We walked to the harbor in almost total silence. I couldn't help but look up at him every now and again. It was sort of ironic how we both watched the ground as we walked. He only spoke once,
"Bounce? Skittery told me youse neva get close ta no one. Why is dat?"
"Cuz," I said turning slightly cold, "I don't let ne one hold me down. Ise ain't no ones goil and I don't belong to anyone."
"Ise can respect that." He said looking down at me. He looked normal, but I could see it formulating in his mind, 'I'm gonna get her to be my goil.' I couldn't help but shake my head, such thoughts were useless, many had tried, and all had failed. Jack Kelly would be no different. And besides, from what I heard, Jack Kelly never stayed with one girl for very long either.
Upon arrival to the harbor, I saw that we had been late to the party. The news boys were all splashing around in the water. Before I knew it, Jack had stripped himself of everything but his pants. He looked even more gorgeous without clothes.
"Well, ya coming?" he asked looking at me before jumping of the pier and into the water. I stripped down to my undergarments. Jack had been watching me and one of the guys splashed him and got him engaged in a game of 'try to get the other guy under the water'. I ran and jumped off the end of the pier, right as a wave crashed over my head. I felt something hard against my head and everything went black. The next thing I felt was a head pressed against my chest and then someone kissing me-blowing air into me. I sat up and spat uncontrollably. When I finished I fell back onto the warm sand, and looked around. All the newsies were circled around me; it was a damn fine sight. Jack was directly above me, looking terrified. I slapped him. "What da hell?" he shouted hold his cheek. "I just saved youse life you stupid goil! If I hadn't gotten you out you woulda drowned!" I looked taken aback. No one had ever done anything like that for me before. Flip wouldna even noticed. I grabbed his neck, pulling him into me, and kissed him wildly. I felt his arms slip under my head and my waist. One of the guys said,
"Well, let's go swimming guys." I felt them leave. Jack and I continued. We paused once and I apologized. Jack didn't say anything, just kissed me. I didn't know why I had kissed him. Suddenly it occurred to me, and it scared me. I broke away from Jack and crawled out from under him. He had a puzzled look on his face, and I knew I looked like I had just seen a ghost. I grabbed my clothes and ran. I couldn't think strait, I knew I heard Jack calling my name, but all I could do was run. When I reached the lodging house I could fell tears streaming down my face. I ran up the stairs and threw my self up on my bunk. I was so confused. I never cried, never. I sat on my top bunk asking myself stupid questions. I didn't understand. When I had kissed Jack, I felt something. And when it hit me, I had gotten scared. I knew it in the back of my head, but I would never admit it, willingly. I felt a hand brush my hair back and ask,
"What's wrong Bounce?" I looked up at Jack, my face red and tear streaked.
"I never cry Jack! That's what's wrong!" I shouted and then collapsed my head back into my pillow.
"Everyone cries, Bounce."
"I DON'T!"
Jack crawled up next to me and lifted my into his lap. I sat there, crying into his chest. He just stroked my hair. He was there for me, and that was strange. No boy had ever treated me like this before. When I had stopped crying, he kissed my forehead.
"Now youse gonna tell me what's on your mind?"
I looked up into a face I knew I trusted.
"Jack, Ise dink Ise really like you."
It was his turn to be spontaneous. He kissed me. Not like before, it was gentle.
"Ise like youse too Bounce." He whispered.
"Bounce? Skittery told me youse neva get close ta no one. Why is dat?"
"Cuz," I said turning slightly cold, "I don't let ne one hold me down. Ise ain't no ones goil and I don't belong to anyone."
"Ise can respect that." He said looking down at me. He looked normal, but I could see it formulating in his mind, 'I'm gonna get her to be my goil.' I couldn't help but shake my head, such thoughts were useless, many had tried, and all had failed. Jack Kelly would be no different. And besides, from what I heard, Jack Kelly never stayed with one girl for very long either.
Upon arrival to the harbor, I saw that we had been late to the party. The news boys were all splashing around in the water. Before I knew it, Jack had stripped himself of everything but his pants. He looked even more gorgeous without clothes.
"Well, ya coming?" he asked looking at me before jumping of the pier and into the water. I stripped down to my undergarments. Jack had been watching me and one of the guys splashed him and got him engaged in a game of 'try to get the other guy under the water'. I ran and jumped off the end of the pier, right as a wave crashed over my head. I felt something hard against my head and everything went black. The next thing I felt was a head pressed against my chest and then someone kissing me-blowing air into me. I sat up and spat uncontrollably. When I finished I fell back onto the warm sand, and looked around. All the newsies were circled around me; it was a damn fine sight. Jack was directly above me, looking terrified. I slapped him. "What da hell?" he shouted hold his cheek. "I just saved youse life you stupid goil! If I hadn't gotten you out you woulda drowned!" I looked taken aback. No one had ever done anything like that for me before. Flip wouldna even noticed. I grabbed his neck, pulling him into me, and kissed him wildly. I felt his arms slip under my head and my waist. One of the guys said,
"Well, let's go swimming guys." I felt them leave. Jack and I continued. We paused once and I apologized. Jack didn't say anything, just kissed me. I didn't know why I had kissed him. Suddenly it occurred to me, and it scared me. I broke away from Jack and crawled out from under him. He had a puzzled look on his face, and I knew I looked like I had just seen a ghost. I grabbed my clothes and ran. I couldn't think strait, I knew I heard Jack calling my name, but all I could do was run. When I reached the lodging house I could fell tears streaming down my face. I ran up the stairs and threw my self up on my bunk. I was so confused. I never cried, never. I sat on my top bunk asking myself stupid questions. I didn't understand. When I had kissed Jack, I felt something. And when it hit me, I had gotten scared. I knew it in the back of my head, but I would never admit it, willingly. I felt a hand brush my hair back and ask,
"What's wrong Bounce?" I looked up at Jack, my face red and tear streaked.
"I never cry Jack! That's what's wrong!" I shouted and then collapsed my head back into my pillow.
"Everyone cries, Bounce."
"I DON'T!"
Jack crawled up next to me and lifted my into his lap. I sat there, crying into his chest. He just stroked my hair. He was there for me, and that was strange. No boy had ever treated me like this before. When I had stopped crying, he kissed my forehead.
"Now youse gonna tell me what's on your mind?"
I looked up into a face I knew I trusted.
"Jack, Ise dink Ise really like you."
It was his turn to be spontaneous. He kissed me. Not like before, it was gentle.
"Ise like youse too Bounce." He whispered.