A Raven and a Sparrow
A Raven and a Sparrow: Part 6, A New Friend
The next morning, Annabeth awoke tired and tearstained. Every bone in her body ached from tossing and turning all night. The morning bell sounded, and she groaned and wearily rolled out of bed. Her locket clanked as she hit the hard wooden floor, and she was suddenly struck with the memory of the previous night. She buried her head in her arms and sighed deeply. “Hey! Where’s the girl with our water?!” she heard one of the crew yell from out on deck. Getting up, she groaned again and filled the flasks. After hanging them around her neck, she peeked out the door to see a bald pirate with a beard looking around angrily. “Where is my water?!” he yelled again. Annabeth scrambled onto the deck to relieve him. Before she did so, she noticed a particularly small pirate gazing at her from the stern of the Pearl. Suddenly, he broke his gaze and scurried back to work, his one-braid beard swinging as he did so. Annabeth shrugged it off and began handing out the canteens. The angry pirate stomped over, and, grabbing his flask, shot her a nasty look. “Hurry up next time, will ya’?” he sneered, and stormed off. By this time, the whole crew was watching. Annabeth felt heat rise to her cheeks as the crew dispersed. The small pirate came over and said, “Don’t mind Pintel. He has anger issues,” he smiled shyly and continued, “I’m Marty.”
“I’m Annabeth Raven,” she responded quickly, overjoyed to have found a friend on the ship. Marty nodded politely and got back to work. Annabeth’s energy skyrocketed and she almost floated across the boat, passing out the flasks as she went. She suddenly plopped back down to earth when she saw…Jack. She ducked her head and continued to hand out the flasks until a finger lifted her head up, Jack’s finger. “You’re likely to bump into something like that, love.” Jack said, grinning. Annabeth blushed a deeper red than she thought possible and looked away. Jack stopped grinning, and when she gained the courage to look up, he stared directly into her eyes and asked, “Annabeth?” She looked back at him, and a single tear slid down her cheek. Jack gently wiped it away, and, noticing some of the crew beginning to stare, lead her to his cabin. He shut the door and she collapsed, weeping, into a chair. “What’s wrong? Will rum help?” Jack asked, grabbing a bottle of rum. She looked up at him, shook her head, and continued to cry. Jack waited patiently, until she had cried out her every tear. She gasped for air, and Jack coaxed, “Love, what’s wrong?” When Annabeth found her voice, she said all in one breath, “Last night…I-I almost kissed you…but it was an accident, honest, I-“ Jack lifted a finger to her lips, and she was silent. “Let’s just forget it happened, savvy?” he said softly, and Annabeth could swear she saw a twinge of sadness in his eye. She sighed, and then said, “Thank you, captain.”
He gave her a wry smile, and pushed on. “Feel better now?”
Annabeth almost nodded, but restrained and asked, “Who is Will?” Jack, pulling at one of his coin charms, said, “Well…ah…you know of the Flying Dutchman, aye?”
Annabeth nodded, but gave him an inquiring look. Now Jack had begun to fiddle with one of his rings. “Well, Will is the captain of the Flying Dutchman.”
Before Annabeth had time to protest that the Flying Dutchman wasn’t real, Mr. Gibbs yelled to Jack from out on deck. “Captain, it’s the Flying Dutchman!”
Jack grinned, and, excusing himself, yelled back, “Aye! Drop anchor!” A moment later, the sudden lurch of the ship caused Annabeth to fall forward into Jack’s arms. She didn’t look up at Jack, but stepped away and scurried up on deck.
“I’m Annabeth Raven,” she responded quickly, overjoyed to have found a friend on the ship. Marty nodded politely and got back to work. Annabeth’s energy skyrocketed and she almost floated across the boat, passing out the flasks as she went. She suddenly plopped back down to earth when she saw…Jack. She ducked her head and continued to hand out the flasks until a finger lifted her head up, Jack’s finger. “You’re likely to bump into something like that, love.” Jack said, grinning. Annabeth blushed a deeper red than she thought possible and looked away. Jack stopped grinning, and when she gained the courage to look up, he stared directly into her eyes and asked, “Annabeth?” She looked back at him, and a single tear slid down her cheek. Jack gently wiped it away, and, noticing some of the crew beginning to stare, lead her to his cabin. He shut the door and she collapsed, weeping, into a chair. “What’s wrong? Will rum help?” Jack asked, grabbing a bottle of rum. She looked up at him, shook her head, and continued to cry. Jack waited patiently, until she had cried out her every tear. She gasped for air, and Jack coaxed, “Love, what’s wrong?” When Annabeth found her voice, she said all in one breath, “Last night…I-I almost kissed you…but it was an accident, honest, I-“ Jack lifted a finger to her lips, and she was silent. “Let’s just forget it happened, savvy?” he said softly, and Annabeth could swear she saw a twinge of sadness in his eye. She sighed, and then said, “Thank you, captain.”
He gave her a wry smile, and pushed on. “Feel better now?”
Annabeth almost nodded, but restrained and asked, “Who is Will?” Jack, pulling at one of his coin charms, said, “Well…ah…you know of the Flying Dutchman, aye?”
Annabeth nodded, but gave him an inquiring look. Now Jack had begun to fiddle with one of his rings. “Well, Will is the captain of the Flying Dutchman.”
Before Annabeth had time to protest that the Flying Dutchman wasn’t real, Mr. Gibbs yelled to Jack from out on deck. “Captain, it’s the Flying Dutchman!”
Jack grinned, and, excusing himself, yelled back, “Aye! Drop anchor!” A moment later, the sudden lurch of the ship caused Annabeth to fall forward into Jack’s arms. She didn’t look up at Jack, but stepped away and scurried up on deck.