four;

NOW THIS IS A REAL PARTY.

After Jack and Janiyah ate their dinner, they quickly left to enjoy an actual party. Here, everyone danced, drank beer, laughed, sang loudly to the songs in the background and just had a great time. It was such a difference from the silent dinner tables in where the first-class ate. That was just awkward, and plain boring.

Janiyah watched as Jack danced with a sweet little girl, Cora was her name. Janiyah wanted to get on the dance floor, but she wasn't exactly the best at dancing, that was one thing she could admit. Basic dance moves were all she knew but that's it. She'd never thought of learning to really dance, she would be busy in other activities such as trying to keep enough money to stay alive.

Tommy and Fabrizio were there as well. Tommy slid across the table to Janiyah sat at a tall glass filled to the brim with stout, which she gladly gulped down almost instantly. It'd been a while since she'd have a drink.

"I'm gonna go dance with her, okay?" Jack said to the little girl, pointing at Janiyah as soon as the song finished, and a slower, familiar song came on but Janiyah couldn't remember the name of. "You're still my best girl, Cora."

Cora walked off, probably to go find her parents. Jack stepped over to Janiyah, grabbing ahold of her hand and pulling her to the dance floor. "No, no, no, Jack," she tried to pull back. "I'm not a good dancer, I can't."

"It's okay, just follow me lead," he said, placing Janiyah's hand on his shoulder as he slid his hand to the small of her back, taking her other hand in his. He smiled, "This is my favorite song."

Now she recognized the song, it was a fairly new one that had been released recently. Moonlight Bay by Doris Day. "I don't know the steps to it."

"Just move with me," he insisted as they both sway back and forth to the music. "Don't think."

"Wait, give me a second," she pulled away from him, taking off her heels so she could dance easier. The two were still in their first-class clothes since they hadn't found the time to change back into their ordinary clothing. Only Jack had taken off his suit, showing off the suspenders that just fit him so well.

Then they brought each other back together, Jack guiding her to move with the music in the background. Soon after the song finished came a more energetic one. By that time Janiyah had gained enough confidence and continued dancing with Jack. They danced for as long as they wanted, pulling away eventually.

Jack caught sight of his friend, Fabrizio, dancing with a woman as well. "How you doing?" He asked as the music finished, and Fabrizio and the woman walked together towards Jack, holding hands, a wide grin on his face.

"I don't know what she say, she don't know what I say, so we get along fine." Fabrizio replied with his Italian accent.

Janiyah comes back to Jack, holding two pints of beer in her hand which Tommy had just given her. She hands one to Jack, both of them gulping it down easily, although Janiyah finished it off first. All of a sudden, she felt a cold liquid splash onto her, her fancy dress stained in beer. Somebody had bumped into Tommy, causing him to spill his drink all over Janiyah, but she didn't mind, she just laughed. It didn't matter, it wasn't even her own dress.

Tommy obviously felt bad about it, apologizing. His anger turned to the guy who'd crashed into him, a fight beginning to start out. If it weren't for Jack being there and stopping it, it would've been a full-on fight between the two.

The girl then caught sight of two men, struggling to beat one another in a competition of arm wrestling. One of them finally beat the other, bragging about it in his face. "Alright, boys, let's see if you can beat me," she said, getting in between the two.

One of them seemed to scoff, the other just in disbelief. She knew they both doubted she'd win either of them. "By all means, please." One of them stood up from their chair, to which Janiyah sat in, facing the other guy.

Both their hands meet, Janiyah giving him the death grip as she glared at him. The man smiled, slightly intrigued that a woman just challenged him to arm wrestling. But she knew what she was doing. She'd done it a million times with her brothers, even the oldest brother, and she'd won multiple times.

As soon as they started, the man immediately had the lead, her hand almost touching the table. Slowly, Janiyah gained, her muscles tensing up as a drop of sweat trickled down the side of her forehead. "Don't go easy on me now," she taunted, even though she knew he was giving it all the force he had.

Janiyah successfully slammed his hand down on the table, although it did take some time. By that time, Jack had returned, he was equally surprised as the guy she'd just beaten. Jack came over, giving her a high-five before some young man, obviously drunk from all the beer and stout he'd drank recently, interrupted them.

"That was some nice arm-wresting," he slurred, leaning on the table in front of Janiyah. "Let me buy you a drink."

"Woah, woah, woah, slow down there, buddy," Jack interfered, coming in between the man and Janiyah. "She's with me, at least for this party."

"Oh, alright, I see," he backed off. "My room number's 18, feel free to come by after the party, when you're not with him." He winked before walking off.

