knew he'd be up before dawn broke and when it did break he'd be up on the deck to watch it!
Please, please, please review! Please!
Chapter 3 The Seeing and a Party
Sat up on deck, looking at the stars, Ben ignored the first class passengers going for strolls up on their deck. He simply contented himself with looking at the stars. He loved the stars, always had. To him, they symbolised freedom and hope, things we he had to believe in to survive. And that was what his days were filled with, just surviving from one day to the next was a profession of it's own in Ben's life, for things could sometimes get rough on the streets, especially in winter.
Finding his eyes straying back down to the deck from the stars, he found them fixed on the first class viewing deck. A young man, obviously very rich, stood leaning on the railing, staring out into the distance. Ben once again looked away. The young man had looked as if he was trying to make a difficult decision, but he couldn't know real hardship, not the type that Ben knew. A first-class man would never know the type of hardship Ben knew. Not unless they were new money or had gone bankrupt. And even then he doubted that they knew what real hardship was.
Drawing his eyes back away from the waves, they once again fixed on the young man. Why was he so drawn to him? There was nothing special about him, he would just be another stuck up, first class passenger who looked down upon the third class, steerage passengers. There was nothing to be drawn to!
He stared back out at the waves, watching them, black from the lack of light, rolling over one another and hearing the faint splash when they hit the side of the ship. The wind was picking up again, causing his hair to be blown back away from his face and Ben could tell that they were heading out to sea, it was going to be very cold up here soon, yet he couldn't tear himself away from the waves and stars, and also that young man, there just seemed to be something about him.
The man in question saw him looking and made eye contact, which Ben quickly broke, it wouldn't do to get on the wrong side of a first class passenger, that would be bad. He stood up quickly, intending to catch some sleep so that he could be up when the sun rose the next day. As he walked away the man called out to him and he broke into a run. He headed quickly back to the cabin and discovered it empty much to his relief. He climbed on to his bunk and stretched out on his back, staring at the ceiling.
His eyes had just drifted closed when the door banged open and a voice which he recognised as Tommy's announced, "There ya are. It feels like I've been all over this ship looking for ya. Where ya been?"
"Up on deck," Ben told him whilst sitting up. "You were looking for me?"
"Yeah, come on, get ya arse moving. There's a party going on and we're a missing it!" Tommy told him whilst dragging him off the bunk and out the cabin.
"Simple asking might get you somewhere," Ben muttered and was greeted by a laugh from Tommy, who he hadn't intended to hear the comment.
"Aye, it might, and same to you," Tommy told him.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ben asked, flaring up. Tommy had yet to witness Ben's sharp tongue, which got him in to trouble as often as it got him out of it. He could come up with the most witting comments at the most seemingly inappropriate moments.
"Calm down," Tommy told him. "You just look like the sort who will act first and ask questions later."
"Yeah, well, normally my life depends on it," Ben retorted, giving the older man a glare.
He got back a look of sympathy. "How long you been on your own, kid?" he got asked.
"Since I was nine, when my folks died," Ben told him. Tommy put a comforting arm round his shoulders, Ben shrugged it off. "I don't need sympathy Tommy, I'm used to it." He dropped his gaze to the ground and then up at Tommy before dropping to back to the floor quickly. "But I do need friends," he said quietly.
"Well, you got one here kid, now lets go to that party," Tommy instructed.
"Well, yes sir!" Ben told him whilst saluting before the two burst into laughter and Tommy pushed him into another room in the bowels of the ship where the steerage passengers where located.
There was band playing some upbeat song, people were dancing, laughing, talking and generally having a good time. Ben couldn't help cracking a smile and he also couldn't help noticing that Tommy had gone slightly protective of him and had a tight grip on his shoulder. He could look after himself!
Just then, someone grabbed Tommy, who dragged Ben along with him. "Wheres a ya been?" someone asked.
"Fabrizio! There ya are!" Tommy answered. "And in answer to ya question, I was finding the kid!"
"Kid, what kid?" Fabrizio asked.
Ben sighed. "This Kid!" Tommy told him, motioning to Ben who he still had a tight grip on. "Fabri, this is Ben, Ben this is Fabrizio."
Ben stuck out his hand for Fabrizio to shake, which he did. Ben decided that he couldn't have too many friends in this place.
"So, whos ya travelling with kid?" Fabrizio asked.
"Myself," Ben told him. "But luckily for me I'm bunking with Tommy," Ben grinned up at Tommy and tried to shrug the grip off his shoulder.
"Yeah and you're not getting rid of me," Tommy replied.
"Would now be a good time to say that I think a first class man has a thing against me?" Ben quipped.
"Tell me you're not serious," Tommy told him.
"Erm. I would, but that would be lying. Not that I'd care I was lying but I'm not sure how you'd take it," Ben told him.
"Not very well, now what did you do?!"
"Nothing!" Ben insisted. "And do we have to talk about this right now? We're in a party, and I personally want to have some fun!"
"Oh, very well," and with that said Tommy was dragged off to dance with some single young woman and Fabrizio got both himself and Ben drinks.
Ben didn't care that it was ale, he'd been drinking it since he'd been on his own, and he'd learnt to take what he could get.
As the party warmed up, Ben started to let go and started to enjoy himself. He committed some scenes to memory, so that he could sketch them later, though he knew that he should also do some studying tomorrow, not just sketch, but sketching was so much more pleasant than studying!
Finally the part started to draw to a close and Tommy and Ben went back to their cabin to find the other two occupants asleep. Climbing on to his bunk Ben was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow but he knew he'd be up before dawn broke and when it did break he'd be up on the deck to watch it!
Please, please, please review! Please!