CHESS

Chapter Ten

I stuck around to speak to Songbird for a little while, playing Amazing Grace on the piano for her. It was the only song I actually knew how to play, but it wasn't very good and eventually she shoved me off the bench and told me to sit in the front row and let her play.

I walked with her afterwards to the Jacobs' apartment, since they'd invited her to have Christmas with them. I was glad she had somewhere to go to. I hugged her goodbye and was on my own way, heading back to the Lodging House, wondering if I should go back to sleep. I had nothing better to do.

"You know she isn't really your friend, right?"

I kept walking at the sound of Diana's voice, ignoring her ghost as she appeared beside me, dressed for the weather in her lavish silk gown with a thick black cloak on and a fur muff on her hands.

"She is to my friend. She is a great friend," I said, wishing I didn't take bait so easily sometimes.

"You're so daft, Lissie," Diana laughed. "She used to talk about you all the time in the dressing room when we performed. God, you're so stupid."

That floored me a little bit. "I'm not stupid, Diana."

"You're stupid if you don't think she was talking about you to me."

"Why are you being so mean?"

"Because you're not listening to me."

I stopped walking and so did she. We turned and faced each other and I frowned at her. She didn't look really concerned at all. In fact, she looked a little angry.

"I am not crazy. You're not really here," I told her, but it felt like I was telling myself.

"Then why are you speaking to thin air, if you are not crazy? Face it, Lissa, you're as mad as a hatter, and you always have been."

I started walking again, but she didn't follow me, and I was left haunted as her cold, odd laughter filled the air behind me. I quickened my pace and walked right into the Lodging House as fast as I could, closing the door behind me. I pulled my coat and my boots off, trembling but not because I was cold.

"Angel!"

I shrieked as Pip jumped out from the side room. She stared oddly at me and I realized I had my back pressed against the wall in utter terror.

"Jesus, Angel, you're excitable this morning," she said and then gave me an odd look. "You look like ya saw a ghost. Everythin' okay?"

I look like I saw a ghost, I thought. Wonderful.

"No. Ah… no. I'm okay," I said, trying to straighten myself out. Get a hold of yourself, Alyssa. You're not crazy.

She fixed me with another odd look before she shook it off and smiled. "You sure were up early this morning. Go back to bed. We don't sell papes today."

I nodded and pulled myself up the stairs. I fell into my cot heavily and fell right to sleep.

Sometime past lunch, I awoke again, my head heavy on my pillow. I pulled myself up and rubbed my eyes; the bunk room was completely empty. I figured everyone was probably down hanging around the boys. No papes to sell today, meant bored girls. And bored girls meant bothering the boys.

Well, I was alone until he walked out of the washroom with a bowl in his hand with a lid on top. It smelled heavenly, whatever it was. He smiled when he saw me sitting up in bed and came to my side, sitting on the edge of the bed. He pressed a kiss to my temple and I smiled at his easy affection.

Diana was nowhere to be seen, and I didn't smell gardenias.

"Pip ran all the way to Brooklyn to tell me she was worried about ya. So I brought you some stew from the MacLeans," Silver said. "Night told me to force ya to eat it, even if ya said ya weren't hungry."

"I'm starving," I admitted.

He grinned and produced a silver spoon from his pocket and watched me wolf down the lamb stew as fast as I could possibly shovel it into my mouth. How charming and ladylike of me!

"Spot told me what happened the other night," Silver said. "Kinda glad I wasn't around. I woulda knocked his block off if I heard him screamin' at ya, even if it was for fake."

I smiled at him. "You're my best friend, ya know that?"

"Of course I am," he said proudly and then beamed at me. "So why was Pip all shaken up this afternoon? She said ya looked pale and ya jumped when ya came inside. Liss, ya never jump at anything."

I sighed, my shoulders slumping. Don't tell him. He will think you're mad, Lissa. He won't understand. And then he'll tell Sean. Don'ttelldon'ttelldon'ttell.

"I've been thinking more about Diana lately," I said quietly, my face burning at the lie that slipped so easily from my tongue. "I went to visit her grave this morning. I guess it's just affecting me."

He nodded. "You never had time to deal with your sadness, Angel. Spot's real good at makin' people forget what the hell they were thinkin' and all. He's a good distraction." I nodded my agreement and sighed. "But now that he ain't around to distract ya, maybe you're feelin' all the sadness now. It's a good thing, Angel. It's good to be sad. Ya can't be invincible all the time."

"But I can't be sad now, Silver. I have to worry about the war and Johnny and all that," I said feebly. "I don't have time to deal with my sadness."

"Well, Angel, if ya don't, it's just going to come out a different way," he said, smoothing down my hair affectionately.

Yes, I know. I've been seeing her ghost and she's been frightening me because I keep trying to ignore her and the pain of not having her, plus the guilt because I killed her. "I know, but I just can't deal right now. Maybe eventually, when this is over, but not now. I can't," I said.

"Night's always there to talk to ya, Angel," he offered quietly.

