After spending hours on a plane to Orlando, Florida, the senior class of JFK High had finally arrived at the docks where they were to board the new Carnival Cruise Ship Titania. It was the biggest ship that the line had ever built and had all that was expected of a Carnival ship, from an open air movie theater, to a pool with a slide, clubs, and plenty of restaurants. It was going to be a fun time for the senior class.
Jack gripped Rose's hand as he helped her out of the car. He had to laugh as her green eyes took in the large white ship.
"It doesn't look any bigger than a Royal Cruise Line ship," She critiqued.
"It's at least ten times more fun than a Royal Cruise though," Jack snorted, amused. "You are far too difficult to impress, Rose."
"Well I am a first class girl," She winked, kissing his cheek before checking for her bags. "Trudy, did we get everything?"
"I do believe, so," her friend nervously nodded, her eyes moving over the crowd, as if she was expecting someone.
"Looking for someone, Trudy?" Jack asked.
Trudy nervously smiled and nodded, not knowing how to tell Rose the news. She didn't think she'd care, but still, they used to be an item. "I...um...I invited Matthew. We've been talking for the past month and we've gotten close and I thought it'd be fun...but then I remembered...and I didn't know how to tell you…," she trailed off and took a deep breath, giving Rose a pleading look. "Are you angry?"
Rose blinked in shock. She hadn't been expecting her former boyfriend to join them on this trip, but she didn't see why she should care if he joined Trudy. She had no hold on him. He could see whoever he wanted. Even her closest friend. "Oh Trudy, why should I care? I'm not angry. In fact, I'm glad that the to of you are getting along and that he's obviously over me."
"Thank god," Trudy sighed in relief, just as Matthew arrived with his arms full of luggage.
"Sorry I'm late. Bloody airport security," Matthew chuckled, kissing Trudy's cheek.
Tommy and Annabelle were next to show up, hand in hand. "So this is the ship that Helga booked? Nice," Tommy nodded his approval. "Too bad it's not an Irish ship, though. It'd be as solid as a rock, big Irish hands..."
Annabelle just rolled her eyes. "The ship is fine, even if it wasn't made by Irish hands. Or Italian for that matter. Oh my god, Matthew Calvert?" she recognized the dark hair boy standing with Trudy. "I haven't seen you in ages. In fact, you and Rose used to be a pair, right?"
Matthew just laughed. "Right. But we both have moved on."
"Ok, so my woman knows you, but I don't. Who are you?" Tommy asked, wrapping an arm around Annabelle's shoulder, who just blushed at being called Tommy's woman.
"This is Matthew Calvert. Matthew, this is Tommy, Annabelle's boyfriend and one of Jack's friends and this is my boyfriend Jack. You're finally meeting him..."
"Finally?" Jack asked.
Rose blushed and shrugged. "I kind of talked his head off about you."
It was Jack's turn to blush and laughed as he shook Matthew's hand. "Nice to meet you. Thanks for being there for Rose. I hope she didn't say too many mean things about me."
"Hey," Rose frowned and then shrugged. "It wasn't all mean."
Matthew just laughed. "It was obvious that she's crazy about you so I figure that you can' be that bad of a guy."
"Why is everyone just standing here and not boarding the ship?" Helga demanded as she and Fabrizio arrive, followed by Derrick and a sullen Julie.
Julie and Jack still weren't talking. She wouldn't have even come on this trip if it hadn't been for Derrick wanting to come, mainly to keep an eye on his sister. Not that he didn't trust Tommy, he just wanted to be around in case he was needed.
"We were admiring the ship," Tommy laughed. "It's a right ugly thing if you ask me."
"Well no one did. I think it's wonderful," Helga happily smiled. "Anyway, everyone has their room numbers right? Julie and I are bunking together while Annabelle, Rose, and Trudy are sharing a stateroom. Jack and Fabrizio are sharing a room while Tommy, Derrick, and Trudy's date share. Here's the assignments and numbers."
Everyone examined the slips of paper that Helga handed out.
Jack frowned, feeling a little disappointed. "Too bad we can't share with the girl we're with."
"Yeah," Fabrizio nodded also disappointed. "We are seniors. We can control ourselves."
