Too Many Guts, Not Enough Glory, chapter 4
Billie Joe's eyes snapped wide open. Was Tré telling the truth or was he just doing this to get to Billie Joe?
"Adrienne wouldn't betray me." Billie Joe whispered though clenched teeth. His knuckles were as white as bones. Most of the soldiers were in a circle like a pride of lions around Billie Joe and Tré was standing with his arms crossed waiting for Billie Joe to start crying or something.
"What'd yeah say skinny?" Tré asked edging his face closer to Billie Joe.
"Awww look baby Billie gots a little beard." Tré said with a babyish voice. He stroked Billie Joe's face and Billie jerked away. All the soldiers in the circle sniggered. Billie Joe looked around all hunched up. He was hated and he was barely on the ship. He looked up at all the ship's boys on the rigging. They looked like monkeys staring down at Billie Joe with there big innocent eyes. Billie Joe felt like crying this was a mistake he should be home. Why did he not listen to Adrienne?
"Alright Wright that's enough." Some one said as the crowd flitted.
"Wright? Tré's is WRIGHT? Oh no! This is so unfair. I have to be on the front line with Tré. God Damnit!" Billie Joe though to himself. Tré winked at Billie Joe evilly as he walked off with a group of soldiers. The crowds walked away and Billie Joe walked over to a set of stairs. He sat on the wooden stairs and put his head in his hands. Billie Joe relaxed and hunched up. Billie Joe then felt a figure standing over him. He thought it was Tré coming back for more. Billie Joe looked up and there stood a little ship's boy, he looked about 13 and he had striking green eyes. He bit his bottom lip and smiled at Billie Joe. He had scars up his arm and his hair was cut short and it was reddish brown. Billie Joe smiled weakly at the little kid. He was nothing but shin and bones.
"I saws what Sir Wright did to ya. Me mates and me are bullied something terrible by 'im and his mates." The boy said in an English accent. His teeth were crooked and he didn't speak very good English. Billie Joe smiled weakly at the boy who smiled more widely and sat next to Billie Joe.
"Why are you here? You could be anyway but you're on this rotten ship." Billie Joe said to the ship's boy.
"I was an orphan on the London streets with the beggin' and the stealin' and I hitched a rides on this ship with five other ship's boys. My ma and pa died when I was five or something and I was left on the streets cos I don't have no other family. We ship's boys have our duties and we gets breaks and dis is mine now. So what's your names mines Jakob Jones." Jakob said all happy. Billie Joe didn't like the sound of the life Jakob had had. "Billie Joe." Billie said weakly. Jakob smiled.
"Would you be me sea dad? You know for guidance and what not. Tell me what's right and which ain't right." Jakob said with his eyes twinkling. He had taking a shine to Billie Joe. Billie Joe felt really special to know that someone on the ship was nice to him and liked him. Billie Joe thought this would be good practise for when Adrienne had his baby.
"Yeah ok." Billie Joe said smiling. Jakob smiled with all his yellowing teeth showing.
"Good cos all the other lads have a sea dad and I ain't gots one but I 'ave now." Jakob said again still smiling all happy. Billie Joe took a glimpse of the other ship's boys playing in the netting on the front of the ship, naked.
"Why aren't you playing with your mates?" Billie Joe asked with the concerned father tone in his voice.
"Ohh well... I ain't really a fan of the netting. Me toes get trapped in the spaces and whatnot." Jakob said a little faster than usual. Billie Joe knew he was lying.
"Jakob." Billie Joe said with his eyebrow raised.
"Alwight but you gotta swear you won't tell no one else. Swear on your... erm... girl's life." Jakob said. Billie Joe nodded a little concerned. He thought Jakob was gonna tell him he was gay and liked one of the other ship's boys.
"Come on then." Jakob said pulling Billie Joe up by the hand. Billie Joe followed Jakob down to the lowest deck and there was no one apart from the beer barrel. Jakob pushed back a white curtain and they crawled into a little part of the ship. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and Jakob lit a small oil lamp. It was totally quiet all you could hear was the sound of the water crashing against the boat.
"Alwight no one comes down hears at daytime so it's safe to talks." Jakob said in louder than a whispered.
"Jakob what is it?" Billie Joe said growing concerned and inpatient at the same time.
