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Chapter Seven: Dreams

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Matthew left. I would have been happy at his leaving if it weren't for my guilt. Will sat me down in a couch in the living room as soon as Matthew was gone. Roland was told to go up to his room while Elizabeth and Will spoke with me. I wondered if they would send me away. I wondered if they would leave me behind because I was bad. After all, I was a pirate, and pirates were awful people. That was all I thought about as I sat on that couch, waiting to be yelled at. I didn't look at them. For some reason I was afraid to because of my humiliation.

"Astrid," Elizabeth, or Mum, said. "Do you have anything to say for what you did to Matthew?" I opened my mouth almost immediately after she finished speaking, and I was about to say that I was sorry; but that wouldn't be sincere. I wasn't sorry. Not one bit.

"I'm not sorry for what I did," I said firmly. "He was only askin' for it." Will, I mean Dad, and Mum sat next to me. Each of them on one side of the couch beside me.

"Why? Did he have it coming to him?" he asked.

"He said Jack was the filthiest bastard that ever walked the earth. He told me pirates were bad, that Jack was bad. He wouldn't stop teasin' me even when I told 'im to stop. So I punched him. Lisa scolded me for it, and then we all agreed to play a game."

"What kind of a game?" Mum added.

"A pirate game. Well, sorta. A ship game." I paused a moment before I continued my story. "They attacked my ship, so I fought back. I managed to whip Matthew's and Roland's ar-- I mean behinds. It was only reasonable to make them walk the plank, so... I did."

"You only pushed Matthew, Astrid," said Dad.

"But like I said before, he didn't stop teasin' me." I finally got the courage to look up at them, and to my surprise, they were smiling at me. "Are pirates really bad people?" I saw Mum give Dad a look, so I turned to him. "Are they bad?" I repeated.

"I think it really depends on how you see them," Daddy said bluntly.

"What do you mean?"

"For instance, someone who has met a pirate would see them differently than a person who hasn't seen a pirate." I wrinkled my eyebrows. I wasn't quite understanding him. "You'll understand later," he added.

"Do you think pirates are bad?"

He smiled warmly at me.

"No. Some of them can be really helpful... like Jack." I smiled happily. Matthew was wrong. Jack was the greatest pirate that ever lived, and I wasn't alone in thinking that.

I was called down to eat supper, and when I arrived in the dining room, a maid showed me to my seat beside Roland. I sat down and waited patiently for my food, not even speaking a word.

"So what's your punishment?" Roland whispered to me. I crossed my arms before my chest and turned away from him.

"I'm not talking to you," I hmphed.

"Why?"

"You were on Matthew's side," I said plainly.

"You were being a little mean to him, Astrid."

"So? He talked badly about Jack. He deserved it and you backed up the whiny rat!" I yelled it right in front of his face.

"Astrid, Roland," began Elizabeth, "lower your voices." I glared at Roland before turning back to my food, and I ate quietly for the rest of the meal.

As soon as dinner was over, I raced back outside into the gardens and laid myself down on the grass. I stared angrily at the sky and I wanted to throw rocks at the stars.

"Sorry, Astrid," came a voice. I looked up and saw Roland standing right behind my head.

"Get lost," I murmured.

"Hey, look. I said I was sorry, all right? So Matthew was a little mean, so what? You hit me in the head with a rock."

"I guess you're gonna tell that to Mum and Dad too and get me in more trouble, aye?"

"Actually, they already asked me about the read bump on my forehead, and I said I tripped while playing and hit my head on a rock." That made me laugh and I already made up my mind to forgive Roland.

"All right, I'm not mad at you anymore."

"Good. I'm glad that's over." He laid down on the grass next to me and stretched his arms.

"That's the North Star," I said proudly, pointing to a star in the black sky.

"Really? It looks just like any other star to me."

"Jack told me. I couldn't sleep one night, so I went up on deck on the Pearl and he told me about the stars and all that other stuff."

"Was Jack that man you came in with the day you first came here?"

"Aye! That's him," I giggled happily.

"Oh. Now I wish I could have met him."

"He would've liked you. I mean, I like you, so he would have liked you too."

"Do you ever plan on seeing him again?"

Roland's words left me quiet for a moment. My life here with Elizabeth and Will was wonderful, and I never planned on leaving it. Then again, I never planned on seeing Jack again either.

"I think I will see him one day," I managed to say. "He can't hide from me forever. He's bound to come back. Then when he comes back, we can all play together."

"What if he doesn't come to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if he never comes back here to see you?" That made me angry. I knew Jack would come back for me one day. He couldn't leave me behind forever.

"Of course he'll come back!" I yelled, frowning at the sky again. "And if he doesn't come back, then I'll just have to go after him!" For some reason, this got Roland excited.

"You mean you plan on going out to sea to find him?"

"Aye?" I wasn't even sure myself if I'd do such a thing.

"That would make a great adventure, wouldn't you think?"

"Well, now that ye mention it, it would. Much better than our little game. Once I'm old enough to go on a ship alone, I'll go find Jack. You can come too. That way, you'd meet him and see what a great person he is."

"That will be fun. I can't wait!" I chuckled at him.

"Neither can I!" We laughed together, and another voice joined with us. It was our dear mum.

"What are you two still doing out here?" Mum said, running to us. We sat up to meet her, laughing. She picked us up, laughing as well. "You two should be in bed right now! You've had too much fun today!"

She carried each of us in her arms and walked back into the house. "You two are getting quite heavy," she said as she set us down by the stairs. "What has Lisa been feeding you?"

"Nothing," I mumbled.

"Come on now. Roland, up to your room. Get ready for bed." She kissed Roland's forehead and he scurried up the stairs to his room. She turned to me and picked me up again. "Jack told me a lot about you," she said. "You're five, aren't you?"

"Yes. I'll be six, um, on May..." I had to count with my fingers. "...seventeenth."

"Ah. Well, that's not too far away, now is it?"

I shrugged at her, having no real idea of the date anyway and she simply bubbled out more laughter.

"She walked me up the stairs and into my room. My maid, Maggie, was there, ready to dress me into my nightgown.

"When is Roland's birthday?"

"Oh, you're older than him. He won't turn six until July." I laughed. I was older than Roland! "Now, go on. I have to see how Roland is doing. I'll be back to tuck you into bed, all right?"

"All right." She was about to walk out when I remembered something.

"Guess what?" I called. She turned back to me, her eyes glittering.

"Yes, Astrid?"

"When I'm old enough, Roland and I are going to find Jack!"

"Is that so?"

I nodded vigorously.

"You're going to leave us?" she whined playfully.

"Never! You'll come with us!" We laughed together and she picked me up.

"You have very big dreams, Astrid. Never let go of them."

"Why would I?" She giggled again and set me back onto the ground.

"Go on. You don't want to keep Maggie waiting."

I smiled and she left my room. I turned to Maggie and she dressed me. While waiting for Mum to come back, I jumped on my bed, though Maggie yelled at me all the way. As promised, Mum came back to tuck me in, and with her came Daddy. I was tucked into my warm bed and I gave my good-nights. Then the candle on my nightstand faded, and I fell into a sweet, wonderful sleep.