April 12, 1912

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Rose Dewitt Bukater was bored. It wasn't a new state for her to be in. It seemed like there had never been a moment when she wasn't bored with her life. Some people thought that she lived a life of luxury. That she could want for nothing, living in her mother's big mansion, engaged to one of the richest men in the country, but that was just not true. In fact, Rose wanted for a lot and entertainment was just one of the things she lacked.

Which was why, when her acquaintance from finishing school had invited her to a slumming party, she decided to go. She had never been to such a party before, but she had heard of them. Slumming parties were when the rich went down and hung out in the poor side of town and experienced what life was like for the poorer classes. Her mother and Cal abhorred such parties, calling them a waste of time. Rose had always been curious about them though, which was why she had accepted the invitation. She expected it to be a rather interesting couple of hours, to experience how the normal people lived. Was it as restrictive as her life of privilege and leisure? Or was there a sort of freedom to be had?

"Miss. Rose, Miss Louise is here," Trudy, the lady maid that she shared with her mother appeared in the doorway of her room. "May I fetch your coat, Miss?"

"No Trudy, that will not be necessary. Just fetch me my purse and I will be on my way."

Trudy curtsied and went to obey Rose's orders. Once she had her purse in hand she descended the stairs to find Louise Edwards, standing at the bottom of the stairs, chatting with her mother, who was letting her displeasure about the girl's planned activities be known.

"Really, Louise. I wish that you girls were doing something less...vulgar than these slumming parties. There aren't even barriers to separate you from the unwashed masses if you will. I just don't see the point in them. It's just asking to be robbed," Ruth lectured.

"Not to worry, Mrs. Dewitt Bukater. These parties are generally safe. We are just going to go see what it's like to be poor for the day. It gives us more empathy towards the less fortunate. All women of means attend these things once in their life times," Louise explained. "I think it will do Rose good to go out and experience the world before she marries Cal."

"Hmm. I suppose you are right there. Just do be careful and don't talk to any suspicious looking people."

"Rose, darling! Are you ready?" Louise smiled as she noticed Rose descend the stairs.

"Yes. I do hope that what I'm wearing is appropriate..."

"It most certainly is. How else can people tell us apart from the poor people?" Louise chuckled in the way that Rose hated. Sometimes she wondered why she was Louise's friend. She was just like everyone else in her world. Vapid and self involved. The only reason she was going with her today was so she could break out of this monotony that was her life.

"Do be careful Rose," Ruth sighed, wishing that her daughter would listen to her about this party, but knowing that arguing about it was useless.

"Not to worry mother. I am sure that there is nothing to worry about," Rose waved goodbye and followed Louise out to the waiting car, hoping that today was the day that something interesting would happen.

…..

Jack Dawson stared at the cards in his hand and kept his best poker face in place as a cigarette dangled from his lips. He glanced at his friend Fabrizio, who looked beyond frustrated. Of course he was. He hated poker and hated that Jack insisted on taking their friend Tommy up on a bet. On the table was the money that was to last them for the rest of the week.

"I can't believe you, Jack. You're betting all that we have," Fabrizio angrily hissed, wondering what they'll do for food and board if Jack should lose.

Jack glanced at his friend and took the cigarette out of his mouth, blowing smoke into the air. "When you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose."

Fabrizio had to disagree with his friend there. Even when you've got nothing, you still have something to lose and right now, that was dinner for the night.

"Come on, boy-o. Stop stalling. What you've got?" Tommy Ryan, an Irish immigrant asked, impatiently. He had put up half of his money, a five dollar bill and was hoping to double it through this game.

Jack was about to lay down his full house when the bar's door opened and in waltzed a group of what he assumed were rich people. He looked at Tommy as he groaned.

"The swells are slumming it again. Guess this is over. I refuse to be on display," Tommy grumbled, scooping his five dollars off the table. "You lucked out, boy-o."

"Slumming it?" Jack frowned. He had heard of the term, he was just surprise that his friend knew of it.

"Yeah. When the upper class decide to come to our side of town and gawk at us like we're fucking animals in a zoo," Tommy snorted. "Limey bastards, all of them."

Curious, Jack watched as the group filed into the bar, looking around with wide eyes as if they were

indeed in a zoo or some gallery. Amused, Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head. "It's like they've never seen poor people before."

"Tell me about it," Tommy snorted derisively. "Well, my day has been ruined. What do you say we head out to Patrick's? I doubt they'd show up all the way down there."

