Chapter Forty-Eight

Excuses

I own nothing except Melissa, Kate, and any other OC's that I create.

Alright, some of you are probably wondering if there's still a plot line. Yes, there is. I swear! I have the rest of this pretty much planned out, so I'm sorry if it may be dragging a little bit!

I will not be updating the next few days for the Fourth of July because a) I'll be busy XD and b) I'm sure that others of you will, too. Withdrawl, sorry!!

After waking up that morning and getting ready, Kate left the house with Will. She left a note behind on the kitchen table for her sleeping parents that read she and Will went out. The two of them went in the car and drove to the park. They got out and walked to a large pond with a paved walkway. Ducks were swimming on the surface, and the morning sun seemed bright against the water. It was 8:00 the last time that she checked, and that was when she parked the car.

"Tell me what you're going to do with your future," Will said. "I was thinking about mine last night...I'm curious about what you want to do with your life."

Kate shrugged. "Um...I plan to model for as long as I can. It pays great, after all. You know those photo shoots I do every week?"

"Yes?" Will said.

"I get $3,000 for each one I do."

Will's eyes grew wide.

"I know," she said, noticing Will's expression. "It's a print advertisement, even though technically it's an online advertisement, and those pay a lot. I model for a store called Anthropologie. I'll show you it when we go to the mall together."

"The mall?" Will asked.

Kate wondered how he would react going to the mall and shopping with her. The thought of Melissa taking Jack to the mall nearly made her start laughing.

"It's a collection of stores in one building. I'll take you to one next weekend if you want."

"Alright." He paused. "What else do you wish to do?"

"I'm not sure. I graduated high school three weeks ago and have no real plans for the future except that. I guess wherever the wind takes me. What about you? What kept you up last night about your future?"

"Oh, nothing important, Katherine. Just things."

"What sort of things?"

"Things that you should not be questioning me about, darling."

Kate suppressed a sigh. It frustrated her that he wasn't opening up to her. He obviously hadn't forgiven her yet, which made her feel a little hurt, but yet she realized that he deserved to feel that way. She had cheated on Jack, after all.

She realized that a week ago today they went up to the cabin. A week ago she had cheated on Will. A week ago, she kissed Jack and nearly slept with her best friend's boyfriend. A week ago seemed like so long ago.

She stopped and took the thin, pink camera that she had around her wrist and turned it on. She saw several small black and yellow ducklings, along with their mother. She smiled and tried to take a picture, even though she was horrible at it. The ducks were off centered and a little blurry.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Trying to take a picture. Do you want to try?"

"Yes," he said.

"Alright, the screen here shows what you're going to capture in your picture. So whatever you want a picture of...that's what you'll get. And you hit this button," she put her finger on a silver button at the top, "when you want to take the picture. Alright?"

Will nodded. He took a few moments, then handed the camera back to Kate. "Is this right?"

The picture was actually really good for a first try. The subjects – the ducks – were centered, and it wasn't blurry...it looked like it could be a newspaper or magazine.

"This is really good," she said to Will.

"Beginner's luck," he replied.

The two of them continued walking in silence. Kate glanced at Will, who was looking straight ahead. "I still love you, Will."

"And I still care for you, too, Kate."

You still care for me? she thought. Then what was that kiss last night for? A kiss actually means something to a girl!

At the same time, Kate saw his point of view. He had been hurt badly by the woman he had given his heart to so quickly -- and she had crushed it. Of course it was going to take him a while to say that he loved her again. It was a miracle that they could talk without arguing, even.

That didn't change anything, though. Kate still loved Will.

And Will, she guessed, only cared for her.

"Time to go, Jack," Melissa said, drawing the shades of the downstairs living room the next morning. Bright sunlight streamed through the windows, blinding Jack. He covered his eyes with his hands and sat up.

"Where are we goin'?" Jack asked groggily. "It's Saturday at..." he looked at the digital clock on top of the television. "9:00."

"The liquor store," Melissa said. "Your job interview. It's at 10:30. Didn't I tell you?"

"If it's not 'till then, why are we gettin' up now?" Jack asked. "'N' no, ya didn't tell me 'bout a job interview."

"I could have sworn that I told you..."

"No, ya told me that I could get a job at th' liquor store, not that I would be goin' in t' apply fer one. Could meanin' there's a possibility of somethin' happenin', in this case me applying fer a job. Ya said I could. That is not what we discussed, love!"

"Well, I'm sorry if there was a misunderstanding, but –" Melissa picked up his modern day clothes – a white shirt and jeans – and tossed them to him, "– you're interviewing for a job today whether you like it or not. If you and I are going to be together still, you need to make some changes, like being responsible and working."

Melissa was not one to be assertive, Jack knew, so she had to be serious about this. Still, Jack didn't want to be getting up at 9:00 on a Saturday for a job interview.

Even if it was at a liquor store that would include discounted rum.

Jack got ready and after about an hour, he and Melissa left and drove to a store that had the words "G. Will Liquors" on it.

