Treasure Planet

Pranks Gone Wrong

A couple of days later Jim and Annie were hiding behind some crates on the deck of the ship, both of them smiling at each other as they peered over the edge of the barrel looking around for their first victim of their prank. The two finally had a day off and they decided to hang out with each other, Annie came up with the idea to prank someone and Jim was slightly surprised at the girls' idea. He thought that the girl was sweet and innocent and not at all devious, but Jim knew that looks could be deceiving after meeting her.

"Who do you think our first victim will be?" Jim questioned the girl, as he glanced over at the bucket on the door of the barracks.

"Oh, I'm hoping it'll be Mr. Scroop. He's been getting on my nerves lately." Annie told the boy with a smirk, as she looked up at the bucket before crossing her fingers for luck.

Jim laughed softly at the girl, before nodding in agreement as he said.

"I agree, he's been on my nerves since day one."

The two sat back down after a couple of minutes realizing that no one's going to come in or out of the barracks for a while, they rested their backs on the barrels as they looked up to the sky. They say quietly for a few minutes before Annie turns to look at Jim, she then looks forward at the wall as she leaned her head on his shoulder as she asks him quietly.

"What was the Benbow Inn like?"

Jim glanced down at the girl, his eyes wide at both the question and how she rested her head on his shoulder. He quickly looked over at the wall, trying so hard not to blush at the thought of the girl leaning against him. Jim smiled softly as he began thinking back to the Benbow Inn, how his mother made it a home for both himself and the people who came and went.

He thought back to all the smiling faces of the customers, the warmth of the fire, the aroma of his mother's cooking flooded his nose. Jim closed his eyes and pictured himself walking through the door of the Benbow Inn, seeing the warm smile his mother always sent to customers and himself whenever they walked through the doors. Jim opened his eyes, smiling softly at the thought of his old home as he told the girl.

"It was always filled with warmth, my mother's food was always amazing. Sailors would always come back to get another taste of my mother's cooking."

"Really?" Annie asked, as she looked up at the boy seeing the smile on his face. "Tell me more."

"My mom would always give you the warmest, kindest smile when you walked through the door, she'd welcome just about anyone that came through." Jim told Annie.

He chuckled before looking down and meeting her eyes for a few seconds then looked down at the ground as he went on.

"I remember a couple of times when I found a wounded animal and came rushing home with it, asking my mother if I could keep it and she would always give me that smile and agree."

Annie couldn't help but giggle at this, she sighed and closed her eyes imagining Jim's mother. She could picture the woman standing there as she opened the door, giving her the smile Jim had on right now. Annie opened her eyes and watched Jim for a minute, she then nuzzled into his arm causing Jim's blush to return.

"You need to introduce me sometime." Annie said as she continued to watch Jim.

Jim looked down and met her eyes, he smiled softly at her as he said, teasing her slightly.

"I will, she'll probably try to make you stay for dinner though."

"I'm sure I can rearrange my schedule for that." Annie teased back, with a small giggle escaping her lips.