Chapter 2
Tibby's was silent. An astounded, pin-drop, crickets-chirping silence. Slowly, Becca stood. "I, um, should be heading back to work now." She exited, a very torn, confused look on her face. Inside her, there was a war going on. What should she do? Becca forced these thoughts from her head. 'Now is not the time. You need to concentrate for work. You can worry about this later.'
***
Back at Tibby's, the newsies broke out of their trance and resumed eating, although they knew what Becca was thinking. Hazel gazed over to Jack. He too appeared torn. She moved from her seat across from him and slide down beside him. "Jack," she said softly. The newsie leader shifted back to reality.
"Yeah?"
"Ya okay?"
"Yeah, Ise fine." Seeing Hazel's dubious look, he sighed heavily. "Not really. I know what Becky should do, but I know t'at she ain't gonna be too comfortable with it." Hazel nodded in understanding.
"You're gonna have ta talk it over with her. We know that she knows deep down what she wants. But she's gonna be scared, and you're the only person who is gonna be able to assure her that it'll be alright. Not even me or Dave or Spot could do that, not in this situation." Jack agreed,
"I know. I just don't know how easy t'at's gonna be." Hazel and Jack lapsed into silence.
***
A few tables away, Ebony put her food down and turned to Clover, who was trying not to make it obvious that she kept glancing over in Skittery's direction. "Alright, ya've put it off long enough. Now, admit t'at ya've got a crush on Skitts."
"I do no--" Clover noticed the disbelief on Ebony's face. "Well, maybe."
"Maybe? Ya asked him ta dance, made him dance, with ya at Dave's farewell party. And ya've been starin' at him every spare chance ya get." Clover shook her head,
"I don't have a crush on him, at least not the way you're thinking. Yeah, I like Skittery, but I'm drawn to him for other reasons as well." Ebony's eyebrows raised,
"Like what?"
"Like that the happy 'Skitts' that we see joking around with Bumlets, Snoddy, and Dutchy at the table over there isn't really Skittery. That it's just an act, and he's covering up for all the lonely, angst-ridden feelings he has." Ebony was certain of Clover's sincerity--she was exactly the type who would be drawn to someone like what Clover was describing of Skittery. Now, however, Ebony was skeptical about what Clover had said about Skittery. She glanced over at him, to find that he was indeed laughing and joking with Bumlets, Snoddy, and Dutchy.
"I don't get it. Skitts don't feel like t'at, does he? I mean, shoah, Skitts has always been kinda broodin', 'least more t'en the rest of us, but not anyt'in like yoah sayin', is he?"
" He is. I can just feel it. And I want to…I'm not sure exactly what, but I want to bring at least a little light into his life. And I'm determined to do so. I don't want him, won't let him, go through such pain alone."
***
Becca walked up to the Lodging House to see Jack waiting there for her. "Hi, Jack," she called tiredly.
"Hey, Becky. Lissen, can we talk?"
"Sure. Just let me put my guitar away." Jack followed Becca up to her room. Once she put her guitar away, he spoke again.
"Ya should go, ya know."
"What?" Becca's head snapped up towards Jack.
"Ya know what I'm talkin' about--ya should go. Ya really miss Dave, and I know he misses ya a lot too. And ya get along so much bettah with our fa'tah then I do. It'd be good foah ya ta go visit him." Becca sank down onto her bed, and Jack followed her action.
"I--I don't know," Becca stuttered, "I mean, I really, really, do miss Dave, and I have been thinking a lot about it, but…"
"But yoah scared," Jack finished for her softly. Becca bit her lip and nodded slightly, looking down at the floor.
"I know it's stupid."
"No, no it's not," Jack hugged her around the shoulders. "Feah nevah makes sense, and besides, in t'is case ya got a reason ta be scared."
"I'm scared of leaving you. I'm scared that something's gonna happen, like what happened before even though it was so long ago. I've loved my life so much after I found you again. I don't want to lose you a second time." Jack pulled his sister closer.
"I know. Ise uncomfortable 'bout it too, havin' ya so far away from me and everyt'in'. But it's best foah ya ta go, ya really should go. If anyt'in happens, which it probably won't, but if anyt'in does happen on t'e way t'ere, Dave oah our fa'tah will find ya and it'll be okay." Becca laughed a little,
"Usually you're so overprotective. What happened?"
"Hazel." The sixteen-year-old smiled. "So is this entire thing all her idea?"
"No. I knew inside t'at ya should go, I was just scared t'at somet'in might happen ta ya, but she gave me basically t'e same pep talk I gave ya."
"It'll be okay, like you said. I'll be fine," Becca stated. Yet, Jack detected a slight tremor in Becca's voice.
"So yoah goin' ta Kingston, t'en?"
"Yes."