A Pirate’s Life for Me

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CHAPTER ONE

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Alicia wanted to shoot herself. Unfortunately, no gun was at hand. Therefore she was stuck sitting at her desk without a bullet piercing through her skull. She couldn’t quite explain the reason for the sudden yearning of suicide. But she had to conclude it was her English teacher’s incessant droning. Even for a nerd, Alicia didn’t care enough about literature to want to pay attention in class. On the contrary, Alicia enjoyed reading. Just not being told what to read.

She could only wish she was having as much fun as her sister. In the desk beside Alicia sat Brandi, her sister. She didn’t know why, but for some reason Brandi had every single class with her. Alicia blamed the people at the front office. They must have done it on purpose.

Just because we’re sisters doesn’t mean we have to spend every waking moment of our lives together.

Alicia’s almost identical sister sat behind her desk next to her, filing away at her already manicured nails. They sat in their senior English class, one as bored as the other. Brandi turned her head to admire her reflection in the window next to her. She sent a seductive smile to her reflection. When she caught sight of Alicia in the reflection of the window Brandi scowled and stuck her tongue out. Alicia gave a roll of her hazel eyes and looked away, reluctantly directing her attention back to the English teacher.

Miss Rohmer chattered away happily about the one subject she loved. The one she taught obviously. Alicia huffed and cradled her head in her hand. The boy sitting behind her snored loudly, seeing as how he fell asleep in the class again.

“Now, I know what with video games and the Internet and TV and other things like iPods, you kids probably don’t read that much anymore,” Miss Rohmer said with a bit of disappointment in her voice. She stood in front of the class, her black-framed glasses sliding further and further down her bony nose. Her face was thin and bony as well. Her complexion was pale, probably due to staying inside and reading all the time. Peering from behind the lenses of her glasses was a pair of pale green eyes, dull and almost colorless. Miss Rohmer had her platinum blonde hair pulled up into a wispy bun sitting almost directly on top of her head. Her tall and lanky figure paced slowly back and forth in front of the chalkboard.

“Alicia does,” Brandi chirped sadistically. Alicia had a bad feeling swell up in the pit of her stomach. If there was anything her sister enjoyed doing, it was tormenting her. “She reads all the time, seeing as how she has no social life and is a loser.”

Brandi’s little remark caused a few snickers, only waking up a third of the class. Alicia sent a side-glare to her sister. She considered herself to be too mature to respond and remained silent.

Miss Rohmer also glanced at Brandi annoyingly. “Well, I think it’s fantastic that Alicia reads.”

Alicia inwardly groaned. The last thing she wanted was for people to think she was some sort of teacher’s pet. It was bad enough being considered the less popular of the two Cohan sisters. She couldn’t understand it. Alicia and her sister had the same genes, so why did everyone like Brandi more?

“Because none of you seem to read,” Miss Rohmer went on. “With the few exceptions.” She winked at Alicia, who grimaced. “I’m going to change that. You remember how I mentioned there would be a huge project in this class?”

The kids all groaned simultaneously. The English teacher waved it off and continued.

“Well, the day has come where I assign you that project!”

Cue the groaning. Except this time it was much louder than before. This time it caused the teacher herself to frown.

“Tough noodles,” Miss Rohmer exasperated. “You all will just have to deal. If it makes you feel any better, you’ll get a partner for this project.”

Several students cheered quietly while others sat up in their seat expectantly.

“And I will choose your partners for you.”

For a third time in the last five minutes, the students groaned in disappointment. Miss Rohmer shook her head and sighed.

“You will each be assigned a partner in alphabetical order,” the teacher explained as she reached for the list of partners.

Alicia groaned by herself this time. She was afraid the partnering system would be like that. If the partners were being assigned in alphabetical order, then that meant only one thing.

“Alicia.” Miss Rohmer stopped in front of Alicia’s desk as she scanned the paper she was holding. “You will be partnered with your sister.”

Alicia tried not to slam her head against the desk. Her sister scrunched up her nose in disgust. She was obviously not happy about the partnering as well. Miss Rohmer moved on, unaware of the tension between the two seventeen year old girls. Alicia snuck a glance at her sister. Brandi glared deeply. This project was going to be a lot tougher than she thought.

“All right class,” Miss Rohmer said after she partnered everyone in the class off. “I think you all will actually like this one. After all, what does everyone on the face of the planet like?” The class remained silent. This didn’t damper Miss Rohmer’s spirit. “Pirates!”

Brandi scoffed for all to hear. Several people joined in as well. Even Alicia had to stop herself from participating in the contagious scoffing. Pirates? Maybe they were cool in movies. But literature? Not so much. A few kids uttered groans and complaints. Miss Rohmer straightened up sternly.

“Oh come now,” she huffed. “Pirates are a fascinating part of literature! Sword fighting, pillaging, buried treasure!”