Janiyah rolled her eyes, obviously never taking on that invitation. "Let's go to the top deck, J," Jack said as he held his hand out for her to take. "It's getting a little crazy in here."

She nodded, smiling as she took his hand and followed him.

***

"We were sailing along on Moonlight Bay!" Janiyah sang, laughing along with Jack as they reached the top deck of the ship.

"We could hear the voices singing... or ringing?" Jack sang along with her.

"I think it's ringing?" Janiyah chuckled. "They seemed to say, you've stolen her heart, now don't go 'way!" The two broke out laughing, they were slightly drunk but still conscious of what they were doing.

When the laughing died out, they stared out into the ocean, then at the sky. The dark night sky filled with stars that illuminated so beautifully, they couldn't seem to take their eyes off of it. "Thanks for inviting me," Janiyah spoke softly, both of them then turning their attention to each other.

"No problem," he smiled at her. "I would say let's do it again but I don't think either of us would get invited to a first-class dinner again."

She laughed, "Yeah, definitely not."

The two stared into each other's eyes for a quick moment. Now it seemed like they couldn't keep their eyes off each other instead of the sky. Jack's hand slid to Janiyah's hand on the railing from which they held onto.

Then he began to lean into her, closer and closer... until their lips were just an inch away from each other. Janiyah could see his eyes so clearly now, they were such a mesmerizing blue, she could stare at them all day if she could. Her eyes then flickered down to his lips, realizing Jack was waiting for her permission to kiss her.

She wanted to, but she didn't know if she could.

Of course she'd kissed tons of boys before, but never in a situation like this... never when she actually felt like she loved him. She'd only ever kiss a boy for what he'd give her, and not for actual love. That's what scared her, to fall in love, unknowing whether or not it'd work out, whether she'd just come out hurt and heartbroken.

Jack wouldn't break her heart... right?

Well, she did only meet him yesterday. They barely know each other. Maybe he's not even in love with her. In an instant, Janiyah pulled back. "I'm sorry..." she apologized. "I can't."

And with that, she left Jack alone, heading straight towards her room.

***

The next day, Janiyah had changed back into her usual clothing, feeling much more comfortable in them. I don't know how they wear those dresses every single day of their lives...

Although she was tired from all the dancing and the arm-wrestling and whatnot, she had a sleepless night. Her mind was on Jack the entire night, thinking if she could've hurt his feelings by leaving him like that. She felt bad, she could've done something, not leave him hanging there. It just wasn't nice, she knew that.

She sighed, looking out into the ocean as she sat on the bench where she first met Jack. Thinking that he'd probably come here to draw as he always did, she came to talk to him. But he hadn't appeared, and she had no idea which room he belonged to so she didn't have any other way of finding him.

That's when her best friend, Ray, appeared, taking a seat next to her on the bench. Janiyah was silent, as she was pensive. She completely ignored Ray, which was something he was used to. Ray knew her, and when she didn't speak to him it meant there was a problem. "I couldn't find you anywhere yesterday," he commented. "Where were you?"

"Eating dinner with the first-class," she simply stated.

He stared at her with disbelief etching his features. "Dream on."

There was a moment of silence, Janiyah continuing to ignore Ray. But, breaking the silence, he finally spit out what he wanted to say. "I saw you kissing Jack."

Janiyah whirled her head around to face Ray, her eyes wide. She didn't know what it was in his voice, but he sounded... downhearted? "I didn't kiss him."

"Don't lie, J."

"I didn't kiss him," she argued, anger showing in her expression, her voice slightly raising. "I'm not lying."

"Well, that's not what I saw," he claimed, matching her angered features, crossing his arms.

"I didn't, okay?!" She yelled, earning some looks from the people around them. Calming herself down, she added in a softer tone, "I couldn't. I couldn't kiss him."

For a second they only glared at each other, but that's when Ray unexpectedly cupped Janiyah's cheeks with his hands, and leaned in for a kiss. Her eyes widened, and she wanted to pull away, she really did. She didn't, though. The only thing she did was kiss him back.

It felt odd. Kissing someone she'd known since childhood. It wasn't right.

Softly, she pulled away, their faces still inches away. "I love you," he whispered. "I always have."

"No, Ray," she shook her head. "No, you don't."

"Yes, I do. Why do you think I follow you everywhere you go? I love you."

"Ray, you don't love me," she pushed him off of her, standing up from the bench. "I'm sorry. We're just friends."

With that, she left, realizing she'd rejected two guys in less than twenty-four hours. This was not how she expected this trip to go.

(10.19.20)

author's note !

ok but like that gif makes me so happy. 😂