AN (1/2): Hello, all. I am writing this at about 6:00pm. I have no idea what this chapter will be about. I'll be as surprised as the rest of you. He, I get to use an actual keyboard to type this up! The end of chapter 3 was done on my PDA. I made a lot of typos. If you catch one, please tell me. Anyway, on with the story.
AN (1/4): I should've put this on two days ago, but I ran into a bit of writer's block. Please forgive me! I'm so excited that people have been reading my story! Hugs and kisses to all you reviewers out there! Anyway.....
Chapter 4- Regrets
"So, boy, will any o' your family miss you?" Bootstrap Bill looked at Jack with curiosity in his molasses-colored eyes, his tone of voice inquisitive. He sat on the berth underneath Jack's. Captain Calico Jack had been impressed enough with the teenager that he immediately accepted Bootstrap's request to share a room with Jack. Bootstrap was told he had to teach Jack the ropes and such for the official reason. Jack and Bootstrap happened to have the only crew's bunkroom with only two beds. The rest of the crew's quarters were cramped with four beds in the same space. Many of the crew were resentful of the young Jack getting in the captain's favor so fast, seeing as it was his first day.
Jack sat up quickly; hitting his head on the wooden beams and planking from the deck above after his slightly numbed mind processed the comment. He swore a foul string of profanity at the pain the bump had caused as well as the sudden recollection the comment brought. Bootstrap looked over at him in confusion.
"Me sister will wonder where the 'ell I am! I lef' durin' her engagemen' party an' she'll 'ave no clue where I went!" Jack said as he looked wildly around the cramped quarters. "I forgo' all about 'er. Me mum'd turn in her grave!" He jumped off the top berth and hurriedly undressed. It was around midnight, and the party was supposed to have ended several hours ago.
"Is there anythin' I can do to help, boy?" Bootstrap watched the teenager struggle to put on pants with amusement.
"I nee' to stage me own death. 'Ave you e're done tha' before, William?" Jack enjoyed calling Bootstrap by his proper name to get back at Bootstrap for calling him boy all the time. The two had become inseparable in a matter of hours. Jack was fortunate in the fact that the Black Pearl wasn't supposed to sail until next week, so he had time to stage his death.
"No, bu' Cap'n Calico has. 'E's always tellin' us stories abou' the time he helped a lass named Sandra out. You should ask 'im." Bootstrap studied Jack as he spoke. He was surprised to see Jack flinch when he said the word Sandra.
Jack hurriedly withdrew into his sanctuary to not let any of his other reactions get noticed. "I can' bother 'im on somethin' like this. Besides, me sister's fiancé would jump a' the chance to bag the cap'n. She's marryin' an officer o' the navy."
Bootstrap's brown eyes widened in surprise. "Don' she know ye wan' to be a pirate?"
"Oh, I'm sure she expects it, bu' I 'aven't made her think I'd actually do it." Jack smiled his odd half grin. "So it'd be best if it were jus' you an' I tha' staged me death. Meet me up a' the Smith plantation tomorrow a' seven in the mornin'. Ask for Jacob. Try to look "respectable", as it were. I'll come up wi' a plan tonight." Jack quickly unbraided his hair and buttoned up his white shirt to become Jacob Smith again. He walked towards the door of their cramped quarters.
"Jack, wha' should I tell cap'n when 'e finds ye missin'?" Bootstrap said as Jack was about to open the door.
Jack pivoted around. "Jus' tell 'im I 'ave some unfinished business wi' me family or somthin'. It don' really matter. Don' let him come 'elp ye. I don' wan' cap'n to get caught." Jack peered earnestly into Bootstraps' eyes. Bootstrap nodded and Jack nodded his head in acknowledgement. With that, Jack turned around again and made his way above deck.
Jack silently crept back to his old home. Pale moonlight lit the way. A slight breeze chilled the air to a few degrees below normal. Jack was surprised to run into many people he'd seen at the party. They wobbled past him, clearly intoxicated from large amounts of congratulatory wine and champagne. Several nodded in his direction. Jack smiled a genuine smile at each one. His luck seemed to be holding. He reached the bushes where he'd found his mother two years ago. The sound of heavy breathing assaulted his ears.
"Jacob Smith, where in the bloody hell were you?" Richard's voice roared into Jack's ear. Jack turned to face his father, not surprised to see the wrath in Richard's eyes.
"I was here all along, sir," Jack said as he retreated into his sanctuary but showed emulated sincerity in his eyes and facial expressions. He grinned at his father.
