A Life as a Pirate

The next morning I woke early and got dressed in my new attire. I skipped out of my room and saw Jack walking down the hallway with an apple in his hand. I snatched the apple away from him and continued on my way.
“Oi!” he shouted after me. I turned around and looked at him, cocking my head to the side. “Give me, me apple back.” I smiled and took a big bite out of it. He raised an eyebrow, “I still want me apple, love.”
I narrowed my eyes taking another bite, and then turning around and walking up onto the deck just as the sun was starting to rise. I sat on the railing and watched as the sun lifted up from the endless sea casting beautiful colours with it.
“Me apple,” Jack said from behind me.
I jumped, slipping off the railing. I quickly grabbed a hold of the lower part of the railing before falling down into the water. I knew horror was etched on my face, I couldn’t swim.
“Jack, help me up,” I pleaded up at him.
With a smirk on his face he lifted his hand and inspected his nails, “You dropped me apple. I don’t believe you deserve savin’ there, darlin’.”
“Jack, please. Just get me back up. I’ll get you another bloody apple just help me up!”
Jack’s eyebrows knitted together but he leaned over the railing and pulled me back up by the armpits. I closed my eyes and counted to three before I opened them again. Jack stood there, smirking at me.
“What,” I snapped.
“Ye afraid of the water, love?” he chuckled.
I shoved passed him and walked back down onto the lower deck to find Will. I found him exiting a room and I just about ran right into him.
“Good morning, Jez,” he smiled at me. But then he looked at my outfit, “You look like a pirate.”
“Where’s the Galley?” I questioned him.
“Um, down there I do believe.” He said pointing down the hall.
I quickly walked down to the Galley and grabbed an apple off the table. I walked back up to the deck and saw Jack talking with the man from last night, whose name was Gibbs. I chucked the apple over to Jack and hit him in the back of the head.
“There’s your bloody apple!” I shouted at him.
Jack turned around with his hand rubbing the back of his head, “Was that necessary, love?”
“My name’s Jezabell, Captain. And yes, for the record it was necessary.” I growled.
“William, control your sister if you would please.” Jack said waving at him to walk to me. “We are going to meet the new crew. Come, come let’s go!”
“Feast your eyes, Captain,” Gibbs spoke once we had reached the docks where there were a small amount of men lined up. “All of them faithful hands before the mast. Every man worth his salt. And crazy to boot.”
“So this is your able-bodied crew?” questioned Will.
Jack walked over to the man with a parrot on his shoulder, “You, sailor!”
“Cotton, sir,” said Gibbs.
“Mr. Cotton, do you have the courage to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and certain death?” The man said nothing. “Mr. Cotton! Answer, man!”
“He’s a mute,” Gibbs spoke up, “Poor devil had his tongue cut out. He trained the parrot to talk for him. No one’s yet figured how.”
“Mr. Cotton’s parrot. Same question.”
The bird squawked, “Wind in the sails! Wind in the sails!”
“Mostly we figure that means ‘yes’.”
“Of course it does.” He turned to Will. “Satisfied?”
“Well, you’ve proved they’re mad,” he snapped at Jack.
A woman shouted from down the line, “And what’s the benefit for us?”
Jack walked down the line and pulled a floppy hat off a tanned woman’s head. Her black hair fell from under the hat and was loose under her bandana.
“Anamaria,” smiled Jack.
She slapped him. Hard.
“I suppose you didn’t deserve that,” I smiled.
“No, that one I deserved,” he whispered.
Anamaria nodded, “You stole my boat!”
“Actually-“ Jack began but she slapped him again. “Borrowed. Borrowed without permission. But with every intention of bringing it back.”
“But you didn’t!”
“You’ll get another one,” Jack improvised.
She pointed a finger in his face, “I will.”
“A better one,” Will said leaning over Jack’s shoulder.
“A better one!” Jack smiled at her.
I leaned around Jack and pointed at the Interceptor, “That one.”
“What one?” Jack said looking at me. I nodded to the Interceptor. “That one?” he growled at me. I nodded. “Aye, that one,” he said pointing to the Interceptor. “What say you?”
“Aye!” they all shouted.
