IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES
Chapter One
April 11, 1912
Santa Monica, California
Jack Dawson opened the front door to his
house and walked outside. Seeing his cousin, he quickly closed the door with a
slam and bolted after Tommy. "Tommy! Tommy, wait!" he called, running
up to him.
Tommy stopped walking and turned. "Good
morning, Jack," he said.
"You, too," Jack said, catching up
with Tommy. "What are you doing here?"
"Ah…I had to give your mother something
from town. She said she didn't know where you were," Tommy explained as
they walked along into town.
"Ah…I was running around all morning,
doing things for Father and such."
Tommy nodded. "We have to meet Fabrizio
down by the beach. He said he had news for us."
"Good or bad news?" Jack asked timidly.
Tommy shrugged. "I have no idea. He just
told me to meet him down by the roller coaster and bring you along."
Jack nodded. "Maybe the mayor is going
to take off that stupid…law, I guess, that says we can't fight with the Bukaters.
I mean, we only have one of the three strikes until we're out used up."
"Maybe," Tommy said, keeping quiet
about it.
Jack noticed his cousin's hesitation.
"Wait a second. Tommy, you weren't fighting again were you?"
"Well," Tommy said, "we didn't
start it."
Jack sighed. "Was Fabri involved
also?" Tommy nodded. "Tommy, did the mayor catch you guys?" Tommy
just nodded again. "Tommy!" Jack yelled at his cousin. "This
means if the mayor catches us one more time, it’s good-bye Santa Monica!"
Tommy cringed. "I know. But those stupid
Bukaters are ruining our town. The Dawsons were here first!"
"Tommy, you know that's not true. They
have every right to live here, just as we do," Jack said. Just then, a car
drove by. Unfortunately for Tommy and Jack, two of the Bukater cousins were in
it. The car slowed, and Kyle and Paul stuck their heads out the window.
"Lousy Dawsons!" Kyle yelled.
"Why don't you all leave and go back to
hick country, you morons?" yelled Paul.
Tommy lunged after them, yelling insults, but
Jack grabbed him. "Tommy! Tommy, calm down. They're leaving," Jack
said.
Tommy turned and looked at Jack, his usually
kind eyes on fire. "They should," he mumbled.
Jack just shook his head. "C'mon, Tommy.
Fabrizio will be angry we are late."
Tommy nodded and they started walking off.
Jack sighed as he followed Tommy. The Bukaters
and the Dawsons had been fighting for as long as Jack could remember, and he
was twenty. Sometimes it seemed so stupid that they were still fighting and
hated each other after twenty some-odd years. Does anyone remember what we
are fighting about, anyway? Jack sometimes wondered. He had grown up the
only child of one of the two wealthiest families in Santa Monica. From the time
he could understand words, he had been taught that the Bukaters were no good,
stealing lowlifes who didn't deserve to live. Even as a child he, along with
all the young Dawson relatives, had fought the Bukater children. But this last
year, something had changed in Jack. He didn't feel like fighting anymore. It
was silly, anyway.
"Jack. Jack, are you listening to
me?" Tommy suddenly asked, bringing Jack back.
"What? Oh, no, sorry," Jack said.
Tommy rolled his eyes. "I asked you if
you knew anything about this Bukater party tonight?"
Jack shook his head. "Not much. Just
that it was for their daughter and that we aren't invited."
"What if we crashed it? You know, sneak
in, ruin the whole thing."
Jack shook his head. "I don't know,
Tommy."
"Aw, c'mon. It's not exactly
fighting," Tommy explained.
Jack just sighed. "Let's see what Fabri
wants before we make plans."
*****
Rose DeWitt Bukater sat on the couch in her
bathrobe, waiting for her red hair to dry. She turned a page in her novel and
sighed. She didn't want to go to this party tonight, even if it was for her. It
was just going to be a boring bunch of dancing and talking.
"Miss Rose?"
Rose lowered her book. Her maid, Trudy, was
standing there.
"Your mother is going to be up here in a
moment. I suggest you compose yourself."
Rose nodded, got up, and hid her novel, which
her mother didn't approve of. She tightened her bathrobe and tried to dry her
hair by rubbing it with her hands. Just then, her mother, Ruth, walked in.
"Rose, why aren't you ready yet? There
is something I need to talk to you about."
Rose remained silent as Trudy brought in her
dress. Rose stood there, letting Trudy and a few other maids fuss over her
while they were dressing her. As the maids were fussing with her hair, Ruth
spoke.
"Now, Rose, you know that you are of the
age to be married. Well, the elegant, and rich, may I add, Caledon has asked
for your hand in marriage. Tell me, can you learn to love him?"
Rose looked at her mother while the other
maids left the room, leaving only Ruth, Trudy, and herself. "I don't wish
to be married at all," she finally replied, looking her mother in the eye.
Ruth gasped and sat next to her daughter,
putting her arm around her. "Sweetheart, he is a fine man, wonderful. He's
handsome, too," Ruth said trying to convince her daughter to love Cal.
"Aye," Trudy said, cutting in,
"he is wonderful, miss. If I were younger, I would—"
"Trudy, that is enough," Ruth said,
cutting in. Trudy shut her mouth.
"Rose, it would make your father and I
very happy if you were to marry him," Ruth said, trying one last time.
Rose still said nothing.
"Yes, miss, it would make me happy,
too," Trudy said, unable to keep quiet.
Ruth just shook her head.
"He's handsome, rich, has a wonderful
family," Trudy continued on.
Ruth finally spoke. "Trudy! That is
enough!" She turned to Rose. "Think about what I said, Rose. Cal will
be at the party tonight. I expect you to be polite, talk to him. Get to know
him."
"Yes, Miss Rose, you might actually—"
"Trudy!" Ruth exclaimed, getting up
and crossing to the door. She threw up her hands. "Rose, you are
hopeless!" she exclaimed before leaving.
Trudy sat down next to Rose. She had been
with her since her birth seventeen years ago. Trudy had been more of a mother
than Ruth had, taking care of her, teaching her things, raising her, basically.
"Go, Miss Rose. See if you can't make something of this night," she
said before leaving the room.
Rose bit her lip and smiled at Trudy's
suggestion.