And here we go again, we know the start, we know the end... Masters of the scene...
I felt like singing something from Mamma Mia! for some reason just now. That's just my way of saying that I am back! Again!
Review Responses:
AndrewKeenanBolgerFan: First of all, thank you so much for reviewing! I greatly appreciate the support (that sounds really formal, but seriously, reviews make me so happy). Yes, a Crutchie chapter! We love those. I'm glad to hear you say that. I was worried this story wouldn't be very different from the others because I'm using ideas similar to stories that have been written before. And as for me updating so often: you are witnessing history. I never update as often as I have been. Again, thank you so much! (That response was longer than the review. Oops.)
JustVildaPotter (Chapter 5): Yep, The Refuge sucks. But I'm glad my chapter didn't. Thank you!
This next chapter is rather short, mainly because the last chapter was so long. Enjoy!
Chapter 9- Katherine
Wednesday, September 15, 1999, 11:10 a.m.
Jack Kelly wouldn't leave Katherine Plumber alone. It appeared he had completely forgotten about the time he had paid for, as he was spending his class period bothering her instead of being productive. No matter how many times she told him "I'm working", he continued to come back to her desk, where he would sit like a dog expecting a treat.
Normally, Katherine enjoyed student teaching; she was allowed to run the Roosevelt High World as she saw fit. Mr. Wiesel, the gym teacher who was being forced to supervise the class in the absence of a proper teacher, wasn't the sort of man who cared about the health and well-being of his students. He kept order. That was all Katherine needed him to do, otherwise she would have taught the class on her own, nonexistent teaching degree notwithstanding. Today especially, Katherine was not in the mood to deal with any of the unruly teenagers referred to as "newsies". Namely, a plain-spoken, know-nothing, skirt-chasing, cocky little son of a-
"So how was your summer?" Jack had returned, having circled through the classroom for a fifth time.
"I read your article, Jack. Is that what you want?"
"Uh... what're ya talkin' about?" Jack may have been attempting to look innocent, but he was failing miserably. Katherine was a reporter. She could read anyone.
"Cut the crap, Cowboy."
"If, theoretically, I did write this 'article' you speak of, not sayin' I did, a' course." Katherine rolled her eyes. "What did you think?"
"I think you could have caused your own expulsion if the school board discovered you."
"It's a good thing I didn't write it then, isn't it?"
"Only Jack Kelly is rash enough to use the word 'hot' in a headline and immediately follow that headline with an amateur letter of recommendation."
Jack grinned. "I knew you'd like it. Soon as I read the article, I mean."
"Uh-huh."
"Still tryin' ta get that internship at The Sun, aren't ya?"
That was the thing about Jack. He snuck up on people. Precisely when he began to drive a person out of their mind, he would turn around and do something kind and selfless enough to make them forget their annoyance.
"So, theoretically, you wrote me that article to show the editor of The New York Sun?"
"Yeah," dropping all pretenses of not having written the article, Jack responded, "If yer lookin' fer a way ta repay me, we could always go-"
There it was. The moment was over. "No, Jack."
"C'mon, Kath," he whined.
"We can't go back to our high school relationship, you know that."
"We could try."
"I'm a student teacher. I can't date a student."
"Yeah, but-"
"But nothing. You're seventeen years old."
"Almost eighteen."
"In July."
"Ka-ath..."
"Ja-ack..." Katherine mimicked. Jack laid his head down on her desk, so she poked him with her pen. "I'm not having this discussion again."
"You've been mean since ya started college, y'know that?"
"I'm only mean to certain people who annoy the crap out of me."
"Like Sarah."
"Yes, Sarah is terribly annoying. She's always so helpful and doesn't constantly bother me when I'm trying to work. Truly an awful person."
"Now say that again so's I can record it an' play it back ta Sarah later."
"You're crazy."
"You like crazy."
"Jack," Katherine warned, "you can't keep flirting with me."
"It's a reflex."
"Take your 'reflex' elsewhere."
"I'd hate ta leave ya all alone."
