Yeah I made a few little adjustments to this chapter, nothing major, just toned the sappy stuff down a bit.
Chapter 4
Becca's eyelids fluttered open. A ray of sun had obstinately decided to shine directly into her eyes. "Ugh," she mumbled. It had taken her forever to fall asleep that night--the train was especially loud, or at least it had seemed so. Becca couldn't have been awake for more than a handful of seconds when the train uttered an ear-splitting whistle and screeched to a halt. She hauled herself up from her seat and stumbled down the aisle. When the breeze from the outside and the sun fully hit her face, Becca shook her head and woke up completely. She spied a blurred figure waving at her. The sixteen-year-old squinted, and realized that it was her father.
Becca hopped out of the train and went over to meet her father. They stopped a few inches away from each other, unsure of how to greet one another. Soon, Rhys stuck out his hand, and Becca grasped it, shaking it firmly. The both of them laughed, somewhat nervously. "Shall we get your things?" Rhys asked.
"Yeah, I guess so," Becca replied. She had packed lightly, just her bag and guitar. The conductor had allowed her to take the bag onto the train car, but insisted that she put her guitar in the luggage department. They spotted it quickly, being the only guitar there, and Rhys hefted it up. The father and daughter walked along to Rhys's apartment in relative silence, each unsure of what to say. Eventually, Becca spoke,
"So I, uh, noticed that you lost the accent." Rhys gave his daughter a sheepish smile,
"Yes, I'm not sure exactly how it happened. Must be because I'm not in the city anymore…I'm really not sure how it happened, though. (it happened mainly because I don't want to write another NY accent) Ah, here we are." Rhys stopped in front of a pleasant-looking tenement and headed up the stairs. "I'm only a few flights up, so we won't have to climb that far," he called over his shoulder at Becca.
"That's okay," she called back. "I wouldn't have minded going far up. Dave's apartment was near the middle of the building." They reached the apartment, and Rhys let them in. He walked into a bedroom and leaned Becca's guitar against the far wall. The brown-eyed girl followed him. "Oh, no, you don't have to give me your room. I can sleep anywhere, on the fire escape even."
"But I'm not," Rhys replied. "I mean, I would give you my room, but" he led her out into the main room and indicated another bedroom over to the right.
"Oh," Becca blushed. She looked down at her feet, "I'm really not that good at this whole daughter thing." Rhys placed his hands on Becca's shoulders,
"And I don't expect you to be. You haven't had much of a father to be a daughter to. You're a much better daughter than I am father." Becca gave him a warm smile.
"You're trying your best, and not doing as bad as you think you are. We're both new to this father-daughter thing, and we'll get better at it. We just need some practice."
"Here," he said, somewhat flustered. "Let me give you a tour, then I have to leave. I managed to get an extended lunch break, but I need to be back soon."
"Okay. Oh and we'll have to send a telegraph back to Medda tonight or Jack and Spot will show up in a couple of days looking for me."
"I'll make sure to do that." Rhys led Becca around his apartment. It consisted of two bedrooms, a bathroom that was situated between the two rooms, and a living room/kitchen. The kitchen was well-equipped while the living room was sparsely furnished. It contained a couch, a chair, and a table.
Rhys's eyes brushed past the window, noted something, then he checked his watch. "I really have to go now."
"Oh, okay," replied Becca. "I can just stay here." Rhys nodded,
"Yes, that you could," he paused. "It's been louder lately in the afternoons here in Kingston. See, the Institution lets the boys out around this time, and they don't have classes in the afternoons…" Becca's eyes widened. She glanced out the window, and, sure enough, a group of boys could be seen in the square below. Becca dashed out the door. Rhys chuckled and shook his head. A second later, Becca ran back into the room, gave her father a quick hug, and rushed back out.
***
Dave sighed as he shifted the weight of the books in his arms. 'I wonder when I'll get a reply back from Becca and the others.' He felt the familiar throbbing pain in his chest as the thought of the city. Had it only been the newsies Dave was forced to leave behind, it would only be a dull ache that he felt. But leaving Becca…that hurt the worst. Dave had made friends, he was surrounded by and heading off to lunch with them now. But they weren't family. The newsies were family.
Davey sighed again, longer and heavier this time. He halted, watching and hearing one of Kingston's newsies "carry the banner." 'Jack would have a fit if he heard how sloppily improved the headlines are.'
"Jacobs, c'mon," one of Dave's peers yelled, "you coming with us to lunch or not?" Dave winced. The people here were nice enough, but they had the annoying habit of never calling anyone by their first name.
"I'll be there in a second!" Dave shouted back.
***
Becca sped through the streets parallel to the square, searching for Dave. Her eyes lit up when they rested upon a well-known curly haired figure. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath, and noticed that Dave was lagging behind in the group he was walking with. He seemed to be looking at something. It was a newsie! A mischievous grin appeared on Becca's face. She crept over to where Davey was standing.
***
David was about to rejoin his group when he heard a voice that struck a chord in his memory. "Buy me last pape, mistah?" While telling himself to 'stop being silly, that's impossible,' Dave turned around. And froze.
***
Becca waited in suspense as Dave turned around. She observed the stunned look on his face with amusement, and waited for him to process what was happening. He seemed to take forever, and she finally decided to snap him out of it. "Dave? Are you ok--" Becca didn't finish because Dave had broken out of his trance and slammed into her. Before she knew it, Dave's books had bitten the dust and she was being swung around and around. Gradually, Dave let Becca down. She flung her arms around his neck. (arg this is getting SO sappy…sigh…and this is only the fourth chapter) Dave held Becca close,
"I've missed you SO much!" he cried out.
"I've missed you too. A lot," added Becca. They stood there for awhile, holding each other. Dave's friends stopped and came towards the pair, curious about what was going on. Dave pulled back a bit from Becca and grinned widely at her, who smiled brightly back. Then Dave kissed her, putting everything he couldn't communicate in words into the kiss. Becca kissed him back, speaking her own feelings of joy to see him. They broke apart after a couple seconds, disrupted by the whistles and catcalls coming from the group of boys from Dave's school.
Becca and Davey blushed crimson, "friends of yours?" Becca murmured.
"Yeah," Dave whispered back, not entirely sure why he was whispering, "but they're not that bad. C'mon, let's go have lunch with them and I can introduce you, and you can tell me what you're doing here."
"Okay." Becca's hand found Dave's, and they headed off down the street.