I am so sorry I haven't unpdated in forever! I have been sick, and my dad said I cant come on the computer...whatever.


Chapter seven: Mixed Emotions


"Wake up!" I heard Derack call happily in my ear. I let forth a groan and tried to swat away at him.

It had been two weeks since John died, and every day felt like a year. "Come on! Get up, or cap'n'll be all mad at me, and I will have to walk ta plank, and then you will feel guilty, so lets spare that, should we?" I tried not to laugh, but a little giggle came out of my mouth.

"I heard that!" He said, ripping off the covers. I instinctivly curled up in a tight ball, and slammed my eyes shut. "I saw that! Your awake!" I relented and streched back out into my frame.

"Why do you want me up so bad?" I said through a large yawn.

"Er.." He looked embarrased. I raised an eyebrow, and waited. "Well you, see, John," He said his name slowly, wanting to catch my reaction. My face stayed blank. "Well, he was the better cook than me, but we were wondering if you could cook dinner?" I laughed out right at that. Cook dinner eh? I wondered if this was just a ploy to get me out of bed.

"Whatever," I said, slowly getting up out of bed. "Get out so I can bathe and change." Derack looked genuianly happy that he got me out of bed, he practically went skipping out. I mumbled and grumbled the whole time it took getting dressed, and washing my face and body. I barely stepped outside when I was bombarded with the crew.

"Your up!"
"How are you?"

"We all loved him."

"You need to eat, your skin and bones." Came from all different directions. I tried not to laugh or cry, but slowly made my way to the Galley.

"Whadaya want for dinner?" I called out to Jack who was in the back of the crowd. They quickly left before I could enter.

"I dunno! Surprise me!" I sighed and walked into the messy kitchen.

"Couldn't have done the dishes, eh?" I asked the water, pretending it was Jack's head as I plunged in a dish. I scrubbed furiously and not caring if I scratched the already tarnished pewter. I hated to clean. I thought I was just supposed to cook!

"Be sure you don't break it," Said Will behind me. I chose to ignore him because of the kiss he planted on me the day of John's funeral. I scrubbed even harder on a spot of gunk trying not to blush or show him any emotion. "You really should watch out ya know." He said. I turned around so quick, that my hair fanned out.

"This is pewter. The most I can do to it is bend it!" I snapped. He took a step back from my fury.

"Well, if you bend it too much, it could break in half," He said in his defence. I threw the plate and rag I had in my hand on the floor.

"If you know so much about it, you do it then! Go on. Do it!" I screamed at him. We stood there just staring each other down. I was glaring he had a look of such calm and cool, I wanted to slap it off his smug looking handsome face. I let out a furitive noise and stalked out of the half-clean galley.

"Coral, come back!" He cried after me. I stopped suddenly, and he almost plowed me over.

"What?" I asked in an impatient voice.

"I'm sorry about forcing myself onto you, alright? I dunno what came over me. Please forgive me?" I gave a slight nod and went back to rushing out and up unto the deck.

"Wait! Can't we talk?" He asked, still following me. This time I slowed down to a stop before turning all the way around. I looked up at him.

"Why? About what? I don't know you, and you sure as hell don't know me." He opened and closed his mouth a couple times. I took advantage of his being stunned and continued to the railing. I looked out and over at the ocean. It was an odd shade of blue green gray, that didn't even have a name.

"Oh, John." I whispered out to sea. "Why did you have to leave me? You were the only ray of sunshine I had left in this dank and dark place. Why?" I felt a tear slip down my cheek, but left it unchecked.

"Oh, come now. This ship isn't all that bad, is it?" Jack asked, standing besides me, and looking at at the water.

"Its not the ship itself, its just...I miss John!" I let out a strangled sob, and turned my face into Jack's shoulder. He patted my head uncomfortably and let me cry. After a moment, I regained my composure, and stifly turned away.

"I am sorry." I mumbled. He gave a curt nod. I felt strangely torn between him and Will. Jack had a strange aura about him, one you know you would get into trouble with. Will seemed careful, not willing to do anything too dangerous. I didn't know which one I liked more. Maybe I should go with neither? Jack seemed so much older than me. Will was only two years my senior, not bad at all, considering that Markus was twenty years older. I shook my head slightly and dispelled the thoughts from my head.

"Oh, we will be in America in about a week." Jack said, and walked away. I stared after him, thinking about how nice his tush looked...I admit it.

"What are you staring at?" I heard a cold and all too familier voice say.

"Oh no, what are you doing here?" I asked Elizabeth as she lazily walked up to me. She had an unreadable expression on her face, but I could tell she was working fiercely to keep it that way, and not let anger shine through.

