Semester at Seas BxB (Staten Krown)

20

Vince seemed to take the news hard. He kind of melted into his shell like Amir usually did. I told him everything. I told him about Pony convincing me. I told him why I did it and how everything was falling into it.

I told him we were going to get Patience back and it would be that easy, regardless of the fact.

He crossed his arms and seemed to bury his head. It was so different from how he usually acted. He usually had something to say and it was usually very smart. I thought he was going to scold me and try to convince me out of it, but instead he just got quiet.

"Say something," I told him.

I was almost close to begging. I'd never seen him so quiet. I was thinking perhaps this could be emotion. Vince's feelings weren't always out on a shelf like that however.

He got up and walked over to me. Vince's toned up frame didn't completely dominate me like Ethan, but it did seem to challenge my manhood, especially when he leaned over me in the way that he was doing now. He grabbed me up with these secure hands.

"I'll support you," he stated, "But you don't want to do this. You run with the devil and you'll trip...you'll fall and you may not get up."

"So you aren't mad?"

"No boy," he said and laughed, "I am bothered but I can't be mad at you for a very long time...Chauncey. You know that."

I smiled back.

It was nice to know Vince had my back even if it was against Patience. I could see the look in his eyes though. I could see that something was really bothering him, but he wasn't going to say it. Vince kept his truest emotions under strict control only letting them out when he obviously wanted to. It was crazy that I could even see that much into him.

I spent the rest of the afternoon at an orphanage in India. They were throwing a small ceremony in which they were giving Patience and Ethan both awards for their Humanitarian acts while in India.

Basically Patience had thrown around Ethan's money in her name and gotten some people to think that she was a good person. Humanitarian efforts? Let's be serious.

I was forced to be there with Wednesday. She was fooled right along almost the entire teacher's staff as well as Captain Laperla who all stood around clapping endorsing the bullshit that Patience was feeding them.

They came off the stage and Captain LaPerla met Patience at the bottom of the stairs with a bouquet of flowers. He seemed the most taken by her. It was like she had him in her little web.

I realized it was all her plan. If she controlled Captain LaPerla, she controlled the entire ship.

I watched as Mia walked over, "Dad..."

"Hold on hunny," he replied.

Yeah, he even shunned his daughter to worship Patience, just like everyone else. Patience was always in the starlight. She had on a long white dress with ruffles that made her look like she was America's poster princess. I watched as camera's started flashing and a video camera was recording the entire thing.

I didn't doubt at all that the camera man was from Oprah's staff, shooting some footage for the inevitable show in Chicago ...which was most likely going to star Patience talking about her voyage across the world on the trendy new Westinghouse boat.

"Doesn't Patience look so pretty," Wednesday stated and smiled.

I looked over to Patience. A huge disapproving grunt rolled around in my mind, but it didn't come out. I couldn't say the same for Mia.