Chapter Two - Kyle
I looked out the window watching as we moved smoothly through the waves the ship hardly swaying at all. The surface of the water gleamed in the morning sun the reflections glittering of the water like it had been incrusted with thousands of diamonds twinkling as the waves rippled slowly.
"Excuse me but are you supposed to be on this deck?" a voice inquired, I looked up and saw a man dressed in a rather expensive looking suit. He held a thin glass of water sipping at it, his lips pulled into a superior smug smile. The man stared into my eyes with a subtle hint of annoyance, he raised an eyebrow.
"Um I don't know, I mean I'm not sure" I said nervously as he glared down at me. He clicked his fingers still keeping eye contact with me as he talked to the servant. He looked up at me, the servant reached towards me, I leaned away narrowing my eyes at the man.
"I can sit where I want you can't just kick me out" I said
"Believe me I can because you're not first class... by the look of it" he remarked looking me up and down in disgust.
"At least I haven't got the manners of pig" I spat as the servant moved closer to me. The man looked at me in shock his jaw clenched as he strided forwards. He slapped me hard on the cheek leaving my skin burning painfully.
"You need to watch your manners young lady and please dress more like one this is ridiculous you look like some ugly clown" he growled in my ear "now hurry along and go back to the bottom deck where filth like you belong. Where is your mother girl?"
"She isn't here, she's dead..." I whispered trailing off, it was true my mum had died of cancer, I only had my dad. Tears began to fill my eyes escaping the edges dribbling down my face. I bit my lip in desperation to stop myself from crying.
"What a shame" he said bitterly grabbing my chin "I bet she hated you with your ill manners death was probably a relief to her" I slapped his face in anger.
"Don't talk about my mother she did nothing wrong, like you would understand" I screamed at him as the servant pulled me away. I squirmed in his grasp trying to run at the man. Servants restrained him too; the tension became less present as I was pulled away by firm hands out of sight. The servant practically dragged me through the maze of corridors and down three staircases as I became less resistant to his tugs.
He left me in a pile at the base of a staircase my thoughts lay in tatters around me on the floor and he could see it in my face, I was distraught.
"I'm sorry miss, just stay out of his way and you won't have any trouble. You will be in New York soon enough" he said politely before dashing off up the stairs. How I wish I could tell him we wouldn't get there and people were going to die and maybe that horrible man might be trapped in the ship when it went under.
I gathered my thoughts which had been scrambled by the anger leaving me shaking unable to stop. I rested my head against the wall wiping the tears away and steadying my breathing till it was calm like the waves outside the walls of the ship, a constant rhythm.
I got up slowly and trudged up a flight of stairs and began to walk (unknowingly at the time towards something that would change everything) down the long corridor. I passed an old couple and a mother and daughter; it must have been second class taking into account the way they dressed. They weren't wearing expensive clothing but they weren't wearing poor clothing either, it was somewhere in between.
I made myself walk faster not knowing where I was walking to, suddenly I bumped into a young man.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean too..." I said automatically but trailed off as I saw his face. It was him the boy in the picture. Kyle.
"No I'm sorry I walked into you" he said looking at me smiling nervously like I was. "I'm Kyle Parton"
"I know you are" I said stupidly he squinted at me "I mean you look like a Kyle if you know what I mean" I blushed embarrassed "I'm Alice, Alice Jacobs"
"Nice to meet you Alice" he grinned his green eyes full of adoration as he looked at me. All I could do was smile back; we both looked as silly as each other smiling.
"Are you alright you look upset?" Kyle asked
"I'm fine I'm just lost" I told him he laughed
"Well it is quite a big ship so I'm not surprised" he ran his fingers through his dark blonde hair, "I can show you round if you want, look just wait here five minutes I need to get a coat" I glanced at the coat her was wearing
"You're already wearing one" I said confused, he began to walk off
"It's not for me it's for you it's not as warm as it looks out there, and well your clothes are... will attract unwanted attention" he laughed jogging off. All I could do was wait for his return. I certainly couldn't walk round like this all day I'd have to find some clothes from this era so I would blend in.
I stood awkwardly thinking myself thankful that I wasn't travel sick that would be a disaster. I heard angry voices rising louder and louder drifting closer and closer to me. It sounded very familiar. I dashed across the room and hid behind a chair hoping I wouldn't be spotted by it. That's right he wouldn't be classed as a man just it.
Its voice became very loud and ranted about disrespect blah blah blah. It then stormed off into another room, I sighed in relief.
"Alice" I jumped as a hand was placed on my shoulder gently. I watched as Kyle removed his hand as if he had done something wrong.
"Sorry" he apologized
"No its fine" I told him my fingertips brushing across his hand. He handed me the coat and we linked arms as he showed me around the ship. Soon enough he had covered the inside of the ship and took me outside the wind cold and harsh on my face. I wrapped the coat tightly around myself grateful for the warmth it gave me. We wandered around the deck the sun rising higher in the sky casting a warm orange glow into the sky like a flame burning brightly.
"What's the date Kyle?" I asked suddenly thinking of how long I had left
"eleventh of April" he said, I was relieved I had three days left before the ship sank. It occurred to me then that I had nowhere to sleep or stay.
"Is there any spare rooms at all?" I asked
"No there all full why?" he replied as we got to the bow of the ship the water below slicing away white froth churning up as the boat ploughed through the water.
