Pippa sat in the hull of her uncle’s ship The Beautiful Celeste tucked into a little corner she’d long since made her own. In her hands was a rather worn look, and on her face a rather disturbed and troubled look. It was a book she’d tried reading when she was younger and had given up on, but now the skinny red head aimed to finish it. Even if she knew it would make her cry.
“well Raggedy Ann, what up” she felt someone lightly pull one of her pigtails and she grinned, looking up and into the face of her absolute best friend, shipmate, and unrequited love, Billy Jukes. “BILLY~!” The redhead threw herself into his arms, knocking over her sour watermelon candies and the book. They toppled over and landed in a heap against the wall of the narrow passage, Pippa landing in Billy’s lap as the older teen gave the red head a wry look. “ey lass, what’s the deal? I was only on land a week. Now off Raggedy Ann, afore your uncle sees this. You’re getting too old to do this” he gently picked the young girl off of him and to th side as she gave him a large hurt look. He sighed. “ya know I don feel like you feel, an sides, you’re too young Pip. It just wouldn sit right with me”
Pippa nodded mutely and scooped her book up before sitting down in her little corner. It was behind the seachests and extra masts and ropes, made of old pillows and blankets. Piles of candy and books and CDs were also wedged in there.
Billy followed her and kneeled in front of her, sighing and running a hand through his overlong hair, which promptly fell back into his face. “never said I don’t want to be your friend lass, but I don’t want to lead ya on, right?” again she nodded and opened her book, purposely holding in front of her face. Billy snorted and tilted his head so he could get a good look at the book. “Wringer huh? What’s it about?” Pippa shrugged but didn’t lower the book. “a boy grows up in a place where killing is a good thing, especially killing pigeons. At first he’s like everyone else, till he finds a survivor from the annual shooting and can’t kill it, instead taking it home and taking care of it. Eventually, he lets it go, but it gets caught and then killed in front of him”
Billy gave a low whistle. “sounds sad. Why’re you reading it again? You don’t like sad endings” again the girl shrugged. “never finished it” Billy blinked, confused. “never…but you know the end…?” Pippa lowered the book and placed it in her lap, staring at it thoughtfully. “no, but it’s the kind of book that gives you the end at the beginning, you know what’s going to happen at the end, you just read what lead up to it” Billy shook his head. “then why finish it?” she bit her lip. “because I’m not the kind of person to leave something alone after I’ve started it. I’m sorry”
The boy sighed and ruffled her hair. “no worries lass. You’ll find someone new, I promise you. You’ll go to your school in a few months, yea? You’ll find someone there. Someone closer to your age, yea? And you’ll move on and forget all about this salt-crusted scalliwag” his attempt at being cheerful, and Pippa understood that, giving him a bright, if slightly forced, smile. He smiled back and stood up. “right, I’ve work to do, you’ve a book to finish, I’ll see you in the mess at dinner, right?” she nodded and waited for him to leave before putting in happy music and plugging herself into Daft Punk. He wouldn’t see her unhappy, nobody would. That wasn’t what they came to expect of little Pippalene Rosemary Filch, even when she was dealing with a broken heart.
((gaaahh! I can’t write anything happy! I will try harder next time, I promise! A happy fic about Fionn’s childhood and his siblings. Anywho, about this. Yea, I felt that Pippa was one-dimensional. She’s always laughing and giggling and getting on people’s nerves, so I decided to give her a little depth and explore her personality. Billy was originally meant as just a friend that she really missed, but he evolved into..this…anyway, a little slice of angst!Pippa. quick! Coffee! XD))
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