An Arrogant Phase

[Arabella Porter]

     After a while, when you’ve been staying alive on a pirate airship and you are the second most authorized member on board, you tend to get a little cocky. It happens to most piratic leaders whether they display their cockiness or not. It’s a phase that slams the door when it leaves but at least it goes away…usually. I mean, clearly, Captain Sarling never snapped out of it but it’s whatever. I went through this phase after a year of staying alive and in the air, battle after battle. It got to the point where the crew wanted to make me walk the plank. That’s what snapped me out of it actually. 

      You see, usually when I’m being ridiculous, Mercurian is the one to tell me. He’s kind of like a grandpa figure to me and for once, I’m not saying that with rude intention. When a crewmate questioned the captain’s orders, I would get real draconian and threaten them with a parachuteless ride into the closest desert or mountainous area. I would cut in line when we went up to get food and I wouldn’t knock before entering a room. I thought I was tough stuff and I’m surprised that they didn’t turn me into target practice. Pretty patient crew, huh? Well Mercurian wasn’t the one to snap me out of this phase but it was actually David, an A.B.S.  I can’t remember exactly what I said one day when we were cleaning up the ship, but it ticked Ezra off and we went at each other like bears. I must have said something really out of line because next thing I knew, David had me pinned to the window of the command console and everyone was begging him to teach me a lesson. I head butted him and took him down but then the other crew mates drew their guns and aimed right at my head. I had broken the last straw. I was a clueless airhead.

     “You’ve been here for just one, bloody year and you think you can just push us around,” I still remember David’s eyes, like those of a nightmare.

      “Who’s first mate here?” I remember shouting like a drill sergeant. So dumb, so out of control.

      “You earned that role. Captain trusts you more than anyone on here. She didn’t think you’d end up being a dirty card-board cut out of the Queen,” That was the first time that David had ever spoken to me like that.

     “What the hell do you mean?”

      “I mean you’re right fucking arrogant is what you are,” He shot it at me plain and clear. The other members whistled him on, encouraging him. He went on a whole rant, describing how I had been acting, examples, How they saw me, and how if I didn’t change,  they’d drop me through the glass windows of Buckingham palace.    It took me a full day to cool off and apologize for my behavior. It’s amazing how a title can change a person. I guess that’s the thought that forms a pirate.