"Like hell you were, boy. I din' see you at' the party." Richard slurred his words. Jack caught the unmistakable scent of alcohol on Richard's breath. Jack laughed and crinkled his nose. He took Richard's hand rather forcefully and led him to the house.
"I was here, sir. You were jus' to busy drinkin' to notice." Jack opened the front door and sat his father on the blue velvet chair in the front room. The older man mumbled a few obscenities toward Jack. Jack merely smiled and punched Richard unconscious. He smiled at the satisfying noise his fist made when it hit Richard's skull. Jack left his father in the chair and headed out to the back lawn.
Empty glasses littered the twenty temporary tables that had been set up yesterday in anticipation for the large crowd coming to congratulate the couple. All of the guests were gone; leaving dishes and garbage that was now being cleaned by the Smith family slaves. Jack walked down to the pavilion he had helped the slaves erect this morning. A solitary figure sat inside, barely illuminated by the pale moonlight. As Jack walked nearer and nearer, he heard the distinct sound of a female in distress. He groaned inwardly, but continued walking towards the figure.
"Jodi! Why the 'ell are ye cryin?" Jack was shocked to see his twin sister crumpled over as he got nearer. Her delicate hand held her face as she struggled not to cry. Jack could see the faint outline of her ebony hair swaying in the wind. He sat next to her on the steps of the pavilion.
"Oh, Jacob, why weren't you here?" Tears of sorrow glistened in Jodi's eyes. "You jus' abandoned me." She glanced up into her brother's alarmed eyes. Her own honey eyes looked so full of sorrow that Jack had to look away. She sobbed, taking his reaction to mean he didn't care.
"I, uh, 'ad to do somethin' for a friend o' mine," Jack said as he picked up his sister's hand, weakly trying to comfort her. "Don' cry." Jack couldn't stand it when people cried near him, especially if they were females. Jack's reasoning was that because he could keep his emotions from pouring out, others should be able to as well.
"You are a terrible liar, Jacob. I know that you can't stand my fiancé." Jodi's voice lost a bit of the hysterics. She glanced at him and gauged his reactions carefully. This was a matter of extreme importance to her.
Jack rolled his eyes slightly and dove further into his sanctuary so his sister couldn't read his real thoughts. He coughed to clear his throat after developing a tone of sincerity and said, "I love 'im, honestly. I jus' don' like his profession. Ye made a brilliant choice when ye picked him, sis. Honestly." He rubbed her back with one hand and pushed a wisp of her hair back into place with the other.
"You're just saying that Jacob. I don't believe you. You left me Jacob. I saw you leave a half hour after the party started." Jodi started sobbing again, on the verge of hysterics.
Jack rolled his eyes and muttered something about women under his breath. He then reached over and pulled his sister next to him, deciding to goad her sorrow away. "An' why should you care if I left, eh sis? Your fiancé don't like me either." Jack's voice was smug.
Jodi stared up at him, rising to defend her fiancé. "Well, it's your own fault he doesn't like you! You always act so..." Jodi struggled for the right word. "piratey around him. And you always act like you hate 'im." Jodi drew a deep breath and was about to continue her deluge when she saw him smile. She closed her mouth, angry that he could manipulate her so much.
"See, luv? Ye don' need me around when ye 'ave such a fine man tha' y' love t' defend." He laughed a bit.
"I know he's a fine man, Jacob. But I need you. You've always been around for me, watching out for me and helping me throughout all the tough times." Jodi looked up into Jack's eyes, and Jack could see into her soul. He suddenly felt incredibly uneasy, his plans to leave his sister gnawing at the back of his mind. He pushed the uneasiness away.
"I won't leave you, Jodi. I promised mum I wouldn't." Jodi seemed satisfied by the comment. She put her head on Jack's shoulders, curious at how casually Jack had mentioned their mother. He never talked about her. Jack stroked his sister's cheek in an effort to prove he really meant it. His hand got all wet, but Jack suppressed the urge to shudder.
"Jacob, did mum say anything about me before she died?" Jodi softly asked Jack a question she had wanted to ask since Rosalyn's untimely death two years ago. Jodi didn't want to pester Jack, but was desperate to know.
Jack's eyes filled with pain as he forced himself to remember that horrible day. He needed to reassure his sister. "Aye, she did. She said you'd become a grand lady an' that I should watch over you." Jack retreated even further into his sanctuary, smothering the memories of his mother that wanted to wash all over him. This was the first time he'd ever gone that far into his sanctuary.