"Don't you have work to do?"
"Eh, not really. There ain't nothin' ta write about."
"Besides me, you mean."
"Besides you."
Unable to hide it, Katherine smiled. There was no getting rid of him. Bending over slightly, she pulled open her bottom desk drawer, which was filled to the brim with blank sheets of notebook paper. She grabbed a sheet of paper and a pencil from a cup on top of the desk and handed the two items to Jack.
"Here, for old times sake."
He took the paper and pencil, looking only slightly confused. "Um..."
"'Draw me like one of your French girls.'"
Jack smirked. "In front a' everyone? Ya sure?"
Katherine lightly swatted his arm with her hand. "Just draw me, Kelly."
For about ten minutes, Jack sat there sketching Katherine. Meanwhile, she focused on her history textbook. Student teaching unfortunately did not mean she was no longer a student herself. Her classes weren't terribly difficult, but she was looking forward to being done with them and moving on to a career in journalism, hopefully with one of New York City's many newspapers. Katherine couldn't wait to get out in the world and make a difference with her writing, even if getting to that point meant working as an intern and serving coffee to the higher-ups first. Of course, to do that, she would actually have to land an internship. Perhaps Jack's makeshift letter of recommendation could be useful, after all. If she tweaked it and added the name of a teacher at the end, maybe she could use it to snag herself a position. Filing that thought away for later, she returned all her energy to reading about striking newsboys in 1899.
When the bell rang to signal the end of the period, Jack smoothed out his drawing and displayed it on the desk. Katherine took a look at it before he ran off. It was of her, as promised. Somehow, with simple pencil marks, Jack had captured everything, from the way Katherine held herself to her furrowed brow as she studied. "This is really good."
"It's nothin'."
"You still have that job at Jacobi's, right? If you keep on like this, I'm sure you could get into art school."
"Art school? What're ya, nuts? Ain't no way I'm payin' fer art school with a minimum wage job."
"It wouldn't hurt to try."
"No thanks, Kath."
"I'm just saying, your work is beautiful."
"Only 'cause you're in it."
"Stop it."
"Only tellin' the truth."
"Get to class, Jack."
He left Katherine to study in peace. The Delancey brothers and Mr. Wiesel exited the newspaper office soon after all the newsies had left, and the room stayed in an empty, noiseless state after the next bell. Closing her textbook, Katherine stood up. She crossed the room to one of the large computers and fired it up, tapping her fingers on the desk as she waited. The previous user had left open the web page on which their work was located. Under the headline "Bus Driver Strike Enters Third Week" was a short rant.
They're going to kill us with this story. Three weeks of the same story. How are we supposed to report on news that everyone's already heard about? And how are we expected to get anyone interested in this paper if there's nothing interesting to read or write about? Please help.
Sighing, Katherine opened the official site for the school paper. Using her editor's account, she was able to look at that day's entries. There were a few attempted articles about the bus driver strike, each only a couple paragraphs in length. Several people had just written their thoughts down or ranted like in the first article Katherine had read. One person had attempted to start an original story, and their entry was the longest by far, even though it wasn't completed. Other students had resorted to making stuff up. Katherine counted no less than five entries that looked like someone had bashed their head into the keyboard for the entire period. And finally, there was the article that was clearly Jack's: "Terrifying Flight From Burning Inferno".
You heard the story right here, he had printed. And under that, a few lines down, I said you heard it right here, and you did. Have a nice day.
Ultimately, there was nothing of substance to add to the day's "paper". Nothing anybody would find worth reading, and nothing to distract from Jack's stunt that morning. A few tries at covering a strike that was old news and a gang of kids' halfhearted attempts at making their money count.
What was Katherine supposed to do with all this?
Like I said, this chapter's super short. It's really just an introduction to Katherine, as well as her relationship with Jack. By the way, I imagine Katherine to be 19 (possibly almost 20), which is why she is a student teacher and not a high school student like the rest of the characters.
I hope you had fun with this little portion of the story (please review and let me know your thoughts), and I'll see you all next time!