"Poor baby," Helga giggled, kissing Fabrizio's cheek. "Sorry, guys. It was the only way to get the school to agree to a chaperoneless cruise."
"Enough dilly dallying out here. Let's board and get settled before the ship leaves without us," Tommy took Annabelle's hand and led her up the ramp that lead into the ship.
Rose again looked at the ship and shivered. For some reason she just didn't like the look of it.
"What's wrong?"Jack frowned, noticing Rose's distress.
Rose shrugged. She couldn't really explain her reluctance to board the ship. She had been looking forward to this cruise with Jack ever since they had signed up for it. Of course, she was disappointed that they wouldn't be sharing a room, but that didn't explain her reluctance to board. "I just felt like a goose walked over my grave or something."
Jack chuckled and shook his head. "You'll be fine. I promise. We're in this together. You jump, I jump." He didn't know what was bothering her, but he was sure it was nothing. "Come on. Let's go get settled in and then we can explore the ship."
"That sounds good," Rose smiled, pushing her sudden case of nerves out of her mind as she followed him on board.
…..
After depositing their bags in their respective rooms, Jack and Rose met on deck eager to get underway and do some exploring of the ship.
"Our room is awesome," Jack grinned, spotting Rose coming to meet him.
"Ours is not bad itself. Would have been better if it was just one room with a king size bed for the two of us," Rose pouted, still disappointed that the wouldn't be sleeping together.
Jack laughed and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. "Let's not think about that disappointment anymore. There will be plenty of times for us to be together on this trip. Cruises aren't known to be incredibly romantic for nothing..."
Their eyes met and their lips curved into a smile as they leaned in closer and closer, but the moment was ruined when someone shouted a "goodbye!"
Curious, Jack moved his face to look over Rose's shoulder and saw people leaning against the rail, waving goodbye to the people on the dock. "Oh cool! Come on!" Jack laughed, running over to the railing and beginning to wave as well.
"Goodbyeeee! I'll miss you! Goodbye!" He shouted, waving.
Rose laughed, confused. She had thought that they had said all of their goodbyes at the airport in California. "Do you know someone down there, Jack?"
"Of course not! That's not the point!" Jack grinned at her before turning back to the crowd below and continuing to wave.
Rose wondered what the point was if you didn't know anyone? It wasn't like anyone was paying attention. Sighing, she decided to join Jack. Why not? She stood next to him and waved, shouting a "good-bye" and a "I will never forget you!"
They stood there waving and shouting good-bye as the ship began to pull away from the dock, beginning the journey to the Bahamas. Rose almost didn't feel his hand wrap around hers as he stepped away from the railing.
"Mind sharing what the point of that was?" Rose asked, fully amused.
"I don't really know. It's a tradition," Jack shrugged, laughing when he received a light punch from his girlfriend. "Ow, what's that for?"
"Making me wave good-bye to strangers."
"Ah it was fun!" Jack laughed, wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her close. "And just think, you probably made some awkward fella's week. "
"So where to now?" Rose yawned, beginning to feel a little tired, not to mention hungry. "I think I'd like to try one of the smaller cafes. What do you think?"
"Hmm...good idea. I am hungry and we have at least three more hours until dinner. A snack won't hurt," Jack chuckled. "Come on. One of those cafes have to be around here somewhere…
…
They had found a small ice cream cafe and had shared a large sundae. Jack had fun feeding Rose from his spoon and Rose just enjoyed being with Jack. She found that she could just spend her life looking at him and die completely happy. Now that their hunger was sated for the time being, they returned to exploring the ship.
Rose looked out at the ocean, admiring how the rays of the sun played against the water. "It's so beautiful."
"You know, we should forget our plans about New York. We should get a yacht and live out at sea."
Rose laughed. She loved the thought, but she didn't think they would last for long. There was a difference between a pleasure cruise and actually living their lives out at sea. But then again, as long as she had Jack to wake up to, his body to wrap herself around, she'd be just fine.
"I'm looking forward to New York to be honest," Rose sighed, stepping up to the rail and looking out at the horizon as Jack stood next to her. "A place of our own. No more having to say goodbye at night. Being able to wake up next to you every single day..."
Jack smiled, running his hand down her red curls. "I like the thought of that too. We still have to visit it though. I have an interview at the academy the week after next. Do you think you can convince your mother to let you come with me?"
