Titanic

Chapter three

The room is alive with music, laughter and raucous carrying on. People of all ages are dancing, drinking beer and wine, smoking, laughing, even brawling.

Normani hands Camila a pint of stout and she hoists it as Lauren dances with a young girl. As the song ends, Camila leans down to the little girl. "May I cut in, miss?"

"You're still my best girl, Cora."

The girl scampers off. Camila and Lauren face each other. Camila trembles as Lauren takes her right hand in her left, her other hand sliding to the small of her back. It is an electrifying moment for her.

"I don't know the steps."

"Just move with me. Don't think."

The music starts and they are off. A little awkward at first, but Camila starts to get into it. She grins at Lauren as she starts to get the rhythm.

"Wait... stop!" Camila bends down, pulling off her high heeled shoes, and flings them to Dinah. Then she grabs Lauren and they plunge back into the fray, dancing faster as the music speeds up.

The song ends in a mad rush. Lauren steps away from Camila with a flourish, allowing her to take a bow. Exhilarated and slightly tipsy, she does a graceful ballet ployer, feet turned out perfectly. Everyone laughs and applauds.

They move to a table, flushed and sweaty. Camila grabs Dinah's cigarette and takes a big drag, feeling cocky.

Normani walks towards then with a pint for each of them. Camila chugs hers, showing off.

"You think a first class girl can't drink?"

Everybody else is dancing again, and man crashes into Normani, who sloshes her beer over Camila's dress. She laughs, not caring. But Normani lunges, grabbing him and wheeling him around.

Lauren leaps into the middle of it, pushing them apart.

"So, you think you're tough? Let's see you do this." In her stocking feet she assumes a ballet stance, arms raised, and goes up on point, taking her entire weight on the tips of her toes. She comes back down, then her face screws up in pain. She grabs one foot, hopping around. "Oooowww! I haven't done that in years."

Lauren is quick to catch her as she loses her balance, and everyone cracks up.

The door to the well deck is open a few inches as Matthew watches through the gap. He sees Lauren holding Camila, both of them laughing.

The stars that night where so bright, and the sky so clear, clear enough for them to see the Milky Way.

Camila and Lauren walked along the row of lifeboats. Still giddy from the party, as they sing Come Josephine in My Flying Machine.

They fumble over the words and break down laughing. They stop as they reach the First
Class Entrance, but Camila doesn't go in, not wanting the evening to end.

Through the doors the sound of the ship's orchestra wafts gently. Camila grabs onto a davit and leans back, staring at the cosmos.

"Isn't it beautiful? So grand and endless." She goes to the rail and leans on it. "They're such small people, Lauren... my crowd. They think they're giants on the earth, but they're not even dust in God's eye. They live inside this little tiny champagne bubble and someday the bubble's going to burst."

Lauren leans against the rail next to her, her hand slightly touching Camila's. It is the
slightest contact imaginable, and all either one of them can feel is that square inch of skin where their hands are touching.

"You're not one of them. There's been a mistake."

"A mistake?"

"Uh huh. You got mailed to the wrong address."