First class dining salon.
Joseph's POV
I hear Zachary and my mother talking and laughing across the table. I stare at my plate, not listening to the inconsequential babble around me.
I excuse myself from the table and walked along a corridor. A steward coming the other way greets me, I nod with a slight smile. I'm perfectly composed.
I enter my room and I stand in the middle, staring at my reflection in the large vanity mirror. I just stand there until, with a primal, anguished cry, I claw at my throat, ripping my bowtie from my neck and throwing it across the room.
In a frenzy, I tears at myself, my hair, my clothes.... then I attack the room. I fling everything off the dresser and it flies clattering against the wall. I hurl a handmirror at the vanity, cracking it.
Narrator's POV
Joseph runs across the B deck promenade. He is dishevelled, his raven locks of hair blowing with the wind. He is crying, his cheeks streaked with tears. But he's also angry! Furious! He's shaking in emotions that he doesn't understand... hatred, self-hatred, desperation. A couple strolled past, shocked at the emotional display in public.
With Nicholas
Nicholas is kicked back on a bench, gazing at the stars, thinking artistic thoughts.
He saw Joseph as he runs up the stairs from the well deck. There are only two on the stern deck, except from the Quartermaster Rowe, 20 feet above them on the docking bridge catwalk. Joseph doesn't see Nicholas in the shadows and he runs straight past him.
Joseph runs across the deserted fantail. His breath hitches in an occasional sob, which he suppresses. Joseph slams against the base of the stern flagpole and just clings there, panting. He stares out at the black water.
Joseph starts to climb over the railing. He moves methodically, he turns his body and gets his feet on the white-painted gunwhale, his back facing the railing, facing out towards blackness. 60 feet below him, the massive propellers are churning the atlantin into white foam, and a ghostly wake trails off towards the horizon.
He leans out, his arms straightening... looking down hypnotized, into the vortex below him. The only sound, above the rush of the water below him, is the flutter and snap of the big Union Jack flag right above him.
"Don't do it" Nicholas said.
Joseph whips his head around at the sound of Nicholas's voice. It takes a second for his eyes to ajust.
"Stay back! Don't come any closer!" Joseph said shakily.
"Take my hand, I'll pull you back in" Nicholas said softly but firmly.
"No! Stay where you are! I mean it. I'll let go" Joseph said warning him.
"No you won't" Nicholas said.
"What do you mean I won't? Don't presume to tell me what I will and what I won't do. You don't know me!" Joseph said, still shaky.
"If you were going to do it then you would've done it already. Come on, take my hand" Nicholas said, trying to persuade him.
Joseph wipes some tears away with one hand, almost losing his balance.
"You're distracting me! Go away!" Joseph said
"Nope, I'm involved now. If you let go, I have to jump in after you" Nicholas said to Joseph.
"Don't be stupid! You'll be killed!" Joseph said in disbelief.
Nick takes off his jacket
"I'm a good swimmer" he grinned as he unlaced his left shoe.
"The fall alone will kill you" Joe said.
"It would hurt, I'm not saying it wouldn't. I'm more worried about the water being so cold" Nicholas said smiling.
Joseph looks down at the water, realizing what he's really doing.
"How cold?" Joseph asked worried.
"Well, when you jump in, it'll hit you like 1000 knives all over your body. You can't breathe, you can't think..." Nicholas says as he takes both his shoes off. "Which is why i'm not looking forward to jumping in after you. But as I said, I don't see a choice. I guess i'm kinda hoping you'd come back over the rail and get me off the hook here" he added.
"You're nuts" Joseph said shaking his head in disbelief.
Nicholas chuckled "that's what everyone says. But with all due respect, I'm not the one hanging off the back off the ship." Nicholas sighed "come on, you don't really want to do this, take my hand" he sighed stepping closer.
Joseph stared at this nutty man for a while and gets lost in his eyes.
"Alright" Joseph agreed.
Joseph turns around carefully, reaching one of his hands to Nick's outstretched hand. Nick grasped his hand firmly.
"I'm Nicholas Jonas" Nick introduced himself.
"Pleased to meet you Mr. Jonas" Joseph said politely.
Now that Joe has decided to live, he realised the height is terrifying. As Joe starts to climb over the railing but one foot slips. He plunges and lets out a piercing shriek. Nicholas, who is gripping Joe's hand is jerked towards the rail. Joseph grabs a lower rail with his free hand.
Quartermaster Rowe, up on the docking bridge, hears the scream and heads for the ladder.
"HELP!!!! HELP!!!!" Joseph screamed
"I've got you! I won't let go" Nick said calmly. Nick holds his hand with all his strength, bracing himself on the railing with his free hand. Joe tries to get some foothold on the smooth hull. Nicholas tried to pull Joe over the railing. Joe can't get any footing with the stupid dress shoes he was wearing and he slips back. Joe screamed again.