"She doesn't tell me what to do hardly. She tries, but I'm eighteen now. A legal adult, so she really can't say anything. God, so much is coming up so fast. We're on our senior trip...now we have New York to look forward to...and then prom...then graduation...oh my god...how are we going to get so much done in so little time?"
Jack laughed. "Oh and don't forget about senior skip day, senior day at Disneyland, and..."
"Jack stop!"
He laughed and pulled her into his arms. "Overwhelmed?"
"Totally."
"We'll get through all the fun like we've gotten through everything else. Together. I'm going to make last months of high school unforgettable for you Rose, and I mean that in a good way. You deserve it after all that's happened to you."
"Rose sighed, resting her head against his chest. "I wouldn't have gotten through it without you, Jack. I love you so much."
"I love you too, Rose. There's going to be only good things for now on. I promise."
"You shouldn't do that. Make promises you can't keep," Rose sighed, remembering the curse that she still wasn't quite sure that didn't exist.
"oh I'm going to be able to keep this one. No bad thing is allowed within a hundred feet of you."
Rose just laughed and shook her head. "You are insane Jack Dawson."
"Isn't that why you like me so much?"
Rose just giggled. "I suppose."
"The future is wide open for us both, Rose. All you have to do is spread your wings and fly into it."
Rose arched a brow. "Really?"
Jack nodded, a wide grin on his face. He had an idea. He didn't know if he would be able to pull it off, but he was going to try. "Follow me. Come on."
Rose blinked in surprise as Jack began pulling her along the deck. What in the world was he doing? Where were they going? This was absurd, yet she couldn't protest. She just wordlessly followed, trusting that he knew what he was doing.
It was a long walk, but finally they found themselves where Jack wanted them to be. At the bow of the ship. Rose looked around, having a feeling that they weren't supposed to be in this section of the ship, but there was no officers around to say anything, so she just trusted Jack.
"Jack, why are we here?" She nervously asked.
"You trust me, right?" was his simple question.
Rose just smile and rolled her eyes a little. "Of course I do. More than anyone. You know that."
"Alright. Just trust me now and close your eyes."
Rose did so and giggled, when he turned her around to face the ocean and she felt him standing next to her.
"Alright. Step upon to the rail. Don't worry, I got ya," Jack instructed, his voice free of worry.
Rose wondered what this was about. Was it even safe? But as she asked herself that, she grasped the rail with both hands and stepped up onto the lower rail. She nearly giggled as she felt Jack step up behind her, his body making her feel more secure.
"Keep your eyes closed…"
Rose kept her eyes tightly shut as she felt him take her hands in his and lift them off the rail an out to her side as if they were playing the childish game of airplanes. She frowned as she felt his hands leave hers, but her smile returned when she felt his hands on her hips.
"Alright, now open your eyes..."
Rose did just that and gasped in delight. Looking out over the horizon, standing on the bow of a moving ship, her arms outstretched and the wind blowing back her hair, she felt that she was flying.
"Jack, I'm flying," She was amazed. How did he know about this? She shouldn't question it. The fact was that he did and he had shared the experience with her.
She giggled as he placed his hands over hers, his fingers slipping through her own, as if they were dancing...or making love.
"Come Josephine in my flying machine, and it's up she goes...up she goes…," Jack sang into her ears, also overcome with the feeling of flying with Rose. Together, they were flying into the horizon, into the future and together was what they always will be.
Jack lowered her arms down before wrapping his arms around her waist. She gripped his arms and looked back at him and saw nothing but pure love. Their lips met in a heated kiss. She placed a hand behind his head, deepening the kiss.
"What is this? What are you two kids doing? Get down from there!" An authoritative voice demanded.
The teens pulled out of the kiss to see an astonished crew member staring at them. "You two aren't supposed to be here and that there is dangerous! Get out of here!"
"Yes sir," Jack hoped down and lifted Rose off of the railing. "I was just showing the lady the horizon."
"Well she's seen it. Now I suggest that you two get out of here. Dinner will be in thirty minutes," The crew member growled. He watched as the teens walked and in hand away from the bow and shook his head. It seemed like every year, there was someone wanting to check out the bow.