"G. Will Liquors?" Jack asked.

Melissa pulled into the nearly empty parking lot and parked the car near the front. "It doesn't mean Goodwill Liquors like I thought it did. It took me a few years to realize that it actually was pronounced 'gee wilickers!' You know...that old saying from the fifties?"

Jack gave her another puzzled look.

"It's okay, I'll explain it to you one day. Just remember to pronounce it 'gee wilickers,' okay?"

"'Ave ya been drinkin', love?" Jack asked.

"Um...no? I know that it's a weird saying and everything, but just remember it, okay?"

"Right."

"I'll we waiting right here, okay? Just come out when you're done."

Jack reached for the doorhandle.

"Jack?"

He turned to look at Melissa.

"Good luck."

Jack was now in a back room with a man named Billy, who told Jack that he was the manager. Billy had grey hair and smelled funny. Jack wasn't sure already if he wanted to work for Billy.

"So..." Billy said, referring to his papers, "Mr. Sparrow.."

Mr. Sparrow. It's Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow.

"You applied for a job here," Billy said.

"That I did!" Jack said.

"Why do you want this job?"

"Why do I want this job? Why do I want this job?" Jack chuckled and leaned forward, his hands clasped on top of the small table. "Let me be 'onest with ya, mate. I don't want this job. Melissa, the li'l bird that talked to ye 'bout this, made me. She said I needed to be responsible and get a job, otherwise there wouldn't be an us, ya get what I'm sayin'?"

"So you're doing this to keep your girlfriend?"

"I'm doin' this t' keep me bonny lass."

"Your girlfriend?"

"No."

"Your friend?"

"We're a li'l more than friends, if ya know what I mean."

"Friends with benefits?"

"Melissa's my bonny lass, my beloved, darling, lover, whatever ya want t' call it! Quit confusin' me!"

Billy frowned in confusion. "Alright, she's your girlfriend, why didn't you just say so?"

"Maybe ye should stay out o' ye're own business," Jack muttered to himself.

"Alright, Mr. Sparrow–"

"Jack, Billy," he interrupted.

"Right. So, Jack, tell me about your previous jobs."

Previous jobs? What could he say? Pirating? Like that was believable. What had he told William that Bootstrap was?

"A merchant sailor!" Jack clapped his hands together. "In th' Caribbean! Hence the tan 'n' dreadlocks."

"A merchant sailor?" Billy skeptically raised a thick, caterpillar-like grey eyebrow.

"Aye! I know everythin' there is 'bout a ship and...merchant sailing!"

"Then you're overqualified," Billy said to himself. "What hours are you available to work?"

"Uh..."

What time did Melissa go to work? Didn't she leave at 7:30 and get back at around 5:30?

"8:00-5:00," Jack finished. "Monday through Friday."

"And you can manage scanning people's purchases?"

"Sure!" he said, even though Jack had no idea what he was agreeing to do.

"Well...welcome aboard, Jack Sparrow." Billy stood up from the chair and shook Jack's hand. "You start Monday."

"Wonderful! But, uh...discounts...?"

"Right, ten percent off everything."

Jack smiled. "Good to be on board, mate."

Melissa was singing along to "Unwritten" on the radio when she saw Jack coming out of G. Will Liquors with a big smile on his face. Had Jack even been in the store for ten minutes? And he already got the job? He could work people over better than she thought.

"I won!" Jack said when he got into the car, shutting the door behind him. "I got the job."

"You won nothing," she said. "But that's great to hear you got the job! How did you tell the manager that you were right for the job?"

"I told him that I was merchant sailor."

Melissa laughed. "A merchant sailor? You were a pirate, though."

"Merchant sailor. Means a trader by ways o' th' ocean. Not an entire lie."

She smiled. "Pirate."

"Your point?"

After getting back from her walk with Will, she decided to throw herself a pity party. Unfortunately, no one attended her pity party of one. She had mainly sat outside on the deck and tried not to think of Will. What was that kiss last night? Was that a goodbye kiss? Was it a kiss that said they were on the mend? Why couldn't Will just be clear for once? Was it that hard to do?!

"Kate," Will said, opening the sliding glass door open.

She turned around, instantly her hopes up that they would get to talk, but instead he said, "May I borrow your laptop?"

Stupid hopes, she thought bitterly to herself.

"Go ahead," she said.

"Thank you. And would you happen to know where your father is?"

"I think he's downstairs. Why?"

"No reason," he said quickly, shutting the door behind him.

Kate's Blog Entry

Why can't he just tell me? Huh? WHY?!?! Either he wants to be with me or he doesn't. If he hates me that much, why doesn't he just break up with me? Alright, he doesn't hate me, I guess. But he doesn't love me right now, either, he said that for himself today at the park. He said that he "cares" about me.

XOXO,

Kate

Melissa's Blog Entry

So Jack got a job. I know! Hard to believe, isn't it? I'm proud of him, though.

Love,

Melissa Rose

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