A/N: To be a complete dork for a gorgeous gal...
The lower deck was buzzing. Children were running, kicking, laughing. Groups of people were walking around, stopping to take a look out at the views. Discussions of new beginnings and hopes for America. Questions about the ship were circling around. Parents pointing to things to their babies snug in their arms. Even groups of dogs were scattering past.
"Well that's typical. First class dogs down here to take a shit."
Beca looked up from her notebook to see a young man taking a pull of his cigarette and shaking his head. He had a kind face. He was leaning on the nearby rail nearest to Jesse. Jesse was in turn, sitting next to Beca, taking in the morning sun.
"Yeah, it lets us know where we rank in the scheme of things." Beca chuckled, catching the man's attention.
"Like we could forget!" He returned.
The three began laughing amongst each other. After a moment, the man leaned in to introduce himself.
"I'm Benji Applebaum." He extended his hand to Beca first, with his cigarette between his teeth. Beca shook his hand.
"Beca Mitchell."
"Jesse Swanson." Shaking his hand next.
"Hello, hi." Benji smiled, nodding to the two.
Beca looked back down to her notebook. Jesse looked around, continuing the conversation.
"The ship is nice, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it's an Irish ship." Benji nodded.
"It's not English?" Jesse furrowed his brow.
"Heck no! It was built in Ireland. 15,000 Irishmen built this ship. With big Irish hands…solid as a rock it is!"
Jesse nodded along, appearing to really like the information Benji was sharing. The two went back into comfortable silence. Benji took another pull, and looked over to Beca's direction. She seemed to now be in another world entirely. She would look up to where a man was holding who he assumed to be his daughter or granddaughter. He had her up on the railing beside Beca, pointing down at the water and talking softly to her–with curiosity and wonder. She giggled every now and then, her dark curly hair and ribbons blowing from the wind coming off of the sea. It was an endearing image. But then Beca would drop her gaze quickly to her leather-bound notebook. Benji peered over a bit further and saw that she was drawing the pair quickly in her sketchbook, he now assumed. She faded in with charcoal covering her finger tips. She then brushed away a bit of stray hair falling loose from her ponytail. She left a mark of darkness on her forehead, but the lads didn't bother to mention it. She was in a zone.
From what Benji could see, it was very impressive. It was a spitting image. He watched as she focused on the older hand leading the younger hand. She bit her lip and looked back at the pair.
"Wow, do you make any money with your drawings?" Benji asked after a beat.
"That would be a no!" Jesse laughed, shoving Beca.
"Hey! Watch it! I almost gave this kid a 6th finger, man!" Beca whined.
"She doesn't charge, usually. She did for a while, what like 10 cents a piece?" Jesse was laughing.
"It's never been about that." Beca sighed. "And when I did charge at that pier, it wasn't fun anymore. Not everything is about money."
"I keep bugging her about it, Benji. She could be well off, not here on the poop deck. But who knows, maybe someone will see her work tonight and pay her vast sums of money!" Jesse winked.
Beca rolled her eyes and looked to the side again as the pair walked off in their own world.
"Great, thanks jackass." Beca closed her sketchbook loudly.
"As I try to break the tension here fellas, what is happening tonight?" Benji laughed lightly.
"Well Beca here as a hot date!"
"Dude!" Beca glared. "It's not a date–her fiance is literally the one who invited me." Beca explained.
"Her?" Benji asked with a raised eyebrow.
"That's what I said." She quipped. Benji put his hands up in mock defense.
"What am I missing here, though?" He asked.
"Well, last night Beca saved a, what did you call her, an angel from falling?" Jesse batted his eyelashes.
"I'm going to cut off your junk and toss it to the sharks, Swanson. You think I'm kidding." She said through gritted teeth, and rosy cheeks.
"You saved a damsel? That's neat." Benji said sheepishly.
"It was no big deal. I won't spread her business either but. Yeah, I helped her out. Then her fiance wanted to kill me before she told him not to…he invited me to join them for dinner tonight."
"Vast sums of–wait. Are they first class? Oh boyle…" Benji shook his head. "That sounds awful."
Beca shrugged. "It will be a thing and then it won't be. If anything I can weasel some of their expensive food and shit and bring you guys some–if you're done being a moron." She glanced at Jesse. He stuck his tongue out at her.
"An angel huh? Wow, I'd like to see her." Benji smiled.
"-Me too man. Beca was and IS still pretty blissed out, whether she chooses to accept that or not." Jesse replied.
Both boys laughed and looked at Beca–only Beca was checked out once again. Her book was closed in her lap, however she was staring dead on, up above to the high deck. Wind blew wisps of her brown hair across her face, but it couldn't bother her at all at this moment. Benji and Jesse laughed again, both taking a hand and waving it in front of her face. Nothing was getting her attention back. The two looked confused at each other with a shrug each. They turned around to see where her vision was going.
Fiery red hair popped in contrast from the clear blue morning sky. It was curled in an updo. The woman, fully dressed in a gown and makeup, was looking out around the lower deck. From the deep emerald green, now to a light yellow with white lace, Beca was breathless at her once again. The boys, having not seen this woman yet, turned and laughed, rolling their eyes.
"Beca is always ogling after some broad." Jesse joked.
"Wow, well, you'd rather have angels fly out of your arse than get next to the likes of her. Forget about it, Beca."
Beca continued to stare up at her, studying Chloe's expression. She seemed sad, again. But she also seemed to be searching the crowd. It wasn't much longer until their eyes met. They locked in. Chloe paused, looking at Beca for a moment. The boys dropped their mouths and gawked. They stared at the two women staring at each other. No one moved. Finally, Chloe was the first to take charge. She waved at Beca–no she was waving her over.
Beca's mouth went dry. Her stomach dipped. It was first thing in the morning–did they mean breakfast? She wasn't ready. She had the same clothes on from last night. Her hair was tied up as a means to keep it less crazy from sleep.
Chloe knit her eyebrows together as all three were staring with…frightened? Looks on their faces. She would then take a mental picture of this. It was adorable. She sighed and waved over again.
Beca wasn't even aware she was doing this, as she raised one had and pointed to herself questioningly.
"Miss Mitchell! May I please have a word?" Chloe shouted, rolling her eyes.
And then. Oh then. It happened. She didn't know it was happening. The boys widened their eyes as it did. This was the end of her life. She. Beca Mitchell. Shot Chloe Beale…finger guns.