"I know, Silver. She's too good to me," I said softly and then sighed. "Just like you. And Spot. All of you are too good to me."

"It's our job. I'm the best friend, Spot is the delicious boyfriend, and Nightshade is the voice of reason."

I nodded. "That's a very accurate way of putting it, yeah."

He smiled at me. "So can I have a bite of that?"

I grinned and scooped some stew onto my spoon. Silver opened his mouth expectantly and I fed him the spoonful, laughing when the broth dripped down over his chin. He leaned over and gave my cheek a sloppy broth-kiss, which made me laugh again. I wanted to keep Silver here, because he kept Diana's ghost away.

No. I wanted Spot here. Diana never would have come if none of this was happening. I had to end it.

I followed Silver out of the Lodging House, on the pretense that I was going to join my friends inside for poker since I was sure that's what they were doing. No papes to sell, nothing else to do. So what do you do? Play poker.

Silver hugged me goodbye and left, not even turning around to see if I'd actually gone inside. I felt terrible for being a bad friend, but this thing needed to end. I walked with purpose up through Manhattan, towards enemy lines. I knew this was wrong; I knew I was about to be the stupidest person in the history of the world.

But I didn't care.

"So where are we going now, Lissie?" Diana asked.

"To the Bronx. To get this war thing over with," I told her. She looked better than before. Color had flushed her cheeks and she was coming in clearer. Like she was getting used to following me around.

"How exciting! A war!" She giggled in delight. What a typical, shallow Diana thing to say.

"Not really. It's terrifying," I told her and then sighed. "Why do you keep coming around, Diana? You're not helping anything."

I looked over at her and her eyes flashed white-blue. "You don't want me to be around anymore?"

"Not really."

She disappeared then and I breathed a sigh of relief, but I filled with a sudden fear. What if I'd made her angry? I stopped when a frighteningly large newsie stepped off a porch stoop and put a hand on my chest to stop me from walking. I glared at his hand and then looked up at him, eyes prompting him to explain why his hand was on me.

"Who the hell are you?" he sneered.

"I'm here to see your leader," I informed him and pushed his hand away. He grinned, showing me a mouth that was missing a few teeth, and then gripped my arm, walking me forcefully down the road, towards a large warehouse.

Inside, I assumed it was their Lodging House, or some semblance of one, because there was a bunch of newsies inside with bunks and cots scattered all over the damn place. I looked up when Johnny descended the stairs, Desiree following hot on his heels. The burly newsie holding my arm ripped the hat from my head, forcing my hair down around my shoulders. A sign of respect was to take your hat off in the presence of someone better than you, or a girl.

Johnny grinned at the sight of my hair.

"Miss O'Rourke. Lovely to see you again, darling," he said and then bowed low before me, pressing a kiss to my gloved hand. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?"

"I need to talk to you," I informed him gruffly, pulling my hand from his grip. I didn't enjoy being sweet-talked by the enemy.

"Of course, darling. Whatever did you wish to discuss?" he asked, his terrible eyes peering into my soul.

Over his shoulder I saw Diana draped against his staircase, listening and watching, her elbows resting on the step behind her. She grinned wickedly when she saw me watching her. I turned my eyes back to Johnny, unwilling to allow my mind to distract me from my purpose here.

"I'd like to propose an exchange," I told him. "If you don't attack Spot and Brooklyn, I will give myself over to you willingly."

He grinned and then stroked his chin. Desiree tugged on his arm, glaring at me. "She lies, Johnny. She's manipulating you. Don't fall for her tricks."

"I give you my word," I told him. "I don't want any more games. This thing needs to end. You want me, and if you have me, there's no reason to attack Brooklyn."

He nodded. "Two days, Miss O'Rourke. I shall give you two days. Be outside Sonny's bar at five o'clock. Alone. If you are there, I will not attack your precious newsboy. But if you aren't, or you are not alone, I shall be most unmerciful with you."

"Sonny's is in the Five Points," I told him, mildly horrified. Did he expect me to wait there, alone, in the Five Points? He was a lunatic.

"Indeed, Miss O'Rourke. Or are you afraid?" he teased.

I squared my shoulders. "I will be there. Alone."

"Excellent choice, darling. The right choice, I'd say," He laughed and the gripped my jaw in his hand, smiling down at me. "Don't make me be violent with you, Miss O'Rourke. I would so hate to bruise such a sweet face."

I ground my teeth to keep my tongue from growing a mind of its own and saying something that would get me seriously injured. I tugged my jaw from his grip, glaring at him in disgust. He smiled pleasantly at me and then walked away, pulling Desiree roughly by the arm as he went. She glared backwards at me and I pretended not to notice her immaturity. Once they were out of earshot, however, I glared at the floor.

"Don't ever call me 'darling.'"

I just love writing Silver's character. He is just like Matt, which holds bittersweet feelings for me. I miss him.

Anyways, here's this chapter. I know, I know. What the hell is Angel doing, right? Well, she doesn't know either. :)

CTB!

xx Wicked

P.S- CC is offically CLOSED. It's time to get into the story, yo. xD