Jodi noted the strained voice Jack used and did not ask anymore questions. They both mused about their mother and Jodi began softly crying onto Jack's shoulder. They sat close together for nearly an hour. Jodi's sobs soon faded away into nothingness.
As soon as Jodi's eyes had dried, Jack stood up. "We'd best be getting' to bed, sis. You'll need to have your strength up in two weeks when ye get married." Jack helped Jodi stand. Jodi completely missed the innuendo, but that was one of the reasons Jack loved her so much. She was just the opposite of him. If, and it was a very BIG if, Jack ever got married, he'd find someone like his sister. The two walked into the large mansion, said goodnight, and parted ways. Jack tried to push back the pangs of regret attacking him, but he only managed to muffle them as he turned and saw his sister turning into her bedroom.
Jack awoke at around 4:00 in the morning. He was anxious to get his scheme underway. The morning sounds of slaves leaving for the sugar fields entered his ears. He would hate leaving the slaves to the mercy of his father, but Jack needed to get away. He needed freedom, not a cage.
Jack sat in bed for nearly an hour, formulating the plan to an exact science. Something his mother had said once was nagging at the back of his mind, but he couldn't remember what she'd said, so he brushed the annoying voice away. Plans of varying degrees of sanity came to mind.
Jack was so impatient for Bootstrap to show up that he began pacing his room. When it was nearly six, he finally stopped pacing and quickly dressed. The Smith household was required to be out of bed by six in the morning at the very latest. Jack usually just barely made that requirement. He didn't want his father or sister to suspect something was wrong.
Pale sunlight streamed in the windows of the marble-paved hallway, giving the marble a slightly red hue. Jack's footsteps gave an odd, muffled echo as he walked towards the dining room. The house seemed too quiet. Then Jack remembered his father probably had a hangover from the previous day's drinking. He smiled to himself. He soon reached the spacious dining room and dished himself a plate full of eggs and bacon from the breakfast buffet the house slaves had already laid out. He was just about to dig in when his sister regally walked into the room.
"Hello, Jacob. I trust you slept well last night." Jodi's eyes were remarkably bright. She talked in a formal manner, as she always did after pouring her soul out to him.
"Aye, sis, I'm sure ye did as well." Jack grinned at his sister. She shifted on her feet uncomfortably, distressed at remembering how weak she was with him last night.
"So, my dear brother, what do you plan to do today?" She tried changing the topic in order to save herself from embarrassment.
"Oh, I 'ave a friend comin' oe'r in about an hour. Ye'd like 'im. He's ye're type." He grinned suggestively at Jodi. She frowned.
"Oh, Jacob, you know I'm getting married in two weeks. I wouldn't want anyone but my Nathaniel."
Jack hurriedly entered his sanctuary to make sure he didn't flinch. "Yeah. I can not believe ye'll be married in two weeks." He smiled a false smile of congratulation.
"Crazy, isn't it? I just wonder when you'll get married, scallywag." Jodi's eyes were full of mockery, goading her brother into a response.
Jack smiled. "Sis, y' know I'll ne're get married. I wouldn' wan' to be shackled an' lose me freedom." His eyes mocked her in return. Jodi went next to him and slugged him on the arm, taking off the familiar mask of disdain and apathy she usually wore. The twins playfully hit each other, as they used to as children.
They both jumped when they heard Richard cough. Jodi's giggles were abruptly choked off and Jack imperceptibly tensed.
"Good morning, children." He looked sternly from Jodi to Jack. "I trust today will be productive." Jack and Jodi nodded in unison. This had always been the pattern they followed. Richard and Jodi then filled their plates. Jack thanked his wonderful luck that Richard had been too intoxicated to remember the punch he'd received last night. The three all quietly sat down and began eating. Strained silence pervaded the room while they ate for the next hour.
A black slave walked into the room and broke the cathedral-like silence. "Master Jacob, there's a gen'leman by the name o' William Turner to see y'." The slave nodded in Jack's direction.
Jack carefully laid his silverware down. "May I please be excused, sir?" Jack looked at Richard, suppressing the anger he felt. Richard nodded and Jack carefully stood and went towards the trembling female figure in the hallway. Silence enveloped the room as Jodi and Richard finished their breakfast.
Jack hurriedly followed the slave out of the room, eager to talk to Bootstrap. His mind looked over each aspect of the plan.
Chaoslightning13- Of course Jodi supects something, mate. Just you wait.