Jack looked at Fabrizio and winked at his friend as their eyes met. What Tommy didn't know was that he was playing poker with a swell. For the past year, Jack had been living a lie. Only Fabrizio knew who he really was. To people that they met, they were just a couple of wanderers. Jack an artist and Fabrizio was his immigrant friend, new to America to start a new life. What they didn't know was that Jack was not poor at all. He was from one of the richest families in New England and was considered very old money. Fabrizio was not only his best friend, but his valet who had joined Jack in this adventure as he avoided his father, who was waiting to groom him to take over the family business. Jack didn't consider what he was doing slumming. He considered it living a real, honest life and making real honest friends. Friends he would never be able to make as a first class gentleman, where all everyone cared about was how much money one made. People, that weren't honest and real like Tommy was. Sighing, he wondered what the Irishman would think if he knew that Jack was a swell as well. He almost didn't want to find out.

Jack opened his mouth to answer Tommy's question when she came in. She was obviously first class with her rich clothing and red hair pulled up into an intricate style. She was the loveliest girl he's ever had the fortune to gaze upon. He would have done anything to draw her. He cursed himself for leaving his portfolio back in the room he shared with Fabrizio. He could only hope to memorize every feature so he could draw her later on that night.

Frowning by the lack of response, Tommy followed Jack's stare and couldn't help but chuckle. "Ah, forget it boy-o. You're more likely to have angels fly out of your arse than get next to the likes of her."

Jack just continued to stare. Not even an amused Fabrizio waving his hand in front of his face could draw his attention away.

"Come on, Fabri. Let's get Jack out of here, before we get in trouble. The swells are here to look at us, not to be looked at by us," Tommy chuckled, downing the last of his beer and leaving a tip.

…..

Rose couldn't believe it. She had thought that this slumming it party would be different from all the others, but it was exactly the same. The same boring people. The same mindless chatter. It was just like the cotillions, yachts, and polo matches she's ever attended in her life. The only difference was that the party was in a poorer section of town that Rose had never been in before. She had found it all rather interesting at first, wondering how the people survived in such conditions, but the mindless comments of her companions ruined it for her. She had been better off staying at home.

"Where do we go to now?" Louise asked the host of the party, Edward Henshaw, a tall man who seemed to be about 25 years old and was the son of a banker. Rumor had it that Louise had been waiting for him to ask for her hand in marriage. It had yet to happen though. Rose wondered if it ever would.

"There's a bar over there. It's not very big, but it'd hold all of us I believe," Edward chuckled.

Rose rolled her eyes, her boredom now at an all time high. "Have you ever heard of Dr. Freud, Mr. Henshaw. I believe that his preoccupation with size may be of some interest to you."

"Rose!" Louise gasped, shocked at such inappropriate talk. She turned to the man, her voice apologetic. "I do apologize for Rose. I believe that all that planning for her upcoming wedding has her all frazzled these days. I was hoping that this party and getting away from it all would be of some help."

"Oh it's perfectly understandable. No offense taken," Mr. Henshaw just laughed indulgently.

Rose just rolled her eyes, annoyed at being apologized for. She was not at all sorry and she resented

Louise for speaking up for her in such a manner. She didn't say anything though. She knew that there would be no use in doing so. No one ever paid her any mind anyway, no matter how sharp her words were.

"Mr. Henshaw, do you think we can get some tea in here?" Louise questioned as they entered the bar.

"It's a bar, my dear. I doubt that they serve tea here. But I might as well ask."

Rose rolled her eyes once more, just as she felt as if someone was looking at her. She turned her head and spotted a handsome young man looking at her. He was more than handsome really with his blue eyes and hair that hung in his face. That was unusual in itself. She had never seen a man with such long hair. She looked away, not wanting to appear rude, but she ended up looking back.

"Really Rose. That was rude what you said outside," Louise hissed, drawing her attention away from the handsome blond. "What has gotten into you?"

"I just thought this would be more interesting than what it is. I was just trying to liven things up a little."

"Well do me a favor and just don't talk anymore if all you're going to do is embarrass me."

Hurt, Rose looked away. She may have been in the wrong, but that did not give Louise the right to treat her like a child. Sighing, she turned her attention back to where the young man was, just to find him gone. She wondered who he was. What was his name? What did he do for a living? Why was he staring at her like that?

She sighed, pushing him out of her mind, thinking that wondering all those things were useless. She'll most likely never see him again. That is if he had even existed at all.