Last Dance

Rae and Nef stopped breathlessly at the ship’s railing and glanced over the side, clutching the tickets for which they had worked themselves nearly to death for.

   “Off to a new start!” Nef squealed, “No more cleaning all night!”

    “We could have stopped working at least a month ago and got tickets for third class. Honestly, I don’t regret anything for First-Class Tickets! I mean look at this room! Its bigger than our shack!” Rae stuck her arms out and spun, her sequined black dress swirling with her.

 Nef smoothed her green dress, unlocked her suitcase, and started removing some very tattered clothes. She pulled out a sewing box as well as a tan dress and began repairing a few rips.

   “Nef these dresses are amazing! We can at least look like we belong.” Rae giggled as she opened her own suitcase.

   “For how long? We only have one dress each, someone is gonna notice we keep wearing them.” Nef lowered her voice, “Unless I do the same thing I did to get these, but someone’s bound to notice in such a small area.”

  Rae thought for a moment, “You’re a wiz with a needle, we could do some alterations.”

  Nef smirked, “Fine, but only tonight, and I need at least a day or two to finish them.”

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  Nef was finishing the pile of clothing she had relinquished from their owners when a stern knock startled them.

Rae opened the door part way. “Hello?” she said in a soft voice.

   A stunning but stern looking man stood at the doorway wearing a White Star Line uniform. Fear shivered up Rae's spin as she feared for the worst.

    “Good afternoon mademoiselle, I’ve had my eye on you these past couple days."

Rae swallowed hard, preparing herself for the worst.

"... and I am just taken by your elegant yet foreign beauty, will you please do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner tonight?”

   Rae nodded shyly as her mouth dropped open.

  “Please wear your finest gown, an evening like tonight deserves the best! We shall be dinning with the Captain” He gave her the rest of the directions, saluted, and left.

Rae turned to Nef as excitement bubbled up inside of her “This is the first night of the rest of our lives!” she squealed.

Nef quickly finished a few alterations to a lacey black dress that she had aquired, and fitted it to Rae. Her beauty shone through as she walked down the hallway, arms linked with the gentleman. Deciding to get some much needed rest, Nef adorned a nightgown and drifted off to sleep reading a book she found in the room. Mere hours later, Nef was jolted awake followed by Rae bursting in the room screaming, her lacy evening gown soaked.

  “Get up! We gotta go!” Rae screamed, pulling Nef out of bed. “We hit an Iceberg! We’re sinking!”

 She jerked Nef out the door. “We’ve gotta get to the lifeboats!"

Nef still not fully awake, or aware what was happening, shuffled down the hallway, being tossed back and forth like cattle.

Screams echoed through the hallways as they approached the only remaining boat.

“We have room for one!”

“Go, I’ve already lived my life,” Rae said, pushing Nef to the boat.

“No, you have a more promising future than a thief like me.” Nef pushed Rae.

“Ladies, pick one, or I’m letting a man on!” the steward yelled.

The girls looked at each other, sadness filling their eyes. “Go then.” They said in unison.

The band had just started to play, and Nef turned and looked at Rae.

“May I have this last dance, my best friend?”

Tears streamed down Rae’s face. “Of course.”

“You’re right Rae; this is the first night of the rest of our lives.”