Here's the... I know I promised 2 more chapters, but I think this one will be the last, before the epilogue :(
Once again, I luv you all, and thanks so much for all the support :D
~Bhavana
Chad's Point of View
Our on-studio tutor, Ms. Bitterman, had insisted we all go to the Titanic Exhibit at the L.A. California Science Center. (Author's Note: I actually went to my own state- Minnesota's Artifact Exhibition- that's how I got inspired to write this :D, but anyway, it was so cool! I suggest you ALL go :D)
Everyone else groaned, at the thought of another field trip, but Sonny smiled at me from the front of the classroom, and I grinned back at her, knowingly. Our Titanic Adventure was still our secret- even if we told someone they probably wouldn't believe us.
All of us- Bitterman, Cloudy, Rainy, Blondie, Zorro, Me and Sonny, Chastity, Devon, Skyler, Marta, and Portlyn, clamored into the limo, and drove off to the Museum.
We sat down, and I noticed Sonny shiver a bit- it was raining outside. I put an arm around her and pulled her close to me.
"Warm now?" I asked, receiving an annoyed glare from her, before she rested her head on my shoulder, and snuggled up to me, holding my hand. I laid my head on hers, and we just sat there, comfortable in each others' presence.
Sonny's Point of View
"Oh my gosh! We're going in now! I'm so excited!" It took all I had to resist jumping up and down, as we got closer to the doors of the exhibit. Chad playfully rolled his eyes at me, and put his arm around my waist, as if declaring I was his.
A guy came around, passing out fake boarding passes. Since we were celebrities, Ms. Bitterman, apparently, made special arrangements to have the exhibit closed off to all public, so we'd have it all to ourselves, and not have to deal with paparazzi.
He came to me and Chad, and stared at us in shock, looking at the boarding passes, then back at us. He grinned, and shuffled through the pile, handing us two boarding passes. "I think you two will be in for a surprise..." He chuckled, handing out the rest of the passes, randomly, to the others.
I looked at my pass and couldn't believe my eyes... Isabella Hartman? "Chad... don't tell me... you got..."
"Oliver Dean..." he trailed off, looking at me. The employee in front of the doors to the exhibit nudged us in, and we were surrounded by artifacts of the ship. A tour guide came over to us. "This is usually a self guided tour, but since you guys are a such a small group, I think it'd be best for you to get the full experience by me touring you around!" She said, perkily, and leading us off.
The first part of the tour, was a glimpse of who the passengers were. She stopped at a picture, and so did I. She informed us that there was a real love story on the ship, by two people named Isabella Hartman and Oliver Dean. She looked over at me and Chad closely, and examined the picture again. "My, My... you two... look... exactly like Isabella and Oliver..."
"Is this a 1900's authentic necklace? Rumor has it that Oliver gave Isabella one just like it..." The guide looked at us suspiciously, eyeing the locket Chad had given me on the ship.
"Wow... weird coincidence... right?" Chad chuckled nervously.
"Riight..." The guide raised an eyebrow, then led us to an old lady sitting in an armchair. "This is Mrs. Emilie Dayton... she's one of the last survivors of the Titanic, and believe it or not, she personally knew Isabella and Oliver... considering the money Condor Studios is paying for you to have this exhibit to yourselves, I thought it'd be nice for you guys to listen to the Love Story from the viewpoint of a witness," The guide squealed, then left.
"Emilie?" I gasped, looking at Chad. Chad also looked at Emilie, with the same dazed expression. I was SO sure it was Emilie James... the girl I had come to know and love on the Titanic Adventure. She glanced around the small crowd of us, then stopped when she looked at me and Chad... she smiled, as if she knew something... and began the story.
Chad grinned at me, and we all sat down like preschoolers at story time.
Chad started texting on his iphone while everyone else was listening intently. "Chad... you should be listening..."
"Why should we? We were there... Sonny... we're the love story," Chad smirked and pecked my cheek. I glanced up at Emilie, who was still watching us... and telling the story with such feeling, that I was practically re-living everything.
She finished telling the story, ending with Oliver and Isabella dying in each others arms in the ocean...
I looked around... all the girls... and Grady... were in tears from the story.
I felt tears welling up in my own eyes at the mention of the story. Chad shook his head, lightly laughing, and wrapped an arm around me, Kissing me on the forehead and holding me close.
The tour guide came back, pleased with the reactions that everyone was having from the story, and led them to the next destination. Emilie grabbed hold of my hand and pulled me into a hug.
"Nice to see you again, Bella... or should I say, Sonny," She grinned, warmly embracing me.
She shook Chad's hand, and widely smiled. "Psh, we're not Bella and Oliver," I said, my voice getting high.
She shook her head and giggled. "I may be old, but I'm not stupid," she smiled and pulled us back into another hug.
I looked at her, just smiling, as Chad pulled me into his arms. She was a hundred-something years old, but there was no doubt she was still the seventeen-year-old Emilie I knew and loved from the Titanic.
There you go! Chapter 17!
And no, you don't get to talk to a Titanic Survivor at the actual exhibit, in real life- sadly, there aren't any still living :(
But I thought it'd be cool to have Emilie come back :) Too cheesy? Too predictable?
You know what to do! Read and review!
One more chapter, and then the epilogue. Once again, I can't thank you guys- and Rebecca, enough :D
~Bhavana