“Actually, historically speaking pirates didn’t bury their treasure,” Alicia spoke up before she could control her own mouth. “They spent it as soon as they stole it on alcohol and prostitutes.”

Some jocks sitting around her snickered at the mention of the word prostitute. Alicia sighed irritatingly at their immaturity. Brandi laughed evilly and smirked at her sister.

“Only Alicia would know that,” she mentioned. “She’s the only weirdo I know who watches the History Channel!”

The jocks snickered once more. Alicia bit her tongue so as to not spit out an insult of her own. Miss Rohmer looked over at the more popular Cohan sister.

“I also watch the History Channel Brandi,” she said. “Does that make me a weirdo as well?”

Brandi forced an anxious smile for her teacher. “Of course not.”

Miss Rohmer disregarded Brandi and looked back at the classroom of bored seniors sitting in front of her. Something told her that assigning this project was a huge mistake. But she would force the seniors to do it nonetheless.

“For this project, I would like you to go out and study a famous pirate story,” Miss Rohmer began. “Any pirate story would be fine. Once you finish reading the book, make a presentation about it. That could include a poster, a skit, or a model of some sort. School appropriate of course.”

The jocks booed the teacher. She frowned and pushed the glasses back up her nose.

Brandi’s hand shot into the air. Miss Rohmer nodded at her with a smile. “Yes Brandi?”

“Can we do a report on Pirates of the Caribbean?” Brandi asked hopefully. She flashed a toothy smile at the English teacher.

Miss Rohmer sighed. “No, none of you can do a report on Pirates of the Caribbean,” she groaned. She rubbed her temples as the students broke out into outrage.

“But why not?” Brandi whined. “It’s a pirate story!”

“No,” Miss Rohmer sighed. “It’s a ride at Disneyland that Hollywood later turned into a movie.”

“Staring Johnny Depp,” Brandi purred. She made a seductive cat noise, which caused Alicia to cringe. Several other girls in the class that were considered popular cooed in agreement with Brandi. This caused her to smirk in satisfaction.

“I am sorry,” the teacher droned on, despite the students’ efforts to change her mind. “But you aren’t allowed to make a report on Pirates of the Caribbean. End of story.”

Miss Rohmer headed back over to her desk. She grabbed a stack of paper off it and turned back to her English class. She waved the papers around in the air.

“This,” she spoke proudly, “is a list of the stories you may do reports on.” She began handing out the papers to individuals. “I would like a visual like I said earlier and a description of what the story you read was about.”

“Are more than one student allowed to do the same story?” Alicia questioned when the teacher handed her a list of stories.

Miss Rohmer smiled. “Of course.” She looked back up at the class to make sure she had their attention. “I don’t want any of you to tell me which story you’re doing. I want it to be a surprise until the day of presentation.”

The bell rang and the students practically jumped out of their chairs. They tried to push past the teacher as she tried to shout last minute orders.

“Hurry and start the project! It’ll be due in a week!”

Alicia sighed while stepping out the door. A project due in just one week and she had to complete it with her sister. She was doomed. Just as Alicia was contemplating the worst outcome of all of this, Brandi waltzed up to her side. She swished her hair back and glanced at Alicia degradingly.

“This is so retarded,” Brandi huffed as the two sisters headed down the hallway, merging into the sea of high school students. “Everyone knows pirates are so lame! Why do I always get partnered with you?”

“Because we have the same last name,” Alicia murmured under her breath.

Brandi said she wanted to go home after school so as to plaster her butt to the couch and watch TV. Alicia had other plans. She dragged her sister up the stairs that led into the library. Brandi was kicking and screaming by the time the two Cohan sisters entered the library. The librarian looked over at them, and then shushed them. The two sisters grinned at her. They hurried off to the other side of the vast library. There was row after row of shelves. The shelves were filled to the top with books. Desks were placed in random places for people to read. Only a few people were in the library. Brandi scrunched her pixie nose in disgust and turned to her sister.

“Why did you bring me to this dump anyway?” she asked loudly. The librarian glanced at their direction.

“Because,” Alicia hissed as she pulled her sister down an aisle. “We might as well start on that project Miss Rohmer assigned.”

Brandi rolled her hazel eyes. “Whatever.”

“I was thinking we would do a report on Treasure Island,” Alicia went on, naming the first book on the list her teacher gave her.

“As if I care,” Brandi sassed. “Pirates are so retarded. Anyways, you’re going to end up doing all the work. Just pick a book and get started. I’ll be in the magazine section.” She walked off, leaving Alicia in the shadows of the books by herself.

She frowned. But her sister had a point; she would just end up doing all the work for the project on her own. Again. With a sigh, Alicia spun on her heels and headed in the opposite direction. Brandi hadn’t made a suggestion, so she was going to go look for Treasure Island.

