Author's Notes: Oh, my God, two updates in one day!!!!! It's a miracle!! Well, actually, no, it's not, it's just extreme boredom.
Chapter 4:
"Andrea? Hulloh? Wake up!"
I opened my eyes a bit slower this time, my whole body stiff with shock and fear. Finally, I sat up again.
"You got some sorta disease that makes you do that, 'er sumthin'?" Jack asked with the hint of a smile on his lips.
"Are you telling me that sister is dead?" I demanded, fighting back tears.
"Erm, well…" Jack said, "she might be dead, but we can't know 'fer sure."
I let out a small growl, and buried my face in my hands.
"Uh, do you want an apple?" Jack asked awkwardly.
"What?" I said, picking my head up to look at him.
"Well," he said, "whenever I'm not feelin' too good, I eat an apple. It cheers me up, at any rate," he added with a shrug.
"No, thank you," I said wearily, casting a glance around the orchard. "What time is it?" I asked.
"It's gettin' on to supper time," Jack said lightly. "'Bout six, I'd say." I remained silent. "You wanna come in for supper?" he asked.
"Come in for supper?" I repeated.
"Sure," he said with a grin.
"And how would your family take to me, exactly?" I asked skeptically. "Look what I'm wearing!"
"Oh, right," Jack said, his brows furrowing. Then his face lit up with an idea. "Stay here," he said, springing up. He took off at a run towards the house.
I let him leave without protest. "1778," U chuckled to myself. "I must be dead," I mused. "Or in some twisted coma, at least…"
***
A few minutes later, Jack came thundering back into view. "Here," he panted, shoving a ball of wadded up fabric at me.
"What's this?" I asked, taking it from him.
"Some of my clothes," he said proudly. "You see, it'll look better if I bring a boy to supper." I raised my eyebrows at him. "Well, you know," he said, "it's a bit more, uh, proper."
"Oh," I said, nodding.
"Uh, why don't you go over there 'an change," Jack suggested, pointing into a clump of apple trees. "I won't look or anythin', I swear."
I got up and walked as far away from Jack as I could into the little grove. I looked down at what he had given me: a dull blue cotton shirt and a pair of cotton pants.
"Jack?" I called to him.
"What?" he called back.
"What am I going to do about shoes?" I asked.
"Go barefoot, ahcourse!" he shouted back.
I shook my head at how his brain worked, then changed as quickly as possible. I hunt my slacks and blouse on one of the tree branches, and ticked my flats into a nook in another. Then, remembering my hair, I reached into the pocket of my slacks and pulled out one of the hair ties that I always keep with me. I pulled my red hair back into a low ponytail, hoping it would pass inspection.
When I came back out of the grove, Jack looked me over. "The clothes are a little big, but they'll have to do," he said.
"Is there anything I need to know before we reach your house?" I asked as we started out walk.
"Nah," Jack said. "But my father's name is John, my mother's name is Katherine, and my sisters are Caroline, Sarah, and Kate."
"What's my name, then?" I asked suddenly.
"Andrea," Jack said, giving me an uncertain look.
"No, my boy name," I said.
"Oh," Jack said, his brow furrowing. "We'll call you Andrew," he said after a few seconds.
"All right," I said. Jack stopped walking suddenly. "What?" I said, alarmed by the rapidity of his stop.
"Let me hear your man voice," Jack said.
"Man voice?"
"Yeah, we can't have you talkin' like a girl when you're supposta' be a guy."
I cleared my throat, then lowered my voice an octave or two. "How's this?"
Jack nodded, clearly satisfied. "That'll do fine," he said.
We walked the remainder of the way in silence.
***
All too soon, the plantation came into view. It was a beautiful, large, white house, with two brown barns on one side of it, and acres upon acres of fields on the other. Behind it, I could just make out what appeared to be a small pond, and we had just come from the orchard.
I followed Jack up the front steps. "Well, here we go," he said. And then he pushed the front door open.