"Well" I thought very quickly of an excuse "my dad and I we had an argument and he said he didn't want to see me until we get to New York." I lied so smoothly I believed the lie myself.
Kyle's face lit up as an idea must of sprung to his mind "You can stay in my room if you want?" he asked excitedly,
"Yes if that's alright. Thank you Kyle" I replied grinning. We continued around the deck telling eachother things about ourselves. Kyle had two younger cousins who were on the ship; I guessed they had been the ones in the photo. I don't know why I was accepting all this from a stranger but he was the nicest person I had met on the Titanic so far.
The next few hours went fine until lunch when Kyle and I were eating. It arrived searching the restaurant that monster that was called a man.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Kyle growled in astonishment
"You know him" I said sinking lower into my chair
"Yes its Tom Clifford the rich snob from top deck, he hates anyone who isn't in his class he thinks he owns us all. Plus the fact he is my brother" Kyle's face hardened his jaw was clenched and his eyes glared ferociously at Clifford. Kyle looked at me and all the anger left his face in an instant and he placed a hand on my arm.
"Alice he won't hurt you I promise" Kyle said, I turned to look into his green eyes which were like a calming forest in the spring, so I told him what had happened earlier. Not long after I had finished telling Kyle, Mr. Clifford waltzed up to our table pulling himself a chair as if he were a friend.
"Ahh Parton what a surprise to meet you and your friend here. Always knew you would end up with a troublesome one" he said insultingly. Tom was hinting the fact that he thought we were together.
"She is just a friend Tom you have many friends just no female ones yet" Kyle said calmly, Toms mouth twitched at the edges forcing into a smile.
"Well your friend here has no manners do you mind teaching her some" Tom said turning to me "As she slapped me this morning and that is unacceptable" Kyle looked as if he might burst out laughing right in front of him, I smiled holding back my own laughter.
"I don't control people brother; she can do whatever she wants when she is with me." Kyle told him.
"Well that one won't stay with you long it will find another man better than you. You can get a better girl than that, of as higher class-"
"No I'm fine Tom and her name is Alice not it" Kyle butted in standing up level with his brother, "and if you don't mind we need to go somewhere" Kyle gestured for me to go. As he left to follow me Tom grabbed his shirt,
"If you date that-Alice ... well you had better watch your back" Tom hissed before shoving his brother away and striding out of the room with two of his rich friends. Kyle broke out in a fit of laughter a wide grin spreading across his face. I joined in laughing too as we left the room, Kyle grabbed my hand and pulled me through corridors.
"Did you see his face" I said grinning Kyle nodded and showed me his room as we arrived outside it. Opening the door he said "he won't be bothering us again". He showed me into his room; it was a reasonable size with a bed and sofa, also a porthole giving us the view of the dark waters outside.
"There's only one bed Kyle" I questioned confused
"I'll sleep on the floor... don't worry" he chuckled
"No I didn't mean it like that" I said embarrassed "Um Kyle do you know where I can get any normal looking clothes"
"Nope but I'll find you some" he said. He went away for a while and came back with a pile of dresses in his arms. Choosing a simple cream dress I slipped it on and then showed Kyle.
"Do I look more normal now?" I asked he nodded
"Look I need to sleep for a while so feel free to have a look around there's a swimming pool upstairs , just say you're a passenger with Mr. Parton they will let you through" he told me. That's what I did I virtually skipped up the stairs my dress floating placidly like a cloud around me. I arrived at a set of wooden doors where a servant sat, as I approached he opened the doors waving me in, the smell of chlorine filled my nose.
I was handed a spare bathing suit which I changed into putting my dress in a locker, I tied my hair up in a loose knot on top of my head before sinking into the cool water. I swam some lengths pushing easily through the water clearing my head of my worries. I spent quite a long time at the pool and when I left the sun had gone down, I was heading to the restaurant when I saw Kyle who was sitting down already in a black suit sipping at a drink another glass set in front of the other seat.
I had never felt an atmosphere like the one on the second class deck; it was vibrant and full of wild amazing life and music. The sounds blaring through the deck everyone in groups dancing not caring what people would think as everyone was a mad as eachother. Me and Kyle danced spinning round and round everything like a blur just like the music. I was drunk and I knew it but I couldn't just leave the party, because I couldn't walk straight that's how drunk I was.
I told Kyle he could stay and he said he needed to sort out something with his brother. So a kind elderly lady escorted me back to the bedroom where I collapsed on the bed giggling to myself. I must of fell asleep as later I was woke up by Kyle.
"You alright you drunk quite alot down there" he chuckled quietly squatting down by the bed the top of his shirt unbuttoned slightly the tie hung over the chair.
"Yeah I guess I did but it was good" I mumbled my words properly a bit slurred, he just laughed before, laying a number of blankets on the floor. He undid the rest of the buttons on his shirt pulling it off revealing his tanned chest. He stretched out leaning backwards not far from me.
"You can't sleep on the floor" I told him
"Where else am I gunna sleep" he said continuing to stretch out before standing straight sighing in relief. I tugged at his hand,
"You can sleep in my bed" I said in a questioning tone
"Just sleep right" he asked warily I nodded, getting out of bed still wearing the cream dress, I let Kyle climb in and I got in after. He was leaning right against the wall and I fell to sleep a couple of inches away from him his heat radiating from him. I smiled to myself I think I had found someone who I cared about. Someone who I loved.