Alicia sat herself down at a lone desk far on the other side of the library. She slammed the book down and propped it open. All that surrounded her were the shelves of books. The section of the library she chose lacked people. She turned the first page and began reading the first paragraph. That familiar feeling of wanting to shoot herself returned. Even for her, Alicia just didn’t want to read this book. Maybe she would wing it for the project. Another book was slammed down on the table across from her. Alicia gazed up. An irritated looking Brandi Cohan stood on the other side of the table, her fingers clenching around a book. Brandi sat down in the chair and opened up her book of choice.

“What made you decide to participate in this project?” Alicia chuckled. She looked back down at her own book.

Brandi didn’t look up as she answered, “They have a terrible magazine collection.”

“So, do you just want to read different books and compare them in the end?” Alicia suggested.

Brandi nodded in agreement. The two sisters went back to reading in silence. Alicia couldn’t stand reading the book, but she pressed forward. She was determined to finish reading the book, even if it cost her her life. But the farther she got into the book, the heavier her eyelids grew. Brandi was already snoring, toppled over her book and drooling onto the oak table. Alicia yawned, but kept her eyes glued to the pages. Her vision grew blurry, and before long she closed her eyes. She curled on top of her book as well and held her head in her arms. Maybe she would rest her eyes. Just for a moment.

Alicia could hear the sounds of waves splashing against something. Oh great. She had fallen asleep. She pried her eyes open. Wherever she was, it was dark and dank. A musty smell danced about in the salty air. There were barrels and cannons all around her. She was surrounded by support pillars, and squished between two wooden crates. Why was everything made out of wood? Even the ship she was on was made out of wood!

Wait. Ship?

Alicia did a double take. And sure enough, she was in the cargo hold of a ship. She just couldn’t determine how old the ship was. She looked out the handmade cannon holes to get a good look at her surroundings. Water. Everywhere. Just water. She was on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Alicia pulled back and gasped. What happened? Last she remembered she was in the library reading a book with her sister. Alicia looked around frantically.

Where was Brandi anyway?

Alicia jumped to her feet and looked over her shoulder. There was no sign of her sister anywhere. That’s when she heard Brandi’s scream. Alicia directed her attention to the ceiling above her. She heard stomps, hooting, and Brandi cursing. She feared the worse. Disregarding everything else, Alicia sprinted across the cargo hold and hurried up the flight of wooden stairs. She burst through the door at the top and came to a halt, her hair thrashing about her face in the ocean breeze. Burly and scarred men surrounded Brandi with cutlasses pointed at her threateningly. A group of the cutlass bearing men had another person in their grasp. He struggled against their hold, but to no prevail. Alicia couldn’t help but ogle at the other victim for a second longer.

The boy they were holding on to looked no older than Alicia or Brandi, maybe nineteen at the most. He had shaggy dark drown hair that was an attractive nape length. His blue-green eyes were narrowed in anger. He was strangely fair skinned for someone out at sea. Alicia’s eyes landed on his clothes. They weren’t clothes that any nineteen year old Alicia knew would wear. It was a white collared button up shirt with long sleeves that went past his waist, a large black belt tied around his waist over his shirt, brown pants with black boots. Hanging limply off his hip and connected to his belt was a cutlass of his own. The boy grunted and went back to struggling against the hold the mysterious men had on him.

“Who is she?” the boy shouted, referring to Brandi. Alicia went all tingly. She absolutely loved his voice.

The most intimidating of the men turned back to the boy. He leered menacingly down at him. If it weren’t for the fact that Alicia was frozen into shock, she would have jumped in and saved the handsome boy. She quickly studied the man sneering at the boy. He was tall, the tallest of the bunch. His shoulders were broad, and he had a long scar going across his face. His hair was short and graying. His clothes were ornate and layered. He had two swords of his own hanging around his waist. The man didn’t have a hat on, only several chains hanging around his neck.

“Why Alexander,” the man laughed, sending chills down Alicia’s spine. “Don’t you even know the name of your own crewmates?”

No one seemed to have noticed Alicia’s presence yet. The man motioned to his lackeys and they carried the boy named Alexander off towards another ship. Alicia had just noticed that there was another ship next to the one she was on. The men dragged the boy across the plank that connected the ships together. When they were out of sight, the man turned back to face Brandi. She gulped when he pulled out his cutlass and pointed it directly at her throat.

“Now what to do with you,” he chuckled. Brandi paled. She would have fainted if her sister didn’t cut in.

“Hey!” Alicia shouted from the doorway that led to the cargo hold. “Don’t even think about touching my sister!”

All the men on the ship turned and looked at Alicia. That was when she regretted even opening her mouth. The man who had his weapon pointed at Brandi smirked at Alicia. It took all her willpower not to pee her pants. Alicia officially blamed her English teacher Miss Rohmer for whatever was going on.

“What’s this now?” the man laughed maniacally, pointing his cutlass in Alicia’s direction. “Another crewmember of this ship?”