"First off, me name ain't Jakob and second..."
"Adrienne wouldn't betray me." Billie Joe whispered though clenched teeth. His knuckles were as white as bones. Most of the soldiers were in a circle like a pride of lions around Billie Joe and Tré was standing with his arms crossed waiting for Billie Joe to start crying or something.
"What'd yeah say skinny?" Tré asked edging his face closer to Billie Joe.
"Awww look baby Billie gots a little beard." Tré said with a babyish voice. He stroked Billie Joe's face and Billie jerked away. All the soldiers in the circle sniggered. Billie Joe looked around all hunched up. He was hated and he was barely on the ship. He looked up at all the ship's boys on the rigging. They looked like monkeys staring down at Billie Joe with there big innocent eyes. Billie Joe felt like crying this was a mistake he should be home. Why did he not listen to Adrienne?
"Alright Wright that's enough." Some one said as the crowd flitted.
"Wright? Tré's is WRIGHT? Oh no! This is so unfair. I have to be on the front line with Tré. God Damnit!" Billie Joe though to himself. Tré winked at Billie Joe evilly as he walked off with a group of soldiers. The crowds walked away and Billie Joe walked over to a set of stairs. He sat on the wooden stairs and put his head in his hands. Billie Joe relaxed and hunched up. Billie Joe then felt a figure standing over him. He thought it was Tré coming back for more. Billie Joe looked up and there stood a little ship's boy, he looked about 13 and he had striking green eyes. He bit his bottom lip and smiled at Billie Joe. He had scars up his arm and his hair was cut short and it was reddish brown. Billie Joe smiled weakly at the little kid. He was nothing but shin and bones.
"I saws what Sir Wright did to ya. Me mates and me are bullied something terrible by 'im and his mates." The boy said in an English accent. His teeth were crooked and he didn't speak very good English. Billie Joe smiled weakly at the boy who smiled more widely and sat next to Billie Joe.
"Why are you here? You could be anyway but you're on this rotten ship." Billie Joe said to the ship's boy.
"I was an orphan on the London streets with the beggin' and the stealin' and I hitched a rides on this ship with five other ship's boys. My ma and pa died when I was five or something and I was left on the streets cos I don't have no other family. We ship's boys have our duties and we gets breaks and dis is mine now. So what's your names mines Jakob Jones." Jakob said all happy. Billie Joe didn't like the sound of the life Jakob had had. "Billie Joe." Billie said weakly. Jakob smiled.
"Would you be me sea dad? You know for guidance and what not. Tell me what's right and which ain't right." Jakob said with his eyes twinkling. He had taking a shine to Billie Joe. Billie Joe felt really special to know that someone on the ship was nice to him and liked him. Billie Joe thought this would be good practise for when Adrienne had his baby.
"Yeah ok." Billie Joe said smiling. Jakob smiled with all his yellowing teeth showing.
"Good cos all the other lads have a sea dad and I ain't gots one but I 'ave now." Jakob said again still smiling all happy. Billie Joe took a glimpse of the other ship's boys playing in the netting on the front of the ship, naked.
"Why aren't you playing with your mates?" Billie Joe asked with the concerned father tone in his voice.
"Ohh well... I ain't really a fan of the netting. Me toes get trapped in the spaces and whatnot." Jakob said a little faster than usual. Billie Joe knew he was lying.
"Jakob." Billie Joe said with his eyebrow raised.
"Alwight but you gotta swear you won't tell no one else. Swear on your... erm... girl's life." Jakob said. Billie Joe nodded a little concerned. He thought Jakob was gonna tell him he was gay and liked one of the other ship's boys.
"Come on then." Jakob said pulling Billie Joe up by the hand. Billie Joe followed Jakob down to the lowest deck and there was no one apart from the beer barrel. Jakob pushed back a white curtain and they crawled into a little part of the ship. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and Jakob lit a small oil lamp. It was totally quiet all you could hear was the sound of the water crashing against the boat.
"Alwight no one comes down hears at daytime so it's safe to talks." Jakob said in louder than a whispered.
"Jakob what is it?" Billie Joe said growing concerned and inpatient at the same time.
"First off, me name ain't Jakob and second..."
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