"I just got let out of my cage that you so labourously put me in. Why, I have just about every right to be up on deck as you." I let out a snort and walked away. However, she hadn't had her say...She wouldn't leave me alone until she did. "So, now that your prat is gone, Im sure you can put more effort into your duties? I mean, I know I" I didn't let her finish that sentence.

"You...work? The day that you work let angels fly out of my arse. And if you ever call John a prat, I shall do something so, foul, so..."

"What are you doing out?" Jack demanded, striding fastly to where I was glowering at Elizabeth.

"I was let out." She said, hastily.

"By whom?" Jack's voice carried no hint of amusement.

"Uh, Will." She said sweetly.

"Ha. Try again, little missy, because Will has been either in the galley, or accompaning Miss Coralie here. He hasn't had time to let you out." Jack spat. I raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Well, maybe it was...Derack!" She tried again.

"Wrong again. Derack has been with Coralie this hole time, he woke her up and was with her in the galley. How did you get out?" Everything in his manner said he was not fooling around.

"Fine. I picked the lock, happy?"

"No. I might have to throw you in the brig." A look of horror flashed on her face.

"The brig?" She repeated, in a scared voice. Jack nodded gravely.

"No, Jack. I'll take care of her." Will came running up to where we were all standing.

"That's what ye said last time. And now look. Look what happened." He gestured emfatically with his hands. "Shes run off!"

"Jack," Will argued in an angry voice. "I was bloody busy watching over Coral. If you want me to look after Elizabeth, then don't bloody make me trail Coral!"

I looked over at Jack. "He does have a point, you know."

"Fine. I will watch over Coral." Jack said through gritted teeth.

"Hey! Why do I have to be watched over?" I cried out indignatly.

"Because I said so." Jack snapped at me.

"Geesh, just don't bite off my head." I mumbled and turned around.

"We aren't through." Jack said, catching my arm. "I'm not finished." I let out a disgruntled noise, and turned back around.

"Alright. I will look after Coral," He shot me a look that said 'shut up'. "Will, be sure that you are with Elizabeth at all times. Elizabeth, go back to your bloody cabin, and if I see you out again, I will not hesitate to lock you in the brig, savvy?" She gave a small nod and walked off, with a grumpy Will after her. Jack now rounded on me. "Now, your gunna listen to me, or I'm gunna shoot you in the face,"

"He means it, he shot someone before!" A crew member called out before Jack could continue. Jack rolled his eyes and flipped the crew member the bird.

"Anyways. You are not to go anywhere near Elizabeth's cabin, savvy? And unless you are accompained by me, or Derack, you are not to leave your cabin, savvy? Alright then. Off you go." He ushered me back into my cabin.

"What about dinner" I threw out behind me.

"Oh yeah, I guess we'll just eat some apples, eh?"

"Whatever!"I screamed at the door as it slammed shut. "It's not my fault she hates me!"

I looked around my small room. I all of a sudden hated it. It was too small, too dark, too everything but great.

I threw myself down on the chair by my the desk. Something made me want to look in it's drawers. I pulled open each one unti I came across that journal I had seen when I first came into this cabin. I forced open the lock to find its pages blank. I looked around, as if not wanting to be caught, then grabbed my quill and the small amount of ink left, and wrote.

I had never guessed that I would be on a ship with a crew of pirates when I was a child...

I was halfway through the journal, writing furiously when there was a knock at my door.

"Go away!" I called out, still writing.

"How 'bout no?" It was Jack.

"Go away or I'll shoot you in the face!" I blew on the ink of the words I had just written. I carefully closed the journal and put it back in its drawer. Just as I closed the whole thing up, Jack came in.

"I said go away."

"I am the captain...And I am the one with the keys." He dangled the ring of keys in front of my face. "What were you doin'?"

"Nothing."

"Yes you were."

"No I wasn't...I think I would know if I was doing something."

"Well maybe yer lying...or really special." He raised his eyebrows suggestively. I picked up the paper weight that was on the desk and chucked it at him. He ducked and it went flying, finally crashing into the wall, and leaving a big hole in the wall.

"Ye broke me ship!" He said disbelievingly.

"Oh come off it! It's just a ship! You are putting all of your efforts onto a ship, when there are people out there who like you!" I clasped my hand over my mouth. Why in the hell did I say that?

"And who are they?" He asked in a low voice.

"I was just using it as an example."

He stormed to the door and before slamming it shut he bellowed at me: "Your not the only one with mixd emotions!" And he slammed the door shut with such force, Im surprised it didn't break.