Titanic II - Jack & Rose

chapter five

Jack's POV:

I didn't actually think that Rose and I would ever talk again due to what happened yesterday. But here we are- walking around Titanic II together, talking about my past, how I live and things like that.

"And I had no brothers or sisters or close kin in that part of the country. So I lit on out of there and I haven't been back since... You could just call me a tumbleweed blowing in the wind" I finish, joking at the end. Luckily for me, I earned a chuckle from her and myself too. Her laugh cheered me up. It made my day brighter.

I have noticed that ever since we started this walk- she kept looking at me. Not just looking- but as if she was judging me in her head at the same time. In all honesty, I am worried about if she is judging me in an offensive way. Or it could be a sweet way...

"Well, Rose; we've walked about a mile around this boat deck, and chewed over how great the weather's been and how I grew up, but, I reckon that's not the reason you came to talk to me, is it?" I say, hoping that what she replies with is positive or negative.

She sighs and starts talking:

"Mr Dawson, I" but I cut her off by saying "Jack"

"Well, Jack. I want to thank you for what you did" She starts, as she looks up at me and immediately her eyes meet mine.

"Not just for pulling me back, but for your discretion" Rose continues.

"You're welcome" I reply, smiling.

"Look- I know what you must be thinking. Poor, little rich girl. What does she know about misery?" Rose says, her smile disappearing into a frown. I stop by a large rope and put my fingers around it. She stops and stands opposite me.

"No. That's not what I was thinking. What I was thinking, was what could've happened to this girl to make her think she had no way out?" I reply, looking into her beautiful, ocean blue eyes that glimmer in the sunlight.

Rose pulls a confused face

"Well, I... It was everything. It was my whole world, and, all the people in it" She explains, walks towards the edge of the ship and rests her hand on the side.

"And the inertia of my life, plunging ahead of me- powerless to stop it" She continues, as she puts out her hand to show me a big, golden ring on her finger.

"Gosh, look at that thing" I say in wonder, as I hold the tips of her fingers and move her hand a bit closer to my eyes so I can look at it in more detail.

"You would've gone straight to the bottom" I finish, joking to see if it cheers her up.

She takes a big breath and tells me more about the wedding and why she felt like jumping off the ship last night.

"500 invitations have gone out. All of Philadelphia society will be there. And all the while I feel I'm... I'm standing in the middle of a crowded room, screaming at the top of my lungs- and no one even looks up" She tells me, looking quite upset.

"Do you love him?" I ask her blankly.

"Pardon me?" She asks, looking quite offended for some reason.

"Do you love him?" I repeat.

"You're being very rude. You shouldn't be asking me this." She says sternly.

"Well, it's a simple question. Do you love the guy or not?" I say again, hoping for an actual reply this time.

She scoffs and says "This is not a suitable conversation" Trying to be serious but a smile appears on her face.

"Why can't you just answer the question?" I reply, smiling back at her, looking at her pretty little smile.

Rose laughs and walks away with her hand on her forehead. "This is absurd! You do not know me and I don't know you... and we are not having this conversation at all! You are rude and uncouth and presumptuous and I am leaving now." She continues as she puts out her hand- still being polite yet feeling quite annoyed with me. "Jack. Mr Dawson, It's been a pleasure. I sought you out to thank you and now I have thanked you" She carries on, but get's cut off by me.

"And you've insulted me" I add to her list of negative opinions about me.

She carries on shaking my hand and tries to be serious but she still has a little smile on her face.

"Well... you deserved it" She says to me

"Right" I say, laughing "Right" She copies, still showing her smile.

"I thought you were leaving" I say smirking, looking down at my hand which she was still holding- even though she said she was leaving.

"I am" She replies, and walk away laughing. I watch her walk away but she comes back- still with that smile on her face.

"You are so annoying" And laughs afterwards.

"Wait. I don't have to leave. This is my part of the ship- you leave" She says, pointing to the set of steps that have a banner which reads 'EXIT TO LOWER CLASS DECKS'. I was a bit taken back by her sudden demand but I knew that she didn't actually mean it.

"Well, well, well! Now who's being rude?!" I reply in the same tone of voice she used with me.

She looks away and laughs. Her head turns back to me and she looks down and notices my scrap book that was in my hands. She takes it out my hands.

"What is this stupid thing you're carrying around?" She asks- her tone calming down a bit.

"That 'stupid thing' I am carrying around, Rose, is my art book." I reply smiling at her.

"May I, uh, have a look?" She asks politely, not wanting to invade my privacy.

"Sure. They may not be good to you considering you have probably seen much better. But go ahead."

I tell her, as we sit down on the big sunbathing beds. She starts flicking through the pages and gasps when she gets to the French drawings.

"Well, well, well Jack." Rose gasps, looking at me with a pretty smile on her face. I laugh at her comment as she continues flicking through the photos of the naked, French ladies.

"So, were these drawn from life? Photographs? Imagination?" Rose trails off, looking back at me and into my eyes.

"From life- I drew these in Paris a few months back. In December, I think? Check the date, it probably says the date somewhere in the corners."

"In August, I went to Spain with Ben- I don't think you have met him yet- and we went to this bar thingy. There were many amazing girls there wanting me to draw them- as they saw my art book lying on the table and peaked through them. So, obviously, later that night, I drew them." I explained.

"Jack, this is exquisite work." Rose says in amazement. "You do get around, you know? For a p--", she continues, but stops herself.

"Well, a person, of uh- limited means" She corrects herself, giving me a kind smile.

"Go on; a poor guy. You can say it" I say afterwards, smiling back to her.

She closes the book and looks back up to me with a big smile on her face.

"You have a gift, Jack. You do"