Chapter 3

"So, let me get this straight." Kerry said later, as Ricky carried her down the steep steps to steerage. "This amazingly cute boy shows up and within ten minutes of meeting you, asks you out?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Tara responded, following Kerry and Ricky down the steps, clinging to the wall as she went. They reached the bottom of the steps and turned right to get to their cabin, 3B. Ricky gently put Kerry down on the bunk bed next to Mary, who had already been brought down by another White Star Line officer. Kerry's wheelchair stood next to the bed, currently empty of its usual occupant.

"I don't know about this." Mary said seriously. She had basically been following the conversation. "I mean, it could be dangerous. I don't like the idea of him asking you out not ten minutes after he met you."

"I know." Tara said guiltily. She knew Mary was right. "But, god, he's so cute!" Mary sighed. She at least, had some clue about what might happen.

At dinner, Tara couldn't eat.

"I just can't eat. I'm too excited. Oh, this is going to be the best night of my life!" Tara squealed.

"Tara..." Mary said warningly.

"Yeah, I know, I have to calm down." Tara said breathlessly. "Otherwise he'll regard me as a stupid little kid and I'll lose the love of my life! I can't eat, I can't concentrate. I think I'm going to go back to our cabin and change into more suitable...date clothes." she told them, looking disapprovingly at the huge spaghetti sauce stain on her pale blue shirt. Her napkin fell to the floor unnoticed, as Tara dashed out the door and back to the cabin.

"That girl has no common sense." Mary commented as Tara left.

"Nah, she has common sense-" Kerry corrected. "She's just lost it all to a boy named Anthony Marzocchi."

Back in the cabin, Tara had dug her suitcase out from under the bed and was now examining its contents. Right on top was an old photo album (A/N: Did they have photos in 1912? I think they did, just not color photos...). Tara lifted it out of the suitcase and turned to the first page. The first page was a handwritten sign.

"Cate, Mary, Kerry, and Tara. Together forever." she read softly. She turned the page to see a photo of the four of them, arms around each other. It was taken just a year before their journey on the Titanic. The next page was a photo of Tara singing her heart out, her three friends singing backup behind her. The four of them all loved to sing, and were actually fairly well known for their singing back in Ireland.

Tara glanced at the clock above the tiny dresser. It was almost seven. Time for her to get changed. Tara dug through several more layers of shirts, socks, and other things before her hand touched something silky. She pulled it out and grinned. It was her favorite dress, pale pink silk. She changed into it and sat on the bed, just dreaming about the wonderful night she was bound to have.

The sound of crutches tapping brought Tara out of her thoughts once again. A moment later, Mary appeared, followed closely by Cate and Kerry.

"Well, where are Dream Boy and his Dream Friends?" Cate asked teasingly. Tara shrugged, a smile lighting up her face.

"I don't know. They should be here any minute."

Time passed, and Tara grew more and more fidgety. At 7:15, Tara started pacing the floor. At 7:30, she started playing with the silk of her dress. Finally at a quarter to eight, Tara went to the stairs so she could see if they were coming. And then she saw them.

Anthony was there, along with his promised three friends who were as equally cute as he was. One friend had blond hair and baby blue eyes. Another had curly brown hair and hazel eyes. And the last one had dark hair like Anthony's, but green eyes. Each of the remaining three girls silently picked out which boy she wanted in her mind.

"Where have you been?" Tara demanded of Anthony. "We've been waiting for forty-five minutes!" Anthony didn't answer, but looked distinctly uncomfortable. Tara decided to let it go.

"Well, are you ready for our date?" she asked, the sparkle back in her eyes. Anthony shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. His cronies snickered. Tara got a horrible feeling in her stomach.

"What? What are you laughing about?" she said quickly. The snickers now turned into full fledged laughter.

"What? What is it? Why are you laughing!" Tara screamed in frustration. But in her mind she already knew. She just didn't want to believe it. Finally the green-eyed boy stopped laughing long enough to say,

"You actually thought we would take you on a date? God, I wouldn't date any of you cripples if you paid me!" The sparkle disappeared from Tara's eyes once again.

"Yeah," the blond haired boy added. "You girls are such freaks. Not only are you poor, but you're not even normal."

"No wonder you girls are all the way down here in steerage." said the curly-haired boy. "It's so nobody will have to look at your ugly, twisted faces!" Anthony's three friends turned around and headed up the stairs. Tara could hear their cruel laughter long after they had gone out of sight. Anthony gave Tara a helpless stare, and then followed his friends.

There was silence in the cabin for a minute, as the four best friends looked at each other in shock.

"Did you...was that...what I think it was?" Tara finally said, her voice trembling as she fought back tears. Mary gave a long, slow nod.

"Yeah, Tara." she said. "It was." The wall of tears pushed forward, and soon Tara was sobbing too hard to speak. And soon, three other girls' sobs joined hers. The teardrops landed on the fragile pink silk dress as Tara thought This sucks. This sucks so bad.

A/N: OK I'm done! Didn't expect that, did you? As always, review!