“No, no, no, its frightful back luck to bring a woman aboard, sir.” Gibbs leaned around Jack, “And two is just askin’ for Davey Jones himself to come and take ye away.”
Jack leaned over to Gibbs, “It’ll be far worse not to have them.”
I smiled and went to help the others load our supplies up onto the ship. I knelt down to pick up a small box I felt someone push me over and I fell into the deep sea water. I resurfaced for a moment to hear Jack’s laughter.
“Will!” I screeched before slipping back under the water.
I floundered, waving my arms around me. I sunk deeper into the water. I was losing my breath fast. I had to take a breath and I felt water start to fill my lungs. I felt the sand beneath me and something warm touch my hand before I fell unconscious.
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“Come on, love. Breath,” I heard a voice grunt as I started to cough up water. The water stung my throat. I groaned and opened my eyes to see Jack kneeling over me with relief etched over his wet face. “Ye didn’t tell me you couldn’t swim, love,” he said moving a piece of hair away from my face.
“Where’s Will,” I coughed.
Jack looked up to the Interceptor, “On the ship, love. He didn’t hear or see you fall in.”
I shoved him away. “I didn’t fall,” I growled, “You pushed me.”
“I didn’t know you couldn’t swim, love,” he frowned at me as I stood up.
“Well clearly if I’m afraid of the water, that means I can’t swim now doesn’t it, Captain Bastard,” I snapped as I walked away towards the edge of the dock waiting for Will to return to get more supplies.
Jack came and sat down next to me. “Jezabell,” he whispered. “I am sorry. I did not think…”
I cut him off, “Yeah, you got that right.”
He frowned even more, “Please, forgive me, love.”
“I don’t know, Jack, you are a pirate after all,” I smirked slightly.
He laughed, “That’d be a yes.”
I smiled and looked out to the returning life boats. I stood up and began handing boxes to those in the boats.
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The storm was bad. Real bad. I stood up by the wheel with Jack watching as the others struggled to maintain the sails. Water from the sea would slip onto the deck and knock down any of those in its way. Will had ordered me to stay up by Jack earlier, so I would get swept away with the sea. I held onto the railing with all my strength with goose bumps and chattering teeth from the cold.
“We should drop canvas, sir,” Gibbs shouted over the rain.
“She can hold a bit longer,” Jack shouted back.
“What’s in your head that’s put you in such a fine mood?”
“We’re catching up,” he smiled.
Gibbs nodded running back to help the others. I, unsteadily, walked over to Jack. “Catching up to what?”
He smiled at me, “The Black Pearl, love.”
The ship jerked wildly and I stumbled running into Jack. Jack stumbled for a moment but then wrapped his arm around my waist trapping me between him and the wheel.
“Careful there,” he smiled. “We don’t want you washin’ out to sea now do we?”
I glared at him for a moment and then looked at the wheel. “Can I,” I asked gesturing to the wheel. Jack raised an eyebrow but nodded. I smiled and placed my hands on the wheel, “Where to, Captain!” I shouted over the rain.
Jack smiled but then looked down at the compass. He tapped it a few times, frowning. He placed his hand on my back as the ship rocked. He smiled again, “That direction!” He nodded just slightly to the east of us. I started to turn the wheel but he placed his hand on mine, “This is good.” I frowned and Jack chuckled, “We don’t want ya to turn us around now do we?”
I looked up at Jack who was smiling. I smirked and grabbed his hat and placed it on my head. “I’m captain now!” I laughed.
Jack smiled stepping behind me and the leaning his face down to my ear, “Is that right?”
I nodded smiling, “Le’ me see that compass again.” Jack held out the compass it was still pointing in the way we were headed. I took the compass and it started to spin. “What’s it doing?” Jack snatched it out of my hand and tapped it a few times and it went back to normal. “That was strange,” I murmured.
“Ye done playin’ captain yet, love?” Jack chuckled in my ear.
I shook my head, “I’m startin’ to like this hat.” Jack shook his head and took his hat back, “Oi!” I shouted trying to get it back. “I’m not done yet!”
“We’ll get ye your own hat, love. This is one’s mine.”
“Fine,” I pouted taking the wheel again. Jack laughed and helped me sail through the storm and tried to keep me out of the wind.